Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2015 11:15:19 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 1-2, 2015 From: dchelini@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 1-2, 2015. 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 Americans Favor EPA Regulation Over Carbon Tax Or Cap And Trade Americans want the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases, preferring EPA regulation far more than a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program, according to a Harvard political scientist who has conducted a comprehensive survey of attitudes toward energy and climate for the last 12 years. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2015/01/01/americans-favor-epa-regulation-over-carbon-tax-or-cap-and-trade/ Gas prices drop slightly despite concerns Californians were paying less for gasoline Thursday despite worries that prices could rise on the first day of the New Year, when the state’s cap-and-trade program took effect. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel statewide and in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area was more than a cent less Thursday than the day before, according to figures provided by AAA. http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20150101/NEWS/150109992 New pollution-fighting program will cause rise in gas prices For months, Californians have been taking advantage of lower prices at the pump, but new regulations in the Golden State could change all of that. Starting Thursday, gasoline and diesel suppliers are now subject to California's Cap-and-Trade program, part of the state's landmark greenhouse gas emissions law. But what does it all mean? http://abc7news.com/news/new-pollution-fighting-program-will-cause-rise-in-gas-prices-/458723/ Gas prices: Another drop for New Year's Day The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County was at its lowest amount to start a year since 2009 today, dropping nine-tenths of a cent to $2.619. The average price has decreased 32 consecutive days and 90 of the past 91, dropping $1.084, including 1.5 cents on Wednesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. http://www.10news.com/news/gas-prices-another-drop-for-new-years-day California gas prices likely to stay low in 2015 California gasoline prices closed 2014 at the lowest level in more than five years, mirroring a free fall in crude oil prices that shows few signs of stopping soon. The gas price declines since summer have been a boon to consumers, who are paying roughly $1 less for a gallon of regular than a year earlier. The decline, also seen nationally, has been credited with boosting sales of a wide array of items, including holiday gifts and larger cars with lower gas mileage. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas-prices-20150101-story.html AIR POLLUTION Bay Area air pollution tracker gets national recognition An innovative program to track air pollution in the Bay Area is now getting national recognition and it focuses on one of the most common sources. If you've ever been stuck behind a smoking tailpipe, you already know where much of the Bay Area's air pollution comes from. But tracking where it's going? That's the passion of professor Ron Cohen, Ph.D. http://abc7news.com/science/bay-area-air-pollution-tracker-gets-national-recognition/458597/ Winter Spare the Air Alert for Friday Air quality in the Bay Area can be unhealthy at times throughout the year. Motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, industrial emissions and household chemicals contain volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides that combine with oxygen in the presence of heat and sunlight to form ground-level ozone. Breathing ozone can cause throat irritation, congestion and chest pain. It can trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. http://abc7news.com/weather/winter-spare-the-air-alert-for-friday/54306/ Leafblowers may be restricted, banned in Sunnyvale Sunnyvale residents, professional landscapers and business owners are invited to weigh in on the possibility of restricting, if not flat out banning, gas-powered leaf blowers within the city. The city of Sunnyvale is studying options to address concerns about the devices. City staff will be on hand at two public meetings to discuss why this issue is being studied, current regulations and how other communities have addressed this issue. http://www.mercurynews.com/sunnyvale/ci_27238601/leafblowers-may-be-restricted-banned-sunnyvale?source=rss CLIMATE CHANGE Business needs to play the long game on climate action Last year I wrote that 2014 needed to see a stronger, more unified business voice to help put climate change back on the political agenda. We have undoubtedly seen that – and more. Leading companies are pushing ahead with green investments and ambitious emissions cuts, and are setting long-term targets because they recognise that it makes business sense. http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/jan/02/business-needs-to-play-the-long-game-on-climate-action DIESEL EMISSIONS California Fuel Switching Regulation Still in Force Next Year With new Emissions Control Area (ECA) rules set to come into force tomorrow, Ship & Bunker today reminds vessel operators that the California Ocean-going Vessel (OGV) Fuel Regulation will still be in force requiring the use of 0.10 percent sulfur distillate fuel within 24 nautical miles (nm) of the state's coast. http://shipandbunker.com/news/am/426918-california-fuel-switching-regulation-still-in-force-next-year GREEN ENERGY People Will Pay To Stop Climate Change -- But Only $5 People who worry about human-caused climate change are willing to pay higher energy bills to help stop it, but only up to 5 percent higher, or about $5 on the average American energy bill, according to a Harvard political scientist who has conducted a comprehensive survey of attitudes toward energy and climate for the last 12 years. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2015/01/01/people-will-pay-to-stop-climate-change-but-only-5/ States work to meet new renewable energy standards More than five dozen giant turbines erected on a remote mesa in western New Mexico began churning out power for the state's largest electric provider on New Year's Day. Tapping into the multimillion-dollar Red Mesa Wind Energy Center marks the latest effort by utility PNM to add more renewable energy resources to its portfolio. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article5291373.html#storylink=cpy OPINION Ben Boychuk: The coming punishment at the pump Lower gas prices made Christmas much merrier this year. Burning fewer bucks at the pump meant for many a few more toys under the tree. Alas, the new year brings new rules, and new rules guarantee higher fuel prices statewide. Gas prices are expected to jump roughly 10 cents a gallon as soon as Jan. 1. That’s the conservative estimate, courtesy of Severin Borenstein, director emeritus of the University of California Energy Institute. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/prices-646717-percent-state.html BLOGS Climate Advocates Shift Focus to State Action in 2015 Concluding that global warming will be a toxic topic in the newly elected Congress, climate movement leaders say they will press for action by state and local authorities while encouraging President Barack Obama to advance his agenda for fighting climate change. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150102/climate-advocates-shift-focus-state-action-2015 Tracing the Roots of Pope Francis’s Climate Plans for 2015 One of the highlights of my year, perhaps my career, was being able to participate in “Sustainable Humanity, Sustainable Nature: Our Responsibility,” a four-day Vatican workshop aimed at shaping strategies for human advancement that are attuned to the planet’s limits, organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Academy of Social Sciences last May. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/31/tracing-the-roots-of-pope-franciss-climate-plans-for-2015/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=religion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body The Largest Electric Car Market In The World Is… If I asked you, “What’s the largest electric car market in the world?,” what would you say? I track electric car sales in the US, Europe, China, and Japan about as much as I can. I write up monthly reports on some of these, and have tried to do so on all of them. Even just a day ago, I would have said the US. Actually, I did write that just a couple of days ago. But it seems the tide shifted a couple of months ago. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/01/largest-electric-car-market-world/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 11:19:58 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 5, 2015 From: dchelini@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. FUELS UNDER CAP AND TRADE Despite new gas tax, California drivers pleased at pump Gas prices have now fallen for 100 days in a row. AAA said a gallon of unleaded regular is averaging $2.22 nationwide. In California, a new gas tax aimed at reducing carbon emissions could cause prices to rise 10 cents a gallon in a state that already has some of the highest prices in the nation. Los Angeles gas station owner Andre van der Valk said the impact might have been painful a year ago. Now, it's barely noticeable. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/despite-new-gas-tax-california-drivers-pleased-at-pump/ Gas prices rise for first time in weeks; California cap-and-trade effect cited Hours after 2015 arrived, gasoline prices in Sacramento and throughout California inched upward for the first time in weeks. Experts called the uptick a subdued response to the state’s new requirement that oil companies buy credits to offset the carbon emitted by cars and trucks. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article5365401.html Fuel Facts, California's Cap-and-Trade Program There is fear that gas prices will soar in California as a new law took effect on January 1, 2015. According to the California Environmental Protection Agency any price increase at the pump, and there could be one, would be through the suppliers not the state of California. On January 1, 2015, fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, and natural gas, were covered under the Cap-and-Trade Program. http://www.krcrtv.com/north-coast-news/news/fuel-facts-californias-capandtrade-program/30510028 GAS PRICES: Up a penny; cap-and-trade's effect remains to be seen The price for a gallon of unleaded regular gas in California went up almost a penny on Friday, but it is too early to assign the bump to the state’s cap-and-trade policy. The increase in California went the other way from national price trends, which continued the downward direction of more than three months. http://www.pe.com/articles/cap-757435-california-trade.html Are California gas prices going back up? After months of declines, fuel prices started turning slightly higher in California after fuel suppliers were forced to join the state's cap-and-trade system. Liz Cervantes has reaped the benefits of falling gas prices, especially with her daily commute between West Sacramento and Stockton. http://www.kcra.com/news/are-california-gas-prices-going-back-up/30505950 FAQ: Is California's fight against climate change likely to boost gas prices? Gas prices have steadily dropped since early summer, but just a day into 2015, they’re ticking up slightly. The explanation may lie in a new law taking effect this year. This year makers and distributors of gasoline must come under California’s “cap and trade” program to limit greenhouse gas pollution, and those companies are calling compliance with the law a “hidden gas tax.” Let’s look at what’s really going on. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/01/02/49026/faq-is-california-s-fight-against-climate-change-l/ Southern California gas prices rise moderately Industry fears of a 10-cent increase in gasoline prices due to a new California carbon tax seem to have fallen by the wayside, as the retail price in Los Angeles County today was $2.674, 2.2 cents lower than a week ago. That price was up 2 cents in the last day, the largest daily increase since April 13. On Friday, the average went up eight-tenths of a cent, ending a 92-day streak of decreases. In Orange County, the average price measured by the AAA and Oil Price Information Service today was $2.648, a figure that was 1.4 cents less than one week ago. http://www.dailynews.com/business/20150103/southern-california-gas-prices-rise-moderately AIR POLLUTION Beijing pollution levels fall slightly in 2014 Beijing recorded a slight drop in smog levels in 2014, the municipal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Sunday, though some pollutants remained at 150 percent above national minimum levels. The city government has restricted coal use, shut down factories and introduced new fuel standards for cars and trucks in a bid to limit a surge in air pollution that at times has left the Chinese capital shrouded in smog. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/05/us-china-environment-idUSKBN0KE07H20150105 Spare the Air alert Monday for fourth consecutive day A forecast for continued unhealthy air quality has prompted local air regulators to issue a wood-burning ban Monday for the fourth day in a row. A high pressure weather system in place over the Bay Area is resulting in cold, calm weather, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said. http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_27257137/spare-air-alert-monday-fourth-consecutive-day CLIMATE CHANGE Emissions from planes are a major clause of climate change, yet they remain unregulated. Can they be curbed in time to protect the planet? If commercial aviation were a country, it would rank seventh in global greenhouse gas emissions according to a recent report by the International Council on Clean Transportation. The aviation industry is growing so quickly that its greenhouse gas emissions are expected on present trends to triple globally by 2050. The industry itself is committed to reducing its emissions, but technological and political constraints are hindering rapid progress. http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2015/01/aviation-climate-impact Texas, Calif. throw their weight around on power plant regulations The caricatures of the swaggering, independent Texan and the elitist, trend-setting Californian are on full display in the otherwise dry, technical comments the two major economic drivers submitted on U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. The states have unapologetically taken starkly different routes in transitioning to a cleaner energy future: California charging ahead with laws and regulations meant to move markets, and Texas eyeing natural gas and wind power for their cash potential as well as their environmental benefits. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060011064 HIGH-SPEED RAIL California bullet train getting on track After a decade of controversy and skepticism that threatened to derail California's bullet train, the state is finally ready to break ground on the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles rail line. The ceremony scheduled Tuesday in Fresno will be largely symbolic, since planning and demolition for a 130-mile stretch of track in the Central Valley began several months ago, but one thing is certain: Once construction begins, the $68 billion bullet train will begin steaming ahead. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27252883/california-bullet-train-getting-track VEHICLES Plug-In Electric Car Sales Continue Rise In 2014: 100,000-Plus Delivered This Year ...level, the third annual increase in full-year sales in the U.S. since modern electric cars first went on sale in December 2010. The highest-selling... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096120_plug-in-electric-car-sales-continue-rise-in-2014-100000-plus-delivered-this-year GREEN ENERGY Expect nonstop energy drama in 2015 President Barack Obama’s administration will spend 2015 taking on energy controversies from fracking to smog, from interstate air pollution to coal-burning power plants — and in December, his negotiators will head to Paris to try to reach a global agreement on climate change. In between all that, he just might make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/expect-nonstop-energy-drama-in-2015-113783.html OPINION Playing Dumb on Climate Change SCIENTISTS have often been accused of exaggerating the threat of climate change, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that they ought to be more emphatic about the risk. The year just concluded is about to be declared the hottest one on record, and across the globe climate change is happening faster than scientists predicted. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/opinion/sunday/playing-dumb-on-climate-change.html?_r=1 Legalize ferrets or fight climate change? Quite a dilemma Robert Hertzberg, the former speaker and newly elected state senator, has a big idea: extending California’s sales tax to services, generating $10 billion a year, and giving a break to low-income working stiffs. Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, nearing the end of her tenure in the Legislature, hopes to expand AB 32, the 2006 landmark that requires Californians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dan-morain/article5284155.html BLOGS Four Questions For Global Carbon Markets In 2015 The world’s carbon markets are one of the climate change fight’s biggest stories, and they’ve never been stronger. Cap-and-trade systems combined with carbon taxes to cut emissions and invest billions in clean energy technologies, while expanding to over 40 national and regional jurisdictions in 2014. While 1,000 companies and 84 governments support carbon pricing, market growth is in a tenuous position moving forward, and this year is sizing up to be a make-or-break year for carbon markets in combating climate change. http://theenergycollective.com/silviomarcacci/2178686/four-questions-global-carbon-markets-2015 California’s cap-and-trade program now covers cars After a long PR battle between oil industry lobbyists and California’s regulatory agencies, the state’s cap-and-trade program was extended on Jan. 1, on schedule, to cover companies that sell fuel to drivers. That means fuel retailers will have to either provide lower-carbon fuels or buy permits for the pollution their products put into the air. http://grist.org/news/californias-cap-and-trade-program-now-covers-cars/?utm_source=syndication&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed Chinese City Puts a Cap on New Car Registrations to Curb Congestion and Pollution Shenzhen, a city in southern China with a population of 11 million, is the latest to cap the number of new car plates to just 100,000 per year in order to reduce traffic and air pollution. The city, which is close to Honk Kong, has followed the lead of other big Chinese cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, in putting a cap on the number of new vehicles that can be registered annually, as the world’s biggest car market is struggling to deal with the smog and congestion issues. http://www.carscoops.com/2015/01/chinese-city-puts-cap-on-new-car.html 10 Reasons to be Encouraged We Made Real Environmental Progress in 2014 ...General Assembly, many companies stepped up to show much more visibility on climate change. Forty companies committed to zero net deforestation... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-tercek/10-reasons-to-be-encourag_b_6408500.html?utm_hp_ref=climate-change California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 11:41:38 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 6, 2015 From: dchelini@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 FUELS UNDER CAP AND TRADE Gas Prices Continue Dive As Crude Oil Falls Below $50 Per Barrel …“If costs are going down it’s awfully hard to jack up gasoline prices suddenly, even if they want to, in order undermine global warming policies,” Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court said. Court points to California’s new climate change cap-and-trade law that just took effect. It raised the price by pennies, but Court says it’s keeping lawmakers focused on companies whose executives would have to turn off refineries to manipulate prices… http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/01/05/gas-prices-continue-dive-as-crude-oil-falls-below-50-per-barrel/ AIR POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION: Calif. judge orders L.A. to control dust from dried-up lake ...Court judge has ordered the city of Los Angeles to control additional dust pollution from a dried-up lake that it diverted water from more than a... http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011106/feed Noise, Air Pollution Concerns Prompt Potential Leaf Blower Ban In Sunnyvale Professional gardeners in Sunnyvale could soon have to use rakes and brooms instead of leaf blowers. The city is looking into possibly restricting or banning the lawn maintenance equipment because of numerous complaints and air pollution concerns. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/01/05/noise-air-pollution-concerns-prompt-potential-leaf-blower-ban-in-sunnyvale/ Fifth straight Spare the Air alert called as pollutants linger in the Bay Area Unhealthy air will linger over the Bay Area on Tuesday for a fifth consecutive day -- and possibly longer -- as weather conditions trap smoke and other pollutants near the ground. The latest Spare the Air alert, called for Tuesday, extends a wood-burning ban another day because of predicted concentrations of ultra-fine particles. They form a thick haze in the air. http://www.contracostatimes.com/contra-costa-times/ci_27262191/fifth-straight-spare-air-alert-called-pollutants-linger Drop in Winds Restricts Wood Burning in Sacramento County With a very stagnant air mass over Northern California, wood burning was prohibited in Sacramento County over the weekend, and on again Monday. The “stage two, all burning prohibited” restriction is expected to continue through at least Wednesday. http://fox40.com/2015/01/05/drop-in-winds-restricts-wood-burning-in-sacramento-county/ CLIMATE CHANGE California governor toughens climate-change goals As he was sworn in for a record fourth term, Gov. Jerry Brown charted an ambitious new goal on Monday for California in its fight against climate change, challenging the nation's most populous state to increase renewable energy use to 50 percent in the next 15 years. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/California-governor-to-be-sworn-in-for-fourth-term-5994080.php Jerry Brown seeks new green regulations in historic fourth term In an inaugural address drawing on his family's deep roots in California, Gov. Jerry Brown called for expansive new environmental regulations that would protect the state for future generations. The governor also pledged not to stray from promises he has made to strengthen California's finances, invest in the $68-billion high-speed rail system and major water infrastructure projects. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-fourth-inauguration-california-20150105-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB offers free classes on California emissions compliance The New Year brings additional emissions requirements for trucks operating in California. To address the state’s multiple emissions regulations, the California Air Resources Board is hosting multiple free classes to help truck owners and drivers comply, including a class that can be viewed remotely. One course will be offered online by webinar. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=28285#.VKwJ1RamOa8 Placer County Grant Program Targets Air Pollution The goal of the Clean Air Grant program is to reduce criteria pollutant emissions, nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), from sources not already required by law or regulation to do so. This program is a proactive approach to help incentivize clean technologies and programs which ultimately provide the benefit of measurable and cost effective emission reductions. http://www.rocklintoday.com/news/templates/community_news.asp?articleid=13716&zoneid=4 VEHICLES Other Car Companies Will Be Able To Use Toyota’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Patents, Royalty-Free Toyota has announced that it will allow its competitors to use any and all of its 5,680 patents for hydrogen fuel cell cars, a move the company hopes will jump-start the widespread commercial production of cars powered by zero-emission hydrogen gas. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/06/3608292/toyota-hydrogen-fuel-cell-patents-for-everybody/ Mercedes-Benz unveils self-driving fuel cell hybrid luxury concept at CES; novel body structures In a world premiere, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the self-driving fuel cell hybrid electric F 015 Luxury in Motion concept at the CES.... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150106-mbf015.html OPINION Jerry Brown offers big plan to cut gasoline use, details to come later In an inaugural speech seemingly calibrated for a national audience, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday set forth a lofty goal: reduce California petroleum use by 50 percent by 2030, a mere 15 years from now. Brown left unanswered how to achieve the ambitious goal in a state where the car culture still dominates. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article5472657.html BLOGS Two Ways Infrared Cameras Have Boosted the Case for E.P.A. Rules Cutting Methane Leaks I first realized the enormous value of infrared imagery in pollution detection in 2009, when I co-wrote “Curbing Emissions by Sealing Gas Leaks” with Clifford Krauss. In the related Dot Earth post, I included some remarkable video shot for the Environmental Protection Agency showing the difference between looking at an oil or gas facility with a standard camera and one tuned to the infrared wavelengths absorbed by gases like methane — the main constituent of natural gas… http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/05/two-ways-infrared-cameras-have-boosted-the-case-for-e-p-a-rules-cutting-methane-leaks/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=pollution&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body Got to Admit It’s Getting Better: Beijing’s Air Pollution Improved In 2014 U.S. data about Chinese air pollution data may now be censored, but if Beijingers could get it they might see some good news. Air quality in the Chinese capital improved by several measures last year versus 2013, according to historical data gathered by the U.S. State Department and crunched by China Real Time. The U.S. gathers the data from a monitor installed at the U.S. embassy there. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/01/06/got-to-admit-its-getting-better-beijings-air-pollution-improved-in-2014/ CALIFORNIA: Changes afoot for low-carbon fuel standard California is considering an array of changes to its pioneering carbon standard for transportation fuels. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) released an updated version of its low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) Tuesday that envisions extending the policy through 2030 and would also ease the current annual carbon reduction targets for fuel suppliers. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/05/stories/1060011059 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 15:16:30 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 6, 2015 (Updated with broader range of stories) From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 6, 2015. **UPDATED WITH BROADER RANGE OF STORIES** 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 Cap and trade expands to cover gasoline, diesel, but slumping pump prices hide impact. California's landmark cap-and-trade program to limit carbon emissions just got bigger. Effective Jan. 1 it expanded to wrap in gasoline and diesel, a move oil companies have warned would trigger higher pump prices. Fuel distributors now must buy and submit permits covering greenhouse gas pollution tied to the fuels they sell. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011157/print AIR POLLUTION Fifth straight Spare the Air alert called as pollutants linger in the Bay Area. Unhealthy air will linger over the Bay Area on Tuesday for a fifth consecutive day -- and possibly longer -- as weather conditions trap smoke and other pollutants near the ground. The latest Spare the Air alert, called for Tuesday, extends a wood-burning ban another day because of predicted concentrations of ultra-fine particles. They form a thick haze in the air. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27262190/fifth-straight-spare-air-alert-called-pollutants-linger Drop in Winds Restricts Wood Burning in Sacramento County. With a very stagnant air mass over Northern California, wood burning was prohibited in Sacramento County over the weekend, and on again Monday. The “stage two, all burning prohibited” restriction is expected to continue through at least Wednesday. San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties have also placed restrictions on wood burning during this same period, though they have allowed burning in registered clean-burning devices. http://fox40.com/2015/01/05/drop-in-winds-restricts-wood-burning-in-sacramento-county/ Calif. judge orders L.A. to control dust from dried-up lake. A California Superior Court judge has ordered the city of Los Angeles to control additional dust pollution from a dried-up lake that it diverted water from more than a century ago. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Shellyanne Chang issued a decision Dec. 30 ordering the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to control dust on a 48.6-square-mile area of Owens Lake… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011106/print EPA proposes to keep existing lead standard. U.S. EPA is proposing to retain the national air quality standard for lead after a review of scientific data on the public health effects tied to exposure. In a Federal Register notice published today, the agency said it would keep the existing standard of 0.15 microgram per cubic meter. EPA will accept public comment on the proposal until April 6. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011084/feed CLIMATE CHANGE California governor toughens climate-change goals. As he was sworn in for a record fourth term, Gov. Jerry Brown charted an ambitious new goal on Monday for California in its fight against climate change, challenging the nation's most populous state to increase renewable energy use to 50 percent in the next 15 years. Brown, a Democrat, specifically called for the state to increase renewable electricity sources… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_GOVERNOR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/05/us/ap-us-california-governor.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A9%22}&_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/us/california-governor-focuses-on-energy-consumption-as-final-term-begins.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A9%22} http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-brown-inauguration-20150106-story.html#page=1 http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-fourth-inauguration-california-20150105-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article5448294.html http://www.bna.com/california-gov-brown-n17179921841/ Australia swelters through its third-hottest year in 2014. Australia sweltered through its third-hottest year on record in 2014, following a record hot 2013, weather authorities reported Tuesday. The southern spring from September through November last year was Australia's hottest on record, the government's Bureau of Meteorology said in its annual climate statement. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_HOT_YEAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2015-01-06/australias-wildfires-are-getting-worse-because-of-climate-change Big threat for Obama's climate efforts from GOP-run Congress. President Barack Obama's determined efforts to combat global warming face their biggest trial yet as Republicans take full control of Congress this week. The GOP vows to move fast and forcefully to roll back his environmental rules and force his hand on energy development. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE_REPUBLICANS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Green benefactor Tom Steyer gives high marks to Brown's climate push. Climate change crusader Tom Steyer watched Gov. Jerry Brown's swearing-in Monday morning from the gallery of the Assembly chamber -- and he liked what he saw. Brown dedicated a significant portion of his inaugural address to environmental policy, particularly setting new goals to reduce the state's carbon emissions. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-tom-steyer-inaugural-20150105-story.html DROUGHT Citing drought, San Luis Obispo County town rushes desalination plant. California's drought declaration has triggered only local limits such as restrictions on washing cars or watering lawns for most communities, but one Pacific Coast tourist town has seized it as an opportunity to build a long-desired desalination plant. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27261242/citing-drought-san-luis-obispo-county-town-rushes DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB offers free classes on California emissions compliance. The New Year brings additional emissions requirements for trucks operating in California. To address the state’s multiple emissions regulations, the California Air Resources Board is hosting multiple free classes to help truck owners and drivers comply, including a class that can be viewed remotely. One course will be offered online by webinar. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=28285#.VKwJ1RamOa8 Placer County Grant Program Targets Air Pollution. The goal of the Clean Air Grant program is to reduce criteria pollutant emissions, nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), from sources not already required by law or regulation to do so. This program is a proactive approach to help incentivize clean technologies and programs which ultimately provide the benefit of measurable and cost effective emission reductions. http://www.rocklintoday.com/news/templates/community_news.asp?articleid=13716&zoneid=4 FUELS US stocks turn lower; price of crude oil extends its decline. Stocks are extending a slump from the day before as the price of crude oil continues to slide. Crude fell sharply in midday trading Tuesday and is now well below $50 a barrel. That has traders worried that the global economy may be slowing and that energy companies could slash their spending and cut jobs as revenue dwindles. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FINANCIAL_MARKETS_US_MIDDAY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Oil’s Fall Continues Into 2015, and Stock Markets Shudder. Oil prices tumbled below $50 a barrel on Monday, spooking global financial markets and signaling that the remarkable 50 percent price drop since June was continuing this year and even quickening. The new drop in American and global benchmarks of more than 5 percent was accompanied by reports of increased Middle Eastern oil exports… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/business/oils-fall-continues-to-below-50-a-barrel.html?_r=0 Natural Gas No Savior for Investors Seeking Oil Refuge. A warm start to winter is disappointing investors who bet U.S. natural gas producers would offer a refuge from falling oil prices. Gas companies including Southwestern Energy Co. (SWN) and Range Resources Corp. (RRC) have fallen by more than 40 percent since June. That’s similar to the decrease experienced in the past six months by companies producing mainly oil... http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-06/natural-gas-no-savior-for-investors-seeking-oil-refuge.html Is the Time Right for a Gas-Tax Hike? As gas prices continue to fall, policy wonks are eyeing a potential increase in the federal gas tax. But will there be a political opening for an increase? Drivers across the U.S. are now filling up their gas tanks for less than $2 a gallon, a trend that has been driven by plummeting prices for crude oil. Low gas prices are prompting calls for an increase in the country's 18.4 cents per gallon tax on gasoline. http://www.nationaljournal.com/policy/insiders/energy/is-the-time-right-for-a-gas-tax-hike-20150105 Gas Prices Continue Dive As Crude Oil Falls Below $50 Per Barrel. Drivers are rejoicing after the price of crude oil dropped again Monday, signaling another fall for gas prices. Crude oil slipped to below $50 per barrel for the first time in five years, and experts predict prices at the pump could remain in the range of $2 per gallon into the spring. The dwindling numbers are tied to a global glut and a sharp decline in crude oil, now priced at nearly half of what it was a year ago. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/01/05/gas-prices-continue-dive-as-crude-oil-falls-below-50-per-barrel/ Clean Energy Sells Majority Stake in Biomethane Facility. Clean Energy Fuels sold a majority interest in the McCommas Bluff biomethane production facility to minority interest owner Cambrian Energy. The interest was sold for $40.6 million to Cambrian Energy, which had partnered with Clean Energy on the Dallas-Texas-based project in 2008. Clean Energy will receive approximately $3 million in additional compensation pending further performance tests of the McCommas Bluff facility… http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/01/clean-energy-sells-controlling-interest-in-biomethane-facility.aspx Calif. court strikes down industry-favored referendum language. A California court last week struck down contentious wording in a ballot initiative that would ban new oil and gas wells in La Habra Heights, a city of 5,300 in Los Angeles County. Environmentalists campaigned for the referendum last year, but say city officials bowed to industry in agreeing to change the language of the measure. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060011139/print Changes afoot for low-carbon fuel standard. California is considering an array of changes to its pioneering carbon standard for transportation fuels. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) released an updated version of its low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) Tuesday that envisions extending the policy through 2030 and would also ease the current annual carbon reduction targets for fuel suppliers. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/05/stories/1060011059 EPA tentatively OKs biomass sorghum to be included in RFS. U.S. EPA has given biofuels produced from biomass sorghum -- a high-yield type of grass -- a tentative green light to be included in the renewable fuel standard. In a Federal Register notice Dec. 31, the agency said that its analysis of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from biomass sorghum biofuels shows that they could be eligible for the highest tier in the RFS. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011093/print VEHICLES Toyota Fuel Cells, Google, Dotcom: Intellectual Property. Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), maker of the Prius hybrid car, said it will make about 5,680 patents related to fuel cell technology available royalty-free through 2020. In a speech yesterday at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, Senior Vice President Bob Carter of Toyota Motor Sales said the company is making the patents available to “speed the development of new technologies… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-06/toyota-fuel-cells-pabst-google-dotcom-intellectual-property.html Carmakers Finish Strong in 2014; Are Even Better Days Ahead? Confident in the economy and cheered by cheap gas, Americans are likely to push new car sales to their highest level in a decade this year. Analysts expect sales to reach 17 million for the first time since 2005. That's close to the record of 17.3 million set in 2000. Low gas prices are giving buyers more confidence. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/05/us/ap-us-auto-sales.html California to begin work on nation's first bullet train. California's high-speed rail project reaches a milestone Tuesday as officials mark the start of work on the nation's first bullet train, which is designed to whisk travelers at 200 mph between Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than three hours. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article5482341.html#storylink=cpy http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/article/20150106/NEWS/150109716 http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27486 http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/01/06/california-to-begin-work-on-nations-first-bullet-train Owners of BMW electric cars get paid not to drive. Some Bay Area drivers of the BMW i3 electric hatchback may soon qualify for an odd perk — getting paid to delay recharging their cars. Drivers who participate in the German automaker’s new i ChargeForward program will receive up to $1,540 in return for letting BMW delay the recharging process whenever California’s electricity grid faces a heavy strain. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Owners-of-BMW-electric-cars-get-paid-not-to-drive-5995359.php GREEN ENERGY New Congress Grapples With Energy Issues. Legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline, which lawmakers will take up as soon as this week, will open the first broad debate on energy policy in Congress in eight years and give the new Republican majority a chance to push for significant changes to President Barack Obama’s agenda. http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-congress-grapples-with-energy-issues-1420515420 Gov. Brown revives Manuel Pérez’s renewable energy plan. A locally authored plan to dramatically increase the state’s renewable energy goals is regaining momentum, as part of a series of ambitious goals California Gov. Jerry Brown wants to achieve in the next 15 years. Brown, who delivered his inaugural address on Monday, called on California to increase the amount of electricity derived from renewable sources from one-third to 50 percent. http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/greenenergy/2015/01/05/brown-renewable-energy-goals/21311419/ Texas, Calif. throw their weight around on power plant regulations. The caricatures of the swaggering, independent Texan and the elitist, trend-setting Californian are on full display in the otherwise dry, technical comments the two major economic drivers submitted on U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. The states have unapologetically taken starkly different routes in transitioning to a cleaner energy future… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/05/stories/1060011064 Punitive solar tariffs against China may shrink. Chinese solar manufacturers whose products have been subject to stiff U.S. tariffs for two years could see those penalties reduced by nearly half this spring after the Commerce Department found the degree of illegal dumping by Chinese firms between 2012 and 2013 was lower than previously estimated. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011137/print Tropical forests appear to take in more CO2 as emissions rise. The world's tropical forests -- responding to carbon dioxide as the Incredible Hulk responds to anger -- might be getting bigger, greener and more powerful as the globe adjusts to rising greenhouse gas emissions. Climate scientists have long debated whether tropical rainforests are taking in more CO2 as emissions rise… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011141/print OPINIONS EPA Has Followed the Law on the Clean Power Plan. our proposal sets up a national framework that gives states the power to chart their own customized path to meet the carbon-dioxide-emissions targets proposed for each state. In regard to Laurence H. Tribe’s Dec. 23 op-ed “The Clean Power Plan Is Unconstitutional”: When Prof. Tribe cites Justice Jackson as saying that “ours is a government of laws,”… http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-has-followed-the-law-on-the-clean-power-plan-letters-to-the-editor-1420408715 Alaska's warm year is a bad sign for the climate. To the editor: The article reporting the record warm year in Alaska sounds like a weather story. It's not. A good chunk of Alaska is part of the Arctic, global warming's canary in the coal mine. ("Alaska's toasty temperatures in 2014 worry observers," Jan. 2) According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, "Average temperatures in the Arctic region are rising twice as fast as they are elsewhere in the world." http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0106-tuesday-alaska-climate-change-20150106-story.html Carbon fee and dividend: a win-win for consumers and the planet. To the editor: In its wishes for 2015, The Times suggested that we should decrease gasoline prices to help consumers or increase them to provide incentives for developing cleaner fuels. The Times wished we could do both. ("Our wishes for 2015," Editorial, Jan. 1) Through fees levied on carbon emitters at the source (oil fields, coal mines and so on, as well as a fee for incoming carbon emitters)… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0104-newsunday-new-years-20150104-story.html Jerry Brown offers big plan to cut gasoline use, details to come later. In an inaugural speech seemingly calibrated for a national audience, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday set forth a lofty goal: reduce California petroleum use by 50 percent by 2030, a mere 15 years from now. Brown left unanswered how to achieve the ambitious goal in a state where the car culture still dominates. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article5472657.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: Brown challenges car culture in inaugural speech. In an inaugural speech Monday seemingly aimed at a national audience, Gov. Jerry Brown set forth a lofty goal: Reduce California’s petroleum use by 50% in 15 years. He left unanswered how to achieve the ambitious goal in a state where the car culture dominates. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/05/4315756_editorial-brown-challenges-car.html?sp=/99/274/&rh=1#storylink=cpy Recycling deal on front burner. The Humboldt Waste Management Authority’s recycling contract, signed in 2011 with Solid Waste of Willits expires in 2016. The HWMA has begun a Request For Proposals (RFP) process which will inform potential contractors about desired operation attributes and be used to score and rank proposals. A final RFP will be released in approximately July 2015 and a contract awarded in the fall 2015. http://www.times-standard.com/article/20141230/LOCAL1/141239996 BLOGS Two Ways Infrared Cameras Have Boosted the Case for E.P.A. Rules Cutting Methane Leaks. I first realized the enormous value of infrared imagery in pollution detection in 2009, when I co-wrote “Curbing Emissions by Sealing Gas Leaks” with Clifford Krauss. In the related Dot Earth post, I included some remarkable video shot for the Environmental Protection Agency showing the difference between… http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/05/two-ways-infrared-cameras-have-boosted-the-case-for-e-p-a-rules-cutting-methane-leaks/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=pollution&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body Legalize ferrets or fight climate change? Quite a dilemma. Robert Hertzberg, the former speaker and newly elected state senator, has a big idea: extending California’s sales tax to services, generating $10 billion a year, and giving a break to low-income working stiffs. Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, nearing the end of her tenure in the Legislature, hopes to expand AB 32… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dan-morain/article5284155.html#storylink=cpy California’s cap-and-trade program now covers cars. After a long PR battle between oil industry lobbyists and California’s regulatory agencies, the state’s cap-and-trade program was extended on Jan. 1, on schedule, to cover companies that sell fuel to drivers. That means fuel retailers will have to either provide lower-carbon fuels or buy permits for the pollution their products put into the air. http://grist.org/news/californias-cap-and-trade-program-now-covers-cars/?utm_source=syndication&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed&utm_reader=feedly Clean And Dirty: The 30-Under-30 In Energy. It’s always a challenge to find a new set of nominees for Forbes’ 30-Under-30 list in energy. This despite the fact that the “energy industry” is quite likely the biggest in the world. According to the International Energy Agency, keeping the people of the world supplied with energy in all its forms costs about $1.7 trillion a year. (That’s double what we spent in 2000.) http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2015/01/05/clean-and-dirty-the-30-under-30-in-energy/ Larry Summers Calls For A Carbon Tax Now That Oil Prices Have Fallen. There’s rather a joy at being ahead of the crowd and when that following crowd is an economist and public policy maker of the calibre of Larry Summers it’s really very enjoyable indeed. And that’s the position I find myself in today as Larry Summers has come out and said that the recent fall in the oil price makes this a great time to institute a proper carbon tax. http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/01/05/larry-summers-calls-for-a-carbon-tax-now-that-oil-prices-have-fallen/ California Governor calls for 50% reduction in petroleum use in cars and trucks from today’s levels by 2030. In his inaugural address delivered today in Sacramento, re-elected California Governor Jerry Brown set out three major environmental goals for the next 15 years, to 2030: reducing today’s petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50%; increasing renewable electricity levels from one-third to 50%; and doubling the efficiency of existing buildings and making heating fuels cleaner. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150105-brown.html Plug-In Electric Car Sales Continue Rise In 2014: 100,000-Plus Last Year: MORE UPDATES. Plug-in electric car sales for calendar year 2014 rose above the 100,000 level, the third annual increase in full-year sales in the U.S. since modern electric cars first went on sale in December 2010. The highest-selling electric car in the world, the Nissan Leaf, set a new U.S. record for plug-in sales of a single vehicle in one year … http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096120_plug-in-electric-car-sales-continue-rise-in-2014-100000-plus-delivered-this-year ChargePoint To Release Home Charging Station For Electric Cars. ChargePoint, which operates a network of public charging stations for plug-in electric cars, announced today that it would offer a home charging station this summer. The ChargePoint Home, as it's logically dubbed, has a sleek modern design--and it's compact, at only about the size of a tablet device, the company says. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096126_chargepoint-to-release-home-charging-station-for-electric-cars California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 14:29:03 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 7, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 7, 2015. 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 Drivers get global warming fee, plus tax. California’s sales tax on gasoline has long provoked grumbling from consumers and watchdog groups. Sales tax is calculated from the full retail price of gas, a figure that includes state and federal excise taxes. That makes the sales levy, at least in part, a tax on taxes. The state’s new “cap-and-trade” fee, which is designed to combat global warming, is no different. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jan/06/state-also-taxes-global-warming-fee/ Low Gas Prices Smooth Path for Carbon Add-On in California. Historic cap-and-trade program expands to cover gasoline and diesel but slumping prices hide the impact. California's landmark cap-and-trade program to limit carbon emissions just got bigger. Effective Jan. 1 it expanded to wrap in gasoline and diesel, a move oil companies have warned would trigger higher pump prices. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/low-gas-prices-smooth-path-for-carbon-add-on-in-california/ Cap and trade expands to cover gasoline, diesel, but slumping pump prices hide impact. California's landmark cap-and-trade program to limit carbon emissions just got bigger. Effective Jan. 1 it expanded to wrap in gasoline and diesel, a move oil companies have warned would trigger higher pump prices. Fuel distributors now must buy and submit permits covering greenhouse gas pollution… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011157/print AIR POLLUTION China to Boost Support for NGOs That Sue Environment Polluters. China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, will provide more support to non-governmental organizations that sue polluters. The nation will work to reduce court charges for NGOs in public non-profit environmental litigation, according to a statement on the website of China’s Supreme People’s Court. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-07/china-to-boost-support-for-ngos-that-sue-environment-polluters.html Wood burning ban extended through Wednesday in Bay Area. Wood burning will remain banned in the Bay Area on Wednesday as officials issue a Spare the Air alert for the sixth day in a row. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued the alert after its forecasters predicted unhealthy concentrations of smoke and other fine particles in the air. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27269464/wood-burning-ban-extended-through-wednesday-bay-area CLIMATE CHANGE Climatologists Balk as Brazil Picks Skeptic for Key Post. Calling Aldo Rebelo a climate-change skeptic would be putting it mildly. In his days as a fiery legislator in the Communist Party of Brazil, he railed against those who say human activity is warming the globe and called the international environmental movement “nothing less, in its geopolitical essence, than the bridgehead of imperialism.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/world/americas/climatologists-balk-as-brazil-picks-skeptic-for-key-post.html?_r=0 Alaska's record-warm year in 2014 worries observers. The biggest state in America, home to more ocean coastline than all others combined, has just set another record. This one, however, is nothing to cheer. For the first time in recorded history, temperatures in Anchorage did not drop below zero once in an entire calendar year. In comparison, Alaska's largest city had 14 days below zero in the 2013 calendar year and 32 days in 2012. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article5537343.html#storylink=cpy Scientists: Weather plays big role in Lake Erie 'dead zones' Reducing phosphorus levels in Lake Erie is a worthy goal but not necessarily a cure-all for one of the lake's biggest environmental hazards: "dead zones" with oxygen levels so low that fish can't survive, scientists said Tuesday. Researchers with the Carnegie Institution for Science said Erie's biggest dead zone on record formed in summer 2012. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150106/scientists-weather-plays-big-role-in-lake-erie-dead-zones Hot, Unfriendly Skies Could Alter Flights. You know those tube socks your grandmother air mails you on your birthday every year? Well, they could become another casualty of global warming. Or at least arrive a few days late. Hot weather is likely to increase the number of days with weight restrictions on cargo planes and even airliners, delaying gifts, air travel and slicing into airlines’ bottom lines… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/hot-unfriendly-skies-alter-flights-18458 EPA delays power plant rules, will write model reg for states. U.S. EPA will put off finalizing its greenhouse gas rules for new, modified and existing power plants until midsummer, acting EPA air chief Janet McCabe said today. The new schedule means deadlines will slip for all three regulations. McCabe also announced EPA will begin writing a federal model rule for the Clean Power Plan for existing power generators. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011280/print DROUGHT Drought: California water use down 10%, still short of target. Wet weather at the end of last year helped Californians tame their insatiable demand for water, but consumption — particularly in Southern California — remains well above Gov. Jerry Brown’s target for the drought-stricken state. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-water-use-down-10-but-still-short-of-5997673.php http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27269399/california-drought-state-residents-increase-conservation-but-still?source=rss http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jan/06/environment-water-use-november/ http://fox40.com/2015/01/06/sacramento-leads-state-in-reducing-water-use/ http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/06/4317173_capitol-hill-californians-will.html?rh=1 Southern California trails in saving water. Newly released state figures show that much of Southern California is lagging far behind Northern California in reducing water use during the drought. The latest monthly water conservation statistics, which were presented Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board, show that residential water use declined 9.8 percent on average across California… http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/01/06/california-water-conservation/21366155/ FUELS White House says it will veto bill to approve oil pipeline. The White House on Tuesday threatened to veto the first piece of legislation introduced in the Republican-controlled Senate, a bill approving the much-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline, in what was expected to be the first of many confrontations over energy and environmental policy. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Cutting oil use by 50 percent difficult but doable, experts say. Gov. Jerry Brown’s goal of cutting California’s oil use in half may sound like an impossible task in a state famous for freeways and sprawl. But by one measure, we may be halfway there. Similarly, Brown’s call for California to get half of its electricity from the sun, the wind and other renewable sources by the year 2030 seems daunting… http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Cutting-oil-use-by-50-percent-difficult-but-5997877.php Fracking's Methane Leakage To Be Focus of Many Studies This Year. Series of studies under way to help clarify natural gas's overall impact on climate change. The early years of the shale boom came with a widely held assumption that the vast quantities of natural gas liberated through high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, would help slow climate change by displacing coal-fired power plants and speeding the transition to a clean-energy future. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150107/frackings-methane-leakage-be-focus-many-studies-year Peer reviewers question EPA emission estimates for palm oil. A U.S. EPA-commissioned panel of independent peer reviewers is questioning the agency's calculations of greenhouse gas emissions tied to palm oil biofuels. Two reviewers on the five-member panel say EPA may have significantly overestimated greenhouse gas emissions from palm oil biodiesel and renewable diesel production… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011188/print State methane regs seen offering maps for EPA action. States that already regulate the oil and gas industry's methane emissions directly or indirectly may offer guides for U.S. EPA's own proposal for curbing the powerful greenhouse gas. Environmentalists are pointing to several recent state efforts as worthy models for a federal policy whose release is expected this month. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011161/print Industry grows despite challenges – report. The advanced biofuels industry is slated to grow over the next few years but faces challenges due to the uncertainty over the direction of federal biofuel policies, according to a new report out today. Advanced biofuel capacity will grow from about 800 million gallons of gasoline equivalent in 2014 to more than 1.7 billion gallons in 2017 at the high end of estimates… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011185/print New vehicle efficiency declined last month. The overall fuel efficiency of new cars, trucks and other light-duty vehicles sold in December dipped slightly from the preceding month in what could be a gauge of buyers' response to the fall in gasoline prices, the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute reported today. For December, the average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the United States was 25.1 miles per gallons… http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060011200/print American Petroleum Institute shares spotlight with renewables in its annual report. The most noteworthy message from the American Petroleum Institute's 2015 annual report isn't its finding that the U.S. oil industry is experiencing a "petroleum renaissance" born of a drilling boom in domestic fields such as the North Dakota's Bakken and Texas' Eagle Ford shale formations. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011225/print Groups divide over divestment from fossil fuels. Universities, churches and other institutions are divided over the best strategy to send a message about climate change to the world's biggest energy companies: Divest their holdings in fossil fuels, or use them as leverage. Groups responsible for at least $50 billion of investment have said they will sell some or all of their oil, coal and gas holdings. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011213/print VEHICLES Toyota Fuel Cells, Pabst, Google, Dotcom: Intellectual Property. Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), maker of the Prius hybrid car, said it will make about 5,680 patents related to fuel cell technology available royalty-free through 2020. In a speech yesterday at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, Senior Vice President Bob Carter of Toyota Motor Sales said the company is making the patents available to “speed the development of new technologies… http://www.businessweek.com/news/2015-01-06/toyota-fuel-cells-pabst-google-dotcom-intellectual-property http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011214/print HIGH-SPEED RAIL To Gov. Jerry Brown, a Legacy Project; to Critics, a Runaway Train. One day after being sworn in to a final term as governor, Jerry Brown, a chief executive who tends to disdain the trappings of political ceremony, came to this Central Valley city on Tuesday for a decidedly ceremonial groundbreaking for his Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed train…http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/us/to-brown-a-legacy-to-others-a-runaway-train.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=2 Construction Begins On California's $68 Billion High-Speed Rail Line. One of the biggest transportation projects the country has ever seen broke ground Monday in Fresno, Calif. In theory, building the much-delayed high speed rail line would allow a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than three hours, with speeds of over 200 miles an hour. The milestone comes six years after voters first approved an almost $10 billion bond act to fund the project. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=375500902 GREEN ENERGY Californians on way to state’s new energy goals. Clean-energy programs initiated by Gov. Jerry Brown and governors before him have California already well on its way to meeting his new goals for reducing the use of climate-changing fossil fuels, industry experts and state officials said Tuesday. Pushing programs such as high-speed rail… http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/californians-on-way-to-states-new-energy-goals/2015/01/06/bf88e56a-9604-11e4-8385-866293322c2f_story.html Feds want ‘zero-energy’ building standards. The Department of Energy (DOE) wants regulators and the private sector to agree on standards for zero-energy buildings. In a notice due to be published Tuesday in the Federal Register, DOE asks the public for input on a variety of questions about standards. Specifically, DOE wants to know how the public feels about how to define zero-energy buildings … http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/228480-feds-want-zero-energy-building-standards Global Small & Medium Wind To Reach 3.2 GW. The market for small and medium wind energy installations through the next decade is expected to total more than 3.2 GW, according to new analysis from Navigant Research, but only if the market can reduce costs and survive post-government incentives. Small and medium wind energy is defined as turbines less than 500 kW in capacity… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/07/global-small-and-medium-wind/ MISCELLANEOUS Automakers on the road to self-driving cars at Consumer Electronics Show. Forget 80-inch televisions or Wi-Fi-connected blenders. At the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it's the automakers who are dominating the conversation. Brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW and Toyota used the annual show — expected to draw around 160,000 people this week — to highlight the rapidly approaching self-driving car… http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-ces-self-driving-cars-20150107-story.html 99 Cents Only Stores to pay $2.36 million for dumping retail waste. Discount retailer 99 Cents Only Stores became the latest company to agree to pay millions of dollars to counties and cities across the state to settle claims that its California locations illegally dumped toxic retail waste. The $2.36-million San Joaquin Superior Court judgment was announced Tuesday. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article5522292.html#storylink=cpy Valley’s poor towns need public help to drink healthy water, breathe clean air, EPA leader says. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sees a connection between cleaning up the air and water and helping the economy grow, says Gina McCarthy, who leads the federal government’s environmental guardian. As technology makes engines and water systems more efficient… http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/06/4317308_valleys-poor-towns-need-public.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy OPINIONS A sharp contrast in visions for America’s transportation future. High-speed rail or Keystone XL? In Washington on Tuesday, President Barack Obama promised to veto legislation by the Republican-controlled Congress approving the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline that would pipe tar sands oil from Canada to Gulf state refineries. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article5526696.html#storylink=cpy Opinion: Bullet train pep rally and reality. It was billed as a “groundbreaking,” but no ground was broken, even metaphorically. Rather, what happened on a dusty lot in downtown Fresno on Tuesday was more of a pep rally during which Gov. Jerry Brown and other advocates of building a north-south bullet train system extolled its supposed virtues to a handpicked audience. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article5525373.html#storylink=cpy http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_27271918/dan-walters-bullet-train-pep-rally-and-reality?source=rss Green policies cost plenty. Adrienne Alvord’s Jan. 4 article regarding gas prices is misleading, to put it politely. Ms. Alvord is not a scientist. The Union of Concerned Scientists counts some scientists as members, but most are activists, like Ms. Alvord. This very wealthy organization touts a four-star Charity Navigator rating as proof of its good work, but all that means is their accountants know how to please the IRS. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/06/4317038/green-policies-cost-plenty.html?sp=%2f99%2f274%2f277%2f#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: Gov. Brown has our back on high-speed rail. Fresno and other San Joaquin Valley communities are lucky to have Gov. Jerry Brown on their side and batting cleanup in the effort to build California’s first-in-the-nation high-speed rail system. Absent Brown’s leadership and mastery of political jiu-jitsu, high-speed rail opponents might have derailed http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/06/4317360/editorial-gov-brown-has-our-back.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS California’s experience proves Governor Inslee is right to pursue cap and trade. Governor Jay Inslee’s bold yet sensible step to bring Washington State into the growing North American cap and trade system is predictably generating opposition from Republicans. State Senator Curtis King, the Republican chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, took to the pages of the Seattle Times to denounce Governor Inslee’s plan. http://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2015/01/californias-experience-proves-governor-inslee-is-right-to-pursue-cap-and-trade.html '97% Of Climate Scientists Agree' Is 100% Wrong. If you’ve ever expressed the least bit of skepticism about environmentalist calls for making the vast majority of fossil fuel use illegal, you’ve probably heard the smug response: “97% of climate scientists agree with climate change” — which always carries the implication: Who are you to challenge them? http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexepstein/2015/01/06/97-of-climate-scientists-agree-is-100-wrong/ $2.4 Billion Subsidy Might Wake Up Germany's Feeble Electric Car Sales. Governments in Europe all want more electric cars on their roads in 2015 as part of the drive to cut fuel consumption and tame climate change. The trouble is, nobody wants to buy them, despite generous subsidies in some countries. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy and car market…http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2015/01/06/2-4-billion-subsidy-might-wake-up-germanys-feeble-electric-car-sales/ Maybe your grandkids will live to ride California’s high-speed rail. In Fresno, Calif., there was a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday for California’s high-speed rail project. If everything goes according to plan, the new line will connect San Francisco to Los Angeles — in 2029. I voted to fund this rail project in 2008. I got married in 2009. I became a father in 2011. If there are no hitches, my daughter won’t be able to make this trip until she’s 18. http://grist.org/politics/maybe-your-grandkids-will-live-to-ride-californias-high-speed-rail/ The Top-Secret Food That Will Change the Way You Eat. More protein than beef. More omegas than salmon. Tons of calcium, antioxidants, and vitamin B. In their secret R&D lab, the scientists at Beyond Meat concocted a plant-protein-based performance burger that delivers the juicy flavor and texture of the real thing with none of the dietary and environmental downsides. http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/culinary/Replacing-Meat-Plant-Based-Meats-Vegetarian.html California Goal: Cut Petroleum Use For Cars In Half By 2030. California already leads the nation in policies advocating zero-emission vehicles. It's home to more electric cars than any other state, and its environmental regulations are among the toughest. But California's re-elected governor doesn't want to lose the momentum. Sworn in Monday for his fourth and final term, Governor Jerry Brown set some ambitious goals for his state to strive for in the years ahead. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096159_california-goal-cut-petroleum-use-for-cars-in-half-by-2030 BMW presents research application for inductive charging at CES. At CES, BMW is demonstrating a research application for inductive—i.e. wireless—battery charging using a BMW i8. Earlier this year, BMW and Daimler agreed jointly to develop and to implement one common technology for wireless recharging high-voltage batteries of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150107-bmw-inductive.html Conventional Gasoline Engines A Minority In 2 Years? Not So Fast... Progress must be coming at a much faster pace than we thought: Conventional gasoline engines will power only a minority of the new cars sold just two years hence, according to a new report. That means more than half the vehicles sold will have hybrid, diesel, natural gas, or plug-in electric powertrains, right? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096167_conventional-gasoline-engines-a-minority-in-2-years-not-so-fast California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 16:20:36 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 8, 2015 From: dchelini@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. EPA CARBON RULE For States That Don’t File Carbon-Cutting Plans, E.P.A. Will Impose ‘Model Rule’ The Environmental Protection Agency will force states to comply with a federal “model rule” to cut their carbon emissions if the states do not submit customized plans under the Obama administration’s new climate change regulations, a senior official said Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/us/politics/for-states-that-dont-file-carbon-cutting-plans-epa-will-impose-model-rule-.html?_r=0 EPA delays rule to cut carbon from new coal power plants The Obama administration on Wednesday said it would delay for months a final rule to control carbon dioxide emissions at new coal-fired power plants, thwarting for now one way the Republican-controlled Congress could have blocked the administration's plans on global warming. A final rule was due by law on Jan. 8, a year after it was first proposed. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EPA_COAL_RULES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article5554506.html Power-Grid Officials Criticize Plan for Cutting Emissions A proposed federal rule to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from U.S. power plants will weaken the nation’s power grid and could even cause blackouts, say some of the officials who run the country’s electricity network. http://www.wsj.com/articles/power-grid-officials-criticize-plan-for-cutting-emissions-1420661953 Experts warn governments to plan for climate change migrants Governments need to plan better for rising migration driven by climate change, experts said on Thursday, citing evidence that extreme weather and natural disasters force far more people from their homes than wars. Projections by leading climate scientists of rising sea levels, heatwaves, floods and droughts linked to global warming are likely to oblige millions of people… http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/08/climatechange-migrants-idINL6N0UN1SZ20150108 EPA delays landmark climate rule The Environmental Protection Agency is delaying its landmark climate regulations for power plants in what it said is an effort to better consider input on them and better align the major pieces of the regulations. The EPA now plans to finalize its rules for newly built power plants, existing plants and modified plants at the same time — in mid-summer, the agency said Wednesday. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/228783-epa-delays-climate-rule EPA's Clean Power Plan backstop: carrot or stick? For months, U.S. EPA has been encouraging states disinclined to cooperate with new power plant regulations to develop their own plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions or else deal with a federal version that might not be as tailored to their preferences. Yesterday, acting air chief Janet McCabe said that alternative will become public by midsummer. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/08/stories/1060011322 AIR POLLUTION For Obama, Republic Day parade may be a bit too breathtaking It may not rain on President Barack Obama's parade when he comes to New Delhi this month for the Republic Day celebrations at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But, judging by the smog cloaking the capital on Thursday as motorcycle stunt men rehearsed for the Jan. 26 event, the city's notorious air pollution could be a problem. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/08/india-usa-parade-idINKBN0KH0XE20150108 Hong Kong Air Quality Slightly Improved in 2014, Clean Air Says Air quality in Hong Kong improved slightly last year, pushing the death toll from polluted air below 3,000 for the first time in more than a decade, an environment monitoring group said. Nitrogen dioxide at all monitoring stations fell in Hong Kong as some vehicles installed catalytic converters, Clean Air Network Ltd. said, citing data from the government. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-08/hong-kong-air-quality-slightly-improved-in-2014-clean-air-says.html Smog and China's Olympic bid -- a hurdle or an opportunity? On July 31, 2015, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach will announce which city will host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. If that decision was taken today, few would be surprised if Beijing triumphed over Almaty in Kazakhstan, China’s sole rival in what has turned into one of the least-contested Olympic races in history. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ckgsb/2015/01/08/smog-and-chinas-olympic-bid-a-hurdle-or-an-opportunity/ Shanghai: Ships, cargo trucks 'next' to curb air pollution Reducing pollution caused by heavy trucks and ships will be a priority for Shanghai this year, an environment official said yesterday. Although the city has far fewer vehicles than Beijing, the amount of pollution they create is much higher, said Luo Hailin, an official with the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau. http://www.eco-business.com/news/shanghai-ships-cargo-trucks-next-curb-air-pollution/ GRAPHIC: Top Bay Area Counties With The Most Illegal Wood Burning Complaints Officials at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District have announced that Thursday will be the seventh straight Winter Spare the Air day. Air pollution exceeded federal health standards Tuesday as a high-pressure system is currently preventing wind and rain from mitigating any air pollution lingering in the area. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/01/08/which-bay-area-counties-have-the-most-winter-spare-the-air-complaints-infographic-environment-pollution-wood-burning/ Instead of age, fitness should be ground to identify polluting The Centre has told the Supreme Court that instead fixing 15-year-old limit to identify polluting vehicles, fitness testing of such a vehicle will prove whether it has "reached the end of its life or not." Giving a ray of hope to persons, owning private vehicles which are more than 15 years old, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, in its recent affidavit, said, "at present, the ministry does not propose to mandate the age limit of private vehicles because this is a short-cut approach. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/instead-of-age-fitness-should-be-ground-to-identify-polluting-115010700782_1.html CLIMATE CHANGE Californians on way to state’s new energy goals Clean-energy programs initiated by Gov. Jerry Brown and governors before him have California already well on its way to meeting his new goals for reducing the use of climate-changing fossil fuels, industry experts and state officials said Tuesday. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/californians-on-way-to-states-new-energy-goals/2015/01/06/bf88e56a-9604-11e4-8385-866293322c2f_story.html 2014 was hottest year in Sacramento's history ...according to a Bee analysis of data from the National Climatic Data Center. California also experienced its hottest year in 2014 as an historic drought... http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/databases/article5555742.html DROUGHT California drought: State residents increase conservation but still fall far short of governor's goal After two months in a row of declining conservation, Californians are doing better at saving water, but they remain far short of a goal set by Gov. Jerry Brown last January. Statewide, residents cut water use by 9.8 percent in November, compared with November 2013, according to new state figures released Tuesday. That's an improvement from October, when the reduction was only 6.8 percent. And it compares with the 11.5 percent savings in August, and 10.2 percent in September . http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27269399/california-drought-state-residents-increase-conservation-but-still HIGH-SPEED RAIL Clean-diesel technologies to construct California high-speed rail system As the California High-Speed Rail Authority breaks ground today on the nation’s first high-speed rail system, additional attention is being focused on the fact that some of the world’s most advanced and cleanest diesel equipment will be used to construct the historic project. http://www.ogfj.com/articles/2015/01/latest-clean-diesel-technologies-to-construct-california-high-speed-rail-system.html FUELS Senate panel takes up pipeline bill despite veto threat A Senate committee has taken up a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline with plans to move it toward the full Senate, despite a veto threat from the White House. Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Lisa Murkowski says lawmakers shouldn't be deterred by President Barack Obama's threat. She notes the bill has Democratic supporters and came within one vote of passing last year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Exclusive: White House not under pressure to expand U.S. crude exports – adviser The White House does not feel pressure to loosen restrictions on U.S. oil exports further and views debate over the issue as resolved for now, John Podesta, a top aide to President Barack Obama, told Reuters in an interview. The drop in oil prices and the Commerce Department's move to allow companies to ship as much as a million barrels per day… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/07/us-usa-crude-exports-exclusive-idUSKBN0KG1ST20150107 Oil Plunge Seen Eroding Emissions Ambition: Carbon & Climate While the falling price of crude oil is giving consumers cheaper energy, it’s threatening long-term global pollution-control efforts. Reduced national income from energy taxes and “a low-growth economic environment” might spur countries to curtail their emissions-curbing pledges for after 2020, leading to more emissions of carbon for a longer time, said Zoe Knight, head of the HSBC Holdings Inc.’s climate change center in London. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2015-01-08/oil-plunge-seen-eroding-emissions-ambition-carbon-climate.html In Keystone Fight and Beyond, Infrastructure Is Energy Policy As almost 200 countries try to work out an agreement in 2015 to slash carbon emissions, the U.S. and others are about to make the climate task tougher by adding new fossil fuel pipelines, power plants and other infrastructure that could increase pollution for decades. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150108/keystone-fight-and-beyond-infrastructure-energy-policy?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=58a424f103-InsideClimate_News12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-58a424f103-327749509 Most fossil fuels should stay in the ground to avoid dangerous temperature rise – study The world needs to burn a lot less of its fossil fuels by midcentury than currently planned to avoid catastrophic climate impacts, a new study warns. The findings, published yesterday in Nature, find that approximately a third of global oil reserves, half of gas reserves and more than 80 percent of coal reserves need to remain unburned and in the ground by 2050… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011320/print Report: Advanced biofuel production likely to double in 3 years North American advanced biofuel capacity topped 800 million gallons in 2014, up from the previous year and almost double the capacity in 2011, according to the E2 Advance Biofuel Market Report 2014 released by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a national nonpartisan business group. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/272813/report-advanced-biofuel-production-likely-to-double-in-3-years VEHICLES New Toyota/Hino fuel cell bus uses fuel cell system from Mirai Toyota Motor Corporation and Hino Motors, Ltd. have built a new version of their fuel cell bus. The new bus was developed jointly by Toyota and Hino based on a Hino hybrid non-step route bus and is equipped with the Toyota Fuel Cell System developed for the Mirai fuel cell vehicle. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150108-tmcbus.html Kia Soul goes hi-tech with all-electric motor ...progressed into engineering and scientific types to promote the new, 2015 Kia Soul EV — a totally electric vehicle, with a range of up to 100... http://www.sfgate.com/cars/article/Kia-Soul-goes-hi-tech-with-all-electric-motor-6000261.php GREEN ENERGY Which power sources kept the lights on during the 2014 polar vortex? Sustained wind can sharpen frigid winter temperatures like those being experienced this week across much of the United States. But it also spins turbines that deliver low-cost power to the electricity grid as tens of millions of homeowners push thermostats to warmer settings, according to a new analysis by the U.S. wind power industry. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011303/print Cheap Solar Power Emerges From Mineral Named for Russian Count Materials that may be cheaper and more efficient than silicon at converting the sun’s rays into electricity could be key to the next generation of solar power, scientists say. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-07/cheap-solar-power-emerging-from-mineral-named-for-russian-count.html MISCELLANEOUS Photographers Chronicle How Climate Change Is Altering Communities A coalition of some the world's top photographers launched a project this month that provides visual documentation of how climate change is altering communities, wildlife and landscapes across the globe—and measures to help prepare for and adapt to the changes. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150108/photographers-chronicle-how-climate-change-altering-communities?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=58a424f103-InsideClimate_News12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-58a424f103-327749509 Companies opt to go 'green' Going "green" is increasingly becoming a goal for corporations across the nation when they search for office locations, but in southwestern Connecticut the demand for sustainable space often depends on the size of the company. A survey of 23 major U.S.-based corporations, conducted by Cushman & Wakefield, showed a "green" or "sustainable" office philosophy plays a key role in discussions about social responsibility and where to locate an operation. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Companies-opt-to-go-green-6000855.php Will Shoes One Day Generate Renewable Energy? The average American takes nearly 2 million steps each year. What if there was a way to turn this plodding into renewable energy? That's the idea behind "Step," a shoe conceived by 22-year-old Vancouver design student Taylor Ward. Inspired by his city's goal to become the greenest urban area on the planet by 2020, Ward has drafted an ambitious blueprint for kicks that could help support the grid. http://www.citylab.com/tech/2015/01/will-shoes-one-day-generate-renewable-energy/384272/ OPINION Climate change’s instructive past We know, because they often say so, that those who think catastrophic global warming is probable and perhaps imminent are exemplary empiricists. They say those who disagree with them are “climate change deniers” disrespectful of science. Actually, however, something about which everyone can agree is that of course the climate is changing — it always is. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-climate-changes-instructive-past/2015/01/07/2ae70ee6-95d2-11e4-aabd-d0b93ff613d5_story.html The forecast: Blowing hot? Cold? Only Gov. Brown knows Jerry Brown, who has blown hot and cold over the years, seems to have settled down. But you never know .... Throughout Gov. Jerry Brown's record-length political career, we've never known quite what to expect. What's real and what's not? He has blown hot and cold. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-cap-jerry-brown-20150108-column.html Has Jerry Brown gone too far on green energy? While the new Congress settles in this week, threatening to blow up the Obama administration’s still limited efforts to combat climate change via presidential executive orders, Gov. Jerry Brown is pushing this state in the opposite direction, radically increasing commitments to renewable energy and shrinking fossil-fuel use for transportation. http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Has-Jerry-Brown-gone-too-far-on-green-energy-6000272.php Our Voice: Gov. Brown has capital to spend on goals ...breathes new life into a plan by former Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez to encourage geothermal energy production in the Salton Sea zone, a side benefit... http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/01/07/voice-governor-brown-goals/21415825/ BLOGS Updated Smog Standards Are Needed to Protect Little Lungs In November, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed updating our national standard for ground level ozone, also known as smog. This updated standard would better protect little lungs, and moms and nurses applaud the effort. Ground level ozone is formed when industrial emissions from power plants, factories, cars and other sources react with heat and sunlight in the atmosphere. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-rauch/updated-smog-standards-ar_b_6316804.html Survey Finds Doctors Concerned About Impacts Of Climate Change On Patient Health American medical professionals specializing in respiratory conditions and critical care are concerned about what climate change may mean for patient health, a new survey finds. A survey of members of the American Thoracic Society, which represents 15,000 physicians and other medical professionals who work in the fields of respiratory disease, critical care and sleep disorder, finds that the majority of respondents said they were already seeing health effects in their patients that they believe are linked to climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/doctors-climate-change-he_n_6432914.html 2014: California’s Warmest Year on Record Federal climate scientists confirmed today that 2014 stands as California’s warmest year on record. The state’s average temperature for the year clocked in at 61.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 4.1 degrees higher than the 20th century average. Last year’s average bested the previous record, set in 1934, by nearly two degrees. http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/01/08/2014-californias-warmest-year-on-record/ Hot, Unfriendly Skies Could Alter Flights You know those tube socks your grandmother air mails you on your birthday every year? Well, they could become another casualty of global warming. Or at least arrive a few days late. Hot weather is likely to increase the number of days with weight restrictions on cargo planes and even airliners, delaying gifts, air travel and slicing into airlines’ bottom lines according to research presented at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/hot-unfriendly-skies-alter-flights-18458 California brings back HOV lanes for plug-in hybrids Happy New Year from the Golden State. California legislators on Jan. 1 reopened their proverbial coffers for green-car owners by adding to its inventory of stickers that give solo plug-in hybrid drivers access to the state's coveted High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. In fact, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has put 15,000 green stickers back into circulation, according to Cars Direct. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/01/07/california-hov-stickers-phev-renewed/ Toyota shows off the ‘Mirai’ and its hydrogen-fueled vision of the future Toyota raced into the future Monday, unveiling its first hydrogen-powered car and championing the technology at International CES. Physicist and futurist Michio Kaku was on hand to introduce the company's new fuel cell, which he said has a range of 300 miles and can refuel in three to five minutes. "We are entering the age of hydrogen," Kaku said. "We are present at the creation of a hydrogen society." http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/01/05/toyota-shows-off-the-mirai-and-its-hydrogen-fueled-vision-of-the-future/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 12:23:10 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 12, 2015 From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 12, 2015. 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 South Korea Launches World’s Second-Largest Carbon Trading Market. South Korea launched its cap-and-trade system Monday, an act that makes the country home to the world’s second-largest carbon trading market. The cap-and-trade system, which was approved by the country’s National Assembly in 2012, will cap the emissions of 525 of the biggest companies in the country. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/12/3610553/south-korea-cap-and-trade/ Cap-and-trade fund grows to $1B; groups say it could reach $2B. California will spend $1 billion to combat climate change under a new budget proposal from Gov. Jerry Brown. But some argue it will reach $2 billion. The money in the Democrat's draft fiscal 2015-16 budget comes from the state's cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions, which requires some businesses to account for their greenhouse gas pollution. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011472/print AIR POLLUTION EU should curb mercury emissions from cremations, campaigners say. Environment campaigners are calling for curbs on mercury emissions from human cremations as part of pollution controls that EU authorities will debate this month. Increased cremation as shortage of land makes burial expensive has coincided with a rise in emissions of the toxic metal from fillings in teeth. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/us-eu-air-cremation-idUSKBN0KL0YH20150112 CLIMATE CHANGE Oil Plunge Seen Eroding Emissions Ambition: Carbon & Climate. While the falling price of crude oil is giving consumers cheaper energy, it’s threatening long-term global pollution-control efforts. Reduced national income from energy taxes and “a low-growth economic environment” might spur countries to curtail their emissions-curbing pledges for after 2020, leading to more emissions of carbon for a longer time… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-08/oil-plunge-seen-eroding-emissions-ambition-carbon-climate.html NASA’s year of climate change research kicks off, with a little help from Washington companies. NASA has its head in the clouds this year. Literally. The space agency is kicking off five global projects designed to study how the earth’s atmosphere influences climate change. One of those projects is a study of greenhouse gases over the eastern part of the United States, with a little help from Washington-area contractors. Scientists think they understand what causes the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane… http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/nasas-year-of-climate-change-research-kicks-off-with-a-little-help-from-washington-companies/2015/01/09/a31d54b0-95c3-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html Climate Change Messing with Mother Nature’s Timetable. In nature, timing is everything. From the mass migration of monarch butterflies to the simultaneous seminal release of corals to the collective deaths of salmon and cicadas, many species stick to schedules so strict, their habits could be used to mark the seasons. Unfortunately, more and more evidence suggests that climate change has already begun to cuss up these timetables. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-nature-schedule-18525 Arctic's 'Penguins of the North' Find Workaround to Climate Change. New study finds that little auks are adjusting their food supply, raising questions of adaptation. What's New: The latest research on little auks, sometimes called "penguins of the north," reveals a surprising response to a rapidly warming Arctic: The birds make up for food lost to the effects of climate change by catching prey… http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150112-little-auks-global-warming-climate-change-environment/ Could forests help states offset coal plant emissions under EPA rule? Probably not. A funny thing happens when states are told to cut greenhouse gas emissions or shut down their coal plants: They start looking for solutions in unexpected places, like forests. U.S. EPA's draft rule to cut power sector carbon emissions suggests states could reach their targets by making coal plants more efficient, using more natural gas and renewable energy, and reducing power consumption. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011462/print Growing competition, tougher rules haunt U.S. coal market – study. The new year will bring continued difficulties for coal-fired electric utilities as new regulations targeting power plant emissions squeeze existing facilities and economics continue to favor inexpensive natural gas over coal for new fossil power generation. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011455/print U.S. lab scientists find small volcanoes have slowed recent global warming. Small volcanoes spewing climate-cooling aerosol particles into the atmosphere could have partly contributed to the slowed global temperature rise since 1998, according to a study published this week in Geophysical Research Letters. The study reinforces the findings of an earlier study that also pointed to small volcanic eruptions in the 2000s as one of the triggers of the "hiatus" in global warming … http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/12/stories/1060011458 Methane blueprint expected this week, ahead of State of the Union. The White House is likely to roll out its strategy to curb methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector this week ahead of next week's State of the Union address, and environmentalists are watching to see if it includes U.S. EPA's commitment to regulate new and existing sources of the potent greenhouse gas. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/01/12/stories/1060011506 Spreading awareness on climate change. Climate change comprises one of the 21st century’s main obstacles to the development around the world. In the current scenario, global warming and climate change have become issues of global significance. It is evidenced by the plethora of campaigns, conferences, researches and reports on the subject matter. http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/general-news/216659-spreading-awareness-on-climate-change.html DROUGHT Businesses get fat rebate checks for water-saving turf replacement. A tractor rumbled over 2 acres of green turf last month at the MillerCoors brewery, its mechanical rake leaving wide swaths of thirsty grass chomped up in its wake. The once-lush knoll, by springtime, will feature a pathway of decomposed granite, a bed of river rocks and a sign encouraging water conservation. For its water-saving efforts, the beer company is scheduled to receive a check for about $187,000 from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through the agency's turf replacement rebate program. DIESEL ACTIVITIES Diesel exhaust and other pollutants heat up planet with darker snow – study. Agriculture is playing a significant role in darkening swaths of northwest American snow, which in turn can speed up its melt, according to a new study funded by U.S. EPA. In what is termed the first large-scale survey of North American snow impurities, researchers from the University of Washington set out to find out what was happening in areas… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/12/stories/1060011471 FUELS Is Keystone still necessary as oil, gasoline prices dip? A 50-percent plunge in the price of crude oil, resulting from abundant global oil supplies and cheaper gasoline at the pump, raise critical questions about whether the Keystone XL oil pipeline is still needed or even makes financial sense. Oil prices always have been volatile, and both the pipeline company and the oil refiners… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KEYSTONE_STILL_NEEDED_QA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Oil could drive down ethanol profits, but industry shielded. Roughly 100 grain trucks a day filled with corn continued to flow into the Green Plains ethanol plant in southwest Iowa this week - even as crude oil prices continued to collapse. Oil prices may have dipped below $50 a barrel for the first time since April 2009, but ethanol plants across… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FOOD_AND_FARM_OIL_COLLAPSE_ETHANOL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT U.S. Drivers Start 2015 With Cheapest Gas in Six Years. Bloomberg’s Isaac Arnsdorf and Scarlet Fu examine the oil price projection from Goldman Sachs. They speak in "On The Markets" on "In The Loop.” Drivers paid an average of $2.2021 a gallon for regular gasoline at U.S. pumps last week, the lowest level for this time of year since 2009, according to Lundberg Survey Inc. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-11/u-s-gasoline-plunges-to-2-2021-a-gallon-in-lundberg-survey.html TransCanada Swaps Show Keystone Serves as Oil Drop Buffer. Bonds of TransCanada Corp. are outperforming those of larger rival Enbridge Inc. (ENB) as a court decision boosts speculation it will succeed in building the controversial Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta’s oil sands to the Gulf Coast. Nebraska’s highest court cleared Keystone’s path through the state last week, sending the matter back to the U.S. State Department… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2015-01-12/transcanada-swaps-show-keystone-buffers-oil-drop-canada-credit.html Oil Prices Tumble to Fresh Lows on Oversupply Fears. Major Banks Cut Oil Price Forecasts Further. Oil prices tumbled to fresh lows as major banks continued to slash their forecasts for this year, saying lower prices are needed to reduce global supplies. U.S. oil for February delivery traded down $1.92, or 4%, at $46.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent, the global benchmark, dropped $2.37, or 4.7%, to $47.74 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe. http://www.wsj.com/articles/brent-crude-falls-below-50-in-asian-trading-1421039495?autologin=y New French biodiesel limit could split EU fuels market: oil, car lobbies. France's increased limit on food-based biofuels in transport fuel could raise logistic and supply costs as it threatens to split the European single market for fuels, lobby groups for the car and oil industries said on Monday. The French energy ministry issued a decree on Dec. 31 that raised the maximum level of biofuels in diesel sold at services stations… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/us-france-biodiesel-idUSKBN0KL1P720150112 Pacific Ethanol’s Stockton plant to install cogeneration technology. A 3.5-megawatt cogeneration system is to be added to the Stockton ethanol manufacturing plant owned by Pacific Ethanol Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX) of Sacramento. The $12 million cogeneration system will displace purchased electricity by using Ener-Core Inc.'s (OTCBB: ENCR) gradual oxidizer technology to convert waste gas from ethanol production and natural gas into electricity and steam. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27524 USDA trims corn crop size in WASDE report, though still a record. USDA lowers its estimation for corn yield in the January supply/demand report by 2.4 bushels per acre, for a national average of 171.0 bushels per acre. A slight increase in harvested acres gains some of that back, but total corn production was dialed back by 191 million bushels – still a record at 14.216 billion bushels from 90.6 million planted acres. http://ethanolproducer.com/articles/11820/usda-trims-corn-crop-size-in-wasde-report-though-still-a-record VEHICLES Volvo to sell Chinese-made cars in US. Volvo Cars, the Chinese-owned Swedish automaker, said Monday it will export cars made in China to the United States, a step forward for Beijing's ambitions to extend the global reach of its auto manufacturing industry. The cars would be exported from Volvo's factories in China, said a Volvo public relations manager, Chen Yu. She said she had no details on when shipments would start or a sales target. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_US_VOLVO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Nissan introduces new Titan pickup with diesel engine. Over the last two years, all three of the nation's best-selling full-size pickups - the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500 - have gotten big redesigns. Now it's the Nissan Titan's turn. The Titan is a tiny player in this space. Last year, Nissan sold 12,527 Titans in the U.S. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AUTO_SHOW_HOT_WHEELS_NISSAN_TITAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT AP Source: GM plans affordable 200-mile electric car in 2017. General Motors plans to start selling an affordable electric car in 2017 that will be able to go 200 miles on a single charge. A person briefed on the matter told The Associated Press that GM plans to start selling a $30,000 battery powered family car called the Chevrolet Bolt sometime in 2017. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GENERAL_MOTORS_ELECTRIC_CAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Lake Charles gets new station for electric cars. Electric car company Tesla Motors has opened a new station in western Louisiana where its clients can charge up their vehicles. WWNO radio reports (http://bit.ly/1I8P6ND ) that the company says its new location in Lake Charles will enable drivers of its Model S vehicles to replenish a half charge in 20 minutes. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/10/4323630_lake-charles-gets-new-station.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY UPDATE 1-Debt-laden RWE cuts spend on renewable business. Germany's No.2 utility RWE is cutting back investments in its renewable energy business, under pressure from a crisis in the power sector that has swelled its debt pile to 31 billion euros ($36.7 billion). Having spent 1 billion euros annually on RWE Innogy between 2008 and 2014, RWE said it would invest just 1 billion euros over 2015-2017. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/rwe-renewables-idINL6N0UR2O320150112 Why 2015 is the Year for Clean Energy in the U.S. and China. With a new year comes new promises and new opportunities – and that also goes for the United States and China, the world’s biggest climate polluters. The good news is both nations appear ready to embrace solar and other renewables, investments that will cement their recent, bilateral agreement to tackle climate change. http://theenergycollective.com/edfenergyex/2179576/why-2015-year-clean-energy-us-and-china MISCELLANEOUS California governor plans big budget with downturn in mind. Ever mindful that the next economic downturn could be right around the corner, Gov. Jerry Brown released a record $113 billion California spending plan on Friday that resists calls for expanding social services and instead dedicates billions for paying down debt and saving for a rainy day. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_BUDGET?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California Arts Council holds drought awareness contest. The California Arts Council is inviting all fourth and fifth grade students in California to participate in a contest that aims to raise awareness of water conservation practices and educate students about the issue of California's drought. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/10/4324324/california-arts-council-holds.html##storylink=cpy OPINIONS America's Going to Lose the Oil Price War. The financial debacle that has befallen Russia as the price of Brent crude dropped 50 percent in the last four months has overshadowed the one that potentially awaits the U.S. shale industry in 2015. It's time to heed it, because Saudi Arabia and other major Middle Eastern oil producers are unlikely to blink and cut output, and the price is now approaching a level where U.S. production will begin shutting down. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-01-12/americas-going-to-lose-the-oil-price-war Will take a lot to divert SLV from burning wood. The San Lorenzo Valley has the worst air in the state? Seriously? Worse than the Central Valley? Improving the air quality in the San Lorenzo Valley is going to take much more than simple legal edicts from bureaucrats residing 90 miles away; many homes in SLV were either built when electricity was inexpensive or outside the natural gas delivery infrastructure. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/20150110/LOCAL1/150119993 BLOGS Linking Carbon Markets To Climate Change. By the end of the century 1,400 cities and towns could be submerged due to rising sea levels caused by climate change, according to a recent study. The impact of climate change is becoming more severe: ice caps are melting, water is becoming scarce in some places, many fish and animal species face extinction, and heat waves are becoming the norm. http://www.forbes.com/sites/statoil/2015/01/12/linking-carbon-markets-to-climate-change/ BREAKING: Chevrolet 'Bolt' Concept 200-Mile Electric Car To Target Tesla: UPDATED. On Monday, General Motors will unveil a concept version of a $30,000 battery-electric vehicle with 200 miles of electric range that will arrive on the market before the planned Tesla Model 3, according to reports. Called the Chevrolet Bolt, the concept is a compact five-door hatchback that uses lithium-ion cells from LG Chem, GM's established battery partner. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096226_breaking-chevrolet-bolt-concept-200-mile-electric-car-to-target-tesla-reports California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 12:38:39 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 13, 2015 From: dchelini@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. FUELS UNDER CAP AND TRADE California gas tax begins largely unnoticed Motorists have been paying an additional fuel charge that kicked in last week at gas stations across California, but the extra cost has been offset by the recent drop in prices. Drivers on Thursday weren’t aware they were paying an extra 10 cents per gallon as part of the 2006 California Global Warming Solution Act. The extra revenue funds alternate modes of transportation and programs that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. http://www.desertsun.com/story/money/business/2015/01/12/gas-tax-global-warming/21652105/ California Democrats push for gas price monitoring Democratic California state senators have asked the state attorney general to monitor retail gasoline prices for possible manipulation after the state's cap-and-trade program expanded to include fuel distributors. http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=975675 Sacramento-area gas prices fall below $2.50 a gallon Despite concerns that gas prices would rise when the oil industry was included in California’s cap-and-trade program on Jan. 1, at-the-pump costs in the Sacramento area continue to fall – dropping below the $2.50-a-gallon threshold over the past week. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article6091773.html CAP AND TRADE Carbon pricing coming to Ontario, strategy to be unveiled this year The Ontario government is closing in on a plan to put a price on carbon emissions after nearly seven years of delays. The Liberals have promised to make corporations and consumers pay for burning carbon – an effective way to battle global warming – since 2008, but have put off making a decision. However, Environment Minister Glen Murray is now working on a comprehensive plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions, and he pledges carbon pricing will be part of it. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/carbon-pricing-coming-to-ontario-strategy-to-be-unveiled-this-year/article22422031/ Yale report suggests Republican voters are split on greenhouse gas reductions Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and other top Washington Republicans have made opposition to President Obama's new climate change efforts a top priority now that the GOP controls both chambers of Congress. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011543/search?keyword=climate+change Climate change will displace millions globally, experts project Natural disasters displace three to 10 times more people globally than all conflicts including war combined, and governments need to plan better for increased relocations as natural disasters and extreme weather events linked to climate change continue, experts said Thursday. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011453/search?keyword=climate+change+will+displace Cap-and-trade fund grows to $1B; groups say it could reach $2B California will spend $1 billion to combat climate change under a new budget proposal from Gov. Jerry Brown. But some argue it will reach $2 billion. The money in the Democrat's draft fiscal 2015-16 budget comes from the state's cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions, which requires some businesses to account for their greenhouse gas pollution. They buy allowances at auction, with the funds going into California's coffers. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011472/search?keyword=cap-and-trade AIR POLLUTION California's New Fracking Rules: Too Little, Too Early? On Dec. 30, 2014, California regulators released new state rules for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. State regulators and members of industry have repeatedly hailed the rigorous rules, which go into effect July 1. Dr. Steven Bohlen, California's state oil-and-gas supervisor, called them "as strict or stricter than any other state's." http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150113/californias-new-fracking-rules-too-little-too-early?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=8a40f5f49d-InsideClimate_News12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-8a40f5f49d-327749509 Carbon monoxide may have killed 3 in Long Beach; propane heater nearby Three people were found dead Monday night inside a Long Beach apartment and may have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. A large portable propane space heater was found near the bodies inside the home in the 1100 block of Gardenia Avenue, said Ed Winter, spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-3-dead-long-beach-carbon-monoxide-20150113-story.html Is Burning A Fire At Home Really Contributing To Bad Air Quality? The Bay Area TIED a record (11) for the number of consecutive days with today’s Winter Spare The Air Alert. The old record was set in December 2013. When wood and other solid fuels are burned, the smoke contains fine particulate air pollution can pass deep into the lungs and cause serious health effects to the public. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/01/12/is-burning-a-fire-at-home-really-contributing-to-bad-air-quality/ Pacific Ethanol plans cogeneration upgrade in Stockton Pacific Ethanol Inc. announced Monday it would install a $12 million cogeneration system at its Stockton ethanol plant, providing electrical power and steam heat, while at the same time burning waste gases and reducing smog-producing emissions from the facility. http://www.recordnet.com/article/20150112/NEWS/150119908/-1/A_BIZ Record spell of Spare the Air days as dirty Bay Area skies linger The rainless start to the new year is not only intensifying California’s drought but giving rise to some of the worst wintertime air pollution the Bay Area has seen in almost a decade. Dry, static skies prompted regional air quality regulators to issue their 11th straight Spare the Air alert for Monday, tying last year’s record for the number of consecutive days that residents have been warned of the potential for unhealthful levels of pollutants. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Record-spell-of-Spare-the-Air-days-as-dirty-Bay-6010707.php Related articles: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jan/13/dirty-air-in-san-francisco-bay-area-continues/ CLIMATE CHANGE Estimated social cost of climate change not accurate, Stanford scientists say The economic damage caused by a ton of carbon dioxide emissions – often referred to as the "social cost" of carbon – could actually be six times higher than the value that the United States now uses to guide current energy regulations, and possibly future mitigation policies, Stanford scientists say. http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/january/emissions-social-costs-011215.html NASA’s year of climate change research kicks off, with a little help from Washington companies NASA has its head in the clouds this year. Literally. The space agency is kicking off five global projects designed to study how the earth’s atmosphere influences climate change. One of those projects is a study of greenhouse gases over the eastern part of the United States, with a little help from Washington-area contractors. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/nasas-year-of-climate-change-research-kicks-off-with-a-little-help-from-washington-companies/2015/01/09/a31d54b0-95c3-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html FUELS Senate Democrats look to tweak bill on Keystone XL pipeline Democrats plan to use Senate consideration of the Keystone XL oil pipeline to get Republicans on the record about climate change and to resurrect parts of a bipartisan energy efficiency bill doomed by pipeline politics last year. But Republicans readied additions of their own, such as lifting a ban on crude oil exports. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Senate-Democrats-look-to-tweak-bill-on-Keystone-6011307.php VEHICLES G.M. Reboots Chevrolet Volt as Automakers Push Electric Cars While sales of new cars and trucks are soaring, demand for electric vehicles is still sputtering along in the slow lane. But that’s not stopping automakers from continuing to make huge investments in green vehicles, introducing one model after another. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/13/business/automakers-keep-rolling-out-electric-vehicles.html ROUSH's Ford Propane Retrofits Make the Grade in California The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has certified ROUSH CleanTech's propane retrofit system for all Ford 6.8-liter vehicles with model years 2012 to 2015. ROUSH, a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier, claims it is the first company to receive this CARB certification for propane autogas. http://www.ngtnews.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10355#.VLVrMRamOa8 GREEN ENERGY Environment, not cash, encourages L.A. residents to save electricity What does it take to get the average Angeleno to shut off the lights, or unplug a few power-swilling appliances and e-gadgets? According to UCLA researchers, the least effective way to get a Los Angeles family to save electricity is by telling them how much they'll save in the process -- mostly because it's not a whole lot. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-power-conservation-20150112-story.html California Takes Lead In Developing Energy Storage The city of Tehachapi, near the crest of a mountain pass in southern California, is a bridge between the Mojave Desert and the San Joaquin Valley — a blustery area serving as an ideal site for a wind farm. It’s also the site of the Tehachapi Energy Storage Project, an experiment in storing wind power in giant lithium-ion batteries, so far the largest energy storage project of its kind in North America. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-developing-energy-storage-18529 MISCELLANEOUS Effectiveness of state's 'parking cash-out' program is unclear To reduce air pollution and traffic congestion, California legislators passed an innovative law in 1992 to encourage solo commuters to get out of their cars and bike, carpool or take public transit to work. The measure, by then-Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Panorama City) required certain companies, government agencies and other employers to offer their workers cash to cover commuting costs in lieu of giving them free parking, one of the main incentives to drive to work alone. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-california-commute-20150113-story.html OPINION Big Oil plays Chicken Little on gas prices and AB 32 For months, the warnings were endless: Come January, gas prices would jump as much as 76 cents a gallon. “Put the brakes on the Hidden Gas Tax!” implored countless Facebook ads. Anyone seeing pump prices skyrocketing? http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/bruce-maiman/article6132519.html BLOGS The greenest governor in the country tells Grist about his big climate plan When he took office two years ago, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) was hailed as the nation’s greenest state leader. He ran on climate change and clean energy — even wrote a book about it — and pledged to make Washington California’s equal in green progress. http://grist.org/climate-energy/washington-governor-jay-inslee-cap-and-trade-carbon-tax/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 13:10:07 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 14, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 14, 2015. 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 Interests line up to spend cap-and-trade fund that could top $2.3B. California's cap-and-trade program to cut carbon emissions should bring in more than $2.3 billion in the next fiscal year, not just the $1 billion that Gov. Jerry Brown budgeted, the state's spending watchdog said yesterday. California's Legislative Analyst's Office reviewed the Democratic governor's proposed spending plan for fiscal 2015-16. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011645/print AIR POLLUTION How carbon monoxide kills. Each year, about 30 Californians die of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the California Air Resources Board. More than 600 residents end up in the emergency room each year because of non-lethal exposures. Carbon monoxide, or CO, is an odorless and colorless gas produced when fossil fuels are burned. Carbon monoxide inhibits the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to body tissues including vital organs such as the heart and brain, according to the Air Resources Board. http://www.presstelegram.com/health/20150113/how-carbon-monoxide-kills L.A. Basin methane emissions found up to 61% higher than estimates. A new study that used a mountaintop sensor to measure air pollution in the Los Angeles Basin found emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, are up to 61% higher than government estimates. The study published Monday in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, is the latest to reveal official emissions inventories that underestimate the amount of the planet-warming pollutant being released into the atmosphere. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-methane-emissions-20150114-story.html Air tainted with soot lingers in San Francisco Bay Area. A stubborn dry weather pattern settled over Northern California in January, helping create some of the sootiest air in years for the 7.5 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area, air quality officials said Tuesday. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued its 11th-straight "Spare the Air" warning on Monday, forbidding most indoor and outdoor wood burning. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article6238044.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE Melting Glaciers Imperil Kathmandu, Perched High Above Rising Seas. A month’s walk from the nearest sea, Kathmandu -- elevation almost a mile -- is as vulnerable to climate change as the world’s coastal megacities. The capital of the poorest Asian country after Afghanistan already is feeling the effect: Rising temperatures are crimping power and food supplies as rural migrants stream to a city of 1 million that’s among the world’s most crowded. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-13/melting-glaciers-imperil-kathmandu-perched-high-above-rising-seas.html Polar bears migrate to Northwest Passages for longer lasting ice. Some polar bear clusters have slowly moved to islands north of Canada's mainland that are retaining the Arctic ice for longer, according to a new scientific study that predicts the migration, linked to climate change, would continue. The study published earlier this month in the journal PLOS ONE was based on DNA taken from nearly 2,800 polar bears in countries where the animals live - the United States, Russia, Canada, Greenland and Norway. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/14/us-usa-alaska-polarbears-idUSKBN0KN0CI20150114 Will we be hungry in a warming world? USDA wants to know. The agricultural livestock field will have to undergo systematic changes to cope with food security and sustainability problems in a climate-changed world, according to a new report commissioned by the National Academy of Sciences. By the year 2050, demand for animal protein is predicted to go up significantly as the global population reaches between 9 billion and 10 billion people. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/14/stories/1060011619 Climate change threatens to release some of nature's largest CO2 stockpiles. Peatlands across the world are vulnerable to fires as a result of climate change, according to a paper published this month in the journal Nature Geoscience. Peat-rich areas, which span every continent but are most prevalent in the northern high latitudes, not only contain more carbon than is stored in all other vegetation, but also store carbon that has not been part of the active carbon cycle for centuries, the authors say. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011641/print Thunderstorms rain down ozone, study says. The mighty power of a thunderstorm might fill some of us with awe and dread, but what's happening up in the atmosphere during the booms and flashes has implications for climate change, a new study says. Research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters shows that large storms move significant amounts of ozone from the stratosphere down to the troposphere, or the part of the atmosphere closest to Earth. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011625/print Physicians say they are seeing impacts of climate change in patients. Health formed a big part of President Obama's pitch for new greenhouse gas rules, but most Americans don't make the connection between rising temperatures and problems like heart attacks, kidney stones and trouble breathing. However, a recent survey found that within a specialized subset of American doctors, most think that they are already seeing the impacts of a changing climate. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011647/print DROUGHT Drought-plagued West warned to collect rain as snowpack disappears. The drought that has been socking Western states and farms for years has also dried up the mountain snowpack, prompting experts this week to call for a whole new system to collect rare rainfall. The influential American Farm Bureau, citing climate change, said a shift to collecting rain must happen now because it could take up to 30 years to build a new infrastructure. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/west-warned-to-collect-rain-as-snowpack-melts/article/2558523 Sacramento beats L.A. in water conservation. Sacramento residents recently achieved something significant in dealing with the drought gripping California: In November, they used less water per person than residents of Los Angeles. According to data gathered by the State Water Resources Control Board, residents of Sacramento on average consumed 73 gallons of water per person each day in November… http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article6328806.html#storylink=cpy DIESEL ACTIVITIES California governor hangs hat on 7 mpg for diesel trucks. California Gov. Jerry Brown has announced ambitious plans to reduce the state’s use of oil that will rely on increased fuel mileage from passenger vehicles and big rigs. During his inaugural address in early January before the state legislature, Brown said he wants California to obtain half of its electricity from renewable sources and also wants to reduce the use of petroleum by cars and trucks in half. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=28329#.VLaotxY6coAhttp://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=28329#.VLaotxY6coA FUELS Obama moves to create first methane limits for gas drilling. The Obama administration laid out a blueprint Wednesday for the first regulations to cut down on methane emissions from new natural gas wells, aiming to curb the discharge of a potent greenhouse gas by roughly half. Relying once again on the Clean Air Act, the rules join a host of others that President Barack Obama has ordered in an effort to slow global warming despite… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_METHANE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-14/obama-unveils-plan-to-cut-methane-leaks-from-oil-gas-industry.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/us/politics/obama-administration-to-unveil-plans-to-cut-methane-emissions.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/14/us/14reuters-usa-climatechange-methane.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011651/print Government predicts shale slowdown as oil falls. As oil's long slide continued, the Energy Department forecast Tuesday that production from U.S. shale operators will begin to tail off in the second half of the year. The decline would mark the first such drop in what has been a 6-year boom in U.S. onshore crude production. The price of oil fell Tuesday, dipping briefly under $45, before ending down 18 cents to $45.89 a barrel. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OIL_PRICES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Oil Output Seen Rising, Despite Fall in Its Price. Even with oil prices continuing to plummet and oil companies decommissioning drilling rigs every day, the Energy Department on Tuesday projected that domestic crude production would continue to rise in 2015, although growth would slow. The forecast of even more American supplies on an oversupplied global market was not unexpected, but it added to the probability that oil prices… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/business/oil-prices-continue-to-fall.html Detroit's Blue Skies Clouded by Worries About Fuel Economy. Auto industry executives see nothing but blue skies in the U.S. market, especially compared with troubled Western European economies or slumping emerging markets. There is just one, increasingly vexing problem: The vehicles American consumers will pay a premium to own are not the fuel-sipping small cars or electricity-powered models that they… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/13/business/13reuters-autoshow-fueleconomy-analysis.html VEHICLES Tesla Falls Most Since September as Musk Cites China Drop. Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) tumbled the most in almost four months after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk cited slowing sales in China amid charging concerns and said the electric carmaker won’t become profitable until 2020, when annual deliveries reach 500,000. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-14/tesla-falls-most-since-september-as-musk-cites-china-sales-drop.html Tesla Chief Asks Makers to Support Electric Cars. Elon Musk, chief executive of the electric car company Tesla, urged traditional automakers to step up their efforts at electrifying automobiles, saying that with gasoline prices hovering in the $2-a-gallon range, high fuel prices can no longer be expected to drive consumers toward alternatives. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/business/tesla-chief-asks-makers-to-support-electric-cars.html Honda Introduces Vehicle Powered by Hydrogen. The movement toward alternative-energy vehicles received another push on Tuesday when Honda unveiled a hydrogen-powered car it aims to begin selling in March 2016 in Japan. While much of the attention on alternative powertrains has focused on electric vehicles — thanks to the success of Tesla’s Model S and the potential of General Motors’ second-generation Chevy Volt… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/business/honda-introduces-vehicle-powered-by-hydrogen.html GM introduces the Chevrolet Bolt, a cheaper electric car. In a debut that may have overshadowed its brand-name alternative-fuel vehicle, General Motors Co. on Monday at the Detroit car show unveiled the Chevrolet Bolt, an electric concept car the corporation signaled will address electric cars' primary shortcomings -- high starting prices and limited driving ranges. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011642/print GREEN ENERGY FBI asked about de León energy-efficiency bill. The FBI has made an inquiry into legislation carried in recent years by California Senate leader Kevin de León, sources have told The Sacramento Bee. Agents had questions about a bill de León wrote that would have expanded ways for consumers to repay money they borrow to make energy-efficiency upgrades through their monthly utility bills, the sources said. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article6372108.html#storylink=cpy MISCELLANEOUS Washington Governor Seeks New Taxes as a Court Order Looms. Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, stepped to the rostrum in the ornate House chamber of the Capitol here on Tuesday and called for the biggest increase in new tax dollars in state history. “The time of recession and hollowing out is behind us,” Mr. Inslee said in his State of the State address to lawmakers. “It is now time for reinvestment.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/us/washington-governor-seeks-new-taxes-as-a-court-order-looms.html OPINIONS Chamber's Donohue: Regulating Emissions Under Clean Air Law Doesn't Work. U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue said on Wednesday the business lobby does not believe the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions through the Clean Air Act is appropriate or workable. "While we strongly support technological solutions to address greenhouse gas emissions, we do not believe that the regulation of these emissions thru the Clean Air Act is appropriate or ... workable," http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/14/us/politics/14reuters-usa-climatechange-business.html Big Oil plays Chicken Little on gas prices and AB 32. For months, the warnings were endless: Come January, gas prices would jump as much as 76 cents a gallon. “Put the brakes on the Hidden Gas Tax!” implored countless Facebook ads. Anyone seeing pump prices skyrocketing? Never mind that oil prices plummeted last year as a gallon of regular dropped in California from $4.13 last summer to $2.59 now – $2.48 in the Sacramento region. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/bruce-maiman/article6132519.html#storylink=cpy Spare the air with trees. Fresno has been my home for the last 32 years and I have no plans to leave when I retire. Unfortunately, more than one friend has told me lately that they will leave upon retirement because the air quality is so bad. I have asked myself if there is something more I can do about air quality since I, too, have health challenges that are aggravated by pollution. What about asking every home and business owner in Fresno to double the number of trees on their own property? http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/13/4328649_spare-the-air-with-trees.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy BLOGS Oil Slide and California’s Hidden Gas Tax. Did the oil price plunge obscure the effects of California’s cap and trade regulations for gasoline? A couple months ago, consumers and anti-tax advocates were in a frenzy, fretting that new rules taking effect Jan. 1 would cause a $0.15 to $0.75 spike in prices at the pump. Meanwhile, plunging oil values have flipped California gas station marquee digits down $0.31 in the past month, according to data from AAA. http://blogs.rollcall.com/energy-xtra/oil-slide-and-californias-hidden-gas-tax/?dcz Senate Expected To Vote On Whether Climate Change Is Real, As Part Of Keystone Bill. The Senate agreed Tuesday to move to debate on amendments to legislation that would force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, another step toward the anticipated approval of the bill sometime next week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said debate will be allowed on any amendment put forward, including one from Democrats attempting to put Congress on the record acknowledging that fossil fuels are driving climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/13/climate-change-keystone-bill_n_6466380.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 12:21:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 15, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 15, 2015. 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 Ontario carbon pricing in the works, finally. After a seven-year delay, the Ontario government is drafting a plan to charge for carbon. The Canadian province committed to carbon pricing in 2008, when it signed the Western Climate Initiative with California, British Columbia and Quebec. The other partners have all implemented either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011705/print Imposing carbon price would spur bioenergy, slash emissions -- MIT study. Bioenergy production would boom and spur steep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions if a global price is slapped on carbon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say in a report released today. Examining bioenergy production under a $15-per-metric-ton carbon price… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011746/print CLIMATE CHANGE Study: Sea level rise accelerating more than once thought. The world's oceans are now rising far faster than they did in the past, a new study says. The study found that for much of the 20th century - until about 1990 - sea level was about 30 percent less than earlier research had figured. But that's not good news, scientists say, because about 25 years ago the seas started rising faster and the acceleration in 1990… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_SEA_LEVEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/science/earth/new-research-may-solve-a-puzzle-in-sea-levels-rise.html Pope on climate change: Man has 'slapped nature in the face'. Pope Francis said Thursday he is convinced that global warming is "mostly" man-made and that he hopes his upcoming encyclical on the environment will encourage negotiators at a climate change meeting in Paris to make "courageous" decisions to protect God's creation. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_REL_POPE_ASIA_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Warm Weather Sinking EU Emissions-Market Plans. Europe’s attempt to revive its carbon market is being thwarted by a lack of pollution. The region’s warmest year in three decades has cut demand for heating, while utilities are generating a record amount of power from renewables and the ailing economy is crimping manufacturing. Electricity producers will need only about a third of the extra carbon permits being sold in 2015… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-14/warm-weather-sinking-eu-emissions-market-plans.html U.K.’s Miliband to Push for Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. U.K. opposition leader Ed Miliband said he’ll push world leaders to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2050 if elected this year. The target proposed by the Labour Party leader means fossil fuels would have to be phased out completely unless technology to trap emissions and pump them permanently underground -- known as carbon capture and storage -- is deployed at sufficient scale. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/u-k-s-miliband-to-push-for-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2050.html Texas, South May Be Cooler Through April While West Warms. Texas and parts of the U.S. South will probably have below-normal temperatures through April, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said in its latest three-month forecast. The western U.S. and Alaska may be warmer than normal, while forecasters cannot get a clear indication of what will happen in the East, the center said today. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/texas-south-may-be-cooler-through-april-while-west-warms.html West Virginia Withdraws Altered Climate Curriculum. West Virginia education officials on Wednesday retreated from an earlier curriculum decision that expressed doubts about widely held views of climate change. The State Board of Education voted 6-to-2 to withdraw its altered version of the Next Generation Science Standards, which were developed by 26 states, including West Virginia. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/us/west-virginia-withdraws-altered-climate-curriculum.html Center for Urban Resilience sees L.A. as laboratory for green solutions. The recent dousings of rain in Los Angeles make it easy to forget that the entire state is still in the grips of a historic drought. But our dwindling water supply is only one of many formidable ecological and social challenges facing California in general and the L.A. region specifically, with its booming population, rising sea levels and ever-hotter temperatures caused by global warming. http://www.latimes.com/brandpublishing/localplus/lmu/la-ss-lmu2015-cures-dto-story.html U.S. cities lag behind others in the world in meeting the challenge of sea-level rise. In December, residents in Marin, a county in the northern part of the San Francisco Bay Area nestled across from the Golden Gate Bridge, woke up to find that some of their roadways, docks and parking lots were underwater. Unlike in past years, when the king tides… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011703/print DROUGHT California Drought Outlook Extends at Least Into April. Most of California will still be in drought in April even though conditions will probably improve across the southern part of the state, according to the latest forecast from the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. Seasonal rains and the potential for a weak El Nino forming in the equatorial Pacific have increased the chances for the drought to ease in southern California as it persists or gets worse in the central and northern areas… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/california-drought-outlook-extends-at-least-into-april.html FUELS 5 things to know about Obama's next climate move: methane. The Obama administration on Wednesday announced its latest move to combat global warming, this time trying to rein in heat-trapping methane gas that escapes from oil and gas fields. The plan relies on voluntary steps and new rules to reduce leaks from oil and gas production by 40 percent to 45 percent over the next decade. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_METHANE_5_THINGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/14/us/politics/ap-us-obama-methane-5-things.html?_r=0 Wholesale Prices in U.S. Fall by Most in Three Years on Fuel. Wholesale prices in the U.S. declined in December by the most in three years, showing little sign that inflation’s bubbling up amid plunging energy costs. The 0.3 percent decrease in the producer-price index was the biggest since October 2011 and followed a 0.2 percent drop the prior month, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/wholesale-prices-in-u-s-fall-by-most-in-three-years-on-fuel.html Obama's move to cut methane emissions may hinge on the economy. Obama administration plans to slash methane emissions to combat global warming Energy industry objects, but environmental activist says Obama isn't doing enough. As President Obama tries to build an enduring legacy on climate change… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-methane-rules-20150113-story.html California fracking hasn’t unearthed an oil boom. About 20 percent of California’s oil and natural-gas production uses hydraulic fracturing — with almost all of it happening in one corner of the San Joaquin Valley — according to the most authoritative survey yet released of fracking in the Golden State. Oil companies frack 125 to 175 of the roughly 300 wells drilled in California each month… http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/20-of-California-s-oil-natural-gas-comes-from-6016176.php Enzyme Could Create Biofuels 14 Times Faster than Current Methods. Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed an enzyme that could change the economics of biofuel conversion by converting biomass to sugars up to 14 times faster and much cheaper than competing catalysts in enzyme cocktails today. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2015/01/enzyme-could-create-bioenergy-14-times-faster-than-current-methods New methane rules fuel oil and gas split over existing infrastructure. The Obama administration's decision yesterday to regulate methane emissions from oil and gas wells revealed a split within the industry as four production companies broke ranks from the American Petroleum Institute and supported the regulations. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011721/print Fracking can be done safely, report says; green groups howl. Hydraulic fracturing in California can be done safely, the state said yesterday as it released a draft environmental study on unconventional drilling. The California Department of Conservation issued its preliminary environmental impact report required under S.B. 4, the state's law that mandated the first-ever rules for unconventional drilling. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060011725/print VEHICLES Electric-car Rivals Like the ‘Tesla Killer’ Are Exactly What Elon Musk Wants. Tesla Motors' billionaire chief executive Elon Musk walked into the enemy territory of Detroit this week with the electric-car maker quickly losing charge. Chevrolet's all-electric Bolt, which some called a "Tesla killer," promised a mass-market rollout matching what Tesla's future cars would offer and cost. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-14/electric-car-rivals-like-the-tesla-killer-are-exactly-what-elon-musk-wants.html GREEN ENERGY US pushes Bulgaria on energy dependence, corruption. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Bulgaria on Thursday to wean itself from its near-total dependence on Russia for energy and calling for the NATO member to boost anti-corruption efforts. In meetings with Bulgaria's president, prime minister and foreign minister on Thursday in Sofia, Kerry said he had spent a "significant amount of time" discussing ideas for diversifying their energy supply. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UNITED_STATES_BULGARIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/kerry-pressing-bulgaria-to-end-its-dependence-on-russian-energy.html http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/15/world/europe/ap-eu-united-states-bulgaria.html Pemex Alumni Ready to Profit From Oil Opening: Corporate Mexico. For former executives of Petroleos Mexicanos, the opening of Mexico’s state-controlled energy industry is an invitation to profits. “Our role is to support national or foreign companies to help them in their process of growth for energy projects,” Jesus Reyes Heroles, Pemex’s former chief executive officer who now oversees energy development company EnergeA… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/pemex-alumni-ready-to-profit-from-oil-opening-corporate-mexico.html Dubai Doubles Power-Plant Size to Make Cheapest Solar Energy. Dubai’s government-owned utility plans to double the size of a solar power project that it expects will produce some of the world’s cheapest electricity. Dubai Electricity & Water Authority awarded a contract to build the 200-megawatt plant to a group led by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power International. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/dubai-doubles-size-of-solar-plant-to-make-world-s-cheapest-power.html Brooklyn Waterfront Is Fertile Ground for City’s First Large-Scale Wind Turbine. Modern-day Don Quixotes looking to tilt at wind turbines can see their latest fearsome foe from far and wide: Lower Manhattan; Red Hook, Brooklyn; or the Gowanus Expressway. In less than a month of operation, the first large-scale wind turbine to be installed in New York City, standing more than 160 feet tall, has produced enough energy to power two homes for over a year… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/nyregion/brooklyn-waterfront-is-fertile-ground-for-citys-first-large-scale-wind-turbine.html Merkel Dashes Loss-Making Power Plants' Aid Hopes. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she did not support proposed payments to loss-making coal and gas-fired power stations in Germany, dashing ailing conventional power generators' hopes of receiving cash. Utilities such as RWE and E.ON desperately want government help through the creation of a "capacity market" to fund their otherwise unprofitable gas and coal-fired plants… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/15/business/15reuters-germany-power-merkel.html Homes with rooftop solar sell at a premium, study finds. Homes equipped with rooftop solar panels are often worth thousands of dollars more in resale than similar properties without solar, according to new Energy Department research. The study, led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories alongside experts from academia and the real estate industry… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011710/print U.S. now employs more solar installers than coal miners – study. A survey released today claims that the solar industry's galloping growth is having a significant impact on employment, representing almost 1.3 percent of all new U.S. jobs created last year. The study by the Solar Foundation triumphantly notes that the United States now employs more people installing solar systems (97,031) than it does mining coal (93,185). http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060011711/print OPINIONS We burn 2.7 million gallons a minute, so why's oil so cheap? The world burns enough oil-derived fuels to drain an Olympic-sized swimming pool four times every minute. Global consumption has never been higher - and is rising. Yet the price of a barrel of oil has fallen by more than half over the past six months because the globe, experts say, is awash in oil. So, where did all this oil come from? http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WHERE_DID_ALL_THIS_OIL_COME_FROM?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Obama targets methane. What is it? Why does it matter? To combat climate change, the Obama administration is targeting methane – a greenhouse gas that's less prevalent but more potent than carbon dioxide. The oil and gas industry is already trying to stop leaks, though, and argues more regulation would be cumbersome. Add methane reduction to President Obama’s expanding portfolio of climate change initiatives. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0114/Obama-targets-methane.-What-is-it-Why-does-it-matter Obama targets oil and gas industry, demands massive reduction in methane emissions. Once again placing himself firmly on the side of environmentalists and opposite the oil and gas industry, President Obama on Wednesday rolled out long-awaited regulations to dramatically cut methane emissions over the next decade. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/14/obama-hits-oil-and-gas-industry-demands-massive-re/#ixzz3OucrzQMb BLOGS Behind Obama’s greenhouse emissions math. When you’re setting goals for combatting climate change, a lot depends on when you start. The White House announced Wednesday new rules on methane, the primary component in the massive amounts of natural gas that the country produces. The administration’s goal is to cut methane emissions by 45 percent by 2025, based on the emissions level in 2012. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/01/15/behind-obamas-greenhouse-emissions-math/ Report: CA Cap-and-Trade Program Is Up to Snuff. The Environmental Defense Fund released a report this morning that says the second year of California’s cap-and-trade program is a success on several fronts. The report, “Carbon Market California Year Two” [PDF], follows up on its first-year report by analyzing results from the 2013-14 cap-and-trade program. http://la.streetsblog.org/2015/01/14/report-ca-cap-and-trade-program-is-up-to-snuff/ California’s Cap and Trade is Succeeding after Two Years, Report Says. These days, everyone seems to have an opinion about everything. The ubiquity of social media channels has saturated public discourse with so many viewpoints that it can be nearly impossible to distinguish facts from fiction. But facts still matter. http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/2015/01/14/californias-cap-and-trade-is-succeeding-after-two-years-report-says/ Almost All of Canada Will Soon Price Carbon. Believe it or not, more than 80% of Canada's economy will soon have a price on carbon. That's because Ontario announced it will price carbon, joining Quebec and British Columbia. Ontario, where 40% of Canada's population lives, will release a strategy later this year, says its Energy Minister. Even Alberta, land of tar sands, has a small carbon tax of C$1.80 per ton (BC's is C$30 a ton). http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26098 New South Korea Cap-And-Trade Market Becomes World’s Second-Largest. On Monday (January 12, 2015), a new South Korea cap-and-trade market opened on the Korea Exchange. This carbon trading scheme is now the second biggest in the world, behind only the European Union’s, until China’s national market revs up in 2020. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/14/new-south-korea-cap-and-trade-market/ Higher gasoline taxes? Think again. Americans pay an average motor-fuel tax around $0.50 per gallon. Of this, $0.184 goes to Washington, D.C., with the balance going to states and localities. One would think that a 25 percent retail gas tax is stiff enough, particularly considering that six months ago the levy was half as much, percentage-wise. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/229395-higher-gasoline-taxes-think-again EPA actually asking if we want stronger smog health standards. Smog: It hovers over our cities and communities, putting our health at risk. It is linked to heart attacks, asthma attacks, and premature death – and more than one out of three Americans is at increased risk just because of the air their breathing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a proposal to update these standards, and by 2025, it would prevent up to: http://www.examiner.com/article/epa-actually-asking-if-we-want-stronger-smog-health-standards $36.6B In Green Bonds Issued Last Year. Growth in the green bond market is on an upward spiral. That’s according to a report from Climate Bonds Initiative, a London-based nonprofit. Specifically, 35 organizations in 2014 issued $36.6 billion in green bonds, more than triple the amount in 2013. That brings the total amount of outstanding green bonds to $53.2 billion. http://www.forbes.com/sites/annefield/2015/01/15/36-6b-in-green-bonds-issued-last-year/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 14:41:13 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 16, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 16, 2015. 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 The real social cost of carbon: $220 per ton, report finds. New report argues US government estimates for the social cost of carbon are woefully inadequate. How much does each ton of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere really cost us? Whether you're a corporate executive penciling out the costs of new emissions-reduction strategies or a government regulator evaluating the feasibility of a carbon tax… http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2390589/the-real-social-cost-of-carbon-usd220-per-ton-report-finds Cap-and-trade plan would make top polluters pay. The state's largest polluters would have to pay for their carbon pollution under companion bills introduced in the Legislature Friday. Gov. Jay Inslee's cap-and-trade plan sets an overall limit on heat-trapping gases similar to California's program. It requires power plants, refineries and other large polluters to buy "allowances"… http://www.wral.com/cap-and-trade-plan-would-make-top-polluters-pay/14362729/#RVbAFvsAlC5pUlF6.99 AIR POLLUTION Heavy Smog Casts Pall Over Beijing as It Bids for Olympic Games. Air pollution hit hazardous levels in Beijing today, presenting a new challenge to leaders who have tried to curb smog via higher taxes and casting a pall over the city’s bid for the 2022 Olympic Games. The concentration of PM2.5, the particulates that pose the greatest risk to human health, was 444 micrograms per cubic meter as of 5 p.m. at Tiananmen Square… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2015-01-15/heavy-smog-casts-pall-over-beijing-as-it-bids-for-olympic-games.html Mexico's former president says cities face 'the last window' of opportunity to clear the air. The world's cities present the biggest hurdles as well as some of the most fertile opportunities to slow global climate change in the coming decades. This was the theme used by most people who spoke at a meeting at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., yesterday. Private engineers met public urban planners, city officials sat next to logistics experts… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011797/print Air Monitor in Texas Fracking-Boom Country Is Up and Soon to Track Pollution. It may be a while before Karnes County and its neighbors know whether they're breathing dangerous air. The first air monitor in the heart of the fracking-intensive Eagle Ford Shale region of south Texas has been installed and will be in operation following calibration tests to assess its accuracy. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150116/air-monitor-texas-fracking-boom-country-and-soon-track-pollution CLIMATE CHANGE The heat is on; NOAA, NASA say 2014 warmest year on record. For the third time in a decade, the globe sizzled to the hottest year on record, federal scientists announced Friday. Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA calculated that in 2014 the world had its hottest year in 135 years of record-keeping. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_HOTTEST_YEAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27565 Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction, Broad Study Says. A team of scientists, in a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources, has concluded that humans are on the verge of causing unprecedented damage to the oceans and the animals living in them. “We may be sitting on a precipice of a major extinction event,” said Douglas J. McCauley, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/science/earth/study-raises-alarm-for-health-of-ocean-life.html?_r=0 Pope Francis says climate change is mostly man-made. Will anyone care? In case you were waiting for the pope to weigh in on climate change, here it is. On Thursday, Pope Francis told reporters on a plane from Sri Lanka to Manila that he believed humans were largely responsible for global warming. "I don't know if it is all (man's fault) but the majority is. For the most part, it is man who continuously slaps down nature," he said, according to Reuters. http://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7553555/pope-francis-global-warming DROUGHT Calif. marks entry into 4th year of drought; still able to increase water deliveries. California is entering its fourth year of drought, state officials said yesterday as they warned that despite some winter rains, there are more tough times ahead. The Golden State needs precipitation at about 150 percent of normal to catch up, said Mark Cowin, director of the California Department of Water Resources. There hasn't been significant precipitation since Dec. 21… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011803/print DIESEL ACTIVITIES Truckers Gain From Diesel’s Drop After Gasoline Plunge: Freight. Chris Bortz has seen the cost of gasoline for his car drop by almost half since June. The price of diesel used by his construction business has lagged behind. That’s about to change as sliding farm demand after the U.S. harvest and milder weather brings diesel, nearly identical to heating oil, more in line with gasoline. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-16/truckers-poised-to-join-u-s-car-drivers-fuel-relief-freight.html Diesel truck dilemma threatens Sacramento church's food program. California's clean air regulations have unintended consequences. And this year, the state is targeting diesel trucks -- specifically older models made before 1996, which have the dirtiest engines and contribute to global warming. Caught in the crosshairs is a Sacramento food ministry program that is helping to feed people in need. http://www.kcra.com/news/diesel-truck-dilemma-threatens-sacramento-churchs-food-program/30748426 CARB levies fines on shippers, food suppliers. The California Air Resources Board has fined several major freight shippers for failing to use cleaner burning fuel near ports. CARB also announced fines for failure to report information for the state’s reefer regulation. According to a CARB news release, the air quality agency fined four shipping companies a total of $146,719 for failing to switch from dirty diesel “bunker” fuel to cleaner fuel close to land. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=28342#.V http://shipandbunker.com/news/am/752732-shippers-land-147000-in-fines-for-violating-marine-fuel-sulfur-regulations FUELS Judge Puts BP's Top Fine at $13.7 Billion for Gulf Oil Disaster; U.S. Sought $18 Billion. BP Plc (BP/) faces a maximum fine of $13.7 billion after a U.S. judge ruled that the company dumped 3.2 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 -- about a quarter less than the U.S. had calculated. The government’s 4.2 million barrel estimate of the spill size was rejected today by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier, decreasing the potential maximum fine from $18 billion. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2015-01-15/bp-dumped-3-19-million-barrels-of-oil-in-2010-spill-judge-says.html Gas price slide picks up speed in California. California gasoline prices are once again dropping at a hefty rate as plummeting oil prices more than cancel out the state’s carbon credit costs that oil companies are passing along to their customers, according to price surveys Friday. “Drivers should be aggressively shopping for the lowest gas prices to encourage further quick drops at their local stations… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27564 GREEN ENERGY Renewable Energy Association launches solar and energy storage bodies. Revamp of renewable energy trade body aims to enhance representation for fast-expanding solar and energy storage sectors. The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has this week announced the launch of two trade bodies, following the decision last year to bring an end to its long-standing affiliation with the Solar Trade Association. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2390513/renewable-energy-association-launches-new-solar-and-energy-storage-bodies BLOGS A New Ray of Hope in China’s Fight Against Pollution: Lawsuits. China’s citizens have been turning out in growing numbers to protest the rising pollution of their air, water and land, but the law hasn’t responded. Local governments often obstruct enforcement of environmental legislation and block attempts by environmental non-profit groups to sue polluters. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/01/16/a-new-ray-of-hope-in-chinas-fight-against-pollution-lawsuits/ A new Pew survey shows Americans might finally be getting serious about global warming. Pew Research Center is out with a new survey and, for the first time in years, it actually bodes well for those hoping climate change will finally become a policy priority in the United States. The center asked a nationally representative pool of Americans which policy issues they believe should be a top priority for the Obama administration and newly appointed Congress this year. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/15/new-pew-survey-shows-americans-might-finally-be-getting-serious-about-global-warming/ Why GOP leaders are reckless on global warming. A new Yale poll finds that solid majorities of Americans want the United States to act boldly on global warming. Sixty one percent, for example, agree that the “United States should be a leader on global warming, even if meant taking action when others do not.” So why are Republican leaders in the new Congress, who are now supposedly sensitive to mainstream opinion, so eager to tear apart President Obama’s greenhouse gas plan… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/01/16/why-gop-leaders-are-reckless-on-global-warming/ A Closer Look at the Global Warming Trend, Record Hot 2014 and What’s Ahead. There’s plenty of news coverage, including in The Times, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announcement that 2014 was the warmest year since careful record keeping began in 1880. But it’s worth taking a closer look, and a look ahead, via a helpful analysis posted today by the climate team… http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/a-closer-look-at-the-global-warming-trend-record-hot-2014-and-whats-ahead/?_r=0 New study: California's carbon market delivers for economy and climate. Would you believe there's a state that cut pollution and cleaned up its air, while creating jobs and sustaining economic growth? And where economic incentives, rather than costly regulations, are stimulating innovation and investment? California passed the earliest, most comprehensive law to set a cap on carbon pollution… http://www.edf.org/blog/2015/01/16/new-study-californias-carbon-market-delivers-economy-and-climate Climate hawks are not impressed by Obama’s methane plan. You would expect environmentalists to offer effusive praise as President Obama releases the final major component of his Climate Action Plan: a proposal to clamp down on methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. And at first glance, they did. “This announcement once again demonstrates the President’s strong commitment to tackling the climate crisis,” … http://grist.org/climate-energy/climate-hawks-are-not-impressed-by-obamas-methane-plan/ Cal Energy Commission to award ~$1.2M for center for alt fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. The California Energy Commission Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) is making up to $1,194,659 in grant funds available to develop a new center or expand an existing center for alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies in Central California. (PON-14-606). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150116-cec.html How Many Tesla Model S Electric Cars Have Been Built So Far? While Tesla likely won't reveal last year's total production of Model S electric cars until it releases year-end financial results, it has said it expected to build 33,000 during 2014. And with the Model S in production for more than two and a half years, clearly there are tens of thousands of them on the roads. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096339_how-many-tesla-model-s-electric-cars-have-been-built-so-far Nissan To Have Longer-Range Electric Cars 'Relatively Quickly,' Exec Says. "Range anxiety" has always been one of the main concerns for buyers of affordable electric cars, and that issue is now receiving significant attention from automakers. This week's Detroit Auto Show included the introduction of the Chevrolet Bolt concept--which promises 200 miles of range at a price around $37,500. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096334_nissan-to-have-longer-range-electric-cars-relatively-quickly-exec-says The $2.4 billion plan to get Germans to buy EVs. The disconnect isn't new or unusual: lofty government goals don't inspire any desire on the part of the populace to meet them. That's the case in Germany with electric cars, where the federal government has set a target of one million BEVs on its roads by 2020. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/01/15/tbillion-plan-germans-buy-ev/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 15:14:39 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 20, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 20, 2015. 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 Weyerhaeuser pays $37K fine for air pollution over limits. Weyerhaeuser Co.’s Columbus pulp mill is paying a $37,500 civil fine for exceeding emissions limits during a 2013 test. Based in Federal Way, Washington, Weyerhaeuser agreed to pay the fine to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. A Nov. 24 order published by the department says that Weyerhaeuser’s boiler exceeded limits for emitting fine particles. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/19/weyerhaeuser-pays-37k-fine-for-air-pollution-over-/#ixzz3PNpZ2nzm SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Wood-burning ban extended through Tuesday. Regional air quality officials have issued a fireplace wood-burning ban at least through Tuesday, Jan. 20, because of unhealthful air quality. The ban, which started Sunday will be in place until midnight Tuesday, applies to the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. District officials said the ban may be extended several more days. http://www.pe.com/articles/air-758499-burning-ban.html Coughing neighbors make Bay Area rethink outdoor cooking. The booming popularity of outdoor kitchens among homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area has an increasing number of their neighbors coughing and hacking from the smoke, leading air-quality officials to consider tightening rules on wood-burning pizza ovens and smokers. Residents like Noelle Robbins of Alameda are calling complaint lines and public officials to urge limits on backyard grilling and barbecuing. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OUTDOOR_KITCHENS_SMOKY_AIR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT CLIMATE CHANGE The End of the Partisan Divide Over Climate Change. The revelation late last week that global average temperatures set a new record in 2014 seemed to underscore a political and cultural shift on climate change that, by many accounts, was already well underway. From the stock markets and Wall Street to the boardrooms of Big Oil — and even the living rooms of Republican voters — the era of reflexive skepticism and denial of basic climate science appears to be coming to a close. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/01/18/the-end-of-the-partisan-divide-over-climate-change/ Latest climate change battle may center on food pyramid. The political clash over climate change has entered new territory that does not involve a massive oil pipeline or a subsidy for renewable energy, but a quaint federal chart that tries to nudge Americans toward a healthy diet. The food pyramid, that 3-decade-old backbone of grade-school nutrition lessons, has become a test case of how far the Obama administration is willing to push its global warming agenda. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-climate-food-20150118-story.html A Bad Day for Climate Change Deniers … and the Planet. It’s not often that the climate change deniers get clobbered three times in just two days. But that’s what happened with the release of a trio of new studies that ought to serve as solid body blows to the fading but persistent fiction that human-mediated warming is somehow a hoax. Good news for the forces of reason, however, is bad news for the planet—especially the oceans. http://time.com/3672276/climate-change-oceans/ Pope’s climate-change stand deepens conservatives’ distrust. Conservative distrust of Pope Francis, which has been building in the U.S. throughout his pontificate, is reaching a boiling point over his plan to urge action on climate change — and to do so through a document traditionally used for the most important papal teachings. For months, Francis has been drafting an encyclical on the environment and global warming which he hopes to release by June or July. Encyclicals are written with the help of a small group of advisers working under strict secrecy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/popes-climate-change-stand-deepens-conservatives-distrust/2015/01/19/848bdd56-9fef-11e4-91fc-7dff95a14458_story.html Scientists turn CO2 in solid rock in potential fix to climate change. In Iceland scientists are developing a new way to cut carbon emissions and improve air quality by turning toxic air in solid rock. CCTV’s Zhang He reported this story from Reykjavik, Iceland. To store carbon dioxide underground, Iceland scientists dissolve CO2 in water, and inject it into reactive volcanic basalt rock. Within a year, over 80 percent of the CO2 will transform into solid carbonate minerals, experts said. http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/01/16/scientists-turn-co2-in-solid-rock-in-potential-fix-to-climate-change Billionaire Tom Steyer eyes climate change, education in potential Senate bid. Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer, who is weighing a run for the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated by Barbara Boxer in two years, is outlining a policy agenda focused on climate change, education and tax reform and pledging to serve only one term if he cannot achieve his goals, sources close to Steyer said Sunday. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-steyer-senate-20150118-story.html California’s Forests: Where Have All the Big Trees Gone? California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences—and climate change seems to be a major factor. The number of trees larger than two feet in diameter has declined by 50 percent on more than 46,000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150119-california-forests-shrinking-climate-drought-science/ Food diversity under siege from global warming, U.N. says. Climate change threatens the genetic diversity of the world's food supply, and saving crops and animals at risk will be crucial for preserving yields and adapting to wild weather patterns, a U.N. policy paper said on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/19/us-food-climatechange-un-idUSKBN0KS1N420150119 Pope's statement on climate change: 5 things to know. Pope Francis, who pledged on the day of his installation as pontiff to make the environment a priority, is drafting a highly anticipated encyclical on ecology and climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POPE_CLIMATE_CHANGE_5_THINGS_TO_KNOW?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT DROUGHT California drought could end with storms known as atmospheric rivers. California's drought crept in slowly, but it could end with a torrent of winter storms that stream across the Pacific, dumping much of the year's rain and snow in a few fast-moving and potentially catastrophic downpours. Powerful storms known as atmospheric rivers, ribbons of water vapor that extend for thousands of miles, pulling moisture from the tropics and delivering it to the West Coast, have broken 40% of California droughts since 1950, recent research shows. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-atmospheric-rivers-20150119-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB fines four for fuel switch failures. The California Air Resources Board has fined four shipping companies a combined $146,719 for failing to switch from bunker fuel to cleaner, low-sulfur marine distillate fuel upon entering Regulated California Waters – within 24 nautical miles of the California coast. http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=8596:carb-fines-four-for-fuel-switch-failures&Itemid=230 http://www.marinelink.com/news/california-shipping-fines384137.aspx VEHICLES Solar plane pioneers lay out round-the-world flight plan. The team behind a Swiss-made solar-powered aircraft that is attempting to fly around the world said Tuesday the clean-energy plane will stop in India, China and the United States in a historic journey set to begin as early as next month. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ABU_DHABI_SOLAR_PLANE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT GREEN ENERGY Green-Energy Inspiration Off the Coast of Denmark. Before dawn one morning in October, a handful of Americans gathered at a lonely pier on Samso, a small Danish island about four hours from Copenhagen. Bundled in layers of fleece and wool, the Americans, mostly from islands off the Maine coast, had come to get a closer look at a wind farm — 10 mighty turbines spinning in the Kattegat strait — that has helped make Samso a symbol for a greener future, one powered entirely by renewable energy. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/18/business/energy-environment/green-energy-inspiration-from-samso-denmark.html?_r=0 Google Makes Two More Solar, Wind Investments. We’re barely three weeks into 2015, and Google has already disclosed two substantial investments in renewable energy projects. The total so far: more than $1.5 billion. The most recent transaction (its 19th so far) will see the Internet giant put $76 million into the Balko Wind project in Oklahoma, according to a Google spokesman. http://www.forbes.com/sites/heatherclancy/2015/01/19/google-makes-two-more-solar-wind-investments/ U.S. Solar Industry Sees Growth, But Also Some Uncertainty. The solar energy business is growing fast, thanks in part to a steep drop in panel prices. The Solar Energy Industries Association reports that prices dropped by more than half since 2010. But the industry's future looks a little hazy. Generous government subsidies expire soon and the price for natural gas — a competitor that's also used to generate electricity — keeps dropping. http://www.npr.org/2015/01/19/377719667/u-s-solar-industry-sees-growth-but-also-some-uncertainty MISCELLANEOUS Time For a Reality Check On Computer Models. First, a new study by economists at Iowa State University exposed the absurdity of the results from economic models used by the California Air Resources Board to estimate indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions for biofuels regulated under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. http://www.ethanolproducer.com/articles/11816/time-for-a-reality-check-on-computer-models Preserved Under Fiberglass Domes, a Counterculture Spirit Thrives. The trill of panpipes from a yurt wafted across the mulch hillocks of the Domes, a 1970s experiment in communal housing in which students live in igloolike fiberglass domes and snuggle up in snow-white interiors of plastic foam. Although plenty of campuses offer specialized housing — often reserved for vegans, teetotalers, athletes and other like-minded souls — it is probably safe to say that there is no place quite like the Domes, an early venture into sustainable living at the University of California, Davis. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/us/domes-at-uc-davis-counterculture-spirit-thrives.html?ref=earth OPINIONS Make Forests Pay. In the last 40 years, more than one billion acres of tropical forests have vanished, equivalent in size to over half of the continental United States. The rate of cutting, burning and clearing shows no signs of abating. Tropical forests store huge amounts of carbon. When their trees are cut or burned, the carbon is eventually released into the atmosphere, mixing with oxygen to form the long-lasting greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. The pace of deforestation is so great today that it accounts for an estimated 12 to 15 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions annually. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/20/opinion/a-carbon-offset-market-for-trees.html?emc=eta1 BLOGS Report: Hyundai to cut price of fuel cell vehicle in Korea to compete with Toyota. The Korea Herald reports that unnamed sources say that Hyundai Motor has decided to lower the price of the Tucson fuel cell sport utility vehicle to compete with Toyota Motor’s Mirai fuel cell car. Gwangju City, which purchased five Hyundai FCVs last year, has a plan to buy 10 more Tucson FCVs this year for use during the Gwangju Summer Universiade in July, the newspaper reported. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150119-hyundai.html BMW i3 Electric Car To Appear In Super Bowl TV Ad. Advertising is crucial for automakers trying to explain the benefits of electric cars to an often-skeptical public. So what better forum than the advertising mecca that is the Super Bowl? While teams battle for the National Football League championship during Super Bowl XLIX, BMW will try to catch customers' attention with an ad for its i3 electric car on Sunday, February 1. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096360_bmw-i3-electric-car-to-appear-in-super-bowl-tv-ad Beijing’s toxic air is literally off the charts. No matter what desperate steps the Chinese government takes — banning coal-burning plants within the city limits, shuttering more than 300 factories, wiping out old vehicles and boilers, forcing heavy trucking to go nocturnal — this just keeps happening: Beijing’s smog has yet again soared off the charts. http://grist.org/cities/beijings-toxic-air-is-literally-off-the-charts/ Why cheap gas can’t kill the electric car. From 2010 to 2014, U.S. electric car sales surged from almost nothing to about 120,000 per year. But the haters and doubters persist. Analysts and investing forums are buzzing about a coming stagnation. After all, in the past seven months the price of oil has collapsed from $115 a barrel to below $50. Gasoline prices have plummeted, too, fast approaching $2 per gallon nationally, and commuters are rejoicing. That means a key selling point for electric vehicles — low fuel costs — is gone. The electric car appears to be in trouble. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-cheap-gas-cant-kill-the-electric-car/2015/01/16/131341ba-9c10-11e4-bcfb-059ec7a93ddc_story.html California needs cost-effective clean energy solutions now: Guest commentary. In the 1970s, the smog in Southern California was so bad we couldn’t even see the nearby San Gabriel Mountains from downtown. Smog alerts forced school kids indoors, canceled outdoor events and sent people to emergency rooms. In 2015, our air may look cleaner, but we still have much to do to eliminate air pollution. We also now face the added challenge of tackling climate change. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150116/california-needs-cost-effective-clean-energy-solutions-now-guest-commentary California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 15:00:11 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 21, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 21, 2015. 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 Hong Kong Warns Public to Avoid Outdoors as Pollution Soars. Hong Kong’s government said air pollution reached the highest level on its gauge at more than half of its monitoring stations, as light winds in the city failed to disperse pollutants. The pollution index reached 10+ at monitors in Central, Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, the city’s main business and entertainment districts, at 5:00 p.m. local time… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-21/hong-kong-tells-public-to-avoid-going-outside-as-pollution-soars.html Century Later, the ‘Chinatown’ Water Feud Ebbs. For 24 years, traveling across the stark and dusty moonscape of what once was a glimmering 110-square-mile lake framed by snow-covered mountains, Ted Schade was a general in the Owens Valley water wars with Los Angeles. This was where Los Angeles began taking water for its own use nearly a century ago, leaving behind a dry lake bed that choked the valley with dust, turning it into one of the most polluted parts of the nation. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/us/a-century-on-the-chinatown-water-feud-ebbs.html EPA: 3 companies agree to a $900,000 civil penalty. Three companies affiliated with Shell Oil Company, including the Convent and Norco Motiva Enterprises facilities, have agreed to a $900,000 civil penalty settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA says the civil penalty is in response to a number of alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/EPA-3-companies-agree-to-a-900-000-civil-penalty-6029680.php http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060011949/print Another Spare the Air alert called for Friday in the Bay Area. A Spare the Air alert is called for Friday in the Bay Area, resulting in a ban on wood fires for the second day in a row. Friday is the 19th alert of this cold season called by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The district issues alerts when it expects weather conditions will trap smoke and other fine air particulates near the ground, creating unhealthy air. http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150120/another-spare-the-air-alert-called-for-friday-in-the-bay-area CLIMATE CHANGE Amundi Says Investors Should De-Carbonize to Boost Return. Amundi Asset Management, the fund manager owned by Societe Generale SA (GLE) and Credit Agricole SA (ACA), said investors should switch funds to less carbon-heavy stocks to boost returns. “Investors are increasingly seeing climate change as a risk to their assets,”… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-21/amundi-says-investors-should-de-carbonize-to-boost-return.html Senate to Vote on Climate Amendments Seeking to Put Republicans on Record. The Senate is slated to vote as soon as Jan. 21 on a pair of amendments that seeks to put Republicans on the record about climate change. Both climate amendments by Sens. Brian Schatz (D- Hawaii) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) call on Congress to recognize the scientific link between climate change… http://www.bna.com/senate-vote-climate-n17179922277/ For States, $48 Million to Help Cut Emissions. Two charitable groups will spend $48 million over the next three years to help states figure out how to reduce emissions from electricity production, an effort to seize the possibilities that are opening up as the cost of clean power falls. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/business/energy-environment/for-states-48-million-to-help-cut-emissions.html Nutrition becomes a new arena for climate change politics. The political clash over climate change has entered new territory that does not involve a massive oil pipeline or a subsidy for renewable energy, but a quaint federal chart that tries to nudge Americans toward a healthy diet. The food pyramid, that 3-decade-old backbone of grade-school nutrition lessons, has become a test case of how far the Obama administration is willing to push in pursuit of its global warming agenda. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article7852626.html#storylink=cpy Obama: No greater threat to future than climate change. What President Barack Obama described as the greatest threat to future generations was neither terrorism nor ISIS. It wasn't nuclear weapons in rogue states either. "No challenge  poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change," said Obama in his State of the Union speech Tuesday. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/us/climate-change-us-obama/index.html DROUGHT Lingering drought suspends X-country skiing near Tahoe. A popular cross-country ski area near Lake Tahoe has temporarily closed due to a lack of snow, and forecasters say the lingering drought should persist or get worse in the months ahead across most of California and Nevada. Tahoe Donner Cross Country spokeswoman Sally Jones says they've done their best to try to keep the trails open for skiing.. http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27362312/lingering-drought-suspends-x-country-skiing-near-tahoe KEYSTONE Hillary Clinton to speak in Canada amid debate over Keystone. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has so far avoided taking a position on the Keystone XL pipeline, is sure to face the issue again on Wednesday in a return to Canada as Congress considers approving construction of the contentious project backed by the United States' northern neighbor. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_CLINTON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorensteffy/2015/01/21/what-obama-should-have-said-about-the-keystone-pipeline/ http://books.insideclimatenews.org/keystone-browser-version Cheap gas may not lead to drop in transit ridership, experts say. Since the start of the summer, gasoline prices in Los Angeles County have tumbled 40%, from more than $4 to $2.52, sparking gleeful social media posts and long lines at the cheapest gas stations. But the enthusiasm is tempered with concern from local transit officials, who say cheap gasoline takes away a key incentive to ride the bus or train in a region where commuting is still overwhelmingly done by car. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-california-commute-20150120-story.html Why cheaper jet fuel won't mean lower airfares anytime soon. Airlines will save billions this year thanks to cheaper jet fuel, but they aren't likely to share the bounty with passengers — not while so many flights are already full. Instead, the airlines will use their windfall to pay down debt and reward shareholders. Airline CEOs worry that oil prices could just as easily go higher. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/20/4339571_why-cheaper-jet-fuel-wont-mean.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Diesel Falls Below $3 a Gallon for First Time Since 2010. The average price of U.S. diesel fell for the 10th week in a row, with the 12-cent decline Jan. 19 taking trucking’s main fuel below the $3-per-gallon level for the first time September 2010. The retail average was $2.933, the Department of Energy said Jan. 20 after its weekly survey of fueling stations. The average is 94 cents a gallon lower than a year ago. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=37108 Supreme Court's patent ruling seen boosting renewable-fuel startup. A Supreme Court ruling today in a pharmaceutical-industry patent dispute could help a renewable fuels startup embroiled in its own patent fight. In a 7-2 ruling, the justices found that an appeals court used the wrong review standard in Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. v. Sandoz Inc. and should have deferred to a federal district court judge's findings. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060011950/print GREEN ENERGY U.S. Fund Buys Stake in Spanish Energy Company. Global Infrastructure Partners Will Buy Up to 24.4% in a Renewable Energy Unit Owned by ACS. U.S. private-equity fund Global Infrastructure Partners has agreed to buy up to 24.4% of a renewable energy unit that Spanish builder Actividades de Construccion y Servicios plans to spin off, ACS said. http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-fund-buys-stake-in-spanish-energy-company-1421832037 Emissions Reporting Guidance for Low-Carbon Electricity Purchases. The World Resources Institute has published new guidance for companies to measure emissions from purchased electricity. The first major update to the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard responds to the rapid growth of renewable energy and other major shifts in the electricity market, WRI says. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/01/21/emissions-reporting-guidance-for-low-carbon-electricity-purchases/#ixzz3PTiMZ3rs GE Nat Gas Turbines to Cut TVA’s CO2 Emissions 65%. General Electric will supply two high-efficiency 7HA.02 gas turbine generators for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s new combined-cycle Allen plant, which will replace TVA’s three coal-fired units. TVA is retiring the units to meet the EPA’s December 2018 deadline to reduce coal emissions. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/01/21/ge-nat-gas-turbines-to-cut-tvas-co2-emissions-65/#ixzz3PTlyaWUW How will the state get 50% of its energy from 'renewable resources' by 2050? Gov. Jerry Brown (D) received plenty of early support for his proposal, in his Jan. 5 inaugural speech, to get half of California's electricity from renewable sources by 2030. A lawyer who represents renewable energy developers said the media coverage of Brown's goal has sparked interest from the public as well as renewables advocates. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/21/stories/1060011965 U.S. scientists jostle for solar-cell efficiency crown. At 45.7 percent efficiency, a new solar cell developed by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory last month is one of the latest American contenders for solar energy’s efficiency title. The cell beat the record of 44.7 percent efficiency in a cell set last summer in Germany but fell short of another German design that reached 46 percent efficiency in December. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/21/stories/1060011990 OPINIONS Climate Reporting’s Hot Mess. AP takes the cake in the relentless campaign by global-warming journalists to discredit their own profession. News reporting of the latest climate alarm was not uniformly bad. Among hundreds of publications in the Factiva database, exactly one—the Mail on Sunday, one of those derided London tabloids—injected the phrase “statistically significant” into consideration of whether… http://www.wsj.com/articles/holman-jenkins-climate-reportings-hot-mess-1421802468?mod=trending_now_4 Behind Drop in Oil Prices, Washington’s Hand. Did the United States kill OPEC? The plummeting price of oil since Saudi Arabia decided last fall not to cut production to counter rising supply elsewhere has fueled intense speculation about a downfall of the infamous cartel, once feared for its power to bend oil prices to its will. Was OPEC’s biggest oil producer unwilling or just unable to stop an emerging glut? http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/business/economy/washingtons-role-in-oil-prices-recent-fall.html Protecting California’s natural lands is key to combating climate change. As a kid, I loved camping. In the pines of the Sierra, I learned the joy of nature and the cycle of life. As a biologist in college, I learned how truly essential our forests, wetlands, farmland and rangelands are to our very existence. These landscapes produce oxygen, capture rain and snow… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article7842339.html#storylink=cpy Eugene Robinson: GOP remains stubborn about climate change. We now know that 2014 was the hottest year in recorded history. We also know that President Barack Obama can expect little help from Republicans in Congress -- some of them cynical, others clueless -- in facing the most daunting environmental challenge of our time. Scientists from NASA and NOAA announced Friday… http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_27357749/eugene-robinson-gop-remains-stubborn-about-climate-change Outdoor cooking, common courtesy & air pollution. Got an outdoor kitchen with a wood-burning smoker or a pizza oven? Count your blessings you don’t live in the Bay Area. Currently, air quality restrictions the Bay Area Quality Management District imposes on Spare the Air Days exempt homes and business that burn wood for all kinds of cooking whether it is inside or out as well as if wood burning fireplaces are the only source of heating. http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/38/article/119819/ Why It’s Time to Raise the Federal Tax on Gasoline. Twenty-two years ago, when the price of gas at the pump was $1 a gallon and a movie ticket was $4, Congress saw fit to set the gasoline tax at 18.4 cents a gallon. The idea was to ensure enough funds for the Federal Highway Trust Fund to keep our roads and bridges in good repair. Today, while almost all other prices have soared, the gas tax hasn’t budged, and the trust fund is depleted. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/01/why-its-time-to-raise-the-federal-tax-on-gasoline-114380.html#ixzz3PTqpQFlO BLOGS On Energy and Climate, Obama Action Makes Up for Lack of Rhetoric. President Barack Obama devoted fewer words to energy and climate policies in this year’s State of the Union compared with his previous speeches, but don’t mistake that for lack of focus by his administration, which is moving on a host of fronts to address climate change and follow through on regulations years in the making. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/01/20/on-energy-and-climate-obama-action-makes-up-for-lack-of-rhetoric/ How far Obama’s message on climate change has come. In his State of the Union address, President Obama made what are surely his strongest statements yet about climate change -- at least for a State of the Union speech. "No challenge  --  no challenge  -- poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change," he warned… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/21/how-far-obamas-message-on-climate-change-has-come/ Climate-change skeptics Cruz and Rubio now help oversee nation’s climate science. With Republicans taking control of the Senate this month, two climate-change skeptics became heads of the subcommittees that oversee the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) chairs the Senate subcommittee on oceans, atmosphere, fisheries…http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/01/21/climate-change-skeptics-cruz-and-rubio-now-help-oversee-nations-climate-science/ How ‘Warmest Ever’ Headlines and Debates Can Obscure What Matters About Climate Change. If you track developments related to human-driven global warming, my guess is you’re aware that the federal agencies that analyze climate conditions released the final word on 2014’s climate on Friday. Both NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration firmly concluded that last year beat out 2010 and 2005…http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/how-warmest-ever-headlines-and-debates-can-obscure-what-matters-about-climate-change/?ref=earth&_r=0 Arguments For Higher Gas Taxes Run On Empty. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW what fuels Americans’ ire with our political class, just look at the hot new idea percolating in Washington and state capitals: Raise taxes on gasoline! Thanks to a stronger dollar and burgeoning oil inventories, gas prices have plummeted. The typical family may save $550 or more this year, money they can now spend on other necessities or things they enjoy. http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2015/01/21/arguments-for-higher-gas-taxes-run-on-empty/ Hyundai Plans Hybrids, Electric Cars & More: 5 Questions With Green R&D Head Ki-Sang Lee. The Hyundai Motor Group, encompassing both the Hyundai and Kia brands, is known as one of the most aggressive competitors in the global auto business. And the company has big plans for expanding its lineup of green vehicles… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096366_hyundai-plans-hybrids-electric-cars-more-5-questions-with-green-rd-head-ki-san-lee Diesel Engines Selling Well In Large Luxury SUVs & Crossovers. In the U.S., diesel engines have long been established in pickup trucks. In passenger cars, however, they've remained a small part of the overall market. But diesels seem to be doing well in another segment: larger SUVs, particularly those from luxury makers, like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096412_diesel-engines-selling-well-in-large-luxury-suvs-crossovers Hydrogen Fuel Now Available For Sale In California. The small number of drivers with hydrogen fuel-cell cars in California are now able to purchase their fuel. The Cal State L.A. Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility is now the first fueling station to sell hydrogen, rather than giving it away for free. It recently passed a state performance evaluation for certifying new hydrogen fueling stations… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096416_hydrogen-fuel-now-available-for-sale-in-california Gas Mileage Remains First Priority For Buyers, JD Power Says. U.S. gas prices have now hit six-year lows, and many analysts believe that cheap gasoline will hurt sales of fuel-efficient cars. Paying less for gas removes much of the financial incentive of switching to a more-efficient car, encouraging consumers to turn back to gas guzzlers--or so goes the narrative. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096407_gas-mileage-remains-first-priority-for-buyers-jd-power-says Investors Back Biofuels Start-Up Company, Again. The decline in oil prices may be hurting companies in the biofuels business, but it hasn’t killed them. Edeniq, a cellulosic and biorefining technology start-up company based in Visalia, Calif., raised an additional $16 million in equity today. Founded in 2008, Edeniq has now raised a total of $84 million from investors. http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2015/01/20/investors-back-biofuels-start-up-company-again/ Future forests to be smaller, less majestic. To the list of ways climate change is slowly but surely rewriting the world as we know it, add “making forests less awesome.” A new study suggests that since the 1930s California has lost half of its biggest trees — those with a trunk over two feet in diameter — even in forests protected from logging and development. http://grist.org/news/future-forests-to-be-smaller-less-majestic/ Why Obama should crack down on gassy cows. In the latest climate change executive action, the White House unveiled a plan on Wednesday to regulate methane for the first time, aiming to reduce emissions from the oil and gas industry by 40 to 45 percent on 2012 levels by 2025. On its face, that sounds like a big deal. And it will certainly get a mention in the State of the Union address on Tuesday. http://grist.org/politics/why-obama-should-crack-down-on-gassy-cows/?utm_source=syndication&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed Climate Action Protects the Middle Class. Last night in the State of the Union Address, President Obama laid out an agenda to protect and grow America's middle class. From spurring innovation and creating high-skilled jobs here in the U.S. to protecting our homes and businesses, acting on climate change is crucial to achieving this vision. Fueled by carbon pollution, climate change poses a serious threat to our economy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-mccarthy/climate-action-protects-t_b_6515892.html You Need to Know: About That Drought. So maybe you've heard that Californians are going through a dry spell. In fact, things are really rough, with dry, gravely ground; wilting, exhausted lawns; and residents who would just like to take a long, carefree shower (even as they are encouraged to report water wasters). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eve-turow/you-need-to-know-about-th_2_b_6492904.html?utm_hp_ref=green The Tragedy of Climate Change Reports. In a return to global climate change coverage not seen since Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize, both the New York Times and the Washington Post carried front-page stories on January 17 that showed a full-color NOAA graph of global land and ocean temperatures from 1880 until the end of 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-musil/the-tragedy-of-climate-ch_b_6502804.html?utm_hp_ref=green You'll Never Meet the Goals That You Don't Set. There is a cliché in business: "What you don't measure, you won't accomplish." In sports, hockey great Wayne Gretzky expressed this as, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." In sports, business and in life, goals that you never set are the ones you are certain never to meet. In November, NRG announced long-term sustainability goals aimed at dramatically reducing the company's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-crane/meet-your-goals_b_6249718.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 11:38:03 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 22, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 22, 2015. 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 district wants to close loophole for crude oil facilities. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District held a public hearing Wednesday on its proposal to give residents better protection from fumes from nearby crude oil facilities. The proposal is a result of a lengthy crusade by two Simi Valley residents, Kevin Tohill and Andy Brody, who say vapors from a small crude oil facility on Brody’s property have made them and their families ill. http://www.vcstar.com/news/environment/air-pollution-district-wants-to-close-loophole-for-crude-oil-facilities_78297808 Watch This Haunting Seven-Minute Film About China’s Insane Air Pollution. Greenpeace East Asia today released a seven-minute film by director Jia Zhangke about China’s toxic air. The impressionistic piece, Smog Journeys, follows two families — one rural, one urban — as they live, play, and work in the country’s polluted northeast. http://time.com/3677893/china-pollution-film-jia-zhangke/ CLIMATE CHANGE Senate says climate change real, but doesn't agree on cause ... WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled Senate acknowledged Wednesday that climate change is real but refused to say humans are to blame. ... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/21/4341473/senate-says-climate-change-real.html The State of Obama's Climate Legacy Is Strong ...the strongest sections was his insistence on doing whatever he can to fight climate change, even in the face of resistance from Congress. In... http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-obama-right-that-the-state-of-the-union-is-strong/the-state-of-obamas-climate-legacy-is-strong Climate change is real and not a hoax,' Senate overwhelmingly decides The U.S. Senate has made it official: Climate change is not a hoax. As part of the long debate on the... http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-senate-climate-hoax-20150121-story.html Romney says climate change presents a big challenge to US ...(AP) — Mitt Romney says one of the biggest challenges facing the country is climate change and that global solutions are needed to combat it.... http://www.mercurynews.com/presidentelect/ci_27369041/romney-says-climate-change-presents-big-challenge-us Senate not ready to tie climate change to mankind ...WASHINGTON — The Senate rejected the scientific consensus that humans are causing climate change, days after NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/21/4341685/senate-not-ready-to-tie-climate.html Three Monterey Bay agencies nab top state green awards ... “We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Ross Clark, the city's climate change action coordinator. “Our community is committed to... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150121/three-monterey-bay-agencies-nab-top-state-green-awards Key issues and updates on the Keystone XL oil pipeline ...sidetracked two on Tuesday: banning exports of oil from the pipeline, and the gasoline derived from it, and ensuring U.S. steel is used in the construction.... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20205604780&p=19f&v=1&x=D3nXoeCNnQc-JzzU_Xk42w With State of the Union, Obama sets agenda ... for 2016 election ...policy, even at the cost of alienating Latino voters. Obama's effort to combat global warming by reducing the amount of coal the U.S. burns has... http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-obama-analysis-20150121-story.html Nutrition becomes a new arena for climate change politics WASHINGTON - The political clash over climate change has entered new territory that does not involve a... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article7852626.html Educating The Next Generation Of Energy Engineers ...energy supply, such as exploding demand in emerging markets, and concerns about climate change and the environment. Today, the MIT Energy Initiative... http://www.forbes.com/sites/statoil/2015/01/21/educating-the-next-generation-of-energy-engineers/ DROUGHT Building Sponge City: Redesigning LA For Long-Term Drought ...plumbing in Los Angeles last month when rain answered prayers amid an epic drought. But that precious water is wasted when it slides off roofs and... http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/01/22/154531/building_sponge_city_redesigning_la_for_longterm_drought?category=u.s.&source=npr Lingering drought suspends cross-country skiing near Tahoe ...temporarily closed due to a lack of snow, and forecasters say the lingering drought should persist or get worse in the months ahead across most of... http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150121/lingering-drought-suspends-cross-country-skiing-near-tahoe Livermore public works director leaves for Dublin San Ramon Services District ...waste and recycling services, and guided the city through its first emergency drought restrictions in decades. He will become the next engineering services... http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150121/livermore-public-works-director-leaves-for-dublin-san-ramon-services-district Salmon Survival In California's Drought ...River, which historically was one of the most productive salmon streams in California. But over time, cattle grazed on the aquatic plants that provide... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/01/20/salmon-survival-in-californias-drought/ Turlock Irrigation District braces for another tight water year ...look at the supply for 2015, which is looking to be a fourth straight year of drought. “The hydrological situation for 2015 is not shaping up very... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20205432773&p=19f&v=1&x=HXf9fx-ETZ6p9au-0ahgdw DIESEL ACTIVITIES Rules look to cut sulfur emissions by 40 tons each day ...Angeles said on Wednesday they were expecting significant reductions in sulfur pollution spewed by cargo ships given restrictions that took effect this... http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/01/22/49391/new-rules-aim-to-reduce-sulfur-pollution-from-ship/ Long Beach, Los Angeles port officials tout air and water quality improvements at Aquarium of the Pacific presentation ...emissions regulations under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, which was set into place by the International Maritime... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150121/long-beach-los-angeles-port-officials-tout-air-and-water-quality-improvements-at-aquarium-of-the-pacific-presentation VEHICLES Environment, logic taken for a ride by surging SUV sales ...household's emissions, but a big SUV produces about three times the annual greenhouse gas tonnage emitted by a Prius. "When people are buying... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article7922421.html Low gas prices, incentives change math for electric cars ...Nissan Leaf at the Houston Auto show at Reliant Center in Houston. U.S. sales of electric cars were up 35 percent last year, to 65,347, according... http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingbusiness/ci_27365449/low-gas-prices-incentives-change-math-electric-cars GREEN ENERGY Final desert renewable energy plan still a long way off The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan would promote solar, wind and... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/01/21/desert-renewable-energy-conservation-plan/22115117/ The World's Most Sustainable Companies 2015 ...based on publicly-disclosed information from global mid-, large-, and mega-cap companies with a market cap upwards of $2 billion. Companies... http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2015/01/21/the-worlds-most-sustainable-companies-2015/ Hydrogen Fuel Now Available For Sale In California The small number of drivers with hydrogen fuel-cell cars in California are now able to purchase their fuel.... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096416_hydrogen-fuel-now-available-for-sale-in-california Japan To Spend $385 Million On Hydrogen For 2020 Olympics Deadline ...spotlight. Japan is also using the Games as an opportunity to promote hydrogen fuel-cell cars. ALSO SEE: Japan Eases Laws, Boosts Incentives For... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096427_japan-to-spend-385-million-on-hydrogen-for-2020-olympics-deadline FUELS Gas Mileage Remains First Priority For Buyers, JD Power Says ...gas prices have now hit six-year lows, and many analysts believe that cheap gasoline will hurt sales of fuel-efficient cars. Paying less for gas removes... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096407_gas-mileage-remains-first-priority-for-buyers-jd-power-says Obama, Congress agree on infrastructure need, if not fix ...in general funds to the Highway Trust Fund to make up for declining federal gasoline tax revenue. Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/01/20/3451643/infrastructure-on-obamas-state.html OPINIONS Fight climate change by eating less meat ...solve the climate problem. Studies show that animal agriculture creates more greenhouse gas emissions than the transportation sector. ("Latest... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0122-thursday-meat-climate-change-20150122-story.html Using the right words to talk about climate change ...temperatures. Anyone who has recently visited island countries threatened by sea level rise can feel the emotion. Factually, your excellent... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0121-wednesday-climate-change-20150121-story.html Protecting California's natural lands is key to combating climate change ...shelter wildlife and provide many other environmental benefits. Today, we face climate change as our biggest environmental challenge, and these... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article7842339.html California landfill taps methane for power ...ago SANTA ANA, Calif. — When most Californians think about the source of renewable energy flowing into their homes, they picture wind turbines... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/21/4342023/california-landfill-taps-methane.html Falling Gas Prices Mask Hidden Tax So why is it that while other states are now enjoying gas prices of less than $2 per gallon, California is still paying higher prices? Due to high taxes and costly regulations, our state’s gas prices are higher than other states. It’s been that way for years. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/01/falling-gas-prices-mask-hidden-tax/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 13:10:32 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 23, 2015 From: dchelini@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. FUELS UNDER CAP AND TRADE California's tax hike battles climate change without hurting consumers Not long ago, a gallon of gasoline cost over $3.80. It has now fallen to less than $2.00 in many... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/22/4342231/californias-tax-hike-battles-climate.html CAP AND TRADE Bill to leave cap-and-trade program sees little support There was little public appetite at a hearing Thursday for a bill that would pull New Hampshire out of a multistate effort to reduce carbon emissions. http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Bill-would-remove-NH-from-greenhouse-gas-6032649.php Little support for move to leave cap-and-trade program There was little public appetite at a hearing Thursday for a bill that would pull New Hampshire out of a multi-state effort to reduce carbon emissions. New Hampshire is one of nine states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a system where each state sells carbon emission allowances to producers. http://www.eagletribune.com/news/new_hampshire/little-support-for-move-to-leave-cap-and-trade-program/article_cf7a3f68-eec1-5975-ad5d-3d530ded93c6.html AIR POLLUTION Hazy Skies the Backdrop for Obama's Climate Talks in India When President Barack Obama arrives in New Delhi on Sunday he will join the Indian capital's masses in breathing some of the world's filthiest air. Hazy skies will serve as the backdrop to meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials who are expected to discuss India's biggest environmental woes: Heavy reliance on fossil fuels that has transformed New Delhi into the planet's most polluted capital and made India the third biggest national emitter of greenhouse gases. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/23/world/asia/ap-as-india-obama-climate.html China's smoggy capital to close 300 companies in battle on pollution Beijing plans to shut 300 companies this year to help reduce choking air pollution in the Chinese capital, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/23/us-china-pollution-idUSKBN0KW18F20150123 Hong Kong to Provide Air Quality Data for StanChart Marathon Hong Kong will set up extra air quality checkpoints along the route of Sunday’s marathon organized by Standard Chartered Plc (STAN) to keep runners informed about pollution levels and associated health risks. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-23/hong-kong-to-provide-air-quality-data-for-stanchart-marathon.html Chinese And American Cities In Comparison [Infographic] China’s struggles to contain thick rolling shrouds of smog have been well documented. Despite public discontent and countless pledges from the authorities to tackle the problem, air pollution in many cities has been pushed to over twenty times the safe limit on numerous occasions. http://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2015/01/23/air-pollution-chinese-and-american-cities-in-comparison-infographic/ Official Pushes for Statewide Air Pollution, Environmental Education One of the people who makes environmental decisions for one of the nation's worst spots for air quality is pushing for statewide environmental education. "I think the complexity of the air problems and the environmental problems, more broadly, really does require broad public understanding," Dr. Joe Capitman of the San Joaquin Valley Air District said. http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/official-pushes-for-statewide-air-pollution-13180972/ CLIMATE CHANGE U.N. asks countries for climate plans after record warm 2014 The United Nations asked governments on Thursday to submit plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions as the building blocks of a deal due in Paris in December to limit global warming, after scientists said 2014 was the hottest year on record. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/22/us-climatechange-un-idUSKBN0KV22W20150122 Senate Says Climate Change Real, But Not Really Our Fault Breathtakingly broad as its jurisdiction may be, the U.S. Senate does not usually vote on the validity of scientific theories. This week, it did. And science won. The Senate voted that climate change is real, and not a hoax. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=379242432 Climate Change Moves the Doomsday Clock ...big reasons is the failure to reduce greenhouse emissions even in the face of climate change. Credit: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-doomsday-clock-18576 FUELS Defenders of Tradition in Keystone Pipeline Fight An unpainted wooden barn sits in a snow-dusted cornfield along a gravel road, one of many that dot the rural horizon here. This barn, however, contains no horses, tractors or farming tools. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/us/defending-family-farm-traditions-in-battle-against-keystone-pipeline.html?_r=0 VEHICLES Toyota increasing production of Mirai fuel cell vehicle Toyota Motor Corporation will increase production of the Mirai fuel cell sedan, which launched in Japan on 15 December 2014. The... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150122-mirai.html Plug-in Electric Cars In Canada: 10,000 Sold, Good News For 2015 ...to Super Bowl XLIX, a slightly smaller number of Canadians counted down to EV 10,000, celebrating the ten-thousandth plug-in electric... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096415_plug-in-electric-cars-in-canada-10000-sold-good-news-for-2015 GREEN ENERGY How will the state get 50% of its energy from 'renewable resources' by 2050? Gov. Jerry Brown (D) received plenty of early support for his proposal, in his Jan. 5 inaugural speech, to get half of California's electricity from renewable sources by 2030. A lawyer who represents renewable energy developers said the media coverage of Brown's goal has sparked interest from the public as well as renewables advocates. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060011965 India to push renewable energy drive during Obama visit India will look to the United States for more private sector partnerships and technology to support a drive to expand its use of clean energy, as Washington looks to secure political support for a global climate change deal in 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/22/india-usa-climatechange-idUSL6N0V104L20150122 Analysis: 'Green' bond issuance booming, but standards are unclear Issuance of green bonds for companies working on battling climate change are booming, but investors say the label needs safeguards against bogus proposals that could sour retail buyers and wealth advisers just starting to tune into the securities. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/23/us-bonds-green-analysis-idUSKBN0KW25X20150123 Solar And Water: Abengoa's Big Bets While renewable energy dominate the portfolio of its young yieldco, Abengoa... http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/01/23/solar-and-water-abengoas-big-bets-in-the-u-s/ Orange County landfill taps methane for power ...Montauk, will pay the county a royalty for the right to convert the landfill's methane and has a contract to sell the electricity to Anaheim Public Utilities.... http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/01/22/49411/california-landfill-taps-methane-for-power/ California Farmers Turn Sugar Beets Into Energy ...table beet, but they're larger, white and very high in sucrose. Sugar beets in California date back to the late 1800's. In fact they've been grown longer... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/01/22/california-farmers-turn-sugar-beets-into-energy/ MISCELLANEOUS Mary Nichols, California's Environmental "Rock Star" on Valley Edition The LA Times recently called Mary Nichols a “rock star.” In 2013 Time Magazine called her one of the 100 most influential people in the world and the Thomas Edison on environmentalism. She’s the chair of the California Air Resources Board, and if it has something to do with air quality or climate change in the state, she probably has something to say about it. http://kvpr.org/post/mary-nichols-californias-environmental-rock-star-valley-edition Sacramento State launching environmental research institute ...will merge environmental science and policymaking, particularly concerning climate change and water-related issues that challenge California... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article7967292.html BLOGS Tipping Point for Carbon Pricing Just Got Closer Like objects in a passenger-side mirror, the tipping point for pricing carbon is a lot closer than it appears, and votes this week in the Senate... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-reynolds/tipping-point-for-carbon_b_6527532.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 12:38:31 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 26, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 26, 2015. 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 CA Adopts Guidelines for Cap-and-Trade Affordable Housing Program. Yesterday the Strategic Growth Council adopted guidelines for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program and scheduled workshops for early February to provide technical assistance to potential applicants. California’s Strategic Growth Council is a state committee that coordinates a variety of activities by multiple state agencies, including efforts to improve air and water quality, increase affordable housing, improve transportation, and other issues related to quality of life in California. http://architecturelab.net/ca-adopts-guidelines-for-cap-and-trade-affordable-housing-program/ California again tops ranking of the most animal-friendly states. California has been very, very good to animals. For the sixth straight year, the society has ranked the Golden State No. 1 on its list of 50 states for laws and policies relating to wildlife, farm livestock, pets and animal fighting. Oregon placed second and Illinois came in third. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-capitol-business-beat-20150126-story.html AIR POLLUTION Mr. President, World’s Worst Air Is Taking 6 Hours Off Your Life. U.S. President Barack Obama could lose roughly 6 hours from his expected lifespan after spending three days in India’s capital inhaling the world’s most toxic air. Air Force One descended through an acrid smog when it landed in New Delhi on Sunday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-26/mr-president-world-s-worst-air-is-taking-6-hours-off-your-life.html Make polluters pay. Many people believe that the free market is the best way to deal with economic issues. Right now, we all... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/24/4344697/make-polluters-pay.html Obama & Modi Link Zero Carbon and Zero Extreme Poverty. ...whether he felt pressure from his guest to make a big pledge about tackling climate change, as China did a few months ago. "India is an independent... http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/20150126/obama-modi-link-zero-carbon-and-zero-extreme-poverty Can Obama clear the air in Delhi, world's most polluted city? ...Updated 2 hours ago NEW DELHI — In the world's most polluted city, a layer of smog hangs over everything, thicker year after year. Dirty exhaust pours... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/24/4346167/can-obama-clear-the-air-in-delhi.html Air monitor in Texas fracking-boom country is up and soon to track pollution. The first air monitor in the heart of the fracking-intensive Eagle Ford Shale region... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article8102472.html CLIMATE CHANGE U.N. asks countries for climate plans after record warm 2014. The United Nations asked governments on Thursday to submit plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions as the building blocks of a deal due in Paris in December to limit global warming, after scientists said 2014 was the hottest year on record. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/22/us-climatechange-un-idUSKBN0KV22W20150122 Modi Shifts on Climate Change With India Renewables Goal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is ready to expand its use of renewable energy as a way to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, a signal that his government is moving toward joining an international deal on global warming. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-25/modi-shifts-on-climate-change-with-india-renewables-goal.html Hong Kong to Provide Air Quality Data for StanChart Marathon. Hong Kong will set up extra air quality checkpoints along the route of Sunday’s marathon organized by Standard Chartered Plc (STAN) to keep runners informed about pollution levels and associated health risks. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-23/hong-kong-to-provide-air-quality-data-for-stanchart-marathon.html Beijing to Spend $1.7 Billion on Smog After 2014 Target Missed. Beijing will spend 10.8 billion yuan ($1.74 billion) to tackle air pollution after missing its target to cut smog last year. Despite “huge” efforts to reduce pollution, the average concentration of PM2.5, the tiny particles that pose the greatest risk to human health, fell by 4 percent… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-23/beijing-to-spend-1-7-billion-on-smog-after-2014-target-missed.html Climate change is real and caused by humans, majority of senators believe. Republicans push hard for Keystone bill, test Democrats’ loyalty to Obama. Forced to finally vote on climate change, a majority of senators have signaled that they believe the phenomenon is real and that humans have at least some role to play. But how much, and what to do about it, remains murky. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/25/climate-change-is-real-and-caused-by-humans-majori/#ixzz3PwePrHAT The Midwest’s climate future: Missouri becomes like Arizona, Chicago becomes like Texas. The bipartisan trio of climate risk prognosticators for the business community — Michael Bloomberg, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, and billionaire investor Tom Steyer — are back. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/01/23/the-midwests-climate-future-missouri-becomes-like-arizona-chicago-becomes-like-texas/ Leaders in Davos Urge Quick Action to Alter the Effects of Climate Change. On the heels of data showing that last year was the hottest on earth since record keeping began, business leaders, politicians and scientists at the World Economic Forum redoubled their calls to combat climate change. In panels and private discussions, executives and legislators were comparing notes on the growing economic cost of changing weather patterns… http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/leaders-in-davos-urge-quick-action-to-alter-the-effects-of-climate-change/ What are Republicans going to do about climate change? It's two years until the 2016 presidential race, but debate over the Keystone XL pipeline is pushing some GOP presidential hopefuls to go on the record about an issue they might rather not discuss: climate change. When it comes to energy and climate politics, things are heating up on the Senate floor. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0123/What-are-Republicans-going-to-do-about-climate-change After Senate climate votes, Dems see rift in GOP. A measure linking human activity to climate change exposes a split inside the party. Senate Republicans fended off Democrats’ climate change campaign in the Senate last week, but their strategy exposed cracks in the majority party. Republicans managed to neutralize a Democratic amendment on climate change in favor of a watered-down… http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/senate-climate-votes-democrats-barbara-boxer-114556.html#ixzz3PwdpbN9L Obama Attends India's Republic Day Celebrations. - capradio.org ...accident. The "breakthrough understanding" could help India the world's No. 3 greenhouse gas emitter, cut its carbon pollution. Copyright 2015... http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=381548863 Farmers Rewarded for Practicing ‘Carbon Farming.’ Soils naturally absorb and sequester carbon dioxide and following organic practices, such as adding compost and bringing back herds of grazing animals, can make a huge difference in how much carbon dioxide soils can retain. In 2007, a California rancher, John Wick and his partners at the Marin Carbon Project convinced researchers at the University of California, Berkeley that restoring grassland soils could serve as a major source of carbon sequestration. Using his land for the experiments, the researchers found that every year, Wick’s soils held more and more carbon. http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/26/farmers-rewarded-carbon-farming/ Relocation or Adaptation: Copenhagen Braces for Climate Change. Should a storm, flood or rising sea levels hit the Danish capital again, the bucolic mini-parks will turn into water basins, the hills essentially functioning as the sides of a bowl. Thanks to a new pipe system, the squares will even be able to collect water from surrounding buildings’ roofs. Surrounding streets will, for their part, be turned into “cloudburst boulevards.” http://archinect.com/news/article/119268663/relocation-or-adaptation-copenhagen-braces-for-climate-change Commercial growers, Sacramento-area gardeners face possible headaches from warm afternoons, lack of rain. ...temperatures, for example. Almonds alone contribute about $11 billion a year to California's gross domestic product, according a report released in December... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article8109246.html California considering plan to replace gas tax with charge per mile driven. More people are driving electric cars. Gasoline cars are getting better mileage. And... http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27387446/california-considering-plan-replace-gas-tax-charge-per Oceans face higher acidity levels as more man-made CO2 gets absorbed. ...the world's oceans has certainly benefited us by reducing the amount of this greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, the introduction of... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/01/24/3458298/oceans-face-higher-acidity-levels.html DROUGHT Sneaky leaks can be draining, Placer County homeowner finds. ...jail,” said Henry, who found the notice tacked to her front door. “We're in a drought!” That last point is what local water providers want residents... http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/home-garden/article8004411.html Drought tolerant landscaping ideas on display at Cal Expo. Thousands of people turned out Saturday for the Northern California Home and Landscape Expo at Cal Expo. While much of the attention... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article8078835.html Weak rain-maker for Tuesday in Sacramento? A very weak weather system off the coast of Baja California is expected to move northward over the next 24 hours, perhaps... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article8154543.html Fresno's water future is full of regulators ...a big dent in the aquifer. And Sacramento lawmakers, spurred by a historic drought, decided to get involved. The result was the Sustainable Groundwater... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/24/4345585/fresnos-water-future-is-full-of.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES California contractor sees latest emissions-compliant construction equipment as a competitive advantage. Andrew Allen, president of R. J. Allen Inc, has a different perspective on California Air Resources Board regulations, which require a certain percentage of a contractor’s equipment fleet be compliant with the latest emissions regulations. Allen, one of 12 finalists for the 2015 Contractor of the Year program, sees using Tier 4 Interim and incoming Tier 4 Final equipment as a competitive advantage. “It was a huge sacrifice and scary, but I think it’s paid off,” he says. Clients such as Southern California Edison require top emissions tier equipment, “and it gives us an advantage to have that equipment.” http://www.equipmentworld.com/california-contractor-sees-latest-emissions-compliant-construction-equipment-as-a-competitive-advantage/#sthash.FFUogEbz.dpuf FUELS Where to Buy Gasoline for $0.002 a Gallon, Seriously. Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro told lawmakers last week he’s considering raising gasoline prices. That might be a good idea. It’s been two decades since the government last lifted state-set local prices, the result of politicians’ concern that the move could spark protests like those that swept across the oil-rich nation following an increase in 1989. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-25/where-to-buy-gasoline-for-0-002-a-gallon-seriously.html For Saudis, Falling Demand for Oil Is the Biggest Concern. As the world’s oil producers wring their hands over a global glut that’s pushing down prices, evidence is mounting that Saudi Arabia is more concerned about shrinking demand. The world’s largest exporter has chosen not to cut production, counting instead on lower prices to stimulate consumption… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-26/for-saudis-falling-demand-for-oil-is-the-biggest-concern.html U.K. Lawmakers Urge Fracking Delay on Water, Climate Risk. Fracking shale for oil and gas should be put on hold in the U.K. because of risks to public health and the environment, a panel of lawmakers said. A moratorium on fracking is needed to prevent the U.K. from missing its carbon targets and allow time to stiffen regulations for the industry… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-26/u-k-lawmakers-urge-fracking-delay-on-water-climate-risk.html Rising wholesale prices could push gasoline costs back up. Gasoline prices have continued to fall, but the reprieve may soon be coming to an end. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that the lowest fuel prices in more than five years are likely to increase because of rising wholesale prices. Crude oil prices have ticked up in the last 10 days, a change that consumers will eventually see at the pump, Lundberg said. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas-prices-20150126-story.html http://www.businessweek.com/news/2015-01-25/u-dot-s-dot-gasoline-falls-to-2-dot-0691-a-gallon-in-lundberg-survey Capacity of Emerging Bio-based Material, Chemicals Tech to Rise to 7.4M Metric Tons in 2018. The global capacity to produce bio-based materials and chemicals (BBMC) from emerging technologies will rise to over 7.4 million metric tons in 2018, more than tripling from 2008 levels, according to a new report from Lux Research. The US and Brazil will drive capacity growth. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/01/26/capacity-of-emerging-bio-based-material-chemicals-tech-to-rise-to-7-4m-metric-tons-in-2018/#ixzz3Pwh5JK53 Vietnam considers policy measures to support production of E5 gasoline. The Vietnamese government is mulling various policy measures to assist domestic production and sales of E5 92 RON gasoline. The Ministry of Finance is considering increasing the import tariff on E5 and other biofuels to 35% from 5% to protect domestic production… http://www.platts.com/latest-news/agriculture/hanoi/vietnam-considers-policy-measures-to-support-27056729 5 reasons why oil prices won't be recovering anytime soon. At a high level, it's Economics 101. When the world has plenty of oil, but far less demand, the price should crash. And so it has. The response, too, could come from an introductory econ textbook. OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, has shown it cares more about its market share than high prices. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060012226/print VEHICLES Carmakers amp up plans for charging stations. As sales of electric vehicles languish, automakers are starting to address one of the biggest obstacles to their wider acceptance: the lack of charging stations. BMW and Volkswagen announced a plan to install 100 high-speed charging stations on busy corridors this year on the East and West coasts, like Interstate 95 between Washington and Boston. The stations will be part of a fast-growing network run by ChargePoint, the nation's largest, and will be compatible with nearly all electric vehicles on the road. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stations-300010-ocprint-electric-charging.html GREEN ENERGY India Gets Obama’s Backing for $160 Billion Solar Push. India’s audacious plan to create a solar industry on the scale of China’s almost from scratch gained credibility with President Barack Obama’s pledge to lend U.S. financial support for the program. Without giving any detail or making any specific grant, Obama said the U.S. will “stand ready to speed this advancement with additional financing.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-26/india-gets-obama-s-backing-for-160-billion-solar-push.html OPINIONS Peter Asmus: How to meet Brown’s aggressive climate change agenda. Living in California, it’s easy to forget that the rest of the world doesn’t always see things in the same light. Given the ambitious energy and climate change goals outlined in Gov. Jerry Brown’s inaugural address this divergence may only grow. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article7960509.html The carbon that's killing India, and how California can help. ...Delhi's 25 million residents, will be exposed to another kind of dangerous carbon pollution: black carbon. Black carbon is scientists' term for ultra-fine... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0126-mingle-u-s--india-climate-black-carbon-20150126-story.html Population and climate change. ...during rush hour. Experts say addressing overpopulation is key to fighting climate change. People crowd New York Penn Station during rush... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-population-and-climate-change-20150125-001-photo.html?track=rss Here's an excellent analogy about climate change and developing countries. ...climate action repeatedly argue that the U.S. should not have to do more to fight global warming than the two other biggest present-day carbon emitters,... http://grist.org/climate-energy/heres-an-excellent-analogy-about-climate-change-and-developing-countries/ Why we need to address population growth's effects on global warming. Earlier this month, Pope Francis made news when he said that not only was climate change real, but it was mostly man-made. Then, last week,... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-population-and-climate-change-20150125-story.html BLOGS That Venezuelan Economic Experiment; Gasoline Isn't Just Cheap, It's Free. More interesting evidence of the incredible stupidity with which this Venezuelan economic experiment has been carried out in recent years. Bloomberg tells us that the price of gasoline in that country is now $0.002 per gallon. http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/01/26/that-venezuelan-economic-experiment-gasoline-isnt-just-cheap-its-free/ EU paper calls for binding CCS targets by 2030. Carbon capture and storage industry proposes goal of burying 220m tonnes of carbon dioxide across Europe by 2030. European countries should be given binding targets for installing technology to capture and store carbon emissions, according to a new report for the European commission. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/26/eu-paper-calls-for-binding-ccs-targets-by-2030 Tackling Climate Change -- For Real, This Time. As usual, climate change was front and centre at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. Sadly, however, the vast majority of the discussion proceeded on two fundamentally flawed assumptions: 1. That the real action was at the inter-governmental level, and that actual outcomes on the ground would be largely… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-j-kiernan/tackling-climate-change-f_b_6547106.html India Plans 100 GW Wind Energy Capacity By 2022. The Indian government is looking to set a target of 100 GW under its national wind energy mission. While the mission is being mulled for almost a year it could be launched within months, if not weeks. During the first meeting of the Council on Climate Change... http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/25/india-plans-100-gw-wind-energy-capacity-2022/ Here’s an excellent analogy about climate change and developing countries. American opponents of climate action repeatedly argue that the U.S. should not have to do more to fight global warming than the two other biggest present-day carbon emitters, China and India. Climate hawks then repeatedly explain that the U.S. has more historical responsibility for the problem than developing countries… http://grist.org/climate-energy/heres-an-excellent-analogy-about-climate-change-and-developing-countries/ Climate change affecting beer. Climate change is affecting beer production. Higher temperatures and water shortages are decreasing hop crops. Environmental changes are also decreasing malting-barley output in countries like Australia and New Zealand with resulting higher prices. http://www.examiner.com/article/climate-change-affecting-beer California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 11:04:11 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 27, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 27, 2015. 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 gas prices low, 'hidden tax' making changes. Gas prices dropped another $0.13 over the past two weeks, but industry analysts say they are likely to go back up soon. In addition to rising wholesale prices is what many are calling a "hidden gas tax." It's an effect of California's Cap and Trade Program, also known as AB-32. http://www.ksby.com/news/california-gas-prices-low-hidden-tax-making-changes/ Cap and trade's political impact on gas prices will be felt when fuel prices turn around -- ARB leader. The effect of California's cap-and-trade program on how much motorists pay for their gasoline likely will be more visible when fuel prices rebound, the head of the state's Air Resources Board said yesterday. Mary Nichols, chairwoman of ARB, said in an interview during the VerdeXchange 2015 conference here that when cap and trade expanded… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012340/print AIR POLLUTION Air pollution looms as pressing issue for families and lawmakers. Poor air quality and its adverse impacts to health have risen as a key concern for both policymakers and the public, threatening family health and quality of life, Utah's economy and the vibrancy of its outdoor recreation. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620436/Air-pollution-looms-as-pressing-issue-for-families-and-lawmakers.html Utah residents rank air pollution as No. 1 threat to quality of life. It's not crime, not crowded highways or even crowded classrooms that concern Utah residents the most and pose the greatest threat to their quality of life. If you look out the window, it is the air and the pollution that hangs on during winter temperature inversions or summer bouts of haze. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620440/Utah-residents-rank-air-pollution-as-No-1-threat-to-quality-of-life.html Study Raises Concerns About Toxic Oil and Gas Emissions in California Air. An infrared camera, air sampling and surveys reveal that methane and toluene are among the contaminants showing up in Kern and Ventura counties. he infrared video showed an eerie scene: waves of volatile chemicals floating from the vent pipes of an oil-and-gas processing plant in the Lost Hills region of Kern County, Calif. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150126/study-raises-concerns-about-toxic-oil-and-gas-emissions-california-air Wood burning is not a major threat to the climate – study. Emissions from wood burning by people in developing countries have a smaller climate impact than previously thought, according to a new study. "[This] is good news because woody biomass is a fundamental source of accessible and affordable energy for the majority of tropical populations," said Rudi Drigo, a co-author of the study. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012325/print CLIMATE CHANGE On climate change, 'not a scientist' not enough for some U.S. Republicans. Rick Perry's farewell speech to the Texas legislature listed the accomplishments expected from an outgoing Republican governor of the country's largest oil-producing state. But his Jan. 15 speech also did something less predictable: touting his environmental record, from lowering Texas' carbon emissions to turning the state into a global leader in wind energy production. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/27/us-usa-politics-climatechange-insight-idUSKBN0L00D620150127 Australia temperatures rising faster than rest of the world: official report. Australia faced a rise in temperature of potentially more than 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, an increase that would outpace global warming worldwide, the country's national science agency said on Tuesday. In its most comprehensive analysis yet of the impacts of climate change… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/27/us-australia-climatechange-idUSKBN0KZ2KI20150127 Rhetoric on EPA, Climate Show Divisions Among Republican Presidential Hopefuls. One likely Republican presidential candidate called the Environmental Protection Agency “locusts” while another compared climate change to a “sunburn,” exposing a contrast with several other likely contenders within the party who recently acknowledged the role of human activity in climate change. http://www.bna.com/rhetoric-epa-climate-n17179922496/ Global warming could make blizzards worse. We’re on the verge of another historic blizzard, with as much as two or three feet of snow expected in parts of the Northeast. Already, the press is throwing around terms like “Snowmageddon” to describe what’s coming. Next comes politics: Whenever the East Coast sees an extreme snow event, the weather is perfect for snow trolling – e.g., trying to use one cold event to refute a warming climate trend. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/01/26/global-warming-could-make-blizzards-worse/ Oil-rich Saudis find new help in struggle to delay action on climate change: Cheap gas. As the ruler of a country that sits atop 300 billion barrels of oil, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah was no fan of proposals to limit the burning of fossil fuels. During most of his reign, the king’s chief envoy to climate talks was a ­global-warming skeptic who boasted of his success at scuttling climate treaties. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/oil-rich-saudis-find-a-new-ally-in-struggle-to-delay-action-on-climate-change-cheap-gas/2015/01/26/4d277170-9cc7-11e4-bcfb-059ec7a93ddc_story.html Yep, Climate Change Is Still Causing Insane Storms. Forecasters are projecting "crippling snowfall amounts and life-threatening blizzard conditions" throughout the Northeast. They may as well toss in a 100 percent likelihood of jokes from American conservative media about how snow invalidates the idea of global warming. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2015-01-27/northeastern-blizzard-elicits-time-tested-conservative-responses-on-climate-change Climate Change: The Need for a More Consistent Baseline and Immediate Action. The UN climate conference in Lima set the stage for Paris in 2015. Next year’s accord is to provide a working, albeit not a final, answer to the question: Is it possible to keep global warming at or below the 2 degree Celsius limit? This limit is considered the boundary beyond which the negative climatic, economic and social consequences of climate change… http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2015/01/climate-change-the-need-for-a-more-consistent-baseline-and-immediate-action Why Bigger Snowstorms Come With Global Warming. Amount of rain and snow falling in the heaviest precipitation events in the Northeast has jumped 71% in last half-century, consistent with climate change. Winter storm Juno is expected to dump as much as 3 feet of snow across parts of New England early this week. Media outlets have already dubbed the storm "a massive blizzard of epic proportions." http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150127/why-bigger-snowstorms-come-global-warming Warming Ups Odds of Extreme La Niñas, Wild Weather. La Niña events can drive weather patterns wild around the globe from helping exacerbate drought in West Africa and increase rainfall in areas as diverse as South Asia and the Pacific Northwest. The more extreme the La Niña, which is characterized by a cooling of waters in the tropical Pacific, generally the more pronounced the impacts can be. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-doubles-likelihood-extreme-la-ninas-18592 Asia-Pacific region faces stiff problems in addressing climate change, experts say. With 61 percent of the world's population and nearly half of the world's carbon emissions, the Asia-Pacific region is instrumental in the fight against catastrophic climate change. But structural problems in some countries are hampering progress. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012335/print DROUGHT Record-setting rainless January sparks fears, fire. It was an astonishing scene in the heart of winter — dozens of Pacifica residents rushing to grab whatever household valuables they could as flames raced down a coastal bluff toward their homes. Firefighters halted the blaze early Monday before it could do serious damage, but the evacuations punctuated a January that is poised to go down as the driest in California history, giving rise to summerlike conditions… http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Destructive-extremes-California-s-dry-January-6041530.php DIESEL ACTIVITIES Diesel pollution cut at Port of Oakland. The mean emission rate of black carbon from diesel trucks at the Port of Oakland dropped 76% from 2009 to 2013, a California study finds. The improvements in air quality are linked to a port program to modernize trucks. http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Diesel-pollution-cut-at-Port-of-Oakland-289853131.html Exhaust from newer diesel engines not cancer-causing: Study. A new study has concluded there’s no evidence that exposure to new-technology diesel engine exhaust is linked to lung cancer. It’s the first study to evaluate lifetime exposure to new technology diesel exhaust. The study also found new-technology diesel engines produce 90% less emissions than older diesel engines. http://www.trucknews.com/health-safety/exhaust-newer-diesel-engines-not-cancer-causing-study/1003063423/ http://www.hybridcars.com/study-clears-newer-diesels-of-lung-cancer-and-other-risks/ FUELS Oil Trades Near 6-Year Low as OPEC Fails to Turn Focus From Glut. Oil traded near its lowest close in almost six years as OPEC’s warning that prices may surge without new investment in production failed to shift the market’s focus from more immediate signs of a supply glut. U.S. crude inventories probably rose to 401.9 million barrels last week, the highest in records dating back to August 1982… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-27/oil-trades-near-six-year-low-as-u-s-supplies-seen-widening-glut.html Key issues and updates on the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The Senate is closing in on a vote to authorize the Keystone XL oil pipeline, although Democrats temporarily stalled progress Monday. But the fate of the $8 billion project depends not only on what happens in Congress, but also in the courts, at the White House and with TransCanada, the pipeline's developer. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article8203536.html#storylink=cpy Gas prices continuing to drop. Prices at the pump have dropped substantially across the nation in the past year and according to newly released fuel gauge reports, gas is expected to get even cheaper. The average cost of fuel in the South Valley was $2.42 per gallon on Monday, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report – the lowest gasoline price estimated since 2009. http://hanfordsentinel.com/news/gas-prices-continuing-to-drop/article_5f6bcf82-d04b-5834-b8b4-3cee4f7737b2.html Cities may be leaking more heat-trapping methane than previously thought. A new approach to measuring methane leaks revealed that the Boston area alone lost enough natural gas during one year to fuel 200,000 homes. Some of the nation's metropolitan areas may be losing tens of millions of dollars a year in natural gas leaks, which add a potent greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Global-Warming/2015/0124/Cities-may-be-leaking-more-heat-trapping-methane-than-previously-thought We can solve climate change, but it won’t be cheap or easy. Pretty much everyone who acknowledges the problem of climate change is hungry for good news about it, which makes sense, as most of the news is overwhelming and awful. There is high demand for optimism — I hear it every time someone asks me to write or speak on climate — so inevitably there is supply. http://grist.org/climate-energy/we-can-solve-climate-change-but-it-wont-be-cheap-or-easy/?utm_source=syndication&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed Natural gas's role in state's low-carbon future comes with caveats. The head of the California agency keeping the state on track to meet its ambitious climate goals didn't rule out the long-term use of natural gas yesterday but said she also sees caveats on the horizon. California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols, speaking at the VerdeXchange 2015 conference here, rejected the premise of the panel she was on, dubbed "Natural Gas -- Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?"… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012339/print In patent dispute, Supreme Court sides with startup. The Supreme Court today sided with startup company Gevo Inc. in a lingering dispute over patents for technology related to the commercial development of an advanced biofuel, isobutanol. The justices vacated a federal appeals court ruling that last year upheld two patents belonging to Butamax, a BP PLC-DuPont Co. joint venture, in a lawsuit alleging that Gevo infringed on the patents. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060012286/print GREEN ENERGY Worry for Solar Projects After End of Tax Credits. For more than a year now, an enormous solar thermal power plant has been humming along in the Arizona desert, sending out power as needed, even well after sunset. The plant, called Solana, was developed by the Spanish energy and technology company Abengoa and has succeeded in meeting an elusive solar goal… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/business/worry-for-solar-projects-after-end-of-tax-credits.html?_r=3&utm_content=buffere908e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Biden: U.S. has Caribbean’s back as it seeks to revamp energy sector. Vice President Joe Biden met with leaders of Caribbean nations Monday, saying the U.S. would do what it could to help those countries revamp their energy sectors, a vital concern given the region’s dependence on oil shipments from ailing Venezuela. Speaking at the Caribbean Energy Security Summit in Washington… http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/26/4349568_biden-us-has-caribbeans-back-as.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Lee decides to back S.F. clean power program, but with conditions. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, in a major pivot on the issue of competing with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to provide cleaner power to city customers, directed officials Monday to develop a city-run renewable energy program by the end of the year. Lee and his allies had opposed a clean energy program that was approved by a veto-proof majority… http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Lee-decides-to-back-S-F-clean-power-program-but-6041780.php Solar energy supporters, utilities spar over legislation. Solar energy supporters are pushing back against a bill backed by Indiana's utilities that would change how much credit owners of small-scale solar installations get for the power they generate. The bill authored by state Rep. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, would amend Indiana code for so-called "net metering," under which electric customers… http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/01/26/3460710_solar-energy-supporters-utilities.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Regulator clears 3GW power line in southwest US. The Bureau of Land Management has approved the $2bn SunZia Southwest Transmission project that should be able to carry 3,000MW between New Mexico and Arizona starting in 2020. The federal authorization is a key permit required for building the 515-mile (829km) line. The developer still is working to secure state and local permits in Arizona and New Mexico. http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=982621&menu=yes MISCELLANEOUS California again tops ranking of the most animal-friendly states. California has been very, very good to animals. So says the Humane Society of the United States, which bills itself as "the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization." For the sixth straight year, the society has ranked the Golden State No. 1 on its list of 50 states for laws and policies relating to wildlife, farm livestock, pets and animal fighting. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-capitol-business-beat-20150126-story.html OPINIONS Virginia’s move to cut emissions the smart way. WHETHER REPUBLICAN state leaders like it or not, the Environmental Protection Agency is going to require them to cut their states’ greenhouse-gas emissions. They can choose to do it the easy way or the hard way. One Virginia Republican is proposing they choose the easy way — and the smart way. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/virginias-move-to-cut-emissions-the-smart-way/2015/01/25/91ba59a6-9c45-11e4-bcfb-059ec7a93ddc_story.html Editorial: Why we need to address population growth's effects on global warming. Earlier this month, Pope Francis made news when he said that not only was climate change real, but it was mostly man-made. Then, last week, he said that couples do not need to breed “like rabbits” but rather should plan their families responsibly — albeit without the use of modern contraception. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-population-and-climate-change-20150125-story.html Is Obama pro- or anti-drilling? It depends. President Barack Obama is attempting to create a legacy as both driller-in-chief and environmental champion, as he proposes to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness while also touting a drilling boom across the United States that he didn’t create. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article8206065.html#storylink=cpy Letter: Whatever happened to that hidden gas tax? Whatever happened to that hidden gas tax? Here’s a little memory check. Do you remember the deluge of scare ads over the last several months about a “hidden gas tax” that was going to drive up gas prices by 86 cents a gallon? Do you remember the various oil industry front groups with wholesome-sounding names pushing that story? http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20150124/letter-whatever-happened-to-that-hidden-gas-tax Looking for answers. I read with interest John Lindsey’s column Sunday about ocean acidification and the companion piece about the acidic effect on shellfish production in Maine and the Northwest. Unlike the very complex climate change debate, the chemistry here is so simple that even a senator would have trouble denying that mankind is materially impacting our ocean’s environment. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/01/26/3460371/looking-for-answers.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS U.S. Gas Prices End Their Record-Breaking Streak of Daily Declines. For the first time in four months, gasoline is a little more expensive today than it was yesterday. The national average price for a gallon of regular gas was $2.038 on Tuesday, up from $2.033 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/01/27/u-s-gas-prices-end-their-record-breaking-streak-of-daily-declines/ Verdict Is In—There’s Broad Support for Plan to Cut Methane Pollution. When the White House announced ambitious plans to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 45 percent, EDF President Fred Krupp called it a landmark move. And according, to a recent poll, 66 percent of Americans agree that strong federal standards are needed to safeguard our air from methane pollution… http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/01/27/verdict-is-in-theres-broad-support-to-cut-methane-pollution/ Tech Lowers NOx Emissions in California Oil & Gas Sector. US NOx emissions map Achieving further reductions in nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions is a focal point for U.S. oil, gas and industrial businesses, as well as automakers, as state air quality authorities work to follow through on proposed new federal NOx emissions limits. Public air quality authorities in Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley… http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/01/new-combustion-tech-lowers-nox-emissions-california-oil-gas-sector/ Do the automakers really need help with the U.S. efficiency standards? If you paid attention to the press coming out of the Detroit Auto Show last week, you’d have the strong impression that low gasoline prices are making it difficult for automakers to comply with fuel economy standards. http://www.theicct.org/blogs/staff/do-automakers-really-need-help-us-efficiency-standards Air pollution hits crops more than climate change. Atmospheric pollutants may impact India’s major crops like wheat and rice more than temperature rise, says a new study based on a ‘regression model’ that predicts future events with information on past or present events. http://www.scidev.net/south-asia/agriculture/news/air-pollution-hits-crops-more-than-climate-change.html#sthash.07qj2aRJ.dpuf GM launches Green Dealer Recognition program. GM has launched a “Green Dealer Recognition” program for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealerships across the US. Participating dealers have proven track records in areas such as energy reduction, renewable energy use, water conservation efforts, recycling, on-site nature habitats and community outreach. The program aligns with General Motors’ companywide efforts to reduce its environmental footprint… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150126-gm.html An increasingly rare type of solar farm goes online in California. When the huge solar farm just outside of Las Vegas called Ivanpah opened up in early 2014, many lamented that this type of solar plant, called solar thermal, could soon become a dinosaur. Late last week another of these large solar thermal farms was officially turned on, and it truly could be one of the last of this size built in the U.S., https://gigaom.com/2015/01/26/an-increasingly-rare-type-of-solar-farm-goes-online-in-california/ BMW i3 Electric Car Super Bowl TV Ad: Now It's Out [UPDATED]. Advertising is crucial for automakers trying to explain the benefits of electric cars to an often-skeptical public. So what better forum than the advertising mecca that is the Super Bowl? While teams battle for the National Football League championship during Super Bowl XLIX, BMW will try to catch customers' attention with an ad for its i3 electric car on Sunday, February 1. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096360_bmw-i3-electric-car-to-appear-in-super-bowl-tv-ad Do Low Gas Prices Hurt Renewable Energy Adoption? Unlikely, Says Analyst. Gas prices have fallen dramatically in the U.S.--40 percent in six months--and it's assumed by some that this will hurt the renewable-energy industry. With the financial advantage of solar or wind energy curtailed by cheap oil, the logic goes, consumers will be less interested in switching from fossil fuels. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096488_do-low-gas-prices-hurt-renewable-energy-adoption-unlikely-says-analyst Can Electric-Car Fast Charging Be Profitable? Answer: Unclear. DC fast charging helps alleviate one of the major roadblocks to electric-car adoption--limited range--by giving drivers more ability to travel longer distances. That's why carmakers and other entities back the installation of more and more DC fast-charging sites. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096477_can-electric-car-fast-charging-be-profitable-answer-unclear California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 12:28:28 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 28, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 28, 2015. 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 Gov. Inslee's cap-and-trade plan makes polluters pay. So many people signed up to testify on Gov. Jay Inslee's sweeping proposal to rein in greenhouse gases that Tuesday's public hearing on the bill was continued to Thursday. About three dozen people from across the state testified before the House Environment Committee on a bill to cap the overall amount of carbon emissions in the state and require major polluters to pay for each metric ton of carbon released. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Inslee-s-cap-and-trade-plan-makes-polluters-pay-6043251.php California Engages in Mature Debate Over Spending of Cap-and-Trade Funds. As the inane “debate” over climate change drags on in the more benighted corners of our republic (Washington, D.C., included), it’s becoming abundantly clear that California is no longer the place where America’s fruits, nuts, and loose ends come to rest. I’ve been on the periphery of the stateside discussion of SB 375 for the past two years, so I know that it’s not news to say that there have been many earnest, productive discussions about it across the state. http://www.cp-dr.com/node/3676 AIR POLLUTION The air pollution that's choking Asia. At the age of 13, Tan Yi Han could not see the edge of his schoolyard. It was 1998 in Singapore, the wealthy city-state known for its tidy streets and clean, green image. But for much of that particular school year, clouds of smoke shrouded the skyline. The record-setting air pollution, which had begun in 1997 and lasted for months, caused a 30% spike in hospital visits. It would later be remembered as one of southeast Asia's worst-ever "haze episodes." http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/27/asia/asia-air-pollution-haze/ Study finds no link between diesel technologies, cancer. Lifetime exposure to exhaust from modern diesel technologies is not likely to cause cancer, according to a study released today by a nonprofit research organization.The study exposed rats for up to 30 months to exhaust from a heavy-duty diesel engine that meets recent U.S. EPA standards for emissions and found no evidence of cancerous lung tumors. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060012356/feed CLIMATE CHANGE The difficult art of communicating climate change to farmers. As a sociologist, J. Gordon Arbuckle Jr. spends a lot of time studying what shapes farmers' views and responses to climate change. It's a subject that has not gotten much attention, even as more research focuses on how to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and how to make farming more resilient to the impacts of extreme weather. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012312/print Corals may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought – study. There is some cause to be hopeful for corals in the face of a changing climate, according to a flurry of new research. From the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, three recent studies touch on ways corals are coping with climate change and offer insight into how humans can alter their management practices to provide a helping hand. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012393/print Copenhagen builds world's first climate change-adapted neighborhood. St. Kjeld, a neighborhood in Copenhagen, Denmark, is ready for what climate change has in store. As the first climate change-adapted neighborhood in the world, it won't crumble in the face of storms, floods and rising seas. "St. Kjeld's transformation shows what can be done if you take climate change seriously,"… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012389/print Some utilities could benefit from regional cooperation on EPA's Clean Power Plan. An upcoming white paper from the consulting group ICF International will show how regional emissions trading as part of U.S. EPA's climate rule for existing power plants could benefit electric utilities in states with tougher targets. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012400/print NASA set to launch satellite Thursday that can help predict droughts, floods and climate change. The first NASA satellite measuring soil moisture to predict droughts, floods and climate change is scheduled to launch from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base Thursday. The $916 million investment has been in the works for eight years and is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, based in La Cañada Flintridge. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/science/20150127/nasa-set-to-launch-satellite-thursday-that-can-help-predict-droughts-floods-and-climate-change Why Bigger Snowstorms Come With Global Warming. Winter storm Juno is expected to dump as much as 3 feet of snow across parts of New England early this week. Media outlets have already dubbed the storm "a massive blizzard of epic proportions." Schools closed their doors, grocery stores had their shelves stripped and governors announced travel bans along most of the storm's path. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150127/why-bigger-snowstorms-come-global-warming More suffering for the poor as climate change develops. Poor countries could suffer much more from climate change than initially expected, according to a new economic study from Stanford University. Previous economic models did not account for the effect of climate change on the growth of global economies, but more recent studies show that economic success will be impacted by global warming. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/27/stories/1060012321 "California Climate Change Initiatives Create Framework for Others." With climate change mandates stalled at the federal level and ongoing international political struggles complicating global climate change efforts, several U.S. states and Canadian provinces have been at the forefront of efforts to mitigate climate change. Not surprisingly, California has been a leader in these efforts, most notably with its passage of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, known colloquially as "AB 32." http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/california-climate-change-initiatives-c-85624/ STUDY: How Broadcast Networks Covered Climate Change In 2014. Broadcast Networks Provided The Most Climate Coverage In Five Years. During 2014, the major broadcast networks' evening and Sunday news programs aired a total of 154 minutes of coverage of climate change. This was an increase from the previous year's 129 minutes and was significantly above the six-year average of about 108 minutes, but remained below the 205 minutes of coverage in 2009. http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/01/28/study-how-broadcast-networks-covered-climate-ch/202232 DROUGHT Earth Log: Don’t get lost in California’s fickle winter, it’s still stuck in drought mode. Before the coffee was ready Tuesday morning, the rainless January went from being the driest on record in Fresno to just another drought footnote — .09 of an inch of rain had fallen. If more than .40 of an inch accumulates before Saturday, January won’t even make the top 10 driest in Fresno. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/27/4350813_dont-get-lost-in-californias-fickle.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy DIESEL ACTIVITIES Driven by Asia, global shipping volumes and emissions will multiply. In the next 35 years, global shipping volume will more than quadruple, driven in large part by increasing economic expansion from Asia and emerging markets, according to a report released yesterday by the International Transport Forum at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012416/print FUELS Big Oil Faces Time of Reckoning. Shell, BP and Others to Report Earnings, Reveal What Role Lower Crude Prices Played On Results. In the coming days, the world’s biggest publicly traded oil companies will report fourth-quarter earnings, offering the best look yet at the bite lower crude prices have taken out of Big Oil. http://www.wsj.com/articles/big-oil-faces-time-of-reckoning-1422395792 Can your personality explain how you feel about the Keystone XL pipeline? On Monday, Senate Republicans came up short — temporarily, anyway — in their push to pass legislation that would approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Democrats successfully filibustered the bill, but if a number of senators had not been absent, that strategy might have failed. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/01/27/can-your-personality-explain-how-you-feel-about-the-keystone-xl-pipeline/ Obama exploration plan hits an industry slowed by pricing uncertainty. The East Coast could become home to a booming offshore energy industry -- but only if the price of crude oil recovers substantially. Yesterday, the Obama administration reissued its proposal to open up the Atlantic shoreline of the United States to offshore drilling. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060012417/print Consumer confidence soars amid job surge, gas price plunge. U.S. consumers welcomed the new year with a surge in confidence. The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index climbed this month to 102.9, highest level since August 2007 -- four months before the start of the Great Recession. January's figure was up from a revised 93.1 in December. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27403162/consumer-confidence-soars-amid-job-surge-gas-price?source=rss California considers replacing gas tax with per-mile charge. More people are driving electric cars. Gasoline cars are getting better mileage. And California's vehicles are causing less pollution. But all that good news is generating a major problem: As motorists buy less gasoline, state gas tax revenues that pay for roads have been falling for a decade, leading to more potholes and traffic jams. http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_27387446?source=inthenews E3 study finds low-carbon gas fuels option for meeting Calif GHG reduction goals. A new study by Energy Environmental Economics (E3) consulting suggests that low-carbon gas fuels are a viable option for meeting California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and can simultaneously help achieve pollution emission reduction targets. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150128-e3.html VEHICLES Are Electrics The New Internet? BMW Super Bowl Ad Argues Yes. Electric-vehicle advocates long have needed to change the way Americans look at battery-powered cars, which now amount mainly to toys for the luxury set. Plunging gasoline prices aren’t making EVs any more attractive to rank-and-file consumers either. http://www.forbes.com/sites/dalebuss/2015/01/27/are-electrics-the-new-internet-bmw-super-bowl-ad-argues-yes/ GREEN ENERGY Solar power booming in American Southwest. 5 hours south of San Francisco, the Topaz Solar Farm is complete and has begun supplying power to Pacific Gas & Electric. Covering an area of 10 square miles (1/3 the size of Manhattan) and composed of millions of solar panels, the facility will generate 550 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 160,000 average size American homes. The $2.4 billion dollar installation is owned by a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate owned by Warren Buffett. http://ecomento.com/2015/01/28/solar-power-booming-in-american-southwest/ OPINIONS Climate urgency can be L.A.’s opportunity: Guest commentary. Gov. Jerry Brown made it clear in his State of the State address that climate change is a major priority. His three climate goals promise to transform California: by 2030 half the state’s electricity will come from renewable power, by the same year homes and buildings will be 200 percent more efficient, and in the next 15 years the state will reduce its use of petroleum by half. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion/20150127/climate-urgency-can-be-las-opportunity-guest-commentary Letter: RGGI helped our town. One terrible bill being presented at this time in Concord is a regressive and irresponsible bill designed to repeal New Hampshire’s participation in the nine-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. If approved, it would bring losses of income for our state and greatly needed help for our residents, towns and businesses. Please contact your state representatives and ask them to respect the needs of New Hampshire citizens by voting no on HB 280. http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/15390533-95/letter-rggi-helped-our-town BLOGS Dystopian Reality of China’s Smog Captured in ‘Airpocalypse’ App. China’s notorious smog can feel like a physical manifestation of the country’s political repression: suffocating, censored and potentially lethal. On many days, the sun is hidden behind a pale, brown veil of coal dust and other pollutants that is visible from space and smells like a chemical spill on fire. http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/dystopian-reality-of-chinas-smog-captured-in-airpocalypse-app/ There's More Global Warming Coverage on Your Television. Here's some good news: According to a new study, the major broadcast news networks are covering climate change more than they have in years. Now here's the bad news: Much of that coverage includes misleading arguments from commentators who reject the scientific consensus that humans are warming the planet. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/01/climate-change-cbs-nbc-abc-fox E-Cigarettes Could Face Major Bans In California. On the heels of a study that found electronic cigarettes may expose users to high levels of formaldehyde, the California senate has introduced a bill that would define the controversial devices as tobacco products and treat them as such. Filed Monday by state Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), the bill would subject e-cigarettes -- battery-powered tubes that vaporize liquid nicotine instead of burning tobacco -- to the state’s existing anti-smoking laws, effectively banning "vaping" in workplaces, schools, restaurants, bars, hospitals, public transit and everywhere else traditional cigarettes are forbidden. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/26/california-e-cigarette-ban-vaping_n_6551336.html?ir=Los+Angeles&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000065 Is BMW i3 Electric Car Selling Better In U.S. Than Germany? One of the notable features of last year's electric-car sales was the strong, and so far sustained, sales of the radical new BMW i3 electric car. The little plastic-bodied battery-electric vehicle from Munich, with its odd coach doors and its rear electric motor, sold more than 1,000 cars a month in four of the eight months last year it was on sale. The total of 6,024 i3s delivered put BMW's first electric car in sixth place among the 21 plug-in vehicles on sale in the U.S. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096520_is-bmw-i3-electric-car-selling-better-in-u-s-than-germany California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 13:25:23 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 29, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE "California Climate Change Initiatives Create Framework for Others" With climate change mandates stalled at the federal level and ongoing international political struggles complicating global climate change efforts, several U.S. states and Canadian provinces have been at the forefront of efforts to mitigate climate change. http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/california-climate-change-initiatives-c-85624/ Chaos in California's environmental planning? What might seem like a minor appellate decision involving the San Diego region’s long-range transportation plan rests on a questionable legal holding that threatens to throw environmental reviews all over California into confusion. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jan/28/environmental-planning-SANDAG-state-appeal/ AIR POLLUTION EPA Sued by Environmentalists Over Factory-Farm Pollution The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should set limits on ammonia output and other pollutants from large-scale chicken, hog and livestock facilities, a coalition of advocacy groups said in two lawsuits accusing the agency of failing to use its authority to curb harmful emissions. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/epa-sued-over-factory-farm-air-pollution-by-advocacy-groups OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/01/28/groups-sue-epa-over-air-pollution-from-large-farms/22481227/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/01/29/refineries-challenge-epa-emissions-plan/ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765667330/Groups-sue-EPA-seeking-livestock-farm-air-quality-standards.html Methane Leaks From Gas Pipelines Far Exceed Official Estimates, Harvard Study Finds Methane is leaking from natural gas infrastructure in Boston and the surrounding region at rates two to three times higher than government estimates, scientists at Harvard University and other institutions found. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150128/methane-leaks-gas-pipelines-far-exceed-official-estimates-harvard-study-finds E-Cigarettes Pose Public Health Concern, California Says Electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals and are a significant public health concern, California’s top health official said in a report positioning the state to take a leading role in regulating the battery-operated devices. A growing number of state officials have expressed skepticism about manufacturers’ claims that the products are a healthier alternative… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/e-cigarettes-pose-major-public-health-concern-california-says EU presses on with anti-pollution law after Commission U-turn European Union president Latvia will push ahead with a law to clamp down on air pollution after the European Commission's plan to withdraw the proposals was rejected by many lawmakers. Air pollution from traffic and industry is responsible for about 400,000 premature deaths per year in the European Union, according to Commission data. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/28/eu-environment-air-idUSL6N0V71WD20150128 Spiky hedgehog particles could reduce VOC emissions from paints and coatings University of Michigan researchers have developed a new process that can sprout microscopic spikes on nearly any type of particle and that may lead to more environmentally friendly paints and a variety of other innovations. The “hedgehog particles” are named for their bushy appearance under the microscope. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150129-hedgehog.html CLIMATE CHANGE Most of Hawaii's coral recover from mass bleaching Coral rely on algae for food and their survival. So when the stress of warmer-than-average ocean temperatures prompted many of Hawaii's corals to expel algae last year - a phenomenon called bleaching because coral lose their color when they do this - many were worried they might die. Now the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources says most of the bleached corals have recovered. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CORAL_BLEACHING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/29/us/ap-us-coral-bleaching.html The climate debate is brutal and dysfunctional, but there’s still a way out As we watch the new GOP-controlled Congress clash over the Keystone XL pipeline, it’s rather depressing to realize that this is just the beginning of the pitched, drag-out battles to come over climate change in the next two years. Even bigger than Keystone XL is the coming fight over the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/01/29/the-climate-debate-is-brutal-and-dysfunctional-but-theres-still-a-way-out/ FUELS Senate heads toward approval of Keystone XL pipeline bill The Republican-controlled Senate is moving toward passage of a bipartisan bill approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The move defies a veto threat and sets up the first battle with the White House over energy and the environment. The Senate plans to vote later Thursday. It's the first measure taken up by the Republican-controlled Senate, and one of the first to draw a veto threat from the president. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/29/us/politics/ap-us-congress-keystone.html Shell to slash investment after oil price drop hurts profit In a sign of the impact on the oil sector of the slump in energy prices, Royal Dutch Shell Plc said Thursday it plans to cut spending by $15 billion over the next three years amid a drop in earnings. Shell is the first major energy company to report earnings, so its quarterly update is watched for hints on the performance of the wider industry. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BRITAIN_EARNS_ROYAL_DUTCH_SHELL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Even with low prices, US oil industry pushing for exports Never mind dropping oil prices. U.S. producers are pushing harder than ever for the right to sell U.S. crude oil overseas. It might seem counterintuitive: Oil prices are as low as they have been at any point since 2009 and the height of the Great Recession, and some say they could drop even further. But oil producers are playing a longer game, betting that long-term demand will be strong and new markets offer lucrative rewards for U.S. producers. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OIL_EXPORTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT House passes bill aimed at expediting natural gas exports Continuing its charge on energy, the Republican-controlled House on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at expediting approvals of natural gas exports. In a 277-133 vote, the House approved a bill giving the Energy Department a 30-day deadline to authorize natural gas exports from facilities after they are reviewed and approved. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_NATURAL_GAS_EXPORTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EU Gas Prices Prone to Declines on LNG Supplies, Vattenfall Says European natural gas will probably extend declines as lower prices for the liquefied fuel in Asia, the biggest buying region, mean more cargoes head to Europe, according to Vattenfall AB, the Nordic region’s largest utility. Gas prices in the Netherlands, Europe’s second-biggest traded market… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-29/eu-gas-prices-prone-to-declines-on-lng-supplies-vattenfall-says Phillips 66 Profit From Gasoline Sales Jumps Amid Price Drop Phillips 66, the largest U.S. refiner by market value, said profit from the sale of gasoline and other fuels tripled in the fourth quarter as prices fell to a five-year low. Net income rose to $1.15 billion, or $2.05 a share, from $826 million, or $1.37, a year earlier, the Houston-based company said in a statement Thursday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-29/phillips-66-profit-increases-as-crude-fall-reduces-refining-cost New Report Urges Western Governments to Reconsider Reliance on Biofuels Western governments have made a wrong turn in energy policy by supporting the large-scale conversion of plants into fuel and should reconsider that strategy, according to a new report from a prominent environmental think tank. Turning plant matter into liquid fuel or electricity is so inefficient that the approach is unlikely ever to supply a substantial fraction of global energy demand… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/science/new-report-urges-western-governments-to-reconsider-reliance-on-biofuels.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 As Gasoline Prices Drop, Americans Swing to Favor Oil Exports: Poll Americans are more likely than ever to favor easing a ban on exporting crude oil, so long as it does not lead to higher gasoline prices that have recently sunk to near $2 a gallon, according to a new Reuters-IPSOS poll. In questions posed to more than 2,000 voting-age Americans earlier this month, around 45 percent generally agreed that oil drillers should be allowed to export domestic crude abroad… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/29/business/29reuters-usa-oil-exports.html VEHICLES Diesel and gasoline cars; differences? You bet Fundamentally, there are no real outward differences between a vehicle powered by a gasoline-injected engine and one using diesel fuel. No major differences in the actual cars themselves. In fact, some manufacturers, such as Volkswagen, have similar models of the same vehicle available either fuelled by gasoline – or diesel. Under the hood is another tale entirely. http://www.insidebrockville.com/community-story/5267091-diesel-and-gasoline-cars-differences-you-bet-/ GREEN ENERGY Pattern Energy Acquires Majority Stake in Green Power Investment Pattern Energy Group LP, the closely held developer associated with Pattern Energy Group Inc., bought a majority stake of Tokyo-based Green Power Investment Corp. for an undisclosed sum. The deal will add as much a 1 gigawatt of projects to Pattern’s portfolio and expand the development of wind and solar systems in Japan, San Francisco-based Pattern said Wednesday in a statement. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/pattern-energy-acquires-majority-stake-in-green-power-investment California Needs Cost-Effective Clean Energy Now In the 1970s, the smog in Southern California was so bad we couldn’t even see the nearby. San Gabriel Mountains from downtown. Smog alerts forced school kids indoors, canceled outdoor events and sent people to emergency rooms. In 2015, our air may look cleaner, but we still have much to do to eliminate air pollution. We also now face the added challenge of tackling climate change. http://egpnews.com/2015/01/california-needs-cost-effective-clean-energy-now/ Lawmaker introduces bill to raise state's renewable energy use to 50% A California lawmaker yesterday introduced a bill to raise the state's share of renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030. State Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D) introduced A.B. 197, which would implement Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) inaugural pledge earlier this month to ratchet up the state's renewables target… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012512/print U.S. Wind Power Quadruples in 2014 as Texas Leads Installations Installations of wind turbines in the U.S. more than quadrupled last year led by growth in Texas, as developers took advantage of an expiring federal tax credit, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Developers completed 4,850 megawatts of wind farms, up from 1,087 megawatts that went into service in 2013, the Washington-based trade group said today in a statement. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-28/u-s-wind-power-quadruples-in-2014-as-texas-leads-installations Affluent investors betting on natural gas, solar Distinguishing between electricity generated by fossil fuel and power pushed onto the grid by renewable energy sources is an impossible task. But at least in the eyes of a little more than 1,000 high-net-worth Americans surveyed for a December report by Morgan Stanley, the financial decisions related to energy companies are sharper… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012511/print MISCELLANEOUS Dustup ensues as SLO County air board tries to elect officers A contentious San Luis Obispo County air board struggled Wednesday to decide who would hold the panel’s chairman and vice chairman seats in 2015. In the end, Supervisor Adam Hill is the new chairman, replacing Atascadero City Councilwoman Roberta Fonzi; Morro Bay Councilman Noah Smukler was elected vice chairman by the narrowest of margins. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/01/28/3464861_air-pollution-control-district.html?rh=1 BLOGS Libertarian Group Aims to Influence Immigration, Climate-Change Policies Libertarians are known more for their provocative ideas than their ability to get those ideas enacted into law. A new Washington-based think tank is trying to change that. The Niskanen Center was launched last year with the aim of influencing policy fights, not just authoring headline-grabbing proposals that go nowhere in Congress. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/01/29/libertarian-group-aims-to-influence-immigration-climate-change-policies/ Climate and Renewable Trends for 2015 After the usual spate of stock-taking wrap-up blogs about 2014 it is time to look ahead at what may be in store for us on the renewable energy and climate change front in 2015. Will low oil prices hurt or help renewable energy and climate action? Will the new Congress succeed in rolling back progress and reversing the President's leadership on the Clean Power Plan? http://theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2187581/climate-and-renewable-trends-2015 BMW Diesel Model Sales Unaffected By Lower Gas Prices, Exec Says Gas prices are at their lowest level in years, and that's triggered a flurry of speculation from analysts that sales of hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles will suffer. That in turn has led to a few confident ripostes from car-company executives saying that isn't the case. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096534_bmw-diesel-model-sales-unaffected-by-lower-gas-prices-exec-says California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jan 2015 16:23:19 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 30, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for January 30, 2015. 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 EPA administrator at Vatican ahead of encyclical. The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency met Friday with Vatican officials who helped draft Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on ecology, evidence that the Obama administration is seeking to hitch its climate-change message onto that of the popular pope. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Oregon snowpack at record lows. Oregon's mountain snowpack, vital for farms, fish and ski resorts is in the midst of another miserable year, posting record low depths despite normal precipitation. The reason is persistent warm weather, which is turning into the new normal as the climate heats up. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OR_OREGON_SNOWPACK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT NASA moves Vandenberg satellite launch to Saturday. ASA has again postponed the launch of a satellite on a mission to gather water data that will help forecast weather, track drought and monitor climate change. The second postponement came after inspections revealed problems with the booster insulation of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that had been scheduled to launch about 6:20 a.m. Friday, according to the agency. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-nasa-smap-satellite-launch-20150129-story.html Climate change, vaccination: Scientists, public far apart in concerns, poll shows. The American public and U.S. scientists are light-years apart on science issues. And 98 percent of surveyed scientists say it's a problem that we don't know what they're talking about. Scientists are far less worried about genetically modified food, pesticide use, and nuclear power than is the general public… http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_27419638/climate-change-vaccination-scientists-public-far-apart-concerns Obama’s Climate Plan Could Threaten U.S. Forests. President Obama’s signature environmental initiative, his Clean Power Plan, is designed to fight climate change and crack down on America’s carbon-emitting power plants. But behind the scenes, a dispute is raging over obscure language that could promote the rapid destruction of America’s carbon-storing forests. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/01/obama-climate-plan-threatens-us-forests-114718.html#ixzz3QKYkavTn Can a country slash its CO2 emissions and avoid electricity price spikes at the same time? The goal is ambitious: Can Germany successfully adapt its electricity market to a future where the predominant power is renewable energy? The country is trying to pull together its current plan to get there at a difficult moment, when all across Europe, countries are suffering from market conditions that favor a fuel switch from natural gas to low-cost coal. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/30/stories/1060012563 DROUGHT Scientists see shrinking California snowpack as a harbinger. State workers performed a California winter ritual Thursday, poking hollow aluminum tubes into Sierra Nevada meadows to measure the snowpack. In what scientists see as a harbinger, they didn't find much. "We will conceivably see more years like this in the future," said geologist Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-snowpack-20150130-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Snow-levels-in-the-Sierra-drop-to-among-the-6049548.php http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x1992794447/Survey-Calif-short-on-snow-no-drought-relief-in-sight Gov. Brown sees path to compromise drought legislation. California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) yesterday expressed confidence in congressional drought bill negotiations and said he thought "changes" could be made to the state's water policies. When asked about tensions between lawmakers over California's historic drought, now stretching into a fourth year, Brown said he was confident in President Obama's veto authority to produce a workable bill. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060012592/search?keyword=california FUELS Shell to revive plans to drill in Arctic. Royal Dutch Shell Plc plans to resume drilling in Alaska this year even as it plans to cut spending by $15 billion over the next three years because of the drop in oil prices. Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden said the Western Chukchi Sea had the potential to produce billions of barrels of oil. "We're planning on drilling in Alaska in 2015 subject to getting the permits and legal clearance," van Beurden said on a conference call with reporters. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BRITAIN_EARNS_ROYAL_DUTCH_SHELL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Environmental lawsuit targets oil-by-train terminal near Taft. A coalition of environmental activists filed a lawsuit Thursday that attempts to shut down a new oil-by-rail terminal northeast of Taft. The suit in Kern County Superior Court alleges the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District worked with the terminal's owner… http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/business/kern-gusher/x1992794345/Environmental-lawsuit-targets-oil-by-train-terminal-near-Taft End of the road for gas price decline? Six months of nearly continuous gasoline price drops may be coming to an end as wholesale prices have jumped about 35 cents in the last two weeks. The national average retail price for a gallon of gas is $2.051, up 1.3 cents from a week earlier. But prices may have a bit further to drop in California. The state’s average price on the last Friday of January is $2.436, down 3.3 cents from Jan. 23, the AAA says. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27657 California Waters Spared New Energy Leases. California’s offshore waters will be excluded from any new oil or gas lease sales per a draft of a five-year Oil and Gas Leasing Program announced by the U.S. Department of Interior on Tuesday. The plan, which would significantly open up new drilling in parts of the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, creates a schedule to cover the specifics of lease sales from 2017 to 2022. http://www.independent.com/news/2015/jan/29/state-waters-spared-new-energy-leases/ Pipeline Ruptures Plague Oil and Gas Industry. It’s been a rough start to 2015 for safety concerns at pipelines transporting oil, natural gas or their byproducts throughout the country. This week, a pipe in West Virginia became at least the fifth to rupture so far this year, exacerbating concerns about structural weaknesses and lax oversight in the industry. http://www.chem.info/articles/2015/01/pipeline-ruptures-plague-oil-and-gas-industry Pipeline not state-inspected before 3M-gallon saltwater leak. A pipeline that ruptured in North Dakota spilling 3 million gallons of saltwater produced during oil drill was not inspected by the state before being installed. The North Dakota Industrial Commission, which oversees the state's oil and gas industry, said Wednesday that it's common for officials not to inspect such small gathering pipelines before they become operational. http://www.wral.com/warm-weather-snowmelt-slow-north-dakota-saltwater-cleanup/14399492/ GREEN ENERGY Land commissioner halts huge renewable energy project. New Mexico Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn has put the brakes on a $2 billion transmission project that would carry electricity generated by renewable resources in New Mexico and Arizona to markets across the West. Dunn announced late Wednesday that he was issuing a 60-day suspension after meeting with the developers. That delay will give his office more time to review the project before any further development affects state trust lands, he said. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUNZIA_TRANSMISSION_LINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Why 50 million smart meters still haven’t fixed America’s energy habits. Five years ago came the promise: A great new way of saving money on your energy bills was on its way. An impressive new device called a “smart meter” — a key component of the much touted “smart grid” — would let consumers actually see how much power they’re using in their homes, thus empowering them to change their habits and slash their bills. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/01/29/americans-are-this-close-to-finally-understanding-their-electricity-bills/ California, U.S. energy plan to aid apartment dwellers. The federal government, California and one of the nation's largest foundations are teaming up to expand financing for energy efficiency and solar energy in multifamily housing. Standing amid an array of solar panels on the sun-drenched roof of a 151-unit apartment building in the Tenderloin area… http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27420757/california-u-s-energy-plan-aid-apartment-dwellers What Is Community Solar? It's Coming To California. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. just received regulatory approval to offer its customers an option to buy enough solar energy to account for 100% of their electricity needs. It’s part of a statewide effort to provide clean energy to Californians who aren’t able to own or lease their own rooftop solar panels. http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/01/30/what-is-community-solar-its-coming-to-california/ MISCELLANEOUS Poll shows giant gap between what public, scientists think. The American public and U.S. scientists are light-years apart on science issues. And 98 percent of surveyed scientists say it's a problem that we don't know what they're talking about. Scientists are far less worried about genetically modified food, pesticide use and nuclear power than is the general public… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_SCIENTISTS_VS_PUBLIC?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT BLOGS Big Government versus the Small Operator. The new rules drafted by the California Air Resources Board are designed to clean up the environment — but the expensive retrofit facing one truck driver is tough to swallow. The demands of business versus the demands of the environment: It is a traditional tension, especially in California, the state with the largest economy in the U.S and arguably the country’s biggest pollution problem. http://www.businessfleet.com/blog/auto-focus/story/2015/01/big-government-versus-the-small-operator.aspx?refresh=true The Climate Post: U.S.-India Climate Agreement Less Substantive Than U.S.-China Climate Deal. The U.S.-India climate agreement announced Jan. 25 creates a new agreement between the second- and third-largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world but does not have the strength of the U.S.-China climate deal reached last year. Rather than committing India to cap its emissions, the U.S.-India deal called for "enhancing bilateral climate change cooperation"… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-profeta/the-climate-post-us-india_b_6574758.html U of I at Chicago team to optimize new traffic-powered source of electricity. The Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department of the University of Illinois at Chicago has entered into an agreement with New Energy Innovations, Inc. (NEI), to optimize New Energy Innovations’ TPRES (Traffic Powered Renewable Energy System), a new traffic-powered source of electricity that can be deployed at intersections, municipalities, airport entrances, toll booths… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150130-tpres.html Did The DC Quick-Charging 'Standards War' Just Quietly End For Electric Cars? Last week at the DC Auto Show, BMW, Volkswagen, and ChargePoint jointly announced they would install about 100 DC fast chargers for electric cars. Their goal is to create “Express Charging Corridors,” on both the East and West coasts, by the end of this year. The most intriguing news, however, was that the hardware will--in most cases--offer fast charging for electric cars using two different standards: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096556_did-the-dc-quick-charging-standards-war-just-quietly-end-for-electric-cars UK Official Says Encouraging Diesel Cars To Lower Carbon Was 'Wrong' For at least 20 years, diesel cars have been much more popular in Europe than in the United States. Because diesel combustion is more efficient than gasoline combustion, the engines help drivers save money on fuel--and produce lower emissions of greenhouse gases. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096554_uk-official-says-encouraging-diesel-cars-to-lower-carbon-was-wrong US Energy Department provides US$45 million funding for solar manufacturing technologies. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz: “As the price of solar continues to drop, the Energy Department is committed to supporting a robust domestic solar manufacturing sector that will help American business meet growing demand and help American families and businesses save money by making solar a cheaper and more accessible source of clean electricity.” http://www.pv-tech.org/news/us_energy_department_provides_us45_million_funding_for_solar_manufacturing California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 15:42:34 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 2, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Just how much is Asia's ozone to blame for bad air in the U.S.? High above the Big Sur coast, Ian Faloona is finding pollution on the edge of the continent, a place that should have some of the country's cleanest air. From an astronomical observatory on Chews Ridge in the Santa Lucia Mountains, the UC Davis atmospheric scientist has for the last three years measured ozone, the lung-damaging gas in smog, as it arrives to California. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-pacific-smog-20150201-story.html#page=1 Study raises concerns about toxic oil and gas emissions in California air. The infrared video showed an eerie scene: waves of volatile chemicals floating from the vent pipes of an oil-and-gas processing plant in the Lost Hills region of Kern County, Calif. The gas wafting into the air looked like heat shimmering off asphalt on a hot summer's day. The fumes are invisible to the naked eye… http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article8931848.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE Most Republicans Say They Back Climate Action, Poll Finds. An overwhelming majority of the American public, including half of Republicans, support government action to curb global warming, according to a poll conducted by The New York Times, Stanford University and the nonpartisan environmental research group Resources for the Future. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/31/us/politics/most-americans-support-government-action-on-climate-change-poll-finds.html?emc=edit_na_20150130&nlid=52484965&_r=0 Global Warming: What Should Be Done? The New York Times, Stanford University and Resources for the Future have conducted a nationwide survey about global warming. The poll asked people for their views on whether global warming will be beneficial or detrimental, about how the president and Congress have responded to it, and what they believe government should do about it. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/01/29/us/global-warming-poll.html?_r=0 Climate change, melting glaciers make Iceland spring upward like a trampoline. Sea levels aren’t the only things rising due to climate change — swaths of land are too, including the nation of Iceland. That’s according to a new study published by a team of geologists from the University of Arizona. According to their research, the melting of Iceland’s glaciers has reduced pressure on the ground beneath them, causing the land to “rebound” from the Earth’s crust. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/02/climate-change-melting-glaciers-make-iceland-spring-upward-like-a-trampoline/ http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5298019-climate-change-melting-glaciers-make-iceland-spring-up-like-a-trampoline/ Obama Proposes $4 Billion Bonus for States Beating Climate Goals. The Obama administration is proposing spending $4 billion to reward states that exceed cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions, and wants Congress to back steeper royalty rates for oil-and-gas drilling on public land. In a mix of measures likely to be greeted skeptically by the Republican majority in Congress, President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget calls for continued tax breaks for wind and solar energy… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-02/obama-proposes-4-billion-bonus-for-states-beating-climate-goals http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060012701/print Random Fluctuations May Have Slowed Down Rate of Global Warming. Sceptics who still doubt anthropogenic climate change have now been stripped of one of their last-ditch arguments: It is true that there has been a warming hiatus and that the surface of the earth has warmed up much less rapidly since the turn of the millennium than all the relevant climate models had predicted. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=21385 Canada's premiers agree to coordinate climate plan as oil price drop roils politics. Climate and energy infrastructure got top billing during the annual winter meeting of Canadian premiers in Ottawa, Ontario, last week, as the provincial leadership prepared to roll out a national energy strategy that they said would both feed the economy and address the country's carbon emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012672/print World cities feel the heat. Cities all around the world experienced increasing numbers of heat waves in the last 40 years, according to a new study from U.S. and Indian universities. Since the 1970s, cities have had fewer cold spells and windy days while dealing with a rise in extremely hot days and nights. Researchers focused on 217 of the world's urban areas with populations over 250,000. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060012644/print Southern states most challenged by EPA Clean Power Plan – Fitch. Public power and cooperative utilities in states with high electricity costs and a large percentage of generation from coal-fired power plants will be most challenged to preserve financial margins as they comply with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, according to a new index created by Fitch Ratings. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060012675/print DROUGHT San Francisco gets no rain in January for first time in 165 years. In another sign California's persistent drought, downtown San Francisco recorded no measurable rain in January for the first time in 165 years. The National Weather Service also said Santa Cruz recorded no rain in January for the first time since 1893. Normal rainfall for that city in January is more than 6 inches. For the Bay Area as a whole, last month was the driest January on record, the weather service said. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-francisco-no-rain-january-california-drought-20150201-story.html FUELS EPA's methane crackdown to come slow and easy. The Obama administration on Jan. 14 announced its long-awaited plan to control the oil and gas industry's emissions of methane, saying it would in the next decade cut in half leaks of the potent global-warming pollutant. The White House called its approach a crucial step to achieving the greenhouse-gas emissions targets… http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article8895686.html#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY New effort launched to connect US businesses with clean energy. Companies struggling to meet their renewable energy goals can now get help from a venture that aims to link up the biggest businesses in the United States with clean power. Nearly two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies have commitments to shift to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar… http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/02/02/energy-corporations-renewables-idINL1N0VC05920150202 Developers, local lawmaker look to 50% clean energy goal. Long a leader in renewable energy, California is gearing up for the next big step in its clean power transformation. In the weeks since Gov. Jerry Brown called for California to get 50 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, policymakers have been discussing a "clean energy standard" that would replace the state's current Renewables Portfolio Standard. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/02/02/developers-local-lawmaker-look-clean-energy-goal/22750773/ Wall Street prepared for bad news from the energy companies, but so far it's been worse than expected. Stock prices in the U.S. energy sector have been under pressure in 2015, and there could be more bad news to come when several key players report their fourth-quarter results next week. The group has been falling alongside crude oil prices, which are down about 60 percent since June. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-energy-may-see-further-weakness-as-key-names-report-2015-1#ixzz3QcPjOt92 MISCELLANEOUS State's toxic releases post 50% gain, EPA says. The amount of toxic chemicals released in California jumped 50% in 2013 over the year before because of a surge in disposal by the state's largest polluter, a hazardous-waste landfill in Kern County, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Clean Harbors Inc.'s Buttonwillow landfill reported disposing of more than 11 million pounds of copper and related compounds in 2013, a more than sixfold increase over the previous year. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-toxic-releases-20150131-story.html OPINIONS The Alarming Thing About Climate Alarmism. It is an indisputable fact that carbon emissions are rising—and faster than most scientists predicted. But many climate-change alarmists seem to claim that all climate change is worse than expected. This ignores that much of the data are actually encouraging. The latest study from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that in the previous 15 years temperatures had risen 0.09 degrees Fahrenheit. http://www.wsj.com/articles/bjorn-lomborg-the-alarming-thing-about-climate-alarmism-1422832462?mod=trending_now_4 California should stay on track with standard on cleaner fuels. Legal challenges, political battles and scare tactics have not derailed California’s low-carbon fuel standard. As the state Air Resources Board gets ready to re-adopt the standard, we have one simple message: Keep going. California’s commitment to developing cleaner fuels is paying dividends for companies, the state and the nation. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article8839505.html#storylink=cpy Changing Attitudes on a Changing Climate. Polls show voters are more concerned about climate change, but will it matter? The public – even the Republican public – is getting more worried about climate change, but its growing concern may not be enough to prod Congress to act. Americans swing like a pendulum when it comes to climate change. Between 2000 and 2007, about 60 percent of Americans believed that it was caused by people, according to Gallup’s polling. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2015/02/02/polls-show-global-warming-shift-but-will-it-matter EPA should strengthen the standards for clean air. Before my life as a nurse, my view of illness was likely similar to many others. Disease was either hereditary or just bad luck. It was not until I started my nursing program that I saw the effect our environment has on our health. This connection is why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to reduce harmful smog pollution nationwide. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article8589908.html#storylink=cpy Not a snow drop’s chance in hell that global warming is a myth. THE verdict on global warming in 2014 is in. The Japanese, US and UK public institutions that keep a continuous watch on global surface temperatures have now reported their findings. The Japan Meteorological Agency was first off the mark, reporting its finding in the first week of January. http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/not-a-snow-drops-chance-in-hell-that-global-warming-is-a-myth/story-fnj4f64i-1227205245222 In 2015, Companies Address Climate Change through Corporate Sustainability. Eco-sustainability will matter more than ever in 2015; this is the year the US’s leading companies must prove they are finally addressing climate change through corporate sustainability, thanks to two presidents and the Pope. Remember the green marketing wave of 2007? http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/02/02/in-2015-companies-address-climate-change-through-corporate-sustainability/#ixzz3QcL16E00 BLOGS The Defeat of Climate Denial. Over the past weekend, a poll was released indicating that Americans have conclusively rejected climate denial and understand the reality of climate change. According to New York Times reporters Coral Davenport and Marjorie Connelly: An overwhelming majority of the American public, including half of Republicans, support government action to curb global warming, according to a poll conducted by The New York Times… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/the-defeat-of-climate-den_b_6593832.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 13:40:45 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 3, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 3, 2015. 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 EPA's big meeting on ozone, why Sacramento? Fresno is heart of nation's ozone problem ...a meeting in Sacramento to hear from Californians about a proposed tighter ozone standard. Why not have the meeting in Fresno? The San Joaquin Valley... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/02/4360584/for-epas-big-meeting-on-ozone.html#storylink=rss CHINA: 90% of cities failed to meet smog standards in 2014 ...Chinese cities monitored by the Ministry of Environmental Protection met national air pollution standards in 2014, according to officials today. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20327230077&p=19f&v=1&x=wGG_hMbuwcliz_W2kgxTOA Mercury levels rising in Pacific yellow fin tuna, study says ...in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, add to evidence that air pollution, particularly from burning coal, is pumping mercury... http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-mercury-pacific-tuna-20150202-story.html Spare the Air alert called for Tuesday in the Bay Area ...called for Tuesday in the Bay Area, triggering a ban on burning wood fires. Air quality officials also asked the public to voluntarily refrain... http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27444860/spare-air-alert-called-tuesday-bay-area Highway 85 express lane proposal divides Silicon Valley drivers ...price, solo drivers could join the carpoolers, bus passengers, motorcyclists and clean-air-car owners who could use the express lanes for free. ... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150202/highway-85-express-lane-proposal-divides-silicon-valley-drivers East valley students lobby for tougher smog standard. More than 100 students from Desert Mirage High School trekked to Sacramento on Monday to lobby for higher air-quality standards, which they say could lower asthma rates in the heavily polluted eastern Coachella Valley. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/02/02/east-valley-students-lobby-tougher-smog-standard/22776217/ EPA urged to tighten ozone standards It is time to strengthen the nation's smog limits to improve the health of millions of people who suffer the... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0203-ozone-hearing-20150203-story.html Most major Chinese cities seen failing on air quality The air quality in 66 of China's 74 major cities, including the capital... http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/health-fitness/article8973173.html More Areas In California Would Likely Exceed Smog Standards Under Proposal. Protestors called for cleaner air at a rally outside CAL-EPA’s headquarters. Inside, the US-EPA held a day-long hearing on strengthening the limits on ozone pollution from the current 75 parts per billion to between 65 and 70 parts per billion. http://www.capradio.org/41512 CLIMATE CHANGE The Mind-Boggling Statistics Around Wasted Natural Gas ...homes. But let's not just pick on oil. Manure management generates 9% of methane emissions in the U.S. while landfills account for another 18%.... http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkanellos/2015/01/29/the-mind-boggling-statistics-around-wasted-natural-gas/ Tree simple tricks for making our cities cooler ...about 113 degrees F — and the mercury is projected to keep rising, thanks to climate change. But now the city has a plan to beat back the heat:... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20327454241&p=19f&v=1&x=dKLDQwG44qkVitUdpEqdsw EPA Budget Proposal Includes Funding Boost, Marginal Increase in Staffing Levels ...percent increase from FY 2015. Most of the new FTEs would support regional air programs, including the processing of state implementation plans. The... http://www.bna.com/epa-budget-proposal-n17179922715/ In budget, EPA looks to states to cut carbon emissions ...fund to reward states that make significant progress in reducing their carbon pollution. The measure, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency... http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article8954810.html Gas Prices on the Rise, but No Need for Alarm The end of $2 gasoline has probably arrived, analysts say, but average prices are still... http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/02/02/gas-prices-on-the-rise-but-no-need-for-alarm PPL Montana shutting down coal-fired power plant ...breath, but the J.E. Corette coal-fired power plant, for 40 years Billings' worst air polluter, could be weeks away from its last gasp. In 73 days, the... http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/PPL-Montana-shutting-down-coal-fired-power-plant-6056637.php Climate change may bring stronger storms, less frequently – study. Prepare for large, severe storms like last week's blizzard that slammed New... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20324565004&p=19f&v=1&x=J7CH4iCOMrZ7Zc3R2lYvvQ Forest Service climate change adviser steps down ...Cleaves, a two-decade veteran of the U.S. Forest Service and the agency's top climate change adviser, retired from his post Friday. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20324564882&p=19f&v=1&x=a3R_UtvhiHPXR3EHxB5pZQ Researchers' data show climate change is accelerating the melting of Siberia. Siberia, one of the world's largest storehouses of frozen greenhouse gases, is melting at a quickened pace. Over the last 7,000... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20334017942&p=19f&v=1&x=6PPk66lEB7TPtQl3GSCA1A Obama's budget would reward states for going beyond U.S. EPA mandates ...states that don't turn in their own policies to lower their power sectors' greenhouse gas emissions ( ClimateWire , Jan. 8). http://news.vocus.com/?a=20334018477&p=19f&v=1&x=Ceib4S17KkRZnvjnVZIpbw How climate change will disrupt the Gopher State The price of adapting to a rapidly changing climate is high for residents of Minnesota. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20334018382&p=19f&v=1&x=2K5_9lb0V4dX2PpCkd1V_g Climate change lifts Iceland, increases chances for volcanic eruptions. As melting ice caps cause the Earth's crust in Iceland to rise, new research... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20334018446&p=19f&v=1&x=Nb9EUYOcsrRsOLZJE4Tqsw Climate change is making Iceland spring up like a trampoline . Sea levels aren't the only things rising due to climate change – swaths of land are too, including the nation of... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/02/4360180/climate-change-is-making-iceland.html#storylink=rss Want to Build with Federal Funds? New Order Requires Planning for Future Flood Risk ...property damages totaling approximately $50 billion. The post also links climate change to a projected increase in U.S. flood frequency and... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150203/want-build-federal-funds-new-order-requires-planning-future-flood-risk World's oceans steadily heating up, new study finds ...seen in past research. The team cited growing concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases as the likely cause. This new research also adds... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20323379451&p=19f&v=1&x=Zhqv8yqOS2Vg8941GXHIdA Study links decreasing range of California pikas to climate change Climate change threatens the heat-sensitive pika, a tiny rabbit-like... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/20150202/NEWS/150209959 Clean energy needed ...of climate scientists agree that human activity is the significant cause of global warming. CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels, such as... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/02/02/3471314/clean-energy-needed.html Change is evident ...the oil industry, I meet people on the whole spectrum of ideas/opinions about climate change. I?ve realized it doesn?t matter whether you agree... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/02/03/3472715/change-is-evident.html#storylink=rss Keystone Lobbying Said to Demonstrate Project's Symbolic Role in Energy Debate ...symbolically important to the United States' approach to energy policy and climate change, according to those watching the debate. “People have... http://www.bna.com/keystone-lobbying-demonstrate-n17179922652/ Changing Attitudes on a Changing Climate Polls show voters are more concerned about climate change, but will it matter? By David Brodwin Feb. 2, 2015... http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2015/02/02/polls-show-global-warming-shift-but-will-it-matter Obama Budget a Gas for Environmental Advocates ...fund. The priorities fall in line withObama's second-term focus on cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, addressing climate change and... http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/02/02/obama-budget-spends-big-on-climate-clean-energy Analysis: Obama challenges GOP again, this time with budget ...embedded in the administration's tax-and-spending plan, including steps to fight climate change that they have ridiculed and the continued existence... http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Analysis-Obama-challenges-GOP-again-this-time-6057057.php Obama, antagonizing lawmakers, makes an economic case for climate action. President Obama warned of economic dangers from climate change in a $4 trillion budget proposal released yesterday that seeks to reduce the nation's exposure to climbing disaster losses by ramping up spending on infrastructure, carbon reductions and clean energy. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060012754 National Flood Standard Established: Facts, Guides and News. President Obama has signed an executive order establishing a federal flood risk management standard. It reads in part: Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to improve the resilience of communities and Federal assets against the impacts of flooding. These impacts are anticipated to increase over time due to the effects of climate change and other threats. Losses caused by flooding affect the environment, our economic prosperity, and public health and safety, each of which affects our national security. http://www.centerforsealevelrise.org/recent-news/national-flood-standard-established-facts-guides-and-news/ The countries most vulnerable to climate change, in 3 maps. What is the best place to weather climate change? Research by the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, or ND-GAIN, suggests it is Scandinavia. In a pinch, though, any developed country will do. As these maps by ND-GAIN illustrate, developed countries are far less vulnerable than developing countries to the risks of climate change. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/03/the-countries-most-vulnerable-to-climate-change-in-3-maps/ DROUGHT Driest January On Record ...the National Weather Service office in Sacramento. Mead points out Northern California has received virtually no rain since mid-December, and even... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/02/driest-january-on-record/ After S.F.'s disturbing rain-free January, storm heads to N. California ...month for the first time in 165 years, rainfall figures released Monday show California is at 85% of normal for this time of year. But a storm heading... http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-rain-dry-january-20150202-story.html Southern California could face above-normal rainfall in next 3 months After one of the driest Januarys ever in California, there may be a glimmer of hope for the parched state: There's... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-rains-drought-20150203-story.html California rainfall ...stations in the Northern Sierra where precipitation is measured to end the drought. A couple walk at El Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach on Jan.... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-2418608-me-0128-weather-2-gmk-jpg-20150202-photo.html?track=rss Big storm to hit Bay Area on Thursday ...appears to be a strong "Pineapple Express" storm that is expected to hit Northern California starting Thursday evening, bringing steady rain through the... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20328765571&p=19f&v=1&x=IJDx_R5D6E8jTrNEZN14ng Water agencies report use as California drought continues ...monthly water-use report card Tuesday, while a conservation push continues as California enters into the fourth year of a drought. More than 400... http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article8980424.html California drought: Big storm on the way for Northern California ...appears to be a strong "Pineapple Express" storm that is expected to hit Northern California starting Thursday evening, bringing steady rain through the... http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27444995/california-drought-big-storm-way-northern-california Coyotes among us ...led many of them to have less fear. Complicating matters even more is the drought. Coyotes that have maintained their distance in the past are being... http://www.times-standard.com/lifestyle/20150202/coyotes-among-us Tri-Valley residents hit water-conservation goals ...percent compliance" (in meeting a household limit of 4480 gallons per week). The drought isn't over, she said, but the savings leave the area better prepared... http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_27431391/tri-valley-residents-hit-water-conservation-goals FUELS Could Obama's Budget Increase The Price Of Gasoline? ...price of oil is below $50 per barrel and AAA's national average for a gallon of gasoline is $2.05. If gasoline prices continue to remain low, the... http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisprandoni/2015/02/02/could-obamas-budget-increase-the-price-of-gasoline/ Refinery strike pushes up wholesale gasoline prices Gasoline traders reacted quickly to the first nationwide oil refinery walkout... http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-refinery-strike-20150203-story.html Consumer spending slips in December as auto sales weaken ...spending fell 0.3% in December, compared with a 0.5% increase in November. Cheaper gasoline and fewer auto sales accounted for most of the decline. Energy... http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-consumer-spending-20150202-story.html Experts say weeks-long slide in gas prices likely coming to an end ...consumer-pleasing slide is likely coming to an end. The region's average retail price of gasoline fell just 1.3 cents over the past week to $2.33 a gallon, according... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article8944895.html Federal govt seeks national conversation on transportation ...edge of bankruptcy since 2008. Revenue from the federal 18.4 cents-a-gallon gasoline and 24.4 cents-a-gallon diesel taxes are running more than $15... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article8954051.html Tesoro refinery among nine plants where strikes planned: ...a walkout by 3,800 union workers at nine refineries around the country. Gasoline prices were rising in the East Bay and California overall even... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/20150202/martinez-tesoro-refinery-among-nine-plants-where-strikes-planned/1 Clean-fuel controversy: Oregon Democrats push bill; GOP tries to hit brakes. Democrats opened the 78th General Assembly on Monday by teeing up a controversial bill to extend Oregon's low-carbon fuel standard, flaunting the strength of their expanded majority in the Legislature. In a packed hearing of the Senate environment committee, lawmakers and industry experts squared off in a heated debate over whether the program would reduce the state's carbon footprint without pushing gas prices past the reach of low-income Oregonians. http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/02/oregon_democrats_push_low-carb.html Long, downward slide in gas prices is ending, experts say. Energy experts on Monday had a sobering message for motorists who have been enjoying extraordinarily low gas prices throughout the fall and early winter: The party’s over. “The four-month slide in gasoline prices has indeed come to a halt,” said Gregg Laskoski, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, the national gas price tracker that does a daily survey of more than 700 gas outlets in the region, as well as nationwide. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article8969480.html#storylink=cpy Pump Primed for Three-Fold Growth in Clean, Alternative Fuels by 2025. California is capable of tripling its use of alternative fuels over the next 10 years, according to a new report by the fuels and energy consulting firm Promotum. The study examined the growth potential for cleaner fuels under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a program requiring the oil industry to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels through the production and use of cleaner fuels. https://wiredindustry.wordpress.com/tag/california-air-resources-board/ BLOGS Solving climate change will be difficult but worth it ...obviously do not believe that. They're just quoting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which says, in line with the bulk of the literature,... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20332766587&p=19f&v=1&x=cCo0o3SeUOZVgL-FrcmaRA Anti-Clean Air Rally in Utah? ...year to challenge the government to do more to clean up the infamously dirty air -- not just in Salt Lake City, but all of Utah. My wife and I had... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacy-bare/anticlean-air-rally-in-ut_b_6586258.html?utm_hp_ref=green Wood Stove Smoke Is Killing Us ...phased in over five years. But these improvements will do little to clean the air, because the rules won't require people to get rid of their old stoves.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathy-shufro/wood-stove-smoke-is-killi_b_6587462.html?utm_hp_ref=green The Defeat of Climate Denial ...Americans have conclusively rejected climate denial and understand the reality of climate change. According to New York Times reporters Coral Davenport... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/the-defeat-of-climate-den_b_6593832.html The DC Disconnect on Climate Change Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Nobel prize-winning international scientific... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-silver/the-dc-disconnect_b_6572204.html?utm_hp_ref=green >From Climate Oppression to 21st-Century Leadership: What Will the New Black Economy Look Like? ...Katrina super storm was influenced by human impact on weather patterns -- "global warming" is not just higher temperatures but erratic extremes... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-copeland/from-climate-oppression-t_b_6594692.html?ir=Impact&utm_hp_ref=impact Obama's Budget Calls for Billions in Climate Funding In yet another sign President Barack Obama is making climate change a big theme of his final two years in office, the... http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/02/obama-budget-billions-green-climate-fund Central Valley Aquifers Tainted by Oil Companies ...Science | February 3, 2015 As stream beds run dry and reservoirs shrink under California's historic drought, the state's water reserves face another... http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/02/03/central-valley-aquifers-tainted-by-oil-companies/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 13:10:27 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 4, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 4, 2015. 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 Oil lobby leads list of top spenders in 2014. California's oil and gas industry kept its long-running title as the biggest employer of lobbyists in California last year, according to numbers released this week by the California Secretary of State. The top spender for 2014 was the Western States Petroleum Association. It spent $8.9 million on lobbying last year, almost double what the organization spent the prior year. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/02/03/oil-lobby-leads-list-of-top-spenders-at-the.html?page=all Oil industry doubled spending on lobbying in California last year The oil industry nearly doubled its spending on lobbying in California last year, as the Jan. 1, 2015 date approached for gasoline to be included in the state’s cap-and-trade program. The Western States Petroleum Association poured nearly $8.9 million into lobbying California government in 2014, according to new filings with the Secretary of State. That compares with almost $4.7 million the group spent on the effort in 2013. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article9261986.html#storylink=cpy Cap and trade repealed: Tomblin approves energy act repeal. West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill deleting a state energy portfolio Tuesday, the first proposal to hit his desk from the newly minted Republican Legislature. The Democratic governor approved the repeal of the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard after lawmakers overwhelmingly voted for it. Previously, Tomblin said the law wouldn’t make a big difference, one way or another. http://www.bdtonline.com/news/cap-and-trade-repealed-tomblin-approves-energy-act-repeal/article_32b52ac6-ac26-11e4-9faf-8fb7ad7f5dc4.html AIR POLLUTION Clean Air Act overhaul likely to come up next year: -- Whitfield ...subcommittee said yesterday that it will likely take up legislation to overhaul the Clean Air Act next year. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20344615143&p=19f&v=1&x=_FungzUXOdFT1ELOWhDbdw EPA proposal adds 25 staffers to review backlogged state plans ...the administration's eagerness to clear backlogged state plans for meeting Clean Air Act standards. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20337066836&p=19f&v=1&x=gIP9x9CxsBlJtfEjbNhUtA White House completes review of standards for home wood stoves The White House yesterday wrapped up a review of U.S. EPA's final standards... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20337066993&p=19f&v=1&x=EdV4laSQAUU_pj1wNq-Bfw IID pays Imperial County $750,000 under QSA settlement agreement ...closed session was reported out on Tuesday. The county and the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District will now dismiss their pending appeal... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20341924900&p=19f&v=1&x=QHEidHV8UYCN9KxaDXWw4Q Burn ban in effect for Los Angeles area, Inland Empire Wednesday ...ANGELES - A residential no-burn alert will be in effect today in the South Coast Air Basin -- which includes the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150204/burn-ban-in-effect-for-los-angeles-area-inland-empire-wednesday Energizer debuts recycled AA and AAA batteries ...decreases the need to mine new materials, and mining is a big contributor to greenhouse gas, which contributes to climate change,"... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article9010307.html Benicia will update crude-by-rail project's environmental report ...states that the controversial project would have "significant and unavoidable" air-quality impacts within the Sacramento basin because of emissions... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150204/benicia-will-update-crude-by-rail-projects-environmental-report Wisconsin Democrats, Republicans spar over carbon limits ...opposition, arguing during a legislative hearing that the standards would help curb global warming, alleviate health problems and create jobs. Republicans... http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Industry-reps-regulators-to-debate-Obama-carbon-6045598.php Solving climate change will be difficult but worth it ...obviously do not believe that. They're just quoting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which says, in line with the bulk of the literature,... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20332766587&p=19f&v=1&x=cCo0o3SeUOZVgL-FrcmaRA It's time for California to end risky fracking ...happening was minimal. Second, we know that more oil and gas fracking means more pollution. That means more of the air pollution that has already... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article9151343.html Carmel considers beach fire changes ...fires permitted. The impetus of the plan is to reduce environmental impacts on air quality and degradation of the sand. The Forest and Beach Commission... http://www.mercurynews.com/central-coast/ci_27448994/carmel-considers-beach-fire-changes PSUSD flips switch on solar arrays ...Bunch Palms Elementary School with a $3 million grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, along with solar-covered parking... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/education/2015/02/03/psusd-starts-solar-arrays/22825963/ Air quality monitored at San Ysidro. On a rooftop overlooking the nation’s busiest border crossing, environmental authorities are making their first effort at measuring the effect of some 50,000 daily vehicle crossings on the region’s air quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District on Tuesday unveiled a monitor at the San Ysidro Port of Entry that offers real-time readings of the level of fine particulate matter that can enter the lungs and pose a hazard to human health. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/feb/03/air-quality-monitoring-san-ysidro/ CLIMATE CHANGE How a Warming Climate Impacts Public Health. It may seem counterintuitive to make a connection between a warming planet and the huge snowfall totals that hit Buffalo, N.Y., in November, but these dramatic storms are happening at least in part because the world is warmer, scientists say. “There is an influx of Arctic air into Buffalo because the Arctic is warm,” said John Balbus, senior adviser for public health at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. http://www.emergencymgmt.com/health/How-Warming-Climate-Impact-Public-Health.html Farming Now Worse For Climate Than Deforestation ...of humanity's few gains in its otherwise lackadaisical battle so far against global warming. A gradual slowdown in chainsawing and bulldozing,... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/farming-now-worse-for-climate-than-deforestation-18629 EPA asks State to reconsider pipeline's climate impacts ...is urging the State Department to "revisit" its assessment of the potential global warming impacts of TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL oil pipeline... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20337066749&p=19f&v=1&x=tGnoom6YehmUBJqMcWgnNg India 'Walking the Talk' on Climate Change, Says Environment Minister India's government on Tuesday defended its efforts to combat climate change after U.S. President Barack Obama urged the country... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/20150203/india-walking-talk-climate-change-says-environment-minister Vaccine controversy latest collision of politics and science ...among Republicans. A starker example of the partisan divide over science is global warming. A spring 2014 poll by Yale University found nearly... http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-republicans-vaccine-analysis-20150203-story.html?track=rss EPA: Keystone XL's climate impacts need to be revisited ...to "revisit" how much of a toll the Keystone XL oil pipeline would have on global warming. The EPA suggests that lower oil prices could make... http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/House-to-vote-next-week-on-Keystone-pipeline-6058894.php EPA: Cheap oil raises Keystone’s climate impact The EPA gave President Barack Obama a road map for rejecting the Keystone XL on Tuesday, warning that the pipeline could drive up production from Canada’s oil sands and worsen climate change. Obama, who is set to veto a bill that would take the decision over the Canada-to-Texas oil link away from the White House, has not indicated whether he’ll ultimately give a green light to the project after six years of study. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/epa-keystone-xl-climate-impact-114879.html#ixzz3Qnyc94gb Study links decreasing range of California pikas to climate change By Samantha Clark, Santa Cruz Sentinel Climate change threatens the heat-sensitive pika, a tiny rabbit-like... http://www.mercurynews.com/pets-animals/ci_27449769/study-links-decreasing-range-california-pikas-climate-change Norway to cut climate pollution by 40 percent by 2030 STOCKHOLM (AP) — Norway says it will cut its emissions of global warming gases by 40 percent by 2030, aligning itself with... http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27456236/norway-cut-climate-pollution-by-40-percent-by Atmospheric river poised to soak Sacramento ...across the Pacific, an atmospheric river poised to drench a parched Northern California and the Sacramento region as early as Thursday night. A crack... http://www.sacbee.com/news/weather/article9180716.html EPA gives Obama new reason to reject Keystone pipeline: low oil prices ...says. And if the oil is never extracted, an EPA report notes, a large amount of greenhouse gases will never be released. The shift in thinking,... http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-epa-keystone-pipeline-oil-prices-20150203-story.html Wind Industry, Riding Tax-Credit Rollcoaster, Reports Year of Growth ...it's still well below the expansion rates of just a few years ago. U.S. wind energy installations grew more than four-fold in 2014, according... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150203/wind-industry-riding-tax-credit-rollcoaster-reports-year-growth California Creates Most Clean Tech Jobs Paying Investors Energy California's bet on green energy is paying off, with clean technology companies creating... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20336937983&p=19f&v=1&x=Ti_j630IZ6ekdmxL7E88kg Green energy creating more jobs, investments in California California's bet on green energy is paying off, with clean technology companies creating... http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27450581/california-creates-most-clean-tech-jobs-paying-investors DROUGHT Cooler temps, rainfall help state cut water use 22% in December, but that rate of conservation may not last Show caption A wetter, cooler December helped California to cut water use 22% over the same month a year earlier. But... http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/03/49635/cooler-temps-rainfall-help-state-cut-water-use-22/ Satellite images show a greener California but a shrinking snowpack Recent satellite images revealed a much greener California following a series of December storms that brought much-needed... http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-greener-california-shrinking-snowpack-20150203-story.html ENVIRONMENT: State shows biggest water conservation gains so far Southern California finally meets 20 percent cutback goal after December rains.... http://www.pe.com/articles/water-759535-state-percent.html Californians use 22 percent less water, but more cuts loom ...water consumption, but more restrictions loom as the state adapts to long-term drought conditions. California is by no means out of trouble,... http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Water-agencies-report-use-as-California-drought-6058178.php Californians achieve big water cuts — with a caveat ...can be credited to continuing efforts to conserve amid the state's crippling drought. The State Water Resources Control Board, which has been tracking... http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Californians-achieve-big-water-cuts-with-a-6060152.php California Drought: Wet December drives Californians to cut water use 22 percent from prior year ...Resources Control Board required the 411 largest cities and water districts in California to issue monthly water use reports, residents of the Los Angeles... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20337500865&p=19f&v=1&x=JD6a6L-NC3PJCumg1U49Jw Water Agencies Report Water Use As California Drought Continues ...using and urging conservation as the state heads into the fourth year of a drought. The State Water Resources Control Board releases its monthly report... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/03/water-agencies-report-water-use-as-california-drought-continues/ FUELS Senate Dems shrug off GOP protests, press for low-carbon fuel standard Democrats in the Oregon state Senate kicked off arguments over a low-carbon fuel standard yesterday, ignoring protests... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20337066931&p=19f&v=1&x=_lE2SebRL6KX0DVl7Z7b8w Oil surges again on signs companies slow production ...period of low oil prices. In other futures trading in New York: — Wholesale gasoline rose 5.67 cents to $1.601 a gallon — Heating oil jumped 8.9 cents... http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingbusiness/ci_27450542/oil-surges-again-signs-companies-slow-production Electric Car Sales Jump In Europe, But Likely To Stall Soon ...early adopters and buyers in Norway, but may well have peaked for a while as gasoline prices fall and ordinary consumers shun them. This doesn't... http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2015/02/03/electric-car-sales-spurt-in-europe-but-likely-to-stall-soon/ GREEN ENERGY California Has Largest Advanced Energy Industry In U.S. California is home to the largest advanced energy industry in the country, according to the first-ever industry-wide survey released by the Advanced Energy Economy Institute. Advanced energy jobs grew 5 percent in the past year—more than double the overall state job growth rate—and is on track to grow 17 percent in the coming year, to more than 500,000 workers, based on employer hiring plans. http://businessfacilities.com/2015/02/california-has-largest-advanced-energy-industry-in-u-s/ RENEWABLE ENERGY: Startup aims to help businesses meet green targets ...nearly two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies committed to using certain levels of renewable energy. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20337066940&p=19f&v=1&x=CU5hxRDlZakYSp_Lm7LV4w CLEAN TECH: Green energy focus pays off for Golden State investors California investors and employees are profiting from the state's emphasis on green energy, with clean technology companies creating more jobs... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20337066970&p=19f&v=1&x=mkwzML0E4LfShLOZ1vKb-A 6 charts that show renewable energy is getting cheaper Things are changing very quickly in the world of renewable energy. The conventional wisdom — that renewables are expensive,... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20338656960&p=19f&v=1&x=OVR9rT4s31ftXqdqbbNGAw Canadian Solar Eyes Power Plant Business with California Acquisition ...business with the $265-million (U.S.) all-cash acquisition of a California solar energy developer. http://insideclimatenews.org/content/canadian-solar-eyes-power-plant-business-california-acquisition Burbank's WET made the Bellagio Fountains and other water artworks you love ...is something other-worldly.) Fuller says recent projects have included a solar power component that uses gray or undrinkable water and cleans... http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2015/02/03/41314/burbank-s-wet-made-the-bellagio-fountains-and-othe/ Efrain Rojas: Solar is saving money for people today ...Fortune 250 companies like NRG putting a stake in our central valley communities. Solar energy isn't the technology of tomorrow. It is cost effective... http://www.modbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article9124691.html Plug-In Electric Car Sales Continue Rise In 2014, To 118,500 ...It's the third annual increase in full-year sales in the U.S. since modern electric cars first went on sale in December 2010; the 2013 total... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20333544014&p=19f&v=1&x=bI1yIxEWBC0pXQQmCpNjag BLOGS Wood Stove Smoke Is Killing Us ...phased in over five years. But these improvements will do little to clean the air, because the rules won't require people to get rid of their old stoves.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathy-shufro/wood-stove-smoke-is-killi_b_6587462.html?utm_hp_ref=green Near Zero Solutions: A New Climate and Energy News Round-Up This is the first installment of Near Zero Solutions, a round-up of climate and energy news, focusing on efforts... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mason-inman/near-zero-solutions-a-new_b_6599202.html?utm_hp_ref=england The DC Disconnect on Climate Change Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Nobel prize-winning international scientific... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-silver/the-dc-disconnect_b_6572204.html?utm_hp_ref=green EPA Comments Challenge State Department Conclusions On Keystone's Climate Impacts ...development of the Canadian oil sands “represents a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions" compared to other types of oil. The... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/03/epa-keystone-xl-emissions_n_6606366.html Central Valley Aquifers Tainted by Oil Companies ...Science | February 3, 2015 As stream beds run dry and reservoirs shrink under California's historic drought, the state's water reserves face another... http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/02/03/central-valley-aquifers-tainted-by-oil-companies/ Californians Are Using Less Water, But More Restrictions Likely ...water consumption, but more restrictions loom as the state adapts to long-term drought conditions. California is by no means out of trouble,... http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/02/03/californians-are-using-less-water-but-more-restrictions-likely/ Look at how much greener California is The first two weeks of December brought heavy rain and snowfall to California — and we could practically hear the state's massive sigh of... http://grist.org/news/look-at-how-much-greener-california-is/ Toyota raises forecast after quarterly profit up on weak yen ...trillion yen ($17 billion) profit. Toyota has held the top spot in global vehicle sales for three years straight, selling 10.23 million vehicles... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20150204/as--japan-earns-toyota/?ir=world&utm_hp_ref=world Business Renewables Center To Connect U.S. Companies With Clean Energy SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Companies struggling to meet their renewable energy goals can now get help from a venture that aims... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/02/business-renewables-center_n_6594016.html?utm_hp_ref=green Calif. Energy Commission to award nearly $1.3M to support efforts for plug-ins and fuel cell vehicles ...2015 The California Energy Commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) announced the availability of up to... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150304-cec.html Bikes Only: London Approves New Cyclist Superhighway Plan. London Mayor Boris Johnson's ambitious plan to reshape how the city handles cyclist traffic got final approval Wednesday, clearing the way for the spread of segregated bike lanes and dedicated traffic signals. Johnson plans to create a network for cyclists that rivals the city's transit system. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/04/383789890/bikes-only-london-approves-new-cyclist-superhighway-plan Government should fund EV charging stations, not tax credits ...2015? Have more people buy electric vehicles, or provide charging stations for EV drivers to plug into? Two researchers believe the government could stimulate... http://www.autoblog.com/2015/02/04/government-should-fund-ev-charging-stations-not-tax-credits/ White House Budget Asks For $10K Electric-Car Credit, Natural-Gas Cars Added ...green cars. President Barack Obama is once again attempting to spur sales of electric cars and alternative-fuel vehicles through increased incentives.... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096601_white-house-budget-asks-for-10k-electric-car-credit-natural-gas-cars-added Oakland prepares to march for real climate change policy on Saturday Blue and yellow paint have dominated the courtyard of the Greenpeace Warehouse in Oakland every Sunday since January 25, when community members started to meet to do art with a very specific purpose. http://blog.sfgate.com/inoakland/2015/02/03/oakland-prepares-to-march-for-real-climate-change-policy-on-saturday/ Was 2014 Really the Warmest Year? Here's Why It Doesn't Matter. ...bit. It's a scientific fact that humans are warming the planet by releasing greenhouse gases. This has already resulted in "considerable costs,"... http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/02/was-2014-really-warmest-year-nasa-noaa California Met Governor's Water Consumption Goals Last Month, Thanks To Rainy December ...water consumption, but more restrictions loom as the state adapts to long-term drought conditions. California is by no means out of trouble,... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/03/california-water-consumption-goals_n_6606406.html?utm_hp_ref=green California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 13:21:25 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 5, 2015 From: dchelini@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. FUELS UNDER CAP AND TRADE State carbon charge has drivers fuming It’s called a “hidden gas tax,” but it’s neither hidden nor a tax, nor is it a “carbon” tax-terms used casually by the oil industry lobby, politicians and media headlines. “It’s an additional cost of doing business that took effect Jan. 1,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service in Maryland. http://www.folsomtelegraph.com/article/2/04/15/state-carbon-charge-has-drivers-fuming AIR POLLUTION Only Eight of China's 74 Major Cities Passed Government Air Quality Tests The shroud of smoke and soot that has made Beijing an environmental basket case isn't limited to China's capital. Of the 74 cities where Chinese authorities regularly monitor air quality, only eight met the country's standards in 2014, according to figures released by the country's Ministry of Environmental Protection. https://news.vice.com/article/only-eight-of-chinas-74-major-cities-passed-government-air-quality-tests Scientists say ozone from Asia contributes to the West's pollution High above the Big Sur coast, Ian Faloona is finding pollution on the edge of the continent, a place that should have some of the country's cleanest air. From an astronomical observatory on Chews Ridge in the Santa Lucia Mountains, the University of California, Davis atmospheric scientist has for the last three years measured ozone, the lung-damaging gas in smog, as it arrives to California. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article9342212.html The cost of clean air A DESOLATE scene surrounds Little Zhang’s Tyre Repair in the dusty rock-mining township of Shijing, in the northern province of Hebei. Zhang Minsheng, the owner, still gets some business from passing traffic. But the recent closure of nearby rock quarries, because of air-pollution restrictions, has taken its toll. http://www.economist.com/news/china/21642214-measures-combat-air-pollution-are-biting-hard-industrial-areas-already-hit-economic EPA compromises on new wood stove rules Wood stoves and other wood burners will be getting cleaner. And probably more expensive. The US Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday completed its first new wood heater regulations since the 1980s, promising to reduce soot and other types of air pollution from them by up to 70 percent. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/watchdog-earth/2015/02/04/epa-finishes-its-new-wood-heater-regulations/22869797/ California Residents Voice Concern Over Dangerous Pollution Rates California sits right on the Pacific Coastline of North America. The southern part of the state is near the equator and, overall, the conditions of the state should encourage some of the best air quality in the entire country. But it doesn’t. http://www.piercepioneer.com/california-residents-voice-concern-dangerous-pollution-rates/37572 Carmel will give fire rings a try Fire rings will be coming to Carmel Beach this spring in a pilot program that will ban fires directly on the sand. The Carmel City Council on Tuesday night unanimously agreed to proceed with the program as recommended by the city planning and forest and beach commissions. http://www.montereyherald.com/government-and-politics/20150204/carmel-will-give-fire-rings-a-try ENVIRONMENT: Wood burning ban extended Unhealthful levels of soot and other fine particle pollution have prompted a fireplace wood-burning to be extended through the end of Thursday, Feb. 5. The ban, like several imposed last month, prohibits all home wood burning, as well as the use of manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper. Fires fueled by natural gas or propane are still allowed, according to South Coast Air Quality Management District officials. http://www.pe.com/articles/air-759607-pollution-particle.html CLIMATE CHANGE E.U. close to reaching carbon market reform agreement, energy chief says The European Union is close to achieving an agreement to reform its struggling carbon market, according to E.U. energy chief Maros Sefcovic. To cope with low carbon prices and bolster an energy transition toward more green energy, the European Commission proposed a plan that will remove hundreds of millions of carbon permits from the E.U. Emissions Trading System starting in 2021. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/02/05/stories/1060012901 With climate change on the California Legislature’s agenda, utilities ‘making the rounds’ Soon after Gov. Jerry Brown proposed expanding greenhouse gas reduction policies in his State of the State address, California’s influential utilities praised Brown’s agenda but moved quietly to craft a version that could be easier for them to meet. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/gov-jerry-brown/article9321191.html 2015 California Policy and Regulatory Preview The California Air Resources Board (ARB or Board) workload skyrocketed in the fall of 2006 with the passage of AB 32. By any definition, that was a BIG year in the world of climate change and carbon markets. Year after year since that pivotal moment when Governor Schwarzenegger signed a relatively short, all-encompassing, economy-shifting, and authority-granting piece of legislation, ARB has been running at full speed. http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/2015-california-policy-and-regulatory-pr-60951/ Norway to cut climate pollution 40 percent by 2030 Norway will cut its emissions of global warming gases by at least 40 percent by 2030, aligning itself with the target set by the European Union, the government said Wednesday. The 40 percent reduction, compared with 1990 levels, will be Norway’s pledge to the U.N. climate agreement that’s supposed to be adopted in December in Paris, government officials said. http://www.sfgate.com/world/article/Norway-to-cut-climate-pollution-40-percent-by-2030-6062538.php CEOs call for zero emissions goal in Paris climate deal A group of high-profile CEOs on Thursday called on world leaders to agree to bring the balance of greenhouse gas emissions to zero by mid-century in a global climate change deal to be finalized in Paris in December. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/05/us-climatechange-business-un-idUSKBN0L90CL20150205 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Arrives for Medium-Duty Trucks As automakers begin to launch hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, Hydrogenics' new Celerity system promises medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets the opportunity to join the fuel-cell fray. Built on the low-pressure, non-humidified stack technology Hydrogenics has been developing for the past 15 years and used in its other systems, Celerity is an all-inclusive hydrogen fuel-cell system designed for the medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus markets. http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fuel-smarts/article/story/2015/02/hydrogen-fuel-cell-power-made-simple.aspx Orange EV offering on-road electric terminal truck In this retrofit solution, Orange EV converts existing diesel terminal trucks to pure electric. Starting with the customer’s own diesel truck, Orange EV replaces the power train and control systems while refurbishing the rest of the truck to like-new condition. This conversion approach recycles and reuses the chassis and other durable components, eliminating waste and extending the life of the truck. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150205-orange.html DROUGHT Can scientists engineer drought-tolerant plants? As the California drought enters its fourth year, scientists are trying to genetically engineer plants that survive on less water. After adding a new piece of genetic code to their DNA, tomatoes and other plants were able to hold on to more water and survive for as many as 12 days without irrigation. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-drought-tolerant-plant-20150203-story.html FUELS Washingtonians get first look at proposed clean fuels standard The government of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) offered an early glimpse of a proposed rule to curb carbon in state transportation fuels yesterday, readying the way for public debate on what has already become a divisive issue. The discussion document published by the state's Department of Ecology is not a draft rule but offers the first concrete details of what a low-carbon fuel standard might look like in the state. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/02/05/stories/1060012919 VEHICLES Europe's green transport set for protection from oil price fall Europe's green transport sector, still in its fledgling stages, is set to receive more regulatory support as the slump in oil prices tempts drivers back to gas guzzlers. Renewable power, such as wind and solar, is an increasingly established technology, competitive with conventional fuel and no longer affected by movements in the oil market, analysts say. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/04/us-oil-price-renewables-idUSKBN0L81UC20150204 White House Budget Asks For $10K Electric-Car Credit, Natural-Gas Cars Added It appears the recently-unveiled White House budget includes a few measures to boost the adoption of green cars. President Barack Obama is once again attempting to spur sales of electric cars and alternative-fuel vehicles through increased incentives. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096601_white-house-budget-asks-for-10k-electric-car-credit-natural-gas-cars-added Calif. Energy Commission to award nearly $1.3M to support efforts for plug-ins and fuel cell vehicles The California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) announced the availability of up to $1,297,816 in Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Readiness funding to support new and existing planning efforts for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). (PON-14-607) Grant funds will be awarded on a “first-come, first-served basis.” http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150304-cec.html Washington lawmakers pushing electric car ownership Even with gas prices hovering around $2 per gallon, Washington state lawmakers are considering a raft of bills to encourage more drivers to turn to electric cars in the name of reducing pollution. Plug-in-and-charge automobiles are gaining popularity in the state. Washington records show there were nearly 12,000 registered electric cars by the end of last year. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/04/4364040_washington-lawmakers-pushing-electric.html?rh=1 GREEN ENERGY Report: Wind and solar energy have tripled since 2008 We worry a lot about the problem of climate change. And we try to fix it — again, again and again — by changing how the country uses energy. What we don’t stop and ponder enough, though, is that the country is changing how it uses energy. It’s certainly not enough to silence all environmental concerns. But nonetheless, the progress, when you sample it, is really impressive. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/04/report-wind-and-solar-energy-have-tripled-since-2008/ Shining some light on the science of solar power Twenty teachers eager to bring hands-on energy experiments into their classrooms spent a day trying them out and jotting down lecture notes for when they fly solo. The daylong training came about with nonprofit groups’ expertise, county office coordination and community cash. http://www.modbee.com/news/local/education/article9320582.html BLOGS Lawmakers push bill to reform renewable fuel mandate A bipartisan group of lawmakers pushed legislation to scale back parts of the renewable fuel mandate on Wednesday. Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Steve Womack (R-Ariz.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.) re-introduced a bill aimed at eliminating the corn-based ethanol requirement in the Renewable Fuel Standard, which is proposed every year by the Environmental Protection Agency. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/231761-lawmakers-push-bill-to-reform-renewable-fuel-mandate 250,000 Could Die Early From Breathing in China’s Cities, Study Finds Improved data has made it possible to better calculate how many people could die early deaths in China as a result of air pollution, researchers say. The results are grim. According to a fresh analysis conducted by Peking University and the activist group Greenpeace, more than 250,000 people living in the country’s major cities could die prematurely as the result of the Middle Kingdom’s smog-ridden skies. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/02/04/250000-could-die-early-from-breathing-in-chinas-cities-study-finds/?KEYWORDS=air+pollution The Green Car Guide of 2015 The mission of GreenCars.org, a website sponsored by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), is to help consumers learn whether the car they’re thinking of buying is environmentally friendly. One way they do that is through their annual “greenest” and “meanest” ratings, which was released today for the model year 2015. http://ecowatch.com/2015/02/05/green-car-guide-2015/ 7 Genius Kids Who Are Creating Change In Their Own Backyards Too often we hear the phrase wunderkind applied to just-out-of-college startup CEOs in Silicon Valley. Here’s a vote for using the term in the intended way: to convey that there’s a certain degree of novelty, and yes, wonder, in the ideas that spring from the minds of our youngest generation. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/04/genius-kids-creating-change_n_6526486.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 13:07:04 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 6, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Inslee a student of California’s carbon-cap lessons On a balmy winter day, a tanker truck pulls up to a Rotten Robbie service station to deliver a load of gasoline that, once consumed by cars and trucks, will release more than 60 tons of carbon dioxide. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025634069_californiacapandtradexml.html AIR POLLUTION Fracking Puts California Governor, Environmentalists at Odds In the 1970s, California Gov. Jerry Brown was a hero to environmentalists for cracking down on polluters, ending tax breaks for oil companies and promoting solar energy. But conservationists are now among his harshest critics, despite his agenda of tackling climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_GOVERNOR_FRACKING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Other related articles: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/06/us/ap-us-california-governor-fracking.html?_r=0 http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-ap-us-california-governor-fracking-20150206-story.html EPA to review toxicity of common cleaning solvent U.S. EPA tomorrow will launch a review of whether to add a common cleaning solvent that is an approved substitute for ozone-depleting chemicals to its list of hazardous air pollutants. Both the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance Inc. had petitioned EPA to add n-propyl bromide on the grounds that emissions cause adverse effects to human health. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060012947/feed Supreme Court will hear arguments on EPA mercury rule next month The Supreme Court has set oral arguments for a challenge from several states and industry sectors to U.S. EPA's landmark standards for mercury air emissions. The justices will hear one hour of arguments in the consolidated cases seeking to undermine EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, or MATS, on March 25. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060012964/feed DIESEL ACTIVITIES The Toxic Threat Lurking Inside School Buses We’ve all inhaled sickening exhaust fumes when driving behind a diesel school bus. But those fumes can also get sucked inside the bus, exposing children to high levels of pollution. Riding such “leaky” older school buses can lead to respiratory illnesses and even cancer, which is why the Utah legislature is considering legislation to replace 450 of the worst-polluting buses in its 2,500-vehicle fleet. http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/02/05/toxic-threat-lurking-inside-school-buses Oregon schoolchildren inhale cancer-causing fumes on buses as state plods towards fix Almost half of Oregon's school buses spew unhealthy amounts of diesel fumes into the air, exposing tens of thousands of children to cancer-causing exhaust every day. An Oregonian/OregonLive review of state data found that 3,300 of the state's 5,800 school buses were built before 2007 when federal rules for emissions tightened. http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/02/oregon_schoolchildren_inhale_c.html#incart_river DROUGHT Patch of California emerges from drought, experts say After years of historically low rain totals and record-setting temperatures, California’s drought situation is looking ... less awful. The latest evidence of this is a patch of southeastern California near Lake Havasu and the Colorado River. But if you want to see it on a map, you'd better take out a magnifying glass. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-drought-monitor-report-20150205-story.html Drought? That was January; here comes the February flood Craig Anthony cradled two iPhones in the palm of his hand, conspicuously ignoring the weather apps on each one. A few feet away, men wielding high-pressure air hoses pulverized every remaining drop of moisture on his supercharged silver Honda Element at Pacific Car Wash in downtown San Jose on Thursday. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_27469551/drought-that-was-january-here-comes-february-flood?source=rss VEHICLES Would Stressing Personal Risk Of Air Pollution Sell More Electric Cars? When it comes to electric cars, buyers are often interested in two types of green. The lower environmental impact of a zero-emission vehicle, and the potential to save cash by eliminating gasoline use are both typically factors that motivate the purchase of an electric car, to varying degrees in different individuals. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096655_would-stressing-personal-risk-of-air-pollution-sell-more-electric-cars OPINION Gov. Jerry Brown's fracking problem California Gov. Jerry Brown has done more to fight climate change than perhaps any other elected official in the United States. So what accounts for the environmentalists heckling him during speeches and planning to confront him Saturday at an Oakland March for Real Climate Leadership? One word: fracking. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-hertsgaard-jerry-brown-fracking-20150206-story.html Another View: Judge fracking on science, not hype It is common to compare New York and California as they are often at the forefront of the biggest policy issues facing the nation. The governors of these two bellwether states have approached the issue of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, very differently and for that Californians can be grateful. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article9356993.html BLOGS 'Fighting for Our Right to Breathe' "None of us should have to be here right now fighting for our right to breathe." That's what a young woman told the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at a hearing this week about smog pollution, after boarding a bus with 100 high school students before dawn and traveling for hours to deliver her three minutes of testimony. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/fighting-for-our-right-to_b_6622738.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 16:22:28 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 9, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 9, 2015. 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 Australian prime minister moves up leadership challenge ...but would still trail the opposition center-left Labor Party. The poll by market researcher Galaxy Research found that the government currently trailed... http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Australian-prime-minister-brings-forward-party-6068702.php Low Climate Ambition Stalling Clean Energy Projects, UN Group Says A lack of ambitious greenhouse-gas reduction targets among rich nations is the main barrier... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20384665574&p=19f&v=1&x=tGH423YDDYwUPAmK8svdmw AIR POLLUTION Palo Alto airport supplier to warn of lead emissions Residents and businesses near the Palo Alto Municipal Airport should be getting notifications about the use of leaded aviation gas at the airport, according to a legal settlement between an environmental-advocacy group and 30 suppliers of lead-containing aviation gas, including the local airport. http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/02/08/palo-alto-airport-supplier-to-warn-of-lead-emissions Air Board Upholds Approval of Carson Refinery Upgrade Local air regulators on Friday upheld their approval of a major refinery upgrade in Carson, despite vociferous community and environmental opposition. The South Coast Air Quality Management District board of governors unanimously voted to uphold staff approval of an upgrade of a Phillips 66 refinery in the South Bay city, rejecting an appeal by Communities for a Better Environment. http://www.labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/feb/06/air-board-upholds-approval-carson-refinery-upgrade/ Santa Barbara County agencies reconsidering burn policies A recent uptick in the number of smoke-related complaints in the Santa Ynez Valley has two county agencies reconsidering their policies on burn permits issued in the county, officials said. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District logged 20 complaints in a 12-day period beginning Jan. 21, Public Information Officer Mary Byrd said. http://lompocrecord.com/syvnews/news/local/santa-barbara-county-agencies-reconsidering-burn-policies/article_65eb78ec-bc3d-5653-8eaf-1bc4276918cf.html Blame the lingering fog for unclean air The lingering haze of the past week is more than just coastal fog: air quality in Southern California has steadily gotten worse this week, with officials designating the air in all of Orange County as unhealthy for sensitive groups on Saturday. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/air-650538-quality-district.html New air standard for the Valley: Say goodbye to your gasoline-burning car The San Joaquin Valley has the most federal ozone violations in the country over the last 15 years. The region’s only ozone triumph is achieving an ozone standard that dates back to the 1970s. And that isn’t official yet. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/07/4367385_new-air-standard-for-the-valley.html?rh=1 Southern California expected to miss 2015 deadline to curb soot Southern California is likely to miss a 2015 deadline to clean soot from the air, according to the region’s chief smog-fighting agency, which approved a plan Friday blaming the drought for reversing a long-term decline in fine-particle pollution. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-southern-california-expected-to-miss-2015-deadline-to-curb-soot-20150206-story.html Burn ban continues for Southern California Northern California may be getting lashed by winds and rain, but stagnant air over Southern California has triggered a residential no-burn alert.... http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_27482072/burn-ban-continues-southern-california INLAND WEATHER: Light showers possible, then temps in 80s ...Feb. 9, the sixth consecutive day of no-burn declarations by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The chance of rain Monday and... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20387804941&p=19f&v=1&x=-bae7oC1vUiXDljYh3D9eA No-burn alert extended through Monday for Los Angeles, San Bernardino counties LOS ANGELES - Stagnant air over Southern California has prompted the local smog agency to... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150209/no-burn-alert-extended-through-monday-for-los-angeles-san-bernardino-counties Drought is making it hard to meet air pollution reduction demands Local air regulators acknowledged on Friday that they are uncertain they will... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20376044270&p=19f&v=1&x=Mdxn5K0DLU9IetUf8USyUg CLIMATE CHANGE Earth's Past Climate Reveals Future Global Warming That carbon belching from our factories causes global warming is well-known, but beyond that, the science becomes controversy. The details of how much a unit of carbon dioxide raises global temperature is hotly debated in climate change literature. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earth-s-past-climate-reveals-future-global-warming/ Australia's potential next leader too moderate for some ...downfall was his belief that Australia should make polluters pay for their greenhouse gas emissions. His stance seems to have wavered more... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20386755527&p=19f&v=1&x=5lnmOJVxsY9mdJlzL7wHRw Challenger to Australia's leader will have to wait ...downfall was his belief that Australia should make polluters pay for their greenhouse gas emissions. His stance seems to have wavered more... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/08/4369888/australias-potential-next-leader.html China president plans to make 1st state visit to US ...high-profile issues, including pledging in November to cut back on their emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for climate change. The world's... http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article9576638.html Researchers: Climate change affecting Hawaii Island storms — Hawaii island is seeing more frequent heavy storms, and climate change may be the reason, according to two University of... http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27487132/researchers-climate-change-affecting-hawaii-island-storms SpaceX calls off launch of space weather satellite ...scientists and others who kept his dream alive. The measurements will help measure global warming, he noted, and the steady stream of pictures of Earth... http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150208/spacex-calls-off-launch-of-space-weather-satellite University of Hawaii researchers say climate change is affecting major Big Island storms ... HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii island is seeing more frequent heavy storms, and climate change may be the reason, according to two University of... http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/02/08/researchers-climate-change-affecting-hawaii-island-storms Many factors made 2014 hottest year in California ...Sacramento, Calif. State officials reported Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, that residents in drought-stricken California met Gov. Jerry Brown's call to slash... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150207/many-factors-made-2014-hottest-year-in-california Thousands march in Northern California against fracking ...legacy as an environmental leader was at stake if he didn't ban the practice. California is the No. 3 oil producer in the nation and has added an average... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20379296060&p=19f&v=1&x=PuTboNOYgQ-F5MybG8APtA Protesters march in Oakland, push for Jerry Brown to ban fracking ...campaign coordinator for 350.org, an international organization that fights climate change and one of the partner groups in the protest, called... http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Anti-fracking-demonstrators-march-through-Oakland-6068760.php Thousands to march in Northern California against fracking ...expected to take to the streets Saturday in the San Francisco Bay Area to demand California's governor ban fracking. More than 100 environmental and... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/06/4368030/thousands-to-march-in-northern.html Fracking pits Jerrry Brown against ‘fracktivists' ...cracked down on polluters, ended tax breaks for oil companies and promoted solar energy. Forty years later, in his second go-around as governor,... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/02/07/jerry-brown-california-fracking/23027033/ Anti-fracking march scheduled in Oakland ...governor has often boasted how California is making significant moves to help stop climate change, from reaping more energy from renewable sources to... http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-antifracking-march-scheduled-in-oakland-20150207-story.html Danville: SummerHill appeal could set precedent on bicyclist safety ...saying, 'I will never bike on that street.' The perception of safety is nearly zero out there. " Flashman said the judge's decision reflects a growing... http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27479864/danville-summerhill-appeal-could-set-precedent-bicyclist-safety Climate Change Evaporates Part of China's Hydropower (Scientific American) China has set ambitious goals to develop hydropower to help mitigate the risks of climate change, but... http://insideclimatenews.org/content/climate-change-evaporates-part-chinas-hydropower Schwarzenegger calls for more effort to fight climate change, calls it 'issue of our time' ...Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015. Arnold Schwarzenegger is calling more to be done to combat climate change, calling it “the issue of our time.” Speaking Sunday... http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/02/08/schwarzenegger-calls-for-more-effort-to-fight-climate-change Climate Change Puts Alaska's Dog Sled Races On Thin Ice - capradio.org Sled dogs prefer below-zero weather for running, says musher Cody Strathe. Some mushers now race... http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=384447404 Climate Change Is of Growing Personal Concern to U.S. Hispanics, Poll Finds. Alfredo Padilla grew up in Texas as a migrant farmworker who followed the harvest with his parents to pick sugar beets in Minnesota each summer. He has not forgotten the aches of labor or how much the weather — too little rain, or too much — affected the family livelihood.Now an insurance lawyer in Carrizo Springs, Tex., he said he was concerned about global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/10/us/politics/climate-change-is-of-growing-personal-concern-to-us-hispanics-poll-finds.html?ref=earth DROUGHT Drought is making it hard to meet air pollution reduction demands Local air regulators acknowledged on Friday that they are uncertain they will be able to meet federal air quality standards for microscopic particles of air pollution by an end-of-year deadline. The acknowledgement was included in a proposed supplement to an existing plan to reduce the amounts of fine particulate matter known as PM2.5. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/07/49704/drought-is-making-it-hard-to-meet-air-pollution-re/ Calif. storm knocks out power, doesn't touch drought Calif. storm knocks out power, doesn't touch drought Subscribe today for full access on your desktop, tablet, and mobile... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/07/california-storm-drought-power-outage/23034989/ Huge crowd sees devastating Stanislaus loss to Pomona Outside Fitzpatrick Arena, rain fell. Inside, the offensive drought of the Cal State Stanislaus men's basketball team not only continued,... http://www.modbee.com/sports/college/article9482441.html Monterey gets half-inch of rain over the weekend ...trees and some localized flooding. The two storms were not expected to end California's ongoing drought. Friday's storm dropped 10 to 15 inches... http://www.mercurynews.com/monterey/ci_27487930/monterey-gets-half-inch-rain-over-weekend Northern California hit by second wet, windy storm Northern California was lashed by a second wet and windy storm with the potential... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20386357579&p=19f&v=1&x=cujUqtaaR8U4HGvJ_lU1Eg Progress made on California wildfire that destroyed 40 homes ...burned nearly 11 square miles and forced about 150 people to leave two small California towns at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada. The fire started... http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/02/08/progress-made-on-california-wildfire-that-destroyed-40-homes Rain, Snow Hits Parched California; Severe Weather Forecast Through Monday Afternoon The second of two Pacific storms pushed across Northern California Sunday, bringing heavy rain to the Sacramento region and snow... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/08/rain,-snow-hits-parched-california-severe-weather-forecast-through-monday-afternoon/ Storm in drought-stricken Northern California knocks out power, delays flights ...delayed hundreds of flights and knocked out power for thousands of people in California and Nevada. Up to 10 inches of rain is expected this weekend... http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/02/07/storm-in-california-knocks-out-power-delays-flights Storm's first wave soaks a thirsty state The first major storm to strike California this year brought lightning, high winds and a good dose of rain... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article9479435.html Tourists rare as snow this winter in drought-stricken Tuolumne The hope was that the drought was over after December storms dumped snow in the Sierra. The Dodge... http://www.modbee.com/news/local/article9535244.html FUELS New air standard for the Valley: Say goodbye to your gasoline-burning car. By the numbers. The San Joaquin Valley has the most federal ozone violations in the country over the last 15 years. The region’s only ozone triumph is achieving an ozone standard that dates back to the 1970s. And that isn’t official yet. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/07/4367385/new-air-standard-for-the-valley.html Brown seeks money for fixing roads as gas tax value plunges ...for crumbling roads, bridges and highways as the traditional repair fund from gasoline taxes dries up. Revenue from gasoline taxes have been sliding... http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27485729/brown-seeks-money-fixing-roads-gas-tax-value California governor seeks money for fixing roads as gas tax value plunges ...the pending work on the freeway in Sacramento Gov. Jerry Brown wants to slash gasoline consumption in half by 2030, which would also drain the gas tax... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/government-and-politics/20150208/california-governor-seeks-money-for-fixing-roads-as-gas-tax-value-plunges VEHICLES Ga. lawmakers consider changes to electric car tax credits ...2015 photo, Michael Beinenson poses for a photo while standing next to his electric vehicle as it recharges outside his workplace in Alpharetta,... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/07/4368259/ga-lawmakers-consider-changes.html Nissan raises profit forecast after sales grow in US, Europe ...volatility in other markets," he said. Nissan has also linked its brand power to electric cars. Although sales numbers are still few, at just 158,000... http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/02/09/nissan-raises-profit-forecast-after-sales-grow-in-us-europe France To Give Dirtiest-Diesel Drivers $11,500 To Trade For Electric Car ...have long preferred diesel cars for their good fuel economy, but increased air pollution from diesel exhaust emissions has become a public health... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096691_france-to-give-dirtiest-diesel-drivers-11500-to-trade-for-electric-car GREEN ENERGY Is Solar The Next Shale? Will solar power transform electricity markets as significantly as shale... http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2015/02/07/is-solar-the-next-shale/ Minority groups back energy companies in fight against solar power ...has given power companies a potent ally in their fight to slow the spread of solar energy installations. The groups are pressing their case... http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-solar-race-20150209-story.html Buffett Ready to Double $15B Solar, Wind Bet ...of dollars his Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A) is spending to build wind and solar power in the U.S. That didn't stop him from vowing to double... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20390612636&p=19f&v=1&x=VYr-IwcFdYfFIdQpw2qpmg California formally opens large solar plant California is rushing to expand its use of solar power to meet the renewable energy requirements,... http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article9594422.html Fuel Cell Technology Boosts Long-Distance Fishing Trip ...California after a month at sea -- without being frozen. How, you ask. By using fuel cell technology in a new way. A fuel cell is... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20381326638&p=19f&v=1&x=IlpqounQfmrQspbr3X61vw How The Energy Revolution Will Transform How We Live and Work ...that the shale boom will merely serve as a bridge to get us to a new era of renewable energy. This revolution, if anything, will be more far... http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2015/02/08/how-the-energy-revolution-will-transform-how-we-live-and-work/ Interior secretary will dedicate large solar plant ...traveling to the California desert to dedicate one of the nation's largest solar energy plants. Jewell will be joined Monday by federal and... http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27489357/interior-secretary-will-dedicate-large-solar-plant Heat to create solar plaza to enhance fan experience, energy efficiency ...where he was involved with development of Levi's Stadium, a model of energy sustainability among new sports venues. NRG created a solar terrace there... http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/article9489500.html Ford Focus EV to Come With Home Solar Option Ford is teaming with San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower to sell solar energy systems in conjunction with the Focus electric sedan... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20388424177&p=19f&v=1&x=BMuCMw32ZwzeeZM4OQdjYQ Utility proposes 25,000 EV charging stations on ratepayers' dime. The switch to electric vehicles could get a boost in California if the state's utility regulator accepts a new proposal from Pacific Gas and Electric Corp.PG&E said today it's asking the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for permission to build about 25,000 electric vehicle charging stations across northern and central California. If approved, the program would be the country's largest deployment of EV charging stations, the utility said. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060013129/search?keyword=mulkern OPINION Reforming 3 systems can create a new climate economy in India The next 15 years will be transformative for India, which is poised to overtake China as the most populous country in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new government has set its sights high, planning to achieve 8-9 percent GDP growth, provide access to energy for the 300 million Indians who lack it and improve urban development. http://www.eco-business.com/opinion/reforming-3-systems-can-create-new-climate-economy-india/ ANDY VIDAK: High-Speed Rail not only breaking promises, but busting family budgets ...our Central Valley when he "broke ground" last month on the debacle known as High-Speed Rail. He also left a trail of broken promises made... http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/hot-topics/x1424422660/High-Speed-Rail-not-only-breaking-promises-but-busting-family-budgets Obama prayer breakfast, UCD swastikas, ozone, Wal-Mart, almonds ...alongside many people of faith and urged the EPA to adopt stronger standards on ozone pollution. Why is ozone a moral issue? Because of the havoc... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article9479666.html BRIAN CALLE: Should Jerry Brown run for president? ... Besides Al Gore, Brown is probably the most outspoken political figure on climate change and has successfully pushed tax increases on California's... http://www.pe.com/articles/brown-759802-president-clinton.html The Federal Gasoline Tax Should Be Increased To $1 Per Gallon, Not Reduced Or Abolished ...something I disagree with. Specifically, Don Boudreaux is agreeing that the federal gasoline tax should be abolished. And the source of his argument is Veronique... http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/02/07/the-federal-gasoline-tax-should-be-increased-to-1-per-gallon-not-reduced-or-abolished/ Top 10 Global Warming Lies That May Shock You Global warming alarmists frequently make false and deplorable assertions... http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2015/02/09/top-10-global-warming-lies-that-may-shock-you/ Washington State Takes Next Step on Clean Fuels Standard Washington's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) took another step recently by releasing a discussion document about a state Clean Fuels Standard (CFS) for public input and comments. The documents released show that the oil industry and petroleum-based transportation fuels are the largest source of carbon pollution in the state - over 40% - but that a wide range of alternative fuel sources could significantly reduce that pollution while attracting additional clean fuel investments and companies to the state. http://theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2191091/washington-state-takes-next-step-clean-fuels-standard BLOGS 257,000 people could die from China's toxic air over the next decade ...Climate Desk collaboration. If nothing is done to slash the levels of toxic smog in China's air, some 257,000 Chinese people could die over the... http://grist.org/climate-energy/257000-people-could-die-from-chinas-toxic-air-over-the-next-decade/ Tuscaloosa Marine Shale Fracking Slows as Operators Watch Oil Prices ...endeavor that helps reduce dependence on unstable foreign sources, while keeping gasoline prices low. For the industry as a whole, however, fracking... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-buchanan/tuscaloosa-marine-shale-f_b_6641014.html?ir=Business&utm_hp_ref=business California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 15:22:01 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 10, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 10, 2015. 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 Fresno hopes bikes will save students money and clean the air The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will help Fresno, Calif., plan a bike-share system to improve air quality and offer an inexpensive method of transportation as part of the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program. Besides Fresno, the program awarded grants to 21 other communities – including cities and towns in Mississippi, Texas, North Carolina and Florida – out of more than 100 applicants, to help them develop programs that address local needs. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/nation-world/national/article9287768.html Paris to ban the most polluting diesel vehicles by 2020 Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has presented a plan to ban most diesel vehicles from the city by 2020 in order to lower air pollution. By July, diesel buses and trucks will be banned during the daytime from entering the city but not from the ring road around Paris, Hidalgo explained Monday in a plan to members of the Paris Council. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_PARIS_BANNING_DIESEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-to-ban-the-most-polluting-diesel-vehicles-by-2020/2015/02/09/0fbd540c-b08c-11e4-bf39-5560f3918d4b_story.html CLIMATE CHANGE Senate Democrats unveil legislation to fight climate change With Gov. Jerry Brown pushing for further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and other sweeping environmental goals in his fourth term, state Senate Democrats will unveil a package of clean energy and climate change legislation today. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León will join senators Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, and Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, for the announcement at 1:30 p.m. on the east lawn of the Capitol. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article9645650.html#storylink=cpy Obama Seeks $2 Billion in Private Dollars for Clean Energy President Barack Obama is setting a goal of raising $2 billion from the private sector for investments in clean energy. The White House says it's launching a Clean Energy Investment Initiative as part of the Obama administration's effort to address climate change. The Energy Department will solicit investments from philanthropists and investors concerned about climate change. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/10/us/politics/ap-us-obama-climate-change.html Turning Carbon Dioxide Into Rock, and Burying It In a cramped work trailer not far from Iceland’s largest geothermal power plant, a researcher pored over a box of core samples — cylinders of rock that a drilling rig had pulled from deep underground just a few minutes before. In a test that began in 2012, scientists had injected hundreds of tons of water and carbon dioxide gas 1,500 feet down into layers of porous basaltic rock, the product of ancient lava flows from the nearby Hengill volcano. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/10/science/burying-a-mountain-of-co2.html?_r=0 Fed Report: Time to Examine Purposely Cooling Planet Idea A federal science report says it is time to study and maybe even test the idea of cooling the Earth by injecting sulfur pollution high in the air to reflect the sun's heat. The idea was once considered fringe — to purposely re-engineering the planet's climate as a last ditch effort to battle global warming with an artificial cloud. No longer. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CLIMATE_ENGINEERING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/10/science/ap-us-sci-climate-engineering.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-climate-technology-20150210-story.html Scientific Pros Weigh The Cons Of Messing With Earth's Thermostat Before anyone tries to cool the Earth with technologies that could counteract global warming, there needs to be a lot more research into the benefits and risks. That's the conclusion announced Tuesday by a scientific panel convened by the prestigious National Research Council to assess "climate geoengineering" — deliberate attempts to alter the global climate. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=385065816 Climate Is Big Issue for Hispanics, and Personal Alfredo Padilla grew up in Texas as a migrant farmworker who followed the harvest with his parents to pick sugar beets in Minnesota each summer. He has not forgotten the aches of labor or how much the weather — too little rain, or too much — affected the family livelihood. Now an insurance lawyer in Carrizo Springs, Tex., he said he was concerned about global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/10/us/politics/climate-change-is-of-growing-personal-concern-to-us-hispanics-poll-finds.html Save the trees: New campaign against deforestation launched Since the money raised by governments and corporations hasn't managed to halt the destruction of the world's rainforests — an area the size of Alabama or Greece is lost every year — a new U.S. campaign is now inviting individuals to chip in. The U.S. Agency for International Development and Code REDD, a California-based advocacy group, on Tuesday announced the launch of an online store for carbon offsets, certificates that will fund forest conservation projects in tropical countries. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_FORESTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/10/world/europe/ap-eu-climate-forests-.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Save-the-trees-New-campaign-against-6072733.php Panel Urges More Research on Geoengineering as a Tool Against Climate Change. With the planet facing potentially severe impacts from global warming in coming decades, a government-sponsored scientific panel on Tuesday called for more research on geoengineering — technologies to deliberately intervene in nature to counter climate change.The panel said the research could include small-scale outdoor experiments, which many scientists say are necessary to better understand whether and how geoengineering would work.Some environmental groups and others say that such projects could have unintended damaging effects, and could set society on an unstoppable path to full-scale deployment of the technologies. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/science/panel-urges-more-research-on-geoengineering-as-a-tool-against-climate-change.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Aging and potentially dangerous school buses in the Valley Thousands of kids in the Central Valley are exposed to dangerous chemicals every morning as they ride school buses. Some are on buses that shouldn't even be on the road. That was the big surprise in an Action News investigation: Buses illegally taking kids to school. We collected information on more than 1100 school buses in the Valley. Hundreds are giving out dangerous pollution. Many might be even more dangerous. http://abc30.com/news/aging-and-potentially-dangerous-school-buses-in-the-valley/510888/ CARB Hosting Diesel Regulation and Compliance Event The California Air Resources Board is hosting its Diesel Truck Regulation Information Session and Conference in Los Angeles to inform fleets about current rules on diesel engines and explain how to maintain compliance. The event takes place on Feb. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Los Angeles Trade Tech College near downtown Los Angeles. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/02/carb-hosting-diesel-regulation-and-compliance-event.aspx DROUGHT California drought: Northern California getting much more rain than Southern Lots of issues divide Southern and Northern California: The Dodgers vs. the Giants. Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley. Southern Californians say "the" before naming a freeway; northerners don't. Now, after this past weekend's soaking storms, there's a new difference emerging: the drought. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27494057/california-drought-divide-emerging-northern-california-getting-much?source=rss FUELS A Biofuel Debate: Will Cutting Trees Cut Carbon? Does combating climate change require burning the world’s forests and crops for fuel? It certainly looks that way, judging from the aggressive mandates governments across the globe have set to incorporate bioenergy into their transportation fuels in the hope of limiting the world’s overwhelming dependence on gasoline and diesel to move people and goods. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/business/economy/a-biofuel-debate-will-cutting-trees-cut-carbon.html GREEN ENERGY California formally opens large solar plant One of the nation's largest solar projects was dedicated Monday in the Riverside County desert, as California rushes to expand its use of green power to meet the state's renewable energy requirements. The dedication of the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm comes about a month after Gov. Jerry Brown called on the state to increase renewable electricity use to 50 percent by 2030, up from the current goal of 33 percent by 2020. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SOLAR_PLANT_KICKOFF?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article9594422.html California Utility Aims To Quadruple The State's EV Charging Stations Pacific Gas and Electric on Monday applied for regulatory approval to build and own 25,000 electric car charging stations, a proposal that would roughly quadruple the number of public charging stations in the state. The San Francisco-based utility wants to build those stations on commercial and public properties, including shopping centers and multi-family housing. The plan is to complete the build-out five years after gaining approval from the California Public Utilities Commission. http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/02/09/california-utility-aims-to-quadruple-the-states-ev-charging-stations/ MISCELLANEOUS Peruvian Ice Cap Harbors Evidence of Conquistadors' Avarice After vanquishing the Inca Empire with superior weapons and a touch of treachery, the Spanish conquistadors sought to satisfy their lust for riches by forcing multitudes of native people to toil in silver mines in dire conditions that claimed many lives. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/02/10/world/americas/10reuters-science-conquistadors.html New Roots for City Trees When Kemba Shakur lived in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood as a young kid in the 1970s, the area was plagued by blight and violence. "It was like a warzone," recalled Shakur, who now lives in North Oakland. "I hated that place. It was scary and dangerous." When she returned decades later, she was stunned to see the improvements. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/new-roots-for-city-trees/Content?oid=4185304 BLOGS In Geoengineering Study, Science Academy Sees Merit in CO2 Removal, Risk in Reflecting Sunlight Experts convened by the National Academy of Sciences have weighed in with valuable reports on the two main “geoengineering” strategies for countering global warming driving by the buildup of greenhouse gases: Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth The panels’ overarching bottom line is straightforward:There is no substitute for dramatic reductions in the emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change, and concurrently to reduce ocean acidification. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/10/in-geoengineering-study-science-academy-sees-merit-in-co2-removal-risk-in-reflecting-sunlight/?_r=0 It's Time to Fix the Climate -- Why Do We Delay? In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama said: "No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change." Yet worsening climate data prove we're not doing enough. Why do we delay action? People are daunted by the gradual nature, incomprehensible consequences and global scope of the problem. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-moyer-phd/its-time-to-fix-the-climate-why-do-we-delay_b_6603254.html Worried You’re Breathing Polluted Air? There’s An App For That We have smartphone apps to tell us where our friends are checking in for drinks, the best restaurant within walking distance, and even the quickest route to the nearest bathroom. But did you ever expect you’d be checking your phone to figure out the best place to take a deep breath? http://magazine.good.is/articles/breezometer-air-quality-app California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 13:03:32 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 11, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 11, 2015. 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 ‘Cap and Trade’ Could Bring Millions for Environmental Projects. With the busy City College trolley station as a backdrop, local government leaders on Tuesday called attention to $2 billion in new funding for environmental projects under California’s innovative “cap and trade” law. http://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2015/02/10/cap-trade-bring-millions-environmental-projects/ AIR POLLUTION Survey of Foreign Companies in China Finds Pollution a Growing Problem. Foreign companies in China are struggling with growing issues, including a perception that their businesses are less welcome than before. Such problems have been building in the past year, and they were underscored in survey results released on Wednesday by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, which also found for the first time in the survey’s 17-year history that most companies were having greater troubles recruiting executives because of air pollution. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/business/survey-of-foreign-companies-in-china-finds-pollution-a-growing-problem.html New mobile air pollution monitor being tested in Los Angeles. The ability to identify pollutants in the air is made difficult by changing conditions and the fact that harmful substances are usually invisible to the naked eye. A new vehicle being tested in Los Angeles may change how air monitoring occurs by providing real time data of toxic substances in the air. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/10/49759/new-mobile-air-pollution-monitor-being-tested-in-l/ Andean ice cap yields signs of 16th-century pollution. Traces of pollution carried from a colonial silver mine hundreds of miles away wound up trapped in the ice, suggesting that the Industrial Era's impacts on the planet began earlier than previously thought in some parts of the world. Traces of air pollution from 16th-century Spanish silver mines were discovered deep inside an ice cap in the Peruvian Andes… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0210/Andean-ice-cap-yields-signs-of-16th-century-pollution CLIMATE CHANGE Opponents Say Talk of Offsetting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Could Jeopardize Global Pact. Opposition to language proposing worldwide “net-zero” greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century surfaced Feb. 10, immediately after the language was added to the draft negotiating text that will be the basis for this year's Paris global climate agreement. The net-zero 2050 proposal, offered by Switzerland at the United Nations climate talks in Geneva, would allow countries and companies to offset greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.bna.com/opponents-say-talk-n17179922980/ UN deal to combat global warming complicated as length of draft text balloons. Almost 200 nations complicated a drive for a U.N. deal to combat climate change in 2015 on Wednesday by more than doubling the length of a draft negotiating text to about 100 pages of radically varying solutions. Government delegates said the additions at the Geneva talks, set for Feb. 8-13, were to let all countries air their views… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/11/us-climatechange-talks-idUSKBN0LF1YZ20150211 Supply chain policies need work to save forests-think tank. Governments, companies and investors still have significant work to do if they are to stop global supply chains causing deforestation and worsening climate change, a tropical forest think tank said on Wednesday. A new ranking of 250 companies, 150 investors and lenders, 50 countries and regions… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/11/us-deforestation-policy-commodities-idUSKBN0LF15320150211 Obama looks to raise $2 billion in climate change investments. The Obama administration on Tuesday set a goal of raising $2 billion in philanthropic investments to fight climate change, including technologies to slash carbon emissions. The Clean Energy Investment Initiative is seeking investments to try to bridge the "valley of death"… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/10/us-usa-climate-whitehouse-idUSKBN0LE2JZ20150210?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews What the massive snowfall in Boston tells us about global warming. The snowfall in Boston lately is simply insane. The local bureau of the National Weather Service has tallied up the data and here’s how it looks — with all-time records for snow within a 14-, 20-, and 30-day period: You could treat this as ordinary weather, or, you could think about it in a climate context. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/10/what-the-massive-snowfall-in-boston-tells-us-about-global-warming/ Panel Urges Research on Geoengineering as a Tool Against Climate Change. With the planet facing potentially severe impacts from global warming in coming decades, a government-sponsored scientific panel on Tuesday called for more research on geoengineering — technologies to deliberately intervene in nature to counter climate change. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/science/panel-urges-more-research-on-geoengineering-as-a-tool-against-climate-change.html?rref=science&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0 Man-made climate change may need man-made remedies, science panel says Refinery. Alarmed by the rapid pace of climate change, a key federal science panel is urging a major research effort into high-tech schemes that could cool the planet if prevention fails, potentially including giant machines to suck greenhouse gases from the air, aerosol sprays shot into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight back into space… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-climate-technology-20150210-story.html#page=1 Sides square off over climate change proposals by California Democrats. The release of climate change proposals by Senate Democrats on Tuesday quickly spawned a heated debate over the direction of California's economy and the potential effect of new environmental regulations. Some unions and companies welcome the legislation, saying it will lead to new jobs and foster a growing market in clean energy technologies. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82780012/ Senate Democrats embrace governor's climate change strategy. Senate Democrats embraced new climate change goals Tuesday by adopting Gov. Jerry Brown's call to increase the use of renewable energy to 50 percent in 15 years and adding their own initiatives. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon and fellow Democrats said they want to increase statewide renewable electricity use to 50 percent… http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article9694646.html#storylink=cpy Here’s how California lawmakers plan to cut greenhouse gases. The Chevron oil refinery in Richmond would take a backseat to renewable energy sources as the new slew of state bills to combat climate change would slash oil use in California in half by 2050 to meet Gov. Jerry Brown’s ambitious goals. In a move that could shape California’s climate policies for decades to come, legislators on Tuesday introduced a series of bills that would slash oil use in half by 2050… http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Here-s-how-California-lawmakers-plan-to-cut-6073418.php Can 'climate intervention' help fend off global warming? (+video). The National Academy of Sciences outlines a research agenda for two broad approaches that may be needed as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. A panel of scientists from the United States is calling for more research into tools for intentionally altering components of Earth's climate system as a way to forestall or blunt the worst effects of global warming. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0210/Can-climate-intervention-help-fend-off-global-warming-video Paris Talks Won’t Achieve 2°C Goal: Does That Matter? Officials involved with United Nations climate talks have been warning that the next pact, which will be negotiated in December in Paris, won’t alone hold global warming to less than 2°C, or 3.6°F. Those warnings have triggered renewed concern for the future of the planet as negotiators meet this week in Geneva, Switzerland, for a round of lower-profile talks. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/paris-talks-wont-achieve-2-degree-goal-does-that-matter-18648 White House doubles down: Climate change more dangerous than terrorism. The White House insisted Tuesday that the dangers posed by climate change are greater for average Americans than the threat of terrorism. Speaking to reporters, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Americans no longer face the same threat of attack that they did prior to Sept. 11, 2001, crediting the administration’s efforts to degrade organizations such as al Qaeda. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/10/wh-climate-change-more-dangerous-than-terrorism/#ixzz3RT0N65jL http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/232310-wh-more-americans-directly-affected-by-climate-change-than Top lawmakers launch a clean energy 'gold rush' with sweeping new climate change proposals. State legislative leaders for California yesterday pitched an ambitious climate change agenda as a job-creating vehicle. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D) unveiled an ambitious package of bills that would extend the state's greenhouse gas targets to midcentury, expand the state's renewable electricity target to 50 percent… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013256/print Coal-heavy utility offers support for EPA's Clean Power Plan in exchange for revisions. A coal-reliant electric utility, Ameren Corp., is laying out changes U.S. EPA could make to its proposed Clean Power Plan to earn the company's support for the proposed rule. In a white paper released today, the utility -- which produces 70 percent of its power from coal-fired plants… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013253/print Website lets users buy international carbon offsets with credit card. Want to buy a metric ton of forest carbon? As of yesterday, all you need is an Internet connection and a credit card. Code REDD, a California-based nonprofit, yesterday launched a website where anyone can purchase forest carbon offsets for as little as $5. Called "Stand for Trees," the crowdsourcing effort aims to raise over $1 million for the projects described on the website… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013230/print Shipping boom will increase warming, air pollution – report. As Arctic ice melts, increased shipping through the region is expected to exacerbate the impacts of global warming and adversely affect human health, according to a new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013219/print DROUGHT Ranchers Bouncing Back, But Still Feel Effects Of Drought. Jim Gates owns Nevada County Free Range Beef and was hit hard by the drought last year. On this day, he hops out of his truck to open the gate to his livestock pastures near Grass Valley. About 100 cows graze among the green rolling hills. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/11/ranchers-bouncing-back,-but-still-feel-affects-of-drought/ Southern California may face water cuts. Southern Californians may face water cutbacks this summer, the Metropolitan Water District warned Monday after outlining options for rationing amid the state’s fourth straight year of drought. Water restrictions could trim the amount available to consumers by 5 percent to 10 percent, or perhaps more, according to the agency that serves as the wholesale water supplier to the region. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/feb/09/environment-water-cutbacks-metropolitan/ NorCal getting more rain than SoCal. Now, after this past weekend's soaking storms, there's a new difference emerging: the drought. As the state faces a possible fourth year of drought, Northern California is enjoying a healthy wet winter so far, with rainfall levels at 100 percent of their historic average or above in nearly every city, and reservoirs, while still not back to normal, steadily filling. http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_27503100/norcal-getting-more-rain-than-socal FUELS EU Shutters Most Coal, Natural Gas Power in Six Years. European utilities shut more coal and natural gas power plants in 2014 than in any year since at least 2009 amid falling demand for electricity and tougher pollution curbs, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. European Union power companies turned off 63 percent more coal- and gas-fed generation than they started… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-11/eu-shutters-most-coal-natural-gas-power-in-six-years House Expected to Pass Keystone Bill Despite Obama’s Opposition. The House on Wednesday is expected to pass a bill forcing the administration to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, sending the measure to President Obama, who has vowed to veto it. The Senate passed an identical measure in January. While most congressional Republicans and some Democrats support the pipeline… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/us/politics/house-expected-to-pass-keystone-bill-despite-obamas-opposition.html High levels of benzene found in fracking waste water. Hoping to better understand the health effects of oil fracking, the state in 2013 ordered oil companies to test the chemical-laden waste water extracted from wells. Data culled from the first year of those tests found significant concentrations of the human carcinogen benzene in this so-called "flowback fluid." In some cases, the fracking waste liquid… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fracking-20150211-story.html#page=1 Committee advances alternative fuel tax bill. A Senate committee has advanced a bill that would add a new state tax on electric and other vehicles that use nontraditional fuels. The Senate Revenue Committee voted 5-0 Tuesday to recommend House Bill 9 and send it to the Senate floor for debate. The House has already approved the bill. The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle reports that the proposal sets tax rates for a range of alternative fuels. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article9715811.html#storylink=cpy VEHICLES Lurching Start for Tesla in China. For $104,000, Yu Hangmei expected a car that could, at the very least, be driven. What Ms. Yu said she got instead was a new electric Tesla Model S sedan and a malfunctioning charging station. While driving through her town in coastal Zhejiang Province recently, Ms. Yu, 45, realized that even though she had plugged in the vehicle, the battery was almost dead. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/business/international/tesla-seeks-a-stronger-foothold-in-china.html PG&E aims to install 25,000 electric car charging station across California. The state's biggest utility wants to install 25,000 electric car charging stations across Northern and Central California and have customers foot the bill. More than 60,000 plug-in electric vehicles are currently registered in PG&E's service area in Central and Northern California. But there are only 1,991 charging stations statewide, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/3512779-181/pge-aims-to-install-25000 Automakers outline EV strategies as Democrats push new vehicle incentives. A single comment yesterday afternoon exposed the different approaches automakers have used to crack into the electric vehicle market and the challenges the sector faces. "They have really pushed the industry into places it doesn't make sense,"… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013252/print GREEN ENERGY Solar farm capable of powering 160,000 homes opens in California. One of the largest solar energy farms in the world has opened in Southern California's desert, with 160,000 homes now able to power lights and appliances through sunlight converted into electricity, federal officials said on Tuesday. The Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, located in Riverside County about 170 miles (273 km) east of downtown Los Angeles, was operating at full capacity and providing 550 megawatts of electricity… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/10/us-usa-california-solar-idUSKBN0LE2UF20150210 White House Seeks $2B in Private Funds for Investment in Clean Energy Projects. The Obama administration announced Feb. 10 a goal of raising $2 billion from the private sector to fund clean energy projects, saying more funding is needed to fight climate change through “innovative technologies.” The Clean Energy Investment Initiative, to be run by the Energy Department… http://www.bna.com/white-house-seeks-n17179922979/ Europe Wind Power Booms on German Demand as 2015 Set for Record. Developers installed 11.8 gigawatts of wind turbines in Europe last year, accounting for almost half the power-generation capacity added, as the region continues to shift away from fossil fuels, according to the European Wind Energy Association. Germany was the top wind market with about 45 percent of the total, the Brussels-based trade group said Tuesday in a statement. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-11/eu-shutters-most-coal-natural-gas-power-in-six-years Apple plans $850M solar plant in Monterey County to power all California operations. Apple has committed nearly $850 million to help build a solar energy farm in Monterey County that will generate power for its California facilities, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced Tuesday. Speaking at a technology conference hosted by Goldman Sachs, Cook revealed that Apple is partnering with First Solar to construct the 1,300-acre plant… http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27499134/apple-plans-850m-solar-plant-monterey-county-power Is Germany the Bellwether for Renewable Power Usage Increases? One aspect of modern Germany that the world can count on is that their stated economic objectives have almost always been met. This is true, even though observers and analysts tend to raise their eyebrows at the extremity of some of these predictions. http://www.desertsun.com/story/morrisbeschlosseconomics/2015/02/11/morris-beschloss-economics-germany-green-renewable-energy-power/23224461/ While expanding its coal use, China leads world in efforts to make it cleaner -- study China is projected to add 170 gigawatts of coal-fired electric power capacity over the next decade and by 2025 will solidify its standing as the world's largest coal consumer, with more than 1,367 GW of installed coal-fired electricity capacity. This will be a 62 percent increase over current levels, according to new findings from the research and consulting firm GlobalData. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013236/print BLOGS Climate Change Claims Are All Hot Air. Voters aren't concerned about fighting climate change and definitely don't want to pay to do so. "Changing Attitudes on a Changing Climate," [Feb. 2, 2015] sheds more heat than light on the issue of the public's understanding of and attitude towards climate change and what can be done about it. After more than two decades of hearing nothing but radical environmental activists hype… http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/letters-to-the-editor/2015/02/11/polls-show-voters-dont-want-to-pay-to-fight-climate-change Branson's Carbon War Room Partners With Rocky Mountain Institute To Build Low Carbon Future. Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room recently partnered with Rocky Mountain Institute to accelerate a global shift to a low carbon future. Jules Kortenhorst, CEO of Rocky Mountain Institute noted, “The energy revolution is accelerating; the implications for businesses around the world are enormous. http://www.forbes.com/sites/devinthorpe/2015/02/11/bransons-carbon-war-room-partners-with-rocky-mountain-institute-to-build-low-carbon-future/ EROI -- A Tool To Predict The Best Energy Mix. Modern society was born a hundred and fifty years ago when coal began providing sufficient energy to make lots and lots of steel and steam, lifting ordinary citizens out of poverty and into the newly-developing middle class. Soon after, we added oil. The energy obtained from these sources was obvious and immediate. It took little energy input to get a lot of energy out. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/02/11/eroi-a-tool-to-predict-the-best-energy-mix/ Tom Steyer Takes a Side in Environmentalists' Ethanol Fight. Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer is in an unfamiliar spot: at odds with many environmentalists on a global-warming policy. Steyer's NextGen Climate group is embracing the federal biofuels mandate, called the renewable-fuel standard (RFS)… http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/tom-steyer-takes-a-side-in-environmentalists-ethanol-fight-20140819 Blocking Out The Sun Not The Best Way To Fight Climate Change …Yet. Drastic measures like geoengineering are seen as a last resort for heading off the impacts of climate change, but scientists are beginning to look seriously at the possibility that the time for such techniques will inevitably come. For a few decades now, we’ve been hearing from scientists and others, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change… http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2015/02/11/hide-the-co2-not-the-sunshine-to-fight-climate-change-says-science/ Rebellion Photonics: Thriving On Fumes. By creating a better tool for spotting gas leaks from oilfields and pipelines, tiny Rebellion Photonics got the jump on a global market no one else could see. You’d think she’d be happy. When the Environmental Protection Agency announced in January its intention to clamp down on emissions of methane…http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2015/02/11/rebellion-photonics-thriving-on-fumes/?ss=reinventing-america%2f GOP lawmaker denies global warming as Inslee climate bill advances. Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposal to cap state carbon emissions and impose $1 billion a year in new charges on oil refineries, aluminum smelters and other top polluters passed its first legislative hurdle Tuesday, clearing the state House Environment Committee on a party-line vote. Much of the debate centered on GOP amendments that sought to soften the costs on industries of the cap-and-trade proposal… http://blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2015/02/11/gop-lawmaker-denies-global-warming-as-inslee-climate-bill-advances/ Vaccines Are One of Our Best Weapons Against Global Warming. Climate change could make deadly diseases like rotavirus even worse. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has suggested that vaccines cause "profound mental disorders." Paul has also said he's "not sure anybody exactly knows why" the climate changes. So the likely presidential contender would probably find this fact pretty confusing:… http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/02/vaccines-measles-rotavirus-climate-change Laying Pipe in The Lower 48. No one was surprised when the U.S. Senate recently passed a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, and though a new video featuring Julie Louis-Dreyfus urges all to sign the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) petition advising Obama to veto the pipeline, which he will likely do… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-slovick/laying-pipe-in-the-lower-48_b_6648164.html?ir=Los+Angeles&utm_hp_ref=los-angeles Reaction: Geoengineering is no substitute for cutting carbon emissions, conclude US researchers. On Tuesday, the US National Research Council published two new reports on 'climate interventions', or what's more commonly known as 'geoengineering'. Geoengineering is the deliberate large-scale intervention into the Earth's climate system to try and limit the effects of human-caused global warming… http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2015/02/reaction-geoengineering-is-no-substitute-for-cutting-carbon-emissions-conclude-us-researchers/ How To Test Hydrogen Vs Electric Cars: A Challenge To Automakers (In Our Dreams). The amount of animus between some proponents of plug-in electric cars and those who support hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles is remarkable, and sometimes disturbing. Each side marshals studies of everything from wells-to-wheels carbon footprint (electric cars win) to "refueling time" to full range (hydrogen vehicles win). http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096735_how-to-test-hydrogen-vs-electric-cars-a-challenge-to-automakers-in-our-dreams Engineered yeast produces ethanol from three important cellulosic biomass components simultaneously; higher yields, lower cost. A team led by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign has, for the first time, integrated the fermentation pathways of both hexose and pentose sugars from biomass as well as an acetic acid reduction pathway into one strain of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using synthetic biology and metabolic engineering approaches. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150211-ej4.html Volkswagen Group acquires Ballard automotive fuel cell patent portfolio, extends engineering services contract in US$80+ million deal. Ballard Power Systems has entered into a Technology Solutions transaction with Volkswagen Group for an aggregate amount of approximately US$80 million for the transfer of certain automotive-related fuel cell intellectual property (IP)… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150211-volkswagen.html Audi Buys Patents For Fuel-Cell Technology From Ballard Systems. Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota have made most of the headlines in hydrogen fuel-cell development lately, but the Volkswagen Group may soon increase its presence. Audi announced today that it will acquire a package of patents from fuel-cell company Ballard Power Systems, which it says will be applied across all VW Group brands. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096736_audi-buys-patents-for-fuel-cell-technology-from-ballard-systems California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 14:26:57 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 12, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 12, 2015. 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 Cap-and-trade: Transportation fuels on the block. For the first time, permission slips to sell an array of fuels used in California – and which account for nearly 40 percent of the state’s carbon emissions – will be put on the auction block as part of the state’s landmark law to curb climate-changing greenhouse gases. The sellers in California of gasoline, diesel, natural gas, heating oil and other fuels will be able to buy… http://capitolweekly.net/cap-trade-transportation-fuels-block/ California GHG reporting obligations extend to biodiesel. California has embarked upon the most aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction program in the world. As a result of California’s Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions program (MRR), biofuel producers, position holders and companies that import biodiesel into California are subject to reporting obligations. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/306948/california-ghg-reporting-obligations-extend-to-biodiesel Governor's cap-and-trade proposal receives House committee support. Gov. Jay Inslee's proposal for regulating greenhouse gas emissions has cleared its first of several hurdles in a 6-to-5 party-line vote Tuesday in the Democrat-controlled House Environment Committee. House Bill 1314, the Carbon Pollution Accountability Act, would establish a statewide cap on carbon emissions, requiring Washington's 130 largest polluters to buy credits… http://www.auburn-reporter.com/news/291708531.html Ontario to seek public input on carbon pricing. The Ontario government is looking for public input on its climate change strategy, as it weighs whether to implement a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax. A 45-day consultation period will see town hall meetings held across the province and people can give feedback online and through social media. http://globalnews.ca/news/1826936/ontario-to-seek-public-input-on-carbon-pricing/ As China prepares a national launch of its carbon trading program, questions proliferate. China plans to kick off a national carbon market next year, but because many challenges remain unsolved in its regional carbon trading pilots, the move has met with a mix of praise and caution. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013224/print AIR POLLUTION Premier Performance LLC fined $515,000 for violating air regulations. Another automotive parts company has been penalized for running afoul of California air pollution regulations. Premier Performance LLC of Rexburg, Idaho, has agreed to a $515,000 settlement with the California Air Resources Board (ARB) according to an announcement made yesterday by the agency. http://www.examiner.com/article/premier-performance-llc-fined-515-000-for-violating-air-regulations Air pollution affects children's memory, IQ. Children living in cities with significant air pollution are at an increased risk for detrimental impacts to the brain, including short-term memory loss and lower IQ, a new study has found. Researchers show that children with lifetime exposures to concentrations of air pollutants above the current US standards… http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/air-pollution-affects-children-s-memory-iq-115021200654_1.html CLIMATE CHANGE Who pays? Who cuts emissions? 5 issues for UN climate deal. World governments are hoping that this year will mark a breakthrough in the slow-paced U.N. climate talks. In Geneva this week, negotiators from more than 190 countries are working on a draft of a deal that's supposed to be adopted in Paris in December. At this point it's a wish list reflecting the diverging preferences of rich countries like the U.S. and Japan, major developing economies such as China… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UN_CLIMATE_TALKS_5_KEY_ISSUES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT 5 crunch issues for UN climate deal. After failing six years ago to craft a global agreement to fight climate change, world governments are hoping that this year will mark a breakthrough in the slow-paced U.N. climate talks. In Geneva this week, negotiators from more than 190 countries are working on an early draft of a deal that's supposed to be adopted in Paris in December. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UN_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT 'Our Only World' reflects on people and the environment. "Our Only World" (Counterpoint), by Wendell Berry. The 10 essays in "Our Only World" convey outrage over environmental and community ruin while also expressing hope that the very species that inflicted such harm is capable of doing better. Stern but compassionate, author Wendell Berry raises broader issues that environmentalists rarely focus on. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOOK_REVIEW_OUR_ONLY_WORLD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT In China, a fight to save a forest tests toughened environment law. A lawsuit filed against four Chinese mining executives accused of destroying a stretch of forest is shaping up as a test of China's strengthened environmental law and the ability of green groups to make companies more accountable for their actions. Environmentalists hope the case will prompt a wave of legal action across China, where discontent is rising over a growth-at-all-costs economic model that has spoiled much of the country's water, skies and soil. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/12/us-china-environment-lawsuit-idUSKBN0LE2PJ20150212 Oil sector must take lead in climate debate: Shell CEO. The oil industry needs to take a leading role in the fight against climate change to introduce "realism and practicality" into the debate, the head of Royal Dutch Shell will say on Thursday. In excerpts of a keynote speech due to be given at the International Petroleum Week dinner in London on Thursday evening, Shell Chief Executive Ben van Beurden also accuses governments of taking at times counterproductive steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/12/us-shell-environment-idUSKBN0LG01920150212 Vatican mulling new department to tackle environmental issues. The Vatican is considering setting up an environmental think tank, a spokesman said on Thursday, which could influence the opinion of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics on such thorny issues as climate change. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/12/pope-environment-idUSL5N0VM52420150212 Warmer Seas Linked To East Coast Hurricane Outbreaks. Christopher Columbus explored the New World during wildly tempestuous seafaring times. In the summer of 1502, during his final American voyage, for example, Columbus commanded his fleet to the shelter of an island, now home to Haiti, as a hurricane tore through. Three of the four ships broke anchor in the walloping winds. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warmer-seas-linked-to-east-coast-hurricane-outbreaks-18643 U.S. drought helps increase belief in climate change. As 2014 came to an end, more Americans believed there was evidence of increasing temperatures on Earth than when the year began, according to a new National Surveys on Energy and Environment (NSEE) poll from the University of Michigan and Muhlenberg College. The rise in public opinion comes after three years of declining belief in climate change. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013326/print EPA hints it may change carbon rule's time frame. Acting Assistant U.S. EPA Administrator Janet McCabe didn't make any specific promises during her testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee yesterday morning. But between the lines of her answers, the agency's top air quality official delivered a clear signal to the state officials charged with implementing the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013345/print Agriculture emissions surge above those from deforestation for the first time, U.N. report warns. Global emissions from agriculture appear to have surpassed those from deforestation for the first time, based on a new data analysis by researchers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. According to the FAO report, agriculture accounted for 11.2 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions in 2010, while deforestation was responsible for 8 percent. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013314/print DROUGHT Extreme drought in Northern California just got 10% better. In rare good news on the California drought, extremely dry conditions in northern parts of the state improved by 10% after a series of strong storms. This week’s U.S. Drought Monitor reports extreme conditions dropped from 77% last week to 67%. The positive change occurred mostly in northwestern California and the Santa Cruz Mountains between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-drought-20150212-story.html California Reservoirs Benefit From Recent Storms. National Weather Service forecasters in Sacramento have updated reservoir totals after the recent storms. Meteorologist Michelle Mead with the National Weather Service in Sacramento says an eight-station index of Northern Sierra reservoirs has been in a boom-and-bust cycle. "December we did quite well, we were 150, at one point, 180 percent of average in those gauges," said Mead.” http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/11/california-reservoirs-benefit-from-recent-storms/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES EPA program helps schools purchase cleaner, safer buses. An Environmental Protection Agency program is aiming to help schools across the country retire 210 aging buses, replacing them with cleaner, safer vehicles with filters that significantly cut certain types of emissions. The Arlington, Va., school system is one of the beneficiaries of the school bus replacement rebate program and will receive $100,000 to help with… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/02/11/epa-program-helps-schools-purchase-cleaner-safer-buses/ CARB offering class this month on complying with emissions regulations. The California Air Resources Board announced will hold a half-day seminar Tuesday, Feb. 24, to help truck owners better understand and comply with the state’s stringent truck emissions regulations. Lifetime exposure to modern diesel exhaust does not induce tumors or precancerous changes, according to the first comprehensive study of the matter. http://www.overdriveonline.com/carb-offering-class-this-month-on-complying-with-emissions-regulations/# FUELS Congress clears Keystone XL pipeline bill, setting up veto. The Republican-controlled Congress cleared a bill Wednesday to construct the Keystone XL oil pipeline, setting up a confrontation with President Barack Obama, who has threatened to veto the measure. The House passed the bill on a 270-152 vote, endorsing changes made by the Senate that stated climate change was real and not a hoax, and oil sands should no longer be exempt from a tax used to cleanup oil spills. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Cheaper gas lowers US retail sales; spending up elsewhere. U.S. retail sales fell sharply last month as gas prices plummeted and auto sales slowed. But excluding those volatile categories, Americans stepped up their spending a bit. Retail sales dropped 0.8 percent in January, the Commerce Department said Thursday, following a 0.9 percent decline in December. The dollar value of gas station sales plunged 9.3 percent, the largest drop in six years. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RETAIL_SALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Total write downs value of Canadian, US oil fields amid loss. French energy producer Total wrote down the value of oil and gas fields in Canada and the United States and said it would slash investment after the collapse in market prices led to a net loss of $5.66 billion for the fourth quarter. Total SA said Thursday its earnings were weighed down by $6.5 billion in charges, mainly against the value of oil sands in Canada and unconventional gas fields in the United States. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_EARNS_TOTAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Oil drilling banned in Arctic area that attracts walrus. A plateau on the Arctic Ocean floor, where thousands of Pacific walrus gather to feed and raise pups, has received new protections from the Obama administration that recognize it as a biological hot spot and mark it off-limits to future oil drilling. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OCEAN_NO_LEASES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Big Oil Must Ditch Low Profile in Climate Clash: Shell CEO. Royal Dutch Shell Plc will call on the oil industry to speak up about global warming as executives at the world’s second-biggest energy producer fear losing ground to environmental voices. “In the past we thought it was better to keep a low profile on the issue,” Chief Executive Officer Ben Van Beurden said in remarks prepared for a conference Thursday in London. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-12/shell-calls-on-big-oil-peers-to-speak-up-on-climate-change California oil regulator cites ‘serious concerns’ on data collection. Pressed by lawmakers about failing to shield protected aquifers from waste generated during oil drilling, California’s state regulator overseeing the oil industry conceded Wednesday that his agency is falling short. “We do have a serious data management problem,” Dr. Steve Bohlen, appointed last year to head California’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article9767951.html#storylink=cpy Does a 'carbon bubble' exist, or did somebody invent one? Selling fossil fuel stocks in order to spurn coal, oil and natural gas companies would be a financially foolish act and would have a negligible or nonexistent effect in targeting carbon energy companies, according to a report published earlier this week. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013347/print VEHICLES Chevy confirms production of 200-mile-range Bolt EV. Coming soon to a charging station near you: a 200-mile-range electric vehicle that isn't a Tesla. Chevrolet has confirmed it will begin production on its Bolt EV, a concept car revealed only weeks ago in Detroit. It's now headed into production at a GM plant that currently makes Chevy Sonics. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-chevy-confirms-bolt-ev-20150211-story.html Tesla stock plunges after it posts $108-million quarterly loss. Tesla Motors Inc. continued to report big losses as it invests heavily in factories and new models to solidify its growth. the Palo Alto electric car company reported a loss of $107.6 million in the fourth quarter, up from a loss of $16.3 million in the same period a year earlier. For all of last year, Tesla lost $294 million compared with $74 million in the prior year. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-telsa-fourth-quarter-earnings-20150210-story.html Woodland plug-in ceremony highlights electric cars. Electric vehicle charging stations are now online in downtown Woodland, ushering in a Yolo County-City of Woodland partnership. “I was thinking this morning, ‘imagine how people felt when the first gas station came to town,’” said Mayor Tom Stallard, who spoke at Tuesday’s plug-in ceremony. “That was a big deal.” http://www.dailydemocrat.com/technology/20150210/woodland-plug-in-ceremony-highlights-electric-cars Tesla is close to unveiling a home storage battery, reports $108M 4Q loss. Electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc. will soon unveil a battery it plans to offer for energy storage in homes and businesses. Tesla Chairman and CEO Elon Musk said yesterday that he'll reveal "the Tesla home battery, the consumer battery" within "the next month or two." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013352/print GREEN ENERGY US stocks rise as technology, energy sectors gain. Stocks rose Thursday, led by gains in big technology companies. Cisco Systems was the biggest gainer in the technology sector after reporting better-than-expected earnings. Energy stocks advanced as the price of oil rebounded following two days of heavy losses. European markets got a lift after world leaders clinched a cease-fire deal… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FINANCIAL_MARKETS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT China installed wind power capacity hits 7 pct of total in 2014. China's installed capacity for grid-connected wind power rose nearly 26 percent to 96.37 gigawatts (GW) in 2014, accounting for 7 percent of the country's total, the National Energy Administration said on Thursday. The nation is on track to meet a wind capacity target of 100 GW set in its 2011-2015 "five-year plan" for the energy sector after a rapid construction programme… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/12/china-power-windpower-idUSL4N0VM3XJ20150212 A bad quarter for Exxon Mobil is still better than a good one for 20 top solar companies — combined. In recent years, growth in the solar energy industry has been massive. As I reported last week, just since 2008, U.S. wind and solar capacity have tripled. And the story continues: On Tuesday, Apple announced it was investing a dramatic $848 million to partner with First Solar on a huge California solar farm – Apple’s slice of the farm will be 1,300 acres. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/11/a-bad-quarter-for-exxon-mobil-is-still-better-than-a-good-one-for-20-top-solar-companies-combined/ Google buys Altamont wind energy to power Googleplex. Google has spent $1.5 billion around the world on clean energy projects cutting the pollution from millions of users clicking on search links, watching YouTube videos and sending emails, but now it's found a powerful electricity source close to home. The company will announce Wednesday that it is buying power from the Altamont Pass, one of the nation's oldest, largest and most iconic wind farms… http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_27503195/google-buys-altamont-wind-energy-power-googleplex Lawmaker says California’s solar efforts off-target. California’s multibillion dollar investments into solar panel and zero-emission vehicle technologies have heavily benefitted wealthy, highly educated, Los Angeles and Bay Area residents and skipped over the Central Valley, says Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced. Mr. Gray requested an audit of the state’s efforts and says he is outraged by the findings. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27756 Comparing the Costs of Renewable and Conventional Energy Sources. You can’t get too far in a discussion about the nation’s electric power sector without running into the question of costs. How do renewable sources, such as solar and wind, stack up against fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas? How much will it cost utilities and ratepayers to build—and operate—a new power plant? http://theenergycollective.com/energy-innovation-llc/2192586/comparing-costs-renewable-and-conventional-energy-sources Energizr & Gridz: New Solar Power + Energy Storage Solutions From JLM Energy. JLM Energy, based in Rocklin, CA, is selling complete home (Energizr) and commercial (Gridz) energy solutions, with each one utilizing solar power panels, a battery system, and a backup generator, including a grid connection. JLM generously answered my questions about its systems for this CleanTechnica article. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/02/11/energizr-new-solar-power-energy-storage-solution-jlm-energy/ Geoengineering Is No Replacement For Reducing Carbon Emissions. A National Research Council committee concluded that there is no substitute for “dramatic reductions” in greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the negative consequences of man-made climate change. MIT uses greenhouse gas technology for low cost concentrated solar system. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/02/12/geoengineering-no-replacement-carbon-emissions/ Calif.'s solar industry employs more people than state's utilities. It's widely known that the solar industry is creating a lot of jobs, but some figures presented at an energy conference yesterday put that job performance in a new light. The California solar industry now employs almost 55,000 people, more than the state's three major utilities -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (about 20,000), Southern California Edison (more than 13,600) and San Diego Gas & Electric (about 5,000). http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060013353/print Tiny lenses and mirrors make concentrating solar power ready for your rooftop. A new approach for concentrating photovoltaic systems gets rid of mechanical sun trackers, making this design a contender for sunny rooftops across the world, a recent report shows. Current strategies for turning sunlight into electricity make trade-offs between performance, price and versatility. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013348/print MISCELLANEOUS How much lead is in your chocolate? If you (like me) have been happily snarfing down chocolate in recent years, secure in the knowledge that those flavonols were at least doing good things for your heart, today is not your day. Just in time for Valentine's Day, a California consumer health watchdog group filed legal notices Wednesday demanding that many of the big chocolate companies post warnings on their packages that show their products contain high levels of lead and cadmium. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/02/11/lead-and-cadmium-in-chocolate-noooooooooooo/ Sunnyvale: Businesses 99 percent compliant with foam food containers ban. Foam food containers are nearly extinct in Sunnyvale. Businesses are reportedly 99 percent in compliance with the first phase of the citywide ban on expanded polystyrene [EPS] containers, more commonly known as Styrofoam. "It's a big plus because this stuff is different from other types of litter in that it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces… http://www.mercurynews.com/sunnyvale/ci_27506591/sunnyvale-businesses-99-percent-compliant-foam-food-containers US: Midwest states speaking about multi-state programme. Fourteen Midwest states are actively discussing the feasibility of a multi-state programme and other ways to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rules for existing power plants, said two sources with knowledge of the discussions. The EPA released its proposed draft rules for existing power plants in June (see EDCM 2 June 2014). http://www.icis.com/resources/news/2015/02/11/9860210/us-midwest-states-speaking-about-multi-state-programme/ OPINIONS In Climate Change, What’s in a Name? The words are hurled around like epithets. People who reject the findings of climate science are dismissed as “deniers” and “disinformers.” Those who accept the science are attacked as “alarmists” or “warmistas.” The latter term, evoking the Sandinista revolutionaries of Nicaragua, is perhaps meant to suggest that the science is part of some socialist plot. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/science/earth/in-climate-change-whats-in-a-name.html?_r=1 COLUMN-Lindsey oil refinery falls victim to UK policy and shale: Kemp. French oil major Total has announced plans to halve capacity at its Lindsey refinery on Britain's North Sea coast as part of an overhaul of downstream activities intended to address overcapacity in the European refining sector. Total's decision comes as no surprise. Of the six refineries still operating in Britain, Lindsey was most at risk of closure or capacity reduction… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/12/refineries-britain-kemp-idUSL5N0VM44Q20150212 Cheaper Gas? Politicians Want a Tax Fill-Up. The 34% price drop at the pumps is stirring government appetite for your savings. American families are enjoying a level of economic relief they haven’t experienced in six years—and it is largely attributable to the recent slide in gasoline prices. The average price for a gallon of gas, according to AAA, has tumbled 34% in the past year to about $2 a gallon from $3.27. http://www.wsj.com/articles/carly-fiorina-and-penny-nance-cheaper-gas-politicians-want-a-tax-fill-up-1423700365 The Risks of Climate Engineering. THE Republican Party has long resisted action on climate change, but now that much of the electorate wants something done, it needs to find a way out of the hole it has dug for itself. A committee appointed by the National Research Council may just have handed the party a ladder. In a two-volume report, the council is recommending that the federal government fund a research program into geoengineering as a response to a warming globe. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/opinion/the-risks-of-climate-engineering.html Gazprom’s Dwindling Clout. At a meeting in Moscow on Jan. 14, the European Commission’s vice president for energy union, Maros Sefcovic, was surprised to hear the head of Gazprom, Aleksei Miller, declare that if the Europeans want continued access to the Russian natural gas that is currently piped through Ukraine, Europe would have to build its own pipelines to the Turkish border. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/opinion/gazproms-dwindling-clout.html?_r=0 Letter: How is money is being spent in California? The California Air Resources Board (CARB), an unelected state bureaucracy with no taxpayer or legislator oversight, illegally taxed gasoline sold in California on Jan 1. With the low gas prices, people did not notice. However, we all know gas prices will be back to $3 or $4 per gallon. High gas taxes affects business, truckers, farmers, farmworkers… http://www.lodinews.com/opinion/letters/article_6ffab0ea-b1c1-11e4-9eb1-27815944252e.html We don’t know what the state doesn’t want you to know about water. On Nov. 17, 2014, Weekly Assistant Editor Kera Abraham sent a highly targeted Public Records Act request to the state Water Resources Control Board. With the Dec. 31, 2016, deadline for California American Water to stop overpumping from the Carmel River – under a state cease-and-desist order… http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/opinion/local_spin/we-don-t-know-what-the-state-doesn-t-want/article_2b4add0e-b238-11e4-bf87-0b61469962bb.html The Lumber Man In Charge of Climate Policy. Bay Area billionaire Robert Fisher profits by logging California's North Coast forests, even as Governor Jerry Brown has tapped him to help implement the state's anti-global warming agenda. The world's largest remaining contiguous stand of old-growth redwood forest resides in Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Northern California. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-lumber-man-in-charge-of-climate-policy/Content?oid=4191938 Berkeley Voice letters to the editor: Food waste recycling; post office building legal battle. I am responding to the Times Feb. 6 article, "'Green' recycling program is wilting." Large public programs and newspaper stories are great for the majority. But the minorities also need to be reached. Case in point: My church, Good Shepherd Episcopal in Berkeley, hosts a lot of groups… http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_27507753/berkeley-voice-letters-editor-food-waste-recycling-post BLOGS Shell CEO Wants Big Oil to Have High Profile on Climate Change. Royal Dutch Shell PLC Chief Executive Ben van Beurden is preparing to offer some criticism of the debate over climate-change policy, and his industry’s approach to it, at a London oil-industry conference on Thursday night. In a speech — an excerpt of which the Journal obtained…http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2015/02/12/shell-ceo-wants-big-oil-to-have-high-profile-on-climate-change/tab/print/ It’s Hot Days, Not Cold, That Really Chill Labor Productivity. As snow once again hits the Northeast, new research suggests that warmer weather is to blame for driving down productivity, even in an industrialized country like the United States. A working paper from the National Bureau for Economic Research suggests that hot days… http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/02/12/its-hot-days-not-cold-that-really-chill-labor-productivity/?KEYWORDS=EMISSIONS Retail Sales Mystery: Where Are Americans’ Gas Savings Going? Americans saved at the pump last month as gasoline prices fell to levels last seen in 2009. But where did that money go? Thursday’s retail-sales report from the Commerce Department didn’t contain many answers. Overall sales fell in January for the second straight month, largely due to a 9.3% decline in sales at gas stations. http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/02/12/retail-sales-mystery-where-are-americans-gas-savings-going/ What Supply Chain Leaders Need To Know About Planning In An Unpredictable Environment. With a blizzard on one end of his trip and the effects of a two-year (and counting) drought awaiting him on the other, author and green business strategist Andrew Winston got a firsthand look at the extreme weather battering the US this January while traveling from his East Coast home to the drought-ravaged West Coast… http://www.forbes.com/sites/oracle/2015/02/11/what-supply-chain-leaders-need-to-know-about-planning-in-an-unpredictable-environment/?cid=8989 'Behind The Curve' On Climate Risk. A handful of listed businesses are showing all the signs of being well ‘behind the curve’ when it comes to their response to investor and stakeholder concerns on issues surrounding sustainability and climate change. In the last year global oil, gas and coal companies have expanded their reported reserves, even though 80% of existing reserves… http://www.forbes.com/sites/dinamedland/2015/02/12/behind-the-curve-on-climate-risk/ Divestment Is An Honored Tradition But Misguided For Fossil Fuels. With “Global Divestment Day” approaching this weekend, lots of talk is swirling around the subject of whether attempts to have investors yank money from oil, natural gas and coal is worthwhile. While disinvestment in those fossil FOSL +0.58% fuels is unsound, the concept itself has a cherished history of exacting change. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/02/12/divestment-is-an-honored-tradition-but-misguided-for-fossil-fuels/ We did the math on clean coal, and it doesn’t add up. The Kemper County energy facility in rural Mississippi is a technological wonder: Among other things, it’s the first coal-fired power plant in the United States designed to capture its carbon emissions. But as I discovered during a months-long investigation of the plant, some aspects are less than wondrous. http://grist.org/climate-energy/we-did-the-math-on-clean-coal-and-it-doesnt-add-up/ Are Energy Managers Making Progress? Introducing a Tool to Help. Energy management can be complicated, and the projects organizations must tackle run the gamut: from small-scale lighting and HVAC upgrades to whole building retrofits; from baselining energy consumption to data analysis of enterprise-wide energy management systems; and from volunteer employee engagement programs to executive-level goal setting. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/02/12/are-energy-managers-making-progress-introducing-a-tool-to-help/ Tesla will deliver 70 percent more vehicles in 2015. While everyone would still like Tesla Motors to announce monthly sales numbers, at least we now have the latest quarterly delivery figures from the all-electric automaker. Tesla says it delivered 9,834 vehicles in the last quarter of 2014 and built 11,627 vehicles. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/02/11/tesla-70-percent-increase-vehicle-deliveries-2015/ XL Hybrids enters installation and distribution partnership with Lancer Automotive Group for intermountain west. Lancer Automotive Group, a leader in the intermountain west for alternative fuel conversions, announced a non-exclusive installation partnership and distribution agreement with XL Hybrids, a developer of hybrid electric powertrain technology for commercial and municipal fleets. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150212-xlhybrids.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 14:02:50 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 13, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Ontario seeks input on climate change strategy, carbon pricing The Ontario government is looking for public input on its climate change strategy, as it weighs whether to implement a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax. A 45-day consultation period will see town hall meetings held across the province and people can give feedback online and through social media. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-seeks-input-on-climate-change-strategy-carbon-pricing-1.2955165 ‘Cap and Trade’ Could Bring Millions for Environmental Projects With the busy City College trolley station as a backdrop, local government leaders on Tuesday called attention to $2 billion in new funding for environmental projects under California’s innovative “cap and trade” law. Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas, San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez and San Diego Unified Board Member Richard Barrera gathered in support of Assembly Bill 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which will provide $2 billion in funding for transit, energy-efficient housing upgrades, and new affordable housing. http://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2015/02/10/cap-trade-bring-millions-environmental-projects/ AIR POLLUTION Map shows lead pollution around California airports A health non-profit has released a map showing neighborhoods around 23 California airports, where aviation fuel creates lead air pollution dangers. It includes Fresno-Yosemite International Airport. http://abc30.com/news/map-shows-lead-pollution-around-california-airports/515455/ High levels of air pollution at red lights Stopping at red lights exposes drivers to high levels of air pollution, according to scientists, including one of Indian-origin, who suggest that synchronising traffic signals to reduce waiting time may help address the problem. Road vehicles are known to emit polluting nanoparticles which contribute to respiratory and heart diseases. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/high-levels-of-air-pollution-at-red-lights-115021300922_1.html Study finds children’s exposure to urban air pollution results in early hallmarks of Alzheimer’s A study by researchers from the US, Mexico and Canada has found that children’s urban air pollution exposures result in systemic and brain inflammation and the early hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Children living in cities with significant air pollution are at an increased risk for detrimental impacts to the brain, including short-term memory loss and lower IQ. The work is published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150212-um.html CLIMATE CHANGE Negotiators agree on early draft of UN climate deal U.N. negotiators on Friday produced an early draft of what eventually should become a landmark climate deal in Paris next December, piling on suggestions to make sure the document reflected every country's wishes. So instead of shrinking to a more manageable size, the 38-page text from a previous climate change meeting swelled to 86 pages during the weeklong negotiating session in Geneva. http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Negotiators-agree-on-early-draft-of-UN-climate-6079433.php Will The Carbon Bubble Be The Next Financial Crisis? The gross overvaluation of commodities companies, based on resources that they will never be able to extract from the ground, will lead to a new market crash and global financial crisis. That’s the warning in a new study released in Europe yesterday. It comes from the Green party, and specifically a study commissioned by the Green European Foundation, and that fact will probably be enough for many investors to ignore it and move on to the next story. http://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswright/2015/02/13/will-the-carbon-bubble-be-the-next-financial-crisis/ What to Call a Doubter of Climate Change? The words are hurled around like epithets. People who reject the findings of climate science are dismissed as “deniers” and “disinformers.” Those who accept the science are attacked as “alarmists” or “warmistas. ” The latter term, evoking the Sandinista revolutionaries of Nicaragua, is perhaps meant to suggest that the science is part of some socialist plot. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/science/earth/in-climate-change-whats-in-a-name.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Biodiesel's role in meeting AB 32 goals presented at Calif. Event Don Scott, director of sustainability at the National Biodiesel Board, kicked off the first panel with several important statistics about biodiesel benefits relative to petroleum diesel: biodiesel reduces greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 50 to 80 percent; decreases wastewater by 79 percent and hazardous waste by 96 percent; and its use prevents hundreds of premature deaths in California from reduced PM2.5 exposure. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/309933/biodiesels-role-in-meeting-ab-32-goals-presented-at-calif-event FUELS California Bill Would Carry Out Plan to Halve Petroleum Use On Tuesday, several Democratic members of the California Senate introduced a package of legislative proposals they say will help combat climate change and promote a clean energy economy in the state. One of the bills, S.B.350, executes on Gov. Jerry Brown's vision mentioned in his recent State of the State address to reduce on-road petroleum use by 50% by 2030. http://www.ngtnews.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10456#.VN43BBamOa8 VEHICLES Chevy confirms production of 200-mile-range Bolt EV Chevrolet has confirmed it will begin production on its Bolt EV, a concept car revealed only weeks ago in Detroit. It's now headed into production at a GM plant that currently makes Chevy Sonics. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-chevy-confirms-bolt-ev-20150211-story.html Japan Has More Car Chargers Than Gas Stations There are more electric-car charging points in Japan than there are gas stations. That surprising discovery comes from Nissan Motor Co., which reported that the number of power points in Japan, including fast-chargers and those in homes, has surged to 40,000, surpassing the nation’s 34,000 gas stations. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-13/japan-has-more-car-chargers-than-gas-stations-carbon-climate GREEN ENERGY California solar industry added 7,500 jobs in a year Jobs in California's solar industry increased by nearly 7,500 from October 2013 to October 2014. The nearly 16 percent increase outpaced the state’s overall job growth rate for the same time period by more than 10 times. The jobs figures were released by the nonprofit organization The Solar Foundation on Thursday. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/13/49803/california-solar-industry-added-7500-jobs-in-a-yea/ Google campus on track to use 100% renewable energy Google has announced it is purchasing power from Altamont Pass, one of the country's oldest and largest windfarms in California's San Joaquin Valley. The technology company recently inked a 20-year agreement with Florida-based NextEra Energy Inc. About 770 wind turbines from the 1980s will be replaced this year by 48 new turbines, which will double energy production. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060013359/feed School district 'Flips the Switch' on energy use The Palm Springs Unified School District commemorated the completion of its first district-owned solar structures, at a "Flip the Switch" event last week at Bubbling Wells Elementary School in Desert Hot Springs. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/education/2015/02/12/palm-springs-schools-flip-switch/23315887/ MISCELLANEOUS Amid protest, a call for a more ethical Public Utilities Commission The new head of the beleaguered Public Utilities Commission vowed Thursday to forge changes at the powerful regulatory agency "to ensure more ethical behavior" by commissioners and high-ranking staff. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-peevey-fete-20150212-story.html Google Launches Free EV Shuttle Service in Mountain View, CA Four new 100% electric community shuttle buses have hit the road in the beautiful Silicon Valley city of Mountain View, California. The four electric shuttles are free to the public, thanks to Google, and are equipped with seating for 16 passengers, a wheelchair lift, space for two wheelchairs, Wi-Fi connectivity, and bicycle racks on the outside of the shuttle. http://planetsave.com/2015/02/05/google-launches-free-ev-shuttles-mountain-view-ca/ Tehee: Bikeshare program at Fresno State will be useful for city Fresno State may be on it way to a bikeshare system, thanks to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program. The university received the program’s Bikeshare Planning tool, which will offer technical know-how and support in creating bike sharing. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/12/4376271_bikeshare-program-at-fresno-state.html?rh=1 OPINION California businesses will benefit from stronger clean-fuel standards: Guest commentary They say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. At our company, Anaergia, we take that concept to extremes. We turn sewage and landfill waste into energy. We’ve done projects around the world, but our American headquarters are here in California, and that’s no accident. The state’s pioneering energy and pollution policies give clear market signals that other states cannot match. If you’re building a business in the fast-growing clean technology sector, there’s no place in the United States you’d rather be. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion/20150212/california-businesses-will-benefit-from-stronger-clean-fuel-standards-guest-commentary Amid a lack of fracking data, the state should halt new operations The wastewater from oil drilling, hydraulic fracturing and other extraction processes is supposed to be injected only into wells where the groundwater is already too toxic to be used for drinking or irrigation, even if heavily treated. But last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified 10 California wells where that rule had been ignored. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-fracking-wastewater-tainted-aquifers-california-20150213-story.html BLOGS Why Hacking the Atmosphere Won’t Happen Any Time Soon It’s worth spending some more time on the National Academy of Sciences reports on geoengineering prospects and concerns — the concerns mainly being about adding sun-blocking particles to the atmosphere to counteract global warming driven by the buildup of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/why-hacking-the-atmosphere-wont-happen-any-time-soon/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 14:35:33 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 17, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 17, 2015. 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. COOLCALIFORNIA Wieckowski Recognizes Hayward 'CoolCalifornia' Small Business Award Winner. State Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) recognized Hayward’s Way To Be Designs today for its selection as a CoolCalifornia Small Business Award winner by the California Air Resources Board. Way To Be Designs and 15 other companies were honored during a ceremony at the California Environmental Protection Agency building. http://patch.com/california/castrovalley/wieckowski-recognizes-hayward-coolcalifornia-small-business-award-winner Aperia Wins 2014 CoolCalifornia Small Business Award. Aperia Technologies, makers of a versatile, self-powered, bolt-on tire inflation technology, today announced it has been named a winner of a CoolCalifornia Small Business Award by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The American made Halo Tire Inflator is designed to solve the problem of tire under-inflation in medium- and heavy-duty trucks and trailers, reducing fuel consumption, tire waste and emissions. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/02/prweb12515348.htm Capitola Veterinary Hospital named Cool California Business of the Year. As the local economy struggled in the past five years to recover from recession, Dr. River May at Capitola Veterinary Hospital doubled the number of clients, grew his staff from six to 11 employees, and saved $1,500 a year by making decisions from an environmental perspective. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/20150211/capitola-veterinary-hospital-named-cool-california-business-of-the-year AIR POLLUTION Drivers Exposed to 29 Times More Air Pollution While Stopped at Red Lights, Study Finds. Driving with the windows down on a clear blue day may feel refreshing. Really, though, that breeze is toxic. According to new research, you’re dosing yourself with high levels of harmful air pollution every time you stop at a red light. Braking at traffic lights, and then accelerating when they turn green, makes up only around 2 percent of the time a driver spends in the car. Yet that scant amount of time makes up fully 25 percent of a driver’s total air pollution exposure, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Atmospheric Environment. http://www.newsweek.com/drivers-exposed-29-times-more-air-pollution-while-stopped-red-lights-study-306698 Delhi Wakes Up to an Air Pollution Problem It Cannot Ignore. For years, this sprawling city on the Yamuna River had the dirtiest air in the world, but few who lived here seemed conscious of the problem or worried about its consequences. Now, suddenly, that has begun to change. Some among New Delhi’s Indian and foreign elites have started to wear the white surgical masks so common in Beijing. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/world/asia/delhi-wakes-up-to-an-air-pollution-problem-it-cannot-ignore.html New air standard for the valley: Say goodbye to your gasoline-burning car. The San Joaquin Valley has the most federal ozone violations in the country over the last 15 years. The region's only ozone triumph is achieving an ozone standard that dates back to the 1970s. And that isn't official yet. But the future may hold an even bigger struggle as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepares a new ozone standard this year that will challenge even some of the cleaner air basins across the country. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x1923720875/New-air-standard-for-the-valley-Say-goodbye-to-your-gasoline-burning-car Fishermen in Goa, India, dread return of mining. ...river, he said, making "our lives miserable." "Time and again, the water pollution made the river turn red," said Parab, 61, sitting in the veranda... http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-india-fishermen-20150216-story.html Water, air quality concerns heighten conflict with pig farms. ...from fertilizer and accumulated manure have on lakes and rivers, as well as air pollution that can be harmful to respiratory health. Livestock... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article10450640.html Wood burning ban announced for Tuesday. ...in most of the Inland Empire for Tuesday, Feb. 17, due to a forecast of bad air quality. Residents are forbidden from burning wood until Wednesday... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20468404410&p=19f&v=1&x=VRQ1qAEZ6U_KDzK860_Uqw Placer County Subsidizes Bicycles To Get Cars Off The Road. ...riding. Aaron says the goal of the program is to reduce traffic and improve air quality. "We've figured that, last year for example, we have... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/17/placer-county-subsidizes-bicycles-to-get-cars-off-the-road/ Southland fireplace burn-ban in place today. ...meaning indoor fireplace use and outdoor wood burning will be prohibited due to pollution concerns. The South Coast Air Quality Management... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150217/southland-fireplace-burn-ban-in-place-today Study finds that unregulated VSLS efficient at influencing climate through depletion of stratospheric ozone. ...chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are the principal cause of the recent depletion of stratospheric ozone, recent observations show that very short-lived substances (VSLS),... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150217-vsls.html CLIMATE CHANGE Nations agree draft text for deal to fight climate change. Almost 200 countries agreed a draft text for a deal to fight climate change on Friday, but put off hard choices about narrowing down a vast range of options for limiting a damaging rise in temperatures. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/02/13/climatechange-talks-idINKBN0LH1TF20150213 Surprisingly, a Voluntary Climate Treaty Could Actually Work. Negotiators around the world are deliberating proposals for an international climate change treaty that will contain a glaring loophole: It won’t be binding. That’s less than ideal, but it’s still worthwhile for several important reasons. First, all treaties are essentially voluntary, short of violators being placed under severe sanctions or the threat of war. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/upshot/surprisingly-a-voluntary-climate-treaty-could-actually-work.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0 Climate change booklet aims to dispel confusion, misinformation. The Australian Academy of Science has launched a new booklet reiterating that man-made climate change is real. The booklet titled Science Of Climate Change: Questions And Answers warns of the consequences for Australia if no changes are made to address the issue. Academy president Professor Andrew Holmes said there was a gap between public perception of climate change and reality. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-16/climate-change-is-happening-now-scientists-warn/6093724 Climate Scientist Tries Arts To Stir Hearts Regarding Earth's Fate. A decade ago, physicist Robert Davies wasn't all that interested in Earth's climate. His field was quantum optics. But while he was working at the University of Oxford in England, he became intrigued by what was going on at Oxford's Environmental Change Institute, just down the road from his lab. Davies started going to seminars at the Institute, and was taken aback, he says, by "the broad gap between what science understands about climate change, and what the public understands." http://www.npr.org/2015/02/16/386064582/climate-scientist-tries-arts-to-stir-hearts-regarding-earths-fate Study challenges climate benefits of U.S. low-carbon fuels. A recent study on the carbon footprint of biofuels is adding a new wrinkle to the already corrugated landscape of alternative fuels policies. University of Michigan research professor John DeCicco wrote a study finding that the current method of calculating the carbon emissions associated with transportation fuels is essentially meaningless. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013547/search?keyword=california Climate Change Poised to Make Infectious Disease Outbreaks More Frequent. As the Ebola outbreak showed the world recently, the modern age of global air travel has made it far easier for disease to spread. But climate change, which is shuffling habitable zones for pathogen-carrying animals, is poised to make future outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Ebola, H1N1 and TB worse, and more frequent. http://www.newsweek.com/climate-change-poised-make-infectious-disease-outbreaks-more-frequent-307161 Trash-burning plant protected in California climate fights. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León proposed legislation last week to increase the amount of electricity California derives from renewable sources, continuing the Capitol’s longstanding tradition of excluding from what counts as “renewable” any power generated from burning household trash. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article10378388.html#storylink=cpy CALIFORNIA: Incinerator's special status may be on chopping block amid climate battle. As California readies to battle climate change, some state lawmakers are trying to save a special... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20468131637&p=19f&v=1&x=kItxhln9ZxCf_JYTrJyQuA Cooling of test planet divides scientists, environmentalists. Scientists are so concerned about global warming that they're now calling for tests to find ways to... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150214/cooling-of-test-planet-divides-scientists-environmentalists Satellites gauge rising sea levels due to climate change. Today, we are seeing rising sea levels from global warming that can... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/02/14/3490786/satellites-gauge-potentially-dangerous.html Scott Ostler: Fun in the sun, then it's off to bed for these golfers. ...known for its shipwreck storms, but now it's Malibu North. If this is what global warming brings, let's all agree that the acceleration of human... http://www.sfgate.com/sports/ostler/article/Scott-Ostler-Fun-in-the-sun-then-it-s-off-to-6082954.php Science Standards Draw Climate Change Debate Back Into Wyo. Classrooms. capradio.org By Aaron Schrank | NPR Monday, February 16, 2015 Update Required To play the... http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=386758778 Energy Report to Examine Cyberattack, Global Warming Threats. ...review of the nation's energy infrastructure will focus on its vulnerability to climate change, cyberattacks and age, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz... http://www.usnews.com/news/special-reports/energy-of-tomorrow/articles/2015/02/17/energy-report-to-examine-grid-threats-from-cyberattacks-global-warming FUELS The White House walks away from clean coal. ...says of carbon-capture projects. President Barack Obama has made addressing climate change a key part of his legacy. In November he struck an... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article10511444.html VEHICLES Ballard expects to provide 10 fuel cell modules for new FTA fuel cell bus programs. Ballard Power Systems expects to supply 10 FCvelocity-HD6 fuel cell modules to power clean energy buses as part of two projects... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150217-ballard.html Apple is revving up to work on a car, report says. ...by Apple Inc. Apple has tasked several hundred employees with working on an electric vehicle, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Code-named... http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27526861/apple-is-revving-up-work-car-report-says GREEN ENERGY Consultant finds sustainable career in green buildings. ...architect to bring out the green in a building. Allan Skodowski of Transwestern Sustainability Services in Milwaukee leads a team of sustainability... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article10511402.html Can SMRs Lead The U.S. Into A Clean Energy Future? ...co-generation and hybrid systems. Nuclear co-generation promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing the heat and electricity produced... http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/02/16/can-smrs-lead-the-u-s-into-a-clean-energy-future/ OPINION Mercury News editorial: Scientists must solve growing trust problem. Scientists are facing a crisis of trust. A Pew Research Center poll released Jan. 29 shows a huge gap between the views of scientists and the general public on a range of issues -- not just climate change but also genetically modified foods, vaccinations, the use of animals in research and the threat of overpopulation. Furthermore, as scientific theories evolve, today's instant mass communication of each step forward and back undermines belief in facts that are proven, like the ability of vaccines to all but eliminate a disease. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_27516835/mercury-news-editorial-scientists-must-solve-growing-trust JOSEPH PERKINS: Why Americans are cool toward climate alarmism. ...not only to literature and to cinema, but also to real world issues – like global warming. The scientific community has told the tale that human... http://www.pe.com/articles/climate-760297-change-suspension.html As high-speed rail gains momentum, U.S. can look to Europe's example. ...neighboring areas. For instance, a city such as Palmdale may be able to create affordable housing for workers who commute to downtown Los Angeles,... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0216-loukaitou-sideris-high-speed-rail-development-20150216-story.html BLOGS While U.S. politicians argue about climate change, British pols decide the debate is over. With only a few months before a major election, it can be tough to get politicians from opposing parties to agree on the color of the sky, much less the future of the planet. That would seem especially true in the rough-and-tumble world of British politics, where the two main candidates for prime minister in the upcoming May election — incumbent David Cameron and challenger Ed Miliband — often prefer insulting each other to finding common ground. Cameron has called Miliband “a muppet” and “a waste of space.” Miliband has replied that Cameron is “dodgy” and “a dunce.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/13/while-us-politicians-argue-about-climate-change-british-pols-decide-the-debate-is-over/ These countries are making polluters pay. ...story was reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Solving climate change is essentially an economic problem: How do you force... http://grist.org/climate-energy/these-countries-are-making-polluters-pay/ Regulation & Environment: California as a carbon testing ground. As California gets set to ratchet up the carbon-intensity reduction targets in its first-in-the-nation Low Carbon Fuel Standard, fellow West Coast states Washington and Oregon are sure to be watching closely, as their governors have announced plans to implement similar programs. http://blogs.platts.com/2015/02/17/california-carbon/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 14:24:23 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 18, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 18, 2015. 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 Conservation ag may get farmers into “cap and trade” Farmland in the San Joaquin Valley can be managed with conservation practices to sequester carbon, something that could give farmers a seat at the carbon trading table, according to long-term research by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27780 AIR POLLUTION China Urges Fewer Fireworks During New Year Celebrations. Setting off fireworks to celebrate Chinese New Year may be a centuries-old tradition, but the country's authorities are urging people to light fewer of them this week as cities fight a losing battle against relentless, toxic air pollution. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/18/world/asia/ap-as-china-new-year-fireworks.html How did the port shutdown affect L.A. air quality? Dozens of ships backed up off the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports in recent days, unable to unload cargo because of a protracted labor dispute. Work resumed at the ports Tuesday, but the slowdown in shipping traffic raised concerns that emissions from waiting vessels would degrade Southern California air quality. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82847446/ EPA finalizes state requirements for 2008 ozone standard. U.S. EPA has finalized long-awaited requirements for states with areas that exceed the 2008 national ozone limit. Along with setting due dates for states to submit plans to address ground-level ozone pollution, the agency's final rule establishes control technologies for meeting the standard, emissions inventory requirements and processes for areas to demonstrate compliance. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2015/02/17/stories/1060013584 Tighter standards proposed for airplane manufacturing. U.S. EPA has proposed to tighten toxic air pollutant limits for certain industrial facilities involved in the manufacture and maintenance of airplanes. The proposed rule, published today in the Federal Register, would establish pollution limits for processes that apply "specialty coatings" to airplane parts, streamline record-keeping requirements for those facilities… http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060013580/print CLIMATE CHANGE U.S. EPA chief hints at softening carbon rule interim timeline. The Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday that it may ease an interim deadline for states to meet tougher carbon emission standards after regulators and electric utilities complained a lack of time may destabilize electricity supplies. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/18/usa-carbon-epa-idUKL1N0VR2ES20150218 Global CO2 emissions to grow at slightly slower rate to 2035: BP. Global carbon emissions from energy use will grow at 25 percent between 2013 and 2035, a slightly slower rate than previously estimated, BP said on Tuesday, but still above the rate scientists say would avoid the worst effects of climate change. Emissions are expected to increase at an average rate of 1 percent per year from 2013 to 2035… http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/17/us-oil-bp-carbon-idUKKBN0LL1EV20150217 Millions at Risk From Rapid Sea Rise in Swampy Sundarbans. The tiny hut sculpted out of mud at the edge of the sea is barely large enough for Bokul Mondol and his family to lie down in. The water has taken everything else from them, and one day it almost certainly will take this, too. Saltwater long ago engulfed the 5 acres where Mondol once grew rice and tended fish ponds, as his ancestors had on Bali Island for some 200 years. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/18/world/asia/ap-as-india-vanishing-islands.html Interior Secretary Jewell Visits Eroding Alaska Village. In temperatures slightly higher than Washington, D.C.'s, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell got a firsthand look Monday at the effect of climate change on an Alaska coastal community. Jewell visited Kivalina, a village of 370 on a barrier island just off Alaska's northwest coast, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/1vTc1dX) reported. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/17/us/ap-us-interior-secretary-alaska.html Report: NYC climate to grow hotter, wetter, with more storms. A new climate report is finding that temperatures and sea levels are rising in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio's office released the New York City Panel on Climate Change's 2015 report on Tuesday. The reports said that annual temperatures are projected to rise between 4.1 and 5.7 degrees by the 2050s. The sea level is projected to rise 11 to 21 inches by the same period. http://www.wsj.com/articles/AP3475cd1ea08f48c39e45fca10a470fdd Climate change could bring higher temperatures, much higher sea levels, and more flooding to NYC: report. The city's future could be rainy, hot — and underwater. In a new report issued Tuesday, scientists painted a picture that could be even more frightening than the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Climate change could hit New York with higher temperatures, dramatically rising sea levels, more rainfall and flooding, they said. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/weather/scientists-predict-higher-temps-rising-sea-levels-city-article-1.2119490 Sea-level rise will cause more than flooding — these 5 other impacts of rising oceans are just as bad. We have all heard terrible stories about how the future will be devastated by a rise in sea levels. As global temperatures continue to rise, ice in the polar regions and glaciers will melt, dumping tons of extra water into the ocean. Warmer water temperatures will also lead the oceans to expand. http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Sea-level-rise-won-t-just-cause-flooding-6086731.php Americans Support Action on Global Warming. Reports showing that global warming and its worldwide effects on human lives have become more common in recent months and years. Here, we summarize the results of some polls of American public opinion on this subject. Polls concerning the attitudes of the American public on global warming have appeared recently. http://theenergycollective.com/henry-auer/2195551/americans-support-action-global-warming BP's two-word fix for global climate change. Oil supermajor BP says global carbon emissions will continue to rise well above what most scientists regard as safe levels in the years to come. While there's no silver-bullet solution to the threat of climate change, the company endorses one specific policy as a way to guide efforts. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0217/BP-s-two-word-fix-for-global-climate-change Some state electricity regulators still not sure global warming is human-caused. At a conference dominated by the challenge that state public utility commissioners will face implementing U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, several electricity regulators had a much more basic question: whether the climate change that the federal rule will tackle is even taking place. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013590/print New Zealand's climate change policy is a failure, former leader says. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer lambasted the country's climate change policy as a failure. Speaking at Wellington's Victoria University law school yesterday, the former leader, who served from 1989 to 1990, said New Zealand does not have a credible climate change policy and "seems to have lost its mojo in looking after the environment generally." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013582/print Scientists are pushed to leap the gulf between their findings and public opinion on climate change. Most scientists are willing and ready to get involved in public policy debates, finds a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, even as communication experts warned scientists last week of the pitfalls of communicating about political hot potatoes such as climate change. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013550/print Study finds that unregulated VSLS efficient at influencing climate through depletion of stratospheric ozone. Although halogens released from long-lived anthropogenic substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are the principal cause of the recent depletion of stratospheric ozone, recent observations show that very short-lived substances (VSLS), with lifetimes generally under six months, are also an important source of stratospheric halogens. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150217-vsls.html DROUGHT California Weighs New Drought Rules at Restaurants, Hotels. Officials are considering new water restrictions as California's drought drags on, possibly forcing residents to ask for water at restaurants and for fresh towels and sheets at hotels. The State Water Resources Control Board floated the ideas at an informational hearing Tuesday as it considers extending and expanding mandatory water-use rules. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/18/us/ap-us-california-drought.html California water officials eye new restrictions in drought. As the California drought drags on, water officials are considering expanding mandatory outdoor water restrictions on homeowners and adding new limits on restaurants, hotels and decorative fountains. At an informational meeting Tuesday, the State Water Resources Control Board also appeared ready to extend existing rules imposed last summer to boost water supplies. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/article10540007.html#storylink=cpy Drought could spur draining of Tulloch Lake. If winter weather doesn’t return soon with a vengeance, Tulloch Lake – a popular fishing and boating spot between Oakdale and Jamestown, and one of California’s few reservoirs lined with thousands of homes – might look more like a puddle by July. Draining the foothill lake is one option available to the Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts, which haven’t resorted to that drought-coping measure in more than 20 years. http://www.modbee.com/news/local/article10559816.html#storylink=cpy Farms face 2nd year without river water. Growers in the Valley’s $37 billion farm belt expect zero river water for 3m acres. The next train wreck in California’s drought is headed for the San Joaquin Valley this week when federal leaders forecast how much river water farmers can expect to irrigate nearly 3 million acres this summer. Most folks in farm country are expecting the same number as last year. http://www.modbee.com/news/article10577846.html#storylink=cpy Storms Bring Rain, Little Help For California's 'Meager' Snowpack. The two storms that hit Northern California between Friday and Monday morning brought the most significant rainfall to the region since mid-December. However, despite the ample rain, and from a half-foot to more than a foot of snow at some Lake Tahoe ski resorts, the National Weather Service Western Region reported that the Sierra Nevada snowpack saw “small increases.” http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/09/storms-bring-rain,-little-help-for-californias-meager-snowpack DIESEL ACTIVITIES Diesel Rises for Second Straight Week to $2.86. Fuel prices continue to recover from their lowest levels in years, with both diesel and gasoline increasing over the past week, according to new U.S. Energy Department figures released on Tuesday. The average cost of on-highway diesel is up 3 cents… http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fuel-smarts/news/story/2015/02/diesel-costs-rise-for-second-straight-week-hitting-2-865.aspx FUELS Ohio City Loses Fight for Control Over Oil and Gas Drilling. An Ohio city lost a battle for control over oil and gas drilling permits within its borders with the Ohio Supreme Court saying the authority belongs to the state. The ruling on Tuesday runs counter to decisions issued by New York’s top court last year and the highest Pennsylvania court in 2013 as local municipalities concerned over the effects of hydraulic fracturing… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-17/ohio-high-court-leaves-oil-gas-drilling-rules-in-state-s-hands An Expensive Sunset for the Brent Oil Field. Cleaning up an oil field in a forbidding environment like the North Sea may be almost as formidable a task as developing one, and in the coming years, those waters are likely to serve as a laboratory for what happens when the useful lives of oil fields expire. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/business/international/royal-dutch-shell-dismantling-brent-oil-field-in-north-sea.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Refinery explosion in Torrance compounds fears of higher gas prices. An explosion Wednesday morning at the Exxon Mobil Corp. refinery in Torrance is compounding concerns that limited oil refining capacity in California could push up fuel prices. Fire and police officials said a “second-alarm fire explosion” occurred at the Torrance facility and closed Del Amo Boulevard between Maple Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/1780/article/p2p-82854187/ Here's how port labor strife could translate to higher gas prices. Southern California fuel prices could jump sharply if local refiners cut back on gasoline production because they can't get rid of growing stockpiles of a byproduct known as petroleum coke. The problem is a ripple effect of tense contract talks between the International Longshore Workers Union… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/17/49903/here-s-how-port-labor-strife-could-translate-to-hi/ Biofuel from trash could create green jobs bonanza, says report. Advanced biofuels industry could spur hundreds of thousands of jobs across Europe, says new report, but key European parliament vote next week could throw clean fuel ambitions into disarray. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/17/biofuel-from-trash-could-create-green-jobs-bonanza-says-report Study challenges climate benefits of U.S. low-carbon fuels. A recent study on the carbon footprint of biofuels is adding a new wrinkle to the already corrugated landscape of alternative fuels policies. University of Michigan research professor John DeCicco wrote a study finding that the current method of calculating the carbon emissions associated with transportation fuels is essentially meaningless. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013547/feed GREEN ENERGY UK energy regulation has shaped retail energy market-watchdog. Britain's regulation of electricity and gas supply has shaped competition in the retail energy sector, and several elements will be investigated further, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) said on Wednesday. "The supply of electricity and gas is heavily regulated, and the form that regulation takes has a profound effect on the shape of competition in retail energy markets,"… http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/18/britain-energy-competition-idUKL5N0VS0UM20150218 Dryers: Homes' energy guzzlers just got greener. For the first time in six years, Energy Star certification, a standard seal of approval for energy efficiency, has been expanded to include another major household appliance. Clothes dryers, perhaps the last of the major household appliances to be included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's program, became available in 45 Energy Star models… http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/18/4384778/dryers-homes-energy-guzzlers-just.html#storylink=cpy Community wind farm takes root near Ithaca. A proposed wind farm in the Southern Tier could indicate something significant about future of the state's energy grid. For the past eight years, Marguerite Wells, an organic flower farmer, has quietly raised more than $1 million to build seven wind turbines on a hillside outside of Ithaca. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/02/8562419/community-wind-farm-takes-root-near-ithaca?news-image Texas should consider 7 ways to increase energy efficiency – report. Texas should examine seven approaches to boost energy efficiency, from aligning electric companies' interests with the concept to pinpointing a state agency that can develop programs, a report said yesterday. The document, issued by the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER)… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060013607/print N.Y. green bank chief says 'near frontier' energy projects worth $800M are moving ahead. The head of the Empire State's green bank offered a rosy assessment of the program during an event last week that examined the organization's first year in operation. Caroline Angoorly, NY Green Bank's chief operating officer, was positive about clean energy prospects during a forum hosted by the New York University School of Law. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013606/print DOE joins with military to fight climate change with job training for veterans. The Department of Energy said Friday it has partnered with three military bases to teach new veterans needed skills to work in the solar power industry. On Friday at Camp Pendleton, the marine base north of San Diego, the pilot program's first class of trainees finished their courses, which are designed to prepare veterans for careers in sales, system inspection, panel installation and other solar fields, the department said. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013539/print Multi-state coordination needed to revive U.S. offshore wind industry – report. Following a lackluster several months for offshore wind in the United States, a new report argues that interstate coordination is essential if the industry is going to get back on its feet. Noting that the United States seems to have entered the "post-Cape Wind" era… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013495/print MISCELLANEOUS US wholesale prices drop 0.8 percent in January. U.S. wholesale prices fell by a record amount in January, led by the biggest drop in gasoline prices in six years. The Labor Department said Wednesday that its producer price index declined 0.8 percent last month, the biggest drop in a data series that goes back to November 2009 when the government changed the calculation methods for its wholesale price index. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/18/4384772_us-wholesale-prices-drop-08-percent.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Noise and light pollution alters ecologies. Human noise and light are creating fundamental changes in ecological communities -- changing the density, diversity and dependencies of bird species that are biological barometers of the natural world. But peace can be restored to the wilderness by enlisting technologies that create a darker and more silent world, a panel of experts said Monday in San Jose… http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27539608/noise-and-light-pollution-alters-ecologies Placer County Subsidizes Bicycles To Get Cars Off The Road. The parking lot at Green Hills Elementary school is almost empty when Principal Peter Towne pulls off his black helmet and swings his bike into the rack. "It's a beautiful ride. I mean it's the sunrise right now. It's gorgeous," says Towne. "I defy anyone who's commuting in their car to hear a bird sing or make friends." http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/17/placer-county-subsidizes-bicycles-to-get-cars-off-the-road/ Is Compostable Cutlery Really Breaking Down? There’s a growing market for disposable eating utensils. They have names like taterware or spudware -- forks and knives can be made out of potato starch instead of plastic. You might buy the tableware believing its better for the environment. But, that depends on where you toss it out. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/17/is-compostable-cutlery-really-breaking-down/ OPINIONS Boosting renewable energy will improve our national security. Gov. Jerry Brown’s goal to curb oil use by half and generate half of California’s energy from renewable sources by 2030 is laudable. Diversifying our energy sources, however, isn’t just about creating jobs, investing in innovation or slowing climate change. It’s really about keeping our industries, businesses and families safe. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article10546079.html#storylink=cpy OTHER VIEWS: Can science solve climate change? What happens if humans fail to cut carbon dioxide emissions enough to prevent worsening climate change? A new report from the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences contemplates some very unattractive -- but potentially necessary -- backup plans. Ending deforestation seems like an obvious answer. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/national-voices/x570379434/Can-science-solve-climate-change Guest Editorial: Backup plans for the Earth on climate change. What happens if humans fail to cut carbon dioxide emissions enough to prevent worsening climate change? A new report from the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences contemplates some very unattractive — but potentially necessary — backup plans. Ending deforestation seems like an obvious answer. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20150217/guest-editorial-backup-plans-for-the-earth-on-climate-change BLOGS Japan Looks to Ocean for Renewable Energy. As an island nation, Japan controls large swaths of ocean territory, about the sixth-greatest expanse of any country in the world, according to government data. That is stark contrast to its relatively meagre land area, which ranks near the middle of list, in 60th place. So it makes sense for Japan to look to the seas for renewable energy — something it hasn’t done so far. http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/02/18/japan-looks-to-ocean-for-renewable-energy/?KEYWORDS=energy The weird way that climate change could lead to new disease outbreaks around the world. Climate change could be behind more than just rising ocean levels, melting polar ice caps, and extreme weather events – it could also be creating the ecological basis for infectious diseases to spread to new places and new hosts. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/02/18/the-weird-way-that-climate-change-could-lead-to-new-disease-outbreaks-around-the-world/ Can Wind Energy Be Counted On To Help Meet Obama's Carbon Goals? The wind energy sector is perpetually facing headwinds. But despite the challenges, those producers say that they are well prepared to help the country meet carbon reduction goals under the White House’s Clean Power Plan. That plan, which was unveiled last summer and which will be finalized this June, will require a reduction in heat-trapping emissions of 30 percent by 2030. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/02/18/can-wind-energy-be-counted-on-to-help-meet-obamas-carbon-goals/ Quoted: On Apple, Tesla and making electric cars. “If Apple was going to make a car, it would be ten times easier to just buy Tesla. But Apple doesn’t want a single branded experience, it wants Apple in many, many cars.” — Tim Bajarin, analyst with Creative Strategies, on reports that Apple is working on an electric vehicle. http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/17/quoted-on-apple-tesla-and-making-electric-cars/ Update on the GM-Honda collaboration on Gen 2 Fuel Cell Propulsion System. Over the past two years, GM and Honda have been collaborating on next-generation fuel cell and hydrogen storage systems, aiming at commercialization in the 2020 time frame. (Earlier post.) At the SAE 2015 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium in Los Angeles last week, Andrew Bosco, Chief Engineer for fuel cell engineering at GM… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150217-bosco.html Britain’s most powerful politicians agree fighting climate change is a jolly good idea. There’s good climate news from the United Kingdom. On Saturday, the leaders of the country’s three major parties — Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Labor — all signed a joint pledge to aggressively fight climate change and phase out the use of coal. http://grist.org/climate-energy/britains-most-powerful-politicians-agree-fighting-climate-change-is-a-jolly-good-idea/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 14:12:55 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 19, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Farmers make bid for cap-and-trade cash, citing climate benefits. A new report from a farm preservation group is making the case that agricultural lands should be prized as storehouses for greenhouse gas emissions. The report, by the nonprofit American Farmland Trust, makes the point that converting farmland to urban use increases its greenhouse gas footprint -- by a factor of more than 50. The report finds that rice farming is the most carbon-intensive crop, at about 5.5 metric tons of CO2 per acre per year. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013672/print San Joaquin Valley growers help control greenhouse gases. San Joaquin Valley row-crop growers should be allowed the benefits of so-called "cap-and-trade," according to new research from U.C. Agricultural and Natural Resources. Long-term research by UCANR has documented the capacity for farmland in the San Joaquin Valley managed with certain conservation practices to sequester carbon, results that could give farmers a seat at the carbon trading table. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2015/02/18/san-joaquin-valley-growers-help-control-greenhouse-gases/23654311/ AIR POLLUTION US expands air quality monitoring to include some embassies. The United States says it will expand air-quality monitoring at some overseas diplomatic missions, following several years of reporting pollution data in China. The goal is to increase awareness of the health risks of outdoor air pollution, which easily spreads across borders, Secretary of State John Kerry said in announcing the program on Wednesday. The program is intended to help United States citizens abroad reduce their exposure to pollution and to help other countries develop their own air-quality monitoring through training and exchanges with American experts, he said. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNITED_STATES_EMBASSIES_AIR_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related stories: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/world/asia/us-to-monitor-air-quality-in-india-and-other-countries.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-ap-us--united-states-embassies-air-pollution-20150218-story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/19/u-s-embassies-are-measuring-other-countries-air-quality-surprise-they-dont-like-it-much/ Smartphones to monitor real-time air pollution Scientists have now turned smartphones into personal, real-time air pollution monitors. Led by Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen from the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) in Barcelona, Spain, the team has used smartphone and sensing technology to better pinpoint where and when pollution is at its worst. http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/smartphones-to-monitor-real-time-air-pollution-115021900444_1.html CLIMATE CHANGE NYC panel warns of 6-foot sea rise, tripling of heat waves by 2100. Heat waves and floods caused by climate change could mean disaster for the Big Apple's five boroughs by the end of the century, with sea levels now predicted by a new report to climb by as much as 6 feet by 2100. According to the New York City Panel on Climate Change, an independent body composed of climate scientists, New York could see a 6-foot increase under a worst-case scenario that has been revised from previous estimates that 2 to 4 feet would be the maximum rise. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013656/print The term that actually makes climate change less political. As we’ve told you in recent weeks, a growing body of psychological research in political science is starting to show us why the debate over climate change is so politically polarized. People’s politics and worldviews seem to affect how they perceive climate change’s existence and severity. This “cultural cognition” model is giving us new insights into how we should talk about climate change, vaccines and other hot-button issues where risk is involved. The moral of the story: More information doesn’t always help, and in some cases it can hurt by polarizing people ideologically on these issues. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/18/the-term-that-actually-makes-climate-change-less-political/ DROUGHT California Water Becomes Scarce and Energy Hungry. In drought-stricken California, ensuring water flows from faucets is nearly as much about energy as it is about the water’s source. Water needs more than gravity to flow from its sources, often hundreds of miles away. It is pumped through aqueducts and pipelines from mountain sources, reservoirs and the Colorado River, often far from Los Angeles, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley, where most of the water is consumed. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-drought-water-scarce-increasing-energy-demands-18676?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20climatecentral/djOO%20Climate%20Central%20-%20Full%20Feed DIESEL ACTIVITIES Arctic marine emissions to increase vastly over next decade: report. A U.S. study has found that emissions from ships that cause both climate change and acid rain could increase in the Western Arctic by almost 600 per cent over the next decade. "All of those pollutants have climate and health implications," said co-author Alyson Azzara. "The fact that it's growing that much, that rapidly, is the focus." http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/5345211-arctic-marine-emissions-to-increase-vastly-over-next-decade-report/ California Boosts Clean Fleet Rebates in Disadvantaged Communities. California is offering public agencies serving disadvantaged communities newly increased rebates for purchasing light-duty electric vehicles (EVs). The Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), which is administering the statewide initiative for the California Air Resources Board, recently announced the $2.8 million Public Fleet Pilot Project. CSE says the pilot is a new offering alongside its Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP). http://www.ngtnews.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10477#.VOYpWxamOa8 LOW CARBON FUEL STANDARD State air regulators expected to advance 'low carbon fuel standard,' cleaner-burning fuels. California air regulators vote Thursday on recommitting to the low carbon fuel standard, a key part of the state’s greenhouse gas reduction plan that promotes switching to cleaner-burning fuels. The vote satisfies a procedural requirement stemming from a years-long legal battle over the program. Midwestern ethanol interests claimed in federal court that California lacked Constitutional authority to regulate out-of-state fuel producers. California’s rule does a complete “life cycle” analysis of a fuel’s carbon footprint, including not only the greenhouse gas produced by its combustion, but also emissions associated with fuels’ production and delivery to market. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/18/49918/state-air-regulators-expected-to-advance-low-carbo/ Buffett Dumping Exxon Points Investors to Review Oil Bets. Warren Buffett’s decision to dump his stake in Exxon Mobil Corp. after oil prices plunged is pointing investors toward smaller, more nimble producers that will deliver higher returns during a market recovery. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-18/buffett-dumping-exxon-stake-points-investors-to-rethink-oil-bets Growth, Environmental Groups Comment on CARB. Growth Energy and environmental groups are adding their voices of comments to California’s proposal to its clean air regulations. In a news release, Growth says the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) proposed amendments to the state’s Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS) Regulation and the Proposed Regulation on the Commercialization of Alternative Diesel Fuels are unnecessary under the state’s environmental mandates. http://domesticfuel.com/2015/02/19/growth-environmental-groups-comment-on-carb/ Growth Energy comments on CARB’s LCFS re-adoption proposal. In response to the proposed amendments by California’s Air Resources Board to the California Low Carbon Fuels Standard regulation and the proposed regulation on the commercialization of alternative diesel fuels, Growth Energy filed extensive comments outlining Growth Energy’s opposition. http://ethanolproducer.com/articles/11936/growth-energy-comments-on-carbundefineds-lcfs-re-adoption-proposal FUELS Study backs EPA data, finds gas fields not leaking as much methane as once thought. Scientists studying major gas fields in the United States have found that operations leak less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, than thought previously. The fields in question occur in Louisiana and Texas (where the oil field is named the Haynesville Shale), Pennsylvania (the Marcellus Shale) and Arkansas (the Fayetteville Shale), and they leak about 1 percent of the natural gas the operators produce… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013670/print California gasoline differentials spike after refinery explosion –traders. A crippling explosion at Exxon Mobil Corp's Torrance, California, refinery sent wholesale gasoline differentials in the Los Angeles market to their highest level since September 2013, according to Reuters data. The explosion prompted state regulators to forbid Exxon Mobil from operating the refinery's 100,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) fluid catalytic cracker until an investigation, which can take up to six months, is completed, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/18/refinery-blast-gasoline-idUSL1N0VS1VF20150218 http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=37430 UPDATE 1-U.S. EPA to propose biofuels standards this spring – official. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to put out a proposal that will address Renewable Fuels Standards for 2014, 2015, and 2016 this spring, an agency official at an industry conference in Grapevine, Texas, said on Thursday. The agency will address all three years at once and plans to look at broader changes to address long-term issues of demand and the "blend wall," … http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1N0VT1EZ20150219 VEHICLES Will Bolt name stay on GM's new electric car? General Motors is committed to an electric car that can go 200 miles on a single charge — but whether it retains the Bolt name when it goes on sale in two years is a different debate altogether. The Chevrolet Bolt is the name of the concept GM showed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2015/02/19/chevrolet-bolt-name/23627123/ This is the team reportedly developing Apple’s electric car. 9to5Mac dropped a new report Thursday outlining the team primarily responsible for developing Apple’s electric vehicle. The list of people was compiled by 9to5Mac's Jordan Kahn and Mark Gurman, thanks to help from sources within the company. It shows the most comprehensive list of people we’ve seen, thus far, that have been assigned to work on Apple’s vehicle ambitions. http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-electric-car-team-2015-2#ixzz3SD8OMxJP Japan Now Home To More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Than Gas Stations. Japan is now home to more electric vehicle (EV) charging points than gas stations — with there now being more 40,000 EV charging points as compared to 34,000 gas stations, according to recent reports. That’s not even including normal electrical sockets, where electric cars can also charge. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/02/18/japan-now-home-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-gas-stations/ GREEN ENERGY Looking for renewable supporters? Don't rule out GOP, panel says. Tax credits for renewable energy projects haven't always been a sharply partisan topic in Congress, said former Rep. Mary Bono yesterday. "There is Republican support that exists for renewable energy," the former Republican lawmaker said during a conference call about renewable energy policies and the 114th Congress that was organized by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE). "It thrives where the business is visible." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013674/print MISCELLANEOUS Offer 'concrete ideas' for electric reliability safety valve -- EPA's McCabe. If states want U.S. EPA to build into its proposed Clean Power Plan a mechanism to protect against power outages and ensure reliable electricity service -- a so-called safety valve -- then regulators and power industry officials need to draw that out in detail, the agency's top air quality official said this week. "Let's put some concrete ideas around that. How does time help with the reliability issue?" said acting EPA air chief Janet McCabe, speaking in Washington, D.C., at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' winter meetings." http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060013663/print OPINIONS Canada, on the Pipeline. Re “Mr. Obama’s Easy Call on Keystone Bill” (editorial, Feb. 13): The New York Times argued that “not building a pipeline means that more oil — and more carbon dioxide — will be left in the ground.” Since the Keystone XL pipeline was delayed three years ago, oil sands production has increased, United States imports of Canadian oil have increased, and Canadian oil by rail to the United States has grown tenfold. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/canada-on-the-pipeline.html Electric car success a bad sign for public transit. To the editor: I am incredulous that the reporter got all the way through his article about electric car maker Tesla without stating what Tesla's success would mean. ("Tesla factory racing to retool for new models," Feb. 15) If Tesla Motor Corp. or any other auto manufacture is a raving success with electric vehicles, it will mean that the nation completely failed the next generation by not making much-needed investments in mass transit. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0219-thursday-electric-cars-20150219-story.html Electric car benefits? Just myths. It is time to stop our green worship of the electric car. It costs us a fortune, cuts little CO2 and surprisingly kills almost twice the number of people compared with regular gasoline cars. It is time to stop our green worship of the electric car. It costs us a fortune, cuts little CO2 and surprisingly kills almost twice the number of people compared with regular gasoline cars. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/02/18/electric-car-benefits-air-myths-pollution-health-column/23641729/ BLOGS A Look Behind the Headlines on China’s Coal Trends. Armond Cohen at Clean Air Task Force has provided helpful context in the face of recent headlines and a Greenpeace analysis focused on what appears to be the first drop in Chinese coal use in a century. Here’s the brunt of his post: In late 2014, China pledged to peak its CO2 emissions by 2030, and achieve 20 percent of its primary energy from non-fossil energy sources. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/a-look-behind-the-headlines-on-chinas-coal-trends/ Regulation & Environment: California as a carbon testing ground. As California gets set to ratchet up the carbon-intensity reduction targets in its first-in-the-nation Low Carbon Fuel Standard, fellow West Coast states Washington and Oregon are sure to be watching closely, as their governors have announced plans to implement similar programs. The oil industry has sought — unsuccessfully, so far — to overturn California’s LCFS, warning of fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices at the pump. http://blogs.platts.com/2015/02/17/california-carbon/ I've Got You Under My Skin: Smog and Modern Memory. Wednesday, February 11, 2015 was a good day. Santa Ana winds, blowing moderately, had mixed stalled air over the central district of Los Angeles. Levels of ozone and nitrogen oxide were below state and federal maximums, as they had been all month. As it does most days, the amount of "particulate matter" in the air climbed as the traffic increased and industries began their day. http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/columns/where-we-are/ive-got-you-under-my-skin-smog-and-modern-memory.html Keystone XL, energy policy and the job-creation shuffle. Renewable energy proponents and advocates of the Keystone pipeline finally agree on something: that the right way to count “job creation” is to focus narrowly on the jobs in the industry they want to boost and ignore the overall impact on employment. Unfortunately, researchers who actually study employment are not on board. The “green jobs” movement is currently having a break out moment in California… http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2015/02/18/keystone-xl-energy-policy-and-the-job-creation-shuffle/ Some Electric-Car Public Charging Stations Get Used, Others Don't: Why? Nearly five years ago, as a tidal wave of charging stations were rapidly planned for some West Coast regions, in support of a new wave of all-electric and plug-in vehicles, the question may have become, 'Where can the stations be installed?'—when it shouldn't have budged from, 'Where should they be installed?' http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096885_some-electric-car-public-charging-stations-get-used-others-dont-why Arctic Shipping Emissions Could Jump 600 Per Cent In Next Decade, Says Study. A U.S. study has found that emissions from ships that cause both climate change and acid rain could increase in the Western Arctic by almost 600 per cent over the next decade. "All of those pollutants have climate and health implications," said co-author Alyson Azzara. "The fact that it's growing that much, that rapidly, is the focus." http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/18/arctic-marine-emissions-t_n_6707224.html Electric Cars Aren't So Green After All. "It is time to stop our green worship of the electric car." That's how climate specialist Bjorn Lomborg begins his op-ed in USA Today. After that, he goes on to explode various myths peddled by the electric car crowd, noting that a plug-in "costs us a fortune, cuts little CO2 and surprisingly kills almost twice the number of people compared with regular gasoline car." http://news.investors.com/blogs-capital-hill/021915-739949-electric-cars-high-costs-little-benefits.htm#ixzz3SD8yWVBU State Department, EPA launch effort to monitor pollution globally. The Obama administration announced on Wednesday the expansion of pollution monitoring at diplomatic posts across the world. The State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled the joint endeavor on Wednesday in a signing ceremony, which highlighted the administration's climate change agenda. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/233125-state-department-epa-launch-effort-to-monitor-pollution-globally Three Wrongs Don't Make the Right Right. Anyone can be wrong once. But it takes talent to be wrong twice. And genius to be wrong thrice. Eight years ago, California passed AB 32, a landmark law combating climate change. In an effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels, the law caps carbon emissions and provides incentives for green technology. Republicans and big oil lobbyists prophesied that AB 32 would spell doom and devastation for the Golden State. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/duncan-hosie/big-oil-wrong-then-wrong-_b_6694456.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 20 Feb 2015 13:52:32 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 20, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Addressing Health Concerns Over the 710 Freeway Corridor. The I-710 Corridor Project, considered the largest infrastructure project in the nation, is a modernization of the freeway stretching from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the 60 Freeway. With the expanding global economy and growing impact of truck traffic on an aging freeway system, the need to improve existing infrastructure is crucial. http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/710-corridor/addressing-health-concerns-over-the-710-freeway-corridor.html Study finds methane leaks from three large US natural gas fields in line with EPA estimates. Tens of thousands of pounds of methane leak per hour from equipment in three major natural gas basins that span Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Pennsylvania, according to airborne measurements, but the overall leak rate from those basins is only about 1% of gas production there——lower than leak rates measured in other gas fields, and in line with EPA estimates. The analysis appears in an open access paper in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, published by the American Geophysical Union. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150220-methane.html CLIMATE CHANGE China firms must cut CO2 intensity by 2.7pc/yr. Chinese companies have to cut their emissions intensity by up to 2.7pc/yr if the country is to deliver the level of action required to keep global warming below 2°C, says think-tank Ecofys. The emissions intensity — greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of output — of the electricity sector must fall by about 8pc/yr for China to fully decarbonise its power supply by mid-century, Ecofys said. To achieve this, companies will have to implement a combination of management and behavioural changes, boost energy efficiency and increase their use of renewable energy, according to Ecofys It's Time to Peak report, published on 17 February. http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=995618&menu=yes Is 'Net-Zero' Carbon Goal to Rescue the Climate Plausible? he most striking recent development to emerge from UN climate negotiations is the growing consensus that within a generation the whole world will have to stop spewing carbon dioxide into the air from energy use. This means that within the lifetimes of today's toddlers we would entirely eliminate CO2 emissions, unless they are offset by subtractions. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20022015/net-zero-carbon-goal-rescue-climate-plausible NY Speaker creates climate change working group. The speaker of the New York state Assembly has created a working group to review the state's response to climate change. Speaker Carl Heastie announced the formation of the panel on Thursday. It will consist of 10 lawmakers charged with examining possible ways to reduce greenhouse emissions as well as measures that could help the state prepare for future extreme weather. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/NY-Speaker-creates-climate-change-working-group-6091385.php Global Warming Could Make the Super-Rich Jealous of Rowhouse Residents. As you went spelunking through snowdrifts in recent days, pondering the moral necessity of pet-friendly ice melt and perhaps noting in horror the story of a Manhattan woman who froze to death hiking in subzero New Hampshire temperatures over the weekend, you were thinking about the future, defined in the moment as July. City functionaries were looking further ahead to a potentially more “Hunger Games” epoch. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/nyregion/global-warming-could-make-the-super-rich-jealous-of-rowhouse-residents.html?_r=0 DROUGHT California drought: Northern California getting much more rain than Southern. Lots of issues divide Southern and Northern California: The Dodgers vs. the Giants. Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley. Southern Californians say "the" before naming a freeway; northerners don't. Now, after this past weekend's soaking storms, there's a new difference emerging: the drought. http://www.montereyherald.com/general-news/20150209/california-drought-northern-california-getting-much-more-rain-than-southern DIESEL ACTIVITIES Study: natural gas heavy-duty trucking fleet could benefit economy, but has mixed environmental effects. Switching from diesel fuel to natural gas may hold advantages for the US heavy-duty trucking fleet, but more needs to be done to reach the full environmental benefits, according to a new white paper released by the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis, and Rice University. The recent shale-driven emergence of natural gas as an abundant, inexpensive fuel in the US has raised the possibility of a “momentous shift” in the level of natural gas used in transportation. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150220-jaffe.html LOW CARBON FUEL STANDARD Oil industry takes aim at California’s war on carbon. California’s effort to combat climate change was subjected to a fresh round of scrutiny Thursday as oil-industry representatives urged regulators to ease off on the state’s “low carbon fuel standard,” a centerpiece of the effort to rein in greenhouse gases. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article10703354.html State prepares to readopt low-carbon fuel standard as oil companies say the target can't be met. Oil companies continue to protest California's carbon policies as state regulators complete changes to their low-carbon fuel standard. Proposed amendments to the first-in-the-nation regulation would tweak the compliance targets through 2020 and adjust emissions scores for various fuels, as well as set the program on course to extend to 2030. That raised industry's ire at a California Air Resources Board hearing yesterday in Sacramento. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013738/feed FUELS California refinery unit was down with problems before blast. A California oil refinery unit that was damaged by an explosion was already offline for unplanned maintenance when the fire occurred, industry analysts said Thursday. The so-called fluid catalytic cracker unit refines gasoline and is critical to producing California-grade fuel. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_REFINERY_EXPLOSION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150220/california-refinery-unit-was-down-with-problems-before-blast No easy fixes for California's isolated fuel market. The explosion that shut a major Los Angeles oil refinery on Wednesday sent shockwaves through the local gasoline market, sparking higher prices, largely because California's fuel infrastructure is isolated by geography and environmental rules. Despite the shortage of easy fixes for a state that is seeing fewer refineries provide gasoline for millions, analysts believe pump prices will remain steady due to healthy stockpiles. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/20/refinery-blast-california-idUSL1N0VT0FH20150220 Focus tightens on 2016 US biofuel mandates. egulators and the biofuel industry have turned their focus to 2016 ahead of a three-year package of mandates setting minimum US biofuel consumption levels expected by June 22. The mid-2015 target for biofuel mandates would make 2016 the more likely year to address difficult questions on how to drive increased US biofuels consumption that have bedeviled the federal program for two years, Environmental Protection Agency director of the office of transportation and air quality Chris Grundler said. http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=995535&menu=yes VEHICLES Gas Prices Don't Affect Electric-Car Sales: Finally The Word Gets Out. When it comes to electric cars, conventional wisdom states that sales will inevitably decrease alongside gas prices. After all, the argument goes, if buyers can't expect to save as much by cutting fuel costs, they'll be less inclined to buy a plug-in, right? Not exactly. In fact, not at all: The conventional wisdom is simply wrong. Many more factors influence the decision to buy an electric car than gas prices at any given moment. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096878_gas-prices-dont-affect-electric-car-sales-finally-the-word-gets-out GREEN ENERGY Appraising Solar Energy’s Value. New research sponsored by the Department of Energy shows that buyers are willing to pay more for homes with rooftop solar panels — a finding that may strengthen the case for factoring the value of sustainable features into home appraisals. The study, conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, examined sales data for almost 23,000 homes in eight states from 2002 to 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/realestate/solar-panels-and-home-values.html MISCELLANEOUS Harvard’s Star Alumni Urge Week of Protests Against Fossil Fuels. Actress Natalie Portman, environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and other high-profile Harvard University alumni are calling for demonstrations to urge divestment from fossil fuels. Organizers of “Harvard Heat Week” are planning events of “highly civil civil disobedience,” including daily sit-ins for the week of April 13, according to a letter released Friday asking alumni to come to the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to join the effort. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-20/harvard-s-star-alumni-urge-week-of-protests-against-fossil-fuels OPINIONS What If We Lost the Sky? What is the sky worth? This sounds like a philosophical question, but it might become a more concrete one. A report released last week by the National Research Council called for research into reversing climate change through a process called albedo modification: reflecting sunlight away from earth by, for instance, spraying aerosols into the atmosphere. Such a process could, some say, change the appearance of the sky — and that in turn could affect everything from our physical health to the way we see ourselves. http://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/what-if-we-lost-the-sky/ State must spend smarter on roads and ‘fix it first’. Potholed roads, crumbling bridges, crowded buses and trains, collisions between cars and bicyclists. In short, California’s transportation infrastructure is in dire need of improvement. Every year, the state, regional agencies and local governments spend about $28 billion. But are we spending that money effectively? http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article10706075.html BLOGS E-bikes: Inspiring new commuters and changing how we move. How do we know the dawn of e-bikes is upon us? Well there’s always the numbers (and I’ll get to those in a sec). But the ubiquity of a product may also be measured by its many iterations and imitations. Since we’re now seeing wonders like the world’s tiniest e-bike, wooden e-bikes, and “the 1987 Honda Civic” of e-bikes, I think it’s safe to call it: E-bikes have arrived. http://blog.sfgate.com/bicycle/2015/02/19/e-bikes-inspiring-new-commuters-and-changing-how-we-move/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 15:28:48 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 23, 2015 From: dchelini@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. FUELS UNDER CAP AND TRADE Eco-friendly California looks beyond gas tax to fix roads. As state legislatures across the nation grapple with declining funding to maintain roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure, California lawmakers are confronting the unintended consequences of policies aimed at achieving ambitious environmental goals. Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, has called on the state to expand its landmark global warming law by slashing gasoline consumption in half and adding 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2030. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/21/4387403_eco-friendly-california-looks.html?rh=1 CAP AND TRADE Carbon Pricing Pays the Way for Cleaner Energy. Following more than two centuries of fossil-fueled industrialization, during which the atmosphere has been used as a free dump for climate-changing pollution, an incipient era of carbon-pollution pricing is paying dividends to the climate. More than 80 percent of the $4.8 billion raised by the European Union’s emissions trading system (ETS) in 2013 was spent supporting growth of clean energy and other climate-friendly initiatives. http://www.post-gazette.com/frontpage/2015/02/22/Carbon-Pricing-Pays-the-Way-for-Cleaner-Energy/stories/201502220205 AIR POLLUTION Filthy India air cutting 660 million lives short by 3 years. India’s filthy air is cutting 660 million lives short by about three years, according to research published Saturday that underlines the hidden costs of the country’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels to power its economic growth with little regard for the environment. While New Delhi last year earned the dubious title of being the world’s most polluted city, India’s air pollution problem is extensive, with 13 Indian cities now on the World Health Organization’s list of the 20 most polluted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_AIR_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/world/asia/polluted-air-cuts-years-off-lives-of-millions-in-india-study-finds.html http://www.sfgate.com/world/article/India-660-million-dying-early-from-air-pollution-6094120.php http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/filthy-india-air-cutting-660-million-lives-short-by-3-years/2015/02/21/35d3d3c0-b9b3-11e4-bc30-a4e75503948a_story.html http://news.discovery.com/earth/indias-polluted-air-could-cut-short-660-million-lives-150223.htm NASA Langley is home base for major winter air pollution study. Scientists have a handle on what happens to air pollution spewing from tailpipes and smokestacks in the summer when sunlight and moisture can quickly interact with and transform key pollutants. They know far less about what happens to those pollutants in the relative cold and dark of winter. http://www.dailypress.com/news/science/dp-nws-nasa-winter-air-pollution-20150223-story.html Indian thermal plants worst polluters. A first-ever environmental rating of coal-based power plants has found that India's thermal power generating units figure among the world's "most inefficient" in terms of compliance to pollution norms, use of resources and overall operation efficiency. Though private sector thermal plants in the country perform better than government-owned ones, there is "immense scope for improvement" in almost all units so that they can pollute less and generate more electricity with efficient use of available resources. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-thermal-plants-worst-polluters/articleshow/46337908.cms Lumber Liquidators Invests in State-of-the-Art Wood Products Quality Testing Lab. The approximately 1,500 square-foot facility, located within the Company's new distribution center outside Richmond, Virginia, is the latest addition to the Company's product development and quality assurance lab network. Lumber Liquidators is one of the only flooring retailers to invest in, install and operate a lab with emission-testing capabilities. The lab includes two temperature and humidity-controlled conditioning rooms, and two formaldehyde emission chambers that mirror the capabilities of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and other state-of-the-art emission testing facilities. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/PH38169.htm Website to offer neighborhood-level air data. Many residents of the San Joaquin Valley are pretty savvy about the quality of the air they breathe. They know when summer ozone levels are spiking in Arvin or wintertime particulate pollution is off the charts in Bakersfield. And vice versa. But they've never had a tool to help understand whether the air in their neighborhood is cleaner or dirtier -- at any given time, day or night -- than the air quality in other parts of town. Or even a few blocks away. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/health/x1559712667/Website-to-offer-neighborhood-level-air-data CLIMATE CHANGE Obama's climate change wonk. President Barack Obama’s plan to combat greenhouse gases is entering its final lap, and now, with White House climate change hawk John Podesta gone, the baton has been handed to Gina McCarthy. As the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, she’s become the face of Obama’s plan that will, for the first time in U.S. history, regulate the amount of carbon dioxide released by the nation’s fleet of power plants as part of the strategy to shrink the pollution that scientists blame for global warming. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/barack-obamas-gina-mccarthy-climate-change-wonk-115372.html Things just got very hot for climate deniers’ favorite scientist. Wei-Hock Soon is always in hot demand. Among climate change skeptics, few commodities are rarer. Soon isn’t just a scientist. He’s a scientist who doubts climate change is man-made. Soon doesn’t work for just any university — he works for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. If you doubt man-made climate change, Soon isn’t just your man. He’s your high priest. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/23/the-favorite-scientist-of-climate-change-deniers-is-under-fire-for-taking-oil-money/ Van Hollen moving climate change with 2016 leverage. With Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, the odds of passing a climate change bill this year are virtually non-existent. But Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, plans to reintroduce legislation to cap carbon emissions this week, anyway, due in part to the impact it could have on the 2016 election. http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/22/politics/global-warming-chris-van-hollen/ Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher. For years, politicians wanting to block legislation on climate change have bolstered their arguments by pointing to the work of a handful of scientists who claim that greenhouse gases pose little risk to humanity. One of the names they invoke most often is Wei-Hock Soon, known as Willie, a scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who claims that variations in the sun’s energy can largely explain recent global warming. He has often appeared on conservative news programs, testified before Congress and in state capitals, and starred at conferences of people who deny the risks of global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-Soon.html?ref=earth EU Pushes for Tough Paris Climate Deal-Draft. European Union leaders want to enshrine in international law a goal to cut global emissions by 60 percent by 2050, according to a draft document that puts the bloc on a collision course with the biggest polluters. The EU is keen to inject urgency into the climate change debate ahead of an international conference in Paris at the end of this year to seek a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on curbing greenhouse gas emissions. On Wednesday the European Commission, the EU executive, will publish a blueprint for tackling climate change. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/02/23/world/europe/23reuters-eu-climate-paris.html DROUGHT Dry conditions in Calif. eased slightly by winter storms. Two atmospheric rivers, or heavy storms, have dropped about a foot of water in some parts of California, modestly easing the ongoing drought, experts said Thursday. According to Mark Svoboda, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska, the portion of the state experiencing the most extreme category of drought has decreased by 13 percent since the middle of November. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013789/feed LOW CARBON FUEL STANDARD Gov. Brown supports clean fuels bill. Gov. Kate Brown said Friday she supports a bill that seeks to lower the carbon intensity of fuels despite Republican threats to hold up a transportation package if it passes. Brown held her first press conference as Oregon’s chief executive in her ceremonial office. She was asked three times about GOP attempts to tie the Low Carbon Fuel Standards bill to Cylvia Hayes, the fiancee of former Gov. John Kitzhaber, and her work that is now under federal investigation. http://www.bendbulletin.com/home/2902455-151/gov-brown-supports-clean-fuels-bill# FUELS Obama’s Expected Keystone Pipeline Veto Is Likely to Be the First in a Wave. Wielding the weapon of his pen, President Obama this week is expected to formally reject a Republican attempt to force construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. But in stopping the transit of petroleum from the forests of Alberta to the Gulf Coast, Mr. Obama will be opening the veto era of his presidency. The expected Keystone veto, the third and most significant of Mr. Obama’s six years in office, would most likely be followed by presidential vetoes of bills that could emerge to make changes in the Affordable Care Act, impose new sanctions on Iran and roll back child nutrition standards, among others. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/23/us/politics/with-expected-keystone-veto-obama-to-open-new-era-of-presidency.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 VEHICLES California to spend $20 million on building part of 'hydrogen highway'. It's been more than a decade since former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger regularly talked about his dream of building a "hydrogen highway" that would speed fleets of non-polluting cars from Mexico to Canada. The vision never materialized anywhere other than in the governor's upbeat, eco-friendly speeches. Now, finally, a modest form of Schwarzenegger's highway might actually become a reality. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-capitol-business-beat-20150223-story.html Utilities Push Into Fuel Stations for Electric Cars. Since hitting the mass market about five years ago, electric vehicles have failed to take off, largely, experts say, because a robust network of public charging stations has not been built. Car companies, retail chains and members of an infant charger industry have announced partnership after partnership to build the stations, but their number still falls well short of what is needed to nudge millions of drivers into making the switch, analysts say. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/business/utilities-push-into-fuel-stations-for-electric-cars.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 GREEN ENERGY Carbon Pricing Pays the Way for Cleaner Energy. Following more than two centuries of fossil-fueled industrialization, during which the atmosphere has been used as a free dump for climate-changing pollution, an incipient era of carbon-pollution pricing is paying dividends to the climate. More than 80 percent of the $4.8 billion raised by the European Union’s emissions trading system (ETS) in 2013 was spent supporting growth of clean energy and other climate-friendly initiatives. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/carbon-pricing-pays-way-for-cleaner-energy-18691 Solar energy’s new best friend is … the Christian Coalition. The politics of solar power keeps getting more and more interesting. In Indiana, a fight over net metering — basically, whether people with rooftop solar can return their excess power to the grid and thereby lower their utility bills — has drawn out groups ranging from the state chapter of the NAACP to the conservative TUSK (Tell Utilities Solar won’t be Killed) in favor of the practice. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/20/solar-energys-new-best-friend-is-the-christian-coalition/ OPINIONS The real threat of climate change alarmism. For nearly four decades, we’ve increasingly been bombarded with global warming alarmism. What actually should alarm us is the corruption of science and, consequently, the undermining of knowledge-based authority. “Global warming” began being called “climate change” about the time warming so obviously had tapered off that annual differences were essentially immeasurable, and well within the margin of error. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/warming-651875-global-control.html Cutting Through India’s Smog. Proof of the grave air pollution problem confronting India is seen not just in the suffocating smog that on many days crowds out the sun in New Delhi, the world’s most polluted city. It can be measured as well in the fact that the country has the world’s highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases, which kill an estimated 1.5 million Indians every year. A 2014 World Health Organization report concluded of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, India has 13. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/23/opinion/cutting-through-indias-smog.html Strangely, electric car data being kept quiet. A transportation planner told me he doesn’t emphasize electric vehicles because they are primarily for the rich. And I must be Donald Trump. The rich? Electric cars are in the high $20,000s to mid $30,000 range. For example, the MSRP on a Chevrolet Spark EV is $27,645. The popular Nissan Leaf MSRP is $29,860. What he and others don’t know is that buyers get an immediate $7,500 from the federal government for an electric car or a plug-in electric. My 2013 Chevrolet Volt, for example, gets about 40 miles per charge but has a small, 9.5-gallon gasoline engine to increase the range to about 380 miles on a charge+tank. That’s why I’m able to drive to San Diego next weekend without a bout of range anxiety. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150221/strangely-electric-car-data-being-kept-quiet California needs a simpler gas tax, not a higher one. With prices at the pump heading back up, news of a possible cut to the state’s gas tax will surely cheer California drivers. On Tuesday, the State Board of Equalization will consider a proposal to cut the state’s gas tax by 7.5 cents a gallon. The proposal stems from a complicated formula enacted by the Legislature in 2010. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article10553594.html BLOGS You can change the minds of climate change skeptics. Here’s how. Last week the National Academy of Sciences made headlines by calling for stepped-up research into geoengineering. Geoengineering comprises technologies designed to counteract human-caused climate change: towering “carbon scrubbers” that would suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; the injection of iron pellets into the ocean to stimulate growth of carbon-consuming phytoplankton blooms; or — my personal favorite— deploying zillions of mirror-coated nanotechnology flying saucers to form a stratospheric solar reflector. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/02/23/you-can-change-the-minds-of-climate-change-skeptics-heres-how/ Map: These will be Europe’s most polluted cities by 2030. When Europeans talk about air pollution, they often think of India or China, but rarely consider their own continent to be at risk. And while levels of air pollution have decreased throughout Europe over the past decades, a new study by Austrian scientists concludes that smog is far from being defeated on the continent. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/23/map-these-will-be-europes-most-polluted-cities-by-2030/ Al Gore on Pollution in Delhi. Climate change crusader and former United States Vice-President Al Gore is in Delhi to warn the country about the dangers of pollution and rising global temperatures. “Indians must know that this is a life or death issue,” Mr. Gore said in an interview with the television channel NDTV. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/02/23/al-gore-on-pollution-in-delhi/ Preventing Sea Level Rise in New York City While Cleaning the Air in India and China. Last week, the New York City Panel on Climate Change predicted a hot and stormy future for the city that never sleeps. Apparently, by the end of the century New Yorkers will have ample reason to lose sleep. I view these projections as possible yet avoidable scenarios. New York City is spending $20 billion to help ensure it can adapt to a more difficult future, but if the panel's prediction of two feet of sea level rise comes to pass, we will need many multiples of $20 billion to protect New York. These projections should be seen as probabilistic warnings, not certain predictions of the future. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/preventing-sea-level-rise_b_6734948.html Climate Questions From Smart Young Students. One of the perks of my job is answering emails from high school and junior high students doing their first research projects on climate change science, policy, and politics. A little while back, I got an email from a 14 year-old Virginia middle-schooler named Emily, who was working on a debate project about global warming. She asked me the six good questions below, and I thought I'd answer them via this post. But first, my apologies to Emily for taking so long - her debate probably has already taken place. I hope these responses will help some other students with their assignments. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-doniger/climate-questions-from-smart-young-students_b_6728116.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 15:14:55 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 24, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 24, 2015. 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 Oil Industry Not Buying WA Gov. Inslee's Cap-and-Trade Plan ...gathering of oil-industry executives to take a leadership role in fighting climate change by embracing charges on carbon emissions. ... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/24022015/oil-industry-not-buying-wa-gov-inslees-cap-and-trade-plan AIR POLLUTION Report: Built-up pressure causes explosion a ExxonMobil Torrance refinery. An explosion at the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance was caused by over-pressurization in an air-pollution-control system, according to a report released Monday. The Wednesday morning blast that injured four contractors was prompted by pressure in an electrostatic precipitator, which controls particulate matter emissions from a fluid catalytic cracking unit, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/torrance-652083-refinery-revealed.html Former Firm Build execs to pay $1.8 million to asbestos victims. A federal court judge has ordered three former executives of the defunct nonprofit Firm Build to pay a total of $1.8 million to dozens of victims who were exposed to asbestos while working for the group, the office of U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner announced Monday. U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on Monday ordered Patrick Bowman, Rudy Buendia III and Joseph Cuellar to pay the funds, which will go exclusively toward the cost of medically monitoring the health of the 65 people who were exposed to the cancer-causing substance at the Castle Commerce Center’s Automotive Training Center in Atwater. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/crime/article11040773.html AIR POLLUTION: EPA denies enviro objections to Texas power plant permits. U.S. EPA has denied several challenges by environmentalists to the operating... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20538007146&p=19f&v=1&x=dEOCO54JUTmnbG9P_iBaaA Green States & Black States: Obama's Climate Plan Paints U.S. in New Colors. At the core of Obama's plan to control greenhouse gas emissions from more than 1,000 power plants... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20534758077&p=19f&v=1&x=EhROg1dvjq6FNa-knb6i7g Here's Where Ocean Acidification Will Hit the U.S. Hardest. ...study that shows that shellfisheries across the U.S. are more vulnerable to climate change's less considered counterpart than previously thought.... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/ocean-acidification-in-us-18693 Scientists Find Troubling Link Between Air Pollution And Suicide. Suicide may be linked to air pollution, according to new research that finds spikes in completed suicides in the days following peak pollution levels. The research took place in Utah, part of the United States’ western “suicide belt.” Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States; in Utah, it is the eighth. Though the notion that suicide and air quality could be linked may not seem intuitive, similar studies in South Korea, Taiwan and Canada have also linked the two. https://www.yahoo.com/health/scientists-find-troubling-link-between-air-111864299512.html CLIMATE CHANGE Head Of U.N. Climate Change Panel Resigns Amid Harassment Allegations. The chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra K. Pachauri, stepped down today amid allegations of sexual misconduct that have engulfed the celebrated Indian economist and engineer. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388715920/head-of-u-n-climate-change-panel-resigns-amid-harassment-allegations McCarthy Seeks to Convince Governors Of Merits of Proposed Clean Power Plan ...Association meeting, told skeptics like Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead (R) the proposed carbon pollution limits for power plants would not significantly increase... http://www.bna.com/mccarthy-seeks-convince-n17179923332/ San Mateo County looks to ditch PG&E, jump into renewable energy movement REDWOOD CITY -- In the latest sign that a Bay Area renewable energy trend is picking up steam, San Mateo County is taking... http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county-times/ci_27583128/san-mateo-county-looks-ditch-pg-e-jump Planting 'climate smart' agriculture in the U.S. -- a difficult but vital chore The agricultural sector cannot afford to ignore climate change. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20534540265&p=19f&v=1&x=xU5G2HLrFTOIqMGXzNZhGA SCIENCE: Climate change may be to blame for frigid Northeast. Biting winds and frigid temperatures terrorizing the Northeast can be linked to climate change, according to scientists at Rutgers and Wisconsin... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20534540390&p=19f&v=1&x=bwPTPYOw65VngnqFkBZijw BUSINESS: Companies begin to teach climate advocates how to reduce CO2. ...head-turning results about the company's carbon footprint after tallying its greenhouse gas emissions, which came from HP's supply chain, the... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20544267515&p=19f&v=1&x=EIUwPwWWS3-czGpVpoBFDA CLIMATE: Grijalva probes other scientists for ties to fossil fuels. ...sources of income for scientists who have challenged the scientific consensus on climate change or who are affiliated with groups that do. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20544293137&p=19f&v=1&x=raLy2o5ChPQSzIaIPllkyg 2 Harvard Law profs back EPA in Clean Power Plan lawsuit. ...U.S. EPA's defense last week in a lawsuit challenging the agency's proposed greenhouse gas standards for power plants. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20538008264&p=19f&v=1&x=WhbZue7Y80M6e_9_-TUzjA Fighting Back Against Climate Change. ...aimed at deliberate, large-scale intervention in the climate system to counter global warming'' -- is a possible tourniquet that might crudely blunt,... Climate Change Climate change may flatten Santa Cruz's famed surfing waves ...parallel to the coast rather than toward it. This change, coupled with dramatic sea level rise, could eradicate today's surfing spots. Scientists... http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27584934/climate-change-may-flatten-santa-cruzs-famed What do Drought, Record Heat, Chilling Temperatures and Massive Snow Add Up To? ...people feel safe jumping out of their second-story windows in Boston? Climate change, quite possibly. Scientists are trying hard to... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20534419959&p=19f&v=1&x=hHKRfJ0jwwWaTyYKTg7IgQ Talk of oil prices leads to regulatory discussion. ...the well stimulation technique known as hydraulic fracturing, laws limiting greenhouse gas emissions, the likelihood of new groundwater regulations... http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/business/kern-gusher/x1559713538/Talk-of-oil-prices-leads-to-regulatory-discussion A Lesson For Harvard Students: Fossil Fuel Divestment Won't Save The Planet. ...ability of students to study and thrive free from the threat of catastrophic climate change, and to future damage to the university's physical... http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorensteffy/2015/02/23/why-harvards-fossil-fuel-divestment-wont-save-the-planet/ Climate Change Impacts Absent from FEMA's Redrawn NYC Flood Maps. ...of New York's flood risk, because they don't factor in the effects of future climate change. Scientists say that by the 2080s, sea levels off... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20537285146&p=19f&v=1&x=2ahfh4u3u8VdSYIZsPR9xg FEMA Will Require States to Examine Climate Risks in Disaster Planning. ...Management Agency is about to make a significant shift in the way it handles climate change. FEMA will soon require states to examine the impacts... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20537285135&p=19f&v=1&x=s30zmui4ib4DFbVt4CFYSg U.K. on Track to Meet Its Renewable Energy Targets. The U.K. is on track to meet its renewable energy goals, with wind power substituting... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/23022015/uk-track-meet-its-renewable-energy-targets Technology changing the climate debate. ...down in history as the moment when technology transformed the debate about climate change. Instead of an argument about "the science" indicating... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article11058203.html Scientific Journals Alerted to Fossil Fuel Funding of Contrarian Climate Studies. ...Credit: Screenshot from the Heartland Institute's International Conference on Climate Change/July 2014. A watchdog group alerted nine scientific... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/23022015/scientific-journals-alerted-fossil-fuel-funding-contrarian-climate-studies DROUGHT Is drought the new normal for Southern California? ...weather cell, drawing more moisture into the deep tropics and broadening areas of drought at higher latitudes, according to a new study. The U.S. west,... http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-climate-drought-california-20150223-story.html DROUGHT: Dry conditions in Calif. eased slightly by winter storms. ...rivers, or heavy storms, have dropped about a foot of water in some parts of California, modestly easing the ongoing drought, experts said Thursday. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20534540503&p=19f&v=1&x=AP5mvTc2Sq-pGaad0MjjZg Water thefts on the rise in California. As California's drought drags on, officials are cracking down on thieves... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20538361231&p=19f&v=1&x=0eE_sxCVuN49FMKJ7jeFoA It may seem like a healthy dose of rainfall for L.A., but it's not. ...rain or a big storm or two in Los Angeles can make it seem as though Southern California is getting a healthy dose of rainfall. But in fact, the city's... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0224-rain-totals-20150225-story.html WEATHER: Rain didn't help drought. Weekend storms that brought much-needed rain to Southern California wasn't enough to help the drought. Two days of rain... http://www.pe.com/articles/water-760930-california-percent.html Sacramento to speed up water meter installations. ...installing water meters in every home and business in the city. Citing severe drought conditions that show no signs of letting up, utilities officials... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/city-beat/article11040677.html FUELS E.P.A. Issues Stiffer Rules on Vehicle Fuel Ratings. After two years of imposing increasingly stiff penalties on automakers that overstate their fuel economy ratings, federal regulators on Monday said they would tighten guidelines used in determining the mileage advertised to consumers. Next year, automakers will face stricter rules for conducting a crucial test or face an audit by the Environmental Protection Agency and potential penalties. The rules for the test had not been updated in over 10 years. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/business/energy-environment/epa-issues-stiffer-rules-on-vehicle-fuel-ratings.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 5 ways the Keystone saga could end. President Barack Obama plans to veto Congress’ Keystone XL pipeline bill soon after he gets it Tuesday — yet that’s just the beginning of the unpredictable next phase in the project’s journey through the Washington wringer. A veto could doom the congressional push for Keystone, since Republicans lack the votes for an override. But the White House and State Department still must decide the larger question of whether to allow construction of the $8 billion Canada-to-Texas heavy-oil pipeline, and that means both supporters and opponents will be making a final push in a lobbying feud that has already devoured years and tens of millions of dollars. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/keystone-xl-pipeline-five-ways-ending-115437.html Cow Manure to Ethanol Plant Switches On in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The San Joaquin Valley has become America’s breadbasket over the past few decades. Products including pistachios, almonds, citrus, stone fruit, cotton, and grapes are grown here and distributed all over the United States and are exported around the world. Tulare County, about a three-hour drive north of Los Angeles, recently surpassed nearby Fresno County to become the wealthiest agricultural county in the U.S. Home to 450,000 people, Tulare is also the top dairy producing country in the U.S. That means a lot of cows, which means a lot of manure, and in turn, all that agricultural activity has contributed to a region that has one of the worst air pollution records in the country. Furthermore, effluent from cow waste is a huge threat to what already are the San Joaquin Valley’s stressed watersheds. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/02/24/cow-manure-ethanol-plant-switches-californias-san-joaquin-valley/ BIOFUELS: DOE to provide $10M for advanced technology projects. The Department of Energy said Friday that it would provide $10 million to seven... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20538008340&p=19f&v=1&x=7ocjlwuOO1To8mE67OfDHg Oregon May Get Rid of Ethanol in Gasoline. ...Fuel Standard that, in part, mandates the amount of ethanol in the nation's gasoline. The issue could even turn into a major point in upcoming elections.... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/23022015/oregon-may-get-rid-ethanol-gasoline Business leaders to share insights at Modesto forum. ...leaders Dan Costa and Mike Zagaris won't try to explain conditions such as cheap gasoline prices or what's driving the nation's economic recovery. At a... http://www.modbee.com/news/local/article11049509.html Gasoline Prices Rise For Second Time Since June in Survey. The average price of regular gasoline at U.S. pumps rose for the second time since June, climbing 13.2... http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=37468 GREEN ENERGY Bill Gates and Other Business Leaders Urge U.S. to Increase Energy Research. The government is spending far too little money on energy research, putting at risk the long-term goals of reducing carbon emissions and alleviating energy poverty, some of the country’s top business leaders found in a new report. The American Energy Innovation Council, a group of six executives that includes the Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and the General Electric chief Jeffrey R. Immelt, urged Congress and the White House to make expanded energy research a strategic national priority. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/us/top-us-business-leaders-urge-increased-energy-research.html San Mateo County looks to ditch PG&E, jump into renewable energy movement. In the latest sign that a Bay Area renewable energy trend is picking up steam, San Mateo County is taking a close look at buying its own power on the open market, instead of relying on PG&E, in a bid to lower its greenhouse gas emissions. The county is exploring whether to establish a community choice aggregation program, which allows local governments to create their own energy portfolios that rely more on alternative sources like wind and solar and less on fossil fuels. On Tuesday, the board of supervisors will vote on allocating $300,000 toward a technical study of the proposal. http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county-times/ci_27583128/san-mateo-county-looks-ditch-pg-e-jump Japan Panel Proposes Solar Tariff Cut of as Much as 16% on Costs. Japan is considering reducing the incentives for developers of solar power projects by as much as 16 percent to reflect lower operating... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/24022015/japan-panel-proposes-solar-tariff-cut-much-16-costs FLORIDA: Solar campaign brings in unlikely conservative groups. A campaign to make it easier for the solar power industry to take root in Florida is gaining the support... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20538007154&p=19f&v=1&x=oJc1VAUVEApKw2zi0FPXPQ Public input ends for renewable energy plans in the desert, but not happily. ...Sugarman/KPCC State officials have been seeking public comment on a plan to focus renewable energy development on about 10 percent of southern California's... http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/23/49992/public-input-ends-for-renewable-energy-plans-in-th/ MISCELLANEOUS Residents express concerns over new vineyard. Plans for 40 new acres of vineyard atop a hill abutting Hidden Valley Lake homes is causing a stir in the community as some residents seek the county’s help in creating stricter mitigations to protect their quality of life. Major concerns with the development include its potential effects on Hidden Valley’s water quality and long-term quantity, as well as air quality. Some residents are also expressing grievances with how the county’s initial study of the project has written off these potential effects of the development as less than significant. http://www.record-bee.com/general-news/20150223/residents-express-concerns-over-new-vineyard San Francisco residents relying less on private automobiles. ...transit partly because they are "a little bit more self-conscious" about their greenhouse gas footprint. But mostly she suspects the city's "unbearable"... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0224-california-commute-20150224-story.html OPINION Policing the Online Climate Conversation. “Many climate-change alarmists seem to claim that all climate change... http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/02/24/policing-the-online-climate-conversation/ OTHER VIEWS: Gas tax plan should spread to more states. ...raising revenue, gas taxes create incentives forconservation, which reduces air pollution and carbon emissions.Instead, Congress has been resorting... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20540643685&p=19f&v=1&x=jEXKA87AxzM2SB91tnEC5w We know the drill, and don't like it. ...as the nation strives to expand alternatives to dirty fossil fuels and stem greenhouse-gas pollution, tapping reserves off the East Coast isn't... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/23/4393098/we-know-the-drill-and-dont-like.html Growing Corporate Power Counters Climate-Change Action, So Reframe Debate, Book Suggests. ...economic system itself be the main obstacle to the world collectively addressing climate change? DON'T MISS: Will Biofuels Growth... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20534950390&p=19f&v=1&x=0bIpHUI0hYFwhUl50nENIA Diversifying Fuel Sources Makes Good Sense. Since President George W. Bush declared in his 2006 State of the Union speech thatou “America is addicted to oil,” our nation has seen a renaissance of its renewable energy industry. And since California adopted its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) several years later, our state has been in the forefront of the shift to renewable fuels. http://sandiego.cityandpress.com/node/9166191 Toni Atkins: How California can improve its transportation infrastructure. ...improvements is drying up. Cars have become more efficient and more vehicles use no gasoline at all. That's terrific, but it also means revenues collected... http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_27583084/toni-atkins-how-california-can-improve-its-transportation J. WINSTON PORTER: Renewables need competition, not more government subsidies. ...the state's electricity be produced by renewables by 2030. He also called for gasoline to be reduced to 50 percent of the state's vehicle fuel by the... http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/hot-topics/x1559713551/Renewables-need-competition-not-more-government-subsidies What we can learn from British Columbia's carbon tax ...has had a carbon tax. It is, on its own terms, a resounding success — carbon emissions are falling even as the economy continues to grow. Not only... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20538389420&p=19f&v=1&x=LOoUUr54iiI7ixUJIxvhmA BLOGS Preventing Sea Level Rise in New York City. While Cleaning the Air in India and China Last week, the New York City Panel on Climate Change predicted a hot and stormy future for the city that... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/preventing-sea-level-rise_b_6734948.html United States to Provide Air Quality Data Overseas. ...EPA Administrator McCarthy Sign Agreement to Launch Innovative International Air Quality Program [State Department photo/ Public Domain] Yesterday,... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-a-finamore/united-states-to-provide_b_6735722.html?utm_hp_ref=green Will China Overtake The U.S. In Electric-Car Sales This Year? ...car), Guangzhou Auto Show [photo: ChinaAutoWeb] Enlarge Photo Modern plug-in electric cars have been on sale in the U.S. since December 2010,... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096924_will-china-overtake-the-u-s-in-electric-car-sales-this-year Changing the Climate Narrative. If we wonder why the international community has labored for 20 years without reaching a final agreement to confront global warming, we might consider what the dominant narrative has been. It has been mostly about constraining progress and apportioning limits. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-s-becker/changing-the-climate-narr_b_6737078.html Industrialized Countries To Start Unveiling Climate-Change Strategies. This Week On Wednesday, the European Union will unveil its post-2020 climate-change strategy, kicking off a 40-day period during which... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/forest-trends/industrialized-countries_b_6742256.html FCO Power advances Printed Fuel Cell SOFC stack for residential systems in existing apartments. ...Power is progressing with the development of its next-generation solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack for residential fuel cell systems... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150224-fcopower.html Making the Mirai fuel cell vehicle. ...Plant, which first began production in 1959, to mark the production of the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, which the company launched in November 2014,... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150224-mirai.html New York City Climate Change. ...has long endeavored to be a leader in environmental advocacy, the reality of climate change in our lives can no longer be ignored. Alexa Van... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/new-york-city-climate-change/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 15:30:33 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 25, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 25, 2015. 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 European carbon market reform set for 2019. MEPs vote to strengthen emissions trading scheme by taking 1.6bn surplus credits off the market to boost carbon prices, but critics call for steps to be taken earlier. Reforms to strengthen the EU’s flagship policy for cutting carbon, the emissions trading scheme (ETS), will start at the end of 2018 following a vote by MEPs on Tuesday. The carbon market is supposed to drive Europe’s transition to cleaner sources of energy… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/24/european-carbon-emissions-trading-market-reform-set-for-2019 AIR POLLUTION Enviros sue EPA over 3 soot plans. An environmental group today filed a lawsuit against U.S. EPA alleging that the agency had failed to put in place federal plans to clean up soot pollution in Iowa, Puerto Rico and Washington. In the lawsuit, the Center for Biological Diversity argued that EPA had violated the Clean Air Act by not issuing the plans. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060013951/feed Utility group objects to EPA compliance plan for startups, shutdowns. The utility industry is asking U.S. EPA to reconsider a compliance plan for power plants to meet toxic air pollution limits during the times when they're starting up and shutting down production. In a petition for reconsideration, the Utility Air Regulatory Group faulted EPA's requirements for control technologies during startup operations, the agency's analysis of "best performing"… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060013924/print CLIMATE CHANGE Scientists witness carbon dioxide trapping heat in air. Scientists have witnessed carbon dioxide trapping heat in the atmosphere above the United States, chronicling human-made climate change in action, live in the wild. A new study in the journal Nature demonstrates in real-time field measurements what scientists already knew from basic physics, lab tests… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_HEAT_TRAPPING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Head of U.N. Climate-Change Panel Resigns Amid Harassment Allegations. Indian environmentalist Rajendra K. Pachauri, a prominent voice on global warming, resigned Tuesday as head of the United Nations’ climate-change panel—a group that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize under his leadership—after a woman filed a sexual-harassment complaint against him with police. http://www.wsj.com/articles/head-of-u-n-climate-change-panel-resigns-1424783912?mod=rss_about_india http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=388715920 Climate change may flatten famed surfing waves. On a summer day in 1885, three Hawaiian princes surfed at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River on crudely constructed boards made from coastal redwoods, bringing the sport to the North American mainland. Today their wave-riding successors consult satellite weather forecasts on smartphones before heading to Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz to don neoprene wetsuits. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article11129015.html#storylink=cpy Will UN Climate Panel's Credibility Suffer From the Resignation of Its Chief? Attacks on the IPCC over allegations of sexual misconduct come in the same week as scandal erupts over contrarian scientist Willie Soon. In a week when the Willie Soon scandal broke and revealed the fossil fuel industry's footprint on contrarian climate research, embattled denialists went back on the offensive. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/25022015/will-un-climate-panels-credibility-suffer-resignation-its-chief First direct observation of carbon dioxide's increasing greenhouse effect. Scientists have observed an increase in carbon dioxide's greenhouse effect at the Earth's surface for the first time. The researchers, led by scientists from the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), measured atmospheric carbon dioxide's increasing capacity to absorb thermal radiation emitted… http://phys.org/news/2015-02-carbon-dioxide-greenhouse-effect.html#jCp Former Treasury Secretary Rubin says U.S. underestimates the cost of climate risks. Robert Rubin, a former U.S. Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, said yesterday that climate change is particularly pernicious because it affects so many distinct economic sectors, from budgetary planning and labor relations to agriculture production. "I believe, as all of you do, that climate change is the existential threat of our time,"… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013990/print http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060013952/print Fate of climate fund still up in the air after Kerry's Senate appearance. If a fight is brewing over President Obama's funding request to kick off his $3 billion promise to the Green Climate Fund, it's not happening in public. At least not yet. At two separate Senate hearings yesterday, which could have been the first chance for lawmakers to publicly grill Secretary of State John Kerry on his climate change aid requests… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013974/print Van Hollen reintroduces cap-and-dividend legislation. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a leading champion of aggressive government policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, today reintroduced legislation that would require fossil fuel producers to purchase allowances to cover the heat-trapping gases released when coal, oil or natural gas are burned and then redistribute that money to all taxpayers. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060013932/print U.N. leaders urge nations to get serious about June meeting pivotal for climate deal. The United Nations threw its weight yesterday behind a high-level event set for June aimed at keeping the world's attention focused on the creation of a new global climate change agreement in Paris at the end of the year. Speaking at a briefing yesterday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and President of the General Assembly Sam Kahamba Kutesa called on nations to support the midyear session in New York as a way to maintain global momentum. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060013887/print DROUGHT Despite drought, Bay Area salmon fishermen see hope for 2015 season. Bay Area commercial salmon fisherman got a jolt of good news this week in the form of population data that could bode well for the upcoming season. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council released estimates for the number of chinook salmon that returned from the Pacific Ocean in the fall to spawn in rivers where they were born or released from hatcheries. http://www.mercurynews.com/pacifica/ci_27591929/despite-drought-bay-area-salmon-fishermen-see-hope California Lawmakers Will Examine Ways To Capture Stormwater. Recycling stormwater runoff could help provide more water during the drought. Democratic Senator Bob Hertzberg says he believes such projects are more affordable than importing water from state and federal water projects. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/02/24/california-lawmakers-will-examine-ways-to-capture-stormwater/ Storms to bring rain, snow -- but not enough. Storms will continue to affect California and the West through this weekend and into next week with rounds of precipitation for some needy areas as well as delays for travelers, according to a forecast Tuesday from the private weather forecasting company AccuWeather Inc. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27827 FUELS Defying GOP, Obama vetoes Keystone XL pipeline bill. Defying the Republican-run Congress, President Barack Obama rejected a bill Tuesday to approve construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, wielding his veto power for only the third time in his presidency. Obama offered no indication of whether he'll eventually issue a permit for the pipeline, whose construction has become a flashpoint in the U.S. debate about environmental policy and climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82907308/ http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/government-and-politics/20150224/defying-gop-president-obama-vetoes-keystone-xl-pipeline-bill Gasoline Plunge Wipes Out Profits for U.S. Ethanol Makers. Ethanol producers are cutting output after getting squeezed by the biggest drop in gasoline prices since 2008. Valero Energy Corp. and Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc., representing about 15 percent of U.S. capacity, have reduced operations as margins have narrowed. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-25/gasoline-plunge-wipes-out-profits-for-u-s-ethanol-makers Keystone Veto Signals to Pipeline Foes Obama May Reject Project. President Barack Obama’s veto of the Keystone XL bill is the latest sign to pipeline opponents that he’s prepared to reject a project he said won’t create many jobs or reduce U.S. oil prices. Obama rejected the Republican-backed bill because it interfered with a review being led by the State Department, though he hasn’t decided whether to approve a permit for the pipeline… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-25/keystone-veto-signals-to-pipeline-foes-obama-may-reject-project Fossil fuel divestment effort comes to energy-rich Colorado. A campaign to get universities to stop investing in greenhouse gas-producing fuels came deep into energy country Friday as activists asked the University of Colorado to divest from coal and petroleum companies. The university's governing Board of Regents took no action on the request from a student group called Fossil Free CU… http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27590024/fossil-fuel-divestment-effort-comes-energy-rich-colorado Californians getting slightly lower gas tax. Filling up in California starting on July 1 could be a bit less expensive than now, following a 5-0 vote by the state Board of Equalization to lower the state excise tax on gasoline by six cents per gallon. “The Board's cut won't even fully offset the cost of a new ‘hidden gas tax’ that took effect January 1 to help fund high speed rail and other so-called anti-global warming efforts,” says BOE Vice Chairman George Runner. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27828 Mileage Tax Builds Momentum as Alternative to Gas Tax. It is only a matter of time before the gas tax will have to be phased out and replaced with a tax on miles traveled to support the nation’s roads, said a room full of transportation policy officials and their congressional allies who met here Feb. 24. The switch from fuel to mileage taxes could take place in six years, two U.S. representatives told the annual meeting of the Mileage-Based User Fee Alliance. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=37482&t=Mileage-Tax-Builds-Momentum-as-Alternative-to-Gas-Tax California gas tax cut unlikely to show up at pump. California regulators voted to lower the state's gasoline tax on Tuesday by 6¢/USG, but drivers may not see a difference at the pump. Starting this summer, the California gasoline tax will decline by 6¢/USG, slightly less than the 7.5¢/USG cut originally proposed in a recommendation to the California Board of Equalization (BOE). http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=998075&menu=yes UC Riverside CELF biomass pretreatment technology could cut cellulosic biofuel production cost by about 30%. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside led by Professor Charles Wyman, the Ford Motor Company Chair in Environmental Engineering, have developed a novel biomass pretreatment called co-solvent-enhanced lignocellulosic fractionation (CELF) to reduce enzyme costs significantly for high sugar yields from hemicellulose and cellulose… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150225-celf.html Panel concedes RFS reform unlikely this Congress. Reform of the renewable fuel standard is doubtful this Congress despite ongoing difficulties with setting annual targets under the program, a panel of both biofuel proponents and critics of the RFS said last week at an annual gathering of ethanol producers. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060013884/print VEHICLES Hyper-Luxury Cars Are Now Selling Faster Than Normal Ones. Welcome to a new gilded age of driving in which sales of Ferraris grow faster than Fords. Something strange happened two years ago at Switzerland's annual caucus of ultra-luxury car makers. Rolls-Royce, a brand dedicated to the driven, not the driver, unveiled a vehicle that had just two doors, an engine the size of a small Jacuzzi… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-25/hyper-luxury-cars-are-now-selling-faster-than-normal-ones Rockefeller’s Rodin Says Musk Visionary Drawing Capital. Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk is a pioneer when it comes to attracting money aimed at improving society and generating a profit, said Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin. “Elon Musk is a visionary in figuring out how to attract investment capital,”… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-25/rockefeller-s-rodin-says-musk-visionary-drawing-capital Electric Vehicle Charging Standards Needed. With the increase of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road, aka the burgeoning of the “Electric Highway,” unified standards for public EV charging are needed. In many states, this will fall on the weights and measures officials. As more plug-in EVS hits U.S. roads, charging stations will require inspection and testing for accuracy, just like a gas station today. http://domesticfuel.com/2015/02/25/electric-vehicle-charging-standards-needed/ GREEN ENERGY EU unveils vast plan to merge 28 energy markets. The European Union's executive has unveiled a vast plan to boost coordination between the EU's 28 national energy markets to wean Europe off unstable Russian gas supplies and provide cheaper energy for consumers. European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic on Wednesday called it "undoubtedly the most ambitious energy project" since the inception of the EU over half a century ago. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-25/eu-to-seek-safer-gas-supply-cleaner-power-in-energy-plan Over 12,000 comments on desert renewable energy plan. More than 12,000 people submitted comments on the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan before this week's deadline, many of them urging policymakers to protect specific parts of the desert from development. Unprecedented in scope and scale, the 10,000-page draft plan has far-reaching implications for the future of California's deserts. http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2015/02/24/comments-desert-renewable-energy-plan/23972657/ California grid tackles 50pc renewables goal. The California Independent System Operator (ISO) over the next year will examine new transmission infrastructure needs resulting from the proposed increase of the state renewable portfolio standard to 50pc by 2030.The special study will form part of the 2015-16 annual transmission planning exercise, which should conclude in the first half of 2016. http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=997980&menu=yes MISCELLANEOUS California plastic bag ban suspended, measure to overturn ban on 2016 ballot. Setting up a grand environmental showdown, a referendum initiated by the plastic-bag industry to overturn California’s first-in-the-nation law that bans supermarkets and other businesses from handing out single-use plastic bags has qualified for next year’s ballot. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/government-and-politics/20150224/california-plastic-bag-ban-suspended-measure-to-overturn-ban-on-2016-ballot OPINIONS Keystone Solution Runs Through Canada. The Keystone XL pipeline has become a perfect symbol of Washington’s dysfunction. Democrats exaggerate its environmental impact while Republicans exaggerate its economic benefits. In the debate, each side talks past the other, because each cares more about gaining a political advantage than a policy achievement. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-25/mike-bloomberg-keystone-xl-solution-runs-through-canada Timm Herdt: The need for bilingual electric cars. When Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León earlier this month announced an aggressive clean-energy agenda for California, he made a special point of asserting it would reach into all of the state's communities, not just those of coastal environmentalists. http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_27593117/timm-herdt-need-bilingual-electric-cars Obama's climate change wonk. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is in the forefront of President Obama’s climate change agenda, but don’t call her a politician. President Barack Obama’s plan to combat greenhouse gases is entering its final lap, and now, with White House climate change hawk John Podesta gone, the baton has been handed to Gina McCarthy. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/barack-obamas-gina-mccarthy-climate-change-wonk-115372.html#ixzz3Sni1eZDl How dirty media brought down Oregon’s clean-energy governor and his activist fiancée. Full disclosure: 1. I know and admire Cylvia Hayes. 2. I support the initiatives that she actively promoted. 3. I have no special knowledge of her financial dealings. Regardless, I believe the recent attacks on Hayes and her fiancé, former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D), have been sensationalized, and are at best misleading. http://grist.org/politics/how-dirty-media-brought-down-oregons-clean-energy-governor-and-his-activist-fiancee/ Care about global climate change? Then fight local air pollution. Leaders of developing countries should take a look at a new study by professors and researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the University of Chicago, and keep it in mind when they go to Paris to discuss a global climate agreement this December. http://grist.org/climate-energy/care-about-global-climate-change-then-fight-local-air-pollution/ BLOGS On Keystone and Climate, Bloomberg Presses Obama to Negotiate with Canada Instead of Congress. Former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, now a United Nations climate envoy, has laid out a wise path for President Obama that could sidestep the political morass surrounding Canada’s oil-rich Alberta tar (sands) pits and the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/on-keystone-and-climate-bloomberg-presses-obama-to-negotiate-with-canada-instead-of-congress/?ref=earth&_r=0 An Introduction to Carbon Cap-and-Trade Systems Around the World. Carbon markets are being established around the world, but how exactly do cap-and-trade systems work? By answering a few questions on cap-and-trade systems, this piece illustrates why and how such systems are being adopted in practice. What is the point of a cap-and-trade system? Cap-and-trade systems are an approach to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rosaly-byrd/an-introduction-to-carbon-cap-and-trade_b_6737660.html Gasoline prices up nearly a dime over the past week. Gasoline prices in the Pittsburgh region are up eight cents a gallon over the past week as, for at least the moment, the recent price declines are just a memory. You're paying an average of $2.468 in the region for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge report. That's up from $2.383 a gallon only a week ago and $2.31 a month ago. http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/morning-edition/2015/02/gasoline-prices-up-nearly-a-dime-over-the-past.html Call for Oregon to subsidize electric vehicles intensifies. Oregon should subsidize electric car purchases to meet its climate change goals, according to a report issued this morning. While electric vehicles currently have a relatively small impact on Oregon's economy, but that could increase dramatically as more people make the switch from gas to electric. http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/02/call-for-oregon-to-subsidize-electric-vehicles.html How Does BP Plan To Ride Through The Oil Crash? The recent crash in oil prices has made BP’s road to recovery from a massive setback it faced as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident even more challenging. Just when the company’s underlying business seemed to be on the cusp of a turnaround with new upstream projects adding to both production and profitability, it now faces a potentially prolonged cycle of depressed commodity prices… http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/01/30/bp-q4-2014-preview-the-decline-in-oil-prices-and-ruble-to-weigh-on-upstream-earnings/ Bill To Kill Georgia's Electric-Car Tax Credit Rises From The Dead. State politics can be a funny thing. Last week, a Georgia House bill to end the state's $5,000 tax credit for purchase or lease of a battery-electric vehicle was voted down by its Ways & Means Committee. But yesterday, it mysteriously reappeared and was unanimously passed by voice vote after it was deemed only to have been "tabled." http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096976_bill-to-kill-georgias-electric-car-tax-credit-rises-from-the-dead Chevrolet one of 16 organizations across US recognized by EPA for Climate Action; only automaker. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded 2015 Climate Leadership Awards to 16 organizations and one individual representing a wide array of industries from finance and manufacturing to retail and technology for showing what the agency said was exemplary corporate… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150225-chevy.html How Many Hydrogen Cars For Northeast U.S.? 10,000 In 10 Years, Plan Says. California is already home to the nation's sole hydrogen fueling infrastructure, and funds are in place to build more such stations over the next few years. That's why the Golden State is now the sole U.S. market for the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell and the upcoming 2016 Toyota Mirai--the only fuel-cell cars on sale in the U.S. right now. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096946_how-many-hydrogen-cars-for-northeast-u-s-10000-in-10-years-plan-says Chinese electric car sales could surge past the US. Modern plug-in electric cars have been on sale in the U.S. since December 2010, and in China even longer. The BYD F3DM, a compact plug-in hybrid sedan, went into very limited production in 2008, though early deliveries were strictly to fleets and government agencies. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096924_will-china-overtake-the-u-s-in-electric-car-sales-this-year#ixzz3SmvFJ88Q Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S 'Best Overall' Again In 2015. Well, Tesla Motors seems to have done it again. For the second year in a row, Consumer Reports has named the Tesla Model S its "Best Overall" vehicle to buy for 2015. As the well-regarded consumer magazine notes in its summary: For all of the impressive new vehicles released in 2014… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096975_consumer-reports-tesla-model-s-best-overall-again-in-2015 First Electric Pickup Truck: Renault Kangoo ZE Not For U.S. (Forbidden Fruit). The field of electric cars is gradually growing more diverse, but so far no automaker has built an electric pickup truck and put it on sale. Now there is one, although it probably won't fit most people's image of a rough, tough truck. A French company called Kollé (via Inside EVs) is offering a conversion for the Renault Kangoo Z.E. that transforms this small electric delivery van into a pickup. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096966_first-electric-pickup-truck-renault-kangoo-ze-not-for-u-s-forbidden-fruit California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Feb 2015 16:03:38 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 26, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE State carbon auction nets $1 billion. Companies spent more than $1 billion in California’s latest sale of carbon emissions credits, making it the largest auction since the controversial cap-and-trade program began in late 2012, state officials said Wednesday. The reason: State officials dramatically expanded the pool of credits for sale to accommodate a surge in demand. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/article11191400.html#storylink=cpy Court of Appeal Rejects Challenge to State ‘Cap-and-Trade’ Rules. The First District Court of Appeal yesterday rejected a challenge by environmental groups to the “cap-and-trade” rules instituted by the California Air Resources Board. Presiding Justice Ignacio Ruvolo, writing for Div. Four, agreed with San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ernest Goldsmith that the board acted within the broad discretion granted to it by AB 32… http://www.metnews.com/articles/2015/cap022515.htm Round Valley First Forest Carbon Offset Project on Native Trust Land for California. The discussions of climate change and carbon footprints are important subjects within Indian country, and on February 24 the Round Valley Indian Tribes became a part of history as far as carbon emissions goes. Round Valley and New Forests on Tuesday announced the regulatory approval of the first forest carbon offset… http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/02/26/round-valley-first-forest-carbon-offset-project-native-trust-land-california-159386 California carbon permits fetch $12.21 a tonne at auction. California said on Wednesday that carbon allowances fetched $12.21 a tonne at the cap-and-trade program's first auction of the year, a rate below market expectations even though all of the permits offered were sold. The auction was the first since the two-year-old cap-and-trade program expanded to cover distributors of transportation and home heating fuels on Jan. 1, roughly doubling the market's size. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/02/25/california-carbon-auction-idINL1N0VZ2M020150225 Calif.'s first cap-and-trade auction with motor fuels included sells out. The first auction under California's newly expanded cap-and-trade program sold out of permits for greenhouse gas emissions, the Golden State said yesterday. California's system, aimed at cutting the heat-trapping gases blamed for climate change, wrapped in distributors of motor fuels like gasoline and diesel starting on Jan. 1. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014075/print Green Assets and Middleton Place awarded first-of-its-kind Carbon Offset Credits. Green Assets, Inc., a leading forest carbon offset developer, announced today the completion of the first-ever compliance-grade Avoided Conversion carbon offset project in the United States. Their Middleton Place project received California Air Resources Board Offset Credits (ARBOCs) for the conservation of more than 3,700 acres of pristine southern coastal habitat near Charleston, S.C. http://www.nassaunewslive.com/green-assets-and-middleton-place-awarded-first-of-its-kind-carbon-offset-credits/536263 AIR POLLUTION Exposure to small particle pollution linked to heart-disease death. Data from about 8,000 women living in the Sacramento metropolitan area were used in a major study – released Wednesday – that linked death from heart disease to exposure to soot found in car exhaust, cooking smoke and diesel pollution. The study, one of the most comprehensive to date, used data from the tracking of 100,000 middle-aged women in California between 2000 and 2007. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-tiny-pollutants-linked-to-heart-disease-deaths-20150225-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article11184728.html#storylink=cpy State lawmakers target wood stove rules. That was the message Wednesday in Richmond as the State Senate approved legislation opposing new federal regulations on wood heaters. Lawmakers were taking aim at new EPA rules designed to improve the efficiency of wood stoves and reduce pollution. Republicans said the rules are an example of federal overreach that will affect many Virginians. http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/state-lawmakers-target-wood-stove-rules/31487162 Prescribed burn spreads to forest in Northern California. A prescribed burn in the largest natural forest in California is burning out of control and isn't expected to be contained until next week. The U.S. Forest Service reports that on Tuesday afternoon firefighters responded to a wildfire on private land in Siskiyou County, about 18 miles northeast of McCloud, which is on the southern slope of Mt. Shasta. The fire was sparked by a change in wind during a prescribed burn. The fire spread into the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article11231270.html CLIMATE CHANGE Hollande Says No Climate Deal If There Is No Climate Fund. French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that a landmark climate deal may not be reached in Paris in December if wealthy countries don't commit adequate funds to help poor nations fight global warming. "There will be no agreement concluded in Paris if the countries, the poorest countries, are not convinced that there will be a fund ... which would be made available to them," Hollande said in Manila after he and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III launched an international appeal to back efforts to seal a climate change accord. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PHILIPPINES_FRANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hollande-climate-deal-climate-fund-29241255 http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Hollande-says-no-climate-deal-if-there-is-no-6103000.php http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article11224553.html Lawmakers Seek Information on Funding for Climate Change Critics. Democratic lawmakers in Washington are demanding information about funding for scientists who publicly dispute widely held views on the causes and risks of climate change. Prominent members of the United States House of Representatives and the Senate have sent letters to universities, companies and trade groups asking for information about funding to the scientists. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/science/lawmakers-seek-information-on-funding-for-climate-change-critics.html?_r=0 Berkeley study directly IDs climate change culprit. Scientists training their instruments on the skies have caught the world’s major greenhouse gas right in the act of warming the planet, researchers reported Wednesday, providing the first direct evidence that human activity is dangerously altering the environment. The instruments captured more than a decade of rising surface temperatures… http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Berkeley-experts-study-strengthens-human-link-6101054.php We have tools to ensure grid reliability under carbon rule – EPA. U.S. EPA Chief Gina McCarthy told lawmakers yesterday that her agency is prepared to deal with potential electric reliability problems under the Clean Power Plan, whether through a "waiver or another process." While McCarthy maintained that the proposed rule would not affect reliability, she said EPA has the necessary tools to address situations that might arise under the landmark standards to cut carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014074/print Companies turn to 'adaptation specialists' to prepare for climate change. As climate change increasingly is on large companies' radars, they're turning to a budding field of professionals -- climate adaptation specialists -- to help determine which risks are most pressing and how they should be handled. Those who work in this relatively new profession need many skills. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014034/print Expect a burst of warming after current temperature 'hiatus,' scientists warn. If the oceans are responsible for absorbing excess heat from climate change, we can expect a burst of warming in the future, according to scientists. Since 1998, global surface temperatures haven't risen significantly. A hiatus in global warming like the one the world is currently experiencing is not unheard of… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014029/print Western regulators, utilities call for more time to implement EPA's Clean Power Plan. U.S. EPA proposed an unreasonable and costly deadline for states to begin reducing global warming emissions, according to utility officials and regulators in Western states who testified here yesterday before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/02/26/stories/1060014048 FUELS Lower gasoline prices dampen U.S. consumer inflation. U.S. consumer prices fell over the past year for the first time since 2009 as gasoline prices continued to tumble, which could allow a cautious Federal Reserve more room to hold off on raising interest rates. Other data on Thursday showed a rebound in business investment spending plans and a steadily firming labor market, suggesting the move into deflation territory would be brief. In addition, gasoline prices have been rising in recent weeks. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/us-usa-economy-idUSKBN0LU1J220150226 Alberta in Talks on Climate Policy With Eye to Keystone Approval. Alberta is in talks with other Canadian provinces and U.S. states to cooperate on climate and environmental policies as it seeks to improve the reputation of its oil sands and win approval of TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone pipeline. The oil-rich province is in discussions with governments in North America and overseas… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-26/alberta-in-talks-on-climate-policy-with-eye-to-keystone-approval House GOP probes Obama’s Keystone XL decision. The House Oversight Committee is investigating the Obama administration’s ongoing process to review the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) asked Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday to send him everything the State Department received from other federal agencies for its ongoing determination of whether Keystone is in the United States’ “national interest.” http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/233771-house-gop-probes-obamas-keystone-xl-decision VEHICLES Southwest Research Institute wins $20 million EPA contract for emissions testing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) a five-year, $20.16 million contract to provide testing and analytical services related to vehicle emissions and fuel consumption. The contract calls for SwRI to develop test procedures and equipment to evaluate all types of fuel and additives and the resulting emissions… http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2015/02/24/southwest-research-institute-wins-20-million-epa.html GREEN ENERGY EU unveils vast plan to merge 28 energy markets. The European Union's executive has unveiled a vast plan to boost coordination between the EU's 28 national energy markets to wean Europe off unstable Russian gas supplies and provide cheaper energy for consumers. European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic on Wednesday called it "undoubtedly the most ambitious energy project" since the inception of the EU over half a century ago. It will include improving links across borders in Europe's oil, gas and electricity grids and investing in new sources of energy from North Africa and Turkey. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/25/world/europe/ap-eu-europe-energy.html?_r=0 http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/EU-unveils-vast-plan-to-merge-28-energy-markets-6100511.php The EPA Just Ripped California's Big Renewable Energy Plan. As the state and federal agencies drafting a massive plan to zone the California desert for energy development struggle to put a record number of public comments online, one comment in particular may cause the document's authors even more work. The public comment period on the draft Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, known as the DRECP… http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewire/government/drecp/epa-desert-energy-plan-must-do-more-to-protect-wildlife-air-water.html If you're headed for the slammer, here's one that's going green. The Federal Correctional Complex in Coleman (FCC Coleman) is about to get a green makeover. The Florida facility will receive $45 million worth of water- and energy-saving technologies, as well as a 2-megawatt solar array as part of a contract signed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014047/print Cutting food waste could make significant dent in global emissions, study finds. Before you throw away that half-eaten pizza, consider a couple of things. A full third of all food produced ends up in the trash, amounting to about $400 billion in annual losses. That food waste is responsible for a full 7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014073/print MISCELLANEOUS Young Indians Learn To Fight Pollution To Save Lives. China's pollution is epic enough that even the mayor of Beijing said his city "is not livable" because of its noxious smog. But a new study, published Saturday in the Economic & Political Weekly, shows that 660 million people — half the population — live in areas where fine particulate matter pollution is above levels considered safe under Indian standards. http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/388901963/young-indians-learn-to-fight-pollution-to-save-lives OPINIONS The troubling psychology behind how we decide who’s a scientific “expert” — and who isn’t. In the past few days, the climate change debate has reverted to a familiar mode: Follow the money. The New York Times and many other outlets reported on climate-doubting researcher Wei-Hock (“Willie”) Soon and his apparent receipt of energy industry monies to support his research programs. Soon, who has not responded to comment requests from The Washington Post, has often argued that the sun is the real factor driving climate change — a position that is rejected by the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leading authority on climate science. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/25/why-all-we-believe-our-own-favorite-experts-and-why-they-believe-themselves/ Climate Change & Manufacturing. “When you’re in a hole, stop digging.” The subtitle to this article, the so-called “first law of holes,” is attributed to various sources (earliest going back to 1911 in the Washington Post) and is usually interpreted as “if you find yourself in an untenable position, you should stop and change, rather than carry on exacerbating it.” (fromWikipedia) http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/02/26/climate-change-manufacturing/#ixzz3Ss2Ysukx Californians must show their resolve on plastic-bag ban. Reducing air pollution, conserving water, combating climate change and preserving open space all require sacrifice, and in many cases they also require battles with entrenched industries whose interests are at odds with environmental goals. If Californians can't manage to ban single-use plastic bags — taking on the industry that manufactures them and accepting the minor inconvenience involved — it doesn't speak well of the state's ability to confront the bigger environmental challenges that lie ahead. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-plastic-bag-20150226-story.html BLOGS Can only Republicans help Republicans on climate change? On a Tuesday conference call, climate policy champion Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) predicted that the toxic politics of global warming will change “because of the public’s growing awareness” of the issue. Many people who want action on climate change share the same hope. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/02/25/can-only-republicans-help-republicans-on-climate-change/ New Doc Exposes the ‘Experts’ Peddling Misinformation About Global Warming. Documentaries have found new visibility in recent years, thanks to the rise of streaming services, but the same doesn't hold for the people who make them. Fortunately, Robert Kenner is an exception. For more than 30 years, the award-winning director of Two Days in October and Food, Inc. has been one of the few acknowledged masters of the form, distilling sprawling, unwieldy topics into concise, compelling films. His latest, March's Merchants of Doubt, pillories the “scientific experts” maintaining that cigarettes don't cause cancer or that global warming is a myth. It's an urgent cry for people to confront scientific misinformation, and it finds Kenner at the peak of his abilities. http://www.wired.com/2015/02/merchants-of-doubt/ Will Obama's Climate Plan Really Cause Blackouts? Back in November, a group of Republican lawmakers fired off a stern letter to the head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency that oversees electric grids. President Barack Obama's new climate plan, the letter warned, could lead to blackouts across the country. The Clean Power Plan is the centerpiece of Obama's climate policy. It calls for the nation to reduce its carbon footprint 30 percent by 2030 and requires each state to reduce the "intensity" of its power sector—that is, how much greenhouse gas is produced per unit of energy. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/02/will-obamas-climate-plan-cause-blackouts If the Air’s Over 200, Exercise Indoors: WHO China Head’s Tips for Beijing Runners. Though the topic of running in the heavy smog was widely discussed before the marathon, Dr. Schwartlander regrets that he didn’t speak out before the event to warn runners. “I should have done it,” says Dr. Schwartlander, an avid outdoorsman who rides his bike daily to his office in Beijing’s Chaoyang district. “The WHO cannot recommend that anyone run in that air.” For the Beijing marathon, which took place under high levels of air pollution, some competitors donned face masks while others chose not to run or to quit early. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/02/26/if-the-airs-over-200-exercise-indoors-who-china-heads-tips-for-beijing-runners/ How Can We Address Indoor Air Pollution? What are the challenges of addressing indoor air pollution caused by solid fuel fires for cooking and heating? How can we overcome those challenges? Does the international community have an obligation to help? Why or why not? http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/02/26/how-can-the-international-community-address-indoor-air-pollution/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 27 Feb 2015 12:42:43 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 27, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for February 27, 2015. 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 Netherlands hands out 46 million free carbon allowances to industry. The Netherlands has begun distributing this year's quota of free carbon permits to industry, the Dutch Emissions Authority (NEA) said on Thursday. The allocation of EU Allowances (EUAs), will add supply to a market already awash with permits and could put more pressure on carbon prices, which are now below 7.50 euros a ton. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/us-carbon-netherlands-idUSKBN0LU1OY20150226 EU court rules against Czech tax on carbon permits. A Czech tax imposed in 2011 and 2012 on carbon emission allowances granted to companies for free breached a European Union directive, the European Union's Court of Justice ruled on Thursday. The ruling was made at the request of a Czech court which is considering an appeal of an electricity producer, Sko-Energo, against the tax… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/us-czech-carbon-idUSKBN0LU13020150226 AIR POLLUTION The Window Screen That Cleans the Air. Using nanotechnology, researchers have developed a low-cost filter that cleans the air of pollution from tiny particles. It would be great if somebody figured out how to filter small particles of pollution from the air. The next best thing would be at least to keep them out of people’s lungs. The first of those goals is a tall order. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-window-screen-that-cleans-the-air-1425056525?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION No-burn order in effect for greater Los Angeles, Inland Empire. Much of the Southland will be under a “no-burn” order today, meaning indoor fireplace use and outdoor wood burning will be prohibited due to pollution concerns. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued the order for all residences in the South Coast Air Basin, including the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire. POLLUTION: Tiniest particles appear to be riskiest. A new study by California scientists sheds more light on earlier work that has linked fine-particle air pollution to deaths from heart disease. This work, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, focused on the smallest of these particles, called ultrafine particles. These specks are no bigger than a thousandth of the width of a human hair. http://www.pe.com/articles/particles-761191-disease-study.html EPA brief urges high court to uphold mercury, toxics standards. U.S. EPA this week urged the Supreme Court to uphold its landmark air standards for mercury and other pollutants, arguing that a challenge from states and industry "defies common sense." Twenty-one states and two industry groups -- the Utility Air Regulatory Group and National Mining Association -- contend that EPA should have considered the $9.6 billion price tag of its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014192/print CLIMATE CHANGE Hollande tours typhoon-hit Philippines ahead of climate deal. French President Francois Hollande on Friday took his warning about the need for funds for a landmark climate deal to a central Philippine town that was devastated by a killer typhoon in 2013. Speaking at a public school in Guiuan, where Typhoon Haiyan made its first landfall before claiming more than 7,300 lives, Hollande promised to "remember your faces" when France hosts the climate conference in December. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PHILIPPINES_FRANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-philippines-france-idUSKBN0LV11O20150227 http://www.nytimes.com/video/multimedia/100000003539628/france-philippines-call-for-agreement-on-climate-change.html The big melt: Antarctica's retreating ice may re-shape Earth. >From the ground in this extreme northern part of Antarctica, spectacularly white and blinding ice seems to extend forever. What can't be seen is the battle raging underfoot to re-shape Earth. Water is eating away at the Antarctic ice, melting it where it hits the oceans. As the ice sheets slowly thaw, water pours into the sea - 130 billion tons of ice (118 billion metric tons) per year for the past decade… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AA_ANTARCTICA_GLACIAL_MELTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate Finance Tops $35 Billion a Year, U.S. Envoy Says. Industrial nations are delivering more than a third of the $100 billion in annual aid they’ve pledged by 2020 for climate-related projects in developing nations, a senior U.S. State Department envoy said. About $35 billion to $40 billion a year now is flowing from western governments in the form of direct aid and loans from development banks, said Todd Stern, the lead U.S. diplomat on climate matters. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-26/climate-finance-tops-35-billion-a-year-u-s-envoy-says Most Americans see combating climate change as a moral duty. A significant majority of Americans say combating climate change is a moral issue that obligates them – and world leaders - to reduce carbon emissions, a Reuters/IPSOS poll has found. The poll of 2,827 Americans was conducted in February to measure the impact of moral language, including interventions by Pope Francis, on the climate change debate. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-usa-climate-poll-idUSKBN0LV0CV20150227?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Cooler Pacific has slowed global warming, briefly – study. A natural cooling of the Pacific Ocean has contributed to slow global warming in the past decade but the pause is unlikely to last much longer, U.S. scientists said on Thursday. The slowdown in the rate of rising temperatures, from faster gains in the 1980s and 1990s, has puzzled scientists because heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions from factories… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/climatechange-warming-idUSL5N0VZ49P20150226 China's top climate negotiator removed from leadership list. China's top climate change negotiator has been removed from the nation's leadership list, appearing to confirm media reports he has retired, but the move has left it unclear who will lead China at crucial climate talks in Paris at the end of the year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-china-climate-idUSKBN0LV06T20150227 Researchers think they’ve found a “gateway belief” that leads to greater science acceptance. It’s probably the most famous study ever conducted about how climate scientists, themselves, think about the subject they examine. According to a gigantic 2013 literature review, 97.1 percent of published scientific studies that took a position on the matter “endorsed the consensus position that humans are causing global warming.” This “97 percent” figure has since gone everywhere — triggering debates and discussions around the world. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/26/can-this-gateway-belief-get-people-to-accept-climate-change/ A cause for pause? Scientists offer reasons for global warming 'hiatus' It's been dubbed both a "pause" and a "faux pause," and it's ignited debate among climate scientists and their critics. After a period of rapid global warming throughout most of the 20th century, the pace of global temperature rise has slowed greatly over the last 10 to 15 years. This unexpected slowdown has raised questions about the accuracy of climate change forecasts… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014163/print Democrats on climate 'witch hunt', conservatives say. Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva is on a mission to expose climate skeptics. Some say he's going too far.Now conservatives are the ones complaining about being the victims in a politically motivated “war on science.” In a turnabout from years of debate about intrusion into scientific research… http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/climate-change-study-funding-raul-grijalva-115568.html#ixzz3Sy3GwuO0 DROUGHT 94 percent of Californians agree the drought is serious. Nearly every Californian sees the drought as a big problem, and more than ever say they favor mandatory rationing, according to a survey released Thursday. A new Field Poll found 94 percent of registered California voters consider the shortage serious, with 68 percent of those deeming it extremely serious. By contrast, when the state had a similarly severe drought in 1977, just 51 percent saw the problem as extremely serious. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150226/94-percent-of-californians-agree-the-drought-is-serious DIESEL ACTIVITIES U.S. electric bus company unveils 180-mile range option. Proterra Inc., an American electric bus manufacturer, earlier this week unveiled a reconfigurable battery system with a 180-mile range, part of an effort to meet the "diverse needs of the North American transit market," the company said. "Operating successfully in cities across the country, the Proterra Catalyst is the most energy-efficient transit bus on the market… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014163/print FUELS Green groups divided on Hillary Clinton's oil interest ties. Hillary Clinton's connections to oil and gas interests has created a dilemma for some environmental groups, troubling activists for whom she would be the natural candidate to support for president. The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate's environmental record has come under renewed scrutiny…http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/us-usa-election-clinton-oil-idUSKBN0LU18O20150226 WRAPUP 3-Lower gasoline prices dampen U.S. consumer inflation. U.S. consumer prices fell over the past year for the first time since 2009 as gasoline prices continued to tumble, which could allow a cautious Federal Reserve more room to hold off on raising interest rates. Other data on Thursday showed a rebound in business investment spending plans and a steadily firming labor market… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/usa-economy-idUSL1N0W01N020150226 Exxon Mobil Settles $9 Billion New Jersey Environmental Case for $250 Million. A long-fought legal battle to recover $8.9 billion in damages from Exxon Mobil Corporation for the contamination and loss of use of more than 1,500 acres of wetlands, marshes, meadows and waters in northern New Jersey has been quietly settled by the state for around $250 million. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/nyregion/exxon-mobil-settles-with-new-jersey-over-environmental-damage.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1 Californians sharply divided over hiking state gas tax. California voters think the government should spend more money to help maintain crumbling roads, but they offer mixed views on how to fund the upkeep, according to a new statewide Field Poll. More than 70 percent think state and local officials should dedicate additional resources to existing roadways. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/field-polls/article11314598.html#storylink=cpy Why a Keystone, climate trade-off won’t happen: ‘There is almost nothing big enough Canada could offer’. This week’s veto by Barack Obama of a bill to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline has sparked renewed interest in a climate change pact between Canada and the United States. http://business.financialpost.com/2015/02/26/why-a-keystone-climate-trade-off-wont-happen-there-is-almost-nothing-big-enough-canada-could-offer/?__lsa=a0db-17a2 BOE member calls for ending fuel tax swap. A member of the state Board of Equalization who voted this week in favor of cutting the state excise tax on gasoline says it’s time to stop the annual juggling of tax rates on gas. That annual manipulation is called the “fuel tax swap” in which the excise tax is cut or increased. This year it’s being cut by six cents a gallon, effective July 1, dropping it to 30 cents per gallon. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27835 Rising U.S. Oil Prices Await Cutbacks. Despite the bounce off the floor of $42 per barrel lows in late January, no serious global oil price increases will occur until American oil and natural gas producers aggressively reverse their expansion plans for now, and cutback production in the months ahead. Severe cutbacks in drilling rigs already indicate steps in that direction. http://www.desertsun.com/story/morrisbeschlosseconomics/2015/02/26/rising-us-oil-prices/24092199/ Biofuel industry attacks bipartisan bill ending corn ethanol mandate. Biofuel industry leaders yesterday slammed a proposed bill that would effectively eliminate an implicit corn ethanol mandate in the renewable fuel standard. Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced the "Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015," with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) as a co-sponsor. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014166/print Calif. enviros push for emergency order to stop fracking. A coalition of environmental groups yesterday urged California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) to use emergency powers to halt hydraulic fracturing and acid well stimulation in the oil-rich state. The petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace and nearly 150 other groups comes amid a hodgepodge of other legal and legislative actions by Californians hoping to restrict fracking. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060014137/print Coast Guard finalizes marine fuel guidelines. The U.S. Coast Guard this week issued lengthy "policy letters" to guide the safe handling of liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel. The two letters, finalized through Federal Register publication Tuesday after a yearlong public comment and review process, provide voluntary guidance to Coast Guard personnel on appropriate fuel transfer and training measures… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060014135/print Alternative path opened as ice melts on popular Everest climb. The "Ballroom of Death" on one of the world's most treacherous mountains is closed for business this season. Every day, Mount Everest's Khumbu Icefall path, on the west side of the Khumbu Glacier, shifts several feet down the mountain, creating splintering ice towers and deep fractures that render the path too deadly. Global warming has accelerated the descent of the glacier… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014132/print VEHICLES Mazda bets on diesel-only car for Japan launch of key 2015 model. Japan's Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) will sell only diesel-powered cars in the domestic launch of its key model for 2015, gambling it can convince the country's army of hybrid petrol-electric drivers that the days of sooty, noisy diesels are long gone. Masamichi Kogai, Chief Executive of Japan's fifth-biggest auto maker, placed his diesel bet in Tokyo on Friday as he unveiled the CX-3, a compact sport-utility vehicle (SUV). http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-mazda-diesel-idUSKBN0LV0ZD20150227 Britain to invest 43 mln stg in low-emission vehicles. Britain said it would invest 43 million pounds ($67 million) to support ultra-low-emission vehicles (ULEV), providing more car charge-points in its towns and cities and helping fund research into electric buses. Britain's auto industry has been growing strongly and the value of British car exports has doubled in the past 10 years. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/26/britain-autos-idUSL5N0W035620150226 GREEN ENERGY India says clean energy a $160 bln opportunity over 5 years. India's renewable energy industry is likely to generate business opportunities worth $160 billion in the next five years, a finance ministry report said on Friday, the day before a federal budget that is set to boost clean energy funding. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is banking on renewables to fight climate change rather than committing to emission cuts like China. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/india-renewables-idUSL4N0W135X20150227 Eiffel Tower Turns Green With Windmills Ahead of Climate Confab. Windmills on the Eiffel Tower? Yes. Two windmills on the Paris landmark will next week start producing energy as the French capital looks to use the iconic iron structure to promote its environmental policies ahead of a climate summit it will host in December. The blades of the windmills latched on the second floor of the tower began their lazy turns on Thursday in a week-long test period. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-27/eiffel-tower-turns-green-with-windmills-ahead-of-climate-confab Energy Commission sending money for research to Central Valley. The California Energy Commission has approved almost $16 million in research grants to help develop the next generation of energy efficient technologies for commercial and residential buildings, $11 million for projects to convert feedstock and waste into biofuels and about $900,000 for natural gas innovations. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27838 County governments criticize renewable energy plan. An embattled plan to promote renewable energy development across the desert has hit a new roadblock: county governments. Five of the seven counties covered by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan — including Riverside, Imperial and San Bernardino — expressed serious concerns with the 10,000-page document before a public comment deadline last week. http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2015/02/26/county-governments-criticize-renewable-energy-plan/24092121/ EPA, industry assail development plan for vast swath of Calif. Desert. The Bureau of Land Management has received at least 12,000 public comments on a sweeping renewable energy development plan for millions of acres of Southern California desert, including notable critiques from the renewable industry and U.S. EPA. The public comment period ended this week for the multi-volume… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014205/print MISCELLANEOUS West Hills Lemoore to offer free emissions, diagnostic tests. West Hills College Lemoore will offer free car emissions tests and diagnostic inspections from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 7 for Valley residents whose vehicles have failed the tests for more than six months. Valley Clean Air Now and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will offer the tests in Parking Lot A of the college. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/27/4399654_west-hills-lemoore-to-offer-free.html?rh=1 First emissions free park located in South Pasadena uses battery-powered mowers, leaf blowers. Men wearing orange vests, khaki shirts and snug green caps wielded an arsenal of power tools at Garfield Park on Thursday afternoon. The landscapers from Canoga Park-based TruGreen LandCare mowed the grass, blew the leaves and whacked the weeds, but they did so using only battery-electric equipment… http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20150226/first-emissions-free-park-located-in-south-pasadena-uses-battery-powered-mowers-leaf-blowers OPINIONS Amid drought, a turf war between residents and homeowners associations. Rancho Pacifica, a gated community of spectacular multimillion dollar homes in the hills east of Del Mar, is not immune to the ravages of the California drought. Residents, who can easily afford massive water bills, have sought to reduce their water consumption — not just because they have to, but because they want to. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82929407/ Slam the brakes on gas tax hike. All praise to the State Board of Equalization, which voted Tuesday to cut California’s gas tax by 6 cents. This is a step in the right direction, but politicians in Sacramento may soon reverse these gains with an ill-timed and unnecessary gas-tax hike. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article11255456.html#storylink=cpy Editorial: Monning bill good start on increasing big-rig safety. It’s not often that proposed regulations are supported by the industry the new laws are aimed at. So, with just that support, we’re optimistic new laws requiring more training for commercial truck drivers, proposed by state Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, will be quickly adopted. http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150226/editorial-monning-bill-good-start-on-increasing-big-rig-safety Climate change and the Land of Promise. All this talk about reducing carbon dioxide emissions is something that we hear time and time again. We heard it during the totally disappointing Conference of the Parties on Climate Change last year in Lima, at the climate march held in many cities in the world, after Pope Francis’ visit last month to typhoon-ravaged Tacloban, and in US President Barack Obama’s call to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. http://opinion.inquirer.net/82916/climate-change-and-the-land-of-promise#ixzz3Sy3xyp1a BLOGS How Can We Address Indoor Air Pollution? Do Now. What are the challenges of addressing indoor air pollution caused by solid fuel fires for cooking and heating? How can we overcome those challenges? Does the international community have an obligation to help? Why or why not? Introduction. About three billion people, particularly in developing regions of Africa, Latin America and Asia, use open fires to cook and heat their homes. http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/02/26/how-can-the-international-community-address-indoor-air-pollution/ Scientists Tackle a Dual Threat: More Acid, Less Oxygen in the Ocean. Every summer for the past decade, fishermen and beachgoers along the Oregon coast have noticed dead crabs scattered along the shore, sometimes washed up in bunches. No one knows for sure why it’s happening, but scientists think “dead zones” formed by low oxygen levels in coastal waters could be the culprit. The oceans absorb about a third of the carbon dioxide we pump into Earth’s atmosphere… http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/02/26/scientists-tackle-a-duel-threat-more-acid-less-oxygen-in-the-ocean/ Nearly All California Voters Think Water Shortage Is A Serious Problem, Poll Shows. Nearly all California voters believe the state's water shortage is a serious problem, though they were split on whether environmental protection should be rolled back in response, according to a Field Poll released on Thursday. Winter storms that dropped up to a foot (30 cm) of rain on parts of California have modestly eased the dry conditions… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/26/california-water-shortage_n_6759800.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics China's Coal Use and Estimated CO2 Emissions Fell in 2014. Good news! China's coal consumption fell by 2.9 percent in 2014, the first drop in 14 years, according to official Chinese energy statistics released yesterday. Glen Peters of the Global Carbon Project calculates that China's CO2 emissions have also fallen, by 0.7 percent, for the first time this century. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-a-finamore/chinas-coal-use-and-estim_b_6769784.html Climate Oscillations and the Global Warming Faux Pause. No, climate change is not experiencing a hiatus. No, there is not currently a "pause" in global warming. Despite widespread such claims in contrarian circles, human-caused warming of the globe proceeds unabated. Indeed, as reported here at The Huffington Post just last month, the most recent year (2014) was likely the warmest year on record. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-e-mann/climate-change-pause_b_6671076.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics It's Time To Hurry Up And Beat A Solar Tax Credit Deadline? Google GOOGL +1.32% is putting in $300 million in to a $750 million fund for SolarCity SCTY -0.54% to install solar panels on 25,000 residential roofs this year, the two companies announced today. The fact that Google is backing solar or residential solar installations or SolarCity’s projects in particular isn’t new. http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/02/26/its-time-to-hurry-up-and-beat-a-solar-tax-credit-deadline/ Surprise! CO2 Directly Linked To Global Warming. For the first time since the climate debate began, a team of researchers led by the U.S. DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory directly measured the contribution of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to heating of the Earth (Nature). Of course, this will spark further debate and push-back from folks who really don’t want climate change to be our fault. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/02/27/surprise-co2-directly-linked-to-global-warming/ California approves sale of DME as compression-ignition engine fuel. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has approved specifications for dimethyl ether (DME) used as fuel in compression ignition engines. (The Department of Food and Agriculture Division of Measurement Standards has the responsibility for establishing and enforcing the quality standards for spark- and compression-ignition engine fuels sold in California. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150227-dme.html Cal Energy Commission adopts report outlining how state transforming transportation system to meet climate goals. The California Energy Commission adopted its 2014 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) Update, which outlines, among many things, how the state is working to transform the transportation system to zero- and near-zero technologies and fuels to meet its climate and clean air goals. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150226-cec.html Senate Bill Introduced To End Ethanol Mandate For Gasoline. A decade ago, the biofuel ethanol was viewed as one way to reduce the nation's consumption of oil for transportation fuel. In 2007, Congress approved the Renewable Fuels Standard, which mandated increasing amounts of ethanol gradually be blended into the fuel supply. Now, those rules could be struck down. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097006_senate-bill-introduced-to-end-ethanol-mandate-for-gasoline New catalyst delivers high yield of biofuel 5-EMF. Researchers in China have developed an effective method for the conversion of carbohydrates into liquid biofuels 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) over a magnetic solid acid catalyst (Fe3O4@C—SO3H). A paper on their work is published in the journal Fuel. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150226-emf.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 15:34:51 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 2, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Court Upholds CARB Regulations Implementing Cap and Trade Program to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. On February 23, 2015, the California Court of Appeal affirmed a trial court decision upholding regulations adopted by the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (“the Act”) implementing CARB’s “Cap-and-Trade” program for reducing greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions. The Court rejected challenges to the regulations brought by the environmental organization Our Children’s Earth Foundation (“OCEF”), which argued that the regulations improperly allowed GHG emission offset credits for emission reductions that would otherwise occur, and deferred to CARB’s exercise of its statutory authority. http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/court-upholds-carb-regulations-implement-30874/ State, tribe reach multimillion-dollar deal on carbon offset credits. A nearly 5,600-acre swath of tribal forest land in remote, northeastern Mendocino County will be contributing to California’s effort to reduce greenhouse gases while generating revenue for the Round Valley Indian Tribes under a new agreement with state officials. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/3579122-181/state-tribe-reach-multimillion-dollar-deal AIR POLLUTION Pollution documentary attracts huge interest in China. A slick new documentary on China's environmental woes has racked up more than 175 million online views in two days, underscoring growing concern in the country over the impact of air, water and soil pollution. Hosted by former state television reporter Chai Jing, "Under the Dome" offers a well-produced look at the cost to the environment of 30 years of breakneck economic development. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_POLLUTION_DOCUMENTARY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related stories: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/02/world/asia/ap-as-china-pollution-documentary.html?_r=0 http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/02/us-china-environment-idUSKBN0LY11P20150302 http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-environment-movie-20150302-story.html#page=1 http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Pollution-documentary-attracts-huge-interest-in-6109633.php ENVIRONMENT: SoCal's smog smolders on. It’s become a regular occurrence, but is it working? Poor air quality has compelled our regional smog-fighting agency to routinely issue fireplace wood-burning bans to prevent fine particle pollution from violating federal health standards. Since Nov. 1, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has declared 25 no-burn days -- up from 16 days the same period a year ago. http://www.pe.com/articles/air-761314-pollution-days.html Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia introduces bills on New River, air pollution. Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia is continuing the work of his predecessor with the introduction of the Border Air and Water Act, which is an attempt to help mitigate public health issues because of pollution. “I’m here to introduce a series of bills that will enhance the overall quality of life for this border city of Calexico and create greater opportunities for funding and address a series of issues affecting not only the economic vitality opportunities in this region, but more importantly the public health and well being of the people who live here,” Garcia said during a press conference Friday. http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/local/assemblymember-eduardo-garcia-introduces-bills-on-new-river-air-pollution/article_3a5d9bb2-47b3-5920-866d-58fd5153de65.html Killer Smog Tests Top Iran Woman as Pollution Sparks Action. The snowy peaks of the Alborz Mountains visible through Iranian Vice-President Masoumeh Ebtekar’s Tehran office window may be evidence that the city is finally serious about tackling its chronic air pollution. The capital’s factories and five million vehicles, prevented from burning imported cleaner fuels by global sanctions, turn the air in colder months into a suffocating smog that shuts schools and offices. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-02/killer-smog-tests-iran-s-top-woman-as-pollution-sparks-action New wood-burning rules: Less smoke, possibly more confusion. The San Joaquin Valley’s air was cleaner this winter — maybe because it was a little stormier, foggier and breezier. Or maybe some people avoided their fireplaces because they were confused by the new wood-burning rules. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/02/28/4400875_new-wood-burning-rules-less-smoke.html?rh=1 CLIMATE CHANGE Exposing the Doubt-Mongers Trying to Convince You Climate Change Isn’t Real. In Merchants of Doubt, their 2010 book that vivisects bad science and industrial cynicism, science historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway decried the uneven battle for the popular imagination fought, on one side, by scientists ill-equipped for high-volume cable-TV tussles and, on the other, by the “well-financed contrarians” bent on dismantling whatever lab results, peer-reviewed theories and settled science might lead to even the most benign corporate regulations. http://www.newsweek.com/exposing-doubt-mongers-trying-convince-you-climate-change-isnt-real-310372 What Is Apple Really Doing About Climate Change? Apple likes to say it's on the cutting edge of the fight against climate change. Over the past two weeks, the company has boasted about the $848 million solar farm it's building to power its new headquarters in Silicon Valley and two new European data centers that will be its "lowest impact" yet. But projects like this barely scratch the surface of Apple's impact on the environment. Only 2 percent of the company's greenhouse gas emissions have anything to do with facilities like its headquarters and data centers, according to the company's 2014 report on its climate change efforts. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-03-01/what-is-apple-really-doing-about-climate-change- DIESEL ACTIVITIES School bus filtration system cuts pollution by 88%. Los Angeles freeways are a benefit to Angelenos, but they are also often congested and smoggy. Children riding school buses on LA roads and freeways are exposed to high levels of pollution, resulting in respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis. A new study by researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health found that an on-board air filtration system developed specifically for school buses can reduce exposure to vehicular pollutants by up to 88%. The findings were published online on March 2 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. http://www.examiner.com/article/school-bus-filtration-system-cuts-pollution-by-88 DROUGHT California drought likely a fixture of the future, says Stanford study. Human-caused climate change is increasing drought risk in California -- boosting the odds that our current crisis will become a fixture of the future, according to a major report Stanford scientists released Monday morning. The new study looked at data -- both backward and forwards, in time -- to understand the influence of greenhouse gases on California's past, present and future. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_27625259/california-drought-likely-fixture-says-stanford-study VEHICLES Resale Prices Tumble on Electric Cars. Nissan Motor Co. ’s Leaf electric car has been a big seller for Atlanta car dealer Pat Hoban over the past three years, thanks to its low monthly lease price. But as those car leases are beginning to expire amid cheap gasoline, the vehicle is becoming a bit of a headache. Mr. Hoban expects between 100 and 150 of the leased vehicles to be returned to his Capitol City Nissan dealership on a monthly basis over the next two years as their leases expire. The problem: used Leafs aren’t attracting much demand. http://www.wsj.com/articles/resale-prices-tumble-on-electric-cars-1424977378?tesla=y California bill would reduce sales tax on green cars. The California Legislature is considering a bill that would cut the state sales tax on green cars by more than half in an effort to spur sales of clean vehicles. The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), would reduce the sales tax on new clean vehicles to 3.06%, down from the current 7.5%. The reduction would apply to electric cars, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, plug-in hybrids and compressed natural gas vehicles. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-green-car-sales-tax-20150228-story.html Lawmaker calls to expand rebates for electric cars, renewable diesel stations. California Assemblyman Henry Perea has introduced legislation to expand rebates for clean vehicles and increase pump stations for renewable diesel. The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, funded by the California Air Resources Board, offers rebates of up to $5,000 for new electric and hybrid vehicles such as the Tesla Model S and Nissan Leaf. Under Assembly Bill 904, Perea would expand the program to used vehicles that are more accessible to lower income Californians. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/02/lawmaker-calls-to-expand-rebates-for-electric-cars.html OPINIONS Is the Environment a Moral Cause? According to a recent poll, a large majority of Americans, and roughly half of Republicans, say they support governmental action to address global warming. The poll, conducted by The New York Times, Stanford and the research organization Resources for the Future, stands in stark contrast to the vast partisan gulf in political efforts to address climate change. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/opinion/sunday/is-the-environment-a-moral-cause.html Doctors should take lead in push to curb climate change. Doctors should take the lead in supporting political efforts to cut the pace of climate change and encouraging more people to see the problem as a crucial issue for public health, experts say. With the 68th World Health Assembly coming up in May in Geneva, countries are poised to adopt the world's first resolution on air pollution and health, in an effort to reduce premature deaths linked to air pollution. Studies have found that air pollution can worsen a variety of health problems, from heart disease to strokes, said Carlos Dora, coordinator of public health and the environment at the World Health Organization (WHO). http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/28/climate-health-doctors-idUSL5N0W204Q20150228 China, California collaborate on electric vehicle market. China’s market for electric vehicles took off last year. Sales of electric vehicles, including pure battery electric and plug-in electric vehicles, or PEVs, grew fourfold, from 19,713 in 2013 to 84,900 in 2014. China may leapfrog the U.S. this year to become the world’s largest PEV market – largely due to a mix of new and strengthened policies. The motivation is clean air, as well as energy security and enhancing the domestic auto industry. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article11089439.html Cap and trade financing will aid trains. Last week’s column on more trains rolling into Salinas got some strong responses. Dear Goya: Where (on earth) will we get the money? (this is paraphrased from a longer and more hostile message about trains) — anonymous Dear Anon: Part of the answer is Cap and Trade-generated money — also known as “the only new money in Sacramento.” http://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2015/03/01/cap-trade-financing-will-aid-trains/24241135/ Forget About Climate Change, America's Refineries Make Keystone XL A Bad Idea. When I filled up my hybrid’s gasoline tank last week, the pump price had jumped 30 cents from my last fill-up. I said to myself, “Hmmm…something’s going on.” Gasoline prices don’t just move up and down on a whim. So when I found out about the refinery woes going on across the country, I wasn’t surprised. A devastating explosion destroyed much of Exxon Mobil XOM -0.88%’s Torrance refinery in California two weeks ago and severely cut into America’s ability to make gasoline. Residents for miles around had to cope with ash, gaseous fumes and really unhealthy air quality. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/03/02/forget-about-climate-change-americas-refineries-make-keystone-xl-a-bad-idea/ Watch 'Meet the Press' treat climate change as a big joke. As you may have heard, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who astonishingly enough is chairman of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee, brought a snowball to the floor of the U.S. Senate last week to debunk "all this hysteria about global warming." http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-watch-meet-the-press-because-20150301-column.html BLOGS CNN’s Bill Weir Explores the World’s Threatened Wonders. Something interesting, and encouraging, is happening on television these days. As I wrote recently, PBS is running “Earth a New Wild,” a engaging series in which the conservation biologist M. Sanjayan reveals opportunities for sustaining biological diversity and dynamics even as human population and consumption pressures rise. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/cnns-bill-weir-explores-the-worlds-threatened-wonders/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Geography&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body Here's How NYC Says It's Saving 800 Lives A Year By Cleaning Up The Air. It’s been a cold winter in New York City, which means a lot of building owners are turning up the heat -- and pumping more pollutants into the city’s air. But the amount of black smoke billowing above the five boroughs is dramatically less than it was just four years ago. Since 2011, according to city figures, soot pollution in the city's air has plummeted by 50 percent, which amounts to 375 tons of airborne soot that isn’t lodging itself inside the lungs of New Yorkers, or helping to hasten the effects of climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/27/nyc-clean-heat_n_6769462.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 14:52:32 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 3, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 3, 2015. 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 Huge Numbers of Europeans Will Die From Air Pollution in the Next 20 Years. Europe is failing on a range of environmental indicators from air to water and biodiversity Hundreds of thousands of people in the E.U. — perhaps millions, if present trends continue — will suffer premature death in the next two decades because of toxic air, a new report says. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/03/air-pollution-will-kill-thousands-in-europe-eea-warns Pollution documentary attracts huge interest in China. A slick new documentary on China's environmental woes has racked up more than 175 million online views in two days, underscoring growing concern in the country over the impact of air, water and soil pollution. Hosted by former state television reporter Chai Jing, "Under the Dome" offers a well-produced look at the cost to the environment of 30 years of breakneck economic development. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_POLLUTION_DOCUMENTARY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED ARTICLES http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-environment-movie-20150302-story.html http://www.forbes.com/sites/hengshao/2015/03/02/only-in-china-why-a-smog-documentary-sends-chinese-stocks-soaring-beyond-trading-limit/ http://www.wsj.com/articles/beijing-quietly-curbs-discussion-of-documentary-on-air-pollution-1425312297 On-Board School Bus Filtration System Reduces Pollutants by 88 Percent. An on-board air filtration system developed specifically for school buses reduces exposure to vehicular pollutants by up to 88 percent, according to a study by researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. The high-efficiency cabin air, or HECA, system could help protect the 25 million American children who commute on school buses nearly every day. Children are more susceptible to air pollution than adults because they breathe more quickly and their immune and cardiovascular systems are still developing, said Yifang Zhu, the study’s senior author and an associate professor in the department of environmental health sciences. http://www.labmanager.com/news/2015/03/on-board-school-bus-filtration-system-reduces-pollutants-by-88-percent?fw1pk=2#.VPXiFhYpmdw CLIMATE: EPA issues anti-warming refrigerants rule. ...domestic refrigerator and air conditioning manufacturers more climate- and ozone-friendly chemicals to choose from when producing their products. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014287/feed LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators rallies after analyst calls fears ‘overblown’. Lumber Liquidators’ defenders are coming out of the woodwork. Shares of the hardwood floor retailer rallied more than 5 percent in early trading Tuesday after Janney Capital Markets upgraded the company, saying health fears fueled by a “60 Minutes” expose are overblown. http://nypost.com/2015/03/03/lumber-liquidators-rallies-after-analyst-calls-fears-overblown/ Lumber Liquidators blames short-sell investors for stock run, '60 Minutes' episode. Officials with Lumber Liquidators are calling Sunday's '60 Minutes' piece about products it uses to manufacture laminate wood in China "improper," and plans to take to task a group a rogue short-selling investors they claim are trying to harm the company's stock value. http://www.dailypress.com/business/dp-nws-lumber-liquidators-0303-20150302-story.html Lumber Liquidators Falls 25 Percent After ‘60 Minutes’ Story. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. shares plunged after a “60 Minutes” report accused the company of selling Chinese-made flooring with illegal levels of formaldehyde. The stock sank 25 percent to $38.83 in New York following the broadcast on CBS Sunday evening. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-02/lumber-liquidators-sold-illegal-flooring-60-minutes-reports Lumber Liquidators Says Floors ‘Completely Safe.’ Company says short sellers are behind accusations raised on ‘60 Minutes’ segment. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. fought back against accusations raised on “60 Minutes” Sunday night that the company sold laminate flooring that didn’t meet safety standards, saying the attacks were driven by short sellers who stood to benefit by driving its stock price down. http://www.wsj.com/articles/lumber-liquidators-says-floors-completely-safe-1425314788 Lumber Liquidators’ Chinese-made laminate flooring contains illegal amounts of formaldehyde: lawsuit. Chinese-made laminate flooring sold by retailer Lumber Liquidators contains up to 20 times more cancer-causing formaldehyde than regulatory standards permit, a California lawyer claims. Environmental attorney Richard Drury filed a class action against the lumber giant, arguing that the company's Chinese laminates… http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lumber-liquidators-laminate-formaldehyde-suit-article-1.2134097 Calif. regulators investigate laminate floor fears linked to Lumber Liquidators. California environmental regulators said Monday they are finding excessive amounts of formaldehyde in laminate flooring like that featured in a “60 Minutes” exposé on Lumber Liquidators. The California Air Resources Board, citing an ongoing investigation to The Post, would not disclose where the flooring was sold. http://nypost.com/2015/03/02/lumber-liquidators-stock-plummets-after-60-minutes-report/ After ‘60 Minutes’ report, Lumber Liquidators shares do not open. Shares of Lumber Liquidators did not open for trading Monday morning following a report on “60 Minutes” Sunday night that the company’s laminate flooring made in China may not meet California’s health and safety standards. The shares had been down 25 percent in pre-market trading. http://nypost.com/2015/03/02/after-60-minutes-report-lumber-liquidators-shares-do-not-open/ Woman’s Home Improvement Comes To Halt Over Formaldehyde Flooring. An investigation by 60 Minutes found the country’s largest seller of hardwood flooring may be using products that don’t meet health and safety standards. Some of Lumber Liquidator’s cheaper laminate flooring contains high levels of formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing chemical. http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/03/03/womans-home-improvement-comes-to-halt-over-formaldehyde-flooring/ Lumber Liquidators flooring called unsafe. Shares of Lumber Liquidators plunged more than 25 percent Monday after a scathing “60 Minutes” report accused the Toano-based company of selling laminate flooring that contains high levels of formaldehyde. The 13-minute segment Sunday night claimed that hundreds of thousands of homes across the U.S. may have flooring with formaldehyde levels that exceed regulatory standards. http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_afece469-5de9-5347-b902-56e01837b673.html Lumber Liquidators Says It 'Stands By Every Plank.' Trading was halted Monday in Lumber Liquidators after its shares dropped more than 20 percent following a CBS report that the company sold flooring with higher levels of formaldehyde than permitted under California's health and safety standards (CARB). http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/lumber-liquidators-says-it-stands-every-plank-n315621 Investigation raises questions about formaldehyde in Minnesota floors. Lumber Liquidators says anyone who has purchased laminate flooring can return it, as the company stands by its products. A "60 Minutes" investigation revealed China-made flooring sold at the stores contains unsafe levels of formaldehyde, a chemical linked to cancer. http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/28242688/investigation-raises-questions-about-formaldehyde-in-minnesota-floors '60 Minutes' Is Right To Raise Questions About Lumber Liquidators' Toxic Floors. ...the company failed to meet safe level standards for formaldehyde set by the California Air Resources Board. http://www.forbes.com/sites/elaineschattner/2015/03/02/60-minutes-is-right-to-raise-questions-about-lumber-liquidators-toxic-floors/ LUMBER LIQUIDATORS OPINION Whitney Tilson Has Made Just $1.4 Million Shorting Lumber Liquidators. Whitney Tilson, the public hedge fund face behind the controversy currently sinking Lumber Liquidators , has only made paper gains of about $1.4 million off of his high-profile bet against the company. Tilson appeared on the recent 60 Minutes television news program that accused Lumber Liquidators of selling laminate flooring made in China that contained formaldehyde levels that surpassed California health standards. http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2015/03/02/whitney-tilson-has-made-1-4-million-shorting-lumber-liquidators/ LUMBER LIQUIDATORS BLOGS Formaldehyde in laminate flooring: How concerned should you be? I’m always daunted by the chore of keeping my house tidy, but I do it for my family’s health. Dust and mold trigger allergies. Dog hair ends up everywhere. But what if the thing making my family sick had nothing to do with our home’s cleanliness? 60 Minutes ran a report that alarmed the parenting community about a cancer-causing chemical in laminate flooring. http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/03022015-formaldehyde-in-laminate-flooring/ Lumber Liquidators Opens Down 26% and Of Course Someone Thinks Its Woes are Priced In. Last night’s exposé on Lumber Liquidators by 60 Minutes produced one major development, in our view. Undercover 60 Minutes investigators visited three Chinese mills that produced laminate flooring and the mill’s employees remarked (two on camera) that products for Lumber Liquidators were not compliant with CARB (California Air Resources Board) Phase 2 requirements… http://blogs.barrons.com/stockstowatchtoday/2015/03/02/lumber-liquidators-of-course-someone-thinks-its-woes-are-now-in-the-stock/ CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Researcher Offers a Defense of His Practices. The scientist at the center of a controversy over fossil-fuel funding for climate research denounced his critics on Monday and said that he would be “happy to comply” with possible additional disclosure requirements from scientific journals publishing his papers. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/science/climate-change-researcher-wei-hock-soon-offers-a-defense-of-his-practices.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 EU report calls for more effort to meet environmental goals. The European Union's environment body says the 28 member states need to do more to meet long-term environmental goals, including targets for greenhouse gas emissions. The European Environment Agency said in its five-yearly report released Tuesday that the EU's level of ambition "may be inadequate to achieve Europe's long-term environmental goals." http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_ENVIRONMENT_?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT We are already seeing the first examples of how climate change will leave us all thirsty. Climate change is reshaping the planet in a big way. Rising temperatures, melting ice, and surging seas are just a few of the obvious effects that we're already observing. And, according to recent climate reports, these events could bring on a whole host of other consequences, including bigger storms… http://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-affects-fresh-water-2015-3#ixzz3TLKhVsi1 MERCURY: Rising seas may release naturally occurring toxin – study. ...the food chain -- which could have alarming implications for the future as climate change threatens to raise the oceans again. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20604932088&p=19f&v=1&x=zsfT3F454LsIQu46FZDotA CO2 Levels Pass 400 PPM Milestone. ...dioxide level will be above 400 parts per million, a marker of how much of the greenhouse gas is accumulating in the atmosphere thanks to human... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/02032015/february-first-co2-levels-pass-400-ppm-milestone Many Latinos express concern about climate change. Global warming appears to be a greater concern among Latinos in comparison... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20611214306&p=19f&v=1&x=y1RzF1-ig27oBJ2VDxv_ig 10 electric vehicle charging stations installed at Diablo Canyon. Ten electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at Diablo... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/03/02/3515868/10-electric-vehicle-charging-stations.html DROUGHT California’s terrifying climate forecast: It could face droughts nearly every year. Not long ago, scientists at NASA and two major universities warned of an inevitable “megadrought” that will parch the southwestern United States for 35 years, starting around 2050. By then, a new study says, Californians should be fairly accustomed to long, harsh and dry conditions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/02/californias-terrifying-forecast-in-the-future-it-could-face-droughts-nearly-every-year/ Global Warming Upped Heat Driving California's Drought. ...least another year. The precipitation has been the key ingredient to start the drought, but heat has played an important role in maintaining and intensifying... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/global-warming-fueled-heat-calif.-drought-18719 Syria's civil war linked partly to drought, global warming. - US News ...The conflict that has torn Syria apart can be traced, in part, to a record drought worsened by global warming, a new study says. In what... http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/03/02/syrias-civil-war-linked-partly-to-drought-global-warming Study: Human-caused global warming behind Calif. Drought. A dog walks along the receding shoreline of drought-stricken Folsom Lake near Folsom, Calif.(Photo: Rich Pedroncelli,... http://www.desertsun.com/story/weather/2015/03/02/california-drought-climate-change-global-warming/24262559/ California officials to supply just 20 percent of water. ...fraction of the supplies sought from the state during the fourth year of the drought, officials announced Monday. The State Water Project plans to... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article11961581.html FUELS GAS PRICES: Don't look for relief in March. ...card into a pump terminal at a downtown gas station in Riverside. National gasoline prices have risen for 35 straight days, the longest streak in... http://www.pe.com/articles/prices-761444-california-average.html VEHICLES Automakers vow not to give up on weak-selling electrics. Top automakers are vowing not to give up on weak-selling electric vehicles - even as they unveil an array of powerful luxury cars with conventional engines aimed at a growing global market. BMW AG CEO Norbert Reithofer said Tuesday at the Geneva International Motor Show that his company cannot do without battery-powered vehicles such as its i3 urban compact. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GENEVA_AUTO_SHOW?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Four Years And 70,000 Miles Later, 2011 Nissan Leaf Going Strong. ...contributor Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield purchased one of the first 2011 Nissan Leaf electric cars imported to the U.K.--and four years and 70,380 miles... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097020_four-years-and-70000-miles-later-2011-nissan-leaf-going-strong Meet Tesla's sexy new challenger. — the electric Audi R8 e-tron supercar (TSLA) ...range, and performance that makes it the one to beat when it comes to production electric cars. Everyone from BMW to Apple is working on new electric-vehicle... http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Meet-Tesla-s-sexy-new-challenger-the-electric-6109997.php Chinese Car Buyers May Be More Open To Electric Cars Than Americans: Study. Despite aggressive government promotion, Chinese consumers didn't warm up to electric cars until recently. Sales lagged until picking up late... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097058_chinese-car-buyers-may-be-more-open-to-electric-cars-than-americans-study Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Feb: Cold-Weather Doldrums Continue. Winter is always a slower sales time for plug-in electric cars than the warmer months, and last month looks like it... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097070_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-feb-cold-weather-doldrums-continue GREEN ENERGY Solar Takes Off in Eastern U.S. ...is having its little heart blessed with a big photovoltaic jolt of renewable solar power. Though the Southeast is a tad bit less sunny than... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/02032015/solar-takes-eastern-us Solar “suitcase” lets Valley students experiment with clean power. PG&E and Green Tech are providing 100 portable solar power kits to high school students to experiment with creative... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/02/4405241/solar-suitcase-lets-valley-students.html#storylink=rss OPINION Oil refineries need to heed concerns, implement safety improvements. ...important thing is to shelter in place, stay indoors, no outdoor activity, turn the air conditioners off, keep the windows closed.” This was the instruction... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-juhasz-torrance-exxon-explosion-20150303-story.html OTHER VIEWS: Why Keystone XL stays alive. ...his fortune behind stopping Keystone. Keeping Keystone as a whipping boy for global warming suits a "green" president who, paradoxically, has... http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/national-voices/x704880135/Why-Keystone-XL-stays-alive?utm_source=widget_254&utm_medium=synapse BLOGS Black Futures Must Involve Environmental Justice. ...discrimination. Black communities are overburdened with excessive amounts of air and water pollution, toxic and hazardous waste. Housing discrimination... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-rushing/black-futures-must-involv_b_6772204.html?ir=Black+Voices&utm_hp_ref=black-voices How Can We Address Indoor Air Pollution? cookstove, Delta-Mendota Canal, Do Now, featured, full-image, indoor air pollution KQED Science brings you award-winning science and... http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/03/02/how-can-we-address-indoor-air-pollution/ In Houston, Falling Oil Prices Spark Fears Of Job Cuts Beyond Energy. In recent weeks, the price of gasoline has ticked up but regular unleaded still costs about a dollar... http://blogs.kqed.org/feeds/2015/03/03/in-houston-falling-oil-prices-spark-fears-of-job-cuts-beyond-energy/ To Drill or Not to Drill, That Is the Question. ...while both were fined by the Environmental Protection Agency for violating the Clean Air Act, and the contractor Noble Drilling pleaded guilty... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/subhankar-banerjee/to-drill-or-not-to-drill-that-is-the-question_b_6791692.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics These bizarre, beautiful cities of the future are also super green. ...for the planet, found a recent surge in “ecological” cities that prioritize sustainability: The Ecological City paradigm evidences increasing concern... http://grist.org/news/these-bizarre-beautiful-cities-of-the-future-are-also-super-green/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 13:12:16 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 4, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 4, 2015. 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 Court agrees to deadlines for EPA in sulfur emissions case. A federal judge yesterday signed off on deadlines for U.S. EPA to finish designating areas of the country that do not comply with the 2010 national sulfur dioxide standard. Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California approved the deadlines as part of a consent decree entered into last year by EPA and environmental groups. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20617907397&p=19f&v=1&x=l6_siPeFEJrxedo4DboDig Marin continues to lead Bay Area in smoke complaints. Marin residents ar e ever vigilant about reporting wood smoke on days when the practice is prohibited, air quality officials said Monday. For the seventh straight year, Marin led Bay Area counties in the number of complaints -- 865 -- filed during the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's winter "Spare the Air" days when burning in fireplaces is prohibited. Contra Costa was a distant second with 576. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20616946990&p=19f&v=1&x=8Yt7_WAGvlAz4wWU-50SdA NAM's Bertelsen responds to pushback on ozone rule economic study.What are the economic impacts of U.S. EPA's proposed ozone rule revision? During today's OnPoint, Greg Bertelsen, director of energy and resources policy at the National Association of Manufacturers, discusses his organization's latest study pointing to bad economic news for the manufacturing sector and states if EPA moves forward with its proposed revised numbers. NAM's report has received criticism for the methodology used in its assessment, and Bertelsen responds to the pushback. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20617936523&p=19f&v=1&x=dayzv9q3u6cturqo3Pdywg Wood fires are the biggest source of dangerous particles in city neighborhoods. ...south of Jensen Avenue shows fog mixed with unhealthy levels of particulate pollution. A reader made an important point about my Sunday story on... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/03/4406251/earth-log-wood-fires-are-the-biggest.html The U.S. Just Got One Step Closer To Regulating Airplane Carbon Emissions. ...Agency on Monday which could determine whether the agency will place limits on greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. According... http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/03/3629070/airplane-regulations-clearing-for-takeoff/ Children Exposed to Air Pollution at School May Be Cognitively Delayed, Study Finds. Air pollution’s latest victim: Children's cognitive development. Elementary school children who are exposed to chronic air pollution may develop cognitive abilities more slowly than children who breathe cleaner air, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20616714329&p=19f&v=1&x=R1sMq2pODJAt3sM0mhNZ6A County launches air-friendly mulch program. Responding to an overwhelming number of complaints about smoke pollution in the Santa Ynez Valley, county fire officials are rolling out a wood-chipping program as an alternative to permitted backyard burns. The pilot program provides property owners with valid Residential Dry Vegetation Burning permits an alternative to burning tree trimmings and yard waste, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department Capt. David Sadecki. http://syvnews.com/news/local/county-launches-air-friendly-mulch-program/article_feaaad7c-1e7a-5cda-aa9e-d583bcf3b30e.html CLIMATE CHANGE EU report calls for more effort to meet environmental goals. ...need to do more to meet long-term environmental goals, including targets for greenhouse gas emissions. The European Environment Agency said in... http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_27630040/eu-report-calls-more-effort-meet-environmental-goals EPA official to speak at climate change event at FDR site. ...the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Partnership are hosting a Summit on Women and Climate Change on Friday at the Hudson Valley historic site. EPA... Climate Change OCEANS: Climate change linked to deadly coral disease in Caribbean Rising ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are directly linked to the dramatic... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20625168428&p=19f&v=1&x=zBrfeLR638TXafhFTTtUcA OCEANS: Rare Everglades plants threatened by sea-level rise. ...orchids and other native plants in Everglades National Park may be lost due to sea-level rise and invasive species, despite multibillion-dollar... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20625168504&p=19f&v=1&x=6G0RflH7tQIpGbmuaYdUlQ EMISSIONS: E.U. may fall short on climate goals. ...develop new policies and more aggressive measures to limit fossil fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions reductions will fall short of 80 to 95 percent... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20625168494&p=19f&v=1&x=oOCGoNSRCzAnjZoqX5xlNQ Merchants of Doubt presents climate change as the last stand of Cold War conservatives. ...of hope at the end of "Merchants of Doubt." This documentary, the first to zero in on how and why the global climate change discussion... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/03/03/3517064/movie-review-merchants-of-doubt.html Yaks May Be Climbing Higher Due to Climate Change. High on the Tibetan Plateau of Central Asia, you'll find the largest remaining population of wild yaks (Bos mutus). This long-horned, shaggy creature has persevered through more than a century of poaching, habitat loss, and competition with domestic yaks and their human herders. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/03/150304-yaks-tibet-climate-change-science-animals-global-warming/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Court rejects truckers' challenge of Calif. program A federal appeals court today dismissed a bid by truckers to undercut a California air pollution program. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it lacked jurisdiction to decide the California Dump Truck Owners Association's challenge to a California crackdown on ozone and particulate matter. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20617936556&p=19f&v=1&x=TGK3KtOlZxcU8BIO85_MGA FUELS State shuts in a dozen more injection wells. Twelve more Kern County wastewater injection wells are being closed to safeguard federally protected groundwater, doubling the number of local disposal facilities shut in since early July, state regulators announced Tuesday. Some of the wells have been active since the late 1970s, while the newest dates to July 2002. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/business/oil/x406539158/State-orders-another-12-injection-wells-closed DROUGHT Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could get U.S. 'heritage' protection. ...historical and environmental assets under legislation introduced Tuesday by California's two U.S. senators. As the largest estuary on the Pacific... http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Bill-would-add-U-S-protections-for-delta-6112809.php Dry Winter Weather Worries Rice Farmers. ...plugin. Farm on Pleasant Grove Road, Pleasant Grove CA. Brian Baer / California Rice Commission California rice farmers are worried... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/03/dry-winter-weather-worries-rice-farmers/ California snow levels reach historic lows. ...the Sierra Nevada are at or below what they were during the driest years in California's recorded history, surveyors said Tuesday, dashing hopes that... http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Snow-levels-reach-historic-lows-6112706.php State reports water conservation lagged in December. California is heading into a fourth summer of a historic drought, but when it comes to conserving water, its urban residents are going backward. And although tougher state water restrictions may be on the way later this month, critics say the new rules don’t go nearly far enough, and the state risks severe water shortages if it doesn’t do more soon. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150303/state-reports-water-conservation-lagged-in-december Water conservation weakening as California drought worsens. California is heading into the fourth summer of a historic drought, but when it comes to conserving water, its urban residents are going backward. State officials are mulling tougher water restrictions, but critics say the new rules being considered don't go nearly far enough and that the state risks severe water shortages if it doesn't do more soon. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article12340934.html#storylink=cpy California's third snow survey this winter finds Sierra Nevada snowpack far below normal. More SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California received a double dose of bad drought news on Tuesday,... http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/03/03/california-survey-finds-sierra-snowpack-far-below-normal Santa Cruz looks at water conservation, costs. ...cut, as other factors beyond officials priorities come into play. Under non-drought conditions, about 45 percent of the city's water rates are paid... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150303/santa-cruz-looks-at-water-conservation-costs Ag economist: Water will matter more than ever in California. March 3, 2015 Updated 14 minutes ago Tightening water supplies in California will reinforce its shift to almonds, walnuts and other high-value... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/03/4407309/ag-economist-water-will-matter.html Scientists explain how climate change helps fuel California drought. Climate change is increasing the risk of severe drought in California by causing warm periods and dry periods to overlap more often, according to a new study. Rising temperatures resulting from increased greenhouse gas emissions mean warm and dry periods are coinciding more frequently, the study authors say. And that is amplifying the effects of low precipitation. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-california-drought-hot-and-dry-20150226-story.html VEHICLES JURUPA VALLEY: City may buy hybrid, natural-gas vehicles. The Jurupa Valley City Council could green light the purchase of 14 vehicles for use by city employees. The cost – paid for with air-quality district dollars – would be $158,601 for six Ford C-Max hybrid sedans and $276,438 for eight clean natural gas-fueled Ford F-250 pickups. The total cost would be $435,039. South Coast Air Quality Management District money, given to cities for pollution-reducing programs, would pay for the vehicles. http://www.pe.com/articles/city-761532-jurupa-vehicles.html Nissan launches 7-seat version of the electric e-NV200 van. ...fleets alike, Nissan has advanced the introduction of the latest iteration in its electric vehicle line-up—a seven-seat version of the all-electric... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/nissan-launches-7-seat-version-of-the-electric-e-nv200-van.html GREEN ENERGY America's First Offshore Wind Farm to Start Construction This Summer. ...bigger and can access faster winds than those onshore. The U.S. offshore wind energy potential is over 4,000 gigawatts, according to a 2010... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/04032015/americas-first-offshore-wind-farm-start-construction-summer SolarCity sues over fees for rooftop solar customers. ...pricing plans ... customers who choose to obtain some of their own power from solar energy systems must pay a substantial penalty to SRP," the... http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_27635379/solarcity-sues-over-fees-rooftop-solar-customers?source=rss Procter & Gamble Fires Up Massive Biomass Investment. ...stealing headlines for their solar and wind investments, it's easy to forget “renewable” energy comes in many forms. For consumer products giant... http://www.forbes.com/sites/heatherclancy/2015/03/03/procter-gamble-fires-up-massive-biomass-investment/ Solar Energy Jobs Growing By Leaps and Bounds. When it comes to getting a job in the booming solar power industry, there may be little need to worry about diplomas... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/solar-energy-jobs-growing-18722 This incredibly futuristic plane could be the future of airliners. ...for sustained flight. Solar panels on the roof of the plane would absorb solar energy and clever engineering would reduce drag as well as... http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/This-incredibly-futuristic-plane-could-be-the-6112434.php Major financing deal puts R.I. project on track to be nation's first offshore wind farm. It is now all but certain that a 30-megawatt pilot project in Rhode Island state... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20625168437&p=19f&v=1&x=EdhA1SuMY4z-1YUjQQEZXQ OPINION Editorial, UC highway protest: How not to cultivate solidarity. ...awareness of inequality in the workplace but the flip side is that it lowered air quality, burned more fuel, may have caused students to miss classes... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20150303/editorial-uc-highway-protest-how-not-to-cultivate-solidarity Oil refineries need to heed concerns, implement safety improvements. ...important thing is to shelter in place, stay indoors, no outdoor activity, turn the air conditioners off, keep the windows closed.” This was the instruction... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-juhasz-torrance-exxon-explosion-20150303-story.html BLOGS Could high demand, low supply doom Toyota Mirai? ...behind-the-scenes look at the small-scale production of the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell sedan. A team of just 13 people assembles three of them... http://www.autoblog.com/2015/03/03/could-high-demand-low-supply-doom-toyota-mirai/ Climate change is messing with leaves, and leaves are messing back. Climate change is a lot like Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid. Or rather, it is like an evil, disembodied Mr. Miyagi looming over the globe, whispering “Leaf on. Leaf off. Leaf on. Leaf off. Don’t forget to breathe.” Basically, a new study published yesterday in the journal Nature Climate Change shows that vegetation patterns around the world are shifting thanks to climate change. http://grist.org/climate-energy/climate-change-is-messing-with-leaves-and-leaves-are-messing-back/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 12:53:12 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 5, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 5, 2015. 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 Poland Seeks to Limit EU Carbon Fix’s Impact on Producers. The European Union draft carbon-market fix should be amended to prevent planned supply controls from curbing the number of free emission permits for power producers, according to the Polish government. EU policy makers are considering introducing a market stability reserve, or MSR, to alleviate a glut of permits that has pushed emission prices about 75 percent down since 2008 to levels… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-05/poland-seeks-to-limit-eu-carbon-fix-s-impact-on-producers Cleaner air is linked to stronger lungs in Southern California children. Cleaner air has for the first time been linked to bigger and stronger lungs among school-age children, according to findings released Wednesday from a two-decade study in Southern California. The research by USC scientists, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found the region’s steep decline in air pollution since the mid-1990s is strongly associated… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-clean-air-lungs-children-20150304-story.html#page=1 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/03/04/cleaner-air-healthier-kids/24394133/ http://www.ocregister.com/articles/air-653041-health-lung.html Health advocate: Taxi proposal may increase air pollution. A public health advocate isn't impressed with new rules proposed by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s taxi commission, which he says could lead to more air pollution in New York City. “This proposal would actually allow vehicles to remain on the road for a longer amount of time… http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2015/03/8563279/health-advocate-taxi-proposal-may-increase-air-pollution County launches air-friendly mulch program. Responding to an overwhelming number of complaints about smoke pollution in the Santa Ynez Valley, county fire officials are rolling out a wood-chipping program as an alternative to permitted backyard burns. The pilot program provides property owners with valid Residential Dry Vegetation Burning permits an alternative to burning tree trimmings and yard waste… http://syvnews.com/news/local/county-launches-air-friendly-mulch-program/article_feaaad7c-1e7a-5cda-aa9e-d583bcf3b30e.html Group representing 92 tribes urges tighter ozone standard. Native American tribes are calling on U.S. EPA to lower the national ozone standard beyond the range the agency proposed in November. The National Tribal Air Association, which represents 92 Native American tribes, urged EPA to set a new ozone standard at 60 parts per billion, down from its current level of 75 ppb. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014437/feed LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE Lumber Liquidators Plunges After TV Report of Tainted Flooring. While shares of Lumber Liquidators closed up slightly on Friday, investors could barely wait to sell their stock by Monday morning. Shares of the flooring retailer fell more than 20 percent after a report Sunday night on “60 Minutes,” the CBS News program, said that some of the company’s laminate wood contained potentially hazardous levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/business/lumber-liquidators-plunges-after-tv-report-of-tainted-flooring.html?_r=0 Lawmakers want answers after "60 Minutes" report on Lumber Liquidators. The "60 Minutes" report that found high levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde in flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators brought a call on Capitol Hill Wednesday for a federal investigation. Understandably, homeowners whose families walk on that flooring every day want to know what they should do. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawmakers-want-answers-after-60-minutes-report-on-lumber-liquidators/ CLIMATE CHANGE Top Senate Republican tells states: ignore EPA carbon rules. The Senate's top Republican is telling states to ignore a central part of President Barack Obama's plans to curb the pollution blamed for global warming. In an op-ed published Tuesday in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says states should reject Obama's proposed requirements for power plants to reduce carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MCCONNELL_EPA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/us/politics/mcconnell-urges-states-to-defy-us-plan-to-cut-greenhouse-gas.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Shell’s Ollila Says Society Must Find ‘Middle Way’ on Climate Change. Shell has been vocal in calling for energy companies to participate with policy makers in addressing climate change. Royal Dutch Shell PLC Chairman Jorma Ollila is joining Chief Executive Ben van Beurden in backing efforts to limit carbon emissions ahead of international climate talks in Paris later this year. http://www.wsj.com/articles/shells-ollila-says-society-must-find-middle-way-on-climate-change-1425497418?mod=rss_whats_news_us Early human ancestor shaped by climate change, study says. Has climate change made us who we are today? A broken and fossilized jawbone found poking out from the volcanic ash and sediment of an East African hill is rewriting a significant chapter of human evolution -- and adding weight to the argument that a hot and parched climate guided the development of our distant relatives. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-human-ancestor-homo-habilis-climate-change-20150303-story.html El Niño officially declared, West could get more rain. Federal weather watchers on Thursday said the Pacific Ocean current oscillation known as El Niño has formed, raising the prospect of a moderate increase in rain for the U.S. West Coast. The development is unlikely to have a drastic effect on the drought conditions in Southern California and elsewhere in the West… http://touch.latimes.com/#section/1780/article/p2p-82976976/ California leading on climate-change work with China, Gov. Brown says. Gov. Jerry Brown touted California's cooperation with China on climate change Wednesday, pointing to more than a dozen accords on sharing training and knowledge for cleaner energy. While partisan disputes in Washington have limited federal progress to slow greenhouse-gas emissions and climate change… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/03/04/50188/brown-california-leading-on-climate-change-work-wi/ Could that volcano in Chile slow global warming? Material ejected in eruptions of volcanoes like Chile's Villarica could reflect heat back into space, mitigating some of the greenhouse effect produced by human activity. You don't often hear "volcanic eruption" and "cooling" in the same sentence, but the dramatic eruption of the Villarica volcano in southern Chile could actually help slow global warming. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0303/Could-that-volcano-in-Chile-slow-global-warming Arctic Sea Ice Is Getting Thinner, Faster. While the steady disappearance of sea ice in the Arctic has been one of the hallmark effects of global warming, research shows it is not only covering less of the planet, but it’s also getting significantly thinner. That makes it more susceptible to melting, potentially altering local ecosystems, shipping routes and ocean and atmospheric patterns. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/arctic-sea-ice-getting-thinner-faster-18726?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20climatecentral/djOO%20Climate%20Central%20-%20Full%20Feed Re-evaluating climate change. The negative effects of humans on the environment are undeniable. From deforestation, to air and ocean pollution, we are failing at maintaining a sustainable lifestyle. To some degree, most people are concerned about their personal effect on the world. With all of the possible lifestyle changes and eco-friendly choices possible, it can be hard to determine which are most worthwhile. http://csusmchronicle.com/home/2015/03/re-evaluating-climate-change.html 'We are a separate nation' -- Brown touts state's influence in global climate arena. California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) yesterday made clear that the Golden State sees itself as an international superpower in the climate policy arena. Brown made explicit this underlying assumption in his state's climate agenda yesterday at a discussion of a wide-ranging 2013 state agreement with China to explore carbon-trading, electric vehicles, building efficiency and other areas. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014521/print In carbon-pricing model, PJM states benefit from sharing Clean Power Plan burdens. States that are better-situated to meet carbon emission levels under the Clean Power Plan still might suffer from higher compliance costs if they don't work with their neighbors, according to an economic analysis by the PJM Interconnection. "State-by-state compliance options, compared to regional compliance options… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014518/print Consensus on climate change among scientists may change a few beliefs on the subject – study. One of the tactics used by climate advocates to get people to care about climate change is to tell people that 97 percent of scientists believe in it. This message, called the "97 percent consensus," would make people care and take climate action, its proponents argue. A new study published last month in PLOS One reinforces the use of this tactic. In an experiment, scientists exposed 1,104 people -- both Republicans and Democrats -- to the 97 percent consensus message. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014494/print Climate change linked to deadly coral disease in Caribbean. Rising ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are directly linked to the dramatic decline of two of the most iconic reef-building corals -- elkhorn and staghorn -- in the Caribbean Sea. According to a study published in Nature Climate Change last month, warmer waters boosted the incidence of the deadly coral affliction called white band disease. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014405/feed E.U. may fall short on climate goals. The European Union's emissions reductions targets may be too optimistic, according to a new study from the European Environment Agency. If the bloc does not develop new policies and more aggressive measures to limit fossil fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions reductions will fall short of 80 to 95 percent by 2050. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014385/feed Rare Everglades plants threatened by sea-level rise. Cowhorn orchids and other native plants in Everglades National Park may be lost due to sea-level rise and invasive species, despite multibillion-dollar efforts to restore the wetlands, according to a survey released Monday. The 10-year survey by the Institute for Regional Conservation concluded that of 59 studied plant species… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014382/feed DROUGHT Rising temperatures are amplifying drought effects, study finds. Climate change is increasing the risk of severe drought in California by causing warm periods and dry periods to overlap more often, according to a new study. Rising temperatures resulting from increased greenhouse gas emissions mean warm and dry periods are coinciding more frequently, the study authors say. And that is amplifying the effects of low precipitation. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-0305-drought-watch-20150305-story.html A dry January pulled down water conservation rate in California. After getting a gold star for saving water in December, California's conservation efforts flagged in January. Urban water use figures released Tuesday by the state show that Californians in January again fell far short of the 20% conservation goal set a year ago by Gov. Jerry Brown. Statewide, water use dropped 8.8% from January 2014's level. In December, it was down 22.2% from the same month a year earlier. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82977867/ California water conservation weakening as drought worsens. Tougher rules on the way? California is heading into the fourth summer of a historic drought, but when it comes to conserving water, its urban residents are going backward. State officials are mulling tougher water restrictions, but critics say the new rules being considered don't go nearly far enough and that the state risks severe water shortages if it doesn't do more soon. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27632870/california-drought-water-conservation-weakening-drought-worsens In 2014 California strawberry farmers planted less but produced more fruit than the previous year. This year, acreage is projected to decline again, according to a California Strawberry Commission survey. Whether production will rise or fall could depend largely on the weather. “The increased costs of growing berries in California are challenging the farmers’ profitability,”… http://www.montereyherald.com/business/20150220/strawberry-acreage-down-production-stable Santa Cruz reservoir to remain closed to recreation. For the first time in a generation, Loch Lomond Recreation Area will remain closed for a second consecutive year as the city of Santa Cruz continues to weather a three-year drought. Water Director Rosemary Menard announced the decision Tuesday ahead of a recreation season that typically begins in early March at the city’s largest water storage facility, which is located near Zayante. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/lifestyle/20150203/santa-cruz-reservoir-to-remain-closed-to-recreation Drought could be California's new normal, Stanford study says. California is much more likely to experience drought conditions in the future, according to a team of scientists at Stanford University. The reason? Us humans. The research included a look back at 120 years of the state's observed historical record as well as international climate models. http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2015/03/04/41815/drought-could-be-california-s-new-normal-stanford/ New data on California drought present sobering picture for residents (+video). The snowpack in California is at just 19 percent of the average for early March, a nearly historic low. Thousands of farmworkers are out of work, and Gov. Jerry Brown is asking Californians to conserve more. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0304/New-data-on-California-drought-present-sobering-picture-for-residents-video Californians saving less water as dry conditions persist. As California enters what's expected to be its fourth year of drought, residents' water conservation efforts dropped sharply in January, state water officials said yesterday. The amount of water saved by customers of the state's 400 large urban water retailers fell to 8.8 percent in January from 22 percent in December, figures that compare those months' water use to the same period a year earlier. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014439/feed Study sheds light on why drought makes the Amazon rainforest release more CO2. The Amazon rainforest is one of the globe's most important carbon sinks. But over the past several years, ongoing research has raised concerns that future droughts could tip off a shift in the "lungs in the planet," causing them to exhale more carbon dioxide than they inhale. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014520/print DIESEL ACTIVITIES Green Strategy Discussions Kick Off Work Truck Show. Alternative fuels and powertrains will work if an organization’s top people favor the concepts, speakers said at Tuesday's Green Truck Summit ahead of the NTEA Work Truck Show. Speakers included fleet managers from the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Florida Power & Light. http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fleet-management/news/story/2015/03/alternative-powertrains-and-fuel-can-save-money-but-top-execs-must-like-the-idea-fleet-managers-s.aspx?ref=rel-recommended FUELS California gas prices jump $1 in one month. California gas prices have shot up about $1 a gallon in the last month as oil refineries have been idled by a labor strike and an explosion. That's made gasoline much more expensive here than anywhere else in the nation — an average of $3.44 for a gallon of regular as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to price-tracker GasBuddy.com. Hawaii is the only other state with an average price above $3 a gallon. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/1780/article/p2p-82967669/ California orders 12 oil-field wells shut to protect groundwater. California officials, responding to concerns about groundwater contamination, are closing 12 wells in the Central Valley used to dispose of chemical-laden water from oil and gas production, regulators announced Tuesday. Steve Bohlen, who leads the state Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, said the wells are being shut down "out of an abundance of caution for public health." http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82967415/ Senate fails to override Obama's veto of Keystone XL pipeline. The Senate failed Wednesday to override President Obama's veto of Keystone XL pipeline legislation, ending for now attempts by Congress to speed up approval of the controversial energy project. Falling short of the two-thirds majority needed, Republicans backers of the pipeline could not peel off enough Democratic supporters to join them. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/609/article/p2p-82971488/ Sharp growth in value of shipments for oil and gas extraction industry. The value of shipments for the nation’s crude oil and natural gas extraction industry climbed 28.9 percent between 2007 and 2012, despite only an 8.5 percent increase in the number of companies in the industry over the same period, according to the Census Bureau in a new report Wednesday. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27878 USGS: More long-term data needed to assess any tie between fracking, surface water pollution. More data are needed to be able to fully assess whether any widespread correlation might exist between recent oil and gas development in the U.S. and degraded quality of nearby surface water, a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey suggests. http://trib.com/business/energy/usgs-more-long-term-data-needed-to-assess-any-tie/article_81fcb9c2-499a-50e0-904f-4740dbb3de2b.html VEHICLES Honey, we shrank the SUV _ and Europe loves it. In Europe, SUV now stands for: Shrinking Utility Vehicle. An array of small sport utility vehicles is going on display this week at the Geneva International Motor Show. Automakers are piling into the segment as one of the best hopes for growth in a still-weak European market. Consumers like the higher seating, easier entry and perceived greater freight-carrying capacity. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article12406151.html#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY SolarCity sues over fees for rooftop solar customers. A major player in the rooftop solar industry said Tuesday that it's suing Salt River Project for adopting new fees for homeowners who install rooftop solar panels. San Mateo-based SolarCity said in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix that SRP's average $50 per month fee on new solar installations would essentially eliminate the incentive to put solar panels on a home. http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_27635379/solarcity-sues-over-fees-rooftop-solar-customers?source=rss Major financing deal puts R.I. project on track to be nation's first offshore wind farm. It is now all but certain that a 30-megawatt pilot project in Rhode Island state waters will be America's first offshore wind farm. Deepwater Wind, the Providence, R.I.-based developer behind the Block Island project, announced this week that it had closed on more than $290 million in financing from American and French backers. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014426/feed MISCELLANEOUS Two Central Valley meetings set on state’s long-range transportation plan. Seven workshops – including one in Fresno and one in Sacramento – are slated for this month for the public to weigh in on plans that will shape California’s transportation future. “We are creating a long-term vision for California’s transportation system, and the public will play a key role in that,” says Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “ http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27882 OPINIONS Combat the Climate Trolls. Don't let James Inhofe and other climate change nihilists win. In a move that mostly horrified the Internet last week, Republican Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, chair of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, threw a snowball onto the Senate floor during a debate about funding for the Department of Homeland Security. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2015/03/04/dont-let-james-inhofe-and-climate-change-nihilists-win Other views: Backup plans for the Earth on climate change. What happens if humans fail to cut carbon dioxide emissions enough to prevent worsening climate change? A new report from the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences contemplates some very unattractive — but potentially necessary — backup plans. Ending deforestation seems like an obvious answer. http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150217/other-views-backup-plans-for-the-earth-on-climate-change Reducing emissions. I recently read an excellent book, “Antarctica: An Intimate Portrait of a Mysterious Continent,” by British scientist Gabrielle Walker that led me to a brief talk she gave on the impact of global warming on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (YouTube: “Environment: Ice Core — Gabrielle Walker”). http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/03/04/3518262_reducing-emissions.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy BLOGS With The Clean Power Plan, EPA Has Given Up On Cooperative Federalism. The idea of “cooperative federalism” began with the New Deal in the 1930s when it came to include a division of responsibilities among the states and the federal government agencies of electric power and distribution. By the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970, the EPA set the minimum standards for states to best implement http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2015/03/04/with-the-clean-power-plan-epa-has-given-up-on-cooperative-federalism/ Groups Aim to Lure Conservatives Out of the Closet on Climate Change. It’s been an article of faith for some time now — inside the whispery Washington Beltway, in state legislatures and even among hunting and outdoor recreation groups — that conservative Americans are, in fact, very much at odds with the vacuous climate denialism peddled by many members of the Republican Party’s national leadership…. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/03/05/bringing-conservatives-out-of-the-closet-on-climate-change/ Evolving to Cope with Climate Change. Over the next two centuries, climate change is likely to impact everything from industrial agriculture to the shape of our coastlines. The changing climate will certainly cause huge changes around the world, and the challenge is to predict exactly what impact those changes will have. In the world of marine science… http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2015/03/evolving-to-cope-with-climate-change/ Rick Perry Takes Too Much Credit For Carbon Dioxide Reductions. Rick Perry said carbon dioxide emissions in Texas were down because of “incentive-based regulation” during his time as governor. But the evidence shows a decline in manufacturing jobs and federal energy policies — not the state’s — are more likely to be the cause of the reduction. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/04/rick-perry-environment_n_6803456.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics Court Ruling Means Cleaner Air for Millions of Americans. This week we secured an important victory for public health when a federal court approved a timeline and framework for protecting Americans from an especially harmful type of air pollution. Sulfur dioxide pollution is a dangerous air pollutant -- so much so that even short-term exposure for as little as five minutes is associated with breathing problems like asthma attacks… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/court-ruling-means-cleane_b_6801236.html Nissan launches 7-seat version of the electric e-NV200 van. Due to growing requests from companies and fleets alike, Nissan hasadvanced the introduction of the latest iteration in its electric vehicle line-up—a seven-seat version of the all-electric e-NV200 van, and launched it at the Geneva Motor Show. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/nissan-launches-7-seat-version-of-the-electric-e-nv200-van.html Honda Fuel-Cell Vehicle U.S. Sales Date Gets A Little Fuzzier. Honda is expected to join Toyota and Hyundai in offering hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in the U.S., but the timeline for that may have become a bit fuzzier. The Japanese automaker has already shown two concept cars previewing the design of its fuel-cell vehicle. But now Honda seems to have given itself a later window for when the production version may go on sale in North America. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097098_honda-fuel-cell-vehicle-u-s-sales-date-gets-a-little-fuzzier Ford May Show A 200-Mile Electric Car This Year To Counter Chevy Bolt. The announcement that the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt electric car will go into production within 18 months seemingly sent shockwaves through the auto industry. GM's crosstown rival Ford, which has sold hybrids for more than 10 years but shown little love for battery-electric cars, now seems to feel the need to respond. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097103_ford-may-show-a-200-mile-electric-car-this-year-to-counter-chevy-bolt Global Bioenergies reports first isobutene production from waste biomass. Global Bioenergies has produced “second-generation” isobutene, in a push to diversify accessible feedstock towards cheaper resources. As a first step in manufacturing bio-sourced isobutene, Global Bioenergies has been using first-generation feedstock such as wheat-derived glucose to set-up and to optimize its bio-isobutene process… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150304-gbe.html New engineered metabolic pathways in yeast enable efficient fermentation of xylose from biomass. Researchers with the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), a partnership that includes Berkeley Lab and the University of California (UC) Berkeley, have introduced new metabolic pathways from the fungus Neurospora crassa into the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to increase the fermentative production of fuels and other chemicals from biomass. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150305-ebi.html US-China Clean Energy Research Center issues $12.5M solicitation to address the energy-water nexus; $50M effort in all. The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a $12.5 million Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) (DE-FOA-0001285) for a new technical track under the US-China Clean Energy Research Center (CERC) that addresses water-related aspects of energy production and use. The solicitation calls for the formation of a US-based consortium to work with Chinese counterparts to bolster collaborative efforts to help ensure energy… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150305-cerc.html Neste Oil now the world’s largest producer of renewable fuels from waste and residues. Over the last few years, Neste Oil has become the world’s largest producer of renewable fuels from waste and residues. In 2014, the company produced nearly 1.3 million tonnes (1.6 billion liters, 423 million gallons US) of renewable fuel from waste and residues. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150305-neste.html Ford May Show A 200-Mile Electric Car This Year To Counter Chevy Bolt. Here's what we've pieced together from those sources. First, Ford was caught very much off-guard by GM's announcement. The carmaker is now "scrambling to respond," said one source. The world's fifth-largest auto manufacturer may now feel vulnerable for not having a strong product among the battery-electric cars it has historically dismissed. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097103_ford-may-show-a-200-mile-electric-car-this-year-to-counter-chevy-bolt California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 13:44:50 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 6, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Alberta's economy to benefit from emissions reduction technology. Alberta's investment in emissions reduction technologies has paid off, according to a recent study. For every Canadian dollar (80 U.S. cents) invested in technology by Alberta's Climate Change and Emissions Management Corp., CA$1.50 ($1.20) returns to the regional economy. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014578/print AIR POLLUTION Tracking the impact of smog on California kids. Children in southern California may be breathing easier these days compared with the 1990s, thanks to a big reduction in air pollution, a new study suggests. Researchers found that as air quality improved in five Los Angeles-area communities over two decades, so did children's lung development. Experts said the findings, published in the March 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest a major public health benefit from cleaner air: Kids' lung function not only matters in the short-term, but is also tied to their risk of developing heart and lung disease later in life. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tracking-the-impact-of-smog-on-california-kids/ China vows to fight pollution 'with all our might'. Chinese premier Li Keqiang on Thursday renewed pledges to tackle the country’s chronic pollution, without announcing any significant new environmental measures. The Chinese public are increasingly enraged by hazardous smog that regularly blankets cities, as well as water and soil that are laced with heavy metals and various other toxic pollutants. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/05/china-vows-to-fight-pollution-with-all-our-might Dramatic photos illustrate China’s ‘inconvenient truth’ about its hideous air. Years ago, air pollution used to be chalked up to excessive “fog.” But the days when China dismissed its air quality problem are gone. Speaking last week before the National People’s Congress, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged to fight pollution, calling it a “blight on people’s quality of life and a trouble that weighs on their hearts … We must fight it with all our might.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/05/these-photos-show-just-how-bad-pollution-in-china-is/ China to reduce coal consumption, lessen pollution – ministry. China will reduce coal consumption and boost energy efficiency as part of efforts to lessen air pollution, according to an action plan released by the government on Friday. The world's top consumer will cut coal consumption by over 80 million tonnes by 2017 and more than 160 million tonnes by 2020 through efficiency measures, under the 2015-2020 plan from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/06/china-coal-cut-idUSL4N0W834Q20150306 CLIMATE CHANGE Europe submits U.N. climate pledge, urges U.S., China to follow. The European Union on Friday submitted its formal promise on how much it will cut greenhouse gas emissions to the United Nations ahead of climate change talks starting in November and called on the United States and China to follow its lead. The European Union is the first major economy to agree its position before the talks in Paris aimed at seeking a new worldwide deal on global warming. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/06/us-eu-environment-idUSKBN0M21KI20150306 McConnell Urges States to Defy U.S. Plan to Cut Greenhouse Gas. Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and majority leader, is urging governors to defy President Obama by refusing to implement the administration’s global warming regulations. In an op-ed article published Wednesday in The Lexington Herald-Leader with the headline, “States should reject Obama mandate for clean-power regulations,” Mr. McConnell wrote: “The Obama administration’s so-called ‘clean power’ regulation seeks to shut down more of America’s power generation under the guise of protecting the climate.” He added, “Don’t be complicit in the administration’s attack on the middle class.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/us/politics/mcconnell-urges-states-to-defy-us-plan-to-cut-greenhouse-gas.html Hearing on Alaska exposes tension between economic growth and accelerating warming. At a hearing yesterday on international trade, oil and gas opportunities in the Arctic and America's future in the region, Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said continued fossil fuel exploration and shipping, which has been made easier by warming conditions, threatens Alaskans and its native communities… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014593/print Canadians want increased government action on reducing emissions – poll. Canadians want their government to take the lead in establishing tax policies to curb the country's greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new poll conducted by Nanos Research for the Toronto Globe and Mail. Though 71 percent of respondents said they "supported" or "somewhat supported" new taxes… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/03/06/stories/1060014590 DROUGHT NOAA: El Nino is 'too little, too late' for California drought. El Niño is here, but don't expect the Pacific Ocean circulation phenomenon to do much for the drought afflicting California and the western U.S., forecasters said Thursday. "Unfortunately, this El Niño is likely too little, too late and too weak to provide much relief for drought-stricken California, as California’s rainy season is winding down," said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/03/05/scientists-say-weak-el-nino-arrived-not-expected-to-end-drought/ Related Articles: http://time.com/3734013/el-nino-california-drought/ Business coalition forms in response to California drought. A coalition of businesses including The Coca-Cola Company and Gap Inc. announced Thursday it is backing Gov. Jerry Brown's call for conservation in drought-stricken California. The individual companies didn't say they would scale back their own operations to save water as California heads into a fourth dry year. Instead, the group organized by Ceres, a Boston environmental nonprofit, says it is urging sustainable water management. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150305/business-coalition-forms-in-response-to-california-drought FUELS Researchers develop method to trace methane emissions to their source. A new instrument is helping scientists play detective with a potent greenhouse gas, clearing a path for better climate models, developing robust policy on greenhouse gases and more accurate prospecting for natural gas. Methane is the second-most important heat-trapping gas, behind carbon dioxide, emitted into the atmosphere from human activity. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014595/print GREEN ENERGY US Energy Storage Market to Grow 250% in 2015. The U.S. is on the cusp of a breakout year for energy storage, according to the inaugural U.S. Energy Storage Monitor report from GTM Research and the Energy Storage Association (ESA). The country is forecasted to deploy 220 megawatts in 2015, more than three times its 2014 total, and growth should continue at a rapid clip thereafter. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/us-energy-storage-market-grew-400-in-2014 Clean industry job growth slowed in 2014, despite uptick from Tesla and solar industry. Job growth in the U.S. clean energy and clean transportation sectors slowed considerably in 2014, with roughly 47,000 new jobs created by 170 development projects nationwide, according to data released yesterday by the business group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). That's compared with more than 78,000 jobs created by the two sectors in 2013… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014589/print US Solar Generation Doubled in 2014, Renewable Output Grew 11%. New federal statistics out this week have shed more light solar and wind energy’s emerging role in keeping the country’s lights on. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2014 saw non-hydro renewable energy generation increase by 11 percent over the previous year -- and solar power led the charge in growth, if not in overall share of U.S. electricity supply. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/US-Solar-Generation-Doubled-in-2014-Renewable-Output-Grew-11 Top 10 States Using Wind Power for Electricity. Long before Nikola Tesla learned to harness electricity, Mother Earth gave her own energy in the wind. Today to face the dangers of climate change, humanity races to perfect wind energy production. Globally, the European Union and China lead this experiment, with America in coming in at third. http://www.energydigital.com/renewables/3797/Top-10-States-Using-Wind-Power-for-Electricity OPINIONS Why fee and dividend is better than cap and trade at fighting climate change. California is leading the nation in taking action on climate change. AB 32, passed in 2006, established carbon pricing in the state with a system called cap and trade. Simply put, this system caps carbon emissions from large polluters by selling a set number of emission allowances at state auctions. The number of allowances sold declines annually until California's emissions goals are achieved. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-sedor-climate-change-fee-and-dividend-vs--cap-and-trade-20150306-story.html This argument against Teslas just doesn’t make any sense. The world has a gigantic romance with the Tesla right now — the sleek electric vehicle that needs to charge, of course, in order to run. These cars are hot, and there are going to be more of them in the future. So what does that mean for the U.S.’s electricity system? It’s a pertinent question in that, as a new research note from analysts at Raymond James points out, “by definition, a vehicle that runs entirely on electric power rather than petroleum fuel adds to electricity demand, while detracting from oil demand.” Moreover, as Tesla itself notes, “Every time Tesla breaks into a new market, the media brings up the same concern: that electric vehicles will overwhelm electric grids, resulting in blackouts.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/04/no-teslas-are-not-going-to-crash-the-power-grid/ Clean air = healthier lungs. As Republicans in Congress ratchet up their efforts to block Environmental Protection Agency controls on carbon dioxide, ozone and other air pollution, they should consider findings released Wednesday from a two-decade study that for the first time links cleaner air to healthier lungs among school-age children. http://registerguard.com/rg/opinion/32834882-78/clean-air--healthier-lungs.html.csp Opinion: How the US Embassy Tweeted to Clear Beijing’s Air. When the US Embassy in Beijing started tweeting data from an air-quality monitor, no one could have anticipated its far-reaching consequences: It triggered profound change in China’s environmental policy, advanced air-quality science in some of the world’s most polluted cities, and prompted similar efforts in neighboring countries. http://www.wired.com/2015/03/opinion-us-embassy-beijing-tweeted-clear-air/ The sentiment of pollution. Our memory may consist disproportionately of the big milestones — graduation, moving, marriage — but most of life is lived in the small moments. Taking a deep breath to appreciate the petrichor after rain as we step outdoors. Running, late again, to class, when suddenly in the middle of Sproul the putrid smell of construction hits our olfactory senses. http://www.dailycal.org/2015/03/06/sentiment-pollution/ BLOGS New York Just Showed Every Other State How to Do Solar Right. New York wants to get serious about solar power. The state has a goal to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, and it's already among the nation's solar leaders. New York ranks ninth overall for total installed solar, and in 2013 alone it added enough to power more than 10,000 homes. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/03/solar-just-had-huge-win-new-york On snowy D.C. day, Senate hearing on the Arctic turns to climate change. There is only one bit of official business in the United States Senate Thursday, as a late-season snowstorm blankets Washington: A hearing on "opportunities for the United States to build on its status as an Arctic nation." The appropriateness of holding the hearing during a snowstorm was much remarked upon… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/03/05/on-snowy-d-c-day-senate-hearing-on-the-arctic-turns-to-climate-change/ Putting the Focus on Climate Change. When I am traveling up and down the Central Coast of California, I'll often take Highway 154 through the Santa Ynez Mountains past beautiful Lake Cachuma, a source of drinking water for 220,000 people in southern Santa Barbara County. But as the drought drags on, I -- like many -- am often struck by the sight of brush where once glistening lake water filled the cavernous space that is now much of Lake Cachuma. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-lois-capps/putting-the-focus-on-clim_b_6816172.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 13:12:41 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 9, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION EPA begins testing air in homes near South Bay Superfund sites. Nearly 15 years after crews dug up and replaced contaminated soil from Cynthia Medina's frontyard, federal officials have placed dart-sized air quality samplers in her South Bay home. The tests will reveal whether dangerous vapors are seeping inside from polluted groundwater below her house. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month began testing the air inside dozens of homes near two of the nation's worst chemical dumping sites for trichloroethylene, benzene and chlorobenzene. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-del-amo-20150309-story.html#page=1 Some states fight to keep their wood fires burning. Smoke wafting from wood fires has long provided a familiar winter smell in many parts of the country - and, in some cases, a foggy haze that has filled people's lungs with fine particles that can cause coughing and wheezing. Citing health concerns, the Environmental Protection Agency now is pressing ahead with regulations to significantly limit the pollution from newly manufactured residential wood heaters. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WOOD_STOVE_RULES_FIGHTING_BACK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Air quality board OKs lower pollution limits for battery recyclers. Air quality officials imposed stricter emissions limits on two Los Angeles County battery recycling plants Friday, attempting to protect surrounding communities from lead pollution released by Exide Technologies in Vernon. The rules, approved on an 11-to-1 vote by the South Coast Air Quality Management District governing board, come in response to tests since 2013 that found elevated levels of lead in the soil near Exide and in surrounding homes and yards. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin for which there is no known safe level of exposure. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lower-pollution-limits-20150306-story.html LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE What To Make Of Lumber Liquidators -- Should We Believe Anderson Cooper and Whitney Tilson? Back in late 2013, flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators was the classic American success story. Founder and Chairman Tom Sullivan had taken the business from one location and turned it into the country's largest retailer of wood and wood laminate flooring in about 20 years. Investors who bought shares after the IPO in late 2007 saw 10-fold returns by November of that year. http://www.sfgate.com/business/fool/article/What-To-Make-Of-Lumber-Liquidators-Should-We-6122030.php East Peoria couple asks local retailer to pay for tests to see if Chinese-made flooring is safe. Nicole and Ed Black were thrilled with the new bamboo laminate floor in the living room of their East Peoria home until Nicole’s mother, Joann Bailey, watched “60 Minutes” last Sunday. “They had a piece on Lumber Liquidators,” said Bailey, who purchased the flooring at the chain’s East Peoria store as a Christmas present for the young couple. “They went into this whole thing about how this could be detrimental to your health because of the high levels of formaldehyde, and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, we just installed this in their house.’” http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150306/NEWS/150309443/11669/NEWS CLIMATE CHANGE Florida Reportedly Bans Environment Officials From Mentioning Climate Change. Underscoring the divisiveness of climate change in American politics, government officials at Florida’s main environment agency have reportedly been asked to refrain from mentioning it. Officials from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) were given an unwritten order not to use the words climate change or global warming in any official communication or reports, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting (FCIR) claimed on Sunday. http://time.com/3736862/florida-department-environmental-protection-climate-change-ban-rick-scott/ Other related articles: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/09/florida-state-most-affected-by-climate-change-reportedly-bans-term-climate-change/ http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/florida-officials-barred-mentioning-climate-change http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/09/politics/florida-officials-climate-change-banned/ http://fcir.org/2015/03/08/in-florida-officials-ban-term-climate-change/ http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/09/usa-florida-climatechange-idUSL1N0WB18620150309 California, China join forces to tackle climate change. World leaders fighting to limit climate change should look to the partnership between California and China for inspiration, according to a new report co-authored by the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage. The report, released Wednesday at a San Francisco event attended by Gov. Jerry Brown, says California has "helped create something of a state model for subnational international cooperation on climate change and energy issues." The New York-based Asia Society wrote the report with help from the Annenberg Foundation Trust, which operates the famed Sunnylands estate. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/03/04/sunnylands-report-california-china-model-partners-climate/24372651/ Residents Call For Permanent Shutdown Of Exide Plant At AQMD Meeting. Hundreds of protesters were on hand for a meeting Friday in Long Beach to demand the shutdown of a battery recycling plant blamed for contaminating a Boyle Heights neighborhood with lead. KNX 1070’s Ron Kilgore reports residents from Cudahy, Bell, Bell Gardens and other cities surrounding the Exide plant in Vernon showed up at a meeting of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) as the Board gathered determine whether Exide will be allowed to continue to operate. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/03/06/protesters-call-for-permanent-shutdown-of-exide-plant-at-aqmd-meeting/ Why a changing climate could destroy the world’s oldest mummies. Some seven millennia ago or more, a group of people called the Chinchorro lived along the coasts of northern Chile and southern Peru. Their lives revolved around fishing from the rich Pacific waters, even as a uniquely arid desert — the Atacama — lay inland behind them. The Chinchorro were unique in many ways, but perhaps most of all in their burial practices. Several thousands of years before the Egyptians, they were mummifying their dead — creating the oldest known mummies on Earth — and doing so in a truly equal fashion. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/09/why-a-changing-climate-could-destroy-some-of-the-worlds-oldest-mummies/ Biden: Denying climate change ‘almost like denying gravity.’ Vice President Joe Biden slammed those who question climate change, saying that ignoring the scientific evidence is “almost like denying gravity now.” “I think it’s close to mindless,” Mr. Biden said in a preview clip for the upcoming season of HBO’s Vice. The vice president pointed specifically to 2012’s Hurricane Sandy as an example of how climate change is making the world’s weather patterns more severe. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/7/joe-biden-denying-climate-change-almost-denying-gr/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES CCTA Will Appeal CARB Decision to Supreme Court. The California Construction Trucking Association has stated it will appeal the decision handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that rejected CCTA's lawsuit challenging the legality of truck and bus regulations implemented by the California Air Resources Board. This is the second time CCTA has lost a legal decision over this suit. The association originally filed suit in 2011 in state district court to stop the regulations from taking effect. In its argument, CCTA cited the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/03/ccta-will-appeal-carb-lawsuit-to-supreme-court.aspx DROUGHT Droughts can expose quirks, create confusion in California water management. In the withering California drought, 15 water districts will deliver precious irrigation supplies to Kern County growers while 15,000 farmers face summer without their Millerton Lake allotments — a confusing repeat of last year. How does the south San Joaquin Valley get some water in back-to-back drought years while the east side goes without? And, by the way, vast tracts of farmland on the Valley’s west side also will be shut out. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/07/4412759_dried-and-confused-some-get-water.html?rh=1 California drought: Big water rate hikes considered by Bay Area agencies. During the first three years of drought, Bay Area residents have endured brown lawns, shorter showers and dirty cars. Now, as the crisis stretches into the fourth year, they are about to feel it in their wallets. Three of the largest Bay Area water agencies -- the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which runs the Hetch Hetchy system -- all are considering water rate hikes of up to 30 percent this year. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27668436/california-drought-bay-area-water-agencies-considering-big VEHICLES Public Electric-Car Charging: Business Models, Profits Still In Debate. Expanding the network of public charging stations makes driving an electric car far more convenient--and thus more attractive to more consumers. That's why carmakers, businesses, and governments are working to open more stations worldwide. These stations cost something to operate, of course, but often provide charging for free. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097160_public-electric-car-charging-business-models-profits-still-in-debate GREEN ENERGY Utilities wage campaign against rooftop solar. Three years ago, the nation’s top utility executives gathered at a Colorado resort to hear warnings about a grave new threat to operators of America’s electric grid: not superstorms or cyberattacks, but rooftop solar panels. If demand for residential solar continued to soar, traditional utilities could soon face serious problems, from “declining retail sales” and a “loss of customers” to “potential obsolescence,” according to a presentation prepared for the group. “Industry must prepare an action plan to address the challenges,” it said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/utilities-sensing-threat-put-squeeze-on-booming-solar-roof-industry/2015/03/07/2d916f88-c1c9-11e4-ad5c-3b8ce89f1b89_story.html State officials to lock horns on the Clean Power Plan. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hear this week from states weighing how -- and whether -- to implement U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. The five officials who will address the panel Wednesday are from state agencies and public utility commissions tasked with writing and advising on state implementation plans for the draft existing power plant rule for carbon dioxide. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060014668 New concept in solar energy poised to catch on across US. A new concept in renewable energy is catching fire across the country, allowing customers who might find solar panels too expensive or impractical to buy green energy anyway. Community solar gardens first took off in Colorado a few years ago, and the model — also known as community or shared solar — has spread to Minnesota, California, Massachusetts and several other states. Capacity is expected to grow sharply this year, and interest is up among both residential customers who just like the idea and large companies that want to cut their carbon footprints. http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/03/07/new-concept-in-solar-energy-poised-to-catch-on-across-us http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article12923456.html Solar-Power Plane Airborne on Historic Round-The-World Trip. With its wings stretched wide to catch the sun's energy, a Swiss-made solar-powered aircraft took off from Abu Dhabi just after daybreak Monday in a historic first attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fossil fuel. Solar Impulse founder André Borschberg was at the controls of the single-seat aircraft when it lumbered into the air at the Al Bateen Executive Airport. Borschberg will trade off piloting with Solar Impulse co-founder Bertrand Piccard during layovers on a 35,000-kilometer (21,700-mile) journey. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/09/world/middleeast/ap-solar-plane.html Other related articles: http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-solar-plane-20150308-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Solar-powered-plane-takes-off-for-flight-around-6122831.php Harnessing the Power of Human Waste to Survive. In the field of industrial ecology, the mantra is that, in nature, there is no waste. And we are a part of nature. Everything we produce is a material. We produce energy and matter and it comes back around and is transformed into something else. http://www.newsweek.com/harnessing-power-human-waste-survive-311465 MISCELLANEOUS Drones are latest tool in conservation science. When the rain finally came to Sacramento in early February, Nature Conservancy scientist Chris McColl needed to quickly assess whether water had overflowed the banks of the Cosumnes River and filled a floodplain the organization is trying to restore. Planes are expensive, and it takes hours to hire one and get it in the air. So McColl deployed a drone instead. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article12964940.html 8 ways you are killing the environment that you probably didn’t even realize. You know an invention has its drawbacks when even the guy who invented it says he’s sorry he did so. That would be John Sylvan, inventor of the easy-to-use Keurig coffee maker — an invention deemed “the most wasteful form of coffee” on the planet. Sylan says he regrets the creation largely due to its severe ecological impact. The Keurig uses disposable plastic coffee pods, called “K-Cups,” which are not easily recyclable or biodegradable. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150309/8-ways-you-are-killing-the-environment-that-you-probably-didnt-even-realize OPINIONS Kevin de Léon: Valley is poised for green energy economic boom. California’s great middle is a land set apart. No valley is more vast, no soil is more fertile, and tragically, no air is more polluted. As a landscape of paradox, the San Joaquin Valley is a region where poverty and bounty sit side by side. This situation has been aggravated by state and federal investments that have historically focused elsewhere. The unique challenges of the Valley have been too often overlooked in Sacramento and Washington. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/07/4412708_kevin-de-leon-valley-is-poised.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Magna Carta vs. Cap and Trade. Cue the candles and cake: One of the great documents of liberty hits the big Eight-0-0 this year. Eight centuries ago, at Runnymede, England’s barons forced a resentful King John to accept landmark limits on royal power. Magna Carta – the “Great Charter” – set precedents that undergird our freedoms to this day: protections for property rights; guarantees of trial by jury; and safeguards against taxation without representation. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/03/magna-carta-vs-cap-and-trade/ Reducing food waste: Good for restaurants, diners and the environment. Americans are more environmentally aware than ever, and the demand for sustainability has even made its way to our tables. If you’re among those seeking dining options that feature locally sourced and sustainably harvested ingredients, you’re part of a powerful movement. But are you as aware of where leftover food ends up when it leaves your table? Or where unpurchased, unused foods go? http://www.sfgate.com/sponsoredarticles/lifestyle/community/article/Reducing-food-waste-Good-for-restaurants-diners-6119584.php BLOGS How climate change may be producing more blockbuster snowstorms. After another extreme winter in the eastern United States – symbolized by Boston’s historic snow blitz of 90 inches in just over three weeks – scientists, the media and the public are asking once again: Is climate change causing more extreme snowfall events? The argument that climate change is leading to greater snowfalls is based on a very simple law of physics – a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture. But on the other hand, snowfall is dependent on sub-freezing temperatures, so what does it mean for places like the eastern United States, where climate change might make it too warm for snowfall? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/03/09/how-climate-change-may-be-producing-more-blockbuster-snowstorms/ 10 Nations Reduce Pollution Deaths. Pollution in the air, soil and water has become the largest cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), but a new report has hailed 10 countries for taking steps to reduce those death rates. The report -- the Top Ten Countries Turning the Corner on Toxic Pollution 2014 -- marks a change from previous years in which the report focused on the ten worst polluters. The report authors include the New York non-profit group Pure Earth (formerly Blacksmith Institute), the Global Alliance for Health and Pollution (GAHP) and the organization Green Cross Switzerland. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-barber/10-nations-reduce-polluti_b_6812696.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 13:49:32 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 10, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 10, 2015. ARB Newsclips for March 10, 2015 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 Federal case against paper mill nears end after 16 years. After more than 16 years of litigation, a federal air pollution case against a western Maryland paper mill is nearing... http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014682/feed States balk at new wood stove regs. Some states are refusing to adhere to new U.S. EPA restrictions on wood-burning... http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014679/feed AIR POLLUTION: Supreme Court expands time for arguments on toxics standards. ...time allotted for oral arguments in the challenge to U.S. EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060014725/feed Anti-Smog Film Is Pulled In China; Protesters Reportedly Detained. - capradio.org ...on a hazy January day in downtown Shanghai. China has ordered a popular anti-pollution film removed from major online outlets. In Xi'an, two people... http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=391821848 EPA begins testing air in homes near South Bay Superfund sites. ...soil from Cynthia Medina's frontyard, federal officials have placed dart-sized air quality samplers in her South Bay home. The tests will reveal... http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-del-amo-20150309-story.html LUMBER LIQUIDATORS KD Investigators: Advice To Buyers Of Lumber Liquidators Flooring. Like dozens of other people who have called our newsroom, Meghan Lopresti wants know if the laminated flooring she bought from Lumber Liquidators is safe. “It’ll always be in the back of my head,” she said. “I have two small children another one on the way and this could cause childhood cancer. That’s not something that any parent should have to deal with.” http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/03/09/kd-investigators-advice-to-buyers-of-lumber-liquidators-flooring/ Safety agency to announce potential Lumber Liquidators action. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is expected to announce Tuesday what action it’s taking regarding the Chinese-made laminate flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators, The Post has learned. CBS’s “60 Minutes” reported Sunday night that the federal agency has asked for results of its tests on the flooring of the Toano, Va.-based company. The agency stopped short of saying it was investigating the company on Monday afternoon but promised full details soon. http://nypost.com/2015/03/09/safety-agency-to-announce-potential-lumber-liquidators-actions/ Lumber Liquidators' board faces insider suit. Directors of Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. were accused by an investor of engaging in insider trading by selling shares while knowing the retailer faced potential criminal charges over imports of Chinese flooring that came from the illegal harvesting of trees. http://www.newsadvance.com/work_it_lynchburg/news/lumber-liquidators-board-faces-insider-suit/article_c4da4984-c70d-11e4-ab06-1772974be9db.html Lumber Liquidators to Discuss Product Safety During Business Update. Lumber Liquidators Holding Corp. said it plans to discuss the safety of its products, its liquidity and give updated guidance for its current quarter on a conference call Thursday as the hardwood-flooring company continues to deal with the fallout from a television report that accused the company of selling products that violate health and safety guidelines. http://www.wsj.com/articles/lumber-liquidators-to-discuss-product-safety-during-business-update-1425986871 CLIMATE CHANGE California Moves With Chinese Provinces On Climate. When China and the United States announced their Climate Pact to great fanfare last November, the bilateral pledge’s talk of “contributions” shifted the conversation from shared commitments to “common but differentiated responsibilities”: the idea that historical economic differences leads to different responsibilities to tackle climate change today. http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10842§ion=news_articles&eod=1 Warming Could Hit Rates Unseen in 1,000 Years. ...years. That's the main finding of a paper published Monday in Nature Climate Change, which looked at the rate of temperature change over... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-rates-unseen-in-1000-years-18745 'Extraordinarily Dirty' Oil From Keystone XL Could Present Climate Risks, Obama Says. ...foreign company if it can't be shown that overall it would not contribute to climate change.” “The reason that a lot of environmentalists are... http://www.bna.com/extraordinarily-dirty-oil-n17179923734/ EMISSIONS: Petroleum industry, EPA negotiating over methane leakage rules. U.S. EPA's efforts to track greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry are facing yet another legal challenge in federal court. In January, the American Petroleum Institute (API), the largest industry trade group, challenged a landmark EPA program that tracks emissions from the oil and gas industry every year. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/03/09/stories/1060014652 Florida's Not The Only State Where Officials Censored The Term ‘Climate Change.' Censoring "climate change" is not unusual -- at least in states with governors... http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/09/3631465/not-just-florida-censoring-climate-change-talk/ Florida scientist told to remove words ‘climate change’ from study on climate change. …But then, on Jan. 27, a message popped into her inbox. Subject: “Paper Review.” And Radke realized she wasn’t through with Florida yet. In fact, she was about to get dragged into what has now become a national scandal over an alleged “unwritten policy” among some Florida state environmental offices that forbids the use of terms such as “climate change” and “global warming” in official correspondence. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/10/why-this-florida-scientist-had-to-remove-the-term-climate-change-from-her-study/ Florida Gov. Scott Denies Banning Phrase 'Climate Change.' Florida Gov. Rick Scott denied allegations from a report that made national headlines this week with claims that his administration banned use of the terms "climate change" and "global warming" in official documents and speeches. Scott — an open skeptic of climate change — made the denials Monday in response to the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting's report, which quoted former employees and contractors who said they were told not to use the terms. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/florida-gov-scott-denies-banning-phrase-climate-change-29526774 Methane Leaks From Gas Pipelines Far Exceed Official Estimates, Harvard Study Finds. Methane is leaking from natural gas infrastructure in Boston and the surrounding region at rates two to three times higher than government estimates, scientists at Harvard University and other institutions found. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20150128/methane-leaks-gas-pipelines-far-exceed-official-estimates-harvard-study-finds Senate passes revised climate change amendment. ...Democrats failed in an effort Monday night to push an amendment saying that climate change is real and humans contribute significantly to climate... http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Owen-rules-climate-change-vote-allowed-on-energy-6124080.php Climate change cause mummies to turn to 'black ooze.' The world's oldest mummies are at risk of disappearing because of man-made climate change, according to a group of Harvard University scientists. Bodies mummified about 7,000 years ago in Chile are starting to degrade rapidly, the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences said Monday in an e-mailed statement. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-mummies09-20150309-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES West Sacramento firm’s heavy-duty equipment goes on auction block. Shopping for a massive Caterpillar tractor? Or an articulated dump truck? Wednesday, those are among more than 2,000 pieces of heavy-duty construction equipment and other items going up for auction in Dunnigan, part of a routine Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers sale of used equipment. But the auction is anything but routine for Craig Hobday, owner and president of Compaction Rentals in West Sacramento. For him, it’s the end of an era. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article13150019.html#storylink=cpy FUELS Today's Rush to Natural Gas Could Mean Higher Energy Bills Tomorrow. Homes and businesses across the country are becoming increasingly vulnerable to higher electricity bills as utilities rely more and more on natural gas to generate electricity, according to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/todays-rush-to-natural-gas-could-mean-higher-energy-bills-tomorrow-0475#.VP8l-RY6coA DROUGHT Drought Weakens the Amazon's Ability to Capture Carbon. ...Brazilian state of Amazonas. Credit: CIAT/Flickr Without the Amazon, the impacts of climate change would likely be far worse. The forest sequesters about... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/drought-amazon-carbon-capture-18733 CalFire Prepares For Early Wildfire 'Season.' The drought in California has brought three consecutive dry years and... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/09/calfire-prepares-for-early-wildfire-season/ El Nino finally here; but this 1 is weak, weird and late. ...background. A long anticipated El Nino weather warping is finally here. But for drought-struck California, it?s too little, too late, meteorologists... http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27674757/el-nino-finally-here-but-this-1-is Groundwater law results in confusion, futility: Thomas Elias. ...spreading basin following his news conference on the city's response to the drought and the importance of water conservation at the Tujunga Wells Spreading... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion/20150309/groundwater-law-results-in-confusion-futility-thomas-elias VEHICLES Chevy to unveil 2016 Spark. ...for a customer interested in a more traditional design. Could a new Spark electric vehicle be part of the 2016 lineup? GM won't say. The... http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-chevy-2016-spark-20150309-story.html?track=rss New tires could generate power. ...Rubber Co. has introduced a new tire concept that could generate electricity for electric cars. The company announced the "BHO3" tire at the Geneva auto show and said the tire "offers the possibility" of helping recharge batteries of electric cars by converting heat from the rolling tire into electric energy. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060014690/feed Tesla Supercharger Network Growth Surges Over Last 14 Months. ...range compares to ratings of 62 to about 90 miles in less expensive plug-in electric cars. And the Model S vehicles offers even... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097109_tesla-supercharger-network-growth-surges-over-last-14-months Updated Renault Zoe will be able to go 150 miles on a charge. ...it. The French automaker is using the Geneva Motor Show to promote the Zoe EV, and the news is good. The Zoe, which first went on sale in Europe in... http://www.autoblog.com/2015/03/09/updated-renault-zoe-150-miles-single-charge/ GREEN ENERGY Cleaner Power Needed to Make Electric Cars Greener. ...conclusion of a University of Toronto paper published in the March edition of Nature Climate Change, which argues that countries need to reduce the carbon... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/cleaner-power-needed-electric-cars-18736 CPUC judge rejects deal for new gas plant. ...peaking plant in San Diego because of concerns that the project would stifle renewable energy resources. The utility wanted the deal with the... http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1004655&menu=yes Green Mountain Power solar project honored by industry. ...says a Rutland solar project it is helping to build has been honored by the solar power industry. Vermont's largest electric utility says... RENEWABLE ENERGY: Low-carbon electricity plans get cheap in Texas __ http://news.vocus.com/?a=20671340638&p=19f&v=1&x=kcp19z8nYeu9T0qkjMFbmw Farmers Put Down the Plow for More Productive Soil. ….In turn, more absorbent soil is less vulnerable to runoff and more resistant to droughts and floods. Cover crops also help suppress weeds. Environmental groups like the Defense Council have long been fans of soil-conservation techniques because they help protect waterways and increase the ability of soil to store carbon dioxide, rather than releasing it into the air, where it contributes to climate change. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/science/farmers-put-down-the-plow-for-more-productive-soil.html?_r=0 OPINION Lumber Liquidators is surging after an infamous short-selling firm uses logic to explain why the company isn't screwed. Influential short-seller Citron Research says in a new note that the sell-off in the hardwood-floor retailer Lumber Liquidators may be "largely overdone." Since a troubling "60 Minutes" investigative report on the company aired March 1, shares have collapsed about 40%. On Tuesday they were trading up more than 10%, or $2.80, at about $30.75. http://www.businessinsider.com/citron-research-on-lumber-liquidators-2015-3#ixzz3U0HojGBV http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/03/10/lumber-liquidators-sell-off-overdone-analyst-says/ Views You Can Use: Florida Muffles Climate Change Talk. ...Center for Investigative Reporting that they were barred from using the terms “climate change” or “global warming” in any official communications,... http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2015/03/09/florida-allegedly-bans-climate-change-talk-in-official-writings BLOGS Senate OKs bill giving utilities option on renewable energy. ...the Washington Senate on Monday night after a protracted fight over whether climate change is real and if humans contribute to it. Senate... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20150309/wa-xgr--renewable-energy Merchants of Doubt [VIDEO]. ...retardant chemicals in furniture and clothing and into the current campaign against climate change legislation. As in his best known film, Food, Inc..... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-feld/merchants-of-doubt-video_b_6818564.html?ir=Entertainment&utm_hp_ref=entertainment Walmart Puts Green Label on Products it Doesn't Even Claim Are Green. ...but over at Walmart.com this one-pound ball of plastic now boasts a special "Sustainability Leaders" badge. It's one of more than 3,000 products tagged... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacy-mitchell/walmart-puts-green-label-_b_6807876.html?utm_hp_ref=green Mercury News editorial: California urban water users must get serious about conservation. California is in the midst of its fourth consecutive drought year, and based on a new study by Stanford scientists, it appears to be a long-time weather pattern. The December downpours were just a nice distraction. The state has to get serious about conserving water. Suggestions are not enough. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_27678106/mercury-news-editorial-california-urban-water-users-must?source=rss How ambitious is the EU's offer to the Paris climate change talks? The EU has set out its contribution to a new international climate change agreement, in advance of talks in Paris this December. The EU pledge, known as an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), was submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Friday and is the second official submission, following first-placed Switzerland. http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2015/03/how-ambitious-is-the-eus-offer-to-the-paris-climate-change-talks/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 12:48:51 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 11, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 11, 2015. 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 Duke Energy fined $25 million over coal ash pollution. North Carolina environmental officials said Tuesday that they are fining Duke Energy $25 million over pollution that has been seeping into groundwater for years from a pair of coal ash pits at a retired power plant. The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources called it the state's largest penalty for environmental damages. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COAL_ASH_FINE_NORTH_CAROLINA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EPA chief hits back at states that 'just say no' to carbon rule. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday warned opponents that the agency will enforce regulations to slash carbon emissions from power plants even if states choose not to cooperate. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy hit back at lawmakers who have called on state officials to ignore federal deadlines to submit plans to comply with the agency's Clean Power Plan… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/usa-climate-epa-idUSL1N0WD1KM20150311 Delhi to Delay Release of Air Quality Data. This megacity’s modest effort to warn residents about unhealthy spikes in air pollution levels will soon end after a government decision to delay releasing the data by at least a day, ostensibly to authenticate it. “The unified system, expected to be in position in maximum two weeks’ time, will ensure authentic air quality information of Delhi to public at large… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/world/asia/delhi-to-delay-release-of-air-quality-data.html State Senate leader urges regulators to close Exide plant in Vernon. California's senate leader is demanding that state regulators immediately close and begin cleaning up an embattled Vernon battery recycling plant that has spewed lead and arsenic into surrounding neighborhoods over decades of operation. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-exide-violations-20150310-story.html GOP senators raise 'red flags' over EPA ozone analysis. Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee yesterday raised what they called six "red flags" about U.S. EPA's cost estimates of a recent proposal to tighten the national ozone standard. Among the issues raised by the GOP senators: EPA allegedly used inflated base-line controls, put an arbitrary cap on known pollution control costs… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060014813/feed CLIMATE CHANGE Cardinal indicates themes of pope's climate change document. A Vatican official who helped write a first draft of Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on climate change acknowledged disagreement over the causes of global warming but said "what is not contested is that our planet is getting warmer" and Christians have a duty rooted in "ancient biblical teaching" to address the problem. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_POPE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-eu--pope-climate-change-20150310-story.html Group wants probe of whether Fla. banned climate-change talk. Did Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration ban state environmental scientists from using the terms "climate change" and "global warming" in their work? Scott says no, but some former employees say supervisors forbade them from using the terms - a striking charge in a U.S. state considered by climate scientists to be one of the most at risk of damage due to sea rise… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FLORIDA_GOVERNOR_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=392263831 Kochs say no to Dems' probe into climate research funding. The industrial conglomerate run by the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch is refusing to provide Democratic lawmakers with information on whether it has paid for climate change research. Last month, three Democratic senators sent 100 letters to an assortment of fossil-fuel companies and organizations... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KOCH_INDUSTRIES_CLIMATE_SCIENCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT China's Chongqing cuts carbon permit supply. Companies obliged to reduce their carbon emissions in China's pilot carbon exchange in Chongqing will be allocated a smaller number of permits for 2014, with the government tightening its grip on the market to tackle climate change. Market regulators in the southwestern city of Chongqing handed out 116 million 2014 permits early this month… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/10/china-carbon-chongqing-idUSL4N0WC3OU20150310 Why a changing climate could destroy the world’s oldest mummies. Some seven millennia ago or more, a group of people called the Chinchorro lived along the coasts of northern Chile and southern Peru. Their lives revolved around fishing from the rich Pacific waters, even as a uniquely arid desert — the Atacama — lay inland behind them. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/09/why-a-changing-climate-could-destroy-some-of-the-worlds-oldest-mummies/ As Climate Wars Heat Up, Some Skeptics Are Targets. Scientists who warn that the earth's climate is changing have been subjected to hacking, investigations, and even court action in recent years. That ire usually comes from conservative groups and climate skeptics seeking to discredit the research findings. Now it appears that liberals and environmentalists may be using some of the same tactics against the handful of scientists who either deny climate change outright, or think the risks are not as great as stated. http://www.npr.org/2015/03/10/391253086/as-climate-wars-heat-up-some-skeptics-are-targets Major new cuts eyed for greenhouse gases. Nearly a decade after California’s landmark law curbing greenhouse gases was signed, a key author of AB 32 wants to dramatically boost the crackdown on climate-changing carbon emissions over the next 35 years. The principal author of that legislation, Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, has introduced a new bill, SB 32… http://capitolweekly.net/greenhouse-gases-cut-legislation-california/ State regulators to tell senators they need more flexibility on carbon rule. State regulators will offer senators varied insights Wednesday on the proposed federal rule to slash carbon emissions at existing power plants, with Wisconsin warning of potential economic consequences and California seeking more flexibility from the Environmental Protection Agency. http://energyguardian.net/state-regulators-tell-senators-they-need-more-flexibility-carbon-rule Climate change could be good news for gray whales. The gray whale may turn out to be one of the winners in a warmer world. Until a few hundred years ago, gray whales thrived in the Atlantic ocean, but then mysteriously went extinct. A new study published Tuesday suggests that rising sea temperatures due to climate change could help them return to their old habitat once again. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-could-be-good-news-for-gray-whales/ Why Care about Global Warming? Droughts, Poor Harvests, and Social Upheaval Like it? In both industrialized countries and developing countries there may be those who ask “why should we care about global warming?” After all, many people may not feel that they are affected by warming, and may pay scant attention to reports showing the effects of extreme weather and climate events. http://theenergycollective.com/henry-auer/2203036/why-care-about-global-warming-droughts-poor-harvests-and-social-upheaval Climate sceptics attempt to block Merchants of Doubt film. Climate denier Fred Singer lobbied fellow sceptics to create a backlash, and proposed legal action, against the film that exposes industry’s role in manipulating US debate on climate change. On screen, the man widely regarded as the grandfather of climate denial appears a genial participant in a newly-released expose about industry’s efforts to block action on global warming. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/11/climate-sceptics-attempt-to-block-merchants-of-doubt-film Ark. joins legal fight against EPA's carbon rule. Arkansas has joined 13 states that are asking the courts to block U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, following a Republican takeover of the governor's and attorney general's offices in January. In a statement, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said the draft rule for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014826/print How ambitious of a plan will the U.S. submit to global climate talks? As the Obama administration puts the final touches on its submission for a new global climate deal, international leaders and environmental activists say they expect the United States to set an example for the rest of the world. The numbers that the United States will offer up are no secret: Already, the administration has pledged it will cut America's greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014829/print Melting Arctic sea ice may expand range of gray whales. While polar bears and walruses struggle to survive in a rapidly changing climate, gray whales could make a comeback in the Atlantic Ocean. Gray whales disappeared from the Atlantic several hundred years ago, but two recent sightings in the Atlantic and a new study from the City University of New York (CUNY)… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014811/print DROUGHT As official data dries up, Zimbabwe's farmers gauge rainfall themselves. Two months after the first rains fell in Zunzanyika village last autumn, tensions were high. The rains - which mark the start of the planting season - had disappeared as quickly as they had come, and crops planted in October failed to germinate. But unlike many of the smallholder farmers in his village, Takesure Chikata never panicked. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/zimbabwe-rainfall-idUSL5N0WC3LM20150311 Bureaucratic infighting hampers action on droughts: U.N. official. Infighting between competing government departments has weakened the world's ability to tackle droughts, a U.N. official said as scientists meet at an international conference in Mexico this week to discuss desertification. Most governments do not have a separate ministry to handle issues related to water, droughts or land management… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/10/us-food-climatechange-disaster-idUSKBN0M60XF20150310 Reservoirs for East Bay water users near 38-year lows. Levels at Sierra reservoirs that supply water for 1.3 million East Bay customers are as low as they’ve been in nearly 40 years, and it could take a miracle to make them better before the onset of the long dry season, officials were told Tuesday. The East Bay Municipal Utility District reservoirs contain less than half the water they usually do at this time of year. http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Reservoirs-for-East-Bay-water-users-near-40-year-6126613.php?t=746d0d813f00af33be&cmpid=twitter-premium Despite Drought, Not Time For Drastic Measures. Here in California it can be frustrating to see the East Coast and Midwest buried in snow while the west remains bone dry. But the news can be hard to avoid. Snow piling up so high, cities are struggling to get rid of it, while the west remains stormless. Seems like a waste. Surely there's a way some of that extra snow can be moved to where it's needed. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/11/despite-drought,-not-time-for-drastic-measures/ Big water rate hike plan reduced by Santa Clara Valley Water District. Facing a public outcry and some skepticism from their board of directors, the top staff of the Silicon Valley's largest drinking water provider on Tuesday suggested reducing a proposed drought-related water rate hike this year from 31 percent to 19 percent. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27687593/california-drought-big-water-rate-hike-plan-reduced LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE Consolidation sought for Lumber Liquidators lawsuits. A California lawyer is seeking to consolidate 10 proposed class actions filed by consumers claiming that Chinese-made flooring products sold by Lumber Liquidators contained excessive levels of formaldehyde. On Monday, San Diego-based attorney Ronald Marron asked the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to transfer Lumber Liquidators litigation to the… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/10/products-lumber-mdls-idUSL1N0WC29J20150310 Homeowners Try to Assess Risks From Chemical in Floors. Installing a new wood floor is usually about aesthetics: brown or black? Glossy or matte? Now, some Americans and businesses are grappling with another feature: formaldehyde. Uneasy consumers have flooded state and federal safety agencies with inquiries about Lumber Liquidators, the discount flooring retailer accused in a “60 Minutes” episode of selling laminate wood with high levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/business/homeowners-try-to-assess-risks-from-chemical-in-floors.html?_r=1 Embattled Lumber Liquidators says it has enough cash for ‘foreseeable future’ Lumber Liquidators shareholders will get their first look on Thursday at how the hardwood floor retailer is dealing with the fallout from a damaging “60 Minutes” report. The Toano, Va.-based company said Tuesday it will discuss the safety of its products, its outlook for the first quarter and its liquidity during a conference call with investors. http://nypost.com/2015/03/10/embattled-lumber-liquidators-says-it-has-enough-cash-for-foreseeable-future/ Lumber Liquidators Stock Soars as Investors Question '60 Minutes' Report. A growing number of hedge funds and large investors are questioning the methodology behind CBS' “60 minutes” report that suggested Lumber Liquidators' (LL) laminate flooring product has high levels of the cancer-causing toxin formaldehyde. In recent days, the stock has been pummeled since the network's expose, the FOX Business Network has learned. http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2015/03/11/lumber-liquidators-stock-soars-as-investors-question-60-minutes-report/ Has Lumber Liquidators finally found a floor? On a day when the broad market was battered, beaten-down Lumber Liquidators LL jumped as much as 14% in early Tuesday trading, ahead of a Thursday conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss its current woes and offer first-quarter earnings and revenue guidance. Shares ended the session up 6% to $29.58. http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2015/03/10/has-lumber-liquidators-finally-found-a-floor/ Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc (NYSE:LL) Sets Date To Put Records Straight. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc (NYSE:LL) is not willing to take the attacks on the quality of its products lying down. The company has decided to act with the date set on March 12 for what it calls Business Update. Lumber intends to use the opportunity to set the records straight about its liquidity and claims that its flooring products contain higher levels of toxin. http://www.usmarketsdaily.com/lumber-liquidators-holdings-inc-nysell-sets-date-to-put-records-straight-10231 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Cruise Lines Are Urged to Cut Fuel Emissions. Operators of some of the world’s biggest cruise ships are facing calls to bring their fuel emissions while at Asia-Pacific ports into line with stricter air-quality standards in the U.S. and Europe. Many popular destinations, including Singapore, Australia and several of the Pacific Islands, apply international maritime guidelines restricting ships’ emissions of sulfur… http://www.wsj.com/articles/cruise-lines-are-urged-to-cut-fuel-emissions-1426090406 FUELS Coal Assets Abound for Those Willing to Bet on Rebound: Real M&A. For patient investors brave enough to call a bottom on coal, now may be the time to invest in the estimated $15 billion of mines up for grabs. Coal has lost more than half its value in the past four years. Expanding production and an economic slowdown in China, the largest market for the fuel, created a supply glut. Now Glencore Plc, the world’s biggest shipper of power-station coal… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-10/coal-assets-abound-for-those-willing-to-bet-on-rebound-real-m-a Biofuels Group to Ask Congress for Revamped Renewable Fuel Standards. Biofuels companies have been pressured by lower oil prices and regulatory uncertainty. Companies that make alternative fuels, pressured by lower oil prices and regulatory uncertainty, are launching a push for legislation to make it more likely fledgling segments of the biofuels industry can survive. http://www.wsj.com/articles/biofuels-group-to-ask-congress-for-revamped-renewable-fuel-standards-1426071642 California Regulators Say Lax Oversight Allowed Oil-Industry Contamination. California regulators on Tuesday acknowledged lax oversight by the state had allowed oil and gas industry contamination of protected water aquifers and other threats to public safety, and they pledged to intensify protection of water sources and public health. http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-regulators-say-lax-oversight-allowed-oil-industry-contamination-1426025444 China’s push to cut coal use may be bad news for U.S. exporters. As its national legislature adjourns this week, China has signaled it intends to further lower coal consumption, reducing pollution but also rocking coal-export industries from Australia to the Pacific Northwest. China is the world’s largest energy user, with an economy heavily dependent on cheap, coal-generated power. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/11/4420648_chinas-push-to-cut-coal-use-may.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy BioMass Module Reduces Plant CO2 Emissions 85%. MARG Energy, which converts CO2 emissions into algae that can then be used by the fuel, food and pharmaceutical industries, says its technology can help power plants, smokestacks, businesses and schools reduce CO2 emissions by 85 percent. The company says the US algae marketplace is estimated at $400 billion, and $12 trillion globally. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/03/11/biomass-module-reduces-plant-co2-emissions-85/#ixzz3U6BnwTUi VEHICLES Tesla battery swap at Harris Ranch? Not quite. Rumors, news reports and social media posts suggest that Tesla Motors has opened a battery swap facility at its Harris Ranch, Calif., supercharger station. It is said to be capable of replacing the battery in a Model S electric sedan in under three minutes. Not exactly. A battery swap facility has opened next to the Tesla-branded supercharger, at the famed gas-and-grub motorists'… http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-battery-swap-harris-ranch-20150310-story.html Have diesel cars been unfairly demonised for air pollution? The car industry on Wednesday launched a campaign to “challenge the increasing demonisation of diesel” vehicles. The campaign, launched by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), promotes the credentials of the new Euro-6 standards. This Europe-wide law, which will come into force in September, limits nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from new diesel cars to 80mg/km in order to bring down air pollution levels that breach health regulations in many EU cities. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/11/have-diesel-cars-been-unfairly-demonised-for-air-pollution GREEN ENERGY US, California modify area for renewable energy plants. The state and federal governments will move forward on less than half the California desert land initially designated for renewable energy plants, officials said Tuesday, leaving millions of acres in limbo as local governments decide how they want to handle large-scale solar, wind and geothermal projects. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_RENEWABLE_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/10/us/ap-us-california-renewable-energy.html US lifts sanctions on Belarus energy company. The United States is lifting sanctions on a Belarus energy company, underscoring a thaw in relations in the wake of Minsk's key role in negotiations over Ukraine. The US announced online that it was lifting sanctions against Belorusneft that were implemented in 2011 in response to the company's announcement that it would begin work in Iran. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BELARUS_SANCTIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Solar plane pilots urge India to support clean energy drive. The Swiss pilots of a solar-powered airplane on a historic round-the-world journey said Wednesday that they want the people of India to support their campaign for clean energy, a day after the aircraft landed in the country. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOLAR_PLANE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Greek minister: government opposes energy privatizations. Greece's energy and environment minister says his new government is "radically opposed" to the privatization of "strategic sectors and businesses," particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Speaking at an energy conference in Athens on Wednesday, Panagiotis Lafazanis said he didn't understand why privatizations "have become synonymous with reforms" for some. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GREECE_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Germany seeks to boost renewable sources of heating. Germany's government set out changes to subsidy guidelines on Wednesday to try and boost the renewable sources of energy used to heat buildings and offices as it strives to avoid missing its ambitious climate targets. Renewable sources of energy accounted for almost 28 percent of Germany's electricity last year, but only 9.9 percent of its heating, far below a target for a 14 percent share by 2020. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/us-germany-energy-heating-idUSKBN0M717J20150311 Desert renewable energy plan is altered to win counties' support. The California desert may be a green energy developer's dream, but county officials have serious concerns about a plan to manage renewable energy projects on 22 million acres of the state's sunniest public and private lands. In an effort to maintain county support, state and federal sponsors of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0311-desert-20150311-story.html http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/03/11/50293/public-opposition-forces-retooling-for-california/ Turning San Diego’s Electrical Grid Into 100% Renewable Energy. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s Climate Action Plan calls for many changes to the way we live day to day — everything from reducing car use to boosting recycling. But one of its biggest goals is making the city's electrical grid use only renewable energy by 2035. Renewable energy means power that comes from sources that don’t deplete over time, including solar power… http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/mar/10/turning-san-diego-electrical-grid-renewable-energy/ Nicaragua's Renewable Energy Revolution Picks Up Steam. Nicaragua produces no oil, but is a land of fierce winds, tropical sun and rumbling volcanoes. In other words, it's a renewable energy paradise — and today the Central American nation is moving quickly to become a green energy powerhouse. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=392111931 First Solar, SunPower joint venture will own rooftop systems. First Solar and SunPower, the two largest U.S. solar-panel manufacturers, said their joint venture will own a stake in residential rooftop systems in addition to large-scale projects in California and Maryland. 8point3 Energy Partners will hold 432 megawatts in total capacity…http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27685388/first-solar-sunpower-joint-venture-will-own-rooftop U.S. has a 15% share of trillion-dollar global clean energy market, report finds. The United States commanded a 15 percent share of the $1.3 trillion global market for advanced energy systems in 2014, with revenue in this sector growing at five times the rate as the economy as a whole, according to a report, released yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014827/print Discredited Solar Warming Theory Still Has a Long Reach. Climate contrarian Willie Soon has been one of the most influential promoters of the idea that 'isn't even remotely credible.' The widely discredited theory that natural solar cycles are driving global warming has been part of the national conversation surrounding climate change for years… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/11032015/discredited-solar-global-warming-theory-still-has-long-reach-climate-change-skeptic-willie-soon-inhofe Report sees big gains from moving to renewables as SolarCity unveils new plan. Texas could realize billions of dollars in savings if more power generation made the transition toward alternatives such as wind and solar while moving away from coal, Public Citizen said yesterday in a new report. The study came the same day SolarCity Corp. announced a new program for consumers who want to produce electricity… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060014831/print Energy development in eastern U.S. may jeopardize 5.4M acres of forest – report. A swath of eastern U.S. forest bigger than the state of Maryland is vulnerable to future energy development, according to a new analysis backed by the Department of the Interior and the Nature Conservancy. Appalachia is the East's "energy resource hub," with a long legacy of coal mining and other fossil fuel development, states the report… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014828/print MISCELLANEOUS California Safe Soil raising $7.1M to build plant at McClellan. Safe Soil's Dan Morash, left, and Mark LeJeune are at the West Sacramento plant in this 2013 file photo. With the success of the pilot plant, the food recycling and fertilizing company is raising money to build a new one at McClellan Business Park. The company has operated a pilot plant in West Sacramento since 2012. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/10/california-safe-soil-raising-7-1to-build-plant-at.html OPINIONS End the Ethanol Rip-Off. WITH the collapse in global oil prices, members of Congress are once again pushing to raise the federal gasoline tax, with the proceeds going to new roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects. While some in Congress might be averse to a tax increase of any kind, they might find it more palatable if it came packaged with a tax cut. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/opinion/end-the-ethanol-rip-off.html?_r=0 CASSIE MACDUFF: Sometimes, ‘red tape' wraps up public good. Whenever I hear critics blasting regulation as some horrible boogeyman, I think about Inland Empire air. When I moved to this area in 1986, the smog was so bad you often couldn’t see across the street, let alone view the majestic mountains all around. Gradual tightening of air-quality regulations has slowly but surely cleaned up the air to the point that smog-obscured views… http://www.pe.com/articles/air-761840-pollution-lung.html?page=1 OUR OPINION: Wood-stove rules need some help to clear the air. Stricter standards are a start, but incentives are needed to replace older models. Wood stoves provide affordable, comfortable heat for a good number of Mainers, and are a reliable backup source of warmth for many more. They also produce pollution that exacerbates health problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease… http://www.centralmaine.com/2015/03/11/our-opinion-wood-stove-rules-need-some-help-to-clear-the-air/ BLOGS How Fast And How Deep Will Utilities Venture Into The Solar Energy Craze? The recent showdown in Arizona between customers who generate electricity using rooftop solar panels and the Salt River Project is a microcosm of the national phenomenon: Questions persist over how to allocate the cost of running the grid and how utilities should be investing for the future. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/03/10/how-fast-and-how-deep-will-utilities-venture-into-the-solar-energy-craze/ A Hardwood Flooring Insider's Take On Lumber Liquidators. I am president of a regional retail flooring company, as well as an investor in a hardwood and laminate distribution company operating through a network of over 250 retail stores, builders and contractors in five states. Our retail business has historically shown a high degree of correlation between its financial performance and that of Lumber Liquidators (NYSE:LL). http://seekingalpha.com/article/2991616-a-hardwood-flooring-insiders-take-on-lumber-liquidators Noted Short Sellers Get Long Lumber Liquidators (LL), While Others Dig In. While short sellers continue to attack Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL), shares are up 4% in pre-open trading Wednesday. This is on top of yesterday's 5.8% move higher. Shares remain down 55% since word spread of the negative 60 Minutes piece on February 25. http://www.streetinsider.com/Insiders+Blog/Noted+Short+Sellers+Get+Long+Lumber+Liquidators+%28LL%29,+While+Others+Dig+In/10361385.html 32 States What? Senator Inhofe's Fuzzy Math on States and EPA. Sen. Jim Inhofe opened an Environment and Public Works Committee hearing today with chart that paints 32 states (in green no less!) as though they have lined up solidly in opposition to EPA's Clean Power Plan. Inhofe's chart is intended to give the impression that states are in open revolt against EPA's first-ever limits on power plant carbon pollution… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ddoniger/32_states_what_senator_inhofes.html Global Warming May Ramp Up Methane Flow from Groundwater into Arctic Lakes. Global warming may ramp up the flow of methane from groundwater into Arctic lakes, allowing more of the potent greenhouse gas to bubble out into the atmosphere, according to a new study led by researchers at UC Santa Cruz. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=21577 Audi to have a plug-in hybrid in every model series; new BEV in 2018. Audi will have a plug-in hybrid in every model series in the coming years as part of its efforts in efficiency and sustainability, said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management at Audi AG for Technical Development, during his speech at Audi’s Annual Press Conference in Ingolstadt. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150311-audi-1.html UPDATE: Audi Q6 (Tesla Model X Competitor) Confirmed: Sleek Electric SUV May Beat It On Range. With the all-new 2016 Audi Q7 now launched at last week's Geneva Motor Show, and a diesel plug-in hybrid model to follow, luxury maker Audi can turn its attention to its next utility project. That would be a stylish all-electric crossover SUV that takes direct aim at the Tesla Model X… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097157_tesla-model-x-competitor-confirmed-by-audi-sleek-electric-suv-may-beat-it-on-range California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 12:07:59 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 12, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Inslee Cap-and-Trade Bill to Open Legislative Session’s Second Act. If the house of origin deadline, which eclipsed Wednesday at 5 p.m., is the unofficial starting point for the legislative session’s second act, there’s no better curtain raiser than a hearing in House Appropriations on Thursday afternoon for Gov. Jay Inslee’s cap-and-trade proposal. http://washingtonstatewire.com/blog/inslee-cap-trade-bill-open-legislative-sessions-second-act/ AIR POLLUTION California battery recycler to close in deal with feds. A Los Angeles County battery recycling plant with a long history of violations of air pollution and hazardous waste laws will close under an agreement with federal prosecutors. The deal will result in the "immediate and permanent" shuttering of the Exide Technologies plant, U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said Wednesday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TOXIC_RECYCLER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related stories: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-exide-plant-closure-20150312-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-battery-recycler-to-close-in-deal-with-6129587.php http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/california-battery-recycler-to-close-in-deal-with-feds/2015/03/12/5521b8b2-c89c-11e4-bea5-b893e7ac3fb3_story.html http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/12/us/ap-us-toxic-recycler.html http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27696251/california-battery-recycler-close-deal-feds http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20150312/us-toxic-recycler Plan to Verify Delhi Pollution Data Raises Suspicions. This megacity’s modest effort to warn residents about unhealthy spikes in air pollution levels in real time may soon end, after a decision to first send the data to be authenticated by the central government. Some experts and activists immediately questioned the need for such checks, accusing the government of trying to hide — or worse, alter — data that shows Delhi’s air to be the world’s most toxic at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing for greater industrialization. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/world/asia/delhi-to-delay-release-of-air-quality-data.html Norway Bets Cutting Pollution Abroad Is an Easier Battle. Norway is wagering it will be easier to cut carbon emissions overseas than at home. The nation may pay about 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) for emission cuts in European Union nations, or if that negotiation fails, buy permits elsewhere under a planned global climate deal. Norway currently expects its own greenhouse gas levels to be about the same in 15 years, so will meet its 40 percent reduction goal by paying for curbs abroad. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-12/norway-bets-pollution-abroad-an-easier-battle-carbon-climate FERC looks for consensus on form of reliability safety valve for EPA carbon rule. With the release of U.S. EPA's final rule to curb carbon emissions from power plants just months away, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is trying to reach consensus on how a so-called reliability mechanism could work to protect needed electric generation units. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014911/print CLIMATE CHANGE New materials borrow a strategy from plants to capture more CO2. Researchers have developed solid materials that can capture and release carbon dioxide using less energy than conventional chemicals used in scrubbers and smokestacks. The materials, metal-organic frameworks, grab onto carbon dioxide at low concentrations, densely packing it together in method that evokes the enzyme Rubisco, which catalyzes carbon fixation in plants. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014915/print EPA chief calls for 'legally binding' climate agreement, then doesn't. U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy stepped into the morass of U.N. negotiations yesterday, declaring that she wants to see a "legally binding agreement" on climate change -- only to quickly walk back the comment. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations about prospects for a global accord in Paris this December, McCarthy twice in prepared remarks said the world needs a "legally binding agreement." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014918/print EPA Head Unbowed on Plans to Finalize Power Plant Carbon Rules This Summer. ...she remains unbowed in the face of attacks on the EPA's power plant carbon pollution limits—including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's recent... http://www.bna.com/epa-head-unbowed-n17179923904/ 'Highly vulnerable' Jamaica pleads for help to prepare for climate change. Jamaica's ability to prepare for climate change is hampered by a lack of information in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and inadequate funding for adaptation work -- a dynamic that leaves the island nation highly vulnerable, said Orville Grey, technical officer for Jamaica's Climate Change Division. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014872/print Leaked Email Reveals Who's Who List of Climate Denialists. In the months before the debut of the new documentary film "Merchants of Doubt," long-time climate denialist Fred Singer contacted more than two dozen bloggers, public relations specialists and scientists asking for help in derailing the documentary’s release. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/12032015/leaked-email-reveals-whos-who-list-climate-denialists-merchants-of-doubt-oreskes-fred-singer-marc-morano-steve-milloy Public Lands May Be America's Best Climate Defense. ...it is one of a handful of wilderness areas in the country that have a daily cap on the number of visitors. This wild slice of the Sonoran Desert is... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/public-lands-may-be-americas-best-climate-defense-18739 A climate change group here? In Bakersfield? The heart of California oil country might not be the easiest place to sign up climate-change believers who would support a new tax on the petroleum... http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/business/kern-gusher/x1501260752/A-climate-change-group-here-In-Bakersfield LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE Lumber Liquidators to pay for safety testing of flooring. Retailer Lumber Liquidators said Thursday that it stands by its products and will pay for the safety testing of laminate floors for customers to help ease concerns. The Toano, Virginia, company addressed concerns raised following a "60 Minutes" report said the company's laminate flooring made in China contained high levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LUMBER_LIQUIDATORS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related stories: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/business/lumber-liquidators-offers-free-tests-of-flooring-for-formaldehyde.html?_r=0 http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article13785731.html Lumber Liquidators: Our floors won't make you sick. Lumber Liquidators (LL) has a message for customers and shareholders: The flooring company's products are safe, and it's willing to back up that claim by testing and, if necessary, replacing them. The retailer sought to reassure investors and customers on Thursday after a "60 Minutes" broadcast found that some of its laminate flooring made in China may not meet health and safety standards. The CBS report found that some core boards from Chinese mills had higher levels of formaldehyde emissions, which are carcinogenic, than are permissible under California standards. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lumber-liquidators-ceo-confident-our-products-are-safe/ FUELS Experts develop tool to distinguish emissions from different types of oil. Oil is not drilled, refined, shipped or burned equally, and climate assessments should reflect that, experts say. Though tailpipe emissions from a gallon of gasoline remain similar whether the fuel came from shale or a deep-sea reservoir, the paths those hydrocarbons took to the tank have significant carbon footprints of their own. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014910/print GREEN ENERGY CARB chief Nichols talks power plan changes, 'just say no' compliance option. What changes should U.S. EPA make to its Clean Power Plan proposal to add clarity and flexibility on multi-state and regional program options? During today's OnPoint, Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, discusses expected changes to the power plan as the agency prepares its final proposal. Nichols also responds to the growing momentum surrounding the "just say no" option for state compliance. http://www.eenews.net/tv/videos/1951/transcript Report: Wind power could be 35% of supply by 2050. The Obama administration is setting higher goals for wind power, saying it could supply 35% of the nation's electricity by the year 2050. Wind power currently generates 4.5% of electricity, but that number is expected to more than double to 10% by 2020, says a report obtained by USA TODAY that will be released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/12/obama-wind-power-report-energy-department/70160824/ Math and Myth Clash in Senate Hearing on Clean Power Plan. Officials from five states weighed in Wednesday at a Senate hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Their characterizations of the plan ran the gamut from "misguided" and "problematic" to "workable and practical." http://insideclimatenews.org/news/12032015/math-and-myth-clash-senate-hearing-clean-power-plan State pens pact to work with Dutch province on climate, clean energy advances. California and a province in the Netherlands will work together on climate and clean energy goals, the Golden State said yesterday. The California Energy Commission and the Province of Noord-Holland of the Netherlands signed an agreement "to exchange information and collaborate on innovative transportation energy projects" that further their ambitions for 2050 greenhouse gas reductions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014909/print ‘Green Bonds’ for a Parking Garage? A state agency in Massachusetts recently sold “green bonds,” a type of debt designed to fund environmentally friendly projects. But the money raised from the sale won’t go to a new park, more bike lanes or a renewable energy facility. Instead, the Massachusetts State College Building Authority plans to use some of the funds to build a 725-space parking garage at Salem State University near Boston. http://www.wsj.com/articles/green-bonds-for-a-parking-garage-1426176294?KEYWORDS=green+energy BLOGS The Problem With Delhi’s Air Pollution Readings. New Delhi’s air pollution problems are becoming legendary, spoken of in the same breath as Beijing’s. A report published last year by scientists at Yale and Columbia universities in the U.S. said India, along with China, had the highest average exposure to fine particular, or PM 2.5, in the world. Such small particulates can enter the lungs and blood stream and are linked to severe health problems including lung cancer. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/03/12/the-problem-with-delhis-air-pollution-readings/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 14:28:02 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 13, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 13, 2015. 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 carbon market nets $1 billion for clean energy. The linked Quebec–California carbon market has passed another significant milestone en route to demonstrating how effectively cap-and-trade systems can cut emissions and generate clean energy investments. Just under a month ago, the system held its second linked carbon dioxide auction, selling 100% of available allowances and generating $1.02 billion dollars for clean energy and emissions reduction projects… http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/california-carbon-market-nets-1-billion-for-clean-energy-94649 RGGI auction sets new high clearing price. The first Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) CO2 allowance auction of 2014 cleared at $5.41/short ton, the highest price of any auction to date. The 11 March auction sold all 15.3mn allowances offered, generating more than $82mn for the nine northeast states participating in the cap-and-trade program for power sector CO2 emissions, RGGI said today. http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1007335 AIR POLLUTION Study: Carbon emissions stabilize despite growing economy. Global energy emissions stayed stable last year even though the economy grew, according to data released Friday that could boost chances for a landmark climate accord later this year. The rising use of renewable energy, particularly in China, played a role in keeping emissions from the energy sector to 32.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide last year, the same as in 2013, the International Energy Agency said. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-13/emissions-stall-amid-growth-for-first-time-in-40-years http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-13/china-s-carbon-emissions-drop-for-the-first-time-since-2001 http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Study-Carbon-emissions-stabilize-despite-growing-6132230.php http://www.climatecentral.org/news/co2-emissions-stabilized-in-2014-18777 http://www.windpowerengineering.com/uncategorized/unprecedented-stall-of-global-energy-related-emissions-of-carbon-dioxide-in-2014/ EPA Proposes Implementation Rule for Fine Particulate Matter Standards. The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a proposed rule outlining how states will implement the current national ambient air quality standards for fine particulate matter. The proposed implementation rule (RIN 2060-AQ48), signed by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy March 10, would establish attainment planning requirements that state air agencies must meet for moderate and serious nonattainment areas. http://www.bna.com/epa-proposes-implementation-n17179923978/ Backyard BBQ 'emissions' targeted in EPA project. The Environmental Protection Agency has its eyes on pollution from backyard barbecues. The agency announced that it is funding a University of California project to limit emissions resulting in grease drippings with a special tray to catch them and a "catalytic" filtration system. The $15,000 project has the "potential for global application," said the school. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/backyard-bbq-emissions-targeted-in-epa-project/article/2561474 http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/backyard-burger-and-wiener-roasts-targeted-by-epa/article/2561474 CLIMATE CHANGE China needs CO2 cap to meet climate pledges: legislator. China needs to impose a nationwide carbon cap if it is to fulfill a pledge made last year to bring emissions to a peak by around 2030, a legislator said in a proposal submitted to parliament this week. Wang Yi, a member of the China Academy of Sciences and adviser to China's climate negotiation team, said the country should include an absolute CO2 cap of around 10 billion tonnes for 2020 in its five-year plan covering the 2016-2020 period. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/12/us-china-parliament-carbon-idUSKBN0M80ET20150312 Chinese, U.S. power firms top inefficient coal plants list. Chinese and U.S. firms generate the most electricity from inefficient coal-fired power plants that pump out more greenhouse gases and use more water than newer power stations, a study said on Friday. "There is a strong case for investors to evaluate the risk of companies exposed to the least efficient coal plants," said Ben Caldecott… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/13/energy-coal-idUSL5N0WE4TV20150313 Kerry Urges States, Cities to Offer Pledges in Run-up to End-of-Year Paris Negotiations. Secretary of State John Kerry March 12 urged U.S. states as well as private industry and local governments around the world to offer their own pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions ahead of December talks in Paris that are expected to conclude with a global climate accord. http://www.bna.com/kerry-urges-states-n17179923977/ Kerry Speaks Out on Florida's 'Climate Change' Ban. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that elected officials who ban the words "climate change" are unwilling to face the facts, a non-so-subtle dig at Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration. Kerry, a longtime champion of combatting climate change, said the officials were ignoring the scientific facts. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/12/us/politics/ap-us-kerry-climate.html Starving Sea Lions Washing Ashore by the Hundreds in California. By the time Wendy Leeds reached him, the sea lion pup had little hope of surviving. Like more than 1,450 other sea lions that have washed up on California beaches this year, in what animal experts call a growing crisis for the animal, this 8-month-old pup was starving, stranded and hundreds of miles from a mother who still needed to nurse him and teach him to hunt and feed. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/us/starving-sea-lions-washing-ashore-by-the-hundreds-in-california.html Not all oil is created equal. Why that matters for climate change. A new report documents the climate impacts of various types of oil. As governments address climate-warming greenhouse gases, that information could help policymakers and industry prioritize oils based on their emissions. “Oil” is a deceptively simple word. For most, those three letters conjure up images of a viscous, black liquid gushing from Texan oil wells. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0313/Not-all-oil-is-created-equal.-Why-that-matters-for-climate-change Calif. Supreme Court takes up 'historic' environmental docket. California's landmark environmental law faces new scrutiny from the state's Supreme Court, not just once, but in nine different pending cases, part of a docket packed with environmental litigation. The state's high court has agreed to decide multiple lawsuits involving the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. That statute requires an intense look into how projects will affect land, water, air and species. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060015021/print LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE Lumber Liquidators Offers Flooring Customers Free Air Tests for Formaldehyde. Lumber Liquidators said on Thursday that it would provide free air testing to consumers after a report that accused the company of selling laminate flooring from China that contained high levels of formaldehyde. Consumers can request free indoor air quality test kits that will be analyzed by accredited laboratories. Results will be emailed within a week to 10 days. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/13/us-lumber-flooring-research-idUSKBN0M91QC20150313?virtualBrandChannel=11563 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/business/lumber-liquidators-offers-free-tests-of-flooring-for-formaldehyde.html Lumber Liquidators Defense Not Convincing Enough: Analysts. Shares of Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc's fell 8 percent on Friday, reversing some gains from a day earlier, after brokerages cut price targets, saying the hardwood flooring retailer's defense of its products left some questions unanswered. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/03/13/business/13reuters-lumber-flooring-research.html Goldman Sachs didn't like what it heard from Lumber Liquidators. Goldman Sachs has downgraded Lumber Liquidators to "Neutral" from "Buy," and cut its price target to $35 from $40. Lumber Liquidators hosted a conference call on Thursday to address the concerns that were raised in the "60 Minutes" report earlier in March. Through tests, the reporters found that Lumber Liquidators' laminate flooring sourced from China contained… http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-downgrades-lumber-liquidators-to-neutral-2015-3#ixzz3UHaRJFNh Lumber Liquidators is tanking. Earlier Friday, Goldman Sachs downgraded the firm to "Neutral" from "Buy" on concerns that it has not adequately answered questions about the testing procedure for its laminate flooring, and this could dent sales. Lumber Liquidators held a conference call on Thursday to address the fallout of a "60 Minutes" episode that aired March 1. http://www.businessinsider.com/lumber-liquidators-is-tanking-2015-3#ixzz3UIPUgKAJ Experts On Lumber Liquidators Call: First Admission Of Guilt? Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc LL 15.24% conducted a conference call on Thursday in which it defended the safety of its products and also offered free testing kits to consumers. However, class action lawsuit attorney against Lumber Liquidators… http://www.benzinga.com/media/cnbc/15/03/5324549/experts-on-lumber-liquidators-call-first-admission-of-guilt#ixzz3UIWsxJD8 OTHER MEDIA INKS (LUMBER LIQUIDATORS) http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000361296 https://us.vocuspr.com/Main.aspx?Entity=Home&LanguageID=1033 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lumber-liquidators-ceo-admits-tests-showed-high-formaldehyde-levels/ http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/03/12/lumber-liquidators-will-pay-for-air-tests-for-concerned-customers/ DROUGHT Drought needn't mean that spring skips your garden. For Southern California gardeners, March is a month of wistful promise. A little rain falls, and the possibilities for brilliant spring and summer planting — exploding colors, bountiful edibles — seem limitless. But you might want to stop daydreaming. The state's four-year drought has not ebbed, and that likely will mean continued watering restrictions and, worst case, water rationing. http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-spring-planting-20150314-story.html 3,200 People Risk Running Out of Water In Drought. The Lake Don Pedro community is operating in emergency mode. For the last several weeks, work crews have drilled well after well, hoping to find groundwater. “We’re on our sixth test hole, and none of the other test holes yet have produced enough to be worthwhile to develop into permanent groundwater sources… http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/13/3,200-people-risk-running-out-of-water-in-drought/ As drought worsens, L.A. water agency offers cash to Sacramento Valley farmers. With the drought stretching into its fourth year, a heavyweight water agency from Los Angeles has come calling on Sacramento Valley rice farmers, offering up to $71 million for some of their water. The price being offered is so high, some farmers can make more from selling water than from growing their rice. http://www.redding.com/news/as-drought-worsens-la-water-agency-offers-cash-to-sacramento-valley-farmers Pacific Northwest braces for drought because of record-low snowpack. Nobody is calling it a drought -- at least not yet. But as the warmest winter in Oregon and Washington state since the Dust Bowl era gives way to spring, officials in both states will soon decide whether or not to declare water emergencies. In Washington, representatives from a range of government agencies convened this week to review watershed forecasts and lay the case for the announcement of a drought. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060014995/print DIESEL ACTIVITIES “Scrubbers” to cut cruise ship air pollution. Cruise lines that sail Alaska waters are installing new pollution-control equipment. It’s aimed at clearing the air — and meeting new regulations. But it’s also dodging some stronger, more expensive measures. The stuff that comes out of cruise ship smokestacks can cloud the air, leaving a haze over port cities, and plumes along their routes. But it’s more than unsightly. Sulfur dioxide, ash… http://www.krbd.org/2015/03/12/scrubbers-to-cut-cruise-ship-air-pollution/ FUELS IEA sees renewed pressure on oil prices as glut worsens. Oil prices might have stabilized only temporarily because the global oil glut is worsening and U.S. production shows no sign of slowing, the International Energy Agency said on Friday. The West's energy watchdog said the United States may soon run out of spare capacity to store crude, which would put additional downward pressure on prices. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/13/us-iea-oil-idUSKBN0M90S020150313 U.S. LNG projects hit by energy price slide. Sinking oil and gas prices have put the brakes on the development of the U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, with planned projects being delayed or even scrapped altogether. U.S. natural gas production has soared to record levels in recent years due to advanced drilling techniques, including hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, triggering a new LNG export market. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/13/usa-lng-cutbacks-idUSL5N0WE59N20150313 A Palm Oil King Develops a Green Conscience. Wilmar International’s chairman is cleaning up the industry that made him a billionaire. The sprawling palm oil industry has long been a destroyer of rain forests and tormentor of endangered species across Southeast Asia, to hear environmental groups tell it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-12/wilmar-chairman-pushes-palm-oil-industry-to-clean-up Gasoline price spike sputters. The longest streak of daily price increases since 2011 has ended in the U.S. – and even in California, according to price surveys Friday. During this period, average gas prices around the country increased by 43 cents per gallon – and by more than a buck a gallon in California -- but now have fallen by nearly two cents, week-over-week nationally. California, where prices shot up higher and faster than anywhere else… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27945 Refinery deal struck, gasoline prices set to fall. Shell Oil and the United Steelworkers have reached a tentative agreement on a national contract, a deal that eventually could push gasoline prices lower and pave the way to end a walkout at several fuel factories, including the Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery in Martinez, union and industry analysts said Thursday. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27700551/refinery-deal-struck-gasoline-pri00001789ces-set-fall Ore. Gov. Brown signs clean fuel standard law. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed off on Oregon's low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) yesterday, paving the way for the program to go into effect next year. S.B. 324 removes the Dec. 31, 2015, sunset date from Oregon's Clean Fuels Program, which has been in place since 2009. Under the program, the carbon content of fuel burned in the state must be cut 10 percent by 2025, with the first cuts beginning next year. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/03/13/stories/1060014994 Shipping LNG by rail? Alaska railroad wants to make it happen. At a time when Alaska state officials are eager to provide low-cost fuel to the energy-hungry Fairbanks region, the Alaska Railroad Corp. is seeking to become the first U.S. company to ship liquefied natural gas by rail. The Alaska railroad and three other companies -- Union Pacific, BNSF Railway and Florida East Coast Railway Co. -- have applied for Federal Railroad Administration permits to ship LNG on their rail lines. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/03/13/stories/1060014956 Canada steps ahead of U.S. with rules for hauling crude by rail. Canadian regulators have upgraded standards for tank cars hauling crude oil and ethanol, pulling ahead of parallel rules under consideration in the United States. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060014970/print VEHICLES GM recalls Chevrolet Volt over carbon monoxide. General Motors is recalling 50,249 of its Chevrolet Volt plug-in cars to make a software fix that will ensure that drivers and passengers don't accidentally subject themselves to carbon monoxide poisoning through a mix-up about whether the car's engine is running. The problem involves an issue that dogs many hybrid cars today: Drivers can't easily tell when the engine is running or when the car is running on battery power alone. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/03/12/gm-chevrolet-volt-carbon-monoxide/70238228/ http://www.autonews.com/article/20150312/OEM11/150319938/gm-recalls-64000-volts-over-carbon-monoxide-risk Toyota drives onto Olympic stage in record sponsorship deal. The world’s biggest automaker is driving onto the world’s biggest sports stage. Toyota Motor Corp. signed on as a global Olympic sponsor Friday in a landmark deal reportedly worth nearly $1 billion, becoming the first car company to join the IOC’s top-tier marketing program. The eight-year deal underlines Asia’s growing influence in the Olympics… http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/13/4425136_toyota-drives-onto-olympic-stage.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY Sweden, Norway Increase Renewable Target Amid Power Glut Concern. Sweden and Norway agreed to boost their target for renewable energy production amid concerns the additional capacity will exacerbate a power glut and strain the region’s electricity grid. The subsidized joint energy program will be increased by 2 terawatt hours, or the annual use of about 80,000 Swedish households, to 28.4 terawatt hours by 2020 from 2012 levels, the countries said today in Stockholm. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-13/sweden-norway-increase-renewable-target-amid-power-glut-concern MISCELLANEOUS AM Alert: What’s next for CEQA? Among the most intractable debates of California politics is what to do about the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, the 1970 law regulating the environmental impacts of development projects. Defenders hold it up as a crucial protection, while business interests and local governments are exacerbated by what they see as overly burdensome requirements and abuses of the process to block construction. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article13924475.html Sunnyvale leaf blowers: 'Education' preferable to ban, commission says. The Sunnyvale Parks and Recreation Commission thinks there needs to be 'educational resources' for leaf blower users in the city rather than bannings or further restrictions. The advisory commission voted 4-1 on March 11 to recommend to the Sunnyvale City Council that providing educational resources rather than a city-wide ban on the sometimes noisy devices would be a preferable way of dealing with resident concerns. http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_27701910/sunnyvale-commission-recommends-education-not-restrictions-leaf-blower Ted Cruz, NASA chief spar over space agency's mission. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and NASA chief Charles Bolden sparred Thursday over a fundamental question: Why does the space agency exist? The junior senator, who chairs the Senate Space, Science and Competitiveness Subcommittee, feels NASA is losing its focus on space exploration and spending too much of its budget on “Earth sciences.” http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Ted-Cruz-NASA-chief-spar-over-the-future-of-6132362.php OPINIONS Best State for Business? Yes, California. There are plenty of reasons to presume that California must be a bad place to do business. The Tax Foundation says the state's tax structure is the third worst for business in the U.S. Forbes ranks California's business costs fifth highest among the 50 states and its regulatory environment the eighth most burdensome. Why then does the market, where buyers and sellers determine relative value, show otherwise? http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-03-12/best-state-for-business-yes-california Shocks of Climate Change. To the Editor: Re “Researchers Link Syrian Conflict to a Drought Made Worse by Climate Change” (news article, March 3): Individual food and economic stability, and environmental stability, are prerequisites for a stable society. There are several areas where we see countries, sometimes even entire regions, on the brink — or as in the case of Syria, pushed past their breaking point… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/opinion/shocks-of-climate-change.html?_r=0 The Southwestern Water Wars. How Drought Is Producing Tensions in Texas. “WE don’t want you here,” warned the county commissioner, pointing an accusatory finger at the drilling company executives as 600 local residents rose to their feet. “We want you to leave Hays County.” Normally, my small town is a placid place nestled in the Texas Hill Country, far from controversy, a peaceful hour’s drive west of Austin. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/opinion/the-southwestern-water-wars.html?ref=opinion How was Exide allowed to pollute for so long and endanger so many people? Just weeks before battery recycler Exide Technologies planned to reopen its troubled Vernon plant, the company agreed Wednesday to permanently shut it down rather than face federal criminal prosecution for decades of environmental crimes. The deal with the U.S. attorney's office requires Exide to close and demolish the plant and decontaminate the site, as well as fund the cleanup in surrounding neighborhoods. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83044660/ Surprise! Economy speeds up, pollution stalls. Here's a surprise: The world economy sped up last year but the volume of dirty gases pumped into the air didn't budge. Global emissions of carbon dioxide stalled in 2014, according to the International Energy Association, marking the first time in four decades that economic growth has not resulted in more greenhouse gases. http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/13/news/economy/greenhouse-gas-emissions-economy/index.html EDITORIAL: Stop complaining about gas prices and hunt bargains. California drivers have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for fuel than most anywhere else in the nation. This is because our state has the country’s highest gas taxes. It has special fuel blends intended to lower air pollution that cost more to make. This year the cap-and-trade carbon emissions mandate was widened to include transportation fuels, which has added about 10 cents a gallon to the cost, according to industry experts. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/12/4423892_editorial-stop-complaining-about.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy BLOGS Inhofe’s misleading statements on carbon emissions rule. Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, is a vocal skeptic of scientific research that climate change is man-made. He also has been critical of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which proposes new regulations to limit coal-plant carbon emissions. Proponents of the Clean Power Plan… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/03/13/inhofes-misleading-statements-on-carbon-emissions-rule/ The Political Art of Not Being a Scientist. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is one of many prominent Republican politicians who prefer to say “I’m not a scientist” as they avoid specific policy positions on climate change and global warming. Even so, the allegedly unwritten policy of his administration for the past four years has been a ban on the use of those very terms — “climate change” and “global warming” — by state environmental officials… http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/the-political-art-of-not-being-a-scientist/ Cap-and-Trade: Not Just Smokestacks, But a Broader Tax Based on Energy Consumption. In promoting his cap-and-trade proposal around Washington state and in the Legislature, Gov. Jay Inslee has frequently relied on a “make polluters pay” mantra – charging the state’s top sources of carbon emissions to get about $1 billion annually to pay for schools, bridges, affordable housing and tax rebates for the poor. http://washingtonstatewire.com/blog/cap-trade-just-smokestacks-broader-tax-based-energy-consumption/ Will California de-salt the Pacific to alleviate its drought? As California enters its fourth year of drought, several cities are considering a drastic solution: Huntington Beach, Monterey, and others are thinking about building desalination plants to turn the Pacific Ocean into potable water, the Los Angeles Times reports. Getting water from the ocean may seem like an obvious idea, but nature and physics drive a hard bargain here. http://theweek.com/articles/543275/california-desalt-pacific-alleviate-drought Detroit-Area Residents Demand Clean Air. On Wednesday night I was proud to join hundreds of residents from River Rouge and other Michigan communities in speaking out for cleaner air in Detroit. For decades, the residents of River Rouge and surrounding communities have been living with severe air pollution from nearby coal plants, and together… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/detroit-area-residents-de_b_6863462.html Can Utilities Survive the 21st-Century Energy Market? The electric utility is at a crossroads. Facing flat electricity demand and a sudden insurgent campaign from rooftop solar, the large, centralized utility company is entering a new era. Largely unchanged for a century, utility companies have made their money by building power plants and transmission lines and selling electricity at a regulated price. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-stafford/can-utilities-survive-21s_b_6857484.html?ir=Green&utm_hp_ref=green Why High Gas Prices Are a Good Thing. I know it sounds counterintuitive to say that high gas prices are a good thing. Why would high prices on anything be good? The reason is simple: Prices help shape consumer behavior in lots of areas, including clothing, food and housing. Is there any doubt that high real estate prices are partially responsible for the tiny house movement? It's the same story for automobiles. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-moody/why-high-gas-prices-are-a_b_6855142.html?ir=Green&utm_hp_ref=green In Historic Turn, CO2 Emissions Flatline in 2014, Even as Global Economy Grows. A key stumbling block in the effort to combat global warming has been the intimate link between greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth. When times are good and industries are thriving, global energy use traditionally increases and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions also go up. Only when economies stumble and businesses shutter…http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/03/13/in-historic-turn-co2-emissions-flatline-in-2014-evan-as-global-economy-grows/ California Is Drilling for Water That Fell to Earth 20,000 Years Ago. We're using so much groundwater that it's contributing to sea level rise. By now, the impacts of California's unchecked groundwater pumping are well-known: the dropping water levels, dried-up wells and slowly sinking farmland in parts of the Central Valley. But another consequence gets less attention, one measured not by acre-feet or gallons-per-minute but the long march of time. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/03/california-pumping-water-fell-earth-20000-years-ago What Happens When an Eclipse Hits the World's Most Solar-Powered Country? Germany is gearing up for an unusual challenge to its clean-energy revolution. On March 20, Europe will experience a total solar eclipse for a few hours in the morning. The last time an eclipse of this scale happened in Europe was in 1999. Back then, Germany got less than 1 percent of its power from solar energy. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/03/solar-eclipse-germany-power The Pollution Exposé That Took China By Storm Was Banned For Excessive Popularity. Over the course of a weekend in early March, more than 175 million people in China tuned into a highly personalized and unprecedentedly science-driven documentary about the country’s debilitating smog problem. Produced by former Chinese news anchor and environmental reporter Chai Jing, the 104-minute “Under the Dome” caught the Chinese public at a moment of intense focus… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/13/3633355/china-smog-documentay-banned-after-going-viral/ What Would Happen If Wind Power Got The Same Tax Breaks As The Fossil Fuel Industry. After two years of research, the Department of Energy released a report on Thursday estimating how much energy the U.S. could get from wind in the next 35 years. The results were extremely optimistic: under an “ambitious but credible” scenario, America could get 10 percent of its power from wind by 2020; 20 percent by 2030; and 35 percent by 2050, the report said. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/13/3632999/wind-can-grow-but-it-probably-wont/ Ethanol In Marine Fuels: Why It Makes Boat Owners So Angry. Few topics get our commenters more riled up than ethanol. Both sides weigh in with fervor and passion, debating energy security versus agricultural policies and costs, comparing studies on wells-to-wheels carbon dioxide profile versus the impact on older engines, and more. But marine users in particular seem to view ethanol as a hot button. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097234_ethanol-in-marine-fuels-why-it-makes-boat-owners-so-angry US installs 6.2 GW of solar PV in 2014, up 30% over 2013. Newly installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the US in 2014 reached a record 6,201 MW, growing 30% over 2013’s total, according to the new US Solar Market Insight 2014 Year in Review report released by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). An additional 767 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) came on-line in the same period. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150313-pv.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 15:45:03 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 16, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Chinese Premier Vows Tougher Regulation on Air Pollution. Premier Li Keqiang of China said on Sunday that the government was failing to satisfy public demands to stanch pollution and would impose heavier punishments to cut the toxic smog that was the subject of a popular documentary belatedly banned by censors. The premier’s news conference at the end of the annual full meeting of the National People’s Congress has become a fixture of the Chinese political calendar, cast as a show of political candor and accountability. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/16/world/asia/chinese-premier-li-keqiang-vows-tougher-regulation-on-air-pollution.html China wants cleaner air — without an environmental movement. Even by China’s standards, it has been a contradictory couple of weeks on the environment. First, a powerful documentary on air pollution, produced with official support, was released online and swiftly went viral, garnering more than 200 million views within days before being blocked by government censors. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-wants-cleaner-air--without-an-environmental-movement/2015/03/15/8e34c738-c8b6-11e4-bea5-b893e7ac3fb3_story.html Exide’s troubled history: years of pollution violations but few penalties. For decades, inspectors from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control dutifully recorded a long list of environmental infractions at the Vernon battery recycling facility now owned by Exide Technologies. They described fluid gushing from a wastewater treatment system 10 years ago. http://graphics.latimes.com/exide-battery-plant/ Ozone limits remain tall order. New air-quality rules being considered by the federal government could put tighter shackles on ozone, the invisible gas that chokes lungs, stops hearts and ends lives prematurely. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed the tougher regulations the day before Thanksgiving last year, stating that recent health studies show that ozone is more dangerous than previously believed. It plans to make a final decision in October. Although San Diego County’s air quality has consistently improved in recent decades, the region still struggles to meet the existing federal threshold and the even tougher state rules governing ozone. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/13/environment-ozone-air-pollution-epa/ Is China Exporting Its Pollution? China is in the midst of a historic transformation, and the surprising progress the country has made at energy efficiency has raised hopes that the world may get a grip on global greenhouse gas emissions much sooner than expected. As a result of the progress China is making in cleaning up its industrial sector, global greenhouse gas emissions hit the pause button in 2014, the first time that has happened in four decades (absent a major economic contraction). The International Energy Agency said on March 13 that global greenhouse gas emissions hit 32.3 billion tons in 2014, the same level as the year before. http://www.nasdaq.com/article/is-china-exporting-its-pollution-cm455005 CLIMATE CHANGE Carbon reduction program setting record prices, again. Prices for a key carbon-reduction program, which forces businesses to pay to pollute, have once again set a record high, even as the Cuomo administration and State Senate look to divert some of the program's proceeds from their intended use. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a carbon cap-and-trade program between nine northeastern states that auctions off air pollution credits to industry, reached a clearing price of $5.41 per short ton… http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/03/8564076/carbon-reduction-program-setting-record-prices-again?news-image Chuck Chiang: China’s economy grows, but greenhouse gas emissions edge down. China may have finally started to turn the corner on its air pollution problems. Bloomberg reported Friday that China’s carbon emissions fell by two per cent last year, the first time in more than a decade that the country posted a reduction. Some experts have linked the decrease in emissions with Chinas recent slowing economic growth as Beijing shifts the economy from an export-driven model to a domestic consumer-based one. China’s GDP growth in 2014 was 7.4 per cent, the slowest pace since 1990, while energy consumption grew only 3.8 per cent last year, the lowest rate since 1998. http://www.vancouversun.com/Business/asia-pacific/Chuck+Chiang+China+economy+grows+greenhouse/10891516/story.html Stable Emissions Show Growth and Mitigation Possible, Envoy Says. A report showing that global emissions were unchanged last year shows economic growth is possible amid the fight against climate change, a World Bank official said. Carbon-dioxide emissions were stable at 32.3 billion metric tons, even as the global economy advanced 3 percent, the International Energy Agency said in a statement on Friday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-16/stable-emissions-show-growth-and-mitigation-possible-envoy-says Getting to Net-Zero Emissions. It is looking increasingly likely, but not a given, that a reference to global net-zero emissions or even a specific goal to achieve net-zero emissions by a certain date (e.g. end of the century) will appear in the climate deal that is expected to emerge from the Paris COP at the end of this year. But like many such goals, it is both open to interpretation and raises questions as to how it might actually be achieved. http://theenergycollective.com/davidhone/2204016/getting-net-zero-emissions EPA listens as states, utilities brainstorm interstate trading for carbon rule. A platoon of U.S. EPA officials and three dozen stakeholders with skin in the game got together last week to figure out how an interstate trading market might aid compliance with the proposed Clean Power Plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015059/print IEA says energy emissions held steady last year as the global economy grew -- a first in 40 years. The world's energy-related carbon dioxide emissions stopped rising in 2014, even as the economy grew, according to early data released by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Researchers said the early numbers showing that CO2 emissions remained steady at 32.3 billion metric tons in 2014 -- marking the first time in 40 years… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015093/print Officials blame climate change as Vanuatu picks up the pieces after ‘monster’ storm. Two days after the vicious Cyclone Pam lashed the tiny island country of Vanuatu, residents are beginning the brutal business of accounting for its causes and costs. In Port Vila, the capital, homes were flattened like so many cardboard boxes. Bridges collapsed and power lines are down, possibly for days or even weeks. “It looks like the town center has been hit by a bomb,” one aid worker told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/16/officials-blame-climate-change-as-vanuatu-picks-up-the-pieces-after-monster-storm/?tid=hpModule_9d3add6c-8a79-11e2-98d9-3012c1cd8d1e Case could set climate change precedent. Two major lawsuits over how to address climate change while managing San Diego County’s growth and development are poised to pave statewide precedents because of the California Supreme Court’s decision this week to review one case and dismiss the other. The state’s high court declined to review the Fourth District Court of Appeal’s decision in a Sierra Club lawsuit, which means the county government must now set tangible targets for dealing with the effects of climate change. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/13/climate-change-sandag-san-diego-county-sierra-club/ Marin Clean Energy signs new contract that cuts carbon emissions. Marin Clean Energy has signed a new $20 million contract with Calpine Corp. that will further reduce the carbon emissions produced by the electricity it sells to its customers. Under the 33-month agreement, Marin Clean Energy has the option of buying between 10 megawatts and 15 megawatts of electricity from Houston-based Calpine. http://www.marinij.com/business/20150314/marin-clean-energy-signs-new-contract-that-cuts-carbon-emissions Clean air agency proposes new rules to cut and track oil-refinery emissions. The Bay Area's clean air agency has proposed two new rules to measure, track and reduce oil refinery air pollution as part of a new approach toward curbing oil-industry emissions. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District will hold four public workshops this week on the rules. Political pressure for the tougher rules mounted after a 2012 fire at Chevron's Richmond oil refinery sent thousands to hospitals with eye, throat and lung irritation. http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_27709531/clean-air-agency-proposes-new-rules-cut-and Gallagher talks CEQA, CARB in Chico. From CEQA to CARB, new 3rd District Assemblyman James Gallagher broached issues on water, air quality and crime before an audience Thursday assembled through a Chico Chamber of Commerce program. Open to the public, the meeting was a chance for Gallagher, R-Nicolaus, to introduce himself, talk about his “almost 100 days” in office, plus allowed a free-form question-and-answer period. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150313/gallagher-talks-ceqa-carb-in-chico Ruling on SANDAG Transportation Plan to Get State Supreme Court Review. The California Supreme Court has agreed to review an appellate court’s decision calling on the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to make long-term transportation plans better comply with revised state pollution-reduction goals. At issue is whether the environmental impact report for SANDAG’s 2050 Regional Transportation Plan must include an analysis of the plan’s consistency with greenhouse gas emission reduction goals of a 2005 executive order signed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, as part of the California Environmental Quality Act. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Ruling-on-SANDAG-Transportation-Plan-to-Get-State-Supreme-Court-Review-296436231.html This documentary went viral in China. Then it was censored. It won’t be forgotten. Every so often a seminal book or powerful movie alters the way we see the world around us. In the past three weeks, an online documentary about air pollution in China called “Under the Dome” has done exactly that for the peoples’ republic. Made by a well-known China Central Television newscaster Chai Jing, the film drew more than 150 million viewers in the first days after Chai posted it online. In the film, Chai, dressed casually in jeans and a white blouse, paces back and forth on a stage in what is essentially a 143-minute TED talk – with devastating effect. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/16/this-documentary-went-viral-in-china-then-it-was-censored-it-wont-be-forgotten/ LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE Lumber Liquidators Defends Its Products After '60 Minutes' Report. Earlier this month, the flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators got the kind of attention companies dread. CBS' 60 Minutes did a story saying the company's products have unsafe levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. The news sent Lumber Liquidators' stock price into a free fall, down more than 50 percent, though it has since rebounded a bit. Now the company is attempting to salvage its reputation by attacking the testing method used by the program. http://www.npr.org/2015/03/13/392765887/lumber-liquidators-defends-its-products-after-60-minutes-report DROUGHT California has one year of water left; No contingency plan in place. The wet season is coming to a close in California but the rain and snowfall totals were far from enough to help alleviate the state's water crisis. In an Op-Ed in the LA Times (http://lat.ms/1wC1Lqs), Jay Famiglietti, a senior water scientist at NASA says California's water supply in its reservoirs will only last about one more year and the strategic backup supply and ground water are disappearing rapidly. http://www.khq.com/story/28524766/california-has-one-year-of-water-left-no-contingency-plan-in-place DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB now to allow retrofits for reefer rule compliance. It isn’t every day that a California Air Resources Board staff member can tell truck owners they may be able to spend less money than expected to comply with a state emissions regulation. The good news explains the excitement coming through the phone line from CARB Staff Air Pollution Specialist Rod Hill concerning Transportation Refrigeration Units, or reefers. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=28667#.VQcJYhYpmdw FUELS What Happens to the Average American if Cheap Gas is Here to Stay? Who doesn't love cheap gas? In early 2012, the average American was shelling out almost $4 per gallon. For someone with a 14-gallon tank, that meant paying nearly $56 for every trip to fill up at the pump. But in January of this year, the price of gas had fallen by nearly 50% to an average of $2.03. http://www.sfgate.com/business/fool/article/What-Happens-to-the-Average-American-if-Cheap-Gas-6135272.php Norway's sovereign wealth fund drops over 50 coal companies. The world’s richest sovereign wealth fund divested from over 50 coal companies in 2014, new analysis has revealed. Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), founded on the nation’s oil and gas resources and worth now £580bn in total, is being targeted by fossil fuel divestment campaigners. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/16/norways-sovereign-wealth-fund-drops-over-50-coal-companies First-Ever Climate Oil Index Reveals Worst Fuels for the Planet. Most people think about oil very generally—it’s the fuel that heats homes and powers cars, and most of the changes seen are the yo-yoing prices at the pump. But with ever dwindling supplies and the hunt for crude reaching further corners and deeper pockets of the Earth, oil is changing. What gets pulled out can look anything from a gassy oil to a thick sludge, and can devastate the environment in completely different ways, driving climate change. https://ecowatch.com/2015/03/16/climate-oil-index-carnegie-endowment/ Industry fears growing pains as producers begin to scale up. As the United States seeks to reduce its carbon footprint, one of the most visible targets for increased efficiency is transportation fuel. Today, most U.S. drivers fill their tanks with gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol that is primarily derived from corn and other grains. However, critics of corn ethanol say its large-scale production is taking over land that could be better used for food production… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015092/print GREEN ENERGY SolarCity, a Vocal Critic of the Utility Industry, Joins It. As SolarCity, the rooftop solar system provider, has rapidly expanded its reach over the last few years, its executives have pushed hard against the utility industry, criticizing it as a hidebound monopoly standing in the way of change. Now, SolarCity officials are trying a different tactic: moving into that business themselves. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/business/solarcity-a-vocal-critic-of-the-utility-industry-joins-it.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 As developing world struggles to meet energy demand, prospects brighten for low-cost solar lamps. Breakthroughs in solar technology are making solar lamps more accessible than ever for the world's poorest people, say experts from the International Financial Corp. (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. More than 1.3 billion people worldwide -- 18 percent of the global population -- live without electricity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015094/print OPINIONS Invisible threat to maternal and child health. It's hardly news to state that air pollution is bad for people's health. What might be more surprising to learn, though, is that air pollution is bad for the health of an unborn child, long before his or her lungs ever take their first breath. A growing body of research indicates that various forms of air pollution have a measurable impact on the health of babies, both in utero and after birth. http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/16/opinions/mccabe-edelman-ozone-threat-to-child-health/ In our opinion: Could Utah's air quality benefit by learning from results of USC's Children Health Study? Air pollution in the state of Utah is a serious problem, especially along the Wasatch Front, when inversions generate some of the worst air quality in the nation. The good news, however, is that improving air quality can produce substantive, positive results in public health. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865624324/Could-Utahs-air-quality-benefit-by-learning-from-results-of-USCs-Children-Health-Study.html Understanding science of climate change and recognizing misinformation. A man walks into a room carrying a snowball. Although it sounds like the start to a joke, no one should be laughing when that man is Sen. James Inhofe and he is exhibiting the snowball on the floor of the U.S. Senate as “evidence” that global climate change is not occurring. The Republican senator from Oklahoma is infamous for denying well-established climate change science, a frightening reality considering he is chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and charged with the responsibility of dealing with matters related to the environment. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/the-conversation/article13626452.html#storylink=cpy Yes, The US EPA Can – And Should – Allow Offsets Under The Clean Power Plan. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan, the agency's attempt to regulate existing sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the electricity-generating sector under its Clean Air Act authority, may be the most controversial rule proposed by the agency. Weighing in at around 670 pages (with a 750-page technical support document,) it is certainly one of the most complex regulations ever attempted by the agency. http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10855§ion=news_articles&eod=1 Stronger ozone standards are more than a moral and legal imperative. Decades after scientists described the ways in which air pollution scars and shrivels young lungs, groundbreaking research out of USC has delivered the good news that clean-air regulations are making a difference. In a longitudinal study that measured reductions in pollution in various neighborhoods around Los Angeles and then measured the lungs of children in those areas, researchers found that as air quality improved, the lungs of school-age children were bigger and healthier. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-ozone-20150316-story.html Globe? Warm? Who, Me? This is the time of year when we start to think about global warming. Because the weather is about to get warmer. Please God. A new angle comes up almost every day. A Harvard professor recently reported that 7,000-year-old mummies in Chile are turning into “black ooze” because the air around them is getting more humid. In California, baby sea lions are in trouble because the ocean is heating up. Meanwhile, in Florida, there’s a report that state employees have been barred from using the term “climate change. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/14/opinion/gail-collins-globe-warm-who-me.html We don’t need utilities, cars monitoring our behavior: Susan Shelley. In 1933, humorist James Thurber wrote that his grandmother lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was leaking all over the house. The woman was ahead of her time. Utility companies are installing new meters on our homes that leak the juicy details of our lives. Did you get a notice from the Southern California Gas Co. about the installation of Advanced Meters? The devices provide daily monitoring to help teach customers to have “better control” over their energy usage. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150313/we-dont-need-utilities-cars-monitoring-our-behavior-susan-shelley BLOGS GOP states’ choice on carbon emissions: negligence or logic. The Environmental Protection Agency will soon demand that states cut their greenhouse-gas emissions. You would think that state leaders, particularly Republicans warning of an EPA regulatory apocalypse, would be frantically reaching for the least onerous strategies to comply. But so far many have shown more interest in lambasting the EPA than in accepting the sorts of policies that would make new carbon regulations easiest on people. Their citizens will pay if they don’t change course. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/03/15/gop-states-choice-on-carbon-emissions-negligence-or-logic/ The True Link Between Carbon-Based Fuels and Quality of Life. Quick…what’s the most critical problem in the world? No, not that…it’s something far more tangible, present day, and life-shortening but has no lobbying group: poverty enabled by a lack of energy. Perhaps for some in the rich West, where all the energy we need is at our fingertips, “too much energy” is a very convenient problem to claim. http://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/03/15/the-true-link-between-carbon-based-fuels-and-quality-of-life/ The Divestment Distraction and a Positive Vision of Sustainability. The environmental community has long needed to stop bad things from happening and over time has developed the mindset that the job of environmental protection is to avert damage and destruction. Emerging naturally from that mindset is the tactic that to prevent damage we must scare people about the potential impact of ecological destruction. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/the-divestment-distractio_b_6877070.html Get Carbon Offsets for Using New Biodegradable Credit Card. Many people find global warming an overwhelming issue, and have no idea how to contribute to a solution. But now, combating climate change can be as easy as a credit card purchase. Every time a Sustain:Green biodegradable card is used, a tangible contribution to the fight against global warming is made through carbon offsets, and applied to reforestation projects in Brazil’s Mata no Peito rainforest initiative. http://planetsave.com/2015/03/16/carbon-offsets-biodegradable-credit-card/ Sick and Tired of Pollution, Latino Kids Fight Back Armed With Courage and Wit. Just like Lupita, Selene, Elijah and 100 other students at Desert Mirage HS said enough is enough, and in February, they all traveled for nine hours to Sacramento to testify at the EPA hearings about the improvement of the federal smog standards. Smog, a toxic gas generated by the burning of fossil fuels, can have the same effects on lung tissue as sunburn on the skin. "I demanded for them to bring the ppb down to 60 because it is a human right to have fresh air to breathe," says Lupita. "It got very emotional when we all shared our stories about how the air pollution is affecting us. And some representatives of the EPA were getting teary-eyed just by listening to us," remembers Selene. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/javier-sierra/sick-tired-of-pollution_b_6864000.html Here Comes the Sun: How California is Bringing More Renewables to the Grid. Ask most people what the Beatles and California have in common and they might very well be at a loss. However, the answer is pretty simple: they are both unabashed trendsetters in the face of resistance – the former in their musical style and the latter in its clean energy policies. Not content with setting a Renewable Portfolio Standard that ends at 2020, Governor Jerry Brown and state legislators are pushing for the Golden State to get 50 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2030. http://theenergycollective.com/edfenergyex/2203436/here-comes-sun-how-california-bringing-more-renewables-grid Conscious Decoupling: Divorcing Economy and Emissions. As Gwyneth Paltrow tried to express last year, divorce doesn't have to be a bad thing. And although she's sort of backtracked on the widely mocked concept of "conscious uncoupling," it serves as a useful introduction for a topic that's not near as likely to invade the public sphere as easily as her divorce from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/climate-nexus/conscious-decoupling-divorcing-economy-and-emissions_b_6866556.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 16:24:19 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 17, 2015 From: aleaks@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. CAP AND TRADE Biothermica : First carbon credit sale completed by a Quebec company on the California carbon market. Biothermica, a Montreal company, announced the first sale of 80,766 tons of carbon credits, valued to 860,000$CDN, on the regulated Quebec-California market. This company also foresees significant financial benefits in the coming years thanks to the technology it has developed to generate these credits. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/biothermica--first-carbon-credit-sale-completed-by-a-quebec-company-on-the-california-carbon-market-296542161.html AIR POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION: EPA urged to withdraw new transportation emissions model. Two states and two pro-ethanol organizations have petitioned U.S. EPA over what they call a "defective" model for determining ethanol's air pollution contribution. In their petition, Kansas, Nebraska, the Energy Future Coalition and the Urban Air Initiative say that the MOVES2014 model released in October incorrectly attributes harmful air emissions to ethanol in petroleum gasoline. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060015117/feed AIR POLLUTION: House Science panel to examine EPA ozone proposal. he House Science, Space and Technology Committee this week will take up U.S. EPA's proposal to toughen the national ozone standard. Tomorrow, the committee will hear from a panel of witnesses representing business and the medical and air quality research communities. A California regulator is also scheduled to testify. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060015078/feed Indiana joins 10 states in opposing tougher EPA ozone limits. ...in opposing the federal government's proposed more protective standards for smog-forming pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illnesses.... Researchers find a new way to clear the air In 1999, then-Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said that Beijing's pall of smog "would shorten my life at least five years," a hazard level scientists... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article14552981.html Researchers link PM2.5 pollution to stroke-related narrowing of arteries. Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have linked fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution to a dangerous narrowing of neck arteries... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150316-pm25.html Air pollution mandate change for NC fracking signed into law. ...Environmental legislation that gives leeway to a North Carolina state panel in creating air pollution rules for fracking has been signed into law by Gov.... Lawsuit against Muncie lead smelter settled ...Agency says Exide Technologies has agreed to settle a lawsuit that alleged Clean Air Act regulations were violated by the company's Muncie... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/16/4430974/lawsuit-against-muncie-lead-smelter.html In Texas, Environmental Officials Align With Polluters. The testimony sounds the refrains of industry groups: Tightening the country’s smog standard would be too costly, and it isn’t necessary for public health. But these comments weren’t from industry. They were written by the chair of the Texas agency responsible for environmental protection. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/20150317-ozone-air-pollution-clean-air-act-smog-texas-houston-dallas/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/03/17/16874/texas-aligns-itself-industry-fight-against-tighter-smog-standards CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE: Liberal legal icon Tribe to discuss EPA rule with House subcommittee. ...U.S. EPA's Clean Power Rule -- will discuss legal problems he sees with the climate change proposal with House lawmakers tomorrow. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20742272291&p=19f&v=1&x=Fp4ty_kXjca7N-sEfT6PGA Could Absolute Consensus on Global Warming Come in a Suitcase? ...has big plans for her portable instrument that measures carbon dioxide and methane from the ground to four miles into the sky. NASA scientist Emily... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/16032015/could-absolute-consensus-global-warming-come-suitcase Harvard's president speaks at China's prestigious Tsinghua University about climate change. ...March 17, 2015. Faust spoke on the role universities can play in addressing climate change and other environmental issues. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)... http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/03/17/harvards-president-speaks-in-china-about-climate-change Study suggests that key glacier of East Antarctica is melting from beneath. ...great ice sheet of West Antarctica, and thus set in motion more than 10 feet of sea level rise. Meanwhile, 2015 could be the year of the double... http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/world/article14770529.html Vanuatu president speaks of devastation from Cyclone Pam. ...including earthquakes, volcanoes, extreme weather and sea level rises due to climate change. Do you see the impact of climate change... http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article14538719.html The New Optimism of Al Gore. He is pleased to see the Obama administration becoming more active on climate issues. President Obama’s advocacy of climate change action was overshadowed by the push for health care legislation, a disappointment for Mr. Gore and other environmentalists. “He did not use the bully pulpit in quite the way many of us would have wanted in his first term,” Mr. Gore says. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/science/the-new-optimism-of-al-gore.html?ref=earth Republicans Push Climate Change Cuts at CIA, Defense Department. If Republicans get their way, the CIA and the Defense Department could soon have a lot less cash for climate research. The House GOP budget unveiled on Tuesday calls for cuts to CIA and DOD programs devoted to the study of global warming, despite the fact that the military has identified climate change as a major national security threat and a key priority. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/republicans-push-climate-change-cuts-at-cia-department-of-defense-20150317 FUELS Experts: Lower gas prices on the horizon. ...a Tesoro refinery in Martinez. “Both of these put a limit on the supply of gasoline, and that's why gasoline prices started rising,” Adibi said.... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/03/16/gas-prices-dropping-summer/24875551/ Fatty acid esters can improve cetane number of diesel from direct coal liquefaction. ...Technology report that fatty acid esters can be used as cetane improvers for diesel fuel produced via direct coal liquefaction (DCL). A paper... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150315-cn.html GASOLINE PRICES: State average settles down to $3.37. ... The state, however, is still paying the highest price in the nation for gasoline, $3.37 a gallon, according to a Monday press release from AAA.... http://www.pe.com/articles/price-762488-gallon-gasoline.html DROUGHT In Lake Tahoe, drought threatens winter, way of life. ...launch. Jumping off the end of a pier could result in a rock-hard landing. California's epic drought, entering its perilous fourth year, has... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150316/in-lake-tahoe-drought-threatens-winter-way-of-life Despite drought, Bay Area salmon fishermen see hope for 2015 season. ...hatcheries. The estimate for the Sacramento River, the top spawning ground in California, was relatively robust, considering the state's three-year drought.... http://www.mercurynews.com/pacifica/ci_27591929/despite-00004000drought-bay-area-salmon-fishermen-see-hope Earth Log: State water officials will be here to talk about this ugly drought. State officials will be in Fresno on Thursday to tell the public how dire California's four-year drought has become. The topics in the briefing... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/16/4430097/earth-log-state-water-officials.html Endangered Delta Smelt May Be Extinct. ...population of Delta smelt has been declining for the last 30 years but the drought may have pushed the species to the point of no return. If the smelt... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/16/endangered-delta-smelt-may-be-extinct/ Water agencies, Agua Caliente tribe face off in court. ...2015 Cracks spread across the dry bed of percolation pond one, a sign of California's drought, as seen at the Whitewater Groundwater Replenishment... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/03/16/water-agencies-agua-caliente-tribe-face-court/24874213/ Another year of water restrictions likely in dry California. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California residents are facing another year of water restrictions and... http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27726444/another-year-water-restrictions-likely-dry-california California considers sweeping water restrictions, rations. ...mandates on landscape irrigation Tuesday that could limit water usage for most California homes and businesses to only a few days of the week. If approved,... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/03/16/california-considers-sweeping-water-restrictions-rations/24875207/ New report criticizes California's drought planning. California needs better water-use data, clearer priorities and better drought-management... http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_27725049/new-report-criticizes-california-x2019-s-drought-planning State backs Salinas Valley well monitoring. ...levels to a centralized, public database that many consider key to monitoring California's groundwater as the state enters its fourth year of drought.... http://www.montereyherald.com/environment-and-nature/20150316/state-backs-salinas-valley-well-monitoring VEHICLES Postal Service looks to improve on 9 miles per gallon in mail trucks. http://phys.org/news/2015-03-postal-miles-gallon-mail-trucks.html GREEN ENERGY California could power itself three to five times over with solar. Deserts and remote fields are popular spots for building vast arrays of solar panels, which generate dramatically more energy than individual homeowner rooftop installations. These areas are rich in sunlight while offering plenty of clear, flat land to work with. But what if we didn’t always have to go all the way out to these remote and potentially ecologically fragile areas? http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/17/california-could-power-itself-three-to-five-times-over-with-solar/ Assemblyman Garcia appointed to six select committees. ...California, Workforce and Vocational Development, Civic Engagement and the Renewable Energy Development & Restoration of Salton Sea select committees,... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20750695816&p=19f&v=1&x=B70ACchbelTCDpQq8B-2Uw Carbondale City Council to vote on proposed solar project. CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) - The Carbondale City Council is ready to vote on a proposed solar power project at a former wood treatment plant. The Southern... Critics Question Salt River Project's Solar-Energy Payments in Arizona ...fees to solar customers accused the public utility of "profiting" from the solar power it gets from rooftops and sells to other customers. ... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/16032015/critics-question-salt-river-projects-solar-energy-payments-arizona SolarCity launches community microgrids with Tesla batteries. ...Motors batteries to store the energy generated. While the owner can tap the solar power for daily use, the main purpose is to maintain electricity... http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27720343/solarcity-l00004000aunches-microgrids-tesla-batteries-protect-communities-from?source=most_viewed Toyota Mirai Fuel-Cell Car To Get Global Showcase At 2020 Olympics. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are set to become a global showcase for hydrogen fuel-cell cars. Japan is already planning to use the games as an... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097246_toyota-mirai-fuel-cell-car-to-get-global-showcase-at-2020-olympics OPINION ANNE STECKEL: Without fuels standard, biodiesel industry faces uncertain future. The large-scale production of domestic biodiesel should be something President Barack Obama strongly supports,... http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/hot-topics/x1624303135/Without-fuels-standard-biodiesel-industry-faces-uncertain-future Workers support a cleaner, richer future with California's clean energy law: Guest commentary . ...which we live and work. That is why we want to see California's pioneering climate change and clean energy law extended beyond 2020. In the... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion/20150316/workers-support-a-cleaner-richer-future-with-californias-clean-energy-law-guest-commentary Stronger ozone standards are more than a moral and legal imperative. Decades after scientists described the ways in which air pollution scars and shrivels young lungs, groundbreaking research... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-ozone-20150316-story.html Commentary: Good News Coming? You should hear some important news this month, and it might eventually save you a buck. A year ago, President Obama decreed that a new set of rules regarding greenhouse-gas emissions and fuel economy should be proposed, as of this month, covering medium- and heavy-duty trucks built in 2020 and beyond. http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fuel-smarts/article/story/2015/03/commentary-good-news-coming.aspx Water limits may put damper on commercial car washes. ...officials will consider expanding water restrictions for homes and businesses as California deals with a fourth straight year of drought. The mandates... With reservoirs depleted, Water Resources Control Board must restrict water use Amid the worst drought in at least a generation, and possibly the worst in modern California... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article14697743.html BLOGS This viral documentary could actually push China to clean up its act. ...went viral in China earlier this month, highlighting the scourge of rampant pollution in the country. A few days after its release, the government... http://grist.org/news/this-viral-documentary-could-actually-force-china-to-clean-up-its-act/ California Weighs New Water Conservation Rules as Devastating Drought Persists. ...requested — with a $500 fine for violations. This is the fourth year in a row that California faces a http://blogs.kqed.org/feeds/2015/03/17/california-weighs-new-water-conservation-rules-as-devastating-drought-persists/ What’s the Best Path to a Sustainable Future? As we face the consequences of a changing climate, many people wonder how we can most effectively change the consumptive habits of U.S. citizens. The government has the ability to implement taxes and regulations that put restrictions on carbon emissions, and to provide subsidies to companies in order to make environmentally friendly options cheaper and more lucrative. However, with a gridlocked Congress and slow administrative progress, is it more effective to change people’s behavior and attitudes or affect change through government action? http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2015/03/17/whats-the-best-path-to-a-sustainable-future/ USDA Staff Meets with Producers, Partners on Ways to Store Carbon. Staff from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) from Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon visited California recently to meet with state officials and farmers and ranchers to discuss how farms and ranches can store carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and potentially benefit financially by providing greenhouse gas offsets under California’s cap-and-trade program. http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/03/17/usda-staff-meets-with-producers-partners-on-ways-to-store-carbon/#sthash.wBwZvtHz.dpuf California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 14:27:44 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 18, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 18, 2015. 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 carbon revenue hits $1.6 billion. California's February carbon permit auction raised $629.5 million, bringing the state's total from the program's 10 quarterly auctions almost to $1.6 billion, state officials said on Tuesday. Funds raised by the sale of the permits to large emitting businesses like oil refineries and cement manufacturers are deposited into a state account dedicated to funding clean energy programs including California's ambitious high speed rail project. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/17/california-carbon-revenue-idUSL2N0WJ2JY20150317 Carbon credit faux pas: Panel to probe anomalies in tendering. After wrong calculations of carbon credits by consultants involved in the scientific closure of BMC's Gorai dumping ground led to embarrassment for the civic body, the state government has set up a high-level committee to inquire into tendering anomalies. http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-carbon-credit-faux-pas-panel-to-probe-anomalies-in-tendering-2069662 AIR POLLUTION State Senate Works to Block Christie From Settling Pollution Lawsuit Against Exxon. The New Jersey Senate approved two measures on Monday contesting Gov. Chris Christie’s attempt to settle a pollution lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corporation for a fraction of the damages that the state had originally sought. By a vote of 24 to 0, the Senate approved a resolution urging a judge to reject a proposed $225 million settlement in the case. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/nyregion/state-senate-works-to-block-christie-from-settling-pollution-lawsuit-against-exxon.html?mabReward=R2&_r=1 Lawmaker calls for a rebellion against EPA pollution emissions for backyard barbecues. A Missouri state legislator wants the Environmental Protection Agency to back off of people’s backyard barbecues. On Monday, State Senator Eric Schmitt (R) from St. Louis kicked off a #porksteakrebellion after he discovered the EPA is funding a study on propane grill emissions that suggest pit masters use a special tray to catch grease drippings and a "catalytic" filtration system to reduce air pollution… http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/03/17/lawmaker-calls-for-rebellion-against-epa-pollution-emissions-for-backyard/ EPA starts reviewing 50K comments on hot-button ozone rule. U.S. EPA's proposed tightening of the national ozone standard drew more than 50,000 public comments, many focusing on what the science says is an acceptable exposure level of the pollutant. Even the number of comments in the federal docket is a matter of contention with environmentalists claiming to have gathered and submitted more than 500,000 statements in support of a more stringent standard. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060015301/print CLIMATE CHANGE California Legislature Debating 2015 Climate Leadership Legislation. During his fourth inaugural address just three months ago, California Governor Jerry Brown announced an ambitious new plan to address the impacts of climate change in California over the next 15 years. The groundbreaking plan proposed to increase from thirty-three to fifty percent the amount of electricity derived from renewable sources, reduce the petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to fifty percent… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/03/18/california-legislature-debating-2015-climate-leadership-legislation/#ixzz3Ul1aL65i FEMA Finalizes New Requirement for State Disaster Plans to Consider Climate Change Impacts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced yesterday afternoon a change in its requirements for State Hazard Mitigation Plans that NRDC has been advocating for nearly three years. These plans, which states develop in order to prepare for future natural disasters, must now consider the projected effects of climate change on hazard risks. http://theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2204916/fema-finalizes-new-requirement-state-disaster-plans-consider-climate-change- http://www.climatecentral.org/news/fema-states-need-climate-change-in-disaster-planning-18786 Global warming not to blame for mass starvation of sea lion pups, says NOAA. Yesterday it was reported that sea lion pups along the California coast are literally starving to death. According to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), global warming has nothing to do with it. It's all part of an El Niño weather pattern that's wreaking havoc on the food chain supply. http://www.examiner.com/article/global-warming-not-to-blame-for-mass-starvation-of-sea-lion-pups-says-noaa California, Quebec Teaming Up On Climate Change. California raised $630 million by selling pollution allowances one Wednesday last month, each of them entitling the buyer to harm the climate with a ton of carbon dioxide. Most of the money that was raised during the quarterly allowance auction will be used to reduce customers’ electricity bills; the rest will go to environmental projects. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-quebec-teaming-up-on-climate-change-18784 Stephen Hume: Canada in need of climate change strategy, report says. British Columbia is one of three provinces demonstrating leadership in strategic climate change planning that should be coming from the federal government, says George Hoberg, a specialist in environmental and natural resource policy from the University of B.C. Hoberg is one of the contributors to a major national report from leading scientists across the country that urges Ottawa to swiftly co-ordinate a national program for pricing carbon. http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Canada+need+climate+change+strategy+report+says/10898721/story.html#sthash.28wf327R.dpuf DROUGHT New watering restrictions imposed amid California drought. With California heading into another parched year, state officials Tuesday beefed up emergency drought regulations, directing urban agencies to limit the number of days residents can water their yards. The move is expected to have little or no effect in most major Southern California cities, which already have watering restrictions. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-state-officials-watering-restrictions-20150317-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-drought-State-approves-sweeping-6139559.php http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2015/03/18/california-water-agency-tightens-restrictions-in.html http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x306747797/-Serious-drought-pushes-board-to-limit-water-use California restricts yard watering as drought persists. California regulators on Tuesday ordered every water agency in the state to restrict how often customers can water their landscaping, an unprecedented move that marks another milestone in the severe and ongoing drought. The decision was adopted unanimously by the State Water Resources Control Board and will take effect in about 45 days. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article15199547.html#storylink=cpy Overpumping of Central Valley groundwater creating a crisis, experts say. A simple instrument with a weight and a pulley confirmed what hydrologist Michelle Sneed had suspected after seeing more and more dirt vanish from the base of her equipment each time she returned to her research site last summer. The tawny San Joaquin Valley earth was sinking a half-inch each month. The reason was no mystery. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-groundwater-20150318-story.html#page=1 Study: California Drought Decreases Hydropower, Increases Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The Pacific Institute says there is less hydroelectricity and more expensive electricity, due to the diminished river flows as a result of the California drought. In its study, the Oakland think tank, which focuses on water issues, said with reduced hydropower, the state has increased the use of natural gas to produce electricity. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/mar/18/study-california-drought-decreases-hydropower-incr/ Intensifying Calif. drought sets off alarms. As California's epic drought continues with no end in sight, it is setting off new alarms about unprecedented water shortages, increased wildfire threats, fewer crops and farmers, higher electric bills and huge economic losses for years — or even decades — to come. "Even if normal precipitation begins to fall, it will take a few years to overcome the massive deficits we've been running… http://www.khou.com/story/weather/2015/03/17/california-western-drought/23953599/ Restaurants, lawns, hoses: With no end in sight for drought, state expands restrictions on water use. Water restrictions are about to get stricter. Responding to the four-year drought that shows no signs of easing, officials at the State Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday in Sacramento to extend current emergency water use rules and add several new ones. By the end of March, you’ll have to ask for a glass of water at a restaurant…http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-654548-drought-state.html California drought making wildfires a year-round threat. The drought has meant bigger and more dangerous winter wildfires for California. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says winter wildfires so far this year have burned 3,200 acres in its jurisdiction. That compares to 800 acres by this point in an average year. http://www.redding.com/news/wire-news/california-drought-making-wildfires-a-year-round-threat Spigot tightens on state water use. Homeowners and businesses will have to cut back even more on water by the end of March, the California Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday. Even with recent rain and conservation efforts, officials said, the drought is winning. Less water for lawns. Water suppliers must restrict how often lawns and landscaping can be watered; more areas will face two-day weekly limits. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-308461-ocprint-option-face.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB now to allow retrofits for reefer rule compliance. It isn’t every day that a California Air Resources Board staff member can tell truck owners they may be able to spend less money than expected to comply with a state emissions regulation. The good news explains the excitement coming through the phone line from CARB Staff Air Pollution Specialist Rod Hill concerning Transportation Refrigeration Units, or reefers. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=28667#.VQb_UjcLKGQ.email Cars and Global Warming: 5 Ways Diesel Engines Are Better for the Environment. Transportation industries continue to take steps that reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The oil industry has made significant improvement in refining diesel fuel for cars and trucks. http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/Cars-and-Global-Warming-Diesel-Engines-Environment-Climate-Change/2015/03/18/id/630875/#ixzz3UksvWw8V Propel launches North America's first retail rollout of Neste HPR. Propel Fuels has launched California’s most advanced diesel fuel: Diesel HPR (High Performance Renewable) at Propel locations across Northern California. Propel’s Diesel HPR consists of 98.5 percent Neste Oil's NEXBTL renewable diesel, a low-carbon renewable fuel that meets petroleum diesel specifications for use in diesel engines while realizing the benefits of better performance and lower emissions. http://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/337416/propel-launches-north-americas-first-retail-rollout-of-neste-hpr FUELS California’s Cleaner Fuel Comes at Cost to Water: Report. The water it takes to supply energy to California, the biggest U.S. fuel market, has risen almost four-fold over two decades. And the culprit isn’t oil. It’s biofuels, according to a report. California’s “water footprint” for energy -- the water used to produce transportation fuels, natural gas and electricity consumed in the state -- rose to 7.7 cubic kilometers in 2012 from 2.1 in 1990, the report prepared by university and environmental researchers showed. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-17/california-s-cleaner-fuel-comes-at-cost-to-water-report Why Barclays Is Stockpiling 17 Filling Stations-Worth of Diesel in South Africa. Banks in South Africa, where the state electricity company is rationing supplies, are stockpiling fuel to run generators so that they can keep operating should power cuts worsen. Barclays Africa Group Ltd. said it has more than 400,000 liters (106,000 gallons) of diesel -- about 17 times the volume stored at the average South African filling station. Nedbank Group Ltd. has fuel to last about 10 days… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-18/banks-stockpile-diesel-to-counter-south-african-power-cuts U.S. Oil Prices Hold Losses After Inventory Data. EIA’s inventory report shows crude supplies in Cushing, Okla., at another record high. U.S. oil prices traded at six-year intraday lows Wednesday after weekly government data showed domestic crude supplies at a new record high. Light, sweet crude for April delivery recently fell $1.21, or 2.8%, to $42.25 a barrel http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-oil-prices-fall-as-traders-await-key-data-from-eia-1426675619?mod=europe_home … New ‘green diesel’ rolls out for Sacramento motorists. Sacramento motorists on Wednesday will be among the first in California to be offered a new “high-performance renewable” diesel fuel – produced largely from recycled plant and animal oils. This new generation of diesel biofuel, by Redwood City-based Propel Fuels Inc., is manufactured almost entirely from various plant- and animal-based waste… http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article15203738.html#storylink=cpy http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/article15218597.html Biodiesel advocates want heating oil standard in NY. A coalition of environmental groups and renewable energy advocates want New York to require all heating oil sold in the state to include at least 2 percent biodiesel. The proposal passed the Assembly's Committee on Environmental Conservation Tuesday. Its sponsor is Assemblyman Steven Englebright, a Long Island Democrat who says a biodiesel standard would reduce carbon emissions while boosting the state's agricultural industry. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Biodiesel-advocates-want-heating-oil-standard-in-6139360.php European gasoline unseasonably firm following US strength. (AUDIO). Sophie Byron, managing editor for European and African light ends, discusses with editor Virginie Malicier, the gasoline seasonality switch from winter to summer specification and blending demand; and analyze Where US gasoline strength after strike action, refinery issues and maintenance has impacted European markets and supported demand for naphtha for blending. http://www.platts.com/podcasts-detail/oil/2015/march/europe-gasoline-naphtha-031815 Could a low-emission perennial grass help the cellulosic ethanol industry? Biofuel producers looking for a cellulosic feedstock that is both highly productive and has a relatively low environmental impact should cultivate the perennial grass miscanthus, a recent study suggests. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/03/18/stories/1060015251 VEHICLES DC environmental director to tout hydrogen-powered car. The District of Columbia's top environmental official will be taking a spin in a new car that's powered by air.On Wednesday, District Department of the Environment Director Tommy Wells will speak at a news conference and take a test drive of a hydrogen-powered vehicle built by Toyota. The car is on a tour of the East Coast for events with politicians and environmental officials. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/DC-environmental-director-to-tout-6141638.php Californians Bought More Plug-in Cars Than China Last Year. More than just America’s most ardent plug-in electrified vehicle adopters by a wide margin, last year Californians bought enough PEVs to rank their state second among all nations of the world. That’s right, if California were its own country, its purchases of 29,935 plug-in hybrids…http://www.hybridcars.com/californians-bought-more-plug-in-cars-than-china-last-year/ GREEN ENERGY China Boosts Solar Target for 2015 as It Fights Pollution. China raised its solar target for 2015, promising to add almost 2 1/2 times as much capacity as the U.S. added last year, as it races to clear its increasingly polluted air. The world’s biggest emitter of carbon aims to install as much as 17.8 gigawatts of solar projects in 2015… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-18/china-increases-solar-target-for-2015-as-it-fights-air-pollution Solar Energy Startup Launches Campaign to Bring Hassle-Free Solar Energy to Everyone. Boston-based CloudSolar launches first-of-its-kind campaign with goal of removing barriers to solar energy. CloudSolar, a Boston-based startup, announced the launch of their Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for their first solar power farm with a fundraising goal of $300,000. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/ma-cloudsolar-idUSnBw185058a+100+BSW20150318 UPDATE 1-Gas contract secrecy row overshadows EU quest for energy union. The Brussels summit is meant to advance progress towards a single energy union in which power and gas would flow freely across borders, reducing the bloc's reliance on Russian gas and countering Gazprom's divide-and-rule tendency. But a clash between Germany, which has negotiated successfully with Gazprom, and Poland, which pays higher price…http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/eu-energy-idINL6N0WK40520150318 Tourmaline Hunts for Energy Deals as Rivals Dump Assets. Mike Rose started Tourmaline Oil Corp., now Canada’s third-largest natural gas producer, by scooping up land the last time energy companies were in a slump. Seven years on, he’s at it again. Tourmaline bought a gas property last week for C$257 million ($201 million) in shares and Rose, chairman and chief executive officer, plans to pick up additional assets… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-17/tourmaline-hunts-for-energy-deals-as-rivals-dump-assets Obama administration wants more renewable energy, tighter pollution controls on public lands. The Obama administration will seek tougher standards for companies extracting oil, gas and coal on taxpayer-owned land during its remaining months in office, even as it pushes for expanded solar and wind projects, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Tuesday. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/17/obama-administration-calls-for-more-renewable-energy-tighter-pollution-controls-on-taxpayer-owned-lands/ EPA's carbon rule could spur $2.5B in power line investment – ICF. As coal-fired power plants go offline under U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, building new power lines to bring renewable energy to customers could spur $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion in investment over the next five years, according to an analysis by the consulting group ICF International. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/03/18/stories/1060015246 FERC denies Calif.'s request for waiver from real-time market rules. The West's experiment in real-time electricity markets is undergoing scrutiny from federal regulators. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decided Monday to investigate provisions of the Western energy imbalance market, which is intended to accommodate rising amounts of renewable energy. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060015273/print Does Texas still need a renewable energy standard? Lawmakers weigh in. A Texas lawmaker laid out plans yesterday to eliminate previously surpassed state goals on renewable energy, as well as an infrastructure program that helped pave the way for expansive wind development. State Sen. Troy Fraser (R), a veteran of Texas electricity policy discussions, said it's time to move forward and cease programs that no longer are needed. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060015244/print MISCELLANEOUS California’s Air Resource Board (ARB) Announces Deadline Extension. Intertek supports companies to meet regulatory requirements. Intertek, a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, announces a regulatory service to assist businesses to meet the requirements of the 2013 Consumer and Commercial Products Survey in support of the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Resource Board (ARB). http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/tx-intertek-idUSnBw185054a+100+BSW20150318 After Toxic Ash Spill, Energy Company And Locals Struggle Over Solution. When utility companies burn coal to make electricity — and it generated 39 percent of U.S. energy in 2013 — it leaves behind ash that can contain arsenic, selenium, boron and many other toxic substances. For decades, that ash simply has been buried in pits near the power plants and covered with water. http://www.npr.org/2015/03/18/393672334/after-toxic-ash-spill-energy-company-and-locals-struggle-over-solution Intertek: California’s Air Resource Board (ARB) Announces Deadline Extension. Intertek, a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, announces a regulatory service to assist businesses to meet the requirements of the 2013 Consumer and Commercial Products Survey in support of the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Resource Board (ARB). http://www.4-traders.com/INTERTEK-GROUP-PLC-4003872/news/Intertek--Californiarsquos-Air-Resource-Board-ARB-Announces-Deadline-Extension-20046365/ http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150318005054/en/California%E2%80%99s-Air-Resource-Board-ARB-Announces-Deadline OPINIONS California must stop acting like its water shortage isn't real. To the editor: California is in the fourth year of the worst drought in its recorded history and, as Jay Famiglietti warns, has about a year's worth of stored water left. But one wouldn't know it looking at all the still-green lawns. ("California has about one year of water left. Will you ration now?," op-ed, March 12) http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0317-tuesday-california-drought-20150317-story.html Don’t forget land use in drought debate. As California moves into its fourth year of prolonged drought, state and local agencies are mulling further restrictions on the use of water in urban settings. From prohibiting yard watering on cold or rainy days to stopping the operation of fountains, the search for ways to reduce water consumption continues. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article15100547.html#storylink=cpy Senator de Leon’s Green Vision Has Valley Seeing Red. Senator Kevin de Leon, the same Los Angeles State Senator who proclaimed that “no one lives out there in the tumbleweeds” when referring to the Central Valley, has proven that he still doesn’t understand the realities faced by hardworking people who live here. His recent op-ed in the Fresno Bee pitching Senate Bill 350 was an unconvincing argument for and… http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/03/senator-de-leons-green-vision-has-valley-seeing-red/ Calif.'s water supply won't last more than a year, NASA scientist says. After four years of extreme drought, California only has one year of water left, according to a NASA scientist. The state's water reservoirs and backup groundwater storage are low -- its water supply began declining in 2002 before the drought started. "California has no contingency plan for a persistent drought like this one (let alone a 20-plus-year mega-drought), except… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/03/18/stories/1060015240 BLOGS Refiners Sue Railroad — Energy Journal. A trade group that represents U.S. refinery owners is suing BNSF Railway Co. for charging them to use tank cars implicated in several fiery train derailments, Alison Sider reports. BNSF has started charging an extra $1,000 for each older railcar used to ship crude, but the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers alleges BNSF is overstepping its authority and penalizing oil shippers for using less crash-resistant tank cars. http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/03/18/refiners-sue-railroad-energy-journal/ Looking back on the Weather Service’s call for this winter — it wasn’t that great. Forecasting the weather characteristics of an entire season months ahead of time is hard, and a science still in its infancy. This year’s winter outlook from the National Weather Service had mixed success. Its predictions for temperature and precipitation compared to normal were right in more places than they were wrong. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/03/18/looking-back-on-the-weather-services-call-for-this-winter-it-wasnt-that-great/ NPR ombudsman equivocates over equivalence story on climate-change fight. Last week, the Erik Wemple Blog criticized an NPR story that noted how “attacks” on climate-change deniers are allegedly starting to resemble previous “attacks” on scientists from the other side of the debate. Now NPR ombudsman Elizabeth Jensen has taken a look. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2015/03/17/npr-ombudsman-equivocates-over-equivalence-story-on-climate-change-fight/ Attacking 'Attacks' In The Climate Change Community. Last week, All Things Considered aired a piece by NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reporting on investigations into the work of so-called "climate skeptics" — scientists who doubt that climate change is a serious problem or that humans are causing it. The piece raised the broader issue of whether advocates on both sides of the climate change debate… http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2015/03/17/393404106/attacking-attacks-in-the-climate-change-community China Spawns Its Latest Renewable Energy Billionaire. Cao Renxian, chairman of China’s Sungrow Power Supply, has joined the ranks of the world’s renewable energy billionaires following record closing highs in the share price of his Shenzhen-listed company this week. Sungrow makes power supply equipment for the solar and wind power industries, mainly inverters and converters. http://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2015/03/18/china-spawns-its-latest-renewable-energy-billionaire/ Energy efficiency and renewables: the cheapest, smartest way for states to cut carbon pollution. States will have a lot of flexibility in crafting plans to cut carbon pollution from power plants. And when it comes to making those cuts, energy efficiency and renewable energy are the best path forward. This is made clear in a new series of NRDC analyses that illustrate how expanding renewable energy and cutting energy waste are the cheapest…http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-caseylefkowitz/energy-efficiency-and-ren_b_6893352.html Challenging Our Children's Carbon Footprint. During a time when the human effect on the environment has never been more destructive, what are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? Maybe you're making a conscious effort to walk more and drive less; perhaps you're a meticulous recycler; or maybe you're vigilant about not using any unnecessary energy. But what about not having kids? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ella-jameson/challenging-our-childrens_b_6887460.html ‘A Harbinger Of The Future': Climate Scientists Respond To Boston’s Record-Breaking Snow Season. When word got around that this winter was Boston’s snowiest ever recorded, a lot of people were thrilled. “Congratulations Boston!” the National Weather Service tweeted on Sunday, announcing the history-making event. “We are truly a title city,” the city’s mayor wrote. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/18/3634246/climate-scientists-respond-boston-snow-record/ Interior Secretary Says Climate Change Must Factor Into Decisions To Drill On Public Lands. Secretary Sally Jewell yesterday called for reform to the way that the Department of the Interior manages America’s energy resources in order to address the causes of climate change. In a bold speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Secretary Jewell outlined the Department of the Interior’s energy priorities and laid out three goals of “safe and responsible energy development, good government, and encouraging innovation… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/18/3635378/sally-jewell-calls-for-climate-reform/ Electric Cars "Not Viable Markets" For Reborn A123 In U.S., Europe In Next 10 Years, CEO Says. The story of lithium-ion cell maker A123 Systems seems to sprout more irony by the day. A123 was once enthusiastic about electric cars, supplying batteries for the 2012 Fisker Karma. Then a recall drove A123 into bankruptcy; soon Fisker Automotive followed it. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097303_electric-cars-not-viable-markets-for-reborn-a123-in-u-s-europe-in-next-10-years-ceo-says Group Buy Of Fiat 500e Electric Cars Ignites 'Feeding Frenzy,' 100-Plus Bought. Suppose you could get a new electric car for $83 a month--and its running costs per mile were only a fraction of what a gasoline car would in fuel. That'd be almost a free car, right? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097299_group-buy-of-fiat-500e-electric-cars-ignites-feeding-frenzy-100-plus-bought California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 11:24:50 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 19, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Report: Sacramento gets short end of stick from cap-and-trade program. California's cap-and-trade program will reap far more revenue for clean air projects than the state had previously projected. But most of those dollars will flow disproportionately to the Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley, according to a report released Tuesday. It's already stirred controversy. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/19/report-says-sacramento-gets-short-end-of-the-stick.html AIR POLLUTION Another Culprit Of Air Pollution: Palm Oil Used In Deodorants And Cookies. To the growing list of human behavior causing pollution and climate change, you can add one more: unsustainable production of palm oil, needed for multiple consumer products from deodorants and toothpastes to cookies and chocolates. The Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization based in Cambridge, Mass., in a report says air pollution in South East Asia, including the infamous and debilitating haze that can grip the region, is caused by, amongst other things, unsustainable practices like deforestation, landscape fires and draining peatlands. http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghabahree/2015/03/19/another-culprit-of-air-pollution-palm-oil-used-in-deodorants-and-cookies/ CLIMATE CHANGE California Legislature Debating 2015 Climate Leadership Legislation. During his fourth inaugural address just three months ago, California Governor Jerry Brown announced an ambitious new plan to address the impacts of climate change in California over the next 15 years. The groundbreaking plan proposed to increase from thirty-three to fifty percent the amount of electricity derived from renewable sources, reduce the petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to fifty percent, and double the energy efficiency of existing buildings and make heating fuels cleaner. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/03/18/california-legislature-debating-2015-climate-leadership-legislation/ Obama orders 40 percent cut in government's greenhouse gases. President Barack Obama ordered the federal government on Thursday to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases by 40 percent, as the U.S. seeks to spur other nations to get serious about climate change. Obama's executive order also directs the government to ramp up use of renewable energy sources to 30 percent of the federal government's consumption. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Obama-to-order-gov-t-to-cut-its-greenhouse-gas-6144478.php http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/17/obama-administration-calls-for-more-renewable-energy-tighter-pollution-controls-on-taxpayer-owned-lands/ Scientists document rapid decline in Amazon's ability to soak up carbon. How the world's tropical forests will respond to climate change is one of the greatest uncertainties dogging climate scientists today. As greenhouse gas concentrations increase, will forests suck up even more carbon dioxide, providing a modest cushion against the worst impacts of a warming planet? http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/03/19/stories/1060015356 Permafrost melt will severely tilt climate scales – researchers. Carbon released from permafrost will not be offset by plants absorbing carbon from the atmosphere -- even if plants grow more quickly in high-latitude regions, researchers say. As permafrost melts, plants are better able to access nitrogen in deeper layers of soil. Though Arctic plants may benefit from the fertilization effects of nitrogen… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015355/print Top U.S. negotiator heads to China as countries flesh out emission pledges. U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern is returning to Beijing for another set of bilateral climate talks with the Chinese government, the State Department announced yesterday. The U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group will be led by Stern and Vice Chairman Zhang Yong of the Chinese National Development… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015353/print Australia's farmers face the first serious threats from climate change. From tasteless carrots to sunburned apples, a new report by two University of Melbourne researchers paints a challenging picture for Australia's agricultural sector and the impacts of climate change in the decades to come. Through the examination of 55 food commodities and a breakdown of the ways each of the country's multiple climate regions will be affected by climate change… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015328/print DROUGHT California governor to propose $1B drought plan. Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders will propose more than $1 billion in drought relief spending for California, according to a legislative staffer who has been briefed on the package. The staffer tells The Associated Press that the vast majority of the package to be announced Thursday accelerates spending that voters have already approved for water and flood projects. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article15329447.html http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83094406/ Scientists say El Niño won't bring drought relief. Earlier this month, meteorologists announced that the El Niño weather phenomenon had finally arrived after a year of predictions. Though the phenomenon was expected to bring some drought relief to Southwestern states, this year's El Niño came in late and fairly weak. El Niño is triggered by a warming of parts of the central Pacific Ocean. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015316/print FUELS Feds eye oil, gas drilling off East Coast, Alaska, Gulf. Environmentalists say allowing offshore drilling along the U.S. East Coast from northern Virginia to the Georgia-Florida border could lead to a catastrophic oil spill devastating to the crucial tourism industry. But business and petroleum groups say they want to be able to explore whether significant oil and gas reserves exist that could stabilize energy prices and help the economy overall. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OCEAN_DRILLING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Propel Debuts High Performance Renewable Diesel. California-based Propel Fuels has debuted North America’s first retail rollout of High Performance Renewable (HPR) diesel. This company news release says the green fuel uses Neste Oil’s NEXBTL renewable diesel. “Diesel HPR exceeds conventional diesel in power, performance and value,” said Rob Elam, CEO and Co-Founder of Propel. “Propel is committed to offering Californians the most advanced low carbon fuels that meet our high standards for quality and value.” http://domesticfuel.com/2015/03/19/propel-debuts-high-performance-renewable-diesel/ It's clean and green, but don't ask what's in new diesel fuel. Speaking in front of a diesel pump in Sacramento on Wednesday, California Air Resources Board chairwoman Mary Nichols promoted the first high-performance renewable diesel fuel for sale in the state. "People who know me as the 'clean air' person might me surprised to see me selling diesel fuel," Nichols said. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/18/its-clean-and-green-but-dont-ask-whats-in-new.html Propel debuts cost-competitive renewable diesel in California. In California, Propel Fuels has launched California’s most advanced diesel fuel: Diesel HPR (High Performance Renewable) at Propel locations across Northern California. Propel’s Diesel HPR uses Neste Oil’s NEXBTL renewable diesel, a low-carbon renewable fuel that meets petroleum diesel specifications for use in diesel engines while realizing the benefits of better performance and lower emissions. http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2015/03/18/propel-debuts-cost-competitive-renewable-diesel-in-california/ VEHICLES China boosts fleet of electric, hybrid vehicles. Chinese authorities have announced plans to boost the number of electric, hybrid and other alternative fuel-powered vehicles used for public transportation, while sales of such cars for private use have spiked in recent months. The Transport Ministry announced Wednesday that officials aimed to add 200,000 buses and 100,000 taxis powered by alternative fuels by 2020. Last year, the country added 15,000 alternative fuel-powered buses to its roads. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/china-boosts-fleet-of-electric-hybrid-vehicles/2015/03/19/cfb81e16-cdee-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html PG&E giving rebates for electric cars? Californians who buy an electric car already get a generous rebate from the state, not to mention a hefty federal tax credit. Soon, many of them may get a rebate from their utility company as well. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Wednesday proposed offering one-time rebates to customers with electric cars. If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, the rebates could be available as soon as next year. The amount of the rebate has not yet been determined. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/PG-E-giving-rebates-for-electric-cars-6143856.php GREEN ENERGY Outlook for Solar Gets a Bit Brighter. Here is a trick question: Which country led the European Union last year in putting new solar panels on rooftops and in countryside energy parks? If you chose sunny Spain or balmy Italy, you were wrong. Britain, the green and pleasant land often shrouded in cloud, was the leader, according to the market research firm I.H.S. Britain, like other countries in the European Union, has pledged to sharply cut carbon dioxide emissions blamed for global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/business/energy-environment/solar-outlook-improves-in-europe-and-developing-countries.html?_r=0 Solar-powered plane lands in Myanmar on 3rd leg of journey. A solar-powered plane landed in Myanmar on Thursday night, the third leg of a round-the-world trip aimed at highlighting clean energy. Dozens of trees had to be cleared ahead of the Solar Impulse 2's arrival at the Mandalay International Airport for its giant mobile hangar and exhibition tent, said Taik Aung, the country's director of air navigation and safety division. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article15329099.html MISCELLANEOUS Cal State L.A. receives $1-million gift to study urban environment. Cal State Los Angeles has received a $1-million gift to study environmental problems afflicting large urban areas, officials said this week. The donation from the Sikand Foundation will establish the Gunjit S. Sikand Faculty Endowment for Research in Urban Sustainability. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-calstate-gift-20150318-story.html Urban sprawl costs U.S. billions annually – report. Rapid and uncontrolled development in urban areas costs the United States more than $1 trillion annually, according to a new study. When cities grow, they tend to get more spread out, increasing residents' need to commute by car and reducing the accessibility of a city. The sprawl can create increased fuel costs from sitting in traffic, maintaining cars and larger homes, and more dispersed activities. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015330/print BLOGS Top hurricane expert: Climate change influenced Tropical Cyclone Pam. Late last week, one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record in the South Pacific made a direct hit on the island nation of Vanuatu, leaving more than 20 people dead and massive destruction in its wake. Tropical Cyclone Pam’s sustained winds of 165 mph and gusts nearing 200 ripped trees from the ground and flattened homes. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/03/18/top-hurricane-expert-climate-change-influenced-tropical-cyclone-pam/ The Wages of Cyclone Pam He also warned that the climate in the region would remain volatile as long as global warming goes unchecked. “The cyclone seasons, the warm, the rain, all this is affected,” he said. “Yes, climate change is contributing to this.” No deaths have been reported in other countries, but, according to a press release issued by Tuvalu, nearly half of its population has been displaced. http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-wages-of-cyclone-pam California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 20 Mar 2015 14:55:27 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 20, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 20, 2015. 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 Cap-and-Trade, Fence Line Monitor Concerns Stall Justice Council Advice to EPA on Rules. The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council couldn't agree March 19 on final advice to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the agency's refinery and Clean Power Plan proposals. The council did approve during a teleconference letters to be sent to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy on its stance regarding the farmworker protection proposal and chemical safety issues. http://www.bna.com/capandtrade-fence-line-n17179924212/ RGGI Auction Extends US Carbon Market Winning Streak. North America’s longest-running carbon market just set a new mark for carbon pricing across the Northeast US, passing a significant revenue milestone years ahead of schedule, and continuing an impressive winning streak for American and Canadian carbon auctions. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/03/20/rggi-auction-extends-us-carbon-market-winning-streak/ New Forests and Round Valley Indian Tribes register first forest carbon offset project. The Round Valley Indian Tribes and New Forests announced the regulatory approval of the first forest carbon offset project developed on Native American trust land for the California carbon market. The California Air Resources Board (“ARB”) approved issuance of over 540,000 ARB offset credits to the Round Valley Indian Tribes Improved Forest Management Project in February 2015. http://www.lesprom.com/en/news/New_Forests_and_Round_Valley_Indian_Tribes_register_first_forest_carbon_offset_project_66782/#sthash.2m5Uc81t.dpuf AIR POLLUTION Chinese capital shuts third coal-fired plant in war on smog. China's smog-hit capital Beijing has shut down the third of its four coal-fired power plants as part of its campaign to cut pollution, with the final one scheduled to close next year, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday. In 2013, the city promised in its clean air action plan to bring annual coal consumption down to less than 10 million tonnes by 2017… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/20/us-china-pollution-beijing-idUSKBN0MG1D120150320 Singapore's air pollution rises to unhealthy level. Singapore's air pollution hit levels classified "unhealthy" on Friday, the government's National Environment Agency said on its website. (www.haze.gov.sg) . The 3-hour Pollution Standards Index (PSI) in the city-state rose to 102 at 4 p.m. local time (0800 GMT). A PSI reading above 100 indicates air pollution has reached an "unhealthy" level. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/20/us-singapore-pollution-idUSKBN0MG0QS20150320 EPA to require electronic reporting of emissions data. U.S. EPA today said it plans to require industrial facilities to submit certain air emissions data electronically, part of a larger agency shift to bring environmental regulation into the 21st century. According to the proposal, most facilities subject to Clean Air Act new source performance standards would have to electronically submit reports on excess emissions, performance tests and other data requirements. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060015459/print CLIMATE CHANGE US climate change envoy: China, US working closer on deal. A U.S. envoy for climate change said Friday that China and the U.S. are working more closely than ever ahead of a conference this year in Paris that raises hopes for a global plan to cut greenhouse emissions. Special Envoy Todd Stern told reporters in Beijing that he still expects hard negotiations between many countries in advance of the U.N. summit. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/20/china-usa-climatechange-idUSL3N0WM31X20150320 Prince Charles Presses Climate-Change Agenda With Obama. While Prince Charles’s visit to the White House lacks the buzz created when his son called on the U.S. president in December, President Barack Obama still cares enough to time a climate-change announcement to the British royal’s arrival. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/prince-charles-to-press-obama-on-sick-patient-climate-change Scotland Starts 76 Million-Pound Low-Carbon Infrastructure Plan. Scotland began a 76 million-pound ($112 million) program of investment in low-carbon infrastructure such as heating for homes and transportation improvements. The Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme is getting 33 million pounds from the European Regional Development Fund and the rest from match-funding partners… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-20/scotland-starts-76-million-pound-low-carbon-infrastructure-plan U.S. Negotiator Sees Global Climate Change Deal Happening This Year. Negotiators are looking to avoid stumbling blocks that troubled 2009 Copenhagen talks. The top U.S. climate negotiator expressed cautious optimism about sealing a new global climate change pact by the end of the year, stressing growing cooperation between the U.S. and China to limit carbon emissions. http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-negotiator-sees-global-climate-change-deal-this-year-1426849480 McConnell Urges States to Help Thwart Obama’s ‘War on Coal’. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has begun an aggressive campaign to block President Obama’s climate change agenda in statehouses and courtrooms across the country, arenas far beyond Mr. McConnell’s official reach and authority. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/20/us/politics/mitch-mcconnell-urges-states-to-help-thwart-obamas-war-on-coal.html?ref=politics&_r=0 Feds: Review of 4 decades of North Pacific seabird surveys indicates 2 percent loss every year. The number of seabirds, including gulls, puffins and auklets, has dropped significantly in the Gulf of Alaska and northeast Bering Sea, a possible consequence of warmer waters, according to a preliminary federal analysis of nearly 40 years of surveys. http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/03/19/feds-document-seabird-loss-in-north-pacific-waters Warm Spring Expected for West, Flooding Risk in East. Spring has sprung, but for parts of the country the season will be a hangover of winter’s extremes: The West looks to stay stuck in hot, dry conditions, and eastern areas walloped by snowstorms could see flooding if the snow on the ground melts too quickly. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its outlook for spring weather across the country on Thursday…http://www.climatecentral.org/news/spring-outlook-warming-18797 Annual greenhouse gas emissions from forests drop by a quarter, U.N. says. Yearly carbon emissions from the world's forests have dropped by more than 25 percent in the last 15 years, a U.N. agency said on Friday. The decrease in annual emissions, which cause global warming, is largely due to slowing rates of global deforestation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported. http://news.yahoo.com/annual-greenhouse-gas-emissions-forests-drop-quarter-u-170549225.html http://www.stackyard.com/news/2015/03/fao/04_carbon.html DROUGHT UN warns world could have 40 percent water shortfall by 2030. The world could suffer a 40 percent shortfall in water in just 15 years unless countries dramatically change their use of the resource, a U.N. report warned Friday. Many underground water reserves are already running low, while rainfall patterns are predicted to become more erratic with climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WORLD_WATER_CRISIS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California governor proposes $1 billion in drought spending. As California copes with a fourth straight year of drought, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on Thursday proposed legislation to accelerate more than $1 billion in water spending and urged residents to do their part to conserve. Winter is ending in California without enough snow and rain to replenish reservoirs, offering little relief from the worst drought in a generation. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-emergency-drought-20150318-story.html No, California won't run out of water in a year. Lawmakers are proposing emergency legislation, state officials are clamping down on watering lawns and, as California enters a fourth year of drought, some are worried that the state could run out of water. State water managers and other experts said Thursday that California is in no danger of running out of water in the next two years, even after an extremely dry January and paltry snowpack. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0320-drought-explainer-20150320-story.html Drought relief package proposed. Spending could start soon for $1.1 billion plan. With California trudging into its fourth dry year, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on Thursday announced $1.1 billion in emergency funding for flood protection and drought relief. http://www.modbee.com/news/article15432716.html#storylink=cpy Manteca Considers Selling Treated Wastewater For Farm Irrigation. The drought is creating a new way for cities to make money, including selling treated wastewater for farm irrigation. A Manteca group called Neighbors United is urging the city council to sell treated wastewater to local farmers as water sources dry up in the drought. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/19/manteca-considers-selling-treated-wastewater-for-farm-irrigation/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB offers webinars, other informational opportunities on diesel regs. The California Air Resources Board is offering multiple classes for truck owners and drivers to learn more about the state’s emissions regulations. In an effort to help educate the trucking community about emissions rules compliance, CARB will host on-site classes and a few webinars that truckers and others can watch anywhere with an Internet connection. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=28712#.VQxBahYpmdw FUELS Here's the Next Biggest Threat to Global Crude Oil Prices. The next big threat to oil prices isn’t from OPEC or Bakken shale. It’s Russian samovars, or teapots. Simple refineries that process crude into fuel oil are scaling back, because when oil prices slump, the government reduces the discount that these refiners -- known as teapots to those in the industry -- get for exporting fuel. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-20/russian-teapots-pose-next-big-threat-to-global-crude-oil-prices European Coal Falls to Lowest Since 2007 as Demand Outlook Dims. European coal prices fell to the lowest in more than seven years amid a worldwide glut of the fuel as governments from the U.S. to China boost efforts to shift away from the most-polluting energy source. Prices for delivery next year to northwest Europe slid as much as 0.7 percent, according to broker data compiled by Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-20/eu-next-year-coal-falls-to-record-low-close-as-glut-grows Natural Gas Drops for Second Day on Forecasts for Mild Weather. Natural gas futures slid for a second day in New York on forecasts for mild weather in the central and western U.S. that would limit demand for the heating fuel. Temperatures may be mostly normal or higher than usual in the regions through April 3, according to Commodity Weather Group LLC in Bethesda, Maryland. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-20/u-s-natgas-rises-third-time-in-four-days-after-supply-report-i7hamz1y U.S. Sets First Fracking Standards in More Than 30 Years. The Obama administration issued the first federal regulations for fracking since the drilling technique fueled a domestic energy boom, requiring extensive disclosures of the chemicals used on public land. After years of debate and delay, the Bureau of Land Management on Friday said drillers on federal lands must reveal the chemicals they use… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-20/u-s-sets-first-fracking-rules-since-process-fueled-energy-boom Debt Is Oil Patch's Four-Letter Word. The 60 percent plunge in crude oil prices since mid-2014 isn't just about increased production and slower global growth. Debt may be the four-letter word when it comes to explaining the extent of the energy sector's collapse, a paper in the Bank for International Settlement's Quarterly Review shows. While production has certainly increased and consumption cooled… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/debt-is-oil-patch-s-four-letter-word EU Leaders Seek Tighter Oversight of Russian Gas Deals. European Union leaders called for more transparency in natural gas contracts with Russia and other external suppliers under the proposed energy union plan. EU heads of government held their first talks about developing closer energy ties among the bloc’s 28 nations on Thursday in a push to increase security of supply… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/eu-leaders-may-seek-more-oversight-of-russian-gas-deals Japan court denies injunction against MOX nuclear fuel use. A local district court in southwestern Japan on Friday denied granting an injunction against Kyushu Electric Power Co's use of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel at its Genkai No.3 reactor, the nuclear operator said. The Saga district court on the island of Kyushu found that the No.3 reactor at the Genkai plant meets Japan's nuclear regulator's stringent safety rules and that the plaintiffs failed to prove that the fuel posed a specific danger. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/20/us-japan-nuclear-kyushu-elec-pwr-idUSKBN0MG11T20150320?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Interior unveils BLM frack rule -- FracFocus in, waste pits out. The Obama administration released its final rule today for drilling and hydraulic fracturing on federal land, its biggest foray yet into the divisive issue many call "fracking." The rule, announced by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, offered something for each side in the divisive debate. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060015477/print Producers tell judges that EPA rule is 'impossible' A coalition of ethanol producers today sought to convince a federal appeals court that U.S. EPA's rules for curbing sulfur in gasoline are "logically impossible to satisfy." The Energy Future Coalition and eight ethanol producers say the rules create a Catch-22: EPA seeks higher blends of alternative fuels to be used in the market… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060015466/print Oil industry groups sue EPA for failing to set biofuel goals. Oil industry groups this week sued U.S. EPA for failing to establish annual biofuel mandates under the renewable fuel standard program. The complaint filed Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia accuses EPA of violating the Clean Air Act by not setting the requirements for 2014 and 2015. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060015464/print VEHICLES China boosts fleet of electric, hybrid vehicles. Chinese authorities have announced plans to boost the number of electric, hybrid and other alternative fuel-powered vehicles used for public transportation, while sales of such cars for private use have spiked in recent months. The Transport Ministry announced Wednesday that officials aimed to add 200,000 buses and 100,000 taxis powered by alternative fuels by 2020. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_ALTERNATIVE_FUEL_VEHICLES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Nissan Announces Leadership Changes in North America. Nissan today announced leadership changes within its North American operations coinciding with the upcoming start of the company’s Fiscal Year 2015 on April 1. The changes announced today will positively impact the company’s North American operations and further accelerate progress towards the company’s global ‘Power 88’ mid-term business plan. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/20/tn-nissan-idUSnBw205405a+100+BSW20150320 Tesla unveils apps for 'range anxiety,' self-driving car. Tesla Motors has unveiled new software updates that could relieve "range anxiety" and give its electric vehicles the ability to drive themselves. In an invitation-only telephone conference Thursday, the company's chief executive, Elon Musk, said new Tesla vehicles will soon be able to steer themselves, park themselves and brake in an emergency. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-tesla-musk-range-anxiety-20150318-story.html Researchers find 'hidden benefits' of electric vehicles -- they can make cities cooler, healthier. The world's most compact and industrial cities, with limited greenery, smothering blacktop and hardened buildings, amplify climate change effects by trapping and retaining heat. Scientists describe the phenomenon as the "urban heat island effect," or UHIE. Public health officials often link its presence to heat wave deaths, and grid operators chart spikes in power surges and outages on cities' hottest days worldwide. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015437/print GREEN ENERGY Solar Power Inc. Seeks to Develop Floating Projects in U.S. Solar Power Inc., a renewable-energy developer backed by China’s LDK Solar Co., is joining with Aqua Clean Energy to develop floating solar projects in the U.S. and Mexico. The joint venture would put solar panels on platforms in reservoirs, quarry lakes, irrigation canals and tailing ponds, Shanghai-based Solar Power said in a statement Thursday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/solar-power-inc-seeks-to-develop-floating-projects-in-u-s- Carlyle Group Raises $2.5 Billion for International Energy Deals. Carlyle Group LP has raised $2.5 billion for an international energy fund as the private equity investor bolsters its oil and gas firepower after the collapse in prices. Marcel van Poecke, head of Carlyle International Energy Partners, said the Washington-based firm closed the fund after commitments from 160 investors. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/carlyle-group-raises-2-5-billion-for-international-energy-deals Look What Today's Eclipse Did to German Solar Power Output. This chart shows what happens to solar when the moon blocks out the sun. While sun watchers across Europe thrilled at the chance to experience a rare solar eclipse on Friday, energy companies suffered through some nervous moments. Solar power generators in Germany were unsure about how the sudden disappearance and then reappearance of the sun… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-20/look-what-today-s-eclipse-did-to-german-solar-power-output Solar Age’s First Eclipse Passes With Brief Surge in Power Price. Power prices in Germany fluttered as the first eclipse of the emerging solar age passed and utility operators worked overtime to keep the grid supplied. The moon blocked about 80 percent of the sun’s light across Europe from about 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. London time Friday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-20/eclipse-tests-european-power-grid-flooded-by-solar-farms-i7hlfkm0 MISCELLANEOUS Scientists explore 2,000 miles of the ocean floor -- and you can too. Now you can explore the ocean floor without leaving your desk. The U.S. Geological Survey this week posted thousands of photos and videos of the U.S. coastline and adjacent seafloor, allowing users to explore sections of the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts in an interactive map. Most of the areas covered in the new imagery have never been seen before. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83101019/ The surprising psychology behind why some people become environmentalists. The environment — and especially the subject of climate change — is one of the most polarizing topics in American politics. This fact is obvious and indisputable — but what is the root reason behind it? Psychologists are beginning to probe that question using the tools of their trade — surveys, questionnaires and correlations. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/19/the-surprising-reason-why-some-people-become-environmentalists-and-others-dont/ Head of National Renewable Energy Lab to retire. The director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced yesterday he will retire at the end of September. Over his 10-year tenure, Dan Arvizu oversaw a doubling of NREL's research portfolio, adding research in high-performance computing, electric grid integration, and basic materials and biological science to its primary work in renewable energy and energy efficiency, according to NREL, which is based in Golden, Colo. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060015463/print OPINIONS California’s response to drought has fallen woefully short. This drought, this water emergency – the worst in our short recorded history – is so serious that the State Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday to mandate that hotels give patrons the option of declining fresh linens and require homeowners to limit watering their lawns to just two days a week. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/ben-boychuk/article15382553.html#storylink=cpy Officials cobble $1 billion to fight drought. At legislators’ prodding, Gov. Jerry Brown began loosening his tight fist by agreeing to spend $1.1 billion to combat the drought. The question: What has taken so long? In his initial budget proposal, Brown allocated a paltry $23 million from the $7.5 billion bond approved by voters in November to deal with the drought. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article15406862.html#storylink=cpy AM Alert: Does California’s water use drive climate change? A press conference about responding to California’s crippling drought may have seemed like an odd place for questions about energy efficiency. But there Gov. Jerry Brown was yesterday, talking about why he is proposing money for low-emission farming equipment. What, a reporter asked; does that have to do with water? http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article15411614.html#storylink=cpy Water restrictions are just a taste of what's to come for California. Action on Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board to restrict lawn watering and home car-washing made big news outside of California but barely raised eyebrows in-state. That's because most urban agencies had already imposed those kinds of limits more than a year ago. Californians responded initially with big water savings but let the hoses and sprinklers run again toward the end of last year… http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83102513/ Feds should take over protecting groundwater. California has lost control of its quickly diminishing water. While state officials lose no opportunity to tout California’s environmental leadership to the world and to plead with residents to conserve water, regulators have allowed oil companies to dump billions of gallons of toxic wastewater each year into protected underground drinking water. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article15381533.html#storylink=cpy What’s the threat? Paraphrasing President Barack Obama from a few weeks ago: Climate change is a greater threat than the Islamic State. Paraphrasing his national security adviser about the same time: The Islamic State is not an existential threat, like World War II. Translating those confusing words makes climate change more existential than IS terrorism, and possibly as existential as World War II. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/03/20/3547031_whats-the-threat.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy BLOGS Costa Rica Powered By 100% Renewable Energy For First 75 Days Of 2015. The Latin American country of Costa Rica has achieved the milestone of generating 100 per cent of its energy from renewable resources, with a combination of hydropower and geothermal for 75 days in a row, the state-owned Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) said. Boosted by good rains at four of he country’s main hydroelectric plants… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/03/20/costa-rica-powered-by-100-renewable-energy-for-first-75-days-of-2015/ Canada Could Go 100 Percent Renewable By 2035 If Its Government Gets Serious About Climate Change. Canada can be a world leader in emissions reductions and renewable energy use, but only if its federal government decides to take climate change seriously, according to a new report. The report, published Wednesday by 70 Canadian academics, looked at Canada’s potential to shift its electricity production to renewable sources and cut its emissions. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/20/3635370/canada-academics-report-on-emissions-renewable-energy/ The Biggest Source Of U.S. Carbon Emissions Is Coal Extracted >From Public Lands. Taxpayer-owned coal is the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress and The Wilderness Society. The report, released Thursday, finds that emissions from coal, oil and gas that is mined or drilled on federal lands and waters could account for 24 percent of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in 2012. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/20/3636600/coal-leasing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-report/ The Senate Had A Hearing On Oil Exports And Didn’t Mention The Environment Once. On Thursday, the Senate Energy Committee convened a hearing to discuss the U.S. ban on crude oil exports, which has been in place since 1973. With the United States in the midst of an oil boom — and with Americans using less gas than ever before…http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/20/3636291/oil-export-environmental-impacts/ 51% of BMW Group’s electricity worldwide from renewable sources; targeting 100%. At its Annual Account Press Conference 2015, the BMW Group announced that, for the first time in the history of the Group, 51% of its electricity worldwide is being supplied from renewable sources. This is a significant milestone for the company, its aim being to gradually increase the share of renewable energy to 100% over the coming years. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150320-bmw.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 11:28:06 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 23, 2015 From: dchelini@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. FUELS UNDER CAP AND TRADE Republicans take another stab at cap-and-trade gas exemption. Efforts last year to delay bringing transportation fuels under California’s cap-and-trade program were a bust. Despite concerns raised by industry groups and moderate Democrats, the new regulation went into effect on Jan. 1, part of the state’s sweeping 2006 law aimed at reducing carbon emissions blamed for climate change. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article15537695.html Why are California's Gasoline Prices Always Higher? On Friday, the price of gasoline in California was $3.30 a gallon, versus $2.43 for the rest of the country. Signed into law in 2006, Assembly Bill 32 mandated a reduction in California’s GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. For the transportation sector, this centers on standards for cleaner, more efficient vehicles/trucks, a clean fuels standard, and now cap-and-trade. http://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/03/22/why-are-californias-gasoline-prices-always-higher/ AIR POLLUTION EPA rule on power plant emissions faces formidable hurdle in Supreme Court. Twenty-five years in the making, a new nationwide rule is set to take effect this spring that will sharply restrict coal and oil-fired power plants from releasing mercury, arsenic and other hazardous pollutants into the air and, eventually, into rivers and lakes. But the rule faces a final and formidable hurdle when the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday from lawyers for the coal and power industries, who say it may be "the most costly rule" ever adopted under the Clean Air Act. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-court-toxic-air-20150323-story.html Air pollutants boost potency of airborne allergens. Certain traffic-related air pollutants can provoke chemical changes in airborne allergens and increase their potency, a new study says. The gases, nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone, may instigate chemical changes in certain airborne allergens, the findings showed. http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/air-pollutants-boost-potency-of-airborne-allergens-115032300311_1.html Paris hit by air pollution spike, halves cars on roads. Paris will cut the number of cars on the road in half beginning Monday and is making public transit free to combat a spike in pollution that has obscured even the Eiffel Tower under a smoggy haze. The mayor's office announced Saturday that only cars with odd-numbered plates will be permitted to drive Monday, as well as any electric or hybrid vehicles and any vehicles with more than three people. Public transit will be free, as will the electric car-sharing and bike sharing-programs. http://www.10news.com/entertainment/around-the-web/paris-hit-by-air-pollution-spike-halves-cars-on-roads-03212015 Air quality can affect students’ decisions to study abroad. Ena Cemalovic is a study abroad student in Shanghai, China. Upon arriving in Shanghai for her first semester, she felt tired and exhausted all the time. She also experienced shortness of breath and headaches almost every day, along with having more frequent asthma attacks. Her doctors have since attributed some of these health problems with air pollution. http://college.usatoday.com/2015/03/20/air-quality-can-affect-students-decisions-to-study-abroad/ Bay Area air quality regulator to refineries: Refine more crude. Last fall, activists in the East Bay Oil Refinery Corridor celebrated the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s promise to write new rules imposing a 20 percent reduction in hazardous emissions on Bay Area refineries. This week, however, East Bay activists attended the meetings with the agency staff to express their dismay at the rules as drafted. http://sfbayview.com/2015/03/bay-area-air-quality-regulator-to-refineries-refine-more-crude/ The potency of airborne allergens may be boosted by air pollution. It often appears as if allergic conditions are worsened by air pollution. The American Chemical Society has reported via Newswise on March 22, 2015, that air pollutants could boost the potency of common airborne allergens. Air pollutants associated with climate change could also be a primary contributor to the unparalleled increase in the number of people who are seen sneezing, sniffling and wheezing during allergy season. http://www.examiner.com/article/the-potency-of-airborne-allergens-may-be-boosted-by-air-pollution CLIMATE CHANGE Could absolute consensus on global warming come in a suitcase? NASA scientist Emily Wilson has big plans for a little gadget. She has developed a suitcase-sized instrument that measures carbon dioxide and methane wafting into the atmosphere from ground level to four miles into the sky. "I have a pretty big vision," Wilson said. She wants to create a worldwide network of these portable monitors to track the two potent greenhouse gases that have been identified as major contributors to global warming. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-tns-bc-env-climate-instrument-20150323-story.html 'We only have one home': Pharrell Williams urges action on climate change. It's time to go "from climate change to climate action" in efforts to save the planet, U.S. pop star Pharrell Williams said at the United Nations on Friday. Singer-producer Williams, 41, partnered with the United Nations Foundation on the International Day of Happiness to raise awareness and call for more action on climate change. "If you look at our behavior is hard to believe we’re all aware we only have one planet," Williams said in a General Assembly hall crowded with young people. "My main inspiration for being here today is that we’re in trouble, but we can change that. This earth is our home." http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/21/us-climatechange-un-pharrellwilliams-idUSKBN0MH00720150321 >From fighter jets to fish farms: Why Lockheed Martin is taking on climate change. The head of one of the world’s most innovative fish farms sports a scruffy beard and talks about saving the planet by moving “toward a culture of nurture.” His office is a trailer near the beach, where the views are of dolphins, the mission is progressive and the dress code is loose. All of which makes Neil Sims’s partnership with Lockheed Martin a most unusual corporate alliance. The world’s largest defense contractor is best known for making the weapons that unleash cataclysmic fury on America’s enemies, whether in Iraq, Afghanistan or Syria. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2015/03/20/from-fighter-jets-to-fish-farms-why-lockheed-martin-is-taking-on-climate-change/ Great Barrier Reef: Green groups say 2050 plan does nothing to address climate change. The Queensland and federal governments say the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan released on Saturday is a comprehensive, strategic assessment and will protect the Great Barrier Reef. It aims to address key recommendations made by the United Nation's World Heritage Committee to avoid the site being declared "in danger" by UNESCO. The report warns climate change is the biggest long-term threat facing the reef, while the immediate pressures include water quality, which has declined due to nutrient and sediment runoff from agricultural production. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-22/green-groups-say-barrier-reef-plan-fails-climate-change/6338912 Jerry Brown: Opposition on climate change ‘borders on the immoral.’ Gov. Jerry Brown said opposition to steps President Barack Obama is taking on climate change “borders on the immoral,” as he tore into Republicans in an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Brown’s remarks came after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urged states last week to ignore federal directives to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. Brown, a longtime champion of environmental causes, said McConnell was “representing his coal constituents” and putting at risk “the health and well-being of America.” The Democratic governor called McConnell’s efforts “a disgrace.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article16011623.html#storylink=cpy U.S. Is Laggard Among Developed Nations in Understanding Climate Change. For three decades, more than half of Americans have considered climate change a serious threat. Yet today, the U.S. still lags behind much of the rest of the developed world as understanding of global warming has become more widespread. That's one finding of a new analysis of dozens of international climate polls since the 1980s by researchers at Cardiff University in Wales. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/23032015/us-laggard-among-developed-nations-understanding-climate-change FORMALDEHYDE/LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators slides on new call for investigation. Shares of Lumber Liquidators edged lower Monday, hitting their lowest price in almost three years after a second U.S. senator called for an investigation into the safety of laminate flooring made in China. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission should investigate the safety of the wood flooring material and make recalls if the products are found to be dangerous. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article16088054.html Schumer calls on feds to investigate safety of lumber liquidators’ wood flooring. U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to immediately launch a broad investigation into the safety of Chinese-imported wood flooring material from Lumber Liquidators, and to initiate recalls or other disciplinary action if the product is found to be dangerous. http://www.wktv.com/news/297251481.html GREEN ENERGY European power grids keep lights on through solar eclipse. Electrical grids in Europe succeeded in managing the unprecedented disruption to solar power from Friday's 2-1/2-hour eclipse that brought sudden, massive drops in supply. Germany, Europe's leading economy and boasting the world's biggest solar-powered installations, was at the heart of the event. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/20/us-solar-eclipse-germany-idUSKBN0MG0S620150320 Going solar? In Coachella Valley, plenty of choices. Thousands of homeowners and businesses went solar across the Coachella Valley last year, and they didn't lack for options when choosing a solar company. More than 150 firms installed solar panels in the Coachella Valley last year alone, collectively amassing more than 2,700 solar permits across the valley's nine cities, a Desert Sun analysis of city permits found. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/03/21/rooftop-solar-companies-compete-desert/25089681/ 5 charts that explain U.S. electricity prices. Last month, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) released its data on residential electricity prices in the United States for 2013, and the numbers speak volumes about the state of the American electricity system. In general, what customers pay for power depends on where they are. http://www.utilitydive.com/news/5-charts-that-explain-us-electricity-prices/378054/ OPINIONS Clean Air Act and Dirty Coal at the Supreme Court. The name of the law at issue before the Supreme Court on Wednesday is the Clean Air Act. It is not the Coal Industry Protection Act, despite what that industry’s advocates seem to want the justices to believe. Congress passed the legislation in 1970 and substantially strengthened it in 1990 to safeguard human health from air pollution generated by power plants, vehicles, incinerators and other sources. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/opinion/clean-air-act-and-dirty-coal-at-the-supreme-court.html?_r=0 Reining in the coal industry's assault on public health. On Wednesday the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a crucial case about regulating mercury and other toxic air pollution coming from coal-fired power plants. At stake is a very dangerous precedent that industry profits are more important than thousands of lives. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0323-garcia-epa-power-plants-20150323-story.html $1.1 billion in drought relief helps, but we need rain. At legislators’ prodding, Gov. Jerry Brown began unfurling his tight fist by agreeing to spend $1.1 billion to combat the drought. The question: What took him so long? In his initial budget proposal, Brown allocated a sparse $23 million from the November bond to deal with the drought by improving water efficiency on farms and among urban users. That proposal was dated in December, when there was hope the state would not face a fourth year of drought. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/22/4436083_editorial-11-billion-in-drought.html?rh=1 Why Climate Change Is a Terrible Argument for Investing in Renewable Energy. Solar energy is popping up everywhere and providing benefits like shade to cars in warm climates. Image source: SunPower. When most people talk about wind and solar energy it's a safe bet that the topic of climate change isn't far behind. Scientists have roundly concluded that high carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are changing the world's climate, and the predicted consequences are anywhere from bad to terrible if the trend continues. http://www.sfgate.com/business/fool/article/Why-Climate-Change-Is-a-Terrible-Argument-for-6152549.php To the media: Don’t help the “Merchants of Doubt”. Climate change denier William O’Keefe recently wrote in the Hill, “The belief that carbon dioxide emissions lead to climate change has become an article of faith even though it is contradicted by climate history, physics and the pause in warming that began in 1998.” This is climate denial, plain and simple — and The Hill is responsible for broadcasting it. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/236488-to-the-media-dont-help-the-merchants-of-doubt BLOGS As Solar Power Spreads, Diverse Users Fight Utility Attempts To Penalize It. You'd be surprised how much a rooftop solar panel can make utility-company executives sweat. Home solar installations are on the rise in the U.S., and that has electric utilities worried. Now they have a new worry: A remarkably varied group of advocates and interest groups is fighting efforts by utility lobbyists to restrict, penalize, or boost the consumer cost of solar electricity. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097367_as-solar-power-spreads-diverse-users-fight-utility-attempts-to-penalize-it California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 16:29:53 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 24, 2015 From: aleaks@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. CAP AND TRADE Bill to yank fuels from cap and trade fails, but questions remain on reality of CO2 reductions. ...would have retroactively exempted motor fuels from the mandates of California's cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions was rejected... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20822691561&p=19f&v=1&x=CFjH2tijgAReJXFt5lQtwg Opponents of cap-and-trade struggle to find a strategy to kill it. An attempt by Republican lawmakers to dismantle part of California’s cap-and-trade program in order to help Californians save money on gasoline died Monday in its first policy hearing. The fact that Democrats killed the legislation on a 6-3 party-line vote was not in itself remarkable -- for those keeping track of the politics of climate change policy, a swift execution of Assembly Bill 23 was no surprise. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/24/quick-death-of-cap-and-trade-bill-may-be-last.html China should link southern carbon markets ahead of nationwide scheme. -study- Academics that advise the government on carbon trading in China have proposed linking two emissions exchanges in... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/24/china-carbon-idUSL3N0WP4A920150324 AIR POLLUTION Beijing to Shut All Major Coal Power Plants to Cut Pollution. Beijing, where pollution averaged more than twice China’s national standard last year, will close the last of its four major coal-fired power plants next year. The capital city will shutter China Huaneng Group Corp.’s 845-megawatt power plant in 2016, after last week closing plants owned by Guohua Electric Power Corp. and Beijing Energy Investment Holding Co., according to a statement Monday on the website of the city’s economic planning agency. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-24/beijing-to-close-all-major-coal-power-plants-to-curb-pollution Paris Bans Some Cars For A Day To Battle Smog. Paris has banned cars with license plates ending in even numbers from its roads today to reduce smog that last week briefly made the City of Lights among the world's most polluted places. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=394813846 http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-france-paris-smog-20150323-story.html Carbon company to install emission controls in federal settlement. Our software detected that cookies are disabled in your browser. Cookies... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20817187644&p=19f&v=1&x=FmlB3LC8ly-yuUXk5-dcQA Plan to require fireplace retrofits at Bay Area homes for sale heats up smoke debate. ...the pocket of property owners looking to sell or rent their homes, Bay Area air quality officials are ratcheting up their campaign against smoke... http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_27765584/plan-require-fireplace-retrofits-at-homes-sale-heats?source=most_viewed Fracking Fumes Force Texas Resident to Shutter Home Business After a Decade. ...facilities, all within 2.5 miles of their home of nearly 20 years. The foul air has caused Buehring blinding headaches, aggravated her asthma, burned... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/22032015/fracking-fumes-force-texas-resident-shutter-home-business-after-decade Reining in the coal industry's assault on public health. ...will hear arguments in a crucial case about regulating mercury and other toxic air pollution coming from coal-fired power plants. At stake is a... http://www.latimes.com/about/la-oe-0323-garcia-epa-power-plants-20150323-story.html?track=rss Beijing mayor promises frugal, smog-free Winter Games. ...Winter Olympics they will be both frugal and free from the city's notorious smog, the city's mayor was quoted as saying in a state-run newspaper on... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/24/us-china-olympics-idUSKBN0MK0A820150324 Obama Adviser Blasts McConnell For Denigrating Power Plant Rule. ...campaign to have states essentially ignore Environmental Protection Agency carbon pollution limits for power plants by urging all 50 states to “carefully... http://www.bna.com/obama-adviser-blasts-n17179924268/ Whitfield Plans Legislation to Postpone State Compliance With Clean Power Plan. ...expected this summer. Whitfield acknowledged the role human activity plays in climate change and said his bill would recognize EPA authority to... http://www.bna.com/whitfield-plans-legislation-n17179924352/ Alameda County supervisors to hear appeal on controversial Altamont wind turbines. ...decommissioning of old turbines, with companies such as NextEra Energy and EDF Renewable Energy making strides toward repowering with larger, more... http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_27766855/alameda-county-supervisors-hear-appeal-controversial-altamont-wind CLIMATE CHANGE On World Meteorological Day, UN chief stresses need to mitigate climate change patterns. ...need for timely, reliable information to further strengthen resilience. "Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of these... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20814007423&p=19f&v=1&x=SxZ-U44CshSuqoj_YMOskw SECURITY: Military experts to Congress: Don't cut Defense climate funding. With climate change dollars at the Pentagon and CIA facing the Republican... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20811748148&p=19f&v=1&x=qvZINoV9VuekhezdB1FQow ECONOMICS: Climate change has a multibillion-dollar impact on China's development, says the country's top weather expert. HONG KONG -- China's top weather official today issued a stark warning on climate change, saying that rising temperatures have become not only... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20811748216&p=19f&v=1&x=0L7l3UGaB07jA1qsif6w1w OCEANS: Researchers flock to new USGS subsea image database. ...a tool for managers and scientists to gauge the impacts of phenomenon like sea-level rise. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20817284066&p=19f&v=1&x=BMLwgLV0LmnjcpxvWqr2sw When Legally Liable, Companies Don't Dispute Global Warming. ...Publishing) U.S. coal companies that are publicly skeptical of man-made climate change acknowledge in mandatory financial disclosures the... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/23032015/when-legally-liable-companies-dont-dispute-global-warming FEMA: Caught Between Climate Change and Congress. Thanks to climate change, extreme weather disasters have hammered the United... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20813164686&p=19f&v=1&x=p9x7sFUyNeAnTwQHdaoEQg BIOFUELS: Mexican oil company unveils plan to reduce emissions by 35%. Mexican state-run oil company Pemex will begin selling gasoline mixed with ethanol in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20811748345&p=19f&v=1&x=Dg6R55J7NkR-TuxM9QXgvg GOP lawmaker targets Obama climate plan. ...Monday targeted a key element of President Barack Obama's strategy for fighting climate change, releasing a bill to delay the Obama administration's... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article16134671.html Companies to issue record $30 bln in green bonds this year. - S&P ...on Monday. Proceeds from green bonds are typically used on projects to cut greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, increase... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/23/bonds-renewables-sp-idUSL6N0WP22E20150323 AECOM announces plan for greenhouse gas emission cuts at meeting with U.S. President Obama AECOM announces plan for greenhouse gas emission cuts at meeting with U.S. President Obama... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/23/ca-aecom- idUSnBw235870a+100+BSW20150323 FUELS Truckers, fuel manufacturers sue to stop Oregon's clean fuels law. An unhappy coalition of out-of-state fuel manufacturers and truckers is seeking an injunction to prevent Oregon’s new Clean Fuels law from taking effect, saying it violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution and gives Oregon biofuels manufacturers an unfair advantage. http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/truckers-fuel-manufacturers-sue-to-stop-oregons.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_portland+%28Portland+Business+Journal%29 Big Oil’s broken business model: the real story behind the oil price collapse. Many reasons have been provided for the dramatic plunge in the price of oil to about $50 per barrel as of this writing (half of what it was a year ago): slowing demand due to global economic stagnation; overproduction at shale fields in the United States… http://www.energypost.eu/big-oils-broken-business-model-real-story-behind-oil-price-collapse/ ECONOMY: Gasoline prices dip. ...most expensive state in the nation but for consumers, prices have fallen. Gasoline prices continue to fall for the Inland area, with some discount... http://www.pe.com/articles/prices-762992-monday-regular.html AM Alert: Senate probes California's gas prices ...gas prices. An expected bump at the pump from including oil companies in the cap-and-trade process figured heavily into political campaigns... http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article16135085.html EIA: US biodiesel and renewable diesel imports decline 36% in 2014. Imports of biomass-based diesel fuel (both biodiesel and renewable... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150323-eia.html Gasoline Prices Slide as Crude Oil Falls to Six-Year Low. Welcome Guest U.S. retail gasoline prices in the Lundberg Survey dropped as crude oil fell to the... http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=37722&t=Gasoline-Prices-Slide-as-Crude-Oil-Falls-to-Six-Year-Low DROUGHT Proposed Office To Help Poor Communities Get Clean Drinking Water. The emergency drought relief bill proposed for California would create a new state... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/23/proposed-office-to-help-poor-communities-get-clean-drinking-water/ California drought: State passes mandatory new water conservation rules on lawns, hotels, restaurants. SACRAMENTO -- Acknowledging that California's water conservation efforts are falling short as the state... http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150317/california-drought-state-passes-mandatory-new-water-conservation-rules-on-lawns-hotels-restaurants/2 VEHICLES Branson Hints Virgin Could Build A Tesla-Fighting EV. ...to a report posted on Bloomberg.com . “We have teams of people working on electric cars,” Branson told reporter Tom Randall. “So you never... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20815069247&p=19f&v=1&x=SpT8Evl-huFfC956x-YG0A Tencent Partners With Foxconn In Electric Car Business. ...year. Tencent's partners have been making preparations to make connected electric cars. China Harmony Auto in December signed a memorandum... http://www.forbes.com/sites/ywang/2015/03/23/tencent-partners-with-foxconn-in-electric-car-business/ GREEN ENERGY Maryland Has A Plan To Turn Chicken Poop Into Energy. ...manure and convert it into energy, which could be used to meet the state's renewable energy mandate. Bill Dennison, professor and vice president... http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/23/3637690/chicken-or-the-poop/ As wind power booms, Texas lawmakers consider yanking support. ...investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Texas in a race to lower their carbon emissions. With almost 20 percent of the country's total capacity,... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article16115498.html California's push for clean energy has a big problem: no place to store it. ...officials made an odd request in a state that prides itself on leadership in renewable energy: They asked wind and solar plants to cut back their... http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-green-energy-20150324-story.html Energy Storage Emerges as the Smart Answer to Big City Power Needs. ...products and embedded software for energy management, micro-grid operations, and electric vehicle charging, is providing technologies at the heart... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/24/idUSnMKW3s52va+1c0+MKW20150324 Birds die as wind-power turbine replacement lags. - SFGate ...A golden eagle with a permanently disabled wing, believed to be caused by a wind-power turbine, perches in an enclosure maintained by Native... http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Birds-die-as-wind-power-turbine-replacement-lags-6153949.php OPINION Drought: California agriculture can learn from Africa. ...Nierenberg and Daniel Bornstein Special to the Mercury News Vast tracts of southern California's bountiful harvests are fading from view, as millions of acres... http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_27765792/drought-california-agriculture-can-learn-from-africa Dan Walters: What if California's drought is permanent? California's prolonged drought drew a bit of official attention last... http://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article16096328.html Our View: California's demise is greatly exaggerated. ...Texas has grown into an economic powerhouse, California's critics have spun a zero-sum yarn about business flight and job creation. As their story goes,... http://www.modbee.com/opinion/editorials/article16127819.html The Real Cost of Coal. CONGRESS long ago established a basic principle governing the extraction of coal from public lands by private companies: American taxpayers should be paid fair value for it. They own the coal, after all. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/24/opinion/the-real-cost-of-coal.html?_r=0 BLOGS Why Air Pollution Could Increase Stroke Risk. When an unsightly (and somewhat toxic) smog descended upon Britain last week, many people were concerned for their... http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03/24/air-pollution-causes-stroke-and-anxiety_n_6929806.html Finally, A Climate Change Message That Just Might Work. In recent years, many approaches to framing climate change have been tested on the largely indifferent American... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-mingle/finally-a-climate-change-_b_6925174.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 27 Mar 2015 11:01:17 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 27, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 27, 2015. 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 EU Nations Reach Deal to Start Carbon-Market Reserve in 2021. European Union member states agreed on a compromise to seek the start of automatic supply cuts in the world’s biggest carbon market in 2021, giving up plans to push for an accelerated introduction of the fix. The deal, approved today in Brussels, allows EU governments to begin on March 30 negotiations with the European Parliament about the final version of the draft law… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-25/eu-nations-reach-deal-to-start-carbon-market-reserve-in-2021 This Week In V-Carbon: A Little Myth Busting. A new Ecosystem Marketplace report set out to determine how carbon offsetting fits into corporate carbon strategies and found that 14% of businesses disclosing climate change information purchased offsets. Among many significant findings, the report dispels the myth that companies buying carbon offsets do so to avoid making climate commitments. http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10884§ion=home&eod=1 AIR POLLUTION ChemChina plants fined over emissions violations: Xinhua. Two small refineries under state-run China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina) have been fined by the environmental watchdog for emissions violations and ordered to halt production, state media reported on Friday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/27/us-chemchina-pollution-idUSKBN0MN13320150327?virtualBrandChannel=11563 CLIMATE CHANGE Carbon Pollution Standards that Begin by 2020: Vital for Climate Security, Human Health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hard at work right now on the Clean Power Plan – the first ever national carbon pollution standards for power plants. Among the many important aspects of this historic plan, we believe this: It is critical that EPA finalize carbon pollution standards for the power sector that include protective, well-designed standards beginning in 2020. http://theenergycollective.com/edfenergyex/2209226/carbon-pollution-standards-begin-2020-vital-climate-security-human-health Judge throws out environmentalists' global warming lawsuit against Massachusetts. Suffolk Superior Court judge Robert Gordon threw out a lawsuit yesterday by environmental activists, which would have forced Massachusetts to create more regulations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. As previously reported here, two environmental groups… http://www.examiner.com/article/judge-throws-out-environmentalists-global-warming-lawsuit-against-massachusetts Colorado City Vows to Be Carbon Neutral, Defying Partisan Politics. Fort Collins, Colo., led mostly by Republicans, approves targets to reduce emissions and become carbon neutral by 2050, but hurdles remain. Copenhagen and Melbourne have committed to the most aggressive carbon reduction goals on the planet. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/27032015/colorado-city-vows-be-carbon-neutral-defying-partisan-politics Climate change could make your food taste worse. Climate change could have an impact so real you can literally taste it. A report from Australia suggests increased temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions could change the way foods taste and make some vegetables, fruits and seafood varieties harder to find. It is the latest dose of bad news for Australia after several years of heat waves, wildfires and drought… http://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-less-tasty-food-fewer-choices/ Sea-level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, Future. (Video) The National Research Council has just completed a new report on sea level rise along the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington which is intended to provide elected officials, coastal managers and decision makers with an objective and independent analysis upon which they can base future coastal planning. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2kqhcy_sea-level-rise-for-the-coasts-of-california-oregon-and-washington-past-present-future_creation 2 C temperature rise limit would fall short of safeguarding most countries – study. The 2-degree-Celsius temperature rise limit globally accepted as a means to avoid dangerous climate change is a "mathematical aggregate" and a mere average of data collected from hundreds of climate stations around the world and thrown into climate models to forecast the effects of climate change. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015876/print Poll finds Republican belief in climate change drops with higher education. Republican college graduates are more likely to have doubts about climate change than their conservative peers with less education, according to a new poll. A Gallup survey released yesterday found that 74 percent of Republicans with a college degree say news about global warming is "generally exaggerated." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015894/print DROUGHT Drought, warm weather bring 'smog day' memories in California. The brown haze over California's San Joaquin Valley breadbasket on some winter days has been an unwelcome reminder of the bad old days, when pollution hung so thickly that people were warned to stay inside. Years of tight environmental rules improved California air quality so much that the state has not issued a smog alert in a dozen years. But prolonged drought and warmer temperatures have triggered a spike… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/27/us-usa-california-pollution-idUSKBN0MN16U20150327?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Documentaries focus on Salton Sea, California drought. Two new documentaries about California’s struggles with dwindling water supplies will be shown back-to-back at the American Documentary Film Festival this weekend, one focusing on the state’s epic drought and the other examining the looming environmental problems of the shrinking Salton Sea. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/03/26/documentaries-focus-salton-sea-california-drought/70505718/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES New Bill Proposes $5,000 Fine For Diesels ‘Rolling Coal’. A proposed law against diesel drivers who are caught “rolling coal” would fine them up to $5,000 for this increasingly popular practice of tampering with emission controls. While some in the world are trying to go zero or partial zero emissions, others are finding it a new pass time to modify their trucks to spew heavy black soot… http://www.hybridcars.com/new-bill-proposes-5000-fine-for-diesels-rolling-coal/ FUELS State lawmakers slam oil regulators after embarrassing lapses. The agency that regulates the oil industry in California is — by its own admission — in disarray. After a series of embarrassing disclosures about regulatory lapses that allowed drilling in protected aquifers, officials at the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources are trying to untangle years of chaotic operation. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83149695/ In New York state, fracking ban fuels secession talk. From this village of dairy farms and friendly diners, Carolyn Price can see across the border into Pennsylvania, and it is a bittersweet view. The rolling hills a few miles away are as green as the ones here, and the Susquehanna River is icy and beautiful on both sides of the state line as it meanders toward the Atlantic. Price sees something else, though: towns brimming with money extracted from the gas-rich Marcellus Shale… http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83148929/ Carbon Tracker Initiative Paints A Bleak Picture For US Coal. The London-based Carbon Tracker Initiative paints a bleak picture for the US coal industry and its investors in a recent report, which finds the market for thermal coal is in a “structural decline” in the United States, “squeezed out by an abundance of cheap shale gas and ever tightening pollution laws.” http://cleantechnica.com/2015/03/27/carbon-tracker-initiative-paints-bleak-picture-us-coal/ LNG's world leader will have to adapt as new producers take central stage. Qatar's days as a "discriminating monopolist" in world markets for liquefied natural gas may be numbered, as the wealthy country gets competition from the United States and other countries that have the power to shake up how the LNG business is conducted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060015870/print Canadian oil industry has hit its peak – report. Canada's oil industry has reached peak investment, with more layoffs and losses in the near future, according to a recent Conference Board of Canada report. Revenue will drop 37 percent, with 8,000 direct jobs disappearing in the next year, the report added. Investment in the oil sands industry will decline to $25 billion from $30 billion. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060015849/print VEHICLES Fiat Chrysler bought Tesla emissions credits in ’13. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles purchased 1.05 million greenhouse gas emission credits for the 2013 model year from electric carmaker Tesla Motors Inc. to help meet emissions requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency report found that nine of the 13 major manufacturers with sales greater than 100,000 vehicles exceeded the requirements, with margins of compliance ranging from 27 grams/mile (Hyundai)… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2015/03/26/fuel-efficiency/70482776/ Chevy leads the way in buying carbon offsets, report finds. General Motors’ Chevrolet brand was the leading corporate purchaser of carbon offsets in 2012 and 2013, buying credits representing the reduction of 4.6 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in projects outside their own businesses, according to a report from an environmental research group. http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150327/NEWS24/150329311/-1/news#sthash.KaXJkTYJ.dpuf Volvo Beats Carbon Reduction Goal by 10M Tons. Volvo last year reduced the total lifetime CO2 emissions of its products by 40 million tons against a 2008 baseline, beating its goal by 10 million tons, according to the automaker’s 2014 sustainability report. The company also exceeded its target to reduce CO2 emissions from its production plants by 0.2 million tons (12 percent), compared to 2008… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/03/27/volvo-beats-carbon-reduction-goal-by-10m-tons/#ixzz3VbMAIcrR Act Now: Georgia Electric Car Buyers Could Get The Shaft, Lose $5,000 Incentive & “Gain” A $200/Year Fee. Georgia’s House and Senate have passed a bill that would eliminate the state’s $5,000 zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) tax credit and also put a $200/year road usage fee on electric vehicles. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/03/27/act-now-georgia-electric-car-buyers-could-get-the-shaft-lose-5000-incentive-gain-a-200year-fee/ Automakers rush to double electric car milage (+video). Feeling the pressure from Tesla, major automakers are looking to play catch up with electric cars, which includes setting new standards. Global automakers are readying a new generation of mass-market electric cars with more than double the driving range of today's Nissan Leaf, betting that technical breakthroughs by big battery suppliers such… http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2015/0326/Automakers-rush-to-double-electric-car-milage-video IL Suspends Clean-Car Rebates; GA Tax Credit In Trouble Too; Texas Next? State tax credits and purchase rebates have proven effective in kickstarting the early market for plug-in electric cars and other green vehicles. But they don't last forever, as buyers in Illinois and Georgia are learning; the Illinois program has been suspended, and Georgia seems likely to kill off its program as well. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097483_il-suspends-clean-car-rebates-ga-tax-credit-in-trouble-too-texas-next GREEN ENERGY Alcoa Loan Reboots Maligned U.S. Clean-Energy Loan Program. A $25 billion U.S. Energy Department loan program that funded flops like Fisker Automotive Inc. and successes such as Tesla Motors Inc. resumed lending after a four-year hiatus to retool the lending project’s focus. Alcoa Inc. has been tentatively approved for a $259 million loan from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-26/alcoa-loan-marks-restart-of-maligned-u-s-clean-energy-program Cuadrilla, geothermal firm eye renewable heat from oil, gas wells. Britain's Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) has signed an agreement with shale gas firm Cuadrilla Resources to explore the feasibility of producing geothermal renewable heat from used oil and gas wells, the firm said on Friday. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop technology to show that geothermal heat can… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/27/us-britain-shale-geothermal-idUSKBN0MN1KX20150327?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews California's shift toward renewables makes energy harder to manage. California's electrical grid has a problem -- a nice problem, but a problem nonetheless: The state often has too much power. Nearly 23 percent of California's energy now comes from renewable sources such as wind and solar, and the state is on track to reach its goal of generating one-third of its energy from renewables by 2020. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_27796540/californias-shift-toward-renewables-makes-energy-harder-manage EIA: Sun Rises on Solar, Coal Takes its Lumps. The country consumed about 1 percent more energy in 2014 than it did the year before, the government says. Renewables are up, coal is down and oil and gas consumption remained the same. The U.S. Energy Information Administration released the 2014 totals for American energy production and consumption Thursday. http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/03/27/us-solar-wind-and-oil-production-rise-coal-falls Biomass Electricity + Carbon Capture = Carbon-Negative Energy. A new study shows that using biomass to produce electricity and pairing it with carbon capture technologies could lead to giant reductions in carbon emissions in the Western US energy supply. Generating electricity from biomass, such as urban waste and sustainably sourced forest and crop residues… http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2015/03/biomass-electricity-carbon-capture-carbon-negative-energy A Bright Future for Renewable Energy. During the preceding decade, adoption of renewable technologies experienced rapid growth. This advancement is in response to new technologies, available energy storage, policy changes, and greater investment in renewable sources. Renewables, solar and wind power especially, have far surpassed coal and natural gas in industry growth. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/03/26/a-bright-future-for-renewable-energy/ Yingli Green Energy Reports Loss On 4th Quarter Earnings. Solar panel manufacturer Yingli Green Energy, also known as Yingli Solar, reported its 2014 fourth quarter and full-year earnings on Wednesday, and it wasn’t good news, with a greater-than-expected operating loss and relatively flat shipments and revenue for the year. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/03/27/yingli-green-energy-report-loss-fourth-quarter-earnings/ America's Cities Are Getting Greener Thanks To Energy-Efficient Buildings: EPA Rankings. In many U.S. cities, buildings emit more greenhouse gas emissions than even cars or factories. That's because powering and heating office towers and apartment buildings releases large amounts of climate-change pollutants, environmental officials say. But that may be starting to change. Cities across the country are taking significant steps to reduce energy and water waste… http://www.ibtimes.com/americas-cities-are-getting-greener-thanks-energy-efficient-buildings-epa-rankings-1861832 Largest U.S. solar manufacturer calls 2014 'a year of milestones' as shipping surges. SolarWorld AG, the United States' largest solar manufacturer, said this week it nearly doubled shipments of modules from its primary U.S. manufacturing facility in 2014, while globally the company boosted shipments by 55 percent, from 548 units in 2013 to 849 units last year. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015877/print A big, clean energy industry matures at sea. The first of a two-part series. Flying 56 miles west from this port, you are greeted by a 10-story, yellow, boxlike platform rising out of the North Sea. It is called SylWin1, the connection to Europe's electric grid from one of the largest power plants ever built offshore. Beyond it, arrayed over 27 acres of ocean, are the 80 Siemens 3.6-megawatt turbines of the Dan Tysk wind farm. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060015866/print MISCELLANEOUS Gallup poll finds Americans’ worries about environmental threats easing. Americans’ concern about several major environmental threats has eased after increasing last year, according to Gallup’s annual Environment survey, conducted March 5-8. As in the past, Americans expressed the greatest worry about pollution of drinking water, and the least about global warming. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150327-gallup.html OPINIONS Keep Michigan energy clean and local. There have been campaigns calling on Americans to eat locally and shop locally. Now, Michiganders can get on board with a plan to power their lives locally. That's one of the most interesting elements of Gov. Rick Snyder's vision for a "no-regrets energy future," which focuses on cutting energy waste and prioritizing renewable generation. http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/03/26/snyder-energy-plan/70456288/ EPA: Industry Exceeded National GHG Emissions Standards In 2013. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the auto industry outperformed national greenhouse gas emissions standards for a second consecutive year. For MY 2013 vehicles, the average GHG emission came to 12 grams per mile — 1.4 miles per gallon — better than what was required by the 2013 standard. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/03/epa-industry-exceeded-national-ghg-emissions-standards-2013/ Don’t skip the credits: the oft-overlooked importance of air emission credits in mergers and acquisitions. There is no shortage of environmental matters to navigate when buying a company or facility. Environmental counsel must first lead a diligence effort that delineates the target’s environmental footprint and then suss out the environmental risks and liabilities attendant to the deal. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=824f7d49-0eb1-46cf-bfd5-291e1f9d59ca BLOGS The Five Most Ignorant Media Myths About Electric Cars. We spend more time than we probably should in grumbling at media coverage of plug-in electric cars. Journalists try to get it right, in general, but often the specific and complex issues around electric cars, who buys them, and how they're really used get lost or ignored in general reporting. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097482_the-five-most-ignorant-media-myths-about-electric-cars Tesla Store Helpful, Enthusiastic; One Chevy Volt Dealer, Not So Much. It's long been known that getting some car dealerships to sell plug-in electric cars can be a challenge. Now, one reporter tested the thesis for himself, by visiting both his local Tesla store--to inquire about the Model S electric luxury sedan--and his local Chevrolet dealer, to ask about the Volt range-extended electric car. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097484_tesla-store-helpful-enthusiastic-one-chevy-volt-dealer-not-so-much Updated Green-Bond Guidelines Show ‘Incremental Progress’. Green bonds, which finance environmentally friendly projects, got a modest makeover on Friday. The International Capital Market Association, a trade group, released an updated version of the “green-bond principles”–voluntary guidelines for issuers and bankers to help determine whether a bond should be labelled “green.” http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/03/27/updated-green-bond-guidelines-show-incremental-progress/ A Potentially Powerful New Weapon in China’s War on Pollution. Days before the opening of this year’s annual meeting of the National People’s Congress, a dramatic documentary about the profusion of life-threatening environmental pollution in China went viral online. By the time the documentary, “Under the Dome,” was pulled from video sites a week later, it had been viewed over 100 million times. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/03/27/a-potentially-powerful-new-weapon-in-chinas-war-on-pollution/ We don’t have a Ted Cruz problem on climate change. We have a GOP problem on climate change. Ted Cruz has earned infamy for the self-regarding analogy he drew between his attacks on climate science and the work of Galileo — both, apparently, opposed the authoritarian non-science of their respective days. But what does the Texas senator really believe on climate change? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/03/27/we-dont-have-a-ted-cruz-problem-on-climate-change-we-have-a-gop-problem-on-climate-change/ Spike In California Air Pollution Brings Reminder Of Bad Old Days. The brown haze over California's San Joaquin Valley breadbasket on some winter days has been an unwelcome reminder of the bad old days, when pollution hung so thickly that people were warned to stay inside. Years of tight environmental rules improved California air quality so much that the state has not issued a smog alert in a dozen years. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/27/california-air-pollution_n_6953860.html China's War on Pollution Is Gaining Traction. Beijing just announced that it will close the last of its four major coal-fired power plants in 2016, avoiding an estimated 30 million tons of carbon. This welcome step, carried out as part of China's national Air Pollution Action Plan, is the latest evidence that China is putting teeth into its pledges to tackle air pollution and cap its carbon emissions. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-a-finamore/chinas-war-on-pollution-i_b_6955000.html Tesla Bows To China Challenge With Market Reboot. Bottom line: Tesla’s China reboot appears to be complete, paving the way for it to gain some traction in the market by year end if it can effectively target the nation’s wealthy, image-conscious trend setters. Nearly a year after driving into China on a wave of fanfare and big hopes, electric vehicle (EV) superstar Tesla… http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougyoung/2015/03/27/tesla-bows-to-china-challenge-with-market-reboot/ Presidential Politics And Climate Change: How Will Voters Assess Candidates? If Senator Ted Cruz doesn’t take climate change seriously, should the American electorate give his 2016 presidential bid any credence? Whereas the history among those who doubt the science had, generally, been flat-out denial, the trend now is to say that they lack the science background to make such determinations. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/03/26/presidential-politics-and-climate-change-how-will-voters-assess-candidates/ IKEA Fuels Up With Bloom Energy. Home furnishing retailer IKEA has invested in numerous on-site renewable energy projects—almost 90% of its U.S. stores use solar technology, for example, plus it is experimenting with geothermal and wind. But a new contract with Bloom Energy for a site in Emeryville, California, actually represents its first foray into fuel cells that use biogas to generate electricity. http://www.forbes.com/sites/heatherclancy/2015/03/26/ikea-fuels-up-with-bloom-energy/ Steve Wozniak Calls Electric Cars ‘Perfect Territory’ for Apple. Australia Financial Review: Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak on the Apple Watch, Electric Cars. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has said he wants Apple to take on Tesla in the car business, that he plans to buy the cheapest Apple Watch available when it goes on sale… http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/steve-wozniak-calls-electric-cars-perfect-territory-for-apple We Could Stop Global Warming With This Fix—But It's Probably a Terrible Idea. Back in the late 1990s, Ken Caldeira set out to disprove the "ludicrous" idea that we could reverse global warming by filling the sky with chemicals that would partially block the sun. A few years earlier, Mount Pinatubo had erupted in the Philippines, sending tiny sulfate particles—known as aerosols—into the stratosphere… http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/03/geoengineering-caldeira-climate-change Home on the California Range In Year 2100? 'Climate-Smart' Must Be Key To Land Use. “Maintaining rangelands can help mitigate the effects of climate change and drought,” scientist says. Grassland habitats on rangelands in California’s Central Valley and surrounding foothills could decline by as much as 37 percent by 2100 due to changes in land use and climate, according to new scientific projections by the U.S. Geological Survey. http://patch.com/california/napavalley/home-california-range-year-2100-climate-smart-must-be-key-land-use Massive Algal Blooms Could be Cleaned Up and Used as Biofuels and Fertilizers. With warmer temperatures, algal blooms from fertilizer runoff can become a major problem, destroying aquatic life and clogging rivers and lakes. Now, though, scientists may have found a way to clean up these environmental hazards and turn them into useful products. Algae could one day act as a biofuel and even fertilize farms. http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/23782/20150327/massive-algal-blooms-cleaned-up-used-biofuels-fertilizers.htm Nissan will run pilot car-sharing program with two-seat concept EVs. One-Year Program Will Test Urban Revitalization Impact of Car-Sharing EVs. Nissan is using a little car to test out possible solutions to a rather big problem. The Japanese automaker will start a car-sharing program this month using its New Mobility Concept two-seat electric vehicles, which is based on the Renault Twizy platform. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/03/27/nissan-will-run-pilot-car-sharing-program-with-two-seat-concept/#image-2 Toyota wants half its vehicles in Japan to be hybrids. The Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle could signal the future of motoring with a somewhat accessible price and cutting-edge green technology, but there's no guarantee for the model actually spearheading a revolution in the marketplace. In the meantime, the Japanese brand is continuing to focus on its hybrid powertrains and actually plans to build even more of them. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/03/27/toyota-wants-half-vehicles-japan-hybrids/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Mar 2015 14:44:50 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for March 30, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for March 30, 2015. 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 Swap trades fuel California carbon market activity. California carbon futures were little changed this week as traders focused on over-the-counter vintage swaps instead of the outright buying or selling of permits, market sources said on Friday. Vintage swaps occur when one party sells permits covering a certain time period while simultaneously buying permits for a different period and banking the difference. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/03/28/california-carbon-market-idUKL2N0WU00A20150328 AIR POLLUTION County Considering Emissions Limits. Talk of limiting greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources — primarily oil drilling operations — in Santa Barbara County erupted in November 2013 with the controversial approval of Santa Maria Energy’s bid for 136 new cyclic steam-injection wells, the largest such project to hit the county in years. Since that green light and amid last year’s Measure P debate, county officials have been working on developing a formal emissions ceiling that, if surpassed, would necessitate that companies buy offsets until they fall under the ceiling. http://www.independent.com/news/2015/mar/27/county-considering-emissions-limits/ MTU America fined $1.5M for selling uncertified engines. The California Air Resources Board (ARB), US Department... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150328-mtu.html CLIMATE CHANGE Mexico Pledges to Cut Emissions 25% in Climate-Change Milestone. Mexico has become the first developing nation to formally promise to cut its global-warming pollution, a potential milestone in efforts to reach a worldwide agreement on tackling climate change. Mexico expects greenhouse-gas emissions to peak by 2026 and then decline, Environment Minister Juan Jose Guerra Abud said at a news conference in Mexico City Friday. The nation has pledged to curb the growth of pollutants 25 percent from its current trajectory by 2030. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-27/mexico-pledges-25-cut-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions-growth http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mexico-makes-landmark-pledge-to-cut-greenhouse-gas-pollution/ U.S. to submit plans to fight global warming; most others delay. The United States will submit plans for slowing global warming to the United Nations early this week but most governments will miss an informal March 31 deadline, complicating work on a global climate deal due in December. The U.S. submission, on Monday or Tuesday according to a White House official, adds to national strategies beyond 2020 already presented by the 28-nation European Union, Mexico, Switzerland and Norway. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/29/us-climatechange-emissions-idUSKBN0MP0C020150329 Greenland glacier melt increases mercury discharge. Mercury contamination has long been a threat to animal carnivores and human residents in the Arctic. Mercury exports from river basins to the ocean form a significant component of the Arctic mercury cycle, and are consequently of importance in understanding and addressing this contamination. Jens Søndergaard of the Arctic Research Centre of Aarhus University, Denmark and his colleagues have been conducting research on this topic in Greenland for a number of years. http://earthsky.org/earth/greenland-glacier-melt-increases-mercury-discharge If you’re under 30, you’ve never experienced a cooler-than-average month. If you’re younger than 30, you’ve never experienced a month in which the average surface temperature of the Earth was below average. Each month, the US National Climatic Data Center calculates Earth’s average surface temperature using temperature measurements that cover the Earth’s surface. Then, another average is calculated for each month of the year for the 20th century, 1901-2000. For each month, this gives one number representative of the entire century. Subtract this overall 1900s monthly average—which for Feb. is 53.9F (12.1C)—from each individual month’s temperature and you’ve got the anomaly: that is, the difference from the average. http://qz.com/372641/if-youre-under-30-youve-never-experienced-a-cooler-than-average-month/ Martin O’Malley Begins Campaigning for President, But Seems Unprepared for Interview Questions. Democrat Martin O’Malley is spending most of his time in Iowa and New Hampshire rather than his home state Maryland these days. He’s making no secret of his desire to give Hillary Clinton a run for her money (and that promises to be an awful lot of money) for the Democratic Party’s nomination. O’Malley appeared on the ABC News “This Week” program, where host George Stephanopoulos asked a pretty straightforward question… http://www.ijreview.com/2015/03/283544-martin-omalley-wants-president-better-better-answer-basic-question/ Climate Change Heightens Pacific Islands' Vulnerability. ...partners to help them better withstand economic shocks, natural disasters, and climate change. Indeed, geographical isolation, small populations,... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20879805813&p=19f&v=1&x=yVeF6mKnBsBfHRRc-3UlHA Media Contributing to ‘Hope Gap' on Climate Change. ...dominated by horror and carnage — a recipe for depression that spills into climate change coverage, fueling what some experts call a ‘hope gap'... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/media-hope-gap-on-climate-change-18822 FINANCE: Rockefellers discouraged by Exxon's attitude toward climate change. ...empire -- have failed to convince Exxon Mobil Corp. to make efforts to address climate change and develop cleaner energy, according to Neva Rockefeller...http://news.vocus.com/?a=20881986689&p=19f&v=1&x=xnK5lLcYsapFClzdHVamtg U.S. To Submit Plans To Combat Climate Change While Other Countries Delay. ...OSLO/WASHINGTON, March 29 - The United States will submit plans for slowing global warming to the United Nations early this week but most governments...http://news.vocus.com/?a=20873173529&p=19f&v=1&x=aQAPOM-pFHsl9CA0MIXg1w California Snowpack Hits All-Time Low, 8 Percent Of Average. ...Ranch in Norden, CA. CREDIT: AP/ Rich Pedroncelli The rainy season is over in California before it ever really began. As the state enters its fourth...http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/30/3640399/california-snowpack-at-record-low/ REGULATION: Federal highway funding likely won't be a factor in Clean Power Plan enforcement. ...funding from states that don't comply with its unprecedented effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent below 2005 levels. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20881985794&p=19f&v=1&x=7XH92Fqijy4ijgV2uatxSQ How Green Is Your House? ...feel good about your family's contributions to protect the environment. Green energy Improving your home's energy efficiency is not only...http://news.vocus.com/?a=20880502742&p=19f&v=1&x=MfWnKM0iPGdrCFNiFacOOA A climate-change litmus test for politicians. ...John Cubelic's eloquent plea for political leadership in the battle against climate change and global warming is making me rethink... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20872715292&p=19f&v=1&x=xkWhdWm8rytRrle4f0BovQ Ted Cruz Uses The Galileo Gambit To Deny Global Warming. ...First, in an interview a few days ago with the Texas Tribune, Cruz stated that global warming isn't happening. This wasn't the first time he's made...http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2015/03/30/ted-cruz-uses-the-galileo-gambit-to-deny-global-warming/ DROUGHT Sierra Nevada pine tree die-off worsens as beetles thrive in drought . ...die-off of pine trees in the southern Sierra Nevada caused by beetles attacking drought-stressed trees is turning forests brown and creating a fire tinderbox...http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article16885928.html In store for visitors to Yosemite: a drier, browner park. ...floor, will probably slow to a shallow stream about the same time. And with the drought enabling western pine bark beetles to kill large swaths of forest,... http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-yosemite-20150329-story.html Another Milestone In California's Historic Drought. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A road leading to spectacular views of California's Yosemite National Park opened to drivers on Saturday, marking... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/28/yosemite-lookout-opens_n_6961752.html March heat shatters records in bone-dry Los Angeles. ...day this year temperatures have been on average 10 degrees above normal in California, while there has been little precipitation, Seto said. “We... http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-march-heat-shatters-records-in-bone-dry-la-20150328-story.html Clear skies and record heat persist in drought-stricken Southland. In the final days of an unusually warm March, parts of Southern California are seeing record heat and strong rip currents, weather officials... http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-clear-skies-and-record-heat-southland-20150329-story.html Drought threatens American River fish. ...River could soon be killed by low flows and warm temperatures caused by the drought, a sign of the ongoing struggle over scarce water supplies. The... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article16705838.html Drought prompts truck and release of salmon smolts in Rio Vista. ...juvenile Chinook salmon from near-certain death, federal wildlife officials in California are trucking fish to the Delta for release. The move – necessitated... http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article16376159.html Irrigation districts: State could derail delicate Stanislaus water deal. ...the human, environmental and financial consequences of a fourth consecutive drought year in water-starved California. We have seen it in the... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20871324058&p=19f&v=1&x=3P53erUSZYhRbBaCGmUeUQ 7 suggestions for drought behavior. ...squeeze. We're headed into the fourth consecutive spring and summer of devastating drought. In the Greater Sacramento area, we cut back our water use 19 percent... http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/home-garden/article16428725.html FUELS Do biofuel policies seek to cut emissions by cutting food? A study published today in the journal Science found that government biofuel policies rely on reductions in food consumption to generate greenhouse gas savings. Shrinking the amount of food that people and livestock eat decreases the amount of carbon dioxide that they breathe out or excrete as waste. The reduction in food available for consumption, rather than any inherent fuel efficiency, drives the decline in carbon dioxide emissions in government models, the researchers found. http://phys.org/news/2015-03-biofuel-policies-emissions-food.html Boaters push Senate bill removing corn-ethanol mandate. ...gallons, but that number will climb to 36 billion gallons by 2022. Americans' gasoline use has actually declined since the mandate was implemented, however,... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article16899902.html VEHICLES Electric Vehicles: Glass Half-Full, Glass Half-Empty. ...puts off a lot of consumers who could afford one, and who could easily use an electric vehicle for their daily commute. Nissan announced this month... http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimhenry/2015/03/29/electric-vehicles-glass-half-full-glass-half-empty/ Regulators Have Hands Full With Tesla's Plan For Hands-Free Driving. ...has provided auto executives and regulators a better view into the nascent electric vehicle market. Now the Silicon Valley auto maker is in... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20866297846&p=19f&v=1&x=8oj9-2CEUn9rZKab-U7kxw Internet giants drive into the electric vehicle space. Internet companies are looking to disrupt the auto industry with new smart e-vehicles,... https://www.reuters.com/assets/iframe/yovideo?videoId=363673740 GREEN ENERGY Nation's biggest nuclear firm makes a play for green energy money. ...alongside solar, wind and hydroelectric power collecting extra money for producing carbon-free electricity. Exelon Corp., operator of the largest fleet of...http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article16578626.html Maverick expands synfuels plant line-up with bio- and landfill-gas-to-methanol offerings. ...September 2014, Maverick had introduced its Oasis GTL plants, small-scale, modular methane-to-methanol production plants that can be co-located at the methane... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150330-maverick.html Green initiative meets resistance. South Korea launched Asia's first nationwide carbon emissions trading scheme in January. It is part of the government's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2020. The creation of the world's second-largest cap-and-trade system, after the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, created a lot of excitement around the world. Locally, concerns about the lack of trading and the government's top-down approach are mounting. Critics question whether the country can possibly meet its ambitious emissions reduction target. http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Green-initiative-meets-resistance NATIONS: Renewable energy in India to receive $1B credit line. ...Export-Import Bank of the United States will give most of a $1 billion credit line to renewable energy developers in India. The bank expects regulatory... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20881986897&p=19f&v=1&x=H__y8AtYvDUJs1xKIS9QCQ Millbrook joins APC-funded consortium to develop fuel cell range-extended electric LCVs. ...consortium to develop a new class of light commercial vehicle (LCV) combining fuel cell technology with battery electric vehicles to provide significantly... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150330-millbrook.html RENEWABLE ENERGY: Ocean-based wind turbines, tested in Europe, may come to a coast near you. Block Island, a quiet, sparsely populated Rhode Island sanctuary of about 750...http://news.vocus.com/?a=20881985670&p=19f&v=1&x=VyQAuDVNKI-0Sug0CpEnmg Solar panel owners and utilities battle it out in California. This story is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Solar power is having a major moment. It's growing faster than any... http://grist.org/article/solar-panel-owners-and-utilities-battle-it-out-in-california $1.6B Hawaii Offshore Wind Energy Project Could Be Operational in 2020(Pacific Business News) . Alpha Wind Energy's plan to develop a $1.6 billion offshore wind... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/30032015/16b-hawaii-offshore-wind-energy-project-could-be-operational-2020 Utility, dairy farm partner on wind turbine. ...thought." He says the family never thought they'd be milking their cows with renewable energy. The turbine can produce about 155,000 kilowatts... http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Utility-dairy-farm-partner-on-wind-turbine-6167613.php California's power trip. ...generating one-third of its energy from renewables by 2020. But feeding all that green energy into the Golden State's grid — without overloading it... http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150329/californias-power-trip Solar solution. ...electricity shortfall,” I immediately thought, why doesn't California encourage more solar energy? The more solar, the lower the cost. Why not encourage... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/03/28/3560776/solar-solution.html MISCELLANEOUS Lights go out around the world for Earth Hour. For one hour on Saturday starting at 8:30 p.m, local time, cities around the world will send a collective message about conservation and climate change. Called Earth Hour, the event encourages participants to turn off all non-essential lights for 60 minutes. This year, 7,000 cities in 162 countries are participating. http://mashable.com/2015/03/28/earth-hour-2015/ OPINIONS Agriculture should be part of our carbon policy. In light of President Barack Obama’s looming carbon regulations for existing U.S. power plants, it’s worth remembering that a comprehensive climate policy needs to do more than tackle smokestacks. It also needs to do something about agriculture. And more broadly, Texans and the rest of the nation need to think more environmentally about the way they eat. http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Agriculture-should-be-part-of-our-carbon-policy-6166444.php America's Shale Fields Offer A Chance For A New Oil Doctrine To “Reset” Geopolitics ...doctrine. The objections fall mainly into three buckets. First there is gasoline price-o-phobia. Politicians don't get credit when prices at the... http://www.forbes.com/sites/markpmills/2015/03/30/americas-shale-fields-offer-a-chance-for-a-new-oil-doctrine-to-reset-geopolitics/ Opinion: California bullet train: High cost, tiny impact. A few years ago, when it was first proposed that state “cap-and-trade” fees on carbon emissions be used for the state’s bullet train project, the Legislature’s budget analyst questioned its legality. Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor’s office noted that state law requires fees to be spent on projects and programs to help the state meet 2020 emission goals. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article16538015.html Achieving California's goal of sustainable energy future. Not so long ago, the idea that renewable energy could be relied upon to power our electric grid... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article16434323.html Opinion: California bullet train: High cost, tiny impact. A few years ago, when it was first proposed that state “cap-and-trade” fees on carbon emissions be used for the..http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article16538015.html Personal accounts drive CARB hearings. The coordination hearings that took place March 13-14 in Fairfield not only revealed that the California Air Resources Board failed to “coordinate” the implementation of its regulations on trucks with local governments, but they revealed that the board’s regulations were arbitrary, unreasonable and are unsupported by scientific data. http://www.dailyrepublic.com/opinion/localopinioncolumnists/personal-accounts-drive-carb-hearings/ BLOGS The Top of the World Sinks Ever Lower. Ever year around the end of February, after a long winter, Arctic ice reaches its maximum extent. This year that happened around Feb. 25, when it encompassed 14.54 million square kilometers of ice around the North Pole. Sound like a lot? It’s not. Really, really not. This year’s maximum extent was the lowest on record. http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/03/30/arctic_ice_maximum_extent_reaches_record_low.html Why Isn't Desalination the Answer to All California's Water Problems? The California American Water Company plans to desalinate water from Monterey... http://blogs.kqed.org/science/audio/why-isnt-desalination-the-answer-to-all-californias-water-problems/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 16:00:31 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 1 and April 2, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 2, 2015. 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 Methane leaks from gas distribution network are far below EPA estimates, study says. Leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas and the primary component of natural gas, from pipelines and distribution centers are less than the federal government currently estimates, according to a new study. The study finds that the United States' natural gas distribution network is leaking between 393 and 854 gigagrams per year of methane. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016093/print Judges skeptical of Iowans' push to regulate CAFO air pollution. A group of Iowa residents today took to federal court their fight to force U.S. EPA to regulate air pollution rising from animal feeding operations under the Clean Air Act. The Winneshiek County citizens claim the agency has ignored scientific findings by not setting air standards for ammonium and hydrogen sulfide emitted from concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016194/print Experts at workshop likely to reinforce Texas' doubts on ozone standard. Texas environmental regulators say that a three-day workshop scheduled for next week will focus on the science and policy questions surrounding ground-level ozone, a key component of smoggy city air. The workshop, to be held in Austin beginning Tuesday, comes as U.S. EPA is weighing comments on a proposal to tighten the national standard for ozone from 75 parts per billion to between 65 and 70 ppb. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016126/print CLIMATE CHANGE How will Clean Power Plan compliance be tracked? Critics of U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan frequently argue that requiring states to reduce carbon emissions will threaten the grid's reliability and drive up utility bills. Those are the big-ticket items to worry about, said Brenda Brickhouse, environment vice president for the Tennessee Valley Authority. She's also uneasy about something else: creating an inexpensive, uncomplicated compliance program to keep track of emission reduction data. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060016178/print Western cities had hottest March on record. While much of the nation shivered, many Western cities sweltered through their hottest March on record. Cities in California, Arizona, Texas, Nevada and even Montana had record high temperatures on individual days last month, according to the National Weather Service. Some also racked up unusual overall temperatures or streaks of balmy weather. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HOT_MARCH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-01-19-49-47 Obama’s Strategy on Climate Change, Part of Global Deal, Is Revealed. The White House on Tuesday introduced President Obama’s blueprint for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by nearly a third over the next decade. Mr. Obama’s plan, part of a formal written submission to the United Nations ahead of efforts to forge a global climate change accord in Paris in December, detailed the United States’ part of an ambitious joint pledge made by Mr. Obama and President Xi Jinping of China in November. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/01/us/obama-to-offer-major-blueprint-on-climate-change.html?_r=0 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-31/obama-s-new-climate-change-plan-in-two-charts http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/31/obama-administration-citing-climate-risks-plans-steep-cuts-in-greenhouse-gas-pollution/ U.S. Sticks With 26-28 Percent by 2025 Cut but Gives Itself Wiggle Room to Negotiate. The U.S. opted not to budge from an earlier pledge to cut greenhouse gases 26 percent to 28 percent over the next decade in its March 31 formal submission toward a global climate accord, but it kept the door open to possibly agreeing to cuts closer to the higher end of that range at the Paris climate summit in December. http://www.bna.com/us-sticks-2628-n17179924831/ Major study shows biodiversity losses can be reversed. Most people would probably agree that human pressures on the land are bad news for wildlife. Practices such as agriculture can introduce pollutants to the environment, force out wildlife, and change local ecosystems forever. A new study published today in the journal Nature gives a global view of this damage since the 1500s. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504020502M2______EUPR_____c2de0000016c8d82_3600-1 Mild 2014 Seen Cutting EU Carbon Market Emissions to Record. Carbon dioxide emissions in the European Union’s cap-and-trade program, the world’s largest, probably fell to a record last year as warmer-than-average weather curbed demand for gas and power. Emissions from companies covered by the program dropped 5.8 percent to 1.798 billion metric tons in 2014, according to the median forecast of six analysts… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-01/eu-carbon-market-emissions-seen-at-record-low-on-warm-weather Oceans might take 1,000 years to recover from climate change, study suggests. Naturally occurring climate change lowered oxygen levels in the deep ocean, decimating a broad spectrum of seafloor life that took some 1,000 years to recover, according to a study that offers a potential window into the effects of modern warming. Earth's recovery from the last glacial period, in fact, was slower and more brutal than previously thought… http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83191943/ Reducing Climate Change Would 'Create One Million Jobs.' As the March 31 deadline for countries to submit their proposals for tackling irreversible climate change passes, a new report claims lives could be spared, the climate could be saved from catastrophic and irreversible change, and one million jobs could be created if green policies are initiated. http://www.newsweek.com/report-1-million-jobs-created-if-climate-goals-reached-318280 What California Can Teach Other States about Climate Change. 2006 was a good year for environmentalists. Al Gore had just released his documentary about climate change, “An Inconvenient Truth,” to enthusiastic appraisals, and was travelling across the U.S. to spread the word. http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/what-california-can-teach-other-states-about-climate-change?mbid=rss Tom Steyer’s group shutters climate policy arm as political efforts ramp up. The move indicates that Steyer will probably shift more resources toward his attempts to sway the 2016 elections. The nonprofit launched by environmentalist Tom Steyer is shutting down its climate and energy program, in a likely signal that the billionaire is shifting resources to his organization’s political arm ahead of the presidential elections. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/tom-steyer-nonprofit-shuts-down-climate-program-116584.html#ixzz3WAoIsnJB Chuck Schumer Votes Reliably on Climate, but Rarely Leads. Probable next Senate Democratic leader calls for climate action while keeping quiet on fracking. 'It hasn't been where he's put most of his time.' Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the probable next Senate Democratic leader, has been vocal about the need for climate action and has compiled a solid pro-environment voting record, but he's never been a leader on the issue, environmentalists and political experts said. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/01042015/chuck-schumer-reliable-vote-climate-not-leader-democrats Schumer Called Mixed Bag for Energy Industry, Follows ‘Awesome' Reid. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is emerging as the likely successor to Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) as leader of Senate Democrats, presents a mixed bag for the energy industry, analysts told Bloomberg BNA. On the one hand, he opposes a mandate requiring billions of gallons of ethanol and other biofuels into the nation's fuel supply and supports hydraulic fracturing. http://www.bna.com/schumer-called-mixed-n17179924870/ Ocean Changes Linked to 2010 Hurricanes, Bitter Winters. An invisible workhorse of the Atlantic Ocean tirelessly shuffles cold and warm water back and forth between tropical and Arctic waters, dragging heat away from the equator. Scientists credit rich Atlantic fisheries and mild Mediterranean winters with the sheer power of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, or AMOC. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/ocean-link-to-hurricanes-bitter-winters-18846 Antarctica’s Record High Temp Bodes Ill for Ice. The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming spots on the planet, but in recent days, a stubborn weather pattern sent temperatures skyrocketing there, setting a record high for the continent. While the event that set the mercury soaring — called a Chinook, or foehn wind — isn’t unusual for the region, it does seem to be increasing with climate change, as winds around Antarctica become stronger. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/antarctica-record-high-temp-bodes-ill-for-ice-18840 Canada: Ontario’s Climate Change Discussion Paper, 2015 – What’s In It And Where Will It Lead? The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change released Ontario's Climate Change Discussion Paper, 2015 in February 2015 . The purpose of the Discussion Paper is to elicit feedback from the people of Ontario. In person consultations are taking place with First Nations and Métis communities and in cities across the province. http://www.dentons.com/en/insights/newsletters/2015/march/31/climate-change-newsletter/climate-change-newsletter-issue-8?ParentItemID=ugyG+xoGEo0R+Uhpftk7DVYOwEJ/IQrR4yhkipTnx6ggQZEX5tMZsQ==&Archive=False#ontario?utm_source=Mondaq&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=LinkedIn-integration Republicans demand answers on EPA scientific predictions. Four Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Republicans asked U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy again yesterday to show how the climate projections her agency uses in its rulemakings have squared with observed warming in recent years. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016206/print MIT researchers say reprogramming traffic lights could cut urban emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions in traffic-clogged cities could be reduced by simply reprogramming traffic lights to stimulate more efficient traffic flows, according to new research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The findings, detailed in two papers published in the journals Transportation Science and Transportation Research, describe an approach that combines vehicle data with city data… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016088/print DROUGHT California Drought Is Worsened by Global Warming, Scientists Say. The severe California drought that has led the state to order cutbacks in water use may not have been set off by climate change, scientists say, but global warming is making the situation worse. “The drought is made of two components: not enough rain and too much heat,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/02/science/california-drought-is-worsened-by-global-warming-scientists-say.html?partner=socialflow&smid=tw-nytnational&_r=2 Brown orders California's first mandatory water restrictions: 'It's a different world'. Standing in a brown field that would normally be smothered in several feet of snow, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday ordered cities and towns across California to cut water use by 25% as part of a sweeping set of mandatory drought restrictions, the first in state history. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83191987/ http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/01/california-drought-mandatory-water-reductions/70780554/ http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/01/4457426/smallest-snowpack-in-history-adds.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_27827782/california-drought-gov-brown-join-water-officials-search?source=most_viewed Water-conscious Peninsula expects lighter hit from Brown’s water cutback order. Despite ranking among the state’s lowest water users, even Monterey Peninsula residents will likely be required to cut back a little more as a result of Gov. Jerry Brown’s historic order setting mandatory water use restrictions. Aimed at reaching a statewide 25 percent reduction in water use… http://www.montereyherald.com/environment-and-nature/20150401/water-conscious-peninsula-expects-lighter-hit-from-browns-water-cutback-order Farmers, Water Agencies React To Brown's Water Order. An executive order from Governor Jerry Brown imposes a 25 percent mandatory water reduction on California cities and towns. It’s the first such order in the state’s history. Cannon Michael says that’s enough. He farms 10,000 acres of tomatoes and corn in Central California. “Compare a 25 percent reduction in urban use to a zero percent allocations for thousands of farms. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/01/farmers,-water-agencies-react-to-browns-water-order/ New California Water Reductions Don't Apply to Farmers. Agriculture in California consumes about 80 percent of water used by humans. Brown’s executive order requires farmers to submit information on water usage to the state, but not to cut back further. Jay Lund of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences says across-the-board cuts to agriculture would be economically disruptive. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/01/new-california-water-reductions-dont-apply-to-farmers/ Bleak California Snowpack ‘Obliterates’ Record Low. April 1 is supposed to mark the high point of California’s snowpack. It’s when officials estimate how much water they’re going to see flowing into reservoirs as winter’s snow melts during the spring and summer. But after this hot, dry winter, there wasn’t much to measure, and the snowpack came in at a shocking 6 percent of normal — an all-time record low. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-snowpack-obliterates-record-low-18847 Calif. water-use crackdown exposes rift between cities, farms. Drought-stricken California will enforce a mandatory water cutback of 25 percent for urban residents because the state's situation is dire, officials said yesterday after Gov. Jerry Brown (D) issued an executive order with numerous water savings edicts. On the same day that a reading of the state snowpack showed the lowest level in recorded history, California leaders in charge of water, agriculture, fish and game, and other resources painted the outlook as grim. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016203/print LUMBER LIQUIDATORS/FORMALDEHYDE Washington Law Firm Files Suit Against Lumber Liquidators. The law firm of Hagens Berman filed the suit today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The law firm of Hagens Berman filed the suit today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Lumber Liquidators began offering free in-home formaldehyde testing kits to customers who bought laminate flooring products following a bruising March 1 report on the CBS News program 60 Minutes. http://wydaily.com/2015/04/01/california-law-firm-files-suit-against-lumber-liquidators?cat=localnews/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Consol Energy rolls out equipment to cut emissions at its airport drilling operations. As Consol Energy drills beneath Pittsburgh International Airport, it's now using new high-horsepower engines designed to significantly cut air pollution emitted by its hydraulic fracturing fleet -- and it has become the first natural gas producer to deploy them, the company said Wednesday. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504020821KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_35092_20722-1 FUELS California energy tech firm pushing gas-to-liquids technology. A San Francisco company that has come up with a less expensive technology to convert natural gas to gasoline, diesel and other liquids is seeking to put it to use on a larger commercial scale. Siluria Technologies uses a catalyst to convert methane into ethylene, a building block for petrochemicals… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/siluria-natgas-gasoline-idUSL2N0WW2KI20150401 EU reaches tentative cap on food-based biofuels –sources. The European Union reached a tentative deal on Wednesday on a 7 percent limit on how much crop-based biofuel can be used in the transport sector, EU sources said. The agreement on a legal text, thrashed out by representatives of the European Commission, the parliament and member states follows years of argument on traditional biofuels… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/eu-biofuels-idUSL6N0WY35820150401?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews China sells Australia-spec gasoline cargo, eyes growing market. Chinese refiners are setting their eyes on Australia as a new destination for gasoline exports, as they crank up production of the motor fuel to meet rising domestic demand, industry sources said. Investments by refiners to produce cleaner fuels as part of a national drive to curb domestic vehicle emissions has meant some are now able to meet stringent Australian specifications, opening up a new and potentially growing market. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/02/china-gasoline-idUSL3N0WZ1M820150402 German Cabinet Approves Anti-Fracking Draft Law. Draft legislation effectively bans shale gas fracking for at least five years. Germany’s cabinet approved draft legislation on Wednesday effectively banning shale gas fracking for at least five years despite growing concern along business and western allies that the country is too reliant on gas imports from Russia. http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-cabinet-approves-anti-fracking-draft-law-1427896555 Formula E racing fuel so environmentally friendly, it’s drinkable. Like other aspects of Formula E, the all-electric racing series coming to the city this weekend, the fuel used to charge the batteries powering the cars is easy on the environment. How easy? You can safely drink it. The fuel, glycerol, is a colorless, odorless sugar alcohol synthesized from salt water alga and burns in a specially-modified… http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150401/formula-e-racing-fuel-so-environmentally-friendly-its-drinkable FUEL: What's in summer gas blend? Beginning today, the gasoline you pump into your car will be a bit different, and air-quality officials say it will help us breathe a bit easier. The summer blend is refined to have less of the volatile hydrocarbon chemicals, such as butane and pentane. It will thus evaporate less than the winter blends when under similar conditions. Reducing how much gasoline can evaporate helps reduce smog. http://www.pe.com/articles/summer-763648-air-gasoline.html Navy biofuels programs sail on amid sinking oil prices. Navy officials say it's full steam ahead for the service's alternative fuels program, despite the plummeting price of oil globally. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Joseph Bryan said the service is "driving towards the goal" of deriving half the service's energy from alternative sources by 2020. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016196/print Guardian Media Group to divest its £800m fund from fossil fuels. GMG becomes largest fund yet known to pull out of coal, oil and gas companies in a move chair Neil Berkett calls a ‘hard-nosed business decision’ justified on ethical and financial grounds. The Guardian Media Group (GMG) is to sell all the fossil fuel assets in its investment fund of over £800m, making it the largest yet known to pull out of coal, oil and gas companies. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/01/guardian-media-group-to-divest-its-800m-fund-from-fossil-fuels VEHICLES Tesla Buyers Making Twice U.S. Average See Rebates in Danger. California’s incentives to purchase electric vehicles are under attack, as data shows most of the money goes to consumers who earn twice the national average yet collect cash rebates on Tesla Motors Inc.’s luxury models. “It’s hard for the average Californian to understand why someone buying a $100,000 car should get a rebate… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-02/tesla-buyers-making-twice-u-s-average-find-rebates-under-fire Renault delivers Twizy number 15,000 to the municipality of Florence, Italy. Florence asserts its commitment to electric transport. Renault's cooperation with the city of Florence began in 2011 when Matteo Renzi (then mayor of Florence) signed an agreement with the Renault-Nissan Alliance on promotion of the electric vehicle. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504010658M2______EUPR_____5c970000022ce98f_3600-1 U Toronto LCA suggests that with CNG as primary vehicle energy source, EVs best targeted at non-attainment areas. A team at the University of Toronto has examined the life cycle air emissions (climate change and human health) impact benefits and life cycle ownership costs of compressed natural gas (CNG) use directly in conventional vehicles (CV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV)… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150401-luk.html UPS to add 1,400 new CNG vehicles over next year; building 15 new CNG fueling stations. UPS announced plans to purchase and deploy 1,400 new CNG vehicles over the next year, representing a 27.5% increase to UPS’ current industry-leading alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet of 5,088 vehicles worldwide. To support the purchase and planned deployment of the 1,400 new CNG vehicles, UPS plans to build 15 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150402-ups.html Kia Soul EV To Go On Sale In Five More States By This June. When the Kia Soul EV electric car debuted just over a year ago, Kia planned a fairly cautious roll out. The electric tall wagon would launch in California, and sales would expand to other states at an undetermined future point. Then reality struck. It turned out that buyers really liked the idea of an all-electric tall wagon with 93 miles of range. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097563_kia-soul-ev-to-go-on-sale-in-five-more-states-by-this-june Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Mar: Leaf Surpasses Volt In Total Sales Since 2010. For more than four years, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt have been the highest-volume plug-in electric cars sold in the U.S. Last month, for the first time in roughly three years, the Nissan Leaf's total U.S. sales surpassed those of the Chevrolet Volt. With March deliveries of 1,817 Leafs, compared to 639 Volts… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097589_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-mar-leaf-surpasses-volt-in-total-sales-since-2010 GREEN ENERGY GE Makes Once-a-Decade Bet on Big Turbines as Energy Use Surges. General Electric Co.’s industrial overhaul rests in part on a piece of machinery that’s larger than a Winnebago and weighs as much as a Boeing 747. Now, it just needs to work. GE plans to deliver its newest gas turbine in July, a decade after the rollout of an earlier model that was hindered by performance issues and sold poorly. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-01/ge-makes-once-a-decade-bet-on-big-turbines-as-energy-use-surges Siemens receives major order for 300-MW wind project in Oklahoma. Hamburg - Siemens has been awarded an order from Apex Clean Energy to supply, support installation and provide long-term service for 130 wind turbines for the 299-megawatts (MW) Kay Wind project to be located in Kay County, Oklahoma. Installation of the wind turbines is scheduled to begin this year, with the start of operations expected for the fourth quarter of 2015. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504010701M2______EUPR_____bf69000001a9e9cc_3600-1 Clouds on horizon for solar projects. Municipal and large commercial solar projects in Massachusetts are being stymied by caps on net metering, which gives a credit for any unused energy they provide to the electrical grid, and incentive to install new panel arrays, advocates said yesterday. The caps for both large private and public solar projects in National Grid territory were hit within the past two weeks… http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504020107KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_60746_2787-1 Green Investment Bank's new wind power fund pulls in 463 mln pounds. Britain's Green Investment Bank (GIB) has raised 463 million pounds ($685 million) in the first close of its offshore wind power fund, it said on Wednesday. The bank was created in 2012 by the government to back green energy projects in Britain and to spur private sector investment in the low-carbon energy sector. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/funds-britain-idUSL6N0WX3PY20150401 An unnecessary delay for Mojave Desert renewable energy plan. Federal and state officials have spent six years examining how best to allocate land in the Mojave Desert to satisfy two disparate environmental imperatives: renewable energy to reduce Californians' thirst for gas and oil, and conservation to preserve unique places and protect wildlife in the desert's fragile habitat. By identifying the least environmentally sensitive land in advance… http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83191734/ Northwest US wind power output falls in 2015. Wind generation in the Northwest Power Pool in the first three months of 2015 fell by 19pc from a year earlier while load declined by 9pc. An unusually warm winter in the pool's territory, which covers the northwest US and western Canada, has cut into the snowpack and boosted hydropower generation at the same time as wind output fell. http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1017550&menu=yes Analysis: California grid eyes 50pc renewable goal. Fulfilling a possible state mandate for procuring 50pc of electricity from renewable sources requires savvy consumers, energy storage and finding uses for excessive daytime solar power generation, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) says. The 50pc goal proposed by governor Jerry Brown (D) is achievable with the right set of policies… http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1016800&menu=yes Los Angeles can add more solar, study says. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power can significantly expand its use of solar energy to replace the coal-fired generation the utility is dropping from its supply mix, according to a study. The municipal utility can increase its solar capacity to 1,500MW by 2025 from the current 153.5MW if it can overcome the challenges of slowing existing programs… http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1017070&menu=yes State regulators plead for break on Clean Power Plan rules until court challenges end. U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy may be so certain of the Clean Power Plan's legal footing that she doesn't need to develop a Plan B, as she said this week. But many state regulators are worried that they will devote time, finances and resources to the challenge of lowering their power sectors' greenhouse gas emissions, only to see the unprecedented EPA rule thrown out by federal courts. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/02/stories/1060016169 Marine life at seafloor may take 1,000 years to recover from climate change. Invertebrate fossil records suggest that ocean seafloor ecosystems could take millennia rather than decades to recover from the effects of climate change. A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that invertebrate species living on the ocean floor took hundreds of years to rebound at the end of the last ice age… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/02/stories/1060016171 DOE-backed study to track climate impacts on tropical forests over a decade. A $100 million Energy Department-backed effort is underway to model the effects of climate change on tropical ecosystems. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and eight other federal institutions will spend the next 10 years studying the dense, diverse, and carbon- and water-rich environment of tropical rainforests and their role in a changed climate. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016167/print Scientists probe climate-stressed reefs considered a harbinger of oceans' future. Research scientists are delving deep into the coral reefs of the Channel Islands in order to learn more about the species growing in the deep-sea environment but also to take a peek at the future state of the oceans. The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, a protected area of 1,470 square miles established in 1980 and located off the West Coast of the United States, experiences weather patterns… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016147/print MISCELLANEOUS Sacramento City Council Bans Plastic Bags. The Sacramento City Council has voted unanimously to ban plastic grocery bags and require a minimum ten-cent charge for reusable or paper bags. The ordinance is similar to a California law signed last year by Governor Jerry Brown. Opponents to the state law gathered enough voter signatures to put the ban on the November 2016 ballot. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/03/31/sacramento-city-council-bans-plastic-bags/ Nuclear Regulatory Commission Urged To Review Procedures. An environmental group is calling on the head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reverse a staff decision and review the installation of faulty steam generators at the San Onofre nuclear power plant. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff took almost three years to respond to a petition filed by Friends of the Earth. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/apr/01/nuclear-regulatory-commission-urged-review-procedu/ Governor says he will sign transportation funding proposal. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said Wednesday that he will sign a transportation funding bill expected to raise $900 million for the state's infrastructure needs through changes to the state's gas tax and new fees on electric cars and hotel visits. The proposal approved by lawmakers Tuesday night converts the state's mix of taxes on gasoline to an excise tax of 26 cents… http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/01/4457452_governor-says-he-will-sign-transportation.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy With Roundup classified as 'probable' carcinogen, what's next? Two weeks ago, the World Health Organization's cancer research arm designated glyphosate as a "probable" carcinogen. It was immediately labeled a clear danger by opponents of large-scale industrial agriculture, and concurrently brushed off by Monsanto Co. and technology-focused scientific organizations. Glyphosate is better known by its Monsanto-given name, Roundup. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016212/print OPINIONS Here's why Obama is approving Arctic drilling again. For a leader who has made fighting climate change a priority, President Barack Obama's decision to approve Royal Dutch Shell's return to oil and gas exploration off Alaska was seen by many environmentalists as a contradiction. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/usa-shell-arctic-idUSKBN0MS54K20150401?feedType=RSS&feedName=everything&virtualBrandChannel=11563 California's mandatory water cutbacks are a good move. Residents of large urban areas have weathered California's current drought, well into its fourth year, without making many substantial changes. Los Angeles was shielded from the full impact by water stored in reservoirs. Many Sacramento residents still have no water meters. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83199911/ U.S. has bold plan to stall climate change. In baseball, there's a traditional comeback after a tough season: "Wait 'til next year!" For climate change "next year" is now. This year is the time and the United Nations' international climate negotiations in Paris in December are the place to secure strong global agreement to curb heat-trapping emissions. A successful climate pact will send a signal around the world that a shift to a low-carbon economy is underway. http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/31/opinions/richardson-climate-change/ EDITORIAL: Farmers don’t need the state telling them what to plant. Farms are not exaggerated lawns. Almonds, grapes and tomatoes have more value than, say, geraniums. We found the suggestion in a column published March 25 in The Bee perplexing. It could only have been written by someone with virtually no knowledge of farming, at least in our part of California. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/01/4457947/editorial-farmers-dont-need-the.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: Fresno city manager now says public scrutiny is 'welcome'. Farms are not exaggerated lawns. Almonds, grapes and tomatoes have more value than, say, geraniums. We found the suggestion in a column published March 25 in The Bee perplexing. It could only have been written by someone with virtually no knowledge of farming, at least in our part of California. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/01/4457947/editorial-farmers-dont-need-the.html#storylink=cpy Our View: It’s no longer optional, we must conserve water. We must do more. That’s not a request, that’s an order. Gov. Jerry Brown delivered that message Wednesday. A press conference including many of his top officials drove home the point that California has not done enough to save water. Now, conservation is no longer optional. In this fourth and worst year of drought, we must either cut water use or many will go without. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/editorials/article17163722.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: California taxing away cheap gas. Just in time for Spring Break road trips, Californians have been enjoying slightly lower gas prices. Yet gripes remain about the state paying on average almost 80 cents more per gallon than the rest of the United States. After prices rose by $1 in just four weeks, the jump was examined last week by a joint hearing in the state Senate of the Energy… http://www.pe.com/articles/state-763715-cents-california.html JOE MATHEWS: Stadium will ease drought? No fooling? Could a new pro football stadium help California beat its drought? That's the ambitious goal of the latest stadium proposal to appear in Los Angeles. The project -- details of which are only now becoming public -- would provide more than a home for the National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars, who are looking to leave their smaller market in North Florida. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/forum/x565635977/Stadium-will-ease-drought-No-fooling Will Renewables Demand be Hobbled by Growing Oil Glut? Although little has been reported on the daily pages of the economic media, it has been increasingly verified that solar, wind, ethanol, geothermal, and the trend toward electric cars have been negatively impacted by the "overflow" of oil and natural gas availability, while relatively static power generation demand has been slowly switching back to fossil fuels. http://www.desertsun.com/story/morrisbeschlosseconomics/2015/04/01/morris-beschloss-economics-oil-renewable-energy/70768336/ Drought Etiquette: When Is Yellow No Longer Mellow? It seems so simple. Stop hosing down your sidewalk. Forgo washing the car out on the street. Be prudent in all your outdoor watering. Quit letting the water run while you brush your teeth or shave or do anything else. Take Navy showers. Put a brick in the tank of your toilet or install a low-flow model. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/03/20/drought-etiquette-when-is-yellow-no-longer-mellow/ Even climate villain Australia might be thinking about cleaning up its act. There was a somewhat surprising announcement this week from a country with one of the world’s worst climate reputations: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s office declared that his government is committed to signing on to the next major international climate accord, set to be hammered out in Paris later this year. http://grist.org/climate-energy/even-climate-villain-australia-might-be-thinking-about-cleaning-up-its-act/ Opinion: Scientific illiteracy in left-wing politics. It seems that every week we hear a new story that demonstrates a lack of scientific literacy in right-wing politics. Recently we learned that employees of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection under the tenure of Gov. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) were instructed not to use the terms “climate change” and “global warming” in official correspondences. http://tech.mit.edu/V135/N9/vierra.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 14:21:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 3, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 3, 2015. 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 Ontario plans cap-and-trade on greenhouse gas emissions. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is preparing to bring in a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions, an ambitious move that could amount to the nation’s single largest salvo in the battle against global warming. The new system would be linked with Quebec and California’s current cap-and-trade program, government and industry sources said, creating a carbon market of 61 million people and covering more than 60 per cent of Canada’s population. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ontario-plans-cap-and-trade-on-greenhouse-gas-emissions/article23786538/ http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/237815-ontario-plans-cap-and-trade-system AIR POLLUTION Judges skeptical of Iowans' push to regulate CAFO air pollution. ...residents today took to federal court their fight to force U.S. EPA to regulate air pollution rising from animal feeding operations under the Clean...http://news.vocus.com/?a=20917383546&p=19f&v=1&x=idWvEGf_X418Y-BdLEEVTA Consol Energy rolls out equipment to cut emissions at its airport drilling operations [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] ...Consol Energy The diesel engines for the fracturing pumps, meant to cut air pollution by 36 percent overall, are the result of a collaboration... Air Pollution; Regulatory http://news.vocus.com/?a=20914704752&p=19f&v=1&x=Ned081VVJdTBrNukFAmMhQ Lumber Liquidators: 10,000 customers asked for air test kits ...Liquidators said Thursday that about 10,000 of its customers have requested in-home air quality test kits, following a TV report that raised concerns... http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27838689/lumber-liquidators-10-000-customers-asked-air-test?source=rss Major Milestone At Humberside Gas Terminal | Costain ...required gas dew point. However new environmental legislation that bans the use of ozone depleting substances such as Freon made modifications to the terminal...http://news.vocus.com/?a=20917054263&p=19f&v=1&x=-wGBHX2lchqNLGIVAzdrJA CLIMATE CHANGE Are Harvard's Dying Hemlocks a Warning for Trees Everywhere? His snowshoes crunching on a crust of ice, David Orwig tromped through the woods at Harvard Forest one afternoon in early March. After a bone-chilling February, the air—20°F (-7°C) and no wind—felt almost balmy. Sunshine snuck through the canopy, making the ice crystals glimmer. It was a perfect day in the woods—if you ignored the fact that all around, the trees were basically ghosts. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150402-forest-die-off-climate-harvard-hemlocks-global-warming/ Quarter of Global Forest Losses Caused by Fires in Russia, Canada, Study Shows. Forest fires in large parts of Canada and Russia resulted in almost a quarter of global forest losses between 2011 and 2013, a new study revealed. The study was conducted by researchers from Global Forest Watch, who analyzed the loss of forests by combining over 400,000 pictures of the earth’s surface. They found that a total of 18 million hectares were lost in 2013, with Canada and Russia being the most significant contributors to forest cover losses in the preceding two years. http://time.com/3770322/forest-fires-russia-canada-global-forest-losses-study/ Right Rebuffs Senate Bid for Climate Funding Info. Several of the Beltway's most prominent conservative groups have a message for Senate liberals investigating whether they're funding research that disputes human-induced climate change: Go away. The Heritage Foundation is not planning to reply to a request for information from Democratic Sens. Edward Markey, Barbara Boxer, and Sheldon Whitehouse, according to a spokeswoman. Nor is the Competitive Enterprise Institute. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/right-rebuffs-senate-bid-for-climate-funding-info-20150402 Canada passed on U.S.-Mexico climate announcement -sources | Reuters ...looks forward to continuing to work with both the U.S. and Mexico on reducing greenhouse gas emissions," the spokesman said. Shane Buckingham,...http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/03/climatechange-canada-usa-idUSL2N0X004E20150403 Ocean Changes Linked to 2010 Hurricanes, Bitter Winters ...Europe with a hypothetical AMOC slowdown. But the models used didn't account for greenhouse gas pollution or global warming — which would... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/ocean-link-to-hurricanes-bitter-winters-18846 Poll: More Americans Trust Fox News Than Obama on Climate Change More U.S. adults believe Fox News is a reliable source of information about climate change than believe President Barack Obama is, according... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/03042015/poll-more-americans-trust-fox-news-obama-climate-change DROUGHT California Is Rationing Water Use For First Time Thanks To Climate Change ...was supposed to measure snow. CREDIT: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli On Wednesday, California Governor Jerry Brown walked into a meadow in the Sierra Nevada... http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/02/3642058/california-mandates-water-use-cuts-amid-drought/ Climate change to make California drought worse, report says - SFGate Climate change will exacerbate California's drought,... http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Climate-change-to-make-California-drought-worse-6176223.php Sierra Snowpack, Thinned by Climate Change, at Record Low in Waterless California ...state history. Credit: Paul Horn/InsideClimate News It was bad news for California following annual snowpack measurements throughout the towering­­––and... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/02042015/sierra-snowpack-thinned-climate-change-record-low-waterless-california Hydropower Could be Risky Bet in Warming World. As investments in wind and solar power climb, backing major hydropower projects may be... Climate Change; Drought; Renewable Energy; Sustainable Communities http://www.climatecentral.org/news/hydropower-investments-could-be-risky-bet-in-warming-world-18852 Drought could push California to rethink water strategy California's historic drought has thrown the state into crisis mode,... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/04/02/drought-push-california-rethink-water-strategy/70843530/ California drought also means increase in electricity costs The ongoing drought doesn't just mean a depletion of water resources. According to... http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2015/04/02/42210/california-drought-also-means-increase-in-electric/ California drought: No snow found in snow survey; Gov. Brown announces first-ever statewide mandatory water reductions ...use by 25 percent, boost enforcement of water-wasting, streamline the state's drought response and invest in new water-saving technologies. "This... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150401/california-drought-no-snow-found-in-snow-survey-gov-brown-announces-first-ever-statewide-mandatory-water-reductions California drought: Santa Cruz, Tri-Valley show deep cuts in water use possible To see how Californians can drastically cut back on their water use as ordered... http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27832424/california-drought-santa-cruz-tri-valley-show-deep?source=rss California issues first-ever water restrictions California governor Jerry Brown issued the states' first ever mandatory... http://www.reuters.com/assets/iframe/yovideo?videoId=363717477 California Water Experts Explore How To 'Live With' Long-Term Drought - capradio.org NPR Thursday, April 2, 2015 Update Required To play the media you will need... http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=397097043 Californians prepare to face mandatory water restrictions As California dries up, some residents are adapting. Here in... t http://news.vocus.com/?a=20917676652&p=19f&v=1&x=z_K-NhdkGQTGeQOjM8SwLA Cutting back on water use: Q&A on California's drought The stubborn drought gripping California is dragging into a fourth year, prompting... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/02/4459614/cutting-back-on-water-use-qa-on.html#storylink=rss Drought Drama: California Politics Podcast Might the son of a California governor whose legacy was water reliability face his own legacy... http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/04/03/drought-drama-kqed-california-politics-podcast/ Drought: California taking sweeping steps to conserve water - SFGate ...Image 1 of 8 Gov. Jerry Brown, center, talks Mark Cowin, left, Director of the California Department of Water Resources and Frank Gehrke, chief of the... http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Drought-California-taking-sweeping-steps-to-6174109.php Exclusive: California used 70 million gallons of water in fracking in 2014 | Reuters SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California oil producers used 214 acre-feet of water, equivalent to nearly... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/03/us-california-drought-fracking-exclusive-idUSKBN0MU01M20150403?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews http://news.vocus.com/?a=20921105305&p=19f&v=1&x=ZfqfDLl-dL9mrqx_ZEDHlA Gov. Brown's drought plan goes easy on agriculture Gov. Jerry Brown's historic order to curb California's water use largely bypasses agriculture, the state's biggest... http://www.latimes.com/about/la-me-ag-water-20150403-story.html?track=rss How Jerry Brown made up his mind on drought order ...in the Sierra Nevada to issue the first statewide water reduction order in California history, he discussed the order at length with his advisers... http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article17261903.html State officials launch new advertising campaign for water conservation ...Californians failed to reach. It appears that residents are increasingly aware of the drought's toll. A March survey from the Public Policy Institute of California... http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-drought-advertising-campaign-jerry-brown-20150402-story.html Team wins $100K prize to promote Arizona water conservation ...combine Arizona's growing population in a desert climate with a persistent drought, it's obvious that water resources need to be managed well," Seleznow... http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Team-wins-100K-prize-to-promote-Arizona-water-6176005.php The environment, agriculture and urban consumers drink up California's water With California entering its fourth year of drought, the question takes... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/02/4459635/the-environment-agriculture-and.html#storylink=rss California drought restrictions FAQ: What the governor's executive water order means for you Ever since Gov. Jerry Brown issued his sweeping executive order requiring California cities to collectively reduce water use by 25 percent within... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20920696344&p=19f&v=1&x=rhdY1VbDDQ41WvMH7Nxf2Q California drought: Most cities, water districts have a long way to go to hit Gov. Jerry Brown's target California's cities and water districts have a long way to go to cut water... http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27840385/california-drought-most-cities-water-districts-have-long California governor orders statewide water cutbacks to combat drought | Reuters PHILLIPS, Calif. (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown, in his most sweeping action to combat... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/02/us-usa-drought-california-idUSKBN0MS55W20150402?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews California moves to kill the lawn, save the water What's it going to take to get people to use a lot less water in drought-stricken California, the Technicolor landscape of lush yards,... http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article17256575.html First California Governor To Deal With Two Droughts Over Four Terms Jerry Brown is the first California governor forced to deal with two droughts over four terms in... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/02/first-california-governor-to-deal-with-two-droughts-over-four-terms/ Greywater presents clear solution to the CA drought ...gardens, wash cars or even fill toilets. It's a simple system, but the state of California has been reluctant to embrace the technology. Madelyn Glickfield... http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2015/04/02/42227/greywater-presents-clear-solution-to-the-ca-drough/ Here are key things to know about California's drought LOS ANGELES — The stubborn drought gripping California is dragging into a fourth year, prompting... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20919813452&p=19f&v=1&x=o0YvwmpFXTv6FQ0ONgGmHQ New California drought measures mark the beginning of the end for lawns ...the 18th green of the San Luis Rey Downs golf course that closed in 2014. The drought and the rising cost of water has contributed to the closing of... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150402/new-california-drought-measures-mark-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-lawns Palm Springs International to remove 1.2 acres of lawn In an era of epic drought, Palm Springs International Airport scaling back its lawn 10% ... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/04/02/palm-springs-international-airport-water/70815250/ Water-conscious Peninsula expects lighter hit from Brown's water cutback order ...use, Monday's order represents the state's most aggressive effort to address a drought now entering its fourth year. But the Peninsula will likely have... http://www.montereyherald.com/environment-and-nature/20150401/water-conscious-peninsula-expects-lighter-hit-from-browns-water-cutback-order DROUGHT: Governor's water-conservation order has Inland cities scrambling ...Road and Magnolia Avenue in Corona was retrofitted in 2013 to include rocks, drought-resistant plants and an underground watering system. The city's... http://www.pe.com/articles/turf-763822-water-county.html DROUGHT: Agriculture unaffected by water order, but not disinterested ...customers to do the same. Although the mandatory water restrictions ordered by California Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday do not apply to agriculture, it... http://www.pe.com/articles/water-763823-dunn-conner.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Truck Makers Seek Complete-Vehicle GHG Rule - TopNews - Safety & Compliance - TopNews ...By David Cullen A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Phase 2 of the federal GHG/MPG rules has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget... http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/safety-compliance/news/story/2015/04/truck-makers-seek-complete-vehicle-ghg-rule.aspx FUELS BIOFUELS: Cellulosic industry hinges on corn ethanol's success. -- The fate of the nation's nascent cellulosic ethanol industry will depend on the extent to which it can piggyback off the success of the existing corn ethanol industry, think tank Third Way said today. In a report, Third Way found that companies with experience in corn ethanol are driving the development of the cellulosic ethanol industry. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20918954132&p=19f&v=1&x=bPMYo9JbM3Ci9o0B9wwgKg China sells Australia-spec gasoline cargo, eyes growing market. | Reuters * PetroChina sold rare Australian grade gasoline to Chevron last month - source * Sinopec able to produce Australian-spec... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/02/china-gasoline-idUSL3N0WZ1M820150402 DEFENSE: Navy biofuels programs sail on amid sinking oil prices. Navy officials say it's full steam ahead for the service's alternative fuels...http://news.vocus.com/?a=20917383726&p=19f&v=1&x=Rw4epvqTKoSoVtOyAHq2gw Previous gas price dip benefits Edmond Schools. ...district locked in pricing at $80 per barrel," Towne said. "We were locking in gasoline and fuel for the rest of the year," Towne said. "In January oil...http://news.vocus.com/?a=20919516685&p=19f&v=1&x=Sthzsj4saf-nneA5Zo-tuA VEHICLES Baker Administration Announces Additional Funding for Electric Vehicle Rebate Program. The Baker Administration announced an additional $2 million will be allocated to the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program.The electric vehicle rebate program, administered by the Department of Energy Resources’, offers rebates of up to $2,500 to Massachusetts residents who buy or lease clean electric vehicles. http://patch.com/massachusetts/framingham/baker-administration-announces-additional-funding-electric-vehicle-rebate-program Amazon Japan Starts Selling Electric Cars (Japan Times) First it was books, then household products; now you can buy... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/02042015/amazon-japan-starts-selling-electric-cars Formula E racing fuel so environmentally friendly, it's drinkable ...minutes. Formula E chief marketing officer Jaume Sallares said besides pushing electric vehicle locomotion, the series provides a testing bed for... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150401/formula-e-racing-fuel-so-environmentally-friendly-its-drinkable GREEN ENERGY Kazakh company plans to build power plants operating on renewable energy [Trend News Agency, Baku, Azerbaijan] ...Samruk-Energo company plans to build a number of power plants operating on renewable energy sources in Kazakhstan from 2015 to 2019, the company... Regulatory; Renewable Energy http://news.vocus.com/?a=20915500609&p=19f&v=1&x=fg_2MOeusggvG1Zeqv0c-w Northwest US wind power output falls in 2015 ...the northwest US and western Canada, has cut into the snowpack and boosted hydropower generation at the same time as wind output fell. The pool includes... Renewable Energy http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1017550&menu=yes Obama Pushes to Train Veterans for Solar Power ...administration is aiming to train 75,000 workers—many of them military veterans—for the solar power industry. The goal is a 50 percent increase from President... Renewable Energy http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/03042015/obama-pushes-train-veterans-solar-power OPINIONS Drought, Climate Change and California's Multibillion-Dollar Problem. Two weeks before California Governor Jerry Brown’s announcement on Wednesday that residents and businesses in the Golden State — which is withering amid one of its worst droughts in modern history — would be subjected to unprecedented restrictions on water usage, he issued a blistering attack on those who continue to question fundamental climate science. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/04/03/drought-climate-change-and-californias-multibillion-dollar-problem/ Wood burning contributes to Cambria forest's woes ...articles and letters for years about the impact of wood smoke along the coast of California — the effect on human and plant health. There is an deeply entrenched...http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/01/3566968/wood-burning-pines-cambria.html EDITORIAL: Where is your long-term water plan, Gov. Brown? In his reincarnation as California governor, Jerry Brown's approach has been cautious — except... Climate Change; Drought; Regulatory; Renewable Energy http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/02/4459560/editorial-where-is-your-long-term.html EDITORIAL: California taxing away cheap gas ...Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, “If we're only paying about 20 to 30 cents more for gasoline typically, why is it translating now to a whole dollar more?”... Climate Change; Fuels http://www.pe.com/articles/state-763715-cents-california.html The Silly Politics Of Climate Change ...weeks back, news of Florida Governor Rick Scott's prohibition of the term “climate change” in his administration raised howls of criticism.... Climate Change; Regulatory; Sustainable Communities http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinomarah/2015/04/02/the-silly-politics-of-climate-change/ The EPA's Mercury Rule Will Cost The Economy At Least $16 Billion Per Year ...enormously overstated. The EPA adopted its mercury rule under a provision of the Clean Air Act that's aimed at regulating “hazardous air pollutants,”... Air Pollution; Regulatory http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2015/04/03/the-epas-mercury-rule-will-cost-the-economy-at-least-16-billion-per-year/?utm_source=allactivity&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=20150403 BLOGS Climate change is more of a priority for voters than you might think. Political support comes in four (basic) levels. There's indifference, which is how most people feel about most things. There's support, which is just a mopey, wouldn't-it-be-nice sort of attitude, perhaps accompanied by a tweet. There's the litmus test, which means that any possible candidate will be measured against the supporter's stance. And then there is the stop-the-presses, call-and-email-your-congressman, hang-on-I'm-making-t-shirts level of support, the sort of thing that makes people at least contemplate getting out a bar of soap to write a message on their back windshields. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/04/03/on-climate-change-people-who-want-action-have-more-passion-and-more-numbers/ Why you'll probably never know whether frackers are breaking the rules ...performance records of oil and gas companies -- how often they have spills, or exceed air pollution standards, etc. -- would be readily available to locals... Air Pollution; Regulatory http://grist.org/article/why-youll-probably-never-know-whether-frackers-are-breaking-the-rules 5 Ways Your Commute Is Hurting Your Health. ...slow, deep breathing when you feel yourself tensing up. It exposes you to more pollution In a 2007 study of Los Angeles residents, up to half of their... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/03/long-commute-health_n_6988442.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy+Living?view=print&comm_ref=false Ikea Says Their Meatballs Can Stop Global Warming ...two year development process, allowing a significant reduction in carbon and methane emissions from the farming process. The Swedish firm sells one... Climate Change http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/04/02/ikea-kottbullar-swedish-meatballs_n_6991012.html Iran, Cuba And China: Obama Steadily Builds Diplomatic Legacy ...November, Obama, during a trip to China, surprised observers with a bilateral climate change deal that puts China on a path to reduced emissions.... Climate Change http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/02/iran-deal-obama-legacy_n_6996586.html?utm_hp_ref=politics More Americans Trust Fox News Than Obama On Climate Change, Poll Finds More U.S. adults believe Fox News is a reliable source of information about climate change than believe President Barack Obama is, according... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/02/americans-fox-news-climate-change_n_6993360.html?utm_hp_ref=barack-obama The Revolution will be Solarized (image credit: livinggreenmag) There's a clean energy revolution happening in California - and it has the potential to topple the old polluting forces... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jorge-madrid/the-revolution-will-be-so_b_6993954.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green?view=print&comm_ref=false Gov. Brown Mandates First-Ever Statewide Water Restrictions With no end in sight to California's historic drought, Gov. Jerry Brown announced a mandatory... http://blogs.kqed.org/feeds/2015/04/02/gov-brown-mandates-first-ever-statewide-water-restrictions/ Nestlé wades into purest form of water risk ...populist protests for bottling and selling perfectly good water in Canada and drought-stricken California. Nestlé Waters says it does nothing harmful... http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/04/02/nestle-wades-into-purest-form-of-water-risk/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 14:59:39 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 6, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 6, 2015. 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 Will There Be Indiana-Style Boycotts If States Reject EPA Carbon Pollution Laws? ...admitted publicly that his goal is to stop a global deal to avert catastrophic climate change. McConnell announced to the world last week that “our... http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/06/3643006/indiana-epa-carbon-pollution-laws/ Washington Governor Puts Focus on Climate Goals, and Less on Debate. In his office, Gov. Jay Inslee keeps a framed image of a stand of magenta paintbrush, an alpine meadow flower and a signature species in Washington, that he photographed while hiking with his wife in Olympic National Park. The magenta paintbrush is threatened by global warming, and the photograph is a reminder, Mr. Inslee said, of all the things that are at risk. But then he paused and said, no, a beautiful blossom was not the point: The deeper reason he is pushing for tough new air-quality policies is to combat worsening health problems, like asthma in children, that are caused by pollution. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/us/politics/washington-governor-puts-focus-on-climate-goals-and-less-on-debate.html?_r=0 Jerry Brown: California Drought Shows 'Climate Change Is Not a Hoax.' The debate has not yet dried up, even if California has. Two months after members of the U.S. Senate took jabs at one another on the subject of whether man made global warming was actually occurring, California Governor Jerry Brown said that the unprecedented drought and newly enacted water restrictions in his state show that "climate change is not a hoax." The implications for the rest of the country, which relies on California for a substantial portion of its food, could be profound, Brown said. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-05/jerry-brown-california-drought-shows-climate-change-not-a-hoax Modi Says India to Strike Own Path in Climate Battle. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signaled on Monday he would not bow to foreign pressure to commit to cuts in carbon emissions, instead pledging to use more clean energy and traditional methods to lead the fight against climate change. India, the world's No.3 emitter of greenhouse gases, has come under pressure to tackle its rapidly rising emissions since the United States and China committed last November to start cutting their own emissions after a "peak year". http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/04/06/world/asia/06reuters-india-climatechange.html Obama's Climate Change Blind Spot: Emissions From Public Lands. ...potential to be a major step forward. But sadly, his latest pledge to reduce greenhouse gases seems poised to keep our nation moving backward.... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20949231172&p=19f&v=1&x=A4O1KbREzAbRoMa5xZVMmg Fishing in the Age of Climate Change. "We don't know what happened to the whitefish," says Cindi John, a Native American. "Their numbers aren't there like they used to be." Cindi and her husband, Ed, run a small fishing business near Lake Michigan. The Native American tribes in the region hold the right to fish and hunt in the area—thanks to an 1836 treaty between the U.S. government and the Ottawa and Chippewa nations—but face threats from pollution, invasive species, and climate change. http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/389144/80-to-90-ft/ Yale study maps U.S. climate opinion in unprecedented geographic detail. A team of Yale researchers has developed a new statistical model that accurately estimates public climate change opinion and public policy support in all 50 states, 435 United State Congressional districts, more than 3,000 counties, and cities across the nation. The model allows users to explore public opinion in unprecedented geographic detail. The model, which is described in the journal Nature Climate Change, was developed in partnership with Utah State University. http://news.yale.edu/2015/04/06/yale-study-maps-us-climate-opinion-unprecedented-geographic-detail Conservative group is tired of being accused of climate denial. Facing a loss of high-profile corporate sponsors, a conservative state-level policy group — the American Legislative Exchange Council — threatened action in recent weeks against activist groups that accuse it of denying climate change. Attorneys for ALEC sent letters to Common Cause and the League of Conservation Voters asking them to immediately “cease making false statements” and “remove all false or misleading material” suggesting that ALEC does not believe in global warming. http://www.standard.net/Environment/2015/04/05/Conservative-group-is-tired-of-being-accused-of-climate-denial-and-is-fighting-back.html Toxic oceans drove mass extinction 200 million years ago. More than 200 million years ago, the continents began splitting apart, massive volcanoes erupted and more than 80 percent of living things went extinct. Scientists believe a sharp rise on greenhouse gases and a spike in temperatures from the volcanoes decimated species on land at the end of the Triassic. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/toxic-oceans-contributed-to-mass-extinction/ Claim blaming utility for devastating glacier melt in Peru may set landmark legal precedent. A Peruvian farmer who has watched glaciers melt "literally under his feet" is demanding that a German energy company compensate him for its role in causing climate change and putting his mountain village at risk of obliteration. The figure at stake is admittedly paltry: €20,000, or about $21,800. But attorneys championing the claim say it could prove legally and politically groundbreaking by tying the actions of a carbon polluter directly to the risks of glacier lake flooding faced by the city of Huaraz. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060016270 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Analysts commissioned tests on Lumber Liquidators flooring and the results came back just fine. Raymond James analysts commissioned tests on Lumber Liquidators’ floors to see for themselves and what they found seems ok. In early March, CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired the results of tests on Lumber Liquidators’ China-sourced flooring sold in the US. The tests found levels of formaldehyde that exceeded regulations set by the California Air Resources Board. http://www.businessinsider.com.au/raymond-james-upgrades-lumber-liquidators-to-outperform-2015-4 DROUGHT As water runs dry, Californians brace for a new way of life. His lawn was thick, healthy and gorgeous, and Mike Duran was in love. "It was so green. It was so lush," he said. But the relationship had financial issues. Watering the grass cost about $1,200 every other month in this drought-stricken state. "The money I was spending for water, I had to make a change," Duran said. The yard has been an arrangement of sand and cactus for three months now. "Emotionally, it took me a little time to adjust, to say the least," he said. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-california-drought-20150405-story.html#page=1 The Hidden Effects of Cheap Oil. ...prices in the second half of 2014 to reduce and ultimately remove remaining gasoline and diesel subsidies. … [Subsidy reform should] help broaden the... http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/03/the-hidden-consequences-of-low-oil-prices/389156/?utm_source=nl__link2_040615 Fracking Study on Water Contamination Under Ethics Review. ...ignites the tap water in her kitchen. A new study now under question says that methane contamination of drinking water is unrelated to fracking, contradicting... http://insideclimatenews.org/news/06042015/fracking-study-water-contamination-under-ethics-review Rundown of California drought stories. ...Jerry Brown of a 25 percent reduction in water use due to the state's longterm drought, news agencies around the country began to look at all aspects... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20938253213&p=19f&v=1&x=Y0XC8tRPL-JSPwxi6yRyDQ Parts of California expected to get some rain, lower temperatures. Drought-stricken California is expected to get at least a trickle... http://www.latimes.com/about/la-me-ln-rain-expected-20150404-story.html?track=rss Key provisions of parched California's new water cuts. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered the first mandatory, statewide water... http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_27857201/key-provisions-parched-californias-new-water-cuts Jerry Brown defends agriculture's water use amid drought. ...but he said historic water rights are “probably going to be examined” if the drought persists. “Some people have a right to more water than others,”... http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article17454854.html http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/05/50803/gov-brown-defends-drought-order-that-doesn-t-limit/ http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27854243/california-drought-gov-jerry-brown-defends-historic-drought Interest In Water Wise Plants Growing. Despite the drought, or maybe because of it, California nurseries and garden... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/03/interest-in-water-wise-plants-growing/ In California, Farmers Rely on Oil Wastewater to Weather Drought U.S. U.S. Overlooking Chevron's Kern River oil field with the Sierra... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20948716772&p=19f&v=1&x=VlPNGsnRg621sa4rDwNLvA Golf courses pledge to speed efforts to cut water use. Golf groups are pledging to speed up efforts to cut water use during California's drought. Golf groups are pledging to speed up efforts... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/04/05/golf-courses-pledge-speed-efforts-cut-water-use/25346083/ Facing drought in an oasis of golf courses and lakes. Facing drought in an oasis of golf courses and lakes Subscribe today for full... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/04/03/california-drought-restrictions-coachella-valley/25274611/ Cutting water use: San Gabriel Valley cities feeling the heat. ...myself watering more and more as we got drier and drier in this fourth year of drought we were in,” Robertson said. So, he got rid of it. He replaced... http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150404/cutting-water-use-san-gabriel-valley-cities-feeling-the-heat California Drought Tests History Of Endless Growth. - NYTimes.com www.nytimes.com : A punishing drought is forcing a reconsideration of whether the aspiration of untrammeled... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20944215926&p=19f&v=1&x=dol1nSyJEgs7fjflxORorQ Animal agriculture is drought intolerant. ...drinking and growing food for feed than even the thirstiest vegetable crops. California would realize gargantuan water savings if more crops were fed... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0405-sunday-drought-farming-20150405-story.html Why do farmers get a free pass from Brown? ...Standing on bare ground where there's normally snow, the governor unveiled his new drought-survival plan. It includes tightening the spigot on lawns, golf... http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-cap-drought-20150406-column.html How will California enforce its new drought measures? ...out lush and green across the Coachella Valley have helped make parts of the California desert some of the biggest per-capita water users in the state.... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/04/04/california-desert-water-cutbacks-enforcement/25282187/ California Slow To Spend Emergency Drought Money. ...veteran state budget watcher. That's true for the $870 million in “emergency drought relief” approved by the governor and lawmakers last year. The Brown... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/06/california-slow-to-spend-emergency-drought-money/ Businesses take steps to reduce water use. ...trees alive. Landscapers and nurseries are trying to educate customers about drought-tolerant alternatives to vast stretches of lawn. Homebuilders are... http://www.modbee.com/news/article17375429.html California drought: Woodside, Fremont on opposite ends of water-saving spectrum. ...like golden-hued Fremont. Fifteen months after Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency, water remains a way of life in Woodside, where horses... http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27850879/california-drought-woodside-and-fremont-opposite-ends-water?source=rss Promising Investment Opportunities Gushing From California's Epic Water Crisis. ...crisis there is opportunity. Being the eighth-largest economy in the world, California's epic water crisis is a promising opportunity to invest in... http://www.forbes.com/sites/trangho/2015/04/04/irresistible-investment-opportunities-gushing-from-californias-epic-water-crisis/ Almond Rush Raises Tough Questions During Dry Times. ...in a giant processing plant in the western San Joaquin Valley near Newman, California. Last year Stewart and Jasper Orchards hulled and shelled more... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/06/almond-rush-raises-tough-questions-during-dry-times/ Beneath California Crops, Groundwater Crisis Grows. Even as the worst drought in decades ravages California, and its cities face mandatory cuts in water use, millions of pounds of thirsty crops like oranges, tomatoes and almonds continue to stream out of the state and onto the nation’s grocery shelves. But the way that California farmers have pulled off that feat is a case study in the unwise use of natural resources, many experts say. Farmers are drilling wells at a feverish pace and pumping billions of gallons of water from the ground, depleting a resource that was critically endangered even before the drought, now in its fourth year, began. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/science/beneath-california-crops-groundwater-crisis-grows.html FUELS California Air Resources Board holds workshop on LCFS re-adoption. In California, the California Air Resources Board held a workshop on the Low Carbon Fuel Standard re-adoption process. The CARB workshop presentation is now posted online, Leticia Phillips North American Representative of the Brazilian sugarcane ethanol industry’s organization, UNICA, made the following statement: Today’s California Air Resources Board (CARB) workshop on the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) reinforces sugarcane ethanol is the most environmentally friendly biofuel supplying today’s market. http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2015/04/06/california-air-resources-board-holds-workshop-on-lcfs-re-adoption/ Coal Loses Nearly 50,000 Jobs, Wind and Solar Add 79,000. As coal plants are shuttered due to increasing regulation and competition from cheap natural gas and renewables, coal industry jobs are being shed by the thousands, according to new research from Duke University. From 2008 to 2012, the U.S. coal industry, from mining to power plants, lost nearly 50,000 jobs, about 12 percent of the total during the five-year period. The research did not include coal jobs that weren’t associated with electricity production. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/coal-loses-nearly-50000-jobs-wind-and-solar-add-79000 VEHICLES Plug-in Electric Car Sales In Canada, March 2015: Tesla On Top Again. (Most Likely) As expected, the Tesla Model S was a “three-peat” plug-in electric vehicle sales champion in Canada back... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097639_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-canada-march-2015-tesla-on-top-again-most-likely Patent Fight Erupts Over Next-Generation Electric-Car Battery Chemistry. Electric cars may still make up just a tiny percentage of the vehicles... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097643_patent-fight-erupts-over-next-generation-electric-car-battery-chemistry State adds $2M for electric vehicle rebates. The state will spend an additional $2 million in rebates to residents who buy or lease electric vehicles, the Baker administration announced last week. The rebate -$2,500 for full battery electric vehicles and $1,500 for plug-in hybrids- on top of the up to $7,500 existing federal tax credit for EVs, has helped more than 700 Massachusetts drivers make the switch from petroleum-powered vehicles to vehicles powered by cleaner-burning electricity, according to a separate statement from the Massachusetts Sierra Club, which praised the move. http://www.wbjournal.com/article/20150406/NEWS01/150409970 GREEN ENERGY White House combining push for solar energy with veteran training. The White House wants to put more returning servicemen and women to work manufacturing and installing solar panels, an effort President Barack Obama will add to his growing list of climate actions meant to combat global warming. He visited an Air Force base outside Salt Lake City on Friday to highlight a new program that trains veterans to size and install solar panels on their military compounds, in the hopes of imparting skills applicable to a rapidly growing sector of the economy. http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/03/politics/white-house-solar-energy-veteran-training/ Forest Green Rovers Tackle Sustainability Feet First. Everything about Forest Green Rovers says green, from its name to its jerseys to the rolling hills of the Cotswolds that surround the club’s home base in the Gloucestershire town of Nailsworth. But for the last five years, the club’s mission has been to become the self-proclaimed greenest soccer team in the world, at least off the field. It is a vision pushed by the alternative energy entrepreneur who saved the club from financial ruin in 2010, and it is obvious in everything from the solar panels that power the stadium to the robot that mows its chemical-free grass. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/sports/soccer/forest-green-rovers-tackles-sustainability-feet-first.html Toshiba opens Hydrogen Energy Research & Development Center. ...Toshiba Group says it will develop a practical energy supply system that uses renewable energy to power hydrogen-generating water electrolysis... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150406-toshiba.html How Washington State Convinced Big Companies to Dramatically Reduce Drive-Alone Commutes. Brian Lagerberg, the director of public transportation at the Washington State DOT, recalls a conversation he had with a large employer in the mid-1990s. The state had recently adopted a law directing big companies to encourage alternative, non-car commutes among workers. In the process of complaining to Lagerberg that he didn't know anything about transportation, the employer mentioned that his company had just bought enough land to create a parking lot for 1,400 vehicles. http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/04/how-washington-state-convinced-big-companies-to-dramatically-reduce-drive-alone-commutes/389658/ SOLAR FLARES: Consumer tips for home solar panel systems. ...project might also include extra jobs such as a new or repaired roof. With solar power growing as an option for homeowners, here's some things... http://www.pe.com/articles/solar-763759-panel-system.html OPINIONS Biofuels, Hunger, and Climate: Fixing California's LCFS Analysis. The politics surrounding biofuels and biomass-based power generation are so fraught with controversy that the Washington Post recently labeled bioenergy “a familiar obstacle to good policymaking.” Who could disagree, then, that decisions about which types of bioenergy to encourage should be based on dispassionate scientific analysis rather than the parochial interests of lawmakers? Instead of “picking winners,” shouldn’t we let lifecycle analyses (LCAs) sort out which fuels make environmental sense? http://theenergycollective.com/jonathan-lewis/2212336/biofuels-hunger-and-climate-fixing-californias-lcfs-analysis Memo To California: If You've A Shortage Of Something Then Change The Price. People over in California are rather scratching their heads over what to do about the... http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/04/05/memo-to-california-if-youve-a-shortage-of-something-then-change-the-price/ ALEC is threatening to sue the groups calling it out on its climate denial. You can call the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) many things — “duplicitous,” “Koch-backed” and “the environment’s worst nightmare” all come to mind — but don’t accuse it of peddling in climate denial. The free-market lobbying group is threatening to sue progressive groups that accuse of denying the science of climate change. Letters sent to Common Cause and the League of Conservation Voters, the Washington Post reports, demand the organizations “cease making false statements” and “remove all false or misleading material” suggesting as much. http://www.salon.com/2015/04/06/alec_is_threatening_to_sue_the_groups_calling_it_out_on_its_climate_denial/ Jerry Brown now owns California's big drought. ...George W. Bush and 9/11. History books are full of such crises. Among recent California governors, Pete Wilson was easily the most crisis-challenged,... http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article17352962.html Editorial: Carbon Rule Approaching. ...rumor mill was correct: The federal government did not publish its Phase 2 greenhouse-gas rule on truck emissions by March 31. The urge to say... http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=37874&t=Editorial-Carbon-Rule-Approaching Where the water flows like money. There are few signs of California's epic drought along a stretch of Maple Drive in Beverly... Drought What water restrictions? ...water restrictions?” Quite naturally a thought crossed my mind that northern California is conserving the water so that southern California can... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article17344310.html EDITORIAL: California paying for its neglect of water infrastructure. Better get used to straw-like lawns and dirty cars. Decades of neglecting California's water infrastructure finally parched the state. On Wednesday,... http://www.pe.com/articles/water-763865-california-build.html Swimming upstream to save a victim of state's water crisis. ...river diversions for agriculture and urban use.” Other suspects included a drought, invasive species, a reduction of its favorite food, plankton,... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dan-morain/article17351492.html CASSIE MACDUFF: Slow the flow, California ...don't run when it rains? Check. We've done our part to conserve water during California's drought crisis. But we're going to have to do more.... http://www.pe.com/articles/water-763926-check-california.html BLOGS Electric Flash: Green Cars Are Getting Stylish. ...plant that makes our batteries is at full capacity. We still are offering all electric cars, but our growth opportunity is in the plug-in space.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-witherspoon/electric-flash-green-cars-are-getting-stylish_b_7001326.html Study: D.C. residents worry about global warming more than anyone else in U.S. A new study that maps public opinion about global warming in the United States finds that Washingtonians are more concerned about rising temperatures than people in any other place. Seventy-four percent of residents of the District worry about global warming compared with a national average of 52 percent, study data indicate. In Pickett County, Tenn., by contrast, just 38 percent of the public is worried about warming, the lowest level in the nation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/04/06/study-d-c-residents-worry-about-global-warming-more-than-anyone-else-in-u-s/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 12:44:19 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 7, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 7, 2015. 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 Report touts provincial action as best way to tackle carbon emissions. Carbon pricing enacted by provinces, rather than federal regulations, will allow Canada to meet increasingly ambitious greenhouse-gas emission targets, a prominent group of economists urge in a report to be released Tuesday. As Ontario prepares to unveil its proposed cap-and-trade plan, the economists who make up Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission say provincial action… http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/report-touts-provincial-action-as-best-way-to-tackle-carbon-emissions/article23817140/ AIR POLLUTION Modi blames changing lifestyles for India's rising pollution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday blamed the changing lifestyles that have come with India's economic development for rising pollution levels that have given the country some of the world's dirtiest air. With his government rolling out a new air quality index to 10 of the nation's cities, Modi urged Indians to curtail waste and conserve resources even as they become wealthier, in order to prevent an environmental catastrophe. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Appeals court rules against Oceano Dunes dust rule. The California Court of Appeal in Ventura has ruled that the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District overstepped its authority when it required that Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area get an air permit in order to operate.The ruling, handed down Monday by the 2nd District Court of Appeal, deals with the air district’s Rule 1001… http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/06/3574191/oceano-dunes-dust-court-ruling.html#storylink=cpy Los Angeles County gets C+ in environment, according to UCLA study. Los Angeles County’s air quality has improved but continues to be some of the worst in the nation, while the area’s groundwater and stormwater have excessive levels of pollution, a UCLA study said today, giving the county a “C+” grade for its environment. “Despite a strong recent history of environmental improvements, the county has a long way to go before joining the honor roll…http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150407/los-angeles-county-gets-c-in-environment-according-to-ucla-study FedEx CO2 Emissions Drop More Than 20%. FedEx avoided nearly 1.3 million metric tons of CO2 emissions between 2013 and 2014 as a combined result of its various energy-savings initiatives, according to the company’s 2014 Global Citizenship Report. In 2014, year-over year aircraft emissions dropped 1.5 percent, bringing the company’s total reduction in CO2 emissions intensity to 21.4 percent from 2005 levels. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/04/07/fedex-co2-emissions-drop-more-than-20/#ixzz3Wdsi948t New study finds asthma morbidity in children is enhanced in areas with high traffic-related air pollution near the home. Results from a new study by researchers at the University of California Irvine support a growing body of scientific literature indicating that sensitive populations, including children, certain ethnic groups and people of lower socioeconomic status, are more vulnerable to the effects of high exposures to traffic-related air pollution. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150407-delfino.html CLIMATE CHANGE Achilles: Businesses Across the Globe Paying ‘Lip Service’ to Reducing Carbon Footprint. Businesses across the globe have claimed that reducing carbon is going to become a bigger priority in 2015, but most are not taking basic steps to make it happen, new research shows. “In our experience, most large businesses are only motivated to tackle carbon emissions when it’s mandated by clients as part of the tendering process.” http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150407006043/en/Achilles-Businesses-Globe-Paying-%E2%80%98Lip-Service%E2%80%99-Reducing#.VSQPPhZO3So Obama presents climate change as hazard to your health. President Barack Obama will ask Americans to think of climate change as a threat not just to the environment, but also to their health. Obama on Tuesday was to announce a series of steps that private entities like Google and Microsoft are taking to better prepare the nation's health systems for the inevitable effects of a warmer, more erratic climate. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE_HEALTH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT White House to explore how climate change makes you sick. President Obama is launching an initiative Tuesday aimed at highlighting the connections between climate change and public health, bringing both medical and data experts to the White House this week. As part of the effort, the White House will hold a Climate Change and Health Summit later this spring, featuring Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/07/white-house-to-explore-how-climate-change-makes-you-sick/ Global Warming Will Bring Fast, Clumsy Spiders. The fluid that controls their limb movement can’t keep up with the high speeds that come with high temperatures, a study finds. One major downside of global warming? Spiders. So many spiders. Previous studies have suggested that warmer weather may mean more spiders overall (and bigger ones, at that)… http://www.nrcm.org/news/environmental-issues-in-the-news/global-warming-will-bring-fast-clumsy-spiders/ Are we reaching a positive climate change tipping point? Are we tipping the right way? One of the great environmental stories is of how catastrophe can creep up and be noticed only when it is too late to act. Examples range from the sudden, inexplicable collapse of bee colonies, to ice cores revealing the potential for dramatic climatic upheavals that happen not in millennia or centuries, but the time it takes to pass through a coalition government or two. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/07/are-we-reaching-a-positive-climate-change-tipping-point Can Climate Scientists Make A Difference by Not Flying? Globally, air travel accounts for 2.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. If air travel were a country, it would be roughly on par with Germany in emissions. And if air travel by climate scientists were a city, it would be a one-stoplight outpost. In other words, climate scientists curtailing their air travel would make a microscopic dent in reducing emissions… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-scientists-flying-18864 New York Just Quietly Raided Its Climate Program For Cash. It Might Destroy The Entire Effort. A relatively small provision buried in New York state’s $150 billion budget has got environmentalists in a bit of a tizzy. In the budget passed last week, lawmakers agreed to take $41 million away from state’s climate change mitigation program and sweep that money into the general fund. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/07/3641147/new-york-raids-rggi-possibly-threatens-obama-climate-action/ Utility Giant Cuts Ties With Willie Soon. Southern Company supplied nearly $470,000 for research by climate contrarian affiliated with Harvard-Smithsonian, now conducting an ethics investigation. Controversial climate contrarian and Harvard-Smithsonian scientist Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon has one more report to complete for a giant utility company that has pumped nearly a half-million dollars into his highly disputed research before the company cuts his funding. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042015/utility-giant-cuts-ties-willie-soon-southern-company-coal-climate-change-skeptic-contrarian At the macro level, most Americans believe climate change is real; but on the micro level, there is confusion. The majority of Americans believe climate change is real and are worried about its effects, but fewer than half think it is primarily caused by human activity, according to a paper published yesterday in Nature Climate Change. Even fewer -- about 4 in 10 -- believe there is broad consensus within the scientific community that the planet is steadily warming. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/07/stories/1060016341 Battlefield conversions: Hunters see climate changing their traditions. On the Eastern Shore of Maryland, waterfowl season arrives in a "big way," said Maryland native Steve Kline. The colder it gets up north, the more compelled the birds are to migrate south to the Chesapeake Bay, and come November, it's time to don the hunter's orange and hit the fields. First come the wood ducks, then the green-winged and blue-winged teal. And then there are the Canada geese. The place Kline calls home, Chestertown, calls itself the goose capital of the East. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016344 Climate campaigners losing faith in value of engaging with fossil fuel firms. As the divestment campaign gathers pace, those in favour argue that investor pressure is ‘useless’ as an effective means for industry reform – but some experts say putting all your eggs in one basket is a risky strategy. It’s been 23 years since investor activists first tried to get the oil business to face up to the risks of climate change. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/07/climate-campaigners-losing-faith-in-value-engaging-with-fossil-fuel-firms DROUGHT Storm brings rain and snow, but little relief, to California. An unusually cold spring storm will bring heavy rain and hail to parts of Northern California on Tuesday and coat the mountains in snow - a welcome respite that will do little to ease the historic drought, forecasters say. Up to 2 feet of snow could fall in the Sierra Nevada, according to the National Weather Service. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_STORM?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California cities pressured to step up to slash water use. Determined to erase its spotty water conservation record, the wealthy coastal community of Newport Beach is among the cities preparing to crack down on water guzzlers and wasters in response to California's worsening drought. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WATER_USE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Drought expands across large section of nation's crop region. Drought conditions expanded last month amid weather that was warmer and drier across much of the western U.S., but spring rain in the agricultural Midwest could improve conditions for farmers preparing for the corn and soybean growing season. Weekly data released by the National Drought Mitigation Center shows moderate drought or worse covered 36.8 percent of the U.S. … http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EXPANDING_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT How a plan to ration water in Southern California will work. Southern California's water wholesaler is planning to wield its powerful hammer to force more urban conservation this year by cutting water deliveries. Faced with dwindling regional reserves and a fourth year of drought, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is expected to vote next week to ration imported water that it supplies to 26 http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83234054/ State will unveil specifics on drought water cuts soon. The State Water Resources Control Board hopes to announce a preliminary framework by Tuesday that will outline how it plans to implement the historic mandatory water restrictions Gov. Jerry Brown ordered last week. The framework will detail how the state plans to achieve the 25% water-use cut Brown ordered and will explain the consequences for agencies that fail to meet the targets. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83231037/ Drought turning green street medians to brown. Grassy center medians on boulevards across the state, including Sacramento’s Capitol Mall corridor, are likely to go brown this summer under Gov. Jerry Brown’s new emergency water restrictions. Faced with a four-year drought, the governor last week ordered first-time mandatory state water-usage reductions, targeting a 25 percent cut through early next year. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article17587127.html#storylink=cpy California water board says February savings were worst yet. California's water board said Tuesday that residents saved less water in February than in any other month since it began tracking conservation efforts last summer. Newly released figures showed a water use reduction of just 3 percent in February compared with 2013 figures, dismal savings that came after the driest January on record in the state. http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27863495/california-cities-pressured-step-up-slash-water-use http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-cities-pressured-to-step-up-to-slash-6182936.php Almond Rush Raises Tough Questions During Dry Times. Conveyer belts carry millions of kernels through sorting machines in a giant processing plant in the western San Joaquin Valley near Newman, California. Last year Stewart and Jasper Orchards hulled and shelled more than 40 million pounds of almonds -- most of which were headed overseas. Eighty percent of California’s almonds are exported. http://www.capradio.org/45521 Palm Desert cutting water use at parks, elsewhere. Palm Desert will be watering its roadway medians and parks up to 25 percent less following Gov. Jerry Brown's mandatory restrictions on water use. The increased conservation efforts will be implemented immediately in some spots and in phases over the next two weeks in other areas, city spokesman David Hermann said. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/04/06/palm-desert-water-conservation-parks-medians-misters-civic-center-el-paseo-joe-mann-park/25385433/ Drought triggered improved water clarity in 2014. Drought conditions helped fuel a drastic improvement in the clarity of Lake Tahoe last year, researchers reported today. Decreased runoff from mountain snow meant that fewer contaminants entered the iconic lake, located at the border of California and Nevada, according to data from the University of California, Davis. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/07/stories/1060016372 FUELS Oil rallies on U.S. jobs data, bullish EIA monthly report. Oil futures rallied on Tuesday, erasing losses on strong jobs data and U.S. government forecasts for lower domestic crude production growth and higher global demand for oil. U.S. job openings surged to a 14-year high in February the Labor Department said in its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), lifting oil prices. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/07/us-markets-oil-idUSKBN0MX01T20150407?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews Fracking: Oil company drops lawsuit attempting to overturn San Benito County ban. One month after mounting a legal challenge to San Benito County's ban on the controversial oil exploration practice of fracking, a Southern California oil company has withdrawn its lawsuit. The decision now means that none of the local bans on fracking in California is under legal challenge, environmentalists said Monday, even as several more counties -- including Santa Clara, Monterey and Butte -- may see similar bans on next year's ballots. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27861090/fracking-oil-company-drops-lawsuit-attempting-overturn-san What Future For Coal In The U.S.: Slow Decline Or Faster Retreat? Coal is the largest source of carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions produced by generating electricity, but that doesn't mean it will go away any time soon. While coal's deleterious environmental effects are well known, certain economic factors could ensure its continued role as fuel for electricity generation for years to come. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097657_what-future-for-coal-in-the-u-s-slow-decline-or-faster-retreat Environmentalists Across the Nation Hail NY Ban on Fracking. The ban does not prohibit fracking-related infrastructure planned for New York, and local activists vow to continue the fight. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo surprised environmentalists Thursday when his administration banned hydraulic fracturing in the state, citing public health concerns. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20141217/environmentalists-across-nation-hail-ny-ban-fracking Scientists use corn husks to produce cheaper hydrogen fuel. A team of scientists from Virginia Tech has discovered a way to produce hydrogen out of corn waste to power cars, reducing costs and carbon emissions. Leftover corn stalks, cobs and husks can be broken down using new cell-free artificial enzyme processes enhanced through kinetic modeling and made into high-purity hydrogen that can directly supply fuel-cell vehicles, according to the team. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060016369/print VEHICLES Nissan launches new X-Trail Hybrid in Japan. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. launched the new Nissan X-Trail Hybrid, which goes on sale on 13 May 2015 at Nissan dealers throughout Japan. Equipped with an optimized 2.0-liter MR20DD engine and Nissan’s one-motor-two-clutch hybrid system (earlier post), the new X-Trail Hybrid delivers performance eclipsing those of typical 2.5-liter gasoline engines, Nissan said. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150407-xtrail.html BMW staging world premiere of X5 plug-in hybrid at Auto Shanghai. BMW is using the upcoming Auto Shanghai event as the platform for the world premiere of the BMW X5 xDrive40e Sports Activity Vehicle, the first plug-in hybrid production model from the BMW core brand. With a total system output of 230 kW/313 hp generated by a four-cylinder gasoline engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150407-bmw.html EPA Insider: Agency Bluffed Carmakers To Get CAFE Standards. Sometimes in negotiations, it's best to open with an unrealistic offer. That leaves room to deal. In the end, the party making the offer gets what it really wanted--less than its opener--and the opposing party feels like it's extracted some concessions. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097656_epa-insider-agency-bluffed-carmakers-to-get-cafe-standards GREEN ENERGY Tokyo turns focus to delivering 'sustainable' 2020 Games. Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have promised the most innovative, impeccably run and "sustainable" games ever. With just a little more than five years to go, doubts are growing whether they will deliver on the last pledge. On Tuesday, the World Wide Fund for Nature and others backing use of renewable energy and other standards… http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/07/4465397_tokyo-turns-focus-to-delivering.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Report: The way we power our homes may be on the verge of a major change. In recent years, the growth of the rooftop solar market has been astounding. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the growth rate for at-home solar has been above 50 percent for three years running (2012, 2013, and 2014). But if a new study is to be believed, the changes have only begun. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/07/study-the-way-we-get-electricity-may-be-on-the-verge-of-a-major-change/ Net Metering vs. Self-Generation for Solar PV. Recently, NAATBatt member Tucson Electric Power (TEP) announced a change in its net metering program, whereby TEP will compensate new solar PV customers for net metered electricity at the same rate that TEP pays for power from large solar arrays, rather than at the higher retail electricity rate. http://theenergycollective.com/jim-greenberger/2213681/net-metering-vs-self-generation-solar-pv This Texas City Will Soon Be Powered Entirely by Renewable Energy. Georgetown officials say their green power plan will save residents money. News that a Texas city is to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy sparked surprise in an oil-obsessed, Republican-dominated state where fossil fuels are king and climate change activists were described as "the equivalent of the flat-earthers" … http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/04/georgetown-texas-renewable-energy Wash.'s Inslee tapped to lead Governors' Wind Energy Coalition. A first-term Democratic governor from the Pacific Northwest and a seasoned Republican from the Corn Belt have been appointed chairman and vice chairman of the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition, the organization announced yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/07/stories/1060016338 MISCELLANEOUS Deadly Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: How You Can Protect Yourself. The deaths of eight family members in Maryland has brought attention to the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Every year 400 Americans die from exposure to carbon monoxide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 4,000 hospitalized and 20,000 ending up in the emergency room as a result of exposure to the colorless, odorless gas. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/deadly-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-protect/story?id=30136539 OPINIONS Climate-change deniers are in retreat. There is no denying it: Climate-change deniers are in retreat. What began as a subtle shift away from the claim that man-made global warming is not a threat to the planet has lately turned into a stampede. The latest attempt to deny denial comes from the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, a powerful group that pushes for states to pass laws that are often drafted by industry. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/climate-change-deniers-are-in-retreat/2015/04/06/942eb980-dc9f-11e4-be40-566e2653afe5_story.html http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/sfl-climate-change-denial-20150407-story.html ‘Green chemistry’ is hampering goals on energy efficiency, climate change. California is known as a leader on a variety of environmental issues. I’m proud to work in an industry helping the state to meet its goals to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the American Chemistry Council, many of our member companies work on sustainable technologies that are revolutionizing the way we generate and store energy – solar cells, wind turbines… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article17557583.html#storylink=cpy Opinion: Jerry Brown now a champion for farmers. It was somewhat incongruous to watch Gov. Jerry Brown defend California’s farmers and their water use on national television Sunday. In imposing mandatory cutbacks on water use last week, the governor had exempted farmers, generating sharp criticism, especially from Brown’s usual allies in the environmental movement. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article17585870.html#storylink=cpy Avoid Arctic assault. One might be forgiven for feeling that the Obama administration policy to tackle climate change can sometimes appear a little inconsistent. In the run-up to the Paris climate summit later this year, President Barack Obama announced the U.S. pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/07/3574685_avoid-arctic-assault.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Mass transit isn’t necessarily the answer to lower carbon emissions. There’s no way to drive around it: Commuting to work behind the steering wheel emits carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change. Dense cities are pretty good at keeping those tailpipe emissions low when measured on a per-person basis because many commuters often use trains and buses to get to work. http://qz.com/378155/mass-transit-isnt-necessarily-the-answer-to-lower-carbon-emissions/ Letter: Solar energy in Utah. Why did President Obama choose Utah to announce his initiative to train 75,000 workers in the solar industry (“Hill AFB, Salt Lake City win praise from Obama,” April 3)? Was it Utah’s great potential for solar? Was it our rapidly growing population and strong economy? It was certainly not because Utah is a leader in solar energy. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865625909/Solar-energy-in-Utah.html Like a carbon tax, but much worse. Kathleen Wynne’s Ontario has chosen the second way. The fact that cap-and-trade schemes are incredibly opaque is considered a feature, not a bug. The government can swear it’s not a tax, even though the taxpayers will wind up paying for it anyway as industry passes on the extra cost. Cap-and-trade schemes are supposed to encourage companies to find cleaner forms of energy. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/like-a-carbon-tax-but-much-worse/article23812654/ . BLOGS Diving in to California’s most pressing problem — water. Just a day after Gov. Jerry Brown announced the first mandatory water rationing in California’s history, a new Water Policy Center opened its doors to help guide the state through decisions of how we will live with drought. Ellen Hanak, who will direct the Public Policy Institute of California’s water efforts… http://blog.sfgate.com/opinionshop/2015/04/06/diving-in-to-californias-most-pressing-problem-water/ NRDC Ad Hits Senator Rob Portman for His Polluter Protection Proposal. A couple of weeks ago, Senator Rob Portman decided to lead the charge in Congress to let power plants keep fouling our air with pollution that contributes to catastrophic climate change and leads to childhood asthma attacks. We owe it to our children and future generations to do what we can to fight climate change by limiting carbon pollution, and power plants are the biggest source of this pollution. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/nrdc_ads_hit_senator_rob_portm.html ALEC Climate Change Denial: Attacks on Climate Regulations and Clean Energy Solutions. The American Legislative Exchange Council is trying to silence critics for exposing their history of climate change denial, according to the Washington Post. ALEC sent cease-and-desist letters to the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Common Cause, demanding that the two organizations “cease making false statements”… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabe-elsner/alec-climate-change-denial-attacks-on-climate-regulations-and-clean-energy-solutions_b_7012454.html Dear Humans, Industry, Not Your Activities, Is Causing Climate Change. Scientists and climate policy wonks usually say global warming is caused by "human activities." This shorthand obscures an important point: While we humans are certainly responsible for climate change on some level, just a few of us, particularly in industry and government, are a lot more responsible than the rest of us. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-huertas/dear-humans-industry-is-c_b_7017470.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 15:16:16 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 8, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 8, 2015. 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 Research group says joining RGGI would give Va. a low-cost way to comply with EPA's power plant rule. A new study from a clean energy advocate is urging Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. That's despite the fact that a bill doing just that stalled in the Commonwealth's Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this year, and never saw a vote. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016407 AIR POLLUTION Push for cleaner stoves in poor countries to cut pollution. Every evening, hundreds of millions of Indian women hover over crude stoves making dinner for their families. They feed the flames with polluting fuels like kerosene or cow dung, and breathe the acrid smoke wafting from the fires. The smoke, containing high concentrations of tiny particles known as black carbon, is responsible for premature deaths from cancer and other diseases and is causing… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_BLACK_CARBON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EPA updates list of areas in compliance with fine particle standard. U.S. EPA this week updated the list of areas in the country that are in compliance with the 2012 fine particulate matter standard. In a Federal Register notice yesterday, EPA named five counties in Georgia and neighboring counties in Alabama and South Carolina in attainment with the standard. EPA also changed original "nonattainment"… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016432 Georgia Tech study projects potential mixed impacts of climate change policies on air quality. Results of a study by a team from Georgia Tech and their colleagues at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management show that national CO2emissions reductions strategies will play an important role in impacting air quality over the US. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150408-gatech.html CLIMATE CHANGE Obama: Malia's asthma brings home climate change debate. President Barack Obama says his memory of the fear over his daughter's preschool asthma attacks brings home the debate over climate change. Obama says he knows firsthand how scary it can be to have a child who struggles to breathe. He is arguing that preventing climate change could improve public health by reducing illnesses such as asthma. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ASTHMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT If We Dig Out All Our Fossil Fuels, Here’s How Hot We Can Expect It to Get. World leaders are once again racing to avert disastrous levels of global warming through limits on greenhouse gas emissions. An agreement may be in reach, but because of the vast supplies of inexpensive fossil fuels, protecting the world from climate change requires the even more difficult task of disrupting today’s energy markets. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/upshot/if-we-dig-out-all-our-fossil-fuels-heres-how-hot-we-can-expect-it-to-get.html?_r=1&abt=0002&abg=0 California Considers Stricter Carbon Standards. California is already working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. But a bill approved by a state Senate committee today would set some new goals to be met by 2030. The measure would cut in half the amount of petroleum used in cars. It would double the energy efficiency of existing buildings. And it would require 50 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources. http://www.capradio.org/45762 Judge hears historic climate case. A lawsuit that seeks to force state lawmakers to work harder to address climate change also draws a protest outside court. A Lane County judge on Tuesday heard arguments in a potentially precedent-setting case brought by two Eugene teenagers seeking a court ruling that would force state lawmakers to work harder on a plan to reduce carbon emissions and help stave off climate change. http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32947906-75/eugene-teens-get-their-day-in-court-in-climate-case.html.csp How Flood Insurance Could Drive Americans From Coasts. As salty waters ride the fossil fueled escalator of sea level rise into American streets and homes, rising flood risks may force coastal neighborhoods — if not entire cities — to be abandoned in the decades ahead. “You can’t build a seawall along the entire Eastern Seaboard,” Jessica Grannis, a climate adaptation specialist at Georgetown Climate Center, said. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/flood-insurance-americans-on-coasts-18863 Power Plant Rules Could Unite States On Climate Action. Proposed greenhouse gas rules affecting America’s electricity industry are inflaming entrenched schisms between some governors and the president — but they could eventually lead to an unprecedented level of unity among states on climate action. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/epa-rules-could-unite-states-on-climate-18812 Thawing Permafrost Will ‘Seep, Not Explode’ CO2. The Arctic holds more than a trillion tons of carbon, locked in the frozen soil known as permafrost. That’s more than twice as much carbon as there is in the atmosphere itself, according to a 2013 report from the National Academy of Sciences. And as the climate warms under its growing blanket of human-generated greenhouse gases… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/thawing-permafrost-climate-danger-18869 Western Canada May Lose 70 Percent Of Its Glaciers By The End Of This Century. If the rugged wilderness of Canada’s western provinces seems synonymous with mountain glaciers, that relationship might come with an expiration date: according to a study published this week in the journal Nature Geosciences, 70 percent of glaciers in Alberta and British Columbia could disappear by the end of the 21st century. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/08/3643791/canada-glacier-loss-2100/ Why This New Study On Arctic Permafrost Is So Scary. Scientists might have to change their projected timelines for when Greenland’s permafrost will completely melt due to man-made climate change, now that new research from Denmark has shown it could be thawing faster than expected. Published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, the research shows that tiny microbes trapped in Greenland’s permafrost are becoming active as the climate warms and the permafrost begins to thaw. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/08/3643953/greenland-permafrost-thaw-microbes/ Oil-rich Canada should meet emission cuts through provincial action, economic report says. Carbon-cutting programs implemented by Canadian provinces, rather than by the federal government, are the most effective way to help the country meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, according to a report released yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016398 Obama heads to Americas summit, but will he emphasize climate change? Energy, and to a lesser extent climate change, will make up a key part of President Obama's policy package this week as he travels to Jamaica and Panama for a series of high-level meetings with Caribbean and Latin American leaders. While the spotlight at the seventh Summit of the Americas on Friday will be on the theatrical… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016410 DROUGHT Desperate from Drought, California Turns to Desalination. As California battled its last severe drought in the early 1990s, Santa Barbara spent $34 million on a desalination plant that proved too costly to keep running when rain returned. Now, the city can’t afford to keep it idle. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-08/california-sees-salvation-in-seawater-as-drought-drags-on In drought, Californians lacking water meters let it flow. Broad rivers fed by Sierra Nevada snowmelt brought plentiful water to California's agricultural heartland and a certain sense of entitlement. So strong was the belief that water was an inalienable right that several communities and cities promised never to install meters to measure water use…http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/08/us-usa-california-drought-idUSKBN0MZ14V20150408 Southern California lags behind in water conservation. Water use in California dropped only 2.8% in February compared with the same period in 2013, in what officials said was an alarming trend. The decline is significantly less than what the state posted in January and December. In January, water use dropped 8% and in December it dropped 22%. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83236798/ Despite the drought, produce prices are staying stable -- why? California's drought has driven the prices of some fruits and vegetables up substantially, but others are actually cheaper than they were a year ago. In fact, the U.S. Agriculture Department’s forecast for produce prices predicts modest increases of 2% to 3%. Why aren’t fruit and vegetable prices skyrocketing in these dry times? There are several reasons, farm experts say. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83241935/ $10,000 per day fines proposed for water wasters. The State Water Resources Control Board is planning fines of up to $10,000 per day for continued noncompliance with its water use curtailment demands. Enforcement would start with warning letters but could escalate to formal actions that would include cease and desist orders to stop non-compliant activity. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28103 Calif. Continues to Shatter Temperature Records. The dubious records keep piling up for California, a state wracked by four years of drought brought on by a pernicious weather pattern that has kept rains at bay and exacerbated by human-induced warming. Just one week after the state measured its lowest-ever snowpack, U.S. scientists have announced that the year so far has been the warmest on record, setting expectations for a long, hot, dry year ahead. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-shattering-temperature-records-18871 For some Californians, 35% water cutback is on tap. Many California cities will need to shrink their water consumption 35 percent, not just the 25 percent that Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has ordered, under a proposal released yesterday. The state Water Resources Control Board unveiled its framework for a four-tiered "sliding scale" of reductions, intended to account for the fact that some locations already have conserved more than others. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016434 FUELS Bloomberg adds $30 million to anti-coal campaign. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg says he is donating an additional $30 million to a Sierra Club initiative working to reduce the nation's use of coal. The Sierra Club has a goal of replacing half the nation's coal plants with renewable energy by 2017. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/67b660064eb94e6e81ec43193e0c74ed/bloomberg-adds-30-million-anti-coal-campaign TransCanada applies Keystone's lessons to Energy East pipeline. After six years battling bitter opposition to its Keystone XL pipeline project in the United States, TransCanada Corp has learned where and when to pick its fights, to consult early and often - and to retreat when prudent. Canada's No. 2 pipeline company scrapped plans last week to build a crude oil export terminal in Quebec because it would endanger beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/07/us-transcanada-energyeast-idUSKBN0MY1SG20150407 Shell to Buy BG Group for About $70 Billion. Deal the latest sign of how tumbling energy prices are shaking up the global oil-and-gas industry. Petroleum giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC has agreed to buy BG Group PLC for about $70 billion, in a deal that would create the world’s largest independent producer of liquefied natural gas amid a historic downturn in energy prices. http://www.wsj.com/articles/shell-to-buy-bg-group-1428473660 Driller drops suit over Calif. county fracking ban. Proponents of local government control over hydraulic fracturing are celebrating a win this week after a California oil company withdrew a challenge to San Benito County's ban on fracking and steam injection. Citadel Exploration Inc. filed a motion Friday in California Superior Court asking the judge to dismiss a lawsuit the company filed last month challenging San Benito's fracking ban. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016399 EDF Sparks Mistrust, and Admiration, With Its Methane Research. Environmental Defense Fund fills a void in tackling critical climate issue, but to some, its collaboration with fossil fuel industry taints findings. The Environmental Defense Fund is one of the nation's most venerable environmental organizations, and many consider it one of the most effective. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042015/edf-sparks-mistrust-and-admiration-its-methane-leaks-research-natural-gas-fracking-climate-change Who Funds EDF's $18 Million Methane Research Project? The Environmental Defense Fund has launched an ambitious project to study how much methane, the main component of natural gas, leaks into the atmosphere at every stage of gas production, development, transportation and consumption. To fund the $18 million, 16-study investigation, the EDF assembled a sprawling network of private donors, foundations, utilities, fossil fuel companies and others. http://insideclimatenews.org/content/who-funds-edfs-18-million-methane-research-project VEHICLES Tesla boosts range, power and price of low-end Model S. Electric car maker Tesla Motors is going after mainstream luxury car buyers by adding all-wheel-drive and more range and power to the base version of its only model. But the added features at the low end of the Model S lineup will come with about a 7 percent price increase, to $75,000 for those buying the cars. The base lease price will rise to $838 per month from $796 for 12,000 miles per year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TESLA_MODEL_S_CHANGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-08-08-16-09 OTHER RELATED STORIES http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83245543/ http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/08/4467001_tesla-boosts-range-power-and-price.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Best Deals On Hybrid, Electric, Diesel Cars For April 2015. Buying a green car leads to savings on fuel, but saving money on the car itself is good too. Like any other models, manufacturers sometimes offer discounts or special lease deals that can make buying a hybrid, diesel, or plug-in electric vehicle more attractive. So far, April is shaping up to be a good month for those deals. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097687_best-deals-on-hybrid-electric-diesel-cars-for-april-2015 GREEN ENERGY White House: Obama 'greenest president' ever. President Obama's environmental record will make him remembered as the “greenest” president in history, the White House said Tuesday. “The president is going to go down in history as the greenest president we’ve ever had,” press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/238112-wh-calls-obama-the-greenest-president-weve-ever-had Legislature ponders raising state's share of renewable energy to 50%, cutting oil use. A major legislative push to raise California's share of renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030 had its first hearing before a panel of largely receptive lawmakers yesterday. The Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee took up Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León's (D) S.B. 350, which would implement Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) inaugural January pledge to boost renewables… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/08/stories/1060016408 Mayor unveils 'ambitious' plan to make LA greener. On Wednesday, Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled his office’s “Sustainable City Plan,” a document that outlines sweeping goals for environmental improvements that the city will aim to achieve during the next 20 years. A year in the works, the 108-page plan covers planned improvements in 14 areas: water, solar, energy-efficient buildings, carbon and climate… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/08/50858/unpacking-the-mayor-s-new-sustainability-plan/ MISCELLANEOUS Electric cars, clean air: Garcetti outlines vision for a 'sustainable' L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday released a broad-ranging plan that outlines his vision for environmental goals and programs in Los Angeles over the coming decades. The 105-page booklet -- titled, in a simple play on words, "the pLAn" -- is a grab bag of previously announced and novel environmental initiatives on subjects that include water use and electric cars. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83246310/ OPINIONS Formula E racing opens a road to a world without oil. Remember not so long ago when hybrid and electric cars were all stumpy little vehicles with tiny wheels? Designers seemed to be saying, “If you hate cars, hug trees and feel guilty about not being on a city bus, this is the vehicle for you!” If those early attempts to steer away from gasoline-powered automobiles had to be small in size, why couldn’t they at least look as frisky as a Miata? Why did they have to look like potatoes on wheels? http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83244435/ Opinion: Quebec's carbon-pricing system could be a model for other provinces. In poll after poll, Quebecers rate the highest in Canada in their understanding of climate change and their support for action to address it. We take pride in this, and are recognized for it in other parts of Canada. So why is one of Quebec’s greatest acts of climate leadership — our carbon-pricing system — such a well-kept secret both at home and across the country? http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/opinion-quebecs-carbon-pricing-system-could-be-a-model-for-other-provinces BLOGS OIL REFINERS, PRODUCERS DUKING OUT CRUDE EXPORT BATTLE ONE TWEET. The battle over allowing crude exports is playing out in 140 characters or less. Business coalitions on both sides of the issue—the export of domestic crude oil has been effectively banned since the oil embargo of the ‘70s—have set up dueling twitter accounts, designed to sway policy makers, the press and the general public that their position is correct. http://www.bna.com/oil-refiners-producers-b17179925103/ How India’s New Air Quality Index Works. It’s no surprise to residents of the country’s capital that Delhi’s air quality can be terrible, but now they can know just how dangerous it is to go outside. The air quality index from the Central Pollution Control Board is the first national index to explain in layman’s terms the effect that breathing the air in 10 cities could have on a person’s health. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/04/08/how-indias-new-air-quality-index-works/ How unwanted CDs and DVDs could help cut carbon emissions. Now that most consumers download and stream their movies and music, more and more CDs and DVDs will end up in landfills or be recycled. But soon these discarded discs could take on a different role: curbing the release of greenhouse gases. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-04/acs-huc040815.php Welcome to the Decentralized Energy Revolution: Cleanly Electrifying the World. While the boons of electricity are obvious to anyone who has watched a 49ers game on a 70-inch ultra HDTV or whipped up a frozen margarita in a blender, it also has its downsides—most of them environmental. Coal and natural gas power plants belch planet-warming CO2 into the atmosphere, while nuclear plants produce highly lethal radwaste. http://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/just-in/2015-04-07/welcome-decentralized-energy-revolution-cleanly-electrifying Obama Insists that Climate Change Hurts Health, Sharpening Debate. Obama spoke of the hazards that emissions pose to the human body, citing threats to people with asthma and spikes in insect-borne diseases rarely found in North America. Climate change consistently polls low among Americans' priorities… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/obama-insists-that-climate-change-hurts-health-sharpening-debate/ The U.S. is still the world’s biggest hydrocarbon producer. The U.S. was the world’s biggest producer of hydrocarbon fuels for the third year in a row in 2014, according to new government data. Record natural gas production and a historic crude oil surge widened the gap between the U.S. and its two closest rivals, Russia and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a report Tuesday. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/04/08/the-u-s-is-still-the-worlds-biggest-hydrocarbon-producer/ Urban Drivers Are Emitting Way More Carbon Dioxide Than We Thought. More cars, more problems. Cities, with their dense populations and public transit systems are often seen as hotbeds of green innovation--places where bicycles, subways, and light rail are transforming how we get around. But new research shows that fast-growing cities are some of the worst culprits when it comes to CO2 emissions from cars. http://www.popsci.com/city-drivers-are-emitting-way-more-carbon-dioxide-we-thought?dom=tw&src=SOC Life After Keystone: The Future of the Climate Movement When the Pipeline Battle Ends. Green groups are working to keep momentum alive in the climate fight. President Obama could reject or approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline any day, week or month now. And as a decision looms, environmentalists face a daunting question: Can they recreate the kind of mass appeal that Keystone inspires when the pipeline battle ends? http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/life-after-keystone-the-future-of-the-climate-movement-when-the-pipeline-battle-ends-20150406 Why Teenagers Are Suing States Over Climate Change. Oral arguments were heard on Tuesday in a long-running lawsuit brought by two teenagers against the state of Oregon. The teens are seeking to force the state to take more aggressive action on climate change and thereby better protect the planet for future generations. The suit is one of dozens of legal actions and petitions filed in virtually every state… http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/04/08/why-teenagers-are-suing-states-over-climate-change/ China's Other Electric Vehicle Industry. While the global automotive giants struggle to find a winning formula for electric vehicles (“EVs”), approximately 100 manufacturers in China have already identified a large potential market undiscovered by the traditional players. The common problems faced by EV automakers — high cost, driving range, and the availability of charging stations… http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2015/04/08/chinas-other-electric-vehicle-industry/ It Turns Out That You Can't Divide Americans Over Renewable Energy. In our second annual survey on American homeowners' attitudes toward clean energy, one thing is resoundingly clear. In a nation divided on climate change, immigration policy and so many other issues, Americans are overwhelmingly united in their support of renewable energy. The poll, commissioned by our firm Clean Edge with SolarCity, and conducted by national polling firm Zogby Analytics… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ron-pernick/it-turns-out-that-you-cant-divide-americans-over-renewable-energy_b_7018932.html Bridging the Clean Energy Divide. When you live on a fixed income, reducing monthly electricity bills can make a big difference in your daily life. Lower energy costs mean more money for food, health care and other important parts of raising a family. A new study, Bridging the Clean Energy Divide, released by NRDC found that clean energy solutions like efficient appliances and wind and solar power… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-caseylefkowitz/bridging-the-clean-energy_b_7026142.html?utm_hp_ref=green Water Wars in California: Factory Farms Draining the State Dry. California Governor Jerry Brown has been talking tough about California's growing drought crisis. In January he declared a state of emergency saying, "I'm calling on all Californians to conserve water in every way possible," and just last week he announced that we are "in a new era" of drought severity. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-wells/water-wars-in-california-factory-farms-draining-the-state-dry_b_7021414.html?utm_hp_ref=green Could Coca Cola save the PLANET? Carbon dioxide made by burning fossil fuels could be used to make fizzy drinks, claims report. We may be told that fizzy drinks aren’t good for our health, but there's a chance that they could be beneficial to the planet. An Australian government report suggests that carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels could be captured and used to produce the fizz in Cola. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3030308/Could-drinking-Coca-Cola-save-PLANET-Carbon-dioxide-burning-fossil-fuels-used-make-fizzy-drinks-claims-report.html#ixzz3WjetKcyz Ordinary clay can be used for carbon capture. Carbon capture will play a central role in helping the nations of the world manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Many materials are being tested for the purpose of capturing CO2. New results show that ordinary clay can work just as effectively as more advanced materials. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150408090319.htm California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 13:55:09 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 9, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 9, 2015. 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 Cap and trade fiddling while the world burns: CO2 concentration spikes to unprecedented level. Item A1 on the left shows the most recent reported concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) at the Keeling Observatory in Mauna Loa Hawaii. Today, April 9 2015, it is showing at 404.65 parts per million. Correct me if I’m wrong, and I don’t think I am, but this is the highest it has ever been in human history. http://canadianenergyissues.com/2015/04/09/cap-and-trade-fiddling-while-the-world-burns-co2-concentration-spikes-to-unprecedented-level/ AIR POLLUTION Health boss issues air pollution warning ...with lung and heart problems as Birmingham braces itself for higher levels of air pollution over the next few days. Much of central, eastern... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20980594383&p=19f&v=1&x=p2hvY6BtcZWvx4Q8OJkgMQ White House Emphasizes Health Effects In Push for Action to Curb Greenhouse Gases April 8, 2015 White House Emphasizes Health Effects In Push for Action to Curb Greenhouse Gases By Andrew Childers April 7 — The White House is... http://www.bna.com/white-house-emphasizes-n17179925109/ Scientists seek source of giant methane mass over Southwest - SFGate ...DENVER (AP) — Scientists are working to pinpoint the source of a giant mass of methane hanging over the southwestern U.S., which a study found to be the... http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Scientists-seek-source-of-giant-methane-mass-over-6188239.php Experts push for cleaner stoves in poor countries to cut pollution, reduce deaths ...and other diseases and is causing or exacerbating environmental problems from climate change and glacial melt to falling crop yields. When you... http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/04/08/push-for-cleaner-stoves-in-poor-countries-to-cut-pollution AIR POLLUTION: EPA updates list of areas in compliance with fine particle standard U.S. EPA this week updated the list of areas in the country that are in compliance... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20975984282&p=19f&v=1&x=yBAiUUZ54kFlM_w8O-2NUQ LA mayor envisions greener, more walkable city in the future LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles may be known for cars, air pollution and sprawl. But the city wants a future of solar panels,... http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27871858/la-mayor-envisions-greener-more-walkable-city-future CLIMATE CHANGE Why Teenagers Are Suing States Over Climate Change ...The teens are seeking to force the state to take more aggressive action on climate change and thereby better protect the planet for future generations.... http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/04/08/why-teenagers-are-suing-states-over-climate-change/ Yale Climate Opinion Map A new tool lets users view climate change opinions nationwide. Credit: Yale Project on Climate... http://insideclimatenews.org/content/yale-climate-opinion-map Wisconsin Bans Staff Of Public Lands Board From Talking About Climate Change According to Wisconsin's Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, working on climate change, or even just talking about it while at work, is a... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20976088239&p=19f&v=1&x=ucP0LjShm2uvy4jjXvizXw Who Funds EDF's $18 Million Methane Research Project? ...Environmental Defense Fund has launched an ambitious project to study how much methane, the main component of natural gas, leaks into the atmosphere at... http://insideclimatenews.org/content/who-funds-edfs-18-million-methane-research-project Utility Sales May Drop by Half as Homes Make Their Own Power ...ago InsideClimate News @insideclimate Japan will promise to cut its GHG emissions by 20% from 2013 levels, much lower than other wealthy nations... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20982481832&p=19f&v=1&x=l-v31-na-7keCUgIk_N8vw Japan targets about 20 percent emissions cuts by 2030. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is considering reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by around 20 percent by 2030 as its contribution... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/09/us-japan-carbon-idUSKBN0N005R20150409 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/09/japan-to-pledge-20-co2-cut-reports Cuomo's $41 Million Funding Raid Could Have Big Consequences for State Climate Program. tate environmental watchdogs are crying foul over Governor Andrew Cuomo's decision to pull $41 million from the state's cap-and-trade program, and placing it in the general fund. Environmental Advocates of New York says money from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is supposed to pay for pollution reduction projects. They claim Cuomo is planning to use more than a quarter of the money to fund other work, such as tax relief. http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2015-04-09/energy-policy/cuomos-41-million-funding-raid-could-have-big-consequences-for-state-climate-program/a45583-2#sthash.t5h8uiez.dpuf A 25 percent water cut will be a challenge Once upon a time, we use to think that California had a rainy season and then nine months of dry, mostly sunny... http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_27875188/25-percent-water-cut-will-be-challenge Senate Democrats Likely to Preserve Climate, Environment Stance With Schumer as Leader ...has consistently backed action to address the effects of human activity on climate change. But his Senate priorities largely have been on non-environmental... http://www.bna.com/senate-democrats-likely-n17179925030/ Climate Change Beliefs, Parsed on a Local Level, Paint a Valuable Portrait A new statistical model grinds national poll data about climate change as finely as any pepper mill, and it can predict the... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20975703436&p=19f&v=1&x=YeR6kZdG6RrBJ9nFwikFPA Wells Fargo Selects Clean Technology Startups for Innovation Incubator | Reuters ...Foundation and co-administered by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). It is the first philanthropy... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/09/ca-wells-fargo-idUSnBw095165a+100+BSW20150409 Is 'Game of Thrones' aiding the global debate on climate change? | Reuters ...number of U.S. bloggers think the show could also be a way to make the threat of climate change more vivid to a wide audience, a new study suggests.... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/08/us-climatechange-television-idUSKBN0MZ1SL20150408 APG adds support to BP climate change resolution. ...group of investors to pledge support on Wednesday to a planned resolution on "climate change resilience" at oil giant BP's upcoming annual general... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/08/bp-shareholders-climatechange-idUSL5N0X51YA20150408 JetBlue Invites Customers to Get Onboard With Carbon Offsetting for Eighth Annual One Thing That's Green(R) Initiative | Reuters ...environmental non-profit organization, to offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (CO2e) for all scheduled flights from April 1 to... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/08/idUSnCCN10GbBw+1ca+MKW20150408 DROUGHT California Drought Tests History of Endless Growth. For more than a century, California has been the state where people flocked for a better life — 164,000 square miles of mountains, farmland and coastline, shimmering with ambition and dreams, money and beauty. It was the cutting-edge symbol of possibility: Hollywood, Silicon Valley, aerospace, agriculture and vineyards. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/us/california-drought-tests-history-of-endless-growth.html?_r=0 SLO County communities told to cut water use even more ...cutback under a new proposal by the state water board. Cities and towns across California were told this week to cut water use by 10 percent to 35 percent... http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/08/3577719/water-use-drought-city-cutbacks.html Making almonds the drought's scapegoat? That's nuts Almonds have become the poster-nut for human wastefulness in California's drought. If you've been paying attention to the drought... http://grist.org/food/making-almonds-the-droughts-scapegoat-thats-nuts Hillside Garden Tour focuses on water-saving tips ...gardens have been carefully selected to address this year's theme of working in California's third year of drought conditions, focusing on smart... http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27875049/hillside-garden-tour-focuses-water-saving-tips DROUGHT: Many Calif. customers pay flat rate for water, which isn't measured About 250,000 businesses and households in California can use as much water as they want without paying extra because... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20975984283&p=19f&v=1&x=DQx1HZVFX3gIlfg9dGnVAA DROUGHT: For some Californians, 35% water cutback is on tap Many California cities will need to shrink their water consumption 35 percent,... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20975984272&p=19f&v=1&x=AG2Yvf_6bmyPw7S0E5xTiQ California's drought-resistant garden A home with a garden of drought-tolerant plants is seen in Beverly Hills, April 8, 2015. California's... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20982068000&p=19f&v=1&x=k1QyxqQQ0OkOqu-sdMLRNg Californians celebrate rain, snow from rare spring storm ...pooled on Gilbert Jaffe's front sidewalk could be viewed as a nuisance, but in California's extreme drought conditions, he was treating it like... http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article17819654.html California warns of deep water rights curtailments amid drought ...of agriculture, which consumes far more water than cities and towns. The drought has already pummeled farmers, Brown said, with diminished state... http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article17920022.html California Drought: Roseville Swaps Grass For Water-Wise Plants As California looks for more water efficiency in the fourth year of drought,... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/08/california-drought-roseville-swaps-grass-for-water-wise-plants/ California drought leads to increase in West Nile virus cases The California drought could be responsible for another frightening trend:... http://www.latimes.com/la-me-ln-california-drought-mosquito-activity-20150408-story.html?track=rss Valley cities could see steep residential water cuts under state plan ...Brown may have ordered a 25% cut in water use statewide due to the ongoing drought, but a host of Valley cities could have to do even more. Clovis,... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/08/4468412/valley-cities-could-see-steep.html Santa Barbara rekindles desal debate ...sits like a time capsule near Santa Barbara's main tourist beach, a relic of California's last drought to end all droughts. With its control room... http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150407/santa-barbara-rekindles-desal-debate No dry-up for West Nile The California drought could be responsible for another frightening trend:... LA officials look to lower city's water reduction target Show caption California water officials issued a proposal for a sliding scale of water... http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/08/50887/la-officials-look-to-lower-city-s-water-reduction/ Drought-hit California tightens low-flow toilet, faucet rules (Reuters) — California on Wednesday moved to tighten already stringent regulations... http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x1436663734/Drought-hit-California-tightens-low-flow-toilet-faucet-rules http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-drought-Toilets-faucets-sold-in-2016-6187726.php DROUGHT: Bill would legalize brown lawns ...Cruz in July 2014. A new bill would prevent cities and counties from fining California property owners who try to save water by letting their lawns... http://www.pe.com/articles/brown-764234-water-bill.html California's drought response barrels forward By Josh Richman, Kerry Klein and Jessica Calefati Staff Writers California's water restrictions barreled ahead Wednesday with stringent... http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27876309/californias-drought-response-barrels-forward County water sectors could benefit from clean energy investments ...report by the Union of Concerned Scientists details how investing in clean, renewable energy would provide numerous economic benefits to California's... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20983093597&p=19f&v=1&x=B8RGBylcjSTAosU4sU01Hw Essential California: New water standards, L.A.'s sustainability plan, more West Nile cases ...Angeles In the next 20 years, Mayor Eric Garcetti wants Los Angeles to have more electric cars and cleaner air and water. They're key points in his... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-essential-california-html-20150409-htmlstory.html Less water for Oregon-California border farms amid drought ...Falls, Oregon. Some farmers in the Klamath Reclamation District near the Oregon-California border will get 100 percent of the water they get in a wet growing... http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/08/50888/less-water-for-oregon-california-border-farms-amid/ FUELS Are 'Clean Diesels' Actually Not Nearly As Clean As Claimed? Diesel fuel only' caution on Audi Q7 TDI The only region where... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097698_are-clean-diesels-actually-not-nearly-as-clean-as-claimed Woodside could get a hydrogen fueling station ...announced it would invest $46.6 million in a growing consumer movement for zero-emission fuel-cell vehicles, and awarded $2.1 million... http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_27876529/woodside-could-get-hydrogen-fueling-station Report: Californians Spent $1 Billion More On Gas In March Than Rest Of The Nation Representatives with Consumer Watchdog say California drivers spent $1 billion more on gasoline in March than the rest of the nation. Although Thursday marked the 35th consecutive day of gas price drops in Los Angeles and Orange counties, the Southland experienced 34 consecutive days of increases prior. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/04/09/experts-californians-spent-1-billion-more-on-gas-in-march-than-rest-of-the-nation/ VEHICLES China's Other Electric Vehicle Industry ...market undiscovered by the traditional players. The common problems faced by EV automakers — high cost, driving range, and the availability of charging... http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2015/04/08/chinas-other-electric-vehicle-industry/ Why Toyota's Scion Brand Isn't Planning A Hybrid Or Electric Car Anytime Soon ...about how much they might be willing to pay for a hybrid system: pretty much zero.” 2016 Scion iA - 2015 NY Auto Show live photos (preview event) Enlarge... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097712_why-toyotas-scion-brand-isnt-planning-a-hybrid-or-electric-car-anytime-soon Tesla will add all-wheel drive to all Model S sedans ...replace it with the 70-D. The new car can go 240 miles per charge and from zero to 60 in 5.2 seconds. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) DETROIT -- Electric... http://origin.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27871281?source=inthenews GREEN ENERGY Republicans push to expand solar power in NC -- A Republican push to expand solar power in North Carolina may stand the best chance yet of ending... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20970663824&p=19f&v=1&x=UVVbm6RHruwYeR2cth9iew RENEWABLE ENERGY: Golden eagle study could complicate federal development plans in Calif. desert ...federal land managers should factor this into a sweeping plan designed to guide renewable energy across the Southern California desert. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20975479851&p=19f&v=1&x=JzKm2CdENLkF1TyL3dqFrA OCEANS: Scientists offer road map for reef health ...for using fish to restore coral reefs, with a study that analyzes the fish biomass in more than 800 reefs worldwide. http://news.vocus.com/?a=20975479923&p=19f&v=1&x=FJzWH92raaUErCLPhkKLXQ New York Announces $160M for Large-Scale Clean Energy ...energy from facilities that make electricity using wind, solar, fuel cells, biomass, renewable biogas or small hydropower. http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/09042015/new-york-announces-160m-large-scale-clean-energy Labor Offers Lower Renewable Energy Target to Break Deadlock with Coalition Labor says it will accept a lower renewable energy target, backing a compromise floated by the Clean Energy Council,... http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/08042015/labor-offers-lower-renewable-energy-target-break-deadlock-coalition El Cerrito embracing renewable energy option ...track to be the fastest among participating locales to adopt a 100 percent green energy option from the new energy provider it adopted in December.... http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_27874507/el-cerrito-embracing-renewable-energy-option Mayor unveils 'ambitious' plan to make LA greener Caption Mayor Garcetti's sustainability plan calls for reductions in purchased water and increases... http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/08/50858/unpacking-the-mayor-s-new-sustainability-plan/ MISCELLANEOUS IKEA Takes a New Course in Its Food Offering ...only vegetables and has a reduced environmental impact; for example, a lower carbon footprint. This is a natural step for IKEA, building on the vision... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/08/idUSnMKWmbn9ma+1c0+MKW20150408 OPINIONS California's revenue gains pose budget problems: Dan Walters ...continues steady growth and that there's not a precipitous decline in the stock market. The latter is important because the largest sources of state... http://news.vocus.com/?a=20974574232&p=19f&v=1&x=0RpEKuS0-YZI0CcU9Til8g Burning up about potential bans on barbecues, fireplaces ...editorial in the Milpitas Post. I, though, am more outraged at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's plans to ban wood-burning fireplaces... http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_27875190/burning-up-about-potential-bans-barbecues-fireplaces DANA MILBANK: The deniers of climate change are in full retreat There is no denying it: Climate-change deniers are in retreat. What began as a subtle shift... http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/national-voices/x1920867057/The-deniers-of-climate-change-are-in-full-retreat California should stretch urban supplies before cutting water for farms ...urban water use – as Gov. Jerry Brown imposed last week– is less a hardship on California residents than an adjustment to a new reality. Droughts like... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article17892764.html Pope Francis’s new ‘Climate Change Encyclical’ sneak preview. Here’s a sneak peak of Pope Francis’s historic “Climate Change Encyclical,” soon to be released, complete with talking points for his upcoming address to the joint session of Congress. We’ll analyze them: The encyclical’s likely headline: “Safeguard Creation ... We are the custodians of Creation ... If we destroy Creation ... Creation will destroy us,” a public warning often repeated by the pontiff this past year, a message certain to intensify the anger of GOP climate-science deniers, Big Oil, Koch Bros, Exxon Mobil and most fossil-fuel firms, as well as their banks, investors owning their stocks and capitalists everywhere. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pope-franciss-new-climate-change-encyclical-sneak-preview-2015-04-09 Republicans Are Saying Environmentalists Caused California's Drought. Here's Why They're Wrong ...the green cultivated land (1934). CREDIT: flickr/ Cliff Any way you cut it, California is in the midst of a dire drought — one that has been... http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/09/3643879/the-backwards-way-of-approaching-californias-drought/ BLOGS Gulf Stream slowing and Sea level rise. The value of monitoring the oceans has become apparent in a report in Nature by Quirin Schiermeier. He has shown that since the deployment of the RAPID monitoring array which is string of moored buoys across the Atlantic there has been a two thirds reduction in the speed of the Gulf Stream current. http://www.climateoutcome.kiwi.nz/blog/-gulf-stream-slowing-and-sea-level-rise Is This Fracking Industry Flak Playing Both Sides? ...an online-based "virtual reality" well pad that makes no mention of water or air quality concerns. In fact, the "virtual well pad" does not mention... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-coleman/is-this-fracking-industry_b_7028020.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business Bloomberg, Sierra Club Direct $60 Million To Closing Half Of U.S. Coal Plants By 2017 ...the next two years. Coal plants are responsible for about 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, which scientists have found are causing... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/08/sierra-club-coal-bloomberg_n_7027706.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics There's an emerging right-wing divide on climate denial. Here's what it means (and doesn't) For as long as climate change has been a public agenda item -- let's date it back... http://grist.org/politics/theres-an-emerging-right-wing-divide-on-climate-denial-heres-what-it-means-and-doesnt Water Wars in California: Factory Farms Draining the State Dry California Governor Jerry Brown has been talking tough about California's... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-wells/water-wars-in-california-factory-farms-draining-the-state-dry_b_7021414.html These Maps Show Why We Keep Electing Climate Change Deniers. One of the most significant obstacles to addressing climate change is the fact that huge numbers of US politicians reject the overwhelming scientific consensus that humans are warming the planet. Why does the situation persist? http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/04/these-maps-show-why-we-keep-electing-climate-change-deniers Bridging the Clean Energy Divide ...NRDC found that clean energy solutions like efficient appliances and wind and solar power are already helping seniors on fixed-incomes and low... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-caseylefkowitz/bridging-the-clean-energy_b_7026142.html?utm_hp_ref=green http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ron-pernick/it-turns-out-that-you-cant-divide-americans-over-renewable-energy_b_7018932.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 14:46:18 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 10, 2015 From: dchelini@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 10, 2015. 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 China risks social conflict if war on pollution lags - govt researchers. Any failure to tackle China's huge pollution problems in the coming years could stoke public discontent and create "social conflicts", government researchers warned, underlining political concerns driving Beijing's war on smog. With pollution identified as a major source of unrest, China's ruling Communist Party has promised to tackle a host of environmental problems brought about by more than three decades of breakneck economic growth, an environment ministry think tank said on Thursday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/10/china-environment-idUSL4N0X733P20150410 Bad-air days decline in Southern California. Southern California’s decades-long war on air pollution is far from over, but a report released Thursday gives everyone a reason to take a deep breath and maybe even lace up some running shoes. Compared with about 12 years ago, those who breathe in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties now get roughly triple the number of good-air days – times when the particle-pollution level is low enough for the air to be considered healthy. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/air-657447-pollution-quality.html CLIMATE CHANGE US carbon pollution set for 2015 drop as coal plants close. US efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions look set for a huge boost this year, with carbon pollution from the power sector set to fall to its lowest level since 1994. Record numbers of US coal-fired power plants are set to close this year, and analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) say this will likely see power sector emissions drop 15.4% below 2005 levels. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/04/10/us-carbon-pollution-set-for-2015-drop-as-coal-plants-close/ Climate change seen bringing more fires, less snow to Yellowstone. Predicted climate changes bringing warmer and drier conditions to Yellowstone National Park will likely fuel catastrophic wildfires, cause declines in mountain snows and threaten the survival of animals and plants, scientists said on Thursday. Warming that is expected in the American West over the next few decades would transform lands in and around Yellowstone from a wetter, mostly forested Rocky Mountain ecosystem to a more open landscape akin to the arid U.S. Southwest, the researchers said in a special issue of a park report. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/10/us-usa-yellowstone-climate-idUSKBN0N02H320150410 Move over sci-fi: 'Climate fiction' finds way into classrooms. Students at a Massachusetts college have just read "The Windup Girl", the tale of a dystopian future Bangkok where climate change has pushed up temperatures and sea levels, and viruses acquired from genetically modified food are killing people. The book, by debut novelist Paolo Bacigalupi, is the product of a new class at Holyoke Community College on "climate fiction" or "cli-fi", a relatively new variant of science fiction. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/10/us-climatechange-fiction-idUSKBN0N11T820150410 A few questions about Kevin de Léon’s big climate change measure. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Léon cannot be faulted for aiming too low. With his friend and patron, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, sitting by his side, de Léon presented his signature climate change legislation, Senate Bill 350, earlier this week. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article17997944.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES California Energy Commission awards nearly $9M to 3 projects to support local manufacturing of heavy-duty electric vehicles, PHEVs. As part of its approval of more than $83.7 million in grants and loans for 46 projects covering transportation, energy storage, biogas and efficiency programs, the California Energy Commission awarded nearly $9 million to three companies to encourage the manufacturing of heavy-duty electric vehicles and components in California. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150409-cec.html DROUGHT California farmers mount PR campaign to counter backlash over water use. When Gov. Jerry Brown announced his unprecedented water use reduction order last week, California farmers were largely spared. They quickly developed another problem: Bad PR. At issue was the apparent disconnect between Brown’s focus on urban water use and the fact that agriculture – not cities or towns – accounts for roughly 80 percent of all water used by people in California. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article18013727.html California faces 'Dust Bowl'-like conditions amid drought, says climate tracker. With a slew of statistics projected on the slideshow behind him, California's state climatologist had a stark warning during a Thursday presentation on the severity of the drought. "You’re looking on numbers that are right on par with what was the Dust Bowl," said the climatologist, Michael Anderson. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-pc-california-dust-bowl-drought-20150409-story.html #SaveTheDropLA: City offers rebates, freebies to encourage water savings. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday rolled out a new public engagement campaign touting several incentives to help the city reduce its water use during the state's on-going drought. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/09/50906/la-offering-rebates-freebies-to-encourage-water-sa/ VEHICLES UC Berkeley hybrid semiconductor nanowire-bacteria system for direct solar-powered production of chemicals from CO2 and water. Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed an artificial photosynthetic scheme for the direct solar-powered production of value-added chemicals from CO2 and water using a two-step process involving a biocompatible light-capturing nanowire array with a direct interface with microbial systems. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150410-liu.html GREEN ENERGY Obama touts clean energy in bid to restore U.S. leadership in Caribbean. President Barack Obama on Thursday unveiled a major clean energy partnership at a Caribbean summit where he sought to reassert U.S. leadership in the region at a time when the economic clout of oil-producing Venezuela appears to be receding. The White House used the occasion to announce an important step towards healing its five-decade-old rift with Cuba, saying the State Department has completed a review of whether to remove the communist-ruled island from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/09/us-usa-caribbean-idUSKBN0N021820150409 Vancouver commits to run on 100% renewable energy. Vancouver has become the latest city to commit to running on 100% renewable energy. The city of 600,000 on Canada’s west coast aims to use only green energy sources for electricity, and also for heating and cooling and transportation. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/10/vancouver-commits-to-run-on-100-renewable-energy Desert Hot Springs families get free solar on homes. Nancy Villa and Carlos Paz were smiling as they sat in their living room Thursday, with Villa holding their three-week-old son, Iker, in a colorful blanket. Above their heads, a dozen volunteers — including several local high school students — installed solar panels on the roof of their Desert Hot Springs home. http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2015/04/09/free-solar-low-income-desert-hot-springs-families/25550857/ OPINIONS Mayor Eric Garcetti must now put his plan into action. Mayor Eric Garcetti released a sweeping plan this week that outlines his environmental and economic priorities and sets measurable goals in a wide range of areas, from cutting smog and reducing the city's reliance on imported water to adding bike-share programs and urban farms. The 105-page report was billed as the mayor's 20-year strategy for fighting pollution and climate change while also addressing poverty and economic inequality. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-sustainable-city-plan-20150410-story.html California is naturally brown and beautiful. Why are our yards green? A few years ago, my wife and I decided to replace the mangy bit of lawn in front of our house with drought-tolerant dymondia, which was supposed to spread into an interconnected ground cover. Less water, no mowing, I thought. Easy call. But the dymondia struggled, and seemed to ebb in the hot summer and flow in the cooler, wetter winter. So a few months ago we replaced the top six inches of dirt with a more desert-like sand mixture and installed a garden of large rocks and mixed succulents (and replaced the 1974 hand-cranked sprinkler system). http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-drought-water-suburbia-lawns-20150409-story.html California should stretch urban supplies before cutting water for farms. A 25 percent cutback in urban water use – as Gov. Jerry Brown imposed last week – is less a hardship on California residents than an adjustment to a new reality. Droughts like the one gripping California now are inevitable, though climate change makes their frequency and severity unpredictable. We need to change the way we use water, especially outdoors, to cope now and into the future. Simple steps, such as not overwatering lawns, will go a long way. Replacing lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping will go even further. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article17892764.html BLOGS Fracking Endangers Our Water and Air. Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting millions of gallons of water with sand and chemicals under high pressure down and across as far as 10,000 feet below the surface. The mixture causes rock layers to crack and open and allow the oil to penetrate the sand particles so the natural gas from the fracture can flow up the well. http://blog.sfgate.com/mary-matzek/2015/04/10/fracking-endangers-our-water-and-air/ Tesla Trumps Toyota: The Seven Reasons Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Are Stalled. For reasons that mostly defy logic, the otherwise shrewd car company, Toyota, is placing a large bet on hydrogen fuel cell cars, starting with the Mirai. At the same time, it has backed away from its partnership with Tesla to build an all-electric vehicle. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/08/3643876/tesla-toyota-hydrogen-fuel-cell-cars/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 13:31:27 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 13, 2015 From: aleaks@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 13, 2015. 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 Ontario Proposes to Link New Cap-And-Trade System With Quebec. Ontario, Canada’s largest province, will establish a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and join a carbon market with Quebec and California. Ontario will set a price on carbon by establishing ceilings for each industry and link its market with North America’s largest cap-and-trade system currently in place in California and Quebec… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-13/ontario-proposes-to-link-new-cap-and-trade-system-with-quebec http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/wynne-unveils-ontarios-plan-to-join-emissions-cap-and-trade-system/article23895069/ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/cap-and-trade-explained-what-ontarios-shift-on-emissions-will-mean/article23895285/ Poland Sees No Prospect for Early EU Carbon-Market Fix. Polish climate negotiator Marcin Korolec said he saw no room for European Union governments to agree on an early start of a carbon-market fix in negotiations with the European Parliament. A potential compromise on a draft law designed to help boost carbon prices could include the transfer of some unused permits… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-13/poland-sees-no-prospect-for-early-eu-carbon-market-fix AIR POLLUTION Nonprofits and benefits: Air district seeks grant proposals. The Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District is seeking grant proposals for direct... http://www.montereyherald.com/social-affairs/20150412/nonprofits-and-benefits-air-district-seeks-grant-proposals CLIMATE CHANGE Researchers say permafrost carbon release will be gradual. Frozen Arctic and sub-Arctic soil that thaws from global warming will add substantial amounts of carbon to the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gases, accelerating climate change the rest of the century, but it won't come in a sudden burst, researchers say in a new paper. A review by government and academic experts concludes that harmful carbon dioxide… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PERMAFROST_CARBON_RELEASE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Harvard Dismisses Climate Change Protesters While MIT Negotiates With Them. As U.S. universities face growing student pressure to divest fossil-fuel holdings from their more than $500 billion in endowments, Cambridge, Massachusetts, finds itself at the center of a great divide. At Harvard University, students are digging in this week for a blockade of President Drew Faust’s offices, escalating a confrontation over the school’s holdings of oil, gas and coal stocks. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-13/harvard-climate-protest-grows-while-mit-joins-activists-in-talks "How Does Hillary Match Up With Other Dems On Climate Change?" On Sunday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will announce her decision to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. While the crowded Republican field has led to questions of how to fit all serious candidates on a debate stage, Democrats have the opposite problem. It’s possible there will be no debates at all. But if there are, what will the candidates say when asked about climate change and America’s energy policy? http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/11/3645951/hillary-clinton-democratic-field-climate-change/ Volunteers helping study climate change in Joshua Tree ...to survey plants and animals in a project that aims to track the effects of climate change.(Photo: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)Buy Photo Carrying... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/04/12/climate-change-citizen-scientists-joshua-tree/25536697/ DROUGHT For Drinking Water in Drought, California Looks Warily to Sea. Every time drought strikes California, the people of this state cannot help noticing the substantial reservoir of untapped water lapping at their shores — 187 quintillion gallons of it, more or less, shimmering so invitingly in the sun. Now, for the first time, a major California metropolis is on the verge of turning the Pacific Ocean into an everyday source of drinking water. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/science/drinking-seawater-looks-ever-more-palatable-to-californians.html?_r=1 Mighty Rio Grande Now a Trickle Under Siege. On maps, the mighty Rio Grande meanders 1,900 miles, from southern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. But on the ground, farms and cities drink all but a trickle before it reaches the canal that irrigates Bobby Skov’s farm outside El Paso, hundreds of miles from the gulf. Now, shriveled by the historic drought that has consumed California and most of the Southwest, that trickle has become a moist breath. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/us/mighty-rio-grande-now-a-trickle-under-siege.html Beyond almonds: A rogue's gallery of guzzlers in California's drought. Dan Charles | NPR Show caption Audio from this story California is parched. Wells are running dry. Vegetable fields have been... http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/12/50962/beyond-almonds-a-rogue-s-gallery-of-guzzlers-in-ca/ Drought or not, water has long reigned in the Imperial Valley. ...plentiful water. Crops bring an annual harvest of more than $2 billion. With California in its fourth year of drought, Gov. Jerry Brown has avoided... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-imperial-valley-20150412-story.html Brown confirms change in tunnels. ...criticism for their use of water – 80 percent of all water used by people in California – since Brown announced an unprecedented water-use reduction... http://www.modbee.com/news/article18319592.html The Drought Is Behind California's Skyrocketing West Nile Virus Numbers California's drought isn't bad news for everyone: turns out West... http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/04/drought-behind-influx-west-nile-virus-california DROUGHT: The grass will not be greener. ...state to cut water use by as much as 35 percent in the face of devastating drought. Water officials are scrambling to figure out how they will... http://www.pe.com/articles/water-764460-percent-use.html State water officials get permit to build drought barrier in Delta. ...feed naturally soaked from the estuary surrounding the small island. While the drought has left their operation largely unscathed, they worry they will... http://origin.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27868115 FUELS Saudi Arabia’s Plan to Extend the Age of Oil. The biggest exporter has let prices plummet—delaying the day when climate concerns, efficiency, and fuel switching break the world’s dependence on crude. Last fall, as oil prices crashed, Ali al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s petroleum minister and the world’s de facto energy czar, went mum. He still popped up, as is his habit, at industry conferences on three continents. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-12/saudi-arabia-s-plan-to-extend-the-age-of-oil Germany Proves Life With Less Fossil Fuel Getting Easier. Sitting in a control center that helps ensure uninterrupted power for 82 million Germans, Gunter Scheibner is proving that renewable energy from the sun and wind can be just as reliable as fossil fuels. Scheibner, in charge of keeping flows stable over 6,200 miles (9,976 kilometers) of transmission lines in eastern Germany, must keep power from solar and wind in harmony whether it’s sunny or overcast, windy or still. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-12/germany-proves-life-with-less-fossil-fuel-getting-easier Europe Could Face Higher Prices, Says Gazprom Chief. Attempts to negotiate single price for Russian gas across EU could lead to price hikes. Europe could face higher natural gas prices if Brussels presses on in its effort to reduce Russia’s energy-market power, the chief executive officer of Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned gas company, said on Monday. http://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-could-face-higher-prices-says-gazprom-chief-1428940477?KEYWORDS=ENERGY Oil Futures Rise on Expectations of U.S. Production Drop. Prices have plunged in recent months amid growing oversupply of oil in global market. Oil prices rose for a third straight session on Monday on continued expectations that U.S. crude-oil production is set to slow. Light, sweet crude for May delivery recently rose 90 cents, or 1.7%, to $52.54 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. http://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-futures-rally-but-fundamentals-remain-weak-1428917919?KEYWORDS=ENERGY VEHICLES Limits Of The Electric Car: The Tesla and Volt Vanishing Act Outside Of Los Angeles ...recharging station in Los Angeles. Los Angeles — The city of angels and electric cars. LA is arguably the electric car capital of the... http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2015/04/12/limits-of-the-electric-car-the-tesla-and-volt-vanishing-act-outside-of-los-angeles/ GREEN ENERGY Paper towels, toilet tissue latest uses for wheat straw. A company plans to roll out a new line of tissues and paper towels this month that incorporates wheat straw and bamboo, which it hopes will provide a rapidly renewable and environmentally friendly source of fiber for its products while giving farmers a new market for what remains after the grain is harvested. Kimberly-Clark Professional, which manufactures Kleenex and Scott brand products, says its new "GreenHarvest" line will blend in 20 percent wheat straw… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FOOD_AND_FARM_WHEAT_TISSUES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California Utility to Make Gas From Solar for Pipeline Storage. Southern California Gas Co. has started two pilot projects that will test the feasibility of using solar energy produced when power demand is low to split hydrogen from water and store the gas in pipelines. The projects, backed by U.S. government funding, will either ship the hydrogen for use as an automotive fuel or combine it with carbon dioxide to form methane that can be used to generate electricity when demand is stronger. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-13/california-utility-to-make-gas-from-solar-for-pipeline-storage How German Engineers Want to Cut Energy Use in the U.S. MeteoViva GmbH, a German engineering company that’s reducing energy use at Dusseldorf Airport and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG facilities, plans to add large customers in the U.S. MeteoViva’s software works out the future heating and cooling needs of a building, which it says can reduce energy costs by as much as 40 percent. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-13/how-german-engineers-want-to-cut-energy-use-in-the-u-s- SolarCity Works With Google Nest to Spur Solar in Homes. SolarCity Corp. will join Google Inc. to install smart thermostats and monitoring software that increases energy efficiency in homes powered by solar panels. SolarCity, the largest provider of panels for homes in the U.S., will deploy Google’s Nest thermostat for 10,000 new rooftop-power customers in California, the company said Monday in a blog post on its website. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-13/solarcity-works-with-google-nest-to-spur-solar-in-homes Hanergy Thin Film Outlines Solar Cells on Vehicles Plan. Hanergy Thin Film Power Group, the solar energy company whose shares have soared more than sixfold in the past year, said its panels will be used to provide energy to catering, touring and recreational vehicles. The Chinese maker of solar equipment has started cooperating with “mobile kitchen”… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-13/hanergy-thin-film-outlines-plan-to-put-solar-cells-on-vehicles Scatec Wins Project in South Africa’s Renewable-Energy Program. Scatec Solar ASA, a Norwegian developer of renewable-energy facilities, is among preferred bidders for three solar-power projects in the fourth of five program rounds to increase electricity from clean sources in South Africa. The country’s Department of Energy awarded Scatec preferred-bidder status for projects in the Northern Cape province with a combined capacity of 258 megawatts… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-13/scatec-wins-project-in-south-africa-s-renewable-energy-program New York's Smart Grid Research May Shape U.S. ...metropolitan region: The city and its utility infrastructure are highly vulnerable to climate change-influenced extreme weather and rising seas. http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/13042015/new-yorks-smart-grid-research-may-shape-us OPINIONS Air districts should regulate pollution from recreation facilities An appellate court has overturned the controversial dust rule affecting the...http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/13/3584295/air-districts-should-regulate.html#storylink=rss EDITORIAL: Questions for de Léon?s big climate change measure. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Léon cannot be faulted for aiming low. ... http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/12/4471184/editorial-questions-for-de-leons.html#storylink=rss We'll deal with the drought and live the dream While the national news media has suddenly discovered that California is in the midst of a severe drought, garnering big headlines... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/jack-ohman/article18311120.html A court ruling could wash away incentives to conserve water. ...average, than residents of neighboring Los Angeles, even during the current drought. Those folks in the 90210 might well respond, "So what? We pay... http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-water-usage-drought-san-juan-capistrano-20150412-story.html BLOGS Climate Change and the Courts: Court Rejects Latest Industry Ploy to Block Carbon Pollution Limits. In the latest court ruling on climate change, the federal court of appeals in Washington refused... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-doniger/climate-change-and-the-courts_b_7044808.html China To Top U.S. As Biggest Cause Of Modern Global Warming ...China is poised to overtake the United States as the main cause of man-made global warming since 1990, the benchmark year for U.N.-led action,... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/13/china-global-warming_n_7053496.html?utm_hp_ref=green California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 13:02:48 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 15, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov Hi Everyone, It's TAX DAY! ARB Newsclips for April 15, 2015. 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 UPDATE 1-Carbon emissions from new cars in EU fall 2.6 pct in 2014 – report. Average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars sold in the European Union fell 2.6 percent last year, beating goals set for 2015 as part of efforts to slow climate change, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said on Wednesday. Average emissions slipped to 123.4 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, below a 2015 goal of 130 grams… http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/04/15/eu-autos-idINL5N0XC3WP20150415 House Lawmakers Squabble With EPA Over Power Plant Bill, Impacts of Carbon Rules. House Republicans acknowledge that draft legislation allowing states to opt out of the Environmental Protection Agency's carbon pollution rules for power plants was a forceful response but said such an approach is necessary given the agency's “extreme, radical” approach to redefining the electricity markets in every state. http://www.bna.com/house-lawmakers-squabble-n17179925291/ Experimenting at Home With Air Quality Monitors. Two years ago, when Thomas Talhelm was a Fulbright scholar in Beijing, he built his own air purifier after growing concerned about the city’s notorious pollution. To test his handiwork, he spent about $260 for a portable device that counts tiny particles in the air. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/business/experimenting-at-home-with-air-quality-monitors.html?_r=0 North Bay residents vent at forum over proposed fireplace phaseout plan. Marin residents have a laundry list of concerns about proposed air pollution regulations that would require residents to replace open-air fireplaces with alternative devices -- such as federally certified wood-burning, gas, or electric options -- or completely remove or wall off fireplaces, but they all agree the air district needs to step up enforcement during Spare the Air days. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27910327/north-bay-residents-vent-at-forum-over-proposed Increased Air Pollution Linked to Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. Air pollution and smog have health consequences for affected populations ranging from respiratory problems to death. Fine particulate matter especially has become the focus in recent years, because it increases the probability of dying from respiratory or cardiovascular disease. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=21734 Dutch government facing legal action over failure to reduce carbon emissions. Landmark case brought by 886 Dutch citizens aims for more robust policy to cut emissions within targets set by IPCC to help avoid critical 2C rise in global temperatures. The first public hearings will take place in the Hague on Tuesday in the first case in the world to use existing human rights and tort law to hold a government… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/14/dutch-government-facing-legal-action-over-failure-to-reduce-carbon-emissions CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change plan faces high-profile legal test. The centerpiece of the Obama administration's effort to tackle climate change is facing a high-profile legal test. A federal appeals court hears arguments Thursday in two cases challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's plan to slash carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants blamed for global warming. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_AIR_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Obama allies attack Inhofe as ‘champion’ denier of climate change. President Obama’s eternal campaign machine is launching political attacks this week against one of his primary Republican foes, Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, for being “the worst climate-change denier in the country.” In a newspaper ad and email blasts, Organizing for Action is targeting… http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/15/obama-allies-attack-inhofe-champion-denier-climate/#ixzz3XOhMk3dD Vermont Senate passes climate change resolution. The Vermont Senate has endorsed a resolution urging Congress to take more aggressive steps to address climate change, and saying the phenomenon is being caused mainly by human action. The Senate gave the resolution preliminary approval Tuesday on a 23-5 roll call vote, with two members absent. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Vermont-Senate-passes-climate-change-resolution-6200797.php Senate Democrats Say McConnell ‘Staying Behind’ On Climate Rules. Democrats say McConnell’s ‘opt out’ plan inconsistent with home state’s goals. Senate Democrats are fighting back against Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's ploy to get governors to opt out of the EPA's climate rules for power plants, by telling them how his home state of Kentucky is acting to address climate change. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/senate-democrats-say-mcconnell-staying-behind-on-climate-rules-20150414 Obama’s climate change plan faces crucial test. Regulations at the center of President Obama’s climate change initiative face a crucial test this week when opponents will attempt to block them before they’re even made final. A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., will hear oral arguments Thursday in a high-stakes legal challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed emissions limits for existing power plants. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/238863-obamas-climate-change-plan-faces-crucial-test New Studies Reveal Climate Extremes From Fire to Ice. Climate scientists don't just rely on computer models and contemporary observations to understand the intimate relationship between CO2 in the atmosphere and environmental conditions on Earth. They also look to the ancient past — and two reports in recent days have made it clear how intimate that relationship is. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/snowball-earth-climate-extremes-volcanoes-18883 Singapore could get hotter, wetter from 2070: Climate change study. The unusually warm temperatures which Singapore encounters occasionally could become the norm from 2070, and the country can also expect more intense and frequent rainfall by then. These were findings from Phase 1 of the Second National Climate Change Study… http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-could-get-hotter-wetter-2070-climate-change-study Rapid warming period may be underway as Earth sets another record. March was the warmest such month on record for the globe as a whole, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which is one of the centers that keeps tabs on global climate data. The JMA found that global average surface temperatures were 0.56 degrees Fahrenheit (0.31 degrees Celsius) above the 1981 to 2010 average during the month… http://mashable.com/2015/04/15/march-warmest-month-global-warming/ Harvard's $36 billion endowment may have a 100-million-ton carbon footprint. A new report released Tuesday finds that Harvard University's $36 billion endowment — the largest in the world — may finance more than 100 million tons of "potential carbon dioxide emissions." If considered as a fossil fuel company itself, Harvard would rank as number 88 of the top 100 companies as ranked by their potential carbon emissions, the report finds. http://mashable.com/2015/04/14/harvard-endowment-carbon-dioxide/ Will Harvard Divest From Fossil Fuels? Students And Alumni Demand Answers In Week Of Action. Environmental activists at Harvard are hoping to flip the equation on global warming this week: instead of climate change bringing rising temperatures, they hope adding heat to the discussion will change the climate of the University’s approach to the issue. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/15/3646760/at-harvard-climate-week-gives-way-to-heat-week/ New Studies Reveal Climate Extremes From Fire to Ice. Climate scientists don't just rely on computer models and contemporary observations to understand the intimate relationship between CO2 in the atmosphere and environmental conditions on Earth. They also look to the ancient past — and two reports in recent days have made it clear how intimate that relationship is. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/snowball-earth-climate-extremes-volcanoes-18883 As foreign ministers meet on key world issues, will climate make the cut? Climate change is one of the 21st century's biggest global security challenges, and world leaders should make it a core part of their foreign policy agendas, argues a major new report commissioned by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060016786 How a change in a Pacific current led to a pause in global warming. In 1999, a circulation pattern in the Pacific Ocean changed suddenly, which some scientists say made global temperatures plateau and led to the global warming "hiatus." A new study, published this month in Geophysical Research Letters, lends weight to this theory. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/15/stories/1060016761 BLM crafting guidance on social cost of carbon -- internal memo. The Bureau of Land Management is developing comprehensive guidance on calculating the climate change impacts of mining oil, gas and coal from public lands, according to an internal memo obtained by Greenwire. The memo, sent this month by Ed Roberson, BLM's assistant director of resources and planning, says the rapid warming of the planet… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/15/stories/1060016810 DROUGHT Exclusive: Warm winter temperatures slammed California wind farms. Wind energy deliveries to California's top utility fell by half in the first two months of the year because of unusually weak winds in some Western states. The slowed wind energy production has exacerbated electricity shortfalls caused by a long drought, which has reduced hydroelectric power in the most populous U.S. state. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/15/us-wind-california-exclusive-idUSKBN0N60AT20150415 Drought’s economic harm ‘limited’ Legislative analyst finds biggest risk to homebuilding. California’s punishing drought has fallowed farmland and yellowed front lawns, yet it will have little noticeable impact on the state’s overall economy or government revenue, at least in the short term, according to a new report by the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal analyst. http://www.modbee.com/news/article18558578.html#storylink=cpy California Drought: U.S. Water Use Declined Before Current Drought Began. The Pacific Institute, an Oakland-based think tank that focuses on water issues, released a report Wednesday that shows total water use in the United States declined over a period that ended before the current California drought began. The report shows total water use in the five-year period ending in 2010 is lower than in 1970… http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/15/california-drought-us-water-use-declined-before-current-drought-began/ In Drought-Stricken California, How Much Water Does Agriculture Use? Agriculture consumes about 40 percent of the state's water, or 80 percent of water available for human use. Critics question the viability of growing water-intensive crops like almonds and rice, but others argue the state's water woes are too complex to pin on a single industry. http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201504151000 Drought will have only small impact on California economy says report. California’s economy may be dinged a bit by the drought, but there should be few worries about anything deeper, says an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office. “While the drought is affecting many Californians and communities in different ways, we currently do not expect the drought to have a significant effect on statewide economic… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28152 LA faces 15 percent water cut. For just the fourth time in its history, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is imposing mandatory water cuts. It says it will restrict wholesale deliveries to its 26 member public agencies by 15 percent starting July 1 in an effort to save water and stretch available supplies in the fourth year of statewide drought. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28151 Water district considers drought measures. A meeting of the Coachella Valley Water District's board drew an unusually large audience and a spirited discussion on Tuesday as the agency began considering tougher drought measures in response to a state-mandated 35 percent cut in water use. Board members said they may adjust the water district's tiered-pricing system. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/04/14/coachella-valley-water-district-cutbacks/25802227/ The Game-Changing Water Revolution: Interview with Stanley Weiner. Globally, water demand is threatening to dangerously outpace supply, while in the US, dry states such as Texas and California are suffering from shortages and the future forebodes more suffering. For the North American shale boom, the lack of water is suffocating. Amid this doom and gloom, a water revolution is emerging… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/the-game-changing-water-revolution-interview-with-stanley-weiner.html Californians are facing more cuts and stiffer penalties for ignoring water use restrictions. The effects of California's prolonged drought are unfolding quickly, and water managers' actions to conserve supplies could soon hit the wallets of Southern California's millions of residents. Metropolitan Water District (MWD), the biggest wholesaler in the state, voted yesterday to cut by 15 percent the allotment of water it gives to its 26 member agencies. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/15/stories/1060016783 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Emissions Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Changing the Focus. After more than a decade of painful NOx and particulate emissions regulations, things got interesting in altogether new ways with a 2010 decree by President Obama that the EPA, working with the National Highway Traffic Administration, should attack things differently. The 2014 fuel economy and greenhouse gas regulations, finalized in August 2011, are known as Phase 1 of a longer-term GHG plan. http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fuel-smarts/article/story/2015/04/emissions-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow-changing-the-focus.aspx Glenn County judge turns down truck filters injunction. A Glenn County judge has ruled against the Chico-based Alliance for California Business in its effort to temporarily suspend the California Air Resources Board’s requirement on diesel particulate filters for trucks. In January, the alliance presented documentation from numerous truck owners and drivers to Glenn County Superior Court Judge Peter Twede, asking for an injunction on the filters. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150414/glenn-county-judge-turns-down-truck-filters-injunction FUELS Deep Sea Drilling Rules and the Transition from Fossil Fuels. The Department of the Interior will soon issue rules for new (not existing) oil drilling operations set to be released on the 5th anniversary of the deadly explosion of a BP oil drilling operation in the Gulf of Mexico. According to Coral Davenport of the New York Times: The rule is expected to tighten safety requirements on blowout preventers, the industry-standard devices… http://theenergycollective.com/stevenacohen/2216821/deep-sea-drilling-rules-and-transition-fossil-fuels Fracking Waste Puts Public at Risk, Study Says. Three decades after EPA left regulation to states, they're still taking a 'see no evil' approach to oil-and-gas-waste, Earthworks says. Weakness in state regulations governing hazardous oil-and-gas waste have allowed the leftovers to be disposed of with little regard to the dangers they pose to human health and the environment… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/15042015/fracking-waste-puts-public-risk-study-says >From oil to renewable diesel -- one company finds a 'business opportunity' in climate change. A Nordic oil company is making a big bet on biofuels' future role in the global economy. Since 2007, Finland's Neste Oil Corp. has transitioned away from fossil fuels and is focusing a rapidly increasing part of its business on producing biodiesel from waste fats, plant oils and residues. In just under a decade, the company has gone from a traditional fossil fuel-based oil company to become… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/15/stories/1060016789 VEHICLES PNM, Nissan partner to offer electric vehicle drivers free access to fast-charge station. Nissan, local Santa Fe businesses and Public Service Company of New Mexico unveiled a free quick-charge station for electric vehicles Tuesday in the San Isidro Shopping Plaza parking lot, 3462 Zafarano Drive. The stations are free for two years because Nissan is funding the equipment and paying for the electricity. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504151106KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_20907_48558-1 Lexus Bypassing Plug-In Hybrids, Looking At Fuel Cells, Maybe EVs. Hybrid models are a very significant part of the lineup for both the luxury brand Lexus and its mainstream counterpart (and parent company) Toyota. Hybrids accounted for about 16 percent of the brands’ U.S. sales, while they encompass nearly 70 percent of the U.S. hybrid market and about 85 percent of the luxury hybrid market. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097815_lexus-bypassing-plug-in-hybrids-looking-at-fuel-cells-maybe-evs Honda Insight Hybrid: The Least-Wanted Car In America? Automakers and their dealers know that when a vehicle is updated, redesigned, or discontinued, the last lagging examples of the old model may sit on lots for months, perhaps even years. So it appears to be with the Honda Insight, the subcompact mild hybrid hatchback that the company discontinued after the 2014 model year. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097804_honda-insight-hybrid-the-least-wanted-car-in-america GREEN ENERGY Energy Future Files Reorganization Plan. Plan outlines how the Texas energy company hopes to restructure $42 billion in debt and exit bankruptcy. Energy Future Holdings Corp. filed a plan that outlines how the Texas energy company hopes to restructure $42 billion in debt and exit bankruptcy. http://www.wsj.com/articles/energy-future-files-42-billion-chapter-11-reorganization-plan-1429018731?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_business Duke Energy says coal ash guilty plea may cut power to military bases. If Duke Energy pleads guilty to federal criminal violations of the Clean Water Act, will the lights go out at Ft. Bragg, N.C.? The nation’s largest electric utility raised that possibility in federal court Tuesday, suggesting that a federal law could prevent a guilty Duke Energy from supplying power to military bases and federal facilities in North Carolina. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-duke-coal-ash-20150414-story.html Mobilizing Public and Private Investments for New and Renewable Energy Projects. The energy market in the United States is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by technological advancement, market dynamics, and better policies and laws—none of which was possible a decade ago. Venture capitalists made huge profits from the computing boom of the 1980s… http://theenergycollective.com/jnyangon/2217091/mobilizing-public-and-private-investments-new-and-renewable-energy-projects Clean Energy Seeing Global ‘Renaissance’ Cheap oil, cheap natural gas and increasingly cheap renewables are ushering in an era of abundant energy — an energy renaissance — at a time when a changing climate demands that energy be used more efficiently and be as low-carbon as possible. That is one of the central messages of the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) Future of Energy Summit taking place this week in New York City. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/clean-energy-seeing-global-renaissance-18885 Portland, Ore., energy company examines joining Calif. grid system. Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp is looking at joining the wholesale electricity market headed by the California grid operator. PacifiCorp, which serves about 1.8 million customers in Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and a small portion of California, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the California Independent Operator… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/04/15/stories/1060016757 MISCELLANEOUS New bills renew California's anti-smoking effort. A proposal would limit vaping in certain public places. California has become a battleground between the tobacco industry and health groups as lawmakers push proposals that include increasing cigarette taxes by $2 a pack and raising the legal smoking age from 18 to 21. The state once led the nation in snuffing out smoking, but health activists say a strong tobacco lobby and a lack of political will have blocked new efforts in recent years. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83300067/ OPINIONS What to watch for in federal court hearing on EPA carbon rules. More than a dozen states and a coal company will urge a U.S. appeals court on Thursday to throw out the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to limit carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants. The rules are still in draft form, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments in two lawsuits that represent the first… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/15/usa-carbon-regulations-idUSL2N0XB2D120150415?type=companyNews What does it take to convince libertarians and conservatives that climate change is a problem? When it comes to climate change, there is an amazing confluence of policy preferences and scientific assessments. Those who generally favor aggressive regulatory interventions to address environmental concerns are convinced global warming is a serious (if not catastrophic) environmental concern… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/04/14/what-does-it-take-to-convince-libertarians-and-conservatives-that-climate-change-is-a-problem/ Another View: California can reach petroleum reduction goal. When the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger worked together to pass Assembly Bill 32, skeptics said we set naive and unrealistic targets and that the California Air Resources Board could not be trusted with its implementation. Yet here we are, well on our way to meeting our carbon reduction targets, with an economy that is stronger than ever. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article18522089.html#storylink=cpy Lake guzzles water. Every day there is an article in the newspaper or on the TV about the worsening drought in California. The governor is telling us that we are going to have to deal with drastic cutbacks in use and take extraordinary conservation measures. And yet, in last Tuesday’s Tribune, there was a column by Lon Allan about a plan to pump water out of the ground and put it in Atascadero Lake. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/15/3587432_lake-guzzles-water.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Is hard-to-reach energy slowing down economic growth? Since the early 20th Century, the amount of energy required to produce new energy has skyrocketed. That puts a drag on the economy, Cobb writes, as more and more resources are devoted to keeping up with energy demand. It should seem obvious that it takes energy to get energy. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0414/Is-hard-to-reach-energy-slowing-down-economic-growth A carbon fee that acts as a tax is no fee at all: Editorial Agenda 2015. Terminal 6, a facility of the Port of Portland situated along the Columbia River, awaits a new tenant and a new life. Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corp. wants to move in and build a propane terminal that would receive gas from Canada via trains, load it from super-cold riverside storage tanks onto ocean-going tankers… http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/04/a_carbon_fee_that_acts_as_a_ta.html BLOGS Broadcast meteorologists increasingly convinced manmade climate change is happening. TV weathercasters are more convinced than ever climate change is happening and that human activities are a major contributor suggest the results of a new report. More than 90 percent of 464 broadcast meteorologists who responded to a 2015 survey agree climate change is happening and, of those… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/04/14/study-broadcast-meteorologists-increasingly-convinced-manmade-climate-change-is-happening/ Council expected to pass major air code overhaul this week. The most comprehensive update to the city's air codes in 40 years is expected to pass the Council this week after a committee hearing today. The 200-plus page bill was first rolled out by Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and environmental protection committee chair Donovan Richards last April. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2015/04/8566016/council-expected-pass-major-air-code-overhaul-week Climate Rally in Canada Brings National Attention to the Problem of Tar Sands and Lack of Federal Action. In one of the largest climate gatherings on record in Canada, more than 25,000 people took to the streets of Quebec City to demand that Canadian premiers begin taking bold actions to address climate change. The march, organized by Act on Climate--a coalition of more than 80 environmental, union, indigenous, and student organizations and communities from across Canada… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jaxelrod/climate_rally_in_canada_brings.html Methane Emissions from Oil & Gas are on the Rise, Confirm Latest EPA Data. Methane emissions from the US oil and gas sector increased, according to new data finalized today by the Environmental Protection Agency. Sadly, the figures come as no surprise, based on preliminary numbers and plenty of other observations, both scientific and anecdotal. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/04/15/methane-emissions-from-oil-gas-are-on-the-rise-confirm-latest-epa-data/ EIA report: How solar will help the US become a net energy exporter. The EIA expects 31GW of PV to be installed between 2013 and 2040. Source: SunPower. Solar energy and other renewable technologies are set to play a major role in helping the US become a net energy exporter by 2030, according to a new report by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Its latest Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) predicts an end to net energy imports between 2020 and 2030… http://www.pv-tech.org/news/eia_report_how_solar_will_help_the_us_become_a_net_energy_exporter California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 15:24:46 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 16, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 16, 2015. 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 Some governors push back over McConnell letter to defy EPA. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's call for governors to defy proposed federal rules to limit pollution has been met with mostly silence, but leaders in downwind New England states and drought-stricken areas in the West are pushing back. The Kentucky Republican wrote to all the nation's governors in March after the Environmental Protection Agency… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EPA_RULES_GOVERNORS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT How Do You Keep Your Kids Healthy in Smog-Choked China? On a recent morning in Arizona, my two young sons padded out into their grandparents’ garden to marvel at the flowers of a hedgehog cactus. The spectacular pink and yellow blossoms of this particular plant burst open once a year and last for only a day. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/magazine/how-do-you-keep-your-kids-healthy-in-smog-choked-china.html?_r=0 CLIMATE CHANGE Court skeptical of challenge to Obama's climate change plan. Two out of three judges on a federal appeals court panel are expressing doubts about a legal challenge to the Obama administration's far-reaching plan to address climate change. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard arguments Thursday in two cases challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to cut heat-trapping pollution from the nation's coal-fired power plants. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_AIR_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Other related articles: http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-tns-bc-env-climatechange-20150415-story.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/us/legal-battle-begins-over-obama-bid-to-curb-greenhouse-gases.html?_r=1 Ban Ki-Moon Presses Rich Nations for $100 Billion Climate Plan. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon stepped up pressure on the richest nations and investors to detail how they will meet a pledge to provide developing nations $100 billion a year for climate-related programs by 2020. The United Nations will convene a meeting on the issue in New York next month and wants clear commitments on support for the least-developed countries and islands most at risk of being swamped by rising sea levels, Ban said on Wednesday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-15/ban-ki-moon-presses-rich-nations-for-100-billion-climate-plan Vatican Announces Major Summit On Climate Change. Catholic officials announced on Tuesday plans for a landmark climate change-themed conference to be hosted at the Vatican later this month, the latest in Pope Francis’ faith-rooted campaign to raise awareness about global warming. The summit, which is scheduled for April 28 and entitled “Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/15/3647548/vatican-announces-major-summit-climate-change/ Four things Ontario’s cap-and-trade plan must get right. This week, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne made a major announcement in the battle against climate change: Ontario will join Quebec and California in a “cap and trade” system to limit greenhouse-gas emissions. This is an important continuation of the trend to using carbon pricing to cut such emissions and Ontario’s decision to move ahead represents a very positive step forward for Canada. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/four-things-ontarios-cap-and-trade-plan-must-get-right/article23986697/ State may have undercounted wildfire emissions when establishing climate target – study. California's pursuit of greenhouse gas reductions could be complicated by uncertainty about how much carbon the state's forests contain. A new study by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the National Park Service finds that California regulators may have underestimated the emissions generated by forest fires and deforestation when legislators passed the state's 2006 law, A.B. 32, that set a statewide 2020 target of 1990 emissions levels. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/16/stories/1060016885 Support for carbon tax reaches almost 70%. A large majority of Americans support taxing carbon emissions, according to polling results released yesterday, and favorability rises to two-thirds if the tax is used to send money back to households. The survey by Stanford University and Resources for the Future also found that efforts by environmental organizations to increase urgency around climate change by pointing to extreme weather isn't working, and neither are efforts to erode people's belief in global warming by questioning the science. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/16/stories/1060016859 Wildfires emit more greenhouse gases than assumed in state climate targets. The findings, published online today (Wednesday, April 15), in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, came from a collaborative project led by the National Park Service and UC Berkeley. The results could have implications for California’s efforts to meet goals mandated by the state Global Warming Solutions Act, or AB 32, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. The bill, which passed in 2006, assumed no net emissions for wildland ecosystems by 2020. https://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2015/04/15/california-carbon/ DROUGHT California faces fight over historic water rationing plans. More than 200 letters leveling criticisms at a plan to force Californians to slash urban water use by 25% make it clear just how difficult it will be for regulators to enforce Gov. Jerry Brown's unprecedented mandate. In the week since the State Water Resources Control Board announced its proposal to cut water use statewide, tiny rural towns, huge urban water agencies… http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83310420/ Heat, drought, swimming pools helped spread record West Nile disease outbreak in Calif. Factors like drought, heat and neglected swimming pools converged to create California's record West Nile virus outbreak last year, experts say. Last week, the California Department of Public Health announced that 2014 was officially the state's worst year for the infection, with 31 fatalities. Health officials detected 801 infections, approaching the 2005 record of 880 cases. Orange County, which has more than 3 million residents and includes Anaheim, Santa Ana and Irvine, suffered 263 cases, the highest in the state. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/16/stories/1060016880 VEHICLES Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Return for Another Run. For decades, hydrogen has been the Dracula of automotive fuels: Just when you think a stake has been driven through its zero-emissions heart, the technology rises from the grave. In 2015, even with gasoline cheaper than it has been in years, hydrogen is back to haunt those who insist that battery electric vehicles are the long-term solution for reducing fossil fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/automobiles/hydrogen-fuel-cell-cars-return-for-another-run.html Scenarios For 2030 Zero-Emissions Cars In CA: Hydrogen Or Not? With epic smog in the Los Angeles Basin, the state of California has led the nation's charge to reduce emissions from road vehicles for more than half a century. And it is now state policy to reduce emissions of climate-change gases, primarily carbon dioxide, from its 30 million-plus road vehicles by a whopping 80 percent by 2050. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097840_scenarios-for-2030-zero-emissions-cars-in-ca-hydrogen-or-not GREEN ENERGY Apple digs in on green with China solar, US forest projects. In a quest to be more green, Apple says it is investing in Chinese solar power and preserving forests that make environmentally friendly paper. The initiatives come as the tech giant this year met a self-imposed goal of powering all its U.S. operations with renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions - initiatives that have won high marks from environmental groups. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEC_APPLES_FORESTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT BP dropped green energy projects worth billions to focus on fossil fuels. Oil firm invested billions of pounds in clean and low-carbon energy in the 80s and 90s but later abandoned meaningful efforts to move away from fossil fuels and locked away the research. BP pumped billions of pounds into low-carbon technology and green energy over a number of decades but gradually retired the programme to focus almost exclusively on its fossil fuel business, the Guardian has established. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/16/bp-dropped-green-energy-projects-worth-billions-to-focus-on-fossil-fuels BLOGS Climate Action Is Driving Innovation and Our Economy. Forty-four years ago this month, EPA announced its first set of national air quality standards under the Clean Air Act. That's 44 years of people breathing easier, staying healthier and, for many, knowing they can walk outside and see the beauty of the mountains and blue skies that surround them. There's another big benefit of these standards and other actions we've taken under the Clean Air Act that we don't talk about enough: They help grow our economy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-mccarthy/climate-action-is-driving_b_7072048.html How Almonds Became A Scapegoat For California's Drought. You may have heard by now that it takes one gallon of water to produce just one almond. And those are considered fighting words in drought-stricken California, which produces 80 percent of the world's supply of the tasty and nutritious nut. So when almond grower Daniel Bays hears that, he just shakes his head. "Almonds really aren't more thirsty than any of our other crops, " says Bays, a third-generation farmer in Westley, Calif. It's a small farming community about 90 minutes southeast of San Francisco where his family has about 700 acres of almond orchards. They also grow tomatoes, melons, beans, wheat and apricots. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2015/04/16/399958203/how-almonds-became-a-scapegoat-for-californias-drought California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 12:30:58 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 17, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 17, 2015. 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 Nashik tea-sellers become unlikely heroes battling indoor air pollution. Armed with clean energy biomass stoves, tea-sellers in Nashik are becoming unlikely heroes in the country's battle against indoor air pollution by not only using the wood-fuelled stoves for their trade but also selling them. The World Health Organization says 3 billion people globally cook using solid fuels such as charcoal and coal on open fires or traditional stoves… http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/04/17/india-pollution-stoves-idINKBN0N80X820150417 City Council passes regulations for cleaner air. Tighter anti-air pollution laws — including a ban on new wood-burning fireplaces — passed the City Council on Thursday. The legislation will also ban new wood stoves and require any newly built fireplaces to use natural gas or renewable fuels. The rules, the first major update to the city’s air code since 1970, require restaurant char broilers to install filters to reduce pollution. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/city-council-passes-regulations-cleaner-air-article-1.2188464 Top oil-producing nations, companies pledge to curb flaring, a major source of CO2. Top oil-producing nations, including the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Angola, as well as Royal Dutch Shell PLC and other companies say they will stop flaring natural gas by 2030 as part of a landmark agreement with the World Bank. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060016961/print CLIMATE CHANGE The globe's record heat keeps on broiling into this year. There's been no break from the globe's record heat - the first three months of 2015 have set new high temperature marks. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last month's average temperature of 56.4 degrees (13.6 degrees Celsius) was the hottest March on record, averaging 1.5 degrees above the average for the 20th century. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_HOT_2015?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Big U.S. investors push SEC for oil industry to detail risks of climate change. Calpers, the largest American public pension fund, and nearly 60 other institutional investors will ask the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday to require oil and natural gas companies to publish detailed analysis of the risks posed by climate change to their business models. The letter, also signed several U.S. state treasurers, asks SEC Chair Mary Jo White to require oil producers to publish "meaningful, substantive carbon asset risk disclosures," … http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/17/us-energy-climatechange-idUSKBN0N808220150417 Climate plans put world on track for warming above agreed limits. Plans by 34 nations for fighting climate change beyond 2020 would leave the world on track for warming well above the limits agreed with the U.N., and Moscow's strategy is especially weak because it lets Russia's greenhouse gas emissions rise, experts said on Friday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/17/us-climatechange-cuts-idUSKBN0N81OA20150417?virtualBrandChannel=11563 UPDATE 1-BP shareholders back more disclosure on climate change risks. BP shareholders voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to publish regular updates on how its strategies were affecting climate change from next year, making it one of the first global oil companies to disclose such details. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/16/bp-shareholders-climatechange-idUSL5N0XD4A020150416 Australia’s AGL to Close Coal Plants by 2050. Power company says it will shut all of its existing coal-fired power plants to curb greenhouse gas emissions. One of Australia’s biggest electricity generators said Friday it will shut all of its existing coal-fired power plants by 2050 to curb greenhouse gas emissions, adding to a global slide in the fossil fuel’s popularity. http://www.wsj.com/articles/australias-agl-to-close-coal-plants-by-2050-1429255984 The Arctic is ‘unraveling’ due to global warming, and the consequences will be global. We often hear that climate change is radically reshaping the Arctic, a place many of us have never visited. As a result, it can be pretty hard to feel directly affected by what’s happening up in a distant land of polar bears, ice floes and something odd called permafrost. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/16/the-arctic-is-unraveling-due-to-global-warming-and-the-consequences-will-be-global/ Judges Skeptical of Challenge to Proposed E.P.A. Rule on Climate Change. A panel of federal judges appeared inclined on Thursday to dismiss the first legal challenge to President Obama’s most far-reaching regulation to slow climate change. But in the arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, lawyers for the nation’s two largest coal companies, more than two dozen states… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/us/legal-battle-begins-over-obama-bid-to-curb-greenhouse-gases.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Obama's climate change policy appears to survive early court challenge. President Obama’s ambitious plan to battle climate change by forcing power plants to reduce their greenhouse gases appeared to survive its first court challenge Thursday, but only because the formal rules are still pending at the Environmental Protection Agency. Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which calls for a 30% reduction in carbon pollution by 2030… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-climate-court-challenge-20150416-story.html US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop 9% Since 2005. The US saw a 2 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 from 2012 levels, but a 9 percent drop in emissions since 2005, according to the EPA’s 20th Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. Total US greenhouse emissions were 6,673 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2013. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/04/17/us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-drop-9-since-2005/#ixzz3XaO7dT3p Republican Senators Lag Behind Voters on Climate Change. As many lawmakers deny the science on global warming, Yale researchers find a majority of the public accept the scientific consensus and favor action. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida—a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination—voted no on a recent amendment recognizing that climate change real and caused by human activity. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/17042015/republican-senators-lag-behind-voters-climate-change U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Spiked 2 Percent in 2013. After two years of decline, total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere because of human activity increased 2 percent in 2013 over the previous year. That surge was fueled, in large part, because of a growing economy, falling coal prices and a cold winter… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/u.s.-emissions-spiked-2-percent-18893 http://www.greenbiz.com/article/good-economy-bad-news-us-climate-emissions-spiked-2013 Florida Secretary Of Environmental Protection: There Is No Rule Against Discussing Climate Change. During a confirmation hearing Wednesday, a top official for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection disputed claims that the department banned employees from discussing climate change. “Climate change. Climate change. Climate change,” Jonathan Steverson, who Governor Rick Scott (R) appointed in December to head up the DEP as secretary… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/16/3647780/florida-official-denies-climate-change-ban/ Preemptive strike on EPA emissions rules: Can it derail Obama climate plan? (+video). An unexpected legal challenge could put an end to the EPA's new rules to reduce greenhouses gases before they come into effect. The Obama administration has an ambitious plan to battle climate change: reduce greenhouse gases by 30 percent over the next two decades. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/0416/Preemptive-strike-on-EPA-emissions-rules-Can-it-derail-Obama-climate-plan-video Carly Fiorina: Fix climate change with innovation, not regulation. Likely 2016 GOP candidate Carly Fiorina says regulation to curb climate change won't be as effective as innovation, especially if the developing world is reluctant to scale back carbon pollution from high-emission sources like coal. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0416/Carly-Fiorina-Fix-climate-change-with-innovation-not-regulation DROUGHT California Governor Brown hears business concerns about drought plan. California Governor Jerry Brown on Thursday promised to consider the concerns of businesses affected by his order to cut urban water use by 25 percent as the prolonged drought in the most populous U.S. state drags into its fourth year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/17/us-usa-california-drought-idUSKBN0N805A20150417 Jerry Brown argues against ‘Big Brother’ picking crops in drought. With almonds and alfalfa coming in for criticism amid California’s drought, Gov. Jerry Brown argued Thursday against any “Big Brother” effort to curtail production of water-heavy crops. “That’s a ‘Big Brother’ move, and we’re not in that position,” Brown told reporters after a drought-related meeting at the Capitol. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, about 9 million acres of farmland in California are irrigated… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article18725088.html#storylink=cpy Prohibit lawn irrigation. Re “Area water agencies push back against level of cuts” (Page A1, April 15): Local water agencies’ response to the State Water Resources Control Board’s directive to cut water use by 35 percent displays an arrogance bordering on criminality. To argue that their customers should be exempt because they have large lots ignores the reality of the situation. It’s time to get real about the drought. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article18706557.html#storylink=cpy Governor Jerry Brown says no relaxing on conservation mandates. As California inches closer to implementing its first mandatory statewide limits on water use, Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday said he won't relax the new rules following complaints from some cities that they're too tough. The State Water Resources Control Board has received letters from more than 200 water agencies on Brown's mandate to cut urban… http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_27930896/california-drought-governor-jerry-brown-says-no-relaxing Walnut Creek and Lamorinda letters to the editor. The Times April 5 headline (Water wasters vs. water savers), pitted city against city, landscape against landscape in an attempt to highlight discrepancies in residential water consumption. While somewhat unfortunately targeting California agriculture, a far more relevant article was penned and published the same day by a Cal Poly emeritus professor… http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_27928933/walnut-creek-and-lamorinda-letters-editor Reducing carbon use. This month we will celebrate Earth Day, a day that has never been as vitally important to every person on Earth as it is this year. Although we have observed it for 45 years, our progress in protecting the Earth from catastrophic warming has been regrettably slow. The United States government is predicting that climate change disasters could soon be costing us more than one trillion dollars annually. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/17/3590880_reducing-carbon-use.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy California Assembly members push to speed up water storage construction. Amid a crippling state drought, several state Assembly members are pushing a bill intended to speed up construction of water storage facilities by changing the state-mandated environmental review process. Introduced last month, AB 311 creates a window to resolve litigation over environmental reviews of new water storage facilities. http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150416/california-assembly-members-push-to-speed-up-water-storage-construction Political temperatures rise over conflicts between urban and rural water use in Calif. As California's drought persists, a growing awareness of scarcity in the state's urban regions has put agricultural water use under the political microscope. At the beginning of April, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered cities to cut their water use 25 percent, at the same time further exposing the tensions between competing demands (Greenwire, April 2). http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/17/stories/1060016956 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Carrier Transicold Marks 75 Years of Road Transport Refrigeration. Carrier Transicold says it is celebrating a double anniversary this year: 75 years since Carrier entered the road transport refrigeration business and the 45th anniversary of the Carrier Transicold name. The company now builds and sells reefer equipment for trucks, trailers and containers, and is a part of United Technologies Corp. “Carrier’s history encompasses more than a century of innovation … http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/equipment/news/story/2015/04/carrier-transicold-marks-75-years-of-road-transport-refrigeration.aspx Banning old diesel vehicles right decision, say environmental activists. As the National Capital Region prepares to come to terms with The National Green Tribunal's (NGT) order of banning diesel vehicles more than 10 years old from plying in the NCR - the Tribunal has stayed its own order for two weeks - it has been hailed as a welcome step by environmental activists. http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/banning-old-diesel-vehicles-right-step-say-environmental-activists/1/218262.html FUELS UPDATE 1-Australian energy firm AGL to shut all coal power stations by 2050. AGL Energy Ltd, Australia's No.2 power retailer and its biggest carbon polluter, said on Friday it would not buy any more coal-fired power stations and would close all its existing coal-fired power plants by 2050. The company, which became Australia's biggest owner of coal-fired power stations when it bought two plants… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/17/agl-energy-coal-idUSL4N0XE1Q320150417 OPEC Joins Downbeat Forecasts for U.S. Oil Output. Oil cartel cites cutback to the number of drilling rigs. The boom in U.S. oil supplies will end in 2015, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said Thursday, joining other major energy forecasters this week in pointing to an imminent fall in American production. http://www.wsj.com/articles/opec-sees-booming-growth-in-u-s-oil-supplies-to-end-in-2015-1429180187?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection Fueled by gas prices, inflation edges up in March for second straight month. Inflation edged up in March for the second straight month as gas prices continued to rebound after their steep drop. The consumer price index increased 0.2%, the same as in February, the Labor Department said Friday. February's increase was the first in four months as a sharp drop in crude oil prices pushed down energy costs across the board. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83321297/ Propel Renewable Diesel: Usable By Any Vehicle, Going Beyond 'Biodiesel'. Fuels produced using plant-based materials can offer a promising way to reduce the carbon emitted by road vehicles. That's because their plant feedstocks absorb carbon dioxide from the air, bringing them far closer to a carbon-neutral footprint than any fuel refined from crude oil. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097856_propel-renewable-diesel-usable-by-any-vehicle-going-beyond-biodiesel Interior Secretary Defends Government’s New Rules For Fracking On Public Lands. Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell hit back against criticism to her department’s recently announced rules on hydraulic fracturing on public lands Thursday, saying that the rules were a needed update to the former set of regulations. Speaking to press after an event at the Center for American Progress… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/17/3648064/sally-jewell-speaks-at-cap/ (This goes with an earlier article on CalPERS) Major investment groups ask SEC to require disclosure of climate risks of fossil fuel producers. A coalition of institutional investors managing more than $1.9 trillion in assets sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission early this morning, requesting that the regulator to review financial reporting practices of oil and gas companies to require disclosure of the financial risks they pose to shareholders, pensions… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/17/stories/1060016959 VEHICLES Automakers to Eliminate Smog-Forming Emissions by 2030. As Earth Day approaches on April 22, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers says automakers are on track to “virtually eliminate” smog-forming emissions from passenger vehicles in the next decade – even with more cars on the road and people travelling more miles. http://ens-newswire.com/2015/04/16/automakers-to-eliminate-smog-forming-emissions-by-2030/ Electric Police Cars? Seattle Uses Nissan Leafs For Traffic Enforcement. They may not have the most intimidating presence, but electric cars can play an important role in law enforcement. Police vehicles spend a lot of time idling or negotiating traffic, particularly in urban areas. With adequate charging infrastructure, electric cars can be perfectly suited to certain tasks… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097866_electric-police-cars-seattle-uses-nissan-leafs-for-traffic-enforcement GREEN ENERGY Apple digs in on green with China solar, US forest projects. In a quest to be more green, Apple says it is investing in Chinese solar power and preserving forests that make environmentally friendly paper. The initiatives come as the tech giant this year met a self-imposed goal of powering all its U.S. operations with renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions - initiatives that have won high marks from environmental groups. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEC_APPLES_FORESTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EU approves German aid to support construction of 20 offshore wind farms. The European Commission on Thursday gave Germany the green light to support the construction of 20 offshore wind farms by paying operators a premium on top of the market price for electricity, it said in a statement. The Commission concluded that the projects would contribute to reaching Germany's 2020 targets for renewable energy without distorting competition. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/16/us-germany-windpower-eu-idUSKBN0N70XU20150416?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Harvard economist slams rules for renewable fuels, lays out plan for reforming them. U.S. renewable fuels policy has meant additional costs for drivers without the rapid transformation to second-generation low-carbon fuels envisioned by federal legislation passed last decade, economist James Stock argues in a new report. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/04/17/stories/1060016936 With new installation, Stanford runs on 65% renewable energy. Stanford University today announced a partnership with SunPower Corp. to build a new solar generating station that will provide half its campus electricity and will help transform the institution into one of the most sustainable campuses in the world. The 68-megawatt solar plant consisting of 150,000 SunPower solar panels is being combined with Stanford's "first of its kind" electrified heat recovery heating system… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/17/stories/1060016985 OPINIONS How Do You Keep Your Kids Healthy in Smog-Choked China? On a recent morning in Arizona, my two young sons padded out into their grandparents’ garden to marvel at the flowers of a hedgehog cactus. The spectacular pink and yellow blossoms of this particular plant burst open once a year and last for only a day. The boys seemed a bit like those flowers. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/magazine/how-do-you-keep-your-kids-healthy-in-smog-choked-china.html?_r=0 Let voters shift high-speed rail money to schools. Buyer’s remorse is bad enough after selecting the wrong car, but it’s even worse when it comes to the largest public works project in U.S. history – the $68 billion high-speed rail project. In 2008, voters narrowly approved Proposition 1A providing $8 billion in general obligation bonds as a down payment for a high-speed rail system… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article18703332.html#storylink=cpy The world after global warming: Column. Fight against climate change highlights catastrophic challenges of global-scale issues. Stretch your imagination. Picture a world in which the elusive goal of fully sustainable energy is achieved by the end of this decade. Low-cost, high-capacity batteries make electric cars far less expensive than their gasoline brethren. People buy them in droves. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/04/17/global-warming-climate-change-whats-next-column/24655557/ World Economy Grew, but Carbon Emissions Didn't. In a sign that low-carbon policies may finally be gaining traction, global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions leveled off last year even while the world economy grew. Preliminary data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicate that energy-related CO2 emissions (from burning fossil fuels for electricity… http://theenergycollective.com/dougvine/2217351/world-economy-grew-carbon-emissions-didnt BLOGS Former Obama Economic Adviser Calls for Shift in Biofuels Mandate. A former White House economic adviser is calling for changes to a 2005 law mandating increased use of alternative fuels in the nation’s transportation supply, adding a key voice to a growing chorus of people who say the policy is not working. http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/04/16/former-obama-economic-adviser-calls-for-shift-in-biofuels-mandate/ Oil and biofuels vehicles, check your mirror; the car behind you might be electric…Time was when humanity seemed to take endless leaps forward in terms of technology. There was a sense that everyone was pushing forward at the same time and in the same direction. In today’s world, when investing in the next big tech, the great diaspora of ideas can be a challenge that divides investment funds… http://blogs.platts.com/2015/04/17/oil-biofuels-energy-electric-car/ Why We Need to Change How We Talk About Climate Change. The scientific community has reached a resounding consensus on climate change -- 97 percent of scientists worldwide agree that the climate is warming, and that these warming trends have been caused by human activities. Yet, despite this overwhelming consensus, just over half of Americans (57 percent) believe that global warming is caused by humans… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maguire-mealy/why-we-need-to-change-how_b_7063774.html?utm_hp_ref=green California Needs a Strategy for Sustainable Natural Gas. Combustion of natural gas is responsible for a quarter of California's carbon emissions. If we are going to achieve the 80 percent reduction in emissions proposed by state legislators in S.B. 32, we will need to think clearly about the role that natural gas plays now and the role that we envision for it in the future. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-levin/california-natural-gas_b_7083328.html?utm_hp_ref=san-francisco&ir=San%20Francisco Polar bears weakened by pollution as well as warmth. Greenland’s polar bears have a thyroid problem. Their endocrine systems, too, are being disrupted. In both cases the culprit agency is environmental pollution by a range of long-lived industrial chemicals and pesticides. http://www.climatenewsnetwork.net/polar-bears-weakened-by-pollution-as-well-as-warmth/?utm_source=Climate%20News%20Network&utm_campaign=e97fb0b2de-Polar_bear_pollutants4_17_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1198ea8936-e97fb0b2de-38771425 How fast is solar energy taking off? How fast is solar energy taking off around the world? In 2007, China's planners set in motion an ambitious plan to produce 1.8 gigawatts of solar-generated electricity by 2020. Last year the country produced 28 gigawatts – 15 times what it had hoped for by 2020. Now, China is expected to more than triple even that production – to 100 gigawatts – in three or four years. http://www.trust.org/item/20150417160845-0dw5z/?source=search California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 16:27:53 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 20, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 20, 2015. 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 British Columbia Carbon Plan Eyes Buildings While Caps Ruled Out. British Columbia, pledging to step up the fight against climate change while ruling out carbon caps, is considering tougher building standards, its premier said. In contrast to her peers in Ontario and Quebec, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark defends her province’s carbon levy as a better approach because it avoids the complexity of a cap-and-trade system… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-20/british-columbia-carbon-plan-eyes-buildings-while-caps-ruled-out Carbon Pricing: Accounting Isn't Enough. As the World Bank and others ramp up the discussion on carbon pricing, heads are turning towards Paris with thoughts on how the issue will be incorporated into the expected COP21 global climate deal. I have said many times in the past that unless a carbon price makes its way into the whole global energy system, then its success in bringing down emissions is far from assured. http://theenergycollective.com/davidhone/2218206/accounting-isn-t-enough Lindsey Graham: ‘I Believe Climate Change Is Real,’ But Reject Cap and Trade. In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he believes “climate change is real,” but he rejects the cap and trade solution proposed by former Vice President Al Gore. “I believe climate change is real, but I reject the cap and trade solution of … of Al Gore. He's made a religion. It's a problem,” he said. http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/lindsey-graham-i-believe-climate-change-real-reject-cap-and-trade Tight Federal Deadlines May Keep U.S. States Out Of Existing Cap-And-Trade Programs. Several U.S. states are considering joining existing cap-and-trade programs such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to comply with pending carbon rules from the federal government. However, a major obstacle in doing so is the tight deadlines that federal officials have set for states to submit compliance plans. http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10909§ion=home&eod=1 AIR POLLUTION U.S. emissions rose in 2014 but lagged pace of economic growth. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the United States rose again last year as the nation's economy grew and are expected to do so again this year and next, the Department of Energy's statistical arm said today. But the analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows economic growth is being decoupled from emissions… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/20/stories/1060017077 Despite efforts, ozone hole will take years to heal – scientists. The scientists who discovered the hole in the ozone layer 30 years ago say it will still take years to heal. When the hole in the atmosphere above Antarctica was discovered in 1985, the international community moved quickly to set up the Montreal Protocol, which banned the chemicals that were depleting the ozone layer and allowing harmful sun rays to reach the ground. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/20/stories/1060017051 Landmark Deal Curbs Flaring Pollution. Top oil-producing nations and companies pledge to eliminate the waste of natural gas that also exacerbates global warming. Top oil-producing nations, including the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Angola, as well as Royal Dutch Shell PLC and other companies say they will stop flaring natural gas by 2030 as part of a landmark agreement with the World Bank. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/landmark-deal-curbs-flaring-pollution/ CLIMATE CHANGE Obama's Earth Day trek to Fla. to highlight climate change. President Barack Obama plans to celebrate Earth Day by visiting the Florida Everglades. In his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, Obama says "there's no greater threat to our planet than climate change." He says he'll visit the Everglades on Wednesday to talk about how global warming threatens the U.S. economy. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_EVERGLADES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-19/obama-no-greater-threat-to-planet-than-climate-change http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/18/us/politics/ap-us-obama-everglades.html http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-discuss-global-warming-everglades-earth-day-article-1.2190630 http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2015/04/20/obama-brian-deese-earth-day-climate-change-florida-everglades/26067285/ The globe's record heat keeps on broiling into this year. There's been no break from the globe's record heat - the first three months of 2015 have set new high temperature marks. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last month's average temperature of 56.4 degrees (13.6 degrees Celsius) was the hottest March on record, averaging 1.5 degrees above the average for the 20th century. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_HOT_2015?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.climatecentral.org/news/2015-hottest-year-to-date-18895 Green Group Praises Bush on Climate Remarks. Billionaire activist Tom Steyer's climate change advocacy group offered unexpected praise on Friday to Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush for saying the United States should work with the world to reduce carbon emissions. NextGen Climate, which launched a "war room" earlier this month to target presidential candidates that deny the existence of climate change… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/04/17/us/politics/17reuters-usa-climatechange-bush.html Australia's Direct Action climate policy challenged by US, China and Brazil at the UN. Large emitters join other countries in challenging Australia on its emissions reduction target and commitment to renewables. Australia has been asked to defend the credibility of its Direct Action climate change policy at the UN after several countries submitted questions to the Abbott government querying how the policy would reduce carbon emissions. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/20/australia-direct-action-climate-policy-challenged-us-china-brazil Americans Don’t Talk About Global Warming Very Often. Poll: Many Americans say climate change doesn’t come up in conversation. Global warming can be a touchy subject—and many Americans would rather not talk about it. A whopping 74 percent of Americans "never" or "rarely" discuss global warming, while just 26 percent of Americans talk about it "often" or "occasionally,"… http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/americans-don-t-talk-about-global-warming-very-often-20150420 (MOVE TO CAP AND TRADE) Cap and trade an opportunity for Alberta. Ontario’s announcement this week that it would join with Quebec in a linked carbon trading market is, on whole, a good thing. We know that climate change is a serious problem, that Canada has made international commitments that it’s unlikely to meet, and that, all else equal, carbon pricing policies like taxes or cap-and-trade regimes are the cheapest way to deliver reduced emissions. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/albertas-moment-has-arrived-but-will-it-bother-to-seize-it/article24016540/ Carbon dioxide emissions keep rising despite Obama's reign of regs. A report published today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have increased over the past two years, despite Obama's bevy of new regulations since taking office in 2009. Collectively, CO2 emissions make up the largest part of overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.examiner.com/article/carbon-dioxide-emissions-keep-rising-despite-obama-s-reign-of-regs Major Changes Loom in Arctic as U.S. Leads Council. Just 30 years ago, the Arctic was viewed as a frozen expanse of limited opportunity. But climate change is rapidly reshaping the region — it’s warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet — creating new opportunities and risks that are coming into global focus. “Without climate change, we wouldn’t really be talking about the Arctic in the first place” … http://www.climatecentral.org/news/shipping-oil-gas-us-arctic-council-18901 Secretary of State Kerry heads to Canada to take on challenges of a melting Arctic. The United States will begin its leadership of the Arctic Council at an international meeting in Iqaluit, Canada, on Friday, beginning a two-year term in which the State Department has signaled it will focus heavily on climate change. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry -- who was often the lone member of Congress to attend U.N. climate talks… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/20/stories/1060017015 Is Brazil backsliding on climate and deforestation policy? Climate change is "not a priority" for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, according to several top environmental activists and researchers who said this week that they are concerned the administration will propose a weak emissions target for a new global accord. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/20/stories/1060017043 DROUGHT California revises drought plan after pressure from cities. California water regulators on Saturday revised a still-tentative drought plan by easing cuts for Los Angeles and San Diego and bumping up reduction targets in the areas that consume the most water. The changes are an apparent response to criticism from cities… http://mobile.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSKBN0N90SC20150420 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/us/california-releases-revised-water-consumption-rules-for-drought.html?ref=us&_r=0 http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83331758/ http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article18854379.html http://www.timesheraldonline.com/general-news/20150418/california-rolls-out-new-water-reduction-plan http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/apr/20/california-drought-new-proposed-water-reduction-pl/ (MOVE TO OPINION) Drought provides opportunity for L.A. to get gray water right. Not just during drought but even in times of normal precipitation, there is something absurd about taking precious drinking water — imported at great cost from environmentally fragile areas hundreds of miles away, pumped over the mountains using enormous amounts of energy, filtered, treated and tested so as to be safe for human consumption — and spraying it on lawns and flowers. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83328554/ (MOVE TO OPINION) Media must make a difference in coverage of California’s drought. In times of crisis, journalism can – and should – make a difference. California’s drought and the response by media all over the world should be the latest example. While farmers fallow fields and all 39 million of the rest of us shorten our showers and let the lawn turn brown, the world is watching to see how we weather this challenge. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/joyce-terhaar/article18722001.html#storylink=cpy Despite drought worries, Bay Area researchers fear flooding. Though many researchers in California are focused on the lack of rain, a group in the Bay Area found that if the skies do open up flooding will be a problem. The San Mateo County Times reports (http://bayareane.ws/1EjVvHq) that the nonprofit Bay Area Council says the region is unprepared for the superstorm which they call inevitable. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Despite-drought-worries-Bay-Area-researchers-6211138.php California almonds get roasted during drought. California almonds are becoming one of the world's favorite snacks and creating a multibillion-dollar bonanza for agricultural investors. But the crop extracts a staggering price from the land, consuming more water than all the showering, dishwashing and other indoor household water use of California's 39 million people. http://www.mercurynews.com/business-headlines/ci_27948322/california-almonds-get-roasted-during-drought California drought: LADWP's Owens Valley pumping might suffer without snowpack runoff. A possible consequence of another dry winter in California: the water supplies Los Angeles can take from Inyo County may be limited. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has oversight of the water it derives from the area. Today, it releases its plan for pumping groundwater out of the Owens Valley over the next six months. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/04/20/51125/california-drought-ladwp-s-owens-valley-pumping-mi/ The Drought Not Likely To Cause Higher Grocery Bills. Even though the price of water is skyrocketing in California and experts predict farmers will fallow about a million acres this year, your grocery bill is not likely to go up. California farmers are making choices to insulate consumers from the drought. Daniel Sumner, an economist at UC Davis, offers an example illustrating what's happening. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/20/the-drought-not-likely-to-cause-higher-grocery-bills/ Drought Affecting Local Smelt Population. The drought in California has been affecting the population of local Delta smelt. The Record of Stockton reports that state officials found just one single Delta smelt during a survey this month looking at 40 different sites along the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. http://www.kgoradio.com/common/page.php?id=121492 California drought spurs protest over 'unconscionable' bottled water business. Californians facing the prospect of endless drought, mandated cuts in water use and the browning of their summer lawns are mounting a revolt against the bottled water industry, following revelations that Nestlé and other big companies are taking advantage of poor government oversight to deplete mountain streams and watersheds at vast profit. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/19/california-drought-protest-bottled-water Unchecked growth, questions about water. Some question water supplies for development in the California desert. Surrounded by golf courses in La Quinta, a patch of plowed desert is being preparing for construction. The property's developers conceptualize the first phase of a neighborhood there — 78 houses with designs named "Italian Farmhouse" and "Tuscan Villa." http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/04/17/unchecked-growth-questions-water/25952941/ FEATURE-California drought causes cattle and elk to lock horns over pasture. A herd of tule elk move warily along a California coastal hill as a herd of Black Angus cattle graze nearby. Despite the apparent peaceful coexistence, the animals are at the center of a battle for precious grasslands reduced by the state's drought. Ranchers and farmers who live and work within the 71,000-acre (287-square km) Point Reyes National Seashore… http://www.trust.org/item/20150420110032-ry72r Regulators propose 36% cut for urban water guzzlers. California regulators released proposed water-saving regulations last weekend aimed at cracking down on outdoor urban water use ahead of the summer dry season. The regulations would require the biggest water wasters to cut their use 36 percent, well above the statewide target of 25 percent set by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) earlier this month in response to the state's water supply emergency. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/20/stories/1060017069 DIESEL ACTIVITIES FUELS TransCanada’s Pipeline Benefit Vows Fail to Sway Quebec’s Arcand. Quebec wants more evidence from TransCanada Corp. that its Energy East pipeline will benefit the province after a marine terminal was scrapped from the plan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Pierre Arcand said. While the company argues the proposed C$12 billion ($9.8 billion) line crossing the French-speaking Canadian province to reach the Atlantic… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-17/transcanada-s-pipeline-benefit-vows-fail-to-sway-quebec-s-arcand Safety Regulations Issued for Trains Carrying Oil. Responding to public pressure to act more quickly after a series of fiery train derailments involving oil shipments, the Transportation Department on Friday issued a series of emergency orders, including a 40-mile-an-hour speed limit for hazardous materials moving through urban areas. The emergency rules also require railroads to provide detailed information about a shipment within 90 minutes of any derailment. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/18/business/energy-environment/safety-regulations-issued-for-trains-carrying-oil.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Senator: Decade-Old Gulf Oil Leak Is 'Unacceptable' A U.S. senator from Florida is pressing federal officials to disclose technical data and other information about a decade-old oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, after an investigation by The Associated Press revealed evidence that the spill is far worse than a company or government regulators have publicly reported. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/17/us/ap-us-gulf-oil-spill-hidden-spill.html (MOVE TO OPINION) Big Oil has lots of explaining to do on gasoline price spikes. To death and taxes, add one more certainty: Big Oil will always triumph at the expense of our families unless California starts standing up to oil companies by refusing to tolerate a system rigged in their favor. In February, when two refineries were mismanaged and went offline, gas prices spiked – forcing California drivers to pay nearly $1 more a gallon than motorists elsewhere. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article18816618.html#storylink=cpy VEHICLES (TEXT HERE DOESN”T GO WITH HEADLINE) Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Return for Another Run. Responding to public pressure to act more quickly after a series of fiery train derailments involving oil shipments, the Transportation Department on Friday issued a series of emergency orders, including a 40-mile-an-hour speed limit for hazardous materials moving through urban areas. The emergency rules also require railroads to provide detailed information about a shipment within 90 minutes of any derailment. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/18/business/energy-environment/safety-regulations-issued-for-trains-carrying-oil.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Volkswagen introduces high-end plug-in hybrid C Coupé GTE concept in Shanghai. At Auto Shanghai, Volkswagen is presenting the world premiere of the C Coupé GTE, which illustrates a new design approach for future top-end sedans at Volkswagen. This four-door concept car for the Chinese market—which is more than five meters in length—is powered by a plug-in hybrid drive system, the drive sources of which combine to produce 500 N·m of system torque. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150420-ccoupegte.html Global debut for Nissan Murano Hybrid at Shanghai show. Nissan unveiled two all-new production models, the Murano Hybrid and Lannia, a new mid-size sedan for the Chinese market, along with two Nismo products, GT-R Nismo and 370Z Nismo, at Auto Shanghai 2015. Murano Hybrid features the Nissan Intelligent Dual Clutch System (one motor/two clutch parallel system). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150420-nissan.html GREEN ENERGY Renewable energy surge revives Europe's power trade. The rise of renewable energy is delivering a boost to Europe's declining power market as traders get busy in short term deals to juggle unpredictable supplies of wind and solar. Exchanges show more trade as suppliers buy and sell power closer to when demand will appear, to meet their delivery obligations, because electricity cannot be stored effectively. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/17/europe-power-trading-idUSL5N0XD4AM20150417 Batteries and Renewable Energy Set to Grow Together. The future of American energy, according to one widely held view, will include solar panels and wind turbines continuing to proliferate, churning out ever more electricity and eventually eclipsing fossil fuels to help offset the forces of climate change. With the cost of renewable technologies falling sharply, that vision is starting to take shape, especially in areas with abundant sunshine or steady wind. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/science/batteries-and-renewable-energy-set-to-grow-together.html Solar Power Battle Puts Hawaii at Forefront of Worldwide Changes. Allan Akamine has looked all around the winding, palm tree-lined cul-de-sacs of his suburban neighborhood in Mililani here on Oahu and, with an equal mix of frustration and bemusement, seen roof after roof bearing solar panels. Mr. Akamine, 61, a manager for a cable company, has wanted nothing more than to lower his $600 to $700 monthly electric bill with a solar system of his own. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/business/energy-environment/solar-power-battle-puts-hawaii-at-forefront-of-worldwide-changes.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 MISCELLANEOUS U.S., China top dumping of electronic waste; little recycled. The United States and China contributed most to record mountains of electronic waste such as cellphones, hair dryers and fridges in 2014 and less than a sixth ended up recycled worldwide, a U.N. study said on Sunday. Overall, 41.8 million tonnes of "e-waste" -- defined as any device with an electric cord or battery…http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/20/us-environment-waste-idUSKBN0NA00V20150420 OPINIONS Would You Want to Smell BBQ All the Time? CITY COUNCIL meetings in Austin, Tex., tend to be droning, low-drama affairs, but that wasn’t the case earlier this month when barbecue was on the agenda: specifically, the smell of barbecue and a proposal to control it, in response to some citizen complaints. The suggestion that a smell some would dab behind their ears if possible should be mitigated by special exhaust systems… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/sunday-review/would-you-want-to-smell-bbq-all-the-time.html?_r=0 Op-ed: Earth Day is a reminder of what we can do collectively. The American public awakening to environmental health and sustainability is often traced to 1962. It was then that author Rachel Carson penned "Silent Spring." Carson's book sparked a movement that continues today. She stated, "I truly believe that we in this generation must come to terms with nature. http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2409602-155/op-ed-earth-day-is-a-reminder Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, & The Various Effects — Great New Infographic. An interesting new infographic from “InformationisBeautiful” concerning carbon dioxide emissions and climate change recently came to my attention, and seemed worth sharing. The infographic goes over many, many things, including: the current rate of carbon emissions, the carbon ‘budget’ if we’re going to avoid a dangerous rise in temperature… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/04/19/carbon-emissions-climate-change-various-effects-great-new-infographic/ My view: Climate change denial: Scientific skepticism or disparagement of science? In the latest development in the public understanding (or misunderstanding) of climate science, Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has compared himself to Galileo. His suggestion is that he and others like him who reject the evidence that humans are changing Earth’s climate are heroes standing up to the prevailing power structure. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865626775/Climate-change-denial-Scientific-skepticism-or-disparagement-of-science.html Thomas Sowell: Some push global warming ‘inquisition’. How long will this country remain free? Probably only as long as the American people value their freedom enough to defend it. But how many people today can stop looking at their electronic devices long enough to even think about such things? Meanwhile, attempts to shut down people whose free speech interferes with other people’s political agendas go on, with remarkably little notice, much less outrage. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/04/20/thomas-sowell-new-inquisition/26071697/ Letters: Cap-and-trade system may help our R&D; and other views. Re: Cap and trade is a revenue generator, April 16. Columnist Randall Denley’s views on Ontario’s recent agreement with Quebec on a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions misses one important potential outcome. By encouraging companies to find innovative ways to reduce their emissions, new technologies will most likely result. http://www.canada.com/Opinion/Letters/Letters+trade+system+help+other+views/10987812/story.html Cap and trade system can work for farmers. The Ontario government believes climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing future generations. This past week Premier Wynne announced Ontario will pursue the establishment of a cap and trade system to address climate change by limiting sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario. http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2015/04/20/cap-and-trade-system-can-work-for-farmers Air Pollution: The silent killer we need to talk about more often. The issue of environmental conservation has gained in public importance because of the significant administrative measures (Air Quality Index) and judicial decisions (NGT rulings on diesel cars and construction projects) taken towards addressing environmental concerns. http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/standpoint-air-pollution-the-silent-killer-we-need-to-talk-about-more-often-2079091 'It's Our Turn To Lead': How To Engage Your Team On Earth Day. One billion people. 22, 000 partners in 192 countries. The world’s largest, non-secular celebration. Get ready for Earth Day 2015, the 45th anniversary of this urgent occasion. As the drumbeat of climate change gets louder and more dire, the Earth Day Network is mobilizing global leaders, businesses and citizens around the world to make meaningful commitments towards change. http://www.forbes.com/sites/causeintegration/2015/04/20/earth-to-man-sos-this-earth-day/ BLOGS It’s Not Magic. It’s Voltage Optimization. Imagine homeowners and businesses saving millions of dollars – and cutting pollution – without needing to do anything. Magic? No, but it does require electric utilities to take advantage of new technologies that better provide customers with just the right amount of voltage to their electrical outlets. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/04/20/its-not-magic-its-voltage-optimization/ Drought Rules Revised Based On Feedback, SF In Most Lenient Water Usage Tier. On Saturday, state water regulators issued a revised plan based on Governor Jerry Brown's April 1 mandate that everyone statewide cut back on water usage by 25 percent. The new plan takes into account various factors among the hundreds of effected local water agencies, including those that are relatively water rich, those that are considered urban but still divert a large percentage of water to agriculture… http://sfist.com/2015/04/20/drought_rules_revised_based_on_feed.php Everything I thought I knew about water in California is wrong. This piece started out as a confident prescription for California’s drought ills. But when I began writing, I kept coming across things that seemed confusing or contradictory. And each time I went to the experts to clarify, they’d explode all my basic assumptions. So instead of writing that piece, here’s a list of all the (misguided) conventional wisdom I had absorbed — set right, or at least clarified. http://grist.org/food/everything-i-thought-i-knew-about-water-in-california-is-wrong/ Labour's Green Plan. Nine years ago today David Cameron went to the arctic for his 'hug a husky' publicity stunt. Today, after five years of the so called 'greenest Government ever' all we have are broken promises of change. In government David Cameron tried to sell off the nation's forests, refused to commit to decarbonising our power sector and undermined the green economy. The Lib Dems were too weak in Government to stand up to the Tories. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/maria-eagle-mp/climate-change-labour_b_7098320.html Artificial Photosynthesis Advance Hailed As Major Breakthrough. In what's being called a win-win for the environment and the production of renewable energy, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, have achieved a major breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis. The scientists have created a system that can capture carbon dioxide emissions before they're released into the atmosphere… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/20/artificial-photosynthesis-environment-energy_n_7088830.html?utm_hp_ref=whats-working Bonding the Future: Green Bonds for a Greener Planet. Over two centuries ago, in 1812, the City of New York issued the nation's first municipal bonds for the construction of City Hall and the digging of a canal. Other cities and states soon joined Gotham's efforts -- constructing the schools, water systems, roads and subways that would power America's growth. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-m-stringer/bonding-the-future-green-_b_7095212.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 14:59:03 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- Newsclips for April 21, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Canada’s GHG emissions rose in 2013, leaving little room to meet 2020 target. Canada’s greenhouse-gas emissions rose in 2013, propelled by higher oil and gas production, Environment Canada said in a report to the United Nations that suggests the country has little hope of meeting its international commitments. Ministers in the Conservative government have frequently touted the fact that the production of GHGs has declined since 2005, but that decrease reflects the steep losses during the 2008-09 recession. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadas-ghg-emissions-rose-in-2013-leaving-little-room-to-meet-2020-target/article24039176/ Ontario’s Cap-and-Trade Regime Seen Raising C$2 Billion a Year. A carbon cap-and-trade system in Canada’s most populous province is projected to raise as much as C$2 billion ($1.6 billion) annually, early government and third-party estimates show. It’s not yet clear which industries will be left paying the most, and details of Ontario’s plan, including a timeframe for its deployment, are still being worked out. The province announced last week it would join Quebec’s cap-and-trade system. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-21/ontario-s-cap-and-trade-regime-seen-raising-c-2-billion-a-year AIR POLLUTION Hundreds of Chinese Cities Don’t Meet Air Standards, Report Finds. Air pollution data from the Chinese government shows that more than 90 percent of 360 Chinese cities failed to meet national air quality standards in the first three months of this year, according to a report released on Tuesday by Greenpeace East Asia. Interior provinces were found to have the most polluted cities during those months. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/world/asia/hundreds-of-chinese-cities-dont-meet-air-standards-report-finds.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Central, Western China Have Worst Air Pollution, Greenpeace Says. China’s central and western regions had the worst air pollution in the nation during the first quarter, according to Greenpeace East Asia. Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Sichuan were among the 10 worst-polluted provinces in the three months ended March 31, Greenpeace said in an e-mailed statement. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-21/central-western-china-have-worst-air-pollution-greenpeace-says CLIMATE CHANGE Plants may not protect us against climate change. Plants are one of the last bulwarks against climate change. They feed on carbon dioxide, growing faster and absorbing more of the greenhouse gas as humans produce it. But a new study finds that limited nutrients may keep plants from growing as fast as scientists thought, leading to more global warming than some climate models had predicted by 2100. http://news.sciencemag.org/climate/2015/04/plants-may-not-protect-us-against-climate-change DROUGHT Brown calls tiered water ruling ‘a straitjacket' for conservation efforts. An appellate court Monday struck down a Southern California city's method of charging water users based on a tiered-rate... http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article19098585.html California court ruling could limit drought fighting tools. ...In this April 17, 2015 photo, Jim Reardon, who is awaiting a ruling from a California appeals court regarding his suit over tiered water rates, stands... http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27956346/california-court-ruling-could-limit-drought-fighting-tools http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-court-ruling-could-limit-drought-6213118.php FUELS Renewables Beat Fossil Fuels Second Year in a Row. Start spreading the news: The world is now deploying more renewable energy in the production of electricity—more wind and solar power, in particular—than it is fossil fuels. And it has been since 2013, according to the analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That year, the world added 143 gigawatts of new renewables capacity, compared to the 141 gigawatts of power generated by coal, natural gas and oil combined. http://ecowatch.com/2015/04/21/renewables-beat-fossil-fuels-bloomberg/ VEHICLES Lightning-fast Tesla Model S tops Auto Club's best Green Cars ranking. Expect to spend some green if you want to purchase the vehicles at the top of the best Green Cars list AAA published Monday. Six of the top 10 cars tested by the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center cost about $50,000 or more and two are in the $100,000 range. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-aaa-green-car-rankings-20150420-story.html GREEN ENERGY Obama administration sets agenda to modernize energy infrastructure. The Obama administration on Tuesday announced plans to modernize the country's aging energy infrastructure and make it more resilient to challenges ranging from extreme weather to changing domestic energy production. The Quadrennial Energy Review, more than a year in the making, recommends a program that would accelerate natural gas pipeline replacement, modernize the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and award up to $350 million to help states improve the reliability of their electricity delivery. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/21/us-usa-energy-infrastructure-idUSKBN0NC1ME20150421 Batteries and Renewable Energy Set to Grow Together. The future of American energy, according to one widely held view, will include solar panels and wind turbines continuing to proliferate, churning out ever more electricity and eventually eclipsing fossil fuels to help offset the forces of climate change. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/science/batteries-and-renewable-energy-set-to-grow-together.html Solar Power Makes Electricity More Accessible On Navajo Reservation. ...vehicle up so it can charge back up," he says. Terry, who now works as the renewable energy specialist for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority,... http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/04/21/160803/solar_power_makes_electricity_more_accessible_on_navajo?category=u.s.&source=npr MISCELLANEOUS New bill could legalize paid carpooling. Carpooling is one of the most popular services transport network companies like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar offer, but it faces a problem. Under California law, paid carpooling is prohibited. Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) is hoping to change that. Introducing AB 1360 on Monday, Ting said the bill would change a Californian law written in 1961 that doesn’t allow passengers in a commercial ride to each be charged separately for sharing the ride. http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-tnc-carpooling-20150420-story.html Bay Area bike-share program about to rev up. ...The transportation agency is taking over the bike program from the Bay Area's air quality district. The air district in turn will take... http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_27846775/bay-area-bike-share-program-about-rev-up OPINIONS The True Benefits of Wind Power. Texas prides itself on being a national leader, whether it be in barbecue, football or wind energy. That’s why when someone misguidedly attacks one of our strengths—as Randy Simmons did in an opinion article republished by Newsweek last week—as a Texan, I can’t remain silent. http://www.newsweek.com/true-benefits-wind-power-323595 The Pope, the Poor and Climate Change. This Wednesday we mark Earth Day. A week from now, the Vatican will add its own contribution to what Pope Francis calls “human ecology” in the form of a summit called “Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity.” The summit will in turn be followed by an encyclical some time later this year. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-pope-the-poor-and-climate-change-1429572692 BLOGS Artificial Photosynthesis Advance Hailed As Major Breakthrough. In what's being called a win-win for the environment and the production of renewable energy, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/20/artificial-photosynthesis-environment-energy_n_7088830.html?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=WorldPost California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 13:23:43 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 22, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Beijing Govt Says Air Had Less Pollution in 1st Part of Year. A key measure of air pollutants in China's capital showed a 19 percent drop in the first three months of the year, local authorities said Wednesday. Beijing's municipal government said Wednesday that the density of PM2.5 — harmful particles that are smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter — was 92.7 micrograms per cubic meter for the quarter, an improvement from 114 in the same period last year. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/22/world/asia/ap-as-china-beijing-pollution.html?_r=0 Nigeria to halve air pollution by 2020. NIGERIA’S Minister of Environment, Laurentia Mallam, has promised to improve environmental health in the country by 50 percent by 2020. “Nigerian citizens deserve air that is clean, water that is drinkable, and land that is safe from contamination,” she said. http://cajnewsafrica.com/2015/04/21/nigeria-to-halve-air-pollution-by-2020/ Fracking waste puts public at risk, study says. Weakness in state regulations governing hazardous oil-and-gas waste have allowed the leftovers to be disposed of with little regard to the dangers they pose to human health and the environment, according to a recent study by the environmental organization Earthworks. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-tns-bc-env-fracking-waste-20150422-story.html Reducing school bus pollution improves children's health. Use of clean fuels and updated pollution control measures in the school buses 25 million children ride every day could result in 14 million fewer absences from school a year, based on a study by the University of Michigan and the University of Washington. In research believed to be the first to measure the individual impact on children of the federal mandate to reduce diesel emissions, researchers found improved health and less absenteeism, especially among asthmatic children. http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/22829-reducing-school-bus-pollution-improves-children-s-health CLIMATE CHANGE Obama to visit Everglades on Wednesday, highlight climate change threat. MIAMI In his first ever visit to Florida's Everglades on Wednesday Earth Day President Barack Obama hopes to connect climate change impacts already unfolding in the imperiled wetland to wider risks across the nation. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Other related stories: http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-tns-bc-obama-earthday-20150422-story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/at-everglades-obama-to-warn-of-damage-from-climate-neglect/2015/04/22/0c909856-e8d7-11e4-8581-633c536add4b_story.html http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/04/22/obama-visits-everglades-to-press-climate-change-agenda/?KEYWORDS=climate+change http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/22/us-usa-obama-climatechange-idUSKBN0ND10W20150422 http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article19204611.html Philippine climate envoy steps down to lead 'pilgrimage'. The Philippines' climate change commissioner, Naderev "Yeb" Saño, who grabbed the limelight at U.N. climate talks with emotional pleas for action, stepped down on Wednesday to lead a "pilgrimage" to parts of the world hit by climate impacts. Dressed in a traditional embroidered shirt, Saño emerged from his office in Manila to begin a symbolic 10 km walk on Earth Day with other climate activists in sweltering heat. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/22/us-climatechange-philippines-politics-idUSKBN0ND1G320150422 Johns Hopkins reports 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over five years. As the Johns Hopkins community celebrates Earth Week, the Office of Sustainability released a report today that the university has achieved a 35 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over five years, among other strong results for its sustainability efforts. http://hub.jhu.edu/2015/04/22/sustainability-progress-report DROUGHT Students, campuses in state add saving water to college life. In a residence hall at UCLA, 84 students share a floor dedicated to cutting waste and preserving the environment: They take five-minute showers, they compost and recycle, they goad each other to turn out the lights and, through a grant, they purchased reusable plastic and bamboo dishes and utensils for personal use in the dorm. http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-college-water-20150422-story.html As drought persists, desalination could be California's last resort. ...city will meet 30 percent of its water needs at best. City officials say the drought has left them with no other choice. "With a drought of this... http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/04/20/californias-last-resort-drink-pacific/26081355/ Beverly Hills studies tougher water regulations. Under increasing pressure to slash water use during California's ongoing drought, Beverly Hills is preparing to toughen... http://www.latimes.com/la-me-beverly-hills-drought-20150421-story.html?track=rss MISCELLANEOUS NYC mayor unveils sweeping environmental plan on Earth Day. The nation's biggest city, in a far-reaching effort to limit its impact on the environment, marked Earth Day on Wednesday by announcing a plan to reduce its waste output by 90 percent by 2030. Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled his sweeping OneNYC plan, which includes an overhaul of the city's recycling program, incentives to reduce waste and tacit support for the City Council's plan to dramatically reduce the use of plastic shopping bags. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EARTH_DAY_NYC_ZERO_WASTE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Other related stories: http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_27961469/apnewsbreak-ny-aims-cut-waste-by-90-percent http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/APNewsBreak-NY-aims-to-cut-waste-by-90-percent-6215040.php EARTH DAY 2015: Inland's Top 5 environmental issues. As Earth Day dawns anew on Wednesday, Aprl 22, it’s clear that the multi-year drought has grabbed headlines as the top environmental issue in Inland Southern Californians, with suppliers scrambling to find ways to meet state-mandated restrictions on use. http://www.pe.com/articles/national-765389-water-riverside.html BLOGS Why don’t GOP presidential candidates address climate change? Because they want to win. A politician has a choice to make when he or she is running for office: One can hold a position that comports with one's beliefs even if the electorate objects, or one can tell the electorate what it wants to hear. In the overlap of climate change politics and the 2016 election, Republican candidates are almost uniformly rejecting the idea that human activity is making the world warmer. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/04/22/why-dont-gop-presidential-candidates-address-climate-change-because-they-want-to-win/ Five quick fixes to global warming and why we probably shouldn’t try them. Extreme weather, water shortages and imperiled polar bears: The effects of climate change are obvious and dire. To stem the tide — literally and figuratively — even educated experts are now pitching ideas straight out of science fiction. On some level, it’s understandable. The grim reality of climate change poses some well-documented problems for humans. The biggest challenge, so far, has been convincing people to do less harm when it comes to the climate. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/04/22/five-quick-fixes-to-global-warming-and-why-we-probably-shouldnt-try-them/ New York Today: In Praise of Earth. Happy Earth Day. Like many good ideas, Earth Day has some roots in New York City. The first Earth Day, 45 years ago, was centered in New York, where hundreds of thousands came out in support. Mayor John V. Lindsay gave momentum to the fledgling holiday by shutting down Fifth Avenue, and much of 14th Street, for demonstrations. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/new-york-today-in-praise-of-earth/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 13:46:57 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 23, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Yale to impose carbon tax on itself, led by the man who helped invent it. Yale University will become one of the first colleges or universities to put an internal price on their carbon emissions, school officials said Monday. After forming a university committee -- chaired by William Nordhaus, the Yale economist who has studied the confluence of economics and climate change since the 1970s -- Yale President Peter Salovey and Provost Benjamin Polak announced that the fee is slated to begin in the new academic year as a three-year pilot program, after which the carbon charge would fully kick in. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060017204 OFA sees potential for farmers in cap and trade. There are many potential revenue opportunities for farmers in a cap and trade system announced by Premier Kathleen Wynne, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture believes. Wynne's choice of cap and trade as her government's preferred way to fight climate change is seen by the OFA as an effective and fair way to manage greenhouse gas emissions, while recognizing that agriculture already plays an important role in reducing them. http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2015/04/22/ofa-sees-potential-for-farmers-in-cap-and-trade AIR POLLUTION Thermal camera ‘sees’ hidden pollution, nets major settlement with energy firm. In normal daylight, the big tanks used to store Noble Energy Inc.’s petroleum looked solid enough. But when regulators examined them through thermal cameras, they made a startling discovery: Noxious pollutants escaped from the tanks like smoke from a chimney. “You look at them and you see absolutely nothing,” said John C. Cruden, head of the Justice Department’s environmental enforcement division, “but through the camera it’s billowing off the tanks.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/22/thermal-camera-sees-hidden-pollution-nets-73-million-settlement-with-energy-firm/ High Speed Rail To Use Local Product To Control Dust Pollution. On this Earth Day, California’s High-Speed Rail Authority is demonstrating steps it is taking to minimize environmental damage from the construction of the rail. Rail construction workers will spray a biodegradable solution made of processed wood chips that holds down dust pollution. http://kvpr.org/post/high-speed-rail-use-local-product-control-dust-pollution San Lorenzo Valley residents pose questions about air quality. Residents were eager to hear about the fate of wood-burning stoves Wednesday night at an event hosted by the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District at San Lorenzo Valley High School. The event drew more than 30 valley residents, a number organizers were not expecting but were ecstatic about. Many in the crowd came to find out if the agency was mandating residents stop burning wood. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150422/san-lorenzo-valley-residents-pose-questions-about-air-quality CLIMATE CHANGE US to announce plans to reduce agricultural carbon emissions. Federal agricultural officials are planning to announce voluntary programs and initiatives for farmers, ranchers and foresters meant to build on President Barack Obama's efforts to combat global warming — and don't require congressional approval. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/d920d468b51f43b7b5cd342444d1705a/us-announce-plans-reduce-agricultural-carbon-emissions A Challenge From Climate Change Regulations. As President Obama prepares to unveil his climate change regulations on coal-fired power plants, the nation’s electric utilities are preparing to transform the system that keeps the lights on in America. But some companies fear that in the process, the lights may go out. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/business/energy-environment/a-challenge-from-climate-change-regulations.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Smog Ceiling Debated. The county’s Air Pollution Control District (APCD) will soon establish a greenhouse-gas-emissions ceiling for projects in its jurisdiction, with the APCD Board of Directors set to pick a limit at a special meeting on April 30. On Thursday, the board had another special meeting to discuss the possible thresholds. Whatever limit the APCD goes with would apply to new or modified stationary sources under the agency’s purview. http://www.independent.com/news/2015/apr/23/smog-ceiling-debated/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Blue Train Dramatically Cuts Down On Pollution. The Little Engine That Could was a bright, friendly blue locomotive who managed to overcome impossible odds through sheer force of will--I think therefore I can. GE's new locomotive engine is a similar shade of blue, but it took more engineering than determination for it to achieve it's goal of dramatically reducing air pollution. http://www.popsci.com/see-beautiful-pictures-ges-new-environmentally-friendly-train DROUGHT California government cut water usage 22 percent. With California ravaged by an epic drought, state-run facilities collectively cut water use 22 percent last year, according to government data released Wednesday, although some departments used far more than in 2013. The overall figure slightly exceeds Gov. Jerry Brown’s order that state departments cut their 2014 water consumption by 20 percent compared with the previous year. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article19273602.html GREEN ENERGY Catching Waves and Turning Them Into Electricity. Off the coast of Western Australia, three big buoys floating beneath the ocean’s surface look like giant jellyfish tethered to the seafloor. The steel machines, 36 feet wide, are buffeted by the powerful waves of the Indian Ocean. By harnessing the constant motion of the waves, the buoys generate about 5 percent of the electricity used at a nearby military base on Garden Island. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/business/energy-environment/catching-waves-and-turning-them-into-electricity.html?ref=energy-environment Green-energy company moves back to Sacramento, setting up shop on R Street. A renewable fuels retailer is moving its headquarters back to Sacramento to be closer to agencies — and for more affordable housing. Propel Fuels started in Seattle in 2004, moved to Sacramento in 2008 and then moved its headquarters to Redwood City in 2010. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/04/23/green-energy-company-moves-back-to-sacramento.html?ana=e_sac_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2015-04-23&u=mWGE3JCkQISFrrs%2FNMmWBIotlWU&t=1429802068 MISCELLANEOUS Independence Mall adds pollution-sensing park bench. Just in time for Earth Day, Independence National Historic Park now has a bench that doubles as a weather and air quality station. The tricked out seating is made from recycled milk containers. It sports solar panels and a wind turbine to power numerous scientific instruments. "We're using this for R&D," said Gayle Hagler, an engineer with EPA. http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/health-science/item/80997-independence-mall-adds-pollution-sensing-park-bench BLOGS Climate Change Questions for Young Citizen Scientists. An unprecedented abundance of publicly available scientific data combined with the demands of the new Next Generation Science Standards make it more important than ever to encourage students to think of themselves as “citizen scientists.” For this special Earth Day guest lesson, we’ve teamed up with NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, a world leader in global climate-change research, along with its partner, the Columbia University Earth Institute, to offer resources for teaching about this complex issue, all while addressing important 21st-century literacy skills. http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/guest-post-climate-change-questions-for-citizen-scientists/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 12:56:49 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 24, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE 'With certainty' cap-and-trade would wreck the economy, Rubio says. It’s no secret that Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is skeptical of human-caused climate change. While he’s unsure of the effect humans have on the climate, Rubio is certain that addressing the problem would wreck the economy. "If we do the things they want us to do, cap and trade, you name it, how much will that change the pace of climates change vs. how much will it cost to our economy?" Rubio asked rhetorically on CBS’ Face the Nation April 19. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/apr/23/marco-rubio/rubio-cap-and-trade-would-hurt-economy-might-not-h/ AIR POLLUTION Is Dirty Air Damaging the Brains of Some City Dwellers? City air pollution could hurt your brain, Harvard researchers suggested Thursday. Brain scans showed that seniors exposed to higher levels of the kind of small particle pollution that can come from car exhaust had a higher risk of mini-strokes and a smaller brain volume compared to those living in less-polluted areas, according to the study published in the journal Stroke. http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/dirty-air-damaging-brains-some-city-dwellers-n347316 CLIMATE CHANGE China's Great Green Wall Helps Pull CO2 Out of Atmosphere. After improving energy efficiency, piloting emissions trading and ramping up renewable energy expansion, China has also been moving on another frontier needed to help ease global warming. According to a study published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change, the total amount of carbon stored in all living biomass above the soil has increased globally by almost 4 billion tons since 2003, with China contributing in a notable way to the increase. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-s-great-green-wall-helps-pull-co2-out-of-atmosphere/ Japan hikes target for emissions cuts to about 25 pct by 2030. Japan is considering cutting emissions of greenhouse gases by around 25 percent by 2030, up from an earlier target of about 20 percent, as its contribution to a global summit in Paris on climate change later this year, media reports said on Friday. The target is still lower than that outlined by the United States, which says it will cut emissions by as much as 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025 and the European Union which is proposing at least a 40 percent cut from 1990 levels by 2030. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/24/japan-carbon-idUSL4N0XL1L420150424 DOE-supported carbon and capture storage projects hit 10M tonnes of CO2 milestone. ...Texas, is demonstrating a system to capture carbon emissions from two steam methane reformers used to produce hydrogen. Air Products retrofitted its... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150423-doeccs.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Study: Diesel, Gas Exhaust Mostly To Blame For Calexico’s Polluted Air. San Diego State University researchers have raised new questions about bad air found in the Imperial Valley, which has long been blamed on agricultural burns. Their study finds diesel and gas exhaust from idling cars at the Calexico border crossing are the dominant source of pollution. The work was commissioned by Reveal, a public radio program that features work from the Center for Investigative Reporting. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/apr/23/study-diesel-gas-exhaust-mostly-blame-calexicos-po/ DROUGHT California Assembly acts to prohibit fines for brown lawns in droughts. ...cities have fined residents for allowing their lawns to turn brown during the drought, the state Assembly passed a bill Thursday that would prohibit... http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pc-california-assembly-acts-to-prohibit-fines-for-brown-lawns-in-droughts-20150423-story.html?track=rss California Drought: 'Exceptional' Drought Expands In Sierra. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that conditions worsened in the Sierra as... http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/23/california-drought-exceptional-drought-expands-in-sierra/ FUELS Half of U.S. Fracking Companies Will Be Dead or Sold This Year. Half of the 41 fracking companies operating in the U.S. will be dead or sold by year-end because of slashed spending by oil companies, an executive with Weatherford International Plc said. There could be about 20 companies left that provide hydraulic fracturing services, Rob Fulks, pressure pumping marketing director at Weatherford, said in an interview Wednesday at the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-22/half-of-u-s-fracking-companies-will-be-dead-or-sold-this-year VEHICLES Finding Easier Ways to Charge Electric Vehicles. Jeremy McCool is convinced there is a better way to charge electric vehicles in a crowded city than using a wired plug. Mr. McCool is founder and chief executive of Hevo Power, a Brooklyn-based start-up that is working to create a home for electric vehicles in an environment that is inherently challenging to them. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/business/finding-easier-ways-to-charge-electric-vehicles.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Toyota to provide 1st hydrogen-fueled pace car. A hydrogen-fueled vehicle will lead the field at a NASCAR race for the first time when a 2016 Toyota Mirai serves as the official pace car Saturday night at Richmond. The midsize sedan uses no gasoline and emits only water vapor. The electric vehicle is powered by hydrogen, refuels in about five minutes and travels up to 300 miles on one tank. It goes on sale in California later this year, with expansion planned. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAR_NASCAR_RICHMOND_HYDROGEN_PACE_CAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Review: New zero-emission electric two-wheelers. Organizers of the 45th annual Earth Day this week set an ambitious goal. They... http://www.pe.com/articles/speed-765558-zero-electric.html GREEN ENERGY China Could Get 85 Percent Of Its Electricity From Renewables By 2050, Report Finds. The world’s largest consumer of coal could undergo a dramatic transformation in its energy profile in the coming decades, according to a report released this week. China could get 85 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2050, according to the China 2050 High Renewable Energy Penetration Scenario and Roadmap Study, a nongovernmental report by Energy Foundation China. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/24/3650526/chinas-renewable-potential/ Ventura relaunching popular solar energy program. The city of Ventura is again offering a program that helps lower the cost of solar panels for homeowners who want to install them. Called Solarize Ventura, it makes the systems more affordable by offering them at discounted pricing through vetted contractors. The program ran three months last year and was so popular the city, which launched Solarize Ventura in collaboration with the Santa Barbara-based nonprofit Community Environmental Council, brought it back again. More than 60 people participated in 2014. http://www.vcstar.com/news/local-news/ventura/ventura-relaunching-popular-solar-energy-program_70165888 California, U.S. energy plan to aid apartment dwellers. ...largest foundations are teaming up to expand financing for energy efficiency and solar energy in multifamily housing. Standing amid an array of solar... http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27420757/california-u-s-energy-plan-aid-apartment-dwellers Santa Clara County approves deals for five solar farms from SunPower. Santa Clara County, "It continues to demonstrate the board's commitment to renewable energy and reducing the county's carbon footprint," Snow... http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27867224/santa-clara-county-approves-deals-five-solar-farms California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 15:36:15 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 27, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 27, 2015. 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 Factories In Two Of China’s Most Polluted Provinces Are Failing At Limiting Their Emissions. China’s call for emissions controls from factories are largely being ignored, according to a Greenpeace report. The report, which looks at state-reported data for Jiangsu and Hebei provinces, shows that heavy industry is not complying with strict emissions standards China set for coal plants in January 2012… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/27/3651485/chinas-factories-keep-emissions-coming/ Science subpanel to consider rural impacts of controversial ozone proposal. U.S. EPA's proposal to tighten the national ozone standard will face scrutiny this week by a subpanel of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. The committee's Environment subpanel, led by Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), will focus on the proposal's impacts to rural America in what will likely be a contentious hearing Wednesday. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060017447/feed State air chiefs, EPA leaders meet on emissions proposal. U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan will be front and center as state air pollution agency chiefs gather in Providence, R.I., until Wednesday for their spring meeting. EPA air chief Janet McCabe and a contingency of deputies and regional administrators will be on hand to discuss the nuts and bolts of potential compliance strategies for cutting power plant carbon emissions 30… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060017434/feed CLIMATE CHANGE Study blames global warming for 75 percent of very hot days. If you find yourself sweating out a day that is monstrously hot, chances are you can blame humanity. A new report links three out of four such days to man's effects on climate. And as climate change worsens around mid-century, that percentage of extremely hot days being caused by man-made greenhouse gases will push past 95 percent… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_EXTREME_WEATHER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/27/us-climatechange-temperature-idUSKBN0NI1NV20150427 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/science/new-study-links-weather-extremes-to-global-warming.html Arctic nations to fight climate change despite Russia tensions. The eight Arctic Council nations pledged on Friday to do more to combat climate change that is shrinking the vast frigid region, with countries trying to put aside disputes over issues like Russia's intervention in Ukraine. Meeting in the Canadian town of Iqaluit, 300 km (200 miles) south of the Arctic Circle, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/24/us-canada-usa-arctic-idUSKBN0NF2F920150424 Thawing permafrost: the Arctic's slow, giant carbon release. Permafrost - a vast, frozen subsurface layer of soil - covers nearly a quarter of the land in the Northern Hemisphere. It contains centuries worth of carbon in the form of plants that have died since the last ice age but remained frozen rather than decomposing. Now scientists are learning that the "perma" part of its name may no longer be accurate. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article19580646.html#storylink=cpy Carbon Pricing Helping Farmers Ease Methane Pollution. Leo Van Warmerdam pointed to a red shed housing a large generator on his family’s dairy farm as he loped over two acres of manure. The thick black plastic stretching across the manure ballooned as he walked on it, inflated by methane building from beneath. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/farmers-reduce-methane-pollution-18926 Extreme Heat and Heavy Rain Events Expected to Double. Extreme weather events such as droughts, heat waves and torrential rainfalls are the most powerful and obvious reminders that the climate is changing. These disasters were happening long before humans started pumping heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, but global warming has tipped the odds in their favor. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/extreme-heat-heavy-rain-expected-to-double-18933 Blooming Algae Could Accelerate Arctic Warming. Blooms of algae in the Arctic Ocean could add a previously unsuspected warming feedback to the mix of factors driving temperatures in the north polar regions up faster than any other place on the planet, according to the authors of a new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “By the end of the century, this could lead to 20 percent more warming… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/algae-accelerate-arctic-warming-18929 At $24 Trillion, Oceans are World’s 7th-Largest Economy. The monetary value of the world’s oceans has been estimated at $24 trillion in a new report that warns that overfishing, pollution and climate change are putting an unprecedented strain upon marine ecosystems. The report, commissioned by WWF, states the asset value of oceans is $24 trillion and values the annual “goods and services” it provides, such as food, at $2.5 trillion. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/oceans-are-seventh-largest-economy-18931 With 'anger translator,' Obama jokes about climate change. President Obama poked fun at Republicans for denying climate change in his annual roast of the press and Washington, D.C. Speaking at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday evening, the president used his high-profile speech before celebrities and media bigwigs to prod for action on climate change, albeit with humor. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060017468/feed A 'believer' takes over conservative carbon tax effort. The first time Catrina Rorke worked on a carbon tax, it got her boss fired. Now, she has another shot. The millennial 30-year-old, with bold-rimmed glasses and a composite political identity, is the first director of energy policy for the R Street Institute… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/27/stories/1060017471 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Trucking Groups Lack Standing to Challenge EPA Heavy-Duty Truck Standards, Court Says. A federal appeals court dismissed challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks after finding the petitioners lacked standing to bring their lawsuits. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found in an April 24 per curiam opinion that California trucking groups opposed to the EPA's greenhouse gas emissions limits… http://www.bna.com/trucking-groups-lack-n17179925814/ DROUGHT Western drought steals clean energy along with fresh water at power plants. The floor rumbled under Mark Cook. His legs vibrated as he stood in a tunnel tucked into the thick base of Hoover Dam, 430 feet below the tourists looking out over Lake Mead. Beneath him, water roared through steel pipes 13 feet tall. Nearby, heavy turbines hummed with mechanical intensity. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/at-hoover-dam-the-drought-is-stealing-clean-energy-along-with-fresh-water/2015/04/26/8ce2740a-e93d-11e4-9767-6276fc9b0ada_story.html Drought Frames Economic Divide of Californians. Alysia Thomas, a stay-at-home mother in this working-class city, tells her children to skip a bath on days when they do not play outside; that holds down the water bill. Lillian Barrera, a housekeeper who travels 25 miles to clean homes in Beverly Hills, serves dinner to her family on paper plates for much the same reason. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/27/us/drought-widens-economic-divide-for-californians.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1 California drought tests strength of Gold Rush-era water rights. High above a landscape parched by unremitting drought, Meadow Valley Creek courses through the northern Sierra Nevada and pools in a stand of alders behind a tiny, concrete dam. Robert Forbes draws water from the reservoir through an overturned smokestack and into a ditch that has run west of Quincy for more than 100 years. He adjusted a piece of plywood at its mouth to restrict the flow one recent morning. In dry years, Forbes said, “I start rationing people along the line.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article19560759.html#storylink=cpy Drought doesn’t stop nation’s most ambitious salmon revival in San Joaquin River. Young salmon glide through shallow riffles in the San Joaquin River, not far from busy shopping centers, swift Fresno traffic and a golf course. The southernmost salmon stream in North America might seem like an afterthought in city life here, but don’t let that fool you. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/25/4494375_drought-doesnt-stop-nations-most.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy State drought tests water rights. High above a landscape parched by unremitting drought, Meadow Valley Creek courses through the northern Sierra Nevada and pools in a stand of alders behind a tiny, concrete dam. Robert Forbes draws water from the reservoir through an overturned smokestack and into a ditch that has run west of Quincy for more than 100 years. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/25/4495597/state-drought-tests-water-rights.html#storylink=cpy (THIS SHOULD MOVE UP TO SIMIILAR STORY)In California, drought widens economic split. Alysia Thomas, a stay-at-home mother in this working-class city, tells her children to skip a bath on days when they do not play outside; that holds down the water bill. Lillian Barrera, a housekeeper who travels 25 miles to clean homes in Beverly Hills, serves dinner to her family on paper plates for much the same reason. In the fourth year of a severe drought… http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/26/4496630/in-california-drought-widens.html#storylink=cpy Drought restrictions may end era: Bye-bye front lawn. In 2011, Jules and Alan Nolet bought a house on a flat, sunny lot of just over an acre here. "It had a split-level house built in the '70s with massive, overgrown lawns in the front and back," Jules remembered. They knocked down the split-level and replaced it with a 7,000-square-foot "Old World" house, co-designed by Jules, who is half-French. They ripped out the swimming pool. http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150424/drought-restrictions-may-end-era-bye-bye-front-lawn Drought promotes renewed interest in water tech. Jim Horan is a numbers guy. He keeps track of everything from his blood sugar to the number of miles he logs on his mountain bike. Now, as California's historic drought enters its fourth year, Horan is also measuring his daily water use. But it's not easy. Each morning when he goes out to get his newspaper, Horan brings a screwdriver to remove the heavy concrete cover from his water meter, clears away the dust and spiders…http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27993515/drought-promotes-renewed-interest-water-tech FUELS US gas prices jump 13 cents a gallon; could go slightly up. The average national price of a regular gallon of gasoline has jumped 13 cents in the past two weeks to $2.58. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that higher crude oil prices caused the run-up at the pump. However, the price is $1.11 below the mark a year ago. Los Angeles has the highest-priced gas in the Lower 48 states at $3.30 a gallon. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GAS_PRICES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/26/us/ap-us-gas-prices.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/26/4496694/us-gas-prices-jump-13-cents-a.html#storylink=cpy http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/04/26/us-gas-prices-jump-13-cents-a-gallon-could-go-slightly-up http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/US-gas-prices-jump-13-cents-a-gallon-could-go-6225445.php http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/27/3606122_gas-jumps-another-8-cents-per.html?rh=1 http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150425/refinery-issues-push-gasoline-prices-higher Propel Fuels relocates headquarters to Sacramento. Propel Inc., which says it is California’s largest retailer of low-carbon liquid fuels, is moving its headquarters from Redwood City to Sacramento. “The low carbon economy is being defined in Sacramento,” says Propel’s founder and CEO, Rob Elam, “There’s nowhere we’d rather be.” http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28225 U. Mich, Ford team studies effect of ethanol in reducing PM from DISI engines; insights into fueling strategies to reduce soot. A team from the University of Michigan and Ford’s Research and Advanced Engineering group in Dearborn has studied the effects of ethanol on reducing particulate emissions from a direct injection spark ignition (DISI) engine by comparing neat anhydrous ethanol with a baseline fuel of reference grade gasoline (indolene). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150426-etohdisi.html First integrated assessment of quality and yield of hydrocarbon blendstocks via biomass fast pyrolysis and hydrotreating. Researchers from three US national labs—Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—have performed the first, fully integrated assessment of the quality and yield of common feedstocks from the field to hydrocarbon blendstock production using the fast pyrolysis-hydrotreating pathway. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150427-pnnl.html VEHICLES New law aims to boost electric vehicle charging stations. A new state law is designed to help increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in Maine. The bill was signed by Republican Gov. Paul LePage last week. It will go into effect 90 days after the Legislature finishes its session. Senate Democrats say there are only 30 electric vehicle charge stations across Maine at places like Thomas College and Mt. Abram Ski Mountain. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/26/4495941/new-law-aims-to-boost-electric.html#storylink=cpy Heliocentris launches HyDrive Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Trainer. Germany-based Heliocentris has launched HyDrive – Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Trainer as part of its training systems product family. HyDrive—targeted at academic programs—provides students with a hands-on experiment set to examine the construction, functionality and benefits of fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150427-heliocentris.html GREEN ENERGY AES says power storage business expanding into Europe, new U.S. markets. AES Corp unveiled plans on Monday to expand its energy storage business into Europe and in new U.S. markets as the power industry aims to boost the reliability of renewable energy. In total, AES has more than 1,000 MW of energy storage projects in development, according to AES Energy Storage President John Zahurancik. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/27/aes-storage-idUSL1N0XL2GH20150427 Look What’s Cooking in the World of Renewable Energy. Inside a sprawling single-story office building in Bedford, Mass., in a secret room known as the Growth Hall, the future of solar power is cooking at more than 2,500 °F. Behind closed doors and downturned blinds, custom-built ovens with ambitious names like “Fearless” and “Intrepid” are helping to perfect a new technique of making silicon wafers, the workhorse of today’s solar panels. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/the-world-of-renewable-energy-18919 Construction underway for America's first offshore wind farm. Construction is officially underway for the first offshore wind farm in U.S. waters. Offshore wind developer Deepwater Wind on Friday announced that its CEO, Jeffrey Grybowski, is meeting with Rhode Island leaders today in North Kingstown to celebrate early building activities on the Block Island Wind Farm, a planned 30-megawatt… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/27/stories/1060017475 Like shale gas, solar power shaking up global energy. One by one, Japan is turning off the lights at the giant oil-fired power plants that propelled it to the ranks of the world's top industrialised nations. With nuclear power in the doldrums after the Fukushima disaster, it's solar energy that is becoming the alternative. Solar power is set to become profitable in Japan as early as this quarter, according to the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation (JREF), freeing it from the need for government subsidies and making it the last of the G7 economies where the technology has become economically viable. http://www.dailysabah.com/energy/2015/04/26/like-shale-gas-solar-power-shaking-up-global-energy MISCELLANEOUS OPINIONS Desalination plants aren't a good solution for California drought. As surely as the hot, dry Santa Ana winds bring blue skies to the coast and wildfires to the hills, severe California droughts bring calls to build desalination plants up and down the seashore. All that ocean water, begging to be converted to fresh and pumped into our pipelines, would solve our water supply problems instantly and permanently, boosters say. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83383753/ Water market offers better approach to conservation. Gov. Jerry Brown’s April 1 order for a 25 percent reduction in urban water use follows unprecedented restrictions from the State Water Resources Control Board in March. Such top-down mandates would be unnecessary if California followed more innovative approaches already working in other places plagued by drought. The new rules in California limit watering lawns, serving water in restaurants... http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article19269969.html Another View: Why knock almonds? Alfalfa consumes twice the water. Ever since Gov. Jerry Brown’s executive order asking Californians to cut their water use by 25 percent, restaurants won’t serve glasses of water unless requested. However, they will happily serve a hamburger, which is equivalent to 10,560 glasses of water. Add a couple slices of cheese to that burger, and that’s another 1,600 glasses. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article19413399.html#storylink=cpy Lift ban on crude oil exports. Here in Kern County, all of us benefit from the success of the oil and gas industry. Tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs generate more than $4 billion in employee wages, strengthen our economy and boost funding for our local schools and emergency services through added tax revenue. That's why we need our leaders in Washington to support our county's economic future and lift the ban on crude oil exports. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/letters/x1710332843/Lift-ban-on-crude-oil-exports?utm_source=widget_254&utm_medium=synapse Watering schedule does not fit everyone. The Bakersfield City Council has again flagrantly exposed its need to control the lives of the people of Bakersfield. Apparently, the council believes that none of us "people" have any desire or knowledge about water conservation. I'm referring to the three-days-per-week landscape watering ordinance that the council just passed. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/letters/x1635362408/Watering-schedule-does-not-fit-everyone MATT DRISCOLL: Searching for some hope on Earth Day. Kids have a way of putting my deep-rooted cynicism into the proper perspective. Specifically, my kids. When I look at them it's hard not to think about the future. Wednesday was Earth Day, as my oldest… http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/forum/x1920867889/Searching-for-some-hope-on-Earth-Day Fill Tulare Lake instead. With California in a four-year drought, instead of spending billions on raising dams, why not just use one of the largest lakes in the West, the once great Tulare Lake? Pay those farmers for the land and start filling it up. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/25/4492010/fill-tulare-lake-instead.html#storylink=cpy It’s all ears when water commissioners speak. “Let’s keep the lid on and be respectful,” said state Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, to an audience of nearly 400 at the California Water Commission’s public outreach meeting in Chico. Mr. Nielsen introduced the CWC to elected officials, farmers, city dwellers, environmentalists, and stakeholders who either sat or stood shoulder-to-shoulder. When members of the powerful commission speak, they have an audience. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28223 Automakers rev up innovation in the Bay Area. In the future, your car will anticipate your every need, from where you're heading to what you'd like to listen to along the way -- and, of course, drive itself. That's the vision automakers are test-driving in Silicon Valley, which has emerged as ground zero in the race to reimagine the automobile. Car companies ranging from General Motors to Mercedes have set up shop in the nation's hotbed of technology and innovation for a dose of inspiration… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150425/automakers-rev-up-innovation-in-the-bay-area BLOGS California's Imported Oil Problem. California is the most critical state in the country, with 38.2 million people and a GDP of $2.3 trillion, equal to Texas and Pennsylvania output combined. Depending on your perspective I guess, California has become famous/infamous for its progressive energy policies. California is our “clean energy” capital, with cap-and-trade, the most alternative fuel vehicles… http://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/04/26/californias-imported-oil-problem/ California Drought Impact More Complex: Ag Grains Nearing Crossroads. The CA drought has become more complex as statistics suggest placing blame on who uses water and how much is not cut and dried. The water used by agriculture has been shown to not be as great as 70% but more like 40% when considering water that passes through but not used. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrygulke/2015/04/27/ca-drought-impact-more-complex-ag-grains-nearing-crossroads/ As Coal Jobs Go Up In Flames, New Energy Positions Will Emerge >From Ashes. Coal-related jobs are going up in flames, but new ones will emerge from the ashes. That’s the conclusion of a new economic study that examines the Obama administration’s energy policy and its potential impact on the broader economy. Appalachia’s coal counties are smoldering for a multitude of reasons… http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/04/26/as-coal-jobs-go-up-in-flames-new-energy-positions-will-emerge-from-ashes/ California’s drought isn’t doomsday, but yes, it will change the state. As California parches, people in the state have begun to ask tough questions. Will we be talking about rationing drinking water at some point? Will technology rescue us? Will farmers abandon the state’s great Central Valley? The simple answer to all these questions is: no. As California’s climate shifts, the impacts will be profound. http://grist.org/food/californias-drought-isnt-doomsday-but-yes-it-will-change-the-state/ Everglades Under Attack. THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES is one of the most unique natural resources in the world, with an abundance of wildlife found nowhere else. It also soaks up carbon dioxide from the air better than major rainforests around the world, researchers say. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/27/everglades-under-attack_n_7151188.html?utm_hp_ref=world Household Solar Is Becoming the New Normal - and That Makes Some Utilities Uncomfortable. A couple of weeks ago, my wife Sharon and I were out for a long neighborhood walk. This is not unusual for us, but on this particular day we took a route we hadn't walked in quite some time. I was pleased to notice that one of the traditional, colonial-style houses we encountered was sporting solar panels on its roof. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/f-kaid-benfield/household-solar-is-becomi_b_7143872.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green?view=print&comm_ref=false California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 12:50:46 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 28, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 28, 2015. 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 China Quickens $11 Billion Fuel Quality Upgrade Amid Smog Fight. China, the world’s largest carbon emitter, has pushed up its timetable for an $11 billion project to improve the quality of fuel used by cars and trucks. China will cap sulfur content in gasoline and diesel at 10 parts per million starting in 2017, one year before an earlier deadline, the State Council said after a meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-28/china-quickens-11-billion-fuel-quality-upgrade-amid-smog-fight LAUSD Study Revisits Metrolink Air Quality Results in Northeast L.A. On a chilly night, residents living by the Central Maintenance Facility (CMF) in Northeast Los Angeles streamed into the Cypress Park Recreation Center, curious to hear how the historically noisy and intrusive Metrolink facility is really affecting their health and their children's. http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/lariver/confluence/river-notes/lausd-study-revisits-metrolink-air-quality-results-in-nela.html Court rejects truckers' bid for rehearing on Calif. Program. A federal appeals court denied a request yesterday by a trucking association to reconsider a ruling that upholds a California air quality program. The California Dump Truck Owners Association had asked the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear its March decision that upheld the state's effort to crackdown on ozone and particulate matter pollution… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017570 Carbon emissions from air conditioning set to rise dramatically. Increased use of air conditioning worldwide could have major climate implications, according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley. "People are just at the cusp of being able to afford air conditioning," said Lucas Davis, an associate professor at UC Berkeley and lead author of the study, which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Scienes. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017549 CLIMATE CHANGE UN, Vatican team up for climate change agenda. The United Nations and Vatican joined forces Tuesday to warn about the dire effects of climate change, gathering religious leaders, Nobel laureates and heads of state to present a united front ahead of make-or-break environment talks later this year in Paris. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Pope Francis for framing the need to combat global warming as an urgent moral imperative… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/04/28/world/americas/28reuters-environment-warming-vatican.html Pope Summons Scientists to Shape Climate Change Debate. Pope Francis summoned scientists, government officials and religious leaders to a villa in the manicured Vatican Gardens on Tuesday as he stepped into the heated climate-change debate. “Climate change is a defining issue of our time,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told attendees at the Vatican conference. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-27/pope-summons-scientists-on-climate-change-seeks-to-shape-debate Pope Francis Steps Up Campaign on Climate Change, to Conservatives’ Alarm. Since his first homily in 2013, Pope Francis has preached about the need to protect the earth and all of creation as part of a broad message on the environment. It has caused little controversy so far. But now, as Francis prepares to deliver what is likely to be a highly influential encyclical this summer on environmental degradation and the effects of human-caused climate change on the poor… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/world/europe/pope-francis-steps-up-campaign-on-climate-change-to-conservatives-alarm.html?action=click&contentCollection=Asia%20Pacific®ion=Footer&configSection=article&isLoggedIn=false&moduleDetail=undefined&pgtype=Multimedia&_r=0 Biggest Coal Exporter Says Climate Change Won’t Strand Assets. Glencore Plc, the top exporter of coal used in power stations, expects efforts to curb climate change by keeping its fossil-fuel reserves in the ground to fail in the face of world energy demand. Shareholders won’t be “prevented from realizing the full value of Glencore’s fossil fuel assets… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-28/biggest-coal-exporter-says-climate-change-won-t-strand-assets Canadian premiers speak out against government stance on climate change. In a joint statement, premiers from Ontario and Quebec said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's latest comments on climate change do not reflect the stance of most premiers. Last week, the prime minister stated he would not implement carbon taxes ahead of the international climate change conference later this year. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017528 Research cautions states against shortsighted plans for EPA carbon rule. States implementing U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan run the risk of writing plans that limit short-term costs and impacts on the coal industry but make carbon reductions more difficult down the line, according to a new study. The draft rule sets different carbon dioxide emission rates for each state's power sector and tasks state officials with deciding how to reach those levels. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017546 House Dems back NEPA guidance, urge use of social cost of carbon. Dozens of House Democrats yesterday said they strongly support the Obama administration's draft guidance for how federal agencies should account for climate change in their environmental reviews, but they they also recommended CEQ direct agencies to account for the social cost of carbon emissions in their decisions. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017575 Rubio's billionaire donor on climate change: 'I don't know'. Miami businessman Norman Braman believes that Sen. Marco Rubio's skepticism about climate change won't damage his appeal among young and moderate voters, adding that there's a lot of "conjecture" around the idea of man-made warming. Braman stands to be one of the nation's largest donors leading up to the 2016 presidential election… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017537 DROUGHT Experiment in Irvine takes crops' water use to new lows. On a recent afternoon, Santa Ana winds swept through a sunny, 200-acre swath of Irvine where a quiet experiment could have a major impact in the blueberry world. Darren Haver, director of the South Coast Research and Extension Center, pointed to a patchwork of the berries. For three years, five pipes have been applying varying amounts of water to sections of the crop. http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83402094/ California drought water-reduction mandates set for revision. State water regulators are set to release on Tuesday an updated plan for conservation during the drought after their previous water-use reduction targets have come under fire from some local water departments. The mandates for water savings by the State Water Resources Control Board are in response to Gov. Jerry Brown's order to slash statewide water use in cities… http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-drought-water-reduction-mandates-set-6228018.php http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150428/california-water-regulators-to-release-new-water-reduction-plan-tuesday 'The real problem is our shortsightedness' – Schwarzenegger. California must push for broad-based reforms on water and not treat the state's drought as a short-term crisis, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said yesterday. Speaking at a forum put on by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, the Republican said, "California is known as the place where things are happening." In the state's private sector -- with entertainment, high technology and green tech -- he said, "It's huge. There's nothing little. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060017565/search?keyword=california Water rights place neighbors at odds. A squabble among neighbors unfolding just outside Visalia illustrates just how ambiguous water law in California is. Specifically, what can you do when a neighbor punches a deeper well and you start losing water pressure? The answer — for now — is not much. Harold and Angie Carter live off Road 160 on the way to Ivanhoe. They have upward of 30 walnut trees that help pay the taxes on their property; otherwise… http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2015/04/27/drought-causing-neighborhood-water-squabbles/26493863/ Top-four myths of the California drought. Sacramento, California - One of the unfortunate byproducts of the current drought are the myths circulating regarding water use and the means for addressing the water crisis in the state. Some are perpetuations of myths developed during past water crises. Others build upon misinformation that has a more recent origin. Below are four myths that you may see in media accounts of the drought. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/3014-top-four-myths-of-the-california-drought.html Pacific Northwest’s ‘Wet Drought’ Possible Sign of Future. The desiccated soils and barren slopes of California have grabbed news headlines for months on end as the state is in its fourth year of a crippling drought that has forced unprecedented statewide water restrictions and billions of dollars in agricultural losses. But while most eyes have been trained on the plight of the Golden State, its neighbors to the north are also facing a dearth of water… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/northwest-wet-drought-climate-future-18910 FUELS Groups want review of Shell's Arctic regulatory filings. Two groups petitioned the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday for an investigation of Royal Dutch Shell PLC and what the groups call misstatements in regulatory filings regarding the risk of a catastrophic oil spill from Arctic offshore drilling. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING_SEC_CHALLENGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Obama Expects Climate Change To Be on Agenda When Pope Visits. When Pope Francis visits Washington later this year, the man who will host him at the White House expects a meeting of the minds on at least one topic: climate change. President Barack Obama, in a Wall Street Journal interview on Monday, called the pope “an extraordinary individual, a transformative leader, not just within the Catholic Church, but globally.” http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-expects-climate-change-to-be-on-agenda-when-pope-visits-1430182614?KEYWORDS=climate+change Bills addressing earthquakes, methane pass Calif. Assembly committee. California lawmakers approved bills yesterday dealing with hydraulic fracturing's effect on seismic activity and methane emissions. The Assembly Natural Resources Committee passed A.B. 1490 and A.B. 1501, both by Assemblymember Anthony Rendon (D), who represents part of Los Angeles. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017551 API wants in on offshore fracking lawsuit. The oil and gas industry's biggest trade group is again jumping into a lawsuit that challenges oil and gas drilling off the coast of California. The American Petroleum Institute on Saturday asked a federal court to allow it to join Department of the Interior regulators in defending against a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017521 VEHICLES Toyota Tests Unique Stock to Draw Long-Term Investors. To develop the cars of tomorrow, Toyota Motor Corp. is trying to create a new security aimed at investors willing to stick around for the ride. Toyota said Tuesday it will sell as much as 500 billion yen ($4.2 billion) of new “Model AA” shares, named after its first passenger car. The unlisted stock will be sold for at least a 20 percent premium over common equity and restricted from trading for five years. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-28/toyota-plans-4-2-billion-share-sale-to-develop-fuel-cell-cars BMW, GM sites in top 5 US generators of onsite green power. According to the latest Top 30 list for organizations generating and consuming the most green power on-site within the EPA Green Power Partnership, BMW Manufacturing in Spartanburg, SC and General Motors’ Fort Wayne Assembly Plant rank fourth and fifth, respectively, with both using biogas. BMW. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150428-bmwgm.html China To Force Toyota To Build Electric Cars It Loathes. Toyota has been more than abundantly clear in its belief that the best approach to reducing fuel consumption and offering zero-emission vehicles lies in a combination of its present-day hybrids and future hydrogen fuel-cell cars. It no longer sells the RAV4 EV electric SUV whose powertrain was developed by then-partner Tesla Motors. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098048_china-to-force-toyota-to-build-electric-cars-it-loathes Electric Car 'Do Not Unplug' Notices: Public Education At Its Best. The arrival of modern electric cars and public charging infrastructure has brought a whole range of etiquette issues to the fore. Electric cars' long charging times, and the limited availability of parking spaces with access to charging stations, can sometimes create a bit of tension. It's not unheard of for drivers to unplug other cars when they can't find a charging station of their own… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098003_electric-car-do-not-unplug-notices-public-education-at-its-best GREEN ENERGY Japan Sees Clean Energy Edging Out Nuclear Power in 2030. Japan anticipates that by 2030 clean energy such as solar and hydro will generate slightly more of the nation’s electricity than nuclear power plants. Clean energy sources will supply as much as 24 percent of Japan’s electricity in 15 years, while atomic power will account for as much as 22 percent, according to a draft report from the Ministry of Economy… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-28/japan-expects-renewable-energy-to-edge-out-nuclear-power-by-2030 Strong Future Forecast for Renewable Energy. Wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy could be the fastest growing power sources over the next few decades. In its forward-looking report for the year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts renewable energy will be the fastest-growing power source through 2040. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strong-future-forecast-for-renewable-energy/ Big energy-storing batteries make rapid inroads in Europe to support power grid. Grid-scale battery storage solutions have arrived in Europe, despite a lingering controversy. No longer a distant dream, projects in Germany are already feeding energy into the grid, while in the United Kingdom and Italy, commercial projects are close to coming online. Yet their breakthrough potential -- for the quick balancing of intermittent renewables…http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017529 Audi sets sights on 'blue crude'. German car manufacturer Audi has teamed up with alternative fuels company Sunfire to produce a synthetic diesel fuel from air, water and green electrical energy. Dubbed "blue crude," the fuel does not contain any sulfur or fossil oil but has an overall energy efficiency of 70 percent. The fuel is created by harnessing renewable energy to split water into oxygen and pure hydrogen. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017552 New funding promotes 'fuels from sunlight,' geothermal. The Energy Department today announced $75 million to advance efforts to turn sunlight into transportation fuel and another $2 million for enhanced geothermal systems. DOE will provide additional funding to the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis over five years -- subject to congressional appropriations… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017568 Researchers seek 'commodity-style grading system for biomass'. The national laboratories are discovering that not all biofuel inputs are created equal. Some non-food crops that are being explored for biofuels production have higher yields on the farm field, while others yield more fuel at the end of the biofuels production process. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017567 'Solar gardens' could meet half of U.S. PV power by decade's end – NREL. A new analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory finds that shared photovoltaic (PV) solar systems -- also called community solar projects or "solar gardens" -- could account for one-third to one-half of all solar PV power in the United States by 2020. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/28/stories/1060017530 MISCELLANEOUS Keys to the Highway of the Future: Smart Cars, Smarter Networks. David T. Hartgen says innovative road design will help improve transportation and the environment. For 3,000 years, people lived close to the land or in cities, their worlds limited to walking distance. Just 100 years ago, Henry Ford’s Model T changed all that, and America’s highways have strained to keep up ever since. http://www.wsj.com/articles/keys-to-the-highway-of-the-future-smart-cars-smarter-networks-1430104847?KEYWORDS=emissions OPINIONS The Pope, the Poor and God’s Intent. In many poor countries much of those future generations may not be around because the earlier ones died off because of a lack of energy. Regarding William McGurn’s “The Pope, the Poor and Climate Change” (Main Street, April 21): In a country like India, around 350 million people (more than the population of the U.S.) go to bed early because there is no electric light... http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-pope-the-poor-and-gods-intent-letters-to-the-editor-1430168723?KEYWORDS=climate+change Thawing Ice and Chilly Diplomacy in the Arctic. So long as the Arctic was mostly frozen solid, the biennial meetings of the eight-nation Arctic Council attracted relatively little attention with their discussions on ways to cooperate on environmental protection, search-and-rescue operations and the like. But with melting ice opening up northern shipping lanes and access to vast troves of oil, gas and minerals… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/opinion/thawing-ice-and-chilly-diplomacy-in-the-arctic.html LETTERS: Alternative to solar energy. Re: “Renewable energy on the rise” [Front page, April 17]: There are serious concerns about taxpayers subsidizing large solar power plants. President Obama is investing billions of tax dollars on solar farms without the benefit of a national energy plan or certainty that the money is well-spent. The Ivanpah solar plant produced 419,085 megawatt hours of electricity last year – less than half its expected output. http://www.pe.com/articles/solar-765881-fuel-cells.html California Focus: Both logic and illogic in Brown’s drought plans. There is both sense and nonsense in the $1 billion drought relief package announced by Gov. Jerry Brown in a parched Sierra Nevada Mountains meadow that usually is covered in deep snow on the date Brown walked through it. But the rationale behind the single largest part of the package is fundamentally contradictory. http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/opinion/20150428/california-focus-both-logic-and-illogic-in-browns-drought-plans BLOGS Why Future Oil Demand Could Be Very Low. IVAN MARTEN: The conventional wisdom among a number of leading energy companies, OPEC and the International Energy Agency is that global oil demand will continue to rise strongly over the next two decades. Indeed, one particularly bullish projection is for demand to reach 115 million barrels a day in 2035, 25% above 2014′s 92 million barrels a day. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/04/28/why-future-oil-demand-could-be-very-low/?KEYWORDS=climate+change Climate Change Activists Ramp Up Legal Strategy Versus Funds. A pair of not-for-profit agencies with some well-funded backers is ramping up a legal strategy to goad big investment funds to offload their holdings of fossil fuel-dependent companies – a move that, if successful, could profoundly disrupt world asset markets. The London-based Asset Owners Disclosure Project… http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/04/27/climate-change-activists-ramp-up-legal-strategy-versus-funds/?KEYWORDS=climate+change Air Pollution Tied to Brain Aging. Air pollution is known to increase the risk for stroke and other cerebrovascular disorders. But now researchers have found it is also linked to premature aging of the brain. The study, in the May issue of Stroke, used data on 943 men and women over 60 who were participants in a larger health study. Researchers did M.R.I. examinations and gathered data on how close the people lived to major highways. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/air-pollution-tied-to-brain-aging/?_r=0 With Pope Francis’s Encyclical on Climate Change Done, Now a Vatican Sales Push – and Pushback. The much-anticipated environmental encyclical that Pope Francis plans to issue this summer is already being translated into the world’s major languages from the Latin final draft, so there’s no more tweaking to be done, several people close to the process have told me in recent weeks. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/spin-substance-and-pope-franciss-environmental-encyclical/ What Do Tigers Have in Common With Poverty and Climate Change? In November last year I travelled with a photographer to the Sundarbans, on the north east Indian coastline, to investigate the impact of climate change in an area at particular risk from global warming. The story could have begun with rising sea levels, which are twice the global average. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/emma-wigley/climate-change-poverty_b_7150770.html How the Fukushima Disaster Crippled Japan's Climate Plans. Japan's climate strategy is broken. Can President Obama help fix it? Japan used to have a pretty good reputation on climate change. Thanks to its robust industrial economy, it has the fourth-largest carbon footprint in the G20 nations. But it gets a sizable chunk of its power from zero-carbon sources like hydro dams… http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/04/fukushima-climate-shinzo-abe-obama California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 15:24:10 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 29, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 29, 2015. 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’s Forests Have Become Climate Polluters. California introduced a world-leading carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program to drive down pollution rates after lawmakers approved an ambitious climate protection law in 2006. It also changed rules affecting utilities, spurring investments in some of the biggest solar power plants the world has yet seen. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-forests-climate-polluters-18941 AIR POLLUTION Supreme Court orders UK Govt to act on air pollution. Welcoming todays UK Supreme Court ruling, ordering the Government to produce a new air pollution plan following a case bought by Client Earth, Friends of the Earth air pollution campaigner Jenny Bates said: UK air pollution kills tens of thousands of people prematurely every year and places a huge burden on our over-stretched NHS… http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201504290828M2______EUPR_____34060000014555e2_3600-1 WHO: Europe's air pollution costs $1.6 trillion a year. Air pollution in Europe causes illnesses and hundreds of thousands of deaths, costing the continent's governments a combined $1.6 trillion each year, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. This corresponded to nearly a tenth of the European Union's gross domestic product in 2012, the WHO Regional Office for Europe said in its first such study for the region. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article19804029.html#storylink=cpy Drought is making San Joaquin Valley's bad air worse, report says. The drought is making the San Joaquin Valley’s notoriously dirty air even worse, says the American Lung Association’s new air analysis released Wednesday. Led by Fresno and Kern counties, all eight Valley counties are having more bad days for “soot,” known as PM-2.5 or particle pollution. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/29/4499740_another-drought-downer-more-soot.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Kern graded F for air quality despite ozone improvements. Kern County got its usual straight Fs for air quality in the American Lung Association in California's annual State of the Air report, which was released today. The Bakersfield area has the second worst year-round particle pollution in the United States, according to the report, second only to Fresno-Madera. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/health/x1702787184/Kern-graded-F-for-air-quality-despite-ozone-improvements Imperial County ranks low for air pollution. Imperial County had the eighth most particle-polluted air and the 23rd most ozone pollution compared to other counties in the nation, according to the State of the Air report released today by the American Lung Association. http://www.ivpressonline.com/quicknews/imperial-county-ranks-low-for-air-pollution/article_2b768a78-ee8b-11e4-98a4-832807580902.html Report: Southern California’s air some of the worst in U.S. Despite progress, Southern California’s air remains home to some of the worst air in the United States, the American Lung Association said Tuesday in its annual State of the Air report. The Los Angeles-Long Beach area ranked no. 1 as the most ozone-polluted in the United States and fifth for year-round particle pollution, the report said. http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20150429/report-southern-californias-air-some-of-the-worst-in-us Hold your breath: California’s air still unhealthy. “California continues to have some of the worst air pollution in the country,” says Bonnie Holmes-Gen, senior director for air quality and climate change, with the American Lung Association in California. And the usual suspects top the annual list once again in the Lung Association’s “State of the Air.” But there are some glimmers of good news from the smog and dust, the exhaust fumes and the smoke. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28241 More than 40% of Americans breathe polluted air – study. More than 40 percent of Americans live in areas that record high levels of air pollution, according to the American Lung Association's annual "State of the Air" report released today. Forty-four percent of the country, or 138.5 million people, live in areas with average levels of fine particle and ozone pollution above U.S. EPA standards, the report found. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/29/stories/1060017650 Developing world is key driver of global spike in heat-trapping HFCs, study finds. A significant portion of the world's emissions of heat-trapping gases emitted by air conditioners, refrigeration and other applications comes from the developing world, finds a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In addition, developed nations are making mistakes when reporting emissions of the gases… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060017548 CLIMATE CHANGE California touts aggressive plan to reduce greenhouse gases. California would aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 under a plan announced Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown that steps up the state's previously established target. The governor's executive order goes further than a federal proposal also aiming to curb global warming but lacks specifics on how to accomplish its goals. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GREENHOUSE_GASES_CALIFORNIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-29/california-s-brown-seeks-nation-leading-greenhouse-gas-reduction http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/29/usa-california-drought-brown-idUSL1N0XQ1YV20150429 http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-gov-brown-orders-major-cut-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1430324905 http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/california-sets-most-aggressive-u.s.-climate-goal/article/2563770 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/us/california-governor-orders-new-target-for-emissions-cuts.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-orders-emission-targets-for-climate-change-20150429-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article19857609.html http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Jerry-Brown-orders-big-cut-in-greenhouse-gases-by-6231025.php http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_28011364/gov-jerry-brown-issues-executive-order-aggressively-reduce http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/04/29/brown-orders-ambitious-new-cuts-in-greenhouse-gases Norway's finance minister doubts global warming is man-made. Norway's finance minister says she doubts that global warming is man-made, seemingly contradicting the country's official position in U.N. climate talks. In an on-camera interview posted on the Aftenposten newspaper's website on Tuesday, Siv Jensen answered "no" to a question about whether she was convinced that climate change was caused by humans. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_NORWAY_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate indicators suggest El Nino is forming - Australian weather bureau. Climate indicators are nearing levels associated with an El Nino weather event, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Tuesday. Pacific Ocean sea temperatures now exceed El Nino thresholds, the bureau said, while trade winds have weakened over the last few weeks - suggesting coupling between the ocean and atmosphere may be occurring. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/28/us-weather-elnino-idUSKBN0NJ09F20150428?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Vatican and U.N. team up on climate change against sceptics. The Vatican and the United Nations teamed up to warn the world of the effects of climate change on Tuesday, coming down firmly against sceptics who deny human activities help change global weather patterns. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon discussed climate change with the pope before opening a one-day conference of scientists… http://www.trust.org/item/20150428153042-kid3t/?source=gep Oil Drilling May Slow Drought Recovery in Great Plains. As the main driver of climate change, the connection between burning fossil fuels and global warming is clear. But evidence shows they may be connected in another way — the physical footprint of oil and gas development on the landscape may not only contribute to global warming, it may also affect an ecosystem’s ability to withstand it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-29/china-cuts-subsidies-for-shale-gas-developers-through-to-2020 Vatican kicks off environmental push with climate change summit. Top officials from the Vatican, the head of the United Nations and leading scientists came together at a summit Tuesday (April 28) in Vatican City to label the fight against man-made climate change as a “moral issue.” “Mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects are necessary to eradicate extreme poverty, reduce inequality and secure equitable… http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/vatican-kicks-off-environmental-push-with-climate-change-summit/2015/04/29/01612484-ee93-11e4-8050-839e9234b303_story.html More Fatal Earthquakes to Come, Geologists Warn. The untold – and terrifying – story behind the earthquake that devastated Nepal last Saturday morning begins with something that sounds quite benign. It’s the ebb and flow of rainwater in the great river deltas of India and Bangladesh, and the pressure that puts on the grinding plates that make up the surface of the planet. http://www.newsweek.com/nepal-earthquake-could-have-been-manmade-disaster-climate-change-brings-326017.html Climate change deniers take aim at Pope Francis. A conservative think tank that rejects mainstream climate science is seeking to discredit statements by Pope Francis on the need to curb global warming. As Pope Francis prepares a historic document to make environmental issues a priority for Catholics, a group of climate-change deniers is trying to convince the pontiff this week that global warming is nothing to worry about. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0429/Climate-change-deniers-take-aim-at-Pope-Francis US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Spiked in 2013: An Isolated Event or New Trend? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released its US Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report for the time period of 1990-2013. In this report the EPA tracks total annual US emissions and removals by source, economic sector, as well as greenhouse gas using national energy data… http://theenergycollective.com/roman-kilisek/2222091/us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-spiked-2013-isolated-event-or-new-trend USDA Secretary: From ‘Not A Scientist’ To Climate Change Advocate. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack seems to have come a long way on climate change. In a recent interview with the Detroit Free Press, Vilsack said that he hopes both climate change and genetically modified foods are topics of debate during the upcoming presidential election. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/29/3652537/usda-vilsack-climate-change-switch/ State Dept. makes climate change a top priority in key policy document. A new high-level State Department foreign policy blueprint gives unprecedented attention to climate change, elevating it as one of four strategic priorities for the United States. The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) calls for integrating efforts to both curb greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impact of rising global temperatures… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/29/stories/1060017634 Inhofe staff quashes rumors of senator's change of heart. Is Sen. James Inhofe changing his tune on climate change? An editorial that the Oklahoma Republican penned last week for CNN titled "Obama should embrace nuclear energy" has sparked rumors that he's going soft on his infamous disbelief in human-caused global warming. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060017538 States will benefit from regional approach to EPA carbon rule – analysis. States face wide variations in Clean Power Plan compliance costs and outcomes depending on the paths they choose and how much time U.S. EPA allows them for writing compliance strategies, according to an analysis released yesterday by the Bipartisan Policy Center. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/29/stories/1060017661 DROUGHT Gov. Jerry Brown seeks fines of up to $10,000 a day for water wasters. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to fine big water wasters up to $10,000 per day, one of two new efforts he announced Tuesday to battle California’s drought. The higher penalties would be a sharp increase from the current $500 maximum that local water districts can now impose on residents and businesses. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-new-drought-fines-20150428-story.html http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/04/28/new-brown-drought-proposals-larger-penalties,-faster-environmental-reviews/ Big fines might be next phase of California drought battle. Is California about to get tough on water wasters? That's the question after Gov. Jerry Brown this week announced plans to fine customers that waste water up to $10,000 per day in an effort to force conservation during the worsening drought. With Brown demanding urban areas cut water use by 25%, some wonder whether the state has much of a choice. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-big-fines-drought-battle-20150429-story.html Lake Mead water level falls to a landmark low, and is likely to get worse. For Western states enduring a debilitating drought, the news is bone-dry bad: Anemic Lake Mead has hit a historic low level. The surface of the sprawling reservoir outside Las Vegas late Tuesday afternoon fell to 1,079.76 feet above sea level — nearly 140 feet below capacity … http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-lake-mead-low-20150429-story.html Latest revision to proposed drought regulations would ease cuts for some. Proposed drought regulations released Tuesday would reduce the amount of water cuts some local agencies would have to make to meet Gov. Jerry Brown's order to slash statewide water use 25%. About a week ahead of a scheduled vote on controversial drought rules… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-regulations-20150428-story.html?track=rss Beware Water Wasters: Sacramento Is Looking For You As It Tries To Meet 28 Percent Cut. Sacramento city regulators are warning everyone if they’re not doing their part, they could face a fine. The State Water Resources Control Board gave the city of Sacramento a 28 percent reduction mandate, something the city it says it should have no problem reaching. http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/04/28/beware-water-wasters-sacramento-is-looking-for-you-as-it-tries-to-meet-28-percent-cut/ Calif. readies urban water restrictions. Urban residents throughout California will face water cutbacks for the next nine months under emergency regulations officials released yesterday evening to deal with the state's worsening drought. The regulations are aimed at reducing urban water use by 25 percent as the state heads into the dry summer months. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/29/stories/1060017653 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS US seeks criminal charges against Lumber Liquidators. The Justice Department is seeking criminal charges against Lumber Liquidators in an ongoing investigation over imported products. The company revealed the Justice Department push in a regulatory filing Wednesday while also posting a surprise loss for the quarter and announcing the departure of its chief financial officer. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LUMBER_LIQUIDATORS_FLOORING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT FUELS China Cuts Subsidies for Shale Gas Developers Through to 2020. China will cut special government subsidies for shale gas developers in the next five years even as the country encourages explorers to produce more clean energy such as natural gas to replace coal. The subsidies will be cut to 0.3 yuan per square meters from 2016 to 2018, and to 0.2 yuan from 2019 to 2020… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-29/china-cuts-subsidies-for-shale-gas-developers-through-to-2020 Offshore Drillers’ Problem: Few Oil Firms Need Their Rigs. BP, others try to get out of rig-leasing deals to cut costs amid low oil prices. Offshore drillers are bracing for a wave of contract cancellations as energy companies try to cut their costs to cope with low oil prices. Big oil and gas companies lease drilling rigs and crews from oil-field-services companies… http://www.wsj.com/articles/offshore-drillers-problem-few-oil-firms-need-their-rigs-1430250525 Keystone on West Coast? Oil-sands crude could come to California. Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer has a new mission — keeping oil from Canada’s tar sands out of California. Steyer’s NextGen Climate organization released a report Tuesday warning that an “invasion” of tankers and railcars carrying crude from the oil sands could soon hit West Coast refineries, which currently process very little Canadian oil. http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Keystone-on-West-Coast-Oil-sands-crude-could-6229849.php BP and Total Report Earnings Declines as Falling Oil Prices Hurt Profits. The slump in oil prices continued to erode the profit of European oil companies, as results from BP of Britain and Total of France showed on Tuesday. But at both companies, the declines were offset by strong performances at their marketing and refining businesses. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/29/business/international/bp-oil-first-quarter-1q-earnings.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 State Dept. makes climate change a top priority in key policy document. A new high-level State Department foreign policy blueprint gives unprecedented attention to climate change, elevating it as one of four strategic priorities for the United States. The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) calls for integrating efforts to both curb greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impact of rising global… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/29/stories/1060017634 Australian politicians call for 'near-zero' emissions by 2040. The Australian Greens party unveiled an ambitious carbon emissions reduction goal -- "near-zero" by 2040 -- in an effort to increase the country's contribution to stave off dangerous global warming. Greens leader Christine Milne said the party's policy would give the world at least a 75 percent chance of keeping warming below the internationally agreed upon 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/29/stories/1060017597 VEHICLES Jaguar bringing XE diesel to US in 2016. The Jaguar US lineup will expand in 2016 with the addition of the all new, aluminum-intensive Jaguar XE compact sports sedan in 20d (diesel) and 35t models each in Premium, Prestige and R-Sport trim levels and available in RWD or AWD. The Jaguar XE will be offered with a lighter version of the ZF 8-speed automatic used in the rest of the Jaguar range. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150429-jagurxe.html Tiny 40-Year-Old Electric Car Now As Fast As Tesla Roadster. The era of the modern electric car essentially began in December 2010 with the launch of the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. But there were many electric cars before that, from both established manufacturers and small upstart firms. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098070_tiny-40-year-old-electric-car-now-as-fast-as-tesla-roadster Let's Be Clear: Real 2025 Gas-Mileage Goal Is 40 MPG--Or So--Not 54.5 MPG. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards require carmakers to achieve a fleet average of 54.5 mpg by 2025, but the current average for new vehicles isn't even close to that. The latest estimates put the average fuel economy of new cars closer to 25 mpg. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098068_lets-be-clear-real-2025-gas-mileage-goal-is-40-mpg--or-so--not-54-5-mpg Washington State Loves Electric Cars, But Gets Very Few: Here's Why. When it comes to states friendly to electric cars, Washington is pretty close to the top. It has one of the highest percentages of registered plug-in electric cars in the country, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electric cars get a sales-tax exemption in Washington, and access to charging infrastructure that's fed mostly from wind and hydro power. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098052_washington-state-loves-electric-cars-but-gets-very-few-heres-why GREEN ENERGY Clean Power Plan Points Utilities Toward ‘Inevitable' Low-Carbon Future, McCarthy Says. A low-carbon future is “inevitable,” and the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Clean Power Plan is intended to send utilities the market signals necessary to guide those investments, Administrator Gina McCarthy said. “A low carbon future is absolutely inevitable. http://www.bna.com/clean-power-plan-n17179925905/ Hydropower, the Unloved Renewable, Shows Potential for Growth. An Energy Department report shows that while hydro can be finicky, it could be a bigger part of a carbon-reduced future. Since the days when Woody Guthrie sang that Uncle Sam needed the Columbia River to "do some work for me," hydropower has been a part of the country’s energy landscape. But according to a new Energy Department report, hydro still has more work to do. http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/28042015/hydropower-renewable-shows-potential-growth-energy-department-report EPA 'hopeful' about hydropower's role in Clean Power Plan. A top U.S. EPA official yesterday reassured the hydropower industry that states will be able to use the power source to cut carbon under the agency's Clean Power Plan, even though a draft rule was largely silent on the option. Speaking at the National Hydropower Association conference in Washington, D.C. … http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/29/stories/1060017619 MISCELLANEOUS Cupertino cement quarry to pay $7.5 million to settle water pollution violations. The Lehigh Hanson cement plant, a longtime producer of Silicon Valley building materials but also a significant polluter, will pay $7.5 million as part of an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to settle charges it dumped millions of gallons of toxic wastewater into a nearby creek. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_28007051/cupertino-cement-quarry-pay-7-5-million-settle OPINIONS A Climate-Change Conundrum. Last week's announcement that Canada won't match U.S. emission-reduction targets offers a fresh look at Canadians' enduring bipolarity on climate change: They're far more likely than Americans to say the problem is real, yet keep voting for a government that does nothing about it. Therein lies a cautionary tale for the rest of the world. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-29/a-climate-change-conundrum http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-climate-canada-comment29-20150429-story.html The Pope Joins the Climate Wars. Since his papacy began in March 2013, Pope Francis has amply demonstrated his readiness to take on tough social and political causes. Now, much to the dismay of some conservatives, he is confronting human-caused global warming. A high-level workshop in the Vatican this week on the moral dimensions of climate change…http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/29/opinion/the-pope-joins-the-climate-wars.html Right-Wing Climate Analyst Is Typing Out Sentences at Random. When you’re an environmental “expert” for a conservative think tank publishing an op-ed in National Review, your job is to instruct your readers that environmental regulation is terrible. Then you have to write a bunch of words. Whether those words fit together in any coherent way, other than following the rules of grammar, is beside the point and not germane to the job description. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/04/conservative-analyst-types-random-sentences.html California water use numbers should flow freely. There has been too much finger-pointing, but if we’re going to target the biggest water users, everyone should be on the firing line – not just suburbanites with lush lawns or farmers with thirsty crops, but also industrial plants and commercial businesses that guzzle water. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article19426455.html#storylink=cpy Nestlé Waters: Bottled water is not contributing to California’s drought. As Californians grapple with the Gov. Brown’s mandatory water reductions, the question is being asked, what is the responsible use of water during a drought of this magnitude? As a company with a century-long history of operations in California and more than 1,500 employees across the state… http://www.sbsun.com/opinion/20150428/nestlxe9-waters-bottled-water-is-not-contributing-to-californias-drought Karen Ross: What happens to ag water? Eventually, people eat and drink it. A recent survey by the Farm Water Coalition indicated that 41 percent of California’s irrigated farmland will lose 80 percent of its surface water in 2015 due to cutbacks because of the drought. Add that to a reduction of more than 30 percent last year and it’s obvious that farmers and ranchers have suffered the brunt of drought-related losses, so far. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/state-issues/article19805658.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS Can Pope Francis actually change Americans’ minds on climate change? It's not terribly hard to be more popular with Americans than President Obama; just get half of them to like you and you're there. It's far easier to be more popular than Congress — you only need one person out of six. It's hard to be as popular with Americans as Pope Francis, though. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/04/28/can-a-popular-pope-actually-change-americans-minds-on-climate-change/ Global Businesses & Climate Change: Don't Get Left Behind. Here's a simple fact: taking decisive action on climate change will cost us less than failing to do so. At Unilever, we operate in 190 countries with two billion people using our products daily. We take climate seriously because we know that it impacts those two billion people -- and that means it impacts us, too. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-polman/global-businesses-and-climate-change_b_7170590.html Wind Energy: It's What Texas Does Best, If State Leaders Will Let Us. The story of Texas wind energy is a success, but it’s an odd history. In 1999, when Texas deregulated the energy market, a deal was struck to include a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), a requirement that power companies source a certain amount of their electricity from renewable energy by certain dates. http://www.forbes.com/sites/edfenergyexchange/2015/04/29/wind-energy-its-what-texas-does-best-if-state-leaders-will-let-us/ The Rise of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell. I carry a collapsible umbrella in my backpack in case it rains. I also carry a re-chargeable battery so that when, not if, my cell phone issues its last blinking moment of death I can revive it and remain connected. Now, imagine for a moment a device that I could carry in my backpack that would be smaller than my umbrella which could power my cell phone for a week. No, it’s not a battery. It is a hydrogen fuel cell. http://www.forbes.com/sites/billtucker/2015/04/29/the-rise-of-the-hydrogen-fuel-cell/ Starbucks Wants You to Feel Good About Drinking Up California's Precious Water. The coffee giant says it's solving the world's water problems—yet it's profiting off the Golden State's dwindling reserves. Ethos Water was supposed to help fix the global water crisis: Founded in 2002 in Southern California, the bottled-water company promised that for every unit it sold, it would donate a small amount of money to water charity projects in the developing world. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/04/starbucks-making-bank-californias-disappearing-water Drilling in the Arctic could be more difficult, and costly, than Shell is letting on, environmentalists tell SEC. Shell isn’t telling investors about the potentially multi-billion dollar costs that could arise from a spill at its exploratory oil wells in the Arctic Ocean — an oversight environmentalists are asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to probe. In a petition filed with the agency late Monday, Oceana… http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/04/28/drilling-in-the-arctic-could-be-more-difficult-and-costly-than-shell-is-letting-on-environmentalists-tell-sec/ Reusing electric car batteries helps cut greenhouse gas emissions: Study. Even after they no longer have enough storage capacity for use in electric cars, older lithium-ion battery packs can still be useful. They often still have enough capacity to be used as stationary batteries for storing electricity, or powering homes and other buildings. http://ecomento.com/2015/04/29/reusing-electric-car-batteries-greenhouse-gas-emissions-study/ Can We Sue the US Government Over Climate Change? One issue that consistently seems to be of greater concern to the American public than to our leaders is climate change. The Obama Administration has made some significant (and in some ways unprecedented) progress, but there’s a lot of work to do before the rest of the government falls in line. So what if we could sue them until they did something about it? http://themoderatevoice.com/204596/can-we-sue-the-us-government-over-climate-change/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Apr 2015 12:18:42 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for April 30, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for April 30, 2015. 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 Carbon price uncertainty is a big worry for energy leaders heading into Paris, survey finds. Energy price volatility and the future of a carbon price are the issues that "keep energy leaders awake at night," according to a forthcoming survey of 1,000 energy leaders. In an interview yesterday previewing the World Energy Council's 2015 Trilemma report, Secretary-General Christoph Frei said the uncertainty around a meaningful carbon price has serious implications… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017722 AIR POLLUTION (THIS IS WATER POLLUTION—MOVE TO MISCELLANEOUs”) Record pollution fine for McDonald's supplier in China. A french fry supplier to the McDonald's restaurant chain in China has been issued Beijing's biggest-ever pollution fine for releasing dirty wastewater, state media reported. The official Xinhua News Agency said late Wednesday that Beijing environmental officials levied a record fine of 3.8 million yuan, or more than $650,000, against Beijing Simplot Food Processing Co. Ltd. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_MCDONALDS_SUPPLIER_FINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-30-07-03-45 The 10 most polluted cities in the U.S. California has had a rough go this year. The state’s historic drought is impacting the lives of Californians and now the drought is exacerbating California’s air pollution, according a new report by American Lung Association. But Californians are not alone. More than four in 10 Americans live in counties where the air is unhealthy to breathe due to ozone or particle pollution. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/04/30/the-10-most-polluted-cities-in-the-u-s/ Air pollution makes it ‘dangerous to breathe’ in many U.S. cities: report. Despite attempts to cut pollution, the nation's air has remained "too often dangerous to breathe" for nearly half the country, according to a report by the American Lung Association. While there's been "encouraging progress," in most cities, there is "evidence of troubling challenges" as pollution impacts nearly 138.5 million people… http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/pollution-dangerous-breathe-report-article-1.2204916 Report: California drought could worsen air pollution. Drought conditions may be exacerbating air pollution throughout California, according to a report released by the American Lung Association on Wednesday. ALA experts said many Western cities, as well as Riverside County as a whole, have been recording record numbers of days with high levels of short-term particle pollution. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/29/report-california-drought-could-worsen-air-pollution/26615205/ California air is getting cleaner, new report says. Good news for people who appreciate breathing: It’s getting easier to do in California, according to the American Lung Association’s latest “State of the Air” report, released Wednesday. The air is cleaner, but make no mistake. It’s still not good, according to the report. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-air-is-getting-cleaner-new-report-says-6232235.php Solano air quality good and bad. The air quality in Solano County continues to improve in some ways, but needs work in others according to a recent report released by the American Lung Association. The State of the Air 2015 is an annual report released by the American Lung Association on air quality. It lists both the cleanest and most polluted areas in the country. http://www.thereporter.com/general-news/20150429/solano-air-quality-good-and-bad Large industrial fire in Fresno affects air quality. Smoke from a large industrial fire in Fresno may periodically affect air quality in Fresno, Kings, Tulare and the valley portion of Kern counties until the fire is extinguished, according to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Smoke from fires produces fine-particulate matter that can cause serious health problems including lung disease… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28249 States, ag groups warn of harm to farmers from lower ozone standard. State and farm group officials yesterday told a House panel that a tightening of the national ozone standard would disproportionately affect rural America and farmers. Among the many potential impacts on rural areas raised by the witnesses: bans on prescribed burns and expensive upgrades to tractor equipment. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060017706/feed CLIMATE CHANGE Japan’s Plan for 26% Greenhouse Gas Cut Jeered as Too Timid. Japan’s promise to cut greenhouse gases by 26 percent by 2030 as part of a global deal to fight climate change has drawn quick criticism from environmental groups that say the effort is both statistically unsound and too timid. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government said the reductions would be made from a 2013 baseline. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-30/japan-government-proposes-26-cut-in-greenhouse-gases-by-2030 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/japan-carbon-idUKL4N0XR5ZV20150430?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/30/world/asia/ap-as-japan-climate-change.html http://www.trust.org/item/20150430081755-f9347/?source=fiBlogs http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/japanese-government-proposes-cutting-greenhouse-gas-emissions-up-to-a-quarter-before-2030/ To sustain climate adaptation, integrate it with local economies: experts. To make development efforts more sustainable, businesses need incentives to invest in community-level climate change adaptation programs – but resistance to creating those incentives is still strong, climate change specialists said this week in Nairobi. Some adaptation efforts steer clear of working with businesses, concerned that their aims… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/us-climatechange-adaptation-idUSKBN0NL18H20150430 McConnell suggests Obama plan to cut power emissions won't stick. The U.S. Senate majority leader on Wednesday urged countries to go slowly on committing to cut carbon emissions in any global agreement later this year, in his latest effort to cripple President Barack Obama's clean power plan. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/29/us-usa-carbon-mcconnell-idUSKBN0NK2LP20150429 Poll: Millennials are no more convinced about global warming than their parents. On Wednesday, the Harvard Institute of Politics released its latest poll on the political views of millennials. It surveyed more than 3,000 young Americans aged 18 to 29 — and the inquiry produced a striking data point when it comes to climate change. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/30/poll-millennials-are-no-more-convinced-about-global-warming-than-their-parents/ California Governor Orders New Target for Emissions Cuts. Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order Wednesday sharply speeding up this state’s already ambitious program aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, saying it was critical to address “an ever-growing threat” posed by global warming to the state’s economy and well-being. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/us/california-governor-orders-new-target-for-emissions-cuts.html?_r=0 http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/california-jerry-brown-cut-carbon-emissions-new-targets http://www.rtcc.org/2015/04/30/california-targets-40-emissions-cut-in-boost-to-us-climate-ambition/ http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017724 http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/california-raises-us-climate-bar-with-unprecedented-emissions-goal-59150 http://cleantechnica.com/2015/04/29/california-climate-goal/ https://civsourceonline.com/2015/04/30/california-governor-pushes-aggressive-emissions-cuts/ http://audio.californiareport.org/archive/R201504300850/a http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017724 US, Japan miss UN climate change fund deadline. A key U.N. climate fund hit a snag Thursday as major donors including the United States and Japan failed to meet a deadline for converting their pledges of climate aid into signed agreements. Green Climate Fund — intended to become the main international channel of climate finance for developing countries — said it had inked deals for 42 percent… http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/apr/30/us-japan-miss-un-climate-change-fund-deadline/ California’s Forests Have Become Climate Polluters. California introduced a world-leading carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program to drive down pollution rates after lawmakers approved an ambitious climate protection law in 2006. It also changed rules affecting utilities, spurring investments in some of the biggest solar power plants the world has yet seen. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-forests-climate-polluters-18941 The Massive New Online Course That Every Climate Science Denier Should Be Very Afraid Of. What’s the best way to show a climate change denier the error of their ways? A new online course answers this question for the masses. Hint: it’s not lobbing an endless stream of scientific evidence that proves human-driven climate change. While this approach may be cathartic, telling those who refuse to accept climate science for political, cultural… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/30/3652549/climate-denial-debunking-101/ City approves 20-year plan to cut energy, greenhouse gases. City councillors unanimously endorsed an energy plan Wednesday designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and save residents $2.5 billion. The energy transition strategy aims over the next 20 years to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced in Edmonton by 35 per cent from 2005 levels. http://www.edmontonjournal.com/City+approves+year+plan+energy+greenhouse+gases/11014542/story.html States, greens defend EPA against latest push to block carbon regs. Eleven states and environmental groups yesterday pushed back on assertions from challengers to U.S. EPA's proposed greenhouse gas power plant standards that recent comments by Administrator Gina McCarthy warrant blocking the rule from finalization. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017748 (MOVE UP TO ALL THE JERRY BROWN ARTICLESS)Things to know about California's plan to cut emissions. Here are some things to know about California Gov. Jerry Brown's new target for reducing carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN? Brown set a goal for the state to reduce emissions to 40 percent below what they were in 1990. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article19914099.html#storylink=cpy Climate change accelerates the spread of asthma. The first time Devine Simpson had an asthma attack, she said she couldn't stop coughing. It was so bad; it woke her up in the middle of the night. "I felt like I was going to throw up," she said. Devine was diagnosed at age 3, and for many years, her asthma seemed out of control, said her mother, Tracie Simpson. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/04/30/stories/1060017690 DROUGHT $10,000 fines a potent PR tool against water waste. Nobody knows how many water wasters there are in California. And it's far from clear that converting them to zealous conservationists would make a major dent in the drought. But the threat of fining wasters $10,000 a day —- as Gov. Jerry Brown proposed this week — could be a potent political and psychological weapon. As the governor pushes to cut urban water use across California by 25% over the next year, experts say he must create a sense of urgency about the drought and the need to save water. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-psyche-20150430-story.html Yosemite's Half Dome opens three weeks early because of California's drought. Yosemite National Park will allow hikers up its iconic Half Dome trail this weekend -- three-weeks ahead of the trail’s traditional opening -- because of California’s drought. Though the trail up to the rock can be clear of snow by early May, in years past the granite top would still be covered because it faces north… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-half-dome-yosemite-opens-this-weekend-due-to-drought-20150430-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES FUELS VEHICLES Five questions for Elon Musk about Tesla's battery business plan. Tesla Motors Chief Executive Elon Musk plans to launch the electric car market into a new product line -- batteries for home and business energy storage. That would allow users, for instance, to charge batteries at night -- when energy rates are cheap -- and use the power during peak hours in the daytime. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-battery-preview-20150429-story.html Electric Cars: Defining Battery-Electrics, Plug-In Hybrids, Range-Extended & More. With an ever-growing landscape of plug-in electric vehicles, there is now more potential than ever for confusion among potential buyers. To the casual observer, the umbrella term “electric car” can mean anything from an all-electric vehicle to even a hybrid. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098066_electric-cars-defining-battery-electrics-plug-in-hybrids-range-extended-more Volvo Cars announces improved fuel consumption/GHG numbers for XC90 T8 Twin Engine PHEV. Volvo Cars reports that its XC90 T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid is now rated with fuel consumption of 2.1 l/100 km (112 mpg US) and 49 g CO2/km, with 43 km (27 miles) all-electric range on the NEDC cycle for hybrids. In December 2014, the figures were 2.5 l/100 km and 59 g/km. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/04/20150430-volvo.html GREEN ENERGY First US Hotel With Energy Storage + EV Charging Is In Santa Monica. Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California, is a luxury establishment with an energy storage system and fast DC electric vehicle (EV) charging — reportedly, the first one in the US to have this setup. It is expected that the lithium-ion energy storage system will help it reduce electricity demand charges by 50%. Over time, that savings will most likely offer a good return on investment (ROI). http://cleantechnica.com/2015/04/30/first-us-hotel-energy-storage-ev-charging-santa-monica/ MISCELLANEOUS OPINIONS RPT-COLUMN-Big data helps shipping lines cut fuel bills and emissions- Kemp. By focusing on operational improvements, shipping companies are reducing fuel consumption, saving money and cutting greenhouse emissions, while continuing to increase the amount of freight transported. Maersk Line, the world's largest container carrier, cut fuel consumption by more than 13 percent between 2012 and 2014… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/shipping-containers-fueloil-kemp-idUSL5N0XQ5RJ20150430 Beyond the Pope’s Message on Climate Change. To the Editor: “The Pope Joins the Climate Wars” (editorial, April 29) says “Catholic conservatives have argued that the pope has no special authority to delve into matters of scientific fact.” Francis is not doing that; he is supporting a much broader concept, that science and religion can coexist. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/opinion/beyond-the-popes-message-on-climate-change.html?_r=0 Gov. Brown's tough climate goals: Nation should follow California's lead. California has already adopted some of the world's most aggressive policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Now Gov. Jerry Brown has raised the bar even higher — setting a new, more ambitious target to reduce the pollutants that are responsible for climate change. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-brown-climate-change-20150430-story.html Victor Davis Hanson: An ironic drought in California. The present four-year California drought is not novel, even if President Barack Obama and Gov. Jerry Brown have blamed it on man-made climate change. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California droughts are both age-old and common. Predictable California dry spells – like those of 1929-34, 1976-77 and 1987-92… http://www.modbee.com/opinion/state-issues/article19884174.html#storylink=cpy The present four-year California drought is not novel, even if President Barack Obama and Gov. Jerry Brown have blamed it on man-made climate change. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California droughts are both age-old and common. Predictable California dry spells – like those of 1929-34, BLOGS LETTER: Washington Post wrote about dire global-warming threat -- in 1922. The Arctic Ocean is warming, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot. Reports from fishermen and seal hunters all point to a change in climate conditions (global warming) and unheard of temperatures in the Arctic zone. Great masses of ice have been replaced by moraines of earth and stone… http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/04/letter_107.html Pope's Coming Statement On Global Warming Will Be Significant. It is fitting that Pope Francis I, who chose his name from St. Francis of Assissi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, is preparing to publish an encyclical this summer on the effects of climate change on the poor, and the need to protect Earth and its environment. This is not to be taken lightly. http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2015/04/29/403033029/popes-coming-statement-on-global-warming-will-be-significant California's Fire Season Is Shaping Up to Be a "Disaster" It's already looking bad, and it's going to get worse. On Monday, 200 firefighters evacuated an upscale residential neighborhood in Los Angeles as they responded to a wildfire that had just broken out in the nearby hills. Ninety minutes later, the fire was out, with no damage done. But if that battle was a relatively easy win, it belied a much more difficult war ahead for a state devastated by drought. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/04/californias-wildfire-season-going-be-really-bad California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 14:51:16 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 1, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION American Lung Association Study Ranks LA-Long Beach Metro Area Worst in the Nation for Ozone Pollution. The Los Angeles-Long Beach metropolitan area has the worst ozone pollution in the country, according to the American Lung Association’s (ALA) 16th annual State of the Air 2015 report, released Wednesday. The report has ranked the Los Angeles-Long Beach region last in the nation for ozone pollution in all 16 of their State of the Air reports, although the metropolitan area reported its lowest average year-round particles and fewest high ozone days in the report’s history. https://lbpost.com/news/2000005986-american-lung-association-releases-2015-state-of-the-air-report Report ranks county No. 1 in ozone pollution. San Bernardino County generally has middling air quality by nationwide rankings, but falls among the top 20 in impacts to at-risk groups, according to a report released this week. The American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2015" report, which features data from 2011-13, lumps in the High Desert with other areas of the county, so local conditions can not be distinguished. http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20150430/NEWS/150439985/12982/NEWS California Cities Lead Worst Air Pollution List. California cities rank at the top of the list of the areas with the worst air pollution, according to the American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report for 2015. Los Angeles-Long Beach ranked first on the list of highest pollution by ozone, while Fresno-Madera ranked at the top of the list by year round particle pollution and short-term particle pollution. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/04/california-cities-lead-most-polluted-list.aspx CLIMATE CHANGE Limiting global warming to 2 degrees 'inadequate', scientists say. Holding global warming to a 2-degree Celsius temperature rise – the cornerstone of an expected new global climate agreement in December – will fail to prevent many of climate change's worst impacts, a group of scientists and other experts warned Friday. With a 2-degree temperature hike, small islands in the Pacific may become uninhabitable, weather-related disasters will become more frequent, workers in many parts of the world will face sweltering conditions and large numbers of people will be displaced, particularly in coastal cities, the experts warned. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/01/us-climatechange-temperature-idUSKBN0NM40820150501 Europe calls for tougher limits on super greenhouse gases. The European Commission on Thursday called for a tougher U.N. Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer by curbing super greenhouse gases known as HFCs, that have a global warming potential thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. The European Union has already introduced its own law to curb climate-harming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), also called "F-gases", used in fridges and air conditioners. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/01/us-eu-carbon-climatechange-idUSKBN0NL27820150501 Study Finds Global Warming as Threat to 1 in 6 Species. Climate change could drive to extinction as many as one in six animal and plant species, according to a new analysis. In a study published Thursday in the journal Science, Mark Urban, an ecologist at the University of Connecticut, also found that as the planet warms in the future, species will disappear at an accelerating rate. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/science/new-estimates-for-extinctions-global-warming-could-cause.html Poll: Millennials are no more convinced about global warming than their parents. On Wednesday, the Harvard Institute of Politics released its latest poll on the political views of millennials. It surveyed more than 3,000 young Americans aged 18 to 29 — and the inquiry produced a striking data point when it comes to climate change. The poll asked a question about on the subject based on prior CNN polling questions that have used the same wording. “Which of the following statements comes closest to your view of global warming?” respondents were asked. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/30/poll-millennials-are-no-more-convinced-about-global-warming-than-their-parents/ Elkhorn Slough Foundation gets $3M grant for research, restoration. A salt marsh restoration project just got peppered with a huge infusion of money. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife awarded a $3 million grant to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation to fund its Blue Carbon project, a marsh restoration that includes a study of how well the marsh protects the environment from harmful carbon dioxide. http://www.montereyherald.com/environment-and-nature/20150430/elkhorn-slough-foundation-gets-3m-grant-for-research-restoration FUELS Obama unlikely to unveil Keystone move during Canada election: sources. U.S. President Barack Obama is unlikely to deliver his verdict on TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline between mid-June and mid-October for fear of being seen as interfering in Canada's upcoming election, said three Ottawa-based sources familiar with the matter. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/30/us-keystone-canada-timing-idUSKBN0NL28L20150430?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews GREEN ENERGY Why Tesla’s announcement is such a big deal: The coming revolution in energy storage. Late Thursday, the glitzy electric car company Tesla Motors, run by billionaire Elon Musk, ceased to be just a car company. As was widely expected, Tesla announced that it is offering a home battery product, which people can use to store energy from their solar panels or to backstop their homes against blackouts, and also larger scale versions that could perform similar roles for companies or even parts of the grid. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/30/why-teslas-announcement-could-be-such-a-big-deal/ MISCELLANEOUS Five electric buses join Metro's fleet; more may be coming. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority continued down its greener path Thursday when five electric buses were delivered to transportation officials downtown. Chinese automaker BYD manufactured the buses at its Lancaster plant. Between the plant and the company's downtown headquarters, BYD employs at least 160 people. Company Chairman Chuan Fu Wang said he hoped to hire more people if purchase orders continued. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0501-electric-buses-20150501-story.html OPINIONS The End of California? In a normal year, no one in California looks twice at a neighbor’s lawn, that mane of bluegrass thriving in a sun-blasted desert. Or casts a scornful gaze at a fresh-planted almond grove, saplings that now stand accused of future water crimes. Or wonders why your car is conspicuously clean, or whether a fish deserves to live when a cherry tree will die. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/03/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-california.html California’s wildfire season now runs year-round. In California, the first week of May has come to represent the beginning of wildfire season, with events to raise awareness of the dangers to come. This year, however, is different. The ongoing drought, the continued mismanagement of forestlands and the nonsensical funding formula for fire prevention have led to a year-round wildfire season in California. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article19961073.html Valley air is better, but it’s still not healthy. California is the nation’s air pollution paradox. We have the country’s dirtiest air, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, where the drought is hurting our air quality, and the Los Angeles basin. But we are also a national leader in efforts to improve the air. And we’ve made more progress on that front than most other parts of the country. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/04/30/4502783_editorial-valley-air-is-better.html?rh=1 BLOGS California's Drought May Be Ruining Air Quality. California's drought has parched farmland, left some rural residents reliant on bottled water and demanded households reduce water use by 25 percent. And now, a new report says the drought may be worsening air quality. The American Lung Association's annual State of the Air study, evaluating ozone and particle pollution across the U.S. from 2011 to 2013, found that the region's prolonged dry period, which began at the end of 2011, may be contributing to increased contaminants in the air. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/30/california-drought-air-quality_n_7184616.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 14:20:36 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 4, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 4, 2015. 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 Europe's top carbon emitters swap 255 million UN offsets for EU permits. Firms in Europe’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) have swapped a total of 255 million U.N.-backed carbon offsets for European Union emissions allowances (EUAs) from April 2013-2014, data published by the European Commission showed on Monday. Traders in the EU carbon market watch the swap figure because it can indicate both the current supply of EUAs and the future demand for offsets. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/04/us-europe-carbontrading-offset-idUSKBN0NP1L620150504 Study Finds Symbiotic Relationship Between Voluntary, Compliance Markets. When the US state of California developed its high-profile cap-and-trade program, it drew on (and supported) voluntary markets across North America. Many thought that when the state’s compliance market kicked in, the voluntary markets would quietly fade away. Instead, an Ecosystem Marketplace analysis of 2014 offset transactions across North America shows there is more than enough room for both – with voluntary volume even higher than compliance volume. http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10937§ion=news_articles&eod=1 AIR POLLUTION The High Price of China's Smoggy Skies. A documentary on air pollution hopes to spur action. Rachel Carson's 1962 take on the environmental damage wrought by the U.S. chemical industry in The Silent Spring is credited with spurring a nationwide ban on the use of DDT in agriculture. Al Gore's 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and his 1,000-plus live slideshow presentations brought global warming to the masses. Now, China has Under the Dome. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-02/the-high-price-of-china-s-smoggy-skies Scientists: EPA’s curbs on coal-burning will save thousands of lives. The Obama administration’s proposed curbs on coal-burning power plants could prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart attack and respiratory disease, scientists said Monday in the first peer-reviewed study to examine the measure’s health impacts. Many parts of the country could see immediate improvements in air quality as a side-effect… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/04/scientists-epas-curbs-on-coal-burning-will-save-thousands-of-lives/ http://www.nbc12.com/story/28970789/study-cutting-carbon-dioxide-saves-3500-us-lives-a-year How Growth in Dairy Is Affecting the Environment. On a map he keeps in his office, Tom Frantz, an environmental activist and retired math teacher, notes a spot near his home that he says is within a five-mile radius of 10 big dairy farms and about 60,000 cows. This town, in the very fertile but poor and badly polluted San Joaquin Valley in California, is near the heart of dairy country in a state that produces 20 percent of America’s milk. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/04/business/energy-environment/how-growth-in-dairy-is-affecting-the-environment.html?ref=us Study links childhood toxin exposure, poverty to lower IQs. Airborne toxins and poverty combine to lower children's intelligence, according to a recent study of New York City children. Columbia University researchers found that children from low-income households who are exposed to airborne chemicals before birth demonstrated lower IQs than children from more economically secure households who were exposed to less pollution. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/04/stories/1060017910 CLIMATE CHANGE Ex-US Rep. Inglis gets JFK courage award for climate stance. Former U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on Sunday for reversing his position on climate change despite the predictable political fallout that helped cost the South Carolina Republican his seat in Congress. Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, presented the award to Inglis… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PROFILE_IN_COURAGE_AWARD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Correction: Greenhouse Gases-California-Things to Know story. In a story April 29 about Gov. Jerry Brown's new target for reducing carbon emissions, The Associated Press reported erroneously that California has cut its emissions to about 25 percent below 1990 levels. The state is on track to cut its emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 but does not plan to reduce emissions beyond that before 2020. A corrected version of the story is below: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GREENHOUSE_GASES_CALIFORNIA_THINGS_TO_KNOW?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Pakistan pushes to put stalled climate policy into action. Pakistan's provinces will create committees to oversee reductions in carbon emissions and support climate change adaptation, in a push to implement a long-stalled national climate policy. Under an agreement reached at the first meeting of the National Climate Change Policy Implementation Committee in late April, climate change sections will be established… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/04/us-pakistan-climate-idUSKBN0NP0HL20150504 China says climate change threatens major projects. Climate change threatens some of China's most important infrastructure projects, China's top meteorologist warned in a state newspaper, adding the country's rate of warming was higher than the global average. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/04/us-climatechange-china-idUSKBN0NP05Z20150504 Fjords are unexpected natural allies against climate change: study. Fjords from Alaska to Norway soak up potentially damaging carbon from the atmosphere, making the steep-sided inlets an overlooked natural ally in offsetting man-made climate change, a study showed on Monday. Fjords cover only 0.1 percent of the world's ocean surface but account for 11 percent of the organic carbon in plants… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/04/us-climatechange-fjords-idUSKBN0NP1DI20150504 Limiting global warming to 2 degrees 'inadequate', scientists say. Holding global warming to a 2-degree Celsius temperature rise – the cornerstone of an expected new global climate agreement in December – will fail to prevent many of climate change's worst impacts, a group of scientists and other experts warned Friday. With a 2-degree temperature hike, small islands in the Pacific may become uninhabitable, weather-related disasters… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/01/us-climatechange-temperature-idUSKBN0NM40820150501 Report: Global emissions goals still aren’t enough to prevent a dangerous level of climate warming. When it comes to combating climate change, many scientists and policy makers focus on one major goal: cut carbon emissions enough to keep the planet’s average surface temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above its pre-industrial level. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/04/report-global-emissions-goals-still-arent-enough-to-prevent-a-dangerous-level-of-climate-warming/ One in six species could be wiped out by climate change, study says. About one in six species now alive on the planet could become extinct as a result of climate change, according to a study published in Friday’s edition of the journal Science. If present trends continue, the Earth’s temperature will wind up 4.3 degrees Celsius higher than it was before the onset of the industrial era. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-climate-change-species-extinction-20150501-story.html Clean Power Plan protects public health as much as high carbon tax – paper. U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan will protect public health as much as a very stringent carbon tax would, but at less cost to consumers, a paper published today found. The paper, by researchers at Harvard University and the Washington, D.C., think tank Resources for the Future (RFF), says that a flexible nationwide model roughly approximating EPA's proposal for carbon dioxide from existing power plants… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/04/stories/1060017930 DROUGHT Drought’s Extremes Can Be Measured at Record-Low Lake Mead. Gail Kaiser has spent much of her life here on Lake Mead, with its crystal blue water pouring into canyons and splintering off like blood vessels into coves and bays, forming the vast reservoir that stretches into two states. She was just a child when, in 1957, her father took over the marina that has stayed in her family’s hands ever since. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/us/droughts-extremes-can-be-measured-at-record-low-lake-mead.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 Central Valley's growing concern: Crops raised with oil field water. Here in California's thirsty farm belt, where pumpjacks nod amid neat rows of crops, it's a proposition that seems to make sense: using treated oil field wastewater to irrigate crops. Oil giant Chevron recycles 21 million gallons of that water each day and sells it to farmers who use it on about 45,000 acres of crops, about 10% of Kern County's farmland. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-oil-water-20150503-story.html#page=1 Dozens of agencies seek to alter reports on how much water residents used. When California’s State Water Resources Control Board announced last month that it was basing its orders for mandatory water cutbacks on each community’s per capita water use, it elevated a somewhat obscure figure into the spotlight: residential gallons of water used per person per day. http://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/the-public-eye/article20156682.html#storylink=cpyhttp://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/the-public-eye/article20156682.html#storylink=cpy California Drought Kills 12 Million Forest Trees Since Last Year. An estimated 12 million trees across California’s forestlands have died over the past year because of extreme drought conditions, according to an aerial survey conducted April 8-17 by the U.S. Forest Service. In San Diego County, 82,528 trees, mostly Jeffrey pines across Mt. Laguna, have succumbed to a lack of rainfall, with many more struggling to survive… http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/may/04/california-drought-kills-12-million-forest-trees-l/ California drought: Landscape of abundance becomes landscape of scarcity. Photographer Matt Black grew up in California's Central Valley. He has dedicated his life to documenting the area's small towns and farmers. Last year, he says he realized what had been a mild drought was now severe. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/04/51429/california-drought-landscape-of-abundance-becomes/ Drought forces Lake Mead marina to move. One measure of how hard the Western drought has been on boaters and marina owners in the West can be found at Lake Mead in Nevada, where crews recently began the process of moving a marina farther out into the lake. The lake, which is part of the Colorado River system, feeds into the Hoover Dam. http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/05/lake-mead-marina-forced-move-drought/ FUELS The Shale Boom Has Already Gone Bust - At Least for Now. The meteoric rise in U.S. oil production has ended, easing a global glut and driving a rebound in crude prices from below $50 a barrel, according to crude trader and hedge fund manager Andrew J. Hall. “We have now reached a turning point,” Hall said in a letter Friday to investors in Astenbeck Capital Management LLC, his commodities hedge fund. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-03/the-shale-boom-has-already-gone-bust-at-least-for-now New Oil Train Rules Are Hit From All Sides. Ending months of uncertainty and delays, federal regulators on Friday unveiled new rules for transporting crude oil by trains, saying the measures would improve rail safety and reduce the risks of a catastrophic event. But the rules quickly came under criticism from many sides. Lawmakers and safety advocates said the regulations did not go far enough in protecting the public… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/02/business/energy-environment/us-sets-new-rules-for-oil-shipments-by-rail.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 With its pilot project, one Irvine company is turning emissions into electricity. One thousand cubic feet of methane is flared every minute at Santiago Canyon Landfill, methane generated by 23.7 million cubic yards of trash now capped by 5 feet of dirt and blanketed by coastal sage scrub. The burning prevents a powerful, heat-trapping greenhouse gas – about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide – from getting into the atmosphere and speeding global warming. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/landfill-660309-electricity-core.html RFS delay has 'chilled necessary investment' in industry – report. The Obama administration's delays in setting annual renewable fuel targets are responsible for up to a $13.7 billion shortfall in investment for the advanced biofuels industry, according to a new industry report. The Biotechnology Industry Organization report also found that the delays at U.S. EPA have limited the industry's ability to create more than 80,000 direct jobs. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/04/stories/1060017924 VEHICLES SGL Carbon Jumps as Investors See Benefit From Tesla Batteries. SGL Carbon SE shares climbed the most in almost three months as investors anticipate the maker of carbon components could benefit from Tesla Motors Inc.’s push into batteries that store electricity for buildings. SGL supplies graphite anodes to Japanese electronics companies Hitachi Ltd. and Panasonic Corp., which in turn sell components to electric carmaker Tesla, according to Marc Gabriel, a Bielefeld, Germany-based analyst at Bankhaus Lampe. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-04/sgl-carbon-jumps-as-investors-see-benefit-from-tesla-batteries U.S. Auto Buyers Spend to Trade Up. Buyers’ demand for more luxury in new vehicles shows up in rising prices paid. Americans snapped up pricey automobiles in April amid low gasoline prices and favorable lending terms, with buyers paying on average hundreds of dollars more than in the same period a year ago. In a season when the pace of auto sales typically weakens… http://www.wsj.com/articles/chrysler-sales-rise-5-8-in-april-1430484083?KEYWORDS=emissions Chevy Volt Emits Significantly Less Smog-Forming Pollution Than Other PHEVs. The Chevy Volt is in a class of its own compared to other plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The Volt emits significantly less smog-forming pollution than other PHEVs, according to a GM study presented to the Society of Automotive Engineers. Furthermore, GM-Volt reports that the engineering analysis for the new 2016 Volt that will be on the market soon… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/02/chevy-volt-emits-significantly-less-smog-forming-pollution-phevs/ GREEN ENERGY Supreme Court to Review FERC Energy Saving Rule. Court will consider the case during its next term, which begins in October. The Supreme Court said Monday it would consider whether a federal regulator overstepped its authority with a rule to promote energy conservation using incentives for big energy consumers to cut power use. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees wholesale electricity markets, had appealed a lower court decision striking down the 2011 regulation… http://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-to-review-ferc-energy-saving-rule-1430748924?KEYWORDS=emissions New utility-driven community solar program takes shape in Calif. A new chapter in utilities' relationship with rooftop solar is evolving in California. The state's three major investor-owned utilities are developing proposals to buy rooftop solar power and sell it to customers who want to be greener than the norm. There are community renewables programs under development or already being implemented in several other states, including Colorado… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060017807/search?keyword=california MISCELLANEOUS The Uphill Battle to Better Regulate Formaldehyde. A decade after emergency trailers meant to shelter Hurricane Katrina victims instead caused burning eyes, sore throats and other more serious ailments, the Environmental Protection Agency is on the verge of regulating the culprit: formaldehyde, a chemical that can be found in commonplace things like clothes and furniture. But an unusual assortment of players, including furniture makers, the Chinese government… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/04/business/energy-environment/the-uphill-battle-to-better-regulate-formaldehyde.html Coal ash contamination upsets residents near North Carolina plants. As a boy, Ron Thomas often watched murky water pour from a pipe into the Yadkin River behind his family's farmhouse, dumped from coal ash storage ponds at Duke Energy's Buck electricity plant. Now 80, Thomas worries that he and his wife, Joann, 72, have for decades been drinking well water contaminated by the ponds. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-coal-ash-pollution-20150504-story.html#page=1 Compressed Air Car Wins $5 Million Deal on Shark Tank. AIRPod, a $10,000 car that runs on compressed air, has won a development deal on the American TV program “Shark Tank.” Robert Herjavec, one of the investors, or sharks, Friday night agreed to invest US$5 million in Zero Pollution Motors, the U.S. licensee for Luxembourg-based MDI, developer of the Air Car as a compression-based alternative to the internal combustion engine. http://ens-newswire.com/2015/05/04/compressed-air-car-wins-5-million-deal-on-shark-tank/ OPINIONS Carbon Taxes In Revenue Fantasyland. There’s nothing neutral about plans for offsetting the added expenses. Let’s take a look at Yale’s new green brainstorm. The words “carbon tax” are appearing ever more frequently on the lips of economists and policy makers. Earlier this month, former Rep. Bob Inglis (R., S.C.) received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for advocating it. http://www.wsj.com/articles/carbon-taxes-in-revenue-fantasyland-1430436869?KEYWORDS=emissions Gov. Brown strikes a blow for climate science. To the editor: The reverberating power of one single state finally doing the right thing to address the most critical and urgent threat to humanity cannot be underestimated. Gov. Jerry Brown has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging other politicians of conscience to follow. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0503-sunday-climate-change-20150503-story.html The GOP attack on climate change science takes a big step forward. Living down to our worst expectations, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology voted Thursday to cut deeply into NASA's budget for Earth science, in a clear swipe at the study of climate change. The committee's markup of the NASA authorization bill for fiscal 2016 and 2017 passed on a party-line vote, Republicans in the majority. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-gop-attack-on-climate-change-science-20150501-column.html BLOGS With Pope Francis’s Encyclical on Climate Change Done, Now a Vatican Sales Push – and Pushback. The much-anticipated environmental encyclical that Pope Francis plans to issue this summer is already being translated into the world’s major languages from the Latin final draft, so there’s no more tweaking to be done, several people close to the process have told me in recent weeks. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/spin-substance-and-pope-franciss-environmental-encyclical/?emc=edit_tnt_20150504&nlid=46426900&tntemail0=y&_r=0 Q. and A.: Ma Jun on Using Mobile Phones to Fight Pollution. Ma Jun, a former journalist who has become one of China’s most prominent environmentalists, was recently honored with a Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship for the work of his nongovernmental organization, the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, in increasing awareness about sources of pollution in China. http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/q-and-a-ma-jun-on-using-mobile-phones-to-fight-pollution/?emc=edit_tnt_20150504&nlid=46426900&tntemail0=y Catastrophic California drought causing infestation wave of rodents looking for water. As California's climate fades to desert, rats are coming out of their hiding places in search of water. They are coming out to parks to steal water from dog bowls and attacking horse troughs in desperate need of something to drink. They are finding new ways into homes and becoming a menace like never before. http://www.naturalnews.com/049588_California_drought_rat_infestation_thirsty_rodents.html#ixzz3ZBpHr4Vw Refrigeration Battery is a cool idea for saving energy at the supermarket. Elon Musk gets all the pixels for his new Powerwall battery system, but here's another cool battery that is making a splash. It's the Refrigeration Battery from Axiom. Apparently those giant coolers and fridges full of all that unhealthy frozen prepared food eat up 56 percent of a grocery store's electricity. http://www.treehugger.com/energy-efficiency/refrigeration-battery-cool-idea-saving-energy-supermarket.html Warm Oceans Caused The Mega-Drought And Hottest Years In The 1934-36 Dust Bowl. Two ocean hot spots have been linked to the hottest summers on record for the central United States, in 1934 and 1936. Those two summers and the "Dust Bowl" that saw farming devastated were accompanied by the worst drought in America of the last 1,000 years. http://www.science20.com/news_articles/warm_oceans_caused_the_megadrought_and_hottest_years_in_the_193436_dust_bowl-155308#ixzz3ZBnBZG5z A Novel Dutch Lawsuit Demands Government Cut Carbon Emissions. A lawsuit in the Netherlands is taking an unusual approach to climate change. So unusual, in fact, that experts around the world are watching it closely, wondering whether it might spark a major shift in environmentalists' efforts to limit carbon emissions. http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/05/04/401971833/a-novel-dutch-lawsuit-demands-govt-cut-carbon-emissions California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 12:34:39 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 5, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Got allergies? Blame childhood pollution exposure. We've been told by scientists for years that air pollution damages the developing lungs and bodies of children. In the last week, there have been two more studies that reinforce the science around children and pollution. Just yesterday, research out of Canada found that exposure to air pollution in the first year of life increases a person's risk for allergies. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/watchdog-earth/2015/05/05/studies-tie-air-pollution-to-problems-with-babies/26919645/ Eight facts about the shale industry's air pollution. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection recently released data on air emissions from the shale gas industry in 2013. PublicSource looked into the data and built a series of interactive charts so you can more easily explore the information. http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20150505/NEWS04/150509976 CLIMATE CHANGE China, EU working on common approach on climate change. The European Union's foreign policy chief said Tuesday she's confident the EU and China can agree to a common approach on climate change ahead of crucial carbon reduction talks in Paris this year. Federica Mogherini praised China's targets for gradually reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and said the sides should be able to agree on other goals at an upcoming bilateral summit. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_EUROPEAN_UNION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT E.P.A. Carbon Emissions Plan Could Save Thousands of Lives, Study Finds. New carbon emissions standards that were proposed last year for coal-fired power plants in the United States would substantially improve human health and prevent more than 3,000 premature deaths per year, according to a new study. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/health/epa-emissions-plan-will-save-thousands-of-lives-study-finds.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Report: Global emissions goals still aren’t enough to prevent dangerous warming. When it comes to combating climate change, many scientists and policy makers focus on one major goal: cut carbon emissions enough to keep the planet’s average surface temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above its pre-industrial level. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/04/report-global-emissions-goals-still-arent-enough-to-prevent-a-dangerous-level-of-climate-warming/ California Has the Country's Most Ambitious Climate Goals. Will They Go Up in Smoke? Last week California Gov. Jerry Brown made headlines when he announced that his state would pursue the most aggressive greenhouse gas emissions cuts in the nation. The new goal—to reduce emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030—is an interim step meant to help achieve a final goal set by Brown's predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, of an 80 percent reduction by 2050. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/05/save-climate-california-needs-save-its-forests DROUGHT California drought: Plans to make State Water Project flow backward shelved for this year. An emergency $6.7 million plan to make the State Water Project's California Aqueduct flow backward for roughly 100 miles to bring water... http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28047237/california-drought-plans-make-state-water-project-flow?source=rss California drought: Landscape of abundance becomes landscape of scarcity. Last year, he says he realized what had been a mild drought was now severe. It had simply stopped raining. "It was kind of a daily surreal thing to walk outside," Black says. Last month, Governor Jerry Brown announced the first mandatory water restrictions in the state's history, as California endures its fourth year of drought. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/04/51429/california-drought-landscape-of-abundance-becomes/ Santa Barbara Leads California In Cutting Water Use. Cathie Pare adores water-wise gardens. She works for Santa Barbara's water conservation program, and today, she's inspecting a yard that was recently converted from grass to drought-friendly plants. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=404239904 FUELS Alberta's possible pivot to the left alarms Canadian oil sector. Canada's oil-rich province of Alberta is on the cusp of electing a left-wing government that can make life harder for the energy industry with its plans to raise taxes, end support for key pipeline projects and seek a bigger cut of oil revenues. Polls suggest Tuesday's election is set to end the Conservative's 44-year reign in the province that boasts the world's third-largest proven oil reserves and now faces recession because of the slide in crude prices. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/04/canada-politics-alberta-idUSL1N0XS1LC20150504 Ventless Fireplaces Burn Alternative Fuels: Bio-Ethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol. At 52 Lispenard Street, a new development in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, buyers paying anywhere from $6.65 million to $11 million for a condo can expect a gourmet kitchen, heated floors in the master bath and a walk-in dressing room. What they won’t get: an old-fashioned fireplace. http://www.wsj.com/articles/ventless-fireplaces-burn-alternative-fuels-bio-ethanol-isopropyl-alcohol-1430841055?KEYWORDS=air+pollution VEHICLES Electric Vehicle Market in the US Industry Analysis and Forecast. Electric Vehicle Market in the US Industry Analysis and Forecast 2015-2019 Now Available from Technavio. Growing environmental concerns will influence the growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market in the US, which is expected to post a CAGR of over 24% from 2015-2019, says research firm Technavio. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/05/technavio-research-idUSnBw055067a+100+BSW20150505 GREEN ENERGY Supreme Court to Review FERC Energy-Saving Rule. High court will consider the case during its next term, which begins in October. The Supreme Court said on Monday it would consider whether a federal regulator overstepped its authority with a rule to promote energy conservation using incentives for big energy consumers to cut power use. http://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-to-review-ferc-energy-saving-rule-1430748924 The world needs to triple its investments in clean energy innovation. The world needs to triple its investments in clean energy research, suggests a new study by the Paris-based International Energy Agency, if we’re to have a chance of keeping the world below 2 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels — a level beyond which truly dangerous climate change might set in. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/04/the-world-needs-to-triple-its-investments-in-clean-energy-innovation-report-says/ MISCELLANEOUS Cal State L.A. awarded $5-million NASA research grant. ...grant to establish a new research center focused on the study of hydrology, climate change and other science and technology fields, officials... http://www.latimes.com/la-me-ln-cal-state-grant-20150504-story.html?track=rss OPINIONS Are California's Carbon Emissions Goals Attainable? California Governor Jerry Brown announced last week a new plan for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. The executive order calls on the Golden State to decrease carbon emission rates by 40 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2030. “I’ve set a very high bar, but it’s a bar we must meet,” the governor told onlookers when he announced the executive order last week. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Reality-Check-Are-Californias-Carbon-Emissions-Goals-Attainable-302508541.html So long, California: The next drought remedy? Gov. Jerry Brown is calling for fines of up to $10,000 for the state’s biggest water wasters. "We've done a lot. We have a long way to go," Brown said. "So maybe you want to think of this as just another installment on a long enterprise to live with a changing climate and with a drought of uncertain duration." That's definitely the way it looks now. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-rall-drought-10000-fine-water-wasters-20150505-story.html Fracking: Jerry Brown's environmental blind spot. Gov. Jerry Brown may prove to be the greenest government official in American history — emphasis on "may." His announcement last week that California would up its target for reducing carbon emissions — to 40% by 2030 — puts him at the head of the pack among governors (admittedly, not a very high bar). His dramatic drive for climate progress has helped catalyze the state's economy, which in turn will make the reductions easier. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0505-mckibben-california-fracking-20150502-story.html BLOGS Earth Log: Why does drought make Valley’s dirty air worse? Nobody has dirty-air problems quite like the San Joaquin Valley does in a drought. If you doubt that, read the American Lung Association’s latest report card on air quality. For 16 years, the Valley’s cities have occupied the worst-five list in the nation. The three prime suspects are Fresno-Madera, Bakersfield and Visalia-Porterville-Hanford. Los Angeles-Long Beach is also among the worst five. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/04/4509458_earth-log-why-does-drought-make.html?rh=1 The UN Climate Summit and a Key Issue for the 2015 Paris Agreement. World leaders converged at the United Nations in New York City this past week for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's much-anticipated Climate Summit, a lead-up to global negotiations that will take place in Lima, Peru, in December of this year and culminate a year later in Paris. The challenge before negotiators is great, because there are significant obstacles to reaching a meaningful agreement, as I describe in an op-ed that appeared in The New York Times on Sunday, Sept. 21, "Climate Realities." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-stavins/the-un-climate-summit-and_b_7206752.html Seattle mayor: Port needs new permit for Arctic oil fleet. Mayor Ed Murray threw a wrench into plans for a 400-foot oil-drilling rig to arrive in Seattle when he announced Monday that the Port of Seattle can’t host Shell’s offshore Arctic fleet until it gets a new land-use permit. Royal Dutch Shell PLC has been planning to base its fleet — including a drill rig and two tug boats — at the port’s Terminal 5 for six months each year, when they’re not being used in the Arctic. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/05/04/seattle-mayor-port-needs-new-permit-for-arctic-oil-fleet/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 14:01:40 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 6, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 6, 2015. 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 EU Agrees to Overhaul Carbon-Trading System. Bloc to create market-stability reserve in effort to stabilize price of emitting carbon dioxide. The European Union agreed Tuesday to create a stabilization mechanism for its emissions-trading system in an effort to push up the cost of releasing carbon dioxide into the air and encourage investment in low-carbon technologies. http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-agrees-to-overhaul-carbon-trading-system-1430847318?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION European companies close to exhausting cheap U.N. carbon credits. European companies have used almost all of their quotas of cheap U.N. carbon credits to reduce emissions costs under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), which is likely to push up their compliance costs in later years, analysts said on Tuesday. The ETS is the bloc's flagship policy to cut greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/05/europe-carbontrading-offsets-idUSL5N0XW4CK20150505 AIR POLLUTION Capitol Readies Senate Legislation to Block Proposed Clean Power Plan Implementation. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) plans to introduce a bill the week of May 11 to block implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Clean Power Plan. “Next week I will be introducing greenhouse gas legislation with my colleagues that will preserve the proper balance of state and federal authority, help ensure reliable and affordable electricity and protect jobs… http://www.bna.com/capito-readies-senate-n17179926174/ CLIMATE CHANGE Energy-producing states blast Obama climate change plan. The Obama administration's far-reaching plan to address climate change would cause job losses and lead to higher electricity prices and even power outages, attorneys general from two energy-producing states said Tuesday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_EPA_COAL_RULES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT IEA Says Developing Countries Will Bear Brunt of Energy-Related Greenhouse Gas Cuts. Three-quarters of the energy-related greenhouse gas emissions cuts needed by mid-century to avoid a worst-case-scenario spike in global temperatures must come from the world's emerging economies, the International Energy Agency reports. But advanced countries must help developing nations create and deploy energy technologies as part of a “concerted global push” to cut… http://www.bna.com/iea-says-developing-n17179926173/ Transportation, Buildings Hold Key to Calif. Climate Goals. California has adopted a new climate target that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, partly by expanding the use of wind, solar and other renewables. But the expansion of clean energy in California isn’t meaningful without an emphasis on the energy efficiency of homes and other buildings, electrifying vehicles across much of the transportation system… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/cars-buildings-key-to-california-climate-goals-18961 A Global Milestone: CO2 Passes 400 PPM. Another month, another carbon dioxide record. This time the record extends beyond the rocky slopes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, home to the most storied carbon dioxide record, and includes 39 other sites around the globe to paint a troubling picture of a greenhouse gas rise with no signs of slowing down. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/co2-400-ppm-global-record-18965 http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/politics-government/article20348169.html#storylink=cpy Pollen's surprising effect on clouds could influence climate models – study. Spring and summer surges of pollen may have consequences for clouds, and thereby climate, researchers have found. The grains of genetic material that plants use to reproduce can seed clouds as they fracture, adding another confounding variable to global climate models. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/06/stories/1060018056 DROUGHT Nowhere Is Safe From California Drought—Not Even Beverly Hills. City is one of many ordered to cut its water consumption by 36%. This enclave of movie-star glamour, famous for its tree-lined boulevards and manicured yards, is starting to turn heads for another reason: dying grass and ripped-out lawns. Beverly Hills has been identified by state officials as one of California’s biggest urban water guzzlers and… http://www.wsj.com/articles/nowhere-is-safe-from-california-droughtnot-even-beverly-hills-1430839422 Animals in the wild are dying for a drink in the drought-stricken West. For the giant kangaroo rat, death by nature is normally swift and dramatic: a hopeless dash for safety followed by a blood-curdling squeak as their bellies are torn open by eagles, foxes, bobcats and owls. They’re not supposed to die the way they are today — emaciated and starved… http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/animals-in-the-wild-are-dying-for-a-drink-in-the-drought-stricken-west/2015/05/06/260312aa-eac6-11e4-9767-6276fc9b0ada_story.html Drought kills 12 million trees in California's national forests. Rangers in the San Bernardino National Forest call them “red trees.” Instead of the typical deep green color, large swaths of pine trees now don hues of death, their dehydrated needles turning brown and burnt-red because of the state’s worsening drought.“ Unlike back East, where you have fall colors, here it’s because the trees are dying… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-trees-dying-california-drought-20150505-story.html Emergency 25% cut in California cities' water use approved. State data released Tuesday painted a stark portrait of the uphill struggle Californians face in achieving a mandated 25% reduction in urban water use, with one official joking grimly that dealing with severe drought was similar to grappling with the five stages of grief. Cumulative water savings since last summer totaled only 8.6%, according to the State Water Resources Control Board… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-regulations-20150504-story.html#page=1 http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article20277303.html http://www.pe.com/articles/water-766541-conservation-percent.html http://www.kfdm.com/shared/news/top-stories/stories/kfdm_vid_15844.shtml http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/california-adopts-unprecedented-water-restrictions-to-cope-with-drought-1.10393306 http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/05/california-water-regulators-set-to-adopt-new-conservation-rules/ Drought: For these entrepreneurs, the drier it gets the more their businesses thrive. As state and local leaders work to meet Gov. Jerry Brown's mandated 25 percent cut in urban water use, they've told California residents to, first and foremost, cut back on watering the yard. Most local water districts, including L.A.'s Department of Water and Power, have, so far, limited their restrictions to outdoor water use. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/06/51461/drought-for-these-entrepreneurs-the-drier-it-gets/ Despite drought, Twain Harte Lake is being partially filled. Some residents angered, asked to reduce water usage. Last year, a crack in a dam forced the Twain Harte Lake Association to drain the lake to repair the damage. The fix took place, but the drought has made it difficult to get any water from the normal sources that fill the lake, including run-off from other lakes or drain water from storms. http://www.kcra.com/news/despite-drought-twain-harte-lake-is-being-partially-filled/32833516 FUELS Carbon-Capture Technology to Make Fossil Fuels Cleaner Faces Uncertain Future. As projects begin operating, high costs and fading government support may limit how far the process spreads. After years of wrestling with technical challenges, a process that makes fossil-fuel power a lot cleaner is finally getting a rollout on a large scale. But does it have a future? The technology—carbon capture and storage… http://www.wsj.com/articles/carbon-capture-technology-to-make-fossil-fuels-cleaner-faces-uncertain-future-1430881491?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE Ventless Fireplaces Burn Alternative Fuels: Bio-Ethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol. Bans on wood-burning fireplaces spark growing interest in smoke-free alternatives. At 52 Lispenard Street, a new development in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, buyers paying anywhere from $6.65 million to $11 million for a condo can expect a gourmet kitchen, heated floors in the master bath and a walk-in dressing room. http://www.wsj.com/articles/ventless-fireplaces-burn-alternative-fuels-bio-ethanol-isopropyl-alcohol-1430841055?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION Safety Rules Give Eight Years for Ethanol Tank Car Upgrades. U.S. regulation extends timetable from three years in earlier proposal after questions raised on capacity for retrofits. The decade-long schedule devised by government regulators to improve the crashworthiness of railroad tank cars allows the ethanol industry eight years to upgrade its car fleet. http://www.wsj.com/articles/safety-rules-give-eight-years-for-ethanol-tank-car-upgrades-1430928629?KEYWORDS=ETHANOL Left-Leaning Party Sweeps to Power in Canada’s Oil-Rich Alberta. Alberta New Democratic Party wants to raise corporate taxes, increase oil and gas royalties. The longtime ruling party of Canada’s energy-rich Alberta province lost its four-decade hold on power on Tuesday, ushering in a left-leaning government that has pledged to raise corporate taxes and increase oil and gas royalties. http://www.wsj.com/articles/left-leaning-party-sweeps-to-power-in-canadas-oil-rich-alberta-1430883613 Energy rich US states move to quash local limits on drilling. Lawmakers in Texas and energy producing states across the nation are rushing to stop local communities from imposing limits on oil and gas drilling despite growing public concern about the health and environmental toll of such activities in urban areas. The slump in oil prices that has led to job losses in the oil patch… http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/energy-rich-us-states-move-to-quash-local-limits-on-drilling/ar-BBjesXe Flawed methane monitor underestimates leaks at oil and gas sites. A popular scientific instrument used to measure methane leaks from oil and gas operations severely underestimates emissions under certain conditions, a preliminary study found. The results could have major implications for federal policies as the Obama administration moves to regulate methane from the natural gas industry. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article20327256.html#storylink=cpy VEHICLES Toyota’s fuel-cell Mirai to hit 3 Bay Area dealerships this fall. California has become the epicenter of electric-car culture in the United States. Now, Toyota is betting that the state’s eco-conscious drivers will embrace cars running on hydrogen. The Japanese automaker will announce Wednesday that eight of its California dealerships — including three in the Bay Area — will be the nation’s first to offer the Mirai fuel-cell vehicle. Deliveries are expected to begin in October. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Toyota-s-fuel-cell-Mirai-to-hit-3-Bay-Area-6246046.php http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150506-mirai.html Fuel cells or 'fools' cells'? The question becomes a serious issue for automakers. In their efforts to expand a market of clean cars that use inexpensive fuels, auto industry leaders have been blunt about rival technologies. The volleys between the electric and fuel-cell wings of the industry, both muscling for territory in a competitive space, have been particularly bitter. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/06/stories/1060018060 GREEN ENERGY Environmentalists sue over theme park's solar farm plans. Environmental groups have filed suit over a New Jersey theme park's plans to cut nearly 19,000 trees to build a 90-acre solar farm. The groups claim Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson is violating the state's municipal land use law. They say the plan would be harmful to the Barnegat Bay watershed. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_THEME_PARK_SOLAR_LAWSUIT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Tesla's New Battery Doesn't Work That Well With Solar. Even Elon Musk's SolarCity, the biggest supplier in the U.S., isn't ready to install Tesla's home battery for daily users. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk introduced a new family of batteries designed to stretch the solar-power revolution into its next phase. There's just one problem: Tesla's new battery doesn't work well with rooftop solar—at least not yet. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-06/tesla-s-new-battery-doesn-t-work-that-well-with-solar The Path From Coal to Renewable Energy Can Be Difficult. On a Navajo reservation, the effort to replace lost coal jobs proves daunting. For the past decade, the Navajo reservation here has struggled to navigate the change from coal to green power. It’s still struggling. The effort began when environmental activists filed a federal lawsuit that helped result in the closure of a nearby coal plant, which ended up costing many Navajos their jobs. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-path-from-coal-to-renewable-energy-can-be-difficult-1430881487?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION IPOs Bring Fresh Wind for Green Investing. Dividends and inexpensive capital are the appeal in renewable-energy spinoffs. Companies that build wind and solar farms are spinning off some of their renewable-power projects into stand-alone companies, creating a new avenue for green investing. Renewable-energy developers such as NextEra Energy Inc., SunEdison Inc… http://www.wsj.com/articles/ipos-bring-fresh-wind-for-green-investing-1430881499?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE MIT experts say 'any serious plan' to curb climate change requires 'massive expansion' of solar energy by 2050. Solar energy provides the best path to producing low-carbon energy at a global scale, but its growth is strongly linked to society's ability to drive down costs and improve deployment of solar technologies to make the energy source a "compelling economic option." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/06/stories/1060018042 World's largest fuel cell park proposed for Beacon Falls. A Connecticut energy company wants to build the world's largest fuel cell park in Beacon Falls. CT Energy & Technology, a subsidiary of O&G Industries, is seeking approval for a 66.3-megawatt fuel cell facility on the site of a 24-acre gravel pit owned by O&G. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/06/4511977_worlds-largest-fuel-cell-park.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy MISCELLANEOUS Reality Check: Are California's Carbon Emissions Goals Attainable? California Governor Jerry Brown announced last week a new plan for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. The executive order calls on the Golden State to decrease carbon emission rates by 40 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2030. “http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Reality-Check-Are-Californias-Carbon-Emissions-Goals-Attainable-302508541.html Move to slash budgets for clean air, clean energy and climate change planning called 'totally backwards' by critics. American lawmakers passed a bill last week that slashes funding for renewable energy, limits the federal government's ability to protect clean water, and prohibits agencies from planning for future climate impacts on infrastructure and military facilities. But it may prove only symbolic. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/06052015/pollute-will-bill-enjoys-widespread-support-house-republicans OPINIONS Why the World’s Appetite for Oil Will Peak Soon. The conventional wisdom about steadily rising demand is wrong. Within two decades, global oil use will start to fall. When it comes to oil demand, the conventional wisdom is clear: Population growth and a rising global middle class guarantee that demand—and prices—will rise over the coming decades. http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-worlds-appetite-for-oil-will-peak-soon-1430881507?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION Legislation would provide relief. Re “Don’t let special interests dictate state water policy” (Viewpoints, May 1): Peter Gleick is wrong about the efforts to develop legislation to provide relief for Californians suffering from this historic drought. Since the beginning of the year, my staff and I have held meetings and numerous discussions with fishermen, environmental groups, state and federal regulatory agencies, farmers, water districts… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article20286555.html#storylink=cpy On World Asthma Day, the air is the problem: Guest commentary. For months now, my 3-year-old niece has struggled to play without weariness of breath, and her doctor is now monitoring her for asthma. I can’t help but wonder if her life would be different if she didn’t live in the Inland Empire, which has been identified as having some of the worst air quality in the nation. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150505/on-world-asthma-day-the-air-is-the-problem-guest-commentary Improved cookstoves offer more than reduced carbon emissions. It is 10.30 am on a sunny Thursday and our one hour journey from Kenya’s capital Nairobi to Thika brings us to the backyard of a technical training institution where Kenneth Ndua, the founder of Stamp Investments is having tea with his nine employees – two women and seven men. The team has been trained to assemble cookstoves that are fuel efficient and that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly black carbon. http://www.trust.org/item/20150506161442-fr0ci/?source=search Thomas L. Friedman: Germany, the green superpower. A week at the American Academy in Berlin leaves me with two contradictory feelings: One is that Germany today deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, and the other is that Germany tomorrow will have to overcome its deeply ingrained post-World War II pacifism and become a more serious, activist global power. And I say both as a compliment. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article20341989.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: Show no mercy to 'coal-rolling' scofflaws. Whatever happened to bumper stickers as a form of in-your-face political protest? Owners of modified diesel pickup trucks known as "coal rollers" have elevated this form of expression by belching black, sooty smoke -- on demand, a neat trick -- at anyone who shows up on their radar as a clean-air nerd. Drivers of hybrid cars, bicyclists and pedestrians… http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/05/editorial_show_no_mercy_to_coa.html Don't ignore climate change. Jay Ambrose is dismissive of climate science and has no place in a discussion of drought and climate change ("Extreme environmentalism is to blame in state's drought," April 23). Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists are convinced, based on the evidence, that human-caused global warming is happening. There is no legitimate question about the extent of the warming danger. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/letters/x510438477/Dont-ignore-climate-change BLOGS How Climate Change Will Affect Infrastructure Needs. KATE GORDON: Here’s one issue that’s sure to be part of every 2016 candidate’s policy agenda: infrastructure. With an estimated $3.6 trillion needed to fix America’s ailing roads, transit systems, waterways, and sewage plants—and with everyone from big business to labor to community activists supporting some kind of infrastructure plan… http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/05/06/how-climate-change-will-affect-infrastructure-needs/?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE Let’s Embrace Natural Gas as a Transition Fuel. TODD MYERS: The Obama administration’s energy policy goal has been to leap from a high-carbon economy to a low-carbon economy. To that end, it adopted rules that virtually rule out new coal energy generation and discourage natural-gas production, such as the president’s opposition to the Keystone pipeline. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/05/06/lets-embrace-natural-gas-as-a-transition-fuel/?KEYWORDS=EMISSIONS Air pollution from cars and trucks could be spreading 3x farther than previously thought. Air pollution is a big deal. It kills more people globally than AIDS and malaria combined, it affects how your kids' lungs develop permanently, and urban air is getting so dirty, 7 out of 8 people breathe air that fails to meet WHO safe levels. The more we learn, the more problems we find. http://www.treehugger.com/health/air-pollution-cars-and-trucks-could-be-spreading-3x-farther-previously-thought.html Fighting for the Right to Breathe in Detroit and Beyond. The following guest post is an open letter to Detroit-based utility company DTE Energy, which is having its annual shareholder meeting this week. The letter was authored by Alicia Winters, a mother and community leader in River Rouge, Michigan, home to one of the DTE coal plants that contribute 85 percent of the sulfur dioxide pollution in Wayne County… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/fighting-for-the-right-to_b_7223384.html 'Climate Anger:' Last Refuge Of The Alarmists. For purveyors of climate alarm, emotional displays of intolerance are increasingly crowding out reasoned argument. But such narrow-mindedness toward the loyal opposition — and its dedication to improving the state of the world — is a recipe for further marginalization and frustration. Remember the adage: “Hate hurts the hater more than the hated.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertbradley/2015/05/06/climate-anger-last-refuge-of-the-alarmists/ The Companies With The Most Climate-Altering Carbon In Their Business Plans. Big surprise: the world's biggest coal, oil, and gas companies could singlehandedly put us five times over the limit of safe CO2 emissions. For the world to stay within relatively safe limits of climate change, we need to keep temperature increases at no more than two degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels. http://www.fastcoexist.com/3045310/the-companies-with-the-most-climate-altering-carbon-in-their-business-plans Is Audi's Carbon-Neutral Diesel a Game-Changer? Occasionally I am deluged with inquiries about a particular news story. That happened this week. As the inquiries mounted, I decided I better address the story. After I saw one more gushing, uncritical report on CNN, I knew a reality check was in order. Recently German car manufacturer Audi announced they can economically produce carbon-neutral automotive fuel from ingredients found in the atmosphere: http://theenergycollective.com/robertrapier/2223441/audi-s-carbon-neutral-diesel-game-changer California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 15:10:23 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 7, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 7, 2015. 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 Greece, other EU strugglers emerge winners from carbon reforms-data. Europe's poorest nations, including heavily indebted Greece, emerge the main winners from a deal to reform the world's biggest carbon market that will raise billions for EU governments, data from Thomson Reuters Point Carbon shows. The European Union on Tuesday reached a preliminary accord to launch on Jan. 1, 2019… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-eu-ets-revenue-idUSKBN0NS16220150507?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews AIR POLLUTION Industry groups object to EPA's review of NO2. Industry organizations are quietly raising concerns that a U.S. EPA draft science review overstates the negative health impacts of exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant emitted by vehicles, power plants and other industrial operations. In public comments to the agency, organizations representing the oil and auto sectors said the draft assessment does not provide enough evidence to strengthen the associations between NO2 exposure… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060018084/feed Ethanol refinery emissions far exceed estimates -- fed study. Ethanol refineries may emit more air pollution than commonly thought, according to a new study led by researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA team, which also included scientists from NASA and academic institutions, measured the air downwind from an ethanol plant in Illinois... http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2015/05/06/stories/1060018105 CLIMATE CHANGE UN climate chief says technology has changed carbon politics. Technological advances that have reduced prices and improved efficiency of renewable energy have helped transform the politics around climate change since 2009 when an attempt to forge a global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions failed, the U.N. climate chief said Thursday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-california-drought-brown-idUSKBN0NR2M820150507 http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/UN-climate-chief-says-technology-has-changed-6247825.php A congressional climate change denier's disingenuous defense. As chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is one of the most eminent and influential climate change deniers in Congress. He's also mightily irked that we described his press release announcing his committee's vote on NASA's funding last week as "a model of misdirection and deceit. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-a-congressional-climate-change-deniers-20150506-column.html#page=1 UN climate chief says technological advances have changed politics since Copenhagen failure. Technological advances that have reduced prices and improved efficiency of renewable energy have helped transform the politics around climate change since 2009 when an attempt to forge a global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions crashed in Copenhagen, the United Nations climate chief said Thursday. http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/05/07/un-climate-chief-says-technology-has-changed-carbon-politics Program gets solar power to residents in struggling Fresno neighborhoods. New program uses cap-and-trade money to fund energy efficiency home upgrades. California Environmental Protection Agency ranks many Fresno neighborhoods among the riskiest places to live. Savings will put Salvador Mendoza of southeast Fresno closer to affording expensive medication. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/06/4513005/fresno-residents-receive-solar.html#storylink=cpy Weather Forecasters Used To Be Among The Country’s Staunchest Climate Deniers. Why That’s Changing Fast. Keah Schuenemann, a meteorology professor at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, has never met an atmospheric or climate scientist who doesn’t agree that most of the planet’s warming over the last century is a result of human activity. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/07/3653307/where-have-all-the-climate-denying-weather-forecasters-gone/ As people flock to cities, Columbia University studies how they adapt to climate change. Cynthia Rosenzweig has worked at NASA for more than 20 years, but she's never seen a black hole quite like this. Something out there is sucking up all the lessons cities are learning as they try to adapt to climate change. It's swallowing whole the reams of documents that show what they tried, what worked and what didn't. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/07/stories/1060018128 DROUGHT California approves new uniform rules for seawater desalination. California water regulators on Wednesday adopted a new uniform permitting process for seawater desalination projects expected to expand in number as the drought-stricken state increasingly turns to the ocean to supplement its drinking supplies. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/06/us-usa-drought-desalination-idUSKBN0NR21J20150506?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews California water districts scramble to deal with ruling on rate tiers. During the last major drought in the early 1990s, Irvine pioneered a different approach for calculating water bills for customers. The city's water agency allocated each customer a certain amount of water and then charged higher rates to those who exceeded it. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-rates-20150507-story.html#page=1 No New Water Cuts for Now. Los Angeles Department of Water & Power customers will not be forced to reduce their water use for now since L.A. officials were able to persuade state regulators to lower the mandated water reductions from 25 percent to 16 percent, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. However, city officials are preparing for new restrictions just in case. http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/may/07/no-new-water-cuts-now/ California Gov. Jerry Brown says opponents of his Delta water tunnel proposal should just “shut up.” He spoke to the Association of California Water Agencies in Sacramento Wednesday. One day after the State Water Resources Control Board set mandatory reduction requirements for every local water agency, Brown thanked the agencies for helping California through the drought. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/06/brown-defends-delta-tunnels-project,-agriculture-industry/ http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Brown-says-critics-of-delta-tunnels-should-shut-6247261.php http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/07/stories/1060018149 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Non-automotive diesel in China to meet new quality standards in 2018. Diesel used outside the automotive sector will have meet the "National V" fuel quality standards by January 2018, a year later than automotive fuels, China's powerful central planning authority said on Thursday, as the government continues to battle rampant smog. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-china-fuel-standards-idUSKBN0NS1AN20150507?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews $13.5M in EPA clean diesel grant funding available. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $13.5 million in grant funding to help governments and nonprofit organizations switch to cleaner diesel engines. Local governments, tribal agencies and nonprofits can win grants up to $2.14 million each. Eligible applicants include regional, state, local or tribal agencies… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150507-epa.html $400k trucks? Overdrive talks to CCTA’s Joe Rajkovacz about impact of emissions regs. A recent decision by a federal court denied the California Construction Trucking Association’s appeal of the EPA’s greenhouse gas standards based on a lack of standing. The CCTA has been at the forefront of challenging EPA regulations on the trucking industry in California and nationally… http://www.overdriveonline.com/qa-cctas-joe-rajkovacz-on-epas-greenhouse-gas-regs/ FUELS The debate over Arctic drilling - what's at stake. Seattle's mayor and environmentalists have vowed to block Royal Dutch Shell PLC from parking two Arctic offshore drilling rigs on Seattle's waterfront, an effort to thwart the new frontier in oil exploration and spark a national debate about fossil fuels and climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING_QA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT In Seattle, 'kayaktivists' take on Arctic oil drilling. Royal Dutch Shell wants to park two massive Arctic oil drilling rigs in Seattle's waterfront - but the petroleum giant will have to get around protesters in kayaks and a mayor determined to take on climate change. The fast-approaching battle with so-called kayaktivists is unfolding in a city well known for embracing environmental causes… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Hawaii enters national debate over future of ethanol in gas. Hawaii lawmakers have put the state at the front of a national discussion over the future of ethanol in gasoline by passing a bill that puts an end to a requirement that the corn-based additive be mixed into fuel sold in the state. The move comes as Congress faces pressure to review a federal mandate that calls for ethanol and other renewables in the nation's fuel supply. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ETHANOL_MANDATE_HAWAII?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Gas prices or economy, experts disagree on what drives U.S. demand. Americans hit the road in record numbers this winter, reigniting a long debate that may determine whether global oil markets hold steady or tumble anew. But many economists and academics are split on whether prices matter when it comes to gasoline demand. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-gasoline-demand-analysis-idUSKBN0NS08B20150507 GAO: Gov't waste of natural gas costing taxpayers millions. Significant amounts of natural gas on federal lands are being wasted, costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year and adding to harmful greenhouse gas emissions, a congressional investigation has found. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office also said the Bureau of Land Management failed to conduct production inspections for hundreds of high-priority oil and gas wells… http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article20356143.html#storylink=cpy Small town evacuated after oil train derails in North Dakota. A BNSF train carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire in North Dakota on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of a nearby small town just days after the United States and Canada announced reforms to improve the safety of such shipments. About 40 residents from the tiny Wells County town of Heimdal were evacuated after 10 tank cars left the rails… http://news.yahoo.com/oil-train-derails-north-dakota-small-town-evacuated-141312163.html Lowey: Ban explosive crude from rail. Moments before U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey was preparing to talk about her latest oil train safety initiative, she received word that a 109-car oil train had derailed in North Dakota, with several of the tank cars exploding and catching fire, leading to the evacuation of a town of about 35 residents. http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2015/05/06/lowey-ban-explosive-crude-oil-trains/70893144/ The Keystone Pipeline Just Lost a Top Washington Advocate. Alberta elections usher in a new leader who says the pipeline is a U.S. domestic issue. The upset election victory by a center-left party in Alberta—the heart of Canada's oil country—may also have eliminated one of the most public faces in the lobbying effort promoting the Keystone XL pipeline. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/keystone-pipeline-alberta-election-19691231 Is Corn Ethanol Breaking The Law? Corn ethanol may be breaking the law, according to a study from last month, “Cropland Expansion Outpaces Agricultural and Biofuel Policies in the United States.” It appears that corn was caught yellow-handed by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers in a plot with other crops like soy to replace “millions of acres of grasslands.” http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/07/3654392/corn-ethanol-illegal/ Democratic senators go to bat for biodiesel. Seven Democratic senators today plan to call on U.S. EPA to swiftly set robust targets for biodiesel through the renewable fuel standard program. Led by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), the coalition plans to highlight what it calls "extensive and undue burdens" on biodiesel producers and farmers brought on by EPA delays in setting annual targets under the program… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060018137/feed LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators Pulls Chinese-Made Laminate Flooring Amid Safety Concerns. Flooring company also brings on former FBI director Louis Freeh’s firm to review sourcing procedures. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. is pulling all of its Chinese-made laminate flooring and has brought on a former Federal Bureau of Investigation director to review its sourcing procedures amid widespread concern over the safety of its products. http://www.wsj.com/articles/lumber-liquidators-pulls-chinese-made-laminate-flooring-amid-safety-concerns-1430992801 http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/05/07/lumber-liquidators-suspends-sales-of-chinese-made-flooring/70938868/ VEHICLES Losses Widen at Tesla, but Company Says Production Is on Track. Tesla Motors reported a larger first-quarter loss on Wednesday, but it was still smaller than analysts forecast and the company appeared to be on track for important production milestones. Tesla, a maker of high-end electric cars based in Palo Alto, Calif., said its net losses tripled in the first quarter compared with the previous year, to $154 million. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/07/automobiles/losses-widen-at-tesla-but-company-says-production-is-on-track.html?ref=business&_r=0 Roseville Toyota among first California dealerships to get hydrogen-fueled Mirai cars. Roseville Toyota will be among eight California auto dealerships to receive the automaker’s groundbreaking hydrogen fuel cell vehicle this fall. The Roseville store overseen by longtime local dealer John L. Sullivan’s automotive group will take delivery of the Toyota Mirai in October, the Toyota’s U.S. headquarters said Wednesday. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article20368926.html#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY Huffing and puffing won't blow these straw homes down. A batch of straw houses have gone on sale in the UK - and their manufacturers insist that unlike the home featured in classic nursery rhyme The Three Little Pigs, huffing and puffing will not lead the buildings to blow down. In fact, the architect of the scheme, Professor Pete Walker of the University of Bath, says that using straw in home construction isn't just viable… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/uk-straw-houses-idUSKBN0NS19F20150507 MISCELLANEOUS OPINIONS U.S. refineries run hard to absorb crude glut: Kemp. U.S. refineries are running at near-record levels to turn the glut of crude into gasoline and other refined fuels ahead of the summer driving season. U.S. refineries processed an average of 16.347 million barrels per day (bpd) last week, an increase of almost 250,000 bpd compared with the previous week. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-oil-refineries-kemp-idUSKBN0NS02U20150507 Editorial: If not this California delta plan, then what? n years of average rainfall, when pumps at the south end of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta lift water to two parallel aqueducts to begin the journey to Central Valley fields and Southern California households, the suction reverses the flow of the San Joaquin River, one of the state's two main freshwater arteries. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-bay-delta-conservation-plan-20150507-story.html Letters: Retailers are stocking too many thirsty plants. I’ve wanted to write this letter for at least six weeks now as that is how long I have been steaming with incredulity regarding the gross stock of landscaping plants being peddled everywhere! Don’t these retailers know we are experiencing an historic drought? Have you seen the plants for sale at Orchard, Home Depot, Costco, at most grocery stores, etc.? http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150506/letters-retailers-are-stocking-too-many-thirsty-plants BLOGS Bank Of America Backs Away From Funding Coal Mining. Bank of America is cutting off its financing for coal extraction projects, the company announced at its shareholder meeting Wednesday. "With regard to coal, over the past several years, we have been gradually and consistently reducing our credit exposure to companies focused on coal mining," said Andrew Plepler, Bank of America's Corporate Social Responsibility executive, at the meeting. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/06/bank-of-america-coal_n_7226830.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green 10 Green Technologies That Could Help Revolutionize Our Changing Planet. In an era of drought, climate change and food shortages, environmental pioneers have joined forces to help tackle some of the world's most pressing issues through technological advancement. Here are 10 burgeoning technologies that have the potential to help revolutionize our planet of consumerism. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/07/green-technology_n_7208264.html?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=WorldPost ‘Aggressive’ New Drought Rules for California: Now Comes the Hard Part. The clock is ticking. After state regulators approved California’s first-ever statewide water restrictions on Tuesday, it’s now up to nearly 3,000 local water agencies, big and small, to make it work. Water agencies throughout California bear the burden of achieving the 25 percent reduction in water use ordered by Governor Jerry Brown on April 1. http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/05/06/aggressive-new-drought-rules-for-california-now-comes-the-hard-part/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 8 May 2015 13:17:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 8, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 8, 2015. 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 Mexico and California: A Shared Border and Clean Energy Future. California is known for many things: its natural beauty, Hollywood, Route 66 and the most famous bridge in the world. It is also known for making history. When Jerry Brown was sworn in as governor last January, he made history. It was not only his fourth term, he made history by proposing three ambitious climate and clean energy goals to be accomplished by 2030: http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/latest-news/3198-mexico-and-california-a-shared-border-and-clean-energy-future.html AIR POLLUTION Perfect Nails, Poisoned Workers. Some ingredients used in nail products have been tied to cancer, miscarriages, lung diseases and other ailments. The industry has long fought regulations. Each time a customer pulled open the glass door at the nail shop in Ridgewood, Queens, where Nancy Otavalo worked… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/11/nyregion/nail-salon-workers-in-nyc-face-hazardous-chemicals.html?_r=0 EPA issues NOV for oil terminal permits, blasting the SJVAPCD in the process. Anti-oil groups and environmental activists were overjoyed recently with the news that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Notice of Violation to the Bakersfield Crude Terminal and its owners/operators for violating the Clean Air Act. EPA said that the Taft, CA, facility, which was designed to receive crude oil by rail… http://www.examiner.com/article/epa-issues-nov-for-oil-terminal-permits-blasting-the-sjvapcd-the-process CLIMATE CHANGE Clean Power Plan Legally Solid But Imperfect as Tool to Cut Carbon Pollution, Schatz Says. Regulations to reduce carbon pollution from power plants are a legal but imperfect tool to address climate change, and setting a carbon fee would be a better option if the political climate would allow it, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told a Bloomberg Government breakfast May 7. Carbon fee legislation “puts us in a better position to ameliorate the disruption that will occur as we make a transition… http://www.bna.com/clean-power-plan-n17179926247/ Australia PM's adviser says climate change a UN hoax. A top Australian government business adviser has said climate change is a hoax by the United Nations. Most climate models were wrong and there was little evidence of climate change, said Maurice Newman. He said the UN had used climate change as a "hook" to establish and control a new world order. Mr Newman's comments were rejected by climate scientists… http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-32639813 Weather Forecasters Used To Be Among The Country’s Staunchest Climate Deniers. Why That’s Changing Fast. Keah Schuenemann, a meteorology professor at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, has never met an atmospheric or climate scientist who doesn’t agree that most of the planet’s warming over the last century is a result of human activity. Weather forecasters though, whom she deals with regularly, are a different story. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/07/3653307/where-have-all-the-climate-denying-weather-forecasters-gone/ Climate Change Now Among Top US Strategic Priorities. Ask almost anyone about the main national priorities of the US, and you’ll probably hear “democracy” and “continuing economic growth.” You might also hear “security concerns,” especially since the rise of terrorism after 9/11. But from now on you’ll hear a lot more about a fourth target. “Climate change.” http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/07/climate-change-now-among-top-us-strategic-priorities/ EPA sends carbon rule for new power plants to White House. U.S. EPA sent today its final rule limiting carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants to the White House for review. EPA is working toward finalizing the rule in midsummer, along with its Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants. EPA also plans to submit a federal proposal for meeting the Clean Power Plan at the same time. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/08/stories/1060018253 DROUGHT Building boom and drought collide on Catalina Island. Signs of drought and anxiety are everywhere in this quaint harbor town. Hotels are shipping laundry to the mainland for washing, contractors are mixing cement with water they import by barge and residents are squaring off with developers over choices between rationing and curbing growth. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-catalina-drought-20150508-story.html#page=1 Report: Food companies face growing water risks. Food companies should be taking stronger steps to use water more efficiently and adapt to growing water scarcity, a nonprofit advocacy group said in a report released Thursday. The organization Ceres ranked 37 major food companies on how effectively they are managing water-related risks that can affect profits as well as food production. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/05/07/report-food-companies-face-growing-water-risks/70979884/ Political answers scarce as water in parched California. The drought is having real consequences for the policies and political fortunes of elected officials. For much of the century since William Mulholland, the visionary or villainous engineer who brought water from the Eastern Sierra to Los Angeles, opened the floodgates of his aqueduct and declared, “There it is. Take it!”… http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/california-drought-political-answers-water-117706.html#ixzz3ZZRfZBDq California Drought: Power Supply Will Meet Summer Demand. The California Independent System Operator (CAL-ISO) said that electricity supplies will be sufficient to meet the 2015 summer peak - even under the extreme scenario of hot temperatures "that happen only once every 10 years." CAL-ISO released its 2015 Summer Loads and Resources Assessment Thursday. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/07/california-drought-power-supply-will-meet-summer-demand/ How the California Drought Is Increasing the Potential for Devastating Wildfires. Forest Service anticipates spending more than $1 billion and mobilizing more than 10,000 fires to fight forest fires this season. California’s four-year drought has already cost the state billions of dollars and placed thousands of jobs at risk. Now scientists say it has the potential to strengthen wildfires that could destroy homes… http://time.com/3849320/california-drought-wildfires/ 'Across most of the West, snowpack isn't just low -- it's gone' Higher temperatures have already melted most of the mountain snowpack across the West, according to a sobering new report from the Department of Agriculture that warns this could lead to water supply shortfalls this summer. The latest monthly report released by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service forecasts… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/08/stories/1060018255 Top Calif. water guzzler mulls 50% reductions for some. Some residents of an irrigation district here that ranked as one of the state's biggest water guzzlers could soon learn they'll need to cut back consumption not just by the 36 percent ordered by the state, but in some cases as much as 50 percent. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/08/stories/1060018252 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators customers don't know what to believe. Lumber Liquidators says it will stop selling laminate flooring from China, but the company insists the material is not unsafe. Even still, customers are trying to figure out what to believe and how to know whether their homes are safe, CBS News' Anna Werner reports. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lumber-liquidator-customers-still-testing-laminate-floors-formaldehyde/ FUELS US encourages Greece to stick to non-Russia pipeline project. The United States is encouraging Greece to move forward with a pipeline bringing natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe via Greece, rather than setting its hopes on a different project that would pipe Russian gas through Turkey. The U.S. State Department's special envoy on energy affairs, Amos Hochstein, said Friday he had discussed energy issues… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GREECE_RUSSIA_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Novozymes investors bet on biofuel and agricultural breakthroughs. Investors have high hopes for Novozymes and the enzymes it makes to improve chemical processes in a variety of industries, but analysts warn of pitfalls in a growth strategy reliant on a biofuel sector still in its infancy and unproven farming biotechnology. Having built on mother company Novo's work in the 1940s to produce biological catalysts by fermenting them in large tanks… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/08/novozymes-outlook-idUSL5N0XV2I820150508 Even Keystone Foes Grow Weary of Obama’s Delay in Deciding. Keystone XL supporters often complain that President Barack Obama’s delay in deciding on whether to allow the oil pipeline to be built is costing jobs and keeping the U.S. tied to unstable energy partners. With the review now stretching beyond six years, some critics, increasingly confident that Obama will reject the Canada-to-U.S. pipeline… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-07/even-keystone-xl-foes-growing-weary-of-obama-s-delay-in-deciding South Africa prepares to give shale gas go ahead. South Africa will gazette final regulations for shale gas exploration by June, two years after releasing draft rules and as companies reconsider investments due to volatile oil prices and delays in awarding licenses. In March, Royal Dutch Shell said it was pulling back from its shale projects in South Africa's semi-arid Karoo region… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/safrica-shale-idUSL5N0XY3BX20150507 Tech Entrepreneurs Seek More Ethanol in Gasoline to Lower Prices. Do you want a return of $2-a-gallon gasoline? Before the recent jump in oil prices put low costs in the rear-view mirror, American drivers had a brief taste of the 1990s at the pump. Now technology multimillionaires Eyal Aronoff and Yossie Hollander and former Shell Oil Co. president John Hofmeister say the U.S. could make low prices permanent if more ethanol and methanol from cheap natural gas are added to the mix. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-07/tech-entrepreneurs-seek-more-ethanol-in-gasoline-to-lower-prices California Oil Waste Rules Attacked as Groundwater Threat. California’s rules allowing oil extraction waste to be injected into the ground were challenged by environmental groups saying the practice threatens protected sources of drinking water as the state suffers through a record drought. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-07/california-oil-waste-rules-challenged-as-groundwater-threat-i9eedu6d Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips pay California $11.5 Million fine. Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips are paying California $11.5 million to settle complaints that the companies violated state laws governing the proper operation and maintenance of underground storage tanks used to store gasoline for retail sale. The companies failed to comply with hazardous materials and hazardous waste laws at over 560 gasoline stations owned or operated by the companies in California… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28294 http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/2-gasoline-companies-ordered-to-pay-11-5M-for-6250215.php http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_28074013/2-gasoline-companies-ordered-pay-11-5m-violations Groups sue to keep oil waste out of state’s aquifers. Two environmental groups sued California regulators Thursday to stop oil companies from injecting wastewater into potentially usable aquifers beneath the state’s drought-ravaged Central Valley. The suit, filed by the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity, claims the California agency that oversees oil fields… http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Groups-sue-to-stop-oil-company-injections-into-6248941.php Oil Exports Could Become New Hurdle For Obama’s Trade Deal. Lisa Murkowski will debut a bill lifting the oil export ban next week. Get ready for the possibility of another controversial political ingredient entering the debate over trade legislation: the oil export ban. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski will introduce legislation to end the oil export ban next week… http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/oil-exports-trade-deal-obama-murkowski-20150507 Oil And Gas Wells Are Leaking Huge Amounts Of Methane, And It’s Costing Taxpayers Millions. In March, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell cited a methane gas plume the size of Delaware hovering over the Four Corners area in Northwest New Mexico as evidence that the Interior Department needs to cut “wasted gas that results from venting and flaring during oil and gas operations.” This methane hot spot, which is located above an area that contains more than 40,000 wells… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/08/3656343/fugitive-methane-on-the-loose-on-public-lands/ Report for the EC evaluates prospects for sugar-based platforms for biofuels and biochemical. A comprehensive review of 94 potential pathways to biofuels and biochemicals via the sugar platform, prepared for the European Commission (DG ENER) by a team from E4tech, RE-CORD and Wageningen UR, finds that the global market value of the sugar platform is today of the order of $65 billion, with bioethanol (from sugar and starch crops) by far the dominant product in the market. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150508-e4tech.html Natural gas, LNG trade groups to merge. The main trade association representing liquefied natural gas exporters will be folded into another group representing supply interests, under an agreement the groups announced yesterday. In a press release, the Natural Gas Supply Association said that it would be incorporating the Center for LNG in a reorganization that would "increase the effectiveness of both associations." http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/05/08/stories/1060018219 Democratic senators slam Obama admin over delayed RFS rules. A coalition of Democratic senators yesterday slammed the Obama administration over delays in setting annual targets for biofuels through the renewable fuel standard program. The group, led by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), said that the delays in setting the targets were causing uncertainty that was particularly hurting the biodiesel industry. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060018221/feed VEHICLES Why More And More States Could Start Considering Fees On Electric Cars. Electric and hybrid car owners in Michigan can breathe a sigh of relief. On Tuesday, Michigan residents voted no to Proposal 1, a referendum that would have imposed a $75 annual registration fee on electric vehicles and a $25 fee for most hybrid vehicles. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/08/3655918/state-electric-vehicle-fees/ 2016 Chevy Volt To Get California Carpool Lane Access. Access to the carpool lane in California with only a single occupant has proven to be one of the more effective incentives to get the state's drivers to buy electric cars. The first year and a half of Chevy Volt range-extended electric cars didn't qualify, but Volt sales in California surged once buyers could add the crucial green sticker to their Volts. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098191_2016-chevy-volt-to-get-california-carpool-lane-access Chevrolet Introduces Bi-Fuel-Powered Silverado Chassis Cab Truck. Chevrolet is introducing a dual-powered Silverado, run on either compressed natural gas or gasoline. The bi-fuel 2016 Silverado 3500HD Chassis Cab has a 24.5 gallon CNG tank behind the cab in addition to a 23.5-gallon gasoline tank. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=38201 GREEN ENERGY Solar Power Inc. Agrees to Buy Controlling Stake in Convertergy. Solar Power Inc., a renewable-energy project developer backed by China’s LDK Solar Co., agreed to buy a 76.8 percent stake in Convertergy Energy Technology Co., a provider of energy-monitoring services. Solar Power is paying $13.8 million in stock and assuming a $1.5 million loan, the Shanghai-based company said in a statement Friday. The transaction is subject to closing conditions. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-08/solar-power-inc-agrees-to-buy-controlling-stake-in-convertergy California has enough power for summer air conditioning demand -grid operator. California will have enough power to meet air conditioning demand this summer despite continued low hydropower supplies due to an ongoing multi-year drought. The California Independent System Operator (ISO), the power grid operator for most of the state, said in a statement released late Thursday… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/08/utilities-california-summer-idUSL1N0XZ1I320150508?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews New Program Brings Solar Power To Low-Income Fresnans. A new statewide program using cap-and-trade money to fund solar panels for low-income residents launched today in Fresno. Salvador Mendoza and his family are one of the first 1,780 households in the state to receive rooftop solar panels through California’s Low-Income Weatherization Program. The Mendoza's home is the first home of 20 in Fresno to have solar panels installed through the program. http://kvpr.org/post/new-program-brings-solar-power-low-income-fresnans http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/06/4513005_fresno-residents-receive-solar.html?rh=1 http://www.csd.ca.gov/Newsroom/NewsReleases/May7,2015.aspx?utm_content=bufferbba8b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffe r State wavers on proposed Carlsbad power plant. A proposal to build a new natural gas power plant at Carlsbad was put on hold Thursday by the California Public Utilities Commission. The commission is weighing whether the $2.6 billion project by New Jersey-based NRG Energy is a wise investment for customers of San Diego Gas & Electric as grid managers seek to replace power once provided by the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/may/07/waivering-carlsbad-power-plant/ Save onshore wind farms, renewables industry begs new Tory government. Renewables industry makes fresh plea for Conservatives to drop plans for a new onshore wind farm ban, as green business groups call for continued climate action. The UK's renewable energy sector has issued a desperate plea for the new Conservative government to show early support for the low carbon economy… http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/analysis/2407649/save-onshore-wind-farms-renewables-industry-begs-new-tory-government SolarCity To Offer Off-Grid Solar Energy/Battery System To Eligible Customers In Hawaii In 2016. Those living in Hawaii that are interested in going off-grid will soon have a new option for doing so available to them via SolarCity, based on a recent press release. According to that release, the company will begin offering off-grid solar energy + battery systems to eligible customers in the Hawaiian Islands starting in 2016. https://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/07/solarcity-offer-off-grid-solar-energybattery-system-eligible-customers-hawaii-2016/ MIT: ‘Massive’ Solar Expansion Critical for Climate. A “massive” global expansion of solar power — possibly enough to supply about a third or more of the world’s electricity — may be necessary by 2050 to reduce the impacts of fossil fuels on the climate, according to a report published by MIT this week. Solar’s efficiency and abundance make it the clean energy source best suited to cut greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/solar-expansion-critical-for-climate-mit-18973 MISCELLANEOUS California says it busted $14M can, bottle recycling scheme. Five people were part of a scheme that involved trucking more than 200 million cans and bottles from Arizona and illegally redeeming them at recycling centers in California for about $14 million in refunds, authorities said Thursday. A grand jury in Kern County indicted five Californians on charges including grand theft and recycling fraud. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RECYCLING_FRAUD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-05-07-20-53-35 OPINIONS COLUMN-Managing earthquake risks in oil and gas production: Kemp. Underground disposal of waste water produced from oil and natural gas wells has been blamed for triggering thousands of small earthquakes in Oklahoma and a number of other U.S. states since 2009. Heightened seismic activity corresponds closely with the timeframe and location of increased drilling and hydraulic fracturing across the southwest United States… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/08/earthquake-shale-usa-kemp-idUSL5N0XZ2W420150508 Measure California’s Water. California’s water board voted Tuesday to impose new rules that would reduce the state’s urban water use by 25 percent, as mandated by Gov. Jerry Brown at the beginning of April. By requiring towns and cities to cut back, the state expects to save about 1.3 million acre-feet of water over the next nine months. Rationing in urban areas will be tiered. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/08/opinion/measure-californias-water.html Innovation or insanity? Californians' ideas for busting the drought. Last month, after Gov. Jerry Brown ordered Californians to cut back their water use, a retired engineering professor in Carmel revived a decades-old proposal for easing the drought: icebergs. He wrote to officials urging them to consider towing giant hunks of ice across the ocean to California, a fantastical concept that has never quite gained steam. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-0508-drought-ideas-20150507-htmlstory.html Brown's plan waste money. Dear Editor: California is facing a protracted drought and an ever-increasing unpayable deficit of, nearly, $400 billion and growing. So what do Jerry Brown and the Democrat- controlled legislature propose to do about these impeding disasters? Of course, spend $740 million of taxpayers' money on health care for illegals! http://www.contracostatimes.com/brentwood/ci_28055687/east-contra-costa-letters-editor-voters-were-short Water conservation is not enough. Dear Editor: I raise my voice in chorus with others, to support ways of increasing supplies of potable water for California's insatiable thirst. Conservation may suffice for the short run, but is not enough to get us through a prolonged drought. The technology of desalination is proven and many commercial-sized facilities operate in the Middle East and the tropics. http://www.contracostatimes.com/brentwood/ci_28055687/east-contra-costa-letters-editor-voters-were-short Bob Dunning: Reasoning for unfair policies holds no water. NO TIME FOR FAIRNESS … representatives of a number of water districts in our beautiful state tried to convince members of the State Water Resources Control Board that comparing a Sacramento Valley town’s water use to that of a town on the cool and wet north coast of California is like comparing apples and oranges … in short, it’s not fair … Well… http://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/dunning/reasoning-for-unfair-policies-holds-no-water/ BLOGS Wind Power Without The Mills. Vortex Bladeless is a radical company. It wants to completely change the way we get energy from the wind. Think wind stick instead of a massive tower with blades that capture blowing winds. Wind stick. Really. Lest you think I’m mad, I’ve included a picture of this bladeless generator that helps with the visualization and explains the company name. http://www.forbes.com/sites/billtucker/2015/05/07/wind-power-without-the-mills/ Energy Investors Should Follow Elon Musk (Almost) Anywhere. The world now knows. The future will be powered by batteries. The recent announcement by Elon Musk of his Tesla Motors’ Tesla Powerwall has begun to focus attention on the potential of this technology to combine with distributed solar power generation, among other renewable technologies, to allow a carbon-less, or at least a less-carbon energy future… http://www.forbes.com/sites/joelmoser/2015/05/08/energy-investors-should-follow-elon-musk-almost-anywhere/ Your Winter Vegetables: Brought to You by California's Very Last Drops of Water. California's drought-plagued Central Valley hogs the headlines, but two-thirds of your winter vegetables come from a different part of the state. Occupying a land mass a mere eighth the size of metro Los Angeles, the Imperial Valley churns out about two-thirds of the vegetables eaten by Americans during the winter. http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/05/your-winter-vegetables-are-grown-desert-watered-dwindling-river Cutting Carbon Pollution Won’t Make the Sky Fall. National experts and Southeastern utilities agree that it is practical to reduce carbon pollution from power plants, while maintaining reliability of the electric grid. In an April 2015 report by three national experts on electric reliability, the authors found that while there will be “significant changes to the overall mix of resources… http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2015/05/07/reliability-clean-power-plan/#sthash.NpgJMc6n.dpuf Why Climate Engineering Won't Work. From the California drought to the Vanuatu typhoon, weather extremes are increasingly hard to ignore, and global warming is going to worsen our situation. Hence, climate engineering is the big temptation of our times: If there's too much heat on the planet, let's block some sunlight and continue business as usual. There's just one problem: It won't work. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anders-levermann/why-climate-engineering-wont-work_b_7239816.html Are Industrial Farms Also to Blame for America's Drought? If there is a silver lining to be found in the devastating California drought, it's that many more Americans are finally thinking about where and how their food is grown. Historically low water levels have put a squeeze on the state's farmers who produce nearly all of the nation's broccoli, grapes… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-hunt/are-industrial-farms-also-to-blame_b_7241582.html Solving the Climate Crisis Will Strengthen Our Economy. When I voted for the Clean Air Act as a Member of Congress in 1970, I received a stern warning from special interests: Environmental protection hurts economic growth. When I voted for the Clean Water Act in 1972, the Endangered Species Act in 1973, and the first federal fuel economy standards in 1975… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-conyers/solving-the-climate-crisis-will-strengthen-our-economy_b_7243612.html Hawaii may eliminate ethanol blend in gas. Bill Passes State Legislature, Waits For Gov. Ige's Signature. The Hawaii legislature has passed a bill removing the state's ethanol mandate. Hawaii has required a 10 percent ethanol blend in its gas since 2006. The problem is that Hawaii imports most of its ethanol, rather than producing it in-state as originally intended. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/05/07/hawaii-enters-national-debate-over-future-of-ethanol-in-gas/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 12:26:51 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 11, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 11, 2015. 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 Growing California cap-and-trade fund attracts surge of spending proposals. With California’s growing cap-and-trade program expected to yield a budgetary bonanza, lawmakers and interest groups have ample ideas for how to spend the money. Floating proposals ahead of a pivotal period for budget negotiations, they say they want to fund port improvements, pay for heavy-duty trucks and ferries, nurture urban rivers, sponge up carbon in soil… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/state-budget/article20639208.html#storylink=cpy Subnational Climate Leaders. Will Get Their Day In The Paris Sun. Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has promised officials from the US state of California, the Canadian province of Québec and other subnational jurisdictions that they will not be shunted off to a side event during the upcoming UNFCCC negotiations in Paris in December. Instead, they will have a place on the main agenda… http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10950§ion=news_articles&eod=1 AIR POLLUTION Newport Beach's Hixson has cut emissions of cancer-causing pollutant, but not enough. A year ago, air district officials cited Hixson Metal Finishing for high emissions of hexavalent chromium, a cancer-causing pollutant. Today, chromium levels are as much as 90 percent lower than a year ago, according to Hixson. But air regulators say the company needs to do more. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hixson-661282-air-emissions.html Reducing carbon emissions could save lives. Cutting power plant carbon emissions saves lives, according to new research on the way pollution affects public health. The study (paywall), published this week, will become a key talking point for supporters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest proposal for carbon pollution standards. Researchers — who began their work before the EPA announced its plans… http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865628392/Reducing-carbon-emissions-could-save-lives-prevent-heart-attacks-new-research-shows.html Feds, State reach agreement with Tonawanda Coke. Tonawanda Coke has reached an agreement with The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to reduce pollution. Tonawanda Coke will pay $2.75 million in civil penalties and $7.9 million to reduce air pollution and enhance air and water quality. http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/local/2015/05/11/feds-state-reach-agreement-with-tonawanda-coke/27117127/ These are the 8 air pollutants destroying the atmosphere. Back in school, you'll have learned that the air in our atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen, at 78%, and oxygen, at 21%, with a number of other trace gases. It's to these trace gases we're looking today – more specifically, at how human activity can result in the release of air pollution in to the atmosphere. http://www.compoundchem.com/2015/05/05/atmospheric-pollutants/#ixzz3ZqagNoVE CLIMATE CHANGE Sea rise threatens Florida coast, but no statewide plan. America's oldest city is slowly drowning. St. Augustine's centuries-old Spanish fortress and other national landmarks sit feet from the encroaching Atlantic, whose waters already flood the city's narrow, brick-paved streets about 10 times a year - a problem worsening as sea levels rise. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FLORIDAS_RISING_SEAS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT French president says UN climate fund could help Caribbean. French President Francois Hollande told Caribbean leaders on Saturday that a planned international green fund could help the vulnerable, tourism-dependent region mitigate the effects of climate change. Hollande headlined the Caribbean Climate Summit, which drew about 40 leaders or top officials from regional nations including the Bahamas, Trinidad and Cuba… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_MARTINIQUE_FRANCE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Rudd in U.K. Energy Post Signals No Backtrack on Climate. Amber Rudd was named to serve as the U.K. Cabinet minister in charge of energy and climate, easing concerns that the Conservative government would quickly backtrack on pledges to reduce fossil-fuel pollution. Rudd, 51, was promoted from a junior post at the Department of Energy & Climate Change… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-11/rudd-in-u-k-energy-post-signals-no-backtrack-on-climate Sea Levels Rose Less Than Thought, But at Faster Pace, Study Says. Previous research was at odds with evidence of increased melting from Greenland and Antarctica. Global sea levels over the past two decades rose slightly less than previous estimates suggest, though the rate of the rise has accelerated, according to a new study based on more comprehensive measurements. The research, published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, may help to resolve an enigma… http://www.wsj.com/articles/sea-levels-rose-less-than-thought-but-at-faster-pace-study-says-1431360556 http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/11/sea-levels-are-rising-at-faster-clip-as-polar-melt-accelerates-new-data-shows/ Two Guys In Paris Aim To Charm The World Into Climate Action. Here's a job that sounds perfect for either a superhero or a glutton for punishment: Get nearly 200 countries to finally agree to take serious action on climate change. Two men have taken on this challenge. They're leading some international negotiations that will wrap up later this year in Paris at a major United Nations conference on climate change. http://www.npr.org/2015/05/11/404200241/two-guys-in-paris-aim-to-charm-the-world-into-climate-action http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/11/51599/two-guys-in-paris-aim-to-charm-the-world-into-clim/ Dunkin’ Brands Takes a Bite Out of GHG Emissions. Dunkin’ Brands Group, the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, says while overall GHG emissions increased by 8.5 percent between 2010 and 2014, GHG emissions generated by its corporate facilities dropped 46 percent in the same period. https://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/05/11/dunkin-brands-takes-a-bite-out-of-ghg-emissions/ New temperature records highlight global warming's continued rise. New climate change records have come along to remind us that Earth's thermostat is steadily pushing upward. More exactly, there are two global high temperature records and a smattering of climate change low points. March 2015 was the warmest March since record-keeping began in 1880, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/09/world/global-warming-record-quarter/index.html Alameda County’s Climate Action Implementation. Addressing climate change across an entire government structure isn’t easy. So when the Alameda County Board of Supervisors decided they wanted to reduce the county’s carbon footprint 15 percent by 2020, the Sustainability Team drafted a Climate Action Plan—a blue print if you will, for how they would reach the goal. http://www.publicceo.com/2015/05/alameda-countys-climate-action-implementation/ DROUGHT Drought Transcends State Lines as U.S. West Turns Ever-More Arid. The record drought plaguing California isn’t limited by lines on a map. Arid conditions caused by dwindling rainfall and snowpack are stretching across the West. In Washington’s Yakima Valley, popular for growing wine grapes and beer hops, officials are cutting off water to about 1,700 farmers for three weeks starting today. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-11/drought-transcends-state-lines-as-u-s-west-turns-ever-more-arid Facing drought cuts, Newport Beach gets tough on water use. Newport Beach may soon enforce stricter water conservation measures for local residents and businesses. The City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a staff recommendation to move to Level 3 of the city's conservation plan. Under the proposal, homeowners would have to restrict their water use in each billing period to 75% of their average use for that period… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-facing-drought-cuts-newport-beach-gets-tough-on-water-use-20150510-story.html Taiwan aims to rein in water use amid unusual drought. As a subtropical Pacific island, Taiwan normally gets a generous 98 inches of rain a year, keeping water prices so low that people seldom think twice about taking a long hot shower, let alone flushing the toilet. But that relaxed relationship with water has dried up since February as Pacific Ocean temperatures have locked Taiwan into one of its most severe droughts in decades… http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-taiwan-drought-20150510-story.html Mormon Temple in West L.A. lets its landmark lawn turn brown. Bob and Carolyn Millard were married at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' palatial Westwood temple more than 50 years ago. Like many other Mormon brides, Carolyn posed for photos alongside the temple's lush, green lawn and gardens. When she visited the temple last week…http://www.latimes.com/local/westside/la-me-temple-drought-20150511-story.html Starbucks to cease Ethos bottling in California due to drought. Starbucks says it will stop producing the bottled water brand Ethos Water in California due to the drought and will instead move the bottling operation to Pennsylvania. The change by the Seattle-based coffee chain comes as some Californians have voiced concerns about the potential impacts of bottled water plants on local water supplies during the drought. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/05/11/starbucks-ethos-bottling-calif-drought/27105289/ Cellphone Video Captures Caltrans Sprinklers Watering Freeway Hillsides In The Rain. Cellphone video taken Friday captured images of California Department of Transportation sprinklers going full blast along a freeway while a light rain fell and after a night of showers. The watering of hillsides along the 101 Freeway and Barham Boulevard in Universal City comes at a time when Californians have been deluged with pleas to save water during the historic drought. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/05/08/cellphone-video-captures-caltrans-sprinklers-watering-freeway-hillsides-in-the-rain/ California drought: How the state's new water conservation rules affect you. The administration of Gov. Jerry Brown last week enacted historic new water conservation rules in response to California's drought. The goal is to cut statewide water use by urban residents 25 percent over the next nine months to help preserve water supplies in case the drought continues through next winter. Q Am I affected? A Yes. The rules apply to all 38 million California residents http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28084647/california-drought-how-states-new-water-conservation-rules Would a wild water plan work? Towed icebergs, tapping Columbia River among suggestions to slake California's thirst. California's current drought has brought back discussion of some of the biggest -- or craziest -- ideas on how to save the Golden State's thirst. These ideas, which circulated through previous droughts, were never implemented, but also never went away. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/may/09/grand-water-ideas/ CA looks to Australia for drought advice. Australia offers lessons from its 12-year dry spell. Severe dry spells aren’t unique to California. Just ask Australia, where the Millennium Drought stretched from 1997 to 2009, devastating the southeastern portion of the country and forever changing how it uses water. For months now, water experts in California have asked their counterparts Down Under for advice on drought management. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/may/09/sacramento-drought-australia-california/ California pool, hot tub filling bans have industries steaming. It's hard to imagine a California summer without long days lounging by the pool. But as unprecedented drought sears the state, the backyard swimming pool has become a target for cities desperate to save water. As cities and water districts put the squeeze on water users, even pool lovers are canceling construction contracts. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28089043/california-pool-hot-tub-filling-bans-have-industries California drought: Santa Clara Valley officials mull stepped-up conservation. Think you're doing your part to save water -- and that the problem is the guy with the lush lawn down the street, not to mention water-guzzling farms? You're in good company. On Saturday, local officials gathered to brainstorm how to kick water conservation into high gear… http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28084640/california-drought-santa-clara-valley-officials-mull-stepped DIESEL ACTIVITIES Wireless EV charging could slash emissions from idling trucks. In an article in Transmission & Distribution World, a wireless electric vehicle charging option could be the answer to slashing emissions from idling trucks and vans. “Idling increases vehicle exhaust in the air, which is linked to asthma, other lung diseases, allergies, heart disease, and other health problems,” the report said. http://fleetowner.com/running-green/wireless-ev-charging-could-slash-emissions-idling-trucks FUELS Noble Energy's $2 billion Rosetta deal reopens U.S. shale oil M&A. Noble Energy Inc said on Monday it would acquire Rosetta Resources Inc. for about $2 billion in stock, marking the first significant deal among U.S. shale oil producers following a steep fall in global crude prices. A nearly 50 percent drop in crude prices since June highs of over $100 per barrel has for months raised expectations for a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the highly-fragmented shale oil industry. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/11/us-rosetta-resource-m-a-noble-energy-idUSKBN0NW15420150511 http://www.wsj.com/articles/noble-energy-to-buy-smaller-rival-rosetta-resources-1431340141 OPEC Sees Oil Price Below $100 a Barrel in the Next Decade. Pessimistic Assessment May Mean That the Oil Cartel Returns to Production Quotas. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries doesn’t see oil prices consistently trading at $100 barrel again in the next decade, a pessimistic assessment that has the group considering the return of production limits to influence the market… http://www.wsj.com/articles/opec-sees-oil-price-below-100-a-barrel-in-the-next-decade-1431347035?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE Canadian First Nation spurns $1B offer for gas project. In the second of three votes, band members of the British Columbia First Nation Lax Kw'alaams unanimously rejected a $1 billion offer for a liquefied natural gas project. Headed by Malaysian state-owned energy company Petronas, the Pacific NorthWest LNG joint venture would have shelled out $1 billion in cash over 40 years to the 3,600-member band alongside… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/05/11/stories/1060018265 VEHICLES Volvo selects South Carolina for new $500-million auto plant. Volvo Cars will build a $500-million plant in South Carolina that will eventually employ up to 4,000 people, the company announced Monday. The company said its first American plant, to be located about 30 miles from the Port of Charleston, is expected to make about 100,000 vehicles a year initially. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-volvo-south-carolina-20150511-story.html Electric Cars: What's Needed To Eliminate Gasoline, Diesel In 25 Years. More than four years after the first modern electric cars went on sale in significant numbers, concerted efforts by carmakers, governments, and assorted advocates have ensured a modicum of success. But what more would it take to move electric cars from the small niche they currently occupy to the dominant form of vehicle? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098230_electric-cars-whats-needed-in-25-years-to-eliminate-gasoline-diesel HIGH-SPEED RAIL Doing the math on California's bullet train fares. Riding California's bullet train from Los Angeles to San Francisco would cost "about $50 a person," supporters wrote in ballot arguments seven years ago when voters approved billions in funding for the project. In the years since, the state high-speed rail agency has projected the fare would be $83, $105 and, most recently, $86. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-adv-bullet-fares-20150510-story.html#page=1 GREEN ENERGY Assessing the Energy Efficiency Gap. Global energy consumption is on a path to grow 30-50 percent over the next 25 years, bringing with it, in many countries, increased local air pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and oil consumption, as well as higher energy prices. Energy-efficient technologies offer considerable promise for reducing the costs and environmental damages associated with energy use… http://theenergycollective.com/robertstavins/2225021/assessing-energy-efficiency-gap Global Energy Trends and Implications for India: Transitioning to a Low Carbon Energy System. The global energy system is in a period of rapid transformation: electricity plays an ever more important role, as do renewables, distributed generation and electric vehicles. Energy efficiency is improving. Emissions are a large and growing concern. New technologies and business models are disrupting and challenging a traditionally risk-averse and slow-moving industry. http://theenergycollective.com/tobias-engelmeier/2225316/global-energy-trends-and-implications-india-part-55-transitioning-low-carb OPINIONS Promoters of renewable energy failed to account for the return of cheap oil. The green energy movement in America is dead. May it rest in peace. No, a majority of American energy over the next 20 years is not going to come from windmills and solar panels. One important lesson to be learned from the green energy fad’s rapid and expensive demise is that central planning doesn’t work. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/10/stephen-moore-green-energy-movement-dies-failed-to/#ixzz3Zr11aQBz Jerry Brown's strategy on green energy and fracking. To the editor: I am no fan of fracking, but I doubt Gov. Jerry Brown is blind to its many dangers. I suspect that, like President Obama, he considers this natural gas boom to be an interim step on the way to clean energy — it's doing good by killing coal, and nobody is building new nuclear plants. ("Fracking: Jerry Brown's environmental blind spot," op-ed, May 4). http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0510-sunday-jerry-brown-fracking-20150510-story.html Why public opinion on climate change doesn't matter. To the editor: Stanford political scientist Jon A. Krosnick is puzzled that legislators ignore popular opinion on climate change. Years of polling data, he says, show a majority of people acknowledge climate change and that government needs to control greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0509-saturday-climate-change-20150509-story.html Rip out lawns now, or pay later. It's tough now, but a fifth or sixth year of drought will force even more difficult choices between what's most important to Californians personally and economically — between such things as long showers, lawns, sanitation, safe drinking water, an agricultural economy that has already lost 17,000 jobs and urban small businesses that depend on water. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0510-sunday-california-lawns-20150510-story.html Learning to love global warming. Thank god for climate change. I realized that global warming is a good thing on Saturday. I was standing on the edge of a precipice on a cloud enshrouded Dewey Point at 7,200 feet — some 3,200 feet above the Yosemite Valley floor. In brief breaks in the misty clouds engulfing sheer granite cliffs in a fashion more striking than fog rolling across the Golden Gate Bridge… http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/38/article/123812/ EDITORIAL: FEMA climate change mandate on states must be dropped. It is an understatement to say that states and the federal government have a strained relationship these days. Perhaps the biggest factor in this worsening relationship is the federal government’s obsession with bullying the states into doing what it wants them to do. http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorial-fema-climate-change-mandate-states-must-be-dropped California's drought is Asia's nightmare. California's drought is big news in Asia. It's partly because, from Hollywood movies to Silicon Valley high-tech, Asians are interested in all things Californian. And their diets include grocery bags full of California products, from walnuts to wine to cheese and cashew nuts. Just as well, California's drought has become Asia's nightmare. http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/opinions/clifford-california-asia-water-solutions/ Opinion: How Ontario and Quebec can fight climate change together. Over the past year, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne have become fast friends. They’ve got a lot in common, including a conviction to combat climate change. But if they are sincere about being climate leaders, they also need to take concrete actions in their own backyards. http://montrealgazette.com/news/national/opinion-how-ontario-and-quebec-can-fight-climate-change-together BLOGS The Daily Startup: Biofuels Company Joule Pulls In $40 Million. Biofuels company Joule Unlimited has raised $40 million in a round that was led by Flagship Ventures, bringing the startup’s total funding to $200 million, Yuliya Chernova reports for Dow Jones VentureWire. Roughly 85% of the round was equity, and the rest of the funding was debt, according to the company. Joule is years away from commercializing its process in which bacteria are injected into outdoor units… http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2015/05/11/the-daily-startup-biofuels-company-joule-pulls-in-40-million/ Apple Expands Renewable-Energy Goal — Energy Journal. Apple Inc. says its supply chain uses about 60 times as much power as its own facilities, so it wants to create enough renewable energy to power that chain, Daisuke Wakabayashi reports. Apple has already pledged to create sufficient energy through renewable sources to power its own global operations, and it says it generates renewable energy equivalent… http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/05/11/apple-expands-renewable-energy-goal-energy-journal/?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE Car (Electrification) Trouble? GM Says Demand For Electric Cars Has Not Met Projections. General Motors GM +0.06% said demand for electrified vehicles has fallen short of initial projects. Does this signal future problems with consumer acceptance of EVs? GM expects to fall short of its stated U.S. goal of 500,000 vehicles that have some form of electrification on the road by 2017… http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2015/05/11/car-electrification-trouble-gm-says-demand-for-electric-cars-has-not-met-projections/ A No Brainer: Strengthen Air Quality Standards Now. Does your kid have learning problems? Does he have problems concentrating and he is easily distracted? Is he doing poorly in school? There can be a host of reasons for these problems. But a recent study is confirming the notion that pollution coming from fossil fuels, such as gasoline and coal, can inflict lasting damage on the human brain development… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/javier-sierra/a-no-brainer-strengthen-air-quality-standards-now_b_7256360.html What’s the cheapest new car to drive? Hint: It’s an EV. There is a common perception that electric cars are really expensive. It isn’t helped by media fawning over the high-end Tesla Model S, which has a base price of $71,000. But most EVs cost much less than that, and measured over a five-year span, the total cost of owning and operating the more affordable EVs can actually be lower than the cheapest gas-swilling econo-boxes. http://grist.org/business-technology/whats-the-cheapest-new-car-to-drive-hint-its-an-ev/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 13:22:20 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 13, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 13, 2015. 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 Carbon-cutting plan offers something to agriculture. Democrats new carbon-reduction proposal includes tax rebates and credits for agribusiness. Democrats on Monday unveiled a new carbon-reduction bill designed to be more palatable to food manufacturers, but the processors aren’t swallowing it. Gov. Jay Inslee’s cap-and-trade proposal — the centerpiece of his climate-change agenda… http://www.capitalpress.com/Washington/20150513/carbon-cutting-plan-offers-something-to-agriculture AIR POLLUTION US settles with New York coke plant for $12M over pollution. A coal-burning industrial plant that a federal official called an "environmental outlaw" has agreed to pay $12 million to settle claims that it polluted the air and water with harmful chemicals, authorities said Monday. The agreement entered in U.S. District Court requires Tonawanda Coke Corp. to spend $7.9 million on pollution-reducing upgrades… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COKE_PLANT_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Richmond is the worst U.S. city for pollen and air pollution: study. Pollen- and pollution-ravaged Richmond, Memphis and Oklahoma City are the three "sneeziest and wheeziest" cities in the U.S., a new government study says. New York City didn't even make the Natural Resources Defense Council's list of the 35 worst cities for allergy and asthma sufferers. And smoggy Los Angeles was way down at No. 32. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/richmond-worst-u-s-city-pollen-pollution-st-article-1.2220564 Tuolumne County trasportation projects on hold. Tuolumne County and the City of Sonora are putting several transportation projects on the back burner after the loss of critical federal funding. Due to a recent change in federal air quality standards, the county is no longer eligible to receive up to $450,000 per year through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program. http://www.uniondemocrat.com/News/Local-News/Tuolumne-County-trasportation-projects-on-hold# CLIMATE CHANGE Indonesia Comes Up Short in $1 Billion Bid to Save Forests. A moratorium is renewed, but progress in saving trees and slowing carbon emissions has been slow. Indonesian President Joko Widodo agreed to renew a ban that prevents the issuing of new licenses to log primary forest and peat land, a move seen as helping combat deforestation and fight climate change. http://www.wsj.com/articles/indonesia-comes-up-short-in-1-billion-bid-to-save-forests-1431536197 Alaska’s Tricky Intersection of Obama’s Energy and Climate Legacies. President Obama’s move to open up vast, untouched Arctic waters to oil and gas drilling as he pursues an ambitious plan to fight climate change illustrates the inherent tensions in his environmental and energy agenda. As the first president to seriously tackle climate change…http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/13/us/politics/alaskas-tricky-intersection-of-obamas-energy-and-climate-legacies.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Walmart, General Mills, Anheuser-Busch Improve Freight Efficiency, Cut Emissions. Improving efficiency and environmental management in freight operations is becoming increasingly important to global brands including Kellogg’s, Walmart, Anheuser-Busch, Apple, Adidas, General Mills, H&M, Lowes, CVS and Hershey’s, according to an Environmental Defense Fund blog. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/05/13/walmart-general-mills-anheuser-busch-improve-freight-efficiency-cut-emissions/#ixzz3a2djZudA Forestry Groups Seek Rehearing in Lawsuit Overturning Biomass Permitting Exemption. Forestry groups asked federal appellate judges to rehear a lawsuit that struck down a temporary greenhouse gas permitting exemption for facilities burning biomass. Rehearing is warranted after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision limited the scope of the EPA's prevention of significant deterioration permitting program for greenhouse gases… http://www.bna.com/forestry-groups-seek-n17179926446/ Climate change is partially to blame for wildfires in California. Higher temperatures in the sate increase California’s chances of devastating forest fires. According to a forest ecology professor at Northern Arizona University, Wally Covington, although not entirely to blame for the wildfires in California, in recent decades, climate change has contributed to the increased frequency and severity of wildfires, as higher temperatures have left forests across California dry and easy to catch fire… http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/climate-change-is-partially-to-blame-for-wildfires-in-california/8522087/ Carbon Pollution’s Harm To Sea Life Coming Faster Than Expected. The oceans are now acidifying faster than they have been over the last 300 million years, a time period in which there were four major extinctions driven by natural bursts of carbon. In fact, humans are acidifying the oceans 10 times faster today than 55 million years ago when a mass extinction of marine species occurred. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/12/3657571/carbon-pollution-sea-life/ Researchers Discover How Abrupt Global Warming Event Triggered Highly Corrosive. Around 55 million years ago, an abrupt global warming event triggered a highly corrosive deep-water current through the North Atlantic Ocean. The current's origin puzzled scientists for a decade, but an international team of researchers has now discovered how it formed and the findings may have implications for the carbon dioxide emission sensitivity of today's climate. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=21862 How Brazilian beef industry became latest ally in fight against deforestation. Once criticized for mowing down tropical rainforests to make way for pasture, the worlds largest meatpacking company now shuns cattle raised on deforested land. Once seen as one of the biggest threats to the Amazon rainforest, large meatpacking companies can become important players in slowing the rate of deforestation. Preserving tropical forests, which store enormous amounts of carbon… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0512/How-Brazilian-beef-industry-became-latest-ally-in-fight-against-deforestation DROUGHT Drought update: Dry wells, debate over water cutbacks. With Californians increasing efforts to deal with the drought, lawmakers got an update Tuesday on exactly how bad things are and heard little to cheer them.Among other areas of concern, about 1,900 wells have gone dry, Mark Cowin, director of the California Department of Water Resources, told a Senate joint oversight hearing on the drought. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-hearing-20150512-story.html?track=rss California golf courses tee up water-saving measures. At first glance, nothing seems amiss at this lush, members-only golf club in one of the priciest communities in Orange County. A bubbling fountain gurgles out of an artificial lake. Emerald-green fairways stretch into the distance. Golf carts zoom across the grass like white ants. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article20804574.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sfgate.com/living/article/California-golf-courses-tee-up-water-saving-6259840.php http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2015/0513/Brown-is-the-new-green-How-California-golf-courses-respond-to-drought California drought: Few seem to mourn street medians’ slow death. The street median isn’t just a patch of grass in the middle of the road. Or is it? The leafy islands that have long brought calm to neighborhoods, and sometimes carry a sense of prestige — turning a mere street into a stately boulevard — are one of the targets of the state’s water conservation crackdown. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-drought-Few-seem-to-mourn-street-6256765.php California drought: How San Jose's mandatory water rationing will work. Think of it like a diet. Or a household budget. Only for water. But instead of counting calories or pennies, hundreds of thousands of Silicon Valley residents are soon going to have to learn how to read their water meters and keep weekly records of their water use if they want to avoid fines under the region's strict new water-rationing rules. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28102311/california-drought-new-details-emerge-about-san-joses LAUSD replacing toilets to save water during drought. The Los Angeles Unified school board approved $5 million Tuesday to replace 8,500 water closets and urinals as part of a growing initiative to conserve water during the California drought. Swapping out inefficient, dated or broken toilets will save 100 million gallons of water annually, LAUSD facilities officials estimate. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/13/51658/lausd-replacing-toilets-to-save-water-during-droug/ Nestlé pitches $7 million in projects to save water in California. Nestlé USA announced Tuesday it has invested $7 million in water savings projects in five water bottling plants and four other facilities in drought-plagued California. The investment is designed to save 63 million gallons of water each year when completed by the end of 2016, said Tim Brown… http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150512/nestlxe9-pitches-7-million-in-projects-to-save-water-in-california California water districts scramble to deal with ruling on rate tiers. During the last major drought in the early 1990s, Irvine pioneered a different approach for calculating water bills for customers. The city’s water agency allocated each customer a certain amount of water and then charged higher rates to those who exceeded it. http://www.redding.com/news/wire-news/california-water-districts-scramble-to-deal-with-ruling-on-rate-tiers Drought May Mean The End For Some Native Fish. The Delta smelt, the small fish that is often at the center of California's water wars, is likely headed toward extinction. On the back of a California Department of Fish and Wildlife boat, a hydraulic winch pulls in a giant net. Since 2002, the department has surveyed the number of spawning Delta smelt. http://www.capradio.org/47929 Water Flows Freely in Drought-Resistant Farm Towns of Southern California — For Now. In a wide field along a narrow two-lane road in the town of El Centro, the grass is tall and rusty brown. It’s not a water-starved golf course or parched public park. It’s a lush wheat field, in tiptop health, today getting harvested by a guy riding one of those big green combines. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/05/12/water-flows-freely-in-drought-resistant-farm-towns-of-southern-california-for-now Drought plunges state into more regulatory action. As California sinks deeper into drought, officials are taking an increased number of actions to protect dwindling water supplies. In addition to requiring a 25 percent overall cutback in municipal water use, the state began building an emergency salinity barrier on the San Joaquin River in Contra Costa County last week… http://www.agalert.com/story/?id=8224 8 Cost-Cutting Lessons from California’s Drought Crisis. Are you ready to drink recycled water from your faucet? You may find that idea hard to swallow, but it is being floated anew as water-saving lessons from California’s drought catch on around the country. Even the tornado-ravaged Midlands and rain-soaked Southeast will feel the effects of a four-year dry spell spreading across the West… http://finance.yahoo.com/news/8-cost-cutting-lessons-california-160313115.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Taft trucking company agrees to record fine under 2012 diesel rule. Air quality violations have cost a Taft trucking company a half-million dollars -- the largest settlement amount under a landmark diesel rule the industry says has hammered all but the largest operators since the regulation took effect in 2012. The California Air Resources Board fined Randy's Trucking Inc. $524,675 because the company failed… http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/business/kern-gusher/x506927495/Taft-trucking-company-agrees-to-record-fine-under-2012-diesel-rule Penske Awarded $400,000 Grant from DOE. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Penske Truck Leasing a $400,000 grant for the company’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Demonstration and Enhanced Driver Experience Project, to be administered by the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Penske will utilize the funds to further introduce alternative-fuel vehicles to its customer base, the company said. http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fuel-smarts/news/story/2015/05/penske-awarded-400-000-grant-from-doe.aspx FUELS Gas prices still look low for summer even after spring surge. Drivers who have seen a steady rise in the price of gasoline can relax: They will almost certainly be paying far less for gas this summer than they have in at least six years. "It's a cheap, cheap, cheap year," says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GASOLINE_PRICES_CHEAP_SUMMER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Shell: Drill rigs coming to Seattle despite pleas for delay. Royal Dutch Shell says it has a valid lease for Seattle terminal space and a tight timeline to prepare its fleet for exploratory oil drilling in Arctic waters, so the company plans to move in its rigs despite protests from activists and a request from the port that it wait. About a dozen protesters in kayaks met one of two drill rigs Shell plans to use, the 514-foot-long Noble Discoverer… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING_RIGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Shell: Company will bring drill rigs to Seattle terminal. Despite a Seattle port commission request that Royal Dutch Shell delay any moorage of oil exploration vessels in the city pending further legal review, a Shell spokesman said Tuesday his company will bring its rigs to a terminal as planned to prepare for exploratory drilling in Arctic waters. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_DRILL_SHIPS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT China becomes world's top crude buyer despite economy stuttering. China overtook the United States as the world's top importer of crude oil for the first time in April, and its purchases are expected to remain strong despite a slowing economy, with far-reaching consequences for global oil and commodities markets. The soaring imports came as a surprise as growth in the world's second-largest economy was sputtering and its oil demand was expected to ease. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/11/china-crude-imports-idUSL4N0XW1TO20150511 What happens if we scrap the US oil exports ban? The push to end the decades-old oil export ban is heating up in the Senate, but there's opposition from green groups who oppose drilling, and from legislators worried lifting the ban could be blamed for higher gasoline prices. he longstanding ban on most US crude oil exports could be on the way out. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0513/What-happens-if-we-scrap-the-US-oil-exports-ban Gas closes in on coal in power plant generation. For the first time in three years, natural gas is about to catch up with coal as a fuel for the nation's power plants, foreshadowing the crucial role of gas supplies in meeting U.S. EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan. Natural gas prices below $3 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) have created the closest convergence of the two power plant fuels since April 2012… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/05/13/stories/1060018475 Report calls low oil prices an expensive distraction from future energy needs. Lower oil prices provide temporary relief for consumers, but rising volatility around oil prices will be a much bigger challenge to long-term energy market stability and could undermine a transition to clean energy, according to a new analysis prepared by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/13/stories/1060018442 Biofuels: Don't Assume They're All Carbon-Neutral, New Study Warns. To many, biofuels seem like the ultimate compromise between lower carbon emissions and practicality. It's easy to see the appeal of fuels billed as cleaner replacements for gasoline that also require few changes to established consumer routines. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098269_biofuels-dont-assume-theyre-all-carbon-neutral-new-study-warns VEHICLES Tesla Pledges to Meet China Charging Standards. Luxury electric-car maker would adapt its vehicles to meet future requirements. Tesla Motors Inc. said it would modify its battery-powered electric cars to meet China’s charging standards to allay concerns over its technology’s incompatibility in the country, where the company’s sales have fallen short of its expectations. http://www.wsj.com/articles/tesla-to-modify-cars-to-meet-china-charging-standards-1431412891 OPINIONS Blumenfeld: Bold but simple plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Surely you've heard this famous wisecrack, often attributed to Mark Twain: "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." It endures because it cleverly states the plain truth -- nobody "does anything" about the weather simply because we can't. But how does Twain's one-liner hold up with a twenty-first-century rephrasing? "Everybody talks about climate change, but nobody does anything about it." http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Blumenfeld-Bold-but-simple-plan-to-reduce-6259432.php CASSIE MACDUFF: How to help your lawn limp through the drought. An emerald-green lawn used to be a matter of neighborhood pride. Now the lawn is the bad guy in California’s drought crisis. Having lush, green grass is a badge of shame. You’ve probably already started watering your landscaping less often. Cities and water districts are limiting irrigation to three or four days a week, or every other day. http://www.pe.com/articles/water-767060-lawn-less.html Op-Ed: How GWP is dealing with the drought? California is in the fourth year of one of the most severe droughts ever recorded. In the last few months, records have been set for the highest temperatures and driest conditions for this time of year. This has prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to issue several Executive Orders including mandatory conservation provisions. http://www.glendalenewspress.com/opinion/tn-gnp-op-ed-how-gwp-is-dealing-with-the-drought-20150512,0,3406492.story Column: Don’t weaken clean car standards. At the Detroit Auto Show in January, Chevy unveiled the all-electric Bolt and the new, improved Volt 2.0. Both represent major accomplishments. Equally notable is Toyota’s recent unveiling of the fuel cell electric Mirai. And the announcement by Ford CEO Mark Fields that his company’s fleet is on track to meet the national clean car standards adopted in 2011… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/05/13/column-clean-car-standards/27196711/ BLOGS EIA: U.S. shale production set to fall again in June. U.S. shale production growth will fall 86,000 barrels per day next month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated in its monthly report, more evidence the nation’s oil boom is in decline. The EIA’s monthly forecast is the second in a row to project an overall decline in domestic production growth, as diminishing output from older shale wells outpaces new gushers in the oil fields. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/05/12/eia-u-s-shale-set-to-fall-again-in-june/#30727101=0 Climate Change to Increase Respiratory Health Threats in St. Louis. While spring is always a welcome sight after a long dreary winter, it can be a rude awakening if you suffer from allergies and asthma. The itchy eyes, sneezing and wheezing are not only inconvenient, for some it can be dangerous. A new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that one-in-three Americans lives in the "sneeziest and wheeziest" cities and distinguishes… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rstanfield/climate_change_to_increase_res.html ALA Report: air quality mixed in Texas, throughout USA. The American Lung Association (ALA) recently released the 2015 State of the Air report. Unfortunately, they found the quality of air remains mixed throughout Texas and the United States. Created using data reported as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) national monitoring network, the report analyzes particle and ozone pollution… http://blogs.edf.org/texascleanairmatters/2015/05/12/ala-report-air-quality-mixed-in-texas-throughout-usa/ Air Pollution Is Making Me Anxious. A new study has come to my attention. It proposes that air pollution may impact mental health. The BMJ published a paper that examined whether "higher past exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with prevalent high symptoms of anxiety." Melinda C. Power, based at John Hopkins University, was the lead author on the report. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-g-yerman/air-pollution-is-making-me-anxious_b_7123288.html Beyond California: The Worst Droughts In American History. A senior hydrologist for California says the state’s ongoing drought will become more severe—at least in the San Joaquin River Valley—than any similar-length drought of the past century. “With the forecast just made, this year is going to be the worst four-year sequence on the San Joaquin River group… http://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2015/05/13/forget-california-north-america-has-faced-far-worst-droughts/ Study suggests 25% of cars cause 90% of pollution. There are growing concerns that the move towards lowering emissions isn't doing enough to actually protect people, and the result is premature deaths from breathing the harmful substances. A study by researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada suggests the vast majority of these automotive pollutants come from a very small number of vehicles. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/05/12/25-percent-cars-cause-90-percent-pollution-study/ Cap-and-trade "best solution we can agree on" for climate change. The experts were broadly supportive of cap-and-trade with 19% saying it is an ideal abatement instrument, 66% saying it is the best we can agree on, and just 8% saying it does more harm than good. The experts were broadly supportive of cap-and-trade with 19% saying it is an ideal abatement instrument, 66% saying it is the best we can agree on… http://www.edie.net/news/6/Cap-and-trade-quotbest-solution-we-can-agree-onquot-for-climate-change/28242/ Global warming and the "Green Rush." Climate change and cannabis: Experts warn potency and potential for habitat disruption may increase along with CO2 and temperatures. Global warming may give a minor twist to that classic hippie bumper sticker that quips "Acid rain: Too bad it's not as much fun as it sounds." Turns out a warming climate could boost the medicinal and psychoactive properties of plants including cannabis. http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2015/05/climate-change-marijuana-pot-global-warming-potent Toyota, Mazda announce 'long-term partnership' in technology. Toyota Motor Corp. and Japanese rival Mazda are expanding their partnership to a long-term one focusing on technologies in the areas of safety and fuel efficiency. Toyota President Akio Toyoda and Mazda Motor Corp. President Masamichi Kogai shook hands at a Tokyo hotel on Wednesday, both smiling and decked out in dark suits and red ties. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20150513/as-japan-toyota-mazda/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 14:21:50 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 14, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 14, 2015. 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 EU diplomats approve proposal to start CO2 market reform in 2019. European Union diplomats have approved a proposal to begin reform of the world's biggest carbon market in 2019, Latvia, the holder of the EU Presidency, said on Wednesday. Discussions have dragged on for months over the plan to begin operating a Market Stability Reserve (MSR) to remove some of huge surplus of carbon allowances… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/13/us-eu-carbon-idUSKBN0NY18I20150513 Carbon credits don't equal pollution reduction. Existing alternative fuel facilities will get new carbon credits. Supporters of Oregon’s low-carbon fuel standard offered a simple promise as lawmakers considered legislation to make the program permanent earlier this year. The standard would reduce carbon emissions from transportation fuel in the state by 10 percent over the next decade… http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/260174-131419-carbon-credits-dont-equal-pollution-reduction AIR POLLUTION Santa Monica Airport emission standards to be reviewed. City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to have city attorneys review ways to control emissions at Santa Monica Airport. “We know that in recent years, epidemiological evidence of the effects of air pollution has increased our knowledge about the types and opportunities to control emissions so in addition we have seen numerous studies and actions on controlling hot spots for air pollution… http://smdp.com/santa-monica-airport-emission-standards-reviewed/148009 Hidden Cost of Convenience: How Online Purchases Are Costing SoCal Communities. With the click of a mouse, you can now get almost anything delivered overnight from online retailers like Amazon, Zappos, Walmart and many others. But that speedy convenience comes at a high price — it’s creating worsening pollution for parts of Southern California and is possibly making thousands of people sick… http://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/Hidden-Cost-of-Convenience-How-Online-Purchases-Are-Costing-SoCal-Communities-303535401.html Advocates push to ban e-cigarettes, vaping indoors. Legislators and health groups endorsed a bill Wednesday to put vaping and e-cigarettes on the same legal footing as tobacco and ban smoking the nicotine-delivery devices indoors. “Our children, our co-workers, friends and families should not have to wait to breathe clean air again in New York,” said Bill Sherman, a lobbyist for the American Cancer Society. http://www.troyrecord.com/health/20150513/advocates-push-to-ban-e-cigarettes-vaping-indoors Study: 25 Percent of Cars Create Most Air Pollution. The majority of vehicle pollution is produced by a small number of older or "badly-tuned" cars and trucks, according to a study by researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada. The study measured the emissions of 100,000 vehicles as they drove past air-sampling probes of the university's… http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/05/study-25-percent-of-cars-create-most-air-pollution.aspx ClearSign Technology Slashes Emissions, Increases Efficiency. ClearSign Combustion says its project operating at Shell/Exxon joint venture Aera Energy’s facility in Bakersfield, California has increased system efficiency by 3 percent to 4 percent while operating at 52 million Btu/hour, simultaneously slashing NOx emissions to below 5ppm — well below the San Joaquin Valley’s strict air quality regulations. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/05/14/clearsign-technology-slashes-emissions-increases-efficiency/#ixzz3a7ystGJz CLIMATE CHANGE Pope’s Adviser Says U.S. Critics Wrong on Climate Change. Pope Francis’s closest adviser said U.S. critics are wrong to try to shut the pontiff out of the debate over climate change because the church has a role to play in shaping the ethical considerations of emissions. Francis is due to publish an encyclical, one of the highest forms of papal writings, on humanity’s relationship with nature next month… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-14/pope-s-adviser-says-u-s-critics-wrong-on-climate-change Political inertia must not strangle climate deal: island minister. The Marshall Islands' foreign minister, Tony de Brum, says his job is fast becoming one of disaster manager. In the last six weeks, his Pacific island nation has been hit by three typhoons big enough to deserve names, and a dozen smaller tropical storms – an uptick he attributes to climate change. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/14/us-climate-change-pacific-idUSKBN0NZ1HB20150514 Senate Unveils Bill to Immediately Kill Clean Power Plan, Set Strict Limits on New Rules. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) unveiled legislation May 13 that would immediately scuttle the Environmental Protection Agency's carbon pollution regulations for the nation's fleet of power plants and set strict standards for the agency to meet if it pursues new rules. http://www.bna.com/senate-unveils-bill-n17179926512/ Number of days with temperatures above 95°F to soar in L.A. County. By 2050, parts of Los Angeles County are forecast to experience triple or quadruple the number of days of extreme heat if nothing is done to control greenhouse gas emissions, placing further demand on the region’s drinking water and electricity, according to two new reports by UCLA scientists. That could mean that by mid-century, downtown Los Angeles could see an average of 22 days of extreme heat… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-extreme-heat-20150514-htmlstory.html Senate GOP launches attack on EPA climate rules. Senate Republicans introduced a bill Wednesday that would overturn the Obama administration’s landmark climate regulations for power plants and make it nearly impossible to rewrite them. The bill is the GOP’s first major legislative push against the Environmental Protection Agency’s emissions limits since Republicans seized control of the Senate in November. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/241952-senate-gop-aims-to-overturn-epa-climate-rules Carbon Tracker report offers roadmap for energy transition. In advance of November's SRI Conference on Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing, conference host First Affirmative Financial Network conducted a survey of more than 500 sustainable investment professionals. The survey revealed the degree to which fossil fuel free investment strategies are becoming increasingly commonplace… http://www.greenbiz.com/article/carbon-tracker-report-offers-roadmap-energy-transition Are carbon-removing gas stations the future of transportation? Today, moving people and goods around the planet accounts for nearly 15 percent of global carbon emissions. Scientists, however, are increasingly (PDF) convinced that to prevent climate change we need not just eliminate those emissions, but also remove and sequester large volumes of excess carbon from our atmosphere and oceans. http://www.greenbiz.com/article/are-carbon-removing-gas-stations-future-transportation "Pre-Pay" Carbon Policy: How Carbon Removal Enables Regulatory Alternatives. Today, there is growing bipartisan support for governments across the world to price carbon emissions. Moving from theory to practice, however, has proven challenging, as the two leading approaches to pricing carbon, carbon taxes and cap-and-trade programs, only cover about 12% of all carbon emissions globally today. http://theenergycollective.com/noahdeich/2227191/pre-pay-carbon-policy-how-carbon-removal-enables-regulatory-alternatives This Was The Hottest 4-Month Start Of Any Year On Record. It’s increasingly likely that 2015 will be the hottest year on record, possibly by a wide margin. NASA reported Wednesday that this was the hottest four-month start (January to April) of any year on record. This was also the second-warmest March on record in NASA’s dataset. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/14/3658741/hottest-4-month-record/ What's Behind India's Crackdown on Social Justice & Climate Activists? Attacks are undermining India's global standing, the stability of its democracy and its role in upcoming climate talks, experts say. India has recently ramped up attacks on environmental and development organizations that work on climate, clean energy and sustainability issues. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/14052015/whats-behind-indias-crackdown-social-justice-climate-activists 30% of surveyed firms say they already experience impacts from climate change. Nearly one-third of businesses surveyed by researchers affiliated with the University of Notre Dame reported they have experienced material impacts from climate events, while more than 70 percent said they are at least "somewhat concerned" that climate change will have a material impact on their operations in the future. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/14/stories/1060018534 DROUGHT El Niño strengthens, drought relief possible. El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean that were first identified in March are strengthening, federal scientists said Thursday, renewing hope that the next winter could be a long-awaited wet one for California. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-20150514-story.html Cold, windy storm heads toward drought-stricken California. A cold, windy storm that originated in the Gulf of Alaska was expected to move into the San Francisco Bay Area before heading to Southern California, providing some rain to a drought-stricken state. But don't expect the dousing to ease the state's worsening water shortage, National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Kittell said. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Cold-windy-storm-heads-toward-drought-stricken-6262578.php DIESEL ACTIVITIES ConocoPhillips converting 30 trucks to LPG this year, 300 more over next 5. ConocoPhillips will convert 30 trucks to propane autogas this year and replace more than 300 more trucks over the next five years with vehicles powered by propane fuel technology. ConocoPhillips has been testing ROUSH CleanTech propane vehicles in the field since 2011, logging thousands of miles in northwest New Mexico and southwest Colorado. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150514-cop.html FUELS Canadian Aboriginal Group Rejects $1 Billion Fee for Natural Gas Project. A small aboriginal community in British Columbia has rejected a $1 billion payment for a natural gas project, the latest setback for the Canadian energy industry’s effort to bolster exports. A group led by the Malaysian energy company Petronas had offered the money to… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/14/business/energy-environment/canadian-aboriginal-group-rejects-1-billion-fee-for-natural-gas-project.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/05/14/stories/1060018510 U.N. climate chief slams fossil fuel investments, outlines steps for Paris deal. On the heels of President Obama's controversial decision to greenlight renewed oil drilling in the Arctic, the United Nations' top climate change official yesterday declared that fossil fuels have become an unwise investment. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/14/stories/1060018537 Construction launches on first greenfield LNG terminal. The past several years have seen a frenzy of effort to retrofit natural gas import terminals for exports, and four such projects are currently under construction in the United States. Now, the first greenfield project to export liquefied natural gas is going forward with the announcement yesterday that Cheniere Energy's Corpus Christi Liquefaction… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/05/14/stories/1060018536 VEHICLES Volkswagen unveils Golf GTE Sport PHEV concept: 0-100 km/h in 4.3s and 118 mpg. Volkswagen used the annual Wörthersee festival in Austria as the venue to unveil the Golf GTE Sport concept plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Featuring a carbon fiber body and a three power unit, all-wheel drive system, the 295 kW (396 hp) Golf GTE Sport accelerates from 0 - 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, has a top speed of up to 280 km/h (174 mph)… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150514-gtesport.html Mazda To Lean On Toyota For Hybrid, Fuel-Cell Expertise. Mazda and Toyota will work together over the next few years in an arrangement that will see the two carmakers pool their green technologies. Japan's largest carmaker and one of its smallest will enter into a "mutually beneficial long-term partnership," according to a press release issued by Mazda. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098289_mazda-to-lean-on-toyota-for-hybrid-fuel-cell-expertise Porsche Electric Sport Sedan To Target Tesla In 2018, Fuel-Cell Version To Follow? Porsche has already built three plug-in hybrids, but the German carmaker hasn't yet shown much enthusiasm for pure electric cars. Various rumors of different all-electric Porsche models have been shot down by executives in public comments. Yet this may turn out to be a case of Porsche protesting too much. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098287_porsche-electric-sport-sedan-to-target-tesla-in-2018-fuel-cell-version-to-follow GREEN ENERGY New Bill Would Ensure The U.S. Gets No More Than 70 Percent Of Its Energy From Non-Renewable Sources. More than half of U.S. states have a renewable standard or target in place that determines the amount of renewable energy they produce. Now, seven Democratic senators want the U.S. to follow suit, and are pushing for the country to establish a nationwide standard for renewable energy. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/14/3658190/senators-introduce-national-renewable-energy-standard/ Energy bill shifts focus to renewables, electricity. The Senate gave preliminary approval Wednesday to an energy bill that requires utility companies for the first time to provide renewable electricity to their customers and to devise programs to help customers use less fossil fuel. The bill — H. 40 - sets a statewide renewable energy standard designed to reduce greenhouse gases in the state… http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2015/05/13/energy-bill-shifts-focus-renewables-electricity/27276467/ Data-powered resilience: How IBM helps simulate climate change. Translating climate data into actionable insights that can lead to more timely, accurate and reliable forecasts will go a long way in helping communities become more resilient in the face of climate impacts such as extreme weather. But that's also easier said than done; reliable resilience planning also requires gathering, storing and analyzing huge quantities of data. http://www.greenbiz.com/article/data-powered-resilience-how-ibm-helps-simulate-climate-change Company looks to be the 'middleman' to expand corporate green energy. Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are all getting into green energy in a big way. But for companies with a lack of capital or direct access to energy sources, going green isn't so easy. Corporate power purchase agreements from renewable energy providers have surged in popularity amid a slew of policies aimed at increasing renewable power sources in states and nationwide. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/05/14/stories/1060018515 MISCELLANEOUS California Governor Proposes Record $115.3 Billion Budget. The budget also includes: — $2.2 billion for programs to conserve water, respond to emergency conditions and expand local water supplies in the drought. — $1.2 billion increase in revenue from the state's landmark effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions for a total of $2.2 billion. California's cap-and-trade program was expanded this year to include fees on gasoline, natural gas, propane and heating oil. Delta Counties Coalition has a few choice words for the governor. The Delta Counties Coalition is not exactly telling the governor to “shut up,” as he told critics of his $68 billion Delta tunnels crusade last week, but it does have a few firm words for the aging executive. “The studies are clear: Twin tunnels won't create more water for drought-thirsty California," says Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28329 OPINIONS The Honor of Being Mugged by Climate Censors. I believe in globaOpponents of free debate are celebrating. Last week, under pressure from some climate-change activists, the University of Western Australia canceled its contract to host a planned research center, Australia Consensus, intended to apply economic cost-benefit analysis to development projects—giving policy makers a tool to ensure their aid budgets are spent wisely. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-honor-of-being-mugged-by-climate-censors-1431558936?mod=trending_now_10 Cap and trade just about the money. Re “Jackpot seen in carbon funds” (Page 1A, May 11): California lawmakers are rejoicing over the sudden jackpot of money that they can spend however they please from their cap-and-trade scam. They have not established any method to gauge their success or inevitable failure to affect the climate one iota, except with more computer models. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article20855358.html#storylink=cpy Fed up with polluters. ‘At a time when scientists tell us we need to reduce carbon pollution to prevent catastrophic climate change, it is absurd to provide massive taxpayer subsidies that pad fossil-fuel companies’ already enormous profits.” — Sen. Bernie Sanders The recent announcement by Sanders of his intention to run for president was a shot across… http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/05/14/3633028_fed-up-with-polluters.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Danger at the Dunes. I am a resident and homeowner of Oceano. Our beach is poised to succumb to sea level rise because of the activities of the Off-Highway Motor Vehicular Recreation Division of State Parks, especially at the Pier Avenue ramp. The off-road division uses the Oceano beach as the main entrance to its off-road recreation area. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/05/14/3633025/danger-at-the-dunes.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS How to teach climate change to a conservative community. The National Center for Science Education is a non-profit organization with some 5,000 members that provides information and resources for schools, parents, and concerned citizens working to keep evolution and climate science in public school science education. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/05/14/how-to-teach-climate-change-to-a-conservative-community/ GOP Works to Defund Studies So They Can Deny Climate Change. Rather than address or even face the impending issues surrounding climate change, the GOP has chosen instead to stick their fingers in their ears. Not only do they want to simply ignore the problem, but they are trying to make it difficult for the rest of us to even know that it exists. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-zombeck/gop-works-to-defund-studi_b_7279786.html Battery Wars: Is Tesla Setting Up A House Of Cards? Is Tesla’s new battery storage product the ‘holy grail’ needed to integrate renewable energy and improve the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the electricity grid? It doesn’t look that way. In fact, it may be a second product line for a money-losing company that has serious issues with sustainable competitive advantage. http://www.forbes.com/sites/chipregister1/2015/05/14/battery-wars-is-tesla-setting-up-a-house-of-cards/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 15 May 2015 14:25:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 15, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 15, 2015. 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 Britain risks losing out in carbon debate if it exits EU. Should Britain vote to leave the European Union it would be relegated to the sidelines over important carbon market reforms vital to safeguarding EU environmental targets over the next decade and beyond. The Conservative Party's victory in general elections this month means Britons will be asked to vote on whether to leave the club of 28 EU nations possibly as early as next year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/us-eu-ets-britain-idUSKBN0O01D220150515?virtualBrandChannel=11563 WRI Report Outlines US Carbon Pricing Alternatives. This May, the World Resources Institute, a global research organization spanning over 50 countries, released Putting a Price on Carbon: A Handbook for U.S. Policymakers, an important reference guide that addresses decarbonization and its interaction with many other policy priorities. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/15/wri-report-outlines-us-carbon-pricing-alternatives/ AIR POLLUTION EPA: Waste incinerator released dangerous toxins into air. A hazardous-waste incinerator in Ohio released dangerous toxins into the air over the past four years, exposing those nearby to chemicals that can cause cancer, miscarriages and early death, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_INCINERATOR_DANGEROUS_TOXINS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Booming Ulan Bator, the world's coldest capital, is choking on smoke. Thirteenth century Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan worshiped the sky as a god and declared it the source of power as his hordes built the world's most expansive empire. In the last few years, however, smog and ash have increasingly blotted out the sky here in modern Mongolia's capital. Coal-fired power plants and the exhaust from the growing number of motor vehicles … http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-mongolia-air-pollution-20150515-story.html Doosan Infracore Company fined $647,500 for violating air pollution regs. Another engine manufacturing company has run afoul of California's stringent air pollution regulations and has agreed to pay a significant fine as a result. South Korean based Doosan Infracore Company Ltd. illegally made field modifications to previously certified compressed natural gas (CNG) motor vehicle engines in violation of California's Health & Safety Code. http://www.examiner.com/article/doosan-infracore-company-fined-647-500-for-violating-air-pollution-regs Study: Most car-related air pollution comes from only 25% of cars. A recent study found that 25 percent of cars produced 90 percent of local car pollution. When it comes to polluting the environment, not all cars (or drivers) are created equal. A recent study conducted by University of Toronto researchers found that just 25 percent of cars they measured produced about 90 percent of the total traffic-related air pollution. http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2015/05/14/study-most-car-related-air-pollution-comes-from-only-cars/VKpC0ppQdBRTppWB40ghqO/story.html?camp=rss%3Acars&dlvrit=834420 China’s Drop In Coal Use This Year Has Reduced CO2 Emissions More Than Some Countries’ Total Output. China is the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, so small decreases in its emissions seem like monumental feats when compared to other countries. According to a new analysis, in the first four months of 2015, China’s coal use fell almost 8 percent compared to the same period last year… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/15/3659355/china-coal-use-drops/ CLIMATE CHANGE Canada proposes cutting emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Canada says it will commit to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 amid international efforts to create a new framework for addressing climate change. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government said Friday it has now formally submitted its target to the United Nations Framework Convention… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CN_CANADA_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/us-climate-change-canada-idUSKBN0O01RT20150515 India, China commit to work together on climate change. China and India, the world's No. 1 and No. 3 greenhouse gas emitters, projected a united front on climate change on Friday with a rare joint statement that asked rich countries to step up efforts to reduce global carbon emissions. The statement, issued by the two largest developing nations during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/us-india-china-climate-idUSKBN0O00N420150515 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-15/india-china-to-submit-emission-pledge-well-before-december Weak climate deal would jeopardise new development goals - experts – TRFN. The world's chances of achieving new international development goals will be slim without more ambitious action to curb climate change, researchers said. Pakistan, for example, is unlikely to be able to end poverty by 2030 if accelerating climate change brings worse weather disasters, water scarcity and other problems… http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/climate-change-development-idINL5N0Y62YZ20150515 http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article21092721.html#storylink=cpy The really scary thing about wildfires is how they can worsen climate change. The state of California, always bullish on trying to cut back on its greenhouse gas emissions, received a bit of a shock recently. It learned that the expanse of its drought-parched forested lands, when they go up in flames — and experts forecast a very bad fire season this year — may actually be contributing to global warming. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/14/how-massive-wildfires-can-actually-warm-the-planet/ El Niño outlook improves. It was the big tease of 2014. Scientists reported that El Niño conditions were shaping up in the Pacific Ocean, potentially bringing winter rains that could end California’s historic drought. But then it all fizzled. Now, scientists say, El Niño is back — and perhaps more promising. On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the probability of El Niño conditions… http://www.montereyherald.com/general-news/20150514/el-nixf1o-outlook-improves Effects Of Climate Change On Sierra Nevada Butterflies. In 1972, UC Davis Professor of Evolution and Ecology Art Shapiro began observing butterflies in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada. He continued collecting data on butterflies every two weeks for the next 40 years. And it wasn’t until a young ecologist named Matt Forister started working his lab that this data could be sorted out and analyzed. http://www.capradio.org/news/insight/2015/05/15/insight-051515b/ How Rivers Bury Carbon at Sea. Rivers transport 200 million tons of carbon to the oceans every year, according to new research that calculates the role of rivers in carbon storage. The study, conducted by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, assessed samples from 43 river systems that put out more than 20 percent of the world’s river sediments. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-rivers-bury-carbon-at-sea/ New Reactors May Be Needed for Climate Fight in U.S. Slow advances in reactor designs, compared to far more rapid advances in renewable energy and energy storage, mean that low-carbon energy systems may end up competing head to head with nuclear. Rising temperatures around the world are a compelling argument for nuclear energy, industry advocates say. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-reactors-may-be-needed-for-climate-fight-in-u-s/ New Federal Flood Protection Standards Will Prepare Nation for Climate Change. Three months ago the President signed an executive order that updated flood protection standards that federal agencies use when deciding where to build, how to build, and what projects should receive federal funding. The executive order established an improved margin of safety and called for agencies to evaluate how sea level rise… http://theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2225171/new-federal-flood-protection-standards-will-prepare-nation-climate-change The TPP Could Have Disastrous Results For The Climate, Environmental Groups Warn. A wide-reaching trade agreement between the United States and several Asian nations could have catastrophic repercussions for climate change, including giving corporations the power to sue governments that try to limit polluting industries, environmental groups say. In order to avoid dangerous climate change… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/15/3658901/the-tpp-could-be-bad-for-the-climate/ Climate Change Contributes to Drop in Ozone Levels. Researchers at the University of Houston have determined that climate change - in the form of a stronger sea breeze, the result of warmer soil temperatures - contributed to the drop in high-ozone days in the Houston area. Robert Talbot, professor of atmospheric chemistry, said that also should be true for coastal regions globally. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=21878 Researchers Find Clear Indications of Warming in the Upper Troposphere. Researchers have published results in Environmental Research Letters confirming strong warming in the upper troposphere, known colloquially as the tropospheric hotspot. The hot has been long expected as part of global warming theory and appears in many global climate models. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=21879 World's 3rd-largest shipping registry may stop registering oil rigs because of climate change. Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony de Brum said the island nation may stop registering oil rigs in an effort to address climate change. The country is considered one of the most vulnerable in the world to climate change, and is already being affected by rising seas, food shortages, droughts and flooding. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/15/stories/1060018593 African country's growing season may decline 40% by 2050 because of climate change. Corn is king in the southeastern African country of Malawi, but climate change-driven changes in rainfall could mean its status as a staple crop may not be sustainable. According to a new climate simulation analysis, by the middle of the century, Malawi's growing season is likely to be between 20 to 40 percent shorter than it is today. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/15/stories/1060018626 DROUGHT California environmentalists ask court to halt oil industry water rules. California environmentalists on Thursday asked a Superior Court judge to vacate new regulations governing the disposal of water produced by oil drilling, saying they do not move quickly enough to protect water supplies in the drought-ravaged state. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/us-oil-california-lawsuit-idUSKBN0O001920150515 Drought relief, at last? New signs point to strengthening El Niño. Some experts have believed that the first signs of California’s drought easing could emerge thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. That’s where the famously fickle weather condition known as El Niño forms. Predicting one can be difficult. But when the effects of a very strong El Niño arrive in California, heavy — sometimes epic — rains often follow. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-el-nino-20150515-htmlstory.html California agency misses deadline on reporting oil-industry water use. he state's oil and gas agency has missed the deadline for reporting on the use of water by oil producers in California, saying that the large volume of information required could not be processed in time. The California Department of Conservation failed to meet an April 30 deadline for making public a broad range of information regarding the source… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-oil-water-20150514-story.html Proposed state budget allocates $2.2 billion for drought response. As Californians prepare to confront the coming hot, dry summer months, Gov. Jerry Brown proposed more than $2 billion in additional drought funding Thursday as part of his revised state budget. The surge in funding comes mostly from Proposition 1, a $7.5-billion bond measure for water projects approved last year by voters. http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-me-pc-state-budget-drought-20150514-story.html Bottled water companies under fire amid California’s drought. Environmental groups have long taken aim at bottled water companies for contributing to the glut of plastic bottles that clog landfills, streams and waterways. Now, amid California’s drought, they’re looking at the water itself. Groups such as Food & Water Watch, http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article21049293.html#storylink=cpy 'The use is obscene' -- wealthy Calif. town slammed for topping water-usage list. Bermuda Dunes, an oasis town of about 6,000 located in the Coachella Valley, has been named as the heaviest water-using municipality in the drought-stricken state of California. The identification of the town is being touted as the latest example of "drought shaming… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/15/stories/1060018590 Demand outstrips funding for Metropolitan lawn rebates (but you can still apply). In one recent week, Southern Californians applied for $48 million in rebates for lawns. “Cash for grass” programs have been around in some form since at least a couple of droughts ago, but the Metropolitan Water District calls this level of interest in its current program “unprecedented.” http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/15/51717/demand-outstrips-funding-for-metropolitan-lawn-reb/ FUELS Kayakers protest as Arctic drill rig moors off Seattle. As a massive oil drill rig moved into Seattle, about two dozen activists in kayaks paddled to the middle of Elliott Bay, linked boats and unfurled a banner to make a stand against Royal Dutch Shell's plan to open a new frontier of fossil fuel exploration in the Arctic Ocean. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING_RIGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT US industrial output falls for 5th month on lower drilling. A plunge in energy-related drilling and sluggish manufacturing sent U.S. industrial output down for a fifth straight month in April. Overall industrial production slid 0.3 percent in April after a drop of the same size in March, the Federal Reserve said Friday. The figures suggest that weakness in manufacturing and mining is weighing heavily on the economy. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_INDUSTRIAL_PRODUCTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT China Fires Away at Coal Power. Reforms to the electricity sector spell bad news for coal-powered operators. China is planning the biggest overhaul of its power industry in over a decade. And the scope for upheaval is biggest at companies that depend on coal, such as China Resources Power. In the past two months, China’s top planning body has published multiple documents stressing that market forces should decide how electricity is generated… http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-fires-away-at-coal-power-1431592218?KEYWORDS=climate+change Study maps hundreds of methane gas leaks under streets in L.A. region. An environmental group has identified nearly 250 locations where planet-warming methane is leaking from natural gas lines under streets in the Greater Los Angeles region. Environmental Defense Fund researchers outfitted a Google Street View mapping car with real-time air monitoring equipment that can detect elevated levels of methane, the main component of natural gas. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-methane-gas-leaks-20150514-story.html?track=rss VEHICLES What Should Georgia Electric-Car Buyers Do By June 30? Georgia's income-tax credit for the purchase of a zero-emission vehicle will become history in about six weeks. That poses a problem for the state's electric-car shoppers: Buy before June 30 to take advantage of the expiring credit, or wait for improved battery-electric cars expected to arrive within two years. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098325_what-should-georgia-electric-car-buyers-do-by-june-30 Used Toyota Hybrid Batteries Repurposed At Yellowstone National Park. Even after they're no longer suitable for their original purpose, the battery packs from hybrids and electric cars can still be useful. Battery energy-storage capacity diminishes over time, to the point where packs are no longer suitable for use in cars. But after their automotive service lives are finished, battery packs often still have enough usable capacity for other applications. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098326_used-toyota-hybrid-batteries-repurposed-at-yellowstone-national-park GREEN ENERGY Conservative push for solar is backed by usual green advocates. When Debbie Dooley, a Tea Party firebrand from Woodstock Georgia, makes the case for solar power, she doesn't rely on the usual environmental talking points. She speaks of property rights, national security and free market competition. Former Republican Congressman Barry Goldwater, Jr. casts his support for solar energy as a conservative… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/solar-conservatives-insight-pix-graphics-idUSL1N0Y524S20150515 Bank of America issues $600m green bond. Proceeds will be used to finance clean energy and efficiency projects as part of company's $70bn environmental commitment. Bank of America has issued a $600m green bond to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, adding further impetus to the rapidly expanding market. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2408636/bank-of-america-issues-usd600m-green-bond http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/15/stories/1060018624 MISCELLANEOUS Paramount Firm Pays $142,000 Penalty for Waste Violations. Anaplex Corp. of Paramount has agreed to pay $142,000 to settle allegations that the plating company had violated hazardous waste rules, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced late Thursday. The agency said the alleged violations go back five years, when its inspectors found the Anaplex facility had failed to treat wastewater… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20150515/cn-canada-climate-talks/ OPINIONS California's Future Is in Australia. California's worst-in-a-century drought is forcing the state to impose strict limits on water use and to consider increasingly elaborate and expensive proposals to move water from here to there. Those steps may be necessary, but they should be accompanied by something more rational and efficient. That mechanism, of course, is the market. When it comes to California's water, however -- especially the 80 percent of it used in agriculture -- the market is woefully inefficient. And making it work is no easy process. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-05-15/can-california-have-a-water-market- Carbon Credits Over Growth. Another European scheme to keep energy costs artificially high. Low fuel prices have been a welcome bright spot for the European economy in recent months, so leave it to Brussels to try to stop a good thing. European Union leaders agreed last week on another way to make carbon emissions more costly under the EU’s struggling emissions-trading system (ETS). http://www.wsj.com/articles/carbon-credits-over-growth-1431647814 The Honor of Being Mugged by Climate Censors. I believe in global warming but also in responsible policies to address it. That can get you in trouble. Opponents of free debate are celebrating. Last week, under pressure from some climate-change activists, the University of Western Australia canceled its contract to host a planned research center, Australia Consensus, intended to apply economic cost-benefit analysis to development project… http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-honor-of-being-mugged-by-climate-censors-1431558936?KEYWORDS=global+warming More and more thinkers on the right want to tax carbon. Will politicians and activists follow? We’re in one of those moments again. One of those moments where people (yes, mostly liberals) get together and hope really hard that the climate issue is becoming less divisive, that there’s going to be a breakthrough on the Republican side, and that we’ll finally achieve consensus to take action. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/15/more-and-more-thinkers-on-the-right-want-to-tax-carbon-will-politicians-and-activists-follow/ Apple's green initiative offers a smidgen of hope. It's easy to be cynical about big companies' claims that they cherish the environment. If that were so, why are industrial waste and emissions among the biggest reasons our planet is so screwed up? Every so often, though, there's reason for hope. Or at least a smidgen of hope. Apple announced this week that it's working with the World Wildlife Fund to protect 1 million acres of forest land in China… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20150515-column.html Op-ed: Greenhouse Effect, Global Warming, and Climate Change 101. The terms greenhouse effect, global warming, and global climate change seem to be used interchangeably. These terms are all complex atmospheric phenomena and follow the rules defined in physics and chemistry. All originate with the energy from the sun and are caused by how each unique wave will behave differently in various atmospheric conditions. http://www.themorningsun.com/opinion/20150515/op-ed-greenhouse-effect-global-warming-and-climate-change-101 Editorial: New carbon tax plan is no better than previous one. Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed carbon emissions tax is once again in play, this time being pushed by Senate Democrats in the current special session of the Legislature. Why? The Legislature has far more pressing matters it must deal with — and the clock is ticking. Approving a state budget before July 1, which is when the fiscal years begins, is the top priority. http://union-bulletin.com/news/2015/may/14/editorial-new-carbon-tax-plan-no-better-previous-o/ BLOGS Beijing vs. Delhi: The Politics of Air Pollution. India or China, whose capital city has the worse air quality? Of all the comparisons between the two Asian rivals, perhaps the most intriguing is also the hardest to draw. Faced with growing concern about the toxicity of Delhi’s air and suggestions than it was more polluted at times than smog-ridden Beijing, India’s government came up with a solution: take more air quality measurements. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/05/15/beijing-vs-delhi-the-politics-of-air-pollution/ Carbon Markets or Recessions: Which Cuts Greenhouse Gases More? The global financial crisis is responsible for 80 percent of Europe's GHG reductions. In 2005, the European Union launched the world's largest carbon market. The European Trading Scheme (ETS) aimed to reduce member states' carbon dioxide emissions by putting a price on them. Under the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol… http://reason.com/archives/2015/05/15/carbon-markets-or-recessions-which-cuts California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 16:55:38 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 19, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Cap and Trade Money Hits Rooftops. California Governor Jerry Brown’s budget revisions include spending more than $2 billion dollars from the state’s cap and trade program. But money from the greenhouse gas reduction program is already helping some homeowners this fiscal year. Dave Walsh is installing solar panels on the roof of a home in a low-income neighborhood in Sacramento. This is one of the first homes to receive solar panels using money from the state’s cap and trade program. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/18/cap-and-trade-money-hits-rooftops/ Three big questions about the future of cap-and-trade. The state of California has pocketed over $1.5 billion from cap-and-trade program so far, and the dollars have begun to flow to Sacramento. Lawmakers celebrated the arrival of the grants Monday with an event showcasing a rooftop solar installation on the home of a Sacramento resident. The installation was paid for with help from a $14 million cap-and-trade grant that will fund over 130 similar residential projects across the state. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/energy-inc/2015/05/three-big-questions-about-the-future-of-cap-and.html AIR POLLUTION The 'Shocking' Cost of Letting Companies Pollute for Free. "Energy subsidy," as the phrase is tossed around Washington, typically refers to any financial help the government gives to producers of oil, wind, or other sectors of the energy industry. But there's another way to consider energy subsidies that takes a bigger picture and conceives of all manner of help—financial or otherwise—as a subsidy. In that context, letting companies pollute for free, when that pollution carries a real social cost, can be thought of as a subsidy. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-19/here-s-how-much-cheap-energy-really-costs Government moves to tighten anti-pollution norms for coal-based power plants. Moving to tighten norms for emissions of major pollutants by coal-based power plants in the country, the environment ministry has proposed a fresh standard for old and new units seeking them to substantially cut down release of health-damaging particulate matter (PM). http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/pollution/government-moves-to-tighten-anti-pollution-norms-for-coal-based-power-plants/articleshow/47347011.cms 25% of vehicles cause 90% of emissions – study. Just a small percentage of cars produce most of the traffic-related air pollution, according to a new study. The study by researchers at the University of Toronto found 25 percent of vehicles were responsible for about 90 percent of vehicle-related air pollution. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060018723/feed CLIMATE CHANGE Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign new climate change agreement. Gov. Jerry Brown will sign a new climate change agreement with "government leaders from around the world" on Tuesday, his office announced. The agreement comes three weeks after the governor ordered new targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in California. He's also been pushing for more renewable energy, lower gasoline consumption and better efficiency in older buildings. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-climate-change-20150518-story.html Merkel, Hollande commit to global climate protection. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande confirmed their commitment to fighting global warning Tuesday, gathering with others in Berlin to prepare for this year’s U.N. Climate Change Conference. Merkel and Hollande said in a joint statement that both countries “are firmly decided to take all efforts to reach an ambitious, comprehensive and binding U.N. climate agreement by the end of this year in Paris.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/merkel-hollande-to-attend-climate-meeting-in-berlin/2015/05/19/5b138fe4-fdf7-11e4-8c77-bf274685e1df_story.html Global warming fueling fewer but stronger hurricanes, study says. Warmer ocean temperatures appear to be fueling more intense hurricanes at the expense of the overall number of storms, says a new study published today in Nature Climate Change. Over the past decade, studies have analyzed ad nauseam how warmer temperatures might be changing the annual number of hurricanes, or the maximum intensity. In theory, the hurricane hypothesis has always been a simple one: Tropical cyclones are fueled by warm ocean surface water, so warmer oceans should be fueling stronger hurricanes. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/05/18/global-warming-fueling-fewer-but-stronger-hurricanes-study-says/ New science standards include climate change instruction. South Dakota's Board of Education has adopted new science education standards that include instruction on climate change. The board made the move during its meeting Monday in Aberdeen. It also adopted new content standards in fine arts and educational technology. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/New-science-standards-include-climate-change-6272826.php Study: Many more Americans will feel high heat as global warming, population shifts combine. The combination of global warming and shifting population means that by mid-century, there will be a huge increase in the number of Americans sweating through days that are extremely hot, a new study says. People are migrating into areas — especially in the South — where the heat is likely to increase more, said the authors of a study published Monday by the journal Nature Climate Change. http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/05/18/future-for-warming-us-not-just-the-heat-but-the-humanity DROUGHT Glendale considers lifting ban on artificial turf. Several years ago, Glendale restricted fake grass to residential backyards, where they were out of sight from the street. Some residents applauded the action, saying artificial turf damaged the character and visual appeal of their neighborhoods. But with the drought entering its fourth year, the city is considered lifting the ban as a way to conserve water. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fake-grass-drought-20150518-story.html FUELS Why EPA’s alleged ‘war on coal’ may actually be a war on wasting energy. The growing criticisms of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions have a common theme — the agency and the president, it is often alleged, are waging a “war on coal.” And indeed, if the so-called “Clean Power Plan” is successfully implemented by the agency, it’s pretty clear that coal use will decline, even as we’ll get more and more of our electricity from natural gas and renewables (all trends that have begun already anyway). http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/18/why-epas-alleged-war-on-coal-may-actually-be-a-war-on-energy-waste/ MISCELLANEOUS State nears carpool lane decal limit for Volt, other plug-in hybrids. Buyers of plug-in hybrids such as the Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Prius are about to lose an important perk – a carpool lane permit. California has capped the number of the Green Clean Air Vehicle decals that allow such cars into the lanes at 70,000. As of Monday, it had granted 66,255, leaving fewer than 4,000 left. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-green-car-pool-lane-permit-20150518-story.html OPINIONS What Can We Do About Climate Change? This interview, the fourth in a series on political topics, discusses philosophical issues that underlie recent debates about climate change. My interviewee is Dale Jamieson, a professor of environmental studies and philosophy at New York University. He is the author of “Reason in a Dark Time: Why the Struggle to Stop Climate Change Failed — and What It Means for Our Future.” — Gary Gutting. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/18/can-green-virtues-help-us-survive-climate-change/?_r=0 Air Board Asks Courts to Create New Tax. In a landmark case before the Third District Court of Appeal, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently argued for creation of an unprecedented tax doctrine that could raise billions of dollars in new revenues. The ARB described the new revenue not as a tax or a fee (or any other recognized revenue-raising mechanism), but as a “byproduct” of a regulatory program. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/05/air-board-asks-courts-to-create-new-tax/ BLOGS Tackling Climate Change Does More Than Tackle Climate Change. One of the rocks that climate change sceptics like to throw at those advocating action to tackle climate change is that it's all very well for the rich developed world to reduce its carbon footprint but it's immoral to ask the world's poor to give up cheap energy such as coal. Yes, climate change may be happening, they say, but it's unfair to pull up the fossil fuel ladder from developing countries. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/joe-ware/climate-change_b_7306044.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 13:47:37 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 20, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 20, 2015. 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 Low carbon price shows market does not believe in ETS reform-RWE's Terium. The low price of carbon is an indication that the market does not believe European Union politicians will take the necessary measures to fix the carbon market, the chief executive of German utility RWE said on Wednesday. EU diplomats last week approved a proposal to begin reforming the world's biggest carbon market in 2019… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/20/climatechange-business-rwe-idUSL5N0YB51Y20150520 AIR POLLUTION Air alerts still in effect from Tracy fire. Health cautions remain in place today because of a large biomass fire in Tracy that is sending smoke beyond San Joaquin County into Stanislaus and Merced counties. Piles of wood are burning at the Tracy Storage Facility for Agra Marketing of Chico, the Tracy Press reports. The fire began Monday. http://www.modbee.com/news/local/article21478890.html#storylink=cpy Solvay, Enirgi Chemicals Join Forces on Emissions Treatment. Solvay and Enirgi Chemicals have created a 50-50 joint venture to speed up the development and offering of sodium-bicarbonate based products and solutions to reduce airborne emissions from industries in North America. The new entity, SOLVAir Natural Solutions, was formed in response to growing demand for air pollution control applications, including flue gas treatments. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/05/20/solvay-enirgi-chemicals-join-forces-on-emissions-treatment/#ixzz3ahrcyAC3 Dearborn steel plant to pay $1.35M fine to settle alleged violations. AK Steel will pay $1.35 million to settle alleged air pollution violations at a Dearborn plant previously owned by the American subsidiary of Russia-based Severstal. The Justice Department announced the agreement between the steelmaker, the federal government and the state of Michigan today, saying it settles 42 violations alleged… http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2015/05/20/steel-plant-penalty/27646815/ Weakened coal pollution rules will cost UK millions, green groups claim. Greenpeace and EEB aim to show financial impact of planned industrial emissions rules, which they say have been weakened by industry lobbying. European Commission plans to water down pollution laws for coal power plants could cost the UK more than £500m each year in healthcare and sick days, new analysis by environmental groups has found. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2409255/weakened-coal-pollution-rules-will-costs-uk-millions-green-groups-claim Air emissions of BPA may affect aquatic exposures – study. Industrial emissions of bisphenol-A, or BPA, through the air can increase BPA levels in nearby aquatic environments, according to a new study. The study, which was published this week in the journal Science of the Total Environment by researchers at the University of Missouri and the U.S. Geological Survey, tracked water levels of BPA, a common plasticizer… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/20/stories/1060018883 CLIMATE CHANGE Obama calls climate change an `indisputable' security threat. President Barack Obama has argued for action on climate change as a matter of health, environmental protection and international obligation. On Wednesday, he added national security. Those who deny global warming are putting at risk the United States and the military sworn to defend it, he told cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Failure to act would be "dereliction of duty," their commander in chief said. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-20/obama-says-climate-change-threatens-military-readiness-security http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/20/us-usa-climate-obama-idUSKBN0O513H20150520?virtualBrandChannel=11563 http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-to-cast-climate-change-as-a-national-security-threat-1432126767 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/prez-coast-guard-grads-global-warming-national-threat-article-1.2229358 http://www.modbee.com/living/health-fitness/article21453351.html#storylink=cpy http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/05/20/obama-climate-change-national-security-coast-guard/27628313/ http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/242622-obama-climate-change-serious-threat-to-global-security http://news.yahoo.com/obama-frames-global-warming-national-security-threat-100248226--politics.html http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/05/obama-climate-national-security Pope's No. 2 offers new insights into climate encyclical. A new development model is needed to combat global warming, one that marries economic growth to combat poverty with a sustainable use of resources, Pope Francis' deputy said Wednesday. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said both political and economic commitment will be required to ensure the Earth's health for future generations. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/20/world/europe/ap-eu-rel-vatican-climate.html France wants business world to help curb climate change. French President Francois Hollande is calling on business leaders to get more involved in fighting global warming by financing climate-friendly projects and investing in green technologies. France is to host the U.N. Climate Change Conference in December. Hollande stressed Wednesday that an agreement between 196 countries in Paris would have "extremely positive consequences on economic actors… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/20/us-climatechange-business-hollande-idUSKBN0O51ZQ20150520 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/20/world/europe/ap-eu-france-climate.html Merkel, Hollande commit to global climate protection. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande confirmed their commitment to fighting global warning Tuesday, gathering with others in Berlin to prepare for this year's U.N. Climate Change Conference. Merkel and Hollande said in a joint statement that both countries "are firmly decided to take all efforts to reach an ambitious… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_FRANCE_CLIMATE_PROTECTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Investors With $25 Trillion Detail Opportunity in Climate Change. As more than 1,000 executives gather in Paris to discuss their response to climate change, a group of investors managing $25 trillion opened a web portal detailing the action being taken to cut pollution. Four investor groups representing 265 institutions worldwide joined the United Nations Environment Program in opening a web portal that will show which projects gained finance to rein in global warming. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-19/investors-with-25-trillion-detail-opportunity-in-climate-change Obama Recasts Climate Change as a More Far-Reaching Peril. President Obama used a commencement address on Wednesday at the Coast Guard Academy to cast his push for urgent action to combat climate change as a national security imperative, saying that the warming of the planet poses an “immediate risk” to the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/21/us/obama-recasts-climate-change-as-a-more-far-reaching-peril.html?_r=0 Exclusive: Rising carbon emissions from oilsands a 'unique' challenge, federal cabinet told. Canada may need international emissions credits to offset increasing emissions from oilsands. Greenhouse gas emissions from increasing oilsands production will rise faster than Canada's ability to curb them, the federal government was warned before new emissions reduction targets were announced last week. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rising-carbon-emissions-from-oilsands-a-unique-challenge-federal-cabinet-told-1.3079444 Gov. Brown signs global pact to fight climate change. Gov. Jerry Brown sought to reaffirm California’s status as a global leader in the fight against climate change Tuesday by signing an agreement with representatives in six foreign nations, including Germany and Brazil, and three U.S. states aiming to keep the world’s average temperature from rising another 2 degrees Celsius. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Brown-signs-climate-change-deal-with-other-state-6273853.php http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/20/stories/1060018857 http://www.trust.org/item/20150519205153-44lpz/?source=jtOtherNews3 What Global Warming Means For Old, Tall Trees. As climate change drives up global temperature and increases the frequency of intense droughts, the world’s oldest, biggest trees might be the most vulnerable, according to a recent study published in Nature Climate Change. Using Darcy’s law — an equation that describes the flow of water through a porous medium — researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/20/3660666/climate-change-tree-death-study/ Obama to tell Coast Guard graduates climate change is a 'serious threat to global security'. President Obama today will warn the newest members of America's armed forces that climate change poses an immediate national security risk and will profoundly affect the U.S. military. In a commencement address to the graduating class of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Obama will point to sea-level rise worsening floods at the… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/20/stories/1060018859 As region melts, experts grapple with how to simultaneously develop and protect it. Bouncing his knees like a drummer pounding on a bass pedal, adjusting his tie and shifting his weight in front of the multinational crowd, James Stotts was the most visibly anxious speaker. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/20/stories/1060018856 DROUGHT California decision on farmer water cuts to apply broadly. As drought deepens in California, the state's water board director says he'll decide by Friday whether to accept an offer from a group of farmers to give up a fourth of their available water. The concession by farmers in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river delta could be one of the most important yet forced by California's record four-year drought. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WATER_CUTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/20/us/ap-us-california-drought-water-cuts.html California drought: New poll finds residents think it’s serious, but aren’t sure they can conserve more. An overwhelming majority of Californians believe the state’s drought is extremely serious and support Gov. Jerry Brown’s mandatory new water conservation rules, according to a new statewide poll released Tuesday. But in a potentially troubling finding for cities and water districts preparing to launch summer conservation rules… http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150519/california-drought-new-poll-finds-residents-think-its-serious-but-arent-sure-they-can-conserve-more FUELS Saudi Arabia, partners turn down Chinese requests for extra oil. Saudi Arabia and its main Middle East OPEC partners are turning down Chinese requests for extra oil as they hold back fuel for their own refineries just as demand from the world's biggest crude importer hits new records. While the Saudi and other refusals for additional crude supplies may not be part of a new pricing strategy… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/20/us-saudi-china-oil-idUSKBN0O512I20150520 Gasoline demand helping refiners soar through the downturn. Business remains good for the nation's main refineries and stands to get much better, even as the collapse of oil prices continues to roil their suppliers. Refining companies are reporting robust earnings and a profitable outlook, benefiting as they are from lower input costs and expanding export opportunities. Industry insiders are also very optimistic about the near future… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/05/20/stories/1060018819 Initiative promotes corn-based fuel as boon to public health. Ethanol backers have launched a campaign to steer attention away from the corn-based fuel's potential impact on food prices and toward air quality and public health. Calling itself the Urban Air Initiative, the ethanol coalition aims to tie its foes in the petroleum industry to air pollution from automobile tailpipes. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/20/stories/1060018888 GREEN ENERGY Wind Power Is Poised to Spread to All States. All 50 states could become wind energy producers, according to an Energy Department report released Tuesday, once the next generation of larger, taller turbines in development hits the market. The bigger machines — reaching as high as 460 feet — could eventually make faster winds at higher altitudes an economical source of electricity… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/20/business/energy-environment/wind-power-is-poised-to-spread-to-all-states.html China to Spend $182 Billion to Boost Internet by End of 2017. China will spend more than $182 billion to boost Internet speeds by the end of 2017, a top government body said, as Beijing moves towards a more service-driven economy to boost growth. The State Council said the government will invest more than 430 billion yuan ($69.3 billion) this year on network construction… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/05/20/technology/20reuters-china-internet.html Hanergy Under Investigation After Shares Plunge Nearly 50 Percent-Source. China's Hanergy Thin Film Power Group is under investigation by Hong Kong's market watchdog, a source told Reuters just hours after the company lost half its market value of nearly $40 billion in 24 minutes on Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/05/20/business/20reuters-hanergy-tfp-stocks.html Moniz predicts broader wind power growth for U.S. Technological advances from taller turbine towers to the integration of digital infrastructure into wind farms are defining the next growth phase within the U.S. wind energy sector, experts attending the American Wind Energy Association's annual conference said yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/20/stories/1060018833 Hawaii plots road map to lead the world in renewable energy by 2045. The goal passed by Hawaii's Legislature this month to some sounds like a blueprint for a future utopian world: 100 percent renewable power. But lawmakers in the Aloha State want it to happen in 30 years. The mandate put on utilities under H.B. 623, if accomplished, would make Hawaii the nation's first state with all green power. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/20/stories/1060018835 MISCELLANEOUS Fresno’s dilemma: Save water or pollute the air? Clean air or drinking water — the Fresno City Council must choose one. Both, to the despair of Fresno’s politicians, isn’t an option. The council on Thursday will consider an emergency water-conservation law that, among other things, would give City Hall authority to suspend its hydrant-meter program. In a nutshell, city officials don’t want companies using fire-hydrant water for dust control. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article21411678.html#storylink=cpy OPINIONS In Alberta, Oil, Cowboys … and Liberalism? WHEN I moved from Houston to Edmonton, Alberta, in 2008, I was told to prepare for a soft landing, politically speaking. Alberta was supposed to be just like the Lone Star State: a place full of backslapping good ol’ boys in cowboy hats, riding high on the hog of oil money. The province’s politics were even more predictable than Texas’. The Progressive Conservative Party had been in power longer than I’d been alive. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/20/opinion/in-alberta-oil-cowboys-and-liberalism.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=Moth-Visible&module=inside-nyt-region®ion=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region BLOGS California Expands Its ‘Subnational’ Climate Club. California is adding to its roster of allies in the climate change counteroffensive. Environmental groups are hailing an agreement signed Tuesday by Governor Jerry Brown and an assortment of states, provinces and other “subnational” governments to ratchet up their own climate strategies. Billed as the “Under 2 MOU,” the memorandum of understanding is a pledge… http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/05/19/california-expands-its-subnational-climate-club/ Divest From the Carbon Bubble. If it seems that we have more big problems than we can solve these days, take heart. A small group of people can create a worldwide movement. It has happened before and it is happening again. Take the case of Ellen Dorsey, the executive director of the Wallace Global Fund. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-s-becker/divest-from-the-carbon-bu_b_7314654.html China's Climate Pledge Will Include New Commitment To Forests. Look for China to make new investments in forestry and deeper cuts in carbon intensity when it delivers its tardy climate pledge to the United Nations “soon,” a Chinese official said in Chicago Tuesday. When Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Obama signed a climate agreement last November… http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2015/05/20/chinas-climate-pledge-will-include-new-commitment-to-forests/ Groups File Lawsuit Calling for Federal Government Action on Soot Pollution. Environmental Protection Agency is nine months behind on plans reducing soot in the nation’s dirtiest air basin. Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles and Sierra Club, represented by Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its failure to act… http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2015/groups-file-lawsuit-calling-for-federal-government-action-on-soot-pollution California Initiates Organic, Sustainable Carbon Farming. A new agricultural initiative in California is putting carbon sequestration into practice to reverse climate change. The program, called carbon farming, encourages farmers to embrace organic, sustainable practices that have been proven to keep carbon dioxide in the ground instead of in the air. http://www.livetradingnews.com/california-initiates-organic-sustainable-carbon-farming-105318.htm#.VVza6JOE7Sg Governor Abbott, Senators Cornyn and Cruz Look Out for the Success of a State – it’s Just Not Ours. Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz recently met in a meeting with Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell to discuss how they could sabotage the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed (CPP). The CPP would place the nation’s first-ever limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants… http://blogs.edf.org/texascleanairmatters/2015/05/20/governor-abbott-senators-cornyn-and-cruz-look-out-for-the-success-of-a-state-its-just-not-ours/ 7 reasons why America needs to get tough on smog. The 2015 State of the Air report from the American Lung Association recently confirmed that four in 10 Americans are living in areas with harmful levels of ozone pollution. But the big oil companies have just launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign telling us our country doesn’t need and can’t afford stronger limits on ozone. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here’s why: http://grist.org/climate-energy/7-reasons-why-america-needs-to-get-tough-on-smog/ UK must reduce air pollution levels. Vehicle-related tax changes, low emission zones, congestion charging and a diesel vehicle scrappage scheme could be on the agenda after the Government was ordered to improve air quality. The Supreme Court labelled Government plans to cut illegal levels of air pollution ineffective and ordered the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to submit new air quality… http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/environment/2015/05/20/uk-must-reduce-air-pollution-levels Good Soil Can Offset Impacts of Global Warming. Maintaining a healthy and diverse soil community can buffer natural ecosystems against the damaging impacts of global warming, according to a new Yale-led study. In a long-term study, researchers showed that small soil animals can limit the effects of climate change, which would otherwise stimulate the loss of carbon from the soil into the atmosphere. http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2015/05/good-soil-can-offset-impacts-global-warming Cold-blooded animals find it hard to adjust to global warming. Cold-blooded and other animals that are unable to regulate their internal temperature may have a hard time tolerating global warming, according to an analysis by biologists from the University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco State University. http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2015/05/19/cold-blooded-animals-find-it-hard-to-adjust-to-global-warming/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 15:00:00 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 21, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 21, 2015. 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 Rich world should help emerging countries cut pollution: Glencore chairman. Rich countries should help developing countries like India limit their carbon emissions by supporting the building of more expensive but cleaner energy plants, Glencore chairman Tony Hayward said on Thursday. Hayward said that India, where hundreds of millions of people have no access to electricity… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-climatechange-business-carbon-idUSKBN0O615I20150521 Paris Hit by Air Pollution Spike, Halves Cars on Roads. Paris will cut the number of cars on the road in half beginning Monday and is making public transit free to combat a spike in pollution that has obscured even the Eiffel Tower under a smoggy haze. The mayor's office announced Saturday that only cars with odd-numbered plates will be permitted to drive Monday, as well as any electric or hybrid vehicles and any vehicles with more than three people. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/21/world/europe/ap-eu-france-pollution.html AK Steel to pay $1.35M for alleged violations at plant. An Ohio-based steelmaker has agreed to pay $1.35 million to settle environmental violations at a Dearborn plant alleged by the federal government and state of Michigan. The agreement with AK Steel was announced Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department, which says the violations of the Clean Air Act occurred under the previous owner of the plant. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/AK-Steel-to-pay-1-35M-for-alleged-violations-at-6277571.php Honolulu ordered to fund 3.1MW PV plant for air pollution violations. Authorities in Hawaii’s capital, Honolulu, have been ordered to finance a US$16 million solar system as a penalty for failing to curb air pollution from a city landfill site. The US Environmental Protection Agency said the City and County of Honolulu had not installed the necessary measures to collect and control methane and other air pollutants from its Kapaa landfill site by a 2002 deadline. http://www.pv-tech.org/news/honolulu_ordered_to_fund_3.1mw_pv_plant_for_air_pollution_violations Air regulator group to release much-anticipated 'menu' of Clean Power Plan options. The association of state air regulators who are charged with writing carbon-reduction proposals under U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan today will release an extensive 465-page encyclopedia of 25 core compliance options. The National Association of Clean Air Agencies, which represents 41 states and more than 100 local agencies… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/21/stories/1060018941 CLIMATE CHANGE UN climate fund passes financing threshold with Japan deal. The U.N.'s fund for climate aid to developing countries says it now has enough cash to kick off projects before a key climate summit in Paris. Green Climate Fund officials said a Japanese commitment Thursday of $1.5 billion pushed the fund's resources beyond the threshold at which they can start financing projects in developing countries. http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UN_CLIMATE_FUND?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article21553035.html Oil Giants Band Together to Add Voice to Climate Debate. Europe’s largest oil companies are banding together to forge a joint strategy on climate-change policy, alarmed they’ll be ignored as the world works toward a historic deal limiting greenhouse gases. Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Total SA, BP Plc, Statoil ASA and Eni SpA are among oil companies that plan to start a new industry body… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-20/oil-giants-band-together-to-add-their-voice-to-climate-debate http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/climatechange-business-paris-idUSL5N0YC3Q920150521 Agriculture and Cattle Ranching Threatening Global Rainforests. The Brazilian city of Altamira used to be in the middle of Amazon forest. Not anymore, not after decades of deforestation. Now it’s a two-hour drive to the nearest native forest areas still standing. The view along the way is mostly pastures, with a few tall nut trees surrounded by cattle. Lots of cattle. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-21/agriculture-and-cattle-ranching-threatening-global-rainforests Energy divestment campaigns a 'red herring', says Shell CEO. Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Ben van Beurden on Thursday slammed as a "red herring" calls for investors to divest from energy companies as part of the fight against climate change. Van Beurden singled out the "Keep it in the Ground" campaign led by British newspaper The Guardian that aims at keeping charitable funds from investing in fossil fuels. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/shell-climate-idUSL5N0YC3ZH20150521 'Top 10' new species includes cartwheeling spider, 'chicken from hell'. Some 18,000 species, great and small, were discovered in 2014, adding to the 2 million already known, scientists said on Thursday, as they released a "Top 10" list that highlights the diversity of life. he 10 are "a reminder of the wonders awaiting us," said Quentin Wheeler, president of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/science-species-idUSKBN0O61AZ20150521 Scientists: This is what it would take to keep the world super safe from global warming. The world is busy trying to achieve a global warming goal that some think we’re not on course to achieve, and that some scientists worry may not be enough to prevent some troubling scenarios — like significant sea level rise. That goal is limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/21/this-is-what-it-would-actually-take-to-keep-the-world-super-safe-from-global-warming/ The surprising links between faith and evolution and climate denial — charted. For a long time, we’ve been having a pretty confused discussion about the relationship between religious beliefs and the rejection of science — and especially its two most prominent U.S. incarnations, evolution denial and climate change denial. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/20/this-chart-explains-why-faith-and-science-dont-have-to-be-in-conflict/ Ironically, air conditioning could be the thing fueling future global warming. There's a memorable episode of Comedy Central's Broad City in which our spunky (and in this instance, sweaty) protagonists Abby and Ilana go to great lengths to track down an air conditioning unit, traversing a sweltering New York City with schemes including sneaking into a NYU dorm and seducing college students to steal a window unit. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/05/20/air-conditioning-environment-statistics/27586469/ Cold weather is much deadlier than extreme heat, study says. Extreme heat waves like the one that killed more than 70,000 Europeans in 2003 may be the most visible examples of deadly weather, but cold days actually cause more deaths than hot ones, a new study says. After examining more than 74 million deaths that occurred in 13 countries from 1985 to 2012, researchers calculated that 7.3% of them could be attributed to cold weather and 0.4% to hot weather. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-cold-hot-weather-deaths-20150520-story.html 1.5C climate goal still in reach, say scientists. World must embrace deeper emissions cuts, biofuels and carbon storage in last stab at limiting long term costs for planet, study says. Odds are long on the planet pinning down temperatures below a 1.5C rise on pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/05/21/1-5c-climate-goal-still-in-reach-say-scientists/#sthash.8yzy00kQ.dpuf IMF: Fossil Fuels Subsidies Are $5.3 Trillion A Year If Climate Costs Included. Climate change doesn't just present an environmental threat to human populations, it also has a tangible economic impact. Governments must invest in measures to combat climate change, and deal with its effects as well as the general consequences of societies that depend on the combustion of fossil fuels to run their economies. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098408_imf-fossil-fuels-subsidies-are-5-3-trillion-a-year-if-climate-costs-included Shell investors question company's record on climate change. Royal Dutch Shell shareholders voted at the annual general meeting to require the company to assess whether its activities line up with international climate goals and efforts to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius. A resolution was passed by 150 investors to ban corporate bonuses given for activities that cause environmental damage… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/21/stories/1060018916 32 companies produce about a third of world's man-made greenhouse gases – study. About one-third of annual global greenhouse gas emissions comes from the operations of 32 energy companies and the use of their products, according to a report released yesterday. Published by Thomson Reuters, with data from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the Climate Accountability Institute (CAI)… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/21/stories/1060018943 DROUGHT Feds providing $50M for Western water-saving projects. The U.S. government will invest nearly $50 million in water conservation and reuse projects in 12 drought-stricken Western states, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced Wednesday. "It is absolutely critical that states and the federal government leverage our funding resources so that we can make each drop count," Jewell said at a wastewater purification plant in Los Angeles. http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DROUGHT_WATER_PROJECTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Once-parched Texas city orders evacuation due to floods. A North Texas city that a few months ago was in a drought so severe that it had to recycle sewage water for drinking ordered residents on Thursday to evacuate certain areas due to flooding. Wichita Falls, about 125 miles northeast of Dallas, issued a mandatory evacuation order for hundreds of residents in vulnerable neighborhoods due to rising water levels on the Wichita River. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-usa-weather-texas-idUSKBN0O61VP20150521 Protesters want Sacramento Nestle plant to stop bottling water. Concerned that precious California water is going out of state during the state's ongoing drought, several dozen protesters were at the Nestle bottling plant in south Sacramento Wednesday to urge the company to cease bottling water. The demonstration was peaceful. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/south-sacramento/2015/05/20/protesters-want-sacramento-nestle-bottling-plant-to-stop-bottllng-water/27658959/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES 11% of Boston Public Schools bus fleet to run on propane. Boston Public Schools will operate 11% of its bus fleet with Blue Bird propane autogas buses, starting with the 2015-2016 school year. The school district is purchasing 86 Blue Bird Propane Vision school buses, and hopes to convert more of their diesel fleet to propane buses in the future. Like many urban cities, Boston has implemented mandates for reducing tailpipe emissions. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150521-boston.html FUELS Global Bioenergies and Cristal Union form JV to produce renewable isobutene. Global Bioenergies, a developer of one-step fermentation processes for the direct and cost-efficient transformation of renewable resources into light olefins, and Cristal Union, the 4th largest European beet producer, have formed IBN-One, a joint venture to build and operate the first plant in France converting renewable resources into isobutene. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150521-gbi.html SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Oil sopped up from California coast rises to 7,700 gallons. Officials say more than 7,700 gallons of oil has been raked, skimmed and vacuumed from a spill that stretches across 9 miles of California coast - just a fraction of the crude that escaped from a broken pipeline. Coast Guard Lt. Jonathan McCormick says additional crew members and boats will be added to the cleanup effort Thursday along the Santa Barbara coast. http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_OIL_SPILL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Latest on California oil spill: Governor declares emergency. Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County over the coastal oil spill. The move Wednesday night from the governor frees up emergency state funding and resources to help in the cleanup efforts. http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_OIL_SPILL_THE_LATEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Around-the-clock cleanup effort under way on oil-fouled California beach. Cleanup teams labored on Thursday for a third day to remove patches of crude petroleum that stained a California beach and fouled offshore waters from a pipeline rupture that may rank as the biggest oil spill to hit the Santa Barbara coastline in more than four decades. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-usa-california-oilspill-idUSKBN0O52MY20150521 Extent of California Oil Spill Being Assessed. The oil spill in Santa Barbara County could be as large as 105,000 gallons in worst-case scenario. The oil spill in Santa Barbara County, Calif., could be as large as 2,500 barrels, or 105,000 gallons, in a worst-case scenario outlined Wednesday by the burst pipeline’s operator, which estimated 500 barrels may have reached the water. http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-oil-cleanup-starts-as-brown-declares-emergency-1432214330 When it comes to wildlife, no way to warn them away from oily waters. Authorities can urge people to stay away from the oil spill off the Santa Barbara County coast. But there is no way to warn wildlife to stay away. Video and photos on social media show dolphins swimming off the shoreline at Refugio State Beach with an oil slick in the background, a sea lion resting exhausted around blackened rocks and pelicans gliding gracefully above the water’s surface. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-probe-california-coastal-oil-spill-pipe-excavation-20150521-story.html Pipeline operator in Santa Barbara oil spill has a bad safety record. Plains Pipeline, the large Texas-based company responsible for the pipe that ruptured in Santa Barbara County, has accumulated 175 safety and maintenance infractions since 2006, according to federal records. A Times analysis of data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration shows Plains' rate of incidents per mile of pipe is more than three times the national average. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-oilspill-pipeline-20150521-story.html LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators CEO quits, catching company off guard. Lumber Liquidators CEO Robert Lynch has abruptly quit the company that is embroiled in an investigation over products imported from China. Shares tumbled 15 percent in morning trading Thursday. The company said Lynch resigned "unexpectedly" and declined to provide more details on the resignation when asked by The Associated Press. http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LUMBER_LIQUIDATORS_CEO_RESIGNS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VEHICLES Obama Scales Back Overly Ambitious Goals for Electric Car Use. President Barack Obama's long-standing goal to have a fully fuel-efficient government fleet and 1 million plug-in vehicles on the road will not be met. With little fanfare, the president in March scaled back the ambitious goals laid out in his 2009 executive order that mandated the million units on the road by 2015 as it became clear that technology and consumer interest were not keeping pace with his ideals. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-21/obama-scales-back-overly-ambitious-goals-for-electric-car-use Fiat Chrysler To Use Aluminum, Electric Motors To Boost Fuel Economy. The company will have to shell out billions over the next decade to develop fuel-efficient cars. How about a plug-in Jeep Grand Cherokee? Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne is thinking about it. For years, the auto maker has owned the market for large SUVs and trucks, but now it is facing a quandary… http://www.wsj.com/articles/fiat-chrysler-to-use-aluminum-electric-motors-to-boost-fuel-economy-1432127520?KEYWORDS=EMISSIONS HIGH-SPEED RAIL China may have edge in race to build California's bullet train. Chinese state firms are poised to be strong contenders in the race to make high-speed trains that will sprint between Los Angeles and San Francisco, part of a $68 billion project to bring the service to the United States for the first time. While "bullet train" manufacturers from Germany, Japan, South Korea, and France… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-california-rail-china-idUSKBN0O60FT20150521 GREEN ENERGY Saudi Oil Minister Says World Can’t Abandon Fossil Fuels. Ali al-Naimi says it doesn’t make economic sense to switch to investing in solar energy in the short term. Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said on Thursday that he sees a great future for solar power but that the world can’t abandon fossil fuels in the short term. Mr. Naimi, speaking on a panel in Paris, addressed questions about whether the world’s oil-and-gas companies should move on to other forms of energy in the face of climate change… http://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-oil-minister-says-world-cant-abandon-fossil-fuels-1432222315?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE MISCELLANEOUS What do you really get for a $7,000 Tesla home battery? Elon Musk, the star CEO of the electric car company Tesla Motors and the rocket company SpaceX, staged an elaborate event last month to unveil a new product. Not a sleek new luxury car. Not a rocket that can ferry people to Mars. A home appliance - a battery - that can be mounted on a garage wall and ignored. http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ON_THE_MONEY_TESLA_BATTERY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OPINIONS Notable & Quotable: President Obama. ‘Around the world, climate change increases the risk of instability and conflict.’ From President Obama’s commencement address Wednesday at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.: Around the world, climate change increases the risk of instability and conflict. Rising seas are already swallowing low-lying lands, from Bangladesh to Pacific islands, forcing people from their homes. http://www.wsj.com/articles/notable-quotable-president-obama-1432161506?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE The High Cost of Dirty Fuels. A new report from the International Monetary Fund makes a compelling case for why countries should end subsidies for fossil fuels: It would save millions of lives. Governments subsidize energy in many ways. Some countries sell gasoline and diesel at prices lower than the cost of producing or importing those fuels. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/21/opinion/the-high-cost-of-dirty-fuels.html?_r=0 Riding Water Slides in a Drought. At 11 A.M. on Saturday, May 9th, four days after California’s water board approved restrictions designed to cut water use by twenty-five per cent in urban areas, passed in response to the state’s severe drought, Northern California’s biggest water park, Raging Waters, in San Jose, opened its gates for the season. http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-water-park-in-a-drought BLOGS Electric Vehicles to Get Free Rein on Beijing Roads. Buyers of electric cars in China are getting yet another boost — freedom on Beijing’s roads. In a fresh effort to promote battery-powered electric cars, the city government of Beijing will exempt these cars from a policy limiting the number of vehicles on roads during rush hours. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/05/21/electric-vehicles-to-get-free-rein-on-beijing-roads/?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION How climate change makes the world more violent. Natural scientists agree that the climate is changing and that humans bear some of the blame. Social scientists are now attempting to assess the economic and political price societies are likely to pay for turning up our planet’s thermostat. The security policy community is especially eager for an answer. In the academy, the debate over climate change… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/05/21/the-threat-to-security-from-climate-change-may-be-even-more-prevalent-than-previously-thought/ Dear Renewable Critics: Hanergy's Collapse Has Little To Do With Solar. The rapid rise and strange fall of Hanergy Thin Film has investors scratching their heads for an explanation. The stock surged in 2013 and 2014 on announcements that the company, which started as a hydropower firm, planned on making solar cars and opening 1,500 “experience” centers to teach Chinese consumers the wonders of renewable energy. http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkanellos/2015/05/21/dear-renewable-critics-hanergys-collapse-has-little-to-do-with-solar/ We Need To Support All Types Of Solar: Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Community, And More. Solar energy is booming – and you needn’t look further for proof of its success than Brian H. Potts’ recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. When a utility lawyer like Potts is arguing for what type of solar energy our country should be investing in –utility-owned, large-scale solar versus customer-owned, rooftop – you know this renewable energy resource has gone mainstream. http://www.forbes.com/sites/edfenergyexchange/2015/05/21/we-need-to-support-all-types-of-solar-utility-scale-rooftop-community-and-more/?ss=energy Can cities, businesses, and other new climate actors help bridge the emissions gap? As the international community continues to struggle to advance a global climate change agenda, new kinds of climate actors are increasingly working to pick up the slack. Hopes are high that cities, regional coalitions, and businesses — or non-state and sub-national actors, in wonk-speak… http://grist.org/science/can-cities-businesses-and-other-new-climate-actors-help-bridge-the-emissions-gap/ Energy Dept. announces new technology can unlock wind energy development in all 50 states. Today, we heard a major announcement from the nation's highest ranking energy official who unveiled maps showing potential for wind energy development in all 50 states. At the WINDPOWER 2015 Conference & Exhibition, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz revealed a new report showing that technology improvements that allow wind turbines… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-kiernan/energy-dept-announces-new_b_7313992.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 22 May 2015 12:41:51 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 22, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Air Resources Board holds 11th cap-and-trade carbon auction. The California Air Resources Board held its second quarterly carbon auction related to its cap-and-trade program Thursday, and the eleventh auction since the program began in late 2012. The governments of California and Quebec jointly held the auction, which relinquished about 77 million carbon credits for private buyers. Each credit is worth 1 metric ton of allowable carbon dioxide. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/energy-inc/2015/05/air-resources-board-holds-11th-cap-and-trade.html UN CLIMATE TALKS Total hosts climate talks with big oil companies. French oil major Total is hosting a meeting of the world's biggest oil companies over the sector's action plan ahead of U.N. climate talks in Paris at the end of the year. Officials from Royal Dutch Shell, Saudi Aramco, Norway's Statoil, BG Group and Italy's Eni are in Paris to "work on an initiative" highlighting the oil & gas sector's position in the global debate on climate change, several company and industry sources said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/us-total-climate-idUSKBN0O71BS20150522 AIR POLLUTION Beijing promises coal-free power by 2017 to fight pollution. Beijing will build four gas-fired power and heating plants by next year and shut the last of its coal-fired generators by 2017 as part of its campaign against hazardous air pollution, officials said. However, while progress has been made in cutting major pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, China's sprawling capital will still need many years to bring smog down to acceptable levels as the authorities struggle to find alternative energy supplies. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/us-china-pollution-beijing-idUSKBN0O70V920150522 Study Finds Possible Association Between Autism and Air Pollution. Research suggests that early exposure to air pollution may have wide-ranging negative effects. A new study from the University of Pittsburgh suggests that exposure to fine particulate air pollution from pregnancy up and through the first two years of childhood may be linked with developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). http://time.com/3893669/air-pollution-autism-research-health/ BVRLA welcomes agreement on ‘real world’ air pollution test. The European Union has come a step closer to introducing ‘real world’ air pollution tests for cars and vans after agreeing a more accurate procedure for measuring driving emissions. The BVRLA has welcomed the agreement and looks forward to the new ‘on the road’ tests for NOx emissions being introduced in 2017 alongside a more accurate CO2 emission test cycle. http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/manufacturer-news/2015/05/22/bvrla-welcomes-agreement-on-real-world-air-pollution-test Fireplaces targeted for air pollution concerns. To combat air pollution from wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is proposing a rule that would legislate fireplaces and strengthen existing ordinances in order to phase out wood burning for heat in the Bay Area. Designed to eliminate every wood-burning fireplace within 30 years, the proposal, which will be submitted for vote early June, would have exemptions for households that only have wood as a heat source. http://www.petaluma360.com/news/3920399-181/fireplaces-targeted-for-air-pollution Biomass fire may burn thru Saturday. Efforts to extinguish the biomass fire in Tracy that is making air quality poor in Lathrop, Manteca and Ripon are continuing with officials hoping to have it out by Saturday. Tracy Fire Department on Sunday responded to a fire at Agra Marketing, LLC located the corner of South Tracy Boulevard and Sugar Road. http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/140/article/124212/ CLIMATE CHANGE UN climate fund gears up to deploy cash after Japan inks pledge. The U.N.'s Green Climate Fund can start deciding where to deploy its cash following the signing of an agreement with the Japanese government that means it will have enough money to begin operating. The new fund for international climate finance needed to convert half of the $9.35 billion pledges made for its first pledging conference last November into firm contribution agreements to become effective. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/climate-change-finance-idUKL5N0YC40220150521?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews Kerry Says Energy Industry Will Decide Climate Battle. The energy industry will determine whether the climate can be fixed, according to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Energy and related companies can create jobs, wealth and improved health and security for people by meeting their environmental responsibilities, Kerry said in a video message for executives at a climate and business conference in Paris. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-21/kerry-says-energy-industry-will-decide-climate-battle More than 2,000 companies call for lowering emissions using a price on CO2. International business leaders meeting at a two-day summit here have called on governments to sign a global climate deal that leads to net-zero emissions. Their statement was signed by more than 2,000 companies. Leading with science-based targets, the U.N.-backed initiative, bringing together major companies from around the world and from all sectors, sought to chart a low-carbon pathway. It would be built on the belief that a sufficiently high carbon price -- imposed either through trading systems or taxes -- can tap the innovation of industry and the capital of banks to focus on climate change solutions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/22/stories/1060018992 Shareholder Pressure Increasing Over Climate Change Risks. Energy companies are facing increased scrutiny over their carbon emissions as pension funds worth billions grow anxious about the risks posed by climate change. Philippe Desfosses, chief executive officer of ERAFP, a pension fund for French civil servants, warned of the risks posed by rising sea levels and warming temperatures at a business and climate conference in Paris that finishes Friday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-21/shareholders-pressure-increasing-over-climate-change-risks DROUGHT Mandatory usage cuts loom even for those with senior water rights. In the 1976-77 drought, the state ordered growers with some of the oldest water rights in California to stop pumping from many rivers and streams. Now, in a sign of the spreading pain of another punishing drought, regulators are preparing to do the same thing. The State Water Resources Control Board halted diversions last summer by many so-called junior rights holders… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-water-rights-20150522-story.html Texas, Oklahoma Drought ‘All But Over’. While the Western drought has its claws firmly dug in, the nearly five-year drought that has gripped Oklahoma and Texas is on its last legs, thanks to recent torrents of rain, government climate scientists said Thursday. “I think the Texas drought is pretty much all but over,” Victor Murphy, climate services program manager for the National Weather Service’s Southern Region, said during a press teleconference. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/texas-oklahoma-drought-over-19017 SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Oil Again Fouling California Coast Near Site of Historic Spill. Refugio State Beach is one of the treasures of the California coast, a little-known curve of beach in the hills that on weekends like this one — Memorial Day — would be sprinkled with people who made their way up from Santa Barbara, about 20 miles down the Pacific Coast. But not on Thursday. Refugio was filled not with vacationers, but with teams of workers in white coveralls and masks, scooping up sand fouled with oil that had washed in after a pipeline broke earlier this week. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/us/workers-race-to-clean-up-oil-spill-on-california-coast.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Finding Cause of California Oil Spill Could Take Months. The operator of an oil pipeline that broke and spilled thousands of gallons of crude across a scenic California shoreline says it could take weeks or even months before investigators find what caused the disaster. Bad weather slowed cleanup efforts early Friday at the spill site in Santa Barbara County, where gusty winds whipped up waves as high as 4 feet, the National Weather Service said. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_OIL_SPILL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related stories: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/22/us/ap-us-california-oil-spill.html VEHICLES Schools Turn to Propane Buses as Stricter Emissions Standards Loom. For many Americans, propane is that stuff from the home improvement store that fuels backyard barbecues and patio dinners. But in a growing number of cities across the country, it is what gets children to school. Of the top 25 school bus markets, 19 have propane-fueled vehicles in their fleets, including New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia and Phoenix. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/automobiles/wheels/schools-turn-to-propane-buses-as-stricter-emissions-standards-loom.html?ref=energy-environment GREEN ENERGY Senate panel advances energy and water spending bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a $35.4 billion spending bill that covers the Energy Department, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies Thursday without any obvious partisan riders. Both Democrats and Republicans held back potentially controversial amendments that would have endangered passage by the full Senate. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/senate-panel-advances-energy-and-water-spending-bill/article/2564835?custom_click=rss Boston was just named the top city in the country for saving energy. Here’s why. It’s report card season — and not just for grade-school students. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) published the 2015 edition of its biennial City Energy Efficiency Scorecard today, ranking U.S. cities based on their local energy policies and initiatives. And for the second time in a row, Boston is top of the class. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/20/why-boston-is-leading-u-s-cities-when-it-comes-to-saving-energy/ PUC approves plan to replace San Diego County natural gas power plant. State regulators approved a plan to replace a 1950s natural gas power plant in northern San Diego County with a new version, sparking complaints from environmentalists that renewable energy options were being overlooked. The California Public Utilities Commission voted 4 to 1 on Thursday to allow San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to purchase power from the proposed Carlsbad Energy Center. Commissioner Catherine J.K. Sandoval cast the dissenting vote. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-puc-san-diego-power-20150522-story.html New record efficiency for black silicon solar cells. Researchers at the University of Aalto, Finland have broken the efficiency record for black silicon solar cells – a type of cell that can gather sunlight even from tight angles – by almost four percent. Black silicon can be manufactured simply by adding a dense network of nanoscale needles on top of a standard piece of silicon. http://www.gizmag.com/black-silicon-solar-cell-efficiency-record/37579/ MISCELLANEOUS New Maps Reveal California’s Sensational Seafloor Geography. An unprecedented effort to map the seafloor bordering California’s coastline has produced some of the most detailed, beautiful and useful maps of an underwater landscape ever made. No fewer than 18 state and federal agencies and institutions led by the US Geological Survey banded together to make these maps. A staggering amount of work went into the California Seafloor Mapping Program, and the results are impressive. http://www.wired.com/2015/05/new-california-seafloor-maps/ Delta College Dedicates Shima Heavy Equipment Expansion Project. With campus officials, industry leaders and the public present, San Joaquin Delta College dedicated the Shima Heavy Equipment Expansion Project on Tuesday, May 19, at 3 p.m. In celebration of the ribbon cutting, the college received two checks totaling over $182,000 to support Delta's heavy duty diesel equipment program, including specialized diesel emissions reduction training. http://www.caravannews.com/News/TabId/92/ArtMID/510/ArticleID/3423/Delta-College-Dedicates-Shima-Heavy-Equipment-Expansion-Project.aspx Low carbon experts mull iconic buildings for green makeovers. “The words ‘energy efficiency’ are very boring to most people – they fall asleep by the third syllable.” That, for Farhana Yamin, is one of the main reasons green building initiatives have yet to take off in a big way. She wants to see iconic buildings get a low carbon makeover, to capture the public imagination: “In emissions terms they may not be so significant, but in communications terms they are very big.” http://www.rtcc.org/2015/05/22/low-carbon-experts-mull-iconic-buildings-for-green-makeovers/ Sierra Club Wants Action on SoCal Air. The Environmental Protection Agency endangers public health by sitting on a plan to reduce particulate matter in California's South Coast Air Basin, the Sierra Club claims in court. The Sierra Club and Physicians for Social Responsibility sued the EPA in Federal Court on Wednesday, under the Clean Air Act. "The big issue is that the EPA hasn't processed the paperwork for the plan, which many people think is itself inadequate," plaintiffs' attorney Adriano L. Martinez told Courthouse News. http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/05/22/sierra-club-wants-action-on-socal-air.htm OPINIONS Restore forests to slow climate change. This week, leaders from the United States and around the world gathered in Sacramento to sign an agreement to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. While it may seem far removed from the rainforests of California’s Klamath River basin, where I live, global warming hits very close to home. The new partnership includes tropical rainforest states such as Jalisco in Mexico and Acre in Brazil. Much like Northern California’s redwood region was prior to… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article21604359.html#storylink=cpy JOSEPH PERKINS: Climate zealots blinded by confirmation bias. President Obama delivered the commencement address this week at the Coast Guard Academy, in New London, Conn. He told the graduating cadets that they faced a challenge before them that, “perhaps more than any other, would shape their entire careers.” Was it to protect the homeland from what the president aptly characterized as “the grave threat of terrorism”? http://www.pe.com/articles/change-767849-climate-know.html Lesson of Santa Barbara oil spill: Leave petroleum in the ground. Memorial Day marks the beginning of high beach season, but there are miles of coastline near Santa Barbara that will be out of commission this weekend thanks to a pipeline oil spill. This is how most offshore oil works: You drill miles off the coast, pump the oil onshore to be processed and pipe it along the coast. On Tuesday, an underground pipeline that runs between Gaviota and Refugio State Beach ruptured, and the oil followed gravity into a culvert and back out to sea. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-helvarg-santa-barbara-oil-spill-20150522-story.html Companies cannot keep shying away from setting tough climate targets. Today the low carbon economy is worth over £3tn. This fact is just one of many showing how far the business case for addressing climate change has come, with smart businesses broadening their strategy beyond risk management to value creation. Business leaders who shared their vision of a low-carbon future in Paris this week echoed this sentiment, calling on governments to lock in the right frameworks and targets to help deliver this goal. http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/may/22/companies-cannot-keep-shying-away-from-setting-tough-climate-targets BLOGS Beijing’s air is getting slightly better — here’s how and why. As decision day looms for host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics, officials in the Chinese capital boasted this week that they were finally making progress in cleaning up their city's notoriously polluted air. Several months of slightly lower pollution levels have been capped by two weeks of clear blue skies, leaving many of Beijing’s residents smiling. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/05/22/beijings-air-is-getting-slightly-better-heres-how-and-why/ California Environmental Quality Act, Greenhouse Gas Regulation and Climate Change. California has adopted the most significant climate change policies in the United States, including landmark legislation (AB 32)2 to lower state green- house gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Proposed new laws, and recent judicial decisions concerning the analysis of GHG impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), may soon increase the state’s legally mandat- ed GHG reduction target to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/05/california-environmental-quality-act-greenhouse-gas-regulation-and-climate-change/ Holy Carbon: Does the Pope’s view matter in the fight against climate change? Pope Francis is set to weigh in on the climate change debate in what has already caused a considerable buzz in the media, by equal measure prompting cheers from the green lobby and irritation among climate skeptics, even before the message has been released. http://blogs.platts.com/2015/05/22/holy-carbon-pope-view-cilmate-change/ Cash on the Hood of an Electric Car. You've probably heard of that psychology study that found that children are more likely to go for one marshmallow now than the promise of two marshmallows later. Researchers at UC Davis have found that car buyers are no different and are more likely to buy the car that comes with an offer of an immediate discount -- like a rebate accessible within several weeks -- than one that comes with a tax credit available several months later, even if the longer-term reward is of higher value. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-coplonnewfield/cash-on-the-hood-of-an-el_b_7386312.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 12:11:01 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 26, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE U.S., Canada and Mexico create new climate change partnership. North American energy ministers said on Monday they had set up a working group on climate change and energy, a partnership designed to help Canada, the United States and Mexico harmonize policies. The partnership does not include binding targets, but will enhance cooperation and integrate more climate change-related policies into energy discussions between the countries, Canadian Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford said during a conference call. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/25/us-energy-americas-idUSKBN0OA1HX20150525 Greenhouse gas emissions: How can Canada cut 30% by 2030? When the federal government announced its plan to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, it gave little indication how it planned to do it, exactly. Canada produced 749 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2005, according to Environment Canada data. By cutting 30 per cent, the Conservative government is hoping to eliminate more than 200 MT a year. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/greenhouse-gas-emissions-how-can-canada-cut-30-by-2030-1.3080447 Two-thirds of Ontarians support cap-and-trade plan, poll suggests. Ontario’s plan for a “cap-and-trade” system to help cut greenhouse gas emissions has strong public backing, a new poll suggests. About two-thirds of people in the province support the government’s move, according to the survey conducted for the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) by research firm Gandalf Group. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/two-thirds-of-ontarians-support-cap-and-trade-plan-poll-suggests/article24602595/ Low-income homeowners get free solar panels thanks to cap & trade. The spread of residential solar power has been largely a middle-class affair. Despite plunging prices in the last seven years, rooftop solar arrays remain an expensive home improvement, costing $15,000 or more. A 2013 study by the liberal research and advocacy group Center for American Progress found that 67 percent of solar arrays installed in California went to ZIP codes with a median household income between $40,000 and $90,000. Wealthier areas accounted for almost all of the rest. http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Low-income-homeowners-get-free-solar-panels-6281762.php UN CLIMATE TALKS World's least-polluting nations aim to set Paris climate bar high. If your country were responsible for only 0.05 percent of the world's climate-changing emissions, you might not think it worth making a plan to curb that pollution - especially when you still need to get electricity to much of your population. But the Gambian government thinks otherwise. It is already working on its contribution to a new global deal to tackle climate change, due to be hammered out in Paris at the end of this year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/26/us-climate-change-carbon-idUSKBN0OB0VV20150526 Investment fund CEOs call for long-term greenhouse gas cuts. Some of the world's biggest investment funds urged the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Tuesday to commit to a long-term goal to cut world greenhouse gas emissions as part of a U.N. climate deal due to be agreed in December. Cuts in emissions would give investors more certainty, promote research and development and new technologies, and help create jobs, fund chiefs said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/26/us-climatechange-funds-idUSKBN0OB15G20150526 Poorest nations, not just richest, must act to end extreme poverty – campaigners. The world's rich donor nations must increase their overseas aid budgets and reverse the trend of declining funding for the poorest countries in order to meet a global goal of ending poverty by 2030, an advocacy group said on Tuesday. Yet governments of the least-developed countries must also contribute by committing to a minimum level of spending to provide basic services, including health and education, for everyone within five years, the ONE Campaign said in a report. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/26/aid-finance-idUSKBN0OB03W20150526 French bill seeks to boost renewable energy, cut nuclear use. France's lower house of parliament has approved a bill aimed at boosting renewable energy and reducing the country's reliance on nuclear power, among other environment-friendly measures. The French government wants to be exemplary this year in environmental matters, since Paris is hosting a U.N.-backed conference in December where 196 countries aim to limit greenhouse gas emissions to fight global warming. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article22334454.html AIR POLLUTION Unsafe levels of toxic pollutants in heavily fracked Ohio county. Emissions from fracking operations may be exposing people to some toxic pollutants at levels higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers safe for long-term exposure, according to scientists from Oregon State University and the University of Cincinnati. The researchers took air samples in Carroll County, Ohio, where there are 480 permitted wells the most in any of the state's 88 counties. The team found chemicals released during oil and gas extraction that can raise the risk of cancer and respiratory ailments. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-tns-bc-env-fracking-pollutants-20150524-story.html#page=1 World Health Assembly closes, passing resolutions on air pollution and epilepsy. The World Health Assembly closed today, with Director-General Dr Margaret Chan noting that it had passed several “landmark resolutions and decisions”. Three new resolutions were passed today: one on air pollution, one on epilepsy and one laying out the next steps in finalizing a framework of engagement with non-State actors. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/wha-26-may-2015/en/ CLIMATE CHANGE Japan Pledges Climate Change Aid to Pacific Island Nations. Japan pledged Saturday 55 billion yen ($450 million) in aid to Pacific island nations that are battling rising sea levels and natural calamities as a result of global warming. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the pledge at a two-day meeting with the island nations' leaders in Iwaki in northern Japan. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Carbon Pricing Is Expanding: Initiatives Now Valued at Nearly $50 Billion. In the past year and a half, Portugal and Mexico implemented new carbon taxes, South Korea started one of the world’s largest emissions trading systems, and California and Quebec linked their cap-and-trade systems, which Ontario plans to join. China, meanwhile, has been learning from its seven local carbon markets (the oldest, in Shenzen, is about to wrap up its second year), and the entire country, a leading emitter of greenhouse gases, plans to launch a national emissions trading system as early as 2016. Chile also advanced carbon pricing, approving a carbon tax to start in 2018. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/05/26/carbon-pricing-initiatives-nearly-50-billion Catholics worldwide vow to get the word out on Pope Francis' message on climate change. Pope Francis will release his anticipated teaching document on the environment and climate change in the coming weeks. Over the past several years, more faith traditions have rallied behind environmental protection. Churches have begun to press ecological issues as moral ones, as the poor struggle for clean water and farmable land. Pope Francis, who has attracted worldwide attention far beyond the Catholic world, is believed to be the one individual able to bring attention the human toll wrought from climate change that few other leaders could. http://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=60713 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Truckers' secret to fuel efficiency: take it easy. Mario Enriquez says there’s no real trick to getting great fuel mileage in a big truck. "Just take it easy," says the 61-year-old native of El Paso, who’s driven an 18-wheeler for 11 years. "I don't gun the engine, I just gradually give it the gas." Enriquez averaged 9.74 miles per gallon from February to April in an International ProStar made by Navistar International Corp. For that, his employer, Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT), awarded him a Nissan Versa compact car. Enriquez wasn’t even the best of the company’s drivers in the latest quarter, but no driver is allowed to win more than once and all those ahead of him were previous winners. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/26/us-trucks-future-idUSKBN0OB0Y120150526 DROUGHT California Farmers Agree to Drastically Cut Water Use. California farmers who hold some of the state's strongest water rights avoided the threat of deep mandatory cuts when the state accepted their proposal to voluntarily reduce consumption by 25 percent amid one of the worst droughts on record. Officials hope the deal agreed upon on Friday will serve as a model for more such agreements with growers in the nation's top-producing farm state, where agriculture accounts for 80 percent of all water drawn from rivers, streams and the ground. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WATER_CUTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California looks to Australia for tips on surviving drought. Ca lifornia has turned to the world's driest inhabited continent for solutions to its longest and sharpest drought on record. Australia, the land poet Dorothea Mackellar dubbed "a sunburnt country," suffered a torturous drought from the late 1990s through 2012. Now Californians are facing their own "Big Dry," and looking Down Under to see how they coped. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-as--california-drought-lessons-from-down-under-abridged-20150525-story.html#page=1 SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Protesters warn against using chemicals in Santa Barbara County oil spill clean-up. Dozens of protesters chanted "End Oil Now!" and hoisted signs alongside an inflatable mock pipeline on a Santa Barbara beach on Sunday, demanding an end to fracking and other forms of "extreme oil extraction" days after a spill sent thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean and onto beaches. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-santa-barbara-county-oil-spill-20150524-story.html VEHICLES Are Electric Vehicle Incentives Much Too Low in 2015? Critics of renewable energy and electric vehicles often call foul on government subsidies designed to help these budding industries along. According to new data, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the trillions spent on oil and coal subsidies, with a sizable chunk of that support going to pay for health care and related costs. In light of the staggering statistics on the real costs of burning fossil fuels in America, EV incentives appear far too low in 2015. http://www.cheatsheet.com/automobiles/are-electric-vehicle-incentives-much-too-low-in-2015.html/?a=viewall GREEN ENERGY Kentucky May Accidentally Comply with EPA's Clean Power Plan. Kentucky has consistently opposed federal efforts to impose environmental rules on the state's power plants. First, lawmakers passed a bill to exempt the state from submitting a plan to meet the proposed air regulations that work against coal. Then it sued the Environmental Protection Agency over the rule. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/26052015/kentucky-may-accidentally-comply-epa-clean-power-plan-coal MISCELLANEOUS 230-acre prescribed burn scheduled at Camp San Luis Obispo. There will be a 230-acre prescribed burn at Camp San Luis Obispo between May 26 and May 30, starting at approximately 10 a.m., weather and burn conditions permitting, Cal Fire reports. The burn will be on grasslands on and near the base’s firing ranges. http://pasoroblesdailynews.com/230-acre-prescribed-burn-scheduled-at-camp-san-luis-obispo/36214/ Tree Project Aims to Put the Oak Back in Oakland. In the beginning, before stylized images of oak trees started appearing on T-shirts, bumper stickers and even Mayor Libby Schaaf’s election-night earrings in November, there were actually oak woodlands in Oakland. And while this may be the largest city in America named after a tree, these days there are very few of the oaks left. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/24/us/tree-project-aims-to-put-the-oak-back-in-oakland.html A Home Air Quality Monitor That Can Be Checked Out From The Library. Air pollution comes from many sources — power plants, industrial production and fires, to name a few. In Pittsburgh, the most polluted city east of California, according the American Lung Association, avoiding dirty air while outdoors can be difficult, if not impossible. But a new device, available through the public library system, helps people identify and reduce bad air quality inside their homes. http://www.npr.org/2015/05/24/408786881/a-home-air-quality-monitor-that-can-be-checked-out-from-the-library OPINIONS Paris Can't Be Another Copenhagen. As a former prime minister of Australia, I understand something of the political costs leaders must bear in aiming to reconcile the long-term interests of the planet with short-term national interests. After attending the 2009 Copenhagen summit on climate change, I was attacked back home for either doing too much or too little in trying to bring about a binding global agreement. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/opinion/kevin-rudd-paris-cant-be-another-copenhagen.html?_r=0 Congress’ century-long history of ignoring science: The dangerous climate delusions our lawmakers just can’t shed. There may be nothing we humans are more at ease with, or more practiced at, than talking about the weather. Not, of course, that we’re particularly apt to understand exactly what it is we’re discussing. As author and journalist Cynthia Barnett establishes early on in “Rain: A Natural and Cultural History,” for all our dependence on rain, we misunderstand it “at the most basic level — what it looks like.” http://www.salon.com/2015/05/26/congress_century_long_history_of_ignoring_science_the_dangerous_climate_delusions_our_lawmakers_just_cant_shed/ Opinion: California’s carbon fees generate big money. While Gov. Jerry Brown is being fairly tight about spending the state’s multibillion-dollar windfall of sales and income taxes, he’s not shy about spending rapidly increasing proceeds from “cap-and-trade” fees on carbon emissions. The revised 2015-16 budget that he unveiled this month more than doubles, from $992 million to $2.2 billion, projected revenues from selling carbon emission credits, and the Legislature’s budget staff believes even that is too conservative. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article22143216.html Using windfalls and paper to fight climate change. Amid much pomp, Gov. Jerry Brown and dignitaries from Germany, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States gathered at the meticulously restored Stanford Mansion last week. There, they signed a piece of paper. With international flags providing an impressive backdrop, the leaders agreed to abide by the paper, a memorandum of understanding, that says they intend to limit global temperature rise to less than 3.6 degrees, or, because this was a cosmopolitan event, 2 degrees Celsius. Hence the name, “Under 2 MOU.” http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dan-morain/article22028994.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 16:11:20 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 27, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 27, 2015. 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 Carbon tax or trade? Debate loses steam as world embraces both. Tax versus trade is an issue that has stalked the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) over its 10 years of existence, but is fading in importance as the world moves towards increased use of both methods of cutting greenhouse gas pollution. The European Union set up the ETS in 2005 as a way of getting round policy-making rules that require the unanimity of member states to decide on a tax. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/eu-carbon-tax-idUSL5N0YF0HU20150527 AIR POLLUTION Breather for Greenpeace in battle with government. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed Greenpeace to gather domestic donations in two accounts frozen by the government, extending a lifeline to the environmental group that says it is facing the first forced shutdown of one of its global units. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/india-greenpeace-idUSKBN0OC1AW20150527 Study casts doubt on life-saving potential of EPA regs. Estimates of the number of lives saved by federal air regulations are highly uncertain, researchers from Indiana University concluded in a new study. The team, which included a former top official in President George W. Bush's administration, analyzed nine air pollution regulations issued by U.S. EPA between 2011 and 2013… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/27/stories/1060019185 CLIMATE CHANGE World has no choice but to decarbonise - UN climate chief. Responding to climate change in the next 15 years is the world's "mega development project", given the need to invest trillions of dollars in infrastructure, creating jobs and economic stability, the United Nations' top climate change official said on Tuesday. "It makes fundamental economic sense" for countries to push forward on tackling climate change… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/26/climate-change-carbon-idUSL5N0YH3E320150526 Governments certain to seal Paris climate deal: U.N. climate chief. Governments are certain to sign a global climate deal in Paris in six months' time even though most countries have yet to outline how they plan to cut emissions, the United Nations' climate chief said on Tuesday. Almost 200 governments are due to meet at a conference in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 to agree on a deal to slow global warming. "Governments are actually very well on track...there is no doubt that this agreement will be forged in Paris," Christiana Figueres, head of the U.N. climate change secretariat, said in an interview at a carbon market event in Barcelona. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/05/26/us-climate-change-deal-idINKBN0OB1KL20150526 Shareholders press for board voice on climate at Exxon, Chevron. Progressive shareholders are pushing to add directors with climate change expertise to the boards of Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp, arguing the largest U.S. oil companies need more depth of knowledge to navigate environmental issues. Climate and greenhouse gas proposals regularly surface at oil company annual meetings… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/exxon-chevron-climate-change-idUSL1N0YH19C20150527?type=companyNews http://www.timesunion.com/news/texas/article/Exxon-shareholders-to-vote-on-climate-change-6289048.php Finance to protect forests must meet local needs: experts. Madagascar has 7 million hectares of rainforest under protection as of this month, but stopping the poor people who live near those areas from illegally cutting down rosewood trees remains a challenge. "Most... say we are spending a lot of money to protect the environment instead of spending money to help them… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/us-climate-change-forest-carbontrading-idUSKBN0OC25820150527 Energy industry calls for new emissions targets to aid low-carbon growth. World governments need to set clear long-term goals at Paris climate talks and invest about $50tn to bring about changes needed to avoid dangerous global warming, say World Energy Council. World governments must sign a clear new agreement on greenhouse gas emissions at a crunch conference in Paris this December, leaders of the world’s energy industry have urged. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/27/energy-industry-calls-for-new-emissions-targets-to-aid-low-carbon-growth Across U.S., Heaviest Downpours On The Rise. Record-breaking rain across Texas and Oklahoma this week caused widespread flooding, the likes of which the region has rarely, if ever, seen. For seven locations there, May 2015 has seen the most rain of any month ever recorded, with five days to go and the rain still coming. While rainfall in the region is consistent with the emerging El Niño… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/across-u.s.-heaviest-downpours-on-the-rise-18989 Can US meet its climate goals? New study says ‘Yes’ Ahead of global climate talks in December, a new study outlines how the US can meet its ambitious goals to cut back on carbon emissions. The world's second largest emitter has made big promises to trim output of the planet-warming gases that scientists say raise global average temperatures. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0527/Can-US-meet-its-climate-goals-New-study-says-Yes How climate change threatens national security (+video). Researchers have grown increasingly concerned by the threat that global warming poses to global peace. And political leaders are beginning to take notice. What is the “farmhands-to-fighters” argument? The argument links reduced economic opportunity in agriculture to increased violent activity. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0526/How-climate-change-threatens-national-security-video If You’ve Wondered Why So Many Politicians Deny Climate Change, Science Has Your Answer. Scientists have known for a long time what’s causing current climate change. What’s been less clear is why so many U.S. politicians aren’t listening. Sure, there’s been falsely balanced media coverage of climate science. And there are both financial and ideological incentives to deny that carbon emissions are causing the phenomenon. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/27/3662739/climate-change-echo-chambers/ Most Of Mount Everest’s Glaciers Could Be Nearly Gone By The End Of The Century. Most of Mount Everest’s glaciers will markedly shrink over the course of this century, as climate change continues to warm the Himalayan region, according to a new study.The study, published Wednesday in the journal Cryosphere, found that the thousands of glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/27/3663110/everest-glaciers-shrinking/ DROUGHT Western U.S. drought might raise food prices: Reuters/Ipsos poll. An overwhelming majority of U.S. residents think the drought that has hit agriculture in the West will lead to increased food prices, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. The poll, conducted May 18 to 22, also found strong support for certain water conservation efforts that might be aimed at the general public in drought-stricken states. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/us-usa-drought-poll-idUSKBN0OC0ZL20150527?feedType=RSS&feedName=everything&virtualBrandChannel=11563 First William Shatner, now Moby: Celebrities' ideas for tackling California drought. Move over Capt. James T. Kirk. Now Moby wants to boldly go forward with a plan to ease California's drought. Now musician Moby is calling on Gov. Jerry Brown for more action on water conservation. In an interview with Forbes, Moby said he began researching water issues and agriculture last year and had even replaced his lawn with mulch. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-celebrity-california-drought-ideas-20150527-story.html Southland water importer OKs $350-million boost in lawn-removal rebates. Responding to a surge of interest in removing grass amid California's worsening drought, the Metropolitan Water District agreed Monday to spend an additional $350 million to help homeowners and businesses replace the turf. The move comes as Gov. Jerry Brown has ordered urban water users to cut consumption by 25%... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-rebates-20150527-story.html Drought angst shrivels Californians’ views of state. Despite an improving economy and burgeoning budget surplus, California’s worsening drought is stirring fresh anxieties about the direction of the Golden State. A new poll shows Californians’ perceptions of the state have soured in recent months as Gov. Jerry Brown and others imposed new conservation mandates. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/field-polls/article22392486.html#storylink=cpy A little potty humor could come in handy in drought. With California in its fourth year of drought, AT&T has come up with a list of apps to help residents tackle water use. Some of the apps appear seriously helpful, with some not-so-obvious suggestions for reducing water consumption. But one of them, you’ve got to see – make that hear – to believe. It’s called Fakeshower, it’s from Akatu, and here’s what an AT&T news release has to say about it: http://www.modbee.com/news/article22375788.html#storylink=cpy If drought persists, SLO could run out of water in 3 to 4 years. If San Luis Obispo residents don’t conserve more, the city could run out of water in three and a half years under worst-case drought conditions. Even if the community cuts water by the 12 percent target set by state water regulators, San Luis Obispo could run out of water in four and half years if drought continues.. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/05/26/3651471/slo-water-conservation-drought.html#storylink=cpy California’s Drought Makes It Rain Dollars For Local Businesses. When people call up Leigh Jerrard, founder of Greywater Corps, they’re greeted with a recorded message: “Note that we are overwhelmed with inquiries right now, so it may be a while before we get back to you. But have faith.” Jerrard’s company helps homeowners with the complicated process of installing their own graywater systems. The system takes drainage from showers or washing machines and uses it to water lawns. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/05/27/californias-drought-makes-it-rain-dollars-for-local-businesses California Drought: El Niño Won’t End Dry Times In California. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center and meteorologists in other countries show that strong-to-moderate El Niño conditions are present in the tropical Pacific. But it won't end the drought in California. The Climate Prediction Center says there is an approximately 80 percent chance that El Niño will continue through 2015 in the Northern Hemisphere. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/27/california-drought-el-nino-wont-end-dry-times-in-california/ Six Lessons For California From A Drought Halfway Around The World. Drought-stricken California has a lot to learn from Melbourne, Australia, according to UC Irvine civil and environmental engineering professor Stanley Grant. He's the senior author of a study published Tuesday outlining how Melbourne slashed its water consumption in half during a recent drought that lasted more than a decade. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/may/26/six-lessons-california-drought-halfway-around-worl/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES EU real-world emissions tests to bring “marked reduction” in NOx emissions. The approval of the European Commission’s proposals for real-world driving air pollution emission tests will help ensure a marked reduction in NOx emissions, claims Emissions Analytics. From 2017, part of the type approval process for passenger cars in Europe will include a compulsory real-world test using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). http://fleetworld.co.uk/news/2015/May/EU-real-world-emissions-tests-to-bring-8220marked-reduction8221-in-NOx-emissions/0434020000 CMU study compares lifecycle GHGs of natural gas pathways for MHDVs; MD BEVs can deliver large reductions, but diesel hard to beat for Class 8. A study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers comparing life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from different natural gas pathways for medium and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) found that the GHG reduction potentials of the pathways vary sharply between non-Class 8 MHDVs (e.g., pick-up trucks, parcel delivery trucks, and box trucks), Class 8 transit buses, and Class 8 MHDVs (e.g., refuse trucks and tractor-trailers). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150527-cmu.html FUELS EPA Grapples With Competing Rationales for Setting Renewable Fuel Requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency is grappling with how much ethanol the market can absorb as petroleum refiners and renewable fuels producers offer competing rationales for how renewable fuel blending requirements should be set in an upcoming proposed rule. The EPA will address the ethanol “blend wall” as part of the proposed rule expected by June 1… http://www.bna.com/epa-grapples-competing-n17179927077/ China’s Coal Use May Have Peaked Years Ahead Of Schedule. China’s coal use fell by nearly 8 percent in the first four months of 2015 versus the same period in 2014, according to analysis by Greenpeace’s Energydesk team. Given China’s aggressive commitments to slash urban air pollution levels and reverse carbon pollution trends, we may have witnessed the peak in Chinese coal consumption years ahead of schedule. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/27/3662681/chinas-coal-use-peaked/ VEHICLES Navigant forecasts annual plug-in electric vehicle sales in N America to exceed 1.1M by 2024. In a new report, Navigant Research forecasts that North American plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales will exceed 1.1 million annually by 2024. The report, Electric Vehicle Geographic Forecasts, provides data and forecasts for LD PEV sales in North America, including US states, MSAs, and utility service territories and Canadian provinces and cities. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150527-navigant.html Renault-Nissan Alliance to provide 200 EVs for Paris climate conference. The Renault-Nissan Alliance will provide a fleet of 200 all-electric vehicles as the official passenger-car provider for the United Nation’s COP21 climate conference in Paris later this year. The fully electric car fleet will shuttle delegates during the event from 30 November to 11 December. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150527-cop21.html Tesla Pops Up, State Electric-Car Fees, Obama Delayed: Today's Car News. We look at vacation car-rental dilemmas, state electric-car fees, and yet another innovation from California carmaker Tesla Motors. All this and more today on Green Car Reports. Tesla takes a page from the retail industry and opens its first "popup store" to sell electric cars in Santa Barbara. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098460_tesla-pops-up-state-electric-car-fees-obama-delayed-todays-car-news Electric-Car Future Is Coming, Just More Slowly Than Predicted: Consensus. It's been no secret that President Obama's goal of 1 million plug-in electric cars on U.S. roads won't be met by the end of this year. That's the goal he announced on the campaign trail toward winning his first term in 2008. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098476_electric-car-future-is-coming-just-more-slowly-than-predicted-consensus GREEN ENERGY Solar Shines as Sellers Sometimes Pay Buyers to Use Power. Move over, shale. The sun is now the fastest-growing source of U.S. electricity. Solar power capacity in the U.S. has jumped 20-fold since 2008 as companies including Apple Inc. use it to reduce their carbon footprints. Rooftop panels are sprouting on homes from suburban New York to Phoenix, driven by suppliers such as SolarCity Corp. and NRG Energy Inc. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-26/solar-as-fastest-growing-u-s-power-source-rivals-shale-boom French bill seeks to boost renewable energy, cut nuclear use, promote environmental measures. France's lower house of parliament has approved a bill aimed at boosting renewable energy and reducing the country's reliance on nuclear power, among other environment-friendly measures. The French government wants to be exemplary this year in environmental matters… http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/05/26/french-bill-seeks-to-boost-renewable-energy-cut-nuclear-use Hanford dairy goes solar in a big way. "The dairy business takes constant evaluation and assessment to ensure our operation and team is working as efficiently as possible,” says Brian Medeiros. “We're extremely focused on improving efficiencies across the entire farm. Solar is one of those crucial tools that makes a lot of sense. It helps us to reduce our energy costs and improve our triple bottom line." http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28412 Small Islands Are Biggest Beneficiaries Of Renewable Energy. When it comes to sites where renewable energy can have the biggest impact, it's best to look offshore. Islands are often cut off from mainland grid infrastructure, which drives up energy costs for the people who live there. That creates a powerful incentive for switching to renewable sources… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098446_small-islands-are-biggest-beneficiaries-of-renewable-energy Governors urge Congress to renew wind energy tax credit. Two prominent wind energy supporters are reviving the industry's campaign to renew the federal production tax credit that expired last year. In a letter to top lawmakers in the House and Senate, Govs. Jay Inslee (D) of Washington and Terry Branstad (R) of Iowa, who lead the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition, called for a "multi-year" extension of the PTC… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/27/stories/1060019193 Berkeley lab names solar energy center for former DOE chief. The new home for the Energy Department's innovation hub aiming to turn sunlight into fuel will be named after former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory officially opened Chu Hall yesterday, naming it in honor of the Nobel-prize winning physicist, who was previously the director of the lab before President Obama tapped him to be his first secretary of Energy. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/05/27/stories/1060019187 OPINIONS This is climate skeptics’ latest argument about melting polar ice — and why it’s wrong. We’ve had two weeks of worrying news about the melting of Antarctica. The Larsen C and especially the remaining Larsen B ice shelves appear vulnerable to collapse, even as the glaciers of the Southern Antarctic Peninsula region have just been shown to be pouring large volumes of water into the ocean. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/27/climate-skeptics-think-you-shouldnt-worry-about-melting-polar-ice-heres-why-theyre-wrong/ Using Science to Fight Climate Change. To the Editor: Re “Chemo for the Planet” (column, May 19): The biggest obstacle to policies that would reduce carbon use and forestall climate change is that people don’t think clearly about long-term risks. This is seen in many spheres. While everyone knows that exercise and better diet could prevent many diseases, this is not a sufficient motivation for many of us. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/27/opinion/using-science-to-fight-climate-change.html?_r=0 California Is Running Out of Carpool Lane Stickers for Plug-in Hybrids. Here we go again. California's carpool lane program for plug-in hybrids is about to run out of stickers. If the story sounds familiar, it is. The state has a history of issuing fewer carpool stickers than demand would dictate. But that's by design. http://www.laweekly.com/news/california-is-running-out-of-carpool-lane-stickers-for-plug-in-hybrids-5618019 Barnidge: Small drought measures are good, but better solutions await. As I took my morning walk through the neighborhood the other day, observing thirsty turf where lush lawns once grew, I thought how pleased that would make Gov. Jerry Brown, the grand overlord of drought-mitigation plans. Not only did I see no sprinklers sprinkling, I noticed one resident replaced the grass in her front yard with desert vegetation. http://www.contracostatimes.com/barnidge/ci_28197651/barnidge-small-drought-measures-are-good-but-better California Agriculture Increases Despite Drought. As California farmers enter another summer of drought, the numbers point to a positive season. Despite the ongoing lack of water, the state surprisingly continues to increase employment in agriculture and its farm revenues. UC Davis professor Richard Sexton attributes the growth to ingenuity in farming techniques and an increased demand for California goods globally. http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/california-agriculture-increases-despite-drought-13626026#ixzz3bMke5uAX Valley Voice: Drought measures hone survival skills. Nearly everyone has heard about California’s ongoing drought crisis, and many have offered solutions and opinions. There is a connection between the expected magnitude 8.0 earthquake and this drought — or any severely damaging earthquake for that matter. It is that using water wisely suddenly becomes a conscious decision and action. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/05/27/valley-voice-camelot-disaster-drought-skills/28013491/ Concord to implement drought management plan. The city has developed a drought management plan to comply with mandatory water reductions. In response to Gov. Jerry Brown's statewide mandate, the Contra Costa Water District is requiring its irrigation customers to reduce water use by 45 percent from 2013 levels and limit watering to twice per week. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_28197754/concord-implement-drought-management-plan Global Warming Is Not A Theory. It Is A Measurement. I admit to being concerned about global warming, its many impacts, present and future, on human welfare, and the insidious fact that those least responsible for global warming and the resultant climate change are likely to suffer the most serious impacts. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/27/global-warming-is-not-a-theory-it-is-a-measurement/ Big Question About Industry's Newest Climate Effort. Europe’s largest oil companies are reportedly working together on a policy strategy leading up to this year’s international climate talks in Paris. It’s nice to hear that some of the biggest players in the global oil and gas industry want to engage in solutions, but it remains to be seen if they will take the action needed to… http://theenergycollective.com/edfenergyex/2232441/big-question-about-industry-s-newest-climate-effort Letter: Support proposal to increase fees on emissions. Jobs, jobs, jobs. We have all heard the politicians’ claims that the Keystone pipeline will create approximately 42,000 jobs; however, most of those jobs will be temporary — lasting less than one year. If job opportunities are our main goal, Congress should consider former Secretary of State George Shultz’s “Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal.” http://www.argusleader.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/05/26/letter-support-proposal-increase-fees-emissions/27972527/ BLOGS NOAA calls for below-average hurricane season, but emphasizes preparedness. The upcoming hurricane season will likely be quieter than average, NOAA said today in their seasonal outlook, indicating that a strengthening El Niño and cool ocean temperatures will probably lead to unfavorable hurricane conditions over the Atlantic Ocean. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/05/27/noaa-calls-for-below-average-hurricane-season-but-emphasizes-preparedness/ In Texas, the Race to Build in Harm’s Way Outpaces Flood-Risk Studies and Warming. The holiday and the type of hazard have changed, but once again fast-growing Texas is seeing outsize (and tragic) impacts from extreme weather events. On Labor Day weekend in 2011, the disaster was heat- and drought-fueled fires that whipped through the exurbs east of Austin, most of which didn’t exist just a few decades earlier. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/in-texas-the-race-to-develop-in-harms-way-outpaces-flood-risk-studies-and-warming-impacts/ Fresno’s million-dollar water deal: What a bargain in this drought. Fresno bought nearly 3,000 acre-feet of Millerton Lake water last week for $1 million — a deal so uncommon this year that I had to read reporter George Hostetter’s story twice. On the open water market, the Millerton water might be worth five times that price. Plus, this was supposed to be a second heart-breaking drought year when Millerton Lake customers largely get zero. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/earth-log/article22365489.html#storylink=cpy Resilient Leadership for a Resilient World. During the course of this month, millions of American students will graduate from institutions of higher learning, only to enter a world beset by challenges that threaten the stability of societies around the globe: new geopolitical tensions and the rise of radical non-state actors; new forms of cyber-aggression; a changing climate… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-shirley-ann-jackson/resilient-leadership-for_b_7453012.html Welcoming Electric Cars to the Central Valley. How can this family afford to make the switch from a high-polluting car that gets poor gas mileage to an efficient clean vehicle that can run on electricity and gasoline? By putting a price on pollution to reduce emissions, California is funding incentive programs that help those who are disproportionately burdened by dangerous air pollution and the cost of transportation. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mbaumhefner/welcoming_electric_cars_to_the.html WHO calls for clean energy to tackle air pollution. The UN health body is calling for energy efficiency and clean energy to tackle air pollution in a “landmark resolution” agreed this week. Some 3.7 million people die each year from exposure to outdoor air pollution and 4.3 million from indoor pollution, the World Health Organization estimates. Coal power stations and diesel vehicles are major sources of harmful fumes… http://www.rtcc.org/2015/05/27/who-calls-for-clean-energy-to-tackle-air-pollution/#sthash.VwszaXFW.dpuf A Bright Idea to Cut Carbon Emissions. You've probably spent a significant portion of your life beneath harsh soul-crushing fluorescent lighting in school, in the office, in the supermarket... everywhere. Why? It's simply because fluorescent bulbs are so much more efficient than their incandescent cousins. But in this day and age, we're all taking a much harder look at what "efficient" truly means. Are fluorescent bulbs efficient enough? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/x-prize-foundation/a-bright-idea-to-cut-carb_b_7446962.html A Global Look at Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programs. This is a historic year for climate action as nations around the world prepare commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to be successful, governments must have an abundance of a particularly valuable resource—emissions data. Governments can get granular data on emissions through mandatory GHG reporting programs… http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/05/global-look-mandatory-greenhouse-gas-reporting-programs New research helps farmers set targets for reducing emissions. The easiest way to tackle fertilizer pollution is to lower the amount of nitrogen applied to crops, thereby reducing nutrient losses into the air and water. The problem is, reducing fertilizer rates can also shrink crop yields, which means less income for farmers and less food on our plates. http://blogs.edf.org/growingreturns/2015/05/26/new-research-helps-farmers-set-targets-for-reducing-emissions/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 11:54:44 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 28, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 28, 2015. 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. CAR CRUSH EVENT Old truck gets crushed in California's battle against climate change. In a heavy metal display of its effort to get dirty cars off the road, state officials crushed a 31-year-old pickup truck outside the Capitol on Wednesday morning. The Stockton family that turned in the truck left the event with a 2-year-old Toyota Prius, courtesy of a state program that provides rebates to help low-income families buy cleaner cars. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-crush-car-capitol-climate-change-20150527-story.html Clean car trade-in program launches with Capitol truck demolition. Before driving off in a new plug-in hybrid, Jose Mendoza watched with mixed feelings as his old pickup truck was crushed Wednesday morning on the west lawn of the Capitol. “You never want to get rid of those old cars that helped you through the hard times,” he said. “I didn’t realize it was going to get emotional.” Mendoza, a father of six from Stockton… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article22454883.html#storylink=cpy State Offering Incentives To Get Dirty Cars Off Road. When Jose Mendoza took his 1984 pickup truck to a smog check event in Stockton last February, he heard about a new pilot program. If he scrapped his truck, he could get state money to help him buy a new hybrid. "She told me you can get this car, we’ll take that car. I said, here’s the keys!” Mendoza became the first client for the $5 million pilot program. He and his family took part in the press conference announcing it. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/27/state-offering-incentives-to-get-dirty-cars-off-road/ Going clean. Here’s one advantage to being “disadvantaged”: Millions of dollars have been set aside to help San Joaquin Valley communities dispose of older, polluting vehicles in favor of newer, cleaner ones. The pilot program, launched by state officials on Wednesday, awards the largest incentives to the poorest residents in the most polluted neighborhoods… http://www.recordnet.com/article/20150527/NEWS/150529712 Calif. gives money to swap clunkers for electric vehicles and other clean cars. California is giving money to residents who get rid of polluting cars and buy ones that use less gasoline or no gasoline at all. The Golden State yesterday launched a pilot program advancing the effort. It's funded by $4.8 million in proceeds from California's cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/28/stories/1060019218 AIR POLLUTION 3-hour debate on Oceano Dunes dust rule fails to produce agreement. A deeply divided San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District board spent three hours Wednesday trying and failing to reach consensus on how to proceed with the air district’s controversial rule to curtail dust blowing off the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/05/27/3653212/air-pollution-district-board-dust.html Waste-to-Energy Facility Cuts Emissions 53% with Covanta Technology. Emissions at the Metro Vancouver waste-to-energy facility have been reduced by 53 percent since the beginning of the year due to an updated emission control system. Covanta developed the technology as a retrofit for existing facilities like Metro Vancouver’s, and says it results in an improved combustion process… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/05/28/waste-to-energy-facility-cuts-emissions-53-with-covanta-technology/#ixzz3bS30w1Sf CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Will Inform Alberta Energy Policy, Premier Says. Global discussions about climate change will play a role in a revamped policy in Alberta, home to the Canadian oil sands industry, said Premier Rachel Notley. “There’s uncertainty created by the climate change issues” for the oil and gas industry, she said in a briefing in Calgary on Wednesday. “It’s not responsible” to not consider changes to regulation given the “worldwide conversation around climate change,” she said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-27/climate-change-will-inform-alberta-energy-policy-premier-says Scientists Warn to Expect More Weather Extremes. Torrential rains and widespread flooding in Texas have brought relief from a yearslong drought to many parts of the state. Such unpredictable and heavy rains are a big part of what climate scientists say that many Texans can expect in years to come. The relief has come at a great cost. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/us/scientists-warn-to-expect-more-weather-extremes.html Across U.S., Heaviest Downpours On The Rise. Record-breaking rain across Texas and Oklahoma this week caused widespread flooding, the likes of which the region has rarely, if ever, seen. For seven locations there, May 2015 has seen the most rain of any month ever recorded, with five days to go and the rain still coming. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/across-u.s.-heaviest-downpours-on-the-rise-18989 Canada must deal with tar sands emissions, says Clinton campaign chief. Canada faces a widening rift with America over climate change unless it deals with “excessive emissions” from the Alberta tar sands, according to a trusted adviser to both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. John Podesta told the Guardian that Canada must do more to compensate for its exploitation of the carbon intensive tar sands… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/28/canada-must-deal-with-tar-sands-emissions-says-clinton-campaign-chief Fixing climate change 'will create a new set of problems,' author says. For thousands of years, humans have relied on innovation to overcome obstacles, especially ones that affect our access to food. It started with the domestication of plants 10,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, followed shortly by the domestication of animals. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/28/stories/1060019216 DROUGHT How California's Drought Is Reshaping Small Businesses. As the drought in California enters its fourth year, businesses up and down the state are increasingly feeling the impact. As the drought in California enters its fourth year, businesses up and down the state are increasingly feeling the impact; from family-owned almond farms in the Central Valley to private hydroelectric power operators in the high Sierras… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-05-27/how-california-s-drought-is-reshaping-small-businesses Hopes rise for a strong El Niño to ease California drought. In Texas, Oklahoma and Mexico, destructive storms flooded communities and unleashed a tornado, leaving more than two dozen dead. Across Southern California, this month has been decidedly cooler and wetter. San Diego had its wettest May in 94 years, and Los Angeles saw nearly four times its average rainfall. This month, the San Diego Padres were forced to call a rain delay… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-el-nino-returns-20150528-story.html Drought puts out Cupertino fireworks display. The Cupertino sky will be free of July 4 fireworks this year. The San Jose Mercury News reports (http://bayareane.ws/1LLGRbz) fireworks will not be launching from the Fremont Union High School District football field as drought conditions make it too expensive to spray the 100,000 gallons of water needed to protect the turf. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article22515021.html#storylink=cpy California drought effect on peaches and nectarines. The boys of summer may be on the baseball fields, but the joys of summer -- and late spring -- are in California's peach and nectarine orchards. I have been amazed at the flavor of this season's early fruit coming from the Coachella Valley, Tulare County and Fresno. But the California drought will have an increasingly larger impact on the supply, quality and price of fruit throughout the state. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28162613/california-drought-effect-peaches-and-nectarines Wildfires threaten Yolo County as California drought continues. Although there have been reports that drought conditions continue to significantly elevate California’s fire danger, Lt. Gary Fredericksen, who is in charge of all fires in Yolo County, says there is nothing to worry about. “This year was no different from last as the drought continues,” he said. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/environment-and-nature/20150527/wildfires-threaten-yolo-county-as-california-drought-continues San Jose Water Company to allow extra drought allocations for larger families. Silicon Valley's largest water company is changing how it will roll out some of the state's strictest water conservation rules to address complaints that the new per-household allocations unfairly penalize large families. The San Jose Water Company will still assign monthly water budgets to the 1 million people it serves in San Jose… http://www.contracostatimes.com/drought/ci_28199043/california-drought-san-jose-water-company-allow-extra Southern California immigrants face the drought with conservation habits learned long ago. It doesn't take much water to wash dishes — not in Jess Cullen's kitchen, at least. The 28-year-old Australian arrived in Southern California last year, just ahead of the drought and the state's new mandatory water restrictions. But she was ready: Cullen grew up on a cattle farm in Queensland during Australia's historic drought… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/28/52018/southern-california-immigrants-bring-their-own-wat/ West Coast drought: Why California water is so cheap. In California, water may be increasingly difficult to come by, but it hasn't gotten harder to pay for. Californians are being forced to slash their water use as some predict that yet another year of drought could empty the state's reservoirs. The massive Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), serving nearly 19 million customers… http://www.cnbc.com/id/102714268 What can a big Australian city teach Calif. about surviving a drought? From 1997 to 2009, Australia faced the worst drought in the country's recorded history. In Melbourne, a city of 4.3 million people located in southeastern Australia, water levels dropped to an all-time low capacity of 25.6 percent before the drought eased. Despite the dire situation, the city reduced water demand per capita by almost 50 percent by implementing a slew of policies and programs. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/28/stories/1060019222 FUELS Norway oil fund to slash coal investments. Norway has made a big move toward dropping investments in coal companies by its massive $900 billion sovereign wealth fund because of their impact on climate change. Under new rules to be presented by Parliament's finance committee on Thursday, the fund - also known as the oil fund - would exclude companies that get at least 30 percent of their revenue from mining coal or burning it. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_NORWAY_COAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/norway-oil-fund-to-exit-coal-exposed-utilities-1432759583 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/28/business/ap-eu-norway-coal.html Obama to get hurricane briefing, warn about climate change. President Barack Obama is using his annual hurricane briefing to warn that climate change will make these storms more intense and damaging. Obama is getting the briefing on the hurricane season during a visit Thursday to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Low oil prices are driving up gasoline consumption in the US. Gasoline consumption is up this year, likely thanks to low oil prices. Reuters' John Kemp reports that it's above the 10-year seasonal average and continues to climb. Notably, this chart also shows that consumption was substantially below the seasonal average last year when oil prices were high, until about November, when prices began to plummet. http://www.businessinsider.com/low-oil-prices-are-driving-up-gasoline-consumption-in-the-us-2015-5#ixzz3bSQ6t38h SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Feds order pipeline company to clean up Santa Barbara coastline. Federal authorities Wednesday issued a cleanup order to the company whose underground pipeline spilled thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific last week, marring several miles of Santa Barbara County coastline. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-feds-order-cleanup-20150527-story.html VEHICLES UPDATE 2-Ford to offer access to electrified-vehicle patents for a fee. Ford Motor Co said it would give other automakers access to its electrified vehicle technologies for a fee to accelerate research and development of such vehicles. Ford's offer comes nearly a year after a move by Tesla Motors Inc, the California electric car maker, to share its patents with other companies, though at no charge. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/28/ford-motor-patents-idUSL3N0YJ3WT20150528?virtualBrandChannel=11563 Ford joins Tesla in opening up electric car patents. Ford Motor's executive chairman is announcing that he's opening up Ford's electric vehicle patents to competitors to try to foster the technology. Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, made a similar move nearly a year ago. But while Tesla makes only electric cars, Ford's electric car portfolio is relatively tiny compared to all the gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles it makes. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/05/28/ford-tesla-patents-electric-cars/28056369/ http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2015/05/28/ford-opens-electric-car-patents/28065389/ Village gets amped at electric car show. It does 0 to 60 in 7.2 seconds, it’s quiet and it takes curves like a dream. It’s the 2014 Chevy Spark, one of several all-electric and hybrid vehicles on display in the Clubhouse Three parking lot last week. About 70 residents turned out for the May 21 event, sponsored by the Energy Club to raise awareness about electric cars. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/electric-663224-vehicles-battery.html Used Electric Cars: About To Get Big, What You Need To Know. Think electric-car ownership is priced out of your league? It’s simply not. Even if leasing isn’t for you, or you don’t have the stellar credit required to get some of those deals, prices are plummeting on used electric vehicles—and that makes it a buyers’ market, especially for some of the more popular EVs like the Nissan Leaf. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098496_used-electric-cars-about-to-get-big-what-you-need-to-know Google’s Self-Driving Electric Car Fleet Is Expanding. Goggle is now planning to expand its fleet of autonomous electric cars currently in use in the area around the company’s Mountain View, California, base of operations. As it stands, these autonomous cars have been getting around 10,000 miles a week in driving — so you can see why the company thinks expanding its fleet is a good idea. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/28/googles-self-driving-electric-car-fleet-is-expanding/ Used Electric Cars Also Get Colorado’s EV Rebate. While President George W. Bush passed a $7,500 federal tax rebate for plug-in cars during the waning days of his presidency, only a handful of US states have followed suit. Colorado has a mixed history with EV incentives, currently offering as much as $6,000 off the price of an applicable plug-in vehicle… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/28/used-electric-cars-also-get-colorados-ev-rebate/ Here's everything we know about the electric car everyone thinks Apple is building. Yesterday, we got our clearest sign yet that Apple is secretly developing an electric car, possibly at a facility in Ireland. Speaking at the Re/code tech conference, Apple executive Jeff Williams said that "the car is the ultimate mobile device"… http://www.businessinsider.com/project-titan-the-apple-electric-car-project-2015-5#ixzz3bS7UtmBf One Man's Fiat 500e Electric Car Might Get Him To Sell His BMW. It's been said before, but the only way to understand why electric cars are a better way to drive is to drive one. The shorthand for that rule is "getting butts in seats." That's the process of putting inexperienced drivers behind the wheel of modern plug-in vehicles to let them experience the smooth, quiet power and the torquey acceleration from rest. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098486_one-mans-fiat-500e-electric-car-might-get-him-to-sell-his-bmw Top 5 Best Selling Electric Cars. There are an even dozen electric vehicles (EVs) offered in the U.S. and their sales range from quite respectable to so little as to give fodder to critics. As a type of vehicle, EVs are a slim minority of the U.S. sales total at 0.40 percent but they have an outsized reputation and more EVs are pending, including the next generation of higher-range-for-the-buck models in a couple years. http://www.hybridcars.com/top-5-best-selling-electric-cars/ GREEN ENERGY Mexico Could More Than Quadruple Renewable Energy By 2030. A new report shows that Mexico could increase the use of renewable energy in its energy mix to 21% by 2030, and save billions in the process. A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), prepared in collaboration with the Mexican Energy Secretariat (SENER), finds that not only can Mexico increase its share of renewable energy… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/28/mexico-quadruple-renewable-energy-2030/ U.S. wood pellets can provide 'viable GHG reduction strategy' for E.U., Duke study finds. A new analysis concludes that the use of wood pellets manufactured in the U.S. Southeast to fuel energy production in the European Union "could represent a viable [greenhouse gas] reduction strategy" for the bloc if recommended sustainability guidelines are followed. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/28/stories/1060019217 OPINIONS It’s not just a ‘California drought’ In a somber opening to wildfire season this month, federal and state officials meeting in Nevada warned that kindling-dry forests and a rainless forecast could lead multiple states in the Great Basin to erupt in flames at once, stretching firefighters and equipment thin across the region. For the last four years, vast swaths of four Great Basin states — Nevada, California, Oregon and Utah… http://azdailysun.com/news/opinion/columnists/it-s-not-just-a-california-drought/article_c7a7f56a-1aff-53b7-b35c-0297df812155.html Editorial: Windfall: Are carbon fees actually a tax? When is a government fee actually a tax? California taxpayers, already beleaguered under a variety of local and state levies, may soon find out. The answer should come when the 3rd District Court of Appeals rules in a lawsuit filed by the California Chamber of Commerce. The suit maintains that California’s “cap-and-trade” fees that are supposed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are actually taxes in environmentalist clothing. http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150527/editorial-windfall-are-carbon-fees-actually-a-tax Plastic bag ban is prudent public policy. Out-of-state plastic corporations spent $3.2 million on a referendum to delay and attempt to repeal a statewide ban on plastic checkout grocery bags. Their motivation is simple: They want to make millions in profits from the 15 billion plastic bags that will be dumped into California’s oceans, landscapes and landfills until the November 2016 election. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/may/27/plastic-bag-ban-is-prudent-public-policy/ Crude Oil Prices, Climate Change, and Global Welfare. A few weeks ago, I participated in a panel session titled, “The Remarkable Transformation of the Energy Sector: Does it Also Transform Our World.” The motivating question was: “Is the dramatic decline in oil prices a complete gift to the West because of the enormous funds being saved… http://theenergycollective.com/robertstavins/2232981/crude-oil-prices-climate-change-and-global-welfare BLOGS How drones and motorcycle helmets can tell important stories about air pollution. Sure, Ben Kreimer holds a bachelor’s degree from Nebraska’s journalist school. But he doesn’t see himself as a journalist. “I call myself a journalism technologist,” Kreimer told me. “I’m interested in experimenting with technology to see how it can be used to tell stories.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/05/28/how-drones-and-motorcycle-helmets-can-tell-important-stories-about-air-pollution/ Catalyzing Major Climate Actions by All Key Players around the World this Year. Progress on climate change can seem depressingly slow--especially to young people full of energy and expectation. But look closer, resist the tug of hopelessness, and you can see progress everywhere. Clean energy is both technically and economically viable, and it's challenging dirty energy around the world. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jschmidt/catalyzing_major_climate_action_2015.html Obama Saying So Long to Green Biofuels? In the seventh year of his presidency, Barack Obama is being forced to defend himself against the unusual charge that he's not progressive -- or at least not progressive enough. Forget that in the past critics have called him a socialist. His advocacy of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a secret 12-nation trade deal… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-alexander/obama-saying-so-long-to-g_b_7451408.html Carbon pricing winning favour with tiger economies. As China readies nationwide carbon trading market, the likes of South Africa and Kazakhstan are developing carbon pricing. More leading emerging nations are mulling making the polluter pay than ever before. China plans to launch the world’s largest emissions trading scheme (ETS) – eclipsing the EU’s seminal practice – next year. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/05/27/carbon-pricing-winning-favour-with-tiger-economies/#sthash.vUIFTkdl.dpuf Ending the Education Drought in California. 'Tis the season when tassels are turned, mortarboards fly and newly minted graduates receive their hard-earned diplomas. About 3.7 million students will graduate with college degrees in this country. More people are engaged in higher education than ever before. The educational pipeline is brimming with students who seek to learn more and pursue their dreams. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-e-kobara/ending-the-education-drou_b_7451976.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 May 2015 15:00:06 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 29, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for May 29, 2015. 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 carbon auction brings in another $1 billion. California’s industrial firms spent another $1 billion in the most recent auction of carbon emissions credits, state officials said Thursday. The California Air Resources Board said its latest quarterly auction of carbon credits raised around $1.06 billion, making it one of the largest sales in the program’s 2 1/2-year history. Prices ranged from $12.10 to $12.29 per ton, which is roughly in line with previous auctions. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article22561641.html#storylink=cpy AIR POLLUTION Vermont-based group praises New York environmental decision. A Vermont-based group devoted to protecting Lake Champlain is praising a decision by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to put on hold a proposed air pollution permit for a facility in Albany. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Vermont-based-group-praises-New-York-6293707.php Environmental group sniffs at Salinas air study. An anti-pesticide group Thursday criticized a new state report that said for the most part residents of certain areas of California are at little or no health risk from airborne pesticides. “Despite continued shortcomings in the sampling plan, pesticides have been regularly found in state air monitors since the program began in 2011, including cancer-causing and neurotoxic pesticides… http://www.thecalifornian.com/story/money/2015/05/28/pesticide-action-network-california-department-pesticide-regulation-salinas/28122077/ CLIMATE CHANGE David Miliband says world refugee crisis to worsen with climate change. A historic 52 million people are fleeing conflict worldwide, a trend that will intensify over the next two decades because of climate change, International Rescue Committee chief David Miliband said on Friday. "One of the drivers of displacement and potential conflict over the next 10 to 20 years will be climate (change) - resource scarcity,"… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/29/us-irc-miliband-idUSKBN0OE25X20150529?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Obama Links Extreme Weather, Climate Change During Florida Hurricane Briefing. President Barack Obama used his annual hurricane briefing and a Twitter conversation May 28 to urge Congress to further support resilience efforts in U.S. communities vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Obama, speaking at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, warned climate change is already having impacts on coastal communities… http://www.bna.com/obama-links-extreme-n17179927174/ Dignity Health, Gap and others throw support behind sweeping climate change bill. Senate Bill 350 by Kevin de León calls to raise by 50 percent the amount of electricity… more. Twenty-four companies doing business in California including Dignity Health and Gap Inc. announced support Thursday for a climate change agenda promoted by Gov. Jerry Brown and being pushed through the Legislature by Senate leader Kevin de León. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/05/28/dignity-health-gap-and-others-throw-support-behind.html ‘We’re Not Going To Fake It': America’s Top Two Oil Companies Reject Climate Change Measures. Shareholders of ExxonMobil and Chevron — the United States’ top two oil companies — voted down proposals aimed at getting the companies to focus a little more on climate change this week. One of the proposals would have added an independent director with experience in climate change to the boards of both companies. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/29/3664000/big-oil-climate-measures/ Obama: ‘Best climate scientists’ link hurricanes, climate change. President Obama said Thursday the link between more extreme weather and climate change is undeniable, and that the world’s best scientists have made a conclusive connection. Rising sea levels are another consequence of climate change and can make extreme weather even worse, he said at the National Hurricane Center following a tour. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/243332-obama-best-climate-scientists-link-hurricanes-climate-change Weather Extremes Wear Climate Change's Fingerprints. Extreme heat in India, flooding in Houston, wildfires in Alberta suggest a new normal, made more chaotic by global warming. Communities across the globe got a sobering snapshot this week of what the future is likely to hold more of: extreme weather getting even more extreme thanks to climate change. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/29052015/weather-extremes-wear-climate-changes-fingerprints Study: Most Glaciers Near Mount Everest Will Disappear With Climate Change. Researchers say 5,500 glaciers in the region could disappear or drastically retreat by 2100. Most of the glaciers in the Mount Everest region will disappear or drastically retreat as temperatures increase with climate change over the next century, according to a group of international researchers. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/05/study-most-glaciers-mount-everest-area-will-disappear-climate-change Cutting methane, non-CO2 pollutants not enough to prevent dangerous warming – report. If nations have to choose between cutting emissions of short-lived climate pollutants and carbon dioxide, they should choose CO2 to avoid the greatest amount of warming, finds a new policy paper from Myles Allen, head of the Climate Dynamics Group at the University of Oxford. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/29/stories/1060019297 DROUGHT Could Texas deluge be a sign to drought-ravaged California? Several dry years left water supplies short and farmland buried in dust. Some called it the worst drought in a generation. That was Texas just weeks ago, before a series of deadly storms dumped record amounts of rain and virtually washed away all worry about water. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Could-Texas-deluge-be-a-sign-to-drought-ravaged-6293126.php California agency set to vote on water limits for new lawns. California regulators are expected to vote Friday on water limits for new lawns as the historic drought persists in parched California. The Building Standards Commission is scheduled to consider updating landscaping ordinances for new and renovated homes, office buildings, schools and hospitals. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-agency-set-to-vote-on-water-limits-for-6293548.php Despite drought bigger tomato harvest predicted. Drought? Don’t tell that to the Central Valley growers of processing tomatoes, the kind used for soups and sauces. As of May 28, California’s tomato processors reported they have or will have contracts for 14.3 million tons of processing tomatoes for 2015. This production is a 2 percent increase from the final contracted production total from last year… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28425 Don’t forget the heat, new drought report says. Although record low precipitation has been the main driver of one of the worst droughts in California history, abnormally high temperatures have also played an important role in amplifying its adverse effects, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey and university partners. Experiments showed that if the air temperatures had been cooler… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28429 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Peterbilt Concerned About Federal GHG Requirements. Peterbilt Motors Co. is eager to see how the upcoming second phase of federal greenhouse-gas regulation will tell truck makers how to score the carbon dioxide emissions from their vehicles. Since January 2014, manufacturers have had to file reports on emissions by truck model, which collectively must fit under an aggregate limit. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=38374&t=Peterbilt-Concerned-About-Federal-GHG-Requirements FUELS Indian Oil shifts focus to expanding natural gas business. Indian Oil Corp (IOC) , the country's biggest refiner, is expanding its natural gas business as the south Asian nation, the world's third-largest carbon emitter, aims to cut its dependence on coal and oil. Thirteen of the world's 20 dirtiest cities are in India, with New Delhi taking top spot, a report by the World Health Organisation said last year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/29/india-ioc-gas-idUSL3N0YK53Z20150529?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews As EPA unveils ethanol quotas, niche RINs market revives. The long-delayed release of U.S. biofuel blending quotas is injecting renewed life into the niche market for ethanol credits, once the world's hottest commodity. On Thursday, prices plunged by over 20 percent in one of the wildest day's trading in years as traders raced to offload credits, with growing expectations that the Environmental Protection Agency will release easy-to-meet targets… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/29/us-usa-biofuels-credits-idUSKBN0OE1GN20150529 EPA proposes lowering requirements for ethanol in gas. The nation's gasoline supply likely will have more ethanol in coming years — but not as much as was required by federal law. The Obama administration's proposed renewable fuel standard won't have much of an impact on gas prices, but could become an issue in the 2016 presidential elections, especially in farm states that have profited over the years from higher corn prices linked to the use of corn-based ethanol. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-epa-ethanol-20150529-story.html Latest US proposal for ethanol could have political fallout. The Obama administration's latest plan on ethanol, the corn-based renewable fuel, probably will not have a major effect on pump prices, but could have political reverberations in Iowa and other farm states in the 2016 presidential campaign. Under the proposed rule announced Friday, the amount of ethanol in the gasoline supply would increase in coming years… http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/EPA-proposes-lowering-amount-of-ethanol-in-gas-6294221.php Fracking Ban In Maryland Will Go Into Law After Republican Governor Refuses To Veto. At the end of the day on Friday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will become the first-ever Republican governor to allow a statewide moratorium on fracking. A two-year ban on the natural gas extraction technique passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the state General Assembly earlier this year, and last weekend, Hogan announced that that he would not veto the bill. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/29/3664098/larry-hogan-maryland-fracking-ban/ EPA proposes volume requirements for Renewable Fuel Standard for 2014-2016. Adhering to a schedule in a proposed consent decree (earlier post), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its long-awaited proposed volume requirements (renewable volume obligations, RVO) (earlier post) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150529-epa.html USDA to invest up to $100M to boost infrastructure for renewable fuel use; seeks to double number of higher blend ethanol fuel pumps. US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest up to $100 million in a Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership to support the infrastructure needed to make more renewable fuel options available to American consumers. USDA will post a Notice of Solicitation of Applications in June. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150529-usda.html SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Pipe to be removed for testing as long oil spill cleanup takes shape. The owners of a pipeline that burst and spilled up to 101,000 gallons of crude along the Santa Barbara County coast expect to remove the ruptured section Thursday. Federal regulators say the longterm cleanup is just beginning with more than 10,000 gallons of oily water recovered from the ocean's surface. Responders are now using sonar and diver teams to focus on finding and cleaning oil that has pooled under water. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-oil-spill-cleanup-pipe-20150528-story.html VEHICLES Platinum sector faces its Kodak moment in fuel cell technology. Platinum miners betting on fuel cell vehicles to help boost demand for the precious metal and lift moribund prices are in danger of having their hopes dashed, at least in the medium term: electric and hybrid cars are taking a bigger share of the market. The world's three largest platinum producers Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), Impala Platinum… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/29/platinum-miners-fuelcells-idUSL5N0YI2YW20150529?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews Toyota revamps Auris powertrain lineup, including hybrid; debut of new 1.2L turbo with Otto/Atkinson technology. Toyota’s 2015 Auris range in Europe features significant improvements in five key areas; design; sensory quality; the hybrid model; safety; and, improving the model’s segment coverage by some 40%, powertrains. Toyota had introduced the facelifted Auris at the Geneva show earlier this year. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150529-auris.html OPINIONS Another renewable energy resource. Re “Geothermal is key to clean energy future” (Viewpoints, May 22): As California moves to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, we agree that geothermal will play an important role, and that reliability and affordable rates are paramount. However, the op-ed implies that geothermal is the only renewable source that helps achieve a balanced and stable portfolio. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article22552656.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS 10 California drought myths debunked. California is in the midst of a four-year drought, the worst in 106 years. The Sierra snowpack is dwindling; lakes and reservoirs are reaching historic lows. The lush green lawns of the suburbs are turning brown and parched. Vast swaths of the Central Valley farmland are sitting idle. Mandatory water cutbacks are now in place for both residential consumers and agricultural users. http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2015/05/29/10-california-drought-myths-debunked/ Upcoming Decision Could Wipe Out U.S. Commitment on Climate Change. While President Obama has emerged as a strong leader on climate change, serious questions have been raised about his government's rush to ship coal overseas. Late last year, President Obama stood with Chinese President Xi Jinping to reiterate their shared goal of aggressively tackling the issue of climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-grandia/upcoming-decision-by-obama_b_7455736.html?utm_hp_ref=green Catalyzing Major Climate Actions By All Key Players Around the World This Year. Progress on climate change can seem depressingly slow -- especially to young people full of energy and expectation. But look closer, resist the tug of hopelessness, and you can see progress everywhere. Clean energy is both technically and economically viable, and it's challenging dirty energy around the world. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jake-schmidt/catalyzing-major-climate_b_7468734.html How Fossil Fuel Companies Get Paid to Pollute. You may have seen a new ad from the American Petroleum Institute, telling us that oil and gas companies cannot afford to -- and don't want to -- spend money to clean up their pollution. Using outright lies to bolster their position, they claim that strong smog protections are expensive, and unnecessary. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dominique-browning/how-fossil-fuel-companies_b_7450610.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:03:49 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 1, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS U.N. climate deal in Paris may be graveyard for 2C goal. The U.N.'s Paris climate conference, designed to reach a plan for curbing global warming, may instead become the graveyard for its defining goal: to stop temperatures rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Achieving the 2C (3.6 Fahrenheit) target has been the driving force for climate negotiators and scientists, who say it is the limit beyond which the world will suffer ever worsening floods, droughts, storms and rising seas. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/us-climatechange-paris-insight-idUSKBN0OH1G820150601 Europe's Top Oil Firms Jointly Call for Carbon Pricing. Europe's top oil and gas companies urged governments around the world to introduce a pricing system for carbon emissions, as governments meet in Bonn, Germany, on Monday to work on a U.N. deal to fight climate change. Criticised for not doing enough to tackle climate change, the chief executives of BG Group, BP, Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and France's Total said carbon pricing "would reduce uncertainty and encourage the most cost-effective ways of reducing carbon emissions widely." http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/06/01/business/01reuters-europe-carbon-un.html AIR POLLUTION In a Nation of Smokers, Beijing Bans Lighting Up Indoors. China's capital began imposing the country's toughest ban on smoking in public places Monday in hopes of stemming a looming health crisis in a society where smoking remains a nearly ubiquitous part of dining, social events and life in general. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_SMOKING_BAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Other related articles: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/world/asia/beijing-smoking-ban-air.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/ct-china-smoking-bans-20150601-story.html Indoor air purifiers may aid heart patients. People with heart conditions may benefit from using indoor air purifiers, suggests a small study from China. While the study can't say air purifiers prevent heart attacks or other major medical problems, several risk factors for heart disease improved among young and healthy adults who were exposed to purified air. http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/indoor-air-purifiers-may-aid-heart-patients-115053001495_1.html West Berkeley residents air public health concerns. Bad air, noise, traffic, obesity, mental health issues, homelessness and lack of information were among the concerns cited Tuesday at a city health department-sponsored meeting at the West Berkeley Library. Thirteen members of the West Berkeley area attended the session conducted by four consultants from Oakland-based Bright Research Group, working on a $42,000 city contract to engage the community in the process developing of health department priorities. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28216250/west-berkeley-residents-air-public-health-concerns New App Gives Air Quality Forecast to Sacramento Region Residents. The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has launched an app, which gives daily air quality forecasts and air pollution conditions to residents in the Sacramento region. The new Sacramento Region Air Quality app can now be downloaded for free on mobile devices with iOS, Google Play or Windows app stores. http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/06/01/741051/10136790/en/New-App-Gives-Air-Quality-Forecast-to-Sacramento-Region-Residents.html CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Model Suggests Everest Glaciers Could Nearly Disappear. By the end of this century, the landscape around Mount Everest may drastically change. As the planet continues to warm, the Everest region of Nepal could lose most of its glaciers, according to a study published in the journal The Cryosphere. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/science/mount-everest-glaciers-melt-disappear-nepal.html AP Interview: France warns climate change threatens security. Climate change is a threat to international security, France’s influential Environment Minister Segolene Royal warned Saturday — adopting an unusually hawkish stance as she heads to the U.S. to push for a global deal on reducing emissions at a landmark Paris conference this year. She will have to push especially hard in Washington, but she relishes the challenge. Royal, longtime former partner of President Francois Hollande and one of France’s most experienced female politicians, is playing a key role ahead of U.N. climate talks in Paris in December. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/ap-interview-france-warns-climate-change-threatens-security/2015/05/30/c328e82e-06e7-11e5-93f4-f24d4af7f97d_story.html National targets cover 75 per cent of global emissions, study finds. Three quarters of global emissions are now limited by national targets, researchers say, raising the prospect of a credible climate change deal being agreed later this year. The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study covers 98 countries plus the European Union, which together are responsible for 93 per cent of global emissions. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2410710/national-targets-cover-75-per-cent-of-global-emissions-study-finds Warmer Oceans Will Make Typhoons More Intense. While the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be relatively quiet, thanks to the influence of a healthy El Niño, the typhoon season in the northwest Pacific has been jam-packed so far, even for an area that normally sees the highest tropical cyclone activity and a large proportion of the strongest storms. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-increases-typhoon-intensity-19049 10 Years Since Katrina: A Look Back At The Busiest Hurricane Season. Ten years ago, the U.S. experienced its busiest hurricane season ever recorded. The year saw 28 named storms — 15 of them hurricanes — including Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast. Four major hurricanes hit the U.S. in 2005, beginning in July with Hurricane Dennis. http://www.npr.org/2015/06/01/410291173/10-years-since-katrina-a-look-back-at-the-busiest-hurricane-season DROUGHT L.A. County drought plan decried by residents facing big water bills. Andrew Chadd was startled when he opened the notice from the Los Angeles County agency that supplies water to his neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Littlerock. To conserve during the statewide drought, the letter said, Antelope Valley water customers would have to collectively reduce consumption 32%. But Chadd's family of seven would be required to cut consumption 70% or potentially see their bill triple. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-county-drought-20150601-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES E.P.A. Proposal Will Put Bigger Trucks on a Fuel Diet. Inside the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory here, a mammoth contraption, with steel rollers, advanced electronics and exhaust tubes, is nearing completion. The project — an enormous “truck treadmill” — is the new centerpiece of the Environmental Protection Agency’s complex. One of the largest vehicle testing centers in the world, the truck lab will play a crucial role in shaping and enforcing a major new environmental mandate by the Obama administration that could dramatically transform America’s trucking industry. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/business/energy-environment/epa-proposal-will-put-bigger-trucks-on-a-fuel-diet.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Other related articles: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Tough-haul-for-clean-trucks-6296744.php FUELS EPA proposes a biofuels compromise — and makes nobody happy. The embattled Environmental Protection Agency on Friday released new proposed rules for the volume of biofuels to be blended into the nation’s fuels through 2016, in an effort to put itself back on schedule after numerous missed deadlines but still failing to please business interests on both sides affected by the rule. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/29/epa-proposes-a-biofuels-compromise-and-makes-nobody-happy/ http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-proposes-three-year-ethanol-rule-1432911962?KEYWORDS=fuels LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators explains why it relabeled products; shares bounce. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc.’s stock bounced sharply off multiyear lows Monday, as investors digested the company’s explanation as to why it held some wood flooring products, then relabeled them with new safety-standard certificate numbers. The stock LL, +2.40% ran up 1.6% in morning trade, after being down as much as 1.6% at an intraday low of $20.07 earlier in the session. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lumber-liquidators-explains-why-it-relabeled-products-shares-bounce-2015-06-01 VEHICLES California bends but doesn't yield on ZEVs. California environmental regulators have decided that even the smallest automakers will have to comply with ambitious clean-car rules that mandate the sale of zero-emission vehicles. But the state is giving them some wiggle room. At a May 18 hearing, the California Air Resources Board rejected a plea from Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Volvo to be exempted from the mandate. They had argued that their small r&d budgets will keep them from developing and selling electrified cars as easily as full-line automakers such as Ford, General Motors and Nissan, which already must sell ZEVs. http://www.autonews.com/article/20150530/OEM11/306019987/california-bends-but-doesnt-yield-on-zevs https://transportevolved.com/2015/06/01/california-reaches-compromise-with-automakers-on-zero-emission-vehicle-mandate/ Smog checks now required on hybrid vehicles in California. Did you buy a hybrid car thinking one of the perks was not having to go through the expense and hassle of smog checks? Tiumes are changing and an exemption is no longer true, according to the California Air Resources Board. John Swanton, air pollution specialist for the California Air Resources Board, said the hybrid vehicles have been exempt since the first ones in about 2001 because the state waited to see what the track record was on their maintenance records. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28436 Why Electric Cars Are Rare Outside CA: Arcane 'Travel Provision' Rule. The sparsity of cars with plugs has been one of the biggest frustrations for Northeastern electric-car shoppers and advocates. While California buyers can choose among roughly two dozen different battery-electric and plug-in hybrid offerings, just a handful are available outside the state. And that's despite nine Northeastern states having adopted California's zero-emission vehicle sales rules. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098525_why-electric-cars-are-rare-outside-ca-arcane-travel-provision-rule MISCELLANEOUS Wearable air quality sensor provides real-time data, contributes to crowdsourced map. Air pollution and poor air quality aren't just concerns in the developing world, where smoky cookstoves and lax environmental standards for vehicles and industry are the norm, but also affect the health of people in some of the most modern cities on the planet. http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/tzoa-wearable-air-quality-sensor.html BLOGS 5 Things to Know About Batteries and Electricity Storage. Tesla Motors and other companies are jumping into the budding business of electricity-storage batteries. Here’s what you should know about these super batteries. http://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2015/05/28/5-things-to-know-about-batteries-and-electricity-storage/?KEYWORDS=air+pollution The subtle — but real — relationship between global warming and extreme weather events. Last week, some people got really mad at Bill Nye the Science Guy. How come? Because he had the gall to say this on Twitter: Billion$$ in damage in Texas & Oklahoma. Still no weather-caster may utter the phrase Climate Change. Nye’s comments, and the reaction to them, raise a perennial issue: How do we accurately parse the relationship between climate change and extreme weather events, as they occur in real time? http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/01/the-subtle-but-real-relationship-between-global-warming-and-extreme-weather-events/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 12:29:47 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 1, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 1, 2015. 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 Oil and gas CEOs call for carbon price as Exxon, Chevron outline climate strategy. The CEOs of six of the largest energy companies worldwide want national governments to put a price tag on greenhouse gas emissions. In a letter addressed to Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the authors call upon the United Nations and countries to "open a direct dialogue" on climate change and carbon pricing… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/02/stories/1060019472 Europe’s Top Oil Producers Unite in Push on Climate Policy. The heads of Europe’s largest oil and gas companies have joined together for the first time to call for governments to agree to carbon pricing at a United Nations-led summit on climate change at the end of the year. “Climate change is a critical challenge for our world,” the chief executive officers of six energy companies… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-01/europe-s-largest-oil-producers-make-joint-call-on-climate-action Six European energy companies seek U.N. help for carbon pricing system –FT. Europe's six largest oil and gas companies, including Royal Dutch Shell and Britain's BP Plc, have united together in seeking help from the United Nations to stop global warming, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The companies asked for direct talks with the United Nations and governments on creating a global carbon pricing system ahead of U.N. climate talks in Paris in December. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/31/europe-carbon-un-idUSL1N0YM0KI20150531 AIR POLLUTION A new tool to fight the EPA. A conservative group is working on a way to allow states to join together to reject the Obama administration's proposed carbon emissions limits on power plants. The Texas Public Policy Foundation is drafting legislative language that it says would allow states to enter into a compact to opt out of the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rules, expected to be finalized this summer. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/a-new-tool-to-fight-the-epa/article/2565181 Imperial Valley Tackles Air Pollution Crisis, Unveils First of 40 Real-Time Data Monitors. What do you do when your children can’t breathe? In Imperial County, which has the highest asthma-related hospitalization rate in the state, you take action. Friday, community members and research partners in California’s Imperial County unveiled the first of up to 40 new air pollution monitors… http://www.thedesertreview.com/imperial-valley-tackles-air-pollution-crisis-unveils-first-of-40-real-time-data-monitors/ Panel to tackle EPA ozone proposal. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this week will delve into U.S. EPA's proposal to tighten the national ozone standard, as well as consider three pieces of legislation aimed at various aspects of it. The Wednesday hearing will focus on the "challenges and implications" of a tighter ozone standard, according to a notice from the committee. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060019380/feed CLIMATE CHANGE French minister: 2015 climate deal must avoid US Congress. The global climate agreement being negotiated this year must be worded in such a way that it doesn't require approval by the U.S. Congress, the French foreign minister said Monday. Laurent Fabius told African delegates at U.N. climate talks in Bonn that "we know the politics in the U.S. Whether we like it or not, if it comes to the Congress, they will refuse." http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UN_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Germany sells more of most potent greenhouse gas in 2014. German sales of sulphur hexafluoride, the most potent of all greenhouse gases, rose 13 percent last year compared with 2013 levels, according to data from the federal statistics office published on Wednesday. Sales of sulphur hexafluoride increased by 104 tonnes to 916 tonnes in total last year, but were still 16 percent lower than 2012, the statistics office said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/us-carbon-germany-idUSKBN0OC0P720150601?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews France suggests world leaders at start, not end, of climate summit. France suggested on Monday that world leaders should attend only the start of a summit on climate change in Paris in six months, hoping to avoid a repeat of the last failed attempt in 2009 when they came at the end and left empty-handed. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also said France hoped to agree some elements of a U.N. climate deal by October… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/us-climatechange-bonn-idUSKBN0OH2Y920150601?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews UN climate efforts not good enough - French minister. Efforts spearheaded by the United Nations to reach a global deal to fight climate change are "inadequate", a French minister said on Monday in a sign of growing frustration before Paris hosts a major meeting later this year. Governments will try on Monday to streamline an 89-page draft text of a U.N. deal to fight climate change… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/climatechange-france-royal-idUSL5N0YN0ND20150601?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews Climate change boosts rain in Africa's Sahel region: study. Rising greenhouse gases have boosted rainfall in the Sahel region of Africa, easing droughts that killed 100,000 people in the 1970s and 1980s, in a rare positive effect of climate change, a study said on Monday. The report adds to debate about the causes of a greening of the Sahel region… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/us-climatechange-sahel-idUSKBN0OH2UY20150601?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Bonn Climate Talks Aim to Build a Springboard to Paris, Not a Sinkhole. Six months before what may be the last chance for a global climate agreement in Paris, negotiators get to work on the draft text. Six months from the start of a Paris conference where the United Nations hopes to complete a far-reaching deal on the climate crisis, negotiators meeting in Bonn, Germany this week and next are back to working on their unwieldy draft text even as the treaty's goals slide over distant horizons. http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/01062015/blank Ocean Species Set for Reshuffle Unseen in 3 Million Years. The world’s oceans could face a massive reshuffling by the end of the century – the likes of which hasn’t been seen in as many as 3 million years – due to warming waters. Changes are already afoot in the oceans. Roughly 93 percent of the heat trapped by human greenhouse gas emissions is ending up in the world’s seas… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/ocean-warming-species-change-19051 Compliance options on the table at Midwest workshop. Midwestern officials who have a stake in U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan are gathering in Detroit on Friday to explore implementation options for the proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060019363/feed DROUGHT Pool industry touts water savings in California drought. Leigh McDonough stood in her backyard on a hot spring day and listened to the steady shush-shush-shush of two garden hoses filling her new pool and hot tub with water. Her family installed the 21,000-gallon pool despite a state mandate to cut overall water consumption by 25 percent amid a crushing, four-year drought. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_SWIMMING_POOLS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-06-01-01-42-20 Swimming pool business sinking with California drought. The backyard swimming pool is becoming the latest victim of the lingering California drought. The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1d9hpkt ) city and utility drought policies across the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond are increasingly limiting how often pools can be filled and by how much — and sometimes barring fill-ups entirely. Some residents are willingly removing their swimming pools. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article22793475.html#storylink=cpy UPDATE 1-Brazil drought could cost EDP 150-200 mln euros in core earnings. The impact of Brazil's protracted drought on EDP-Energias de Portugal's hydropower installations there could cut the utility's full-year core earnings by between 150 and 200 million euros ($165-$219 million), its chief executive said. "Hopefully it will be less than that, the lower end of that range, or even below… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/02/electricity-europe-edp-drought-idUSL5N0YO19H20150602?feedType=RSS&feedName=utilitiesSector Past thinking about California's water may still bear pointers for future. The decline of Lake Mead to a water level not seen in nearly eight decades, or since the giant reservoir was still filling behind the just-completed Hoover Dam, is more than a visual reminder of the severity of the drought. It's a reminder that this crucial part of California's water supply, the economic lifeblood of the state, remains encumbered by false expectations and outdated dreams. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-20150531-column.html For a lone, lovely month, it hasn’t much felt like a drought in the Sierra Nevada. Rain and snow have fallen week after week during May in the high country. Temperatures have dropped below normal most days, reducing the amount of water lost to evaporation. Southern California has received an unusual amount of rain, too: San Diego has seen 2.4 inches of precipitation in May; it normally gets 0.21 inches. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article22659900.html#storylink=cpy Wet May pushes Lake Tahoe back up to natural rim. A wet May has pushed Lake Tahoe back up to its natural rim, but the lake will soon start dropping again because of the four-year drought. It's the first time the lake straddling the Nevada-California border has been so high since dropping below the rim last October, said Federal Water Master Chad Blanchard. http://www.sacbee.com/news/article22767597.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Wet-May-pushes-Lake-Tahoe-back-up-to-natural-rim-6298025.php King Salmon: Is the Drought Threatening California’s Favorite Fish? California salmon lovers spend a good part of the year waiting for summer, which normally heralds the return of our wild king salmon, aka the Chinook. But so far, the season (which opened on May 1) has gotten off to a slow start and been mostly disappointing. What’s in store for our beloved California salmon? http://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/2015/05/30/king-salmon-is-the-drought-threatening-californias-favorite-fish/ Senate OKs package of water bills. Three water measures focused on efficiency and equity have been approved by the state Senate. The bill would improve water management, combat the effects of the drought and climate change and conserve water supplies in California, says their author, state Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28440 DROUGHT: Marketing pits pools vs. turf. But some say comparing the backyard pool and lawn is missing the point -- that substantial sacrifice is needed to weather drought. California’s swimming pool and spa industry has launched a campaign to market itself as a drought-friendly landscaping option as the state enters a fourth summer of drought and is insisting the refreshing backyard pool wastes less water than the water-guzzling lawn. http://www.pe.com/articles/pool-768764-water-pools.html Mandatory water conservation starts; local suppliers await state response. The first of over 270 days of mandated statewide water conservation began on Monday, with several large water suppliers in Humboldt County still eagerly awaiting the state’s response on whether their bountiful water reservoir at Ruth Lake will result in a significantly lower conservation quota. http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150601/mandatory-water-conservation-starts-local-suppliers-await-state-response The Quest to Quench the World’s Thirst for Water. The average Briton uses 150 liters of water a day; the average American gets through 570 liters (150 gallons) of the stuff. The world is getting thirstier and the global demand for fresh water is rising by 640 billion liters (169 billion gallons) a year. Population growth is one factor, not only the need for drinking water and sanitation but also the need to produce more food. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/worlds-thirst-for-water-19033 Vietnam’s Coffee Crops Suffer Rising Temps and Drought. The last time Nguyen Van Viet saw water in his well was almost four months ago. The 44-year-old has farmed coffee in central Vietnam for two decades and says that’s never happened before. “This is the worst drought I’ve seen in over a decade,” Viet, told the Guardian. “Some people don’t have enough water to drink.” http://www.climatecentral.org/news/vietnams-coffee-crops-suffer-19036 Panel to mull opportunities for addressing Western water shortage. With California gripped by a record drought and broad swaths of the rest of the West dry and getting drier, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will this week take a deep dive into the issue. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has been locked in negotiations with her upper and lower chamber colleagues, as well as the state government and federal agencies… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060019392/feed DIESEL EMISSIONS Big Trucks Emit Huge Amounts Of Carbon Every Year. The EPA Is About To Do Something About It. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose new standards for heavy-duty trucks this week, regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions from tractor trailers and other big trucks. It’s not yet known exactly what cuts the proposed regulations will call for, but according to the New York Times, the rule will likely require heavy trucks — like tractor trailers, buses, and garbage trucks… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/02/3664583/new-epa-proposal-for-trucks/ FUELS Washington finds unlikely ally in OPEC as biofuels debate rages. The Obama administration has found an unlikely ally in its efforts to keep pushing more biofuel into the nation's gasoline supply: OPEC. The lowest oil prices in over six years have fueled a resurgence in U.S. gasoline use in recent months as more Americans take to the road. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/usa-epa-ethanol-idUSL1N0YM07R20150601 U.S. gas prices edge up to $2.84 a gallon –survey. The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline in the United States rose 4 cents from two weeks ago to $2.84 a gallon, which was the highest since Nov. 21, the Lundberg survey released on Sunday showed. The average price per gallon in the week ended May 29 was about 85 cents lower than a year ago. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/31/usa-gasoline-prices-idUSL1N0YM0KJ20150531?feedType=RSS&feedName=industrialsSector Japan Tops China as World’s Biggest Lender for Coal, Study Says. Japan and China lent more than $35 billion to finance coal power in the eight years through the end of 2014, according to environmental groups in a study that urged countries to stop supporting the fuel. Japan provided more than $20 billion, followed by $15 billion from China, according to the joint study by the Natural Resources Defense Council… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-02/japan-tops-china-as-world-s-biggest-lender-for-coal-study-says Elon Musk: 'If I cared about subsidies, I would have entered the oil and gas industry'. lon Musk says his companies don't need the estimated $4.9 billion they enjoy in government support, but the money will help them move faster to transform the dirty business of energy. "If I cared about subsidies, I would have entered the oil and gas industry," said Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Motors and SpaceX and the chairman of SolarCity. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150602-story.html#page=1 Coal Industry Fighting for Survival on 7 Fronts. The 'war on coal' started long before Obama took office to control the costly and deadly health impacts of an otherwise cheap and abundant fuel. When Duke Energy announced a billion-dollar plan to shut down a 50-year-old coal power plant, switching the 376-megawatt site over to cheap natural gas and clean solar, the company proclaimed the "end of the coal era in Asheville, N.C." http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/01062015/coal-industry-fighting-survival-7-fronts EPA Proposes Lower Increases For Ethanol In Gasoline. In 2007, the Federal government created the Renewable Fuels Standard, requiring increased amounts of corn-based ethanol and advanced biofuels to be blended into the nation's gasoline supply. At the time, it seemed like an ideal way to lessen dependence on foreign oil and cut emissions--without forcing drivers to drastically change their habits. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098531_epa-proposes-lower-increases-for-ethanol-in-gasoline DOE issues request for information on gas clean-up for fuel cell applications. The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) has issued a request for information (DE-FOA-0001331) to obtain feedback and opinions from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on the report findings from the Gas Clean-up for Fuel Cell Applications Workshop. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150602-doerfi.html Artificial Photosynthesis Might Make Fuel From CO2 & Sunlight, One Day. Electric cars may have made great strides recently, but thousands of researchers are still searching for a sustainable liquid fuel. Such a fuel wouldn't require drivers who are used to pumping gas to alter their habits, and it would sidestep the issues of battery weight and charging times. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098551_artificial-photosynthesis-might-make-fuel-from-co2-sunlight-one-day EPA's RFS targets stir discontent among industry, greens. After experiencing many months of delays, the biofuel industry had mixed responses to U.S. EPA's proposed volume requirements under the renewable fuel standard (RFS). Friday's long-anticipated announcement included renewable fuel volume requirements for 2014, 2015 and 2016, with biomass-based diesel requirements for 2017. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/01/stories/1060019396 VEHICLES Tesla Motors co-founder wants to electrify commercial trucks. Twelve years ago, Ian Wright and some fellow engineers launched Tesla Motors, a Silicon Valley company that has helped jumpstart the market for electric cars. Now, the Tesla co-founder wants to electrify noisy, gas-guzzling trucks that deliver packages, haul garbage and make frequent stops on city streets. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ELECTRIFYING_TRUCKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Plug-In Electric Car Sales In May: Leaf, Volt, Others Surge. As spring arrives, sales of plug-in electric cars traditionally rise from their winter levels. Sales during the months of May through August are usually among the highest of the year, and at least for May, that rule is holding as strongly for 2015 as it did last year.The Nissan Leaf, now the best-selling plug-in vehicle in the U.S. as well as the world at large, saw May deliveries of 2,104 cars. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098553_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-may-leaf-volt-others-surge Electric-Car-Stifling 'Travel Provision,' 2016 Toyota Prius Spy Shots, Chevy Bolt EV Trademark: Today's Car News. Today, find out how a regulatory "travel provision" may be stifling electric-car sales outside California, see spy shots of the 2016 Toyota Prius hybrid, and learn why General Motors' efforts to trademark the Chevrolet Bolt EV name have hit a roadblock. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098535_electric-car-stifling-travel-provision-2016-toyota-prius-spy-shots-chevy-bolt-ev-trademark-todays-car-news Linde and OMV open new hydrogen fueling station in Innsbruck. Technology company The Linde Group and OMV today officially opened a new hydrogen fueling station in Innsbruck. The H2 station with the capacity to fuel six vehicles per hour is located on one of Europe’s key transit routes and will make the journey from Germany to Italy feasible for fuel-cell vehicles. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/201506012-linde.html Zero Electric Motorcycles Cuts Prices, Sells To Police, Gets Big Grant Too. While its competitor Brammo sold itself to Polaris, the electric-motorcycle maker Zero continues to follow its own path. Each year it has significantly improved the performance of its line of motorcycles. And, Zero Motorcycles has attracted high-level executives from within the motorcycle and automotive industries. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098521_zero-electric-motorcycles-cuts-prices-sells-to-police-gets-big-grant-too Chevy Bolt EV Trademark To Be Shared With Yamaha After U.S. Patent Office Suspension: UPDATE. Not long after its unveiling at January's Detroit Auto Show, General Motors promised to put the 200-mile Chevrolet Bolt EV electric-car concept into production within two years. But there's already a problem with that plan. It has nothing to do with the claimed 200-mile range or $37,500 base price--both of which could prove challenging targets--but rather the car's name. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098530_chevy-bolt-ev-trademark-suspended-due-to-yamaha-conflict-by-u-s-patent-office GREEN ENERGY Solar-powered plane begins unprecedented China-to-Hawaii flight. A Swiss pilot of a solar plane embarked Sunday on the longest leg of the first attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fuel. Andre Borschberg took off from Nanjing, China, at 2:39 a.m. Sunday in the Solar Impulse 2 for a flight across the Pacific Ocean expected to last six days and five nights, or at least 130 hours. http://www.sfgate.com/world/article/Solar-powered-plane-begins-unprecedented-6297967.php Regulators give green light to largest Minnesota solar energy project. $250 million plan, state’s largest, to include 21 sites. The biggest solar power project in Minnesota won approval Thursday from state regulators. The $250 million Aurora Solar Project by Edina-based Geronimo Energy calls for the installation of ground-mounted solar panels at 21 mostly rural sites from Chisago County north of the Twin Cities to Waseca in southeast Minnesota. http://www.startribune.com/regulators-give-green-light-to-largest-minnesota-solar-energy-project/305357571/ Bill would let NV Energy delay new renewable-energy projects. A bill that would let NV Energy delay building new renewable energy projects required as part of a plan to replace the loss of coal-fired power produced at the Reid Gardner plant at Moapa was introduced Monday, the last day of the legislative session. http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/energy/bill-would-let-nv-energy-delay-new-renewable-energy-projects How renewable energy in South Africa is quietly stealing a march on coal. Solar, biomass and wind energy systems are popping up all over the country and feeding clean energy into the strained electrical grid. The howling wind drives the turbines, their blades bent back from the force as they spin in the evening light and send electricity to local villages in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/01/how-renewable-energy-in-south-africa-is-quietly-stealing-a-march-on-coal?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it In U.S.-China climate commitments, technology research is where the rubber meets the road. This week, the steering committee for the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center (CERC) is meeting in Washington, D.C. The program pools resources from the world's two largest energy producers, energy consumers and greenhouse gas emitters, aiming to advance technology in coal-fired generation, clean vehicles and the built environment. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/02/stories/1060019480 N.J. pilot offshore wind project suffers setback in court. A federally supported pilot offshore wind proposal for the waters off Atlantic City, N.J., suffered another setback Friday in New Jersey court. The Appellate Division of New Jersey's Superior Court unanimously ruled against the developer, Fishermen's Energy, in its claim that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) wrongfully denied approval of the project. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/01/stories/1060019373 After exiting deal with Kemper coal plant, Miss. cooperative turns to wind. The electric cooperative that recently backed out an agreement to buy a 15 percent stake in Mississippi Power Co.'s $6.2 billion clean coal plant in Kemper County, Miss., is now seeking up to 250 megawatts of wind power for its member utilities. Officials with the South Mississippi Electric Power Association issued a request for proposal last week seeking bids from wind energy developers… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/02/stories/1060019473 MISCELLANEOUS Elon Musk's growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies. Los Angeles entrepreneur Elon Musk has built a multibillion-dollar fortune running companies that make electric cars, sell solar panels and launch rockets into space. And he's built those companies with the help of billions in government subsidies. Tesla Motors Inc., SolarCity Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html?track=rss#page=1 OPINIONS California agriculture: It's worth the water. Pundits here in drought-stricken California have become fond of proclaiming that farms consume 80% of the state's water and generate only about 2% of its gross domestic product. "Why devote so much of our water to an industry that contributes so little fuel to our economic engine?" they ask.. Both of those figures are deceptive. It's only possible to arrive at 80% by not accounting for the amount of water dedicated to environmental uses. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0602-ross-sumner-water-agriculture-20150601-story.html Editing The Climate Talkers: Punctuation's Effect On Earth's Fate. In Bonn, Germany, hundreds of people have gathered to work on a draft version of a major United Nations agreement to control greenhouse gas emissions that are changing the Earth's climate. And when I found out that climate change negotiations basically all boil down to writing and editing a document, I was intrigued. http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/06/01/164059/editing_the_climate_talkers_punctuations_effect_on_earths_fate?category=science&source=npr INSIGHT-U.N. climate deal in Paris may be graveyard for 2C goal. The U.N.'s Paris climate conference, designed to reach a plan for curbing global warming, may instead become the graveyard for its defining goal: to stop temperatures rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Achieving the 2C (3.6 Fahrenheit) target has been the driving force for climate negotiators… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/climatechange-paris-idUSL5N0YJ4VL20150601?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews BLOGS Ford Follows Tesla And Toyota In Releasing EV Patents. Ford is now the third automaker to release patents related to electric vehicle technology for anyone to use, in an effort to accelerate research and development of electric vehicles. Tesla and Toyota have already made similar moves for the same reason. Ford has more than 650 patents on electric vehicle technology… http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewdepaula/2015/05/31/ford-follows-tesla-and-toyota-in-releasing-ev-patents/?ss=logistics-transport Global warming may cause largest ocean species migration in 3 million years. If greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed soon, then global warming may bring about the most sweeping re-arrangement of ocean species in at least 3 million years, according to a new study. The study, published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, shows that by the end of the century, the polar regions may be have some of the most abundant and diverse sea life of anywhere on the planet, while the tropics, which are currently the crown jewel of marine species richness, may be drained of much of its iconic marine life. http://mashable.com/2015/06/01/global-warming-huge-oceans-shift/ In the battle against climate change, Seattle is on the front lines. On May 13, the Polar Pioneer chugged determinedly across Puget Sound toward Seattle, ignoring requests from the mayor and port officials to stay away. The Pioneer is a fourth-generation, semisubmersible drilling rig, designed by the Japanese firm Polar Hitachi and built in the shipyard in Ariake, Japan, to withstand some of the world’s harshest conditions. http://grist.org/politics/in-the-battle-against-climate-change-seattle-is-on-the-front-lines/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 16:16:31 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 3, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 3, 2015. 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 Factbox: Carbon trading schemes around the world. Europe's top oil and gas companies this week urged governments around the world to introduce a pricing system for carbon emissions.While a global carbon market remains elusive a report published by the World Bank last week showed 40 nations and over 20 cities, states and regions now have a price on CO2 emissions, covering around 12 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions…http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/03/us-carbontrading-factbox-idUSKBN0OJ24Q20150603 Oil majors' climate call exposes U.S.-Europe rift on carbon pricing. The failed attempt by the world's oil majors to speak on climate change action with one voice has laid bare disagreement between U.S. and European companies on putting a price on carbon. The world's top oil companies have struggled for years to form a joint front in the face of growing criticism for not taking leadership against climate change. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-oil-majors-climate-call-exposes-us-europe-rift-on-carbon-pricing-2015-6#ixzz3c1IFZx64 Carbon Prices Around the World are Consistently Too Low. Carbon pricing is spreading rapidly around the world [i]. However prices almost everywhere are far too low at the moment to price emissions efficiently. The chart below summarises carbon prices in those jurisdictions with pricing. The horizontal axis shows volumes, the vertical axis shows prices, as in a conventional commodity supply curve. http://theenergycollective.com/onclimatechangepolicy/2235281/carbon-prices-around-world-are-consistently-too-low Big Oil & Gas Embraces Carbon Pricing. Six of the world’s major oil and gas companies have called for national or regional carbon pricing. They also propose that governments and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change work on creating “clear, stable, ambitious policy frameworks that could eventually connect national systems.” These actions would reduce global uncertainty and encourage wide and cost-effective ways to reduce carbon emissions. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/02/big-oil-gas-embraces-carbon-pricing/ AIR POLLUTION Appeals court sides with EPA on air pollution limits. A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency complied with the law in deciding which areas of the country failed to meet federal limits on smog-forming pollution that can cause asthma and respiratory illness. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected challenges from states, industry and environmental groups that claimed the agency… http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6632adb542aa481d8135bf44b87a9817/appeals-court-sides-epa-air-pollution-limits OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/02/us/politics/ap-us-epa-smog-enforcement.html?_r=0 E.P.A. to Set New Limits on Airplane Emissions. The Obama administration is set to announce that it will require new rules to cut emissions from airplanes, expanding a quest to tackle climate change that has included a string of significant regulations on cars, trucks and power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to report as early as Friday its conclusion that greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/business/energy-environment/epa-to-set-new-limits-on-airplane-emissions.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-may-take-first-step-to-curb-airline-emissions-this-week/ China's Air Pollution Is Bad, But India's Is Far, Far Worse. Discuss countries with the worst air pollution, and China typically rises to the top of the list like smoke from a chimney. Maybe it's the high-profile coverage of Beijing's smog-choked air, or the fact that China is now the world's largest new-car market, but either way the country is a poster child for pollution. Yet China doesn't necessarily have the dirtiest air in the world. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098567_chinas-air-pollution-is-bad-but-indias-is-far-far-worse Study finds air quality in northern Alberta better than in province’s big cities. First Nations near oilsands says full story not told. Levels of three major pollutants in the oilsands region did not increase much in the past 15 years as open pit mining expanded, says a professor in the University of Alberta’s school of public health.A study of 15 years of data beginning in 1998 shows only a “small” change in air quality… http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/Study+finds+quality+northern+Alberta+better+than/11105181/story.html CLIMATE CHANGE Colorado coal mine appeals climate change court ruling. A Colorado coal mine at the center of a legal fight over whether coal's impact on climate change needs to be considered before it is mined wants to make sure it can keep operating while it appeals a federal court ruling. On Friday, the Colowyo Coal Co. asked the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver to overturn a ruling requiring federal regulators to redo their environmental review… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COAL_MINES_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/02/us/ap-us-coal-mines-climate.html Rich states can't meet 2020 climate aid goal alone: researchers. An international commitment to provide $100 billion a year by 2020 to help vulnerable countries tackle climate change is unlikely to be met if only government funding from rich nations is counted towards it, researchers said. At U.N. climate negotiations, some developing countries have argued the annual $100 billion should come entirely from developed nations' treasuries… http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/03/us-climate-change-finance-idUKKBN0OJ0LV20150603 Exxon CEO Says Europe Should See Climate Benefits of Shale Gas. Exxon Mobil Corp. CEO Rex Tillerson said Europe should see the “tremendous environmental benefits” of producing natural gas from shale, pointing to the U.S. output boom as a model for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions. “Natural gas and shale have been instrumental in reducing CO2 emissions to levels not seen since the 1990s”… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-02/exxon-ceo-says-europe-should-see-climate-benefits-of-shale-gas Rousseff’s Washington Visit Spurring Talks on Climate Divide. When Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff visits Washington this month, the climate-change schism between developing countries like hers and the U.S. will be front and center on the agenda. The U.S. and other industrial nations say the entire world must limit emissions… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-03/rousseff-s-washington-visit-spurs-talks-on-climate-change-divide Climate Deal Badly Needs a Big Stick. Few economists are as versed in the global diplomatic effort to combat climate change as Nicholas Stern of Britain. So it was particularly distressing to hear him say, at a debate in New York a few weeks ago, that the international effort to achieve a worldwide climate agreement in Paris next December is already falling short on its most critical goal. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/business/energy-environment/climate-deal-badly-needs-a-big-stick.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimesscience&_r=0 EPA Climate Plan Sent to White House for Review. Obama’s controversial carbon-emission rules for power plants could be released by Labor Day. The Obama administration has teed up a busy summer on climate change, with the final review of its tentpole climate rule swinging into action. The Environmental Protection Agency sent its rules on carbon emissions for existing power plants… http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/epa-climate-plan-sent-to-white-house-for-review-20150602 Ahead of COP21, scientists discuss implementable and available climate solutions. With pressure mounting for governments to agree in December on an ambitious plan to curb climate change, scientists are working across disciplines and perspectives to shed light on the climate solutions are currently implementable and available. “This conference is really about bringing different countries… http://www.trust.org/item/20150602193534-hdzx6/ Burning Coal Is Hot; Its Warming Is Far Hotter. Think of a holiday road trip’s effect on the climate this way: The amount of heat a car contributes to the atmosphere because of its carbon emissions may be 100,000 times greater than the actual heat given off by its engine. That’s the conclusion of a Carnegie Institution for Science study published Tuesday that shows two things: Emissions from burning a lump of coal or a gallon of gas has an effect on the climate… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/fossil-fuels-heat-climate-dramatically-19062 Private sector must pay more into $100bn global climate fund, says report. World Resources Institute advises businesses as well as governments to increase funding to enable poor countries to cut emissions and rebuild infrastructure. The global target of directing $100bn to poor countries to help them cope with climate change is likely to be missed unless private sector finance is ramped up significantly, a new analysis has found. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/03/private-sector-climate-change-development-fund New climate change regulations expected by end of June. Alberta's new climate change regulations will be set before the current regulations expire at the end of June, the province's new environment minister announced Tuesday. "This government will take leadership on the issue of climate change and make sure Alberta is part of crafting solutions with stakeholders…http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/new-climate-change-regulations-expected-by-end-of-june-1.3097149 US, EU fall flat on cutting forest emissions. Follow Mexico’s lead, world’s 2nd and 3rd emitter told as emissions pledge for climate pact freeze out forests, study says. The United States and European Union are shirking chances to dent greenhouse gas emissions arising from forests and agriculture, a report charged on Tuesday. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/06/02/us-eu-fall-flat-on-cutting-forest-emissions/#sthash.xbgtBjrD.dpuf Climate change could turn Texas-sized swath of Amazon rainforest into a savanna – study. Scientists worry that in addition to the threat of deforestation, climate change-driven shifts in rainfall could further compromise one of the planet's biggest carbon sinks by transforming vast swaths of South America's Amazon rainforest into savannas. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019564 New model shows corals may fare better in a warming world than previously thought. Researchers have tested a new climate and coral reef forecasting model assessing how corals respond to stress and found it to be both more accurate and less doomsday when it comes to predicting the future of coral reefs under climate changehttp://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019565 DROUGHT Californians Are Encouraged by Sharp Drop in Water Use. Californians cut their water use in April by 13.5 percent over the same month two years ago, a big improvement from March and the first indication of how the state is reacting to mandatory water cutbacks imposed by Gov. Jerry Brown to deal with the region’s ongoing drought. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/us/californians-are-encouraged-by-sharp-drop-in-water-use.html http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-conservation-20150602-story.html#page=1 The Latest: State to Use Satellites to Eye Unplanted Fields. State water officials say they will use satellite surveillance from high above farms in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta as one way of confirming that fields have been left fallow under voluntary conservation agreements with farmers. Growers with some of the strongest water rights in the delta east of San Francisco offered to reduce their water consumption this summer by…http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/02/us/ap-us-california-drought-the-latest.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article22934751.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/The-Latest-Study-says-drought-cost-to-grow-by-6302083.php Los Angeles County Orders Water Fees to Reach State Cutback Goal. Los Angeles County officials voted on Tuesday to charge water users for over-consumption in areas hit with some of California's toughest reduction mandates as the state withers from a four-year drought. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/06/02/us/02reuters-usa-drought-losangeles.html California's largest lake threatened by drought, water transfer. Once-bustling marinas on shallow water in California's largest lake a few years ago are bone-dry. Carcasses of oxygen-starved tilapia lie on desolate shores. Flocks of eared grebes and shoreline birds bob up and down to feast on marine life. An air of decline and strange beauty permeates the Salton Sea: The lake is shrinking — and on the verge of getting much smaller as more water goes to coastal cities. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-salton-sea-drying-up-20150603-story.html#page=1 Study Predicts the Drought Will Cost the State $500 Million More in 2015. A new economic forecast says that the impact of California's drought will grow by $500 million in 2015 to a total of $2.7 billion. The study was released today from University of California at Davis. The study shows a predicted one third increase in the number of acres that farmers are fallowing for lack of water. The total acreage of unused land is now at 564,000 acres in the state. http://www.kgoradio.com/common/page.php?id=127482 New Growing Technique Relieves Drought Stricken Avocado Farmers. Farmers are being widely criticized during the California drought because agriculture uses the majority of the state's water. But some farmers are cutting back by employing new techniques. A recent study used half as much water to yield twice as much fruit. If an avocado was grown in the U.S. it most likely ripened in California where 90 percent of the nation’s crop originates. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/03/new-growing-technique-relieves-drought-stricken-avocado-farmers/ Drought Takes $2.7-Billion Toll on California Agriculture. The record-breaking drought in California—brought about by a severe lack of precipitation, especially mountain snows—has exacted a $2.7 billion toll on the state’s economy because of agricultural losses, researchers said Tuesday. During a briefing for the California Department of Food & Agriculture, scientists from the University of California, Davis, told officials that based… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/drought-takes-2-7-billion-toll-on-california-agriculture/ VIDEO: The drought message is getting through: California, O.C. cut back water use. Californians have apparently gotten the drought message, cutting back their water use 13.5 percent in April compared with the same month in 2013. All Orange County water districts reported using less water in April, the latest numbers reported to the state Tuesday. Water conservation improved over the previous month. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-664086-use-percent.html Agriculture losses from drought set to jump 23% this year, but economy is coping. This year, California farmers will likely experience worse drought conditions than they did in 2014, but a preliminary report suggests the economic impacts won't be as severe as some researchers had anticipated. According to data collected by researchers at the University of California, Davis, the amount of available surface water supply will be about 33 percent less on average. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019566 DIESEL ACTIVITIES For truck drivers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, it's a waiting game. More than 40 percent of U.S. imports flow through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. An army of 14,000 short-haul truck drivers are tasked with hauling that cargo from the port complex to warehouses and rail yards around Southern California. But some of those truckers say, despite their critical role at the ports…http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/06/02/52126/for-truck-drivers-at-the-ports-of-los-angeles-and/ Green Groups Renew Call For Global Ship Emissions Cap, Wants Action at MEPC 69. The Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC), the Marine Conservation Society, and 10 other environmental groups Tuesday issued a press release urging European Union (EU) climate ministers to submit proposals for a global ship emissions cap at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and International Marine Organization (IMO) levels. http://shipandbunker.com/news/world/333509-green-groups-renew-call-for-global-ship-emissions-cap-wants-action-at-mepc-69 FUELS Battles over oil pipelines on 3 fronts in Minnesota. Battles over climate change and oil pipelines come to a head on three fronts in Minnesota this week. Environmental groups have high hopes for a "Tar Sands Resistance March" to the State Capitol on Saturday with the aim of keeping Canadian crude in the ground instead of piping it across the state via an expanded Alberta Clipper pipeline. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OIL_PIPELINES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Oil and gas turn their backs on coal as climate deal nears. Chemistry books say there are three fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. Lately you could get the impression that coal is the only one. As a global agreement to rein in climate-warming carbon emissions draws closer, oil and gas companies are increasingly talking about coal as the problem and describing themselves as a crucial part of the solution… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FOSSIL_FUELS_FEUD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/03/world/europe/ap-eu-fossil-fuels-feud.html http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Oil-and-gas-turn-their-backs-on-coal-as-climate-6303532.php Big Oil's Plan to Become Big Gas. Oil companies that have pumped trillions of barrels of crude from the ground are now saying the future is in their other main product: natural gas, a fuel they’re promoting as the logical successor to coal. With almost 200 nations set to hammer out a binding pact on carbon emissions in December, fossil-fuel companies led by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-01/big-oil-becomes-big-gas-as-climate-threat-spurs-tussle-with-coal For Green Activists, Arctic Drilling Could Be the Next Big Thing. Michael Brune is pleased that activists in kayaks are training for another "Paddle in Seattle" to confront an expected Royal Dutch Shell rig on its way to the Arctic to explore for oil. What makes the head of the Sierra Club just as happy is the effect Shell's Arctic ambitions are having on his own environmental organization. Sierra's funding drive against the resumption in… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/06/03/world/europe/03reuters-usa-shell-arctic-insight.html BP Ceases Production at Australian Bulwer Island Refinery. BP has ceased production at its 102,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Bulwer Island refinery in Brisbane and is preparing to convert the site into a jet fuel import terminal, a company spokeswoman told Reuters on Wednesday. The refinery shut its major units throughout May and has now completely ceased production, the spokeswoman added. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/06/03/business/03reuters-australia-bp-refinery.html Enviros jump into fracking rule litigation -- on government's side. After two months of public speculation over how environmental groups would respond to the Obama administration's new regulations for hydraulic fracturing, a coalition of conservation groups has come out on the government's side -- seeking to defend the rule in federal court. The Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club, Earthworks, the Conservation Colorado Education Fund… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019569 EPA's take on 'blend wall' a horror story for all in biofuel fight. U.S. EPA's handling of the ethanol "blend wall" in its proposed renewable fuel targets nods to both the ethanol and oil industries but does little to please either. "It reads a little bit like 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,'" said Geoff Cooper, senior vice president for the Renewable Fuels Association. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019596 House Dems call for quick crude volatility standards. Top energy and transportation regulators are facing mounting pressure from Congress to set crude volatility rules in the wake of recent fiery oil train derailments. Thirteen House Democrats yesterday urged Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to expedite standards for making raw crude less explosive before shipping it across the country in mile-long trains. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019550 Northern European gas groups join R&D forces for a renewable-powered future. A coalition of European groups is banding together to promote research and development around forward-looking uses of natural gas, including to support renewable power systems and for transportation. The European Research Institute for Gas and Energy Innovation, or ERIG, will promote joint innovation and development work by participants of partner groups… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019544 VEHICLES SMUD unveils fast-charge station for electric vehicles along I-80. SMUD is activating its second electric vehicle fast-charge station in the Sacramento region Wednesday to quell “range anxiety.” The new station, which accommodates most types of EVs, is one of the first stations in the country installed by a utility, according to SMUD. SMUD earlier opened the first fast-charge station in the region at the utility’s headquarters in the 6200 block of S Street. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article22991046.html#storylink=cpy Beijing Adds Another Electric-Car Incentive: Rush-Hour Access To Any Road. To get more of its residents to switch to electric cars, the Chinese capital of Beijing has not only offered incentives, but also privileges. When the city severely restricted new-car registrations to cut pollution, it gave electric cars priority for the remaining slots. Now, the government is offering electric-car drivers another notable perk. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098561_beijing-adds-another-electric-car-incentive-rush-hour-access-to-any-road Could electric cars run on liquid fuel? A sustainable fuel for electric cars wouldn't require drivers who are used to pumping gas to alter their habits, and it would sidestep the issues of battery weight and charging times. Artificial photosynthesis could be the answer. Electric cars may have made great strides recently, but thousands of researchers are still searching for a sustainable liquid fuel. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/0602/Could-electric-cars-run-on-liquid-fuel Changes to California regulation aim to promote electric vehicles. Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate is being revised in California. California is making changes to its Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate. The regulation requires automakers to produce a portion of clean vehicles alongside their regular production vehicles. The mandate has made California a very popular market for electric vehicles and has served to help the state become more environmentally friendly. http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/changes-to-california-regulation-aim-to-promote-electric-vehicles/8522288/ GREEN ENERGY Most States on Track to Meet Clean Power Plan 2020 Benchmarks. The majority of states, 31, have already made commitments that put them more than halfway toward meeting their 2020 benchmarks for carbon emissions reductions in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan, according to new analysis released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). An examination of current state policies and commitments such as carbon caps... http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/most-states-on-track-to-meet-cpp-benchmarks-0500#.VW8vyk1ASUl Renewable Energy In U.S. Heartland: How States Make It Work. In the U.S. heartland, where retail electricity costs less than the national average, states from Iowa to Utah to Nevada are investing in renewable energy to protect against fossil fuel price volatility and save customers money. Operating in these states, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy is a perfect example, recently announcing goals to double its investment in renewable energy to $30 billion. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/03/renewable-energy-in-u-s-heartland-how-states-make-it-work/ DoE Finds Wind Energy Will Have Largest Role in Cost-Effectively Meeting Clean Power Plan. Low-cost, zero-emission wind energy will become even more valuable as states and utilities develop plans to cost-effectively reduce carbon pollution to comply with EPA’s Clean Power Plan, according to new economic analysis from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), a nonpartisan branch of the Department of Energy (DOE). http://theenergycollective.com/michaelgoggin/2234811/doe-finds-wind-energy-will-have-largest-role-cost-effectively-meeting-clean-po Distributed Solar Helps Lower Peak Demand Electricity Prices. We’re bullish on rooftop solar, and it’s not only because residential solar can slash electricity costs, boost property values, deliver a great return on investment (ROI), and decrease air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Sure, those are all great reasons for considering going solar at home, but it turns out that rooftop solar can also deliver dividends for everyone on the grid, regardless of whether or not those other homes are solar powered. According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a research organization that analyzes financial and economic issues related to energy and the environment… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/03/distributed-solar-helps-lower-peak-demand-electricity-prices/ Feds OK three big solar projects in Nevada. Up-front planning helped speed three big new solar projects through the federal review process, the U.S. Department of Interior said this week, touting the administration’s Western Solar Plan as a model for renewable energy development on public lands. The plan mapped out solar energy development zones in areas where there was little potential for conflicts over resources. http://summitcountyvoice.com/2015/06/03/feds-ok-three-big-solar-projects-in-nevada/ Texas renewable standard survives bumpy session for enviro groups. As Texas' 2015 regular legislative session wrapped up this week, advocates for wind and solar power began to exhale. The state's renewable energy standard and a related credit program survived, as did the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ) initiative that has helped link remote power projects to cities through about $7 billion in infrastructure spending. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019551 N.Y. outlines plan for replacing renewable standard, awards 7 storage grants. Precisely how the Empire State will approach distributed generation and energy storage under its "reforming the energy vision" process has begun to take shape with major announcements this and last week by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on both fronts. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/03/stories/1060019548 MISCELLANEOUS OPINION Holding Your Breath in India. FOR weeks the breathing of my 8-year-old son, Bram, had become more labored, his medicinal inhaler increasingly vital. And then, one terrifying night nine months after we moved to this megacity, Bram’s inhaler stopped working and his gasping became panicked. My wife called a friend, who recommended a private hospital miles away. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/31/opinion/sunday/holding-your-breath-in-india.html?hpw&rref=opinion&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0 Fear of Almonds. I can’t tell you how many times in the last month someone has come up to me and said something like, “Do you think I should stop eating almonds?” or “I really miss almond butter, but I just can’t bring myself to buy it anymore.” It’s typical: We focus on a minuscule part (almonds) of a huge problem (water use in California) and see it as the key to fixing everything: If only we stopped eating almonds, the drought would end... http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/opinion/mark-bittman-fear-of-almonds.html To lead on climate change, California must also lead on poverty reduction: Guest commentary. California is adding leadership in the fight against global climate change to its worldwide resume. As historic drought ravages the state, that seems like a rational and righteous priority. The centerpiece of that effort is AB 32, the 2006 state law that set the goal of reducing the state’s carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150603/to-lead-on-climate-change-california-must-also-lead-on-poverty-reduction-guest-commentary Well, Well, Well, Look Who Just Endorsed a Bold Fix For Climate Change. Oil companies are pretty much the last ally you'd think of when it comes to advancing big-picture solutions to climate change. These are the companies, after all, whose product is responsible for causing a significant amount of climate change in the first place—and pretty much every proposed fix for global warming necessarily involves burning less oil. http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/06/guess-who-just-came-out-support-bold-fix-climate-change BLOGS Free Solar Power in California: Thanks, Cap-and-Trade! California’s cap-and-trade program brings in money when carbon allowances are auctioned. A lot of money – about $1.49 billion in the current fiscal year alone, the state said last week. The law requires that “the state invest at least 10 percent of the auction proceeds within the most disadvantaged communities and at least 25 percent of the proceeds be invested to benefit these communities.” http://earthtechling.com/2015/06/free-solar-power-in-california-thanks-cap-and-trade/ How LA plans to be a mecca for electric cars. By 2017, the city of Angles aims to have the most electric vehicle chargers of any U.S. city, but the industry faces big challenges that will require businesses and governments to work closer together. A couple months ago I asked my landlord to install an electric vehicle charging station in our San Francisco apartment building. http://fortune.com/2015/06/03/how-la-plans-to-be-a-mecca-for-electric-cars/?xid=timehp-category Does hydropower make sense in a warming world? In the rush to decarbonize the world’s economy, there’s one simple, surprising technology that’s more important than any other: water falling down a hill. Huge dams fitted with hydroelectric power plants may seem very 20th century. Their basic technology — falling water turning a paddle wheel — hasn’t changed much in thousands of years. http://grist.org/business-technology/does-hydropower-make-sense-in-a-warming-world/ Crop adjustments may lessen climate change's economic effects, Stanford economist says. Stanford economist Dave Donaldson found that the impact of climate change might amount for just a .26 percent reduction in global gross domestic product if farmers are able to switch what types of crops they grow. Farmers like this one mowing alfalfa in the Central Valley can minimize the economic effects of climate change if they are in a position to switch to other crops as necessary… http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/june/trade-climate-economy-060315.html Drought-Plagued Farms Will Cost California $2.7 Billion This Year, Study Predicts. The economic pain caused by California's relentless drought will cost the state's agriculture industry $2.7 billion this year, up half a billion from 2014 estimates, a study released Tuesday predicts. Less rainfall means fewer crops which translates into less money, a lot less, according to scientists at the University of California, Davis… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/02/california-drought-cost_n_7497480.html Reducing Drilling Pollution—Wyoming Did It, No Big Deal. Will Texas? The technological advances that led to the “shale revolution” have undoubtedly had a large economic impact on the Texas economy – something state leaders and the oil and gas industry are never shy about pointing out. But the impact drilling has on air quality and public health, that’s something energy-friendly Texas has not been so quick to recognize. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/06/03/reducing-drilling-pollution-wyoming-did-it-no-big-deal-will-texas/ Republican Senators Push 3 Bills to Weaken Clean Air Health Protections. The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing today on three Republican bills bent on weakening basic Clean Air Act protections and making the air less safe to breathe. Each bill takes us backwards by forcing Americans to suffer unsafe levels of ground-level ozone, or smog pollution… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jwalke/the_us_senate_environment_and.html Could electric buses go mainstream faster than electric cars? A lot of attention is paid to electric cars, but private passenger vehicles aren’t the only ones that could benefit from electrification. City buses log countless miles every year, in congested areas that often have the highest concentrations of air pollution caused by vehicle emissions. Predictable routes in confined areas also mean it’s easier to keep buses closer to charging stations. http://ecomento.com/2015/06/03/could-electric-buses-go-mainstream-faster-than-electric-cars/ Walmart spews a huge amount of climate pollution with its shipping, but doesn’t report any of it. At Walmart’s annual meeting on Friday, shareholders will vote on a measure that would force the company to reckon with one of the biggest — and best hidden — sources of climate pollution in its vast global operations: shipping. No company moves as much stuff across the world’s oceans as Walmart does. The climate consequences are immense. Ferrying all those cheap TVs, T-shirts, toasters, and toys from Asian factories to ports in the U.S. and elsewhere releases huge amounts of greenhouse pollutants… http://grist.org/business-technology/walmart-spews-a-huge-amount-of-climate-pollution-with-its-shipping-but-doesnt-report-any-of-it/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:01:08 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 4, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CALIFORNIA CLIMATE LEADERSHIP BILL California Lawmakers Advance Aggressive Climate Change Plans. California lawmakers on Wednesday pushed through an ambitious climate change package to further reduce the state's carbon footprint and boost the use of renewable energy to 50 percent in 15 years. The state Senate passed proposals to enact Gov. Jerry Brown's call to curb greenhouse gas emissions by setting what the administration calls the most aggressive benchmark in North America over the objection of Republicans who characterized such regulation as coastal elitism that would kill working-class jobs. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_XGR_CALIFORNIA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/California-lawmakers-advance-lofty-climate-change-6304800.php http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/california-lawmakers-advance-aggressive-climate-change-plans/2015/06/03/8cb4087e-0a51-11e5-951e-8e15090d64ae_story.html California passes ambitious laws on emissions and energy efficiency. California lawmakers have passed a dozen ambitious environmental and energy bills setting high goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum use, and creating new standards for energy efficiency. Dubbed the California climate leadership package, the 12 bills represent a Democratic-driven push in the Senate to advance an agenda of technological innovation and conservation that was put into play by an executive order by California Governor Jerry Brown in April. The package will next move to the assembly for debate. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/04/california-passes-ambitious-laws-on-emissions-and-energy-efficiency California lawmakers boost climate change bills. Continuing the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, California lawmakers approved expansive legislation Wednesday that will require ambitious new renewable energy and pollution standards over the coming decades. In the Senate, the effort was led by President Pro Tem Kevin de León and fellow Democrats, who touted the economic benefits of building a green economy. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23033535.html Calif. Senate passes climate package aiming for 50% renewable power, halving petroleum use. California's Senate yesterday accelerated the state's push for clean energy, passing a bundle of climate bills that aimed to shrink sharply greenhouse gas emissions, increase renewable power to 50 percent of electricity and chop in half petroleum use by 2030. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060019653 Climate Bills Move Forward At The State Capitol. California lawmakers have advanced several measures intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades. Legislation that would implement goals set earlier this year by Gov. Jerry Brown is on its way to the Assembly after passing the Senate. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/03/climate-bills-move-forward-at-the-state-capitol/ State senate approves bills to combat global warming. The California Senate on Wednesday approved a sweeping package of climate change bills designed to cement the Golden State’s reputation as a national leader in the fight against global warming. If enacted, the legislation will in the years ahead trigger a fundamental shift in the kinds of cars Californians drive and the way they power their homes and businesses. http://www.record-bee.com/general-news/20150603/state-senate-approves-bills-to-combat-global-warming Climate change: California Senate approves legislation to combat global warming. The state Senate on Wednesday approved a far-reaching array of bills designed to cement the Golden State's reputation as an international leader in the fight against climate change. If enacted, the legislation will trigger a fundamental shift in the kinds of cars and trucks Californians drive and the way they power their homes. New targets would force industries to create more renewable energy, make more vehicles that don't burn gasoline and further slash greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_28244235/climate-change-california-senate-approves-legislation-combat-global AIR POLLUTION Study Links Proximity To Fracking Sites With Low Birth Weight. Pregnant women who live close to fracking sites are more likely to have babies with lower birth weights, according to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Researchers used public records to cross-reference the proximity of gas wells to health information for 15,451 newborns in Washington, Westmoreland and Butler counties born between 2007 and 2010. http://wesa.fm/post/study-links-proximity-fracking-sites-low-birth-weight CLIMATE CHANGE Rich states can't meet 2020 climate aid goal alone – researchers. ...to provide $100 billion a year by 2020 to help vulnerable countries tackle climate change is unlikely to be met if only government funding from... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/03/climate-change-finance-idUSL5N0YO3X220150603 A carbon price would benefit more than just the climate. The United States is grappling with serious economic and environmental challenges – from sluggish economic growth to rising greenhouse gas emissions and escalating impacts of climate change. Policymakers have traditionally addressed these challenges separately, but there’s one policy that can address them together: a carbon price. http://www.greenbiz.com/article/carbon-price-would-benefit-more-just-climate IKEA Pledges 1 Billion Euros to Help Slow Climate Change. IKEA, the world's biggest furniture retailer, plans to spend 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion) on renewable energy and steps to help poor nations cope with climate change, the latest example of firms upstaging governments in efforts to slow warming. Chief Executive Peter Agnefjall said the measures would "absolutely not" push up prices at the Swedish group's stores. The investments will be "good for customers, good for the climate and good for IKEA too," he told Reuters. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/06/04/business/04reuters-ikea-climatechange.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 DROUGHT CALIFORNIA: Drought begins to kill redwoods and other iconic trees while state's forest fire risk rises. Along California's central coast near the beach city of Cambria stands a swath of Monterey pine trees, one of three groupings of the native trees left in the world. The site has been protected for years from tree cutting because of its rarity. Now, in the fourth year of the Golden State's drought, those trees that cover nearly 15 square acres are as much as 90 percent dead, their needles turned from green to grayish-white. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/04/stories/1060019627 Californians cite drought as state's biggest problem. The gravity of the drought is sinking in for Californians — and just in a nick of time. ... http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Californians-cite-drought-as-state-s-biggest-6305379.php Drought May Cost California's Farmers Almost $3 Billion In 2015. California's drought isn't just turning green lawns brown or #droughtshaming... http://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/2015/06/03/drought-may-cost-californias-farmers-almost-3-billion-in-2015/ Hotels cutting water use, lawn by lawn 6 days ago. ...card, seeding acres of lawn and fairways amid sparkling swimming pools. As California enters a fourth year of drought and state and local water... http://www.desertsun.com/story/money/business/tourism/2015/05/28/coachella-valley-hotel-water-conservation/28127791/ VEHICLES Automakers ahead of schedule for 2020 fuel economy targets. ...of sales of vehicles that meet or exceed 2020 standards run on conventional gasoline- and diesel-powered engines, Cooke said. "Everyone is looking... http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150528/automakers-ahead-of-schedule-for-2020-fuel-economy-targets VW signs deal to boost production of electric cars in China. ...Corporation ( 600104.SS ) to boost production, research and development of electric cars in China. VW said it has agreed to expand the main... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/03/us-volkswagen-saic-production-idUSKBN0OJ2HS20150603 Electric car sales on course for record year. Sales of low-emission cars are continuing their rapid acceleration, with industry figures showing four times as many vehicles were registered in the first five months of 2015 than the same period last year. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) records 11,842 ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) registered between January and May, up from 2,838 a year ago. 2014 went on to be a record year for electric car sales, with registrations quadrupling to almost 14,500 and purchases of all alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) topping 51,000. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2411573/electric-car-sales-on-course-for-record-year GREEN ENERGY Lower-Cost LEDs Offer Some Competition to Compact Fluorescent Lights. For years, lighting manufacturers have labored to make LED lights mimic the warm feel of incandescent bulbs. But what they offered in features and quality, they could not match in price. As a result, many consumers and businesses looking for efficiency and lower cost opted for compact fluorescent lights, even if the light quality was often seen as worse. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/business/energy-environment/lower-cost-leds-become-competitive-with-fluorescent-lights.html?ref=energy-environment U.S. renewable fuels move forward. ...achieve the original program goals of promoting the development of advanced, low greenhouse-gas domestic biofuels that improve energy security... http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/04/us-stock-biofuels-idUSKBN0OK04420150604 MISCELLANEOUS Food Trucks Go Solar. With more and more Americans turning to the food truck industry for a quick, cheap meal and sometimes even a gourmet meal, emissions from these gas guzzling machines is becoming a fairly significant factor. So the question is, how can the U.S. make a move to keep and expand on our well-loved food trucks, while cutting their environmental impact? http://ecowatch.com/2015/06/04/food-trucks-solar/ OPINION To lead on climate change, California must also lead on poverty reduction: Guest commentary. California is adding leadership in the fight against global climate change to its worldwide resume. As historic drought ravages the state, that seems like a rational and righteous priority. The centerpiece of that effort is AB 32, the 2006 state law that set the goal of reducing the state’s carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion/20150603/to-lead-on-climate-change-california-must-also-lead-on-poverty-reduction-guest-commentary It's not just California's drought, it's America's. After a week on horseback helping my rancher friends with their annual cattle roundup, I boarded Amtrak’s Empire Builder in Havre, Mont., on Sunday and looked forward to resting my sore muscles for the 18 hours it would take to reach the coast. As I settled into my sleeping compartment, the friendly porter handed me a complimentary bottle of water. It did not take long to notice where that water had come from: California. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-not-just-californias-drought-20150604-story.html BLOGS California's Salton Sea Threatened By Water Transfer To Cities. Once-bustling marinas on shallow water in California's largest lake a few years ago are bone-dry. Carcasses of oxygen-starved... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/03/californias-largest-lake_n_7499346.html?ir=Green Wind energy jobs on the rise as U.S. states chart a clean path to fight climate change. With summer fast approaching, the impacts of climate change are hitting home with even greater force. NRDC recently... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-caseylefkowitz/wind-energy-jobs-on-the-r_b_7506394.html?utm_hp_ref=climate-change California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 11:37:28 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 5, 2015 From: pbrown@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. AIR POLLUTION Air Pollution Linked to Increased Mortality Even Below EPA Limits: Study. You knew air pollution was unhealthy, but you didn't know it was this unhealthy. That death rates among people over 65 are higher in zip codes with more fine-particulate air pollution, as a new study from Harvard School of Public Health suggests, may not come as a surprise. http://time.com/3910341/air-pollution-coal-smog-smoke-research-harvard/ Battling deadly air pollution on World Environment Day. Air pollution is the world's biggest environmental problem and New Delhi has the highest levels of all cities around the globe, according to the World Health Organization, with 3.2 years of life lost for the average Indian because of it. India has the four most polluted cities in the world, WHO said in a report, findings that were vehemently challenged by India's government. https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/battling-deadly-air-pollution-world-environment-day-062719147.html For much of its history, Chicago covered by smoke, soot. The smoke and soot were so thick, they blotted out the sun. Residents who hung their clean clothing to dry hauled in dingy white shirts and gritty underwear. Opened windows meant soiled curtains and filthy sills. Brand-new buildings quickly weathered as the caustic pollution ate away the stone. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/history/ct-dirty-air-pollution-environment-chicago-flashback-per-0607-jm-20150605-story.html#page=1 'Air pollution in Indian cities threat to future generations'. Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan today said that air pollution in big Indian cities was a major threat to future generations. Speaking on the occasion of Environment Day at CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute here, he said, "Air pollution in metropolitan cities is a major threat to the future generations." http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/air-pollution-in-indian-cities-threat-to-future-generations-115060501072_1.html New air quality rating raises concerns. When the air quality in Santa Cruz County was given an “F” by the American Lung Association earlier in the year, people took notice. After all, residents were use to an “A” based on the Santa Cruz Mountains’ barrier to Silicon Valley’s pollution and the Bay’s clean winds. The ALA had been receiving air standards results from a site in Santa Cruz, not from the San Lorenzo Valley. After air quality monitors were installed in Scotts Valley and in the San Lorenzo Valley at the Middle School a few years ago, a major inconsistency between the two areas became evident. http://www.goldenstatenewspapers.com/press_banner/new-air-quality-rating-raises-concerns/article_63bf1c88-0b19-11e5-8d23-c3839710ab20.html CLIMATE CHANGE New Analysis Shows Earth Is Warming Faster Than We Thought. Politicians may dither and talking heads bloviate, but the scientific consensus is clear: climate change is real, humans are responsible, and its effects are already being felt around the world. At the same time, some details are in question, including how fast climate change is increasing and which specific effects we see are due to it as opposed to other sources. http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewfrancis/2015/06/04/new-analysis-shows-earth-is-warming-faster-than-we-thought/ Study dismisses 'hiatus' in global warming, says temperatures up. An apparent slowdown in the pace of global warming in recent years may be an illusion based on skewed data, according to a study on Thursday that found no break in a trend of rising temperatures. In 2013, the U.N. panel of climate experts reported a "hiatus" in warming since about 1998, despite rising man-made emissions of greenhouse gases. That heartened skeptics who say the risks of climate change have been exaggerated. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/04/us-climatechange-temperatures-idUSKBN0OK23I20150604?feedType=RSS&feedName=everything&virtualBrandChannel=11563 Climate Change May Drive Fish and Coral From Equator, Studies Say. As the climate warms, fish may flee the Equator for cooler waters with more oxygen, according to a new study in the journal Science. “The oceans are warming up, and the amount of oxygen in the ocean is going down and will continue to go down,” said Curtis Deutsch, an oceanographer at the University of Washington and one of the study’s authors. “When you put those two things together, it will limit the habitat space an animal has.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/science/climate-change-may-drive-fish-and-coral-from-equator-study-says.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Hayward manufacturer turns diesel-burning trucks into all-electric vehicles. Rather than designing an electric truck from the ground up, a startup company has developed a modular powertrain kit that can be dropped in existing chassis made by diesel-truck manufacturers. Motiv Power Systems is assembling the all-electric powertrain control systems at its Hayward plant. http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_28253602/hayward-manufacturer-turns-diesel-burning-trucks-into-all Clean Air Power Dual-Fuel System Receives Certification. Clean Air Power has received certification on its Genesis-Edge Dual-Fuel engine system from the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, meaning it's now available for retrofit in every state in the U.S., according to the company. The Genesis-Edge system is available for retrofit on most 2011-2013 model year D13-powered Volvo and MP8-powered Mack Trucks. It replaces up to 85% of diesel with natural gas and is compatible with either compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/06/clean-air-power-gains-epa-and-carb-certification-for-dual-fuel-system.aspx DROUGHT California’s Drought Spurring Water Recycling at Home. Showering during California's drought is a guilt-free experience for homeowners Catarina Negrin and Noah Friedman. The Berkeley couple - she runs a preschool, he's an architect - are early adopters of a home plumbing do-over that's becoming more popular during California's record four-year dry stretch. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_SHOWERS_TO_FLOWERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT FUELS Expert panel to weigh in Wednesday on Gov. Brown’s petroleum-reduction proposal. A panel of state lawmakers, business leaders and academic experts will meet Wednesday in Sacramento to discuss California Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal calling for a 50 percent reduction of in-state petroleum use by 2030. The free, open-to-the-public event – “50/50/50 by 2030: Transportation and the California Energy Challenge” – will run from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel, 1230 J St. A “Meet & Learn Reception” is scheduled from 4:40 to 6:30 p.m. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article23191746.html VEHICLES Chevy Spark EV Electric Car Sales Suddenly Surged; Here's Why. It was one of the major electric-car news stories last month: Sales of the Chevrolet Spark EV electric minicar soared to 920 in April.The electric Spark had consistently sold at around 100 cars a month since its June 2013 launch. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098563_chevy-spark-ev-electric-car-sales-suddenly-surged-heres-why San Diego Electric Vehicle Grid Pilot Wins Wide Support. San Diego Gas & Electric and automakers, electric vehicle service providers, public interest environmental groups and labor unions Wednesday signed a formal agreement in support of the utility’s innovative Electric Vehicle Grid-Integration pilot project. If adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission later this year, the Vehicle Grid-Integration pilot project would make electricity a low cost, clean transportation fuel that would be available to more drivers in this California coastal city of 1.4 million on U.S.-Mexico border. http://ens-newswire.com/2015/06/05/san-diego-electric-vehicle-grid-pilot-wins-wide-support/ MISCELLANEOUS DIY: Lawn’s gone so now what? Three ways to save water and still have a fun, versatile outdoor living space. A coworker recently told me that, due to new watering restrictions in her city, her family was thinking about replacing their lawn with artificial turf. With a moderately sized yard in a suburban neighborhood, the professional estimate she got was $10,000 to replace the lawn with synthetic grass. To give her a more affordable, and, in my opinion, more preferable option, I showed her a photo of our backyard, where, last fall, we traded lawn and sprinklers for succulents and a drip system. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/lifestyle/20150604/diy-lawns-gone-so-now-what-three-ways-to-save-water-and-still-have-a-fun-versatile-outdoor-living-space BLOGS Even Low-Level Air Pollution May Cause Harm. Even low levels of air pollution may not be safe, a new study suggests. The Environmental Protection Agency rates air pollution based on concentrations of particles smaller than 2.5 microns, or PM2.5. It generally regards as safe an annual average of 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air, or 35 micrograms per cubic meter over a one-day period. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/05/even-low-level-air-pollution-may-cause-harm/?_r=0 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 14:23:01 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 8, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 8, 2015. 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 Governor, lawmakers postpone negotiations over cap-and-trade funds. Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders, currently in talks over next year’s budget, postponed negotiations over how to spend more than $1 billion raised by fees on polluters. At issue is roughly 40% of the $2.2 billion in revenue expected to be raised by California’s cap-and-trade program, in which permits to pollute are traded and fees levied. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ln-governor-lawmakers-postpone-capandtrade-funds-20150605-story.html Jerry Brown, lawmakers pull cap-and-trade out of budget talks. Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders have agreed to set aside a dispute over cap-and-trade revenue until after adopting the state’s annual spending plan, eliminating a point of contention in budget talks 10 days before the deadline for its approval. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23239488.html#storylink=cpy Carbon Pricing and Climate Science in the Media. The past few weeks, highlighted by the Business & Climate Summit in Paris and Carbon Expo in Barcelona, has seen many CEOs, senior political figures and institutional leaders call for increased use of carbon pricing. This is certainly the right thing to be saying, but it begs the question, “What next?” Many countries are already considering or in the process of implementing a carbon pricing system, but still the call rings out. http://theenergycollective.com/davidhone/2236631/carbon-pricing-and-climate-science-media Price on carbon may be sweet spot for Midwest grid operator. Setting a price on carbon emissions could be the most effective way for operators of power plants in the Midwest to comply with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, according to a senior executive with the region's grid operator. Allowing "for the formation of some sort of price for generating an emissions amount of carbon" would mirror what happens now in the… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060019768 VW buys carbon offsets to cover e-Golf emissions. As an all-electric car, the Volkswagen e-Golf is already ahead of the curve when it comes to carbon emissions, but VW hopes some special measures will help lower its overall carbon footprint even more. The company is investing in carbon-reduction projects in the U.S. that it claims will offset emissions related to e-Golf production, distribution… http://ecomento.com/2015/06/08/vw-buys-carbon-offsets-to-cover-e-golf-emissions/ AIR POLLUTION G-7 set far-off goal to move away from fossil fuels. The world should move away from using fossil fuels by the end of this century, G-7 leaders announced Monday, setting an ambitious but distant goal ahead of a global summit on climate change this year. The leaders of seven wealthy democracies also warned Russia that sanctions imposed for its actions against Ukraine would remain until a cease-fire is fully observed in eastern Ukraine - and those sanctions could be made tougher if the situation requires. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_G7?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-08/g-7-calls-for-zero-fossil-fuel-emissions-by-end-of-21st-century Beijing struggles to cut smog with wide-ranging restrictions. When Dong Yingli first opened her east Beijing meat skewers restaurant six years ago, her chefs cooked the lamb, chicken hearts and assorted treats over an uncovered grill, with giant fans blowing the clouds of pungent smoke from the sidewalk into the middle of the street. Elsewhere in this sprawling capital city, four coal-fired power plants belched exhaust into the smoggy skies… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_BEIJING_SMOG?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Air quality rules tightened after cancer risk found to be 3 times higher. Dozens of Southern California facilities, including oil refineries, aerospace plants and metal factories, will face new requirements to reduce toxic emissions or notify their neighbors of the health risks from their operations under rules approved Friday by air quality officials. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0606-air-toxics-20150607-story.html Opponents Of Obama’s Carbon Pollution Rule Are Trying Nearly Everything To Take It Down. When the Obama administration unveiled its plan to make the most significant move ever to tackle the carbon pollution that causes climate change, it expected opponents to throw everything they had, even the kitchen sink, against it. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/08/3667019/carbon-rule-obstacles/ Better data, modeling needed for tighter ozone limit – NOAA. Enforcement of a more stringent U.S. EPA standard for ozone would require better data and improved modeling, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and affiliated scientists say in a commentary published today. In the paper published in the journal Science, NOAA researchers said better information on ozone is needed… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/05/stories/1060019735 CLIMATE CHANGE Forget April showers, this May was wettest in US records. Feeling soggy? Last month was the wettest on record for the contiguous United States, according to federal meteorologists. On average 4.36 inches of rain and snow - mostly rain - fell over the Lower 48 in May, sloshing past October 2009 which had been the wettest month in U.S. records with 4.29 inches. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records go back to 1895. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_WETTEST_MAY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT At G-7, Japan's energy plan is not all that green. Japan may find itself the odd man out when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presents his government's blueprint for combating climate change at this weekend's summit of the world's leading industrialized democracies. The Group of Seven host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has indicated she supports a pledge of eventual zero carbon emissions. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_G_7_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Merkel urges G7 to throw weight behind climate fund. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is calling for the Group of Seven industrial powers to throw their weight behind a long-standing pledge to seek $100 billion to help poor countries tackle climate change. Merkel, who hosts the G-7 summit starting Sunday, cautioned against comparing the meeting with full-fledged climate negotiations… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_G7_MERKEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT G-7 Adds Thrust to UN Climate Talks With Ambitious Target. World leaders also reiterate their intention to extend sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. he Group of Seven large industrialized democracies said the world should reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 70%, an agreement that helps lay the groundwork for United Nations climate talks in Paris later this year. http://www.wsj.com/articles/g-7-adds-thrust-to-un-climate-talks-with-ambitious-target-1433780975?KEYWORDS=climate+change Faith groups seek climate deal boost from Pope, pilgrimage. A "People's Pilgrimage" to highlight the effects of climate change and an upcoming papal encyclical on the environment aim this month to invigorate political will for an ambitious new deal to curb global warming. On Monday, former Philippines' climate change commissioner Naderev "Yeb" Saño kicked off a six-month journey around the world to places hit hard by climate change… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/08/us-climate-change-religion-idUSKBN0OO0RV20150608 California keeps talking climate change, but who’s listening? The outcome was never in doubt when California’s Democratic-controlled Senate last week took up – and passed – the latest package of environmental bills to come out of California. Still, lawmakers argued a familiar litany of points for their cause. Legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the state’s reliance on renewable energy… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23403423.html#storylink=cpy Climate Plan Will Transform How You Get Your Electricity. More efficient cars, trucks and airplanes. Less-polluting electric power plants. So many solar and wind farms that no transcontinental road trip in an electric car could take place beyond the sight of one. Those may be the most obvious changes everyone sees if and when America’s proposed climate policies fully bloom in the next decade or so. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-policy-will-change-electricity-use-19080 World Leaders At G-7 Summit Back 2 Degree Target To Fight Climate Change. The pledge builds momentum on the road to Paris climate talks later this year. World leaders at the G-7 summit pledged on Monday to keep global warming below a rise in average global temperatures of 2 degrees Celsius, a benchmark that scientists say is critical to stave off the most devastating impacts of climate change. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/world-leaders-at-g7-summit-back-2-degree-target-to-fight-climate-change-20150608 Can local officials who ignore new weather extremes be sued? A work in progress. The record downpour began soaking the Chicago area before dawn, and foul liquid was soon gushing into a retired doorman's basement. It climbed the walls as if filling a giant fish tank, and the result was a rare legal test about climate change. The court case blames local officials for failing to prepare for worsening flooding as temperatures rise, this time causing damage to about 300 homes. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/08/stories/1060019772 DROUGHT Drought speeds decline of beloved California desert species. In the California desert, Joshua tree seedlings are shriveling up and dying before they get the chance to put down strong roots, and ecologist Cameron Barrows wants the details. The University of California, Riverside scientist knows that hot weather and lack of rainwater hurt the iconic species… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_JOSHUA_TREE_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Drought hastens decline of the Joshua tree, California's desert symbol. Under canopies of dead angular branches and drooping fronds, UC Riverside ecologist Cameron Barrows made his way across a forest of skeletal Joshua trees that have not reproduced in decades. As Barrows explained, it's a tough time to be a Joshua tree. Climate change is taking an enormous toll, and the current drought has hastened the… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-joshua-20150607-story.html California's drought spurring water recycling at home. Showering during California's drought is a guilt-free experience for homeowners Catarina Negrin and Noah Friedman. The Berkeley couple — she runs a pre-school, he's an architect — are early adopters of a home plumbing do-over that's becoming more popular during California's record four-year dry stretch. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20150605/us--california_drought-showers_to_flowers-6f1ec3b174.html Drought spurs sports to look at water use on fairways and fields. That spot down the fairway, just past the dogleg, might be perfect for a new bunker. Jack Nicklaus imagines a hazard that would force golfers to choose. Lay up short or try to hit over?" Heaven forbid somebody would have to think," Nicklaus says with a smile. "Especially a golfer." http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-sp-sports-drought-20150608-story.html#page=1 California water losses 'huge,' new thinking required on drought, panel says. A panel of water experts on Sunday mapped out the challenges California faces in meeting future demands for water at a time when water sources are under stress and future supplies appear uncertain. The panel, speaking at the Los Angeles Times book club, agreed the problems are serious and multifaceted: groundwater reserves underneath California’s Central Valley… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-big-ideas-new-thinking-required-as-drought-ravages-california-panel-says-20150607-story.html California drought: Gov. Brown praises Bay Area for water savings. Gov. Jerry Brown told a group of Bay Area mayors and water managers Friday that they’re off to a good start toward meeting the state’s conservation goals. Pushing his water-savings agenda at a meeting with about a dozen mayors and city officials from the South Bay to San Francisco… http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Gov-Brown-to-Bay-Area-water-managers-You-re-6309849.php Drought barrier wreaking havoc on Delta currents, ferry service. Bruce Kitchens gunned the engine on the Victory II ferry and backed off this tiny Delta island's landing, but the fierce Fisherman's Cut current quickly pulled the old vessel into a shallow tule bank. After two more tries Thursday afternoon, the ferry finally pulled out and away from the fast-moving water. http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_28274548/drought-barrier-wreaking-havoc-delta-currents-ferry-service California drought could make wines more flavorful, but also more expensive. Grape growers face a trade-off: if they want the best flavor they use as little water as possible, but cutting down on water means they can’t grow as many grapes. That means they have to sell fewer bottles. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/06/08/52243/california-drought-could-make-wines-more-flavorful/ California’s Vanishing Clouds Could Intensify Drought. Fog season is with us once again. And whether it’s the ground-level “pea soup” of legend or the looming overcast known as the marine layer, there’s a reason it’s called California’s natural air-conditioning: fog and clouds are vital cogs in keeping the coastal thermostat turned down. But that advantage could be disappearing. http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/08/californias-vanishing-clouds-could-intensify-drought/ Arizona stuck in prolonged drought but sees no California-style restrictions. Gripped by a prolonged drought, Arizona faces possible cuts to its main water supply in the next 18 months. Residents, however, face none of the restrictions that neighboring California has imposed this year. The desert state has been able to withstand a 15-year arid spell through long-term planning, conservation and a massive underground reserve that holds enough water … http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/06/07/arizona-stuck-in-prolonged-drought-but-sees-no-california-style-restrictions/ California Drought: Landlords pass along water bills to coax apartment dwellers to conserve. For years, renters at the boxy apartment complex here were like many tenants across California: They never paid a water bill. But as California’s devastating drought enters its fourth summer and water rates and penalties are surging, landlords are increasingly passing along those costs — on top of the monthly rent. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/general-news/20150607/california-drought-landlords-pass-along-water-bills-to-coax-apartment-dwellers-to-conserve/2 Reno-Area Dog Park Closes For Summer Amid 4-Year Drought. Thousands of pet owners near Reno are going to need a new place to take their dogs to run them off-leash as parks officials close a popular 25-acre pasture for the summer amid drought concerns. The Reno Gazette Journal reports officials expect the Rancho San Rafael Regional Park's irrigation water source to be cut off any day by decreasing water levels in the Truckee River. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/08/reno-area-dog-park-closes-for-summer-amid-4-year-drought/ SALTON SEA: Deep drought, troubled waters. Decline and despair permeate the air at the shrinking saltwater lake. Once-bustling marinas on Salton City’s shallow water in California’s largest lake a few years ago are bone-dry. Carcasses of oxygen-starved tilapia lie on desolate shores. Flocks of eared grebes and shoreline birds bob up and down to feast on marine life. An air of decline and strange beauty permeates the Salton Sea: The lake is shrinking… http://www.pe.com/articles/water-769372-lake-salton.html Feds should help Calif. with crisis, Feinstein says. The federal government should help California deal with its drought by assisting with water storage and with technologies like water recycling and desalination, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said this week. In an opinion piece published Saturday in the Los Angeles Times, the Democratic senator from the Golden State hinted at where she is going with the California drought legislation that… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/08/stories/1060019844 DIESEL EMISSIONS Truckers ask court to rehear challenge to heavy-duty engine rules. California trucking companies yesterday asked federal judges to reconsider their dismissal of a case challenging the Obama administration's landmark fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and trucks. In April, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected a bid to undermine the landmark 2011… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/05/stories/1060019740 PORTS L.A., Long Beach ports losing to rivals amid struggle with giant ships. J. Nord spends her days tracking shipments of metal parts from China, Taiwan and Italy, which her Huntington Beach company assembles into high-end bathroom fixtures for customers demanding quick delivery. The congestion at Southern California ports, sometimes delaying her shipments for weeks, has sparked a radical new strategy. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-big-ships-ports-20150602-story.html#page=1 Trucking figures see problems with ‘roadability’ inspections policy at crowded ports. Trucking industry advocates say they are concerned new inspection procedures for vital equipment has added unnecessary delays to drivers’ shifts. The issue — described somewhat differently depending upon the source — revolves around chassis, the trailers on which cargo containers full of goods sit when they’re shipped by truck. http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/20150607/trucking-figures-see-problems-with-roadability-inspections-policy-at-crowded-ports FUELS Fracking Study Undercuts Environmentalists’ Calls for Regulation. It was always a longshot that the Obama administration or Congress would crack down on the golden goose of hydraulic fracturing. The chances shrunk further Thursday with the release of a landmark U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study that found the drilling method had no widespread impact on drinking water. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-05/fracking-study-undercuts-environmentalists-calls-for-regulation Norway parliament votes to cut coal investments. Norway's parliament voted on Friday to reduce coal investments by its $880 billion sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest, in a decision hailed by environmentalists as a model to help slow climate change. Under the unanimous deal, the fund will sell all shares in companies that get more than 30 percent of their turnover or activity from coal. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/05/idUSL5N0YR2WP20150605 Exxon to Face Regulators’ Questions Over Quakes. Texas is scrutinizing U.S. energy producers on injection wells to dispose of wastewater from hydraulic-fracturing operations. Texas regulators are scrutinizing some of the biggest U.S. energy producers in the wake of several earthquakes that have rocked the Dallas-Fort Worth area. An Exxon Mobil Corp. subsidiary and EOG Resources Inc., one of the biggest shale-oil and gas pumpers… http://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-to-face-regulators-questions-over-quakes-1433593802 St1 Etanolix food-waste-to-ethanol plant integrated into oil refinery in Gothenburg. The first Etanolix plant delivered to the international market by Finland-based St1 Biofuels Oy was inaugurated in Gothenburg, Sweden last week. The plant, built for North European Bio Tech Oy (NEB), recycles feedstocks such as food industry biowaste and process residue from local bakeries and bread from shops that is past its sell-by date into ethanol for transport fuel. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150608-sst1.html SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL How do you move thousands of gallons of crude a day with a key oil pipeline out of commission indefinitely? Exxon Mobil officials are seeking permission to truck the oil through Santa Barbara County after a ruptured pipeline sent oil spilling into the Pacific Ocean and brought the company's oil transportation operations to a halt. The company told Santa Barbara County officials Thursday that it wants to send a fleet of 5,000-gallon tanker trucks… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0605-me-oil-trucks-20150605-story.html Owner of ruptured oil pipeline has history of big spills, fines. Nearly two decades ago, Plains All American Pipeline embarked on a buying spree across the United States and Canada, acquiring thousands of miles of aging pipeline. The purchases turned Plains into one of North America's biggest energy pipeline companies. But it also left the firm with a patchwork of pipes, some in need of crucial maintenance. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-oil-spill-plains-20150605-story.html#page=1 VEHICLES Not all car dealers hate Tesla Motors' direct sales. Here's why. Tesla Motors' practice of selling directly to customers has drawn the ire of many car dealers, who view Tesla's direct sales as a threat to their franchise sales model. Then why do some car dealers support it? Tesla Motors' business model of selling cars directly to customers without franchised dealers has earned it the ire of many a car-sales mogul. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/0608/Not-all-car-dealers-hate-Tesla-Motors-direct-sales.-Here-s-why GREEN ENERGY California setting new solar records at rapid pace. California generated a record amount of solar power last week — but don't expect the high mark to last long. The state has already set 14 solar records this year, including the latest high of 6,078 megawatts of simultaneous solar generation. And experts expect a steady clip of new records over the next few months, as sunny summer weather kicks into full gear. http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2015/06/05/california-setting-new-solar-records-rapid-pace/28573421/ Fuel Cells: Opening New Markets for Today's Energy Resources. America’s clean energy future is now. Fuel cells are no longer an “if” technology, but a “when”, and that “when” is today. The technology began to gain traction over a decade ago when fuel cells showed that they fit well in a range of early applications, competing head to head with incumbent technologies. http://theenergycollective.com/mmarkowitz/2236691/fuel-cells-opening-new-markets-today-s-energy-resources The energy revolution will not be televised. Energy transitions take a lot of time, Cobb writes, far too much time to be shrunk down into a television special, a few talking points, or the next big energy idea. Three recent news items remind us that energy transitions take time, a lot of time--far too much time to be shrunk down into a television special, a few talking points, or the next big energy idea. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0608/The-energy-revolution-will-not-be-televised Clean Energy Seen as Opening for Developing Countries. Developing countries have the opportunity to leapfrog the west in economic development if they go straight to clean technology while rich countries struggle to wean themselves off fossil fuels, president Francois Hollande of France said on Wednesday. “They are going to be skipping the stage where industrialized countries were stopped for a long time, for many decades,” he said. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/developing-countries-could-leapfrog-west-19078 Bill aims for 30% tax credit for power from waste heat. Systems that capture the heat thrown off by electric generation and industrial production to create additional energy would receive a 30 percent tax credit -- equal to current incentives for other forms of renewable energy -- under bipartisan bills introduced yesterday in the Senate and House. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/05/stories/1060019749 MISCELLANEOUS OPINIONS Hillary Clinton's Stale Energy Policy Positions. The challenge in writing an objective review of Hillary Clinton’s positions on energy policy is finding information available for analysis. Clinton’s web page on energy issues from her 2008 campaign has been removed and now defaults to an error page. Invitations to volunteer or donate money are plentiful on her website, while her positions on substantive issues… http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/06/hillary_clintons_stale_energy_policy_positions.html#ixzz3cUNOPgPO The EPA’s ‘Clean Power’ Mess. The plan will ensure that energy plants operate like cars in stop-and-go traffic, cutting efficiency. ‘Flexibility” is the advertised hallmark of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Clean Power Plan, which by 2030 would reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants by 30% from 2005 levels. The central feature of the plan is a forced shift away from inexpensive coal-fired power. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-epas-clean-power-mess-1433715694 The Case for a Carbon Tax. In a welcome development, businesses are asking world leaders to do more to address climate change. This week, the top executives of six large European oil and gas companies called for a tax on carbon emissions. These companies — the BG Group, BP, Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and Total — are not taking a bold environmental stand. They are being pragmatic. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/opinion/the-case-for-a-carbon-tax.html?_r=0 Spend cap-and-trade cash on water, not train. California should take the money going to Gov. Jerry Brown’s train and use it to build more water storage. The Legislature could do this in the current budget negotiations. Democrats are in the majority in both houses. They should be supportive of this switch, since union jobs could be more numerous, and more widely shared geographically… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/cap-664658-trade-train.html Agreement on climate change. President Obama’s words at the Coast Guard Academy commencement echo the words of both the CIA and the Pentagon. Syndicated columnist Rich Lowery’s denial of the climate change threat (“Obama declares war on climate change,” June 3) makes him the odd man out. His attack on Obama is motivated by his desire to maintain the status quo when it comes to our reliance on fossil fuels. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/07/Agreement-on-climate-change.html Restore balance to state water picture by backing Brown plan. Gov. Jerry Brown and state leaders recently announced an improved plan to upgrade the aging statewide water distribution system that carries water from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Central Valley and other parts of California, called the California Water Fix. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/08/Restore-balance-to-state-water-picture-by-backing-Brown-plan.html Climate change and civil war. Syndicated columnist Rich Lowry would be well advised to get his scientific information directly from scientists, rather than depending on Barack Obama’s speeches (Obama declares war on climate change,” June 3). Scientists who study and publish peer reviewed papers on the subject have told us repeatedly that global climate change is now happening and will worsen if people do not address the problem. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/08/Climate-change-and-civil-war.html Lifting bans on fracking, exports will add many jobs, save consumers billions. If Texas were a nation, it would be the No. 3 dry natural gas producer in the world — ahead of Iran, China and Saudi Arabia. Eight individual states now each produce over 3 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, which would rank them among the world's top 30 producing countries. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/07/Lifting-bans-on-fracking-exports-will-add-many-jobs-save-consumers-billions.html New federal rules are low-cost and promising, but may not be tough enough. The Obama administration recently announced the first major federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, to take effect in June. Fracking has been praised for contributing to a massive increase in production of oil and natural gas, reducing the nation's reliance on imported oil… http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/07/New-federal-rules-are-low-cost-and-promising-but-may-not-be-tough-enough.html Burning questions to carbon proposal. It’s not shaping up for huge popular support, but carbon pricing is likely to be a reality for Nova Scotians sooner or later. The pitch puts people on edge; they view it as yet another tax on products that already carry multiple layers of taxes. The federal government won’t touch this issue, knowing the potential for backlash. http://www.ngnews.ca/Opinion/Editorials/2015-06-08/article-4174305/Burning-questions-to-carbon-proposal/1 BLOGS Breathing While Expat: Coping With Allergies & Air Pollution While Overseas. Apart from the odd sneeze when the local rugby pitch was mowed, I grew up in England with no apparent allergies. Nothing prepared me for the onslaught I have experienced during my 25 years in the U.S. According to my allergist I am now allergic to almost everything airborne except cockroach particles. Barely a season goes by when I’m not sneezing… http://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2015/06/07/breathing-while-expat-coping-with-allergies-air-pollution-while-overseas/?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION Carbon tax or cap-and-trade: Which would work better? Which is a better policy for reducing greenhouse gases: a tax on carbon or a cap-and-trade approach? Given today’s gridlocked politics, I realize that’s a little bit like asking: Do you like your unicorns to be striped or polka-dotted? But as the Times pointed out: This week, the top executives of six large European oil and gas companies called for a tax on carbon emissions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/06/08/carbon-tax-or-cap-and-trade-which-would-work-better/ Zanzibar's 'Solar Mamas' flip the switch on rural homes, gender roles. Take a step back from Zanzibar’s white sand beaches and big hotels and you’re in a very different world. One where the island’s dusty, inland villages largely go dark once the sun sets. This is when the differences between people who have electricity and those who don’t are most pronounced. http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-06-05/zanzibars-solar-mamas-flip-switch-rural-homes-gender-roles A Carbon Tax is Not Feasible or Practical. In a prominent editorial this past Sunday, the New York Times once again advocated the adoption of a carbon tax. While the theory of a carbon tax makes perfect sense, its lack of practicality makes it the unicorn of energy politics. It is an imaginary creature of elegance and beauty that has little chance of walking the earth. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/a-carbon-tax-is-not-feasi_b_7534098.html America and UK Lead the World in Climate Scepticism. The United States and United Kingdom are leading the way in climate change scepticism, according to a recent survey which has found that one in three Americans and one in four Brits don’t believe climate change is a serious problem. By comparison, just four percent of Chinese and two percent of Malaysians agree. http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/06/08/america-and-uk-lead-the-world-in-climate-scepticism/ The Surprising Facts About the Clean Power Plan: Most States Are Already On Track to Meet 2020 Benchmarks for Reducing Carbon Emissions. A new analysis released today by UCS shows that most states are already making progress toward cutting carbon emissions from power plants by shifting from coal-fired power to cleaner generation sources like renewable energy, energy efficiency, and natural gas. As a result of recent decisions and state laws that predate the proposed Clean Power Plan… http://blog.ucsusa.org/facts-about-the-clean-power-2020-benchmarks-for-reducing-carbon-emissions-751?utm_source=EnergyGuardian_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13311 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 16:38:54 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 9, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 9, 2015. 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 Feldstein on Board With Calls for Carbon Tax. The New York Times is calling for a carbon tax and former Reagan Chief Economist Marty Feldstein is on board. He told FBN’s Stuart Varney both a carbon tax and income tax rate-cut would be a “great trade” and “real plus” for the economy. “A carbon tax would have some positive advantages in terms of the environment, congestion on the roads, price of oil … http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy-policy/2015/06/09/feldstein-on-board-with-calls-for-carbon-tax/ AIR POLLUTION Stricter Ozone Standards Could Pose Challenges for Scientific Measurements and Models. With the EPA proposing to lower the primary ozone standard from 75 ppb (parts per billion) to 70 or 65 ppb, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) have created a commentary on how the new standard could make research more difficult for air quality managers at both local and state levels. http://eponline.com/articles/2015/06/09/stricter-ozone-standards-could-pose-challenges-for-scientific-measurements-and-models.aspx Chairman says economy is 'still job one' as panel takes up ozone standard. A House Energy and Commerce Committee subpanel next week will take up U.S. EPA's proposal to tighten the national ozone standard. The Friday hearing in the Energy and Power Subcommittee will focus on the potential costs of EPA's proposal, subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) said Friday in a statement. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060019792/feed CLIMATE CHANGE Appeals court tosses suits challenging climate change plan. A federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out a pair of high-profile lawsuits challenging the Obama administration's sweeping plan to address climate change, saying it's too early to challenge a proposed rule that isn't yet final. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is a temporary setback to opponents of the plan who… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_AIR_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/appeals-court-dismisses-challenge-to-epas-climate-rule-1433861126?KEYWORDS=climate+change http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/09/us/politics/ap-us-clean-air-lawsuits.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-us--clean-air-lawsuits-20150609-story.html http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060019879 http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/court-rejects-effort-to-block-epa-climate-change-rules-20150609 http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0608/G7-pledges-to-end-greenhouse-emissions-this-century-video G7 climate vision requires gargantuan economic shift. When leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy countries pledge to "decarbonize" the global economy, they're talking about a shift so dramatic that one analyst described it as a new Apollo mission. Like putting a man on the moon, it would require overcoming major hurdles related to technology and money and the political will - so far in short supply - to make it happen. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_NO_FOSSIL_FUELS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT >From fossil fuels to epidemics: What the G-7 decided. German Chancellor Angela Merkel went into the Group of Seven summit in the Bavarian Alps with a broad agenda, but combating climate change was a top priority. At the two-day meeting with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the U.S., the G-7's most eye-catching pledge was a commitment to move away from using fossil fuels by the end of this century. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_G7?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT G7 leaders bid 'Auf Wiedersehen' to carbon fuels. Leaders of the world's major industrial democracies resolved on Monday to wean their energy-hungry economies off carbon fuels, marking a major step in the battle against global warming that raises the chances of a U.N. climate deal later this year. The Group of Seven's energy pledge capped a successful summit for host Angela Merkel, who revived her credentials as a "climate chancellor"… http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/08/uk-g7-summit-idUKKBN0OM0HT20150608 China's greenhouse gases could peak early, easing climate fears. China's greenhouse gas emissions could peak by 2025, five years earlier than indicated by Beijing, a development that could help limit the mounting risks of global warming, a study by the London School of Economics (LSE) showed on Monday. The report, more optimistic about curbing the use of fossil fuels than a Chinese industry forecast on Monday… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/08/us-climatechange-china-idUSKBN0OO0TZ20150608 Scientists Are Coming Up With 'Last Ditch' Remedies for Climate Change. As talks aimed at slowing global warming drag on, researchers are pushing new ideas that some are calling last-ditch attempts to avert the worst effects of climate change. Some proposals are uncontroversial, such as using charcoal to lock carbon dioxide into soil or scattering carbon-absorbing gemstones. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-08/carbon-sucking-gems-among-last-ditch-climate-change-remedies Repsol Signs Up to European Oil Group’s Stance on Climate Change. Repsol SA joined its European peers in calling for governments to agree on carbon pricing at a United Nations climate summit later this year, expanding the group of energy companies seeking a voice at the meeting. Repsol on Tuesday signed the letter that BP Plc, Eni SpA, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Statoil ASA… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-09/repsol-signs-up-to-european-oil-group-s-stance-on-climate-change Republican pours money into U.S. climate, clean energy foundation. A Republican businessman said on Monday he is pouring millions of dollars into a foundation that sees opportunities where the majority of his fellow party members do not: easing climate change and speeding the country's transition to clean energy. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/09/usa-republican-climate-change-idUSL1N0YV02N20150609 Eco-groups: G-7 leaders should fund climate change solutions. Advocates of a United Nations climate change treaty said the goals laid out by world leaders missed an opportunity. They hoped the leaders would address concerns about securing funding to help developing nations adjust to a warming planet. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/eco-groups-g-7-leaders-should-fund-climate-change-solutions/article/2565849 G-7 set far-off goal to move away from fossil fuels. The world should move away from using fossil fuels by the end of this century, G-7 leaders said Monday, setting an ambitious but distant goal ahead of a global conference on climate change this year. The leaders of seven wealthy democracies also warned Russia that sanctions imposed for its actions against… http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-eu--germany-g7-20150607-story.html Republican pledges $175 million to push party on climate. A North Carolina executive is pouring his own money into trying to sway people in the GOP to take global warming seriously. A Republican entrepreneur is putting a whopping $175 million behind a campaign whose message will have some party stalwarts seeing red: The GOP needs to deal with climate change. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/republican-climate-change-jay-faison-118755.html#ixzz3caAFzyFk Carbon Trust: Businesses Don’t Have a Clear Vision on How to Adapt to Climate Change. More than 75 percent of global business leaders see bottom line risks from the direct impact of climate change and yet most businesses don’t appear to have a clear vision on how to effectively manage the transition to an environmentally sustainable future… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/06/09/carbon-trust-businesses-dont-have-a-clear-vision-on-how-to-adapt-to-climate-change/#ixzz3caDRvJXT Rainy May Sets Record for Soggy U.S. The numbers are in, and the month of May broke a number of records across the U.S. Alaska had its warmest May by a wide margin. California continued to see its warmest year-to-date. And thanks to staggering rains that swamped the Southern Plains, May was the wettest month on record for the contiguous U.S. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/may-record-for-soggy-us-19083 Climate scientists sent confused messages about the global warming 'pause' – study. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was in a bind. The world's premier scientific body on the climate had found, in a 2013 report, that it is extremely likely (95 percent confidence) that human activities are responsible for most of the observed warming of global temperatures since 1951. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/09/stories/1060019873 DROUGHT Drought, heat suggest West Nile virus danger in Sacramento region. Rising temperatures and a historic drought suggest that the Sacramento region and Central Valley will likely see high West Nile virus activity this summer, researchers say. The prediction comes after 31 people in California died last year from the virus, including two in Sacramento County. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article23397396.html#storylink=cpy Wet spring reduces wildfire risk this month in most of US. An unusually wet May has reduced the likelihood of wildfires this month across much of the nation, but the danger will increase from July through September, a national outlook says. The risk is below normal in a vast area of the central and Southern U.S. in June, but above normal in drought-stricken California… http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Wet-spring-reduces-wildfire-risk-in-most-of-US-6315241.php Texas Cattle Ranchers Whipsawed Between Drought And Deluge. The drought finally broke for Texas ranchers late last year. The range and pasturelands on which cattle graze began to recover. Then came the spring. In Cameron, about 140 miles northwest of Houston, the rain began falling at the start of May — and didn't stop all month. http://www.npr.org/2015/06/09/412236562/texas-cattle-ranchers-whipsawed-between-drought-and-deluge?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=environment DIESEL ACTIVITIES China turns focus to smoky ships, boats in fight against pollution. China is considering regulating emissions from boats and ships, the environment ministry said on Monday, as it tries to clamp down on pollution. Facing mounting public pressure, leaders in Beijing have declared a war on pollution, vowing to abandon a decades-old growth-at-all-costs economic model that has spoiled much of China's water, skies and soil. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/08/china-environment-shipping-idUSL5N0YU1M320150608 FUELS Canadian Oil Sands Resume Output as Wildfire Threat Recedes. Fire had shut-in nearly 10% of Canada’s oil sands output, or about 233,000 barrels a day. Two major Canadian oil sands operators said Monday they have resumed output at sites that had been shut down by a more than two-week old wildfire in northern Alberta, which exports much of its crude oil production to the U.S. http://www.wsj.com/articles/canadian-oil-sands-resume-output-as-wildfire-threat-recedes-1433810960 Gas prices continue dropping in Southern California. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped Monday for the 21st consecutive day and the 22nd time in 23 days, decreasing a half-cent to $3.756. The average price has dropped 26 cents over the past 23 days, including 1.2 cents on Sunday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/business/20150608/gas-prices-continue-dropping-in-southern-california Northwestern-led team develops hydrogenation catalyst selective for carcinogen benzene; cleaner gasoline. A team from Northwestern University, with colleagues from UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company; Universita’ degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”; Argonne National Laboratory; and Ames Laboratory has developed a new hydrogenation catalyst that is highly selective for benzene, an aromatic—and known carcinogen—that is part of conventional gasoline. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150609-benzene.html Bills To Kill Renewable Fuel Law, Ban E15 Ethanol Fuel Likely Doomed. The addition of ethanol to gasoline has now been a political hot potato in the U.S. for more than a decade. Joined by cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte [R-VA] introduced two bills in February that together would eliminate the Renewable Fuels Act passed in 2007 and ban E15 from the nation's gasoline pumps. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098604_bills-to-kill-renewable-fuel-law-ban-e15-ethanol-fuel-likely-doomed VEHICLES On the road to zero emissions, Bhutan hits a few electric car bumps. With abundant supplies of clean electricity from hydropower, this tiny Himalayan kingdom has set itself an ambitious goal: to become a world leader in the use of electric vehicles. Last year, Bhutan’s prime minister introduced the country’s first two electric car models – the Nissan LEAF and Mahindra Reva – and suspended import taxes in an effort to win buyers. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/09/us-bhutan-climate-change-autosales-idUSKBN0OP0W720150609 Green Mountain Power highlights fast car-charging station. Officials from Vermont's largest electric utility and a renewable energy technology company are highlighting what they're calling Vermont's first "Freedom Station," designed to help electric vehicles charge up faster. Green Mountain Power and NRG announced Tuesday that the first of 12 Vermont eVgo (ee-VEE'-go) fast-charging stations… http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Green-Mountain-Power-to-highlight-fast-6315352.php Incentive To Buy Used Electric Cars Added For Some California Buyers. Plug-in electric cars can cut the per-mile cost of driving significantly for most U.S. households. But their purchase prices as new cars are still higher than gasoline cars of the same size and segment. That's why Federal, state, and local governments offer an elaborate--and often bewildering… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098643_incentive-to-buy-used-electric-cars-added-for-some-california-buyers DOE, EEI to Boost Production, Use of Electric Vehicles. The Edison Electric Institute and the Department of Energy announced a partnership that aims to boost the production and use of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the United States. DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz and EEI President Tom Kuhn signed a memorandum of understanding Monday to take several joint actions… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/06/09/doe-eei-to-boost-production-use-of-electric-vehicles/#ixzz3caIYQE1z Electric Vehicle Sales Skyrocket & US Energy Dept Wants More, More, More. While the raw numbers are still a bit on the small side, electric vehicle sales in the US jumped 128% from 2012 to 2014, and the US Energy Department is determined to kick that momentum into high gear. In the latest development, the agency is calling on the nation’s electric utility industry for an assist. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/09/electric-vehicle-sales-skyrocket-us-energy-dept-wants/ Evolute Drives seeking investors for MSYS multi-speed transmission for hybrids and EVs. Evolute Drives, incorporated as a separate entity by its sister company Drive System Design (DSD) (earlier post), is seeking investors to help commercialize its high efficiency MSYS multi-speed transmission system for hybrids and electric vehicles. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150609-evolute.html A Test-Drive for the 'Prius Tax' Oregon is trying out a program to charge motorists based on the miles they travel rather than the gas they guzzle. Here’s why it may be a fairer way to pay for roads. Forget millionaires and billionaires: It’s Prius owners who aren’t paying their fair share. That’s the heart of the argument that Oregon transportation officials are making to residents as the state prepares to launch a new program that charges some drivers… http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/a-test-drive-for-the-prius-tax/394940/ Tesla's Musk asks utilities: How can we take battery storage 'to a whole new level'? The co-founders of Tesla Motors Inc. yesterday invited executives of the nation's dominant utilities to partner with the Silicon Valley electric carmaker to boost battery storage capacity across the U.S. power grid. Speaking before the year's largest gathering of power industry executives, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his chief technology officer… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/09/stories/1060019878 HIGH-SPEED RAIL L.A. County communities protest planned bullet train route. A diverse alliance of communities — including Los Angeles County's third-largest city — is fighting California's long-planned bullet train route into the heart of the San Fernando Valley, saying it would bring irreparable harm. The coordinated protest by residents and elected officials from suburban Santa Clarita, as well as blue-collar San Fernando, Pacoima and other communities… http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-bullet-backlash-20150609-story.html#navtype=outfit GREEN ENERGY INSIGHT-Private investors look but do not leap at Mexican energy projects. Almost a year after Mexico opened its energy market to private investors, North American firms are rushing south to decide which pipeline or power plant to invest in. Enthusiasm is so high that some executives from big asset managers, pension funds and private equity firms complain of overbooked hotels in certain parts of Mexico City and business-class airplane cabins crowded with pitchbook-reading competitors. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/09/mexico-energy-idUSL1N0YK0D820150609 SunEdison to Invest $15 Billion in India By 2022. SunEdison, known for solar energy, is also expanding into wind power. SunEdison Inc. plans to invest $15 billion in India by 2022, a top executive said, as the renewable-energy company seeks to deepen in its foothold in a country where power producers have struggled to meet demand. “We believe much of the growth in renewable energy in the next 15 years… http://www.wsj.com/articles/sunedison-to-invest-15-billion-in-india-by-2022-1433580501 EU Energy Sector Inquiry Should Be Welcomed. Capacity problems can best be tackled by letting prices fluctuate and making energy providers responsible for intermittent supply. To the extent that support schemes are used, they should be technology-neutral and driven by market forces to ensure efficiency, argues Diego Zuluaga… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/09/eu-energy-sector-inquiry-should-be-welcomed/ Sony, Hydro-Québec JV Esstalion to begin testing large scale stationary energy storage system. Esstalion Technologies, the joint venture formed in 2014 by Sony Corporation and Hydro-Québec, will soon begin testing the first prototype of a large-capacity energy storage system. The prototype has a capacity of 1.2 MW and can store 1.2 MWh, equivalent to the daily consumption of 23 Québec homes. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150609-esstalion.html Residential solar installations surge to U.S. record in 1st quarter of 2015. Residential solar installations surged 76 percent during the first quarter of 2015 over the same period in 2014, with 437 megawatts of new home-based solar systems coming online between January and March, according to data released this morning by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/09/stories/1060019865 Engineers develop state-by-state plan to convert US to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2050. One potential way to combat ongoing climate change, eliminate air pollution mortality, create jobs and stabilize energy prices involves converting the world's entire energy infrastructure to run on clean, renewable energy. This is a daunting challenge. http://phys.org/news/2015-06-state-by-state-renewable-energy.html#jCp MISCELLANEOUS As mercury climbs, Californians urged to stay safe in extreme heat. As temperatures begin to warm up throughout the Central Valley and the rest of the state, California Department of Public Health Director Karen Smith advises California residents to prepare themselves for what could be a very hot, dry summer. “Because this hot spell has come on rather suddenly, many people may be caught off guard by the warm up,” says Ms. Smith. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28478 OPINIONS Taking climate change seriously in school. I’m in a different country, but sometimes it feels like I’m on a different planet. I realize that’s a cliché, but in a way it’s true. The planet comes up in Germany a lot, and it doesn’t sound anything like the one I live on in the United States. At home, our planet is doing more or less okay. And if it’s not — if, instead, the climate is slowly changing — there’s not much we can do about it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/taking-climate-change-seriously-in-school-in-germany/2015/06/08/bb43fb4c-0e00-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html G.O.P. Assault on Environmental Laws. President Obama has announced or will soon propose important protections for clean water, clean air, threatened species and threatened landscapes. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, and other Republicans in Congress are trying hard not to let that happen — counterattacking with a legislative blitz not seen … http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/opinion/gop-assault-on-environmental-laws.html Norway Divests From Coal. The Norwegian Parliament voted on Friday to order the country’s huge oil fund — at $890 billion, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund — to pull billions of dollars of investments out of companies that derive 30 percent or more of their business from mining or burning coal. The move is a major boost to the three-year-old campaign to persuade large investors to divest their fossil fuel stocks. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/opinion/norway-divests-from-coal.html 'We're sorry' isn't enough after Santa Barbara oil spill. I would be willing to accept the apology if this were a rare incident by a company with a good track record. However, as The Times reported, this company has accidentally spilled nearly 2 million gallons of this hazardous liquid over the last 11 years in the U.S. and Canada. Armstrong's letter of apology might have been paid for by his company's $75-million… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0609-tuesday-oil-spill-20150609-story.html Restore balance to state water picture by backing Brown plan. Gov. Jerry Brown and state leaders recently announced an improved plan to upgrade the aging statewide water distribution system that carries water from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Central Valley and other parts of California, called the California Water Fix. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/08/Restore-balance-to-state-water-picture-by-backing-Brown-plan.html BLOGS Canadian Oil Sands Resume Output –Energy Journal. Two big Canadian oil sands operators have resumed production at sites shut by a more than two-week-old wildfire, boosting crude exports to the U.S., Chester Dawson reports. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. said it expects to resume full production this week at its 80,000-barrel-a-day Primrose site and its 30,000-barrel-a-day Kirby South site, in northern Alberta. http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/06/09/canadian-oil-sands-resume-output-energy-journal/?KEYWORDS=climate+change Fracking Associated With Smaller Babies. A new study has found an association between hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and smaller babies. The scientists used data on 15,451 live births in southwest Pennsylvania from 2007 to 2010. They categorized the mothers by how close they lived to gas wells and the concentration of wells in the area. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/fracking-associated-with-smaller-babies/ Fixing what ain't broke II: Clean Air Act requirements survive with limited damage. A few weeks back, I blogged in this space about Illinois industry efforts to dismantle a Clean Air Act permitting system in the name of "streamlining" it. Their expressed concern was that the program's system for citizen challenges to air pollution permits was "inefficient," which translated from industry-speak means way too efficient… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aalexander/fixing_what_aint_broke_ii_clea.html With New Law, Hawaii Will Lead the Nation in Clean Energy. Move over, California. Tell New York the news, especially as it moves through its Reforming the Energy Vision proceedings. In the three-way race among states for the title of national clean-energy champion, as of yesterday, we have a new leader. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rsalter/with_new_law_hawaii_will_lead_.html California's Mega-Drought: Nuclear Power To The Rescue. The only power facility in California that does not use any of the state’s precious fresh water is the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant near San Luis Obispo. And it can even produce additional freshwater for the nearby community. The nuclear plant desalinates ocean water using reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/06/09/californias-megadrought-nuclear-power-to-the-rescue/?utm_source=allactivity&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=20150609 AFC Energy -- Another Player In The Fuel Cell Arena. When most people think of fuel cells, companies like Bloom Energy, Ballard, or FuelCell Energy spring to mind. All three entities have been around for quite some time, have projects in the U.S. and abroad (Ballard and Fuel Cell also have stock listings), and have yet to make their investors rich. But there are other players out there as well. http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2015/06/09/afc-energy-another-player-in-the-fuel-cell-arena/?ss=business Think Detroit has it rough now? Just wait ‘til climate change gets ahold of it. You could be forgiven for thinking Detroit’s current situation couldn’t get much more grim: poverty, unemployment, abandonment and vacancy, civic bankruptcy, rampant crime and tax evasion, an inability to deliver basic services. What other plagues could possibly hit the city? Well, brace yourself, because things will be getting much worse. Climate change will mean more extreme weather for Detroit… http://grist.org/cities/think-detroit-has-it-rough-now-just-wait-til-climate-change-gets-ahold-of-it/ Artificial Grass May Save Water, But Does It Endanger People? When Michael and Barbara Fouch first considered replacing their grassy lawn with artificial turf, they researched the growing array of options for the green plastic blades and the infill that holds them in place. They wanted a product that looked nice, but they also wanted something that wouldn't make any people or pets sick. "Everyone here is pretty concerned about curb appeal," said Michael Fouch, 62, of Laguna Niguel, California. "Last summer, with the dry and sunny weather, the grass was getting brown and diseased." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/09/artificial-turf-drought-california_n_7523132.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy+Living California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 12:17:59 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 10, 2015 From: pbrown@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. AIR POLLUTION EPA says it intends to regulate emissions by US airliners. The government is proposing to regulate aircraft emissions in much the same way as power plants, saying they are a threat to human health because they contain pollutants that help cause global warming and therefore should be regulated. The Environmental Protection Agency announcement Wednesday clears the way for possible U.S. adoption of international emissions standards, which are expected to be released next year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AIRPLANES_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-administration-to-take-aim-at-airline-emissions-1433946834 http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/10/usa-aviation-carbon-idUSL1N0YW0HY20150610?virtualBrandChannel=11563 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/11/business/energy-environment/epa-says-it-will-set-rules-for-airplane-emissions.html?_r=1 Emissions From Energy Have Slowest Gain Since 2009 Drop, BP Says. Carbon dioxide emissions from energy use had the slowest growth last year since a drop in 2009 as Chinese consumption of coal flattened, according to BP Plc. Output of the greenhouse gas from burning fossil fuels rose 0.5 percent from the previous year, London-based BP said Wednesday in its annual Statistical Review of World Energy. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-10/emissions-from-energy-have-slowest-gain-since-2009-drop-bp-says Coal Confronting Bigger Threat Than Obama’s Rules for Clean Air. U.S. coal companies worried that the Obama administration’s proposed clean-air rules will put them out of business face a bigger threat: natural gas. Shale formations in the eastern U.S. are yielding record amounts of gas, pushing prices of the fuel in the region below coal, which had been 61 percent less expensive on average since 2001. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-09/coal-confronting-bigger-threat-than-obama-s-rules-for-clean-air Challenges to Proposed Clean Power Plan Are Premature, D.C. Circuit Says in Dismissal. Federal appellate judges dismissed challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed carbon dioxide emissions limits for power plants June 9, saying they are premature, but one judge left open the possibility of similar lawsuits in the future. http://www.bna.com/challenges-proposed-clean-n17179927524/ MORENO VALLEY: Study on proposed World Logistics Center called ‘legally inadequate'. An environmental report on the proposed project -- which would stretch 700 football field -- could be vulnerable to court challenges, air board says. The developer, however, sticks by the report. State air quality officials say that Moreno Valley’s environmental analysis of a proposed warehousing complex with enough indoor space for 700 football fields is “legally inadequate” and needs major revisions. http://www.pe.com/articles/city-769741-air-health.html Heat, wind prompt health alerts. Temp reaches near-record high on Monday. Although the official start of summer is still almost two weeks away, the heat has already arrived. Temperatures reached 106 degrees on Monday — one degree short of the record high of 107 seen in 2013 — and are forecast to stay near the century mark through the weekend. The clouds rolled in on Tuesday to give some relief from the beating sun… http://www.turlockjournal.com/section/12/article/29505/ CLIMATE CHANGE Panel passes measure cutting EPA's budget. A House panel passed a spending measure on Wednesday that cuts the budget at the Environmental Protection Agency by 9 percent and blocks the Obama administration from advancing new rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Republicans used their majority to pass the bill by voice vote. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_ENVIRONMENTAL_SPENDING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT What countries have offered for Paris climate agreement. A global climate agreement being negotiated this week in Bonn is supposed to apply to all countries, from large industrialized economies to tiny island nations. But the major climate polluters are expected to lead the way by setting targets for reducing emissions of climate-warming gases including carbon dioxide… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_WORLD_TARGETS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Green groups urge ban on corporate polluters at UN climate talks. Environmental groups urged governments on Wednesday to ban oil companies and other big corporate polluters from any involvement in U.N. talks on slowing climate change, saying any role was like letting an arsonist work as a fire fighter. They presented a petition to "kick big polluters out of climate policy" at 190-nation talks in Bonn on curbing global warming… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/10/climatechange-companies-idUSL5N0YW2B020150610 Obama Persuades Unilever, Wal-Mart to Help Farmers Cut Emissions. Unilever NV, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other large companies reliant on agriculture agreed to encourage farmers who supply them to cut carbon pollution, the White House said, as President Barack Obama pushes forward on initiatives to try to stem climate change. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-10/obama-persuades-unilever-wal-mart-to-help-farmers-cut-emissions EU, China Said to Ready Climate Pact in June Before Global Deal. The European Union and China are planning an agreement this month on fighting climate change before nations worldwide gather to iron out a global emissions-cutting deal, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The pact to be signed June 29 will promote closer ties in using low-emission technologies and developing carbon markets and sustainable cities… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-09/eu-china-said-to-ready-climate-pact-in-june-before-global-deal-iapf4x8g Obama Administration Readies Big Push on Climate Change. Proposals to curb emissions from trucks, airplanes, oil and natural-gas operations, and power plants. The Obama administration is planning a series of actions this summer to rein in greenhouse-gas emissions from wide swaths of the economy, including trucks, airplanes and power plants, kicking into high gear an ambitious climate agenda… http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-administration-readies-big-push-on-climate-change-1433873269 House Republicans Take Hatchet to Obama's Environmental Budget. Spending bill would block enforcement of the administration’s rules on power plants. House Republicans are teeing up another attack on the Obama administration's climate plan, proposing to slash the Environmental Protection Agency's budget and blocking the tentpole rule limiting emissions from power plants. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/house-republicans-take-hatchet-to-obama-s-environmental-budget-20150609?utm_content=buffer94604&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Canada, U.S., Mexico Establish Working Group for Climate Change. Canada, the United States and Mexico have established a ministerial-level working group on climate change and energy issues. Greg Rickford, Canada’s minister of natural resources, reached the deal — along with U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Pedro Joaquin-Coldwell, Mexico’s energy secretary — during a meeting of North American energy ministers. http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2015/06/canada-u-s-mexico-establish-working-group-for-climate-change/ Why These Tiny Island Nations Are Planning To Sue Fossil Fuel Companies. On Monday, the seven of the world’s wealthiest nations met in southern Germany and pledged to decarbonize the world’s energy systems by 2100, while limiting global warming to 2°C. Later that evening, in the South Pacific, representatives from six decidedly smaller countries also took a stand against climate change. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/10/3667580/south-pacific-climate-change-lawsuit/ Climate negotiators finalize global agreement to combat GHGs from deforestation. A key international strategy to prevent emissions from cutting down forests was finalized yesterday in Bonn, Germany, ahead of a potential global climate accord in Paris this December. After a series of talks stretching over the last decade, negotiators at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change's conference… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019959 Where are the future hot spots on Earth? NASA's 'big data' project pinpoints them. Using multiple climate models and hundreds of terabytes of data, NASA has projected global temperatures and rainfall around the world from 2050 until 2100. The result: Scientists and policymakers can now pull up information that simulates how individual cities and towns may fare on a given day in the distant future. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019944 DROUGHT Gov. Brown says 'spaceship Earth' approach will see California through drought. Even as the state struggles through an epic water crisis, Gov. Jerry Brown assured residents Tuesday that technology, adaptation and “a more elegant” way of living would ultimately preserve the California dream for generations to come. In a broad-ranging conversation that touched on the “existential threat” posed by man-made global warming… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-brown-drought-20150609-story.html#page=1 Crisis or not? Jerry Brown avoids offering stern advice on drought. In his latest iteration as California’s governor, Jerry Brown seems to have cracked the code of the state’s quirky politics. The code: We’ll elect you, if you promise to fix the mess and leave us alone. That is what Brown has done, scurrying to Sacramento after his 2010 election and taking on the state’s faltering economy with little in the way of public splash. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-drought-analysis-20150610-story.html Drought hastens decline of the Joshua tree, California's desert symbol. Under canopies of dead angular branches and drooping fronds, University of California, Riverside ecologist Cameron Barrows made his way across a forest of skeletal Joshua trees that have not reproduced in decades. As Barrows explained, it's a tough time to be a Joshua tree. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article23644450.html#storylink=cpy California's Rice Crop Predicted To Be 30 Percent Below Normal. Because of California's historic drought, the state's rice crop will be 30 percent below normal –- at 375,000 acres. Experts say the smaller planting will hurt the economy and wildlife that depend on shallow flooded fields. Tim Johnson, the President of the California Rice Commission says the largest impact will be felt in the small towns like Colusa… http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/09/californias-rice-crop-predicted-to-be-30-percent-below-normal/ Drought Sparks Extra Wildfires - And State Fire Costs. California firefighters have burned through their budget this fiscal year as the state battles its way through a fourth year of drought. The most recent spending totals available show that as of the end of March, Cal Fire had already spent more than $430 million. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/09/drought-sparks-extra-wildfires-and-state-fire-costs/ Warning of 'catastrophe,' Gov. Brown presses case for water tunnels. The system of levees and pumps that delivers water to much of California is in danger of collapse and must be reconfigured, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said yesterday. Speaking in Los Angeles, Brown pressed a plan to build two 30-mile-long tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta, the state's water hub. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019993 DIESEL ACTIVITIES County Denies ExxonMobil Request to Haul Oil by Truck. Energy Company Close to Exhausting Storage Capacity After Shutdown of Ruptured Pipeline. With legal repercussions anticipated regardless of her decision, Dianne Black denied on Tuesday an emergency permit filed by ExxonMobil to truck crude oil from Las Flores Canyon Facility along Highway 101 to a refinery about 70 miles north. http://www.independent.com/news/2015/jun/10/county-denies-exxonmobil-request-haul-oil-truck/ FUELS Energy industry has reached watershed on fossil fuels, says BP. British firm said last year’s global emphasis on issues including climate change and a resurgence in US oil changed the sector’s balance of power. The global energy industry reached a watershed in 2014 as global emphasis on climate change, a slowing Chinese economy and a resurgence in US oil affected fossil fuel producers, according to BP. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/10/energy-industry-has-reached-watershed-on-fossil-fuels-says-bp Environmental Working Group Prefers Keystone Pipeline to Low-Carbon Renewable Fuels. No, Really. In recent weeks the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and others have been promoting a study that suggests corn ethanol is worse for the climate than the controversial Keystone XL pipeline and gasoline produced from Canadian tar sands. http://theenergycollective.com/gcooperrfa/2238096/environmental-working-group-prefers-keystone-pipeline-low-carbon-renewable-fuels- VEHICLES Startup’s new idea: Free EV charging for the masses. San Francisco startup Volta believes charging an electric car in public should be free, at least for the driver. Volta’s charging stations, installed in parking lots and garages, are all sponsored by companies seeking a little green publicity. The businesses — which so far include Whole Foods, Sungevity and the Oakland Athletics baseball team — pay for the equipment and the electricity, which drivers can tap for free. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Startup-s-new-idea-Free-EV-charging-for-the-6317331.php Five Cities Get Free Electric-Car Charging Stations At 'Socially Responsible' Businesses. There are a variety of organizations working to increase public electric-car charging infrastructure, and they're primarily motivated by the merits of electric cars themselves. But what if charging infrastructure was viewed from the perspective of social responsibility? What if locations for charging stations were chosen based on the… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098652_five-cities-get-free-electric-car-charging-stations-at-socially-responsible-businesses Chevy Impala Natural-Gas Version Delayed By A Year Over Unspecified Concerns. Back in October 2013, General Motors announced plans to launch a "bi-fuel" version of its new Chevrolet Impala full-size sedan. It billed the planned Impala variant as the only production full-size sedan capable of running on both gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG). http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098653_chevy-impala-natural-gas-version-delayed-by-a-year-over-unspecified-concerns Used Electric Cars: Which Hold Their Value Best? Which Is Worst? Used electric cars starting to enter the market in higher numbers, letting advocates suggest that if the purchase price of a new plug-in car is too high, buyers can look at used options. The usual metric of retained-value calculations can be tricky for plug-ins… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098663_used-electric-cars-which-hold-their-value-best-which-is-worst Tesla Model X Update, Toyota 'Prius Prime,' Used Electric Cars: Today's Car News. Today, we've got news from Tesla's annual shareholder meeting, including an update on the Model X electric crossover, Toyota's trademark of the name "Prius Prime," and the best and worst used electric cars. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098669_tesla-model-x-update-toyota-prius-prime-used-electric-cars-todays-car-news GREEN ENERGY UPDATE 2-SMA Solar joins forces with Siemens to target large solar projects. Germany's SMA Solar and engineering company Siemens have teamed up to equip utility-scale solar parks with technology to link them to power grids in an effort to benefit from rising global demand for photovoltaics. Demand for solar panels has grown steadily in recent years… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/10/sma-solar-siemens-idUSL5N0YW17020150610?feedType=RSS&feedName=everything&virtualBrandChannel=11563 UAE's Masdar in talks with Germany's RWE on green energy projects – source. United Arab Emirates green energy firm Masdar may invest in renewable energy projects jointly with Germany's RWE, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. "Masdar is in discussions about potential investments in renewable energy projects with RWE," the Abu Dhabi source said, declining to be named as the matter is not yet public. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/10/emirates-germany-renewables-idUSL5N0YW2Z820150610 Why Concentrating Solar Power Has Cheap Storage And A Bright Future. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have seen explosive growth because of their stunning 99 percent price drop in the past quarter century. As a result, the other form of solar power — concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) — is a small fraction of the solar market. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/10/3455181/concentrating-solar-power-csp-storage/ Record boost in new solar power continues massive industry growth. UK leads European solar energy expansion to help renewables overtake output of nuclear power as industry leaders hail ‘tipping point’ for the technology. A record amount of solar power was added to the world’s grids in 2014, pushing total cumulative capacity to 100 times the level it was in 2000. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/09/record-boost-in-new-solar-power-continues-massive-industry-growth Tesla says it will double capacity of home energy storage product and push a utility-scale option. The home energy storage product that Tesla Motors Inc. unveiled one month ago is getting an upgrade and now will have twice its original capacity, company CEO and co-founder Elon Musk said yesterday. The electric carmaker heard some criticisms about its Powerwall energy storage offering after its May 1 unveiling… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019963 New study outlines path to 100% renewables in all 50 states. Wind, water and sunlight could meet demand for all energy -- not just electricity -- in every state by midcentury, according to a new report. The study, published yesterday in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, concluded that the path to a cleaner future is technically feasible and affordable and would save thousands of lives from avoided pollution… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019960 World needs to ramp up battery use, energy storage to meet climate targets – report. Meeting global demand for vast amounts of carbon-free energy under an international climate accord will require deep investments in energy storage technologies, according to new findings from the International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA). http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019945 Texas, Colo. show how to integrate renewables as carbon plan looms – report. Electric systems in Texas and Colorado are demonstrating that a range of actions can be used to successfully and reliably integrate large amounts of renewable energy, according to a new report completed for the Advanced Energy Economy Institute. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019943 MISCELLANEOUS China issues draft environmental tax law. China has issued a draft environment tax law which proposes targeting air, water, noise and solid waste pollution through levies on polluters, the Cabinet's Legislative Affairs Office said on Wednesday. It proposed the following levy rates: 1.2 yuan on air pollutants, 1.4 yuan on water pollutants, and a range of 5 to 30 yuan for solid waste, it said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/10/china-environment-tax-idUSL3N0YW3V220150610 Tesla in line for $15 million in California job creation tax credits. Tesla Motors is positioned to get the largest tax credit grant of dozens of companies from a special California economic development program. California officials are recommending that the Palo Alto electric car manufacturer receive $15 million of the $49.5 million in tax credits planned in the latest disbursement. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-grabs-california-subsidy-20150609-story.html EPA carbon rule could create 300,000 net jobs, despite hit to coal – study. A new report from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute argues that U.S. EPA's impending Clean Power Plan could create a net total of nearly 300,000 new jobs when it goes into effect in 2020. The direct gains, which EPI characterizes as "a small net boost in employment," would come from an increase in energy efficiency installation… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019966 USDA doles out $6.7M in rural grants. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will announce today more than $6.7 million in grants for 544 renewable energy and efficiency projects. The funding comes from the Rural Energy for America Program, a farm bill program intended to facilitate renewable energy development in rural America. "These grants will help farmers, ranchers and small business owners use more renewable energy… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/10/stories/1060019997 OPINIONS State board is unfairly taking water from San Joaquin Valley. Our water crisis is both natural and man-made. Since California’s last major reservoirs opened in the early 1970s, our population has grown by 67 percent, but our water storage capacity has grown by only 1 percent. Last November, voters approved a $7.5 billion bond issue to improve water infrastructure, build new storage and make our groundwater basins sustainable. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article23602333.html#storylink=cpy Ontario cap-and-trade policy can help fight climate change. The following editorial was written by Bloomberg View editors: Ontario recently announced plans to address climate change. Canada's most populous province thus joins a trend: Where national governments fail to act, states and cities are stepping up. Is that a good thing? It depends. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article23644561.html#storylink=cpy Timm Herdt: Placing a big wager on green. They don’t much like to admit it, but there are very few times when California senators take on a truly big idea, one with the power to transform California, shape the economy for decades to come, and potentially steer a course for the world. Last week was one of those times. http://www.vcstar.com/opinion/columnists/timm-herdt/timm-herdt-placing-a-big-wager-on-green_92611037 AB 32 creates positive results. Alex Breitler’s article “Going Clean” (May 28) highlights the great news about California’s climate legislation: it is working for Stockton. Much of our city has long been designated “disadvantaged” under CalEnviroScreen due to high levels of pollution and poor socioeconomic indicators. This designation plays out in higher rates of asthma, which result in a greater number of missed school and work days, lower incomes… http://www.recordnet.com/article/20150607/OPINION/150609752 A Sky Full of Bureaucrats. Will the EPA’s new rules actually save the ozone? Writing in the Wall Street Journal recently, political scientist Charles Murray confronted readers with the reality of the modern regulatory state and raised a pointed question: How do myriad rules help us when they often cannot be measured or enforced? Murray's liberal detractors should know that he is not on a crusade to jettison regulatory policies that have made our country safer, cleaner and fairer. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2015/06/10/epa-ozone-rules-will-just-put-bureaucrats-in-charge-of-air-quality LOIS HENRY: The Kern River is dry, city is up a creek. We are in very, very serious water trouble. Who cares about soccer parks and golf courses? I’m talking about options and deals being discussed right now to keep water flowing to some parts of the city. Of course, water games are being played even as the situation becomes more dire by the day. But let’s come back to that. http://www.bakersfield.com/Columnists/2015/06/09/The-Kern-River-is-dry-city-is-up-a-creek.html BLOGS An EV Charging Startup Raises $7.5M To Give Away Electricity For Free. Can charging station owners make good money when electric cars are far from being mainstream? A startup, Volta Industries, decided that securing advertising dollars for each station makes a better business model. Now the company has lined up $7.5 million to prove its case. Volta announced Wednesday that it’s raised $4.5 million in equity for Series A… http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/06/10/5754/ Opportunities for Streamlined, Cost-Effective, and Legally Durable Implementation of the Clean Power Plan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will finalize the Clean Power Plan, which will create our nation’s first-ever standards for carbon pollution from existing fossil fuel-fired power plants. These power plants account for almost 40 percent of U.S. carbon pollution, so these new standards are critical to mitigating climate change and protecting public health. http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2015/06/09/opportunities-for-streamlined-cost-effective-and-legally-durable-implementation-of-the-clean-power-plan/ State legislature season ends poorly for coal lobbyists (again). The end of spring coincides with the adjournment of most state legislatures. Before we all run off to plan pool parties to beat the summer heat (likely exacerbated by climate change), I'd like to take a moment and reflect on some heartening trends in state capitols. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ahaq/state_legislature_season_ends_.html China, India reject calls for tougher climate goal at UN talks. Development needs cited by emerging superpowers as science and geopolitics clash at Bonn negotiations. China, India and Saudi Arabia are calling for discussions on a tighter global warming goal to be shelved, to the dismay of countries vulnerable to future climate impacts. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/06/10/china-india-reject-calls-for-tougher-climate-goal-at-un-talks/#sthash.tt7cWpZv.dpuf Warm weather deepens chill on natural gas markets. With the weather heating up, U.S. natural gas markets are cooling down. Strong production and the fear that gas inventories could be headed to record highs have sent benchmark prices down by about 40 percent from a year ago. Demand eventually will rise as new electric power plants, industrial projects and natural gas export terminals step up their intake. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/06/09/warm-weather-deepens-chill-on-natural-gas-markets/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:19:01 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 11, 2015 From: pbrown@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. CAP AND TRADE Alberta Should Boost Carbon Price Slowly, Suncor’s Williams Says. Suncor Energy Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Williams says he supports a higher carbon tax for Alberta as long as the rate is increased gradually to ensure Canada’s oil remains competitive with other jurisdictions. The current price of C$15 ($12) a metric ton that’s applied to large industrial emitters… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/alberta-should-boost-carbon-price-slowly-suncor-s-williams-says Dems propose carbon tax. Two Senate Democrats sponsored a bill Wednesday to institute an economy-wide tax on carbon dioxide emissions, revenue that would be returned through rebates and tax cuts. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) pitched their proposal at an event hosted by the conservative American Enterprise Institute… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/244578-dems-propose-carbon-tax AIR POLLUTION Shell Says Carbon Capture Projects Face Large Risk Premiums. Projects to capture carbon emissions from power plants and store them permanently underground face “large risk premiums” from insurers because the technology is so new, Royal Dutch Shell Plc said. “Insurance will be able to address only part of the financial risk exposure,” the company said in a document posted Thursday… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/shell-says-carbon-capture-projects-face-large-risk-premiums Aircraft Spew 3% of Greenhouse Gases, EPA Says in Emissions Plan. Aircraft account for 3 percent of all U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions and warrant regulation, the Environmental Protection Agency said as it expanded a fight against climate change beyond automobiles and power plants. As a first step, the EPA on Wednesday said it intended to declare that burning jet fuel… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-10/aircraft-spew-3-of-greenhouse-gases-epa-says-in-emissions-plan EPA Plan to Cut Airplane Emissions Won’t Take Effect Until 2018. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday declared airplanes as a significant contributor to global climate change, but said a final rule requiring cuts in emissions is still years away. The EPA’s first step to regulating pollutants from aircraft is a proposal to determine that burning of jet fuel endangers human health and welfare. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-10/epa-plan-to-cut-airplane-emissions-won-t-take-effect-until-2018 CLIMATE CHANGE UN climate talks inch forward, putting off tough decisions Two weeks of U.N. climate talks ended Thursday with negotiators trimming a draft global climate pact but leaving core sticking points to be untangled later, before a December summit in Paris where the landmark agreement is to be adopted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UN_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/11/world/europe/ap-eu-un-climate-talks.html What countries have offered for Paris climate agreement Ethiopia on Wednesday became the latest country to present a plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions for a global climate pact that's supposed to be adopted in Paris later this year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_WORLD_TARGETS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Panel passes measure cutting EPA's budget. A House panel passed a spending measure on Wednesday that cuts the budget at the Environmental Protection Agency by 9 percent and blocks the Obama administration from advancing new rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Republicans used their majority to pass the bill by voice vote. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_ENVIRONMENTAL_SPENDING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT G-7’s Fossil Fuel Pledge Fails to Spur Momentum at UN Talks. Pledges by some of the richest industrial countries to phase out fossil fuel emissions by the end of the century failed to translate into substantial progress at United Nations climate talks this week. Envoys from some 190 nations capped 11 days of discussions in Bonn with no breakthrough on how nations should pare back the pollution… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/g-7-s-fossil-fuel-pledge-fails-to-spur-momentum-at-un-talks Sorry, “skeptics”: Global warming may not be so great for plant life after all. Climate change is already a heavily charged issue, fraught with political tension. But complicating the mix are a slew of misconceptions about exactly how it will affect the planet and its inhabitants. One confusion involves plant growth. Some skeptics have argued that rising carbon dioxide levels could actually benefit agriculture, and in fact… http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/10/bp-boss-widens-transatlantic-rift-in-energy-industry-over-climate-change Tehama County helps ranchers, farmers participate in Green House Gas Reduction Exchange. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved moving forward on a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, with the Bay Area Air Quality Control District that will allow county residents to participate in a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Exchange. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150611/tehama-county-helps-ranchers-farmers-participate-in-green-house-gas-reduction-exchange Paul Ryan Adds Amendment to Trade Bill to Block Climate Deals. A provision seeks to bar the president from using trade to act on climate. If House Republicans get their way, President Obama won't be able to use any trade pact to strike a deal on climate change. Late Tuesday evening, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin offered up an amendment to a customs bill that would… http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/trade-tpp-climate-change-paul-ryan-20150610 BP boss widens transatlantic rift in energy industry over climate change. Bob Dudley says UN global warming summit needs deals to encourage energy efficiency and renewable power. BP has threatened to widen a rift between European and US oil companies over how to respond to global warming by urging political leaders to deliver a “substantial” deal at international climate change talks later this year. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/10/bp-boss-widens-transatlantic-rift-in-energy-industry-over-climate-change Ethiopia submits carbon cutting plan for UN climate deal. Ethiopia became the third African country to unveil its plan to slash carbon dioxide emissions as part of an global pact on Wednesday. The continent’s second most populous country said it would target at least a 64% cut within 15 years on the current trajectory of emissions, in its submission to a UN portal. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/06/10/ethiopia-submits-carbon-cutting-plan-ahead-of-un-climate-deal/#sthash.FR9UsHxJ.dpuf White House blasts international funding cuts, rider The White House is blasting legislation championed by House Republicans that would cut funding for international efforts to tackle climate change. President Obama wanted $1.2 billion to help poor countries make carbon reductions, including $500 million for the United Nations' Green Climate Fund http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060020050/feed EPA takes first steps toward regulating commercial aviation GHGs with endangerment finding under CAA The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to find under section 231(a) of the Clean Air Act that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from commercial aircraft engines endanger the health and welfare of Americans by contributing to climate change. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150611-epa.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/11/business/energy-environment/epa-says-it-will-set-rules-for-airplane-emissions.html Industry-Funded Lawmakers Target Public Health and Environmental Protections Americans consistently support environmental safeguards by wide margins. A survey of likely 2016 voters, for instance, found that 91 percent of Americans endorse strengthening drinking water and air pollution protections, 87 percent want expanded renewable energy development, and 82 percent would like the government to place limits on power plant carbon pollution. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-negin/industry-funded-lawmakers_b_7556454.html?utm_hp_ref=rand-paul Indonesia Sets 19% Renewable Energy Target For 2019 Indonesia has announced a short-term target for increasing their share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix. The south-east Asian country has announced a medium-term target for increasing the share of renewable energy in total energy use to 25% by 2025. The Indonesian government has now set a target to increase the share of renewable energy in total energy mix to 19% by 2019. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/11/indonesia-sets-19-renewable-energy-target-2019/ Santorum's Political Theology of Climate Denial Former Pennsylvania Senator and recurring presidential hopeful, Rick Santorum, as a devoted Catholic, recently publicly sparred with the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis. The Pope has been speaking out again what he acknowledges as the human role in climatic changes that are currently plaguing our planet. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/warren-j-blumenfeld/santorums-political-theol_b_7540106.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics?view=print&comm_ref=false Before Francis, long line of popes voiced environment alarm Anxiety has so gripped American conservatives over Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on the environment that you might think a pope had never before blamed fossil fuels for global warming. Or accused energy companies of hoarding the Earth's resources at the expense of the poor. Or urged the rich to consume less and share more. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_POPE_ENVIRONMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED: http://www.mercurynews.com/faith/ci_28295595/before-francis-long-line-popes-voiced-environment-alarm http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/06/11/before-francis-long-line-of-popes-voiced-environment-alarm Pope's plans on abuse, environment shape US bishops' meeting The U.S. bishops' point-person on the environment defended Pope Francis' plan to issue a high-level teaching document next week on ecology and climate change, saying Wednesday that global warming was the result of moral failings that the Roman Catholic Church has a duty to address. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CATHOLIC_BISHOPS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate Change Is A 'Moral Issue,' Says Archbishop On Papal Encyclical Next Thursday, Pope Francis will release a papal encyclical that will address the environment, and specifically the question of climate change. Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami chairs the committee that covers the environment at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops which is meeting in St. Louis, and that's where he is today. http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/06/10/164718/climate_change_is_a_moral_issue_says_archbishop_on_papal?source=npr&category=world Coal exports to get closer look at Wyoming energy conference The prospect that Wyoming's lagging coal industry could get a boost from overseas exports will get a closer look from industry insiders during the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority's spring energy conference in Cheyenne. Panelists Thursday will discuss proposed coal export terminals in Oregon and Washington state. They'll also talk about international shipping of coal and potential markets for Wyoming coal in the Pacific Rim. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article23727142.html#storylink=cpy It’s a tough time for the Joshua Tree, California’s desert icon canopies of dead angular branches and drooping fronds, University of California, Riverside ecologist Cameron Barrows made his way across a forest of skeletal Joshua trees that have not reproduced in decades. As Barrows explained, it’s a tough time to be a Joshua tree. Climate change is taking an enormous toll, and the current drought has hastened the decline of a species that is regarded as the symbol of California deserts. http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article23740081.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/06/11/3674408_its-a-tough-time-for-the-joshua.html?rh=1 DROUGHT Sexy ads promote water saving with a wink in San Francisco. No such thing, according to San Francisco Bay Area water officials who are rolling out a new line of racy public awareness ads coaxing an already water-thrifty metropolis to give it up just a bit more. "Go full frontal" blares one ad featuring a photo of a front-loading washer - sleek, steel and up to half as water-guzzling as a top-loading machine. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_RACY_ADS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-06-11-01-20-12 Ducks, geese and rice -- the next victims of California's drought? The nests of hundreds of thousands of birds and the food for millions more could be imperiled this year because of fewer rice crops in California – the latest symptom of the state’s historic drought. In summer, the rice is used as nesting for native mallards and shore birds… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-rice-shortage-20150610-story.html California drought: El Niño continues to build, bringing increased chances of a wet winter. In a promising trend that increases the likelihood of steady storms this winter that could offer relief for California's historic drought, federal scientists on Thursday reported that El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean are continuing to grow stronger. The probability of El Niño conditions being present through the end of 2015 is now 85 percent… http://www.insidebayarea.com/drought/ci_28295652/california-drought-el-nino-continues-build-bringing-increased California Drought Changes What Farmers Grow. Water scarcity is driving farmers to plant different crops. Growers are switching to more profitable -- less thirsty fruits, vegetables and nuts. Nowhere is this more true than San Diego County where the water prices are some of the highest in the state. Billowing orange and grapefruit trees shade Triple B Ranches winery and vineyard near Escondido. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/11/california-drought-changes-what-farmers-grow/ Drought could worsen rabies risk. As California’s record-breaking drought continues and summer approaches, San Mateo County health officials warn that the threat of rabies increases. They are touting the benefits of vaccinating pets against the disease. Rabies is transmitted through animal bites and saliva. Animal bites are more common during the summer, as pets and people spend more time outside. http://www.hmbreview.com/news/drought-could-worsen-rabies-risk/article_40c8c25a-105b-11e5-9af4-db5b1a557c58.html A year later, California drought-relief money is unspent. More than $320 million that was supposed to be rushed to drought-stricken California communities sits unspent in government bank accounts more than a year after lawmakers voted to use the money to provide water, protect wells from contamination and upgrade outdated water systems. http://news.yahoo.com/later-california-drought-relief-money-unspent-163453289.html;_ylt=AwrTcc4_w3lVNU0A4w8nnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTE0NmU1YnRpBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDRkZYVUkzM18xBHNlYwNzYw-- El Niño Forecast Brings Calif. Hope for Drought Relief. El Niño is gaining steam in the Pacific Ocean and forecasters are now leaning towards it being a strong event, the first since the blockbuster El Niño of 1997-1998. That possibility is again raising the collective hopes of Californians that this winter may finally see some desperately needed precipitation to begin the slow climb out of a historic drought. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/el-nino-california-drought-19100 Is grass-fed beef better in a drought? I live in drought-stricken California. While I eat a largely plant-based diet, I enjoy a good 100-percent grass-fed steak or hamburger every now and then. Everyday there’s a new article about how much water is needed to grow X, Y, or Z in California, and the latest I’m hearing is that it takes 1,800 gallons to create a pound of beef. http://grist.org/food/is-grass-fed-beef-better-in-a-drought/ Californians Look To Sierra Nevada Native Americans for Drought Solutions In the Sierra Nevada above Fresno, a Native American tribe is working to thin the forest. The approach has been used for centuries to restore meadows, and now California's severe drought means these ancient techniques are a possible long-term water-saving solution. From Valley Public Radio, Ezra David Romero has the story. http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/06/10/164722/californians_look_to_sierra_nevada_native_americans_for_drought?source=npr&category=science Why Some California Cities Are Bracing for a Bear Invasion June is the beginning of bear season, and California game warden Marty Wall is doing the rounds in this quiet suburb only 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles. In his green pickup truck, the wildlife veteran patrols the streets as he waits for locals to report problem bears. http://time.com/3912675/california-bear-invasion/?xid=newsletter-brief Drought-wary lawn owners line up for money to rip out their grass California lawn owners irrigated more acreage last year than drought-pummeled farmers fallowed for lack of water. But the flawless green sward — suburban status symbol and “Downton Abbey” throwback — is under siege. http://www.sfchronicle.com/drought/article/Drought-wary-lawn-owners-line-up-for-money-to-rip-6319873.php California water wasters beware: #DroughtShaming on the rise Pssst. Ready to water that beautiful lush lawn of yours? The one that's the envy of the entire neighborhood. If you live in Southern California, you'd better wait until after midnight. Preferably on a cloudy, new-moon night during a power outage when it's so dark even night-vision goggles won't give away your position. Otherwise, you could wind up the star of the latest drought-shaming video posted on YouTube or Twitter. http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/California-water-wasters-beware-DroughtShaming-6320247.php http://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2015/06/11/california-water-wasters-beware-droughtshaming-on-the-rise DIESEL ACTIVITIES EPA Seen Siding With Engine Makers in Truck Efficiency Rules. The Obama administration is poised to deliver a victory to engine makers at the expense of truck manufacturers in the next stage of the U.S. government’s plan to tackle climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency is about to propose fuel economy standards that would mandate efficiency gains in engines and transmissions made by companies like… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/epa-seen-siding-with-engine-makers-in-truck-efficiency-rules Study Finds Health Problems From Diesel Fuel. The report from scientists in Europe suggests new risks as the shipping industry switches from heavy fuel to meet emissions standards. Emissions from ships that switch from fuel oil to cleaner-burning diesel may still cause health problems, according to a new study. http://www.wsj.com/articles/study-finds-health-problems-from-diesel-fuel-1434036637 Shell Lubricants: All Cylinders Firing for Two New Diesel Oil Categories The industry campaign to develop not one but two new API oil-service categories to eventually replace the current CJ-4 spec for heavy-duty diesel engines is on a fast track for new formulations to be licensed starting in late 2016, according to Shell Lubricants. http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fuel-smarts/news/story/2015/06/shell-lubricants-all-cylinders-firing-for-two-new-diesel-oil-categories.aspx FUELS Record exports led to higher California gas prices, activists say. In December, one month before pump prices started soaring across California, a record amount of gasoline left West Coast refineries, to be sold elsewhere. Exports of finished gasoline from the West Coast hit an abrupt, all-time high of 2.7 million barrels in December, according to federal government data. http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Activists-say-record-exports-led-to-higher-6319821.php As global pressure to reduce CO2 mounts, Boeing looks to biofuels. Goodbye, petroleum. That sums up the Boeing (NYSE: BA) 30-year strategy to reduce aircraft impacts on climate change, and in the process, stay ahead of global regulators. The potential for regulation on aircraft emissions clarified Wednesday… http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2015/06/10/as-global-pressure-to-reduce-co2-mounts-boeing.html India inaugurates first solar-powered H2 fueling station; power-to-gas India’s first solar-powered hydrogen fueling station, supplied by Air Products was inaugurated recently at an event with chief guest Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Power, Coal, and New and Renewable Energy, in conjunction with Shri Upendra Tripathy, Secretary, Minister of New and Renewable Energy. Part of a mass public transport bus fueling and vehicle demonstration program… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150611-india.html SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL California oil spill cleanup costs reaches $62 million. The cost of cleaning up the oil spill that fouled beaches last month on the California coast has reached $62 million so far, the pipeline company said Wednesday. Costs are running at $3 million a day, and there is no timetable for when the cleanup will be complete… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_OIL_SPILL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-santa-barbara-oil-spill-cleanup-cost-20150610-story.html VEHICLES Expanded electric car charging network coming to San Diego. San Diego already has more than 16,000 plug-in hybrid and electric cars. Soon, area drivers will have access to an expanded EV charging network featuring 5,500 new charging points, thanks to an agreement reached between San Diego Gas & Electric and a number of governmental and civic groups in the area. http://ecomento.com/2015/06/11/expanded-electric-car-charging-network-coming-to-san-diego/ Chevy Bolt EV Prototype Electric Cars Now Testing In Public. When General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced the Chevrolet Bolt Concept, it changed everything in the world of electric cars. She said it would have a battery range of 200 miles, cost $37,500 before incentives--putting it squarely into the mass market--and be sold in all 50 states. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098684_chevy-bolt-ev-prototype-electric-cars-now-testing-in-public Electric Vehicles To Become Mainstream In Short Period Of Time. What would the world look like if electric cars took the lead in market share by 2030? “Couldn’t happen,” you say? Consider the ramping up of some of the most basic items that have conquered the American market over the past century. Refrigerators went from a luxury item to 60 percent household penetration during the Depression and World War II. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/10/electric-vehicles-to-become-mainstream-in-short-period-of-time/ Chevy Bolt EV Prototype Electric Cars Now Testing In Public When General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced the Chevrolet Bolt Concept, it changed everything in the world of electric cars. She said it would have a battery range of 200 miles, cost $37,500 before incentives--putting it squarely into the mass market--and be sold in all 50 states. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098684_chevy-bolt-ev-prototype-electric-cars-now-testing-in-public Indianapolis Council Will Sue City to Prevent Electric Cars The Indianapolis City-County Council voted overwhelmingly Monday to sue the city to stop it from implementing a $32 million plan to rent electric cars. By a 23-6 vote, the council authorized the council attorney to file a suit to nullify the no-bid contract with California-based Vision Fleet on the grounds that it was signed illegally. http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/indianapolis-city-council-vs-electric-cars.html GREEN ENERGY USDA grants totaling $6.7M encourage efficiency, renewables. A solar power system to be installed at one of Wyoming's bigger microbreweries helped Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday promote a nationwide program to encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VILSACK_ENERGY_GRANTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Renewable Energy Trust Borrowing $54 Million to Buy Solar Farm. Renewable Energy Trust Capital, a clean-energy financing provider, is borrowing C$66 million ($54 million) to help fund its acquisition of a 14.1-megawatt Canadian Solar Inc. power plant in Ontario. RET Capital didn’t provide terms for the non-recourse debt facility in a statement Thursday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/renewable-energy-trust-borrowing-54-million-to-buy-solar-farm Senate leader praises utilities' work on clean-energy bill, invites oil industry to negotiate. California's Senate leader yesterday praised the state's major investor-owned utilities for their work on a bill to raise the state's share of renewable energy and encouraged fossil fuel producers to join negotiations on the measure. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/11/stories/1060020053 California moves closer to zero net energy for buildings Buildings built in California starting in 2016 will have to comply with the nation’s toughest energy conservation standards. The California Energy Commission has unanimously approved building energy efficiency standards that it says will reduce energy costs, save consumers money, and increase comfort in new and upgraded homes and other buildings. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28492 Hawaiian Electric shareholders approve sale to NextEra Hawaiian Electric shareholders have approved the company's sale to Florida-based NextEra Energy, the company said Wednesday. Owners of 90 percent of the company's shares voted for the deal, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported (http://bit.ly/1B7e6Fn ). http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article23682283.html#storylink=cpy Hawai‘i Governor signs bill setting 100% renewable portfolio standard for electricity sector by 2045 Hawai‘i Governor David Ige this week signed into law four energy bills, including one (HB623) directing the state’s utilities to generate 100% of their electricity sales from renewable energy resources by 2045. This makes Hawai‘i the first state in the nation to set a 100% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for the electricity sector. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150611-hawaii.html Whirlpool windmill produces power without blades. A 1940 clip of the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge in the United States stretching like chewing gum in a gale captured the imagination of a Spanish engineering student who became obsessed with how he could turn that chaos into power. Twelve years later, David Yanez is part of a team inspired by the motion that collapsed the bridge to create a bladeless wind turbine - an inverted-cone-shaped structure half the cost of a conventional machine. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/11/renewables-wind-bladeless-idUSL5N0YX1N520150611 Vermont governor to sign renewable energy bill Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin is planning to sign into law a bill that retools Vermont's system for promoting renewable energy.The bill also calls on utilities to expand their roles both as sources of home heating energy and as efficiency experts that help consumers save power. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Vermont-governor-to-sign-renewable-energy-bill-6320463.php MISCELLANEOUS House spending bill could put some bullet train funds at risk One of the financial lifelines of California's bullet train project has been $3.2 billion in federal grants. But a provision included in a key transportation funding bill passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday could place a roadblock on future federal payouts. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bullet-amendment-20150611-story.html These Google products would fit right into Google's plan to build the city of the future Google unveiled its latest moonshot idea on Wednesday with a new “urban innovation” company called Sidewalk Labs, which has as a mission the lofty goal of re-inventing cities for the modern age. http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/These-Google-products-would-fit-right-into-6320147.php Jonathan Foley to lead California Academy of Sciences Jonathan Foley, an environmental scientist and expert on the world's food problems, has been named executive director of the California Academy of Sciences, the academy's trustees said Monday. http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Jonathan-Foley-to-lead-California-Academy-of-5436781.php OPINIONS Petroleum by-products. Plastics, synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic; paving materials for building roads, synthetic rubber, fertilizers and pesticides, paint, detergents, food additives, make-up, medicine such as acetylsalicylic acid, candles, bunker fuel used to power ships, jet fuel, diesel, heating oil and gasoline. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/11/Petroleum-by-products.html Joe Mathews: Who’s to blame for the drought? Everyone, everywhere This drought is all your fault.You are watering outdoors too much. You kept your lawn – or you tore it out and put in hard surfaces that make your city hotter and the drought worse. This drought is the fault of rich people in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach. You poor people in places like Antelope Valley use too much water, too. Why can’t you spend thousands on low-water appliances and drip irrigation like the rest of us? http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article23680798.html#storylink=cpy Robert Reich Certainly Doesn't Understand Tax Incidence Then I’ve been watching this little series of videos Robert Reich has been making on the subject of how to make America a better place and just marveling at the number of things that Reich seems not to know about. Not so much that he doesn’t know certain things: there’s an entire railroad train full of stuff that I don’t know about. http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/06/11/robert-reich-certainly-doesnt-understand-tax-incidence-then/ BLOGS U.S. Is Wasting Its Energy Advantage, New Paper Argues. Seventeen years ago –June 11, 1998 –Mitchell Energy performed the first modern frack job on a natural-gas well in Texas and unleashed the U.S. energy boom. Whether hydraulic fracturing is a force for good or evil remains one of the most divisive questions in America today. Boosters emphasize the economic benefits and the promise that the U.S. could one day achieve energy independence… http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2015/06/11/u-s-is-wasting-its-energy-advantage-new-paper-argues/ Here's One Smart Way California's Avocado Farmers Can Adapt To Drought. These days, it's hard not to feel a little guilty when you eat a California avocado. Not because they're high in calories, but because they're seen as an outsized contributor to the drought that's ravaging California. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/10/avocados-drought-california-farmers-adapt_n_7557850.html Industry-Funded Lawmakers Target Public Health and Environmental Protections. Americans consistently support environmental safeguards by wide margins. A survey of likely 2016 voters, for instance, found that 91 percent of Americans endorse strengthening drinking water and air pollution protections, 87 percent want expanded renewable energy development… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-negin/industry-funded-lawmakers_b_7556454.html IKEA Vows to Slow Climate Change. Got kids? Then chances are you've got IKEA furniture. Or maybe you're an IKEA design hack, one of those cost-conscious DIYers repurposing IKEA products into functional design masterpieces. Of course, if your child goes to college near an IKEA store, like mine did, a pit stop is in order for a "treasure box of textiles" and a BJORN bookcase (sans the missing nuts and bolts). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronnie-citronfink/ikea-vows-to-slow-climate-change_b_7552168.html This Big Texas City Will Soon Be Powered Entirely By Wind And Sun. There’s a fast-growing city in Texas that also has one of the most progressive energy programs in the country — and it’s not Austin. Located about 30 miles north of the Texas capital in a deeply conservative county, the city of Georgetown will be powered 100 percent by renewable energy within the next couple years. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/11/3666649/georgetown-texas-one-hundred-percent-renewable/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:27:47 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 12, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS Trust improving in complex UN climate talks, officials say. The latest round of U.N. climate talks in Bonn helped build trust among countries and kept the long trek to a new global climate deal on track, despite a lack of substantive progress over the past two weeks, officials and experts said. At the meeting which ended on Thursday, negotiators slimmed down the cumbersome 90-page text of a draft deal by a few pages as the language was edited - but no options were weeded out. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/12/climate-change-un-idUSL5N0YY1JT20150612 CAP AND TRADE Partisan divide stalls ideas for boosting California road-repair funding. State lawmakers are busy this week cobbling together a state budget plan that's due on Monday — but that isn't all they are wrestling with. Among big issues still looming is how to fix California’s roads. Everyone agrees that deteriorating highways are becoming more hazardous. The Brown administration reports the state has deferred some $59 billion in road maintenance. But partisan divisions may block allocation of additional funding for road repair. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/06/11/partisan-divide-stalls-ideas-for-boosting.html CLIMATE CHANGE The Weird Effect Climate Change Will Have On Plant Growth. Add the hindering of plant growth to the long and growing list of the ways climate change may affect life on our planet. The number of days when plants can grow could decrease by 11% by 2100 assuming limited efforts to stall climate change, affecting some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, according to a new study in PLOS Biology. http://time.com/3916200/climate-change-plant-growth/ Oil bosses break long climate silence with urgent initiative. For an industry used to cautious, long-term evolution, the speed at which leaders of Europe's biggest oil and gas companies moved to take a joint stand in the climate debate speaks volumes. Discrete talks in the eyrie of Davos in January led to a spontaneous, light bulb moment on a stage in Oslo in February. The result: a joint statement two months later. The executives agreed they had to go public, and with alacrity. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-oil-bosses-break-long-climate-silence-with-urgent-initiative-2015-6 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Study Finds Health Problems From Diesel Fuel. Emissions from ships that switch from fuel oil to cleaner-burning diesel may still cause health problems, according to a new study. Scientists studying the effects of maritime ship emissions on lung cells observed a stronger “biological response” to diesel-fuel emissions than heavy fuel oil exhaust. http://www.wsj.com/articles/study-finds-health-problems-from-diesel-fuel-1434036637 Order Reefers Now for CARB Upgrade. Owners of transport refrigeration units may need to think about upgrading their reefer units, says the California Air Resources Board. Model year 2008 units dominate the roads, and those units must be replaced by the end of the year. https://www.gobytrucknews.com/order-reefers-now-for-carb-upgrade/123 DROUGHT Dying trees may force a new outlook on irrigation during drought. The needles on the redwoods that welcome visitors to Griffith Park have faded to brown over the last two years. Laura Bauernfeind has watched the trees slowly die and workers eventually arrive, chain saws buzzing, to fell the husks one by one. "I would be lying if I said it was not disheartening," said Bauernfeind, principal forester with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. "We dedicate our careers here to sustaining our park trees." http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-trees-20150612-story.html#page=1 'Extreme Drought' Expands In California. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that conditions worsened in two California counties in the midst of a fourth year of drought. The report released Thursday, June 11, shows the moisture from the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Andres "triggered showers and thunderstorms in the Four Corners region ... and with much of the region experiencing an unseasonably cool May and wet spring, some impacts have been observed." http://www.capradio.org/51111 Surprise storm means 48-hour sprinkler ban. Vicky Kearsey got out of bed when she heard rain this week and reprogrammed the sprinklers at her Moraga home to take advantage of the unexpected wet weather, to save water — and to comply with state law. Gov. Jerry Brown’s emergency drought regulations prohibit outdoor watering within 48 hours of rain, with fines of up to $500 for violators. That restriction applied to nearly everywhere in the Bay Area after Wednesday’s rainfall, which brought a quarter-inch or more to many locations. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Surprise-storm-means-48-hour-sprinkler-ban-6322145.php FUELS U.S. fracking rules to face early legal test. Energy industry groups and states that oppose new U.S. rules for hydraulic fracturing on public lands are headed to court this month to try to block the regulations a day before they are to take effect. Foes of the regulations will go before a federal judge on June 23 to seek a preliminary injunction. The Interior Department rules, slated to take effect on June 24, would require companies to provide data on chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and to take steps to prevent leakage from oil and gas wells on federally owned land. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/11/us-usa-fracking-injunction-idUSKBN0OR2QQ20150611 VEHICLES Used Electric Cars: Which Hold Their Value Best? Which Is Worst?. Used electric cars starting to enter the market in higher numbers, letting advocates suggest that if the purchase price of a new plug-in car is too high, buyers can look at used options. The usual metric of retained-value calculations can be tricky for plug-ins, though because most buyers take advantage of Federal income-tax credits of $2,500 to $7,500. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098663_used-electric-cars-which-hold-their-value-best-which-is-worst GREEN ENERGY Can Solar Panels Help Solve California's Drought? >From a distance, they almost look like a massive mosaic swimming-pool cover. They are photovoltaic panels, half-millimeter thick silicon wafers that are erected over reservoirs. Their function: Generate power while also conserving water. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-11/got-lots-of-sun-not-enough-water-there-s-a-solar-panel-for-you Clean Power Plan: Utility Industry Says It Will Do The 'Right Thing'. Despite their disparate interests and diverse geographies, U.S. utilities have locked shoulders, especially when it comes to federalenergy policies. At the core of their communique is the will to work with the Obama administration to reduce carbon emissions. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/06/11/clean-power-plan-utility-industry-says-it-will-do-the-right-thing/ California moves closer to zero net energy for buildings. Buildings built in California starting in 2016 will have to comply with the nation’s toughest energy conservation standards. The California Energy Commission has unanimously approved building energy efficiency standards that it says will reduce energy costs, save consumers money, and increase comfort in new and upgraded homes and other buildings. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28492 MISCELLANEOUS Before Francis, Long Line of Popes Voiced Environment Alarm. Anxiety has gripped American conservatives over Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on the environment. So much so that you might think a pope had never before blamed fossil fuels for global warming. Or accused energy companies of hoarding the Earth's resources at the expense of the poor. Or urged the rich to consume less and share more. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_POPE_ENVIRONMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT BLOGS In San Diego and Elsewhere, Cleaner Driving and Cleaner Air within Sight. Recently, Politico announced what we at Sierra Club have long known: across the country, King Coal is on the ropes. In a long-form piece detailing the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign strategy and history of success, the numbers spoke for themselves. Sierra Club and our allies have, through grassroots organizing, lobbying, litigation, and media engagement, secured the retirement of one dirty coal-fired power plant every 10 days on average for the last five years--and are on track to have secured the retirement or announced retirement of one third of the coal fleet by year's end. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-coplonnewfield/in-san-diego-and-elsewher_b_7571150.html Climate Change and the Road to Paris: It's All About that Trust. The year of 2015 holds a promise to change the world. The United Nations is orchestrating a politically challenging agenda that counts among its goals the adoption of a framework for disaster risk reduction (achieved in March 2015), the agreement of long-term financing for international development, the creation of a post-2015 development agenda and concomitant sustainable development goals (known as the SDGs), and perhaps most importantly, settling once-and-for-all on how to tackle climate change during the UNFCCC climate negotiations scheduled for Paris in December. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicole-de-paula/climate-change-and-the-road-to-paris-its-all-about-that-trust_b_7568302.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 12:16:21 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 15, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Emissions cap-and-trade program is working well in California. The climate change debate may seem mostly to be about science, but it's really driven by dollars and cents — what will it take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and how much will that cost? Of all U.S. states, California has taken the most direct approach to settling those questions through a pioneering cap-and-trade program. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-20150613-column.html#page=1 'New blood' boosts California carbon market. New participants in the secondary market for California carbon allowances have helped boost liquidity in recent days, providing a shot of life after weeks of stagnation, traders said on Friday. California carbon allowances for June delivery were last seen at $12.55 a tonne in the over-the-counter market, up 4 cents from Thursday's close after two straight days of above-average trading volumes, carbon brokers said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/12/carbon-market-california-idUSL1N0YY27R20150612 CLIMATE CHANGE Pope Francis May Find Wariness Among U.S. Bishops on Climate Change. The church bulletin inserts are nearly ready to go. So are the emails to every Roman Catholic parish in the United States with preaching suggestions for the first Sunday after Pope Francis releases his encyclical on the environment. A week after that, on June 28, churches worldwide are being asked to ring their bells at noon to commemorate a “Thank you, Pope Francis” march in Rome being held that day. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/us/pope-francis-may-find-wariness-among-us-bishops-on-climate-change.html Pope, GOP collide on climate change. Climate change -- long the subject of a divisive political debate -- is getting a boost of fresh attention heading into the 2016 presidential campaign thanks to an unlikely public figure: the Pope. The Vatican is set to release Pope Francis' highly anticipated encyclical -- an official document delivering teachings from the Pope -- on the environment and climate change this week. http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/15/politics/climate-change-2016-presidential-campaign/ Weak climate plans mean world set to overshoot temperature goal – IEA. Countries' current pledges for greenhouse gas cuts will fail to achieve a peak in energy-related emissions by 2030 and likely result in a temperature rise of 2.6 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, the International Energy Agency said on Monday. An international deal to combat climate change is meant to be agreed in December but a meeting in Bonn, Germany, last week ended with little progress toward an agreement to keep average temperature rises within 2C. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/14/us-iea-climatechange-idUSKBN0OU13C20150614?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews AIR POLLUTION California air quality rules to tighten after cancer risk estimate triples. Factories and oil refineries in southern California face a new crackdown on their emissions of air toxins, after experts in the state reported that breathing in pollution carries almost three times the risk of causing cancer than was previously thought, especially for children and babies. http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Environment/2015/06/15/California-air-quality-rules-to-tighten-after-cancer-risk-estimate-triples/ Supreme Court won't review Volvo appeal of $62M penalty The Supreme Court declined today to review an effort by Volvo Powertrain Corp. to overturn a $62 million penalty for truck engines that allegedly cheated federal air pollution limits. EPA penalized the Swedish car and truck maker 10 years ago for violating an earlier legal settlement mandating that non-road engines meet stringent emissions standards for nitrogen oxides, or NOx. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/15/stories/1060020245 DROUGHT L.A. water department will drain Silver Lake Reservoir this summer. The Silver Lake Reservoir is about to go dry. The reservoir will be temporarily drained this summer as part of a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power project to build a new water pipeline beneath it. After more than a century of service, the Silver Lake Reservoir — the scenic centerpiece of the hilly neighborhood — was disconnected in December 2013 from the city's drinking-water system as part of a federal mandate to phase out open-air drinking-water reservoirs. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-silver-lake-reservoir-20150615-story.html Water market best hope to ease drought. As California’s drought enters its fourth year, policy makers here mostly argue over two alternatives – stepping up conservation and water-use enforcement or building new dams and other water-storage facilities. But the solution to the water crisis is more likely to be found on an application that can be downloaded onto our cellphones. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/12/drought-solution-freer-water-markets-california/ VEHICLES Tesla takes on industry in California. First Tesla Motors Inc. went up against car dealers, waging a state-by-state campaign to protect its factory-owned showrooms from franchise laws. Now it's ready for another statehouse scuffle -- this time, against other car companies. http://www.autonews.com/article/20150615/OEM11/306159943/tesla-takes-on-industry-in-california GREEN ENERGY Want to fix the world? Start by making clean energy a default setting. In recent years, psychologists and behavioral scientists have begun to decipher why we make the choices that we do when it comes to using energy. And the bottom line is that it’s hard to characterize those choices as fully “rational.” Rather than acting like perfect homo economicuses, they’ve found, we’re highly swayed by the energy use of our neighbors and friends — peer pressure, basically. At the same time, we’re also heavily biased by the status quo — we delay in switching to new energy choices, even when they make a great deal of economic sense. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/15/want-to-fix-the-world-start-by-making-clean-energy-a-default-setting/ How much will solar dim after tax credits expire? California has been basking in a solar energy boom, as companies and homeowners scramble to install solar panels by the end of 2016. That’s when a hefty tax credit is due to fade away. Right now, the federal solar investment tax credit saves businesses and homeowners 30 percent off the price of solar installations. That credit is slated to disappear completely for residential installations at the end of 2016. www.sacbee.com/news/business/article23701057.html#storylink=cpy MISCELLANEOUS This Plane Runs on Sun and Is About to Smash Some Records. The flight into Chongqing, China, happened at night. No moon. Pilot Bertrand Piccard nosed his plane into strong headwinds, and the turbulence was bad—not knock-you-up-and-down bad, but blow-you-off-the-runway bad. At one point the wind was so strong the plane was actually moving backward. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-06-15/solar-impulse-sun-powered-plane-is-about-to-smash-some-records California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 11:36:47 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 16, 2015 From: pbrown@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. CLIMATE CHANGE White House announces $4B in private sector climate pledges The White House is announcing $4 billion in pledges from major foundations and institutional investors to pay for innovations that reduce carbon pollution. President Barack Obama is also using his executive powers to help make such investments easier.http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNITED_STATES_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT La Californie, un État pionnier sur le chemin de la COP 21 Le "Golden state" a décidé de ne pas attendre une décision de Barack Obama ou du Congrès à Washington. À six mois de la conférence onusienne sur le climat (COP 21) organisée à Paris, la Californie s'est engagée d'elle-même, aux côtés de 12 autres pouvoirs régionaux en Europe et sur le continent américain, à réduire drastiquement ses émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Un geste politique fort, qui correspond à la stratégie économique ambitieuse des entreprises californiennes. http://www.novethic.fr/empreinte-terre/climat/isr-rse/la-californie-un-etat-pionnier-sur-le-chemin-de-la-cop-21-143395.html Pope Francis Calls for Climate Action in Draft of Encyclical Pope Francis offers a broad vision of an endangered planet, partly blaming human activity and fossil fuels for climate change while calling for people of all religions to take swift action, according to a leaked draft of his much-awaited environmental encyclical that was posted online Monday by an Italian magazine. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/world/europe/pope-francis-environmental-encyclical.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0 http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/us-pope-environment-leak-idUSKBN0OV2JC20150616 http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/us-usa-climate-pope-poll-idUSKBN0OW1XS20150616 http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/06/16/52447/will-pope-s-much-anticipated-encyclical-be-a-clari/ Report says UN not equipped to tackle today’s challenges The United Nations and other international institutions are in urgent need of reform if they are to tackle global challenges ranging from massive violence in fragile states to runaway climate change and global economic shocks, a high-level commission said in a report released Tuesday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UN_UNITED_NATIONS_GLOBAL_CHALLENGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER ASSOCIATED ARTICLES: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/report-says-un-not-equipped-to-tackle-todays-challenges/2015/06/16/93ece17a-13dd-11e5-8457-4b431bf7ed4c_story.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Report-says-UN-not-equipped-to-tackle-today-s-6329295.php Climate change protesters march on the Mall "This is what makes America different from all the other countries," a dad told his two children, referring to freedom of speech, as they watched a group of protesters yesterday outside the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.The protesters, 50-strong, were holding placards and chanting "Kick Koch off the board!" alternating with "Fire Willie Soon" and "Cut ties to fossil fuels." Inside the Smithsonian Castle, the board of regents was holding its annual meeting. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/16/stories/1060020281 Climate refugees are already finding asylum in Seattle Before his world was thrown into turmoil, Fasil Tekola lived a comfortable life in Ethiopia’s capitol city, Addis Ababa. Born into a wealthy family, his father a colonel, he was one of only a few kids who drove their own cars to school. But his family also had a strong connection to the land: They owned farmland along the Awash River, a few hours south of the city. Tekola remembers his parents planting eucalyptus trees around Addis Ababa because the trees had been cut down. http://grist.org/politics/climate-refugees-are-already-finding-asylum-in-seattle/ Investors Will Take A Hit From Climate Change, Says Mercer Report Your investment portfolio could suffer in coming years, thanks to climate change — and it’s not going to take 50 years to happen. That’s the take-home message of a recent report from Mercer, based on a collaboration with 16 large international investment groups and extensive financial forecasts. To put it even more bluntly: ignoring the reality of climate change could hit many investors hard within the next 10 years. http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewfrancis/2015/06/16/investors-will-take-a-hit-from-climate-change-says-mercer/ Virginia, Coal Country for Centuries, Now Embraces Carbon Regulations The state has been moving away from coal-fired electricity for the past decade, and the effects of climate change already has its attention. Nestled on the eastern edge of Appalachian coal country, with a 267-year history of mining its reserves, Virginia seems an unlikely candidate to become one of the country's biggest success stories in adapting to the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/16062015/virginia-coal-country-centuries-now-embraces-carbon-regulations Study shows climate change’s surprising toll on early dinosaurs For years, scientists have puzzled over an odd gap in the fossil record for early dinosaurs: Even as dinosaurs spread through the most of the world 200 million years ago, some yet-unknown force kept them from colonizing the tropics. Now researchers may have found the explanation: Climate change. Exceedingly high levels of greenhouse gases appear to have rendered the Earth’s equatorial zones all but uninhabitable for the planet’s largest terrestrial beasts. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/15/study-shows-climate-changes-surprising-toll-on-early-dinosaurs/ AIR POLLUTION Polluted Air May Damage ‘White Matter’ In Our Brain. Long-term exposure to air pollution may lead to loss of white matter in the brain, a research has found. White matter in the brain is made of axon cells, which enable the nerves to communicate. In a new study, older women who lived in places with higher air pollution had significantly reduced white matter in the brain. http://focusnews.com/tech-gadgets/air-pollution-may-damage-white-matter-in-brain/56763/ India, China Need Cleaner Air Just to Keep Death Rate Steady Never mind lowering the rate of death from air pollution in India and China. Just keeping those rates steady will demand urgent action to clear the skies, according to a report published Tuesday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AIR_POLLUTION_MORTALITY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER ASSOCIATED ARTICLES: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/16/world/asia/ap-as-air-pollution-mortality.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/medical/article/India-China-need-cleaner-air-just-to-keep-death-6329680.php Study: The Greener a State's Legislator, the Cleaner the Air States where the congressional delegation votes greener tend to have air that's cleaner, spewing less heat-trapping gas, a new study finds.Researchers at Michigan State University studied decades of voting trends and greenhouse gas emissions state by state. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/15/science/ap-us-sci-green-politics.html FAA proposes state-of-art traffic control system for L.A.'s crowded skies High above the 22 million people who live and work in Southern California is some of the busiest airspace in the nation. On a typical day, more than 11,000 aircraft take to the skies, most of them over the sprawling Los Angeles Basin. There are Gulfstream jets from Van Nuys Airport, Cessna 172s from Santa Monica Airport, helicopters from Torrance Municipal and giant Boeing 747s from Los Angeles International, which handles more than 1,700 departures and arrivals daily. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-air-traffic-control-20150616-story.html#page=1 DROUGHT Visalia cuts lawn watering to twice a week In response to a fourth year of drought, the City Council voted Monday to reduce lawn watering to twice a week, and continue with no watering in winter months.The action is expected to help California Water Service, the utility serving Visalia, reduce water consumption in its Visalia operation by 32%, compared to 2013. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article24568765.html#storylink=cpy VEHICLES Tesla Motors Is Fighting Automakers Who Want California To Include Plug-In Hybrids Like Chevrolet Volt, Ford Fusion Energi In State’s Emissions Mandate.For years, Tesla Motors has been able to generate revenue under California’s zero-emission-vehicle mandate, which provides tradable ZEV credits based on a complicated formula involving the percentage of electric cars a company sells in the state. But now the Palo Alto-maker of the Model S luxury electric sedan is facing increased pressure from rivals to get the state to rewrite the rules to lower the number of ZEV credits available. http://www.ibtimes.com/tesla-motors-fighting-automakers-who-want-california-include-plug-hybrids-chevrolet-1967798 Slow sales cause Honda to scrub natural gas, hybrid Civics Slow sales and falling gasoline prices have prompted Honda to stop selling gas-electric hybrid and natural gas-powered versions of its Civic compact car. The company also said that it will discontinue a plug-in rechargeable version of the midsize Accord. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HONDA_ALTERNATIVE_FUEL_CIVICS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT FUELS EBI ketone condensation process for drop-in jet fuel or lubricant base oil from biomass; up to 80% lifecycle GHG savings Researchers at the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), a partnership led by the University of California (UC) Berkeley that includes Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and BP, have developed a new method for producing drop-in aviation fuel as well as automotive lubricant base oils from sugarcane biomass. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150616-ketones.html GREEN ENERGY EU set to meet green energy goal but UK, Netherlands trail The European Union is collectively on track to achieve its goal of sourcing a fifth of its energy from renewables by 2020, although Britain, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are lagging behind other states, the European Commission said on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/us-europe-renewables-targets-idUSKBN0OW15420150616 2nd-life Chevrolet Volt batteries help power new IT building GM is using five used battery packs from Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric cars to help power the new General Motors Enterprise Data Center at the Milford Proving Ground. A new solar array and two wind turbines feed the administration building’s circuit breaker panel, where the five Volt batteries work in parallel to supply power to the building, delivering net-zero energy use on an annual basis. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150616.html OPINION Cracks appear in the climate change deniers’ defenses In April 2009, as the political right was finding its voice in the tea party, South Carolina Republican Rep. Bob Inglis was making the case for a carbon tax. “I’m a conservative. I believe in accountability,” he said. “Global warming is not a matter of belief. It’s a matter of facts.” He added, “We don’t want to be a party of deniers.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/cracks-appear-in-the-climate-change-deniers-defenses/2015/06/15/8b0e42b4-137a-11e5-89f3-61410da94eb1_story.html Everyone needs to deal with the drought There is nothing like an epic drought to get Californians talking about water. Wherever you go these days, people are discussing the latest news on water restrictions and sharing advice for reducing use over the long, hot summer. The conversation is vital because it will take massive awareness and the cooperation of every Californian to achieve state-mandated reductions in water use in urban areas. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article24485056.html#storylink=cpy MISCELLANEOUS Growing up near parks and woodland 'boosts a child's memory and thinking skills', study reveals. Growing up with green spaces around helps children's mental development, scientists have found. Children who live near parks, gardens or woodland or go to schools surrounded by greenery were found to be a year ahead in their mental development over children without green spaces near their home. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_GREEN_POLITICS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED ARTICLES: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3126418/Growing-near-parks-woodland-boosts-child-s-memory-thinking-skills-study-reveals.html http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/06/green-spaces-make-kids-smarter/395924/ Buyers beware: Vietnam coal exports grapple with El Nino year China, Japan and other Asian buyers of Vietnamese coal can expect more uncertainty in the volume of shipments this year as scorching weather linked to the El Nino phenomenon raises domestic power consumption to a record, adding pressure on regional supply of the fuel. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/vietnam-energy-coal-idUSL3N0Z13PM20150616 BLOGS Beware Casting Pope Francis as a Caped Climate Crusader All eyes are on the Vatican after an Italian news magazine leaked what is very likely the final text (the Italian translation) of Pope Francis’s forthcoming encyclical letter on humanity’s obligations to protect the environment, avoid dangerous climate change and overcome poverty and inequity. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/beware-casting-pope-francis-as-a-caped-climate-crusader/ Climate Change Deniers Hate Me. Here's Why. "Sold out... ?! No way. Cannot be true." I swore to myself. In all of its awkward history, The Heartland Institute's conferences for climate change deniers have never sold out. This year it did, and I wanted in. These events aren't something to look forward to. It's mostly angry, aged white men in suits, lying to themselves about climate change for two days straight in sterile air conditioning, safe from the evils of sun and breeze. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/connor-gibson/climate-change-deniers-ha_b_7593878.html?view=print&comm_ref=false Why “Politically Motivated” Science Is Good Science Recently, the Washington Post reported new data showing something most of us already sense: that increased polarization on Capitol Hill is due to the way the Republican Party has lurched to the right. The authors of the study use Senator John McCain to illustrate the point. McCain's political odyssey is, in some dismaying sense, close to my own heart, since it highlights the Republican turn against science. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-oreskes/the-hoax-of-climate-denial_b_7595154.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:33:59 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 17, 2015 From: pbrown@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. THE POPE Biden: Climate Change Deniers ‘Also Deny Gravity’ In his first public speech since the death of his son, Vice President Joe Biden tore into skeptics of man-made climate change. Biden criticized the House Republican budget he said would cut the Energy Department’s renewable energy budget by 40 percent. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/06/16/biden-climate-change-deniers-also-deny-gravity/ Jeb Bush calls out Pope Francis on climate change During his first campaign stop Tuesday as an official presidential candidate, Jeb Bush took issue with a leaked document authored by Pope Francis in which the Catholic leader calls for a global effort to combat climate change. http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/jeb-bush-calls-out-pope-francis-climate-change http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/17/jeb-bush-pope-climate-change_n_7603160.html RELATED ARTICLES: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/politics/popes-views-press-gop-on-climate-change.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/video/multimedia/100000003745623/jeb-bush-pope-should-steer-clear-of-climate-issue.html http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/us-pope-environment-idUSKBN0OX1LW20150617 Pope's Climate Change Encyclical Could Sway U.S. Opinion: Scientists Some U.S. scientists are expressing hope that Pope Francis' encyclical on global warming embracing the view that it is mostly caused by human activities will change public opinion in the United States, where the issue is highly politicized. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/us-pope-environment-usa-scientists-idUSKBN0OX17W20150617 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/06/17/us/17reuters-pope-environment-usa-scientists.html Senators Square Off Over Pope's Role in Highlighting Global Climate Challenge Republican and Democratic senators June 16 sparred over whether Pope Francis's call for world action to address climate change will fundamentally alter the debate over whether humans play an outsized role in raising global temperatures. http://www.bna.com/senators-square-off-n17179927748/ The Pope, the Economy and the Case for Climate Action This week Pope Francis issues his long awaited Encyclical on Climate Change. The Pope's message should galvanize support for climate action for the Catholic community and well beyond. It will speak not only to the 5,000 Catholic Bishops, nor only to the 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, but to all people of goodwill who are open to the moral context of climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-andrew-steer/the-pope-the-economy-and-_b_7590708.html?utm_hp_ref=climate-change Fault lines surface as the Vatican's climate encyclical leaks An hour before L'espresso magazine leaked an Italian-language PDF of Pope Francis's long-awaited encyclical on ecology, Massimo Faggioli was unwinding over orange juice in a café near St. Peter's Square after a day's research in the Vatican Archives. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-groundtruth-project/fault-lines-surface-as-th_b_7597790.html?utm_hp_ref=climate-change CLIMATE CHANGE Thousands to lobby MPs to back strong climate change action Thousands of people from snowboarders and surfers to bee keepers and nuns are set to converge on parliament on Wednesday to urge their MPs to back strong action on climate change. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/17/thousands-to-lobby-mps-to-back-strong-climate-change-action http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/17062015/thousands-lobby-mps-back-strong-climate-change-action Poll shows Americans are starting to worry about climate change again You know how this country has had something of an “it’s complicated” relationship to our feelings about the climate? Well, a new Pew poll out yesterday shows that more Americans are starting to worry about the climate again — after taking a break around 2008, presumably to fret over other things, like our country’s complete financial dysfunction. http://grist.org/science/poll-shows-americans-are-starting-to-worry-about-climate-change-again/ EMISSIONS TRADING China's national CO2 market seen starting late 2016, early 2017 China's long-awaited countrywide carbon trading scheme is likely to be ready by the end of next year or early in 2017, an official with the state planning agency said on Wednesday. China, the world's biggest emitter of climate-warming greenhouse gases, is aiming to bring its emissions to a peak around 2030 and has pledged to make full use of market mechanisms to meet targets. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/china-carbon-idUSL3N0Z236R20150617 Airline industry backs global emissions trading scheme –IAG The boss of International Airlines Group on Wednesday said the industry would prefer a global emissions trading scheme to tackle aviation pollution, although other "interesting" options were also under consideration. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/eu-airlines-ets-idUSL5N0Z32UM20150617 AIR POLLUTION Oldest Evidence Of Manmade Air Pollution Found In Dental Plaque >From Paleolithic Israel Deep within Qesem Cave just outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, archaeologists have found new evidence that our ancestors were grilling indoors more than 300,000 years ago and that they were breathing in the pollution from the enormous fire pit. http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/06/17/minnesota-is-where-you-will-find-the-new-gold-rush-for-solar/ DROUGHT Feds, state to try to avoid wiping out salmon State and federal officials say they have changed how they manage water flows in the Sacramento River in an effort to avoid wiping out the endangered winter-run Chinook salmon. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28525 Study: A third of global groundwater basins are overstressed Satellite data show people are overdrawing water from some of the world's largest groundwater basins. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine say it's unclear how much water is left in the most overburdened aquifers. The problem is expected to worsen with climate change and population growth. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_GLOBAL_WATER_SUPPLY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ASSOCIATED ARTICLES: http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/06/17/global-groundwater-studies-california-drought/28849911/ http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-groundwater-studies-20150617-story.html Los Angeles County's plan to capture and reuse stormwater runoff could be a model for the state Amid a worsening drought, California water officials adopted new rules Tuesday aimed at capturing and reusing huge amounts of storm water that have until now flowed down sewers and concrete rivers into the sea. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-stormwater-runoff-20150617-story.html VEHICLES Germany Mulls Boosting Electric-Car Incentives Under Carbon-Goal Pressure Several European countries--including Norway, The Netherlands, and France--aggressively promote electric cars as a way to reduce vehicular carbon emissions. But despite its large domestic car industry, Germany is not among them. German government support for electric cars has been lukewarm at best, but now it appears that could change soon. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098742_germany-mulls-boosting-electric-car-incentives-under-carbon-goal-pressure http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098763_germans-electric-cars-prius-spy-shot-biofuel-effects-todays-car-news P SA Peugeot Citroën and Bolloré Group sign strategic cooperation agreement on Bluesummer EV and car sharing PSA Peugeot Citroën and Bolloré Group have signed a strategic cooperation agreement covering electric vehicle production and distribution as well as car sharing. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/peugeot-bollore-autos-idUSL5N0Z30OW20150617 http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150617-psabollore.html Fisker plans to build cars in Moreno Valley Fisker Automotive and Technology Group will re-enter the luxury automotive market by opening a manufacturing plant in Moreno Valley.The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports (http://bit.ly/1Iku907 ) the company announced Tuesday that it plans to open its first U.S. manufacturing plant in the city and create 150 full-time manufacturing jobs at the start of production. www.sacbee.com/news/business/technology/article24705298.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Fisker-plans-to-build-cars-in-Moreno-Valley-6332330.php http://www.mercurynews.com/drive/ci_28329758/fisker-plans-build-cars-southern-california GREEN ENERGY Minnesota Is Where You Will Find The New Solar Gold Rush Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, is also the epicenter of a solar energy boom. Both SolarCity and SunShare announced plans this week to build solar power projects as part of a new state program to make solar electricity available for purchase to renters and others who don’t want to or can’t install solar panels on their roofs. http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/06/17/minnesota-is-where-you-will-find-the-new-gold-rush-for-solar/ ADB: Asia must boost investment in clean energy Asia has made huge strides in developing clean energy over the last decade but must boost investment and its use of energy efficiency technology to meet rising demand and cope with climate change, Asian Development Bank officials and other experts said Wednesday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_ASIA_CLEAN_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/17062015/asia-must-invest-more-clean-energy-cope-climate-change-says-adb http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article24699124.html OPINION Pope Francis’ call to be ecologically ‘pro-life’ Abortion is a polarizing issue in America, with half the country believing individuals should be free to choose, and 44 percent believing we must safeguard life. But “pro-life” can encompass far more than life in the womb; in fact, life on Earth is threatened — and we are the ones aborting the ecosystems on which we rely. We’re being called to be ecologically pro-life. http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Pope-Francis-call-to-be-ecologically-6331010.php Why the Pope Is Concerned About Climate Change, and You Should be Too Climate change has been in the headlines for years. I tell my undergraduate students that the U.S. has been discussing climate change for their entire lives. It was 1992 when countries around the world came together in Rio de Janeiro and committed to preventing dangerous climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jessica-hellmann/why-the-pope-is-concerned-about-climate-change-and-you-should-be-too_b_7589192.html?utm_hp_ref=climate- Why Biofuels Can't Replace Oil “There is growing concern about the role of biofuels in rising food prices…and doubts about the climate benefits. This has led to serious questions about their sustainability,” Renewable Fuels Agency. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007′s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) orders the use of at least 36 billion gallons of transport biofuels by 2022 … http://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/06/17/why-biofuels-cant-replace-oil/ Cheaper prices spur U.S. gasoline demand: Kemp Strong growth in demand for refined fuels such as gasoline and diesel is helping to rebalance the global oil market, according to most observers. “Recent oil market strength ... stems partly from unexpectedly strong oil demand growth,” the International Energy Agency explained in its June monthly oil market report. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/us-usa-gasoline-kemp-idUSKBN0OX1YX20150617 California’s water strategy deserves an open debate and real solutions In response to the worst drought in our state’s long memory, our public institutions – with one unfortunate exception – are stepping up. Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature passed long-overdue groundwater and sustainable water investments through last year’s $7.5 billion water bond. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article24664105.html#storylink=cpy MISCELLANEOUS Meteorites hold clue to methane mystery -- and potential for life on Mars In meteorites from Mars, scientists find clue to methane mystery. Scientists have discovered methane hidden in Martian meteorites, which could hint that the elusive gas, which on Earth is often linked to life, might be lurking beneath the surface of Mars today. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-methane-meteorites-mars-potential-microbial-life-20150616-story.html Palm giant Golden Agri renews green push after criticism on land use Singapore-listed palm giant Golden Agri-Resources has renewed its commitment to sustainability to address customer concerns after an international body accused one of its Indonesian subsidiaries of breaching land acquisition rules. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/indonesia-golden-agri-rspo-idUSL3N0Z321H20150617?feedType=RSS&feedName=nonCyclicalConsumerGoodsSector BLOGS AeroVironment and Recargo introduce Pay With PlugShare for West Coast Electric Highway’s fast charging network AeroVironment and Recargo, developer of PlugShare, the most extensive map of electric vehicle charging stations, introduced a new smartphone-based easy payment option for EV drivers charging on the West Coast Electric Highway fast charging network in Oregon and Washington. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150617-aervironment.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 14:59:56 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 18, 2015 From: pbrown@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. THE POPE Pope urges revolution to save Earth, fix 'perverse' economy In a sweeping environmental manifesto aimed at spurring action, Pope Francis called Thursday for a bold cultural revolution to correct what he said was a "structurally perverse" economic system in which the rich exploited the poor, turning Earth into an "immense pile of filth." http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REL_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ASSOCIATED ARTICLES: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REL_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL_QA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REL_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL_HIGHLIGHTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REL_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL_EXCERPTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/us-pope-environment-idUSKBN0OX1LW20150618 http://time.com/3925520/pope-francis-climate-change-encyclical/ http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/18/415429852/pope-francis-climate-change-a-principal-challenge-for-humanity http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=415429852 http://www.climatecentral.org/news/4-main-points-pope-climate-encyclical-19129 http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/national/article24840586.html http://grist.org/living/pope-francis-laudato-si-encyclical-expresses-moral-obligation-to-fight-climate-change/ http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/06/18/pope-issues-climate-change-warning_n_7609690.html?utm_hp_ref=uk http://insideclimatenews.org/news/18062015/pope-francis-eight-major-messages-his-own-words-encyclical-climate-change-global-warming-environment http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-sej-pope-climate-change-report-20150617-story.html#page=1 http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article24841507.html http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/06/pope-encyclical-climate-change-inequality Congressional Republicans shrug off Pope's climate message Congressional Republicans are shrugging off Pope Francis' call for urgent action on climate change and dismissing his attempt to frame global warming as a moral issue. "No, I'm sorry, it's a political issue," said Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL_CONGRESS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ASSOCIATED ARTICLES: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/politics/pope-encyclical-climate-change-catholic-republicans/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/06/18/pope-francis-talks-climate-change-shocks-conservatives/ http://www.fresnobee.com/living/religion/article24867856.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article24856309.html Sen. James Inhofe Argues The Pope Is Wrong On Climate Change, Says The Poor Need Fossil Fuels Senate's most vocal climate change critic, James Inhofe (R-Okla.), begs to differ with the head of the Roman Catholic Church on whether greenhouse gases are causing the planet to warm. Pope Francis issued an encyclical on Thursday calling for the protection of the Earth, which he said was "like a sister with whom we share our life." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/james-inhofe-pope-francis-climate-change_n_7613206.html?utm_hp_ref=politics Obama welcomes pope's call for climate action President Barack Obama says he hopes world leaders will consider Pope Francis' plea for bold action to curb climate change, ahead of the United Nations climate talks in December in Paris. http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/THE-LATEST-Vatican-launches-encyclical-with-news-6334610.php http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/06/18/the-latest-vatican-spokesman-church-united-with-the-pope UN chief thanks pope for climate encyclical U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has made the issue of climate change his top priority since taking the reins of the world body 8 1/2 years ago, thanked Pope Francis "for taking such a strong stand on the need for urgent global action." http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REL_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL_THE_LATEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ASSOCIATED ARTICLES http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/national/article24840586.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20150618/rel--vatican-encyclical-the-latest/ Emissions trading can undermine climate efforts: Pope Emissions trading is a quick-fix solution which could cause speculation and undermine global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Pope Francis said in his encyclical on the environment on Thursday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/us-pope-environment-carbon-idUSKBN0OY18920150618 Pope's climate change stand gets uneasy reception in Catholic heartland of Poland Pope Francis's plunge into the climate change debate has caused uneasiness in the heartland of European conservative Catholicism in Poland, exposing the dilemma for Catholics who are devout but prefer their leaders to steer clear of "liberal" causes. https://us.vocuspr.com/Main.aspx?Entity=Home&LanguageID=1033 CLIMATE CHANGE GOP-run Senate panel takes on Obama environmental rules A Republican-run Senate committee has acted to block Obama administration initiatives on global warming, clean water and hydraulic fracturing on federal land. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BUDGET_BATTLE_ENVIRONMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Former UN climate chief sees agreement in Paris talks A former U.N. climate chief expressed confidence Thursday that global climate talks in Paris later this year will produce an agreement, putting the world on track to begin the process of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_ASIA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/pope-environment-reaction-idUSL5N0Z42I220150618?feedType=RSS&feedName=financialsSector Annual conference provides climate change skeptics a ‘safe zone’ At least for a brief time in a small place, there was an overwhelming consensus among the gathered scholars, climatologists, policymakers and elected officials about man-made climate change — that it’s a colossal fraud. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/17/climate-change-annual-conference-provides-skeptics/#ixzz3dRCmdraT Will climate change stop people from visiting America’s national parks? A new study in the journal PLOS ONE explores how climate change and warming temperatures could alter how many people visit U.S. national parks. Roughly 80 percent of parks already are experiencing extremely warm conditions, says Nicholas Fisichelli, an ecologist for the National Parks Service’s climate adaptation team and the study’s lead author. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/climate-change-attendence-americas-national-parks/ Climate change projects in poorest nations lose out in battle for funds Urgent plans to help the world's poorest people become more resilient to extreme weather and rising seas are on hold because of a lack of cash in a U.N. climate fund set up for least developed countries, amid fierce competition for limited aid. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/us-climatechange-funds-un-idUSKBN0OY20720150618?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Indonesia's latest logging ban leaves forests at risk - experts Indonesia's recent renewal of a ban on new logging permits will not be enough to curb pressures on its forests without stronger enforcement on the ground, researchers and activists say. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/indonesia-forests-climatechange-idUSL5N0Z21YG20150618?feedType=RSS&feedName=basicMaterialsSector CAP & TRADE California carbon revenue tops $2 billion after latest auction California's carbon permit auction last month fetched more than $626 million for the state, bringing the total raised by the cap-and-trade program to more than $2.2 billion, the California Air Resources Board said on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/carbon-market-california-idUSL1N0Z400W20150618 Competing in a cap-and-trade environment-Panel discusses how Ontario's new system will create both opportunities and challenges On April 13, the Ontario government announced its commitment to a cap-and-trade system to reduce the province’s 165 megatonnes of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Over the long term, that’s good news for businesses paying the price for unpredictable weather, from higher heating and cooling costs to shrinking timber supplies and more frequent floods. But how will this new system affect the bottom line in the coming years? https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/competing-in-a-cap-and-trade-environment/ AIR POLLUTION Delhi Air Pollution May be Killing 30,000 People Each Year: Expert Delhi's air pollution may be killing as many as 30,000 people each year, while globally, 3.2 million deaths are attributed to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) annually. http://www.ibtimes.co.in/delhi-air-pollution-may-be-killing-30000-people-each-year-expert-636255 Belgium and Bulgaria in the EU dock over poor air quality EU regulators are referring Belgium and Bulgaria to the bloc's top court over the quality of their air, which poses a major risk to health, the European Commission said on Thursday. It has also issued a final warning to Sweden that it needs to take action. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/us-eu-airqualty-idUSKBN0OY1FX20150618 DROUGHT California’s trout hatcheries hurt by drought, disease The tanks in one secluded area at the Mount Shasta Fish Hatchery teem with nearly 1,000 immensely precious trout. These are redbands, a rare relative of rainbow trout. Biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife rescued them late last summer from three nearby creeks that had become little more than a trickle after years of drought. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article24825115.html#storylink=cpy DIESEL Study finds truck fleet clean-up significantly decreases engine emissions near Port of Oakland A study funded by the California Air Resources Board and conducted by UC Berkeley scientist Dr. Robert Harley demonstrates that mandatory upgrades to diesel truck fleets serving the Port of Oakland are responsible for significant reductions in two major air pollutants. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150617-harley.html http://www.truckingnewsonline.com/news/carb-study-shows-truck-fleet-cleanup-successes-at-port-of-oakland/7049/ VEHICLES Incentives Of Up To $12,000 In California To Get Low-Income People To Upgrade To Fuel-Efficient Cars From Gas Hogs Those living in certain parts of the state of California who qualify as low-income residents and have an old gas hog that pollutes heavily will now have the option of receiving up to $12,000 in subsidies to replace their old vehicle and purchase a cleaner, fuel-efficient vehicle, according to recent reports. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/18/incentives-12000-california-get-low-income-people-upgrade-fuel-efficient-cars-gas-hogs/ Dahn Lab at Dalhousie signs exclusive 5-year research partnership with Tesla, beginning in 2016 Tesla Motor’s Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel signed a 5-year research agreement with Dalhousie University’s Jeff Dahn, Li-ion battery researcher with the Faculty of Science, and his group of students, postdoctoral researchers and technical. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150618-dalhousie.html http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/18062015/tesla-partners-battery-researcher-lower-costs Nomadic Power receives €2M grant for “MobileBattery” project; trailer-mounted Li-ion pack for vehicle and home Nomadic Power has received a €2-million (US$2.25-million) grant from the European Commission for their “MobileBattery” project—a trailer-mounted battery pack that can serve the function of intelligent and safe back-up power for a home when stationary, and boost EV range when attached to the owner’s vehicle. An 85 kWh Nomad is capable of taking a small electric car up to 600 kilometers (373 miles). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150618-nomadic.html Mercedes-Benz premieres 2nd generation GLC and plug-in hybrid GLC 350 e 4MATIC Mercedes-Benz unveiled the second generation of its mid-range GLC SUV (the SUV in the C-Class segment, formerly the GLK). In addition to cutting fuel consumption by up to 19% in comparison to the previous model on the conventional engined models, Mercedes also introduced another plug-in hybrid SUV model: the GLC 350 e 4MATIC. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/mercedes-benz-premieres-2nd-generation-glc-and-plug-in-hybrid-glc-350-e-4matic.html FUELS One-in-three doubt fuel economy ratings A third of Americans do not believe the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new vehicle window sticker accurately reflects the fuel economy they achieve when driving, according to a new survey paid for by AAA. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28536 U.S. researchers see auto fuel standards driving technology U.S. cars and light trucks will become more fuel efficient and safer -- but also more expensive -- by the end of the next decade, as a result of increasingly stringent environmental standards, a new research report said on Thursday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/us-autos-usa-fuel-idUSKBN0OY1ZS20150618?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Weeks after biofuel quotas furor, EPA faces U.S. Senate grilling U.S. lawmakers will grill the nation's environmental regulator over its handling of a controversial renewable fuels program at a hearing on Thursday, the first since new biofuels targets provoked a furor among corn farmers and oil refiners. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/usa-epa-biofuels-idUSL1N0Z401920150618 GREEN ENERGY Record year for renewable power; heat, transport stay fossil The growth of renewable energy outpaced that of fossil fuels in the electricity sector last year, with a record 135 gigawatts of capacity added from wind, solar, hydropower and other natural sources, a new study shows. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RENEWABLE_ENERGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Wind Farm Subsidy Cut Is 'Chilling Signal' To Renewable Energy Sector Government is to end new subsidies for onshore wind farms by closing the existing payments schemes a year early, it has announced. The move aims to fulfil a Conservative promise ahead of the election on ending new public subsidies for onshore wind farms and changing the law so local people have the final say on them. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/06/18/wind-farm-subsidy-scheme-to-end_n_7609686.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-news Uruguay Spends $2.6B to Become South America Wind Leader Uruguay expects to almost triple its use of wind power as investors plow $2.6 billion into installing more turbines. The goal is to generate as much as 38 percent of its power from wind by the end of 2017 … http://insideclimatenews.org/todaysnews/18062015/uruguay-spends-26b-become-south-america-wind-leader OPINION Cap and trade flouts core principle of liberty Cue the celebrations: One of the great documents of liberty hit the big Eight-0-0 this week. Eight centuries ago, at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, England’s barons forced a resentful King John to sign the Magna Carta – the “Great Charter.” http://www.ocregister.com/articles/auction-667159-california-carbon.html Utilities Going Small--Tammien Last month in Rio de Janeiro, I spoke at a conference of the non-profit Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership (GSEP), which may be the most disruptive and subversive organization you've probably never heard of. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terry-tamminen/utilities-going-small_b_7607336.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green?view=print&comm_ref=falsennemin Carbon trading: How does trucking fit in? There is one famous adage from Thomas Edison I recall that somewhat reflects the message I wanted to deliver in this column: “Opportunity is something that is missed by most people because it arrives dressed in overalls and looks like work,” he said. In other words, upon first glance, opportunity often presents itself as a bug, not a feature. http://www.trucknews.com/features/carbon-trading-how-does-trucking-fit-in/?sponsor=sustainable California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 15:46:24 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 19, 2015 From: pbrown@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. THE POPE U.S. Energy Secretary Moniz’ Statement on Papal Encyclical on Climate Change Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz released the following statement regarding the release of a papal encyclical on climate change by Pope Francis. "Pope Francis' call to action on climate change is an important milestone in the global effort on this issue. His is not just a powerful moral voice, he also graduated as a chemical engineer… http://www.energy.gov/articles/us-energy-secretary-moniz-statement-papal-encyclical-climate-change Pope condemns global warming’s snake oil The most interesting thing about Pope Francis’s 184-page encyclical on climate change released Thursday is its unequivocal and accurate condemnation of the modern day snake oil known as “carbon credits.” Indeed, self-described “green” politicians praising the Pope’s words, might first want to read what he actually said. http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/18/pope-condemns-global-warmings-snake-oil Pope challenges world to clean up its filth Pope Francis' plea to make the state of the environment a central moral issue of our age has been greeted with applause from climate activists and a wide range of church, science and government leaders, but dismissive shrugs from those who doubt climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REL_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Pope Francis' climate message fails to move GOP Pope Francis' call for dramatic action on climate change drew a round of shrugs from congressional Republicans, while a number of the party's presidential candidates ignored it entirely. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL_REPUBLICANS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ASSOCIATED ARTICLES http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Pope-Francis-climate-message-yields-little-GOP-6336992.php http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_28343833/pope-francis-climate-message-yields-little-gop-response http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2015/06/19/165332/pope_makes_climate_change_an_issue_for_gop_presidential?source=npr&category=politics Pope’s Encyclical Makes Grade in Climate Science When it comes to the science of climate change, Pope Francis’ environmentally focused encyclical makes the grade, experts said Thursday. Francis makes clear in the document that humanity bears most of the blame for the warming of the planet and he lays out the main findings of climate science – http://www.climatecentral.org/news/popes-encyclical-makes-grade-19135 CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA PHASE 2 EPA proposes tougher fuel-efficiency standards for trucks The Obama administration on Friday proposed tough new standards to reduce pollution from carbon-emitting trucks and vans, the latest move by President Barack Obama to address global warming. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EPA_HEAVY_TRUCKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ASSOCIATED ARTICLES http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article24964135.html http://www.climatecentral.org/news/epa-cut-truck-emissions-19137 http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fleet-management/news/story/2015/06/feds-claim-proposed-phase-2-ghg-mpg-rules-will-cut-pollution-save-big-money.aspx http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/19/us-usa-trucks-regulations-exclusive-idUSKBN0OZ1KL20150619?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/EPA-proposes-tougher-mileage-standards-for-trucks-6337487.php http://www.overdriveonline.com/epa-dot-announce-proposed-regulations-for-phase-2-of-ghg-fuel-efficiency-standards/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/19/emission-standards-trucks_n_7622600.html?utm_hp_ref=politics http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=38609&t=New-GHG-Proposal-Tightens-Truck-Emissions-Includes-First-Trailer-Targets http://www.trucknews.com/transportation/epa-dot-propose-new-greenhouse-gas-and-fuel-efficiency-standards/1003066337/?sponsor=sustainable http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/06/19/epa-proposes-tougher-mileage-standards-for-trucks CLIMATE CHANGE/OTHER Congressional sparks fly in debate about biomass in Clean Power Plan As U.S. EPA nears the finalization of a rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's power sector, environmental groups and the biomass industry are working hard to sway the agency in their direction. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060020530/feed Insurance gains clout as climate change solution for the poor Efforts to insure vulnerable people such as poor farmers against extreme weather and other climate risks are picking up pace, following a recent G7 commitment to extend cover in developing nations and a global insurance industry forum this week. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/19/climatechange-insurance-poverty-idUSL5N0Z51YP20150619 Mexican, Nigerian states join list of climate change limitation allies Regional governments in Mexico and Nigeria are the latest to join a subnational carbon-cutting pact engineered by California. Officials from Chiapas, Mexico, and Cross River State, Nigeria, yesterday signed onto Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) campaign to push international governments into support of emissions cuts ahead of pivotal U.N. talks this December in Paris. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/19/stories/1060020536 Alaskan glaciers are big contributors to sea-level rise -- study Alaska's glaciers lost 75 gigatons of ice per year between 1994 and 2013, and will continue to be a primary contributor to global sea-level rise through the end of this century, according to a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/19/stories/1060020502 CAP & TRADE Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne speaks at the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is calling on U.S. Great Lakes states to join it in creating a regional carbon market to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/06/18/premier-promotes-low-emission-opportunities-at-cities-conference AIR POLLUTION No Changes to Dune Dust Rule No changes will be made to the rule aimed at mitigating dust blowing out of the Oceano Dunes onto the Nipomo Mesa, and air pollution officials will continue to implement its provisions at least until a trio of lawsuits over the rule’s validity are settled. San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District directors voted 10-2 on Wednesday… http://lompocrecord.com/news/local/no-changes-to-dunes-dust-rule/article_a08af2f6-9920-5c48-a70b-447981ea490d.html EPA Says Suit Over Trailer Emissions Rules Belongs In Calif. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has continued to urge the D.C. Circuit to toss a trucker trade group’s appeal of the agency’s waiver allowing California’s tractor-trailer emission rules to stand, saying the matter belongs in a California court. http://www.law360.com/articles/669380/epa-says-suit-over-trailer-emissions-rules-belongs-in-calif DROUGHT Water wars in California's coastal wine country By most measures, California's Central Coast wine industry is thriving. Between 1990 and 2014, harvested wine grape acreage in the growing region around Paso Robles nearly quintupled to 37,408 acres, as vintners discovered that the area's rolling hills, rocky soil and mild climate were perfect for coaxing rich, sultry flavors from red wine grapes. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/19/usa-drought-wine-idUSL1N0Z434M20150619?feedType=RSS&feedName=nonCyclicalConsumerGoodsSector The water crisis isn't limited to California The American West, not just California, is experiencing a long-term drought. As drought conditions drag on, the region's water reservoirs are getting drained. http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/This-graphic-shows-just-how-little-water-the-West-6336256.php VEHICLES Tesla Success Shows 'Weakness' Of CA Zero-Emission Rules, Company Says California's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) rules will become more stringent soon, extending to more carmakers and requiring more battery-electric or hydrogen fuel-cell cars to be sold. While the new set of regulations won't take effect until 2018, carmakers have already requested changes that could make the rules more lenient or easier to comply with. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098796_tesla-success-shows-weakness-of-ca-zero-emission-rules-company-says Morgan Three-Wheeler goes electric for Goodwood The big V-twin engine hanging out front of the Morgan Three Wheeler in part defines the little trike's look. But Morgan is ditching the engine for an electric motor for the new EV3 concept debuting at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/19/morgan-three-wheeler-ev3-goodwood/ Porsche finishes production of the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid; platform for advanced development for vehicles and manufacturing The final Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid (earlier post) has come off the line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen according to schedule. The hybrid super sports concept car made its debut at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show, and was launched on the market as a limited series in late 2013. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150619-918spyder.html FUELS “Energiewende” in a tank; Audi e-fuels targeting carbon-neutral driving with synthetic fuels from renewables, H2O and CO2; Swiss policy test case Like other major automakers, Audi (and its parent Volkswagen Group) is working on meeting its medium-term regulatory requirements (e.g., in the 2020 timeframe) by reducing the average fuel consumption of its new vehicles using a combination of three primary measures: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150612-audiefuels.html GREEN ENERGY How Hawaii Could Finally Make Floating Wind Farms A Reality The picturesque waters of Hawaii could soon be home to the country's first floating wind farm. During the Hawaii Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting earlier this month, government and industry agencies discussed two proposals to build more than 100 turbines off the island of Oahu. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/19/hawaii-floating-wind-farm-proposal_n_7588694.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green O'Malley cites clean energy future as No. 1 priority if he wins White House bid Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley yesterday vowed to make a nationwide transition to renewable energy his top priority if he wins election to the White House in 2016, asserting the country could wean itself from fossil-fuel-generated power by 2050 http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060020521/feed OPINION B.C.’s global-warming lesson for Alberta and Ontario In the coming months, Ontario and Alberta – which produce nearly two-thirds of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions – will introduce new rules to lower their carbon output. Will these provinces put in place policies that deliver the greatest environmental benefits at the lowest cost, or the opposite? http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/bcs-global-warming-lesson-for-alberta-and-ontario/article25028188/ The choice is ours: Delhi can clean its air by switching to cleaner fuels I am a foreigner living in Delhi, but unlike some other foreigners I believe it is neither fair nor helpful to tar it as being “among the most populous, polluted, unsanitary and bacterially unsafe cities on earth”. http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/the-choice-is-ours-delhi-can-clean-its-air-by-switching-to-cleaner-fuels/ Pope Francis finally goes off the rails A quasi-religious movement now has a genuinely religious leader.The pope's encyclical on the environment is being hailed for its embrace of science, although it is about as scientific as the Catholic hymnal. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/19/POPE-FRANCIS-GOES-OFF-THE-RAILS.html EDITORIAL: Riverside protects its water California’s water warriors now turn their dry eyes to city of Riverside. As part of combating the drought, the California Water Resources Control Board insists the city cut its water use by 24 percent. Riverside says it only needs to cut 4 percent. To avoid fines of up to $10,000 a day, earlier this month Riverside sued the state in Fresno Superior Court. http://www.pe.com/articles/water-770896-riverside-percent.html MISCELLANEOUS Udder Confusion: Dairy Digester Development in California The Golden State has borderline personality disorder regarding promotion and discouragement of dairy biogas projects. California is by far the No. 1 dairy state in the U.S. with roughly 1.8 million head, concentrated mostly in the Central Valley. http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/12062/udder- confusion-dairy-digester-development-in-california Hits at Paris Air Show: Vertical lift-off, tiny satellites Planes you can park in your garage. Satellites that fit in your backpack. Some of the coolest experimental technology showcased at this week's Paris Air Show is about thinking small — though it's easy to get distracted by the huge aircraft performing overhead, from thundering fighter jets to the surprising near-vertical liftoff of a Boeing passenger jet. http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Hits-at-Paris-Air-Show-Vertical-lift-off-tiny-6337619.php BLOG WHO Pollution Guidelines Could Save 2.1 Million Lives Per Year Improved air quality — both in heavily polluted and relatively clean places — could save millions of lives per year, researchers report in a new paper. A team of environmental engineering and public health researchers designed a model to quantify how changes in outdoor air pollution levels would affect related deaths from causes including heart attack, stroke, lung disease, lung cancer and respiratory infections. http://www.weather.com/health/news/who-air-pollution-targets-could-save-millions-of-lives California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 16:12:43 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- NewsClips 06.19.15 Addendum From: pbrown@arb.ca.gov Addendum from NY Times. Proposed Rule for Big Trucks Aims at Cutting Fuel Emissions The Obama administration on Friday introduced a major climate change regulation intended to reduce planet-warming carbon pollution from heavy-duty trucks. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/business/energy-environment/epa-rules-carbon-pollution-heavy-trucks.html For Automakers, Fuel Economy Targets May Be Less of a Stretch When David Key drove his new mostly aluminum-body Ford F-150 pickup home this year, he knew he had made the right choice. Mr. Key, of Holly Springs, N.C., outside Raleigh, previously owned a 2007 version of the truck with a beast of an engine — a 5.4-liter V8 — that gave him all the power he craved. But the new F-150 featured a much smaller, 3.5-liter V6, as well as a body made largely from aluminum instead of steel. He was intrigued, but a little nervous. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/automobiles/wheels/for-automakers-a-coming-fuel-economy-mountain-has-become-a-molehill.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 16:24:17 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 22, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 22, 2015. 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 Pope blasts California’s cap-and-trade system. In its brief history, California’s cap-and-trade system to fight global warming has faced many foes, including oil-company executives and manufacturing magnates. On Thursday, it came under fire from a new quarter: the Vatican. Pope Francis, in his highly anticipated call to action against climate change, took an unexpected swipe at the cap-and-trade systems used in both California and Europe to control greenhouse gases. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Pope-blasts-California-s-cap-and-trade-system-6336494.php AIR POLLUTION Coal Train Dust Worries Richmond Residents. Trains heaped with coal pass through Richmond every week on their way to the city’s port. In Parchester Village, a largely black and Latino neighborhood in northwestern Richmond, residents say coal dust blows off the open mounds, covering the grass and coating their screen doors.“ http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/22/coal-train-dust-worries-richmond-residents/ Air pollution may affect the way the brain ages and functions. Investigating the impact of air pollution on the human brain is a new area of environmental neurosciences, Keck School researcher says. Exposure to air pollution has been known to affect respiratory diseases, lung function and cardiac health… http://news.usc.edu/83093/air-pollution-may-affect-the-way-the-brain-ages-and-functions/ Democratic governors back tighter ozone standard. Five Democratic governors Friday called on U.S. EPA to follow the advice of its scientific advisory panel and lower the limit for ground-level ozone. In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the governors warned of potential adverse health effects linked to ozone levels above the current limit of 75 parts per billion. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/22/stories/1060020648 CLIMATE CHANGE Polish Opt-Out From EU Climate Pact? Lets Talk, Says Naimski. Poland’s leading opposition party is seeking to negotiate exemptions from the European Union’s rules on reducing carbon emissions because the nation’s energy security and economic development depends on coal. Law & Justice, which opinion polls show winning October’s general election, has vowed to toughen Poland’s stance on climate issues to protect the $526 billion economy… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-21/a-poland-opt-out-from-eu-s-climate-pact-lets-talk-says-naimski Effects of Climate Change Could Cost Billions, E.P.A. Report Says. In the absence of global action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the United States by the end of the century may face up to $180 billion in economic losses because of drought and water shortages, according to a report released Monday by the White House and Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/us/politics/effects-of-climate-change-could-cost-billions-epa-report-says.html Few Echo Pope’s Environment Plea in Sunday Sermons. On the first Sunday after Pope Francis issued a landmark document on the environment, Roman Catholics attending Mass in Kenya, France, Mexico, Peru and the United States said they were thankful that he was using his pulpit to address climate change, pollution and global inequality. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/world/few-echo-popes-environment-plea-in-sunday-sermons.html?_r=0 How climate-change doubters lost a papal fight. Pope Francis was about to take a major step backing the science behind ­human-driven global warming, and Philippe de Larminat was determined to change his mind. A French doubter who authored a book arguing that solar activity — not greenhouse gases — was driving global warming… http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/how-climate-change-doubters-lost-a-papal-fight/2015/06/20/86af3182-15ce-11e5-8457-4b431bf7ed4c_story.html White House: Action needed now to slow climate change. Failure to act on climate change could cause an estimated 57,000 deaths in the United States from poor air quality by 2100, the Obama administration argued in a new report Monday that warns of dire effects of global warming. The report underscores the costs of inaction on climate change as well as the benefits from taking action now. http://www.sfgate.com/news/medical/article/White-House-Action-needed-now-to-slow-climate-6341799.php Can Pope end bickering on climate change? Thrilled but not surprised. Veerabhadran Ramanathan felt that way last week when Pope Francis delivered a powerful encyclical pleading with the world to deal with climate change. The UC San Diego climate scientist helped shape the Pope's thinking as a member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/21/pope-francis-climate/ On climate, Obama's legacy a work in progress. Seven years ago this month, Barack Obama stood on a stage in St. Paul, Minnesota, and claimed victory in the Democratic presidential primaries. Hillary Clinton hadn't conceded, but the numbers told the story. Obama had clinched the nomination. He made some bold predictions that night. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/06/20/obamas-climate-legacy-work-progress/29004163/ Climate change turning sacred land against Navajo. A 19-year drought in Navajo Nation is stretching an already struggling people. But the climate change is also highlighting their endurance and ingenuity. The land of the Navajo Nation is sacred to its people, bordered by four mountains that are central to the tribe’s identity and beliefs. But this land has been turning increasingly hostile as the regional climate has changed. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0619/Climate-change-turning-sacred-land-against-Navajo Climate Aid Key to Paris Deal, Says Amber Rudd. Climate aid to developing countries is likely to be the biggest sticking point hindering a global deal at the U.N. climate talks in Paris later this year, according to the U.K.’s energy and climate secretary. Amber Rudd, who will lead the U.K.’s negotiating team, said that creating a meaningful financial package for developing countries is “absolutely essential” for brokering an agreement. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-aid-key-to-paris-19140 U.S. Summers Bringing More and More Heat. It’s officially summer! We have now passed the points that mark the traditional start to summer (Memorial Day), the meteorological start (June 1), and now the astronomical start, or summer solstice (June 21) — so break out those flip-flops and beach towels! Though June, July, and August usually bring the heat, for parts of the country spring felt decidedly more like summer. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/summers-here-and-so-is-the-heat-19139 EPA: Limiting Climate Change Would Have Tremendous Benefits For The U.S. Acting on climate change will have major economic, environmental, and health benefits, according to a report released Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The report analyzes two future climate change scenarios — one in which “significant global action” on climate change has limited warming to 2°C (3.6°F)… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/22/3672455/epa-climate-change-benefits-report/ Global Warming Leads to Sea Level Rise in Northern Europe. Global warming leads to the ice sheets on land melting and flowing into the sea, which consequently rises. New calculations by researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute show that the sea level in Northern Europe may rise more than previously thought. There is a significant risk that the seas around Scandinavia, England, the Netherlands… http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22064 Obama admin report touts economic benefits of U.S. action. The United States' future with global climate change action looks a lot brighter than its future without it, U.S. EPA argues in a peer-reviewed scientific report unveiled today at the White House. The report examines two scenarios -- one that keeps warming to 2 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial levels and another that doesn't… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/22/stories/1060020657 DROUGHT As its water dwindled, Fresno cracked down hard. Don Wells spotted a trail of pooling water and slowed his van. Runoff from a sprinkler gone rogue streamed down a long block of thirsty brown lawns, watering the sidewalk. "There it is," he said, pulling up to a house with grass too wet for this time of day. He grabbed his city-issued clipboard and a small digital camera. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fresno-water-penalties-20150622-story.html#page=1 Santa Barbara's cautious relationship with water offers a drought lesson. First came the rain garden, where bees buzz around the lavender and sage. Then came the back patio, where bananas, guava, passion fruit, ginger and an herb garden are fed by water diverted from the clothes washer. Later came the raised beds thick with kale, chard, strawberries and several varieties of squash. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-santa-barbara-conserve-20150621-story.html#page=1 Drought could increasingly lead wildlife into populated areas. At camp, things can go bump in the night. We all know that. But at your house, you don’t expect a bump in the day at your front gate. But that’s what happened last week when a bear strolled through yards and along streets in Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel Valley. http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Drought-could-increasingly-lead-wildlife-into-6339782.php California: Many farmers miss deadline to report water cuts. A majority of farmers and others holding some of California's strongest claims to water have missed a deadline to confirm they stopped pumping from rivers and streams, state officials said Monday. Data show less than a third of those affected by California's broadest cut on… http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-Many-farmers-miss-deadline-to-report-6342095.php Sacramento region a leader in snitching on water wasters. As the drought deepens, Sacramento-area residents haven’t exactly been shy about turning in their water-profligate neighbors. Area water agencies took more than 4,000 complaints related to suspected water waste from their customers in April, according to the latest figures from the State Water Resources Control Board and interviews with city officials. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article25122205.html California Legislature passes drought bill imposing fines, water system consolidation. A California budget bill that would allow the state to force consolidation of water systems, exempt certain water projects from environmental review and make other far-reaching changes in response to the drought cleared the Legislature on Friday over the angry objections of Republicans. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article24999385.html#storylink=cpy Drought a boom for Valley businesses offering water savings. California’s historic drought has triggered a flood of business for Valley companies and entrepreneurs specializing in water-saving equipment, tools and technology. As the state endures its fourth dry year, California residents are being encouraged by Gov. Jerry Brown to slash their water usage by 25%. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article24942298.html#storylink=cpy California drought: Big difference in water use between wealthy communities and everyone else. Both communities receive their water from the same source -- the East Bay Municipal Utility District -- and both are bound by the same conservation rules and rates. But the residents of San Lorenzo, a working-class Alameda County suburb along Interstate 880, use a mere 51 gallons of water per person a day. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28351946/california-drought-big-difference-water-use-between-wealthy Is end of small water districts coming? Pressure for savings, efficiency may spur more mergers. A potential merger of two North County water districts has revived the long-standing debate about whether ratepayers are best served by small water districts or bigger agencies that potentially can save money through economy of scale. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/21/the-end-of-small-water-districts/?st Five drought-busting resources. Water-saving classes, apps and loads of mulch. Ditch your lawn. Fix your toilet. Don’t even think about letting your kids run through the sprinklers. If the deluge of drought-related demands has you melting like the Wicked Witch of the West, time to reach for a water-wise lifeline. And in San Diego County, we’re swimming in them. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/19/water-saving-tips-resources-san-diego/ Drought heightens awareness for water reuse and recycling. Sounds of chhh!…chhh!…chhh! cut the predawn air as sprinklers drop showers of artificial rain on golf course fairways and freeway embankments in western Los Angeles County. Lush green turf thrives on rolling courses in Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and Westlake Village, and well-watered ivy hugs Ventura Freeway medians -- all sustained by unique water supplies. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28545 How California's drought could spur an ecological rebirth. As water-hungry turf turns brown in the state’s fourth year of severe drought, many homeowners find the time ripe to revegetate with native plants such as cacti, buckwheat and sage scrub: ‘It’s helping sustain biodiversity’. Jennifer and Lawrence Kesteloot like to begin the day with breakfast in their San Francisco backyard garden. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/21/california-drought-landscaping-succulents-wildflowers As California’s drought continues, spotlight turns to water czar. Felicia Marcus peered over her desk the other day as the State Water Resources Control Board came to order in a state office hearing room, bracing for another day of bad drought news. There would be warnings about die-offs of birds and fish. An anguished farmer describing how he is being forced to fallow fields of crops. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/insight/2015/06/21/1-the-water-czar.html Israeli Water Experts Advise Drought-stricken California. A noted Israeli hydrologist is helping drought-stricken California cope with its water crisis. Eilon Adar, director of the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev desert, came to Sacramento, California, recently for a conference on how Israel, no stranger to drought… http://www.voanews.com/content/israeli-water-experts-share-knowledge-with-drought-stricken-california/2832658.html Calif. agencies allege farmers are illegally diverting water in stressed delta. As the California drought rages on, a group of 27 public water agencies is lodging a complaint with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) asking for an immediate order to block farmers in the southern part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from diverting water for crop irrigation. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060020622/search?keyword=california DIESEL ACTIVITIES Proposed Rule for Big Trucks Aims at Cutting Fuel Emissions. The Obama administration on Friday introduced a major climate change regulation intended to reduce planet-warming carbon pollution from heavy-duty trucks. The rule, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department, is the latest in a march of pollution constraints… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/business/energy-environment/epa-rules-carbon-pollution-heavy-trucks.html http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/EPA-proposes-tougher-mileage-standards-for-trucks-6337487.php http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/245526-obama-seeks-24-percent-cut-in-trucks-fuel-use http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/white-house-proposes-greater-fuel-efficiency-for-trucks-to-cut-emissions/2015/06/19/1009901a-1621-11e5-89f3-61410da94eb1_story.html?hpid=z4 Volvo Trucks approves 100% renewable diesel for all Euro 5 engines, prepping certification for Euro 6. After extensive field testing of renewable diesel HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils), Volvo Trucks has approved the fuel for all Euro 5 engines and is preparing certifications for Euro 6 engines. HVO (such as Neste’s NEXBTL) is produced from renewable raw materials such as vegetable and animal fats and acts as regular diesel. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150622-volvo.html SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Workers clean up oil spill on Santa Barbara beaches by hand. Along a stretch of beach heavily marred by a crude oil spill, workers in hard hats and white protective suits use wire brushes and putty knives to scrape the black liquid off cobblestones and cliff faces. The painstaking task at Refugio State Beach marks a new front in the cleanup after an underground pipeline leaked last month and released up to 101,000 gallons of oil… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/oil-667749-spill-beaches.html VEHICLES Will new incentives spark interest in electric cars? Paul Gipe’s plug-in electric vehicle gets about 84 miles on a full charge, so getting around town is never a problem. It’s when the Bakersfield resident and his wife wanted to visit a niece in Ridgecrest earlier this month that things got tricky. Faced with a lack of “fast charge” stations along… http://www.bakersfield.com/news/2015/06/17/electric-car-owners-may-soon-get-more-public-charging-stations-but-how-much-will-it-help.html Toyota Fuel-Cell 'Megafactory' Matches Tesla Gigafactory In Impact. As shown by its roughly half-million references in Google, Tesla’s lithium-ion cell and battery Gigafactory is a big deal. Producing the same volume of lithium-ion cells in one building in 2020 as were produced by the whole industry during 2013 should allow substantial economies of scale for those cells--and the cars that use them. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098818_toyota-fuel-cell-megafactory-matches-tesla-gigafactory-in-impact GREEN ENERGY House panel to review BLM's 'chronic mismanagement' of reclamation bonds A House Natural Resources panel Wednesday will review a new report by the Government Accountability Office that committee Republicans say documents the Bureau of Land Management's "chronic mismanagement" of wind and solar reclamation bonds. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060020602/feed MISCELLANEOUS American recycling is stalling, and the big blue bin is one reason why. Tucked in the woods 30 miles north of Washington is a plant packed with energy-guzzling machines that can make even an environmentalist’s heart sing — giant conveyor belts, sorters and crushers saving a thousand tons of paper, plastic and other recyclables from reaching landfills each day. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/american-recycling-is-stalling-and-the-big-blue-bin-is-one-reason-why/2015/06/20/914735e4-1610-11e5-9ddc-e3353542100c_story.html OPINIONS Pope Francis’ Call to Action Goes Beyond the Environment. IN Pope Francis’ sprawling new encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” there are many mansions: A meditation on biblical ecology, a discussion of environmental policy, a critique of consumerism, even a reflection on the perils of social media. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/opinion/sunday/ross-douthat-pope-francis-call-to-action-goes-beyond-the-environment.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0 California helps lead a U.N. mission. Pope Francis’ clarion call on climate change has been duly hailed as a potential game changer in the long-elusive effort to gain a global commitment for action. His 184-page encyclical, released last week, framed the issue in stark moral terms. The former chemist warned of the planet devolving into “an immense pile of filth” from its wealthier economies’ overreliance on fossil fuels. http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODE/SanFranciscoChronicle/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=SFNGQy8yMDE1LzA2LzIx&pageno=NTk.&entity=QXIwNTkwMA..&view=ZW50aXR5 Mercury News editorial: Fracking laws need to be stronger. When the need for fossil fuels conflicts with the need to protect the environment -- particularly our water supply -- we've got to come down on the side of safe water. So the Legislature needs to pass a bill by Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Calabasas, to update the state's policies of monitoring oil extraction operations. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28334029/mercury-news-editorial-fracking-laws-need-be-stronger Berger: Adjusting wine expectations with climate change. A decade ago, in an issue of my private wine newsletter, I wrote about an interview I’d had with a Swedish winemaker. The gentleman revealed to me that he was growing Cabernet Sauvignon just outside Stockholm, that he hoped the resulting wine would display all the characteristics that a great red wine should have… http://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/4091828-181/berger-adjusting-wine-expectations-with Harold Johnson: Celebrate the Magna Carta by cancelling cap and trade tax. Cue the candles and cake: One of the great documents of liberty hit the big 8-0-0 last week. Eight centuries ago, at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, England’s barons forced a resentful King John to sign the Magna Carta — the “Great Charter.” With its historic restrictions on royal power, Magna Carta set precedents that echo down to our day: http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150621/harold-johnson-celebrate-the-magna-carta-by-cancelling-cap-and-trade-tax BLOGS California's "Grand Experiment" in Climate Policy Is Working. Sometimes we need to look back in order to see the road forward. Whenever I reflect on the success of California's climate policies, I like to hop in my time machine and dial it all the way back to ancient history - circa 2010 - when I was a young staffer in Washington D.C. fresh out of grad school with big policy dreams and an even bigger student debt. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jorge-madrid/californias-grand-experim_b_7638394.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green?view=print&comm_ref=false Methane: The Good And The Good. Methane is a very touchy subject with the Environmental Protection Agency. If you don’t believe me just open up a web search and type in “methane, epa”. I could provide you with a bunch of examples but y’all are all intelligent capable folks. Methane is touchy with many environmentalists as well. http://www.forbes.com/sites/billtucker/2015/06/22/methane-the-good-and-the-good/ California is figuring out the whole drought thing for the rest of us. California drought,yadda yadda yadda. You’ve probably heard it all by now — water rights debates, evil almonds, lawn hate — but that overexposure could be a boon for the rest of the world, where drought is forecast to be a serious and growing problem as the climate warms. http://grist.org/science/california-is-figuring-out-the-whole-drought-thing-for-the-rest-of-us/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:57:47 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 23, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 23, 2015. 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's cap-and-trade program funds affordable housing. Cap-and-trade money will fund 82 apartment units at MacArthur Park Apartments which will have access to the Metro station serving the Red and Purple lines. Los Angeles Housing Partnership. The state's cap-and-trade program this year will provide $122 million in funding for affordable housing… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/06/23/52596/california-cap-trade-program-affordable-housing/ Americans support cap and trade more when money is used for efficiency – poll. A new poll from the University of Michigan highlights some political benefits -- and pitfalls -- of state-level cap-and-trade systems aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The data may contain some clues for states considering auctioning off emission permits as a way to comply with U.S. EPA's impending Clean Power Plan. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060020692/search?keyword=california AIR POLLUTION No Clear Signal From U.S. Supreme Court About Upcoming Decision on Mercury Rules. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to soon issue its decision on the legality of the Environmental Protection Agency's mercury and air toxics standards for power plants, but court observers said they are still unsure of how the court will rule. http://www.bna.com/no-clear-signal-n17179928055/ CLIMATE CHANGE World power sector emissions seen peaking in 2029 –research. Global greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector are expected to peak in 2029 and then start falling, but will still be some way above levels needed to limit temperature rise, research showed on Tuesday. Electricity generation worldwide is forecast to rise by 56 percent by 2040 as economies develop and populations grow… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/23/solar-investment-idUSL8N0Z82V720150623 Climate change health risk is a 'medical emergency', experts warn. The threat to human health from climate change is so great that it could undermine the last 50 years of gains in development and global health, experts warned on Tuesday. Extreme weather events such as floods and heat waves bring rising risks of infectious diseases, poor nutrition and stress, the specialists said, while polluted cities where people work long hours… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/23/us-health-climatechange-idUSKBN0P22FG20150623?virtualBrandChannel=14230 How the European Oil Industry Decided to Save the Climate. It came together in Oslo. The chiefs of some of Europe’s biggest energy companies decided to pull an historic about-face. It was time to heed the protesters marching in the February snow outside their industry conference demanding action to counter global warming. By the time the convention chat turned into action, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, BP Plc, Total SA, Eni SpA, Statoil ASA and BG Group Plc published an unprecedented open letter on climate change. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-22/how-the-european-oil-industry-decided-to-save-the-climate EPA Bolsters Argument for Global Action on Climate Change in Report on Costs, Benefits. The Environmental Protection Agency bolstered its case for global action to address climate change in a June 22 report that details the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The report, “Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action,” looks at the benefits of global greenhouse gas mitigation across water resources, electricity, infrastructure… http://www.bna.com/epa-bolsters-argument-n17179928036/ EPA report cites benefits of limiting emissions, climate change. Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change could prevent tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions in economic losses in the United States, according to a new study by the Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-climate-action-report-20150623-story.html California climate plan has inland condemning coastal elitism. The way inland California lawmakers see it, the only benefit to their constituents from Gov. Jerry Brown's expansion of carbon pollution laws will be cleaner air to breathe as they wait at the unemployment office. Brown and other Democrats are pushing legislation to reduce greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels to a fraction of what they were a quarter-century ago. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article25221169.html#storylink=cpy Most Extreme Weather Has Climate Change Link, Study Says. Global warming has created a 'new normal,' scientists say, and the old hesitance to attribute extreme weather to climate change is outdated. In the wake of major hurricanes, floods and heat waves, scientists are quick to say that no single weather event can be attributed to climate change until careful analysis draws that conclusion. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/23062015/most-extreme-weather-has-climate-change-link-study-says-global-warming-trenberth-ncar-sea-levels Why Researchers Are Sounding The Alarm About Climate Change’s Health Impacts. Climate change and air pollution make a dangerous pair. That’s one of the findings of a report published Monday from the Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change, a group that represents a collaboration between European and Chinese climate scientists and geographers, social and environmental scientists… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/23/3672836/lancet-report-health-air-pollution/ EPA report puts a price on carbon pollution — and it is really damn high. According to a report released June 22 by the Obama administration, doing nothing to rein in greenhouse gas emissions would cost the United States billions of dollars and thousands lives. The findings come as part of an attempt by the Environmental Protection Agency to quantify the human and economic benefits of cutting emissions in an effort to reduce global warming. http://grist.org/science/epa-report-puts-a-price-on-carbon-pollution-and-it-is-really-damn-high/ Large Amount of Marine Nitrous Oxide Emissions Produced in the Southeast Pacific. Originally it became famous as an anesthetic gas used by dentists. However, laughing gas, or chemically correct nitrous oxide, is also found in large quantities in nature and has serious effects on climate: In the lower atmosphere it is a strong greenhouse gas, and in higher layers of the atmosphere it contributes indirectly to the destruction of ozone. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22067 White House puts big price tag on failures to prepare for climate damage. The Obama administration is portraying starkly different futures for the nation in a world that begins cutting greenhouse gases now, versus one that doesn't act at all. It says tens of thousands of American lives and billions in future damage costs could be saved. Under the no-action scenario, 57,000 more Americans could die from declining air quality… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/23/stories/1060020682 Calif. wildflower diversity in decline because of climate change – study. Warmer, drier winters are driving a loss of wildflower diversity in California's grasslands, according to a new study published yesterday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. By examining 15 years of data from 80 sampling plots at the McLaughlin Natural Reserve… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/23/stories/1060020671 DROUGHT Drought May Prompt Californians to Let Personal Hygiene Slide. Forget the brown lawns. California’s historic drought may make the state’s residents less keen on washing their bodies and their homes. The water woes in the Western U.S. may cut sales of traditional cleaning products sold by the likes of Procter & Gamble Co… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-22/drought-may-prompt-californians-to-let-personal-hygiene-slide Master-planned community will get water under new agreement. The taps in the homes of a San Joaquin County master-planned community will continue to get water after local officials reached an agreement that will keep supplies flowing to about 15,000 residents. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-mountain-house-20150622-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES DTF: Truck Efficiencies Already Save 880 Million Gallons of Diesel. New research released Friday by the Diesel Technology Forum that shows declining emissions and increased fuel efficiency are well underway for the nation’s commercial trucking fleets, coincide with the government’s announcement of a proposed rule establishing a second phase of reductions in CO2 emissions and improvements in fuel efficiency. http://www.truckingnewsonline.com/news/dtf-truck-efficiencies-already-save-880-million-gallons-of-diesel/ FUELS Quebec premier sees little value in proposed oil pipeline. Quebec's premier says he doesn't see much economic value for his province in a proposed pipeline that would carry crude oil from western Canada to refineries on the Atlantic coast. Philippe Couillard said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press that if Quebec is simply a "transit place" for TransCanada's proposed $12 billion Energy East project, he doesn't see much benefit. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_QUEBEC_PREMIER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Crude up 2 percent as U.S. oil products jump; eyes on Iran. Crude futures rallied around 2 percent on Tuesday, latching onto a rebound in oil products ahead of U.S. inventory data expected to show strong demand for gasoline. Also supporting prices were signs of trouble with an impending Iranian nuclear deal that could delay Tehran's hopes of lifting Western sanctions on its oil exports. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/23/us-markets-oil-idUSKBN0P204720150623?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews How Fracking Is Fueling A Power Shift From Coal To Gas. When you flip on a light switch, odds are, you're burning coal. But as the fracking boom continues to unleash huge quantities of natural gas, the nation's electric grid is changing. Power plants are increasingly turning to this low-cost, cleaner-burning fossil fuel. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=414926833 Low carbon fuel infrastructure will need £10 billion investment, says LowCVP. Delivering a public refuelling infrastructure that is necessary for the UK to meet its carbon emission reduction targets for transport will require investment of more than £10 billion by 2050, a report commissioned by the LowCVP says. http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-news/2015/06/23/lowcvp-calls-for-collaboration-to-deliver-low-carbon-fuels-of-the-future IH2 technology licensed for demonstration plant to convert woody biomass into drop-in hydrocarbon transportation fuels. SynSel Energi AS has entered into an IH2 (Integrated Hydropyrolysis and Hydroconversion) process demonstration license agreement with CRI/Criterion Catalyst Company Ltd, a member of the CRI Catalyst group (CRI), a global group of catalyst technology companies. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150623-ih2.html VEHICLES Why Tesla wants stricter emissions rules. Zero-emission vehicle rules in California will become stricter soon, and some carmakers are already requesting changes. Tesla Motors, meanwhile, is openly opposing its competitors on the issue, arguing that the California mandate should be even more stringent. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/0620/Why-Tesla-wants-stricter-emissions-rules Tesla Model 3: Revealed Next Year, Production Starts 2017, Company Confirms. Tesla Motors hasn't been able to meet any initial production deadlines so far, which raises continuing questions about the timeliness of its planned 200-mile Model 3 electric car. But in disputing what turned out to be an erroneous report of a delay, Tesla yesterday confirmed that the car is on track for its planned 2017 launch. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098830_tesla-model-3-revealed-next-year-production-starts-2017-company-confirms Renewing batteries to foster renewables. Batteries from electric cars can live again and help provide a crucial boost to renewable power. Electric cars may help reduce transport pollution, but they could also spur the wider use of batteries to store renewable electricity for when demand peaks and, as a consequence, further squeeze the need for fossil fuel-fired power. http://www.politico.eu/article/from-cars-to-renewables-batteries-may-drive-out-fossil-fuels-electric-cars-nissan-leaf-tesla/ Nissan Cuts CO2 Emissions 22.6%. Nissan says it achieved a 22.6 percent cut in CO2 last year when compared to fiscal year 2005, thus achieving its goal to reduce CO2 emissions from corporate activities by 20 percent during that period. Looking ahead, the automaker says one of its CO2 emission goals is to increase the usage rate of renewable energy in its global business activities to 9 percent by fiscal year 2016. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/06/23/nissan-cuts-co2-emissions-22-6/#ixzz3duIfixKn U.S. Cross-Country Drive On Single Tank Of Renewable Diesel Fuel. You never know what you'll encounter on the highway. Green Car Reports contributor and electric-motorcycle roadtripper Ben Rich encountered an unusual vehicle on U.S. Route 12 Sunday, while bypassing New Orleans on a cross-country ride. He wrote us to ask about the identity of the low-slung car he captured on video. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098820_u-s-cross-country-drive-on-single-tank-of-renewable-diesel-fuel GREEN ENERGY Renewable energy may double, mostly without subsidies, but fail to restrict emissions growth – study. In 25 years, more than half of the world's energy-generating capacity will come from zero-emission sources and renewables will generate twice as much power, but atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide will likely still push the world past the ubiquitous 2-degree-Celsius goal… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060020693 OPINIONS Opinion: The GOP needs its own plan for climate change. The Obama administration’s ongoing campaign to regulate climate-change causing pollutants under the Clean Air Act deserves all of the withering criticism it has gotten from the political right. That said, the GOP’s current efforts to undo the administration’s bureaucratic power grab without offering a substantive alternative… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/06/23/opinion-the-gop-needs-its-own-plan-for-climate-change/ David Brooks: Fracking and the Franciscans. You would never know from the encyclical that we are living through the greatest reduction in poverty in human history Pope Francis is one of the world’s most inspiring figures. There are passages in his new encyclical on the environment that beautifully place human beings within the seamless garment of life. And yet overall the encyclical is surprisingly disappointing. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article25310134.html#storylink=cpy Air quality can be a matter of life and death. I did not become active in energy politics until I saw the devastating effects of energy pollution firsthand, when I lost my 14-year-old granddaughter, Ariana. Now I only wish I had known sooner. In 2013, my beautiful granddaughter suffered a severe asthma attack. One of her lungs collapsed, and she went into cardiac arrest. http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/06/23/michigan-air-quailty/29128971/ BLOGS China’s Air Is Much Worse Than India’s, World Bank Report Shows. India’s capital may have the worst air quality in the world on some days, but a new report shows that nationally, the air in the world’s second-most-populous country is far less polluted than in China. In fact, China’s air is more than twice as dirty as India’s, according to recently released estimates by the World Bank. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/06/23/chinas-air-is-much-worse-than-indias-world-bank-report-shows/ US corn belt senators accuse government of setting biofuels mandate too low: Regulation and Environment. The US Renewable Fuel Standard’s inevitable day in court got a preview airing the week ending June 19th, as Corn Belt senators—echoing complaints from their biofuel industry constituents—accused the Obama administration of illegally setting the 2014, 2015 and 2016 volumes below statutory levels. http://blogs.platts.com/2015/06/22/us-corn-belt-biofuels-mandate-low/ Cleaning up Big Trucks to Deliver a Cleaner Future. Tractor trailers and other medium and heavy trucks are the hard working giants of the American highway. They are also a disproportionately large part of our nation's carbon footprint. Buses, delivery vans and 18-wheelers contribute a massive 20 percent of all transportation-related greenhouse gases while comprising only 5 percent of vehicles. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margo-t-oge/cleaning-up-big-trucks-to-deliver-a-cleaner-future_b_7632974.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:38:32 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 24, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 24, 2015. 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 Mexico coal plant owners settle Clean Air Act violations. The owners of a coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation reached a settlement Wednesday with federal agencies over complaints they flouted rules for permits and violated the Clean Air Act, leading to further pollution control upgrades that will cost millions of dollars. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FOUR_CORNERS_POWER_PLANT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Germany to decide between coal levy and alternative on July 1. German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Wednesday he was considering an alternative to a proposed levy on coal-fired power plants and would decide on July 1. Germany is wrestling with how to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the energy sector to stop it from falling short of its ambitious climate targets, while safeguarding jobs and securing its energy supply. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/24/us-germany-coal-levy-idUSKBN0P40P220150624 Air pollution could kill 57,000 Americans by 2100. Climate change is already wreaking havoc on human health, and worsening air quality alone could kill 57,000 Americans by the end of the century, doctors and federal officials said Tuesday at a White House summit. Scientists have long known that climate change is more than an environmental problem: It's an unprecedented human health threat. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/06/23/air-quality-will-get-worse-climate-changes/29191799/ CLIMATE CHANGE Landmark Dutch ruling: Cut emissions to protect citizens. A Dutch court ordered the government Wednesday to slash greenhouse gas emissions to help fight global warming, a landmark ruling in a case brought by hundreds of concerned citizens that could pave the way for similar legal battles around the world. Climate activists in a packed courtroom in The Hague erupted into cheers as Presiding Judge Hans Hofhuis told Dutch authorities to cut the country's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 percent… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_NETHERLANDS_CLIMATE_CASE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/24/netherlands-carbon-court-idUSL8N0ZA1LA20150624 http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/world/article25387198.html#storylink=cpy Study: Weather patterns that bring heatwaves happening more. Daily weather patterns have changed in recent decades, making eastern North America, Europe and western Asia more prone to nastier summer heatwaves that go beyond global warming, a new study finds. A team of climate scientists at Stanford University looked at weather patterns since 1979 and found changes in frequency and strength in parts of the world, according to a study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_HEATWAVE_TRIGGERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT ADB: Climate change makes poor poorer in Asia-Pacific. Climate change has been making the poor in the Asia-Pacific region even poorer and is also setting back efforts to haul them out of poverty, the Asian Development Bank said in a report Wednesday. Combined with rising inequality, the two forces could make the more equal distribution of the fruits of economic growth a "distant goal" for the world's most populous region… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_ASIA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT El Nino Gains Strength as Pacific Warms Just Like It’s 1997. The El Nino developing across the Pacific strengthened further, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, which again highlighted patterns shown by the data that are similar to the record 1997-1998 event. Sea-surface temperature indexes for the central and eastern tropical Pacific are more than 1 degree Celsius above average for a sixth week, the bureau said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-23/el-nino-seen-strengthening-as-pacific-warms-just-like-it-s-1997 DOE Study Finds Elevated Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Canadian Crude. Findings add ammunition to critics of country’s surging production, opponents of Keystone pipeline. A new peer-reviewed study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy says oil extracted from Canada’s oil sands produces greenhouse-gas emissions that are an average 20% higher than for conventional U.S. crude. http://www.wsj.com/articles/doe-study-finds-elevated-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-canadian-crude-1435094434 Alaska Entering New Era for Wildfires. Alaska, the great northern frontier of America, is being reshaped by climate change. While rising temperatures are altering its character and landscape, they are also bringing the ravages of wildfires. In the past 60 years, Alaska has warmed more than twice as fast as the rest of the country, with average temperatures up by nearly 3°F. By 2050, temperatures are projected to climb an additional 2-4 degrees… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/alaska-entering-new-era-for-wildfires-19146 DROUGHT Troubled Delta System Is California’s Water Battleground. Fighting over water is a tradition in California, but nowhere are the lines of dispute more sharply drawn than here in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a 720,000-acre network of islands and canals that is the hub of the state’s water system. Giant pumps pull in water flowing to the delta from the mountainous north of the state… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/science/troubled-delta-system-is-californias-water-battleground.html?_r=1 California symbolic of global groundwater crisis, scientist says. Drought-stricken California might be the current-day poster child of water rationing, but it's only one of more than two dozen emerging water-stress pressure points around the world, according to the latest satellite measurement studies conducted by NASA. " http://www.sacbee.com/news/news-services/article25386367.html#storylink=cpy California Drought: Support grows in Bay Area for toilet to tap water. Bay Area residents consider California's historic drought so dire that a majority say they would be willing to drink purified toilet water. That's not the only finding in a Bay Area Council poll released Wednesday that used to be considered hard to swallow. Many Bay Area residents appear to be putting aside some long-held notions about the environment… http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28372207/california-drought-support-grows-bay-area-toilet-tap DIESEL ACTIVITIES Alphabet Energy introduces PowerModules for modular thermoelectric waste heat recovery; partnership with Borla for heavy-duty trucks. Alphabet Energy, founded in 2009 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, announced the availability of its thermoelectric generator PowerModule as a standalone product, available to meet the specific application needs of a range of industries, including transportation. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150624-alphabet.html FUELS U.S. judge temporarily blocks new fracking rules on public lands. A U.S. judge in Wyoming on Tuesday granted a request by four states and several energy industry groups to temporarily stop new federal rules on hydraulic fracturing on public lands from taking effect on Wednesday. The Interior Department rules would require companies to provide data on chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking… http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-judge-temporarily-blocks-new-fracking-rules-on-public-lands-2015-6#ixzz3dzlUwKyD How to stop Shell's Arctic drilling? With walruses, green groups say. Walruses may stop Royal Dutch Shell's Arctic drilling plan. Two exploratory wells Shell wants to drill in the Chukchi Sea near Alaska violate regulations designed to avoid disturbing walruses and other marine mammals, a coalition of environmental groups led by Earthjustice contended Tuesday. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/how-to-stop-shells-arctic-drilling-with-walruses-green-groups-say/article/2566858 SwRI, UTSA partner on biofuel project. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Office of the Vice President for Research have selected a new biofuel project to receive $125,000 through the Connecting through Research Partnerships (Connect) Program. Funding 1 begins September 2015. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/swri-utsa-partner-on-biofuel-project.html Court delays federal fracking rule. The Obama administration's long-awaited hydraulic fracturing rule will not take effect as scheduled today, thanks to a federal judge's eleventh-hour decision to stay the rule until August. Judge Scott Skavdahl, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, issued the decision after more than six hours of courtroom arguments yesterday in Casper… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/24/stories/1060020788 SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL ExxonMobil temporarily halts oil production off Santa Barbara after oil spill. ExxonMobil has shut down oil production at its three platforms off the Santa Barbara County coast a month after a corroded pipeline owned by Texas company Plains All American Pipeline burst, effectively cutting off the flow of Exxon’s crude. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-exxon-platforms-20150623-story.html VEHICLES China-US workshop emphasizes cooperation on EV standardization. More than 75 experts from China and the U.S. convened in Beijing on 9 June for a discussion of their respective standardization work programs related to electric vehicles (EVs). The overarching focus of the workshop was cooperation on standards, conformance, and training programs among industry and government stakeholders to facilitate the growth of the EV market. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/china-us-workshop-emphasizes-cooperation-on-ev-standardization.html ChargePoint Launches Small DC Quick-Charging Station For Electric Cars. ChargePoint hopes to increase the availability of public DC fast charging for electric cars by offering a smaller charging station. The charging network's new Express 100 station is aimed at businesses that may want to offer fast charging to customers. That includes retail stores, restaurants… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098855_chargepoint-launches-small-dc-quick-charging-station-for-electric-cars NREL: battery second use offsets EV expense, improves grid stability; recommendations. Researchers at the US Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are identifying battery second use (B2U) strategies capable of offsetting vehicle expenses while improving utility grid stability. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150624-nrel.html Renault-Nissan Alliance sells its 250,000th EV. The Renault-Nissan Alliance has sold its 250,000th electric vehicle: a white Renault ZOE sold to a French engineer. The Alliance reached the milestone in early June, 4½ years after the launch of the Nissan LEAF. The Alliance today accounts for half of the electric vehicles sold worldwide. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/renault-nissan-alliance-sells-its-250000th-ev.html Seven Barriers To Alt-Fuel Vehicles: Can Hydrogen Fuel Cells Overcome Them? Among owners and advocates of zero-emission vehicles, few topics generate as much back-and-forth debate (to put it politely) as those cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Discussions of wells-to-wheels carbon footprint, the presently nonexistent hydrogen fueling infrastructure… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098821_seven-barriers-to-alt-fuel-vehicles-can-hydrogen-fuel-cells-overcome-them GREEN ENERGY Home efficiency upgrades fall short, don't pay: Study. Home efficiency measures such as installing new windows or replacing insulation deliver such a small fraction of their promised energy savings that they may not save any money over the long run, according to the surprising conclusion of a University of Chicago study. The study, which used data from a random sample of 30,000 low-income Michigan households that were eligible for an Energy Department home weatherization program… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ENERGY_EFFICIENCY_LITTLE_PAYOFF?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT The Way Humans Get Electricity Is About to Change Forever. These six shifts will transform markets over the next 25 years. The renewable-energy boom is here. Trillions of dollars will be invested over the next 25 years, driving some of the most profound changes yet in how humans get their electricity. That's according to a new forecast by Bloomberg New Energy Finance that plots out global power markets to 20401increase click area. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-23/the-way-humans-get-electricity-is-about-to-change-forever GAO report: Feds losing track of renewable energy bonds. The agency charged with overseeing renewable energy infrastructure on federal lands is inconsistent in collecting and overseeing the bonds it holds for those projects, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded in a report released Tuesday. The Bureau of Land Management requires operators of solar and wind projects on federal land to… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/245897-gao-report-feds-losing-track-of-renewable-energy-bonds Debate over California’s renewable energy expansion goes through the roof. A political fight over California’s renewable energy industry is playing out in the corridors of power, but it deals with something closer to home: your rooftop. Capitol policymakers are advancing an ambitious proposal to have renewable sources generate half of the state’s electricity by 2030, up from the 33 percent benchmark already in law. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article25356493.html#storylink=cpy Renewable energy target: Senate sits late to pass bill without amendment. Chamber of commerce says deal surmounts ‘major hurdle’ as Greens and environmentalists attack Coalition pledge to create a windfarm commissioner. Legislation to reduce the renewable energy target from 41,000 gigawatt hours to 33,000gWh has passed both houses of parliament. The Senate sat late on Tuesday to pass the bill. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/24/renewable-energy-target-senate-sits-late-to-pass-bill-without-amendment Calif. market grows with Shell purchase, national lab agreements. The California energy storage market got a boost this week with two new developments. The San Francisco Bay Area startup Advanced Microgrid Solutions announced Monday that it has signed a deal with Shell Energy North America to install up to 20 megawatts of batteries at Shell sites throughout California. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/24/stories/1060020785 OPINIONS Opinion: Reforming CEQA still vital work. The California Environmental Quality Act, signed into law more than 40 years ago, is a perfect example of how a political decree meant to do one thing can transmogrify into something else entirely. CEQA was meant to compel state and local officials to catalog, and mitigate where possible, the adverse environmental effects of public works and private developments. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article25352200.html#storylink=cpy Lawn replacement: mixed bag of good, bad effects. Listen to water officials from Gov. Jerry Brown down to local officials and you'd think replacing lawns with drought-resistant plants or artificial turf is a pure good, no negatives involved. They know lawn replacement, often called "xeriscaping" because it can use cacti and other desert plants, generally leads to at least a 30 percent cut in household water use. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/opinion/2015/06/24/lawn-replacement-mixed-bag-good-bad-effects/29183775/ Another View: Valley rivers aren’t being singled out. Assemblyman Adam Gray misrepresents his legislation and the State Water Resources Control Board’s efforts to restore the health of San Francisco Bay, the West Coast’s largest estuary, and the rivers that feed into it (“State is unfairly taking water,” Viewpoints, June 10). The water board is updating water-quality standards for the Bay Delta estuary and all of the rivers that flow into it… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article25350550.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS Having a Smaller Carbon Footprint in Ramadan. We are blessed to welcome Ramadan again this year. It is a time for fasting, spiritual fulfillment, emotional rebalancing, mental reflection and physical purification. Ramadan is the ideal time for balancing the spirit, the mind and the body. Fasting is a universal exercise of patience, self-control and altruism, but it is only one among many important aspects of Ramadan. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zaher-sahloul/having-a-smaller-carbon-f_b_7640516.html?utm_hp_ref=islam California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:51:45 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 25, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 25, 2015. 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 State grants Merced money to install water meters. The state Department of Water Resources announces $28 million for projects around the state. The state Department of Water Resources on Wednesday announced $28 million for 25 projects around the state expected to save water and energy, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/environment/article25448722.html AIR POLLUTION New Mexico coal plant owners settle with U.S. EPA over pollution. Owners of Four Corners, a coal-fired power plant in New Mexico, will install $160 million in technology to reduce air pollution under a settlement announced on Wednesday by the U.S. government. The 1,630-megawatt Four Corners plant located near Fruitland, New Mexico, within the Navajo Nation, has been under investigation since 2009. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/25/usa-epa-fourcorners-idUSL1N0ZB0JI20150625 CLIMATE CHANGE Wildfires blister Alaska with increased frequency, intensity. Alaska residents endure the nation's harshest winters for the reward of beautiful summer days with sunshine that lingers until midnight. But increasingly, large wildfires have marred the pristine outdoors, filling the skies with black smoke and forcing people who live near forests to flee for safety. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ALASKA_WILDFIRES_CLIMATE_TRENDS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-us--alaska-wildfires-climate-trends-20150624-story.html Indiana will defy Obama on climate change plan. Indiana will not comply with President Barack Obama's plan to battle climate change by requiring reductions in emissions from coal-fired power plants, Republican Gov. Mike Pence said Wednesday. The proposal as currently written, known as the Clean Power Plan, will make Indiana electricity more expensive and less reliable and hurt economic growth in Indiana… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_AIR_INDIANA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/245968-indiana-wont-follow-epa-climate-rule-unless-significantly-improved Parched Caribbean faces widespread drought, water shortages. The worst drought in five years is creeping across the Caribbean, prompting officials around the region to brace for a bone dry summer. From Puerto Rico to Cuba to the eastern Caribbean island of St. Lucia, crops are withering, reservoirs are drying up and cattle are dying while forecasters worry that the situation could only grow worse in the coming months. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CB_CARIBBEAN_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT There's gold in them thar shallow California creeks, rivers. California's prolonged drought has created opportunities for prospectors and miners panning, sluicing, chiseling and diving for gold. The Sacramento Bee reported (http://bit.ly/1QPTA3k) Wednesday that gold seekers are wading into formerly deep waterways to harvest flecks from the pea gravel and sediment in crevices that have long been inaccessible. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_GOLD_PANNING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Big oil companies must work harder on climate, says U.N. Oil companies should urgently intensify their efforts to fight climate change, the United Nations climate chief said in a letter replying to six European firms. "I would call on you to devote urgent attention to scaling this action up and look forward to learning about progress later in the year… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/25/climatechange-oil-idUSL8N0ZB3FO20150625 Oil-rich Alberta lifts levy on carbon output, ups target for cuts. Oil-rich Alberta will raise the cost of greenhouse-gas emissions for large industrial plants and boost targets for emission cuts as its new government took action on Thursday to strengthen the Canadian province's environmental reputation. Alberta is the largest source of U.S. oil imports, and its oil sands plants are Canada's fastest-growing source of carbon-dioxide emissions. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/25/us-canada-alberta-carbon-idUSKBN0P528U20150625 DWP to unveil plan to capture storm runoff. It may not rain much in Los Angeles County, but when it does, a single storm can send up to 10 billion gallons of water surging into a vast network of storm channels with a single destination: the Pacific Ocean. For decades, environmental activists such as Andy Lipkis have argued that this ritual flushing of stormwater was a form of profligacy Los Angeles could ill afford. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-stormwater-plan-20150625-story.html Mono Lake's ecological crisis is a blow to wildlife, L.A. water supply. As this drought-stricken body of salt water recedes, the repercussions mount: Its exposed alkaline flats are giving rise to dust storms. A haven for endangered migrating birds has become more vulnerable to predators. And Los Angeles' ability to divert snowmelt from the region — which it has done for seven decades — could be cut off. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-mono-drought-20150625-story.html Retailers’ Climate Change Efforts Lower Costs, Operational Risks. Retailers are ramping up their sustainability initiatives to lower costs and operational risks, in response to global warming and changing weather patterns, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers’s Retail & Consumer Insights Climate Change report. As financial costs of climate change continue to mount, businesses are becoming leaner and smarter when considering the long-term investments they need to make to reduce their carbon footprint… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/06/25/retailers-climate-change-efforts-lower-costs-operational-risks/#ixzz3e5tBzWNS Judge: Students’ petition on carbon emissions should be reconsidered. A King County Superior Court judge has ruled that the state Department of Ecology must reconsider a petition from young climate activists seeking a crackdown on state emissions of greenhouse gases. Eight students who unsuccessfully petitioned the state Department of Ecology to crack down on carbon emissions… http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/judge-students-petition-on-carbon-emissions-should-be-reconsidered/ House Passes Bill to Let States Ignore Obama’s Climate-Change Rule. Under House bill, governors could opt out of power-plant regulations. House Republicans advanced a bill Wednesday that would let states decide whether they want to follow upcoming Obama administration rules aimed at cutting climate pollution from power plants. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/power-plant-climate-change-opt-out-house-republicans-20150624 DROUGHT Water conservation amid drought: Who made the grade? On April 1, as California entered a fourth year of drought, Gov. Jerry Brown stood in a barren field that should have been smothered in snow and demanded a 25% cut in urban water use. To comply with Brown's mandate, the State Water Resources Control Board developed reduction targets that each of California's more than 400 urban water districts must meet over the next several months. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-0625-drought-report-card-20150625-story.html State water system stretched to limit, officials say. A plan to save endangered fish has pushed California’s fragile water system almost to the breaking point, putting additional strain on farmers while drawing down reservoirs at Folsom and Oroville to historically low levels. At an informal hearing Wednesday of the State Water Resources Control Board, federal and state regulators acknowledged… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article25425739.html#storylink=cpy Feds Give $150 Million To Help California With Drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $150 million to help California deal with the on-going drought. Most of the money, about $130 million, will pay for federal agency watershed restoration projects in the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra snowpack usually provides water during the spring and summer, but the snow had already melted by late-May this year. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/24/feds-give-$150-million-to-help-california-with-drought/ Monterey considers alternative water sources. Monterey >> Before much of Monterey’s grass goes brown, the City Council met Wednesday to find ways to use as much non-drinkable water for irrigation as possible. There weren’t a lot of great options. Monterey could run into legal issues if it starts shipping groundwater from one area to another… http://www.montereyherald.com/general-news/20150624/monterey-considers-alternative-water-sources Calif.'s quirky water rights system is showing its age. California's method for distributing surface water is under siege as a historic drought strains supplies and nerves. Farmers whose water rights go back 100 years or more are being forced to cut withdrawals to help other farmers and imperiled fish. "I've been in this region my entire life. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/06/25/stories/1060020893 FUELS UPDATE 4-California coal divestment bill clears assembly panel. A bill to require California's state pension funds Calpers and CalSTRS to sell their investments in companies that generate at least half their revenue from coal mining passed an Assembly committee by a vote of 5-1 on Wednesday. Pension funds are under pressure from environmental activists to halt investing in fossil fuels… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/24/california-divestiture-coal-idUSL1N0ZA1N320150624 Quebec Becomes Latest Hurdle to Canada’s Plans for Oil Exports. Across Quebec, cardboard signs are popping up on lawns depicting a broken pipe gushing black crude. “Don’t flow near us,” they warn in French. That sums up Benoit Pigeon’s feelings about TransCanada Corp.’s proposed C$12 billion ($9.7 billion) pipeline that would traverse the province on its way to connect Alberta oil-sands fields with the Atlantic Coast. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/quebec-becomes-latest-hurdle-to-canada-s-plans-for-oil-exports U.S. West Coast refiners snap up Russian crude cargoes. Refiners on the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii have stepped up purchases of Russian crude, taking advantage of a narrow gap between U.S. and global prices to guard against a seasonal shortage of Alaskan supply, trade and industry sources said. Up to four tankers were expected to carry nearly 3 million barrels of Russia's ESPO crude… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/25/us-oil-usa-russia-idUSKBN0P40JQ20150625 DIESEL ACTIVITIES EPA SmartWay Plans to Expand Programs, Leadership Worldwide. Staffers running SmartWay, the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary program that promotes truck fuel economy and emissions reduction, have global ambitions and plan to expand their activities in response to anticipated steep growth in transportation. SmartWay now deals with truck, rail and barge transport in the U.S. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/06/epa-smartway-plans-to-expand-programs-leadership-worldwide.aspx VEHICLES Battery Second Use Offsets Electric Vehicle Expenses, Improves Grid Stability. Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have the potential to dramatically drive down consumption of carbon-based fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the relatively high price of these vehicles — due in large part to the cost of batteries — has presented a major impediment to widespread market penetration. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/06/battery-second-use-offsets-electric-vehicle-expenses-improves-grid-stability.html New Home Electric-Car Charging Station Chooses Greenest Power. Electric cars produce no tailpipe emissions, but their low overall carbon footprint can still be reduced even further. The cleaner the power source used to charge an electric car, the cleaner the car becomes to operate. However, for most owners, determining where the electricity used to charge their cars is coming from can be difficult. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098873_new-home-electric-car-charging-station-chooses-greenest-power The Wheel Thing: Re-imagining how cars are manufactured. Automakers have shown great success in minimizing or eliminating tail pipe emissions. All-electric vehicles produce none, of course, and gasoline-powered engines are radically cleaner than they were just a decade ago. But now, some people are pointing to the manufacturing process as the next frontier. http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2015/06/25/43400/the-wheel-thing-re-imagining-how-cars-are-manufact/ The Six Most Efficient Electric Cars. Electric cars are the most efficient types of automobile made, and the ones we’ve listed below were selected as those nationally available in the U.S. However, now that’s been said, we’ll admit the subject of “most efficient” current-model all-electric cars is nearly a moot point because our listed electric vehicles (EVs) are the only electric cars available nationwide. http://www.hybridcars.com/the-6-most-efficient--electric-cars/ 2016 Chevrolet Cruze Sedan Unveiled; 40-MPG Highway Rating Promised. More than a year after it was first unveiled in China, a considerably different 2016 Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan was launched last night for North America and other markets. Following a typically drawn-out teaser campaign… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098872_2016-chevrolet-cruze-sedan-unveiled-40-mpg-highway-rating-promised GREEN ENERGY GE invests in $348 mln windfarm after Australian subsidy deadlock ends. General Electric Co said it will help fund a $348 million Australian windfarm, the country's third largest, after political leaders ended a deadlock over state subsidies that had stalled the $13 billion industry for over a year. GE, Swiss private equity firm Partners Group Holding AG… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/25/australia-renewables-windfarms-idUSL3N0ZB2F620150625 Proposed solar farm would power about 1,200 homes. Green Mountain Power and a solar power firm are proposing to build the utility's largest solar farm, in eastern Vermont. The utility and groSolar want to construct a 4.9-megawatt solar farm on 50 acres of open space just south of the Southeast State Correctional Facility in Windsor. GMP spokeswoman Kristin Carlson says the solar arrays would generate enough electricity to power about 1,200 homes. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/06/25/3695463_proposed-solar-farm-would-power.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Cuba wants clean energy. Can the U.S. deliver? As Cuba attempts to end half a century of isolation, another momentous shift is happening. The communist island is making earnest plans to clean up parts of its fuel supply, moving from crude oil to a portfolio of wind, sun and sugar cane. The United States is the dominant energy provider in the Caribbean and has more renewable energy expertise than almost anyone. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/25/stories/1060020853 Power from the tides, long a dream, begins to show some muscle in Europe, Canada. Backers of tidal power technology say 2015 is going to be a big year on the road to commercialization. Utility-scale projects in France, the United Kingdom and Canada all show promise, with turbine manufacturer OpenHydro touted as the first company likely to get two machines deployed together in the water and connected to the grid. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/25/stories/1060020855 Bill to extend tax advantages to renewables gets new lifeline. Bipartisan members of the House and Senate reintroduced legislation yesterday that would extend the use of tax-advantaged corporate structures to renewable energy and low-carbon power projects. The lead Senate sponsor, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), described his "Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act" as a "modest modification" of the tax code. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/25/stories/1060020855 MISCELLANEOUS ARB to honor winners of 2014 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced yesterday that it will be holding a special ceremony on Thursday for the three winners of the 2014 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award. The award is given to those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to improving air quality. http://www.examiner.com/article/arb-to-honor-winners-of-2014-haagen-smit-clean-air-awards Gov. Jerry Brown signs new $167.6-billion state budget. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new $167.6-billion budget Wednesday that expands child care, boosts funding for public schools and opens the state's public healthcare program to children in the country illegally, but leaves some key issues unresolved. The new spending plan includes a $115.4-billion general fund and takes effect July 1. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-signs-california-budget-20150624-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article25423657.html Look up drought report cards for California’s urban water districts. To address California's multiyear drought, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered a 25% cut statewide in urban water use by 2016. Individual urban water districts, depending on their level of water use, have been ordered to reduce water consumption between 4% and 36%. Districts with a history of heavy water use must cut more, and those that have used less will be required to reduce less. http://graphics.latimes.com/drought-report-card/ How to save energy and still beat the summer heat. When it's 115 degrees outside and the thought of leaving your air-conditioned home fills you with dread, saving energy is probably the last thing on your mind. And that's OK. But even when you're cranking the AC, there are ways to cut down on your energy bill — not to mention limit your contribution to climate change — without breaking a sweat. http://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2015/06/24/save-energy-still-beat-summer-heat/29215161/ OPINIONS On climate change, will Christians follow Pope Francis or Rush Limbaugh? Few American Christians let their faith get in the way of their politics. They simply ignore church teachings or find creative ways to interpret biblical passages to justify their political views. That is why I don’t expect the new encyclical from Pope Francis to cause much of a shift in people’s opinions about climate change. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-climate-francis-or-rush-20150624-story.html Climate change is a moral issue. With the release of his encyclical, Pope Francis has issued a moral challenge to all people of the world. As the Catholic bishops of three dioceses in Northern and Central California, we join our voices with his in calling for urgent action to care for “our common home.” Please join us in reading and prayerfully considering Laudato si’ over the coming weeks. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article25435690.html#storylink=cpy Editorial: Protecting all of California's water. Rivers and streams in California and much of the rest of the West are different from those in other parts of the nation. It's not uncommon for streams here to swell with winter rain and spring snowmelt but dry up completely in the summer. The Los Angeles River is a good example. Even in the wetter northern part of the state, watercourses that continue to flow in summer are so rare… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-clean-water-rule-20150625-story.html JOHN COX: The private sector is finally getting a seat on the bullet train. To its critics, California’s high-speed rail project has exemplified an outsize government project draining taxpayer money with little concern for the cost efficiencies that are a hard fact of life in the private sector. But something happened this week that could not only undercut that view… http://www.bakersfield.com/News/2015/06/24/The-private-sector-is-finally-getting-a-seat-on-the-bullet-train.html Benefits of electric cars. As a proud electric vehicle owner for almost two years I was glad to see your June 21 front page story, “Sparking Interest.” It did leave out a couple important advantages of EV's, however, No. 1 being the 120-plus MPGe (miles per gallon gasoline equivalent). I have gotten up to almost 200 MPGe. To add to that savings is the lack of maintenance. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/25/Benefits-of-electric-cars.html We can set pace, impose carbon fee. The pope's encyclical presents a dilemma for the wealthy, such as those in the United States. While climate change is still considered a debatable issue here, it is a stark reality in many poor countries from Bangladesh to Micronesia. Our everyday habits are causing them much pain. Maybe it is time for us to think of ourselves as part of the world and not exceptional and separate from the rest of the world. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_28374299/june-25-letters-editor Water to be hot topic at Knights Ferry meeting. Water and the drought are the hottest topics in California. So it’s likely the conversation could get a little heated tonight at the Knights Ferry Community Center. Stanislaus County Supervisor Bill O’Brien, Oakdale Irrigation District General Manager Steve Knell, county groundwater manager Walt Ward and at least one representative of the county’s most visible hedge-fund farming operation… http://www.modbee.com/opinion/article25463722.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS Everything You Should Know about Taxing Carbon. Climate change is hot. From the pope’s encyclical to the upcoming United Nations conference in Paris, leaders are debating how to slow and eventually stop the warming of our planet. We economists think we have an answer: put a price on carbon dioxide and the other gases driving climate change. http://www.forbes.com/sites/beltway/2015/06/25/everything-you-should-know-about-taxing-carbon/ Dear Pope: To Tackle Climate and Poverty, Take a Hard Look at Black Carbon. In his watershed encyclical released last week, Pope Francis describes the two defining issues of our time -- climate change and poverty -- as essentially linked: "[A] true ecological approach ... must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-mingle/dear-pope-to-tackle-clima_b_7638764.html American Apathy. Why are Americans out of step with most of the world in acknowledging that global warming is a major threat to mankind and largely a product of human activity? A 2013 Pew Research Center survey found that majorities abroad in both industrialized and developing nations were more concerned than we are about the climatic condition of the planet. It is a division of opinion that persists to this day. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edward-flattau/american-apathy_b_7655226.html?utm_hp_ref=climate-change EPA to hear testimony from hundreds on renewable fuels plan. A federal proposal to reduce the amount of renewable fuels required in gasoline would have a stifling impact on the ethanol industry and goes against the intentions of Congress when it set the standards eight years ago, opponents of the suggested changes said. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/06/24/epa-to-hear-testimony-from-hundreds-on-renewable-fuels-plan/ States Can Take the Lead in Reducing Methane Emissions from Natural Gas. Natural gas can offer climate and public health benefits, but its production too often leaks methane, a heat trapping gas that is at least 34 times as potent as carbon dioxide. Estimates show that natural gas production sites leak from 1 percent to 10 percent or more of their methane. http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/06/states-can-take-lead-reducing-methane-emissions-natural-gas How Much Oil Does the World Have Left? The short answer to the question posed is….a lot. Or at least way more than many groups and people out there want you to believe. Today, the world is swimming in oil, and prices have been sliced in half over the past year. “Peak oil” theory for production is predicated on the work of legendary geologist M.King Hubbert, who in 1956 employed his now famous/infamous “Hubbert curve” to predict U.S. petroleum production would peak in 1970. http://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/06/25/how-much-oil-does-the-world-have-left/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 12:51:27 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 26, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 26, 2015. 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 Calif. regulators OK carbon-offset protocol for rice farming. The California Air Resources Board has approved a method for letting rice growers generate carbon offsets for the state's cap-and-trade system, the first of its kind. The agency approved the protocol last night, finalizing an eight-year process to create standards that quantify methane emissions avoided from changing rice-cultivation practices and translate those savings into tradeable carbon credits. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060020978/search?keyword=california Alberta puts pressure on oil sands with plan to double carbon fee. The top environmental official in Alberta -- home to the Canadian oil patch that would be the point of origin for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline -- announced yesterday that the province will raise its carbon price next year. Shannon Phillips, Alberta's minister of environment and parks, said the exiting fee of $15 per metric ton will climb to $20 per metric ton in 2016 and $30 per ton in 2017. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/26/stories/1060020959 Benefits of $1.6T carbon tax outweigh challenges, report says. A nationwide carbon tax -- though difficult to implement for practical and political reasons -- could significantly reduce greenhouse emissions while funding priorities on both sides of the aisle, according to a new report from the Tax Policy Center. The paper seeks to lay out options for policymakers considering a carbon tax… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/26/stories/1060020953 AIR POLLUTION Valero to pay $122,500 for Benicia air pollution violations. The Valero Refining. Co. has agreed to pay a $122,500 fine to settle air pollution violations at its plant in Benicia, officials in charge of regulating the Bay Area’s air quality said Thursday. The settlement covers 25 violations that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued to Valero for various incidents in 2011, including one for causing odors at the refinery’s… http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Valero-to-pay-122-500-for-Benicia-air-pollution-6350400.php http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28382161/valero-refinery-benicia-pay-122-500-air-pollution http://www.timesheraldonline.com/general-news/20150625/valero-refinery-in-benicia-to-pay-for-air-quality-violations LAKE FIRE: Despite growing acreage, air quality holding up. Although more than 23,000 acres have been scorched in the Lake fire and the smoke plume can be seen from space, officials said the region’s air quality hasn’t been deemed unhealthy. The air quality map from the South Coast Air Quality Management District did not show any unhealthy quality areas in the Inland region… http://www.pe.com/articles/air-771627-quality-fire.html Canada oil sands have more emissions than those in US. Gasoline and diesel fuel extracted and refined from Canadian oil sands will release about 20 percent more carbon into the atmosphere over its lifetime than fuel from conventional domestic crude sources, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, UC Davis and Stanford University. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/environment-and-nature/20150625/canada-oil-sands-have-more-emissions-than-those-in-us Neighbors air asphalt plant fears to Planning Commission. Neighbors of a proposed asphalt plant near Valley Springs today told the Calaveras County Planning Commission they fear the odor from the plant will disrupt their lives and depress property values. “I was planning to sell my house,” said Jan Hamaker, a resident of Huckleberry Lane not far from the Hogan Quarry below New Hogan Dam. http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_e5f10e4e-1b7e-11e5-9d2e-13f28ed9ff72.html China Drafting Maritime Emissions Regulations. Ships would be required to use shore-based power while berthed at ports, with all ports required to install shore land-based power services. China's government is moving forward with plans to bring in legislation to control emissions from ships as the country looks to reduce air pollution, state media reports. http://shipandbunker.com/news/apac/723269-china-drafting-maritime-emissions-regulations Which oil and gas companies are leaking the most methane? Over the years, ConocoPhillips -- an energy company so rich that it earns as much in a year as Croatia -- has positioned itself as a good guy among its peers when it comes to greenhouse gas pollution. It is a member of a U.N.-led initiative to reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is the primary component of natural gas. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/26/stories/1060020954 CLIMATE CHANGE USAID backs how-to course to help Asia cope with climate change. The U.S. government is setting up a course to train officials in the Asia-Pacific region in the basics of preparing and financing projects to help communities weather climate change, experts from the USAID development agency said on Friday. Financing needs for climate change adaptation - efforts to adjust to extreme weather and rising seas… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/26/us-climatechange-funds-aid-idUSKBN0P61WA20150626 EU ministers seek ambitious, binding deal at Paris climate talks –draft. European Union ministers are seeking an ambitious, durable and legally binding deal to curb global warming, enforced through five-yearly reviews, a draft of their position statement for U.N. climate talks shows. EU environment ministers meet on Sept. 18 in Brussels to iron out their joint position ahead of the U.N. talks in Paris in December. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/25/eu-climatechange-paris-idUSL8N0ZB38Q20150625 Obama and Brazilian President Rousseff to talk climate change next week. When the president of the western hemisphere’s most populous country meets with the president of its second most populous — Dilma Rousseff of Brazil — next week, climate change will be a focal point of discussion, a White House spokesman said Thursday. “I would fully expect that climate and the environment would be an important part of the agenda… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/25/obama-and-brazilian-president-rousseff-to-talk-climate-change-next-week/ UN Climate Chief to Big Oil: Talk Isn’t Enough. The official trying to shepherd a new global climate pact tells six companies that the world ‘wants to be proud of your actions.’ The United Nations official who is convening international climate change talks has a message for big oil-and-gas companies that claim to support tougher carbon-pollution policies: prove it. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/climate-change-bp-shell-big-oil-paris-19691231 DROUGHT Downpours and Drought Send Wheat to Biggest Gain in Three Years. Too much rain in the U.S. and not enough in Europe and Canada sparked the biggest weekly rally in wheat and corn prices in three years. Wheat futures jumped 14 percent in Chicago this week, and are poised to enter a bull market. Corn climbed 8.3 percent and milling wheat added 8.2 percent in Paris. The advances are the largest since 2012. Soybeans heading for the biggest gain since October. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-26/downpours-and-drought-send-wheat-to-biggest-gain-in-three-years In California, Water Restrictions Above Ground and Leaks Below. Californians have been ordered to save water because of the drought. But one of the best ways to save it is to not lose it in the first place. That is why many cities in this thirsty state have declared a war on leaks. Here on Whitsett Avenue in the San Fernando Valley — or rather about 20 feet below it… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/30/science/california-turns-to-stopping-water-leaks.html?hpw&rref=science&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=1 World’s Aquifers Losing Replenishment Race, Researchers Say. From the Arabian Peninsula to northern India to California’s Central Valley, nearly a third of the world’s 37 largest aquifers are being drained faster than they are being replenished, according to a recent study led by scientists at the University of California, Irvine. The aquifers are concentrated in food-producing regions that support up to two billion people. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/26/science/worlds-aquifers-losing-replenishment-race-researchers-say.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 GOP introduces drought relief bill, key step in reopening water debate in Congress. California House Republicans introduced a drought-relief bill Thursday afternoon that they said would pump more water to struggling farmers in the Central Valley without compromising protections for endangered fish. The 170-page bill, though unlikely to reach President Obama's desk in its current form, is a significant step in laying out the GOP position… http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-gop-drought-relief-bill-20150625-story.html Another DWP bill? No: 'You are in the top 1% of all residential water users'. Warren Dern thought he was doing his part to conserve water amid California's unflagging drought. He was following the city's rules and only watering his 7,000-square-foot lawn in Sherman Oaks twice per week. Then, last month, he got a letter from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and it dawned on him: That simply wasn't enough. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0624-water-letters-20150626-story.html Infographic 183 drought maps reveal just how thirsty California has become. It doesn't take much to understand why California is so worried about drought. Reservoirs are ever-dwindling. Rainfall is sporadic at best. It's so bad, Governor Jerry Brown imposed mandatory water restrictions throughout the state. The majority of California is experiencing extreme to exceptional drought… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-g-california-drought-map-htmlstory.html Los Angeles' transportation agency is cutting its water use by 20 percent because of California's historic drought. The Los Angeles County transportation agency, facing a catastrophic drought that has led the state to issue its first ever mandatory cutbacks in urban water use, has decided to reduce its water consumption by 20 percent by 2017. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-los-angeles-transportation-agency-to-cut-water-use-by-20-percent-2015-6#ixzz3eC5ImdsK Republicans Introduce Bill Based On The Idea That Environmentalists Caused California’s Drought. A new bill introduced in the House of Representatives is pushing for new ways to combat California’s epic drought. But it’s doing so based on the premise that environmental policy — not climate change — is making the drought so bad in the state. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/26/3674326/house-bill-california-drought-environmentalists/ House Republicans unveil new drought relief legislation. A group of House Republicans today introduced new legislation to address the drought in California and other parts of the West, the latest move in a yearslong effort to find a legislative fix for the region's ongoing water crisis. The California-specific provisions in H.R. 2898, the "Western Water and American Food Security Act," focus on boosting water transfers… http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/stories/1060020923/search?keyword=california DIESEL ACTIVITIES McGuire secures $5 million for rural district school bus replacement. Earlier this year, Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) introduced The Rural Safety and Clean Air Act (SB 523), which would invest $5 million per year to replace aging school buses in rural school districts. Working collaboratively with the California Air Resources Board, the $5 million was approved on Thursday and will be allocated to rural school districts to replace old and polluting school buses through a grant process starting in mid-2016. http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42341:mcguire-secures-5-million-for-rural-district-school-bus-replacement&catid=43:education&Itemid=324 ‘No Idling’ Regs Coming to Commerce. Diesel burning trucks idling for long periods is a problem in the City of Commerce. On Tuesday, city officials, residents and local environmental groups unveiled the city’s latest effort to try to curtail the practice: 20 new “No Idling” signs to be installed in areas where truck drivers tend to stop off for a while but keep their engines running. http://egpnews.com/2015/06/no-idling-regs-coming-to-commerce/ FUELS Here’s Which States Are Leaking The Most Natural Gas At The Expense Of Their Taxpayers. Oil and gas operations located on federal and tribal lands leaked $360 million worth of fuel in 2013, money which would have gone in part to taxpayers and tribes in the form of royalties, according to a new report. Tuesday’s report was commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to track fugitive methane emissions… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/25/3674036/methane-leaks-report-edf/ VEHICLES California gives low-income drivers a break on electric cars. Electric cars aren’t cheap — one of the main reasons Americans have been slow to try them. But a vote Thursday by California regulators will make plug-in cars slightly more affordable to low-income drivers. Ever since the current wave of electric cars hit the market in 2010, the state has been handing out rebates to buyers, more than 110,000 so far. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/California-gives-low-income-drivers-a-break-on-6350231.php CARB OKs Beefed-Up Budget Plan for Clean Vehicle Programs. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved a $373 million funding plan that covers all investments in advanced technologies for fiscal-year 2015-16, from zero-emission heavy-duty trucks and buses to rebates for low- and zero-emission passenger vehicles. CARB says the budget for the annual Funding Plan for Low Carbon Transportation Investments… http://ngtnews.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10885#.VY2lzk2D6Um European automakers call for CO2 emissions delay. European automakers are seeking a five-year delay on tougher CO2 emissions targets for new cars sold in the EU. The automakers’ lobby group, ACEA, has asked the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, to postpone a 2025 target that is currently being worked on by officials, according to a position paper drawn up by the group and seen by Automotive News Europe. http://europe.autonews.com/article/20150626/ANE/150629984/european-automakers-call-for-co2-emissions-delay Volkswagen AG coordinating new €6M EU research project on drop-in biocatalytic solar fuels. Volkswagen AG is coordinating a new €6-million (US$6.7-million) research project, selected for funding under the Horizon 2020 Programme, to advance the biocatalytic production of drop-in liquid hydrocarbon transportation fuels, requiring only sunlight, CO2 and water. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150626-photofuel.html Is Next Battery Advance Not In Chemistry But Fabrication? Electric cars today are hampered by relatively short ranges, long charging times, and higher costs than comparable internal-combustion models--all problems that stem from their battery packs. Legions of researchers are trying to improve on the currently-dominant lithium-ion chemistry, hoping to increase energy density and lower cost. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098867_is-next-battery-advance-not-in-chemistry-but-fabrication GREEN ENERGY GE invests in $348 million windfarm after Australian subsidy deadlock ends. General Electric Co (GE.N) said it will help fund a $348 million Australian windfarm, the country's third largest, after political leaders ended a deadlock over state subsidies that had stalled the $13 billion industry for over a year. GE, Swiss private equity firm Partners Group Holding AG (PGHN.S), Canadian pension fund… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/26/us-australia-renewables-windfarms-idUSKBN0P60LZ20150626 MISCELLANEOUS Cummins CTO John Wall receives California’s premier air quality award. Dr. John Wall, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of diesel engine manufacturer Cummins Inc., is one of the three recipients of the 2014 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards, California’s premier award recognizing individuals who have made outstanding contributions to improving air quality. Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards are given annually to individuals who have made significant lifetime contributions toward improving air quality… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150626-wall.html Legacy Trail project wins clean-air grant. The Apple Valley Legacy Trail project has landed a clean-air grant in its bid to establish a cultural icon and destination point that includes an educational component. The multi-faceted project was awarded $155,850 from the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District for trail signs and educational aspects that promote healthy and non-polluting alternatives to motor vehicles. http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20150625/NEWS/150629816 Barack Obama Interviews David Attenborough In Unique White House Interaction. Not many people can claim to have been interviewed by a sitting United States president. But not many people are like Sir David Attenborough, the celebrated British naturalist, environmentalist, and the creator and host of a plethora of widely watched nature documentaries for the BBC for over half a century. http://www.ibtimes.com/barack-obama-interviews-david-attenborough-unique-white-house-interaction-1985029 OPINIONS COLUMN-Fuel demand stabilises in the United States: Kemp. The initial consumption stimulus from lower oil prices may be fading, at least in the United States, according to the latest round of official data on traffic volumes and fuel sales. Traffic on California's highway network was 2.6 percent higher in May than a year earlier, the state transportation department said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/26/usa-fuel-kemp-idUSL8N0ZC1KJ20150626 It’s time for conservatives to end the denial on climate change. Reducing Pope Francis’s encyclical “Laudato Si” to a white paper on global warming is, in George Weigel’s fitting analogy, “akin to reading ‘Moby Dick’ as if it were a treatise on the 19th-century New England whaling industry.” The whole spirit and story of the thing are missed. The pope’s sprawling, ambitious statement… http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/deniers-must-face-reality-on-climate-change/2015/06/25/f56ae6c2-1b5d-11e5-93b7-5eddc056ad8a_story.html Drought flushes out old toilet rules. Low-flow toilets and faucets are a high priority. Let’s talk toilets, shall we? You know you want to. Or maybe you don’t know. In the deluge of water-saving rules that followed Gov. Jerry Brown’s historic statewide mandatory water reduction measures in April, perhaps you missed this one. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/26/california-drought-new-toilet-rules/ Drought fee takes effect for Glendale water users. New charge is aimed at recouping money needed to maintain utility as people continue to save water. Glendale residents are seeing a new drought charge when they open their water bills, a fee aimed at recouping money needed to maintain the utility as people continue to conserve. Last year, the City Council enacted the second phase of a water-saving strategy in the face of one of the state’s worst droughts. http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-drought-fee-takes-effect-for-glendale-water-users-20150625,0,4978121.story EDITORIAL: Anti-idling doesn't make sense. Air quality and global warming are motherhood issues and obviously anything that helps minimize those situations is welcome. However, at the same time that carbon emissions are being targeted, reality also has to be considered. http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/309902871.html BLOGS It’s official! Rice farmers now eligible for carbon offset payments. The door is officially open for crop-based farmers to participate in carbon markets and earn new sources of revenue. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) just approved a new protocol for rice growers, representing the first ever carbon offset protocol for crop-base agriculture in a compliance market. http://blogs.edf.org/growingreturns/2015/06/24/its-official-rice-farmers-now-eligible-for-carbon-offset-payments/?utm_source=RobertEmail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cm Urgency and Opportunity for Latino Leadership on Climate. When I landed in Las Vegas last week, the weather was a broiling 108 degrees. Ouch. I braved the Las Vegas heat for one of the most inspiring convenings of Latino leaders in the country, the Annual Conference of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO). http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2015/06/26/urgency-and-opportunity-for-latino-leadership-on-climate/ California's Drought Is Part of a Much Bigger Water Crisis. The problems are as much structural and systemic as they are natural. Why do I keep hearing about the California drought, if it's the Colorado River that we're "killing"? Pretty much every state west of the Rockies has been facing a water shortage of one kind or another in recent years. California's is a severe, but relatively short-term, drought. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/california-s-drought-is-part-of-a-much-bigger-water-crisis/ Texas Leading Challenge to New Smog Standards. Intent on wringing more smog from the nation's skies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is just months away from imposing new ozone standards meant to lessen pollution from the nation's cars, factories and power plants widely believed to worsen asthma, lung and heart disease. http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/26/texas-leading-fight-against-new-smog-standards/ Senator Kirk, If You Are Not Addressing Climate Change, You Are Not Addressing the Health of the Great Lakes. That is what makes a vote last week from Senator Mark Kirk so disappointing. Throughout his time in Congress, he has cast himself as a defender of the Great Lakes. But a decisive vote to prevent the EPA from enforcing efforts to cut carbon pollution puts Senator Kirk in the camp of folks trying to kill the most essential tool to safeguard the Lakes over the long-term. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-henderson/senator-kirk-if-you-are-n_b_7672694.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 13:09:06 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 29, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 29, 2015. 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 Justices rule against EPA power plant mercury limits. The Supreme Court ruled Monday against the Obama administration's attempt to limit power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants, but it may only be a temporary setback for regulators. The justices split 5-4 along ideological lines to rule that the Environmental Protection Agency failed to take cost into account when it first decided to regulate the toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired plants. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_EPA_EMISSIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/usa-court-pollution-idINL2N0ZF11920150629 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-29/epa-loses-at-u-s-supreme-court-on-power-plant-emissions-rule http://www.wsj.com/articles/high-court-strikes-down-epa-limits-on-mercury-emissions-1435590069?tesla=y http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/supreme-court-rules-against-epa-on-air-pollution-rules/article/2567221 http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-supreme-court-toxic-air-pollution-power-plants-20150629-story.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/29/supreme-court-clean-air/28366777/ http://www.climatecentral.org/news/justices-block-emissions-rule-19170 http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/supreme-court-invalidates-obama-administration-mercury-air-pollution-rule/ar-AA9ZiTl Drought conditions make bad air worse, aggravate health problems. A longtime asthma sufferer, Shirley Bittante tries to stay inside when the air district rates conditions outside her Fair Oaks house as “unhealthy.” She may have to spend more time indoors this summer as heat and drought degrade air quality across the state. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article25719685.html#storylink=cpy Air quality will be a ‘game changer’ for EV uptake. Air quality issues across Europe will prove to be a game-changer for electric vehicles (EVs), according to Nissan. Governments are looking at how they can mitigate the harmful effects of exhaust emissions, which include nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10). In the UK, London will launch the world’s first ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) in 2020… http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/environment/2015/06/29/air-quality-will-be-a-game-changer-for-ev-uptake CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE 1-China works for "win-win" climate plan, poised for pledge. China is seeking a fair, global system to tackle climate change and is about to make a joint announcement on the environment, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said before a summit in Brussels with top European Union officials on Monday. Expectations are high that China, the world's biggest carbon emitter, is about to submit to the United Nations a… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/eu-china-climatechange-idUSL5N0ZF3SC20150629 ‘Snail’s Pace’ in Climate Talks, Weak Pledges Frustrate UN Chief. The secretary general of the United Nations is frustrated with the pace of negotiations for what’s intended to be a crucial agreement limiting global warming. Climate change pledges submitted so far from the world’s leading economies won’t be enough to keep the planet from warming dangerously… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-29/un-leader-says-climate-talks-won-t-hit-mark-to-limit-warming Look after fossil fuel workers in shift to clean energy - union chief. Coal, oil and gas workers need a secure future as the world moves away from fossil fuel use, and governments and companies must plan to ensure any new global climate change deal is fair for all those impacted, a top trade unionist said. So far there has been little effort to design a "just transition" to a fossil-free future, putting workers in dirty energy sectors. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/climatechange-fossilfuels-workers-idUKL5N0ZF2C520150629?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews RPT - ANALYSIS-Oil companies played hardball in bid to defeat climate outsiders. Petty legal filings. Diversionary ballot measures. Counting abstentions as no votes. These are just some of the tactics U.S. oil companies used this spring to quash efforts by investors to win the right to nominate climate experts for board seats. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/climatechange-oilcompanies-governance-idUKL1N0ZC2Q820150629 Melting Arctic sea ice could be disrupting the oceans’ circulation—with major consequences. We already know that melting sea ice in the Arctic is bad news. Less ice means less habitat for animals like polar bears, and it also means there are fewer reflective surfaces in the North to bounce sunlight back into space, allowing the planet to absorb more heat. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/29/melting-arctic-sea-ice-could-be-disrupting-the-oceans-circulation-with-potentially-major-consequences/ DROUGHT Lawsuits over California water rights are a fight a century in the making. The lawsuits hit the courts within days of the state mailing notices to some Central Valley irrigation districts: They were to stop diverting from rivers and streams because there wasn't enough water to go around. Unsurprising as the move may be in this fourth year of drought, to the districts, the notices amounted to an assault on water rights they have held for more than a century. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-rights-legal-20150629-story.html#page=1 Sacramento water agencies brace for historic drop in Folsom Lake levels. Folsom Lake is losing more than a billion gallons of water each day. Lake levels will likely fall to historic lows by summer’s end, testing the reliability of a water supply that once seemed invulnerable. The region’s top water officials say they are ready: Scared, but prepared. They have imposed significant, mandatory water-use rules on their customers. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article25676410.html#storylink=cpy California drought resurrects old population growth concerns. Earlier this month, with his East Bay community facing the prospect of losing its only source of water, Edwin Pattison appeared before residents at a town hall meeting and lamented the strain of California’s growing population on dwindling water supplies. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article25672837.html#storylink=cpy DWP fast-tracks $600 million water treatment plant in North Hollywood. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power may spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the next 20 years to capture rainwater and send it underground into the massive San Fernando Valley Groundwater Basin to eventually be used as drinking water. But that groundwater basin is home to one of the largest Superfund contamination sites in the U.S. … http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20150628/dwp-fast-tracks-600-million-water-treatment-plant-in-north-hollywood Drought Blamed For Decline In Duck Population. The drought can be blamed for a number of problems and the latest is a major decline in the duck population. A new survey shows lack of rain has led to poor habitats. The duck population in California's Central Valley has dropped by 30 percent from last year. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/29/drought-blamed-for-decline-in-duck-population/ California drought: State orders San Francisco water cutbacks. San Francisco is the latest community that regulators have told to stop taking some river water during the drought despite the city's decades-old water rights. The State Water Resources Control Board on Friday ordered the cutback under its latest round of notices that waterways are too dry to meet demand in the drought. Its cutbacks have involved water districts and corporations generally spared from water cuts because of their strong claims. http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150626/california-drought-state-orders-san-francisco-water-cutbacks More historic water cutbacks for California farmers. State officials once again slashed water use for Northern California farmers on Friday, announcing a new round of cutbacks targeted at people and businesses who laid claim to their water as far back as 1858. The new curtailments impact just 11 water rights holders, but they're one more sign of how serious the drought has become. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/06/26/more-historic-water-cutbacks-for-california-farmers/29364113/ Parched California Farmers Hope to Tap Wastewater From Cities. Facing record-low water supplies and a dry summer ahead, some California farmers are getting creative in looking for new sources of water. In one community, they’re planning to buy water from cities — after it’s already been used. Through flushing toilets and running faucets, the city of Modesto produces millions of gallons of wastewater a day… http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/06/29/parched-california-farmers-hope-to-tap-wastewater-from-cities/ FUELS For Godfather of Ethanol, a Bet on Nascar With High Stakes. Jeff Broin’s silhouette shines in the glossy hood of the modified grass-green Chevrolet SS. It’s moments before the start of Nascar’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, and Broin is having a quick chat with young driver Austin Dillon. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-25/for-the-godfather-of-ethanol-a-bet-on-nascar-with-high-stakes Exxon Mobil, BP Suspend Canadian Arctic Exploratory Drilling Program in Beaufort Sea. Imperial Oil to seek retroactive extension of Canadian Arctic exploration lease. An oil industry consortium including Exxon Mobil Corp. and BP PLC on Friday suspended its Canadian arctic exploration program in the Beaufort Sea, citing insufficient time to begin test drilling before its lease expires in 2020. http://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-mobil-bp-suspend-canadian-arctic-exploratory-drilling-program-in-beaufort-sea-1435348381 U.S. gasoline prices dip for first time in more than two months –survey. The average price of regular grade gasoline fell by nearly 2 cents over the last two weeks, the first nationwide price decline at the pumps after more than two months of steady increases, according to the Lundberg survey released on Sunday. Drivers paid an average of $2.85 a gallon, 86 cents below the average price paid at this time last year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/28/usa-gasoline-prices-idUSL2N0ZE0CG20150628 U.S. weekly oil rig count decline slows: Baker Hughes. Energy firms pulled three rigs from U.S. oil fields this week, the smallest drop in five weeks, data showed on Friday, a sign the collapse in drilling is coming to an end as crude prices recovered after falling 60 percent from last June to March. It was the 29th straight weekly decline, bringing the total down to 628, the lowest since August 2010, oil services company… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/us-energy-oil-rigs-baker-hughes-idUSKCN0P902320150629 US Ethanol production reaches record high. In Washington, according to EIA data as analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production averaged 994,000 barrels per day (b/d)—or 41.75 million gallons daily. That is up 14,000 b/d from the week before and an all-time record high. The four-week average for ethanol production stood at 985,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 15.10 billion gallons. http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2015/06/27/us-ethanol-production-reaches-record-high/ Diesel Priced Almost As Low As Gasoline, As Gas Demand Surges. The price of diesel fuel in the U.S. has fallen more than 25 cents per gallon this year. And thanks to high demand for gasoline, the two fuels now cost nearly the same in many states. The difference in price between gasoline and diesel is now the smallest that it's been in six years. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098907_diesel-priced-almost-as-low-as-gasoline-as-gas-demand-surges Scientists report cheaper, more efficient way to produce hydrogen for fuel. Researchers at Stanford University have developed a low-cost catalyst that could help make the development of zero-emission hydrogen fuel more feasible. In a study published last week in the journal Nature Communications, graduate student Haotian Wang and his colleagues showed that it is possible to split water and isolate hydrogen… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/29/stories/1060021004 VEHICLES VW Renewable Diesel Test Finds Same Drivability, Lower Carbon Emissions. Three years ago, Volkswagen announced that it was testing two different types of renewable diesel fuel in a pair of its TDI diesel-engined cars sold in the U.S. Now, the company says it has finished its testing, and the results are in. The renewable fuel gave the same performance as conventional crude oil-based diesel… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098895_vw-renewable-diesel-test-finds-same-driveability-lower-carbon-emissions Tesla Gigafactory Update, VW Tests Renewable Diesel, Chevy Cruze Hybrid: Today's Car News. Today, we have an update on construction of the Tesla battery "Gigafactory," Volkswagen's verdict on renewable diesel, and the possibility of a Chevrolet Cruze hybrid. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Breathing the fumes produced by heavy traffic is bad for your health, but could the actual noise it makes cause problems as well? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098913_tesla-gigafactory-update-vw-tests-renewable-diesel-chevy-cruze-hybrid-todays-car-news Solid-State Batteries Already Powering Electric Cars: BlueCars, In Fact. In the quest for a better battery chemistry that can make electric cars more competitive with internal combustion, solid-state cells have generated quite a bit of buzz. As the name implies, solid-state cells replace the liquid electrolyte used in current lithium-ion cells with a solid material--a design that has numerous potential advantages, proponents say. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098904_solid-state-batteries-already-powering-electric-cars-bluecars-in-fact GREEN ENERGY Solar-powered plane takes off on longest leg of round-the-world trip. The takeoff was planned under the cover of darkness. After two months of setbacks, delay and dismay, the team aiming to accomplish the first ever solar-powered plane trip around the world wanted to start its longest and most difficult leg in secret. If they had to turn back yet again… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/29/solar-powered-plane-takes-off-on-longest-leg-of-round-the-world-trip/?tid=hp_mm First Zero-Net Affordable Apartments Open In Woodland. Zero-net energy homes produce as much energy as they use. But it’s not easy to find zero-net energy housing that’s affordable. The city of Woodland now has the first zero-net energy low-income apartments in the nation. Open the door of this three bedroom apartment in Woodland and it looks like most other new apartments. Clean, with new appliances and cool on this hot summer day. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/29/first-zero-net-affordable-apartments-open-in-woodland/ DOE to award $20M to projects to recover rare earth elements from coal and coal byproducts. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001202) that will award an estimated $20 million to projects quickly to develop bench scale and pilot scale projects for recovering Rare Earth Elements (REE)—a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table and key components of electronics and renewable energy technologies—from coal and coal byproducts. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150629-doeree.html Half of Europe’s electricity set to be from renewables by 2030. Europe will likely get more than half of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of the next decade if EU countries meet their climate pledges, according to a draft commission paper. A planned overhaul of the continent’s electricity grids will now need to be sped up, says the leaked text, seen by the Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/26/half-europes-electricity-set-to-be-renewable-2030?CMP=share_btn_tw OPINIONS Opinion: Drought shows need to untangle California water rights. There is absolutely nothing in California government – or its politics – more complicated and contentious than water rights. Who has what rights to extract and use how much water from which California rivers and aquifers is an almost impenetrable thicket of state laws, regulatory decisions, judicial actions and, in some cases… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article25682590.html#storylink=cpy Valley Voice: Think before you jump on landscaping swap. California is enduring the most serious drought it has ever faced. But is the choice to rip up your lawn, or keep it and be considered a water hog? The answer may not be clear cut. We know Californians love their yards. According to a study we conducted recently with Harris Poll, 82 percent of those in the Western U.S. think spending time outside in their yards is important. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/06/28/valley-voice-landscape-choices-drought/29365459/ Letter: Clean air for our kids. I was interested to learn about the connection between disease risk and the time of the year one is born in Ana Swanson’s recent article (Monitor Nation & World, June 16). While we may not yet understand this fascinating phenomenon very well, we do understand how global warming can affect health. http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/17535629-95/letter-clean-air-for-our-kids BLOGS Climate laws and policies have doubled every five years since 1997: Global Climate Legislation Study. The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study comes at a pivotal time in international climate diplomacy, as countries will be meeting for the UN Conference of the Parties in December of 2015 to discuss each country's intended actions for dealing with climate change. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/hchen/climate_laws_and_policies_doubled.html As EPA Hands Down New Rules on Renewable Fuel Standard, Critics Say 'Blend Wall' a Fiction Created by Big Oil. The renewable fuel industry is at a crossroads. It has been put into peril by a concept, known as a "blend wall," some observers believe is a fiction created by the oil industry. The very future of the renewable fuel industry hangs in the balance. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-alexander/as-epa-hands-down-new-rul_b_7685190.html Saab Owner To Build $400 Million Electric Car Factory In China. The Chinese-backed investment group that bought technology and assets from Sweden’s Saab in 2012 now says it plans to build a $400 million factory and R&D unit for electric cars in Tianjin, northeast China. National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs) held a launching ceremony on Sunday in the Tianjin Binhai Hi-Tech Industrial Development Area… http://www.forbes.com/sites/jnylander/2015/06/29/saab-owner-to-build-400-million-electric-car-factory-in-china/ Will the World Plug Into the Sun? Even as the world is frantically searching for alternative energy, there is one source that will always hang around without ever getting depleted. The Sun. In the next 10 to 20 years, or maybe even by 2050, solar PV is expected to be the main source of powerful energy, suited to the new millennium. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/preetam-kaushik/sun-energy_b_7684572.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jun 2015 14:46:03 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 30, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for June 30, 2015. 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 ICE, CME and Where Exchanges Are Headed Next. How the exchange giants ICE and CME acquired their way to dominance, a drawn-out drama. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-06-30/ice-cme-carve-up-the-trading-business-a-tale-of-two-exchanges Assembly Republicans Introduce Road Repair Plan. Assembly Republicans say they’ve identified more than $6 billion a year that can be directed toward road repairs, without raising taxes. Their plan includes a $1 billion from cap-and-trade revenues, $1 billion from the state’s General Fund and $1 billion from redirected vehicle weight fees. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/06/29/assembly-republicans-introduce-road-repair-plan/ http://www.kgoradio.com/common/page.php?id=130541 http://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/243437/republicans-propose-6-billion-transportation-plan.html AIR POLLUTION Study: Fireworks cause a toxic brew of unhealthy air. The thousands of Fourth of July firework celebrations across the nation bring a toxic brew of air pollution to our atmosphere, according to a recent study from federal scientists. The exploding fireworks unleash tiny particles — about 1/30th the diameter of a typical human hair — that can affect health because they travel deep into a person's respiratory tract, entering the lungs. http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/06/30/fireworks-air-quality/29509259/ Why the Supreme Court Could Spell Trouble For Obama’s Agenda. Monday’s ruling could compel agencies to take costs into account when deciding to regulate. President Obama has made it clear that his Environmental Protection Agency will use its regulatory power to install limits on carbon dioxide and toxic-air pollutants for everything from power plants to trucks. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/obama-scalia-climate-change-mats-20150629 Court emboldens GOP on climate regs. The Supreme Court emboldened opponents of the Obama administration’s environmental agenda Monday with its ruling against a major air pollution rule. Republicans and others who have railed relentlessly against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in recent years are touting the decision as a validation of their accusations of executive overreach… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/246476-court-emboldens-gop-on-environmental-rules CLIMATE CHANGE Robert Redford urges global action on climate change. Robert Redford said he came to the United Nations Monday not as an actor but as an environmental advocate, father, grandfather and concerned citizen to urge the world's nations to take action now on climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UN_UNITED_NATIONS_REDFORD_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/video/2015/06/30/robert-redford-calls-for-global-action-o?videoId=364773169&videoChannel=118169 After mercury ruling, scrutiny of Obama climate rules grows. Sweeping pollution limits at the center of President Barack Obama's climate change plan are facing increased scrutiny in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that showed that the justices aren't afraid to thwart perceived overreach by Obama or his Environmental Protection Agency. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT In a major day for climate policy, China, Brazil, and the U.S. all announce new commitments. In a jampacked but complex day for international climate action, Brazil, the United States, and China — three of the world’s top 10 greenhouse gas emitters — all announced new goals Tuesday. The commitments came in different forms and units, ranging from forest hectares to renewable energy gigawatts… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/30/china-brazil-and-the-u-s-all-announce-new-climate-and-clean-energy-goals/ Britain needs to extend policies to reduce emissions –adviser. The British government needs to extend policies and funding to reduce carbon emissions into the next decade to avoid increasing the cost and impact of global warming, Britain's climate change adviser said on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/britain-environment-carbon-idUKL5N0ZF2ZX20150629?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews EU Leaders Urge China to Adopt Tough Climate-Change Goals. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wants China to join Europe in its emissions target. European Union leaders Monday urged China to adopt tough climate-change goals as they and other nations head toward a critical climate conference in Paris at year’s end. http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-leaders-urge-china-to-adopt-tough-climate-change-goals-1435610067 U.S., Brazil Agree on Climate-Change Steps. Pact comes ahead of meeting in Paris in December. The U.S. and Brazil pledged Tuesday to work toward new commitments to reduce the impact of climate change ahead of President Barack Obama’s goal of reaching a global accord this December. http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-brazil-agree-on-climate-change-steps-1435676851?mod=rss_US_News U.S. Touts Role In Bringing China and Paris To Table On Climate Talks. As big polluters make pledges, Paris agreement comes into focus. The White House is making a major diplomatic push to make sure this year's climate change talks in Paris are a success, and it scored two major victories Tuesday. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/brazil-china-climate-change-negotiations-united-nations-20150630 It's official: China pledges ambitious goal toward UN climate deal. China has now made its contribution toward a global climate deal official, promising to peak its emissions by 2030. But while the world's top emitter will be a critical piece of any deal, many heavy emitters have yet to promise cuts. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0630/It-s-official-China-pledges-ambitious-goal-toward-UN-climate-deal S. Korea to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37 pct by 2030. South Korea on Tuesday announced a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent compared with the Business As Usual (BAU) by 2030. The plan was approved at the Cabinet meeting convened by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, according to joint statements by government ministries. http://www.globalpost.com/article/6599036/2015/06/30/s-korea-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-37-pct-2030 Dying B.C. forests flooding air with carbon. Analysts finds pine beetles epidemic, logging, caused rise in greenhouse gas emissions. B.C.’s forests emitted more carbon than they absorbed between 2003-2012, a dramatic change from the previous decade, an analyst by the Sierra Club of B.C. shows. http://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-vancouver-sun/20150630/281599534154289/TextView DROUGHT Half of California’s Biggest Power Plants Rely on Fresh Water. Half of California’s largest power plants are using flows from fresh-water resources such as rivers, lakes and wells to cool equipment as the state wrestles with an unprecedented drought. Thirty out of California’s 100 biggest thermal power plants, such as natural-gas fired units, use surface water from rivers and streams for operations, based on a California Energy Commission… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-30/half-of-california-s-biggest-power-plants-rely-on-fresh-water Water-independent Riverside fights 28% reduction order. For decades, Riverside has worked to be what officials consider "water independent" by consolidating groundwater rights and building water treatment facilities. And in recent years, the city-owned public utility appears to have achieved that goal. It has not imported water from outside sources for about seven years… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-riverside-drought-20150630-story.html California Drought Taking Serious Toll On Aging Sewer System In San Francisco. California’s severe drought is taking a serious toll on San Francisco’s aging sewer system. Some of the city’s 1,000 miles of sewer pipes are more than 100 years old, among the first installed after the Gold Rush. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/06/29/california-drought-taking-serious-toll-on-aging-sewer-system-in-san-francisco/ SD cracks down on water use. City limits outdoor irrigation, vehicle washing, use of fountains in face of severe drought. Aiming to reduce water usage during the state’s severe drought, the San Diego City Council unanimously adopted a series of new restrictions Monday on outdoor irrigation, vehicle washing and use of fountains. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/29/drought-water-irrigation-rule-hours-days/ Can waste-water recycling, desalination end California’s water wars? Emphasizing practical solutions in the battle over drought relief, a congressman urged local water leaders Monday to fight for funding for projects such as waste-water recycling and infrastructure repairs. Northern California Rep. Jared Huffman came to Southern California to push his $1.4 billion drought bill… http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20150629/can-waste-water-recycling-desalination-end-californias-water-wars Californians struggle for 'normal life,' without water. A washing machine stands in the middle of Maria Jimenez's California yard, like a redundant relic of modern life. Nearby are several rented mobile toilets, no longer in use. For four months, she and her family have had no running water. We are trying to live a normal life," the 52-year-old told AFP in the town of Monson, 200 miles north of Los Angeles. http://news.yahoo.com/californians-struggle-normal-life-without-water-015521480.html;_ylt=AwrC1C75jpJVF18ATyjQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBydDI5cXVuBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM2BHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg-- DIESEL ACTIVITIES VW’s Renewable Diesel Evaluation Shows GHG Emissions Cuts. Volkswagen of America’s renewable diesel evaluation program, in collaboration with renewable fuel and product companies Solazyme and Amyris, has shown greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by more than 50 percent on a well-to-wheel basis when using renewable fuels as compared to today’s commercially available crude-based fuels. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/06/30/vws-renewable-diesel-evaluation-shows-ghg-emissions-cuts/#ixzz3eZQe6HrJ Electric bus firm gears up for major expansion. Proterra, the American manufacturer of fully electric buses, is expanding logistically and financially in an attempt to keep up with strong demand. The company announced this morning that it has secured $55 million in new capital, $30 million in equity financing and $25 million in debt financing. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/30/stories/1060021075 FUELS United Airlines investing $30 million in biofuels producer. United Airlines says it is investing $30 million in a biofuels company to reduce its vulnerability to oil-price shocks and limits on carbon emissions from planes. United officials said Tuesday that they expect to begin receiving fuel from Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc. in 2018 and could be taking 90 million gallons a year by 2021. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNITED_AIRLINES_ALTERNATIVE_FUEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT GAS PRICES: State excise tax drops 6 cents this week. California’s excise tax on gasoline drops 6 cents, to 30 cents a gallon on July 1. Welcome news, but a combination of state and federal taxes along with fees passed along to consumers will keep California’s overall gas prices among the highest in the nation. http://www.pe.com/articles/cents-771950-tax-excise.html Water Use Declining as Natural Gas Grows. As the U.S. has undergone a rapid and massive shift to natural gas from coal, one benefit has gone almost entirely overlooked: the amount of water needed to cool the nation’s power plants has dropped substantially. The widespread adoption of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technology has led to dramatically higher natural gas production in the U.S. since 2005. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/water-use-declines-as-natural-gas-grows-19162 OPINIONS Editorial: Valley could be air-cleanup showplace. The Valley’s notoriously dirty air can be cleaned without destroying our region’s economy. We know. This sounds too good to be true. But it isn’t. In fact, the cleaning of our air — which is believed to be worst in the country — could trigger an economic explosion that results in the strengthening of the Valley’s middle class and the lifting of thousands of families out of poverty. http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/editorials/article25793764.html#storylink=cpy Jody Strait: Bishops are right on climate; Denham should help lead. Re “Morality of climate change” (Opinions, June 25): My heart goes out to Bishops Blaire, Ochoa and Soto for recognizing our obligation to be good stewards and protect the poor. The threat that climate change poses to our children and to the poor is serious, yet so is the threat that it currently poses to citizens in California’s Central Valley. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article25769848.html#storylink=cpy Norm Groot: Throwing away our water with food waste. In recent months, there has been much debate about the amount of water it takes to grow our food … mainly, what crops use more water than others. I have observed the discussion focus on almonds, lettuce, tomatoes, and yes, even kale. Somewhat a crop-of-the-week scenario where one is attacked, defended, and the next is then attacked. http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150629/norm-groot-throwing-away-our-water-with-food-waste Healing the planet will make us healthier, too: Editorial. A new report in The Lancet shows that tackling climate change wouldn’t just heal the planet. It would make us healthier, too. The case for taking aggressive action against climate change just got even more compelling. According to a landmark new study, global warming is the 21st century’s greatest threat to human health … http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/06/29/healing-the-planet-will-make-us-healthier-too-editorial.html BLOGS July 4 fireworks spark astonishing spike in air pollution, NOAA study finds. Every July 4, the 14,000-plus dazzling fireworks displays across the nation have a toxic effect on our atmosphere. A new NOAA study shows they temporarily increase particulate pollution by an average of 42 percent. The first of its kind study, published in the journal Atmospheric Environment, analyzed concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/06/30/july-4-fireworks-spark-astonishing-spike-in-air-pollution-noaa-study-finds/ The Aesthetics of Environmental Equity. The Aussies don't like the look of wind energy, it seems. A few weeks ago, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott called wind farms "visually awful," and last year the country's Treasurer described them as "appalling" and "utterly offensive." Over the past year, Australian investment in renewable energy reportedly has dropped by 90 percent… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lance-hosey/the-aesthetics-of-environ_b_7674974.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green?view=print&comm_ref=false Kia rolls out updated Cee'd hatches in Europe. Kia makes some models specifically for the North American market, and keeps some models back at home in South Korea that we never see. But it also makes some for other markets, like the Cee'd. And now it's rolling out a revised version for the European market. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/30/2016-kia-ceed-europe-official/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 15:21:33 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 1, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 1, 2015. 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 CalSTA backs $224 million in transit and intercity rail grants. The Sacramento California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced on June 30, 2015 this year’s recipients of $224 million in competitive grants that support high-quality public transportation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions causing worldwide climate change. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is providing funding for these climate investments, using proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions. http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/news/calsta-backs-dol224-million-in-transit-and-intercity-rail-grants.html AIR POLLUTION Environmentalists Want California to Stop Offshore Fracking. Environmentalists Tuesday called on Gov. Jerry Brown to halt plans for months of hydraulic fracturing in the waters off Southern California, warning that it could lead to chemical pollution or an oil spill. State regulators this month approved nine permits for operator… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OFFSHORE_FRACKING_CALIFORNIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT CLIMATE CHANGE China announces climate target for Paris deal. Top carbon polluter China confirmed it will try to cap its rising emissions before 2030 while the U.S. and Brazil pledged to boost renewable energy sources in a series of announcements Tuesday in anticipation of a global climate pact in Paris. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CHINA_CLIMATE_TARGET?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://time.com/3941783/china-brazil-usa-climate-change/ http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-brazil-pledge-to-combat-climate-change-1435704333 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-vows-to-curb-carbon-emissions-by-2030/articleshow/47889087.cms How Technology Can Help Combat Climate Change (VIDEO). Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), discusses the UN's call for investment in clean energy with Bloomberg's Cory Johnson on "Bloomberg West." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-06-30/un-calls-for-investment-in-clean-energy A College in Maine That Tackles Climate Change, One Class at a Time. Like many residents of this picturesque island town on the edge of Acadia National Park, Zach Soares had trouble keeping his house warm, going through five cords of wood in the winter. So he jumped at an offer last year for free energy improvements through a class project at the College of the Atlantic, where he works. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/01/business/energy-environment/tackling-climate-change-one-class-at-a-time.html?_r=0 California greenhouse gas emissions fall — but not by much. Despite California’s many efforts to fight global warming, the state’s greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2012, as a nuclear power plant shut down and the drought hit hydroelectric dams hard. But the increase, it turns out, didn’t last. Data released by the state on Tuesday show that California’s emissions of carbon dioxide… http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fall-but-6359213.php OSU researchers studying warm-water mass off West Coast. Oregon State University scientists are looking for a link between the California drought, climate change and a mass of warm water lingering in the Pacific Ocean off the West Coast. The events may be without connection — but the blob and the drought… http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/OSU-researchers-studying-warm-water-mass-off-West-6360335.php Scorched Earth Is Big Climate Concern in Alaska Wildfires. Alaska and its neighbor to the east, Canada, have kicked off wildfire season in a major way. Blazes have raged across the northern stretches of North America, sending smoke streaming down into the Lower 48 and leaving the landscape charred. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-alaska-wildfires-19181 Europe’s Emissions Trading System Turns 10 — A Success Worthy of Reflection. The European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme recently marked its 10th year in operation, an anniversary worthy of reflection. When an emissions trading system is designed well and implemented effectively, it does what it says on the tin – it delivers substantial reductions in emissions, and in ways that minimize the costs of doing so. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/01/europes-emissions-trading-system-turns-10-a-success-worthy-of-reflection/#ixzz3efEylU2n Should Gas & Oil Methane Emissions Be the Next Obama Climate Policy Priority? Earlier this year the EPA announced plans to reduce U.S. methane ‘greenhouse gas’ (GHG) emissions from Gas and Oil production facilities’ operations by up to 45% by 2025. Even though the per ‘unit volume’ production emissions from Gas & Oil production facilities have declined to historic lows… http://www.theenergycollective.com/jemillerep/2245043/should-gas-oil-methane-emissions-be-next-obama-climate-policy-priority Shrinking sea ice may slow key ocean circulation and change Europe's weather. Retreating sea ice in the Iceland and Greenland seas may be one force causing a major ocean circulation system to slow, which could affect future weather across Western Europe, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/01/stories/1060021140 Climate change a security risk second only to terrorism, says defence report. The Abbott government’s energy white paper made headlines for its curiousreluctance to mention climate change – but the looming defence white paper may prove to be a different story. A report on community consultations associated with the defence white paper flags the consequences of climate change… http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/01/climate-change-a-security-risk-second-only-to-terrorism-says-defence-report Flood of emissions pledges boost hopes for global climate deal. Pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions poured in yesterday from across the globe as countries from Korea to Iceland vowed new contributions toward what many hope will be the first truly international climate change accord. China made the biggest splash with a formal declaration to the United Nations of a promise to stop its rise in annual carbon pollution by 2030. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060021139 DROUGHT Global Wheat Shipments Seen at Risk as Canada Drought Bites. The drought parching fields across parts of Canada risks triggering a shortfall in global wheat exports, according to Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., which said the event was being compared to dryness in 2002. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-01/global-wheat-exports-at-risk-as-canada-drought-bites-anz-warns California’s burning again as drought’s vicious cycle takes its toll. Everything in nature is connected, which is great when nature is kind. But when it’s cruel, it brings us California, circa 2015. The worst California drought in recorded history has stressed out the trees. That makes them more vulnerable, for example, to bark beetles, which suck out their sap and kill them by the million. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/01/californias-burning-again-as-droughts-vicious-circle-takes-its-toll/ Sacramento water conservation hit 40 percent in May. Sacramento-area residents reduced their water consumption in May by 40 percent compared to two years ago, the Regional Water Authority reported Wednesday. The figures suggest that area residents are getting more serious about conservation as the drought stretches into its fourth year. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article25965529.html#storylink=cpy Perspectives, Rob Schroder -- The drought's real, so act accordingly. We are facing a fourth consecutive dry year, and our reservoirs are as low as they have been since the drought of 1986-1991. In 2013 California received less precipitation than any year since it became a state in 1850. All indications are that it will take years to recover from this dry spell and refill our storage systems. http://www.contracostatimes.com/pleasant-hill/ci_28414656/perspectives-rob-schroder-droughts-real-so-act-accordingly Parkway strip changes planned in Chico’s drought. Residents who live next to a city-owned patch of grass called a parkway strip will be able to convert it to drought-tolerant landscaping without city permission under a measure nearing approval. Responding to the urgency of the drought, the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission Monday gave the stamp of approval to new guidelines… http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150630/parkway-strip-changes-planned-in-chicos-drought The Drought's Scapegoat. Mainstream and conservative media and politicians have wrongly blamed the tiny delta smelt for causing water cutbacks for agriculture during the drought. Why? In April, The Wall Street Journal published a news column that reduced the complicated story of California water, drought, fish, and farmers into a simplified stream of vitriol directed at a tiny fish: the delta smelt. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-droughts-scapegoat/Content?oid=4381466 Drought dries up revenue for water districts. With landscapes drying up in California’s drought conditions, local water districts are contending with something else drying up with them—revenues. The districts generally rely heavily on revenue from selling water supplies in order to balance budgets from year to year. With the state requiring a 25 percent residential use cutback… http://www.sanbenitocountytoday.com/news/agriculture/drought-dries-up-revenue-for-water-districts/article_b78e42ba-1eb7-11e5-97c1-c3499f31ddbd.html Swimming pool construction flows ahead despite drought. Much of California has dried up over four years – but not, for the most part, the business of building swimming pools. Builders locally and elsewhere report business holding steady or even increasing, as a recovering economy outweighs fears of tightened water use curbs in the fourth year of a statewide drought. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/swimming-pool-construction-flows-ahead-despite-drought/article_95767a9e-7a07-576d-802d-e70d202c13b9.html California drought: State's water restrictions face court tests (+video). Four lawsuits over restrictions for 'senior' water users in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds, as well as a lawsuit by the city of Riverside, challenge state control over local water rights amid the California drought. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/0630/California-drought-State-s-water-restrictions-face-court-tests-video Calif. bill would clear path for taxing water guzzlers. With mandatory water cutbacks in place for much of California, a state senator is proposing a way to force the thirstiest consumers to turn off the spigot: a tax on scofflaws. Sen. Bob Wieckowski's S.B. 789 would let water agencies put a measure on the ballot seeking to impose a tax on the biggest water users. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/01/stories/1060021162 FUELS Toyota, Nissan, Honda back hydrogen stations for fuel cells. Toyota, Nissan and Honda are working together to get more fuel cell vehicles on roads in what they call Japan's big push toward "a hydrogen society." Fuel cell vehicles emit no pollution. They run on the power created when hydrogen stored as fuel combines with oxygen in the air to make water. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_FUEL_CELLS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Toyota-Nissan-Honda-back-hydrogen-stations-for-6359837.php Consumer group alleges gas price manipulation by California refiners. Major oil refiners are artificially hiking gasoline prices throughout California by charging branded gas stations an average of 30 cents a gallon more than what independent stations pay -- the biggest price gap in years, according to a consumer advocacy group. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-california-gas-prices-20150630-story.html VEHICLES UPDATE: Plug-In Electric Car Sales In June: Leaf, Volt Wane After May Surge. New cars and trucks are selling at a blistering pace in the U.S. right now, adding to a seventh consecutive year of volume growth for the industry. But with half the year gone, sales of plug-in electric cars are in something of a holding pattern despite a surge last month, pending the launch of two key products. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098948_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-jun-leaf-volt-wane-after-may-surge Smog-choked Paris moves to ban diesel vehicles to slash emissions. On March 23 this year, a heavy haze hung over Paris, and the Eiffel Tower was barely visible. That day, pollution levels in the French capital were higher than levels in Shanghai, according to global air quality data. In an urgent attempt to bring down the smog, the government… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/01/stories/1060021135 GREEN ENERGY California scores nearly 2,000 clean energy jobs. California created nearly 2,000 clean energy and clean transportation jobs in the first quarter, to rank second in the nation behind Georgia, according to a report made public Tuesday. Georgia landed 2,870 clean tech jobs, compared to the Golden State's 1,885. Texas was close, in third place with 1,612 such jobs, followed by New Mexico… http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2015/06/california-2-000-clean-energy-jobs-solar-city-scty.html OPINIONS Supreme Court Ruling, on Toxic Emissions From Coal Plants. Re “Justices Block the Obama Administration’s Limits on Power Plant Emissions” (news article, June 30): After two wonderful, historic landmark decisions — upholding gay marriage and continuing federal subsidies for the Affordable Care Act — the Supreme Court has fallen back to its usual small-minded opinions. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/01/opinion/supreme-court-ruling-on-toxic-emissions-from-coal-plants.html Letter: Continue debate on climate change. This is in response to Lupe Williams's letter published on June 25, 2015. Ms. Williams seems to be implying that 1) man is the cause of climate change, 2) some people actually deny the concept of climate change, 3) there is a scientific consensus about man's contribution to climate change, and 4) the debate is closed. http://www.the-daily-record.com/opinion/2015/07/01/letter-continue-debate-on-climate-change Valley in a drought, but not Tulare Education Office. Has anyone else noticed that the newly built planetarium off Mooney Boulevard looks beautiful. However, who allows them to waste water on a daily basis to grow a new lawn? I pass this building almost daily and have noticed that the sprinklers are on watering the newly planted lawns after 8 a.m. and throughout the day. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/opinion/2015/07/01/valley-drought-tulare-education-office/29538353/ BLOGS China’s new climate change plan — in four graphs. On Tuesday, China formally submitted its climate change action plan to the United Nations. The document, which can be viewed here (in Chinese first, and then in English), formalizes the commitment made by President Xi Jinping alongside President Obama last November – to reach a peak in emissions by 2030, and make “best efforts to peak early.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/06/30/chinas-new-climate-change-plan-in-four-graphs/ What the debacle of climate change can teach us about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Could artificial intelligence be the new climate change? Is it a dangerous threat that human will overlook until it is too late? Stuart Russell, a computer science professor at the University of California at Berkeley, and leading thinker on the perils of artificial intelligence, noted the parallels Tuesday at an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation event on whether superintelligent computers are a threat to humanity. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/07/01/what-the-debacle-of-climate-change-can-teach-us-about-the-dangers-of-artificial-intelligence/ IEA: Reducing Oil & Gas Methane Key to Curbing Climate Change. IEA_iLogoLast Friday, the incoming head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Faith Birol, provided a briefing to U.S. stakeholders about IEA’s new special report on climate change, which found that global emissions could peak by the end of this decade without reducing economic growth. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/07/01/iea-reducing-oil-gas-methane-key-to-curbing-climate-change/ Better Stoves Can Reduce Indoor Pollution. Air quality has improved dramatically in rich countries over the past century. Around 1880, when the air was worst in London, it is estimated that 9,000 people died each year from air pollution, about one of every seven deaths. Today, London air is cleaner than it has been since medieval times. Yet, air pollution is still a huge problem, especially in the developing world. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bjorn-lomborg/better-stoves-can-reduce-_b_7705186.html Saving California's Drought-Plagued Agriculture: More Crop For The Drop With GMOs. Agriculture accounts for the consumption of about 80 percent of California’s fresh water. Genetic engineering to produce crop varieties that are drought-tolerant or that have a smaller “water footprint” in other ways could help to ameliorate the state’s historic drought. http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2015/07/01/saving-californias-drought-plagued-agriculture-more-crop-for-the-drop-with-gmos/ TransCanada Argues That Recent Emissions Commitments Build The Case For Keystone XL. TransCanada, the company seeking to build the controversial pipeline that would carry oil from Alberta to refineries in Texas, is leaning on Secretary of State John Kerry to make a permitting decision. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/30/keystone-xl-climate_n_7699840.html STUDY: How The Media Is Covering Presidential Candidates' Climate Science Denial. Several months into the 2016 presidential campaign, the media is frequently failing to fact-check statements by presidential candidates denying the science of climate change. Seven major newspapers and wire services surveyed by Media Matters have thus far failed to indicate that candidates' statements conflict with the scientific consensus in approximately 43 percent of their coverage… http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/07/01/study-how-the-media-is-covering-presidential-ca/204176 France prods world mayors, execs for global warming solutions. Hundreds of mayors, CEOs and trade groups from around the world are submitting their ideas for reducing global warming to the French government as it prepares to host a major UN climate conference later this year. French President Francois Hollande will speak to the group in Lyon on Wednesday -- the hottest day of the year so far in parts of France. http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/france-prods-world-mayors-execs-for-global-warming-solutions-1.2448830 EPA: Supreme Court ruling won’t stop climate rules. The Supreme Court’s decision against a key Obama administration air pollution rule is not stopping regulators from moving forward on the government’s most ambitious climate change rule. Janet McCabe, head of the air pollution office at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/246562-epa-supreme-court-ruling-wont-stop-climate-rules California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 13:39:18 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 2, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 2, 2015. 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 Chinese carbon market doldrums may undermine climate efforts. Regulatory uncertainty and a lack of transparency have left trade on China's seven pilot carbon exchanges in the doldrums, which could undermine efforts to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. China told the United Nations on Tuesday it would cap its emissions by 2030, and promised to cut carbon intensity… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/01/us-china-carbon-idUSKCN0PB4BM20150701 EU’s Emissions Trading System Needs More Oversight to Improve Carbon Market. The EU’s cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide is the world’s largest system. The European Commission should consider some changes to the bloc’s emissions trading system to further improve the working of the carbon market and increase investor confidence, the European Court of Auditors said on Thursday. http://www.wsj.com/articles/eus-emissions-trading-system-needs-more-oversight-to-improve-carbon-market-1435838225 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-01/eu-eyes-setting-aside-carbon-permits-for-production-increases The morality of a cap-and-trade system. The Ontario government is steaming ahead with a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gasses despite a clear warning from Pope Francis about buying and selling “carbon credits.” In his encyclical Laudato Si’, the Pope expressed concern in paragraph 171 that creating a marketplace for carbon credits could lead to “speculation which would not help reduce the emission of polluting gases worldwide.” http://www.catholicregister.org/item/20516-the-morality-of-a-cap-and-trade-system AIR POLLUTION Oklahoma Sues to Block EPA Energy Plan as Illegal Power Grab. Oklahoma sued to block a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plan that state Attorney General Scott Pruitt called an illegal move to close coal-fired plants. “The Clean Power Plan is an unlawful attempt to expand federal bureaucrats’ authority over states’ energy economies in order to shutter coal-fired power plants… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-01/oklahoma-files-suit-challenging-epa-clean-power-plan- Fourth of July Sunny, With a Little Bad Air From Rockets’ Glare. The U.S. Fourth of July holiday should be a good one for most people coast to coast, except perhaps for a little choking air in the wake of the rockets’ red glare. From New York City to Boston, high temperatures will range in the 70s Fahrenheit (low-to-mid-20s Celsius), a little below normal peaks in the low 80s… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/fourth-of-july-sunny-with-a-little-bad-air-from-rockets-glare MORENO VALLEY: Planners OK World Logistics Center mega-warehouse. Though planners debated air quality and traffic concerns, their 6-1 decision ultimately came down to jobs. The sole dissenting commissioner, Patricia Korzec, said she feared the Moreno Valley was becoming a city of warehouses. http://www.pe.com/articles/project-772096-city-air.html CLIMATE CHANGE World mayors, others pitch in toward global climate accord. French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday that money is the main roadblock to a global accord at a U.N. climate conference in Paris this year. Poor countries need investment to adapt to climate change, and rich countries need to invest in cleaner technologies if all agree in December on binding global reductions in the emissions that heat the planet. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/01/world/europe/ap-eu-france-climate.html?_r=0 http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/World-mayors-others-pitch-in-toward-global-6360195.php New USGS report: Coastal erosion threatens northern Alaska. Erosion is eating away at Alaska's northern coast at some of the highest rates in the nation, threatening habitat and infrastructure, according to a new report published Wednesday. The U.S. Geological Survey study looked at more than 50 years of data and found an average yearly shoreline change of 1.4 meters - or more than 4 1/2 feet - taking both beach erosion and expansion into account. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NORTHERN_ALASKA_EROSION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Germany Gives Dirtiest Coal Plants Six Years for Phase Out. Germany’s main political parties worked out a compromise plan to cut power-industry pollution by handing a six-year lifeline to some of the dirtiest coal-fired plants. Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said 13 percent of power stations burning lignite, a cheap form of coal, would be phased out by 2021 under the program. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/germany-to-close-coal-plants-in-effort-to-curb-pollution Global warming may cause sex changes in lizards. According to new research, climate change may leave some lizards in a gender lurch. The Australian bearded dragon's sex is determined by both its chromosomes and the environment its egg is incubated in, so warmer temperatures could be skewing wild populations to have more females. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/07/01/global-warming-may-cause-sex-changes-in-lizards/ How Canada's emissions cuts could spur Keystone XL pipeline approval. Canada hopes new emissions rules will get the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline one step closer to US State Department approval. The pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of Canadian oil sands to US Gulf Coast refineries daily. TransCanada Corp. has written to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arguing that new Canadian rules on emissions… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0702/How-Canada-s-emissions-cuts-could-spur-Keystone-XL-pipeline-approval Abbott told to cut Australia emissions 30% by 2025. Australia should cut greenhouse gas emissions 30% from 2000 levels by 2025, the government’s Climate Change Authority has recommended. By 2030, the country should target a 40-60% cut, according to the advisory body’s final report. These goals “broadly match” the US and EU targets and are in line with the global goal to limit warming to 2C, the experts said. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/07/02/abbott-told-to-cut-australia-emissions-30-by-2025/#sthash.PkOGVkw1.dpuf GE Helps Beijing Power Plant Reduce Emissions, Boost Efficiency. General Electric Power Generation Services has been selected to help a Beijing power plant reduce its emissions and boost efficiency. The cornerstone of China’s $40 billion plan to power the 2008 Olympics was the Taiyanggong Thermal Power Station. The 780-MW natural gas-fired plant in Beijing was the first step in an effort to improve electricity generation facilities… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/02/ge-helps-beijing-power-plant-reduce-emissions-boost-efficiency/#ixzz3ekoOzJTk EPA cuts heat-trapping refrigerants and coolants. U.S. EPA finalized a rule today that will phase out the use of heat-trapping hydrofluorocarbons for air conditioning and refrigeration. The agency has already approved a list of alternatives for the chemicals, which are thousands of times as climate-forcing as carbon dioxide but which stay in the atmosphere for a relatively short time. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/02/stories/1060021231 DROUGHT California: Record water savings shows big cuts possible. Water use in drought-stricken California plunged by record levels in May, and Gov. Jerry Brown's administration cited that as proof cities can hit steep summer conservation targets they have blasted as unfair. The State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday released data showing urban water usage fell 29 percent in May compared to the same month in 2013. The savings were the best showing since the agency started tracking conservation last summer. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-may-water-conservation-20150701-story.html#page=1 http://news.yahoo.com/california-cities-show-biggest-water-savings-yet-drought-184118824.html;_ylt=AwrTceDNgJVVGyUAavgnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTEzOWlpMXBsBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDRkZHRTAyXzEEc2VjA3Nj# Snow Drought Saps Washington State’s Economy. The dire situation in the Olympic Mountains is hurting Washington farmers and businesses. The Olympic Mountains that tower above this farming community normally rank among the snowiest places in the U.S., with drifts several feet deep lingering into June. But this year, the Olympics recorded virtually no snow in all but the highest peaks. http://www.wsj.com/articles/snow-drought-saps-washington-states-economy-1435801630 Calif. committee examines impacts to fish from pot growers bogarting water. California lawmakers yesterday called for the regulation of marijuana farms to protect stream flows and help fish species like coho salmon and steelhead, which face possible extinction as the state's drought rages on. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/02/stories/1060021201 FUELS New West Coast Oil Refinery Proposed To Meet Clean-Fuel Demand. Along the Columbia River in Washington state, developers are planning the first new oil refinery on the West Coast in 25 years. Paradoxically, the goal of the project is to meet new clean-fuel standards. It's certainly not a result local environmental groups expected when they championed those standards. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098959_new-west-coast-oil-refinery-proposed-to-meet-clean-fuel-demand VEHICLES Tesla Beats Delivery Forecast With 52% Quarterly Surge. Tesla delivered 11,507 Model S sedans in the period, the Palo Alto, California-based manufacturer said Thursday in a statement of preliminary figures. The company predicted in May that it would sell 10,000 to 11,000 of the electric-powered car, its only model, during the second quarter. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/tesla-beats-delivery-forecast-with-52-quarterly-surge http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Tesla-tops-11-000-vehicles-delivered-in-second-6362535.php http://www.ocregister.com/articles/percent-669815-tesla-quarter.html http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098964_tesla-delivers-11500-electric-cars-globally-from-april-through-june-it-says BMW Pushes Fuel-Cell Car Development With First Street Tests. BMW AG will test a vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells for the first time on public roads this month as the German automaker looks to expand clean-car offerings after rolling out the battery-powered i3 in 2013. The company plans “a technically mature, customer-ready vehicle sometime after 2020… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-01/bmw-s-first-fuel-cell-car-starts-testing-in-clean-engine-push CARB Approves $373M in Clean-Vehicle Grants. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved $373-million in grants to bolster alternative-fuel vehicles, including fleet-eligible rebates for low- and zero-emission passenger vehicles, the board announced. The budget for the annual Funding Plan for Low Carbon Transportation Investments and the Air Quality Improvement Program is up by $150 million over last year's budget, CARB reported. http://www.greenfleetmagazine.com/news/story/2015/07/carb-approves-clean-vehicle-funding-plan.aspx GREEN ENERGY German Wind-to-Hydrogen Plant Takes Car-Fuel Battle to Tesla. After decades of research, Linde AG says the elements needed to make hydrogen-fuelled cars a viable challenger to Tesla Inc’s battery-driven vehicles are finally falling into place. The world’s largest industrial gas supplier will today open a plant that uses wind power to convert water into the gas. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/german-wind-to-hydrogen-plant-takes-car-fueling-battle-to-tesla India's $100 billion solar push draws foreign firms as locals take backseat. India's $100 billion push into solar energy over the next decade will be driven by foreign players as uncompetitive local manufacturers fall by the wayside, no longer protected by government restrictions on the sector. The money pouring into India's solar industry is likely to be soaked up by foreign-organized projects such as one run by China's Trina Solar… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/02/us-india-solar-idUSKCN0PC1E420150702?virtualBrandChannel=11563 Tesla’s Battery Push Is Good News for This Israeli Solar Company. It’s good to do business with Elon Musk. That’s what SolarEdge Technologies Inc. is discovering, as demand from customers including Musk’s SolarCity Corp. helped the shares double since its March initial public offering. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-02/tesla-s-battery-push-is-good-news-for-this-israeli-solar-company MISCELLANEOUS Solar-powered plane nears Hawaii in record-setting flight. The Solar Impulse 2, the sun-powered plane attempting to fly around the world, is scheduled to land late Thursday or early Friday in Hawaii after an arduous five-day flight across the Pacific from Japan. At four days and counting, the plane and its pilot André Borschberg have now set records for longest solo flight and longest solar-powered flight in terms of time… http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/02/solar-impulse-solar-powered-plane-hawaii/29615487/ BP agrees to $18.7B settlement for environmental, state damages. BP PLC has reached an up-to-$18.7 billion agreement in principle for a settlement with Gulf Coast states and the federal government for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, bringing to a close a major chapter in the disaster that killed 11 rig workers and spewed millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060021204 OPINION A moonshot to save a warming planet. Every silver lining has a cloud. The technologies that offer human beings comforts and opportunities that would have been unimaginable two centuries ago ultimately depend on an abundance of energy. Fire is the source of that energy. But the burning of fossil fuels, from which we gain so much, also releases the carbon dioxide that threatens to destabilise the climate. http://www.todayonline.com/world/moonshot-save-warming-planet Why Should Climate Philanthropy Care About Energy Access? Investing in clean energy access provides a disruptive opportunity to revolutionize electricity systems and get on the right side of the politics of development -- philanthropy just hasn't realized it yet. To be fair, philanthropy needs to step up it's game on climate across the board. http://www.theenergycollective.com/guayjguay/2245257/why-should-climate-philanthropy-care-about-energy-access BLOGS Inter-religious march in Rome demands action on climate change. Several thousand Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and Moslems marched through Rome to the Vatican on Sunday to demand action on climate change and thank Pope Francis for his encyclical on the environment. They marched behind banners reading “Many Faiths – One Planet” and “The Earth – Our Common Home – Climate Action Now!” http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/07/02/inter-religious-march-in-rome-demands-action-on-climate-change/ Scientific and political consensus emerging: not all biomass is "carbon neutral". When dealing with a thorny public policy issue, it's always noteworthy when scientific and political consensus begins to emerge. Last week, a number of statements out of different parts of our government showed that our understanding of the role biomass--essentially plant material burned to produce energy… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/slyutse/scientific_and_political_conse.html Here's Where Electric Vehicles Actually Cause More Pollution Than Gas Cars. The idea that gasoline cars might cause less environmental harm than electric vehicles seems impossibly backwards. But consider the following thought experiment before you dismiss it out of hand. A view from the tailpipe gives EVs a clear edge: no emissions, no pollution, no problem. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/01/electric-vehicles-pollution_n_7708406.html New Efforts Address Electric Vehicle Affordability. Through the first 5 months of 2015, according to data from Hybridcars.com, plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales are down in the United States by 4% from 2014. This is due, in part, to the current price of gasoline being lower than the 2014 price by $0.89 cents per gallon (per the U.S. Energy Information Administration)… http://www.forbes.com/sites/pikeresearch/2015/07/02/electric-vehicle-affordability/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 12:49:02 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 3, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS With 151 days left until COP21, business hones in on what to expect. At times it has appeared that journalists almost could get away with rehashing old news stories from the last United Nations climate summit, repeating stock phrases about "painstakingly slow progress," rows between rich and poor countries and NGOs warning of the fossil fuel lobby's malign influence on any future deal. At the most recent meeting in Bonn, Germany last month, countries once again disappointed, when after two weeks' talking they had succeeded in reducing the unwieldy 80-plus page text by just four pages. http://www.greenbiz.com/article/151-days-left-until-cop21-business-hones-what-expect AIR POLLUTION Beijing says its air pollution better in first half of 2015. Air quality in Beijing, notorious for its smoggy sky, improved during the first six months of 2015, the city government said. The concentration of PM 2.5 — tiny airborne particles that are particularly harmful to human health — dropped by 15.2 percent from a year earlier to an average of 77.7 micrograms per cubic meter during the first half of the year, the government said, citing data from the municipal environment protection bureau. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_AIR_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/beijing-says-its-air-pollution-better-in-first-half-of-2015/2015/07/03/e596f304-2174-11e5-a135-935065bc30d0_story.html How Fireworks Pollution Could Be Hurting Your Health. Fireworks on the Fourth of July dramatically increase air pollution, boosting exposure to potentially dangerous pollutants for millions of onlookers, according to a recent study in the journal Atmospheric Environment. http://time.com/3943702/fourth-of-july-fireworks-pollution/ Fourth of July fireworks linked to spike in air pollution. A new study suggests fireworks not only put on a dazzling light show, they also release large amounts of pollution. On average, concentrations of air-borne particles rose 42 percent around the Fourth of July, according to a new study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Researchers used several years of data from 315 U.S. air quality monitoring stations around the country to gather their results. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/07/03/52833/4th-of-july-fireworks-linked-to-spike-in-air-pollu/ CLIMATE CHANGE Scientists convinced European heat waves boosted by climate change. As Germany and Spain sweated and London sweltered through its hottest July day on record this week, scientists said it is "virtually certain" that climate change is increasing the likelihood of such heat waves in Europe. In real-time data analysis released on Friday, a team of international climate scientists from universities, meteorological services and research organizations said the kind of heat waves hitting Europe this week – defined as three-day periods of excessive heat – are becoming much more frequent in the region. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/03/us-climatechange-heatwaves-europe-idUSKCN0PD1PU20150703 How America is quietly becoming a climate change leader. When it comes to the fight against climate change, the United States is often cast as a laggard – if not an outright pariah. But that portrait is quietly changing. On one hand, the fundamentals of America’s conflict over the human role in climate change remain unchanged. A cap-and-trade bill to reduce carbon emissions remains a nonstarter in Congress, and 41 percent of Americans say global warming has more to do with natural causes than human activity,according to Gallup. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/0702/How-America-is-quietly-becoming-a-climate-change-leader DIESEL EMISSIONS CARB Approves Emissions Capture System as Alternative to Shore Power. Clean Air Engineering-Maritime (CAEM) Wednesday announced that it has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) approval for the Maritime Emissions Treatment System (METS), a portable ship emissions capturing system and alternative to shore power. The METS-1, CAEM's first-generation system, is mounted and deployed from a barge that is positioned alongside ships berthed at the Port of Los Angeles http://shipandbunker.com/news/am/208322-carb-approves-emissions-capture-system-as-alternative-to-shore-power-video DROUGHT Rural Sonoma County residents ordered to conserve water use. Rural Sonoma County residents are about to fall under state mandates to conserve water, largely through cutting back on outdoor irrigation, under an emergency measure aimed at protecting endangered coho salmon. The water limits, including prohibitions on watering lawns and washing vehicles, initially will apply to the owners of about 3,750 parcels who rely primarily on private wells in the “critical areas” of four watersheds key to young coho salmon. The board has the option to expand the rules to all 13,000 parcels in the watersheds. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4139839-181/rural-sonoma-county-residents-ordered FUELS Study: even with high LDV electrification, low-carbon biofuels will be necessary to meet 80% GHG reduction target; “daunting” policy implications. A study by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Michigan State University colleague has concluded that even with a relatively high rate of electrification of the US light-duty fleet (40% of vehicle miles traveled and 26% by fuel), an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050 relative to 1990 can only be achieved with significant quantities of low-carbon liquid fuel. The paper is published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150703-meier.html GREEN ENERGY Solar Impulse: One Giant Leap for Green Energy. As the U.S. East Coast enjoyed a lazy Sunday afternoon on June 28, an airplane took off from Nagoya, in central Japan, without any gas aboard. Four days later it’s still in the air, proceeding across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii at the stately pace of around 30 knots. Its pilot and lone occupant, André Borschberg, has already set the world record for longest-duration solo flight, and as of this afternoon he has nearly another day ahead of him at the controls. The weather is not cooperating. It is a tense time. http://www.airspacemag.com/airspacemag/short-flight-man-one-giant-leap-batteries-180955809/?no-ist MISCELLANEOUS Solar-powered plane lands in Hawaii after flight from Japan. A plane powered by the sun's rays landed in Hawaii Friday after a record-breaking five-day journey across the Pacific Ocean from Japan. Pilot Andre Borschberg and his single-seat aircraft landed at Kalaeloa, a small airport outside Honolulu. His 120-hour voyage from Nagoya broke the record for the world's longest nonstop solo flight, his team said. The late U.S. adventurer Steve Fossett set the previous record of 76 hours when he flew a specially-designed jet around the globe in 2006. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/technology/article26215081.html Green movement coloring way sports looks at environment. Andrew Ference was at the beginning of his NHL career when he met Dr. David Suzuki, who hosts a TV show in Canada. The conversation with the award-winning scientist changed the life of the young defenseman. Ference told Suzuki about all the ways he's environmentally responsible at home. The famous environmentalist responded with a shrug. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SPORTS_ENVIRONMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 13:09:11 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 6, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 6, 2015. 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 White House quietly revises social cost of carbon. The White House has slightly reduced its estimate for the social cost of carbon (SCC) in response to public comments that officials collected more than a year ago. The Office of Management and Budget posted its revision of the controversial estimate Thursday, immediately before the Fourth of July weekend. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/06/stories/1060021287 AIR POLLUTION Moreno Valley warehouse project raising concerns over air quality. A master planned warehouse development that would fill nearly 700 football fields has raised concerns among state and regional air quality regulators, the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the American Lung Association. The proposed World Logistics Center — with its 40.6 million square feet of warehouses and 14,000 daily truck visits… http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20150705/moreno-valley-warehouse-project-raising-concerns-over-air-quality Demand for Small Modular Reactors may be Impacted by Supreme Court Ruling on EPA Coal Plant Emissions. On June 29th the US Supreme Court threw out EPA’s coal emissions regulations that if implemented would have forced many utilities to close older coal-fired plants. The new emissions controls are aimed at mercury and other toxic pollutants which are not removed from stack emissions by current air pollution controls. http://www.theenergycollective.com/dan-yurman/2245276/demand-small-modular-reactors-may-be-impacted-supreme-court-ruling-epa-coal-plant CLIMATE CHANGE No plan B if Paris climate summit ends in failure, says EU climate chief. There is “no plan B” if the Paris climate conference ends in failure, Europe’s climate chief has warned, urging world leaders to intervene to force their ministers to agree a landmark deal this December. In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Miguel Cañete, commissioner for climate action… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/06/no-plan-b-if-paris-climate-summit-ends-in-failure-says-eu-climate-chief?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it Canada's new carbon emissions rules provide new hope for the Keystone pipeline. TransCanada Corp. has written to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arguing that new Canadian rules on emissions should persuade him to approve the construction of the much-delayed Keystone XL pipeline. The proposed US$6.4 billion project would carry an estimated 830,000 barrels of Canadian crude oil per day from Hardisty… http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Canadas-Carbon-Emissions-Rules-Sparks-Hopes-For-Keystone.html#ixzz3f8BPDjKo India 'will not announce' carbon emissions peak year. Prakash Javadekar said that Delhi would submit plans to cut emissions to the UN, but would not announce a target date for when it expected its total carbon emissions to drop. His comments came two days after China told the United Nations that its emissions would peak around 2030. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33353181 DROUGHT California water rates rise as cities lose money in drought. Saving water doesn't always mean saving money in parched California. Millions of Californians expecting relief on their water bills for taking conservation measures instead are finding higher rates and drought surcharges. Water departments are increasing rates and adding fees because they're losing money as their customers conserve. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_RATE_HIKES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_RATE_HIKES_GLANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/californias-rural-poor-hit-hardest-as-groundwater-vanishes-in-long-drought/2015/07/05/0ed88938-1452-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article26530126.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-water-rates-rise-as-cities-lose-money-6367059.php http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/0705/Californian-cities-hike-up-water-rates-while-customers-conserve-amid-drought Las Vegas completing last straw to draw Lake Mead water. It took $817 million, two starts, more than six years and one worker's life to drill a so-called "Third Straw" to make sure glittery casinos and sprawling suburbs of Las Vegas can keep getting drinking water from near the bottom of drought-stricken Lake Mead. The pipeline, however, won't drain the largest Colorado River reservoir any faster. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VEGAS_WATER_LAKE_MEAD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Almond Prices Surge as Sales Boom Collides With Drought. The almond is having its moment. Though criticized for being a water-thirsty crop grown mostly in California, almonds are more popular than ever. And spreads made from the tree nut are increasingly supplanting peanut butter in U.S. lunch boxes and pantries. Americans are eating about 2 pounds of almonds per person annually, double the amount they consumed just seven years ago. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-06/almond-prices-surge-as-sales-boom-collides-with-drought How NASA's Flying Laboratory Is Tracking California's Drought. They're using a high-frequency laser that scans the ground 800,000 times a second. A team of scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is tracking California’s snowpack levels aboard a flying laboratory. It’s called the Airborne Snow Observatory… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-06/how-nasa-s-flying-laboratory-is-tracking-california-s-drought California’s rural poor hit hardest as massive drought makes remaining water toxic. Whenever her sons rush indoors after playing under the broiling desert sun, Guadalupe Rosales worries. They rarely heed her constant warning: Don’t drink the water. It’s not safe. The 8- and 10-year-olds stick their mouths under a kitchen faucet and gulp anyway. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/californias-rural-poor-hit-hardest-as-groundwater-vanishes-in-long-drought/2015/07/05/0ed88938-1452-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html Drought Sends U.S. Water Agency Back to Drawing Board. Drew Lessard stood on top of Folsom Dam and gazed at the Sierra Nevada, which in late spring usually gushes enough melting snow into the reservoir to provide water for a million people. But the mountains were bare, and the snowpack to date remains the lowest on measured record. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/us/california-drought-sends-us-water-agency-back-to-drawing-board.html?_r=0 Drought puts California pool repairman who works underwater in high demand. In water-starved California, pool repairman Kevin Wallace might be viewed as a hero in a scuba suit. The 63-year-old Wallace dives underwater in some of the best pools in Southern California to fix rust spots, rebar, structural cracks and drains, using a secret concoction of plaster-based compounds, sterilizing agents and hardeners. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-pool-repairman-20150706-story.html Embarrassed officials try to explain surge in water use. They stuck out like skunks at a drought-resistant garden party. While residential water consumers and suppliers throughout California won praise for slashing water consumption 29% recently, a handful of small water agencies caused bewilderment when they reported a surge in water use in May. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-wasters-20150706-story.html Cutting Edge Silicon Valley struggles to pitch water-saving tech to farmers. Olivier Jerphagnon needed a customer. So he drove toward the farmland north of Fresno, with his marketing director by his side. They came to convince farmers that PowWow Energy's Pump Monitor software can manage irrigation via smartphone. They spotted a prospect off the side of Highway 99: a work crew near a massive pump in an unmarked almond orchard. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-irrigation-innovation-20150705-story.html#page=1 Las Vegas completing last straw to draw Lake Mead water. It took $817 million, two starts, more than six years and one worker's life to drill a so-called "Third Straw" to make sure glittery casinos and sprawling suburbs of Las Vegas can keep getting drinking water from near the bottom of drought-stricken Lake Mead. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Las-Vegas-completing-last-straw-to-draw-Lake-Mead-6367083.php Baja California turns to desalination. Far from the Colorado River, Baja California’s coastal regions are increasingly looking to alternative sources of supply — and desalination has become a favored option. Set to launch operations in 2017, the state’s first utility-scale ocean desalination plant is under construction in Ensenada, where residents have been subject to water rationing. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/04/ensenada-san-quintin-desalination-plants/?st City will keep filling lake with tap water. Park and Recreation reducing water use 16% yet will replenish six recreational ponds. San Diego’s plan to meet state-mandated water conservation targets includes parching dog parks and “nonessential” grass, but officials plan to continue pumping some 57 million gallons of tap water per year into recreational ponds. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/06/city-will-keep-pumping-tap-water-into-lake/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES First Commercially Ready Ship Emissions Capturing System Approved. Clean Air Engineering-Maritime (CAEM) has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) approval for the first commercially ready ship emissions capturing system called the Maritime Emissions Treatment System (METS).Clean Air Engineering-Maritime (CAEM) has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) approval for the first commercially ready ship emissions… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/06/first-commercially-ready-ship-emissions-capturing-system-approved/#ixzz3f8Ag3g7r FUELS U.S. ethanol makers race to expand even with policy uncertainty. Some U.S. ethanol producers are racing to bring on capacity, pushing output to fresh highs even as soaring corn prices tighten margins and the nation's biofuels program faces prolonged uncertainty. Betting on exports and robust domestic fuel demand, four companies are finalizing expansions and projects that will add 375 million gallons of corn-based ethanol capacity this year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/06/usa-ethanol-output-idUSL1N0ZC2NK20150706?virtualBrandChannel=11563 State issues toughest-in-the-nation fracking rules. State officials on Wednesday formally adopted new rules governing hydraulic fracturing in California, setting in motion some of the toughest guidelines in the nation for the controversial oil extraction practice. The oil and gas agency also released its environmental impact report that concluded fracking could have “significant and unavoidable impacts” on a number of fronts… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-state-issues-fracking-rules-20150701-story.html U.S. ethanol makers race to expand even with policy uncertainty. Some U.S. ethanol producers are racing to bring on capacity, pushing output to fresh highs even as soaring corn prices tighten margins and the nation's biofuels program faces prolonged uncertainty. Betting on exports and robust domestic fuel demand, four companies are finalizing expansions and projects that will add 375 million gallons of corn-based ethanol capacity this year. http://www.agweek.com/event/article/id/27212/group/Agribusiness/#sthash.VFApy944.dpuf VEHICLE A fleet of ‘robocabs’ could dramatically slash vehicle emissions, study suggests. Whenever we hear the latest buzz about driverless vehicles — like the ones currently in development by Google — one of the first benefits brought up is safety. The gist is that the vast majority of car accidents are the result of human error, and taking the human out of the equation would thus make streets a lot safer. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/06/new-research-suggests-that-robotaxis-could-be-good-for-the-planet/ America’s Lowest Carbon Footprint Cars. According to the U.S. EPA, a plug-in hybrid like a Ford Fusion Energi can save 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) tailpipe emissions per year compared to a 26-mpg non-hybrid Fusion, or enough to plant 79 trees. This is based on 15,000 annual miles, the trees are just a theoretical way to offset the greenhouse gases (GHG) released. http://www.hybridcars.com/americas-lowest-carbon-footprint-cars/ GREEN ENERGY RPT-French renewables power grid pilot shows limits of batteries in Europe. A major pilot project by Europe's largest power network operator to integrate power from rooftop solar panels into the grid has shown that battery storage of renewable energy is not yet economically viable in Europe. The conclusion is a sobering one for proponents of sun and wind energy because as more of it comes on tap… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/06/utilities-grids-france-idUSL8N0ZM18F20150706?type=companyNews Israeli Gas Boon Blocks Out Solar Industry Hopes. Renewable energy projects’ prospects dashed as huge gas finds change the government’s priorities. The residents of this village in the Negev desert have everything they need to build a solar-panel field: construction permits and loans, a contract with a company to build the field, and plenty of sun. But Tarabin village doesn’t yet have permission from the government to sell its solar power to the national grid… http://www.wsj.com/articles/israeli-gas-boon-blocks-out-solar-industry-hopes-1436187071?mod=rss_Technology Solar energy revolution: Past point of no return. When the SunShot Initiative was launched by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2011, even I thought it was a little crazy to think the goal of $1-per-watt solar energy was within reach. In this article from April 2011, I said that $1 per watt by 2017 had a "fighting chance" at best, but it was a long way off at the time. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2015/07/05/motley-fool-solar-energy/29583021/ New York sees strong growth in solar power installations. New York state has seen a significant increase in solar power in the last three years. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says Monday that installed solar power generation tripled since 2011. That's just more than twice the rate of the entire U.S. over the same period. While solar power remains a relatively small source of electricity in the state, the governor says the rapid growth reflects state efforts to encourage renewable energy. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/New-York-sees-strong-growth-in-solar-power-6368606.php Renewable energy: Ukiah ‘70 percent carbon free’. Mel Grandi is excited about Ukiah’s power. He is the city’s electrical utility director, and is happy to talk about the carbon-free sources of 65- to 70 percent of that power. In 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order that “…all retail sellers of electricity shall serve 33% of their load with renewable energy by 2020.” http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/general-news/20150703/renewable-energy-ukiah-70-percent-carbon-free Marin businesses collecting food scraps for energy-saving program. At San Rafael’s West Brooklyn Pizza Co., workers have always strived to maintain an eco-friendly business by recycling the bottles and plastics used at the restaurant. Within the past three months, though, the workers’ efforts have been beefed up. Uneaten pizza crusts left by customers… http://www.marinij.com/environment-and-nature/20150705/marin-businesses-collecting-food-scraps-for-energy-saving-program Solar & Wind = 74% of New US Electricity Capacity January–May 2015 (Exclusive). US renewable energy electricity capacity May 2015Wind power and solar power are increasingly the most cost-competitive options for new electricity generation, and the installation numbers for the first 5 months of 2015 are just another data point showing that. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/06/solar-wind-74-of-new-us-electricity-capacity-january-may-2015-exclusive/ Solar Impulse Sun-Powered Airplane Lands Safely In Hawaii. Nearly four months after taking off from Abu Dhabi to attempt a circumnavigation of the globe, the sun-powered Solar Impulse 2 airplane has crossed the Pacific Ocean. The plane landed in Hawaii Friday, achieving another milestone in the attempt to fly around the world with no onboard fuel. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098992_solar-impulse-sun-powered-airplane-lands-safely-in-hawaii German Wind-to-Hydrogen Plant Takes Car-Fuel Battle to Tesla. After decades of research, Linde AG says the elements needed to make hydrogen-fuelled cars a viable challenger to Tesla Inc.’s battery-driven vehicles are finally falling into place. The world’s largest industrial gas supplier will today open a plant that uses wind power to convert water into the gas. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/news/2015/07/german-wind-to-hydrogen-plant-takes-car-fuel-battle-to-tesla.html US Solar Production Is Being Vastly Underreported. Analysis from SEIA and kWh Analytics shows that the US produced 50 percent more solar than it’s getting credit for. Good news abounds in the solar energy industry. Recently, California became the first state to source more than five percent of its electricity from solar power. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/07/us-solar-production-is-being-vastly-underreported.html Nation's renewable energy consumption highest since the 1930s. Is Utah doing enough? Opinions vary. U.S. consumers are increasingly turning to solar, wind and biomass for their energy needs, driving domestic renewable energy consumption to its highest peak since the 1930s. A recent analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration — an independent research service of the U.S. Department of Energy — found that renewables… http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865631967/Nations-renewable-energy-consumption-highest-since-the-1930s.html?pg=all Renewable energy on tribal lands stalls out. Is the Bureau of Indian Affairs delaying wind and solar projects? In 2008, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, in south-central South Dakota, was ready to start developing the 30-megawatt Owl Feather War Bonnet wind farm on tribal lands. The turbines would generate money for the tribe and some of the power would go to homes on the nearly 2-square-mile reservation… http://www.hcn.org/articles/federal-agency-shortcomings-stalling-solar-wind-tribal-winds Kenya’s New Wind Farm Will Provide Nearly One Fifth Of The Country’s Power. Last week Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta broke ground on a major renewable energy project for the country and for the African continent as a whole: a 310-megawatt wind farm some 300 miles north of the capital city of Nairobi. The farm, which will consist of 365 turbines when fully completed in mid-2017… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/06/3677104/kenya-builds-africas-largest-wind-farm/ MISCELLANEOUS Former Transportation and Air Quality Director Oge says EPA doing 'pretty good job' with imperfect renewable fuels statute. Following a heated public hearing on U.S. EPA's proposed renewable volume obligations for 2014-2016, how open to change is the agency as it crafts its final numbers? During today's OnPoint, Margo Oge, former director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, discusses the challenges facing the agency in determining volume obligations under the current RFS. http://www.eenews.net/tv/videos/2005/transcript OPINIONS As lakes drain, we must rethink water. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials, who operate the Central Valley Project, relied on a faulty gauge in April and overestimated the amount of cold water behind Shasta Dam. That error might seem trivial, but not in this fourth parched year of the drought. It is now cascading throughout the water system, making clearer than ever that Californians must rethink how water is used. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article26414845.html#storylink=cpy EDITORIAL: Congress should kill ethanol mandate. The country’s decade-old Renewable Fuel Standard requires increasing levels of plant-based ethanol and biodiesel to be added to traditional fossil fuels. It was supposed to be good for the economy and great for the environment. It has been neither — and it could get even worse. Under the RFS, most gasoline sold in the United States is classified as E10… http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorial-congress-should-kill-ethanol-mandate BLOGS Carbon fee legislation would cut gas emissions. Thank you for your editorial on the New York ban on fracking (“A smart ban on fracking,” July 1). You cited the grassroots victory over a “well-funded gas and oil industry that has long been willing to distort science in order to shape public opinion and policy on critical issues like global warming.” We would like to add to that success story. http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion/carbon-fee-legislation-would-cut-gas-emissions/32835/ Autonomous Taxis Would Deliver Significant Environmental and Economic Benefits. New Berkeley Lab study finds lower greenhouse gas emissions on per-mile basis for driverless cars deployed as taxis. Imagine a fleet of driverless taxis roaming your city, ready to pick you up and take you to your destination at a moment’s notice. While this may seem fantastical, it may be only a matter of time before it becomes reality. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/07/06/autonomous-taxis-would-deliver-significant-environmental-and-economic-benefits/ This Humble Cactus Could Help Fuel Our Drought-Stricken World. As drought strikes broad regions of the world, farmers are focusing on the crops that can feed people—not the crops that can power their cars. But what if there was an energy crop that could grow where traditional crops can’t? Even in a drought? Enter the cactus. Climate change and drought aren’t just affecting agriculture. http://gizmodo.com/this-humble-cactus-could-help-power-our-drought-stricke-1715966241 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 14:56:36 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 7, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 7, 2015. 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 EU politicians set to back carbon market 2019 reform start. The European Parliament on Wednesday is expected to back a 2019 start to reform of the world's largest emissions market in a step towards deeper change and higher carbon prices. The aim is make the EU Emissions Trading System strong enough to spur investment in lower-carbon energy and comes ahead of U.N. talks in Paris at the end of the year over a deal to curb global warming. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/07/07/eu-carbon-vote-idUKL8N0ZN19G20150707?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews AkzoNobel’s Carbon Credits Methodology Wins Environmental Award. AkzoNobel’s carbon credits methodology for the shipping industry has won the Best Offsetting Project award in the 2015 Voluntary Carbon Market Rankings. The first of its kind within the shipping industry, the carbon credits methodology is based on ship owners converting existing vessels from a biocidal antifouling system to a premium… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/07/akzonobels-carbon-credits-methodology-wins-environmental-award/#ixzz3fEHV6VV5 AIR POLLUTION Climate law offers opportunity to curb traffic emissions – study. California policymakers are potentially missing an opportunity to reduce automobile pollution in their bid to slash greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study published today. The University of Southern California-led study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives says deaths linked to fine particle exposure… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/07/stories/1060021365 White House signals it doesn't consider wood energy carbon-neutral. White House has indicated that the administration does not support the claim that burning wood for energy results in net-zero carbon emissions, an issue that has deeply divided the forest industry and some environmental groups for years. In a June 23 veto threat to H.R. 2822, a House appropriations bill for U.S. EPA and the Department of the Interior… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/07/stories/1060021324 CLIMATE CHANGE US scientists: Warm oceans cause concern of coral bleaching. Abnormally warm ocean temperatures are creating conditions that threaten to kill coral across the equatorial Pacific, north Pacific and western Atlantic oceans, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday. Coral bleaching occurs when coral is stressed by changes in its environment, causing it to release algae living in its tissue. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CORAL_BLEACHING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Carbon Tracker Sees $283 Billion of LNG Projects as Uneconomic. About $283 billion of liquefied natural gas projects may be surplus to requirements if the world is to keep carbon emissions below levels aimed at holding global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, the Carbon Tracker Initiative said. In the next decade, 16 of the 20 biggest LNG companies are studying major projects that probably won’t be needed… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-06/carbon-tracker-sees-283-billion-of-lng-projects-as-uneconomic http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/07/stories/1060021349 Inside the fight against Obama's climate plan. Former Bush EPA official Jeff Holmstead explains where the coming Clean Power rules are vulnerable. President Barack Obama’s signature climate change rule is expected to land this summer, imposing the nation’s first-ever greenhouse gas limits on the electric utility industry— and Republicans and industry are already scrambling to kill it any way they can. http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/07/inside-the-fight-against-obamas-climate-plan-000134 Climate change is a human rights issue, says UN. The UN's Human Rights Council (HRC) has unanimously adopted a new resolution that stresses the importance of addressing the impact of climate change on the human rights of some of the world's most vulnerable people. http://www.businessgreen.com/print_article/bg/news/2416599/climate-change-is-a-human-rights-issue-says-un Carbon emission cuts at a local level could avoid dangerous global warming. New Climate Economy report says local action is among measures that could make up shortfall in emissions cuts from pledges ahead of Paris summit. A landmark climate change conference in Paris this December has triggered commitments on carbon emissions curbs from most of the world’s major polluters… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/07/major-polluter-pledges-not-enough-to-meet-emissions-targets-says-report U.N. issues plans to lower risks of increasingly frequent heat waves. The United Nations has recommended ways for countries to limit the health risks of future heat waves. The guidelines, developed by the World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization, are the first of their kind from the agency. Their release coincided with the spread of scorching temperatures across Europe and Asia. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/07/stories/1060021323 Scientists warn that warming's effects on oceans are 'more severe' than predicted. A group of nearly two dozen scientists from nine different countries is trying to convince climate negotiators to give oceans a more prominent place on the international climate agenda in Paris this year by highlighting the effects of continued increases in carbon emissions on marine life. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/07/stories/1060021345 Climate change may not create as many hybrid species as previously thought – study. From the pizzly bear -- a mix of a polar bear and a grizzly -- to the coywolf -- a blend of Western coyote, wolf and domesticated dog -- hybridized animal species have captured the imagination of researchers and artists alike. As the climate changes, some scientists have projected an increase in the number of species that will mix and warned of a potentially devastating blow to biodiversity. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/07/stories/1060021348 DROUGHT Baja California farmers confront prospect of water shortage. Blocks from the U.S. border on a recent afternoon, inside a packed auditorium, the farmers' voices rose with their anxious questions. Water from the Colorado River has long been the lifeline for their fields of cotton, wheat and alfalfa, and they were learning about the probability of shortages. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-border-drought-watch-20150707-story.html Officials ease off on drawing down Folsom Lake. State water regulators have eased off on plans to draw down Folsom Lake to historically low levels this summer, responding to concerns from Sacramento area water agencies about the availability of supply, officials said Tuesday. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article26662348.html#storylink=cpy San Leandro: Fire crews water lawns with buckets of water salvaged from broken main. Firefighters leaving the scene of a residential structure fire in San Leandro Monday evening stopped nearby to salvage water from a broken water main, according to a spokeswoman for the Alameda County Fire Department. http://www.contracostatimes.com/drought/ci_28445475/san-leandro-fire-crews-water-lawns-buckets-water California's drought -- from a farming perspective. Four years into California's drought, conditions have hit the state's farmers especially hard, prompting a revaluation of farming practices and, at times, innovation. In April, when California Gov. Jerry Brown called on residents to cut water use by 25 percent, they listened. In May, water use dropped almost 29 percent. The restrictions did not apply to farmers, however. http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2015/07/06/43518/california-s-drought-from-a-farming-perspective/ California Looks To Australia For Drought Tips. As the drought continues, California is looking to Australia for ideas. The state signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian state of Victoria to share knowledge and training in wildfire and flood management Monday. Mark Ghilarducci directs the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. He says Victoria weathered a 13-year drought and can teach California a few things. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/06/california-looks-to-australia-for-drought-tips/ Swat! The buzz on dry-weather mosquitoes. Alongside water rationing, lawn death and empty swimming pools, the ongoing drought brings a surprise guest: more mosquitoes. Phil Smith, district manager for Sonoma’s branch of the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District, reports an unusually high number of the airborne nuisance in the county, saying that drought conditions exacerbate egg-laying due to conditions caused by lower water levels. http://www.sonomanews.com/news/4161639-181/swat-the-buzz-on-dry-weather#RggPKJXk4ksTIYg5.99 http://www.dailydemocrat.com/health/20150707/west-nile-virus-in-more-california-counties-this-season In water-gulping Palm Springs, the fountains are flowing. There was a sign in front of the "Rainmaker" fountain in this resort town on Monday afternoon: "This Fountain is Dry for the Drought. Saving Water is Mandatory." By the time you read this, that statement might not be true. The Palm Springs City Council voted unanimously last week to turn the city's fountains back on… http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/07/palm-springs-decorate-fountains-california-drought/29803265/ Drought drives greater household use of gray water. Strands of silver hair fell into Annie Costanzo’s face as she wielded a sledgehammer against the brick walkway in her backyard. Plumes of dust and debris filled the air, and reddish-pink shards scattered in the wake of the 64-year-old sculptor’s latest water conservation project. http://www.lodinews.com/ap/nation/article_365a1684-24a6-11e5-85ec-10604b9f0f84.html Mapping drought's impact on electricity generation. Natural gas, wind and solar fill some of the hydropower deficit in California. The water-energy nexus spans the world of electricity generation and water movement, particularly in Western states. It takes water to produce steam for coal, natural gas and nuclear power plants, and they usually need water to cool them down. http://www.hcn.org/articles/hydropower-california-drought-water-energy-electricity-dams Committee to vote on drought, mining, public lands bills. House Republicans' latest contentious effort to free up water for California farmers and communities is slated for committee markup tomorrow. The House Natural Resources Committee will also vote on legislation to streamline mine permitting and a host of public lands bills. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060021340/search?keyword=california FUELS Crude oil tumbles 8 pct, points to low gas prices this fall. A slew of global economic and geopolitical factors are working to pummel the price of oil and set up U.S. drivers for very low gasoline prices later this year. The price of U.S. crude dropped 7.7 percent Monday to close at $52.53 a barrel and is now down nearly 15 percent from the high for the year set on June 10. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OIL_PRICES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VEHICLES Detroit 3 seek EPA credits for paint, glass. Approval would help companies meet feds' stiffer emissions rules. When it comes to technologies used to clean up vehicle emissions, glass and paint might not be the first things that come to mind. But if they reflect rather than absorb the sun's infrared rays, a vehicle can stay cooler on a hot summer day. http://www.autonews.com/article/20150705/OEM11/307069961/detroit-3-seek-epa-credits-for-paint-glass GREEN ENERGY China Eyes Safe Smart-Grid System by 2020 to Push Clean Energy. China plans to build a safe and environmentally friendly smart-grid system by 2020 as it promotes the spread of clean energy. The nation will build long-distance transmission networks and active power distribution networks to fully use hydro power, wind and solar, according to a statement from the National Development and Reform Commission. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-07/china-eyes-safe-smart-grid-system-by-2020-to-push-clean-energy U.K. Energy Consumers Paying $1.9 Billion Too Much, CMA Says. British consumers would have saved 1.2 billion pounds ($1.9 billion) a year from 2009 to 2013 with more effective competition in the energy industry, according to the U.K.’s antitrust authority. Households could have saved as much as 160 pounds a year on gas and electricity by switching suppliers… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-07/u-k-biggest-energy-suppliers-escape-breakup-in-watchdog-review A Tale Of Renewable Energy Innovation Through Patents And Standards. It’s an exciting time to work in renewable energy. On a daily basis, we hear about new developments, ground-breaking innovations and unprecedented investment and deployment in the sector. Yesterday we learned that Bill Gates will invest US $2 Billion to spur renewable energy technology innovation… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/06/a-tale-of-renewable-energy-innovation-through-patents-and-standards/ OPINIONS Obama’s Renewable-Energy Fantasy. Bill Gates recently noted that the cost of decarbonization using today’s technology is ‘beyond astronomical.’ On June 30, one day after the Supreme Court struck down the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of mercury emissions from power plants, President Obama committed the United States to the goal of generating 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. http://www.wsj.com/articles/obamas-renewable-energy-fantasy-1436104555 Dan Walters: California struggling to solve transportation woes. The Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown have passed a new state budget, and that's that, right? Not on your sweet bippy, to channel comedian Dick Martin. The Capitol's politicians left three major budgetary issues undone -- highway maintenance, financing for the Medi-Cal program, and spending $2-plus billion in "cap-and-trade" fees. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28445792/dan-walters-california-struggling-solve-transportation-woes http://www.modbee.com/opinion/state-issues/article26651713.html#storylink=cpy CASSIE MACDUFF: Moreno Valley leaders need to go slow on logistics center. Moreno Valley could get an iconic, landmark bridge over Highway 60 to serve the proposed World Logistics Center. Each distribution center in the massive, 40.6 million-square-foot complex could be built to the gold standard of energy efficiency, the developer promises. That’s wonderful. http://www.pe.com/articles/project-772523-city-air.html California Focus: Lawn replacement a mixed bag. Listen to water officials from Gov. Jerry Brown down to local officials and you’d think replacing lawns with drought-resistant plants or artificial turf is a pure good, no negatives involved. They know lawn replacement, often called “xeriscaping” because it can use cactuses and other desert plants, generally leads to at least a 30 percent cut in household water use. http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/opinion/20150707/california-focus-lawn-replacement-a-mixed-bag What climate change deniers and believers share: Column. If nature causes global warming, humans need to understand it better to defend Earth. Nature is holding us hostage. Unrelenting drought in the Southwest, storms of record strength across Texas — the signs are all around. Everyone wants to know: Where will nature strike next? Well, everyone except some in Congress. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/07/06/climate-change-congress-science-column/28936757/ Editorial: Time to Act Is Now — Finding Drought Solutions. One natural phenomenon is currently tying together people who inhabit points on the globe that are far-flung from each other, from the tiny island nations of the Caribbean to the nation-continent of Australia, from California to India. Drought. Many severely parched regions of the world are united by the overriding desire for relief from the affliction of hot and dry conditions. http://www.theledger.com/article/20150707/EDIT01/150709582/1036/edit Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for July 8. Drought should trigger construction moratorium. With all the discussion about drought restrictions, water conservation, traffic problems and over-development (WinCup, for instance), I find the absence of any discussion of a construction freeze puzzling. Considering the consensus that exists in our county that we don’t have enough water, space or infrastructural resources… http://www.marinij.com/opinion/20150707/marin-ij-readers-forum-for-july-8 Beware of the water police. This water thing is getting serious. I live in Valencia and Valencia Water Co., which provides my water, has informed its customers that come July 13 they will begin conducting “visual inspections” to ensure that people aren’t wasting water. Now I understand that we all need to cut back and I realize that water has become an increasingly precious resource as California grapples… http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20150706/beware-of-the-water-police Inland Empire can be a leader in changing California’s landscape: Guest commentary. Five years ago, while serving as executive director of the Water Resources Institute at Cal State San Bernardino, I worked with San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District to raise the funds and build a Water Conservation Demonstration Garden on the campus. http://www.sbsun.com/opinion/20150706/inland-empire-can-be-a-leader-in-changing-californias-landscape-guest-commentary BLOGS Avoiding a Climate Inferno. Current issue of Science features a short, but forceful editorial by the journal’s editor in chief, the geophysicist Marcia K. McNutt, calling for humanity, after decades of delay, to get serious about cutting greenhouse-gas emissions linked to global warming. “The time for debate has ended,” she writes. “Action is urgently needed… http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/07/avoiding-a-climate-inferno/?_r=0 Here’s The Most Lucrative Way to Fight Climate Change. A new report outlines how to grow the economy and stymie climate change at the same time. Economists, politicians and scientists have long debated how (and whether) climate change can be addressed without slowing the world economy. Now, a group of key business, finance and government leaders say they’ve identified a set of opportunities that are good for business… http://time.com/3946708/business-climate-change-economy/ Climate Change: Rising Temperatures Threaten Bird Biodiversity in Mexico. It turns out that rising temperatures may be threatening birds. Researchers have studied the gains and losses of populations of birds across Mexico in the 20th century and have found that climate change may be causing a loss of biodiversity. http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/27548/20150707/climate-change-rising-temperatures-threaten-bird-biodiversity-mexico.htm Florida has reduced carbon emissions by 20 percent since 2005, Bilirakis says. Republicans in Congress recently voted for legislation that would prevent the federal government from implementing new emissions regulations on power plants -- in part, some argue, because utilities are already cutting carbon levels on their own. http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/jul/07/gus-bilirakis/florida-has-reduced-its-carbon-emissions-20-percen/ Do Costs Matter When Climate Change Policies are Being Considered? Regardless of differences in opinion about approaches to combatting climate change, California decided in 2006 that the state would have a comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction program. Now, nine years later, the AB 32 programs are beginning to take effect and having a financial impact. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/07/do-costs-matter-when-climate-change-policies-are-being-considered/ The state creating the most green jobs is...Georgia? An unlikely political alliance in the Peach State has produced a big spike in solar projects. Green employment in the U.S. is tiny, but it keeps picking up steam. In the first three months of 2015, about 40 new renewable energy and clean transportation projects were launched in 19 states, creating more than 9,800 jobs. http://fortune.com/2015/07/07/green-jobs-georgia/ They've Seen Lots of Droughts, But This One's Different. This time, crispy lawns, short showers, and unflushed toilets may be the new normal. If that fails? “Beat everyone to Oregon,” one Californian says. In the drought-plagued suburbs east of San Francisco Bay, John Baker watches his home’s water meter more closely than his TV. Having lived through two other major droughts over the past four decades… http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150706-drought-california-water-conservation-environment/?rptregcta=reg_free_np&rptregcampaign=2015012_invitation_ro_all# Knee-jerk reactions. The California drought continues to make headlines as the regulators sort through what will be the final water-use restrictions for the state as a whole and for each water district in particular. What we have seen so far, as usual with regulation, it’s not based on science, but based on emotion. No big surprise. Emotion is short term. http://www.golfcourseindustry.com/gci0715-water-regulations-sprinklers-metering.aspx California town conserves too much water, dumps 500k gallons amid drought. The mayor of Poway, California has admitted that 500,000 gallons of water were wasted based on an unsafe chemical imbalance despite the town's successful conservation efforts during historic drought conditions. Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said that in the month of May, the town conserved water by about 45 percent, which is well ahead of state-mandated savings. http://rt.com/usa/271969-water-wasted-drought-california/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 13:05:43 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 8, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 8, 2015. 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 EU carbon market reform backed by MEPs. The European Parliament has today approved plans to reform the EU's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) in 2019. MEPs voted 495 to 198 in favour of a proposal to begin operating a Market Stability Reserve (MSR) to remove some of the surplus carbon credits that have depressed carbon prices to around €7.50 per tonne. http://www.businessgreen.com/print_article/bg/news/2416902/eu-carbon-market-reform-backed-by-meps AIR POLLUTION Salas biomass bill makes progress. Clears state Senate committee. A bill that would subsidize Valley power plants that turn agricultural and other green waste into electricity has cleared a key Senate committee, according to Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield. Salas, the bill's co-author, said the legislation would help reduce pollution from open-field agricultural waste burning. http://hanfordsentinel.com/selma_enterprise/news/salas-biomass-bill-makes-progress/article_10439e21-6a98-5bc9-83b6-f866b8f98a8d.html US appeals court rejects NC challenge of air pollution rule. An appeals court Tuesday dismissed North Carolina’s challenge of federal air pollution rules, saying the state filed its claim too late. The case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit arose after the Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule limiting fine-particle pollution in 2010. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article26680630.html#storylink=cpy An Unprecedented Number Of Canadian Wildfires Send Smoke Pollution Across The United States. Fueled by unusually high temperatures, hundreds of wildfires are burning across Western Canada — and they’re sending their smoke south across the United States border. Wildfire danger throughout Western Canada is “very high,” according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS)… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/07/3677532/canadian-wildfires-smoke-united-states/ CLIMATE CHANGE Technical solutions alone can't fix climate change: scientists. Dealing with climate change and its risks will require not only technical responses like drought-resilient crops and higher sea walls but also reshaping economic and political incentives that are driving global warming, scientists said on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/08/us-climatechange-science-technology-idUSKCN0PI23K20150708 World Suffering Surge in Extreme Rainfall Due to Climate Change. The world is suffering a surge in record-breaking rainfall because of climate change, scientists say. Extreme rains, like those that led to flooding and a cholera outbreak that killed hundreds in Pakistan in 2010, are happening 12 percent more often globally and 56 percent more frequently in Southeast Asia than if the world wasn’t warming… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-08/world-suffering-surge-in-extreme-rainfall-due-to-climate-change Pope presses environment message in bio-diverse Ecuador. Pope Francis challenged Latin America’s youth to take up his environmental protection campaign Tuesday, saying the defense of God’s creation isn’t just a recommendation but a requirement. Francis appeal, delivered at Quito’s Catholic University, is particularly relevant for Ecuador… http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/pope-has-packed-final-ecuador-day-but-holding-up-well/2015/07/07/4fff26fc-24be-11e5-b621-b55e495e9b78_story.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-ap-lt-pope-south-america-20150707-story.html California Governor Presses Harper to Cut Canada Emissions. The trio of leaders behind North America’s largest cap-and-trade market want Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other global leaders to do more to cut emissions and combat climate change. California Governor Jerry Brown joined Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard in taking aim Wednesday at Canada’s federal government for inaction on the issue… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-08/ontario-s-wynne-calls-for-emissions-cut-as-climate-summit-begins http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-climate-pact-ontario-quebec-20150708-story.html http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/get-with-it-on-climate-change-federal-politicians-take-beating-at-climate-summit-as-premiers-call-for-action Gov. Brown says climate change creates Titanic-like scenario for world. Gov. Jerry Brown arrived here Tuesday with an ominous message to deliver at a climate change conference with representatives from across the Americas. In an interview before his trip, the governor said the world needs to make significant changes in order to prevent an irreversible "tipping point" in the environment… http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-climate-change-toronto-20150707-story.html For Jerry Brown, climate change issue melds the spiritual and political. Buried in Pope Francis' encyclical on climate change was a reference that Gov. Jerry Brown could have appreciated. The pontiff cited a French priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, whose controversial writings on science and religion veered from church dogma and were forbidden for Brown to study when he was a young Jesuit seminary student. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-brown-climate-20150708-story.html#page=1 UC Merced Connect: Climate scientist leads effort to shape national dialogue. Climate scientist Emmanuel Vincent noticed climate change discussions in Europe had become somewhat politically polarized before he left France a few years ago and found the same situation on a larger scale when he came to America. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/education/eye-on-education/article26683183.html#storylink=cpy Climate action by cities could help us avoid the worst of climate change. In the tepid slugfest that is international climate negotiations, governments around the world are currently submitting their emission reduction pledges to the U.N. in the run-up to the climate summit in Paris this December. Some countries, of course, are doing a bit better than others. http://grist.org/news/climate-action-by-cities-could-help-us-avoid-the-worst-of-climate-change/ Pacific islands stand to lose billions in infrastructure damage from climate change – study. The most valuable infrastructure on South Pacific island nations is built closest to the coast, putting countries at a multibillion-dollar risk from storms, sea-level rise and other damages associated with climate change, new research out of Australia has found. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/08/stories/1060021422 Bonds funding climate-related projects rise to $600B. The District of Columbia's water utility, DC Water, sold a $350 million bond last July, funneling the money into flood mitigation and waterfront restoration efforts. In June, Morgan Stanley finalized a $500 million bond that will help pay for wind farms in Texas and more efficient lighting hardware in the firm's New York office, while ANZ… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/08/stories/1060021423 DROUGHT Drought puts N.Korean children's lives at risk – UNICEF. A severe drought in North Korea is putting the lives of children at risk and many are in serious danger of disease and malnutrition, the U.N. children's agency said on Wednesday. UNICEF said in a statement that there had been in a sharp increase in cases of diarrhea among children in drought-affected areas… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/08/northkorea-drought-unicef-idUSL3N0ZO2A920150708 California Pot Growers Raid Waterways. Mostly illegal operations siphoning from streams to quench thirsty cash crops in drought-stricken state. California’s marijuana industry is taking a toll on the state’s scarce water resources and the environment, with growers sometimes illegally siphoning off entire streams to produce the nation’s largest supply of pot. In the Cascade Mountains here in the northern part of the state, thousands of mostly illegal pot farms dot the lush evergreen forests—many using pipes… http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-pot-growers-raid-waterways-1436307538 Tom Selleck drought shamed, accused of stealing truckloads of hydrant water. Actor Tom Selleck had truckloads of water from a public hydrant delivered to his sprawling Hidden Valley ranch, according to court documents filed against the veteran actor by a Ventura County water district. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-tom-selleck-water-complaint-20150707-story.html http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/tom-selleck-accused-stealing-water-calif-drought-article-1.2285468 California agency considers water prices to save in drought. California Gov. Jerry Brown called for an overhaul in water pricing as part of his sweeping drought order, and regulators on Wednesday will discuss how to best do that in light of legal questions over rates designed to encourage conservation. The State Water Resources Control Board scheduled a workshop to discuss what the state's role is in tinkering with local water rates… http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-agency-considers-water-prices-to-save-6372173.php California OK’s drought curb on Sacramento River flows. California regulators have given final approval to a controversial drought plan to restrict the flow of water pouring out of Lake Shasta this summer in a bid to preserve an endangered fish species. The plan will effectively deprive downstream farmers of as much as 250,000 acre-feet of water during the crucial months of the growing season. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article26740363.html#storylink=cpy Martinez approves drought plan. Residents that use 200 or more gallons of water a day can expect to pay 50 cents per unit more for it within the next month or two. The temporary increase is part of the city's drought plan, unanimously approved by the city council July 1. The Martinez Drought Plan is a response to Gov. Jerry Brown's mandated 25 percent reduction in the use of potable urban water. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_28446831/martinez-approves-drought-plan DIESEL ACTIVITY Bosch: Emissions – How diesel affects air quality. Bosch explains why diesel is crucial to achieving CO2 targets, how to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and what impact smokers and tires have on emissions of particulate matter. Paris, London, Stuttgart – air quality is at the focus of debate all over Europe – a debate that often centers on diesel engines. http://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/bosch-emissions-diesel-affects-air-quality/ FUELS Why is California gasoline so expensive? Gasoline sold in California costs more than in the rest of the U.S. — sometimes dramatically so. That's because the Golden State's market is isolated from outside fuel suppliers that might moderate prices. The fuel market here is an economic island, and occasionally circumstances combine to make California's gasoline even pricier than on the actual island of Hawaii. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gasoline-manipulation-infobox-20150706-story.html Biofuels can be a bigger part of green energy. Despite California’s leadership in green energy promotion, our state is a woefully lopsided net importer of clean biofuels. State lawmakers have a golden opportunity to correct this unfortunate paradox by negotiating a follow-up budget provision that invests some of the state’s cap-and-trade revenues in California-produced biofuels. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article26679073.html#storylink=cpy Biofuels industry, farmers advocate against Loudermilk amendment. On July 2, a group of two dozen biofuel trade groups and companies issued a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to reject an proposals that amend, repeal, defund or otherwise modify or interfere with the renewable fuels standard (RFS). http://www.ethanolproducer.com/articles/12404/biofuels-industry-farmers-advocate-against-loudermilk-amendment EPA is underestimating methane emissions from the Barnett Shale – study. As the U.S. oil and gas industry emits carbon pollutants like CO2 and methane to the atmosphere, its emissions are tracked closely by federal regulators. But the federal tracking underestimates emissions of methane, which is the primary component of natural gas… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/08/stories/1060021406 GREEN ENERGY Facebook to build new, wind-powered data center. Facebook's newest data center will be built in Fort Worth, completely powered by renewable energy. Facebook worked with local energy companies to bring 200-megawatts of renewable wind power to the Texas grid, the company said Tuesday. Producing about half the power of a typical coal plant, the wind farm will be located 90 miles from the data center… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tn-facebook-data-20150707-story.html Economists defend contested energy efficiency study. The authors of a study that riled environmental groups are responding to criticism of their finding that not all energy efficiency programs are cost-effective. Economists from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley, tracked 30,000 low-income Michigan households eligible for the federal Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides funding to conduct energy audits… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/08/stories/1060021421 MISCELLANEOUS California levels new charges in recycling fraud crackdown. A Los Angeles-area truck driver has been charged with smuggling 7,000 pounds of used beverage containers into California from out of state, marking the third such arrest this year in a crackdown by California's recycling enforcement agents. Cesar Vargas, 42, is accused of trying to defraud the California Redemption Value (CRV) program… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/08/us-usa-recycle-california-idUSKCN0PI00D20150708 OPINIONS Recycling Industry Created Its Own Mess. The American recycling business is in the dumps. According to Dave Steinert, the CEO of Waste Management, America's largest recycling company, the industry is experiencing a "national crisis," with almost all of America's 2,000 high-tech recycling facilities -- including Steinert's own -- running in the red. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-07-07/recycling-industry-created-its-own-mess Reporter’s Notebook: A Culinary Look at the California Drought. As a food writer, I think every story can be told from the plate. Politics, race relations, health and crime – all of it has a food angle, somehow. You just have to find it. Earlier this spring, Gov. Jerry Brown of California announced a series of mandatory water restrictions. Friends in the state started showering for shorter times. http://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2015/07/08/reporters-notebook-a-culinary-look-at-the-california-drought/?_r=0 Calderon and Stern: Fight climate change, boost economy. Taking strong climate action is a multitrillion dollar opportunity for better economic growth. Recent trends in the global economy — such as the falling cost of clean energy, the spread of carbon pricing and the continuing volatility of oil prices — are building momentum for low-carbon growth and development. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/07/06/climate-change-action-poverty-economy-column/29777415/ Halting new housing is no answer to state’s drought. Perhaps it’s human nature, when a person is concerned about one big problem, to apply answers to entirely other problems through the filter of the main concern. That is certainly what many Woodlanders concerned about excess population growth are doing when it comes to the state’s ongoing drought. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/opinion/20150707/halting-new-housing-is-no-answer-to-states-drought BLOGS Why are Bay Area ocean temperatures 5 degrees warmer? Nate Wells, 40, has surfed San Francisco’s Ocean Beach for 26 years and braved waters so cold his skin tingled and hurt. Surfing in Northern California typically requires a thick wetsuit, a hood and booties, but riding the waves last Friday, Wells wore a lightweight 3/2-millimeter suit and was hot and uncomfortable. http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2015/07/07/why-are-bay-area-ocean-temperatures-5-degrees-warmer/ Does California Or Texas Have Better Air Quality? Listening to the environmental left and its criticism of all things Texas, a non-Texan could be forgiven for thinking that the skies above the Lone Star State were a perpetual shade of smoggy-brown. But, none other than the American Lung Association, using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data… http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckdevore/2015/07/07/does-california-or-texas-have-better-air-quality/ Can The Internet Of Things Mitigate California's Historic Drought? Recently CERES invited me with a group of experts to visit California’s Pajaro Valley, home to some of the most productive farmlands in the nation. The Pajaro Valley is largely dependent on groundwater for its farming needs. http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2015/07/08/can-the-internet-of-things-mitigate-californias-historic-drought/?ss=lists Global Energy Targets For The Next 15 Years. Reliable and affordable energy is vital for today’s developing and emerging economies. Driven mostly by its five-fold increase in coal use, China’s economy has grown 18-fold over the past thirty years while lifting 680 million people out of poverty. Almost three billion people still don’t have access to modern energy… http://www.forbes.com/sites/bjornlomborg/2015/07/07/global-energy-targets-for-the-next-15-years/ Carbon-Saving Innovation in the Airline Industry. Relative to the rapidly changing automotive industry, which pumps out new models every year, the airline industry has evolved at a considerably slower pace. This is not surprising, given that around 1,000 aircraft are made by Airbus and Boeing BA -0.29%, the leading manufacturers. Unlike cars, changes in design and function take longer to incorporate into planes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/pikeresearch/2015/07/08/airline-industry-innovation/ Welcome to an Extreme, Warming World. My hometown, Vancouver, is in a rainforest so we celebrate sunny days. People I talk to are enjoying the recent warm, dry weather, but they invariably add, "This isn't normal" -- especially with all the smoke from nearby forest fires. With no mountain snowpack and almost no spring rain, rivers, creeks and reservoirs are at levels typically not seen until fall. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-suzuki/climate-change_b_7748308.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 14:03:43 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 9, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 9, 2015. 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 Jerry Brown will speak on climate change at Vatican event hosted by Pope Francis. Gov. Jerry Brown is going to the Vatican later this month for a summit on climate change hosted by Pope Francis, who has sought to focus worldwide attention on environmental issues. The event, which also includes a discussion on modern slavery, will gather an international collection of government officials and United Nations representatives. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-vatican-20150709-story.html Jerry Brown presses Canada to cut emissions, combat climate change. The trio of leaders behind North America’s largest cap-and-trade market want Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other global leaders to do more to cut emissions and combat climate change. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/emissions-670919-climate-canada.html California governor criticizes Tories over climate change policies at summit. California Governor Jerry Brown is chiding Stephen Harper for not doing enough on climate change, saying the Prime Minister needs to “get with it” and help battle global warming. At the Climate Summit of the Americas in Toronto on Wednesday, representatives of more than a dozen subnational jurisdictions across the Western… http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/leaders-decry-federal-inaction-on-climate-change-at-americas-summit/article25366475/ California governor says he carried 'Laudato Si' to climate summit. California Gov. Jerry Brown, in Toronto for the Climate Summit of the Americas, said he is traveling with a copy of Pope Francis' environmental encyclical "Laudato Si'" and "going through it carefully." "I like the language in it, which is not the language of markets," Brown told a press conference July 8… http://www.catholicsentinel.org/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=34&ArticleID=29574 Ontario trumpets green growth potential at Americas summit. States and provinces across the continent can lead on climate action, says premier, highlighting economic benefits. Ontario played up its plans to link into Quebec and California’s carbon market as it opened a pan-American climate summit on Wednesday. Its participation will expand North America’s largest cap-and-trade scheme… http://www.rtcc.org/2015/07/09/ontario-trumpets-green-growth-potential-at-americas-summit/#sthash.y6egBT7K.dpuf Carbon price, social push needed to curb emissions: economists. China's climate-changing emissions from producing the energy it needs will be as large as the rest of the world's emissions put together over the next 25 years, the incoming director of the International Energy Agency predicted on Thursday. But new commitments to cut emissions by China, the United States, Europe and other countries, as part of a new global deal due in December to tackle climate change… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/09/us-climatechange-carbon-idUSKCN0PJ1WF20150709?virtualBrandChannel=14230 Bumblebee habitats are shrinking at an alarming rate, and scientists are blaming climate change. There’s no doubt that bees have had their share of the spotlight lately. The pervasive collapse of honeybee colonies, in particular, has captured national attention. But other bee species are starting to get their share of recognition, too. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/09/bumblebee-habitats-are-shrinking-at-an-alarming-rate-and-scientists-are-blaming-climate-change/ http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/science/article/Study-American-European-bumblebees-feeling-6375674.php http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/07/09/bumblebees-climate-change-study/29891617/ http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/07/09/study-global-warming-is-wiping-out-bumblebees Seas could rise 6 meters even if governments curb warming: study. Sea levels could rise by at least six meters (20 feet) in the long term, swamping coasts from Florida to Bangladesh, even if governments achieve their goals for curbing global warming, according to a study published on Thursday. Tracts of ice in Greenland and Antarctica melted when temperatures… http://www.businessinsider.com/r-seas-could-rise-6-meters-even-if-governments-curb-warming-study-2015-7#ixzz3fQ8tOdSh A quantum of carbon: scientists devise new way to observe greenhouse effect. British scientists have devised a new way to observe the greenhouse world, enabling researchers to measure with exquisite accuracy how atmospheric carbon dioxide builds up, migrates, evolves and absorbs radiation. The technique will allow more accurate predictions about how much the Earth is likely to warm… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/08/a-quantum-of-carbon-scientists-devise-new-way-to-observe-greenhouse-effect DROUGHT California’s Drought Changes Habits in the Kitchen. Andrea Nguyen, who writes cookbooks for a living, knows that making pho in a pressure cooker is not the solution to California’s drought. Still, developing a reasonable version of the Vietnamese noodle soup that can be made in less than an hour, with half the water, matters to her these days. “We’re all trying to do what we can,” she said. “It’s all about consciousness.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/08/dining/california-drought-restrictions-kitchen-chef-restaurants.html?ref=earth&_r=1 L.A., pushing big water rate increases, seeks 18% more from typical users. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials are seeking an increase in rates over the next five years in a bid to boost water conservation amid California's drought and expand repairs of crumbling water mains and electricity infrastructure. The rate increase is significant because it puts the greatest financial pressure on the heaviest residential water users… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-dwp-rates-20150708-story.html#page=1 Jerry Brown will speak on climate change at Vatican event hosted by Pope Francis. Gov. Jerry Brown is going to the Vatican later this month for a summit on climate change hosted by Pope Francis, who has sought to focus worldwide attention on environmental issues. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-vatican-20150709-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article26867299.html#storylink=cpy Drought fee, fines are on some minds. California water regulators heard proposals for a statewide drought fee and hefty fines for water-guzzling homeowners as part of a Wednesday workshop discussing how to implement Gov. Jerry Brown's order for water pricing to maximize conservation. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-328086-ocprint-board-state.html Majority of Latinos see global warming as serious problem, poll shows. A large majority of Latinos see global warming as a serious problem - a view that crosses party lines and includes Republicans, whose party leaders are climate change skeptics. More than 73 percent of U.S. Latinos surveyed by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative consider global warming… http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/environment/article26850832.html#storylink=cpy GOP senators vow to block U.S. from complying with global climate deal. The Senate's leading climate change skeptic said yesterday he does not believe Congress can prevent an international global warming accord but insisted that the United States will never live up to it. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), speaking after a hearing in which he and other GOP lawmakers questioned Obama's authority to enter into even a voluntary U.N. climate deal… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060021496 FUELS Oversight Republicans subpoena Kerry for Keystone documents. House Republicans have subpoenaed Secretary of State John Kerry for documents related to the Obama administration’s review of the Keystone XL pipeline. “Congress has a right to review these documents,” Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said Wednesday. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/247267-gop-subpoenas-kerry-for-keystone-documents VEHICLES How To Cut Vehicle Emissions 90 Percent: Get Rid Of Human Drivers. The most straightforward way to reduce automotive emissions is probably to just get rid of cars. But what if you kept the cars, and eliminated their drivers instead? Acolytes of self-driving cars have held up fuel efficiency as one of their potential benefits, although it's hard to quantify the benefits of a technology that remains largely theoretical. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099054_how-to-cut-vehicle-emissions-90-percent-get-rid-of-human-drivers GREEN ENERGY Mountaintop Coal Falls As Renewables, Natural Gas Rise. Coal country in West Virginia and eastern Kentucky is riddled with flattened mountain tops and valleys filled in with the rocks and debris that once formed the peaks high above. Mountains blasted from the central Appalachian landscape are signs that the coal industry is at work supplying fuel for electric power plants throughout the region. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/mountaintop-coal-mining-falls-19204 OPINIONS Free Water in Fresno, if You Can Haul It Yourself. When you live in a hot part of California and can only water your garden on certain days during the drought, you may have to make some hard choices about letting trees or shrubs die. What if there was a no-guilt, free water source you could use anytime, without the water cops coming after you? People in parched Fresno have a new option starting Wednesday. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/07/08/free-water-in-fresno-if-you-can-haul-it-yourself BLOGS Smoke from hundreds of North American wildfires is taking a toll on U.S. air quality. British scientists have devised a new way to observe the greenhouse world, enabling researchers to measure with exquisite accuracy how atmospheric carbon dioxide builds up, migrates, evolves and absorbs radiation. The technique will allow more accurate predictions about how much the Earth is likely to warm over the next few… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/07/08/smoke-from-hundreds-of-north-american-wildfires-is-taking-a-toll-on-u-s-air-quality/ Is building resilience to climate change so desirable? Building resilience to the worsening impacts of climate change is the main aim of millions of dollars in development spending these days. But is it the wrong goal? Luis Fernandez Carril, a climate change scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, thinks pushing too hard to improve resilience to climate change is, in effect, giving up the fight to actually stop it. http://www.trust.org/item/20150709070529-ebs1w/?source=gep New California Rebates For Electric Cars Target Rich and Poor: Will Tesla Buyers Care? New California rebates on electric cars aim to provide more buying opportunity for low-income consumers and eliminate rebates for the rich. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved $373-million in grants to bolster alternative-fuel vehicles… http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2015/07/09/new-california-rebates-for-electric-cars-target-rich-and-poor-will-tesla-buyers-care/ Exxon knew of climate change in 1981, email says — but it funded deniers for 27 more years. ExxonMobil, the world’s biggest oil company, knew as early as 1981 of climate change — seven years before it became a public issue, according to a newly discovered email from one of the firm’s own scientists. Despite this the firm spent millions over the next 27 years to promote climate denial. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/08/exxon-climate-change-1981-climate-denier-funding#ixzz3fQ5E6Hhe http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/exxon-climate-change-email 3 Presidential Candidates Say 'No' To Fossil Fuel Funding. Three of the candidates in the 2016 presidential race have pledged to shun campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry. Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley and Green Party candidate Jill Stein have agreed to a pledge from The Nation magazine that states: "In the name of protecting our country and the world from the growing dangers of climate change… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/08/2016-fossil-fuel_n_7756274.html Texas is Suing the EPA — Again. Once again, Texas is suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency­. Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday filed a lawsuit over the agency’s rejection of parts of a Texas clean air program, launching the state’s second battle against EPA regulations in less than two weeks. http://www.texastribune.org/2015/07/08/texas-suing-epa-again/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 12:55:07 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 10, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 10, 2015. 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 Stiglitz Calls Climate Talks a 'Charade,' Pushes Plan C. The liberal economist says voluntary agreements don't work and cap-and-trade is 'doomed to failure'. Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel laureate economist, is trying to persuade global-warming negotiators that they're marching up a blind alley. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-10/stiglitz-calls-climate-talks-a-charade-pushes-plan-c Scientists issue carbon price call to curb climate change. Academics and economists called Friday for a price on carbon and an end to fossil fuel subsidies to help curb rampant greenhouse gas emissions harming Earth's climate system. Rather than an economic burden, such measures offered novel money-making opportunities that would also ensure a liveable planet for future generations… http://finance.yahoo.com/news/scientists-issue-carbon-price-call-curb-climate-change-151011304.html Ontario Needs New Trick To Meet Climate Change Promises. Ontario’s cap-and-trade system to cut greenhouse-gas emissions is its Next Big Thing in the province’s fight against climate change. The Liberal government really needs one if it’s going to live up to its own rhetoric on the issue, according to its own environment commissioner. http://www.pressreader.com/canada/ottawa-citizen/20150710/281698318419809/TextView AIR POLLUTION White House opens doors to eleventh-hour pleas on Clean Power Plan. Multiple state environmental regulators will meet Tuesday with senior Obama administration staff in an attempt to shape the final version of the forthcoming U.S. EPA rule to curb carbon emissions from power plants. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/10/stories/1060021579 CLIMATE CHANGE (Some) Republicans Get Religion on Climate. The party’s anti-regulation wing finds ways to call for change. Jerry Taylor talks with passion about how climate change should be a conservative issue. While environmentalists on the left focus on controlling carbon emissions, Taylor argues the right should be looking at climate change the way it looks at financial risk. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-10/-some-republicans-get-religion-on-climate Fossil fuel firms risk wasting billions by ignoring climate change, says IEA. Energy companies are making a ‘strategic mistake’ and could waste billions of dollars of investment by thinking they are immune to climate policy, says IEA chief economist Fatih Birol. The world’s fossil fuel companies risk wasting billions of dollars of investment by not taking global action to fight climate change seriously… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/09/fossil-fuel-firms-risk-billions-ignoring-climate-change-iea Sea Levels Could Rise At Least 20 Feet. Even if world manages to limit global warming to 2°C — the target number for current climate negotiations — sea levels may still rise at least 6 meters (20 feet) above their current heights, radically reshaping the world’s coastline and affecting millions in the process. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/sea-levels-rise-20-feet-19211 New Zealand Raises Emission Reduction Target: Care Taken Not To Upset The Economy. In a significant step, New Zealand raised its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and said it still wanted a climate change policy that is attainable and affordable for the agrarian economy. Accordingly, New Zealand will be cutting emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. http://www.ibtimes.com.au/new-zealand-raises-emission-reduction-target-care-taken-not-upset-economy-1455345 DOE suspends stimulus funding for Calif. carbon-capture project. The Department of Energy has suspended Recovery Act funding for a California project to trap carbon emissions from a coal-fired power plant, an agency spokeswoman said. DOE had set aside $408 million in stimulus funds for Hydrogen Energy California LLC's effort to produce power from coal and petroleum coke… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/10/stories/1060021604 DROUGHT Careful water use could ease climate threats to food – scientists. Farmers face growing threats to their crops from more frequent drought and other extreme weather in coming decades, but using water more efficiently could help them protect food and water supplies, experts said. Globally, drought so severe it used to come once in 100 years is now expected to occur as often as every 30 years… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N0ZQ3JC20150710 Water, Water Everywhere? Caribbean Adds to Global Drought. Californians are suffering an historic drought, Brazilians are rationing water and Chile’s Atacama desert is creeping south. Now Caribbean nations from Jamaica to Trinidad that have been praying for rain are counting their losses. A region vulnerable to devastating hurricanes, the Caribbean is enduring its worst drought in at least five years due to the El Nino weather pattern. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-10/water-water-everywhere-caribbean-adds-to-global-drought Southland water district ends popular lawn-removal rebate program. When Gov. Jerry Brown called on drought-weary Californians to reconsider their love of thirsty, nonnative landscaping, some businesses and homeowners responded by tearing out their once-cherished lawns. Additional motivation for swapping out grass for drought-resistant plants came in the form of cash rebates offered by local governments and water agencies. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-mwd-turf-rebates-20150710-story.html Got sand? Drought prompts California state beaches to shut off outdoor showers. Thousands of beachgoers will soon feel the drought's impact in the dry shower heads of dozens of state beaches. State park officials ordered the outdoor showers at 38 state beaches, many of them in Southern California, shut off as of July 15 to conserve water during the drought. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-outdoor-showers-20150710-story.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/10/california-beaches-rinse-stations-drought/29950513/ Strong El Niño Set to Bring California Drought Relief. For California, the relief couldn't come soon enough. El Niño has strengthened and will likely peak in the late fall and last until the spring, bringing much-needed relief to regions in California affected by drought, federal weather officials said Thursday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said there is now a 90% chance… http://time.com/3952081/el-nino-california-drought-noaa/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Officials look to reduce diesel emissions at Mobile port. The Alabama State Port Authority is partnering with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to reduce emissions from four diesel locomotives at the Port of Mobile. Officials said Thursday that automatic shut-down and starting systems that have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be installed on several locomotives… http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/9/officials-look-to-reduce-diesel-emissions-at-mobil/#ixzz3fRNfKyMZ This 100 Percent Electric Eighteen-Wheeler Just Hit The Road In Germany. n Tuesday, an all-electric tractor-trailer hit the road in Munich, Germany — the first time such a large electric vehicle made by a European manufacturer has gone into regular service in Europe, according to BMW, the company behind the project. The 40-ton truck has a range of about 62 miles per charge, which takes three or four hours. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/09/3678546/all-electric-big-rig-truck-hits-the-road-in-germany/ http://ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=38808 FUELS Is fracking harmful? New California study says more data is needed. An independent scientific study of hydraulic fracturing in California called Thursday on state and federal agencies to determine what chemicals are used in the oil well-stimulation technique and how they might affect the environment and human health. http://www.dailybreeze.com/environment-and-nature/20150709/is-fracking-harmful-new-california-study-says-more-data-is-needed Businesses fight bill to allow public access to commercial water, energy usage. The drought has raised calls among newspapers and environmental groups to access data on the state’s biggest commercial water users. Anyone could look up the water and energy usage of a private business under legislation that is now pending before a Senate judiciary committee. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/07/10/businesses-fight-bill-to-allow-public-access-to.html Shell may drop the word 'oil' from its U.S. operations. Royal Dutch Shell’s U.S. unit is considering dropping the word “oil” from its name. The company’s director of upstream Americas business, Marvin Odum, told the Toronto Global Forum on Thursday that the name Shell Oil CO. is “a little old-fashioned, I’d say, and at one point we’ll probably do something about that,” Bloomberg reports. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/247510-shell-may-drop-the-world-oil-from-its-us-operations $18 Million Algae Biofuel Blast From US Energy Department. Tesla or no Tesla, the US Department of Energy is determined to stake out a place for liquid fuel in the sustainable personal transport world of the future, and to that end the agency is placing an $18 million bet on six new algae biofuel projects. The ultimate aim is to bring the cost of algae down to a cost of $3 compared to gasoline by 2030. https://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/10/18-million-algae-biofuel-blast-us-energy-department/ Unknowns about chemical, water impacts put Calif. at risk – study. Numerous unanswered questions exist about the effect of unconventional oil drilling in California, including the toxicity of chemicals used and whether fluids disposed in pits threaten groundwater, a long-awaited study of hydraulic fracturing said yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/07/10/stories/1060021584 VEHICLES Diesel VW sets fuel-economy record. Automotive journalist Wayne Gerdes and electronics engineer Bob Winger set a Guinness World Record this week for lowest fuel consumption in a non-hybrid car during their 48-state drive in Volkswagen’s diesel-powered Golf TDI. The Golf produced 81.17 mpg, beating the previous non-hybrid record of 77.99 mpg. The Golf also topped the hybrid vehicle record of 74.34 mpg. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fuel-670992-hydrogen-car.html Could getting rid of human drivers reduce vehicle emissions by 90 percent? Would replacing human-driven cars with self-driving vehicles nearly eliminate greenhouse gas emissions? A study reports replacing private cars with self-driving electric taxis could reduce emissions by 90 percent. The most straightforward way to reduce automotive emissions is probably to just get rid of cars. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/0709/Could-getting-rid-of-human-drivers-reduce-vehicle-emissions-by-90-percent http://www.modernreaders.com/are-self-driving-cabs-the-key-to-reducing-emissions-from-vehicles/28019/lorenzo-tanos US: new rebates for electric cars in California target the poor & the rich. New rebates in the US Californian state address consumers with low incomes giving them more buying opportunity and eliminate rebates for the more financially endowed locals. A massive $373 million in grants has been approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to support alternative-fueled cars… http://www.inautonews.com/us-new-rebates-for-electric-cars-in-california-target-the-poor-the-rich China Built 25,000 Electric Cars & Plug-In Hybrids In June Alone. The Chinese vehicle market is now the world's largest, and has been for a few years now. And the country's government-industrial complex has ambitious plans to dominate global production of plug-in electric vehicles, both for reasons of competitiveness and as one effort to start to reduce… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099081_china-built-25000-electric-cars-hybrids-in-june-alone-this-year Russian Plutocrats Crave Tesla Model S; Electric Carmaker Resists. Tesla Motors is working to establish its presence in many markets outside the United States, but there's one country the electric-car maker hasn't explored so far. The company's products aren't officially sold in Russia, even though there is apparently quite a bit of demand. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099073_russian-plutocrats-crave-tesla-model-s-electric-carmaker-resists GREEN ENERGY Big Oil Worth $100 Billion for Solar After Biggest Plant Ordered. Solar energy developers may be able to earn $100 billion or more by selling equipment to the oil industry for extracting heavy grades of crude, the head of the company that is developing the world’s biggest solar heat plant said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-10/big-oil-worth-100-billion-for-solar-after-biggest-plant-ordered Renewable Energy Generation Wins Planning Consent for U.K. Wind. Renewable Energy Generation Ltd., a British low-carbon asset developer, was granted permission to build a wind farm after the U.K. government said it plans to scrap subsidies to the technology. The company gained planning consent to build an 8-megawatt facility in Wales, it said Friday in an e-mail. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-10/renewable-energy-generation-wins-planning-consent-for-u-k-wind REFILE-Greek renewable power projects stalled by turmoil. Ambitious Greek renewable power projects aimed at reducing the country's dependence on energy imports from Russia will be on hold for some time as the threat of exit from the euro prompts investors and financiers to put the brakes on initiatives. Greece has submitted proposals on economic reforms in a last-ditch effort… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/10/greece-energy-renewables-idUSL8N0ZQ22320150710?virtualBrandChannel=11563 Scottish energy minister blasts end to onshore wind subsidies as ‘anti-business’. The government's decision to end onshore wind subsidies a year early has been slammed as "anti-business" by Fergus Ewing, Scottish energy minister. Speaking after an onshore wind summit in Glasgow yesterday, Ewing criticized the end of the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme… http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2417153/scottish-energy-minister-blasts-end-to-onshore-wind-subsidies-as-anti-business Facebook's new data center will run entirely on renewable energy. Facebook will build its fifth data center in Fort Worth, Texas. The second-most visited website in the world is building another data center, this time in Fort Worth, Texas, Facebook announced this week. This will be Facebook’s fifth data center, following ones in Oregon, North Carolina, Iowa, and Sweden. http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2015/0710/Facebook-s-new-data-center-will-run-entirely-on-renewable-energy As Obama heads to Africa, his signature energy program there seeks firmer footing. Power Africa, the Obama administration's effort to infuse billions of energy investment dollars across sub-Saharan Africa, is entering its third year focused on completing up to 30,000 megawatts of new generation projects while adding 60 million new grid connections across the world's least-electrified continent. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/10/stories/1060021561 MISCELLANEOUS First electric planes fly over English Channel. Airbus flew its electric plane across the English Channel for the first time Friday — hours after an independent French pilot made a similar voyage, beating the aeronautics giant in this symbolically important step toward making electronic flight viable in the long term. Several companies in different countries are developing electric planes… http://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/First-electric-plane-flies-over-English-Channel-6376928.php Modesto awarded $327K for its urban forest. Modesto’s urban forest is about to get a lot greener. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has awarded the city nearly $327,000 to plant 5,000 trees over the next couple of years and to help the city’s nursery, which reopened this year after closing in 2008 because of budget cuts. http://www.modbee.com/news/article26930674.html#storylink=cpy OPINIONS U.S. gasoline cracks hit multi-year highs on strong fuel demand: Kemp. Tremendous demand for gasoline in the United States has pushed refining margins for motor fuel to the highest seasonal level in a decade. U.S. refiners currently earn a gross margin before costs and taxes of 65 cents per gallon for turning Brent into gasoline and 77 cents for processing WTI (link.reuters.com/xek25w). http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/10/us-usa-refining-kemp-idUSKCN0PK14L20150710 Editorial GOP water bill in Congress should be rejected. The latest version of a bill by House Republicans to override California's management of its water system and undermine environmental protections — in the name of emergency drought relief and food security — is longer and more detailed than the ones that preceded it, but much the same in its substance… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-water-bills-20150710-story.html Stop the oil train project. Dear Editor, 350 Silicon Valley is organizing a rally to Stop the Phillips 66 Oil Train project that would bring daily mile-long trains loaded with dangerous tar sands crude through San Jose to their refinery in Nipomo, in San Luis Obispo County. The rally is part of a nationwide week of action to mark the two-year anniversary of the oil train explosion which killed 47 people in Lac Megantic, Quebec. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28460967/letters-july-20-milpitas-post Trash plastic turf. Thank you to the Sjoberg family of Fresno for their gray-water recycling efforts (article July 1). The benefits of their positive approach contrast sharply with the negative impacts of artificial turf. My concerns about widespread installation of plastic lawns, such as those proposed by Granville Homes, include disease, weeds and heat. http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article26867188.html#storylink=cpy The Pope and cap-and-trade. Pope Francis' Encyclical is out -- there's a lot to like in this document, some very deep truths. But something is missing, too. Many climate scientists believe that if the earth's surface temperatures are allowed to increase more than 2 degrees C (3.6 deg. F) above preindustrial levels, then unacceptable consequences (such as massive polar-cap melts… http://www.contracostatimes.com/lafayette/ci_28459741/letters-walnut-creek-lamorinda-growth-walnut-creek-pope Many chemicals on federal list of asphalt plant emissions. Building a hot mix asphalt next to suburban homes in Rancho Calaveras may benefit county tax revenues but what harm will it cause to local people and wildlife? What environmental impact reports have been submitted to the county and state and Federal Environmental Protection Agency for the local public to review? http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_d261d6ea-2693-11e5-ad63-a730f16f6af8.html National Geographic Sea Level Rise Map. fact of sea level rise - National Geographic News - Global sea level rise map - global warming & climate, Global sea level rise map use the window in the top left of the map frame to change the amount of sea level rise. http://levne-zajezdy.eu/images/Antarctica%20Sea%20Level%20Rise%20Map BLOGS The Power and Potential of Improving Water Efficiency: CaliforniaToilets. Debates about water in California, the western U.S., and indeed, worldwide, have traditionally focused on the question of how best to further expand water supply to meet some hypothetical future increase in water demand. And the solution frequently offered is to build massive new infrastructure in the form of dams and reservoirs, drill more groundwater wells… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-h-gleick/the-power-and-potential-o_b_7766040.html Oil & Gas Industry Mangles More Facts, Turns EDF Study Results Upside Down. A new set of peer-reviewed scientific papers pointing to 50 percent higher than estimated regional methane emissions from oil and gas operations in Texas were published this week. And like clockwork, the oil and gas industry's public relations machine, Energy In Depth… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brownstein/oil--gas-industry-mangles_b_7770514.html Coal Divestment Is Just the Beginning - Let's Not Forget About Oil & Gas. The "end of coal" is no longer an activist pipe dream. It's a reality that's gaining growing acceptance from High Street to Wall Street as investors divest billions of dollars from this dirtiest of fossil fuels. But the end of coal won't solve the climate crisis. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-wood/coal-divestment-is-just-t_b_7766310.html Washington State wants to limit EV incentives for expensive cars. Tesla Model S, BMW i3 Among Models That Will No Longer Qualify For Perk. California has been making moves to eliminate plug-in vehicle incentives for residents who are best equipped to foot the bill for their new plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles. Now, it looks like Washington State is doing the same. Is this a new Pacific Coast thing? http://www.autoblog.com/2015/07/10/washington-state-limit-ev-incentives-expensive-cars/ Caterpillar Helps to Protect 2,100 Acres of Coastal Wetlands in California. Marked by the sweeping visuals of shorebirds and the scurried nature of crabs on the sandy horizon, coastlines are among the most dynamic environments on earth – continually shaped and reshaped by waves, winds, tides and storms. These natural ecosystems thrive amidst the constant change, and have even developed the capacity to shape that change. http://www.justmeans.com/article/caterpillar-helps-to-protect-2100-acres-of-coastal-wetlands-in-california#sthash.NLcunOZO.dpuf California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 12:34:30 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 13, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 13, 2015. 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 China's Guangdong to allocate 408 million carbon permits this year. China's biggest carbon market in Guangdong province will allocate 408 million carbon permits to firms to help them comply with emission targets set for the trading year ending in June 2016, the same amount as the previous year. A total of 186 companies will be granted 370 million carbon permits, which currently trade at a price of 15.52 yuan… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/13/us-china-carbon-guangdong-idUSKCN0PN14O20150713?virtualBrandChannel=14230 OMB discusses social cost of carbon at $36/ton. On July 2, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a blog post outlining changes to its calculation of the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC), which stands at $36/ton for 2015. Some Republicans in Congress, such as Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), have raised questions about how the administration has been calculating the social cost of carbon, which previously was $22/ton. http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2015/07/omb-discusses-social-cost-of-carbon-at-36-ton.html AIR POLLUTION Haze from Canadian wildfires spreads across many US states. Large wildfires raging across Canada have contributed to a smoky haze lingering above the Western U.S., blazes fueled by the familiar hot, dry conditions that have turned much of the region into a tinderbox. The smoke has caused spectacular red sunsets in places including Seattle and prompted air quality warnings in many states. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CANADA_WILDFIRES_HAZE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT China says 75 pct of cities failed to meet air standards in June. Nearly 75 percent of China's big cities failed to meet air quality standards in June, the environment ministry said on Monday, an improvement over the same month last year, as the country continues to wage "war on pollution." Nineteen cities met air quality standards every day… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/13/china-pollution-idUSL4N0ZT2QH20150713 CLIMATE CHANGE Wary of climate change, Vanuatu villagers seek higher ground. Many people living in this coastal village in Vanuatu believe the March cyclone that sent waves surging through their homes was the latest and most dramatic sign of climate change. They are now considering rebuilding their entire community on higher ground. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_VANUATU_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT India Calls for End to Extravagance as It Works on Climate Plan. India’s Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar called on richer nations to change their lifestyles in an effort to halt global warming, noting his own country is working on a robust series of initiatives for curbing pollution. “Extravagant consumption will not sustain the Earth forever and therefore all will have to change… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-13/india-calls-for-end-to-extravagance-as-it-works-on-climate-plan London's Heathrow airport warns of delays due to protest on runway. London's Heathrow Airport said flights would be delayed on Monday after a group of activists gained access to its northern runway to stage a protest against the possible expansion of Britain's biggest airport. Heathrow was selected as the site for a new runway in south east England earlier this month, causing disappointment for some local residents and climate change groups who oppose airport expansion. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/13/britain-airport-delays-idUSL5N0ZT0JN20150713 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/13/us/ap-eu-travel-brief-britain-airport-protest.html?_r=0 http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article27107830.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2015/07/13/heathrow-protesters-breach-perimeter-cause-flight-back-ups/30078971/ Emerging El Nino weather event is California’s biggest since 1997. As Pacific Ocean temperatures continue to warm and trade winds shift, federal scientists now say that the El Niño weather event that’s emerging could be one of the strongest on record. And that could mean significantly increased chances that storms will drench drought-ravaged California this winter… http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-strong-el-nino-may-be-coming-that-could-mean-lots-of-rain-for-california/2015/07/13/00d1bf7c-264e-11e5-b72c-2b7d516e1e0e_story.html Obama officials: Power plant rule part of a ‘moral obligation’. World leaders have a “moral obligation” to fight climate change, and top Obama aides are making good on that obligation with its climate rule for power plants, two administration officials write in a new blog post. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Gina McCarthy and Ambassador to the Vatican Ken Hackett wrote Monday that the EPA’s carbon rule fits… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/247701-obama-officials-climate-rule-part-of-a-moral-obligation Ocean 'weather balloons' detect cause of global warming pause. Sea temperature data, some collected by a fleet of drifting and diving probes, shows that a decade-long slowdown in global surface warming masked a coincident rise in ocean temperature below 300 feet, according to NASA JPL researchers. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-global-warming-hiatus-20150710-story.html Agency may get power to force oil cuts. New global-warming bill could drive up costs of driving and manufacturing. During his keynote address at a climate summit in Toronto on Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown described as “troglodytes” — i.e., willfully ignorant people — those Americans who deny the effects of global warming. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/10/agency-power-oil-cuts-efficiency-standards-brown/ How much do we really know about El Nino? Long-range forecasters are growing increasingly confident that a strong El Niño weather pattern will at least put a dent in California’s four-year drought. But as the potential rainmaker evolves, it’s telling to look back on how scientists’ understanding of the periodic phenomenon has evolved. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/12/el-nino-california-drought-forecasters-rain/ Tom Steyer’s intensifying war on Big Oil takes center stage in California. As Gov. Jerry Brown used his inaugural address in January to call for broad changes to fight climate change, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer nodded approvingly from the Assembly gallery. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article27059809.html#storylink=cpy Treat climate change as seriously as national security: report. Governments should treat climate change as seriously as threats to national security or public health, partly by focusing more on the worst scenarios of rising temperatures, an international report said on Monday. Crop failures, extreme heat waves or high rates of sea level rise could be so harmful that governments should examine … http://www.businessinsider.com/r-treat-climate-change-as-seriously-as-national-security-report-2015-7#ixzz3fnLhKbIE Why is the West Antarctic ice sheet melting? It may not be just global warming. Scientists found a way to measure the heat of the land under the ice sheet and discovered it was higher than estimated, suggesting climate change may not be the sole culprit melting the ice. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0713/Why-is-the-West-Antarctic-ice-sheet-melting-It-may-not-be-just-global-warming Climate Change Threatens Australia’s Ecosystems. Climate change is compounding existing threats to Australia’s forests, wetlands and deserts, with several key landscapes now at risk of total collapse, a landmark series of new studies have found. An assessment of 13 ecosystems across Australia, ranging from the wet tropics of far north Queensland to rare shrubland in Western Australia, found what researchers call a “worrying” climate change impact… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-threatens-australias-ecosystems-19207 Canada must take a piecemeal approach in the fight against global warming. Nicolas Chapuis has only been the French ambassador in Ottawa for a few months, but he has already learned this country’s most important secret: Canada works best when the provinces take the lead. In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Mr. Chapuis praised Canada’s commitment to fighting global warming… http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-must-take-a-piecemeal-approach-in-the-fight-against-global-warming/article25477594/ Just Slight Global Warming has Led to Significant Rise in Global Sea Levels. A new review analyzing three decades of research on the historic effects of melting polar ice sheets found that global sea levels have risen at least six meters, or about 20 feet, above present levels on multiple occasions over the past three million years. What is most concerning, scientists say, is that amount of melting was caused by an increase of… http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22152 DROUGHT Judge in drought-hit California blocks water cut orders for some farmers. California regulators violated the rights of some farmers by demanding mandatory water cutbacks without giving them a prior hearing, a state judge ruled on Friday. California is in the fourth year of a catastrophic drought that has cost its farm sector billions, and prompted the state's first-ever mandatory cutbacks in urban water use. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/13/usa-california-water-idUSL2N0ZT0G620150713 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/11/us/court-limits-californias-power-to-punish-farmers-in-drought.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1 http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article26994334.html UPDATE 1-Thailand approves $1.8 bln in loans for farmers hit by drought. Thailand has approved loans of up to 60 billion baht ($1.77 billion) to support farmers affected by drought, the finance minister said on Monday. The wet season is under way, but Thailand is contending with drought conditions in seven out of 67 provinces… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/13/thailand-economy-drought-idUSL4N0ZT3I620150713 Beach showers shut off as California struggles with drought. Starting next week, California parks will no longer offer showers for people to wash sand and salt from their bodies at the beach, part of a broader plan to conserve water as the state's years-long drought drags on. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/11/usa-california-drought-idUSL1N0ZQ2HB20150711 The West is so dry even a rain forest is on fire. In a normal year, Washington state’s Olympic National Park is arguably the wettest place in the continental U.S. An annual 150 inches of rain inundate the park’s western slopes, soaking the soil and slicking the branches of the lush temperate rain forest that grows there. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/13/the-west-is-so-dry-even-a-rainforest-is-on-fire/ West Nile virus spreads: Is California drought to blame? Laura Jaramillo woke up one morning in the summer of 2005 and sensed something was horribly wrong. After going to the hospital, she fell into a coma and spent six weeks fighting for her life -- waking up to find her right side paralyzed. Doctors were baffled until they discovered the culprit -- the West Nile virus. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28473947/west-nile-virus-spreads-is-california-drought-blame California's Driest Region Finds Short-Term Drought Aid. Rural Tulare County, Calif., is now being called the epicenter of this drought. That's because at least 1,300 residential wells have run dry, affecting at least 7,000 people. When your taps start spitting out air here, Paul Boyer and his team are who you call. http://www.npr.org/2015/07/10/421738613/california-s-driest-region-finds-short-term-drought-aid Could agave hold the secret to more drought-resistant farming? Agave may be most associated with tequila, but this plant has a less familiar use -- it's teaching scientists about how to craft more drought-resistant plants. The hardy succulent, along with species like prickly pear (an edible cactus), pineapple and vanilla orchids, has evolved over millions of years to perform a different kind of photosynthesis that allows… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/13/stories/1060021658 FUELS Natural gas surpasses coal as biggest US electricity source. Natural gas overtook coal as the top source of U.S. electric power generation for the first time ever earlier this year, a milestone that has been in the making for years as the price of gas slides and new regulations make coal more risky for power generators. About 31 percent of electric power generation in April came from natural gas, and 30 percent from coal… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NATURAL_GAS_TOPS_COAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Oil Production Shows Signs of Flagging. As U.S. and OPEC pump out crude, other producers cut back. The U.S. and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries have flooded the world with crude oil, sending prices tumbling. But the abundance has overshadowed declining production in areas—from Colombia to Norway to northern China—that experts consider vital to long-term supply growth. http://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-production-shows-signs-of-flagging-1436779801 Start-up turns methane from manure into eco-friendly plastic. What if you could pluck pollution out of the air — like the methane gas emitted from cow manure — and create plastics?. Scientists have long known it was possible to use climate-changing methane, rather than oil or natural gas, to make water bottles, Tupperware and other plastics. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0712-newlight-20150712-story.html#page=1 Here's why L.A. gas prices spiked 40 cents in four days. Los Angeles-area drivers saw a 40-cent increase in gas prices from Friday to Monday, but relief is coming. Wholesale prices have eased up a bit, meaning retail prices at the pump will also start to drop. By Wednesday, the huge increases seen over the weekend will likely taper off, but they won't fall as quickly as they rose." http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas-prices-20150713-story.html California gas prices spike amid national downward trend. While gas prices nationwide are on a downward trend, California is experiencing a spike that could see prices top $4 a gallon before easing again, according to analysts. A shortage in oil and other components used in refining California’s unique blend of less-polluting gas was one of the reasons for the price jump, industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday. http://www.sfexaminer.com/california-gas-prices-spike-amid-national-downward-trend/ VEHICLES Electric vehicles finding favor, power [The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester]. At the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road, there are charging stations where you can fortify your electric car for the trip up the mountain. You can also hike from the Appalachian Mountain Club centers in Pinkham Notch and Crawford Notch, or have a meal or drink at the Dancing Bear Pub in Glen or Common Man Inn in Plymouth, all while your electric vehicle charges. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201507120419KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_14299_12714-1 Voucher program helps you trade in your gas guzzler for an electric car. There’s a new kind of customer walking onto Southern California car dealership lots. Low- and moderate-income shoppers from disadvantaged communities are scrapping their older, higher-polluting cars and buying fuel-efficient gasoline, hybrid and electric plug-in models. http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20150712/voucher-program-helps-you-trade-in-your-gas-guzzler-for-an-electric-car California wants more electric cars in poorer neighborhoods. Cash-back program for low-income buyers looking for cleaner cars. California is helping a few of its low- and middle-income residents swap out their gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient cars and electric vehicles as part of a state effort to clean up the atmosphere. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/california-wants-more-electric-cars-in-poorer-neighborhoods-2015-07-10 The Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle sets driving range record. For folks looking for the next big thing, look toward the ToyotaMirai, a vehicle that Toyota folks say has “officially proven itself as the future of mobility.” During the recent Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, Colorado, Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz announced that Mirai offers an EPA-estimated 67 miles per gallon… http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/12/rita-cook-car-review-toyota-mirai-hydrogen-fuel-ce/#ixzz3fnQa48Yi What kind of car is the most green, fuel efficient and budget friendly? A decade ago, drivers who wanted to go green had little choice beyond Toyota's Prius hybrid. Today the selection of efficient, lower-pollution cars includes a bewildering array of technologies and models — hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electrics, diesels and hydrogen fuel cells. Conventional gasoline cars, meanwhile, have made great strides in going farther on less fuel. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-green-car-emissions-20150713-story.html#page=1 BlueIndy's charging stations zap business, some say. The curbside charging stations for electric cars being installed across the city are seen by Mayor Greg Ballard as key to an environmentally friendly future — electronic charging stations where, for a couple of bucks, drivers can juice up their Teslas and Volts overnight. But some small business owners, living in the here and now, say the stations… http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/07/12/blueindy-charging-stations-business/30060533/ GREEN ENERGY Australia PM under fire for ordering fund to stop wind, solar investments. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has come under fire from the opposition and investors after ordering the government's A$10 billion ($7.45 billion) Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to stop investing in wind and solar power. Abbott, who has described wind farms as "visually awful" and made no secret of his desire to axe the… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/13/australia-climatechange-renewables-idUSL4N0ZT22420150713 World's first solar-wireless mobile charging station could bring 1.3 billion people power. Did you know that just last year 1.3 billion people worldwide still lived without access to electricity? At MagSOL Labs, they have made it their mission to bring light and hope to places that have none. Our new ESL (*Easel*) is the world's first solar power and wireless (Qi) mobile charging station. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201507131023M2______EUPR_____3204000003109322_3600-1 Nuclear Plant Closing Reflects Overhaul of German Energy Production. In one of this country’s most popular novels for young readers, the nuclear reactor on the edge of this Bavarian town melts down, spewing a radioactive cloud that threatens all of Germany and robs a 14-year-old girl of her family and her hope for the future. Last month, that nuclear power plant in Grafenrheinfeld, responsible for meeting the energy needs of industry-heavy Bavaria since 1981, came to a less dramatic but equally symbolic end. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/13/world/europe/nuclear-plant-closing-reflects-overhaul-of-german-energy-production.html?_r=0 MISCELLANEOUS California to study health effects of ‘crumb rubber’ in artificial turf. California officials have authorized spending $2.9 million to study the health effects of using recycled tire pieces on artificial turf fields, hoping to put to rest a simmering debate over their safety. But even as the health effects are studied, the state will dole out millions of dollars in subsidies to schools and cities… http://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/California-to-study-health-effects-of-crumb-6380727.php OPINIONS Wind Power Blows Hot, and Sometimes Cold. Renewable-energy targets should be one of the few straightforward and nonpartisan issues of the day. Regarding Rupert Darwall’s “Obama’s Renewable-Energy Fantasy” (op-ed, July 6): Renewable-energy targets should be one of the few straightforward and nonpartisan issues of the day. http://www.wsj.com/articles/wind-power-blows-hot-and-sometimes-cold-1436733378 Realistic Climate Goals, More Jobs and Lower Taxes. Mayor Bloomberg is correct, focusing on a specific part of the climate problem. Regarding former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “Realistic Goals for the Paris Climate Conference” (op-ed, June 29): The Paris process is reaching out to embrace other efforts to address climate change. This includes efforts to reduce conventional air pollution—black carbon soot and urban smog… http://www.wsj.com/articles/realistic-climate-goals-more-jobs-and-lower-taxes-1436394136 States Are Unplugging Their Renewable-Energy Mandates. North Carolina and Kansas are the latest to suffer sticker shock from the price of politicians’ green dreams. When it comes to state energy policies, the wind is finally blowing in the right direction. Take our home states of Kansas and North Carolina, both of which have begun to look at their renewable-energy mandates with new skepticism. http://www.wsj.com/articles/states-are-unplugging-their-renewable-energy-mandates-1436568792 BLOGS Climate-Smart Federal Facilities Reduce our Fiscal Exposure to the Effects of Climate Change. For the first time, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is requiring federal agencies to consider the effects of climate change on the construction and maintenance of federal facilities. The new requirement is described in Circular A-11 for FY 2017, which is essentially a playbook for budgeting that is released each year. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jscata/climate-smart_federal_faciliti.html Zero Carbon or Bust. On July 10 in Paris a gathering of nearly 2,000 scientists and academics reaffirmed what most climate scientists have been saying for decades: The cost of making cuts in greenhouse gas pollution rises with every day of delay and zero emissions must be the goal for this century. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/zero-carbon-or-bust/ China's 'war on pollution' is going poorly. Nearly 75 percent of China's big cities failed to meet air quality standards in June, the environment ministry said on Monday, an improvement over the same month last year, as the country continues to wage "war on pollution." http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-says-75-percent-of-cities-failed-to-meet-air-standards-in-june-2015-7#ixzz3fms0W1ap Pope Francis' Call for Climate Action. Last month, Pope Francis released his second encyclical as pontiff, urging all people to protect our natural resources and to take action on climate change. He makes clear our moral obligation to prevent climate impacts that threaten God's creation, especially for those most vulnerable. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-mccarthy/pope-francis-call-for-cli_b_7761506.html Tesla 'Most Popular' U.S. Electric Vehicle In Q1, While Norway Leads Globally, Says HIS. Tesla Motors TSLA +0.92% leads the U.S. electric vehicle market, while Norway is tops globally, according to data released last week by a major market research firm. In a widely-overlooked research note from IHS (hat-tip to Motor Trend), in the first quarter of 2015, Norway ranked first in the market researcher’s Automotive Plug-in Electric Vehicle Index. http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2015/07/13/tesla-most-popular-u-s-electric-vehicle-in-q1-while-norway-leads-globally-says-ihs/ Why California Is A Natural Gas State. Loaded with mandates for renewable energy and efficiency, California’s energy policies are often cited as an example for other states. The EPA’s “Clean Power Plan” mentions California a leading 22 times in this 128-page proposal, with the typical state getting no mentions at all. First enacted in 2003, California has one of our highest Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) at 33% by 2020, and Governor Brown wants to make this 50%. http://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/07/12/why-california-is-a-natural-gas-state/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 12:40:36 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 14, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 14, 2015. 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 EU Carbon Market Reserve Seen Absorbing 85% of Glut by 2021. An unprecedented overhaul of the European Union’s carbon market will probably remove 85 percent of a glut of permits that sent prices tumbling and eroded incentives to reduce emissions. A proposed reserve to control the number of allowances in circulation will probably hold 1.7 billion metric tons of the contracts by 2021… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-14/eu-carbon-market-reserve-seen-absorbing-85-of-glut-by-2021 AIR POLLUTION States Take Aim at Power-Plant Rules. Last-minute requests will be made Tuesday in Washington; new rules will guide direction of utility investments. State regulators are descending on Washington Tuesday to make last-minute pleas for changes in the Obama administration’s sweeping new rules for power-plant emissions, which will determine the direction of utility investments for decades to come and could affect the price of electricity. http://www.wsj.com/articles/states-take-aim-at-power-plant-rules-1436830808 Tesoro Fined $1M for Violating Gasoline Rules. Tesoro has paid $1,014,000 in penalties for violating California’s reformulated gasoline regulations, according to the state’s Air Resources Board. Tesoro, the second-largest independent refining and marketing company in the Western US, supplied gasoline in violation of state regulations from two Tesoro refineries and one terminal for a period of 52 violation days. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/14/tesoro-fined-1m-for-violating-gasoline-rules/#ixzz3fsZmPdGE Focus on farm emissions to reduce crop loss, say UN experts. UN report argues farmers can derive economic benefits from reusing nitrogen and tackling ammonia emissions. Policies for cutting a range of emissions from agriculture could prove one of the most cost-effective ways of tackling threats to food productivity and human health, say experts from the UN's Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2417510/focus-on-farm-emissions-to-reduce-crop-loss-say-un-experts CLIMATE CHANGE The Pope Calls on Jerry Brown to Preach Climate Change Gospel. California Governor Jerry Brown says that when he was 18 years old and studying to become a Jesuit priest, he couldn’t have fathomed that one day he would share a stage with the pontiff to discuss an issue of global importance. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-14/the-pope-calls-on-jerry-brown-to-preach-climate-change-gospel Alberta Says It Must Do More on Climate for Quebec Pipeline Nod. Quebec will only support TransCanada Corp.’s Energy East pipeline if it generates jobs for the province and if Alberta does more to protect the environment, Premier Rachel Notley said. Alberta’s premier spoke with reporters Tuesday by telephone after meeting in Quebec… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-14/alberta-says-it-must-do-more-on-climate-for-quebec-pipeline-nod Energy Mix to Shift Because of Climate Pledges, IEA’s Birol Says. Pledges to curb climate-warming gases by China, the U.S. and European Union will have a “material impact” on the global energy sector, International Energy Agency Chief Economist Fatih Birol said. Political momentum in the three biggest emitters makes Birol optimistic for a successful outcome at a United Nations climate summit… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-14/energy-mix-to-shift-because-of-climate-pledges-iea-s-birol-says To sustain its forests, Asia needs to invest in local people: experts. Asia has a unique opportunity to fight climate change and lift many more people out of poverty if it invests more in the communities living in its forests, experts said. More than 450 million people in the region rely on forests for income and food, but forest dwellers often struggle to make a living as rural poverty, deforestation and climate change threaten their livelihoods. " http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/14/us-environment-asia-forests-idUSKCN0PO1NX20150714?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Study shows Northeast states benefit from carbon cap program. Amid complaints that planned federal rules to cut carbon emissions will hurt the economy, a new study says the northeastern states that already have moved in that direction are seeing economic benefits. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/study-shows-northeast-states-benefit-from-carbon-cap-program/2015/07/13/328454ea-299a-11e5-960f-22c4ba982ed4_story.html No, Earth is not heading toward a ‘mini ice age’. This week, warnings of an impending “mini ice age,” set to hit in the 2030s, have been circulating in the media. It’s a story that has caused shivers among the public, but there’s one problem: Climate scientists aren’t buying it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/14/no-earth-is-not-heading-toward-a-mini-ice-age/ Human impact on the oceans is growing — and climate change is the biggest culprit. The world’s oceans have suffered a lot at the hands of humans — ask any marine conservationist. Unsustainable fishing, pollution and the effects of climate change are just a few of the issues that worry scientists and environmentalists. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/14/human-impacts-on-the-oceans-are-growing-and-climate-change-is-the-worst-of-all/ Unraveling the Relationship Between Climate Change and Health. Is climate change a serious threat to human health? Simple logic would suggest the answer is yes, a point that the Obama administration is using to build support for the president’s effort to make climate change a centerpiece of his final months in office. A White House report listed deepening risks. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/14/health/unraveling-the-relationship-between-climate-change-and-health.html?_r=0 Study: Warming Leads to Longer Flights, More Emissions. Climate change is causing wind patterns to change over the Pacific Ocean, leading to longer commercial airline flight times and causing airplanes to burn more fuel and emit more greenhouse gases. Those are the conclusions of a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-longer-flights-more-emissions-19234 How Climate Change Could Affect Your Finances. If the temperature continues to climb, our net wealth will continue to drop. Whether you believe in climate change or not, there's no denying that it's in the news a lot these days. Climate change has been blamed for the California drought, and as an aside… http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2015/07/14/how-climate-change-could-affect-your-finances Regulators study a 'trade-ready' CO2 emissions trading system that would not require state legislative approval. As the final rollout of U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan gets closer, a growing number of analysts and state officials are rallying around the idea of "trade-ready" multi-state compliance plans as the best way to meet the rule's ambitious carbon-reduction goals. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/14/stories/1060021738 DROUGHT California Drought Leaves Few Farmers Unscathed. Even those with high-priority access to water are at risk of having their spigots turned off. As holders of some of the oldest water rights in California, many farmers and ranchers here in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have never had their spigots turned off, a fate many of their counterparts in the parched state have endured. http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-drought-leaves-few-farmers-unscathed-1436809802 Gov. Jerry Brown signs bill barring fines for dead lawns during drought. Cities and counties will no longer be able to impose fines on residents for unsightly brown lawns while the state is in a drought, under a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday afternoon. Brown has said she's aware of a number of cities, including Glendora, Upland and San Bernardino that have levied fines… http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-lawn-bill-20150713-story.html http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/13/brown-approves-legislation-preventing-fines-for-br/ http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28481628/gov-brown-approves-legislation-preventing-fines-brown-lawns Riverside Pushes Back Against State Water Restrictions. Earlier this year, Gov. Jerry Brown made good on a threat that had been hanging in the air for months. He ordered the state’s first-ever mandatory cuts in water use. Executive Order B-29-15 gave the State Water Resources Control Board authority to establish… http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/07/13/riverside-pushes-back-against-state-water-restrictions DIESEL ACTIVITIES London Assembly Urges Faster Cuts to Diesel Emissions. London must cut diesel emissions faster than planned to reduce pollution levels that breach legal limits, the London Assembly’s Environment Committee said. Previously announced measures, such as an “Ultra Low Emission Zone” to come into effect in 2020 with a ban on the most polluting diesel cars in parts of the city… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-13/london-assembly-urges-faster-cuts-to-diesel-emissions Federal Regulators Formally Publish Phase 2 GHG Emissions-Reduction Proposal. Federal regulators on July 13 formally published their proposal in the Federal Register that would tighten greenhouse-gas emissions for trucks, improve their fuel economy and regulate trailer efficiency for the first time. http://ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=38830 FUELS Suncor oil sands project aims to replace steam with radio waves. Suncor Energy Inc has launched a pilot project to replace the high-pressure steam used to extract bitumen from oil sands with radio frequency technology developed by U.S. defence contractor Harris Corporation. Canada's largest oil and gas company, which produces 440,000 barrels per day from Alberta's oil sands… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/14/suncor-energy-harris-oil-idUSL2N0ZT2JT20150714 Energy Companies to Merge in $15.8 Billion Deal. Marathon’s pipeline operator MPLX to buy natural-gas processor MarkWest Energy. A partnership controlled by Marathon Petroleum Corp., a refinery and pipeline company, will buy MarkWest Energy Partners LP for $15.8 billion in one of the biggest oil-patch deals since crude prices began to slump last summer. http://www.wsj.com/articles/mplx-to-buy-markwest-energy-creating-4th-largest-mlp-1436785264?mod=rss_Business State grants $11 million to 5 Valley dairy methane projects. Five projects from Kings, Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kern counties have been awarded $11.1 million in state grants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing dairy manure with digester technology. “These projects demonstrate a commitment by California to support efforts by dairy farmers to fight climate change… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/agriculture/article27180202.html#storylink=cpy Average L.A., Orange County gas prices top $4 for first time since May. The fourth consecutive sharp daily increase pushed the average prices of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles and Orange counties above $4 Monday for the first time since May. The Los Angeles County average price rose 12.6 cents to $4.053, the highest in the state… http://www.dailynews.com/business/20150713/average-la-orange-county-gas-prices-top-4-for-first-time-since-may Rotork CMAs Enable Shale Gas Well Emissions Compliance. Rotork CMA electric control valve actuators eliminate venting and greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with new environmental protection legislation at remotely sited shale gas installations in the US, the company says. Rotork CMA electric control valve actuators eliminate venting and greenhouse gas emissions in compliance… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/13/rotork-cmas-enable-shale-gas-well-emissions-compliance/#ixzz3fsduWM81 Bio-bean to bring coffee-to-biofuel service to UK stations. Commuters travelling through London's busiest stations will be able to order their morning coffee safe in the knowledge it is not just their train journey that is helping to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Network Rail announced this week that following a successful trial at Victoria and Waterloo stations it has signed a deal with biofuel… http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2417593/bio-bean-to-bring-coffee-to-biofuel-service-to-uk-stations Belgian Steel Plant: We'll Make 50,000 Tons Of Ethanol From Byproduct. Even as world governments continue to encourage the production of biofuels, ethanol remains subject to particular criticism. The highest-volume feedstocks for ethanol are still plants like corn or sugar cane, which take up farmland that in some cases could otherwise be used for food. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099098_belgian-steel-plant-well-make-50000-tons-of-ethanol-from-byproduct United Airlines invests $30 million in Pleasanton-based bioenergy firm. Fulcrum BioEnergy transforms municipal solid waste into transportation fuels. United Airlines has invested $30 million in Pleasanton-based Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. with the option to directly participate in Fulcrum's waste-to-jet fuel plants across North America. http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/2015/07/14/united-airlines-invests-30-million-in-pleasanton-based-bioenergy-firm VEHICLES Could electric vehicles provide reliable backup power to the electric grid? Last November, the Air Force rolled out the federal government's first fleet of plug-in and hybrid electric vehicles. Parked at Los Angeles Air Force Base (LA AFB) in El Segundo, Calif., about 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, the 42-vehicle fleet features 13 Nissan Leafs as well as Ford F-Series pickup trucks and a 12-passenger van among other electrified vehicles. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/14/stories/1060021714 GREEN ENERGY Woodford Hits Out at Osborne’s Cut in Renewal Energy Tax Break. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has lost the support of at least one large U.K. investor after his decision last week to eliminate a tax break for renewal energy sent shares of Drax Group Plc tumbling. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-14/woodford-hits-out-at-osborne-s-cut-in-renewal-energy-tax-break Financing India’s Renewable Energy Goals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government have embarked on an ambitious mission to increase India’s renewable energy capacities by over five times by 2022. Taking it from the current 30GW (solar and wind combined) to a target of 175 GW. To achieve its goals, India needs to find, among other important things, a way to source these significant capital needs… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/14/financing-indias-renewable-energy-goals/ OPINIONS The Right Price on Emissions. An executive order from President Barack Obama requires that the Environmental Protection Agency analyze the costs and benefits of its regulations. But how exactly can it measure the economic benefits of the coming restrictions on greenhouse gases? For both policy and law (including the inevitable court challenges), it's a crucial question. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-07-14/the-right-price-on-emissions Don't Blame Fish for California's Water Shortage. Since the late 1980s, new law after regulation after court ruling after endangered species designation has cut into the amount of water that farmers in California’s Central Valley are allowed to take out of its rivers and aqueducts. Here, for example, is how the flows from the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River watersheds… http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-07-13/don-t-blame-the-fish-for-california-s-water-shortage Global warming requires action. Re “Beetles preying on dried-up forests” (Insight, July 11): Global warming is crippling California’s forests with a one-two punch. Higher temperatures are intensifying the drought, leaving insufficient water for trees. Without cold winters, more beetles survive to burrow into the already-weakened trees. Hotter temperatures combined with more dead trees create conditions for bigger wildfires, which have been happening more frequently. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article27165709.html#storylink=cpy Additional hydropower could cut carbon emissions (OPINION). With each passing day, Americans are becoming more mindful about the ways in which energy is being generated. Our nation's reliance on fossil fuels, coupled with the looming challenges of climate change, is giving rise to the movement to reduce our collective carbon footprint. And while many areas of the country find themselves behind the curve… http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/07/additional_hydropower_could_cu.html BLOGS How the Future of Biofuels Is Taking Shape. IVAN MARTEN: Global production of biofuels has surged over the past decade or so, with annual production climbing from approximately 10 billion liters in 2000 to nearly 80 billion liters in 2012. Much of this growth is being driven by governments’ increasing focus on alternate fuel sources in an effort to reduce the countries’ reliance on foreign oil. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/07/14/how-the-future-of-biofuels-is-taking-shape/ There Is A Smart, Sustainable Way To Solve The Energy Crisis -- So Why Is It Essentially Illegal? On a recent Thursday in April, NRG’s Station A group, a product development team working toward renewable energy solutions in San Francisco, turned on its prototype microgrid for the very first time. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/10/the-state-of-microgrids_n_7706348.html Putting a Price on Carbon Can Spur Economy and Lower Energy Costs, New Study Says. Last year at this time, I wrote on why lowering CO2 emissions will drive electricity bills down, not up. Now, a new study from Boston consultancy Analysis Group shows that controlling and lowering CO2 emissions translates into a major economic development and jobs program with continued system reliability. http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkrancer/2015/07/14/putting-a-price-on-carbon-can-spur-economy-and-lower-energy-costs-new-study-says/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 13:53:30 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 15, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 15, 2015. 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 EU Bets on Cap and Trade in Plan for Deeper Emission Cuts. The European Union sought to boost prices in the world’s biggest greenhouse-gas market with draft legislation to underpin the bloc’s 2030 emissions-reduction goal. The measures would accelerate cuts in carbon dioxide from electricity, steel, paper and other industries in the EU emissions-trading system. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/eu-bets-on-cap-and-trade-in-plan-for-deeper-emission-cuts The Northeast’s Electricity Bills Have Dropped $460 Million Since They Started Paying For Carbon. A regional cap-and-trade program has added $1.3 billion in economic activity to nine New England and Mid-Atlantic states since 2011, while decreasing their carbon emissions by 15 percent, according to independent analysis released Tuesday. In addition to stimulating the economy and reducing carbon, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) has also reduced the cost of electricity for consumers… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/14/3680269/rggi-boosts-economy-lowers-carbon/ Cap & Trade Shows Its Economic Muscle in the Northeast, $1.3B in 3 Years. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative offers blueprint to all states as they begin to think about how they will comply with Clean Power Plan, study suggests. States looking to comply with the Clean Power Plan should follow the Northeast's example, a new analysis says. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/14072015/cap-trade-shows-economic-muscle-northeast-13-billion-RGGI-clean-power-plan AIR POLLUTION Air quality: Environment MEPs call for tougher new national caps on pollutants - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. As air pollution is responsible for around 400,000 premature deaths in the EU yearly, Environment MEPs on Wednesday tightened up Commission plans and called for more ambitious national caps on emissions of six main pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides in order to cut emissions by 70%... http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201507151254M2______EUPR_____ea20000006725621_3600-1 Iowa company to close country’s 200th coal plant. An Iowa utility will phase out coal at a handful of power plants in the state, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Justice announced Wednesday, marking the 200th coal plant to close nationwide in the last five years. Interstate Power and Light Co., a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, has agreed to either close five of its Iowa power plants or switch from coal to natural gas… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/248018-iowa-company-to-close-countrys-200th-coal-plant CLIMATE CHANGE Washington Gov. Jay Inslee blames GOP for climate failures. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has gained national attention for rolling out some of the most ambitious climate initiatives in the country, signing pacts with other Western states and speaking at an international summit. But during the legislative session that ended recently, Inslee failed in his own state to pass bold carbon-reduction proposals… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WASHINGTON_GOVERNOR_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Vatican keeps up eco-pressure, invites mayors to see pope. The Vatican is keeping up the pressure on world governments to listen to Pope Francis' dual mantras of fighting climate change and human trafficking by inviting mayors to a Vatican meeting next week on his two pet projects: the exploitation of the Earth and its people. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Wildfire risks are rising due to climate change — which may be worsening climate change. Even as wildfire season rages – particularly in Alaska and Canada, where over 11 million combined acres have burned so far this year – a new scientific study says that fire risks across the Earth are rising, in tandem with a changing climate. What’s more, the research also finds that these increasing wildfire risks may be linked to a… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/15/wildfire-risks-are-rising-due-to-climate-change-which-may-be-worsening-climate-change/ One graphic shows exactly who is responsible for climate change. Nations around the world are trying to come up with plans to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions before the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris this December, with a goal of trying to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels. http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/One-graphic-shows-exactly-who-is-responsible-for-6386329.php California Lawmakers Stretch Limits of Greenhouse Gas Proceeds. California lawmakers are finding it may not be so easy to spend more than $2.9 billion in proceeds from auctioning greenhouse gas credits in the state’s landmark cap-and-trade market. Buoyed by higher revenue estimates from selling pollution permits to companies, Democratic leaders of the Senate and Assembly are looking to pump money into communities most affected by toxins… http://finance.yahoo.com/news/california-lawmakers-stretch-limits-greenhouse-090000941.html Hillary Clinton Wants to Run on Climate. Hillary Clinton isn't afraid to talk about global warming—and she wants her fellow Democrats to join her. And She Thinks Democrats Should Too. The 2016 Democratic front-runner did not shy away from the hot-button topic when she met with congressional Democrats. Hillary Clinton isn't afraid to talk about global warming—and she wants her fellow Democrats to join her. http://www.nationaljournal.com/2016-elections/hillary-clinton-climate-change-democrats-20150714 China will keep its emissions reduction pledges even if U.S. doesn't, experts claim. China won't abandon its greenhouse gas emissions targets even if the United Sates someday does, energy experts and a State Department official said yesterday. Speaking at a briefing on Capitol Hill, analysts said Chinese leaders are indeed paying close attention to threats from Republicans that they will dismantle President Obama's climate change regulations… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/15/stories/1060021801 DROUGHT El Nino Doesn’t Guarantee California Gets Drought-Relieving Rain. El Nino can mean devastation for some parts of the world. For California, this year, it means hope. The hope is the state will get drenched and a four-year drought will release its grip. After all, Texas and Oklahoma got soaked in May and June and their multiyear droughts just faded away. For that to happen in California would probably be a long shot. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/el-nino-doesn-t-guarantee-california-gets-drought-relieving-rain Forecasts are not guarantees, experts warn Californians desperate for rainfall from El Niño. El Niño forecasts can provide no definitive guarantees to parched Californians that strong rainstorms will come despite strides in technology and a growing consensus among models, experts said. "At this point, it's not signed, sealed and delivered," said Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/15/stories/1060021777 How more lawn restrictions could remake the California landscape. First it was existing lawns, with Gov. Jerry Brown leading the way in urging Californians to rip out swaths of green to save vast amounts of water. Now state regulators have their sights set on grass that hasn't even been planted. The California Water Commission is scheduled to consider new rules Wednesday that would significantly slash… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lawn-limits-20150715-story.html Sacramento-area residents cut water use 35 percent in June. Sacramento-area residents reduced their water use by 35 percent in June, the first month of mandatory statewide conservation, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Regional Water Authority. As the drought continues in its fourth year, the conservation figures suggest area residents are working to comply… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article27301948.html#storylink=cpy To save water, Calif. looks to shrink grass lawns. California wants to significantly cut the size of grass lawns outside homes and businesses, the latest move to overhaul water use during a destructive drought. The state's Water Commission today will consider a proposed rule that would limit allowable lawn space to 25 percent of a home's total outdoor landscaping. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/15/stories/1060021847 FUELS Refiners Race to Make Cheap Oil Into Gasoline. Record driving and plenty of oil are making this the best summer to make fuel in at least a decade. Drill, baby, drill? More like refine, baby, refine. As the shale oil boom faces its first slowdown, America’s refiners are running harder than ever to keep up with drivers. Refineries in the U.S. used 16.8 million barrels of oil a day last week… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/refiners-race-to-make-cheap-oil-into-gasoline Sanders challenges Clinton on Keystone. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders challenged his rival Hillary Clinton Tuesday to take a stand against the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Speaking with reporters in the Capitol, Sanders he took a leadership role in Democrats’ fight against the proposed Canada-to-Texas pipeline, while Clinton has been silent on the project. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/247883-sanders-challenges-clinton-on-keystone VEHICLES Will Calif.'s ambitious policies to promote electric vehicles sell in other states? From the muscle cars of the 1950s to Volkswagen buses with sandy surfboards strapped to the roof, cars have long been part of the culture of California. Highways and freeways crisscross the state, and drive-ins and drive-thrus grew up there. The state's latest ambition is to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by switching its car culture from gas guzzlers to electrics. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/15/stories/1060021800 GREEN ENERGY Audi e-gas plant stabilizes electrical grid. In the German electrical energy mix, the share of renewable energies is growing rapidly - this share already reached 33 percent in the first half of 2015. However, regional expansion of wind and photovoltaic generation plants leads to increasingly larger load fluctuations - it is therefore important to have flexibly available consumers such as the Audi e-gas plant to buffer… http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201507150743M2______EUPR_____abaf000001056f04_3600-1 China Dodging Trade Barriers With Overseas Solar Plants. China’s solar manufacturers are seeking to dodge U.S. and European Union trade barriers by locating about a 10th of their production capacity abroad. By the end of this year, the Chinese producers will establish outside the country solar panel factories with a capacity of at least 5.3 gigawatts and cell plants that can make 4.7 gigawatts… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/china-dodging-trade-barriers-with-overseas-solar-plants L.A. County supervisors to ban large wind turbines in unincorporated areas. After hearing pleas from more than a dozen Antelope Valley residents, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors took preliminary steps Tuesday to ban utility-scale wind turbines in unincorporated areas of the county. http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20150714/la-county-supervisors-to-ban-large-wind-turbines-in-unincorporated-areas http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/15/los-angeles-supervisors-to-ban-commercial-wind-tur/#ixzz3fynt9ACO Clean Power Plan efficiency efforts interest some industries but repel others. At a national gathering of state utility regulators yesterday, one association of high-volume electricity users urged states to keep them in mind when crafting plans to comply with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. Several hours later, another trade group delivered the opposite message, asking regulators to write them out of energy efficiency requirements. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/15/stories/1060021817 Solar facing stiffer competition from cheap crude. Cheaper crude prices could stall solar power plants and projects in poorer nations, as companies turn to the cheaper fuel to power grids and electricity. Take Canadian gold-mining company Iamgold Corp. During the period of rising crude prices before 2014's price plunge, the company built a $12 million solar plant… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/07/15/stories/1060021781 OPINIONS Opinion House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy: Water bill is no 'big-government boondoggle'. On July 10, the Times' editorial board wrote in opposition to the House's latest response to the drought. I strongly disagree with the editorial. The House’s bill responding to the drought accomplishes much more than the editorial board gives credit for, and the alternative solutions the board proposed would do little to solve our water problems. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-mccarthy-blowback-20150714-post.html OPEC, Get Ready For The Second U.S. Oil Boom. What OPEC countries fear most is a follow-up technological revolution that will lead to a second oil boom in the U.S., and that fear is now being realized. A technological revolution spurred the U.S. oil boom that resulted in the greatest increase in domestic oil production in a century, and while that has stuttered in the face of a major oil price slump… http://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/OPEC-Get-Ready-For-The-Second-US-Oil-Boom.html Editorial Too many CEQA exemptions. Another legislative session in Sacramento, another CEQA exemption. This time, lawmakers passed a trailer bill with the state budget that exempts water recycling, stormwater capture and other drought-related water projects from the California Environmental Quality Act. In theory, the exemptions will allow valuable water-saving projects to be built with fewer procedural hurdles and less risk of being held up by lawsuits… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-ceqa-exemptions-20150714-story.html A Solution for California's Water Woes. During the drought, the state has failed to safeguard water supplies and the environment, and now there's a growing call to finally fix California's archaic "water rights" system. In a decision bursting with symbolism, the California State Water Resources Control Board recently announced its intention to draw down the main water supply reservoir for a half-million people to only 12 percent of capacity by September 30. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/a-solution-for-californias-water-woes/Content?oid=4412629 BLOGS You Might be Surprised How Soon You'll be Driving an Electric Car. Some things in this world happen slowly: water boiling, finding the bathroom at a concert, Mondays. But one thing that doesn't is innovation in the electric car industry; this happens fast. Much like the acceleration of the Tesla Model S P85D, which can go from 0 to 60 in a little over three seconds, it sometimes seems as if the pace of new electric vehicles (EVs) coming on the market...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-coplonnewfield/you-might-be-surprised-ho_b_7798298.html Opening The Door To Solar Power For All. For a long time, everybody thought of solar panels as something only rich people could afford. But when you think about it, the fuel -- sunlight -- is free. So if you can make the equipment affordable and accessible, in theory, solar should be a great option for all kinds of Americans. Now that theory is turning into reality. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-ruffalo/opening-the-door-to-solar-power-for-all_b_7802082.html Global risk of wildfires on the rise as the climate warms, study says. An average of 3.5m square kilometres of land go up in smoke each year as a result of wildfires. Annual carbon dioxide released in these infernos can exceed half the emissions from humans burning fossil fuels. A new study finds that the number of days wildfires are likely to burn each year is increasing as global temperatures rise. http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2015/07/global-risk-of-wildfires-on-the-rise-as-the-climate-warms-study-says/ Hispanics and Global Warming. Hispanics say they are being impacted by climate change and support climate policies. Many Hispanics are very concerned about climate change. SANCHEZ: “The Hispanic population is more likely to live in areas that have a lot of air quality issues. So I think part of it is a direct self-interest that they realize, ‘Hey these issues out there that are environmental, they not only impact everybody’s livelihood… http://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2015/07/hispanics-and-global-warming/ True Colors. The U.S. House of Representatives Republican majority recently introduced an appropriations bill that shreds a sizable portion of the nation's environmental protection infrastructure. The good news is that this Interior Department appropriations bill, which is sure to pass in the House, is unlikely to emerge from the Senate. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edward-flattau/true-colors_b_7802608.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 14:41:57 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 16, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 16, 2015. 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 Runner trying to halt high speed rail funding. Senator Sharon Runner, R-Antelope Valley, announced Wednesday she is authoring legislation to prohibit Cap and Trade funds from being used for high speed rail. Introduced in the First Extraordinary Session on Transportation Infrastructure, Senate Bill 1X 6 would instead require Cap and Trade dollars be used to fund existing transportation projects. http://www.desertdispatch.com/article/20150715/NEWS/150719930 Funds granted to bring solar power, jobs to ‘underserved’ areas like Vallejo. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is giving $100,000 to Grid Alternatives to make sure solar power makes inroads in “underserved areas” in Northern and Central California, like Vallejo and other parts of Solano and Napa counties, a spokeswoman said. GRID Alternatives is a national nonprofit that makes renewable energy technology… http://www.timesheraldonline.com/general-news/20150715/funds-granted-to-bring-solar-power-jobs-to-underserved-areas-like-vallejo US Northeast Cap & Trade Has Added $1.3 Billion In Economic Activity, Saved Consumers $460 Million. A report from the Analysis Group claims the cap & trade program called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) involving 9 New England and Mid-Atlantic states has added $1.3 billion in economic activity to the region since 2011, while lowering carbon emissions by 15%. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/16/us-northeast-cap-trade-has-added-1-3-billion-in-economic-activity-saved-consumers-460-million/ AIR POLLUTION L.A. in talks with oil producer about reopening facility near USC. AllenCo Energy is trying to negotiate a settlement with the Los Angeles city attorney's office as part of an effort to resume operations of an urban oil field that prompted hundreds of complaints of nosebleeds and respiratory ailments due to its emissions, officials confirmed Wednesday. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-allenco-20150715-story.html CLIMATE CHANGE Hotter, Wetter, Stormier: Study Says 2014 Climate Melted Records. Global sea levels swelled to a high, tropical cyclones continued to multiply and the world’s thermometer set a record in 2014, according to a new report tracking the earth’s climate. The report, an “annual physical” for the world’s climate, found evidence of warming around the globe, from shrinking glaciers… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-16/hotter-wetter-stormier-study-says-2014-climate-melted-records Millions more people will likely suffer a nutrient deficiency by 2050 — and you can blame our carbon emissions. Humans’ greenhouse gas emissions have caused nothing but trouble for the environment — this much is obvious. From the public health problems caused by heavy air pollution to the myriad problems associated with climate change, there have never been more reasons to cut down on our carbon emissions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/15/millions-more-people-will-likely-suffer-a-nutrient-deficiency-by-2050-and-you-can-blame-our-carbon-emissions/ Vatican keeps up eco-pressure, invites mayors to see pope. The Vatican is keeping up the pressure on world leaders to listen to Pope Francis' dual mantras of fighting climate change and human trafficking by inviting mayors to a Vatican meeting next week devoted to battling the exploitation of the Earth and its poorest people. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-eu-rel--vatican-climate-20150715-story.html Senate rejects climate change education measure. Republican senators rejected an amendment to a No Child Left Behind reform bill Wednesday that looked to establish a federal climate change education program. The measure, from Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), would have created a grant program for school districts to “develop or improve climate science curriculum… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/248068-senate-rejects-climate-change-education-amendment?utm_content=buffer159df&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer ExxonMobil gave millions to climate-denying lawmakers despite pledge. Under pressure from shareholders, company promised eight years ago to stop funding climate denial – but financial and tax records tell a different story. ExxonMobil gave more than $2.3m to members of Congress and a corporate lobbying group that deny climate change and block efforts to fight climate change… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/15/exxon-mobil-gave-millions-climate-denying-lawmakers Suck it up: Carbon capture technologies may be able to remedy climate change. Scientists are developing new devices that can literally suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. They say that this carbon capture and storage is a necessary tool for avoiding catastrophic climate change. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0715/Suck-it-up-Carbon-capture-technologies-may-be-able-to-remedy-climate-change States are polluting less and their economies are doing just fine. Even as America’s economy started to rebound from the recession between 2008 and 2013, climate change–causing power plant emissions in the majority of American states did not, according to a new study. Earlier this year, environmentalists celebrated the news that, while the world’s economy continued to grow, CO2 emissions remained flat in 2014. http://grist.org/news/states-are-polluting-less-and-their-economies-are-doing-just-fine/ Climate change threatens fish critical to Lake Erie economy – study. The yellow perch, a fish native to North America and Canada, may not benefit from climate change after all, new research suggests. A new study in Nature Communications shows that shorter and warmer winters -- which are becoming increasingly frequent in the region -- may be detrimental to the survival of juvenile yellow perch. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/16/stories/1060021901 ConEd reports 45 percent drop in GHGs over 9 years. Consolidated Edison Inc. cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent between 2005 and 2014, according to its annual sustainability report. The reduction, led by a 7 percent drop in 2014, is largely due to energy efficiency programs that helped ConEd customers eliminate over 750,000 megawatt-hours of electricity demand, the company said. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/16/stories/1060021877 DROUGHT House passes another bill to stem California drought. The House on Thursday passed GOP-led legislation designed to bring more water to California's farm belt amid a severe and lengthy drought. Similar legislation has failed in the last two congressional sessions, and the White House and Democrats remain opposed. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_CONGRESS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-house-drought-bill-20150716-story.html http://www.pe.com/articles/water-773465-california-drought.html http://www.ksl.com/?nid=151&sid=35523187&title=house-passes-another-bill-to-stem-california-drought http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/248188-house-approves-gop-california-drought-bill State softens approach to curtailing water use in drought. State water officials on Wednesday softened their approach to telling thousands of California farmers to stop pumping from rivers to irrigate crops during the drought but warned that stiff penalties still await anybody who takes water they don't have a right to use. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WATER_CUTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California drought gives new impetus to wastewater recycling. In the sprawling Orange County suburbs south of Los Angeles, home to Disneyland and upscale beach towns, much of the drinking supply for more than 2 million people originates from the sewer. And that number is about to grow - on purpose. The recycling of wastewater for human consumption is gaining greater credence in drought-stricken California. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/07/16/us-usa-wastewater-california-idUKKCN0PQ12N20150716 California Drought Spurs Technology on the Farm. Growers are quicker to invest in water-saving products, once a hard sell. It has been two decades since Willie Hartman started making farm equipment that helps growers conserve water, but sales didn’t take off until the past four years. Credit goes, in part, to California’s worst drought in at least half a century. http://www.wsj.com/articles/drought-is-the-mother-of-invention-on-the-farm-1437041211 After Years of Drought, Wildfires Rage in California. The hotshot crew from Big Bear, Calif., pushed along the steep, smoky ridge after a long night battling a blaze that spread fast, burned hot and just would not die. Their beards dripped with sweat and ash. They lumbered ahead with fatigue and concern: The fire was just a few miles from their hometown. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/15/us/california-fire-season-drought.html?ref=earth&_r=0 To save water, new California homes will have less lawn. The sprawling suburban lawn — a symbol of the good life in postwar California — moved a step closer Wednesday to being consigned to the history books. The California Water Commission, responding to a fourth year of drought, approved sharp new limits on the amount of water that can be used on landscapes surrounding newly constructed buildings… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawns-20150715-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article27301948.html http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/california/2015/07/16/california-drought-water-rules-grass-lawns-vote/30244995/ http://www.kfbk.com/articles/california-news-489209/new-landscaping-rules-adopted-during-california-13769368/ How to keep your car sparkling clean, or not, during a drought. Jake Sands drives around town in a dirty light-blue 15-year-old Honda Civic. He calls it a symbol for water conservation. Sands is one of about 14,000 drivers who have signed the #DirtyCarPledge from Los Angeles Waterkeeper, a nonprofit environmental organization. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-drought-car-wash-20150715-story.html Experts discuss the drought and water policy at Modesto summit. A four-year drought has brought California’s monumental water challenges sharply into focus. Experts who spoke at Wednesday’s Valley Water Summit in Modesto covered most of the bases, including groundwater, the need for more storage, desalination and the proposed delta tunnels. http://www.modbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article27378292.html#storylink=cpy California Drought: Forecast To Persist, Intensify Through October. Thunderstorms during the past week helped decrease exceptional drought in one county in California as exceptional, extreme and severe drought conditions dominate the state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor released July 16. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/16/california-drought-forecast-to-persist,-intensify-through-october/ Farmers turn to pricey technology to survive drought. Farmers once hard-pressed to adapt water-saving measures are now embracing the technology as a way to survive California's worst drought in the last half-century. Such measures can be expensive. The On Target Spray Systems, which electrically charge mists of pesticides and nutrients and cause them to stick to plants and use less water, cost between $20,000 and $50,000. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/16/stories/1060021912 FUELS U.K. Proposes Rules to Let Fracking Under National Parks. The U.K. proposed new rules for hydraulic fracturing that would allow drillers to frack for oil and gas under national parks and UNESCO sites, drawing criticism from environmentalists who called the plan “outrageous.” The draft regulations would ban wells at the surface in national parks while allowing explorers such as Cuadrilla Resources Ltd. to drill… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-16/u-k-proposes-rules-to-let-fracking-under-national-parks U.S. fracking linked to higher hospitalization rates: researchers. People who live in areas near hydraulic fracturing are more likely to be hospitalized for heart conditions, neurological illnesses and cancer, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. Fracking is an oil and gas extraction technique using a mixture of water… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/16/us-usa-fracking-health-idUSKCN0PQ1IQ20150716 Shell expects oil price recovery to take several years. Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) expects oil prices to recover gradually over the next five years, with progress slowed by persistent global oversupply and receding Chinese demand growth. The Anglo-Dutch energy giant is betting on crude rising to $90 a barrel by 2020… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/16/us-shell-oil-prices-idUSKCN0PQ14M20150716?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews California gas prices up; Fresno area rises 11 cents in a week. California’s gasoline prices rose quickly in a short time, with the average price of regular unleaded in the Fresno metro area up 11 cents from a week ago. Fresno’s unleaded average rose from $3.38 to $3.49 in the last week, according to AAA of Northern California. Prices in the Visalia-Tulare-Porterville area rose 8 cents in the last week to an average of $3.42. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article27319444.html#storylink=cpy VEHICLES The electric car owner's conundrum: Where are the chargers? In May 2013, Kristen House, her husband and their three children packed up their Nashville, Tenn., home, strapped their Nissan Leaf to the back of the moving truck and hit the road to foggy San Francisco. Whenever they'd stop somewhere, House would pull the Leaf off the moving truck and the family would drive it around town, running errands or grabbing a bite to eat. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/16/stories/1060021897 GREEN ENERGY Vestas Wind Systems Wins 26-Megawatt Wind Project in South Korea. Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S won an order to build 13 two-megawatt turbines in South Korea. The buyer and value of contract weren’t disclosed. The plant will be in South Korea’s northeastern Gangwon Province, Aarhus, Denmark-based Vestas Wind said in a statement Thursday on its website. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-16/vestas-wind-systems-wins-26-megawatt-wind-project-in-south-korea Solar plane pilots: Rapid climb, descent stressed batteries. The pilots of a grounded solar-powered airplane say they put too much stress on the batteries of their aircraft as they were leaving Japan for a five-day record-breaking flight to Hawaii. The pilots then discovered they had too much insulation around the batteries for them to adequately cool down during the flight through tropical skies. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-us--solar-plane-20150716-story.html Small Power Providers Are Going Renewable Much Faster Than Their Bigger Rivals. Here’s Why. The top electricity providers in the country are going renewable much more slowly than smaller companies, according to data reported Tuesday by sustainability group Ceres. The biggest 100 companies account for 85 percent of America’s electricity — and emissions are even more consolidated… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/16/3680943/benchmarking-emissions-2015-report/ Amid a solar boom, batteries draw attention and dollars. As the market for energy storage emerges, startups, Valley investors, big solar companies and Tesla are looking for a way in. Enough solar panels are now bolted to rooftops and installed on the ground in the deserts of the Southwest to supply solar energy for over 4 million American homes. http://fortune.com/2015/07/16/batteries-solar-funding/ OPINIONS Cheap Oil Is Bad for the Economy (at Least, So Far). Goldman finds that a decline in energy investment has outweighed gains from consumer spending. It's been about a year since oil prices started their historic drop, falling from above $100 a barrel to a bottom of about $45 in March. After creeping back to around $60, prices are shaky again amid news of a nuclear deal with Iran and record Saudi production. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/cheap-oil-is-bad-for-the-economy-at-least-so-far- Is it wise to give regulators the power to impose cuts in state's gasoline use? The biggest bill still moving through the state Legislature this summer is backed by the Senate leader, the governor and essentially the pope. So opponents — mainly oil companies — don't have a prayer. The measure, which attempts to fight global warming by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in California… http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-cap-climate-change-20150716-column.html Op-Ed Who should pay the price of clean energy? It's an environmental truism — the coal industry must be shut down to save the planet. But shuttering mines and coal-fired power plants carries with it a heavy human toll: It will crush the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people and impoverish scores of communities. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-tasini-the-realistic-cost-of-ending-the-carbon-economy-20150716-story.html Campaign to stop fracking sacrifices nature for ideology: Column. It is hard to remember now, but it wasn't so long ago that natural gas was seen as one of the most important solutions to global warming and a cleaner environment. That's one reason a new report released this month shows that natural gas has eclipsed coal as the largest U.S. source of electricity for the first time. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/07/16/natural-gas-renewable-fuels-fracking-column/27089397/ Editorial: A Pothole Strategy to Raise Taxes? Call me a conspiracy theorist, but something is rotten with road funding in California. Sacramento is flush with billions in unanticipated revenue. Yet a record $115 billion budget spending plan signed by Gov. Jerry Brown shortchanges the state’s transportation and infrastructure needs. The only real funding boost goes to high-speed rail. http://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/editorials/editorial-a-pothole-strategy-to-raise-taxes-156823 Canada no carbon paragon. Re: Don’t be a sucker, Canada, Letter July 13. Re: Making climate a common cause, Letter July 9. Don’t be a sucker, Canada, Letter July 13. I agree with reader Warren Adamson that cap-and-trade is wrong. However, from there, Mr. Adamson has everything wrong. A carbon tax “fee-and-dividend” would be faster, more effective, cheaper to institute and operate… http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2015/07/16/canada-no-carbon-paragon.html BLOGS It's Not Just You: 2014 Was The Hottest Year On Record. A report published today has determined what climate scientists already suspected: 2014 was the warmest year since such records have been kept. This report, put together by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is based on the work of 413 researchers in 58 nations. http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewfrancis/2015/07/16/2014-was-the-hottest-year-on-record/ Humans’ Rising Impact on the Oceans. A new global study identifies areas of promise but also many more areas of concern. Human impacts on the oceans have increased in more than two-thirds of the world during the past five years. Some areas remain lightly impacted; others are improving. http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2015/015761/humans-rising-impact-oceans#sthash.vWP3678U.dpuf California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 12:43:45 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 17, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 17, 2015. 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 Jerry Hill seeks more cap and trade funds for transit: Caltrain’s plans for electrification could benefit from senator’s proposal. Caltrain’s efforts to accommodate growing ridership could receive a much needed boost in funding as state Sen. Jerry Hill proposed legislation Thursday calling for a redistribution of cap and trade funds. http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-07-17/jerry-hill-seeks-more-cap-and-trade-funds-for-transit-caltrains-plans-for-electrification-could-benefit-from-senators-proposal/1776425146894.html World Bank project holds first-ever auction to finance methane emission cuts. The World Bank today announced that a first-ever auction to fund the capture of methane emissions has bought price guarantees for 8.7 million carbon credits. Bank officials hailed the Pilot Auction Facility for Methane and Climate Change Mitigation (PAF) as a major win in the hunt for new ways to finance… http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/12194/epa-opens-comment-period-on-cottonseed-oil-analysis Final Phase Of Controversial EU Carbon Market Reforms Kicks Off. On 15 July, the European Commission unveiled its long-awaited proposals for a deep and meaningful reform of Europe’s carbon market from 2021-30. It neatly turns into law political decisions by EU heads of state and government last October. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/17/final-phase-of-controversial-eu-carbon-market-reforms-kicks-off/ E.U. weighs cap-and-trade price hikes to accelerate emissions cuts. The European Union released draft legislation that would increase permit prices in the world's biggest greenhouse gas market and help the bloc meet its emission-cutting goal. The Emissions Trading System imposes increasingly lower carbon dioxide quotas on about 12,000 power plants and factories. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/17/stories/1060021945 AIR POLLUTION Firm agrees to fines over pollution at fertilizer sites. Federal regulators say the Willis-Ellis Company has reached a settlement agreement over alleged air pollution at three of its Kansas fertilizer facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency said in a news release Thursday that the company has agreed to pay a $67,404 penalty to settle violations of the Clean Air Act at its facilities in White Cloud, Troy and Silver Lake. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/17/firm-agrees-to-fines-over-pollution-at-fertilizer-/#ixzz3gATKI0Os How Air Pollution May Have Caused Catastrophic Flooding In China. Air pollution isn't just bad for your health. It can have dramatic effects on weather and climate. In fact, a team of scientists believes that air pollution from industries and traffic could have caused the extreme floods that devastated southwest China in 2013. http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/07/16/421815633/how-air-pollution-may-have-caused-catastrophic-flooding-in-china CLIMATE CHANGE Japan sets 26 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions as target. Japan said on Friday it would slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2030 from 2013 levels and would submit the plan to the United Nations later in the day as its contribution to a global summit on climate change in Paris in November. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/17/us-japan-carbon-idUSKCN0PR0A220150717 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-17/japan-vows-to-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-26-in-un-pledge Climate Talks Nearing Consensus in Behind-the-Scenes Meetings. Publicly, the United Nations climate-change talks look mired in disputes over everything from money to the length of the proposed agreement. Behind the scenes, a deal may be closer than it seems, according to a report today from two veteran negotiators who’ve organized a series of unofficial meetings among key countries. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/climate-talks-nearing-consensus-in-behind-the-scenes-meetings Sea Warming Leads to Ban on Fishing in the Arctic. The United States and four other nations that border the Arctic Ocean pledged on Thursday to prohibit commercial fishing in the international waters of the Arctic until more scientific research could be done on how warming seas and melting ice are affecting fish stocks. The agreement came as an annual report on the world’s climate… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/17/world/europe/sea-warming-leads-to-ban-on-fishing-in-the-arctic.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1 State Senate resolution praises papal encyclical on climate change. The state Senate approved a resolution on Thursday praising Pope Francis' encyclical on climate change and calling on politicians to heed its call for better stewardship of the environment. Gov. Jerry Brown is taking a copy of the resolution with him to the Vatican next week for an international conference on climate change and modern slavery. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-pope-climate-change-resolution-20150716-story.html Study: No warming-proof polar bear trait. A study of an Alaska polar bear population in summer concludes the bear's biology will not help stave off starvation in the face of global warming. The study of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears by university, federal and private researchers over three years concludes they have no special ability to minimize energy loss… http://www.insidebayarea.com/nation-world/ci_28497883/study-no-warming-proof-polar-bear-trait All key climate change indicators were at or near record levels in 2014, NOAA announces. The world has seen successive heat records set and broken in recent years, and 2014 was no different, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reiterated yesterday in its annual State of the Climate review. 2014 was the hottest year since records began in 1880… http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/12194/epa-opens-comment-period-on-cottonseed-oil-analysis DROUGHT Water managers dodge bullet with 'May miracle' rains. For drought watchers, it has become known as the May miracle. At a time when water levels in Lake Mead were getting so low that officials prepared for drastic cutbacks, it started raining. A series of powerful storms pummeled the mountains that feed the Colorado River, a key source of water for California, Arizona and Nevada. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-may-miracle-drought-20150717-story.html#page=1 House passes California drought bill, but Senate action is unlikely. It was touted as the bill “where everybody wins” — a common-sense approach to providing badly needed drought relief to California growers, and a measure that would place the needs of people above those of fish. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-house-drought-bill-20150716-story.html Irrigation district told to stop pumping water. FRESNO California issued its first cease-and-desist order on Thursday telling an irrigation district to stop pumping water under this year's tightened drought regulations. The state water board said inspectors in May observed the West Side Irrigation District in Tracy pumping water. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-329293-ocprint-district-state.html Though conditions are ripe for a blast of winter rain, it probably won't bust the drought. Forecasters are growing increasingly confident that warm ocean El Niño conditions will continue through the fall and winter – possibly leading to a drought-relieving rainy season. Rain isn't guaranteed, forecasters warn, but given the warmth brewing in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, downpours in California are increasingly likely this winter. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-329271-ocprint-ni241o-rain.html FUELS State Laws On Ethanol In Gasoline: Only Seven States Require E10 Blend. Under the Renewable Fuels Standard passed in 2007, the Federal government requires certain volumes of ethanol to be blended into the U.S. transportation fuel supply. However, states have discretion as to how much (or how little) ethanol goes into fuels sold within their borders. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099149_state-laws-on-ethanol-in-gasoline-only-seven-states-require-e10-blend China to License DuPont Biofuel Technology. DuPont says it will license its biofuel technology to China’s largest cellulosic ethanol manufacturing plant. The agreement allows Jilin Province New Tianlong Industry’s (NTL) plant, located in Siping City, Jilin Province, to license DuPont’s cellulosic ethanol technology and use DuPont Accellerase enzymes to produce renewable biofuel from the leftover biomass… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/17/china-to-license-dupont-biofuel-technology/#ixzz3gAgoWumu EPA opens comment period on cottonseed oil analysis. The U.S. EPA has published a notice inviting public comment on its preliminary analysis of the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to the production and transport of Gossypium spp. seed oil (cottonseed oil) feedstock for use a biofuel feedstock. http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/12194/epa-opens-comment-period-on-cottonseed-oil-analysis Reports of fracking with diesel were incorrect – EPA. FracFocus reports showing that oil and gas wells were fracked with diesel fuel were erroneous, according to U.S. EPA officials. Drilling companies either made mistakes in entering their information into the database or changed their initial plans, agency officials told EPA's inspector general. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/07/17/stories/1060021979 VEHICLES Startups breathe new life into the basic car battery. While the costs of lithium ion batteries drop, is there still room to make the lead acid battery better? In the energy sector, lithium-ion batteries are having a moment. Not only are they powering the hottest electric cars like those from Tesla, but they’re also increasingly the tech of choice for companies building battery banks for the power grid. http://fortune.com/2015/07/17/lead-acid-battery-lithium-ion/ GREEN ENERGY How long until renewable energy powers the US? The future of US energy is looking like it will rely heavily on renewable sources. The more difficult question is when, and at what rate, that future will arrive. There’s little debate surrounding the ultimate future of the energy industry. Hint: it’s renewable. Simply put, the way of finite resources is just that – helplessly bound to end. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0716/How-long-until-renewable-energy-powers-the-US Enel Green Power Investing $220 Million Into Mexican Wind Farm. International clean energy developer Enel Green Power is set to invest $220 million into a new wind farm to be developed in Mexico. The Vientos del Altiplano wind farm will be developed in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, and upon completion will amount to 100 MW and will be able to generate 280 GWh annually. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/17/enel-green-power-investing-220-million-mexican-wind-farm/ MISCELLANEOUS Wondering where cap-and-trade dollars go? Website maps out projects. A nonprofit that promotes alternative transportation and urban density has created a website that maps out projects funded through California’s cap-and-trade program. The tool marks the state’s first easy-to-read geographic mapping of cap-and-trade grants, which are now being disbursed through a handful of state agencies. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/07/17/wondering-where-cap-and-trade-dollars-go-website.html Why are California's roads so bad? California motorists pay some of the highest gasoline taxes in the nation. On average, states impose a combination of taxes and fees that amount to about 30 cents a gallon, whereas California's gas tax is an astonishing 42 cents a gallon. On top of that, according to a report released last fall by the Legislative Analyst's Office, cap-and-trade regulations will probably lead to an additional 13- to 20-cent-a-gallon increase by 2020. http://www.chicagotribune.com/la-oe-0717-obernolte-gas-tax-20150717-story.html OPINIONS When Climate Change Becomes a Climate Catastrophe. "Go Set a Watchman" isn't the only book this year that brings new perspective to an old story line. "Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet" should shift our narrative on climate change. The old story line: People need to worry about climate change because doubling the atmosphere's concentration of carbon dioxide relative… http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-07-17/when-climate-change-becomes-a-climate-catastrophe BLOGS Regional Cap-and-Trade Shown to Save Money While Boosting Economy and Cutting Emissions. Power plant nightTwo myths consistently being put forward by conservative think-tanks are that government regulation hurts the economy and that efforts to take action on climate change will raise energy prices. These assertions are primarily put forth through imagined scenarios, rather than actual data. http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/07/regional-cap-trade-shown-save-money-boosting-economy-cutting-emissions/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 09:13:35 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 20, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 20, 2015. 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 Gov. Brown orders Calif. crackdown on freight emissions. California by next summer must develop a plan to clean up the freight sector, including driving a transition to technologies with zero tailpipe emissions, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) mandated Friday. Brown in an executive order directed the state's Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/20/stories/1060022083 CLIMATE CHANGE Sinking Marshall Islands Pledge Carbon Cuts for Climate. The Marshall Islands, one of the nations most threatened by rising sea levels, became the first developing country to pledge absolute cuts in carbon emissions as part of a global fight against climate change. The Pacific atolls, mostly just 2 meters (6 feet) above sea level, aim to reduce emissions by almost a third from 2010 through 2025… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-20/sinking-marshall-islands-pledge-carbon-cuts-for-climate The world’s most famous climate scientist just outlined an alarming scenario for our planet’s future. James Hansen has often been out ahead of his scientific colleagues. With his 1988 congressional testimony, the then-NASA scientist is credited with putting the global warming issue on the map by saying that a warming trend had already begun. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/20/the-worlds-most-famous-climate-scientist-just-outlined-an-alarming-scenario-for-our-planets-future/ Eco-Friendly Pope to Encourage Likeminded Mayors at Vatican. One city banned Styrofoam. Another has the highest percentage of "clean" cars in Europe. Still another has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent since 1990 — while seeing its GDP grow 19 percent. Dozens of environmentally friendly mayors from around the world are meeting at the Vatican this week to bask in the star power of eco-Pope Francis… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/20/world/europe/ap-eu-rel-vatican-climate.html http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/07/20/eco-friendly-pope-to-encourage-likeminded-mayors-at-vatican Passage of California climate change bill could set global example. When Gov. Jerry Brown visits the Vatican this week for an international conference, he'll be carrying a resolution from state lawmakers supporting Pope Francis' recent encyclical on climate change. He's hoping the Legislature will send an even stronger message later this year by passing new environmental rules aimed at helping California slash greenhouse-gas... http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-brown-vatican-20150719-story.html Sacramento’s new Mexican consul to help drought-stricken farmworkers. With California’s historic drought evaporating the livelihood of thousands of Mexican migrants, Mexico will start offering them emergency rent assistance, clothing, food and even a plane ticket back home, said the region’s new consul general in her first major media interview. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article27894682.html#storylink=cpy Gov. Jerry Brown went off to the Vatican for high-profile talks this week on climate change. His host, Pope Francis, is an ambassador on the issue, too. But as much as their visit will highlight shared concerns about the environment, the politician and the pontiff come at climate change from very different points of view. Like many Democrats, Brown argues that governments can enact greenhouse gas reduction… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article27870769.html#storylink=cpy Jerry Brown appeals to ‘moral dimension’ on climate change. Gov. Jerry Brown, in Rome for climate talks this week, said Monday that the world must turn to the “moral dimension” to counteract a “virulent strain of climate change denial” from Republicans and business interests. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article27925837.html#storylink=cpy Could Canada be the standard for tackling climate change? (VIDEO). As climate change raises temperatures around the world, Canada has steadily been lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Should others follow their lead? http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/world/2015/07/19/30372151/ This California agency is fighting climate change and curbing pollution. On the outskirts of Los Angeles, inside a nondescript laboratory building, a man in a yellow T-shirt and helmet sits on a stationary motorcycle, looking intently ahead. The bike’s back wheel is spinning, and a long orange tube connects to its exhaust pipe. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150719/this-california-agency-is-fighting-climate-change-and-curbing-pollution http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150719/this-california-agency-is-fighting-climate-change-and-curbing-pollution Climate Change: California's In Front And Not Looking Back. On a recent Saturday in Stockton, Mary Serrano got behind the wheel of a bright-red, all-electric Chevy Spark. "I feel like I’m going to outer space," says a giddy Serrano, followed by a short fit of laughter. It was her first time test-driving a zero-emissions vehicle, an opportunity presented to her at a Tune In & Tune Up event at the county fairgrounds. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/20/climate-change-californias-in-front-and-not-looking-back/ Inslee, the ‘greenest’ governor — not so much. Gov. Jay Inslee has long advocated reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. But the state Legislature adjourned this month without taking the kind of major climate action desired by Inslee and his environmentalist allies. Even before Gov. Jay Inslee took office two-and-a-half years ago, some environmentalists were trumpeting him as “the greenest governor” in the country. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/inslee-the-greenest-governor-not-so-much/ Hermosa Beach tackles climate change with a plan to go ‘carbon neutral’. Hermosa Beach is instituting a holistic approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions that will change the way the small beach town frames its major planning decisions. While other agencies in the region have come up with a disparate mix of projects, from energy-efficient appliance trade-ins to new bicycle paths… http://www.dailybreeze.com/government-and-politics/20150719/hermosa-beach-tackles-climate-change-with-a-plan-to-go-carbon-neutral California is a global leader in combating climate change, but it hasn’t been enough. Nearly a decade ago, California policymakers, facing a frightening future of shriveling snowpacks and rising seas, created the nation’s most aggressive program to combat global warming. The 2006 law mandated broad reductions of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/general-news/20150719/california-is-a-global-leader-in-combating-climate-change-but-it-hasnt-been-enough http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/07/17/rough-road-ahead-california-climate/30333297/ Progress, costs and hard-to-reach goals in the climate change fight. A kaleidoscope of programs has arisen to accelerate California’s shift to a clean economy as required under Assembly Bill 32. The broadest and perhaps most controversial of these is a cap-and-trade policy, which subjects the state’s most-polluting companies to a cap on their greenhouse gas emissions and allows them to trade credits to pollute. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150719/progress-costs-and-hard-to-reach-goals-in-the-climate-change-fight City making strides to reduce emissions: Foster City officials finalizing Climate Action Plan. Solar panels and waste diversion as well as city and residential energy audits are part of a large swath of programs being explored by Foster City officials to help meet state mandates to reduce the city’s carbon footprint. The Bayfront community is finalizing its Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-07-20/city-making-strides-to-reduce-emissions-foster-city-officials-finalizing-climate-action-plan/1776425146996.html Climate Change and Oil Companies: Who Knew What and When? A recent article in the Guardian, which was also carried through a number of other media outlets, implied some prior knowledge within the oil and gas industry of climate change and the impact of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use long before others had recognized its impact. http://www.theenergycollective.com/davidhone/2250477/who-knew-what-and-when Ministers, nations set the stage for the final act of a new climate pact. The Republic of the Marshall Islands, a string of low-lying atolls in the Pacific Ocean whose share of global greenhouse gas emissions is so low it barely registers on data charts, vowed yesterday to slash a third of its carbon pollution within the decade. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060022060 DROUGHT California drought makes quest for water a consuming grind. Their two peach trees had turned brittle in the heat, their neighborhood pond had vanished into cracked dirt and now their stainless-steel faucet was spitting out hot air. “That’s it. We’re dry,” Miguel Gamboa said during the second week of July, and so he went off to look for water. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/california-drought-makes-quest-for-water-a-consuming-grind/2015/07/19/de165c1c-2c93-11e5-a250-42bd812efc09_story.html Drought-stricken California is burning, flooding at the same time. Amid California’s historic drought, an even rarer weekend downpour that calmed wildfires also washed away a 30-foot bridge that carries commuters to Arizona. An elevated area on Interstate 10 collapsed early Sunday evening near Southeastern California’s Desert Center, leaving a pickup truck trapped underneath. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/20/california-is-now-flooding-burning-and-having-a-drought-at-the-same-time/ Drought-Stricken California Farmers Look To Tap Urban Wastewater. Many California farmers are in a tight spot this summer, because their normal water supplies have dried up with the state's extreme drought. In the state's Central Valley, that's driving some farmers to get creative: They're looking at buying water from cities – not freshwater, but water that's already gone down the drain. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=424571389 Finding a way to truck water when drought hits Butte County wells. It’s hard to know how many people are scrambling to get water this summer. The county would love if people would fill out a report online if there are problems with private wells. However, most people do not. Instead, people tend to fix the problem and keep the problem to themselves. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150719/finding-a-way-to-truck-water-when-drought-hits-butte-county-wells DIESEL ACTIVITIES Analysts forecast Navistar's future. The impact of the potential lawsuit announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week against truck and engine maker Navistar over its use of “non-compliant” engines in its 2010-model trucks – engines that did not meet the agency’s exhaust emission standards – is really going to depend on just how big a fine EPA inflicts on the OEM. http://fleetowner.com/equipment/analysts-forecast-navistars-future Chinese-built zero-emissions electric bus prepares for service in London. Fully electric doubledecker bus with new compact battery to launch in autumn, as London prepares for ultra-low emission zone, reports China Daily. For years, London’s red doubledecker buses have dominated the capital, where nearly 1,000 routes are operated by 8,700 buses, many of them doubledeckers. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/18/chinese-built-zero-emissions-electric-bus-prepares-for-service-in-london FUELS Judge declines to halt oil wastewater injections. A California judge last week denied environmentalists' bid to vacate state rules governing pumping of oil wastewater into drinkable water sources. An Alameda County Superior Court judge Friday upheld the Department of Conservation's handling of decades of illegal dumping of wastewater from oil drilling operations, at least for the near term. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060022061/search?keyword=california Watchdog: EPA should do more on fracking chemicals. The EPA’s internal watchdog recommended Thursday that it improve oversight of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Specifically, the EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) said the agency needs to crack down on the unlicensed use of diesel fuel in fracking and figure out whether to mandate public disclosure of fracking chemicals. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/248224-watchdog-epa-should-do-more-on-fracking-chemicals VEHICLES Do BMW, Mercedes, Volvo Plug-In Hybrid SUVs Compete With Tesla Model X? We've known they were coming more for than a year, and now they're within weeks or months of landing in dealerships. In this case, "they" are the first plug-in hybrid SUV models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and other luxury makers. Large, luxurious, plug-in ... almost sounds like a description of the Tesla Model X, doesn't it? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099195_do-bmw-mercedes-volvo-plug-in-hybrid-suvs-compete-with-tesla-model-x GREEN ENERGY UPDATE 2-SunEdison buys Vivint for $2.2 bln to expand residential business. SunEdison Inc. agreed to buy Vivint Solar Inc, the second-biggest U.S. solar panel installer, in a deal valued at about $2.2 billion, speeding up its expansion in the booming residential solar market. Demand for Vivint's residential solar systems has soared as the company that went public last October… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/20/vivint-solar-ma-sunedisn-idUSL3N1003EQ20150720?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews REFILE-Australia's war on wind farms threatens biggest renewable project. That stance puts him at odds with countries such as the United States and China, as they overhaul their power industries to meet ambitious environmental targets. After cutting the country's Renewable Energy Target by a fifth a month ago, Abbott took the green power industry by surprise by ordering the government's A$10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to stop investing in wind farms, the country's No. 2 clean energy source behind hydropower. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL4N0ZX1DC20150720?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0 Siting wind farms more quickly, cheaply. When a power company wants to build a new wind farm, it generally hires a consultant to make wind speed measurements at the proposed site for eight to 12 months. Those measurements are correlated with historical data and used to assess the site’s power-generation capacity. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/latest-news/4331-siting-wind-farms-more-quickly-cheaply.html MISCELLANEOUS State vehicle emissions lab is inching toward moving facility. Nearly a decade after they began planning to move their vehicle emissions laboratory out of El Monte, state officials say they expect to identify a new site within the year. The California Air Resources Board received $5.9 million this fiscal year to flesh out a new location, which could be in Riverside, at UC Irvine, Cal Poly Pomona or another university facility. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150719/state-vehicle-emissions-lab-is-inching-toward-moving-facility OPINIONS Pope Francis and Brown part ways on cap and trade. The pope and California's governor don't agree on everything about climate change. Global warming's threat to the planet? Yes. Selling permits to pollute? Hardly. Peddling pollution permits has a euphemism. It's politely called cap and trade. And it raises a ton of money for state government, including Gov. Jerry Brown's struggling bullet train. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-cap-environment-20150720-column.html One reason to stop watering the lawn. New rules dramatically limiting grass around new homes. No fines for homeowners who let lawns go brown. A proposal to lift Sacramento’s ban on synthetic turf in front yards. It has taken years, but California is wrapping its mind around drought as a potentially permanent companion. Changing laws are forcing our hand in large and small ways. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article27733945.html#storylink=cpy Tipping point for electric vehicles nearing in California: Guest commentary. Energy efficiency will be the principal strategy to achieve California’s goals of 50 percent reduction in oil use and 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030. For vehicles, that means more efficient engines and transmissions and greater use of lightweight materials, including aluminum and carbon fiber. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150717/tipping-point-for-electric-vehicles-nearing-in-california-guest-commentary Column: Insuring Against Climate Catastrophe. Go Set a Watchman isn’t the only book this year that brings new perspective to an old story line. Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet should shift our narrative on climate change. The old story line: People need to worry about climate change because doubling the atmosphere’s concentration of carbon dioxide relative… http://www.vnews.com/home/17804992-95/column-insuring-against-climate-catastrophe The oceans are warming faster than climate models predicted. A new study finds that climate models are doing well, but slightly under-predicting ocean warming. As I have said many times on this blog, if you want to know how much “global warming” is happening, you really have to be able to measure “ocean warming”. That is because more than 90% of the excess energy coming to the Earth from greenhouse gases goes into the ocean waters. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/jul/20/oceans-warming-faster-than-climate-models-predicted BLOGS Wondering where cap-and-trade dollars go? Website maps out projects. A nonprofit that promotes alternative transportation and urban density has created a website that maps out projects funded through California’s cap-and-trade program. The tool marks the state’s first easy-to-read geographic mapping of cap-and-trade grants, which are now being disbursed through a handful of state agencies. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/morning-roundup/2015/07/wondering-where-cap-and-trade-dollars-go-website.html Four things to look for in EPA’s new voluntary methane reduction proposal. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soon expected to propose its new “enhanced” Natural Gas STAR program, providing guidelines for oil and gas companies that want to voluntarily work to reduce their methane emissions. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/07/20/four-things-to-look-for-in-epas-new-voluntary-methane-reduction-proposal/ EU-China Relations: Invoking A Low-Carbon Future From Past Cooperation. Closer European-Chinese ties can emulate the past success of the ancient Silk Road, this time for the exchange of low-carbon goods, ideas, policies and technologies, to inspire global civilisation towards more resilient development with regards to both the climate and the economy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wang-tao/eu-china-relations-invoking-a-low-carbon-future_b_7819774.html Turn Up the Heat on Climate Change. Well there you go again you wacky scientists spinning their wild tales of impending disaster and doom all to advance their ultra-liberal social agenda which includes abolition of capitalism as we know it, forcing people to actually interact with one another by living close to one another, and instituting mass transportation regimes which once again force people to interact with one another… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lance-simmens/turn-up-the-heat-on-clima_b_7828020.html Global Warming Will Destroy The Earth In The End. We like to think of our planet as perfect for life, having met all the conditions we know of for life to exist, flourish and thrive for billions of years. After all, here on Earth, with our not-too-thick and not-too-thin atmosphere, we’ve got liquid water on our surface, made possible by the pressure and temperature combinations at sea level. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ethansiegel/2015/07/19/global-warming-will-destroy-the-earth-in-the-end/ Toyota On Mirai Vs. Tesla: Battery Electric Vehicles Have 'Fundamental' Physics Problem. A Toyota executive explains why he believes the Mirai and hydrogen fuel cells will power the alternative fuel vehicle future — and not battery electrics like Tesla. Toyota will begin taking “requests” for its hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle Mirai on Monday. The initial goal is 3,000 units by the end of 2017. http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2015/07/20/toyota-on-mirai-vs-tesla-battery-electric-vehicles-have-fundamental-physics-problem/ Polar bears are starving because of global warming. Two new scientific studies have found that Polar Bears are in danger of starving to death as Arctic sea ice retreats further and further north each year because of global warming. Polar Bears (ursus maritimus) live largely within the Arctic Circle, and they use the sea ice as a hunting ground for catching seals. http://www.examiner.com/article/polar-bears-are-starving-because-of-global-warming California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 13:00:16 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 21, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 21, 2015. 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 As cap and trade gets into big money, groups develop a tool to follow it. This year, more than $830 million in cap-and-trade funds will be poured back into communities across California as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the number of residents who realize this is happening is likely few and far between. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/21/stories/1060022031 AIR POLLUTION Wearable Technology Takes On Air Pollution And Smog With Personal Air Quality Monitors. When Hamish Stewart bikes the streets of London, he clips a tiny digital device to his shirt collar or pants pocket. The wearable technology isn’t tracking the distance he travels or the calories he burns: Instead, it measures how many toxic pollutants from cars, buses and factories are sullying Stewart’s commute. http://www.ibtimes.com/wearable-technology-takes-air-pollution-smog-personal-air-quality-monitors-2018324 Increasing atmospheric carbon will make dating historic items more difficult – study. A T-shirt made in 2050 could look exactly like one worn by William the Conqueror a thousand years earlier to someone using radiocarbon dating if emissions continue under a business-as-usual scenario. By 2100, a dead plant could be almost identical to the Dead Sea scrolls, which are more than 2,000 years old. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/21/stories/1060022128 CLIMATE CHANGE Another month, another global heat record broken _ by far. Earth dialed the heat up in June, smashing warm temperature records for both the month and the first half of the year. Off-the-charts heat is "getting to be a monthly thing," said Jessica Blunden, a climate scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. June was the fourth month of 2015 that set a record, she said. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_RECORD_HEAT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NRTVG56JIJUQ01-6EO3JIHI306F90DMIT5Q3GL1AU http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/07/20/june-global-heat/30412987/ http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/world/article28002025.html World mayors at Vatican seek 'bold climate agreement' Dozens of mayors from around the world demanded Tuesday that their national leaders take bold steps at the Paris climate talks this year, saying that could be the last chance to keep the Earth's warming to levels still safe for humanity. One by one, some of the 60 mayors invited to a two-day Vatican conference lined up to sign a final declaration stating that "human-induced climate change… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N1011M920150721 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/world/europe/mayors-at-vatican-pledge-efforts-against-climate-change.html http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/APNewsBreak-Mayors-at-Vatican-seek-bold-climate-6396239.php http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/apgeneral/india-mayor-climate-change-dungeon-of-slavery-related/article_30c1b2db-a8c1-5380-ad0e-1a72aaacd687.html http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/world/2015/07/21/vatican-climate/30452855/ Record-Beating Pacific Ocean Heat Seen Strengthening El Nino. The El Nino in the Pacific Ocean is building strength unabated, with sea surface temperatures exceeding the 1997 record, indicating the weather pattern will continue into next year. All key El Nino ocean-monitoring areas have had temperatures more than 1 degree Celsius above average for 10 weeks… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-21/record-beating-pacific-ocean-heat-seen-strengthening-el-nino Gov. Brown blasts climate change 'deniers' during Vatican conference. Gov. Jerry Brown, speaking at a conference hosted by Pope Francis, on Tuesday denounced climate change skeptics as well-financed “troglodytes” determined to “bamboozle” local leaders. Brown said he has no faith in Congress to act on global warming, and urged the 60 mayors from around the world attending the event to take action to cut greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-gov-brown-blasts-climate-change-critics-during-vatican-conference-20150721-story.html Jerry Brown’s climate warning: ‘We are talking about extinction’. Gov. Jerry Brown, in an ominous appeal on climate change, said Tuesday that the world may already have “gone over the edge” on global warming and that humanity must reverse course or face extinction. “We don’t even know how far we’ve gone, or if we’ve gone over the edge,” Brown said at a climate summit at the Vatican. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article27998554.html#storylink=cpy http://www.ocregister.com/articles/brown-672743-climate-change.html French president pushes for an ambitious global climate deal. French President Francois Hollande is calling for an ambitious accord on the climate to address the threat of global warming. Hollande isn't at the Vatican climate conference, but he made the call at a Paris conference of religious and political leaders. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/French-president-pushes-for-an-ambitious-global-6396646.php http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/07/21/french-president-pushes-for-an-ambitious-global-climate-deal Hansen: 2C warming will raise sea level several metres. Scientists warn feedback effects will melt polar ice faster than thought, causing “highly dangerous” impacts this century. UN climate talks aim to limit global warming to 2C, a level that will require significantly deeper greenhouse gas emissions cuts than currently planned. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/07/20/hansen-2c-warming-will-raise-sea-level-several-metres/#sthash.m0XLzJOE.dpuf Arctic Sea Ice Volume Rebounds, But Not Recovering. Over the last few decades, and particularly in recent years, the area of the Arctic Ocean covered by a skin of sea ice has steadily shrunk. But it’s not just this extent that matters — the volume of sea ice, which takes into account its thickness, is also important, but traditionally much more difficult to measure. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/arctic-ice-volume-rebounds-19262?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20climatecentral/djOO%20Climate%20Central%20-%20Full%20Feed Solar activity levels may have a profound effect on temperatures in Greenland – study. Greenland is a place of abiding mysteries; one has to wonder why a chunk of the Earth that is so strikingly white, owing to more than 80 percent of its landmass being covered by ice, would be called Greenland. But the presence of one of the planet's largest ice sheets also makes Greenland an area of special interest for climate change… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/21/stories/1060022132 DROUGHT California irrigator faces record $1.5 mln fine for drought violation. State regulators on Monday proposed a record $1.5 million fine against a northern California irrigation district accused of defying emergency drought restrictions by continuing to draw surface water placed off-limits for such diversions. The penalty, if approved by the state Water Resources Control Board, would be largest ever levied against a water user… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/21/usa-drought-california-idUSL1N10101J20150721 http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-enforcement-20150720-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article27933571.html El Niño likely coming, but will it make a difference? The El Niño weather pattern often brings deluges to California, quickly dropping inches of rain in what climatologists liken to turning on a fire hose. Except when it doesn’t. Except when it brings no extra rain. El Niño is a hot topic today among water agency managers, farmers and others sick of California’s historic drought. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article27953974.html#storylink=cpy Amid statewide water cuts, one huge new user: Great Wolf Resort in Garden Grove. With California in a yearslong drought, Garden Grove has to cut its water usage by 28 percent but, at the same time, is allowing a 121,000-square-foot water park to be built on Harbor Boulevard. Some in the community view the park as a waste of resources. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-672596-park-use.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Two California cities ordering Proterra electric buses. The California cities of Stockton and Porterville have each placed orders with Proterra for its new Catalyst battery-electric bus with funding from the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. Four new Proterra buses will replace diesel buses in a concerted effort from the Valley to enable the proliferation of clean-air fleets… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150721-proterra.html http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28721 FUELS UPDATE 2-U.S. miles traveled rise to record on low prices. U.S. drivers took advantage of low gasoline prices because of a drop in oil prices, traveling a record number of miles in the first five months of the year, according to government data. Travel on streets and roads rose in May by 2.7 percent from a year ago to 275.1 billion vehicle miles, according to the Federal Highway Administration. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/21/usa-roads-travel-idUSL1N1010YZ20150721?feedType=RSS&feedName=cyclicalConsumerGoodsSector As CA keeps pumping oil, Gov. Brown says world must cut back. One third of the world’s oil must stay in the ground if humanity hopes to avoid the worst effects of global warming, Gov. Jerry Brown told a climate conference at the Vatican Tuesday. “We are going to have to set a clear goal,” Brown told a crowd of mayors and public officials from around the world. “And that goal is almost unimaginable. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/As-CA-keeps-pumping-oil-Gov-Brown-says-world-6397560.php RedRock Biofuels to supply 3M gallons/year of renewable jet fuel to FedEx through 2024. Red Rock Biofuels LLC will produce approximately three million gallons of low-carbon, renewable jet fuel per year for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation. The agreement runs through 2024, with first delivery expected in 2017. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150721-redrock.html NREL examines potential of blending ethanol with condensate for flex-fuels and high-octane mid-level blends. A team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with a colleague at EcoEngineering, has explored the potential of blending ethanol with natural gasoline (condensate) to produce flex-fuels (ASTM D5798-13a) and high-octane, mid-level ethanol blends (MLEBs). A paper on their work is published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150721-nrel.html VEHICLES Next Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid To Have 30 To 35 Miles Of Range: Source. Cars with plugs have been on sale since December 2010, and a second generation will start arriving next year. But while long-range battery-electric cars--the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV and an all-new 2017 Nissan Leaf--grab attention, another vehicle on the way could be equally important. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099222_next-toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid-to-have-30-to-35-miles-of-range-source Canadian Plug-in Electric Vehicle Study: 1 Percent To 30 Percent Is The Challenge. Even two years ago, about a third of Canadian car buyers were open to buying a plug-in electric car--but they need a lot more practical and real-world information about the options than they're getting. And without sustained and coordinated policy support… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099194_canadian-plug-in-electric-vehicle-study-1-percent-to-30-percent-is-the-challenge GREEN ENERGY Distributed Solar Power Revenues May More Than Triple in Decade. Global revenues from distributed solar photovoltaic power are expected to more than triple in a decade as the technology becomes viable without subsidies, according to the industry analyst Navigant Research. Revenue from the installations, which are typically small- scale and deliver power to areas near the point of generation… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NRU0EI6KLVR601-2RNF78CMTERQ8UCOVV46NP7DI4 Hanwha Joins ReNew Power to Build First Solar Plant in India. Hanwha Q Cells Co., the South Korean solar panel manufacturer, will form a venture to build large-scale solar power plants in India, marking the cell maker’s first move into the fast-growing market. The producer will join with India’s ReNew Power Ventures Pvt., an independent power producer backed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., to develop 149 megawatts of solar power plants… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NRTQVT6S972A01-46IIGSK48KB8BK42ROTDL7T98F New York wants to lead the renewable energy revolution. Here’s how. Brooklyn’s trendy hipster hangouts may soon offer more than craft beers, artisanal cheese and organic produce: They’ll brag of being powered by locally sourced electricity, from their own solar panels or maybe from batteries down the street. Instead of a microbrewery tour – how about a tour of local micro power grids? http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/21/new-york-wants-to-lead-the-renewable-energy-revolution-heres-how/ Duke Energy Buys Solar Power Project in North Carolina. Duke Energy Corp., the largest U.S. utility owner by market value, bought a 20-megawatt solar project in eastern North Carolina. No terms were disclosed. Duke’s clean-energy arm acquired the facility in Shawboro from Ecoplexus Inc., the San Luis Obispo, California-based unit said Tuesday in a statement. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NRUFKZ6JTSEI01-7QB9TT7G98HTNA1HNPN852QLF3 The Wind and Sun Are Bringing the Shine Back to Buffalo. Along a bend in the Buffalo River here, an enormous steel and concrete structure is rising, soon to house one of the country’s largest solar panel factories. Just to the south, in the rotting guts of the old Bethlehem Steel plant in Lackawanna, where a dozen wind turbines already harness the energy blowing off Lake Erie, workers are preparing to install a big new solar array. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/business/energy-environment/the-wind-and-sun-are-bringing-the-shine-back-to-buffalo.html?_r=0 MISCELLANEOUS Continuing slump in oil prices will slow electric vehicle market and biofuel use, experts say. Sinking oil prices will affect climate change policies in different ways in different countries, a new Council on Foreign Relations report finds. The report is based on the findings of a closed-door discussion the nonprofit think tank held during the spring with leading economists, oil market experts, climate policy analysts and others. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/21/stories/1060022129 OPINIONS COLUMN-California drivers pay dearly for refinery problems: Kemp. California motorists are paying $1 per gallon more for gasoline than drivers in the rest of the country as problems at state refineries leave the state fuel market unusually tight. The average price of gasoline sold in the state was $3.95 per gallon on Monday, compared with a nationwide average of $2.89… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/21/usa-california-gasoline-kemp-idUSL5N10135V20150721?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews The climate alarm clock will be seawater sloshing against your cheeks. Oh! What the…? Hey! We didn’t realize we could get WET! The latest forecast is that we may be looking at a sea level rise of TEN FEET. In THIS CENTURY. Once again, though, we will turn over and go back to sleep. We’ll just move to the higher bunk. The bunk, as always, is that ‘we don’t need to worry about climate.’ http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2015/07/21/the-climate-alarm-clock-will-be-seawater-sloshing-against-your-cheeks/ Dispelling the deadly air pollution myth. The Supreme Court isn’t impressed by the fancy dance of the EPA. The Supreme Court’s recent rejection of the Environmental Protection Agency’s mercury emissions rule for coal-fired power plants sets up a much-needed showdown over a key health claim underpinning the agency’s so-called “war on coal,” and global warming and ozone initiatives. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/20/steve-milloy-dispelling-the-deadly-air-pollution-m/#ixzz3gYYTu8l Water for farms — and fish and fowl. I n an absurd twist, the villain of the California drought — once the almond farmer — is now the natural world, with some water districts and politicians regularly claiming that we set aside too much water for environmental purposes. Last week, the House passed and moved to the Senate a bill that would divert water from Central Valley wildlife refuges… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-mccormack-environment-drought-audubon-20150721-story.html BLOGS The science and morality of climate change. "The absence of certainty is not an excuse to do nothing," Christine Todd Whitman, President George W. Bush's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, once cautioned. For decades, we have ignored Whitman's advice and done just that when faced with critical, lifesaving decisions about how the U.S. should respond to climate change. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/248596-the-science-and-morality-of-climate-change Here’s Where to Buy a House In the U.S. That Will Be Resilient to Climate Change. You should probably avoid Miami and New Orleans. Want to keep the worst impacts of climate change from unfolding in your backyard? You’ll have to be strategic about where you live—which is why we asked climate change experts to name the most geographically resilient places in the country. http://time.com/3964807/climate-change-resilience/ Blight Threatens Sikkim Cardamom Crop. Large cardamom yields are falling dramatically across the northeast Himalayas, where a fungal infection caused by climate change threatens one of the world's most expensive spices. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/india-climate-dialogue/blight-threatens-sikkim-cardamom-crop_b_7840932.html Three electric vehicles have joined Europe's biggest loser's list. Alternative fuel vehicle sales are sluggish, despite market increases. It’s sad fact of buying a mass market car. Once you’ve driven it off the lot, depreciation begins—some faster than others. In Europe, three electric vehicles have joined a less-than-desirable list: the worst first-year depreciators. http://fortune.com/2015/07/21/european-electric-car-losers/ One Cause Of Global Warming That Gets Overlooked: Food Waste. What are the biggest threats posed by the amount of food we waste? Decreasing landfill space? Hunger? Water and energy waste? Yes, all of these are important considerations. But another one we tend to overlook: food waste is a cause of global warming. The 40% of food that gets wasted from farm to plate creates 3.3 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gases… and much of that is methane… http://sustainablog.org/2015/07/one-cause-of-global-warming-that-gets-overlooked-food-waste/ Are Consumers Being Manipulated By Anti-Electric Car Propaganda? Nobody has proven electric cars less environmentally friendly overall than conventional cars but that does not stop people from throwing what they can on the wall to see what sticks. It’s effectively propaganda, and you the general public are the target. http://www.hybridcars.com/are-consumers-being-manipulated-by-anti-electric-car-propaganda/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 15:11:59 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 22, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 22, 2015. 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 China's air less polluted in first half of 2015: Greenpeace. China saw levels of two common air pollutants improve modestly in the first half of 2015, environmental group Greenpeace East Asia said on Wednesday. Average levels of PM2.5 - particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers that can penetrate deep into the lungs - fell 16 percent in the first six months from a year ago, the group said, adding that sulfur dioxide levels also fell 18 percent. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/22/us-china-pollution-greenpeace-idUSKCN0PW0MS20150722 China’s Anti-Pollution Drive Starts to Bite on Sales of Coal. China’s push to ease its reliance on coal and the fossil-fuel pollution choking Beijing’s skies has started to hit sales of coal from the nation’s biggest supplier. China Shenhua Energy Company Ltd.’s shipments dropped 24 percent in the first half of the year compared with a year ago, according to a statement released Monday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-22/china-s-anti-pollution-drive-starts-to-bite-on-sales-of-coal EPA Rule Change Could Result in Noncompliance, Loss of Federal Funding, Chamber of Commerce Says. A small change in the cap for ground-level ozone emissions could lead to wide-scale noncompliance of environmental rules, and a major business group says that could be flipped into the federal government yanking funding commitments for highway and transit projects. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=38936 CLIMATE CHANGE State board grants provisional charter for NY Climate Museum. The plan for a museum in the city that would focus on climate and climate change, with exhibits that could relate to health, social justice and rain-delayed baseball games, moved a step forward Monday, officials said. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/88c303536c05479d94ad0a39dda0af98/state-board-grants-provisional-charter-ny-climate-museum UN climate deal draft must be shorter, clearer – minister. Ministers working towards a new U.N. deal to tackle climate change, due in December, need a negotiating text that is shorter and more manageable than the current draft, the Marshall Islands' foreign minister said after informal talks in Paris. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N10225A20150722 Corralling Carbon Before It Belches From Stack. So much soot belched from the old power plant here that Mike Zeleny would personally warn the neighbors. “If the wind was blowing in a certain direction,” Mr. Zeleny said, “we’d call Mrs. Robinson down the street and tell her not to put out her laundry.” That coal plant is long gone, replaced by a much larger and cleaner one along the vast Saskatchewan prairie. Sooty shirts and socks are a thing of the past. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/science/corralling-carbon-before-it-belches-from-stack.html?_r=0 GMO rice could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, study says. Over half the people on the planet eat rice as a staple food. Growing rice emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas — to the tune of 25 million to 100 million metric tons of methane every year, a notable contribution to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-gmo-rice-methane-emissions-20150722-story.html Mayor Bill de Blasio pledges to cut New York carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, has pledged to reduce his city’s carbon footprint by 40% by 2030 in a speech in which he praised Pope Francis – who he called the “highest moral authority” – for calling on the world to take bold action on climate change. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/21/mayor-bill-de-blasio-pledges-cut-new-york-carbon-emissions-2030 Fossil fuel emissions are making carbon dating more difficult. Nearly three decades ago scientists were granted access to one of the world’s most mystifying and sacred objects: the Shroud of Turin. The ancient rectangle of linen, with its strange stains in the shape of a tortured body, had long been venerated as the burial garment of Christ. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/22/fossil-fuel-emissions-are-making-carbon-dating-more-difficult/ Fossil Fuel Emissions Are About To Throw Carbon Dating All Out Of Whack. Those concerned with climate change spend a lot of time arguing that it’s not just an environmental problem, but also an economic, human rights, national security, and even mental health issue. Now a new study has found that greenhouse gas emissions could impact a range of unlikely fields due to their effect on radiocarbon dating… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/22/3683293/now-carbon-dating-could-suffer-from-fossil-fuel-emissions/ Industry-sponsored study claims emissions-reduction benefits from almonds. California almonds have hidden greenhouse gas benefits and could have more if state policies were changed to encourage use of their byproducts, according to a pair of industry-sponsored papers released this week in the Journal of Industrial Ecology. California produces 80 percent of the world's almond supply… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/22/stories/1060022207 White House conspicuously absent at cost of carbon hearing. After years of clamoring for additional information about the closed-door process that led to the Obama administration's social cost of carbon estimates in 2010 and 2012, a House committee held a hearing today to consider the controversial estimate without including any administration witnesses. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/22/stories/1060022230 Ontario premier slams prime minister's climate policies ahead of national elections. The leader of Canada's biggest province launched barbs at the country's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, over his climate policy and called for Canadians to turn the next election into a referendum on global warming. Kathleen Wynne, the Liberal premier of Ontario, in an interview said Harper was more of an obstruction than a help when it came to addressing climate change. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/22/stories/1060022184 DROUGHT Twice-a-week watering limit could be next for L.A. During four years of drought, Los Angeles residents have conserved water so diligently that even the most skeptical experts have been taken by surprise. The savings have been significant enough to head off the draconian restrictions — water rationing, mandatory pool covers, big fines for wasters — that other cities have resorted to. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-dwp-conserve-20150721-story.html Santa Barbara to spend $55 million on desalination plant as drought 'last resort'. Santa Barbara City Council members on Tuesday unanimously approved spending $55 million to reactivate a mothballed desalination plant that could provide the city with nearly a third of its drinking water. The Charles E. Meyer Desa0lination Facility was built during a drought in the 1990s but closed in 1992 when desperation for water subsided. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-santa-barbara-reactivating-desalination-plant-20150721-story.html http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/jul/22/santa-barbara-plans-drought-relief/ http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/22/stories/1060022214 Fires followed by floods: California faces dramatic climate year with El Nino, drought. Aswath of eastern California offered a dramatic view in recent days of the powerful climate forces buffeting the state. On Friday, an out-of-control brush fire — fueled by four years of drought — destroyed 20 vehicles on Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-el-nino-preview-20150721-story.html#page=1 Workers affected by California drought to get temporary employment. Californians who can show they’ve lost their jobs because of the drought might be eligible for temporary jobs funded by the Department of Labor. The National Dislocated Worker Grant funding will be $3 million initially, with a cap of $18 million. The money will mean employment for up to 1,000 workers for up to six months with public and nonprofit… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28725 How El Nino will make California’s weather more like the East Coast. Heat and humidity. The infamous East Coast duo has been exported to the West, and climatologists predict Southern California can expect more of the sticky combination through October, followed by heavier precipitation powered by a strengthening El Niño cooking the waters of the Pacific Ocean. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150721/how-el-nino-will-make-californias-weather-more-like-the-east-coast DIESEL ACTIVITIES Navistar fined $250,000 for violating California air emissions regulations. Navistar Inc. paid $250,000 in penalties to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for failing to follow proper testing procedures for one of its diesel exhaust filters, as required by state law. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150722-navistar.html Mayor Lee Announces San Francisco to Use Renewable Diesel. Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced that San Francisco will leapfrog its efforts to protect the climate from harmful effects of diesel emissions by phasing out the use of petroleum diesel in the municipal fleet and replacing it with renewable diesel by the end of this year. http://california.realestaterama.com/2015/07/22/mayor-lee-announces-san-francisco-to-use-renewable-diesel-in-city-fleet-ID03825.html#sthash.SZ1a9G51.dpuf http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150722-sanfran.html FUELS UPDATE 1-UAE to free up gasoline, diesel prices in major reform. The United Arab Emirates said it would let domestic fuel prices move more freely in a politically sensitive reform that could save the government billions of dollars and begin reducing the wealthy country's love of gas-guzzling cars with big engines. Gasoline and diesel will be deregulated from Aug. 1 and a new pricing policy… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/22/emirates-gasoline-subsidies-idUSL5N1020DH20150722?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews California oil refineries' gross profits nearly double in 2015. As Los Angeles drivers shelled out more than $4 a gallon at the pump in recent weeks, the state's oil refineries pocketed record amounts of money — as much as $1.17 a gallon in gross profits. >From Jan. 1 to July 6, oil refineries almost doubled the typical amount they collect on a gallon of gasoline, state data show. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gas-profits-20150722-story.html Why airlines keep pushing biofuels: They have no choice. The number of global fliers is expected to more than double in the next two decades. In order to carry all those extra passengers, airlines are turning to a technology very few can make work on a large scale: converting trash into fuel. http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2015/07/22/why-airlines-keep-pushing-biofuels-they-have-no-choice/30503929/ After gas went up 75.7 cents in Los Angeles County, how much has it dropped? The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped 1.7 cents today to $4.245, the sixth consecutive decrease following a seven-day stretch of increases totaling 75.7 cents. http://www.dailynews.com/business/20150722/after-gas-went-up-757-cents-in-los-angeles-county-how-much-has-it-dropped Study: water quality suffers during California's ongoing drought. California's drought is not only affecting the quantity of drinking water available, but also the quality. The U.S. Geological Survey says groundwater supplies in California are becoming increasingly contaminated with trace elements including arsenic and uranium. An estimated two-thirds of our drinking water came… http://kcbx.org/post/study-water-quality-suffers-during-californias-ongoing-drought 'Super-emitters' responsible for up to 40% of methane leaks – study. More than $240 million worth of natural gas leaks from the country's interstate pipeline network each year, according to new research led by Colorado State University. Published yesterday in Environmental Science & Technology, the paper is part of an ongoing effort by the Environmental Defense Fund to study how much methane… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/07/22/stories/1060022177 VEHICLES Toyota: Negative On Batteries Because It Has More Experience Than Any Other Maker. When it comes to zero-emission vehicles, Toyota has placed its flag firmly on the side of hydrogen fuel cells. The company is now reviewing requests from potential buyers and lessees of its 2016 Mirai fuel cell car, which is expected to hit California roads before the end of the year. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099228_toyota-negative-on-batteries-because-it-has-more-experience-than-any-other-maker GREEN ENERGY Manila Electric Considers Renewable Energy to Expand Generation. Manila Electric Co. will consider renewable energy investments to help build its power-plant portfolio as the Philippines’ largest electricity retailer makes a renewed push into generation after an absence of four decades. The undertaking “is intended to be done by a separate business unit that will evaluate renewable projects… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NRVCUT6K50XX01-22VIT43OBVBR4CB5BG7692ARV7 Study: Pepco is the country’s worst utility at connecting solar power. Pepco, the power provider for parts of Maryland and the District, takes more than a month longer to connect customers who want to use solar power to the electric utility grid than many of its counterparts around the country, according to a study published Tuesday. The industry standard for interconnection, the process that allows customers to operate their solar systems… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/21/study-pepco-is-the-countrys-worst-utility-at-connecting-solar-power/ Energy bill sails through subcommittee, but tough talks loom. A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee unanimously approved a comprehensive energy bill today, making clear the stripped-down measure will serve as a vehicle for policy riders down the road. In a voice vote, the Energy and Power Subcommittee advanced the legislation that its sponsors say would modernize energy infrastructure, boost energy jobs… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/22/stories/1060022228 MISCELLANEOUS How emissions threaten humpback whales. A new study finds ocean acidification can dramatically change the structure of marine ecosystems by affecting the ocean's smallest organisms. Carbon dioxide emissions do more than just trap heat in the atmosphere; CO2 also lowers the pH of the seawater, making it more acidic. Now, research suggests that this acidification could drastically transform the entire ocean food chain. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0722/How-emissions-threaten-humpback-whales OPINIONS What Happens After the Coal Plant Closes? Roger Titchenell, mayor of Albright, West Virginia, a coal-plant town that lost its coal plant, isn't angry at the Environmental Protection Agency. He's not mad at FirstEnergy Corp. for closing the town's 63-year-old plant, blaming new EPA regulations. Titchenell's frustration is more mundane: He just wishes the company had paid for the new park fence he says it promised when it left town. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-07-22/what-happens-after-the-coal-plant-closes- Road fees for electric cars make sense. Even though we need better ways in the long run to ensure that all drivers help maintain California’s potholed roads and highways, a temporary $100 annual fee on electric vehicles is a good idea. It’s part of a broader bill by state Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, that overall needs more study, but the Legislature should move ahead with the road fee for sure… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20150721/editorial-july-22-2015-bay-area-news-group-road-fees-for-electric-cars-make-sense Pollution Bath. Here's a well-kept secret: Palo Alto residents bathe their neighborhoods in air pollution. And they pay money to have it done. The dirty deed is done weekly by their gardener. In just 30 minutes, the gasoline-powered leaf blower produces as much greenhouse gas as does driving a Ford Raptor truck to Alaska. http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/2015/07/22/pollution-bath BLOGS Republicans Are Upset That Martin O'Malley Cited Actual Science On Climate Change And Conflict. The candidate links climate change to Syrian conflict. Republicans deem it "absurd." Republicans are outraged that Democratic presidential contender Martin O'Malley cited actual scientific research in comments about how climate change has contributed to internal conflicts in Syria. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/omalley-climate-change-syria_55ae7ed0e4b07af29d56793c?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green§ion=green This GOP Presidential Candidate Actually Believes in Climate Change. But He Doesn't Want to Fix It. Ohio Gov. John Kasich doesn't "want to overreact" to global warming. John Kasich, the Republican governor of Ohio, is announcing his bid for the presidency Tuesday. Unlike most of his GOP opponents, Kasich actually believes that climate change is real. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/john-kasich-climate-change People Are Asking Google If Climate Change Is Real. They also want to know how it can be stopped. This year is shaping up to be the hottest on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Monday released temperature data for June, ranking it as the warmest June in history. As temperatures remain high, people are turning to Google to ask about climate change -- what it is, if it's real and how to stop it, among other queries. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/google-climate-change_55ae4b61e4b0a9b948527250 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 12:58:35 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 23, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 23, 2015. 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 France Passes New Energy Law Quadruples Carbon Price. French lawmakers adopted a long-delayed energy law that will reduce the country’s reliance on nuclear reactors and raise carbon prices almost fourfold. Lawmakers late Wednesday passed legislation that included a last-minute amendment initially rejected by the government to increase the target price of carbon to 56 euros ($61.48) a ton in 2020… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-23/france-passes-new-energy-law-quadruples-carbon-price California's powerful and influential air pollution watchdog. On the outskirts of Los Angeles, in a nondescript laboratory, a man in a yellow T-shirt and helmet sits on a stationary motorcycle, looking intently ahead. The bike's back wheel is spinning and a long orange tube connects to its exhaust pipe. A fan roars, mimicking wind. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-explainer-air-20150723-story.html CLIMATE CHANGE Humans may be off the hook for mammoth extinctions, say scientists. Ever since humans uncovered the fossil records of the mammoths, giant sloths and other extinct megafauna that walked the Earth until about 11,000 years ago, scientists have been trying to solve the mystery of why they vanished. Was it human hunting and activity? Or did climate change bring about their end? http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/23/humans-may-be-off-the-hook-for-mammoth-extinctions-say-scientists/ James Hansen’s controversial sea level rise paper has now been published online. It has been widely discussed — but not yet peer reviewed. Now, though, you can at least read it for yourself and see what you think. A lengthy, ambitious, and already contested paper by longtime NASA climate scientist James Hansen and 16 colleagues appeared online … http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/23/controversial-sea-level-rise-paper-is-now-published-online/ Jerry Brown places hope for climate change action in church. Jerry Brown walked away from the seminary as a young man because, he would write decades later, “the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience no longer made sense to me.” The rituals of the novitiate, Brown said in 1988, “had become dry and remote in comparison to the freedom and exhilaration I expected to find in the world.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article28348432.html GOP Snubs Vatican Climate Summit. No Republican mayors accepted an invitation to a two-day meeting on global warming, which included remarks by the Pope. Not a single Republican mayor attended a two-day climate change summit at the Vatican this week. While dozens of U.S. mayors of both parties were allegedly invited, only Democrats accepted, U.S. News has learned. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/07/22/gop-snubs-vatican-climate-summit Global Warming Could Make Carbon Dating Impossible. The technique is used to determine the age of organic artifacts in fields like archaeology, geology, and ecology. But it could become unreliable within decades. Since the 1940s, scientists have used carbon dating to determine the age of fossils, identify vintages of wine and whiskey… http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/07/global-warming-carbon-dating/399398/ Climate change threatens reefs' ability to protect coastlines – study. Climate change may be eroding the ability of coral reefs to protect coral islands and atolls against surging ocean waters, placing nearly 30 million people who inhabit these places at higher risk from flooding, a new study in the journal American Geophysical Union reported. Climate change not only makes ocean waters more menacing… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/23/stories/1060022273 Arnold Schwarzenegger: climate change is not science fiction. Terminator star calls global warming a ‘battle in the real world’ that’s bigger than any movie, at the first summit of conscience for the climate in Paris. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been chosen by the French government to join Nobel prizewinners, philosophers, UN secretary generals, spiritual leaders and theologians to make the moral case for the world to act urgently on climate change. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/21/arnold-schwarzenegger-climate-change-is-not-science-fiction DROUGHT Hope grows that El Niño will reach Northern California — and key reservoirs. It's the middle of the summer, but it felt a bit like winter in the Sierra this week as a storm dumped four inches of hail on Interstate 80 around Donner Summit. There was so much pea-sized ice that the California Highway Patrol on Tuesday halted traffic and called out snowplows — known as the "Sierra Snowfighters" — for help. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-el-nino-north-20150723-story.html#page=1 El Niño could bring disaster and drought relief to California. How does El Niño work, and why might it bring rain and snow to California this winter? We answer your questions. How might El Niño affect California? There's a favorable chance that this winter will be wetter than average in much of California -- from San Diego to San Francisco. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-forecast-20150721-story.html#page=1 Regulators say first water case aided by detailed records. California's vast network of reservoirs, canals and rivers is among the world's most engineered water systems, but it is tough to prove when water is illegally siphoned because of sparse metering, infrequent reporting and a complex web of tens of thousands of water rights. http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_28523818/proving-illegal-water-grabs-tough-californias-drought California drought: High court hands setback to water conservation fight. Rejecting the pleas of California officials worried about water conservation, the state Supreme Court on Wednesday left intact a lower court ruling that makes it tougher for cities and water districts to impose punishing higher rates on water wasters. http://www.insidebayarea.com/california/ci_28523839/california-drought-high-court-hands-setback-water-conservation Californians slow to adopt water-efficient plumbing products, study says. Despite the need to save water, consumers and businesses in drought-stricken California have been slow to purchase and install water-efficient toilets, showerheads and bathroom faucets, according to a study conducted by GMP Research Inc., and paid for by Plumbing Manufacturers International. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28742 Officials hold North Oakland town hall on drought. Aaron Reaven of North Oakland is worried current drought conditions are California's "new norm." He wants to know how water agencies are planning for the possibility of more dry years to come. Reaven was among nearly 20 residents who attended a special town hall meeting Saturday on water, drought, and conservation at the North Oakland Senior Center. http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-news/ci_28523690/officials-hold-north-oakland-town-hall-drought Local drought emergency declared for Butte County. County officials know that people are having trouble with wells going dry. In some cases, the wells aren’t dry, but are having problems supplying enough water. Its unknown how widespread the problem is at this point, but the point is to have water available for people who need it. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150722/local-drought-emergency-declared-for-butte-county It ain't easy being green if you're a golf course in California. In 1990, lifelong enthusiast and college and professional golf player George Kelley wondered if there was an opportunity for him to open a golf course on his family's farmland located between Merced and Modesto, two areas of California's Central Valley that had been identified as having a dearth of places to tee off. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/23/stories/1060022274 Swing states back pope on warming, dislike morality message. Swing-state voters agree with Pope Francis by healthy margins that climate change is caused by humans and that action to address it is needed, but they balk at his message that doing so is a moral issue, according to a new poll. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/23/stories/1060022306 DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB announces $250,000 Navistar fine over DPF. The dog days of summer have not been kind to truck-making giant Navistar. One week after the Environmental Protection Agency filed a civil lawsuit seeking $300 million in fines and penalties, the California Air Resources Board announced it will fine the Lisle, Ill.-based manufacturer of International trucks. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29464#.VbEuYU2D6Uk FUELS Shell gets permits for limited oil drilling in Arctic waters. The Obama administration has given Royal Dutch Shell PLC approval to begin limited exploratory oil drilling off Alaska's northwest coast. The two permits issued Wednesday clear the way for drilling in Chukchi Sea, but with conditions. Shell can only drill the top sections of wells because the company doesn't have critical emergency response equipment on site to cap a well in case of a leak. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT As pump prices drop, U.S. motorists splurge on premium gas. U.S. motorists' habit of filling up with costlier "premium" gasoline when pump prices drop is delivering extra profits to refiners, such as Royal Dutch Shell and traders like Noble Group. For the second time in the past decade, a sharp fall in pump prices has triggered a spike in demand for the higher-octane fuel…http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/23/gasoline-demand-premium-idUSL2N0ZX12K20150723?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews South L.A. residents ask pope to intervene in fight over oil operation. Residents of a low-income South Los Angeles community are asking Pope Francis to intervene with the Los Angeles Archdiocese to prevent an oil operation from reopening two years after its noxious emissions sickened neighbors. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-allenco-20150723-story.html VEHICLES CA Fuel-Cell Car Drivers Say Hydrogen Fuel Unavailable, Stations Don't Work. While they enjoy driving their cars, early lessees of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in Southern California are complaining that they can't reliably fuel them at the handful of stations now supposedly operating in their region. The stations are frequently inoperative, they say, closed for days or weeks at a time. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099082_ca-fuel-cell-car-drivers-says-hydrogen-fuel-unavailable-stations-dont-work GREEN ENERGY Germany's coal imports expected to fall 5.7 pct. Germany's coal imports are likely to fall to 53 million tonnes in 2015 from a record high last year of 56.2 million, lobby group VDKi said on Thursday, citing lower demand from power stations and steelmakers. Coal is still the backbone of power generation in Europe's biggest economy, which is moving away from nuclear and fossil power to renewable energy. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N0ZX3BM20150723 The $7.6 Billion Burden That Led Britain to Slash Green Subsidy. Prime Minister David Cameron once promised his government would be the U.K.’s greenest ever. Now his ministers are cutting subsidies for renewables wherever they can, including limits on solar and biomass this week. The attached chart shows projections used by the government that indicate support for clean energy will cost 4.9 billion pounds ($7.6 billion)… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NRXQ4T6K50XX01-17UUG0TT8SJEV8R0C9UQPJ7GC6 Wind power could get its tax breaks back. The GOP-controlled Senate Finance Committee did right by the clean energy industry yesterday when, as part of a big package of tax break extensions, it cleared the way for the renewal of a key tax credit that supports wind power. The wind credit was effectively killed last year when an entire $85 billion package of tax breaks failed to make it through the Senate… http://grist.org/news/wind-power-could-get-its-tax-breaks-back/ U.S. government falls behind its energy efficiency goals as it sets new ones. President Obama's tweaked goals for reducing energy use within federal agencies in the next 10 years will give agencies some space to catch up, the Federal Energy Management Program head said. The government fell behind some of the goals Obama set for 2016, including cutting the energy use per square foot in federal buildings 30 … http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/23/stories/1060022271 MISCELLANEOUS 3 firms pay more than $1.75 million in penalties to state Air Resources Board. The California Air Resources Board has announced combined penalties of more than $1.75 million against three companies doing business in the state. ARB said San Antonio, Texas-based Tesoro Corp. has paid $1.01 million for violations of California’s reformulated gasoline regulations. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article28411141.html#storylink=cpy Europeans puzzle over the U.S. addiction to air conditioning. The United States uses more energy to control indoor temperatures than any other country, and that doesn't make much sense to many Europeans enduring similar weather but without as much air conditioning. "The bottom line is that America's a big, rich, hot country," said Stan Cox, a researcher who has spent years studying indoor climate controlling. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/23/stories/1060022233 OPINIONS OPINION: California can't stop global warming alone, but it can fix its highways. The governor is in Europe saving the planet. The Legislature is on a month long vacation. And we motorists keep getting our cars beat up on California highways. Don't read me wrong. Somebody — lots of people — needs to rescue Earth from excessive global warming. It's crucial, yes, but beyond one state government's capability. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-cap-highways-20150723-column.html Jerry Brown's irreconcilable stances on climate change and fracking. To the editor: It's encouraging to read about the many angles from which California, under Gov. Jerry Brown's leadership, is working to chip away at climate change. But let's not fool ourselves: California cannot call itself a climate leader when it is the third-largest producer of oil in the United States… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0723-thursday-jerry-brown-climate-change-20150723-story.html El Niño: Why 'bad' weather is good for animals, plants and people. To the editor: Where is the joy? Yes, El Niño may well bring floods, mudslides and more. Yes, we have failed to create an infrastructure to capture rain. ("Fires followed by floods: California faces dramatic climate year with El Nino, drought," July 21). http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0723-thursday-el-nino-rain-20150723-story.html Little drops of stormwater could add up. The freak storm that deluged Southern California last weekend didn’t make much of a dent in the drought. But it did highlight the latest talk of the town in water conservation – capturing stormwater for later use. It may not be the grandest of ideas, like a new dam, or the most futuristic, like desalination. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article28356991.html#storylink=cpy Drought tolerant licorice plant boasts distinctive foliage. Who says that nonstop flowering plants are every gardener’s dream? Sometimes foliage can just as easily make your day, your nighttime dreams and even your year, since a lot of memorable foliage happens to be evergreen so you are privileged to see it each time you step into your garden. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/lifestyle/20150723/drought-tolerant-licorice-plant-boasts-distinctive-foliage When unprecedented weather becomes norm. As the unprecedented when it comes to weather becomes the norm, more and more of us are coming to the conclusion that nothing matters more than addressing climate change while the window of opportunity remains open. The science suggests that opportunity will end with this generation. The solutions are no mystery. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinion/20150722/when-unprecedented-weather-becomes-the-norm-letters Pope pushing hard on climate change. Pope Francis made headlines this week at a Vatican conference for the world’s mayors and governors. He linked the challenges caused by climate change to the increase in human trafficking that has been plaguing Europe in recent years. The pontiff is showing little sign of allowing his campaign against environmental disaster to fizzle out. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pope-673453-church-climate.html In drought fight, pools, spas not the enemy. Backyard pools and spas are part of the California culture. But with our state in the fourth year of severe drought, many residents, and even some city councils, are looking twice at pools, wondering if they are making things worse. The short answer is, no, they're not. While it might seem counterintuitive, pools and spas… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-330329-ocprint-pool-drought.html Don't limit drought solutions. Re: “Desalination plant may emerge from mothballs” [News, July 19]: I was appalled to read about the desalination plant in Santa Barbara left idle since 1992. I often question the wisdom of the so-called leaders who make stupid life decisions for the rest of us, but to let sit one of the solutions to a very serious drought, which not only affects our daily lives but also our state's economy… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/desalination-330323-ocprint-water-plant.html Letter: Presidency should start with solar mandate. Presidency should start with solar mandate. When I become president I will decree that all future construction of government buildings must have solar power. Furthermore, all existing government facilities are to be retrofitted with solar panels. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20150722/letter-presidency-should-start-with-solar-mandate BLOGS Kind of Blue: China’s Air Pollution Not as Terrible as Before. If you’re living in China and have the vague impression that the skies have been bluer than usual this year, it’s not just wishful thinking. According to an analysis released Wednesday by Greenpeace East Asia, China’s air is not as awful as it used to be. Among 189 cities examined by the environmental nonprofit, PM2.5 levels in the first half of 2015 were down an average of 16% compared to the same period last year. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/07/22/kind-of-blue-chinas-air-pollution-not-as-terrible-as-before/ Norway Leads The World's Market For Electric Vehicles [Infographic]. Norway is leading the world’s electric vehicle market, having registered its 50,000th electric car in April of this year. In the first quarter of 2015, 8,112 plug-in electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were sold in Norway, accounting for a third of the country’s total vehicle registrations, according to IHS Automotive. http://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2015/07/23/norway-leads-the-worlds-market-for-electric-vehicles-infographic/ Faraday's Electric Vehicle Future: A Factory And Tesla Talent. Electric vehicle startup Faraday Future is seeking a factory site as it leans on former Tesla Motors TSLA -0.40% manufacturing personnel. Gardena, Calif.-based Faraday — or FF, Inc. as the company is referred to on LinkedIn LNKD +0.44% — is hoping that recent media coverage will raise its profile as the startup seeks to close deals with states for a factory location… http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2015/07/23/faradays-electric-vehicle-future-a-factory-and-tesla-talent/ An Unexpected Health Consequence Of The California Drought. As drought continues to plague the Western United States, public health officials are warning residents of the region about an unexpected side effect of the dry weather: a greater likelihood of contracting West Nile virus. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/an-unexpected-health-consequence-of-the-california-drought_55b11203e4b08f57d5d3d480 A Bit of Good News for the Ozone Layer. The Parties to the Montreal Protocol are meeting in Paris again this week. The big item on their agenda is the effort to curb the super-greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). I'll report tomorrow on their progress on HFCs. But let's take a moment to note a milestone on curbing another chemical controlled under that excellent treaty. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-doniger/a-bit-of-good-news-for-th_b_7857574.html Rob Portman, the Pope and the Need for Bold Democrats. When it comes to addressing climate change, the need to act has never been more urgent or more important. Not only was 2014 the hottest year on record, much of the country also experienced the devastating impacts of extreme weather. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pg-sittenfeld/rob-portman-the-pope-and-_b_7853760.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 12:59:36 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 24, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 24, 2015. 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 Calif. launches EV-sharing for disadvantaged residents. An electric vehicle-sharing program for lower income and other disadvantaged California residents launches today in Los Angeles, driven by a state law mandating expanded access to clean cars. The effort is funded by $1.6 million in revenue from the Golden State's cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions. It auctions permits to businesses with high greenhouse gas releases. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/24/stories/1060022373 AIR POLLUTION U.S. proposes voluntary oil and gas company cuts in methane emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a program for oil and gas companies to make voluntary pledges to cut and track emissions of methane, one component of its wider strategy to target the potent greenhouse gas and combat climate change, the agency said Thursday. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1N1033J420150723 Nation's top 100 power plants cut carbon emissions 12%. The nation’s top 100 power plants, including those run by power companies in the Los Angeles region, reduced their collective carbon emissions 12% from 2008 to 2013, according to a report released Thursday. Though emissions have fallen in recent years, carbon produced by the largest power plants was 14% higher than in 1990, the report by Ceres said. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-plants-cut-emissions-20150723-story.html When is a tree a tree, when is it 'waste' and why does it matter for the Clean Power Plan? When presenting the case for wood energy use under the Obama administration's proposed Clean Power Plan, the Biomass Power Association created a simple diagram to answer a complicated question: When is a tree a tree and when is it "waste biomass"? http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/24/stories/1060022317 Scientists sharply lower methane emissions from growing rice. Rice is one of the world's most widely consumed staple foods, but its prevalence comes with an environmental price tag. Rice paddies account for between 7 and 17 percent of the methane in the atmosphere, making them the world's largest source of man-made methane emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/24/stories/1060022338 CLIMATE CHANGE Menlo Park: Officials look to shore up creek ahead of El Niño. With El Nio conditions continuing to grow, officials met Thursday to discuss ways to prevent the kind of flooding that has occurred in previous years along San Francisquito Creek. "Even though we're in the middle of a drought, this is real," said Nai Hsueh, a Santa Clara Valley Water District board member… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150724/menlo-park-officials-look-to-shore-up-creek-ahead-of-el-ni241o Stagnant Summer Days on the Rise in U.S. Those long, hot, sultry days of summer, the ones where the air seems so still it wouldn’t disturb a leaf, are also days where air quality can take a nosedive. With winds barely above a whisper and atmosphere-scouring rains nowhere in sight, pollutants can build up in the air we breathe, with potentially serious health consequences. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/stagnant-summer-days-on-rise-19280 GAO Report Sees Climate Risks to Army Corps Projects. Thousands of dams, levees, hurricane barriers and flood walls built across the country by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may be at risk from extreme weather and sea level rise driven by climate change, but the Army Corps has only just begun to assess how vulnerable they are and suffers from a lack of funding... http://www.climatecentral.org/news/gao-climate-risks-army-corps-projects-19282 In Swing States, Voters Want Action On Climate Change. If Republican presidential candidates are looking to win votes in key swing states, they may want to change their tone on climate change. A poll released Thursday by Quinnipiac University found that a majority of voters in Colorado, Iowa, and Virginia agree with Pope Francis that the world should increase efforts to combat the phenomenon… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/24/3684195/swing-state-climate-poll/ 'Abrupt' climate changes may have helped kill mammoth and other prehistoric species – study. Even as the buzz around bringing the woolly mammoth back by cloning its DNA gets louder, a recent study in Science Express was a gentle reminder that scientists are still piecing together the mystery of their disappearance. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/24/stories/1060022351 China is urged to lead the world by tightening its pledge to lower CO2 emissions. China is at a clean energy tipping point and can bend the scales in favor of global decarbonization by putting an aggressive cap on coal and peaking its own greenhouse gas emissions earlier than promised, a new study finds. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/24/stories/1060022333 DROUGHT Feinstein to unveil bill before August recess. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) is preparing to release her much-anticipated drought measure before lawmakers leave town for August recess. In an interview this morning, Feinstein said she expects to unveil the legislation as soon as next week. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/24/stories/1060022383 FUELS California Coastal Commission to weigh in on fracking off Long Beach. The California Coastal Commission will insist that Long Beach officials and their corporate partners running the city’s oil islands obtain an additional permit before following through on proposals to “frack” 13 local oil wells. At this point, Long Beach officials and managers of the California Resources Corp. subsidiary in charge of oil extraction… http://www.presstelegram.com/environment-and-nature/20150723/california-coastal-commission-to-weigh-in-on-fracking-off-long-beach Jeb Bush Calls For End to Fossil-Fuel Subsidies. The 2016 contender says tax credits for the oil and gas sector should be eliminated. Jeb Bush wants to get rid of tax credits for the oil and gas industry. "I think we should phase out, through tax reform, the tax credits for wind, for solar, for the oil and gas sector, for all that stuff… http://www.nationaljournal.com/2016-elections/jeb-bush-fossil-fuel-subsidies-oil-gas-20150723 Efficient one-pot process to convert bio-oil fractions to gasoline-range hydrocarbons. A team at South China University of Technology has developed a one-pot process to convert the diesel distillate and residual oil fractions in bio-oil into high-quality fuels by catalytic hydrocracking with combined CoMoS/Al2O3 and HZSM-5 catalysts. A paper on their process is published in the journal Fuel. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150724-scut.html VEHICLES ICCT: ongoing cost reductions in full- and mild-hybrid systems could bring them into consumer mainstream by 2025. According to a new technology briefing paper on hybrid system technologies by John German at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), the costs of full-function hybrid systems are likely to drop to half the cost of their 2010 counterparts before 2025. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150724-icct.html GREEN ENERGY Kenya vows to cut emissions 30 per cent by 2030, but subject to conditions. African nation submits INDC that commits it to mobilizing increased investment in clean technologies and afforestation. Kenya has become the latest country to submit a climate action plan to the UN ahead of this year's Paris Climate Summit, pledging to cut emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 against business-as-usual levels. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2419181/kenya-vows-to-cut-emissions-30-per-cent-by-2030-but-subject-to-conditions Obama Thinks Solar Power Will Boost Kenya; Kenyans Aren't So Sure. When Jackline Mumbua decided to go solar, she knew the cost would be steep. The 35-year-old housewife in Machakos, Kenya, can barely cover the expenses of raising three school-age children on the little money her husband earns driving a motorcycle taxi. They have no savings. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=425376544 Red tape cut for home solar. Installing solar energy systems will get easier and cheaper in San Diego under a new law unanimously approved this week by the City Council. The goal of the new law is to accelerate the number of homes switching to solar, which will help the city meet some of the goals in its climate action plan. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/23/solar-home-install-law-cheap-streamline/?st Wind industry sees strong Q2 growth but remains wary of boom-and-bust incentives. The U.S. wind industry is entering cautiously optimistic ground after a slow start to the year (ClimateWire, May 1) with its best second quarter ever and Senate approval of an on-again, off-again tax credit. Wind companies added about 1,660 megawatts of new power to the U.S. grid this quarter… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/24/stories/1060022332 MISCELLANEOUS California’s Worst-in-Nation Roads Face $5.7 Billion Funding Gap. The dilemma that California and other U.S. states face is that their main road-funding source—gasoline taxes—is shrinking as engines improve and electric vehicles become more common. California’s streets are some of the most potholed and rutted in the U.S., with three-fourths in Los Angeles and San Francisco rated poor in a new national study calling on lawmakers to boost road funding. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-24/california-s-worst-in-nation-roads-face-5-7-billion-funding-gap OPINIONS Brown and pope are kindred spirits on climate change. Brown began his speech at the Vatican by misappropriating St. Paul – the apostle, not the Minnesota city – and ended by invoking Italian Communist Party founder Antonio Gramsci. “God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap,” the governor said Tuesday, quoting from the apostle’s famous letter to the Galatians. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/ben-boychuk/article28443196.html#storylink=cpy A glaring omission in summit. Re “Brown’s climate alarm” (Page 1A, July 22): I scoured the article searching for the smallest hint that Pope Francis and Gov. Jerry Brown would address one of the big causes of global warming, the overpopulation of human beings on this little planet we call Earth. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article28438216.html#storylink=cpy Green lawns in Land Park, too. Re “Curtis Park lawns spark debate during drought” (Local, July 22): Kudos to Michael Feliciano for taking action and bringing attention to neighbors who care more about their green lawns than helping with California’s water crisis. In the neighborhood I live, Land Park, I witness the same thing. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article28438216.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS Drought and climate change fuel high-elevation California fires, study finds. Wildfires in California’s fabled Sierra Nevada mountain range are increasingly burning high-elevation forests, which historically have seldom burned, reports a team of researchers led by the John Muir Institute of the Environment at the University of California, Davis. The phenomenon — likely driven by climate change, forest-management practices and other factors… http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=11268 US Missed An Opportunity To Cut Carbon At Lower Cost. The United States missed an opportunity to fuel its renewables revolution at a fraction of the cost when it failed to put a price on carbon, John Rowe, former CEO and chairman emeritus of Exelon Corp, said Wednesday in Chicago. “As far as I’m concerned the renewables industry is built on the proposition that we should always do the most expensive thing first… http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2015/07/23/renewables-cost-twice-what-carbon-cuts-might-have-rowe/ The California drought is killing almond trees, too. Salted almonds are essentially God’s gift to snack food, salads, and ice cream. But when it comes to growing almonds, salt can really screw things up. Unfortunately for California’s almond orchards, salty groundwater has become a huge problem and it’s killing trees across the state. http://grist.org/list/the-california-drought-is-killing-almond-trees-too/ A look at California’s ambitious climate plans. Nearly a decade ago, California policymakers, facing a frightening future of shriveling snow packs and rising seas, created the nation’s most aggressive program to combat global warming. The 2006 law mandated broad reductions of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. http://grist.org/climate-energy/a-look-at-californias-ambitious-climate-plans/ Pope’s climate encyclical divides American opinion. A clear-cut majority of swing-state voters agreed in a recent Quinnipiac poll: Pope Francis was right to call on the world to do more to address climate change. There is, however, a deep divide along party lines – Democrats and Republicans split on the topic by a margin of more than 40 percent in every state polled. http://grist.org/news/popes-climate-encyclical-divides-american-opinion/ Whiplash Warning When Climate Science is Publicized Before Peer Review and Publication. Who wins when a scary, but edge-pushing new climate study led by one of the world’s most prominent climate scientists makes headlines before it is either peer reviewed or published? Everybody, and nobody. Let me explain what I mean. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/23/whiplash-warning-when-climate-science-is-publicized-before-peer-review-and-publication/?_r=1 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 14:49:29 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 27, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 27, 2015. 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 Statkraft to Trade California Carbon Permits as Volumes Rise. Statkraft AS, Norway’s state-owned power company, set up a North American environmental-markets business to seek out trading opportunities as volumes rise in programs in California and states in the U.S. Northeast. The company hired Patrick Pfeiffer as managing director of Statkraft U.S. LLC in San Francisco… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-23/statkraft-to-trade-californian-emission-permits-as-volumes-rise France Passes New Energy Law Quadruples Carbon Price. French lawmakers adopted a long-delayed energy law that will reduce the country’s reliance on nuclear reactors and raise carbon prices almost fourfold. Lawmakers late Wednesday passed legislation that included a last-minute amendment initially rejected by the government to increase the target price of carbon to 56 euros ($61.48) a ton in 2020… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-23/france-passes-new-energy-law-quadruples-carbon-price California is cap-and-trade leader — and a loner. It was midmorning one day in May, and somewhere deep inside a 25-story tower in Sacramento, an auction, cloaked in secrecy, was about to begin. There was no gavel pounding. No shouting. No frenzy of traders running around. Instead, an unknown number of state workers surrendered their cellphones and took positions monitoring… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-673967-state-trade.html California businesses pay others to curb emissions. Large industrial facilities in California have a few choices about how they comply with the state’s cap and trade program. Businesses can emit less pollution, buy allowances to pollute, or they can pay for other projects – called offsets - to reduce emissions rather than the polluters. Offset projects are located all over the U.S, but that’s not why they’ve come under fire. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/07/27/53370/california-businesses-pay-others-to-curb-emissions/ AIR POLLUTION U.S. proposes voluntary oil and gas company cuts in methane emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a program for oil and gas companies to make voluntary pledges to cut and track emissions of methane, one component of its wider strategy to target the potent greenhouse gas and combat climate change, the agency said Thursday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/23/us-usa-natgas-methane-idUSKCN0PX2NT20150723 http://www.platts.com/latest-news/natural-gas/washington/us-epa-unveils-methane-challenge-to-entice-ambitious-21851049 Study outlines congestion, air pollution improvements for Bob Hope Airport. Planes, trains and automobiles — and buses and bikes and even good old walking. All these modes of transportation converge at Bob Hope Airport, and a recent transit study outlines potential improvements around the airport to enable it to serve as a transportation hub within the region. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-burbank-air-transit-20150725-story.html China Air Pollution: US Expert Doubts Country Will Be Able To Curb Rampant Smog. A prominent U.S. environmental expert has raised doubts about China's ability to curb its rampant air pollution problem, despite recent reports that the country's clampdown against pollution was making some progress. http://www.ibtimes.com/china-air-pollution-us-expert-doubts-country-will-be-able-curb-rampant-smog-2024775 Tougher Air Pollution Targets In EU Could Save €40 Billion In Air Pollution Costs. Tougher national caps on the emissions of common air pollutants may soon be headed to the European Union, following the approval of European Commission proposals by the Environment Committee (ENVI) of the European Parliament. The new caps call for the emissions in question to be reduced by 70% by 2030… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/26/tougher-air-pollution-targets-eu-save-e40-billion-air-pollution-costs/ Climate study: Recession fueled C0 2 emissions drop. The economic recession of 2008-09 might have hurt your bank account, but new analysis suggests that it was good for the planet. It turns out that when people don’t have the cash to purchase new things, it can have a significant effect on the amount of carbon dioxide that gets pumped into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, according to a study in Nature Communications. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2015/07/25/study-recession-fueled-c02-emissions-drop.html CLIMATE CHANGE In Iowa, Clinton says climate plan will promote renewables. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton says climate change is real and people are "just not paying attention" if they don't acknowledge it. Addressing this issue Sunday, Clinton touted a program that would combat climate change at least in part by changing the tax code to promote renewable energy. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_CLINTON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/usa-election-clinton-idUSL1N1060JS20150727 http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-26/hillary-clinton-outlines-climate-change-proposals http://www.wsj.com/articles/hillary-clinton-previews-plans-to-combat-climate-change-1437946583 http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/07/26/clinton-to-unveil-climate-change-plan/ http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/07/26/in-iowa-clinton-says-climate-plan-will-promote-renewables http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-hillary-clinton-climate-policy-20150726-story.html U.S. companies pledge financial, political support for U.N. climate deal. Thirteen big name American companies on Monday were to announce $140 billion in low-carbon investments to lend support to a global climate change deal in Paris in December, the White House said. Companies including General Motors (GM.N), Bank of America (BAC.N), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Coca Cola (KO.N)… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/us-usa-climatechange-business-idUSKCN0Q102O20150727?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews China's carbon exchanges bend the rules to meet compliance targets. The vast majority of firms covered by China's pilot carbon emission exchanges met their targets this year, but success was achieved largely by flexible regulations and a supply glut that kept permits cheap, participants said. After China's Chongqing met its deadline on Thursday, all seven of the country's pilot emissions trading schemes… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/24/china-carbon-idUSL3N1032OC20150724 Apple, Goldman Among Firms in $140 Billion Climate Pledge. Executives from 13 major U.S. corporations announced at least $140 billion in new investments to decrease their carbon footprints as part of a White House initiative to recruit private commitments ahead of a United Nations climate-change summit later this year in Paris. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-27/apple-goldman-among-companies-in-140-billion-climate-pledge Companies to Pledge $140 Billion in Efforts to Cut Carbon Emissions. Move part of new Obama administration initiative ahead of U.N. climate-change summit. More than a dozen U.S. companies on Monday will pledge to invest more than $140 billion in efforts to cut carbon emissions as part of a new Obama administration initiative leading up to the United Nations climate-change summit later this year. http://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-to-pledge-140-billion-in-efforts-to-cut-carbon-emissions-1437950378 Alaska’s terrifying wildfire season and what it says about climate change. Hundreds of wildfires are continually whipping across this state this summer, leaving in their wake millions of acres of charred trees and blackened earth. At the Fairbanks compound of the state’s Division of Forestry recently, workers were busy washing a mountain of soot-covered fire hoses, which stood in piles roughly six feet high and 100 feet long. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/26/alaskas-terrifying-wildfire-season-and-what-it-says-about-climate-change/ Major corporations back Obama climate change goals. The Obama administration recruited some big-name corporate help Monday to help push its climate change plans in the United States and across the globe. Thirteen major companies — from Alcoa to Walmart — made anti-pollution commitments that mirror the president's plans, and agreed to back the administration's efforts at climate change talks later this year. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/27/obama-climate-change-brian-deese-alcoa-walmart/30728093/ Are wildfires getting worse with climate change? Researchers from the University of California, Davis, describe the increased frequency of wildfires in high elevations as 'yet another harbinger of climate change.' Wildfires in California are burning at increasingly higher elevations, according to a new study, with scientists saying the phenomenon is another signal of approaching climate change… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Science-Notebook/2015/0727/Are-wildfires-getting-worse-with-climate-change Study: GMO rice could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More than half of the people on the planet eat rice as a staple food. Growing rice emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas — to the tune of 25 million to 100 million metric tons of methane every year, a notable contribution to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/business/study-gmo-rice-could-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/article_8bac75f2-3354-11e5-80f8-6f83e06ff721.html Rising Sea Levels Could Decimate Sea Turtle Nests. Rising sea levels could decimate sea turtle nesting sites around the world, scientists have warned, with the largest rookery site for green turtles increasingly at risk from being swamped by seawater. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/rising-seas-could-decimate-turtle-nests-19276 Beneath Alaskan Wildfires, A Hidden Threat: Long-Frozen Carbon's Thaw. The Fish Creek Fire in Interior Alaska isn't much to look at. It's about 7,500 acres in size, sitting about an hour south of Fairbanks near the twisty Tanana River. The main fire front — the made-for-TV part, with torching trees and pulses of orange heat… http://www.npr.org/2015/07/27/426595377/beneath-alaskan-wildfires-a-hidden-threat-long-frozen-carbons-thaw Carbon-tax initiative divides environmentalists. This summer, as Washington bakes in a West Coast drought, a flock of petition-toting activists has fanned out to parks, festivals and street corners, trying to force the sort of sweeping action on global warming that has eluded state lawmakers. They’re wrangling signatures for Initiative 732… http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/carbon-tax-initiative-divides-environmentalists/ DROUGHT Half of Columbia River sockeye salmon dying due to hot water. More than a quarter million sockeye salmon returning from the ocean to spawn are either dead or dying in the Columbia River and its tributaries due to warming water temperatures. Federal and state fisheries biologists say the warm water is lethal for the cold-water species and is wiping out at least half of this year's return of 500,000 fish. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DYING_SALMON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article28806547.html#storylink=cpy South Africa Seen Cutting 2015 Corn Output Estimate on Drought. South Africa, the continent’s largest producer of corn, will probably cut its estimate for output of the grain in 2015 by 0.2 percent as a drought damaged the crop, a survey showed. Farmers will reap 9.74 million metric tons this season, according to the median of three analysts’ predictions in a Bloomberg survey. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-27/south-africa-seen-cutting-2015-corn-output-estimate-on-drought On four continents, historic droughts wreak havoc. California's historic drought appears to be matched by severe dry spells on three other continents. Brazil, North Korea and South Africa are bearing the brunt of much lower-than-average precipitation, wreaking havoc on millions of peoples' lives and livelihoods. While the causes vary from country to country, the chance of more intense droughts… http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/07/24/historic-droughts-wreak-havoc-usa-brazil-n-korea/30513289/ There's little incentive for L.A. renters to take shorter showers. When Emi Nakagawa rented a studio apartment in San Gabriel, she didn't think twice before jumping into the shower. "There was no incentive" not to, she said, because Nakagawa, like the millions of Southern Californians who rent apartments, didn't directly pay for her water and never knew how much she used. In the fourth year of drought, Californians are under orders to reduce their water consumption by 25%... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-apartments-water-20150726-story.html Famous 'E.T.' trees suffering from California drought, worried neighbors say. This summer, neighbors of the more than 100 historic deodar cedars lining a Granada Hills avenue had become more and more worried about the threat posed by long-term drought to the landmark trees featured in the 1982 blockbuster "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28531744/landmark-trees-made-famous-e-t-suffering-from Drought cuts into recreation as low water levels plague reservoirs. Santa Margarita Lake was bright and quiet as Thomas Kohl relaxed outside the Marina Point store Tuesday afternoon, taking a break from his job as a self-described dock hand. In the lake below him, several paddleboats, kayaks and pontoon boats were tied up to the dock, bobbing in the low water. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/07/25/3735718_drought-cuts-into-recreation-at.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Funding Will Help Farm Workers Hurt By The Drought. New state and federal funding will provide relief for farm workers hurt by California's drought. The U.S. Department of Labor is providing $18 million, and the state is providing $7.5 million. An estimated 18,000 people have lost their jobs because of the drought -- most of them in the Central Valley. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/27/funding-will-help-farm-workers-hurt-by-the-drought/ Drought Results In Modesto's 'Negative Outlook' For Water Service. The drought is one reason the City of Modesto has received a "negative outlook" for water service. The city is using less water and that means less revenue. Moody's Investors Service didn't lower the city's bond rating, but basically said it's not sure the city's water enterprise is in the best shape to cover its debt. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/27/drought-blamed-for-modestos-negative-outlook-for-water-service/ Drought-starved San Joaquin River Delta becoming saltier as ocean pushes inland. State officials say they are struggling to keep portions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta fresh as saltier water from the San Francisco Bay pushes inland during another summer of drought. Normally, rivers push back saltier water and keep the delta fresh. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-673952-delta-san.html Most South Bay cities hit water conservation targets, Palos Verdes Peninsula falls short. South Bay residents largely met water conservation targets during the first month of statewide restrictions, officials say, but some property owners on the Palos Verdes Peninsula who fell short will see drought surcharges on their water bills. http://www.dailybreeze.com/environment-and-nature/20150726/most-south-bay-cities-hit-water-conservation-targets-palos-verdes-peninsula-falls-short Struggle to save endangered Santa Ana sucker may reach U.S. Supreme Court. 20-year struggle to protect a rare bottom-feeding fish from extinction appears headed toward resolution as Inland Empire cities and water agencies are asking the court of last resort to intervene. Two cities and 10 water agencies say they will petition the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a plan to try to save the Santa Ana sucker… http://www.latimes.com/local/orangecounty/la-me-sucker-drought-20150727-story.html Takings arguments bubble up as Calif. cuts water rights. In drought-stricken California, lawyers are asking a simple question with a complicated answer. Can the state take away water rights? At issue: the U.S. Constitution's 5th Amendment, which says no property shall be taken without just compensation. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/27/stories/1060022451 DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB announces $250,000 Navistar fine over DPF verification. - The dog days of summer have not been kind to truck-making giant Navistar. One week after the Environmental Protection Agency filed a civil lawsuit seeking $300 million in fines and penalties, the California Air Resources Board announced it will fine the Lisle, Ill.-based manufacturer of International trucks. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29464#.VbZrU02D6Uk FUELS EU tries again for compromise on deal to phase out coal aid. EU bosses are pushing to resolve a clash between industry and environmental policy with a new strategy to phase out funding to export coal technology to developing nations, ahead of a meeting of leading economic powers on the issue. The European Commission, the EU executive, urges tougher rules on when subsidies, known as coal export credits… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/us-eu-coal-idUSKCN0Q117J20150727 Oil Heading for Fall as Diesel’s Engine Sputters. Oil prices will weaken further once summer’s peak gasoline demand rolls over. If you want to understand why oil is back below $50 a barrel and likely headed much lower once summer ends, start with PetroChina ’s stock prices. Mainland-listed shares in China’s national oil champion are up 27% so far this year… http://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-heading-for-fall-as-diesels-engine-sputters-1437935038 Los Angeles County gas prices continue slow drop following sharp rise. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped today for the 11th consecutive day, decreasing a half-cent to $4.162. The average price has dropped 14 cents over the past 11 days, including 1.1 cents on Sunday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/business/20150727/los-angeles-county-gas-prices-continue-slow-drop-following-sharp-rise How Do You Make Greener Fuel? Copy a Leaf. The fuel Californians burn getting around in cars and trucks is a big driver of climate change, accounting for more than a third of the carbon pollution the state puts out. Researchers in Berkeley are hoping to reverse that trend that by making fuel that doesn’t come from oil or other fossil fuels. http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/07/27/how-do-you-make-greener-fuel-copy-a-leaf/ VEHICLES U.S. auto safety regulators fine Fiat Chrysler record $105 million. The U.S. auto safety watchdog, toughening its stance against manufacturer defects, announced on Sunday a record $105 million in fines against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCHA.MI) over lapses in safety recalls involving millions of vehicles. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/us-fiat-chrysler-recall-fine-idUSKCN0Q00BH20150727 Valeo lifts guidance as orders surge for fuel-saving car tech. French car parts maker Valeo beat sales expectations and posted a record order intake for the first half on stronger demand for fuel-saving and driving-assistance technologies, the company said on Monday. Net income rose 34 percent to 344 million euros ($379 million) as revenue jumped 15 percent to 7.298 billion in January-June… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/valeo-results-idUSL5N1070AS20150727 Los Angeles Gets State Grant To Test Electric-Car Sharing Program. California has more electric cars than any other state, but officials have recently redirected their focus toward getting those cars into the hands of lower-income drivers. The state recently adjusted the rules of its electric-car tax credit to steer funds away from the wealthiest buyers. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099283_los-angeles-gets-state-grant-to-test-electric-car-sharing-program GREEN ENERGY In Pakistan, solar lamps turn women into green energy entrepreneurs. As the sun sets and darkness falls over a village outside Bahawalpur, Shama Bibi switches on her solar lantern and starts sewing clothes for an upcoming family wedding. Not long ago, nightfall would have forced her to stop working. But now with access to solar-powered lamps, Bibi can sew as long as she needs to. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/pakistan-solar-women-idUSL5N10734920150727 Offshore wind power gets foothold in US with Rhode Island project. Rhode Island's Deepwater Wind will start installing the foundations for North America's first offshore wind farm on Monday, a milestone the company says could pave the way for an industry long established in Europe but that is still struggling with opposition in the United States. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/usa-windfarm-deepwater-idUSL5N10359C20150727 J-Power Begins Building 16MW Wind Power Station in North Japan. Electric Power Development Co., also known as J-Power, began construction of a 16-megawatt wind power station in the northern prefecture of Akita. The plant will start running in February 2017, J-Power said in a statement on Monday. Enercon GmbH will supply seven 2.3-megawatt turbines for the project. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NS4WG96JIJUO01-5UIG7L1PDR126OA7J0M5J4EVSH Red tape cut for home solar. New San Diego law makes installation cheaper, streamlined. Installing solar energy systems will get easier and cheaper in San Diego under a new law unanimously approved this week by the City Council. The goal of the new law is to accelerate the number of homes switching to solar, which will help the city meet some of the goals in its climate action plan. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/23/solar-home-install-law-cheap-streamline/ Surf shop goes green. LAGUNA BEACH Mark Christy is on his second Prius, his home landscape is drought-tolerant and he actually uses stainless-steel straws instead of plastic. “We are obsessed with recycling at home and take out a virtually empty ‘trash' can each week next to our full-to-the-brim recycling can,” Christy says. Recently, Christy took that personal mantra to his surf shop in Laguna Beach. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/green-330734-ocprint-christy-laguna.html Fight may take air out of mandate for sun, wind power. The most tumultuous issue in Gov. Rick Snyder’s bid to reshape Michigan’s energy policy is the battle over whether to require power companies to generate a certain quota of electricity through renewable sources. While environmentalists push for the expansion of a mandate that the major utilities get 10 percent of their electricity… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/environment/2015/07/26/fight-may-take-air-mandate-sun-wind-power/30719769/ What makes a bond 'green'? A Wall Street bank seeks clarity. British bank Barclays PLC and U.S. financial indices and information firm MSCI Inc. said Friday they are soliciting comments from clients to change their rules on categorizing green bonds. The companies launched the Barclays MSCI Green Bond Index family in November. Currently, criteria for the fixed-income index -- one of a handful of such tools… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/27/stories/1060022427 MISCELLANEOUS German prosecutor to charge eight Deutsche Bank staff in carbon tax case –Spiegel. A German prosecutor is set to charge eight Deutsche Bank employees following an investigation into tax fraud linked to trading of carbon certificates, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Saturday, without disclosing any sources. Frankfurt's chief prosecutor will accuse them of securing fees and bonuses from participating in a carbon emission certificate scam… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/25/deutschebank-carbon-idUSL5N10505H20150725 OPINIONS Australia's LNG double-edged sword shows commodity challenges: Russell. With commodity prices slumping, the local currency slipping and manufacturing jobs disappearing, Australians are starting to question whether they've backed the wrong economic horse. The country's wealth and unbroken 24 years of economic growth have largely been built on exploiting natural resources… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/us-column-russell-australia-commodities-idUSKCN0Q116D20150727 Climate change skeptics may be about to lose one of their favorite arguments. Whenever you point to melting ice in polar regions, climate change doubters or skeptics have an answer. Ice floating atop the seas around Antarctica, they point out, is growing — and that’s not what you would expect from global warming, right? In late 2013 and early 2014, an iconic moment capturing this phenomenon occurred when a research vessel… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/27/climate-change-skeptics-may-be-about-to-lose-one-of-their-favorite-arguments/ Dan Walters: Anti-carbon crusade clouded with uncertainities. Declaring it a moral imperative, California’s leading figures have embarked on a crusade to “decarbonize” the state, sharply reducing emissions of gases they say threaten to wreak havoc, even extinction, on the globe’s human population. “We don’t even know how far we’ve gone, or if we’ve gone over the edge,” Gov. Jerry Brown said last week at a Vatican conference on climate change… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article28766335.html#storylink=cpy Another View: California can solve water problems in a way Australia can’t. When it’s dry in California, pundits start to look toward Australia for comparisons of how to react to drought (“Australia displays key water reforms”; Viewpoints, July 19). But there’s less there than meets the eye, and there’s no reason to believe that tactics employed in that distant land would work in California. For one thing, California simply does not share Australia’s hydrology. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article28557670.html#storylink=cpy Walters whiffed. While I agree that the anti-vaccination movement is based in fear, I don’t understand how columnist Dan Walters can compare it to fear of tobacco or fear of climate change. As far as I know, there is no real scientific evidence that vaccinations cause serious health problems. But the science on the dangers of tobacco and the risks of climate… http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article28584223.html#storylink=cpy Our Voice: Officials must ready highways for El Niño. What appears to be a record El Niño brewing in the Pacific could bring welcome heavy rains to drought-ravaged California. But there’s one particularly dark cloud in that mix. Many bridges along roads and highways in the Golden State have been flagged as vulnerable to heavy flooding and there are fears a strong severe weather period could wreak havoc on state transportation. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/07/27/voice-bridges-el-nio/30733017/ An all-of-the-above approach to drought. California continues to endure its worst drought in more than 1,200 years. A growing number of communities have been impacted by the severe drought conditions, and mandatory water usage reductions are doing little to alleviate their effects. While we can’t make it rain, we can do more to utilize readily available water. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-673761-projects-desalination.html Putting climate change ahead of constituents. Racial and economic inequality may be key issues facing America today, but the steps often pushed by progressives, including minority politicians, seem more likely to exacerbate these divisions than repair them. In a broad arc of policies affecting everything from housing to employment, the agenda being adopted serves to stunt upward mobility, self-sufficiency and property ownership. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-673763-state-new.html Editorials from around Oregon. The (Medford) Mail Tribune, July 21, on supporting the use of electric vehicles: Official statistics indicate state-installed fast-charging stations for electric vehicles have recorded 30,000 uses in three years. That might sound impressive, but a closer look reveals traffic on the West Coast Electric Highway is a far cry from bumper-to-bumper. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/article28865956.html#storylink=cpy Opinion: Engine Warranties and Diesel Additives. For many years now, diesel engine manufacturers have continued to allude to equipment buyers about avoiding the use of diesel fuel additives. This position is expected, given the fact that engine manufacturers warranty the new equipment and its viability for extended periods of time after the purchase. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=38972 BLOGS This Factor Predicts What People Think About Climate Change. Education affects climate change beliefs differently if you live in the U.S. Around the world, people with higher levels of education are more likely to understand climate change than their less-educated counterparts, according to new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change. http://time.com/3972986/climate-change-education/ Inside China's shift to a low-carbon economy. China's announcement of how it plans to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions represents the clearest signal to date that a major structural shift away from carbon-intensive development is underway in the world’s second-largest economy. The direction outlined by the Chinese government — to peak the country’s carbon-dioxide emissions around 2030 or likely earlier... https://www.greenbiz.com/article/inside-chinas-shift-low-carbon-economy California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 16:09:16 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 28, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 28, 2015. 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 Beijing Bid Faces Same Old Questions Ahead of 2022 IOC Vote. Two of China's most storied winter Olympic athletes faced tough questions about Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Games — namely about air pollution and a lack of snow. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OLY_IOC_MEETINGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/28/sports/olympics/ap-oly-ioc-meetings.html Walker Says EPA Should Be Limited 'Umbrella Organization'. Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker said Monday he would shift most of the responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to state-based regulators, leaving the EPA to serve as an "umbrella organization" that would resolve disputes between them. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GOP_2016_WALKER_EPA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/27/us/politics/ap-us-gop-2016-walker-epa.html U.S. appeals court upholds bulk of Obama air pollution rule. A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday mostly upheld a major federal environmental regulation requiring some states to limit pollution that contributes to unhealthy air in neighboring states. The U.S. Court of appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected several broad challenges to the regulation. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/28/us-usa-court-airpollution-idUSKCN0Q21P020150728 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/07/28/us/28reuters-usa-court-airpollution.html http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/07/28/court-orders-epa-to-redo-air-pollution-limits-in-13-states http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/07/28/stories/1060022546 An 'F' in air quality: California national parks top the list for worst pollution. Millions of vacationers escape to national parks each summer to take in the fresh air and scenic vistas. But a report released Tuesday by a conservation group finds that some of the nation’s most treasured landscapes are plagued with polluted air and hazy skies — and remain decades behind schedule in restoring visibility. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-parks-air-quality-20150727-story.html Hot weather triggers summer’s first “Spare the Air Day”. A high-pressure weather system building over Northern California will catapult temperatures into triple digits for much of the coming week, prompting officials to call a “Spare the Air” day for Tuesday. Things are going to get very hot, said Steve Anderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, especially for those living inland. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Hot-weather-triggers-summer-s-first-Spare-6408571.php http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4262939-181/spare-the-air-day-declared http://kron4.com/2015/07/27/1st-spare-the-air-day-of-the-season-called-amid-heat/ CLIMATE CHANGE Worldwide strengthening El Nino giveth and taketh away. In California, they're counting on it to end an historic drought; in Peru, they've already declared a pre-emptive emergency to prepare for devastating flooding. It's both an economic stimulus and a recession-maker. And it's likely to increase the price of coffee, chocolate and sugar. It's El Nino - most likely, the largest in well over a decade, forecasters say. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_EL_NINO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT NASA launches mission to Greenland. Ship and planes will probe water–ice interface in fjords. When the retired fishing trawler MV Cape Race sets off along Greenland’s west coast this week, it will start hauling in a scientific catch that promises to improve projections of how the ice-covered island will fare in a warming world. The ship’s cruise is the initial phase of a six-year air and sea campaign to probe interactions… http://www.nature.com/news/nasa-launches-mission-to-greenland-1.18085 Largest US Companies Pledge $140bn to Cut Carbon Footprint. Apple, Coca-Cola, Walmart and PepsiCo are among the 13 of the largest companies in the US that have signed the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. The companies have announced a combined total of $140 billion in new low-carbon investments, in addition to ambitious, company-specific goals to cut emissions as much as 50 percent… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/07/28/largest-us-companies-pledge-140bn-to-cut-carbon-footprint/#ixzz3hCsucj6r http://www.ibtimes.com/climate-change-apple-microsoft-google-among-us-companies-pledge-140b-cut-carbon-2025224 U.S. Private Sector Vows To Ante Up On Climate Finance. Some of the biggest U.S. corporate names have offered their support - and billions of dollars in green financing pledges - to buttress the Obama administration's quest for a global agreement on combating climate change. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/private-sector-climate-finance-19286 Giant air-sucking machines could be the solution to Earth's scary carbon dioxide problem. This company wants to solve global warming using giant fans. Canadian company Carbon Engineering is building machines that suck carbon dioxide out of the air by pulling it through a fluid, where it can either be discarded or recycled to be used as fuel. http://www.businessinsider.com/giant-fans-could-trap-carbon-dioxide-2015-7#ixzz3hCs5YPm8 Lack Of Innovation Could Doom Battle To Trim Carbon Emissions. Representatives of world governments will meet in Paris this December to discuss a global strategy for combating climate change. But the outlook doesn't appear promising, according to a recent assessment by the International Energy Agency. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099300_lack-of-innovation-could-doom-battle-to-trim-carbon-emissions Calif. power producers warned that actions must quickly follow ambitious climate plans. Call it "adaptation," "resilience" or "readiness," but California's utilities must move past planning for the future impacts of climate change and work more collaboratively to start taking action, utility commissioners and other energy-sector stakeholders said yesterday at a climate adaptation workshop. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/28/stories/1060022511 DROUGHT Squeezed By Drought, California Farmers Switch To Less Thirsty Crops. Water scarcity is driving California farmers to plant different crops. Growers are switching to more profitable, less-thirsty fruits, vegetables and nuts. Nowhere is this truer than San Diego County, where water prices are some of the highest in the state. Grapefruit trees shade the entrance to Triple B Ranches winery in northern San Diego County. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/07/28/426886645/squeezed-by-drought-california-farmers-switch-to-less-thirsty-crops Drought cutbacks challenge SoCal water officials at home. Two summers ago, Beverly Hills City Council member Nancy Krasne's household was consuming more than 1,800 gallons of water a day — far higher than the average single-family home in her city. In preparation for California's mandatory water cutbacks, Krasne went straight to the source of her water consumption, her thirsty landscaping. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/07/28/53143/drought-cutbacks-challenge-socal-water-officials-a/ Emergency drought funding gives Calif.'s Conservation Corps a chance to cut forest fire risks. The whine of chain saws fills Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, located just a few miles north of Santa Cruz, Calif., a beach town best known for its surfing. >From atop the wooden observation deck, perched on the rare and unique Santa Cruz sandhills -- an area of the park that 10 million years ago was part of the Pacific Ocean… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/28/stories/1060022488 FUELS China accepts group's case against ConocoPhillips, CNOOC. A Chinese court says it has accepted a case brought by a social organization against oil giants ConocoPhillips China and China National Offshore Oil Corp. over oil spills in northern China in 2011. It is the first case brought by a social organization over maritime pollution since China changed its law to allow registered non-government organizations who have been dealing with environmental issues… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_ENVIRONMENTAL_CASE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Cnooc Oil-Sands Spill Worsens Outlook for Canada Pipeline Plans. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get oil-sands pipeline projects off the ground, and Alberta’s worst spill since 1980 will probably make it tougher. A rupture in a line operated by Nexen, a unit of China’s Cnooc Ltd., spewed 31,500 barrels of bitumen, waste water and sand into the bog-like muskeg of the province’s north this month. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-28/cnooc-oil-sands-spill-worsens-outlook-for-canada-pipeline-plans Big Oil and Big Corn blitz EPA on biofuels plan. U.S. farmers, biofuel makers, and oil companies have mounted last-ditch efforts to push regulators to overhaul a controversial plan for biofuel use, homing in on the price Americans pay for gasoline mixed with such fuels as ethanol. In thousands of filings ahead of a midnight deadline for comment on the plan… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/28/us-usa-biofuels-idUSKCN0Q21W720150728 BP Reports Second-Quarter Loss as Oil Spill Settlement Takes Toll. The British oil giant BP said on Tuesday that it had lost $5.8 billion in the second quarter, reflecting a huge settlement over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The roughly 40 percent fall in oil prices since last year is also sharply cutting into profits at BP and at other oil companies. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/business/international/bp-earnings-q2.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Los Angeles County gas prices streak continues with 12 days of declines. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped today for the 12th consecutive day, decreasing 1.2 cents to $4.15. The average price has dropped 15.2 cents over the past 12 days, including a half-cent on Monday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/business/20150728/los-angeles-county-gas-prices-streak-continues-with-12-days-of-declines Sandia Labs partnering with Red and White Fleet to develop high-speed H2 fuel cell passenger ferry and world’s largest H2 refueling station. Sandia National Laboratories and San Francisco’s Red and White Fleet are partnering in a project—SF-BREEZE (San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric vessel with Zero Emissions)—to develop a high-speed, hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered passenger ferry and refueling station. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/20150728-sandia.html http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2015/07/developing-hydrogen-fuel-cell-ferry-worlds-largest-refueling-station Can U.S. Canadian Oil Sands Imports be Nearly Carbon Neutral? The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory recently published a study that determined the production and consumption or ‘Well-to-Wheel’ (WTW) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Canadian Oil Sand crude imports are 20% greater than ‘conventional’ U.S. domestic crudes. http://www.theenergycollective.com/jemillerep/2253576/can-us-canadian-oil-sands-imports-be-nearly-carbon-neutral Export premiums for US ethanol to Asia to remain under pressure: sources. Premiums built into replacement costs for US ethanol exports out to Asia are expected to remain under downward pressure for the rest of the year as a burgeoning surplus forces sellers to be more competitive, market sources said this week. Exporters of US ethanol out to Asia typically bundle a series of conversion costs for exports… http://www.platts.com/latest-news/agriculture/singapore/export-premiums-for-us-ethanol-to-asia-to-remain-26160619 $1 million fund to develop algae biofuels. A research team from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a multi-program US security laboratory, has received an additional $1 million (appr. €907,000) to protect algal crops by developing ‘probiotic’ bacteria to combat pond infestation and increase ecosystem function and resilience. Algal biomass can be converted to advanced biofuels that offer promising alternatives to petroleum… http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/9437/1_million_fund_to_develop_algae_biofuels/ VEHICLES New electric car quick-charging station opens in Portland. The largest lineup of electric car quick-charging stations in downtown Portland is open for business. The project by Portland General Electric features six charging stations, including four universal quick chargers that can recharge a typical electric vehicle in 30 minutes. Dubbed Electric Avenue, the charging facility is outside PGE's headquarters in the World Trade Center building… http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/New-electric-car-quick-charging-station-opens-in-6410154.php Why Do Fuel-Cell Vehicles Make Electric-Car Advocates So Crazy? Last Thursday, Green Car Reports published a story noting that the several dozen drivers of Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles had expressed deep frustration with the unreliability of Southern California's current hydrogen fueling stations. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099288_who-do-fuel-cell-vehicles-make-electric-car-advocates-so-crazy Fiat Chrysler CTO: Fuel Cells Are The Future, Batteries Are Not. Several companies have expressed enthusiasm about battery-electric cars, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) isn't one of them. Six years after killing its pre-bankruptcy ENVI project that showed a variety of plug-in concept cars, FCA still doesn't offer any mainstream plug-in models. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099303_fiat-chrysler-cto-fuel-cells-are-the-future-batteries-are-not Volkswagen's Lineup Of Electric, Plug-In Hybrid Models To Expand. Volkswagen will soon expand its lineup of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, according to reports in German media, with new entries on both the high and low ends of its range. But the rumored new models likely won’t be sold in the U.S. They will, however, help VW meet tighter European emissions standards, as well as electric-car adoption… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099306_volkswagens-lineup-of-electric-plug-in-hybrid-models-to-expand Level the Playing Field for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles. Zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) are likely to be a major market sector of future automobiles, due to international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve local air quality, and reduce reliance on oil. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are the only two commercialized ZEVs available to consumers today. http://www.theenergycollective.com/mmarkowitz/2253524/level-playing-field-fuel-cell-electric-vehicles GREEN ENERGY SolarCity launches plan to bring solar power to small and midsize firms. SolarCity Corp. wants to deck the rooftops of small and midsize businesses with solar panels by offering a new financing strategy to a market that the company says has largely gone untapped. Companies that lease the solar panels from SolarCity would be able to save 5% to 25% compared with their current electric bills… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solarcity-20150728-story.html Sacramento’s Greenleaf Power finalizes Connecticut plant purchase. Sacramento-based Greenleaf Power, an owner and operator of renewable energy power plants, said Monday it has finalized its purchase of the Connecticut-based Plainfield Renewable Energy plant. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article29084128.html#storylink=cpy Habitat For Humanity Builds Solar Powered Homes. Habitat for Humanity is installing solar panels on the rooftops of homes it's building from Chico to Fresno. Almost 80 homes will have the solar installations because of a million dollar donation from Pacific Gas and Electric. Frank Meyer is Director of Habitat for Humanity in Calaveras County. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/28/habitat-for-humanity-builds-solar-powered-homes/s Report presents case for Wyoming wind power to California. A new study presents a case for California regulators to turn to Wyoming wind power to help offset the natural ups and downs of wind and solar power generated in their state. The report released Monday by the University of Wyoming Wind Energy Research Center says Wyoming wind could help California save water - over a billion gallons a year. http://www.vcstar.com/news/national/report-presents-case-for-wyoming-wind-power-to-california_17088085 Clinton aims high in energy plan she likens to moonshot, still no position on Keystone XL. Calling climate change one of the "most urgent threats of our time," Hillary Rodham Clinton laid out elements of a sweeping plan Monday that would see every U.S. home powered by renewable energy by 2027, even as she declined to take a position on the Keystone XL oil pipeline opposed by environmental activists. http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/07/26/in-iowa-clinton-says-climate-plan-will-promote-renewables For those without electricity solar is shining brighter. Some 1.3 billion people worldwide live without electricity, affecting health, lowering incomes, and making education difficult. Low-cost solar energy programs are beginning to meet the need. In rural Uganda, light streams from the Ssenyonjo family’s windows through the night. The children inside sleep soundly, free from worry of snakes and thieves. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2015/0728/For-those-without-electricity-solar-is-shining-brighter LA’s Solar Energy Initiative Delays Are Unnecessary, Threaten Long-Term Growth. The growth of the Los Angeles solar energy sector is being hampered by unnecessary delays in the application and installation stages, potentially interfering with the achievement of its goal to be coal-free by 2025, according to new research commissioned by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/27/las-solar-energy-initiative-delays-unnecessary-threaten-long-term-growth/ OPINIONS Can China Stand on Its Own? China’s economy is, by one measure, bigger than that of the United States. As the ”China Factor” series in The Times makes clear, its global ambitions and power are enormous. But by per capita income it isn’t in the top 100 countries, as many as 200 million Chinese may live below international standards of poverty, and the sickening plunge in its stock market indicates that its gains may be fragile. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/07/27/can-china-stand-on-its-own Drought weary? 5 things you need to understand about El Niño. There are two words on most every tongue in drought-plagued California these days: El Niño. Media reports over the past two weeks have informed us all that El Niño is here. And that it’s a strong one. And that it will end the drought, or it could, or it may. Depending on how optimistic or flamboyant the journalist is feeling that day. Don’t bet on it. http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Drought-weary-5-things-you-need-to-understand-6400440.php Editorial: Will El Niño be the excuse that derails water saving? It’ll be interesting to see what the state’s water conservation numbers look like for July, because this is the month that we think a lot of people figured the drought is over. This is the month when the possibility of a strong El Niño this winter became a pretty safe bet, and most people know just enough about that to be dangerous. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20150728/editorial-will-el-nixf1o-be-the-excuse-that-derails-water-saving Keep your front yard pretty and drought resistant. Hundreds of hardy succulents morph into Seuss-ian shapes like the leggy “Irish rose,” the appetizing “blue curls” and the bulbous “living rock.” Mark Anthony Ramirez’s yard is arguably the best looking in his Oakland, California neighborhood, and he’s not growing a single blade of grass, according to the blog at earthjustice.org. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20150727/letters-july-28-2015-keep-your-front-yard-pretty-and-drought-resistant Viewpoint: LCFS market gains more certainty. California Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) market participants will gain some regulatory certainty in the coming months as the state finalizes rules that will govern the program for the next several years. How the market will respond to those rules, and ultimately how the state will reduce the carbon intensity of its transportation fuels a further nine percentage points by 2020, remains to be seen. http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1077380 BLOGS Why a ‘super El Niño’ could still be a bust for California drought relief. A powerhouse El Niño has been brewing in the tropical Pacific, already showing signs of influencing global weather patterns. A forecast for a strong El Niño — which has the chance to spread copious tropical moisture up the West Coast — is exactly what California needs. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/07/27/why-a-super-el-nino-could-still-be-a-bust-for-california-drought-relief/ Bad News for Climate-Change Deniers. Republican presidential candidates have generally refused to acknowledge the reality of climate change. New polls and a report issued last week show they aren’t helping themselves with business or voters. First, a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit puts climate change in terms of cold, hard cash… http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/bad-news-for-climate-change-deniers/ Why Hillary Clinton could be the solar industry's new best friend. The presidential candidate is calling for huge growth in the solar sector, and that would require some big federal help. Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton released an ambitious plan to boost U.S. clean energy and fight climate change. The vision, which also lacked details, called for more than a half billion solar panels… http://fortune.com/2015/07/27/hillary-clinton-solar-industry/ Clinton aide: Campaign will offset carbon emissions. Hillary Clinton’s campaign will offset all of its carbon emissions after facing criticism from Republicans for flying a private jet back from a climate change event, a campaign aide told CNN. While the aide said that the entire campaign, including its travel, will become carbon neutral… http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/249466-clinton-aide-campaign-will-offset-carbon-emissions Wiggling Wind Power. You've heard all the gripes about wind turbines: they're ugly, they're expensive to build and maintain, they make weird noises, and they kill birds. Might there be another way to capture the power of the wind without relying on traditional windmill designs that have their roots in the ninth century? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/x-prize-foundation/wiggling-wind-power_b_7888602.html Melting Mummies Are on Thin Ice, Thanks to Climate Change. Glacial archaeologists scramble to save long-preserved specimens thawing out of vanishing ice before they are lost forever. The world’s greatest archeologist may not be human, but it is human-made. Global warming, the explorer in question, has melted glaciers that have preserved and hidden many past lives. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/melting-mummies-are-on-thin-ice-thanks-to-climate-change/ Zero Emission Vehicles Pollute. A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, "Environmental Benefits from Driving Electric Vehicles?" shows the moniker ‘zero emission vehicle,’ attached to electric cars is misplaced. In a finding that may surprise some, Stephen Holland, of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and his coauthors discovered, depending upon one’s location, purchasing a zero emission car can reduce pollution locally…http://spectator.org/blog/63603/zero-emission-vehicles-pollute California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 11:28:18 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 29, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 29, 2015. 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 Carbon Trading Part of Late Push for Obama Power Plant Limits. Some businesses that back President Barack Obama’s plan to curb greenhouse gases are making a late lobbying push to add an element similar to a cap-and-trade program. With the administration set this week or next to unveil its final rules to cut emissions from coal and natural gas plants… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-29/carbon-trading-part-of-late-push-for-obama-power-plant-limits http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NS7EVS6VDKHS01-3V831NRPV2KECJO5FDIEQ6ELLJ AIR POLLUTION Inslee: I’ll use my authority to impose cap on emissions. After being stymied on climate policy in the Legislature, Gov. Jay Inslee announced he’s pressing ahead with executive action to impose a cap on carbon emissions. Frustrated by legislative inaction on climate, Gov. Jay Inslee plans to wield his administration’s executive authority to impose a binding cap on carbon emissions in Washington State. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/inslee-acts-to-cap-carbon-emissions/ CLIMATE CHANGE Animals keep showing up in places where they don’t belong. Is it climate change? Climate change can cause animals to move their populations around in some weird ways. In some cases, rising temperatures can open up new habitats for an organism to move in and take advantage of the warmer, wetter conditions. In other cases, the changing climate becomes too extreme for some animals… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/07/29/animals-keep-showing-up-in-places-where-they-dont-belong-is-it-climate-change/ Later Deadline Expected in Obama’s Climate Plan. The final version of President Obama’s signature climate change policy is expected to extend an earlier timeline for states to significantly cut planet-warming pollution from power plants, according to people familiar with the plan. If enacted, the climate change plan, the final version of which is expected to be unveiled as early as Monday… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/us/president-obama-expected-to-reveal-new-climate-plan-next-week.html?_r=0 http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/barack-obama-climate-plan-delay-states-greenhouse-gas-cuts-120766.html#ixzz3hIjcuUEz Climate change trifecta exacerbates urban, coastal flooding. Storm surge, high rainfall, and rising sea levels put low-lying US coastal cities at risk of devastating floods, researchers say. The biggest cities in the United States may be at far greater risk of experiencing serious flooding in decades to come than previously believed thanks to a so-called triple threat associated with climate change. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Science-Notebook/2015/0728/Climate-change-trifecta-exacerbates-urban-coastal-flooding EPA poised to push carbon rule compliance to 2022, according to agency document. U.S. EPA appears to be leaning toward giving states an extra two years -- until 2022 -- to start cutting carbon emissions from power plants under a final Clean Power Plan rule expected to be rolled out as early as Monday. The rule will also provide more time for states to submit final plans… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/07/29/stories/1060022591 DROUGHT Drought now Californians' top concern, poll finds. Voter concern over California’s drought is “extremely high and intensifying,” according to a new poll, while a majority of respondents said they would willingly pay “a few more dollars a month” to improve state water infrastructure. As residents struggle to meet mandated cuts in urban water use… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-poll-20150728-story.html Keeping up with the Joneses' drought-friendly yard boosted MWD's tab for rebates. When it came down to it, the number crunchers at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California knew they saved a lot more water for every dollar spent subsidizing low-flush toilets than drought-friendly lawns. But there was one thing the MWD planners didn't bank on when they threw an unprecedented $340 million into persuading residents to tear out their lawns: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-turf-rebate-psychology-20150729-story.html#page=1 Oregon state agencies told to conserve water as drought worsens. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has declared drought emergencies in 23 of the state’s 36 counties and ordered state agencies to conserve water as another parched year threatens fish and forests, limits agriculture and recreation, and worsens the risk of wildfire. http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-oregon-executive-order-20150729-story.html The California Drought Is Making Some Fruit Taste…Better?! Turns out watering certain fruits less can actually boost their flavor. On July 20, California's resources board fined a farming district near San Francisco $1.5 million for illegally diverting water to feed its rows of corn, tomatoes, cherries, and almonds. The Golden State, of course, continues to suffer from a dramatic drought, and many farmers face restrictions… http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/sweet-fruit-makes-drought-go-down-easier Does Forgoing Your Glass of Restaurant Water Actually Help the Drought? Probably not—but it might make you think twice about squandering precious H20. If you've dined out in California lately, you may have noticed something missing: your complimentary glass of water. That's no accident. Last winter, as the state's epic drought wore on, the Water Resources Control Board was desperate to reduce water use… it.http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/california-drought-restaurant-policy DIESEL ACTIVITIES UPS announces renewable diesel agreements with Neste, REG and Solazyme; up to 46M gallons over next 3 years. UPS announced agreements for up to 46 million gallons of renewable diesel over the next three years, constituting a 15-fold increase over prior contracts and making UPS one of the largest users of renewable diesel in the world. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/07/ups-announces-renewable-diesel-agreements-with-neste-reg-and-solazyme-up-to-46m-gallons-over-next-3-.html FUELS Oil Producers Skirt Keystone Snag as Obama Said Near Rejection. The oil-sands industry is working around delays to the Keystone XL pipeline as the outlook dims for its approval any time soon. Senator John Hoeven, a North Dakota Republican and leading congressional supporter of the $8 billion proposal, cited unidentified “sources” Tuesday in predicting President Barack Obama will reject it in August. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-28/keystone-backer-hoeven-says-obama-will-reject-pipeline-in-august Nebraska Gov pushes Obama to approve Keystone pipeline. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) is continuing to push President Obama to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. Ricketts sent Obama a letter on Tuesday arguing that the pipeline takes a safe path through his state and warrants approval by the Obama administration. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/249417-nebraska-gov-pushes-obama-to-approve-keystone-pipeline GREEN ENERGY Experts tangle over the costs of clean energy policies to Calif.'s poor. California's energy policies are affecting the poor, with 1 million households in the state -- the majority in the Inland Empire counties and the San Joaquin Valley -- spending more than 10 percent of their income on their monthly energy bills, according to a report released today by conservative think tank the Manhattan Institute. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/29/stories/1060022594 Canada's TransAlta looks to expand power portfolio with U.S. renewables. Canadian company TransAlta Corp.'s recent purchase of U.S. renewables is to expand its power portfolio away from coal. The power generator announced plans earlier this week to purchase 21 megawatts of solar capacity in Massachusetts and 50 MW of wind projects in Minnesota for $75.8 million from an arm of Rockland Capital Partners LLC under 20- to 30-year power purchase agreements. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/07/29/stories/1060022548 MISCELLANEOUS Edison seeks almost $7.6 billion in damages for nuclear plant. Southern California Edison is seeking almost $7.6 billion from the Japanese manufacturer of the faulty steam generators that led to the permanent shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear power plant. Edison’s latest claim is at least $3 billion higher than the utility had previously sought from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a Tokyo-based firm that reported the latest figure in a statement Tuesday. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-edison-nuclear-plant-20150728-story.html OPINIONS Our forests are in crisis. California has problems – 12 million of them. The drought is killing the trees – by the millions. A recent survey by the U.S. Forest Service shows that the drought is literally killing our forests; in fact, more than 12 million trees across the state have died in the past year alone. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/our-forests-are-in-crisis/article_d03034ad-c407-5747-8593-80f14d4c4344.html Can Hillary Clinton Make Her 2016 Bid Carbon-Neutral? The campaign promised to offset its carbon footprint. But it’s not an easy task, and details are few and far between. Hillary Clinton wants to make sure her presidential campaign doesn't hurt the planet. The Clinton campaign announced on Tuesday that the former secretary of State's White House bid will be carbon neutral. http://www.nationaljournal.com/2016-elections/hillary-clinton-carbon-neutral-20150729 BLOGS Pollution tech company equips Google cars to deliver hyper-local air quality data. For the very real and detrimental impact that pollution has on our health, air quality is a surprisingly hard thing to measure. In the city, it can vary from block to block, neighborhood to neighborhood, and many times the current network of sensors just doesn’t pick up on fine-scale pollution events that could also lead to a spike in your asthma. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/07/28/pollution-tech-company-equips-google-cars-to-deliver-hyper-local-air-quality-data/ Five Ways to Improve California's Cap & Trade System. The State of California will be hosting a series of public workshops in August to update their plan for distributing the billion or so dollars collected through the state's Cap & Trade climate change program in the next few years. This presents an opportunity to review California's approach to carbon pricing and consider recommendations for improvement. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-sandler/five-ways-to-improve-cali_b_7869250.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Jul 2015 16:23:28 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 30, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for July 30, 2015. 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 Japan’s Coal Hunger Poses Costly Challenge to Emissions. Japan will depend on new coal technology that’s more than twice the cost of traditional plants to meet its targets on reducing global warming pollution. In a plan formally adopted earlier this month, Japan said it expects coal to generate about a quarter of the nation’s electricity by 2030. For Japan to meet this target and still meet its goal of reducing climate-warming gases… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-29/japan-s-coal-hunger-poses-costly-challenge-to-emissions-icp9aioh Air quality board approves funding for Caltrain electrification. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District board has approved $20 million in funding for a Caltrain electrification project expected to greatly reduce emissions and allow for expanded passenger service. The funding, to be paid out in installments over the next several years, will go toward the electrification of 51 miles of track between San Francisco… http://www.ktvu.com/story/29670038/air-quality-board-approves-funding-for-caltrain-electrification http://sfbay.ca/2015/07/30/air-board-chips-in-20-million-to-electrify-caltrain/ Technology emerges to 'crowdsource' levels of greenhouse gases and smog. The San Francisco Bay Area will soon see Google Street View vehicles that not only take snapshots of its streets but also capture snapshots of the air quality in neighborhoods they pass. Google and Aclima, a San Francisco-based air sensor technology developer… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/30/stories/1060022648 CLIMATE CHANGE Californians divided along party lines on combating climate change. Two-thirds of Californians link the state's ongoing catastrophic drought to climate change, and most support Governor Jerry Brown's efforts to combat it – but that's also because most Californians are Democrats, a new poll shows. The survey released on Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) shows that 64 percent…http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/07/30/us-climatechange-usa-california-idUKKCN0Q408P20150730 http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Most-Californians-link-climate-change-drought-6413533.php East Bay's Park It: Oakley's Big Break the place see climate change up close. Between El Niño and the drought, the East Bay's natural landscape is filled with oddities these days. Giant purple sea slugs are turning up on the shoreline, birds are migrating months earlier than usual and mammals appear to be few and far between. No place is better to observe these natural shifts than Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_28556086/east-bays-park-it-oakleys-big-break-place Climate Change Variability, Not Just Temperatures, Increase Mortality Risks for Vulnerable Populations. Climate and health research has shown that weather extremes fueled by climate change are seriously threatening human health. It is well-known by the public health community that average seasonal mean temperatures significantly influence the risk of weather-related mortality. http://www.theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2253082/climate-change-variability-not-just-temperatures-increase-mortality-risks-vu What Warming Means for 4 of Summer’s Worst Pests. Summer may mean it’s time for outdoor fun in the sun, but it’s also prime time for a number of pests. All that extra time outdoors can bring everything from poison ivy rashes to exposure to Lyme disease from tick bites. And of course there’s that ubiquitous summer menace, the mosquito. With the rising temperatures brought about by global warming… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/what-warming-means-summers-pests-19295 Californians Fear Global Warming Is Drying Out Our State. By now most of you probably agree that global warming is a matter of scientific fact. Where the slope gets slippery is when armchair meteorologists try to figure out what, exactly, this warm-up is doing to our day-to-day weather. Blame a heat wave on global warming and you could be labeled a crackpot. http://www.laweekly.com/news/californians-fear-global-warming-is-drying-out-our-state-5859767 Warming May Boost Wind Energy in Plains States. Powerful winds are commonplace in the U.S. prairie states, which experienced walls of dirt swept into the air by these gusts during the Dust Bowl. While today's winds don't often carry the huge quantities of dust that they did in the 1930s, they’re stirring up something significantly more useful in states like Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas – energy. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-may-boost-wind-energy-19290 Researchers credit almonds with lighter carbon footprint. New university research credits almond production with having a relatively light carbon footprint compared to other crops. Two related articles in the current issue of the Journal of Industrial Ecology note that such measures as efficient irrigation and use of orchard clippings have helped reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.capitalpress.com/Orchards/20150728/researchers-credit-almonds-with-lighter-carbon-footprint What consequences await states that 'just say no' to EPA carbon rule? Power generators used to building U.S. EPA regulations into their plans are expected to be the key to meeting carbon emissions targets, particularly in states where governors refuse to comply with the Obama administration's upcoming rule. The rule aimed at fighting climate change… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060022681 Reflecting on BP's 'Beyond Petroleum' shift, new study puts climate change responsibility on energy companies. In May 1997, Lord John Browne, BP PLC's chief executive at the time, delivered a stem-winding speech to about 100 people at Stanford University to "discuss in a calm and rational way a subject which raises great emotion." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/30/stories/1060022679 'We will not back down' on power plan -- White House. President Obama is prepared to defend U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan with his veto pen, even if riders come attached to must-pass legislation, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said this morning. Speaking at an event in Washington, D.C., hosted by New Republic, McDonough said the president anticipated Republicans would launch a host of attacks against the carbon rule for existing power plants. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060022629 DROUGHT Drought-hit forests store less carbon dioxide than thought: researchers. The world's forests are taking longer than expected to recover from increasingly frequent droughts, meaning their ability to store climate-changing carbon dioxide is smaller than previously thought, Utah University researchers said on Thursday. If forests are absorbing less carbon dioxide, then the effects of climate change will be worse than past models had predicted… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/30/us-climatechange-forests-science-idUSKCN0Q41YX20150730 Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduces $1.3-billion California drought-relief bill. Sen. Dianne Feinstein filed her long-awaited legislative response to California's water crisis on Wednesday, hoping to broker a compromise that has eluded Congress through four years of fallow fields and brown lawns. Feinstein's proposal would funnel $1.3 billion over the next decade to storage, desalination and other projects. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-feinstein-drought-20150729-story.html Californians saved huge amounts of water in June. Urban water use in California dropped by 27% in June, compared with the same period two years ago, according to figures released Thursday by the State Water Resources Control Board. June is the first month that urban water districts must meet mandatory conservation targets in order to comply with Gov. Jerry Brown’s drought order. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-conservation-20150729-story.html Keeping up with the Joneses' drought-friendly yard boosted MWD's tab for rebates. When it came down to it, the number crunchers at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California knew they saved a lot more water for every dollar spent subsidizing low-flush toilets than drought-friendly lawns. But there was one thing the MWD planners didn't bank on when they threw an unprecedented $340 million… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-turf-rebate-psychology-20150729-story.html#page=1 California's drought spurs unexpected effect: Eco-friendly development. The drought in California has gone on so long, and is so severe, that it's beginning to change the way people are designing residential communities — in unexpected ways, and unexpected places. Planning is under way, for instance, for one of the first eco-friendly communities in California's predominantly agricultural Central Valley. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/07/29/53459/california-s-drought-spurs-unexpected-effect-eco-f/ Farmers, fighting back, say they're unfairly blamed for worsening drought. In November the BBC sought to explain “ How almonds are sucking California dry.” Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton followed up in April asking, “Why do farmers get a free pass from Brown?” California’s agricultural industry this week returned fire with a PR campaign that seeks to emphasize strides in conservation made by farmers in recent years. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/07/29/farmers-fighting-back-say-theyre-unfairly-blamed.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Ricardo cuts ribbon at £10m Vehicle Emissions Research Centre. Consultancy launches state-of-the-art facility to assess emissions of petrol, diesel and hybrid electric vehicles. Engineering consultancy Ricardo has this week officially opened a £10m state-of-the-art Vehicle Emissions Research Centre (VERC) in Shoreham-by-Sea in Sussex. The purpose-built facility, which aims to support low-carbon vehicle development… http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2419726/ricardo-cuts-ribbon-at-gbp10m-vehicle-emissions-research-centre FUELS Pacific Ethanol said profit margins improving on fuel demand. Pacific Ethanol Inc is bullish on its margins for the rest of the year after they improved during the last few weeks, Chief Executive Officer Neil Koehler said on a conference call with analysts on Thursday. Increased domestic demand for gasoline and strong export demand for ethanol helped to boost profitability for the company… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1N10A27N20150730 Kern County to consider cracking down on oil field waste water pits. The Central Valley Water Board will consider a cease-and-desist order Thursday against a Kern County company that operates dozens of unlined pits holding oil field waste water. The board says it has evidence that a plume of oil waste from one or more of the 27 pits has contaminated groundwater. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-lan-oil-water-pits-20150730-story.html World Bank rejects energy industry notion that coal can cure poverty. The World Bank said coal was no cure for global poverty on Wednesday, rejecting a main industry argument for building new fossil fuel projects in developing countries. In a rebuff to coal, oil and gas companies, Rachel Kyte, the World Bank climate change envoy, said continued use of coal was exacting a heavy cost on some of the world’s poorest countries… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/29/world-bank-coal-cure-poverty-rejects SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Big oil slick off Santa Barbara County coast sparks new concerns. hat greasy luster returned once again to the waters off Santa Barbara County. An oil slick that stretched more than 3 miles was spotted Wednesday by some kayakers, about two months after a ruptured pipeline spilled more than 21,000 gallons of crude into the ocean off this picturesque coastline. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-oil-slick-santa-barbara-county-20150729-story.html VEHICLES BMW Drivers Get Paid $1,000 to Delay Charging i3 Electric Cars. In a new pilot program, a California utility is paying drivers of BMW electric cars to delay charging their vehicles when the power grid is under pressure. One hundred owners of BMW AG’s i3 hatchback receive $1,000 upfront to participate in Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s 18-month trial, which starts this week and is confined to the San Francisco Bay Area. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-30/bmw-drivers-get-paid-1-000-to-delay-charging-i3-electric-cars GM adds diesel engine to Chevrolet, GMC pickups. General Motors is joining the diesel club when it comes to its light-duty pickup trucks. GM just added a 3.8-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine to its two midsize pickups, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. It joins the likes of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which has seen huge popularity for the diesel in its Ram full-size truck, and Nissan… http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/07/28/gm-chevrolet-midsize-pickups-diesel/30787655/ Ride-sharing forces automakers to rethink how they sell cars. For at least 22 hours a day most cars sit parked, sucking up their owners' money while waiting to be driven. For most people, it's one of their most underutilized — but most expensive — assets. Now, some companies are devising ways to help people profit from their vehicles. Start-ups like RelayRides and Getaround help people rent out their cars during down time. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-0628-ford-car-sharing-20150628-story.html#page=1 U.S. will finalize long-delayed ‘quiet cars’ rules. The Obama administration said Wednesday it will finalize in November long delayed rules requiring “quiet cars” to add new alerts to warn pedestrians. At an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said action was coming. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2015/07/29/us-will-finalize-long-delayed-quiet-cars-rules/30828651/ Used Teslas, CA Hydrogen Infrastructure, Fuel-Cell Ferry: Today's Car News. Today, we look at who buys used Tesla electric cars, how Toyota plans to address issues with California's hydrogen fueling infrastructure ahead of the launch of the 2016 Mirai, and plans for a fuel-cell ferry in San Francisco. All this and more on Green Car Reports. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099359_used-teslas-ca-hydrogen-infrastructure-fuel-cell-ferry-todays-car-news U.S. Vehicles Now Have Average Age Of 11.5 Years (Waste Not, Want Not). The cars on U.S. roads are older than they've ever been. A recent survey found that the average age of U.S. vehicles is now at a record high of 11.5 years. That means the average passenger car on the road today was built for the 2004 model year… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099351_u-s-vehicles-now-have-average-age-of-11-5-years-waste-not-want-not http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/0730/Cars-on-US-roads-are-now-older-than-ever GREEN ENERGY Renewable Energy Powers Up Rural India. Solar startup Omnigrid supplies remote villages, relying on income from telecom firms. A small field of solar panels on the outskirts of this rural district was built to generate energy for a cellphone tower. Now it also supplies electricity to local residents who have suffered from chronic power shortages for decades. http://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energy-powers-up-rural-india-1438193488?mod=rss_Business Cheap Power or Clean Energy? India’s $200 Billion Dilemma. A weak link lurks in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for an unprecedented $200 billion expansion of clean energy: cash-starved state electricity distributors. The retailers have racked up more than 2.5 trillion rupees ($39 billion) of losses partly because they’re forced to sell below cost to keep energy affordable, Power Ministry data show. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-29/cheap-power-or-clean-energy-india-s-200-billion-dilemma Construction begins on first offshore wind farm in U.S. Construction began Sunday on the nation's first offshore wind farm, 3 miles off the coast of Rhode Island. Several other offshore wind projects elsewhere are in the early stages of development. Workers started setting the steel foundation for the Rhode Island wind farm, near the 1,000-person tourist town of Block Island, this weekend. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/07/30/stories/1060022636 OPINIONS You Don't Drink Treated Sewage? Gross! At the end of a tour of Orange County, California's Groundwater Replenishment System -- and they give lots of tours -- a visitor is shown three big sinks with water flowing into them. On the right is the brown brew known as the brine -- the small, salty remnant of water that the facility just can't clean. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-07-29/you-don-t-drink-treated-sewage-gross- California Farmers Aren’t the Water Hogs. You wouldn’t know it from the environmentalist rhetoric, but in the agricultural business we try not to waste a drop. The worst thing about California’s drought is the suffering it has caused ordinary people. In many places, drinking wells have dried up. The crisis is so severe that the state has restricted water use. http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-farmers-arent-the-water-hogs-1438211135 Local governments are picking up the slack on climate change. To the editor: When Aaron Renn scolds local communities for challenging climate-destroying fossil fuel development like drilling in the Arctic, he's relaying Big Oil's message: Resistance is futile. ("Local environmental activists don't get to make federal policy," op-ed, July 27). More than a quarter of a century after scientists confirmed to Congress that climate disruption poses a grave threat… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0730-thursday-environment-20150730-story.html BLOGS Fossil Carbon Muddies The New Clean Fuels. Even if it gets its energy from the sun, the burgeoning sustainable fuels industry will only worsen climate change if it gets CO2 from the earth and not from the air, an expert on the carbon cycle said Tuesday. Sustainable fuels are hydrocarbon alternatives to fossil petroleum that are made through photosynthesis—such as fuels made from algae or grasses… http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2015/07/29/low-carbon-is-still-too-much-carbon-in-biofuels/ Earth now halfway to UN global warming limit. IT’S the outcome the world wants to avoid, but we are already halfway there. All but one of the main trackers of global surface temperature are now passing more than 1 °C of warming relative to the second half of the 19th century, according to an exclusive analysis done for New Scientist. We could also be seeing the end of the much-discussed slowdown in surface warming since 1998… https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22730324-200-earth-now-halfway-to-un-global-warming-limit/ Texas vs. France: A Look at Who’s Bigger, Hotter, and More Prepared for Climate Change. If you drive around the Lone Star State, you’re sure to see bumper stickers that say, “Texas: Bigger than France.” It references an ongoing debate about which “country” is bigger (something Texans feel very strongly about), but a closer look (aka, a quick Google search) reveals Texas and France are roughly equivalent in size. This, however, is where the similarities end – at least until recently. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/07/29/texas-vs-france-a-look-at-whos-bigger-hotter-and-more-prepared-for-climate-change/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 16:12:30 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 3, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 3, 2015. 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 Cap and trade pollution program still in its infancy. It was mid-morning one day in May and somewhere deep inside a 25-story tower in Sacramento, an auction, cloaked in secrecy, was about to begin. There was no gavel pounding. No shouting. No frenzy of traders running around. Instead, an unknown number of state workers surrendered their cell phones, and took positions monitoring computer screens… http://www.dailydemocrat.com/general-news/20150801/cap-and-trade-pollution-program-still-in-its-infancy Cap and trade: State senator a quiet force in the climate storm. In a small hearing room decorated with paintings of birds and flowers, state Sen. Fran Pavley — the great-granddaughter of a three-time presidential candidate — sat down to present the bill that will likely cement her legacy as the California Legislature’s most accomplished environmentalist. As usual, her tone was understated, and her style more patient schoolmarm than zealous politician. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/2015/08/01/Sen-Fran-Pavley-A-quiet-force-in-the-climate-storm.html Cap and Trade: A how-to guide for Ontario. Ontario has pledged to fight climate change with a ‘cap and trade’ system to limit emissions. Success will lie in the execution, explains Kate Heartfield, and the province can learn from the mistakes of others. Climate change is a classic example of what is known as a collective action problem. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/cap-and-trade-dos-and-donts AIR POLLUTION Beijing to limit cars, factories to ensure clean air for war anniversary. Beijing will limit the number of vehicles on the streets and shut factories to ensure clean air during a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, the government and media said on Monday. The heavily polluted capital, often cloaked in a choking gray haze, will hold a military parade on… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/03/us-ww2-anniversary-china-idUSKCN0Q80Z820150803?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Burp by Burp, Fighting Emissions from Cows. A new compound may help slow climate change by reducing the methane belched by cattle. At least one thing is true for cows around the world: They all burp. All the time. This incessant belching expels an impressive volume of greenhouse gases—mostly methane and carbon dioxide. Added up, burps from cows account for 26 percent of the United States' total methane emissions. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150803-cows-burp-methane-climate-science/ Google Street View cars are starting to map air pollution. A small number of Google Street View cars are recording more than photos of the road — they're also taking snapshots of the air quality around them. Aclima, a company that creates networks of environmental sensors, announced this week that it's been working with Google to put air quality detectors on some of its cars. http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/29/9067171/street-view-car-air-quality-detection-google-aclima CLIMATE CHANGE/CLEAN POWER PLAN Obama Announces Rule to Cut Carbon Emissions From Power Plants. Final regulation calls for 32% cut in emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels. President Barack Obama on Monday announced the nation’s first-ever federal limits on carbon emissions from power plants, his administration’s opening pitch ahead of an international climate conference later this year where he hopes to forge a global accord to cut emissions. http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-announces-rule-to-cut-carbon-emissions-from-power-plants-1438627158?mod=rss_US_News Clean-energy debate pitted ambition against legal worries. Four weeks before the official rollout, the news for President Obama’s signature regulation on climate change suddenly went from bad to abysmal. Already, the Senate’s top Republican was urging a nationwide boycott of the carbon-cutting proposal known as the Clean Power Plan. Fourteen states had joined in a lawsuit seeking to block the rule even before it became final. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/internal-debate-over-clean-energy-plan-pitted-ambition-against-legal-worries/2015/08/02/9e0c1c94-3966-11e5-9c2d-ed991d848c48_story.html?hpid=z5 Obama’s Carbon Rules Press Other Nations Before Paris Talks. Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency on Monday will finalize measures that force states and utilities to use less coal and more wind power, solar and natural gas. The plan, estimated to cost $8.4 billion, is expected to go into effect in the next month or two but is likely to face a legal challenge that could stall its implementation. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NSHCJW6TTDS101-5UL2G2CKC05DMCSH3QMJ81QQV1 Obama Says No Challenge Greater Threat to U.S. Future Than Climate Change. President Barack Obama on Monday formally unveiled his administration's ramped-up plan to cut carbon emissions from power plants and declared climate change the greatest threat facing the world. Speaking to a friendly crowd at the White House a few months before international climate talks in Paris, Obama said the world may not be able to reverse global warming if aggressive action to stop it is not taken. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/08/03/us/03reuters-usa-climatechange.html U.N. Chief Says Obama Power Plan Key Ahead of Climate Change Talks. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday praised U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to tackle greenhouse gases from coal-fired power plants, saying such "visionary leadership" is needed ahead of negotiations on a global climate change deal. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/08/03/us/03reuters-usa-climatechange-cleanpowerplan-un.html How Obama's new emissions rules will likely shape the White House race. With Monday's release of landmark rules to combat global warming, President Obama is putting into place what probably will be the last piece of his ambitious second-term agenda – one that highlights deep divisions in the country and helps shape the race to succeed him. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-climate-20150802-story.html#page=1 The Winners and Losers Under Obama’s New Climate Change Plan. President Barack Obama is mandating even steeper greenhouse gas cuts from U.S. power plants than previously expected, while granting states more time and broader options to comply. The tweaks to Obama’s unprecedented emissions limits on powerplants, to be unveiled at the White House on Monday… http://time.com/3982191/obama-climate-change-winners-losers/ White House Plan Calls for Even Greater Greenhouse Gas Reductions. The most forceful action on climate change in U.S. history was set to be unveiled by the Obama administration Monday afternoon when it releases the final version of a rule that would slash heat-trapping emissions from power plants — a regulation made even stricter since it was proposed last year. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/08/03/epa-clean-power-plan-calls-for-bigger-greenhouse-gas-reductions President Obama to unveil tough proposal targeting greenhouse gases. Calling it the "biggest, most important step we've ever taken to combat climate change," President Obama said his administration would unveil the final version of a proposal aimed at curbing the amount of carbon pollution put out by power plants. NPR's Scott Horsley reports that the new regulations are actually tougher than the ones unveiled by… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/08/02/53520/president-obama-to-unveil-tough-proposal-targeting/ Major S.F. Bayfront Developments Advance Despite Sea Rise Warnings. Builders plan to invest more than $21 billion in offices and homes in flood-prone areas, where waters could climb 8 feet above today’s high tide by the end of this century. Like every body of water that opens onto a global ocean, San Francisco Bay is virtually guaranteed to rise several feet in coming decades, climate scientists say. http://sfpublicpress.org/news/searise/2015-07/major-sf-bayfront-developments-advance-despite-sea-rise-warnings#sthash.ZsIZYTBU.dpuf Majority of Californians support current climate change policies and a move to strengthen them. Nearly 70 percent of Californians support the state's emissions reductions policies and support even tougher standards currently in the works, according to a poll released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). The survey, which has been conducted each summer for the last 15 years by the nonpartisan research center… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060022869/search?keyword=california Clean power and the divided states of America. U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan is opening new fault lines among sparring states across the country and the federal government, triggered by sharp political differences over climate policy. At first glance, the Obama administration's principal climate policy initiative seems to have landed in the same political bucket as health care and immigration… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/03/stories/1060022871 USGS scientists say Arctic is warming 'faster than any other place on Earth'. The U.S. Geological Survey is releasing its first-ever Arctic science strategy, noting that the current warming seen in the region "is unlike anything recorded previously and is affecting the region faster than any other place on Earth." While it is not tied to specific new dollars… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/03/stories/1060022841 Former military leaders say reducing GHGs is essential for international security. A leading group of retired military officers is calling for action on climate change in the wake of a Pentagon report that declared the threats of global warming have already arrived. The statement of 12 officers from all four branches of the military is also being timed to coincide with U.S. EPA's… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/03/stories/1060022839 DROUGHT Hospitals seek water savings amid drought. Experts say there is plenty of "low-hanging fruit" to be had at many medical facilities. From nurses washing their hands every time they enter a patient’s room to steam scalding surgical instruments sterile, water is everywhere in a hospital. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, hospitals are among the highest water users… http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/aug/02/tri-city-water-savings-drought/ Leak complaints flow from older areas. Problems around Wabash and 33rd dominate complaints over past 12 months. San Diego city crews have responded to more than 10,000 calls about water leaks and related problems in the past 12 months, amid the worsening drought. The neighborhood with the most problems was City Heights, where tap water has been emerging for years… http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/aug/02/leak-data/ Manufacturers Beware: Stiff New Water Discharge Requirements Go Into Effect Aug. 14. Industrial water permits just got a whole lot more complicated for Santa Clarita businesses, and many companies in the light industrial fields that really never needed to worry about certifying their stormwater runoff now need to pay serious attention to the requirements which go into effect this month. http://www.signalscv.com/section/24/article/140569/ WILDFIRES California governor declares state of emergency over raging wildfires.California's governor declared a state of emergency on Friday as a string of wildfires raged across the state and a firefighter was killed battling a blaze in drought-parched forest, officials said. The firefighter, David Ruhl of Rapid City, South Dakota, was on temporary assignment in Northern California, where the brunt of 18 large fires burning… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/01/us-usa-wildfires-california-idUSKCN0Q51YE20150801?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Lake County wildfire threatens 5,000 homes, burns 73 square miles. Fire officials say a massive blaze raging in the Lower Lake area of Lake County spread overnight, covering more drought-stricken ground. Cal Fire says the fast-moving Rocky Fire had charred 47,000 acres, or more than 73 square miles, by Sunday morning and is threatening 5,000 homes. It is only 5 percent contained. http://napavalleyregister.com/ap/national/lake-county-wildfire-threatens-homes-burns-square-miles/article_6b59cc02-f2ff-51ce-bee8-4195a657bda4.html Firestorm grows near Clear Lake, Calif.; 12,000 ordered from homes. Fueled by withering dry brush left by an historic drought, a wildfire near Clear Lake ballooned into a ravenous fire storm Sunday, more than doubling in size and forcing authorities to order 12,000 people out of their homes. The Rocky Fire, which began Wednesday afternoon east of the Lake County town of Lower Lake, had destroyed 24…http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/national/article29825926.html FUELS Exxon and Chevron Report Worst Quarterly Results of Current Decade. The long decline in oil prices is hitting American oil companies where it hurts and forcing them to scale back some investments in their production that would otherwise drive future growth. Exxon Mobil and Chevron on Friday posted their worst quarterly results of the current decade as oil and natural gas prices continued to plunge. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/01/business/energy-environment/exxon-mobil-chevron-q2-earnings-oil-prices.html?partner=rss&emc=rss VEHICLES California Has a Plan to End the Auto Industry as We Know It. Sergio Marchionne had a funny thing to say about the $32,500 battery-powered Fiat 500e that his company markets in California as “eco-chic.” “I hope you don’t buy it,” he told his audience at a think tank in Washington in May 2014. He said he loses $14,000 on every 500e he sells and only produces the cars because state rules re¬quire it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-03/california-regulator-mary-nichols-may-transform-the-auto-industry Gas prices fuel U.S. big-vehicle sales in July. The major automakers posted strong U.S. sales performances in July as the auto industry creeps closer to its first full year of 17 million-unit sales since before the Great Recession. The automakers reaped profits from consumers' rush to buy bigger vehicles as gasoline prices remain low. SUV sales stood out. That segment of the market continues to be smoking hot," said Mark LaNeve, Ford's sales chief, on a conference call. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/08/03/nissan-us-sales-up-8-big-vehicles-soar/31046075/ California is squaring off against automakers when it comes to electric cars. The most powerful woman in California isn’t a celebrity, she’s not even someone you often see on TV. That’s because the most powerful woman in California is Mary Nichols, head of the state’s Air Resources Board. Rules set by Nichols’ agency are among the strictest environmental laws in the nation. Visionary quotas have been set under her reign to increase the percentage of new cars sold that are ZEV’s… http://www.businessinsider.com/california-is-squaring-off-against-automakers-when-it-comes-to-electric-cars-2015-8#ixzz3hmhduFhT Car Buyers Unprepared For Coming Wave Of Plug-In Hybrids, Electric Cars. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules require carmakers to achieve a U.S. fleet average of 54.5 mpg by 2025--meaning about 40 mpg on the window sticker. That has automakers working to improve their vehicles' fuel efficiency dramatically, including many more plug-in hybrids. But that may be only half the battle. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099390_car-buyers-unprepared-for-coming-wave-of-plug-in-hybrids-electric-cars Plug-In Electric Car Sales In July: Leaf Plummets, Volt Holds. While May was a good month for sales of plug-in electric cars, the numbers sagged in June--and they appear to be doing the same for July. Last month's sales data is now arriving, and it looks like the lack of new and exciting plug-in vehicles, plus buyers' continuing infatuation with SUVs, have kept plug-in sales substantially below last year's levels for the same period. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099391_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-july-leaf-plummets-volt-holds Next Nissan Leaf Could Become Family Of Electric Cars: Report. The first Toyota Prius came to market in the U.S. in 2000, but it wasn't until 2012 that the single hybrid model expanded into a family of four different cars. Now it appears that the same could happen--somewhere down the road--to the Nissan Leaf, although not until after a second-generation Leaf is introduced, likely for the 2017 model year. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099392_next-nissan-leaf-could-become-family-of-electric-cars-report Simple tech: Electric cars explained. If you just woke up after falling asleep in the 60s, you should know that the world has changed. There’s a real possibility that the fuel we’ve been using so far – mostly sucked out of the ground – will run out. There is also the issue of the byproducts of fuel use that are altering the planet and slowly turning it into a hostile environment. http://overdrive.in/features/simple-tech-electric-cars-explained/ OPINIONS Obama Takes a Crucial Step on Climate Change. President Obama’s Clean Power Plan has rightly been hailed as the most important action any president has taken to address the climate crisis. The new rule requires the nation’s power plants to cut their carbon dioxide emissions to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Power plants are the largest source of such pollution in the United States, responsible for more than a third of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/04/opinion/obama-takes-a-crucial-step-on-climate-change.html?comments Trickle-down politics: Drought could force real change among city, state leaders. It's something of a relief, if a mixed one, that the drought has surged into the role of the latest scourge to freak out California. It's a relief in the sense that it means that the California economy, so recently frighteningly rocky, has receded as the top-billed problem facing the state, even if the recovery is more patchy and vulnerable than anyone might wish. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-california-politics-drought-20150802-story.html Will every house be its own electrical generator? Renewable energy technologies have made outstanding progress in the last decade. Solar panels and wind turbines have become massively more efficient. In many locations, some forms of renewable energy are cost competitive. And yet…just as these exciting changes are taking place, many advocates are shifting their focus to an issue disconnected from the fundamental environmental goals: distributed generation. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/article29793763.html Our View: Pats on the back due for June water savings. We should be patting ourselves on the back just a bit for our water conservation work so far this summer. That's the first part of the message. The second part? You might be getting tired of being so diligent by now … but don't. It's just as likely as not that the drought could continue. And we're probably never going to be able to use water the way we used to. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/opinion/our_views/our-view-pats-on-the-back-due-for-june-water/article_611d4812-37fe-11e5-a668-473fbc43b24d.html BLOGS The Promise and Limits of Obama’s ‘Clean Power Plan’ for Limiting Global Warming. Over the weekend, in a “Memo to America” and lots of details released to the press, President Obama set the stage for today’s release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s final “Clean Power Plan,” aimed at meeting the administration’s pledges to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Obama spoke today about the new climate plan. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/03/the-promise-and-limits-of-obamas-clean-power-plan-for-limiting-global-warming/?_r=0 Cap and Trade and Polarization. One of the most obvious facts about the U.S. political scene is also a fact most pundits refuse to acknowledge: the extreme polarization we now experience, the complete disappearance of any kind of political center, is not a two-sided phenomenon. Democrats haven’t moved drastically to the left — if anything they inched right for a couple of decades… http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/03/cap-and-trade-and-polarization/ Clean Power Plan: Your State-by-State Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Texas was the country's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in 2012, according to data compiled by the World Resources Institute. The country’s biggest polluters will soon have to clean up their acts. The Obama administration was expected to release the final version of its Clean Power Plan on Monday afternoon, the first federal rule to limit heat-trapping carbon emissions… http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/08/03/clean-power-plan-your-state-by-state-greenhouse-gas-emissions Why “Just Say No” is Just Plain Wrong: the Sound Legal Basis for the Clean Power Plan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon finalize the Clean Power Plan — a suite of historic Clean Air Act standards that will establish the first nationwide limits on carbon pollution from America’s fossil fuel-fired power plants. Rigorous carbon pollution standards for the nation’s power sector will yield immense… http://blogs.edf.org/texascleanairmatters/2015/08/03/why-just-say-no-is-just-plain-wrong-the-sound-legal-basis-for-the-clean-power-plan/ It's Time to Protect Little Lungs. An Act To Protect Little Lungs is a bill that I filed in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The idea behind this bill would be to make it illegal for anyone to smoke while a child is in the car in a car seat. Penalty would be a $100 fine, which would be collected by either the local or state police agency who issued the ticket. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-heroux/its-time-to-protect-littl_b_7913158.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 14:57:59 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 4, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 4, 2015. 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 Don’t Like Obama’s Clean-Power Plan? Fine, Here’s Cap and Trade. Republican governors who boycott the Obama administration’s new power-plant regulations may instead get an offer they can’t refuse: a cap-and-trade system many of them also opposed. Five years after Republicans in Congress shot down President Barack Obama’s plan for carbon trading, Obama unveiled rules to combat climate change. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-04/don-t-like-obama-s-clean-power-plan-fine-here-s-cap-and-trade http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/03/usa-climate-capandtrade-idUSL1N10E1TZ20150803?virtualBrandChannel=11563 http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-climate-change-20150804-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Obama-climate-plan-may-give-California-company-in-6422725.php http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/08/03/epa-clean-power-plan-calls-for-bigger-greenhouse-gas-reductions http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/obama-climate-carbon-tax-EPA-cap-and-trade-20150803?ref=t.co http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/29125/20150804/new-york-attorney-general-praises-federal-power-plant-rules http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/08/8573285/obama-emissions-plan-has-roots-new-york-debate?top-featured-image Obama Just Created a Carbon Cap-and-Trade Program. As the Obama Administration honed its historic new climate rules affecting power plants, it began thinking about electricity more broadly. It was a shift in perspective that in the end may produce the nation’s newest system for trading pollution. Instead of looking solely at how each state could reduce pollution from its electricity sector… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/obama-just-created-a-carbon-cap-and-trade-program-19309 EPA proposes carbon trading to deal with reluctant states. Republican governors who refuse to comply with President Obama's new climate plan might find themselves facing a more detested option: cap and trade. In addition to the Clean Power Plan released yesterday, EPA also publicized a proposal revealing how it will handle states that refuse to submit their own plans for emission reductions from the power sector. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060022940 AIR POLLUTION How China's Economy Suffers When It Tries to Cut Pollution. While China is boosting infrastructure spending, it is also keen to make a good impression, even at an increasing economic cost. Sometimes, Chinese policy making seems to tug the economy in different directions. Take the past week. Premier Li Keqiang paved the way for fresh spending to lay drainpipes across the country's cities… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-03/china-s-policy-paradox-blue-skies-and-drain-pipes Good day to play outside? Learn about air pollution to find out. Changing behaviors can lead to fewer code red (or worse) days in the D.C. area. Have you ever run around outside on a hot summer day, and suddenly your lungs feel as though they’re burning? You could be overly tired. Or your lungs may be reacting to pollutants and chemicals in the air. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/good-day-to-play-outside-learn-about-air-pollution-to-find-out/2015/08/03/3708e168-30a5-11e5-97ae-30a30cca95d7_story.html Breathe deep: Valley air quality has best July in two decades. July hasn’t been so nice since 1995 in the San Joaquin Valley. We’re talking about dirty air, and the lack of it last month. For 21 days last month, the air did not exceed the eight-hour federal health standard for ozone — a corrosive gas that attacks the lungs, skin and eyes. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/earth-log/article29936400.html#storylink=cpy UPDATE: Air quality advisories for Humboldt and Trinity counties. Smoke levels in these area(s) have been classified as Unhealthy and are creating a health hazard. Smoke is being generated by the numerous fires of the Humboldt Lightning Complex, Mad River Complex, Rail Fire, River Complex, Fork Complex, and Barker Fire. Smoke will likely settle in nearby canyons, valleys, and basins… http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20150804/update-air-quality-advisories-for-humboldt-and-trinity-counties CLIMATE CHANGE California is ahead of the game as Obama releases Clean Power Plan. President Obama's plan to cut carbon pollution from power plants over the next 15 years will force states to address climate change by pushing them to act more like California. The Clean Power Plan announced Monday poses significant challenges for states that rely on coal-fired power plants for much of their electricity… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-climate-change-20150804-story.html City of San Diego Details Ambitious Climate Action Plan. The plan could cut the city’s greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2035. A more detailed look at the city of San Diego's ambitious climate action plan was published Friday, including specific strategies for how the city will work against climate change. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/aug/04/san-diego-climate-action-plan-details-announced/ Brown administration applauds Obama emissions order. President Barack Obama’s announcement of new regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants met Monday with significant interest from much of the country, including from Republicans who said they would challenge the measure in court. In California? Little fuss besides an atta-boy from Gov. Jerry Brown. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article29902360.html#storylink=cpy Kevin de León brings climate change appeal to California Latinos. With California’s environmental movement derided by critics as elitist and overwhelmingly white, state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León is working to broaden its appeal. Joined by billionaire activist Tom Steyer, De León appeared on Univision Los Angeles on Sunday to make the case to Spanish-speaking audiences. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article29872852.html#storylink=cpy Is US now a climate change leader? How Obama's new plan measures up. The climate change plan announced by the Obama administration Monday is not as aggressive as plans by some other countries. But it suggests the US is serious about the issue and gives the country new credibility in climate talks. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0804/Is-US-now-a-climate-change-leader-How-Obama-s-new-plan-measures-up CLIMATE CHANGE: California leads nation in greenhouse-gas policy. State’s landmark 2006 climate change law puts California ahead of Obama’s carbon-emission cutting requirements. California officials had little to worry about Monday, Aug. 3, when the Obama administration released plans for tough greenhouse-gas cuts for the nation’s power plants. http://www.pe.com/articles/california-775799-state-percent.html More Californians believe in global warming. More than 60 percent of Californians — including a majority in every region of the state, from the inland areas to the coast — say global warming is already affecting California, a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California finds. But one group of Californians is much less convinced: Republicans. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/20150803/more-californians-believe-in-global-warming FUELS Oil Prices Tumble Again, Hurting Drillers But Helping Drivers. Falling oil prices have put downward pressure on gasoline prices, now averaging $2.65 a gallon — about 85 cents cheaper than a year ago. Falling oil prices have put downward pressure on gasoline prices, now averaging $2.65 a gallon — about 85 cents cheaper than a year ago. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/08/03/429059026/oil-prices-tumble-again-hurting-drillers-but-helping-drivers Fact or Fiction?: Natural Gas Will Reduce Global Warming Pollution. Has burning natural gas instead of coal helped the U.S. economy decarbonize? It's complicated. Is natural gas enough to combat climate change? A drop in U.S. carbon dioxide pollution in recent years stems from burning natural gas instead of coal. Or does it? Given that the U.S. bid to combat climate change… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-natural-gas-will-reduce-global-warming-pollution/ VEHICLES Electric Car-Sharing Opens for Low-Income Angelenos. Electric cars will soon be available to low-income residents of Los Angeles through a new car-sharing project. The California Air Resources Board has awarded a $1.6 million grant to the City of Los Angeles and its community partners for a pilot project that provides electric vehicle car-sharing options in low-income communities. http://ens-newswire.com/2015/08/02/electric-car-sharing-opens-for-low-income-angelenos/ Electric Car Ignorance Breeds Dislike, Says German Study. Daimler, the parent of company of luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz, recently completed a large-scale study of electric cars and consumer attitudes toward them in its home country of Germany. Called eMERGE, the program ran from May 2013 to June 2015, using a fleet of 146 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive electric cars. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099404_electric-car-ignorance-breeds-dislike-says-german-study Tesla calls for stricter regulations to support electric vehicles. Tesla believes that stricter emissions regulations will be a benefit. Fuel economy targets in the United States could become a major benefit for Tesla Motors. As the U.S. begins to consider relaxing regulations concerning fuel economy, several automakers are breathing a sigh of relief, but Tesla is pushing for stricter regulations on the auto industry. http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/tesla-calls-for-stricter-regulations-to-support-electric-vehicles/8522916/ OPINIONS Climate-Change Putsch. States should refuse to comply with Obama’s lawless power rule. Rarely do American Presidents display the raw willfulness that President Obama did Monday in rolling out his plan to reorganize the economy in the name of climate change. Without a vote in Congress or even much public debate, Mr. Obama is using his last 18 months to dictate U.S. energy choices for the next 20 or 30 years. http://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-change-putsch-1438642218?mod=rss_opinion_main Obama’s Flexible Fix to Climate Change. For many years, I used to spend at least part of the summer in the gorgeous Laurentides region of Quebec, an hour northwest of Montreal. By the mid-1980s, with each return trip, I could see a growing environmental threat to the area’s beauty: More and more trees were dying. When I asked people what was happening, the answer was simple: “pluie acide,” or acid rain… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/04/opinion/joe-nocera-obamas-flexible-fix-to-climate-change.html?_r=0 Editorial Obama's Clean Energy Plan doesn't go far enough. The coal industry already has its legal claws honed for a court battle over President Obama's Clean Energy Plan, which was unveiled Monday, claiming that it will cost too much and render people jobless. Certainly, in the short term at least, slowing climate change by reducing carbon emissions won't be cheap and it won't be easy. But the science shows: We don't have a choice. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-change-obama-clean-energy-plan-20150804-story.html Carson Bruno: Australia can teach us about drought. Just as students across California are working through their required summer reading lists, California's officials should add a piece to theirs: "Water Markets in Australia: A Short History" published by Australia's National Water Commission. Providing a snapshot into how Australia's dysfunctional water trading system evolved into an efficient one… http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28579516/carson-bruno-australia-can-teach-us-about-drought Views You Can Use: A Climate Plan That Lasts? Obama wants to wean America off coal, but Congress may stand in his way. President Barack Obama unveiled a plan Monday to reduce carbon emissions from power plants, calling it “the biggest, most important step we’ve ever taken to combat climate change.” The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce emissions by 32 percent, from 2005 levels by 2030. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2015/08/04/pundits-react-to-obamas-climate-change-clean-power-plan BLOGS The Insiders: Obama’s latest global warming plan is about his legacy, not policy. The latest iteration of the administration’s Clean Power Plan isn’t really meant to impact the environment or produce more energy. It is fair to say that it is just another attempt by President Obama to make an ideological point. Only Obama’s most committed apologists will herald this pseudo-plan as a legitimate achievement. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/08/04/the-insiders-obamas-latest-global-warming-plan-is-about-his-legacy-not-policy/ Here's where over 90% of the extra heat from global warming is going and the billions of dollars it's costing us. It's no surprise that climate change is raising summer temperatures in many parts of the globe, but what you might not know is where most of that extra heat is going. Scientists estimate that as much as 90% of it is heading straight into our oceans, and that has major consequences not only for marine wildlife but for the world's economy. http://www.businessinsider.com/ocean-is-absorbing-heat-from-climate-change-2015-8#ixzz3hsJmTV6P California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 14:36:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 5, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 5, 2015. 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 Unsettled July weather helps San Joaquin Valley air quality. The San Joaquin Valley had three weeks of healthy air in July for the first time in 20 years. The Fresno Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1hhS1vl ) that for 21 days last month, the air didn't exceed the eight-hour federal health standard for ozone — a harmful gas that attacks the lungs, skin and eyes. The Valley averages only five or six good air days a month. http://www.montereyherald.com/environment-and-nature/20150805/unsettled-july-weather-helps-san-joaquin-valley-air-quality CLIMATE CHANGE/CLEAN POWER PLAN Obama’s Power Plan May Be Historic But It Won’t Save the World. President Barack Obama’s plan to reduce carbon pollution -- acclaimed by supporters, reviled by opponents -- won’t be enough to save the planet. That’s the view of scientists, including European researchers who study climate policies. It’s a numbers game: Even if the U.S., China, Europe and other nations meet their commitments on cutting carbon… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-04/obama-s-power-plan-may-be-historic-but-it-won-t-save-the-world Jerry Brown calls on GOP candidates to detail climate change policies. Gov. Jerry Brown tried to elbow his way into presidential politics Wednesday morning by calling for Republican candidates to detail plans to address climate change. “Continuing to question the science and hurl insults at ‘global warming hoaxsters’ and ‘apostles of this pseudo-religion’ won’t prevent severe damage to our health and economic well-being," Brown wrote in a letter. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-climate-change-republican-president-20150805-story.html http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2015/08/05/california-governor-challenges-gop-candidates-on-climate-change/ Next step for Obama's climate rules: A court debate over wording 'glitch'. President Obama’s climate-change plan will face a fierce challenge in the courts this fall, when lawyers for at least 15 states join the coal and power industries to block the carbon-reducing rules before they take effect. They will argue the 1970s-era Clean Air Act did not authorize a national attack on greenhouse gases… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-climate-legal-20150805-story.html What Do GOP Presidential Candidates Do When Their Voters Support Obama’s Climate Plan? A recent poll of Republican presidential primary voters in the early voting states of New Hampshire and South Carolina finds an unexpected result for the 17 candidates campaigning there. Most of these voters support regulating carbon pollution — even using President Obama’s Clean Power Plan (CPP). http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/05/3687684/gop-primary-voters-vs-candidates/ Clean Power Plan: Reasonable, Achievable State Targets for Cutting Power Plant Pollution. The historic Clean Power Plan finalized this week to limit carbon pollution from power plants allows each state to design its own cost-effective pathway toward a cleaner electricity system that will protect our health and help safeguard future generations from the worst impacts of climate change. http://www.theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2257467/clean-power-plan-reasonable-achievable-state-targets-cutting-power-plant-pol EPA rule includes 'panoply' of changes to help states trade carbon emissions. U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan does far more than the draft proposal to support states pursuing carbon trading, offering a "panoply" of tools, in the rule's words. States can still choose to write plans to direct individual carbon-cutting actions, from burning more natural gas to building renewable power. Or they can tell power plants to meet emissions rates… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/05/stories/1060023009 DROUGHT Drought-fueled fire we’ve been dreading is here. This is the blaze that firefighters have braced for all year, the ferocious Rocky Fire burning near Clear Lake that has destroyed more than two dozen homes and hit with the kind of force long-dreaded because of California’s historic drought. On Wednesday, it had grown to more than 68,000 acres — bigger than Sacramento at 103 square miles… http://www.dailydemocrat.com/general-news/20150805/drought-fueled-fire-weve-been-dreading-is-here Amid California drought, fears rise of trees dying, falling. As Californians and the communities they live in cut back water use and let lawns turn brown, arborists and state officials are worrying about a potentially dangerous ripple effect: City trees going neglected and becoming diseased or even falling. With cities ordered to reduce water use by 25 percent during the state's four-year drought… http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_28584201/amid-california-drought-fears-rise-trees-dying-falling Small fish could be big causality in drought water battle. California’s historic drought could wipe out a tiny, endangered fish that’s played an outsized role in the state’s water wars. The delta smelt lives in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the West Coast’s largest estuary that supplies water to Central Valley farms and millions of Southern California residents. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/smelt-675841-delta-water.html FUELS Inside Shell’s Extreme Plan to Drill for Oil in the Arctic. A global oil glut has tanked prices and cut profits—so why won’t Shell give up on the north? In a windowless conference room in Anchorage, a dozen Royal Dutch Shell employees report on the highest-profile oil project in the multinational’s vast global portfolio. Warmed by mid-July temperatures, Arctic ice in the Chukchi Sea, northwest of the Alaskan mainland, is receding. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-08-05/inside-shell-s-extreme-plan-to-drill-for-oil-in-the-arctic Can California Cut Gasoline Use In Half In 15 Years? Probably Not. One sunny Saturday in Stockton, Mary Serrano climbed into the driver’s seat of a bright-red, all-electric Chevrolet Spark. A retiree who normally drives a 20-year-old Toyota Camry, she was curious about the new technology on display at the local fairground. "I feel like I’m going to outer space… http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/08/04/can-california-cut-gasoline-use-in-half-in-15-years-probably-not/ VEHICLES Tensions over U.S. electric vehicle mandates spill into the open. A long-simmering dispute between automakers and U.S. regulators over policies to promote electric vehicles spilled into the open on Tuesday, in the high stakes struggle over the future of automotive technology. The heads of two major lobby groups told hundreds of attendees at an industry conference in Traverse City, Michigan… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/05/us-autos-electric-idUSKCN0QA01R20150805 Tesla's push for tougher emission standards would boost its bottom line. Tesla Motors Inc. is pushing for tougher auto-emission regulations even as major carmakers are launching initiatives to water down state and federal mandates to increase fuel economy and the number of zero emission vehicles on U.S. roads. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-tesla-credits-20150805-story.html#page=1 Tesla exec: Competitor's vehicles resemble appliances. Tesla would share its charging stations if other vehicles could handle the power and wants to open up to 10 stores in Michigan. An executive for electric automaker Tesla Motors used a Michigan seminar Tuesday to take more shots at the traditional auto industry, describing competitive vehicles as… http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2015/08/04/tesla-charging-stations-michigan-sales-styling-car-seminar/31119523/ Car buyers aren't being educated when it comes to electric cars. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules require carmakers to achieve a U.S. fleet average of 54.5 mpg by 2025--meaning about 40 mpg on the window sticker. That has automakers working to improve their vehicles' fuel efficiency dramatically, including many more plug-in hybrids. But that may be only half the battle. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099390_car-buyers-unprepared-for-coming-wave-of-plug-in-hybrids-electric-cars#ixzz3hxW97BYY Vehicle to Grid Energy Storage Experiment Underway in California. BMW drivers will get paid $1,000 to delay charging i3 electric cars when utilities need to lessen energy demand. In a new pilot program, a California utility is paying drivers of BMW electric cars to delay charging their vehicles when the power grid is under pressure. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/08/vehicle-to-grid-energy-storage-experiment-underway-in-california.html Oil Hauler Brings Electric Cars To Heart Of Oklahoma Oil Country. The event that started out as National Plug-In Day has now expanded into National Drive Electric Week. Every year, advocacy group Plug-In America collaborates with the Sierra Club, the Electric Auto Association, and numerous smaller entities to host a national electric-car awareness event. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099426_oil-hauler-brings-electric-cars-to-heart-of-oklahoma-oil-country GREEN ENERGY U.K. Allows Consortium to Build Biggest Offshore Wind Project. The U.K. authorized the Forewind consortium of four European utilities to build the joint-largest offshore wind project in the world. The two 1.2-gigawatt wind farms, called Dogger Bank Teesside A&B, total almost four times the capacity of the largest operational project. They won development permission from the Department of Energy and Climate Change… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-05/u-k-permits-dogger-bank-teesside-a-b-offshore-wind-farms Smithfield Joins Green Groups as Pigs Fly in Clean-Energy Fight. With North Carolina’s renewable energy mandate under assault from Republican legislators, green groups seeking to save it have found an unlikely ally: the state’s hog industry. Smithfield Foods Inc. and other companies that raise and slaughter pigs have put aside decades of disagreements and united -- for the moment… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-05/smithfield-joins-green-groups-as-pigs-fly-in-clean-energy-fight Four Lessons Obama Should Learn From Merkel’s Energy Revolution. World leaders seeking to clean up their energy industries could do worse than turning to Germany's chancellor for advice. Germany’s “Energiewende” is managing the biggest transformation away from fossil fuels and nuclear power and toward renewables of any advanced economy. It hasn’t all gone smoothly. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-05/four-lessons-obama-should-learn-from-merkel-s-energy-revolution UPDATE 1-Siemens picks German port for new wind power plant. Siemens has chosen the German coastal town of Cuxhaven as the location for a new wind power components plant, creating up to 1,000 new jobs in its home country where it is axing more than a thousand elsewhere at its gas turbines unit. The German industrial group will invest 200 million euros ($217 million) in the factory… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/05/siemens-windpower-plant-idUSL5N10G1R120150805?feedType=RSS&feedName=financialsSector SolarCity Expands Into Mexico in First International Acquisition. SolarCity Corp., the biggest U.S. provider of rooftop solar power, agreed to buy a Mexican developer in its first international expansion. SolarCity is buying the commercial solar unit of Iliosson SA for $10 million and will pay another $5 million for assets related to energy storage, Marco Krapels, SolarCity’s head of global expansion, said in an interview Tuesday. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NSKVUVSYF01S01-6E8JCU642AU7PFHGUMH5V5FQT2 How the growth of wind and solar let EPA toughen up its carbon rules. The Obama administration’s new Clean Power Plan, released Monday, is being heralded as a “game-changer.” In fact, a better description is that it’s trying to cement changes already occurring in how we get electricity, and in particular, the stunning recent boom in solar energy — as well as in wind. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/04/how-the-clean-energy-boom-let-epa-toughen-up-its-carbon-rules/ See-Through Solar Could Turn Windows, Phones Into Power Sources. "It's a whole new way of thinking about solar energy," says startup CEO about using transparent solar cells on buildings and electronics. Anyone who has sweltered in a south-facing office during the summer knows the power of solar energy streaming through a window. In fact, no reputable urban architect today would design such a workspace without… http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/08/150805-transparent-solar-could-turn-window-phones-into-power-generators/ Utilities and rooftop solar companies ally to push bill to boost Calif.'s renewable energy goals. California's pursuit of ever-more renewable energy is pushing odd partners into a debate over the role of rooftop solar. The past few years have brought bruising fights between utilities and small-scale renewables companies over policies that compensate rooftop solar systems for putting power back into the grid. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060022992 MISCELLANEOUS New Building Material Twice as Strong as Concrete, Low Carbon Footprint. Watershed Materials, a California-based building materials technology startup, has developed technology to produce high-strength masonry with a low carbon footprint using natural mineral-based geopolymers. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/08/05/new-building-material-twice-as-strong-as-concrete-low-carbon-footprint/#ixzz3hxQ4Jrbp OPINIONS New climate rules mean cleaner air, better health. Why is this controversial? To the editor: Cutting carbon emissions from power plants is not just about partisan politics; it is, more importantly, about our health. ("How Obama's new emissions rules will likely shape the White House race," Aug. 2). The changing climate is expected to increase air pollution, causing more problems with asthma and other lung conditions. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0805-wednesday-obama-climate-20150805-story.html Time for a Modern Energy System. In 2007, the Supreme Court defined greenhouse gasses as air pollutants under the 1970 Clean Air Act and required the Environmental Protection Agency to develop rules to reduce the generation of these pollutants. This week, President Barack Obama issued the regulations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from America's power plants. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-obamas-clean-power-plan-a-good-idea/time-for-a-modern-energy-system BLOGS An Open Letter to Every Climate Change Denier. We know that certain things trap heat. We can test that very easily. In the case of at least one greenhouse gas, you yourself probably confirm this every day without even realizing it. We know that we are pumping billions and billions of tons of these heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. We know that, as we have done this, global temperatures have increased. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-womack/an-open-letter-to-every-climate-change-denier_b_7936070.html Obama's Got a Climate Plan, Where's the GOP's? President Obama has developed a concrete and achievable plan for confronting the threat of climate change. In a powerful speech on Monday, he announced the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from power plants and laid out how it will shield future generations from climate chaos, make the air safer to breathe and save Americans money on energy bills. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-taylormiesle/obamas-got-a-climate-plan_b_7939644.html Opinion The Clean Power Plan: An Industrial Nightmare. The Obama administration is finally trying to deal with climate change in a comprehensive way. Distracted in his first term by the recession and health care the President did not have the capacity to push the Waxman-Markey bill through the Senate. It is only in his second term that the President has returned to climate change as a key issue to be faced by the United States… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/forest-trends/opinion-the-clean-power-p_b_7938566.html Civic Disobedience and Climate Change. On July 30, the whole world watched as 13 Greenpeace activists dangled from ropes tied to the St. John's bridge in Portland, Ore., red and yellow streamers catching the wind. They were blocking the exit of the Fennica, Shell's ice breaker headed to the Arctic to facilitate drilling. These young activists hung there for 40 hours in makeshift platforms… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marilyn-sewell/civic-disobedience-and-cl_b_7935984.html The Obama Clean Energy Plan Moves Us Past the False Debate Over Climate Change. There is a lot of opining about the Obama Administration's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Most of these comments deal with the details; what does the plan do and how, does it do enough (the reviews are decidedly mixed), and why does it prefer some forms of clean power… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-ropeik/the-obama-clean-energy-pl_b_7941242.html Don't Like The New Climate Rules? Thank Congress. Legislators could have passed a climate change law to supplant Obama's regulations, but they didn't. Critics of the Obama administration's new rules for power plant emissions have been quick to describe them as "government overreach" and "flagrantly unlawful." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/congress-climate-rules-emissions_55c127b8e4b0b75c1c8c79a6 Lights will stay on with new power plant pollution rules. Find out why. The Clean Power Plan is designed with reliability in mind, a fact detractors tend to ignore. The specter of grid failure is a frightening image, one that critics of the new power plant pollution standards have fixated on, but it’s just that: a specter, an illusion not grounded in reality. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/08/05/lights-will-stay-on-with-new-power-plant-pollution-rules-find-out-why/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 15:27:22 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 6, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 6, 2015. 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 US carbon pollution from power plants hits 27-year low. Heat-trapping pollution from U.S. power plants hit a 27-year low in April, the Department of Energy announced Wednesday. A big factor was the long-term shift from coal to cleaner and cheaper natural gas, said Energy Department economist Allen McFarland. Outside experts also credit more renewable fuel use and energy efficiency. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CARBON_POLLUTION?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/05/science/ap-us-sci-carbon-pollution.html UPDATE 1-China's steel city feels impact of pollution regulations. Struggling from weak demand and facing new rules to clean up pollution, some firms in China's top steel producing city have scaled back production or even closed completely, lifting local steel prices off 20-year lows. China is using tougher environmental rules to help tackle a severe steel capacity glut that has depressed prices and saddled much of the sector… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/06/china-steel-tangshan-idUSL3N10H14N20150806 Tesoro settles Martinez refinery pollution suit for $4 million. Texas-based oil manufacturer Tesoro Corp. has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a lawsuit claiming the company spewed smog- and ozone-producing pollutants at its refinery in Martinez. Bay Area air quality regulators announced the deal Wednesday after an eight-year investigation found that refinery workers disposed of the plant’s byproducts in sewer and water-treatment… http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Suit-over-air-pollution-at-East-Bay-refinery-6427224.php Butte County air quality remains OK despite smoky skies. While smoke from regional wildfires drifted high above Butte County on Wednesday, the air quality here has remained, for the most part, OK, according to the Butte County Air Quality Management District. Jason Mandly, associate air quality planner for the district, said north winds pushed smoke… http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150805/butte-county-air-quality-remains-ok-despite-smoky-skies Air quality advisory for Tehama County. The air quality in Tehama County is in the unhealthy range. Conditions will most likely vary from unhealthy to moderate over short periods of time as smoke from wildland fires in the Northstate drift over Tehama County. Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma… http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150806/air-quality-advisory-for-tehama-county EPA foes turned asthma study into weapon for ozone fight. When a Johns Hopkins University researcher published a study showing race and income as risk factors for asthma, she started getting phone calls from industry groups opposing U.S. EPA's bid to tighten the national ozone standard. Dr. Corinne Keet said her newfound fans wanted to use her work to show EPA's ozone proposal wouldn't yield public health benefits. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023092 CLIMATE CHANGE Warming Climate Leaves Alaskans With Fewer Walrus to Hunt. Anna Oxereok grew up eating walrus in the western Alaska village of Wales. Today it's such a rare treat she can't bring herself to part with the plastic gallon bag of meat in her freezer. "I have to save it for something special," she says. Her brother caught two animals this spring and shared the meat and fat, but it didn't go very far in the village of 150. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ALASKA_WALRUS_HUNTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/06/us/ap-us-alaska-walrus-hunts.html http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Warming-temps-push-walrus-north-leave-Alaskans-6427987.php El Niño Tests How Soft Commodities Weather the Storm. The El Niño weather pattern can wreak havoc on already battered agricultural commodities. Investors in soft commodities are used to being slaves to the weather’s twists and turns. With prices now in a depression and the El Niño weather pattern looming, the forecast looks more unsettled than normal. http://www.wsj.com/articles/el-nino-tests-how-soft-commodities-weather-the-storm-1438834405 Senate panel votes to block Obama's climate rule. A Senate committee voted Wednesday to block implementation of the administration’s climate rule for power plants. The bill passed by voice vote at a hastily organized meeting of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee just across the hall from the Senate chamber in the Capitol… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250347-senate-panel-votes-to-block-obama-climate-rule EPA Clean Power Plan: Start Trading Carbon, Please. U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan does far more than the draft proposal to support states pursuing carbon trading, offering a “panoply” of tools, in the rule’s words. States can still choose to write plans to direct individual carbon-cutting actions, from burning more natural gas to building renewable power. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/epa-clean-power-plan-start-trading-carbon-please/ Hot enough for you? This is just the beginning. Millions of people around the world are experiencing a scorching summer, as records are broken and thermostats climb this week in parts of Europe. Temperatures in Paris and Brussels exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit at a time of year when 70-degree weather is the norm… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023072 Salmon face warming waters, changes to El Niño patterns in fight for survival on West Coast. It's not easy to be a salmon on the West Coast these days. From California to Alaska, record high temperatures and low snowmelt are affecting the species' survival in their freshwater habitats. Now, new research finds changes in the climate patterns associated with El Niño have shifted and are affecting productivity… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023067 Climate models fall short in predicting how insects respond to warming – study. If you are trying to predict how pests will respond to climate change, don't rely too much on climate modeling, says Daniel Bebber, a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. While the climate models can provide agricultural producers with information about how temperature… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023082 Climate change could help Canada's wine industry. Global warming could give Quebec's wine industry a boost by allowing new varieties of grapes to flourish, according to recent research. Climate scientists Philippe Roy and Isabelle Charron presented their work at the American Geophysical Union's Joint Assembly, held in Montreal in May. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023051 DROUGHT Hospitals look for ways to cut water use. Hospitals are among the highest water users in communities, but have a lot of potential to help California fight its ongoing drought, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Jonah Schein, a technical coordinator for the EPA's WaterSense Program, said the drought is shifting the focus of utilities' efficiency from energy to water. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0806-drought-watch-hospitals-20150806-story.html Biologists fear repeat of 2002 salmon kill in Klamath River. Biologists are worried the drought in the West is setting up the Klamath River through southern Oregon and Northern California for a repeat of the 2002 fish kill that left tens of thousands of adult salmon dead. Low water and warm temperatures have slowed the upriver migration of spring chinook, allowing parasites to infect them as they crowd together in cool water pools. http://www.vcstar.com/news/national/biologists-fear-repeat-of-2002-salmon-kill-in-klamath-river_91709267 How marijuana is making California drought worse. Environmental studies find that marijuana, now the top cash crop in California, is taking a heavy toll on some of the state's most sensitive ecosystems, especially in a drought. California's most valuable cash crop, marijuana, is taking a heavy toll on some of the state's most sensitive ecosystems, with the effects ranging from erosion… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0806/How-marijuana-is-making-California-drought-worse DIESEL ACTIVITIES Shale Boom Nudges Propane-Powered Trucks From Dream to Reality. For almost 80 years, Blue Star Gas distributed propane throughout the U.S. West Coast on trucks mostly powered by gasoline. Now the company is working to convert its 55 vehicles to run on the same stuff it delivers. Blue Star won’t be alone. UPS Inc. already has more than 1,000 propane-powered delivery trucks on the street, with plans to buy more. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39086 Carbon Adsorption to Reduce CNG Costs. Low-pressure dispensing and storage of compressed natural gas through carbon adsorption will further cut the price of the low-cost fuel and make filling stations affordable for smaller fleets, according to companies now working on the technology. Both said scientific breakthroughs with activated carbon about a year ago will commercialize the science involved. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/08/carbon-adsorbsion-set-to-bring-down-cost-of-cng-storage-and-use-developers-say.aspx FUELS Oil hits multi-month lows on U.S. gasoline build worries. Oil prices hit multi-month lows on Wednesday after a surge in gasoline stockpiles in the United States as the summer season, the country's biggest demand period for motor fuels, neared its end. Futures of Brent, the global oil benchmark, hit a six-month bottom while that of U.S. crude touched a 4-1/2-month trough, despite a bigger-than-expected drawdown in U.S. crude stockpiles announced by the Energy Information Administration. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/05/us-markets-oil-idUSKCN0QA04O20150805 Eletrobras to pay Petrobras in debt settlement, government says. Brazil's two largest energy companies, Eletrobras and Petrobras , settled a quarrel on Wednesday worth billions of dollars in late payments for fuel supplies, the government said. Brazil's Energy Ministry said Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, as Eletrobras is known, will pay Petrobras a bill that at one point late last year was estimated at around 8.6 billion reais ($2.47 billion)… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/06/eletrobras-petrobras-debt-idUSL5N10G4XL20150806 Group seeks a legislative fix as California refinery profits surge. A consumer advocacy group says Californians paid a $4.8-billion premium compared with prices in the rest of the nation during the first half of 2015 because of the state's gasoline price spike, and it proposed legislation to fix what it sees as problems in the market. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0806-gas-prices-legislation-20150806-story.html http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023085 VEHICLES Tesla cuts annual production forecast; second-quarter loss widens. Tesla Motors Inc.'s second-quarter loss nearly tripled as it invested in launching a sport utility vehicle, releasing new versions of its flagship Model S sports sedan and constructing a giant battery plant near Reno. The Palo Alto electric-car company said Wednesday that it lost $184 million in the second quarter, compared with a loss of $62 million a year earlier. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-second-quarter-results-20150805-story.html Tesla In MI, Electric Cars In OK, Canadian Plug-In Car Sales: Today's Car News. Today, Tesla doubles down on efforts to overturn Michigan's direct-sales ban, an Oklahoma oil-field worker plans an electric-car rally, and we tally Canadian plug-in electric car sales for July 2015. All this and more on Green Car Reports. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099440_tesla-in-mi-electric-cars-in-ok-canadian-plug-in-car-sales-todays-car-news Home and grid batteries sell out as Tesla gears up to launch new car. For Tesla Motors Inc., stationary energy storage is shaping up to be a big part of its business. The company introduced a home battery storage system, Powerwall, and a larger, utility-scale storage unit called Powerpack, in April (ClimateWire, June 10). "The demand has been really crazy. It's well over a billion dollars" of reservations… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023083 GREEN ENERGY Solar deals are hot, but investors fret; Sunrun IPO fizzles. A string of deals involving rooftop solar companies has shown both the appeal and potential of the business - and limits to investor enthusiasm. SunRun, the San Francisco-based solar financing pioneer, raised $250 million in an initial public offering Wednesday, but shares fell 13 percent. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SOLAR_DEALS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT East Bay cities aiding homeowners in adopting solar power. East Bay cities are making it easier for homeowners to go solar through a new program called East Bay SunShares, according to Walnut Creek city officials. Walnut Creek, Concord, Fremont, and Lafayette are partnering in running this program, which aims to promote utilizing solar power… http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28589960/east-bay-cities-aiding-homeowners-adopting-soalr-power Cities making aggressive GHG cuts from buildings, transportation – DOE. A new Energy Department analysis of 20 U.S. cities shows that municipalities continue to lead the nation on key metrics of energy sustainability and climate change preparedness, including the widespread use of energy audits, the adoption of energy-efficient heating and cooling systems… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023068 OPINIONS COLUMN-U.S. refiners find the oil market's sweet spot: Kemp. Low crude prices and strong demand for gasoline are creating near-perfect conditions for oil refineries across the United States, especially those geared towards maximizing gasoline production. Valero, the country's largest independent refiner, made a gross margin of more than $13 on every barrel of oil processed in the second quarter… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/06/usa-refiners-kemp-idUSL5N10H3IB20150806 Jay Ambrose: Three strikes for Obama’s climate plan. President Barack Obama has a new plan to fight global warming, and science is on his side, isn’t it? No, not exactly. But wait, calculations show the economy will benefit, don’t they? No, not even close — consumers will take a bath. Well, finally, the Constitution backs up the effort’s legality, does it not? It does not. These are some questions and answers... http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/08/05/ambrose-obama-climate-change-plan/31168023/ Gov. Brown must release L.A. oilfield pollution report: Guest commentary. Are oil companies contaminating underground water supplies in Los Angeles? A more critical question is hard to imagine during California’s devastating drought. At stake is the purity of water our parched state desperately needs for drinking and irrigation. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150806/gov-brown-must-release-la-oilfield-pollution-report-guest-commentary EDITORIAL: Clean Power Plan breath of fresh air. President Barack Obama’s new and badly needed Clean Power Plan to reduce air pollution in the form of greenhouse gases released this week has put him on a collision course with most of the Republicans running for president, including Gov. Chris Christie, who claim this is one more example of the Obama administration’s expensive job-killing regulatory overreach. http://www.thedailyjournal.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/08/06/editorial-clean-power-plan-breath-fresh-air/31216953/ The economics of climate change. People have a lot of misconceptions when you tell them you’re from Alaska. No. We don’t all live in igloos. No. It’s not dark all the time. And yes, I am a Democrat who is concerned about climate change and supports responsible oil and gas development in Alaska. Now that you’re confused about Alaska again, let me explain. http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/250368-the-economics-of-climate-change BLOGS 3 Ways the Clean Power Plan Will Strengthen Our Economy. On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Clean Power Plan, the first legislation of its kind to curb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing U.S. power plants. By improving air quality, the plan promises to prevent 90,000 childhood asthma attacks and avoid up to 3,600 premature deaths each year – without compromising economic growth. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/06/stories/1060023092 Clean Power, Dirty Money. The climate change rules that President Obama announced earlier this week will force modest but important and desperately needed reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Yet opponents of the rule are making apocalyptic predictions about its impact, with many newly discovering their voice as consumer advocates. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weissman/clean-power-dirty-money_b_7948516.html Clean Power Plan Puts Emphasis on Clean Energy, Not on Natural Gas. America is taking historic action against climate change. On Monday, President Obama announced the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from power plants. This breakthrough will help shield future generations from climate chaos and prevent thousands of premature deaths each year. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-caseylefkowitz/clean-power-plan-puts-emp_b_7949772.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 7 Aug 2015 12:02:13 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 7, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 7, 2015. 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 ClearSign wins contract for emission-curbing system from Tesoro. ClearSign Combustion Corp (CLIR.O), a small company whose technology helps refiners cut nitrogen oxide emissions, has signed a deal with Tesoro Corp (TSO.N) to retrofit a Los Angeles refinery heater with a combustion control system. The refinery, which supplies 50 percent of the jet fuel used by Los Angeles International Airport, is aiming to halve nitrogen oxide emissions by 2020… http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/08/07/uk-clearsign-tesoro-contract-idINKCN0QC1FG20150807 China Gets a Little More Fresh Air. Idled factories, less coal use, and lower emissions make breathing easier. On a Tuesday afternoon in late July, a newlywed couple prepared to pose for their wedding portraits in front of Beijing’s historic Drum Tower. Lily Chen, 28, in a sparkling white gown and tiara, checked her makeup in a mirror—and then looked up the Air Quality Index (AQI) on her smartphone. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-06/pollution-china-gets-a-little-more-fresh-air Fire, weather shift Red Bluff skies full of haze. Skies were full of haze throughout Thursday prompting the Tehama County Air Pollution Control District to issue an air advisory announcing the county had reached an unhealthy air quality range. A majority of Thursday saw the county sitting at unhealthy conditions for all groups and a caution that everyone should limit outdoor exposure. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150807/fire-weather-shift-red-bluff-skies-full-of-haze San Joaquin Valley enjoys best July air quality in decades. The San Joaquin Valley had three weeks of healthy air in July for the first time in 20 years. The Fresno Bee reports that for 21 days last month, the air didn't exceed the eight-hour federal health standard for ozone — a harmful gas that attacks the lungs, skin and eyes. The Valley averages only five or six good air days a month. http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/San-Joaquin-Valley-enjoys-best-July-air-quality-in-decades-320966541.html CLIMATE CHANGE Green California Just Won the Climate Fight, Now Comes the Pain. Here’s some irony for you. California, the world’s pioneer of climate change policy, may actually lose out on some clean power thanks to President Obama’s federal limits on carbon pollution. The Golden State built its push for fewer climate-warming emissions on a hefty dose of clean power from nearby states. So what happens if states decide to keep that energy for themselves to meet their own needs under Obama’s Clean Power Plan? http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-06/green-california-just-won-the-climate-fight-now-comes-the-pain Matterhorn glacier reveals remains of Japanese climbers missing for 45 years. One night in August 1970, two young Japanese climbers set up a tent in the Swiss Alps. They wanted to rest up for the next day’s ascent up a 9,200-foot glacier at the base of the 14,692-foot Matterhorn mountain when a sudden snowstorm took them by surprise, police told Reuters. The climbers vanished and, for decades it seems, were entombed in ice. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/07/matterhorn-glacier-reveals-remains-from-long-lost-japanese-climbers-missing-45-years/ Gov. Brown highlights climate change risks at site of Rocky fire. In his quest to force tougher action on climate change, Gov. Jerry Brown has traveled to China, Mexico, Canada, even the Vatican. But he was much closer to home on Thursday, just a couple dozen miles from the ranch his family has owned for generations. Standing in front of scorched hills, the smell of smoke lingering in the air… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-rocky-fire-brown-20150807-story.html Jerry Brown says 'California is burning' and climate change is to blame. The devastating Rocky Fire in Lake County is showing signs that the imminent danger is diminishing, but the state faces an even bigger threat, Gov. Jerry Brown warned on Thursday. Brown traveled to the scorched hillside at Cowboy Camp, just off fire-ravaged Highway 20… http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Jerry-Brown-says-California-is-burning-and-6429417.php Carbon War Room's Peter Boyd on the 'entrepreneurial NGO'. After serving as launch director for the Richard Branson-backed climate think tank Carbon War Room in 2009, Peter Boyd went on to serve as the organization's chief operating officer until late 2014. Around that time, Carbon War Room merged with the Rocky Mountain Institute. Boyd, meanwhile, has a total of more than 15 years of strategy… http://www.greenbiz.com/article/carbon-war-rooms-peter-boyd-entrepreneurial-ngo Silicon Valley Lab Fighting Global Warming With Cloud Brightening Project. Some scientists in Silicon Valley may have to come up with a way to combat climate change. Only on 5, Kiet Do shows us how cloud brightening would work, if tests are successful. (video) http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/watch/silicon-valley-lab-fighting-global-warming-with-cloud-brightening-project/vp-BBlqLLT Caribbean's largest oil and gas producer promises to slash GHGs. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean's largest producer of oil and gas, pledged yesterday to ratchet down its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. In a formal submission to the United Nations, the twin island country -- one of the wealthiest in the region thanks to its large fossil fuel reserves -- said it will curb carbon… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/07/stories/1060023146 DOD study: Climate change is a security threat—now. There's a standing joke among military meteorologists and Navy oceanographers: Soldiers, sailors and airmen often say they are not interested in climate, but they care a lot about the weather. That attitude is slowly changing among senior leaders, based on the conclusions of a Pentagon report to Congress on the national security implications of climate change. http://defensesystems.com/articles/2015/08/07/dod-climate-change-threat-report.aspx DROUGHT Making Water More Liquid. When water is scarce, letting people trade it gets the precious resource to where it’s needed most. The water wells in the rich farmland of California’s Central Valley keep getting deeper, and the pumps keep getting more powerful. Farmers have agreed to reduce their usage of surface water, but nothing stops them from looking for water beneath their properties. So, in the fourth year of a devastating drought, down they go… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-06/to-ease-california-s-drought-make-water-easier-to-trade Judge halts release of names of DWP customers who got grants to replace lawns. Heeding the call to conserve water, tens of thousands of Southern California residents and businesses replaced their lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping with the help of $340 million in grants from the Metropolitan Water District. Government officials have praised those who got rid of their grass. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-turf-personal-data-20150807-story.html Treasures revealed as California drought drains lakes. The Lakeview Motel's name is false advertising these dry days. The same thing is true for the Paradise Cove Lodge down California 178. That's because the water level in man-made Lake Isabella has dropped about 59 feet since the last big wet year in 2011. There are 32,632 acre-feet of water in the lake -- 5.8 % of the lake's capacity... http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0806-drought-submerged-20150806-story.html#page=1 Water use continues to drop in Napa. A sign on Oak Circle in Yountville warns of watering restrictions. Napa has reported a second consecutive month reaching conservation targets set by the state during California’s drought. The city reduced its July consumption by about 29 percent from the same month in 2013… http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/water-use-continues-to-drop-in-napa/article_c87dc107-f3c1-5fda-ab6e-7239b0b06736.html FUELS Why Native Alaskans Support Shell's Arctic Drilling. Activists trying to stop Shell's offshore oil drilling in the U.S.'s Arctic Ocean region invoke the interests of native Alaskans. "These communities depend on this environment for food and resources and have stewarded it for centuries," Greenpeace says, as part of its "The People vs. Shell" campaign—what the group describes as possibly "the most important fight in… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-06/why-native-alaskans-support-shell-s-arctic-drilling King Coal, Long Besieged, Is Deposed by the Market. In April 2005, President George W. Bush hailed “clean coal” as a key to “greater energy independence,” pledging $2 billion in research funds that promised a new golden age for America’s most abundant energy resource. But a decade later, the United States coal industry is reeling as never before in its history… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/07/business/energy-environment/coal-industry-wobbles-as-market-forces-slug-away.html?_r=1 Record prices, profits for gasoline in July. As gas prices slowly drop across the region, California motorists can breathe a sigh of relief after spending $1.2 billion more on gas than the rest of the nation in July, while refineries brought in record profits, according to Consumer Watchdog. The group, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of consumer interests, said California drivers spent $201 more… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/prices-332705-ocprint-profits-year.html VEHICLES 2016 Chevrolet Volt to offer more range than predecessor. Chevrolet's plug-in hybrid sedan, the Volt, will be getting an upgrade for 2016. The Volt's new, second-generation Voltec powertrain will give the Volt a pure EV range of 53 miles, nearly a 40 percent improvement over the first-generation Volt, which offered a 38-mile range. Charged in full, the Volt will travel up to 53 miles gas-free… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/volt-332743-ocprint-car-model.html 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf SE: $30K Price For New Electric Car Version. The 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf electric car's base price will drop by some $4,500 compared to the 2015 model, thanks to the addition of a new entry-level model. The VW e-Golf SE will start at $29,815 including destination, before any Federal, state, or local incentives. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099471_2016-volkswagen-e-golf-se-30k-price-for-new-electric-car-version GREEN ENERGY Infant U.S. wave-to-energy industry looks to build more testing facilities. In the wave energy world, progress means having "steel in the water." Now that gadgets are graduating from mere prototypes to pre-commercial machines, their engineers must find the best places to try them out in the open ocean. "You can learn a lot in the lab, but in order to prove commercial viability, you need to prove ocean viability… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/07/stories/1060023142 USDA offers $63M to boost renewables, efficiency. The Agriculture Department has set aside $63 million in loans and grants for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. USDA will help fund 264 projects through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The department estimates the projects will generate or save 207.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/07/stories/1060023171 OPINIONS Electric Cars as a Source of Capital. Electric cars, at least, can be capital goods even when not being driven. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology can turn the big battery in a Tesla, Volt, or other electric car into a power plant. The Aug. 3 Notable & Quotable about Uber increasing capital-stock formation is an intriguing notion and, I’m sure, correct as far as it goes. http://www.wsj.com/articles/electric-cars-as-a-source-of-capital-1438892675 Tesla Has to Start Acting Like a Car Company. The relationship between Wall Street and the auto industry has always been contentious, with automakers balancing their huge capital needs and long-term business model against investors' relentless focus on short-term returns. Tesla has turned this struggle on its head in its short time as a public company… http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-08-06/tesla-has-to-start-acting-like-a-car-company COMMENTARY: Electric vehicles on verge of disruption. Back in 1898, New York City hosted a global environmental summit. Flummoxed, the assembled experts disbanded early without agreeing on workable solutions. What daunting crisis brought about this precursor of today's big UN climate conferences? Fast-growing cities were propelling travel via horse-drawn buggies… http://paloverdevalleytimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=807&ArticleID=21720 BLOGS The reality of global warming: We’re all frogs in a pot of slowly boiling water. In 2009, global leaders agreed to try not to let the world warm more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. This is sometimes seen as a rule of thumb for keeping on the right side of climate change, within “safe” territory. But that’s not at all how scientists meant it… http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/08/07/before-the-century-ends-it-may-be-too-hot-for-people-to-work-outside/ NOAA as certain as it gets about a quiet Atlantic hurricane season. Don’t expect a lot of hurricanes late this summer and fall, but don’t let your guard down. That’s the screaming message of the updated Atlantic hurricane forecast released today by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center now says there is a 90 percent chance… http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/08/06/noaa-as-certain-as-it-gets-about-a-quiet-atlantic-hurricane-season/ State legislators support climate action at NCSL's Seattle conference. Legislators from states all over America gathered in Seattle this week, and climate change was at the top of the agenda. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the largest non-partisan organization supporting state legislators, hosted the four day summit to explore the wide variety of issues that confront states. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ahaq/state_legislators_support_clim.html Cars could be more efficient if 95 octane is the new 'regular'. The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality is starting to think that raising the octane level that's considered to be regular gas could go a long way toward making modern, downsized engines even more efficient. 95-octane gas could be possible, but the investigation into the issue is still getting underway. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/07/95-octane-cars-more-efficient-report/ Tesoro settles pollution suit from California regulators for $4 million. Texas-based oil manufacturer Tesoro Corp. has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a lawsuit claiming the company spewed smog- and ozone-producing pollutants at its refinery in Martinez. Bay Area air quality regulators announced the deal Wednesday after an eight-year investigation found that refinery workers disposed… http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/08/06/tesoro-settles-pollution-suit-from-california-regulators-for-4-million/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 14:21:52 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 10, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 10, 2015. 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 China Pollution Crosses Sea to Hamper Air Cleanup Effort in U.S. Chinese air pollution is blowing across the Pacific Ocean and partly offsetting clean air measures taken in California, according to Dutch and U.S. researchers. More than two-fifths of the expected benefits of anti- pollution controls in the western U.S. were canceled out by rising ozone pollution from China. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NSPNOW6JIJUR01-5FNN9G0I1093R70HUE42G6327L EPA orders more air quality tests for homes near Superfund sites. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered a new round of air quality tests for a South Bay neighborhood after detecting a variety of contaminants inside homes near two federal cleanup sites. The EPA sampled 107 homes near the Del Amo and Montrose Superfund sites earlier this year under pressure… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-del-amo-superfund-20150810-story.html LA region breathes much easier since Obama attended Occidental. President Barack Obama attended Occidental College in Los Angeles from 1979 to 1981. His memories are full of smog. So how bad was it? According to historic ozone data collected by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, it was pretty bad. In 1979, the air quality failed to meet modern standards for 234 days of the year. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28613049/la-region-breathes-much-easier-since-obama-attended POLLUTION: Clean air target missed. Southern California has missed a long-standing federal deadline to reduce toxic soot and other small particle air pollution because unhealthful levels of such pollutants persist in northwest Riverside County. Under rules set by the Bush administration, communities in Southern California’s ocean-to-mountains air basin were supposed to meet the goal by 2015. http://www.pe.com/articles/air-776370-pollution-loma.html County air quality to reach unhealthy range Monday. The Tehama County Air Pollution Control District warns again Monday that air quality is expected to reach unhealthy levels due to smoke from wildfires in the region. Those at risk, including children and adults with respiratory disease, should stay indoors and avoid prolonged outdoor exertion. Intense physical activity should be avoided. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150810/county-air-quality-to-reach-unhealthy-range-monday CLIMATE CHANGE Australia’s Prime Minister Warns Climate Policy Must Not Cool Economy. The country’s cabinet is expected to discuss emissions targets when Parliament resumes this week. Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott drew a line in the sand on climate policy Sunday, saying any measures to cut emissions must not hurt the economy or involve a carbon-pricing scheme, as his chief lawmakers prepare to debate…http://www.wsj.com/articles/australias-abbott-says-climate-policy-cannot-come-at-expense-of-economy-1439096152 Why Shell Cut Ties to Conservative Lobby Group Over Climate Change. Hint: It's got something to do with the company drilling offshore in the Arctic. Does it matter that Royal Dutch Shell plans to cut ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) over climate policy? Shell follows big oil rival BP and Silicon Valley titans Google, Facebook, and Yahoo… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-10/why-shell-cut-ties-to-conservative-lobby-group-over-climate-change Climate Change Could Harm British Butterflies. Six species of butterflies in Britain will face local extinctions by 2050 because of climate change, a new study reports. “What was surprising to me was that even in the most benign scenario, the drought effects are quite severe… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/science/climate-change-could-harm-british-butterflies.html?_r=0 In simple terms, Climate change will heat up California cities. Like San Diego weather? Stick around several decades and we all just might have it. A glimpse into our future reveals a Bay Area whose weather feels a lot like California’s balmy border city. Seattle could feel like present-day San Jose, forcing hipsters to shed their beards and knit beanies. A future Sacramento may have armpit stains the size of small nations. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150808/in-simple-terms-climate-change-will-heat-up-california-cities http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28605516/climate-change-future-bay-area-weather-will-be Did the EPA Bulletproof the Clean Power Plan? By making the Obama administration's landmark climate rules more workable and more stringent, Gina McCarthy may have strengthened their legal footing. Gina McCarthy, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has learned two lessons from her long career in the regulatory martial arts: adversity can be a source of strength… http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/03082015/did-epa-bulletproof-clean-power-plan-obama-climate-carbon-regulations?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=35fd0d1dfe-Weekly_Newsletter_8_9_20158_6_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-35fd0d1dfe-327494049 Underground Desert Aquifers Could Hold Missing Carbon. Here’s what we know: Carbon dioxide is building up in the atmosphere as the result of manmade emissions, trapping more and more heat and warming the planet. Here’s what we’re still working on: Of the excess CO2 that doesn’t stick around in the atmosphere — about 60 percent of it — exactly how much gets pulled into various so-called carbon sinks… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/desert-aquifers-hold-missing-carbon-19320 Can combating climate change coexist with increased US oil production? After the unveiling of President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, it's an appropriate time to take stock of whether the administration's climate goals are at odds with the ongoing shale boom. Platts senior editor Brian Scheid asks whether history will remember Obama as the climate change… http://www.platts.com/podcasts-detail/crude/2015/august/capitol-crude-081015?hootpostid=38014dc179caacb63fae50673ec3a189 Climate change crusade goes local. While US leaders remain bogged down in debate over global warming, local communities are acting on their own to hold back rising seas. Florida’s state leaders are running hard from climate change. The governor, Rick Scott, doesn’t want state employees to even utter the words. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0809/Climate-change-crusade-goes-local Concerns mount as Australia decides its greenhouse gas emissions targets. Climate change activists are glumly anticipating the announcement tonight of Australia's new greenhouse gas emissions target, which many say is sure to be weak and could even dampen hopes for an ambitious global climate change agreement. The target -- expected by many to be in the range of 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2030… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023204 Court won't reconsider greenhouse gas judgment. Federal judges on Friday declined an industry request to reconsider their interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling that trimmed U.S. EPA's greenhouse gas regulations. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023210 Rivers may slow CO2 release from Arctic permafrost – study. Permafrost holds vast amounts of stored carbon, making its fate in a warming world of critical interest to scientists. Yet much is still misunderstood about how it will behave with higher temperatures and how much greenhouse gases it will release. Now, a new study in Nature finds that large amounts of organic carbon… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023199 Governor warns of global warming's 'new normal' at site of massive blaze. California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) spotlighted the increasing risks of global warming to the state on a visit to the site of the erratic and destructive Rocky Fire in Northern California. On Thursday, the governor met with first responders and residents who had lost their homes in the 69,600-acre blaze that started more than a week ago. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023189 New research initiative aims at making cities more resilient to climate change. The National Science Foundation has bankrolled a $12 million initiative called the Urban Resilience to Extreme Weather-Related Events Sustainable Research Network (UREx SRN), which launched Friday. The five-year effort is a collaboration between Arizona State University and the Forest Service and brings together experts from different fields… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023201 DROUGHT Tribes seek boost in Oregon, California water flows to aid salmon. Two American Indian tribes asked the U.S. government to increase flows from dams to prevent the spread of a deadly fish disease that flourishes in warm water as trout and salmon suffer along the drought-parched West Coast. Starting in about three weeks, a fall run of some 120,000 Chinook salmon is expected to swim up the Klamath River… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/08/us-usa-oregon-fish-idUSKCN0QD00T20150808?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews A Once-Flourishing Pima Cotton Industry Withers in an Arid California. Up and down the San Joaquin Valley, vast fields that once grew cotton lie fallow, remnants of a boom and bust fueled by a worldwide demand for premium T-shirts and linens. Farmers here have fallowed acres of Pima cotton by the thousands, threatening the region’s unlikely reign as the world’s biggest producer of the specialty cotton, also called Supima. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/08/business/a-once-flourishing-pima-cotton-industry-withers-in-an-arid-california.html?_r=0 Where the drought has brought Head Start to a stop. A plush Cookie Monster wearing overalls and a sparkling pony ridden by a doll with one eye permanently shut huddled against a living room wall with a contingent of other orphaned toys. Diana Toscano picked up a child's hat with a yellow puppy stitched on the front. http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-drought-head-start-20150810-story.html#page=1 Innovation is blooming at water-wise urban farms. As California moves through its fourth summer of drought, cutting back on water use means shorter showers, fuller dishwashers and drier lawns for most people living in urban areas. But for small farms nestled between city streets, saving water means recycling it — and finding new ways to keep plants alive without wasting the precious liquid. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-urban-farming-drought-20150810-story.html Green waste collections fall by millions of pounds as Sacramentans let their lawns turn brown. One less thing for many Sacramento-area residents to worry about: Is this the day to put out the green waste can? As families across the region let their lawns go brown, garbage haulers for the area’s largest population centers have collected 26 million fewer pounds of green waste so far this summer compared to 2012… http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article30553818.html#storylink=cpy Explosive Rocky Fire a warning for drought-parched state. Scott Upton shook his head in wonder as he drove past ranch lands along a flat section of Highway 20, where the massive Rocky Fire had leaped over helpless firefighters trying to make a stand. The firefighters had set intentional backfires in an attempt to burn away fuel, but the blaze shot embers across what is known as New Long Valley, igniting the hills on the other side of the road. http://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/Explosive-Rocky-Fire-a-warning-for-6433258.php Southern California turf rebate program paid out nearly $57M. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California shelled out nearly $57 million during a popular program that paid homeowners and businesses to replace lawns with drought-friendly landscaping. The money went to 15,000 residents and businesses, many of which received additional rebate funds from their local water supplier… http://www.modbee.com/news/state/article30549792.html#storylink=cpy California drought hasn't killed summer vacations. At Russian River Adventures near Healdsburg, owner Larry Laba fields calls every day from people worried that California's epic drought has pulled the plug on their summer rafting trips. Surely, after four years of drought -- with fish and farmers fighting over every drop -- there can't be much left over for the lowly inflatables, right? http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150809/california-drought-hasnt-killed-summer-vacations FUELS U.S. gas prices fall alongside crude oil: Lundberg survey. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States fell 11 cents in the past two weeks, pulled down by the ongoing slump in crude oil prices, according to the Lundberg survey released on Sunday. Regular grade gasoline fell to an average price of $2.71 per gallon, according to the biweekly survey dated Aug. 7, down 11 cents from the previous survey on July 24. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/09/us-usa-gasoline-survey-idUSKCN0QE0SH20150809 Methane-Powered Tractor Could Cut Farmers' Costs, Emissions. Luca Remmert's dream of running a self-sustainable farm is within sight. He produces energy from corn and grain near the northern Italian city of Turin and hopes in the not too distant future to run all of his eight tractors on methane generated at the farm. Remmert's 450-hectare (1,100-acre) La Bellotta farm has been testing a second-generation prototype of what will be the first tractor to run on methane. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/10/business/ap-eu-italy-biofuel-tractor.html Canadian candidates battle over Keystone pipeline, climate. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended Thursday his work on approving the Keystone XL Pipeline and predicted the next United States president will support the project. “As you know, that’s a situation under the control of the United States,” Harper said of Keystone during Canada's first pre-election debate Thursday night. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250545-canadian-candidates-battle-over-keystone-pipeline-climate Tsinghua studies on alcohol-gasoline dual fuel engines show fuel efficiency and particle number benefits. Researchers at Tsinghua University in China are studying the effects of Dual-Fuel Spark Ignition (DFSI) combustion fueled with different alcohols and gasoline. In one paper, published in the journal Fuel, they investigated the use of alcohols–gasoline DFSI Combustion for knock suppression and high fuel efficiency using a gasoline engine with high compression ratio. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150810-tsinghua.html New one-pot process to produce gasoline-grade biofuel from the bacterial biopolymer PHB. A team from the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa is developing a new one-pot process to produce gasoline-grade (C6–C18) hydrocarbon oil from polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)—an energy storage material formed from renewable feedstock in many bacterial species. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150809-phb.html VEHICLES Electric-Car Mandates: Can't Meet 'Em, Makers Say, While Buyers 'Shrug' At Efficiency. With the approaching midterm review of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules coming up in the next two years, automakers and advocates are positioning themselves to lobby for changes to the rules. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099510_electric-car-mandates-cant-meet-em-makers-say-whle-buyers-shrug-at-efficiency GREEN ENERGY The boom in wind energy couldn’t be coming at a better time. The Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, released last week, requires the country to use a lot more renewable energy by the year 2030 — and a lot less coal. And right on time, two new reports published Monday by the Department of Energy find that one key renewable sector — wind — is booming… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/10/the-boom-in-wind-energy-couldnt-be-coming-at-a-better-time/ Pleasanton: Big solar project planned at Shadow Cliffs Park. The East Bay Regional Park district is betting big on solar power -- big enough to offset nearly all the energy used at its 65 regional parks in two counties. The agency plans an $8 million solar project at Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area to generate up to 1.2 megawatts of electricity -- roughly as much power as used by 800 to 1,000 homes. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28611109/pleasanton-big-solar-project-planned-at-shadow-cliffs Solar power begins to surge in Latin America, mostly without subsidies. Riding an unprecedented expansion of solar in Honduras and continued strong performances in Chile, Brazil and Mexico, Latin America's solar sector netted its strongest quarterly growth from April to June with 363 megawatts of new capacity coming online, according to industry data released last week by GTM Research. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023197 U.S. will help Indonesia lower its greenhouse gas emissions. The United States will work with Indonesia to help the country develop its geothermal energy potential, the U.S. State Department has announced. In a workshop with high-level government officials and technical experts from both countries last week, the United States and Indonesia agreed to collaborate "to accelerate private investment in geothermal energy." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023200 DOE: US wind power capacity grew 8% in 2014 to ~66 GW, 2nd in world; meets 4.9% of end use demand; lowest prices to date. According to the 2014 Wind Technologies Market Report released today by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and its Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, total installed wind power capacity in the United States grew at a rate of 8% in 2014… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150810-doewind.html OPINION Curbing global warming: Mission impossible? On climate change, we need to go beyond the tired story line of “deniers” vs. the “scientific consensus.” Until it’s discredited by falling temperatures, global warming is a reality. We can still debate how much has occurred and the share attributable to human activity, but the more relevant question is what — if anything — can be done about it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/curbing-global-warming-mission-impossible/2015/08/09/b95b2650-3d2d-11e5-b3ac-8a79bc44e5e2_story.html As long as California allows fracking, it can't call itself a leader on climate change. To the editor: Even as Gov. Jerry Brown applauds President Obama's new clean power plan, our governor is sabotaging the fight against global warming in California by supporting fracking and other extreme techniques for extracting dirty fossil fuels. ("California is ahead of the game as Obama releases Clean Power Plan," Aug. 4). http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0808-saturday-california-fracking-climate-change-20150808-story.html RON LOVERIDGE: Climate change law benefiting many residents. It’s an easy applause line to say that the politicians in Sacramento put their personal ideologies ahead of their district’s needs. Orchestrated attacks on California’s landmark clean energy law, Assembly Bill 32, are so easy and commonplace that I was more than disheartened to see this smear campaign parading as fact in “Focusing on climate over constituents” [Opinion, July 26]. http://www.pe.com/articles/california-776354-energy-climate.html Letters: Remember water crisis at polls. Gov. Jerry Brown should be recalled based on his inaction concerning the current drought. One of his primary duties is to ensure that California’s infrastructure can support the population. He has admitted that California’s infrastructure can’t support its population. To compound the problem, he promotes policies that encourage unlimited increases in the illegal alien and welfare populations. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-676851-homes-new.html A bad climate change plan. President Barack Obama has a new plan to fight global warming, and science is on his side, isn’t it? No, not exactly. But wait, calculations show the economy will benefit, don’t they? No, not even close — consumers will take a bath. Well, finally, the Constitution backs up the effort’s legality, does it not? It does not. http://salina.com/opinion/columns/a-bad-climate-change-plan/article_9bb68ed2-780a-53dc-a61d-3e4c08ef5ee7.html Robert J. Samuelson: Curbing global warming: mission impossible? On climate change, we need to go beyond the tired storyline of “deniers” versus the “scientific consensus.” Until it’s discredited by falling temperatures, global warming is a reality. We can still debate how much has occurred and the share attributable to human activity, but the more relevant question is what — if anything — can be done about it. http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150809/robert-j-samuelson-curbing-global-warming-mission-impossible Carbon fee uses free market to promote cleaner energy. Is regulation by the EPA’s Clean Power Plan the best choice to help us breathe easier? A carbon-fee-and-dividend plan advocated by George P. Shultz, former secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan, is a free-market plan with a fee on dirty energy that recycles 100 percent of revenue back to American households. It would speed the transition from our dirty past and into a clean-energy future. http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/letters/2015/08/10/carbon-fee-uses-free-market-promote-cleaner-energy/31384675/ BLOGS Alexander Sherriffs and William B. Marcus: Clean-energy economy for the Valley. The San Joaquin Valley is a remarkable place. It has played a vital role in the development of the economy and the character of the state. The Midway-Sunset and Kern Oil Fields produced over 5 billion barrels of oil since being discovered in the 1890s. Natural water run-off and later some of the world’s largest public works brought water to the Valley floor creating an agricultural treasure… http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article30437568.html Daily oil trains could threaten lives in the Bay Area. If oil giant Phillips 66 has its way, an oil train disaster and increased air pollution may be coming to a Bay Area town near you. Phillips 66 is proposing an oil transport station to refine Canadian tars sands in San Luis Obispo. If the project is approved by the San Luis Obispo planning commission and board of supervisors… http://blog.sfgate.com/hottopics/2015/08/10/daily-oil-trains-could-threaten-lives-in-the-bay-area/ IKEA is going green in a very big way. It’s making a significant change. IKEA has announced it will be the first major U.S. retailer to carry only LED lightbulbs when it makes the switch next month. Steve Howard, IKEA’s Chief Sustainability Officer, explained the company’s motivation behind the LED shift: “LED is a light revolution. http://fortune.com/2015/08/10/ikea-green-led/ The Perilous Morality of Climate Change. It's a challenging endeavor to discuss "what's working" with climate change. News outlets the world over are littered with stories of doom and gloom, of current calamities and human suffering. A quick perusal of the summary of the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, the definitive scientific body on the topic, lays out where we are and what that means. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maxwell-d-dotson/the-perilous-morality-of-_b_7815156.html The Forest Path to an Ambitious Climate Deal. Later this year, global leaders will make important decisions about some of the planet's toughest challenges. If the world wants a climate deal and new development agenda that's good for the economy, for the poor, and for businesses, the path forward needs to include forests. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-polman/the-forest-path-to-an-amb_b_7964208.html An Extreme Climate Warming Episode Led To Smaller Mammals - But How? A massive and bizarre climate event 56 million years ago seems to have had some odd effects on terrestrial life. This event, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is marked in the rock record by an extremely unusual carbon isotope signature in both the marine and terrestrial sediment records. http://www.forbes.com/sites/shaenamontanari/2015/08/10/extreme-climate-warming-episode-lead-to-smaller-mammals-but-how/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 14:30:05 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 11, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 11, 2015. 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 Clean Power Plan Extensions Have a Catch: Outreach. States seeking additional time to develop compliance strategies for the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan must first show that they have engaged with minority and at-risk populations. The Clean Power Plan (RIN 2060-AR33), issued Aug. 3, establishes three criteria for states seeking an additional two years to develop their compliance plans… http://www.bna.com/clean-power-plan-n17179934553/ Cruise lines cited for violating air regulations. Several cruise lines have been found to be in violation of Alaska air pollution regulations. The violations were revealed Friday in Norwegian Cruise Line's quarterly Security and Exchange Commission filing. SEC filings filed July 31 also indicate that the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation cited Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises for similar alleged violations… http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Cruise-lines-cited-for-violating-air-regulations-6435715.php Air pollution from China undermining gains in California, Western states. Aside from smartphones, toys and computers, China exports a different kind of product into the western United States — air pollution. A study released Monday by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA found that smog-forming chemicals making their way across the Pacific Ocean from… http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150810/air-pollution-from-china-undermining-gains-in-california-western-states http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20150810/air-pollution-from-china-undermining-gains-in-california-western-states http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22298 City to study how Uber affects traffic, pollution. The city council on Monday morning signed into a law a plan to study how for-hire cars like Uber affect traffic and air pollution around the city. The study will take a close look at how the growing number of Internet-based car service vehicles affect the city’s air quality and increasingly congested streets… http://nypost.com/2015/08/10/city-to-study-how-uber-affects-traffic-pollution/ EPA plots 'ambitious' timeline to address mercury rule costs. U.S. EPA yesterday laid out what it called an "ambitious" schedule to address the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Obama administration's landmark mercury and air toxics standards for power plants. In a court document, EPA said it plans to ask federal appeals court judges to keep the rule in place while it addresses the costs. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/11/stories/1060023275 EPA moves to fix air pollution rule after Supreme Court loss. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to fix by this spring the problem that caused the Supreme Court to rule against its major air pollution regulation in July. The EPA told a lower court on Monday that it is formulating a plan to conduct cost-benefit analysis as part of a revision of its finding that the mercury rule is “appropriate and necessary.” http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250779-epa-moves-to-fix-air-pollution-rule-after-supreme-court-loss CLIMATE CHANGE Australia criticized over greenhouse-gas reduction target. Australia has been criticized over its new greenhouse-gas reduction target which lags behind the ambitions of most wealthy countries. Lawmakers in Prime Minister Tony Abbott's conservative government on Tuesday agreed on a target of curbing carbon gas emissions to at least 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The target could go as high as 28 percent, Abbott said. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250803-australia-pledges-26-28-percent-emissions-cut http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/11/abbott-governments-2030-emissions-target-dubbed-pathetically-inadequate Ex Machina: No Techno-Fix For Irreversible Ocean Collapse From Carbon Pollution. A new study finds there is no “deus ex machina” way to prevent a catastrophic collapse of ocean life for centuries if not millennia — if we don’t start slashing carbon pollution ASAP. The Nature Climate Change study examined what would happen if we continue current CO2 emissions trends through 2050… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/11/3689803/ex-machina-irreversible-ocean-collapse-carbon/ Is the West Coast's massive toxic algal bloom a sign of climate changes to come? The water began turning a barely perceptible brownish-green in early May, a sign that algae were present and growing in the waters of Monterey Bay. By the end of month, Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his team, who run a regional algae monitoring project… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/11/stories/1060023263 Forest mortality may rise with a warming climate – study. The fate of forests in a rapidly changing climate is highly uncertain, but now a new study in Ecosphere has concluded that the risk to forests is much greater than what some scientists previously believed. "There is a whole bunch of tree die-offs that are happening right now across the U.S., especially in California… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/11/stories/1060023266 Arctic becoming warmer and wetter as ice melts. The Arctic has become wetter and warmer throughout the 21st century partly because of sea ice loss, according to new research. The researchers were the first to analyze data from a relatively new NASA weather-monitoring system, called the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, that is attached to a satellite. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/11/stories/1060023248 DROUGHT Water and Power: What can stop El Niño? Will El Niño save California from the drought this winter? Not if the Blob has anything to do with it. Fighting fires: Thanks to the drought, California can expect bigger and more expensive wildfires. The U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half its budget on suppressing fires, up from 16% of the budget in 1996. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-power-html-20150811-htmlstory.html Sacramento planning commission to consider allowing artificial turf in front yards. The Sacramento Planning and Design Commission will consider a proposal Thursday that would allow residents and businesses to install currently off-limits artificial turf in front and side yards, part of the city’s efforts to cut water use by 28 percent. A city ordinance in place for three decades requires living vegetation in front and side… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article30667023.html#storylink=cpy How the West’s Drought Is Affecting Lung Health. What residents of California and other areas under siege can do to reduce their risk. In explaining how the sustained drought in California and other parts of the West might be affecting people living through it, experts point not only to parched ground but to the hazy skies. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/08/11/how-the-wests-drought-is-affecting-lung-health FUELS Cheaper oil forces South Africa to rework biofuels subsidy. South Africa's biofuels funding incentive is being revamped over concerns that it is unaffordable after a halving of global crude oil prices over the past year, officials said on Tuesday. A net importer of crude, Africa’s most advanced economy wants biofuels initially to meet 2 percent… http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0QG0RJ20150811 TransCanada quietly plots response as Keystone XL rejection seems imminent. Alberta company consulting lawyers on possibly suing U.S. under NAFTA. The Canadian company involved in the controversy-plagued Keystone XL project has begun planning its response as indications mount the proposed oil pipeline will be rejected by U.S. President Barack Obama. http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/transcanada-quietly-plots-response-as-keystone-xl-rejection-seems-imminent-1.3185105 VEHICLES Hyundai, Kia Do It All: Electrics, Hybrids, Prius Fighters, Hydrogen, Even Diesel. When it comes to advanced automotive technology, most global carmakers are placing their bets with care. Toyota is all-in for hydrogen fuel cells, while Nissan is betting on battery-electric vehicles for its future. GM too is on the plug-in side of the ledger, while other makers hang back more cautiously. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099523_hyundai-kia-do-it-all-electrics-hybrids-prius-fighters-hydrogen-even-diesel Electric Car Drivers Tell Ford: We'll Never Go Back To Gasoline. Fully nine out of 10 electric-car drivers say they won't go back to cars with internal-combustion engines, according to a new Ford survey. The results included responses from 10,000 drivers of both battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids. It found that 92 percent of battery-electric drivers… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099531_electric-car-drivers-tell-ford-well-never-go-back-to-gasoline GREEN ENERGY China Advised to Double Solar Goal to Fill Nuclear, Hydro Gap. China is being encouraged by three industry groups to double the nation’s solar-power goal for 2020 to fill a gap forecast to emerge because nuclear and hydropower are due to fall short of targets. The world’s biggest solar market needs 200 gigawatts of such capacity by then, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NSWYA06JTSE801-72A3D6P162K6L4AOOJUJJUVEAQ Solar Power Capacity in India to Reach 75GW by 2022, Report Says. Solar will account for more than a fifth of India’s increase in electricity demand by 2022 as installed capacity reaches 75 gigawatts, according to a research report. Helped by a $50 billion grid upgrade and new installations, India’s solar capacity will be capable of delivering 110 terawatt-hours, or 22 percent… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NSWNJO6JTSEB01-2I3FEOQN8A1A23O2MU91PNV27S USDA invests $63M in 264 renewable energy, efficiency projects. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $63 million in loans and grants this month for 264 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects nationwide that USDA is supporting through its Rural Energy for America Program. “This funding will have far-reaching economic and environmental impacts nationwide… http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/474687/usda-invests-63m-in-264-renewable-energy-efficiency-projects Energy Department Reports Highlight Trends of Growing U.S. Wind Energy Industry. According to two reports released today by the Energy Department, the U.S. wind energy industry continued growing at an impressive rate in 2014, further solidifying America’s position as a global leader in wind energy. Wind power is a key component of the President’s all-of-the-above energy strategy and Clean Power Plan… http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/national-news/4731-energy-department-reports-highlight-trends-of-growing-u-s-wind-energy-industry.html China To Spend Trillions On 'Green Tech' The Chinese government will spend upwards up $2.5 trillion over the next 15 years on clean energy projects designed to provide a lift-off to its most promising alternative energy firms. Rae Kwon Chung, principal advisor on climate change of the United Nations Secretary-General, came up with the figures during the China Summit… http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2015/08/11/china-to-spend-trillions-on-green-tech/ MISCELLANEOUS State consumer advocate to pull out of San Onofre nuclear plant settlement. A multibillion-dollar settlement over the closed San Onofre nuclear power plant took another blow Monday as the state consumer advocate said that he was withdrawing from the deal and would urge regulators to reopen the case. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-consumer-advocate-settlement-20150810-story.html No mileage tracking in California road tax plan. Higher gas and diesel taxes, revenue from the state’s cap-and-trade program, and increased vehicle license and registration fees are among the possible sources of new revenue included in a transportation-funding package of principles put forward Monday by a coalition of local government, business and labor groups. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article30633093.html#storylink=cpy Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since Fukushima disaster. Japan has restarted its first nuclear reactor since the Fukushima disaster in March, 2011. Kyushu Electric Power Company told CNN Tuesday that it had reactivated No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu. http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/11/asia/japan-nuclear-reactor/ OPINIONS The Reality of Taiwan’s Energy Situation. Sherry Chen responds to Joseph Wu’s July 29 letter, “Renewable Energy Is Not Dangerous for Taiwan.”In his letter to the editor (“Renewable Energy Is Not Dangerous for Taiwan,” July 29), Joseph Wu states that the Democratic Progressive Party seeks to generate 20% of overall energy production from renewable sources by 2025. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-reality-of-taiwans-energy-situation-1439313681 State of the Drought: Something is burning. It was like the hint of a first snow. At first, you aren't sure if you see it fall, but then you catch a flake on your arm and you examine it as it shimmers and slowly melts. But this time there's heat that holds you, and the flakes are not only white, they are also black and gray as they rain softly down. http://www.sfchronicle.com/thetake/article/State-of-the-Drought-Ashes-like-snow-6436466.php?t=e14beda632 'The Water Knife' Previews A Future Drought Scenario. As I write this, California remains deep in its fourth year of drought. One hundred percent of the state of Nevada in drought — with 40 percent in the extreme drought category. Over to the southeast, 93 percent of Arizona's territory is in some form of drought. Even Washington state, far to the north, finds all of its territory in drought and 32 percent of its land in extreme doubt. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=431522774 Editorial, Aug. 11, 2015 Acting nationally is right way to fight global climate change. On issues from Iran to health care to gay rights, Barack Obama could be said to be feeling his progressive oats as he enters the final two years of his presidency. Facing no more electoral pressures, the last quarter of the time allotted to a nation’s leader who has been re-elected to a second term has traditionally been a period… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20150810/editorial-aug-11-2015-acting-nationally-is-right-way-to-fight-global-climate-change Lee-Ashley: Federal policies still favor coal. With the release of the Clean Power Plan last week, the U.S. took a landmark step toward leveling the playing field among renewable and fossil fuel energy sources that will be powering our homes and businesses for decades to come. Wind and solar energy, for example, will now be allowed to compete more fairly with coal, whose high external costs… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/08/11/fed-policies-still-favor-coal/31423279/ Wash. state can lead on global warming and clean energy. THE dust has settled on a frustrating legislative session. Time and again, oil interests blocked broadly supported steps to encourage the transition to clean energy and cut global-warming pollution. There is a lot of individual blame to go around, but we see this as a broad failure of our state’s political institutions. http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/wash-state-can-lead-on-global-warming-and-clean-energy/ Gran/My Turn: No pause in global warming. An article in Science News June 27, “Global warming ‘hiatus’” an artifact states: “One of the biggest mysteries of modern climate science may have never really existed …” This refers to a paper published June 4, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the journal Science, which concluded there has been no “pause” in global warming. http://www.recorder.com/home/18128126-95/granmy-turn-no-pause-in-warming BLOGS Grasslands protocol opens another carbon market for farmers. GrasslandsGrowers with grasslands on their property have a new reason to leave that land untouched. On July 22, the Climate Action Reserve, a non-profit organization that creates offset standards and serves as one of the offset registries for California’s cap-and-trade program… http://blogs.edf.org/growingreturns/2015/08/10/grasslands-protocol-opens-another-carbon-market-for-farmers/ China is exporting ozone pollution to the U.S. — which is only fair. It’s no secret that the U.S. imports a lot from China, and according to a new study in Nature Geoscience, now we can add ozone pollution — our old pal smog — to the list. “The dominant westerly winds blew this air pollution straight across to the United States… http://grist.org/news/china-is-exporting-ozone-pollution-to-the-u-s-which-is-only-fair/ To protect the climate, repeal the biofuel mandate. Ten years ago, the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was signed into law with the promise that biofuels – corn ethanol in particular – would set the country on a cleaner, greener and more energy secure path. Has the policy, ten years into its tenure, delivered on its promises? Has it helped the environment? http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/250620-to-protect-the-climate-repeal-the-biofuel-mandate The third fossil fuel in the climate conversation. President Obama’s Clean Power Plan is a significant step in the right direction to combat climate change. The coal and natural gas fueling the nation’s electricity grid have vastly different implications for a warming world than do renewables. Addressing these two fossil fuels climate footprints is an imperative. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/250601-the-third-fossil-fuel-in-the-climate-conversation Farmers Are Generating Renewable Energy And Making Money -- Thanks To Cow Poop. Why "cow power" could be the next big renewable energy source. ho knew cow manure could turn out to be so valuable? According to an Agence France-Presse story published this month, a family-run dairy farm in northern Indiana is finding a revenue-generating and earth-friendly use for the 70,000 gallons of manure and urine produced daily by its 3,400 cows. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cow-manure-renewable-energy-anaerobic-digesters_55c8f450e4b0f1cbf1e5d38c First as tragedy, then as farce: FEMA still to adapt to climate change. During tropical storm Irene in 2011, small streams roared like gigantic fire hoses, washing away or severely damaging hundreds of bridges and culverts across Vermont, including Fay Brook Bridge, which had stood for more than 80 years in a narrow valley outside this tiny village. “Mother Nature is powerful,” says David Indenbaum… http://necir.org/2015/08/11/fema-tragedy-and-farce/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 14:17:22 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 12, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 12, 2015. 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 Chevron's Richmond refinery to pay $146,000 in air pollution penalties. Chevron U.S.A. is paying $146,000 in civil penalties for more than 20 air quality violations over two years at its Richmond refinery as part of a settlement announced Tuesday by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The settlement covers 22 violation notices issued by the district against Chevron for incidents that occurred between 2012 and 2014. http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_28621551/chevrons-richmond-refinery-pay-146-000-air-pollution Wind is blowing China's air pollution 'straight across' to the US West Coast. A new study links the increase in ozone precursor emissions in Asia to increased levels of ozone over the US's West Coast. In the study, published Monday, a team of six researchers from US and Dutch universities found that ozone concentrations over China increased by about 7% between 2005 and 2010… http://www.businessinsider.com/china-pollution-is-causing-high-ozone-in-the-us-2015-8#ixzz3icyykBdF http://www.dailydemocrat.com/environment-and-nature/20150811/china-air-pollution-affecting-california http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/12/3690724/china-exporting-air-pollution/ http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060023284 Air quality warning issued for Capay Valley. Those high temperatures you’ve been reading are about to arrive, but for people living in the Capay Valley it won’t take 100-degree days to keep from going outside. As a result of the heat, but also because of the recent fires throughout the region, the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District and the Yolo County Health Department… http://www.dailydemocrat.com/health/20150812/air-quality-warning-issued-for-capay-valley States challenge air pollution ‘loophole’ rule. Seventeen states filed a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) crackdown on air pollution from power plants during exceptional periods. Led by Florida, the states said that the EPA improperly shifted the federal-state balance that the Clean Air Act sets with the EPA’s rule for startup, shutdown and malfunction pollution. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250960-state-challenge-air-pollution-loophole-rule 17 states launch legal assault against startup-shutdown rule. Seventeen states are challenging U.S. EPA's recent rule that changed the way states are required to address excess air pollution that occurs during plant startups and shutdowns or industrial equipment malfunctions. In a petition for review, the states argue that EPA "erroneously concluded" that their plans to reduce pollution were "inadequate"… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/12/stories/1060023356 CLIMATE CHANGE Sea-level rise prompts Coastal Commission action. The California Coastal Commission today will consider adopting recommendations – aimed at local governments and development planners – for dealing with sea level rise. The commission, which controls development along the state’s coastline, has proposed a “policy guidance” to warn planners and people proposing projects about how sea level… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article30795804.html#storylink=cpy How wildfires, climate change conspire to change plant communities. Researchers have long wondered how the plants that carpet forest floors in California's woods will fare as the ecosystem copes with drier conditions, exacerbated by climate change. Simultaneously, higher temperatures and prolonged drought are also increasing the threat from forest fires. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/12/stories/1060023328 Melting ice is a top concern for Antarctic researchers. The melting ice in West Antarctica is an urgent research priority for the National Science Foundation and deserves more funding, scientists said yesterday. Speaking in a Web conference, researchers from the National Academy of Sciences, commissioned by NSF, presented a report pooling input from hundreds of scientists to establish research… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/12/stories/1060023329 DROUGHT San Jose Lawn Busters program aims to help homeowners drought-proof their yards. As the drought continues to diminish California's bodies of water, including San Jose's iconic Guadalupe River, the City of San Jose announced that it is introducing another incentive to help conserve water. On Friday, the city launched Lawn Busters, a pilot program that enables residents to convert their lawns to more drought-tolerant… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/lifestyle/20150812/san-jose-lawn-busters-program-aims-to-help-homeowners-drought-proof-their-yards FUELS Keystone XL review drags on 5 times longer than average. For six and a half years, the White House has had a quick comeback to questions about its yet-to-be-announced decision on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline: Talk to the State Department. Under a George W. Bush-era executive order, oil pipelines crossing U.S. borders require a presidential permit, setting off a government-wide review that the State Department coordinates. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_KEYSTONE?SITE=MOJOP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT U.S. Coast Guard sees added burden in Shell's Arctic quest. The U.S. Coast Guard has been forced to divert resources - including a vessel that fights cocaine trafficking - to the Arctic this summer to ensure that Royal Dutch Shell's exploratory oil drilling meets its environmental and safety commitments, its top officer said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/11/us-usa-coastguard-arctic-idUSKCN0QG1VK20150811?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Even as banks walk away, coal on the rise in Australia. Standard Chartered has become the second bank in a week to walk away from a multi-billion dollar Australian coal project, leading environmentalists to claim a major victory in one of the world's top coal-producing nations. But while coal becomes increasingly viewed as a "sunset" business in many developed countries… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/11/us-australia-coal-idUSKCN0QG11K20150811 UPDATE 1-Polish utility Energa's profit falls, renewable energy to hit 2015. Polish utility Energa reported below forecast second-quarter net profit due to softer revenue from renewable power generation and said it expected lower full-year earnings. Energa's second-quarter net profit was 178 million zlotys ($47 million), 24 million zlotys lower than the average forecast of nine analysts and down from 284 million zlotys in the same quarter last year. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N10N26220150812 AAA says gas price decline could continue through Labor Day. Gasoline prices throughout California are falling amid a perfect storm of positive circumstances, a comparative rarity in Golden State fuel markets. Statewide, the average price of unleaded regular was $3.56 a gallon, according to AAA’s monthly gas price survey, released Tuesday. That was down 24 cents from the July 14 survey. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article30728694.html#storylink=cpy U.S. Senate bill would increase fuel taxes to pay for transportation. Taxes on gasoline and diesel have funded federal highways and bridges since Dwight Eisenhower was president. But it’s been 22 years since the taxes were last increased by an act of Congress. A U.S. senator has introduced a bill that would increase fuel taxes by 4 cents a gallon for each of the next four years to fix up and modernize transportation infrastructure. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29578#.VcuRb02D6Uk Study questions climate benefits of corn ethanol. University of Michigan researchers today raised questions about the greenhouse gas benefits of producing ethanol from corn. In a study, the researchers looked at how carbon dioxide moves between land and the air and found that, in a best-case scenario, substituting ethanol for gasoline produces no significant net changes in emissions. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/12/stories/1060023360 How Japan pushes coal on the world. While the U.S. backs away from its dirtiest power source, its closest ally in Asia is building, selling and financing coal plants worldwide. The world’s attention fell on a Japanese power plant yesterday, as technicians turned on a nuclear reactor for the first time since it was shut down following the catastrophic 2011 Fukushima disaster. http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/08/japan-exporting-coal-plants-000195 Revealed: Canadian government spent millions on secret tar sands advocacy. Conservative government used public money on outreach campaign to counter criticism of controversial Alberta tar sands. Canada’s Conservative government spent several million dollars on a tar sands advocacy fund as its push to export the oil faltered, documents reveal. In its 2013 budget, the government invested $30 million… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2015/aug/11/canadian-government-spent-millions-on-secret-tar-sands-advocacy VEHICLES Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Cars In Germany: Getting Worse, Actually. Germany is one of several countries with aggressive plans to curb transportation-related carbon emissions. Over the past few years, its large domestic car industry has worked to improve fuel efficiency--and even launched several plug-in electric models. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099550_greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-cars-in-germany-getting-worse-actually GREEN ENERGY UC Irvine tops list of greenest colleges. For the second year in row, the Sierra Club's magazine has ranked UC Irvine the greenest university in the nation. The ranking – released Tuesday and calculated from a 200-page questionnaire submitted by 153 colleges and universities nationwide – measured schools based on… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/uci-333385-ocprint-schools-sierra.html Montreal Plan: 2,000 Electric Taxis By 2019 To Compete With Uber, Lyft. Several cities have experimented with electric taxis, but Montreal could soon have one of the largest fleets in operation. A company operating in the Canadian city is undertaking a plan to put 2,000 electric taxis in service by 2019. That's the vision of Alexandre Taillefer, one of the "dragons" … http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099544_montreal-plan-2000-electric-taxis-by-2019-to-compete-with-uber-lyft MISCELLANEOUS L.A. will add bike and bus lanes, cut car lanes in sweeping policy shift. Over the decades, Los Angeles has bulldozed homes, paved through tranquil canyons, toppled countless trees and even flattened some hillsides, all in the name of keeping automobile traffic flowing as fast as possible. On Tuesday, city leaders decided to slow things down. They endorsed a sweeping policy that would rework some of the city’s mightiest boulevards… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-mobility-plan-20150811-story.html#page=1 OPINIONS Australia to remain climate laggard amid policy vacuum: Russell. The only thing that's completely predictable about carbon emissions policies is that nobody will be satisfied. The latest case in point is Australia, where the conservative government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Tuesday announced a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 percent of 2005 by 2030. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/12/us-column-russell-climatechange-australi-idUSKCN0QH14H20150812 Rich nations' climate plans fall short of hopes for Paris summit. Developed nations are on track to cut their greenhouse emissions by almost 30 percent by 2030, Reuters calculations show, falling far short of a halving suggested by a U.N. panel of scientists as a fair share to limit climate change. Australia became on Tuesday the last big developed nation to submit its strategy for cuts in the run-up to a U.N. summit in… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/12/us-climatechange-plans-idUSKCN0QH1XV20150812 We couldn't save Cecil the lion, but can we save the planet? or someone bent on keeping the planet as a going concern, the Nature Conservancy is a formidable place to be. But its renowned chief scientist, Peter Kareiva, is leaving that job to come to UCLA. The potent stew of students, research and the urban laboratory of L.A. enticed him to become director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-morrison-kareiva-20150812-column.html#page=1 Another View: Fracking threatens our children’s health. They were clearly planted as a buffer, if only a visual one – a stand of trees, side by side, separating a children’s playing field, a day care center and grammar school from an extensive gas and oil field. On one side of the trees there are oil pump jacks, trucks and an elaborate pipe system. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article30737859.html#storylink=cpy Dan Walters: Tom Steyer's attack on gas prices. Tom Steyer is obviously an intelligent and rational man, given his demonstrated ability to amass great wealth through capitalistic investments. But since it's difficult to rationally grasp his periodic rants about California's gasoline prices, they only make sense in a purely political -- i.e., illogical -- context. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28626860/dan-walters-tom-steyers-attack-gas-prices Cher Gilmore: Warning: Global Warming bad for your health. We can easily see the direct effects of global warming on our environment here and around the world: ongoing drought; widespread flooding; more severe storms, hurricanes and cyclones; increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires… http://www.signalscv.com/section/33/article/140993/ How the Midwest's Corn Farms Are Cooking the Planet. I've been thinking a lot recently about how fertilizer from the Midwest's big corn farms seeps into streams and causes trouble—fouling water supplies in Columbus, Toledo, Des Moines, and 60 other towns in Iowa, and generating a Connecticut-sized dead zone at the heart of the… http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/08/how-midwests-corn-farms-are-cooking-planet BLOGS Why Misleading Americans About Climate Change Is Dangerous. Even as the Pope and some conservatives call for action on climate change, it remains common among Republican politicians to claim that the science on the issue is murky or inconclusive. The latest to take this position is Gov. John Kasich of Ohio. http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/why-misleading-americans-about-climate-change-is-dangerous/ Why California's Drought Policies Are Wrong-headed and Won't Work. Much has been written, a good deal of it on the front page of the San Diego Union Tribune and some even in the review section of the New York Times about California's four-year drought, the shortages it will cause, and what to do about it. Much of it is not particularly sensible. But they're only reporting what the policy makers have determined. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rf-hemphill/california-drought-policies_b_7972306.html Sucking CO2 from the Air Would Not Halt Effects of Global Warming. Sans reduced emissions, using extreme geoengineering to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide would not protect the oceans, models show. As nations repeatedly fail to make major cuts in their greenhouse gas production, scientists and others have begun to wonder if climate change might be halted not by emissions cuts… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sucking-co2-from-the-air-would-not-halt-effects-of-global-warming/ Climate Change Reforms Must Continue, But More is Needed to Protect Working Class Communities. As Pope Francis prepares to visit the United States next month, the media's fixation on him is continuing to increase. This is especially true in California, where the Pope's acknowledgement of human impact on climate change, as articulated in his anticipated encyclical, has created a substantial stir. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arturo-carmona/climate-change-reforms-must-continue_b_7973382.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 12:39:32 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 13, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 13, 2015. 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 Deutsche Bank employees charged in emissions trading case. German prosecutors have filed tax evasion charges against eight current and former Deutsche Bank employees over their alleged participation in a value-added tax fraud scheme involving carbon dioxide emissions certificates. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_DEUTSCHE_BANK_INVESTIGATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/13/deutsche-bank-carbon-idUSL5N10O0SV20150813 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-13/frankfurt-prosecutors-charge-eight-bankers-in-carbon-tax-fraud http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NT0BVR6JTSEE01-2OQCHNKVCU3A0LI6M7USMORQE9 http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/08/13/deutsche-bank-employees-charged-in-emissions-trading-case Emissions reduction fund: Shorten says Labor government would scrap scheme. Labor leader promises to dismantle Coalition scheme that he says gives ‘great wads of taxpayer cash to big polluters to keep polluting’. Bill Shorten will “axe” Tony Abbott’s emissions reduction fund if he wins next year’s federal election, gaining budget savings of up to $4.3bn over a decade. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/13/emissions-reduction-fund-shorten-says-labor-government-would-scrap-scheme AIR POLLUTION China Air Pollution Kills 4,000 People a Day: Researchers. Air pollution is killing an average of 4,000 people a day in China, according to researchers who cited coal-burning as the likely principal cause. Deaths related to the main pollutant, tiny particles known as PM2.5s that can trigger heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and asthma, total 1.6 million a year, or 17 percent of China’s mortality level… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-13/china-air-pollution-kills-4-000-people-a-day-researchers San Dimas told about air quality risks, concerns, funds. Excellent strides have been made in improving Southern California’s air quality, but the South Coast Air Quality Management District, municipalities and citizens still face challenges and risks relating to poor air quality. Michael Cacciotti, a board member of the air quality management district serving four counties… http://www.dailybulletin.com/environment-and-nature/20150812/san-dimas-told-about-air-quality-risks-concerns-funds Understanding the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan announced by President Obama on August 3 sets the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants, the nation’s largest source of the pollution driving dangerous climate change. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change in extreme weather, drought, wildfires, floods and many other disruptions to the world we depend on. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/08/13/understanding-the-epas-clean-power-plan/#ixzz3iiFBcCjm CLIMATE CHANGE 1st presidential visit to Arctic to focus on global warming. President Barack Obama says he'll use his upcoming trip to the Arctic region to press world leaders to do more to fight climate change. Obama plans to travel to Alaska in late August. He'll speak to a global Arctic leadership summit in Anchorage and also travel north to the Arctic. The White House says it's the first visit by a sitting president to the Alaskan Arctic. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ALASKA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-08-13/melting-alaskan-arctic-makes-for-prop-in-obama-climate-campaign http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-to-visit-arctic-later-this-month-1439478165 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/13/us/ap-us-obama-alaska.html?_r=0 http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-alaska-20150813-story.html http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/08/13/1st-presidential-visit-to-arctic-to-focus-on-global-warming Tree loophole casts shadow over EU carbon action. European environment law provides more financial incentives to fell a tree than to plant one, campaigners say. They warn that EU claims it leads the fight against climate change are based on false data and the United States must not follow suit. For many nations, wood burning, or biomass, provided a fast, affordable way to meet… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/13/eu-biomass-idUSL5N10N2B120150813 Pacific island nation calls for moratorium on new coal mines. The president of the low-lying Pacific island nation of Kiribati called on Thursday for a global moratorium on new coal mines to slow global warming and a creeping rise in world sea levels. Kiribati's 100,000 people live on 32 atolls in the central Pacific, most of which are less than six meters above sea level and are suffering coastal erosion as the world's ice caps melt. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/13/us-climatechange-summit-coal-idUSKCN0QI1AD20150813?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Muslim Scholars Prepare Call for Action on Climate Change. Islamic scholars and religious leaders are preparing a call for action on climate change that will say it’s the religious duty of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims to fight global warming. The declaration will be made in Istanbul next Tuesday during a two-day meeting in the Turkish city coordinated by three religious-environmental groups… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-12/muslim-scholars-prepare-call-for-action-on-climate-change President of ‘Submerging’ Kiribati Calls for End to Coal Mining. The world should stop developing new coal mines to step up the fight against climate change, according to Anote Tong, president of the Pacific island-nation of Kiribati that’s slowly being swamped by rising seawater. With envoys working to devise a new deal to fight global warming at a December meeting… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NT0K8L6JTSE801-7G1RC8MVAA3954BSKQSEQIVD3T If global warming really did pause, the planet seems to have pressed ‘play’ again. In June, in a bombshell study in Science, federal researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) took away climate skeptics’ number one favorite argument — the notion that in recent years, global warming had slowed down or hit a “pause.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/13/if-global-warming-really-did-pause-the-planet-seems-to-have-pressed-play-again/ Walruses in the Arctic are running out of sea ice this year — again. Last September, the remote community of Point Lay on Alaska’s North Slope became the focus of headline news when a staggering 35,000 walruses crowded onto the shore nearby. And now, some scientists are saying a similar event could happen this summer — in fact, any time now. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/12/walruses-in-the-arctic-could-be-in-trouble-again/ Lawmaker Defends California Climate Change Bill. Debate over an ambitious climate change bill continues to sizzle in the California Legislature as its final vote nears. Senate leader Kevin de León responded Wednesday to what he said are fears about his measure stoked by the oil industry. His bill, SB 350, would require a cleaner blend of fuels, but won’t ban gasoline or force limits on driving, the senator said. http://www.capradio.org/55176 Powering the Planet to Half a Degree Temperature Rise this Century. The ultimate objective of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. http://www.theenergycollective.com/jim-baird/2259464/powering-planet-half-degree-temperature-rise Calif. sets guidelines to help communities brace for a 4-foot sea-level rise by 2100. California's coastal governing board yesterday adopted guidelines aimed at helping local governments and development entities deal with projected rising sea levels. In a unanimous decision, the California Coastal Commission accepted the "Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/13/stories/1060023405 Melting Antarctic glaciers creates iron hot spots, study finds. Kevin Arrigo, a biological oceanographer at Stanford University, has spent nearly two decades studying remote sites in Antarctica that experts like to call an "oasis in a desert of ice." They are so inaccessible that even scientists who study them may not have laid eyes on them. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/13/stories/1060023401 DROUGHT Latest forecast suggests 'Godzilla El Niño' may be coming to California. The strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean has the potential to become one of the most powerful on record, as warming ocean waters surge toward the Americas, setting up a pattern that could bring once-in-a-generation storms this winter to drought-parched California. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-20150813-htmlstory.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article31010073.html#storylink=cpy Forecasters ‘unanimously’ expect strong El Niño, giving hope to parched California. El Niño occurs when water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean rise by at least half a degree Celsius above normal for three consecutive months. The National Weather Service said Thursday that “forecaster consensus unanimously favors a strong El Niño” with ocean waters at least 1.5 degrees Celsius above normal. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article31002855.html#storylink=cpy http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-california-drought-20150812-story.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28633770/california-drought-el-nino-keeps-growing-new-report http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california/El-Nino-Forecast-Drought-California-Weather-Winter-Rain-321756032.html California OKs strict water standards for showerheads. California officials launched two initiatives Wednesday to boost residential water conservation: The nation's toughest water efficiency standards for showerheads and a $30 million rebate program to rip out grass lawns and replace old toilets. The California Energy Commission voted to require showerheads sold at stores in the state to spray less water… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WATER_EFFICIENCY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-shower-heads-20150812-story.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/12/l-fighting-drought-millions-black-plastic-balls/31526267/ Los Angeles covers reservoir waters with 'shade ball’. Los Angeles has been blackballed. The city has completed a program of covering open-air reservoirs with floating "shade balls" to protect water quality. City officials this week dumped the last 20,000 of 96 million black balls into the Los Angeles Reservoir in Sylmar, 25 miles northwest of downtown. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RESERVOIR_SHADE_BALLS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT As Washington's peculiar drought continues, Puget Sound cities asked to cut water use 10%. Three months after Gov. Jay Inslee declared a drought emergency in Washington State, three of the biggest cities in the Puget Sound region are asking residents to cut their water use by 10%. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-seattle-washington-drought-water-reduction-20150812-story.html State funds drought rebates, tightens faucet standards. California officials launched two initiatives Wednesday to boost residential water conservation: the nation's toughest water efficiency standards for shower heads and a $30 million rebate program to rip out grass lawns and replace old toilets. The California Energy Commission voted to require shower heads sold at stores… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-333553-ocprint-standards-gallons.html RANCHO WATER: Candidates debating drought, Vail Lake. There’s no shortage of storylines in this year’s Rancho California Water District election, which finds five candidates competing for three available seats on the seven-person board. Earlier this year, the board approved a new rate structure that heavily penalizes those who exceed their water budgets, a response to the state’s water-use reduction mandate. http://www.pe.com/articles/water-776745-district-board.html FUELS Keystone XL: US review taking 5 times longer than average. The federal review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas has dragged on for nearly seven years, more than five times the average for such applications. The White House insists it's simply following a standard and well-established process. In the 6 1/2 years since TransCanada Corp. first applied for a permit… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Diesel drivers, meet HPR: Low-carbon fuel arrives in Fullerton, and it's cheaper than regular diesel. Starting Wednesday, residents in north Orange County will have a new option when they fill up their gas tank: Diesel HPR. Diesel HPR is a low-carbon, renewable fuel for diesel engines. The biofuel was created by Sacramento-based Propel Fuels Inc. and is manufactured almost entirely from various plant- and animal-based wastes. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/diesel-677248-hpr-propel.html VEHICLES Tesla to raise around $500 million in public offering. Electric car maker Tesla Motors said Thursday it hopes to raise around $500 million in a stock offering that comes as it prepares to roll out its highly anticipated new SUV. Tesla will offer 2.1 million shares and expects net proceeds of $492.6 million. Tesla could make up to $566.5 million if the underwriters exercise their option to buy additional shares. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TESLA_OFFERING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-13/tesla-files-to-sell-2-1-million-shares-to-raise-500-million The UK Will Be Trialling Roads That Wirelessly Recharge Your Electric Car While You Drive. Pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell electric vehicles, are already playing an increasing role in the way we travel. But electric vehicles face a significant challenge: “range anxiety”, meaning that potential owners worry about the lack of sufficient power… http://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2015/08/13/the-uk-will-be-trialling-roads-that-wirelessly-recharge-your-electric-car-while-you-drive/?ss=logistics-transport Japanese Hot Springs Maintain Serenity With Nissan Leaf Electric Cars. The Nissan Leaf electric car has become part of a novel tourism promotion in its home market of Japan. A car-sharing service is being set up in rural Japan to help tourists better explore the onsen--hot springs--and other natural features. The near-silent electric cars… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099563_japanese-hot-springs-maintain-serenity-with-nissan-leaf-electric-cars Audi Electric SUV To Target Tesla With LG Chem, Samsung Cells. This much we know: a concept for the future Audi Q6 "coupe" SUV will be shown at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. We also know an all-electric Q6 e-tron version will target the Tesla Model X, though more conventional Q6 versions with gasoline, diesel… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099567_audi-electric-suv-to-target-tesla-with-lg-chem-samsung-cells Cal Energy Commission grants $2.4M for Class 8 fuel cell hybrid trucks at ports; $1.2M for PEV fleet and V2G software upgrade. The California Energy Commission approved a grant of $2.4 million to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) under the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program to build and to test seven hybrid fuel-cell, Class 8 trucks to transport cargo… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150813-calenergy.html GREEN ENERGY It’s Not A Pipe Dream: Clean Energy From Water Pipes Comes To Portland. It’s a renewable energy source, but hydropower has its pitfalls. Its dams can kill fish and other marine life and majorly disrupt habitat, and they can also end up emitting significant amounts of greenhouse gases — a side effect that many of hydro’s fellow renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, don’t share. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/13/3661575/portland-water-pipes-energy/ Can Market Fixes Overcome the Declining Value of Wind and Solar at High Market Shares? Back in May, Alex Trembath and I explained why the value of wind and solar energy in electricity systems declines as these variable renewable resources reach higher market shares. http://www.theenergycollective.com/jessejenkins/2259541/can-market-fixes-overcome-declining-value-wind-and-solar-high-market-shares Energy storage reaching a 'tiny fraction' of its U.S. potential – report. Energy storage technologies and applications are experiencing strong growth in places where electricity costs are high and utilities use pricing structures that require customers to pay more for power at certain times of the day. But storage systems are not being adopted broadly across the United States, according to a new analysis… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/13/stories/1060023404 D.C. doubles down on clean energy. For the last two weeks, more than one-third of the electricity used by Washington, D.C.'s municipal government has come from a southwestern Pennsylvania wind farm. That arrangement, which will continue for the next 20 years, is the result of what D.C. officials are calling the largest-ever municipal power purchase agreement for renewable energy. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/13/stories/1060023400 MISCELLANEOUS CalPERS, CalSTRS took big losses on energy investments, report says. California's two biggest public pension funds lost more than $5 billion on energy-related investments for the year ended June 30, according to a new report. The California Public Employees' Retirement System posted losses of just over $3 billion, a 28% decline, on its largest oil and gas investments… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-calpers-calstrs-energy-losses-20150813-story.html PERRIS: Museum to feature Native American perspectives on climate change. An exhibit that explores Native American perspectives on climate change opens Saturday at the Ya’i Heki’ Regional Indian Museum. The Lake Perris State Recreation Area will be showcasing the Smithsonian Institution’s “Indigenous Voices on Climate Change” exhibit at the Ya’i Heki’ Regional Indian Museum starting Saturday. http://www.pe.com/articles/museum-776678-change-perris.html OPINIONS L.A.'s air is clearer, but it remains dangerous for too many people. To the editor: I was surprised to hear President Obama label the ozone problem in Los Angeles solved, because I still see patients with asthma who struggle to breathe our polluted air. ("How bad was L.A.'s smog when Barack Obama went to college here?," Aug. 3) While there has indeed been progress, much more remains to be done. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0812-wednesday-smog-obama-20150813-story.html Dan Walters: Tom Steyer's attack on gas prices. Tom Steyer is obviously an intelligent and rational man, given his demonstrated ability to amass great wealth through capitalistic investments. But since it's difficult to rationally grasp his periodic rants about California's gasoline prices, they only make sense in a purely political -- i.e., illogical -- context. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28626860/dan-walters-tom-steyers-attack-gas-prices Letter: Cap-and-trade pain. President Obama, who has made statements in the past as “I will bankrupt the coal industry” and “Your electricity rates would necessary skyrocket,” cannot wait to implement his cap-and-trade system he presented. I mean, hasn’t he inflicted enough pain on the people of this country? What other U.S. president has ever wanted to bankrupt companies? http://www.recorder.com/home/18153960-95/letter-cap-and-trade-pain Obama’s new ozone rules will cost Michigan jobs. As the Environmental Protection Agency rushes to complete its new rule on ozone emissions, there’s been a lot of discussion about the burdens on businesses and local governments. Yet there’s been little mention of how this regulation could harm individual Americans. For some, the effects will be all too clear. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/08/13/swearingen-epa-rules-cost-jobs/31549037/ BLOGS Pope Francis’s climate push at odds with U.S. Catholic oil investments. Pope Francis heartened environmentalists around the world in June when he urged immediate action to save the planet from the effects of climate change, declaring that the use of “highly polluting fossil fuels needs to be progressively replaced without delay.” But some of the largest American Catholic organizations have millions of dollars invested in energy companies… http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/08/13/pope-franciss-climate-push-at-odds-with-u-s-catholic-oil-investments/ Dan Morain: Can California turn the West green? California’s leaders quickly saluted last week when President Barack Obama released his Clean Power Plan, a 1,500-page proposal that would dramatically reduce the nation’s dependence on coal. We’re already there, or at least we think we are. At the Legislature’s urging, California’s private utilities have weaned themselves from coal… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dan-morain/article30956595.html#storylink=cpy Manure for Some, Dollars for Others. Not far from the Amish farms of Central Pennsylvania, in the rolling hills southwest of coal mining country, Dennis Brubaker raises 30,000 pigs a year for slaughter. In four enclosed barns, the hogs gain 2 pounds a day away from predators. http://sfpublicpress.org/news-notes/2015-08/manure-for-some-dollars-for-others#sthash.xh5pZnXW.dpuf Don’t let Obama’s power plan overshadow Arctic drilling. With the release of President Obama’s plan to reduce carbon pollution from power plants, it is clear he sees climate change as a critical part of his presidential legacy. Yet, in the shadow of this historic announcement, we cannot ignore that Royal Dutch Shell may only be days away from beginning drilling in the Arctic Ocean… http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/250879-dont-let-obamas-power-plan-overshadow-arctic-drilling Sharing Our Stories to Solve Climate Change. Throughout human history storytelling has been a powerful way to connect, comfort each other, explore our dreams, and share the human experience. Our stories personalize us and bring heart and meaning to issues that often seem impersonal and distant from our lives and build unity among people from different backgrounds. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aquintero/sharing_our_stories_to_solve_c.html On the Youth Assembly at the United Nations. Delegates poured in from around the world into the iconic General Assembly Hall at the United Nations. There was a palpable sense of excitement in the air. On the agenda was climate change, health care, gender equality and all of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, which were approved by world leaders in these very seats just a fortnight prior. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ayyan-zubair/youth-assembly-united-nations_b_7977684.html Why Green Energy Execs Don't Fear Falling Oil Prices. Wind and solar aren't really competing against oil. Investors are sweating over falling oil prices. Renewable energy executives, somewhat counterintuitively, are keeping their cool. West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell to a six-year low of $43 per barrel on Tuesday. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oil-prices-green-energy_55cb6637e4b0923c12bece98 Heat-Driven Surge In 'Danger Days' Just Around the Corner. Chances are you’ve never heard the phrase “danger day” when it comes to weather. That’s because they’re rare. You’ll want to get to know it, though, because climate change is about to make them a lot more common over the next 15 years. http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/heat-driven-surge-in-danger-days-just-around-the-corner-150812.htm Folks in these U.S. states don’t believe in global warming. In June, Pope Francis, in his encyclical on the environment, called upon humanity to take responsibility for the planet, including climate change. Yet millions of Americans just don’t trust scientists warning of a “95% certainty” humans cause global warming. Responding to the climate threat will take an all-hands-on-deck approach that combines policies… http://www.marketwatch.com/story/folks-in-these-us-states-dont-believe-in-global-warming-2015-08-13?page=1 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 14 Aug 2015 12:16:40 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 14, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 14, 2015. 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 How U.S. Climate Plan Can Follow China and Europe—Or Not. The U.S. will likely expand “cap and trade” to curb emissions. Several countries are trying this, but their mixed results may offer lessons in what not to do. The United States aims to lead other countries with its climate plan. Yet one of its key but lesser-known tools, carbon trading, has already taken root across the globe. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/08/150814-US-climate-plan-lessons-from-China-Europe/ AIR POLLUTION Air pollution killing 4,000 in China a day, US study find. Air pollution is killing about 4,000 people in China a day, accounting for 1 in 6 premature deaths in the world's most populous country, a new study finds. Physicists at the University of California, Berkeley, calculated that about 1.6 million people in China die each year from heart, lung and stroke… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CHINA_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/14/air-pollution-in-china-is-killing-1-6-million-people-a-year-researchers-say/ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/world/asia/study-links-polluted-air-in-china-to-1-6-million-deaths-a-year.html?_r=0 http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-air-pollution-killing-4000-in-china-a-day-us-study-finds-2015-8 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/14/air-pollution-in-china-is-killing-4000-people-every-day-a-new-study-finds http://www.ibtimes.com/china-air-pollution-kills-4000-people-day-study-2053411 Exxon seeks to use old, less-clean equipment at crippled Torrance refinery. Exxon Mobil Corp. has asked air quality officials to allow it to increase refining operations at its Torrance facility — a move that comes as Los Angeles-area gasoline prices jumped nearly 6 cents because of refinery woes. Exxon Mobil's plan includes use of an old pollution-control system to temporarily replace one damaged in a February explosion. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exxon-mobil-refinery-20150814-story.html CLIMATE CHANGE States Move to Block Obama Administration’s New Carbon Rules. Fifteen states petition court to issue emergency stay, the first step in an expected lengthy battle. Fifteen states asked a federal court Thursday to temporarily block Obama administration carbon regulations while they mount a full legal challenge to the rules. http://www.wsj.com/articles/states-move-to-block-obama-administration-carbon-rules-1439502365 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/14/fifteen-us-states-seek-block-obamas-clean-power-plan http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1087610 http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/14/stories/1060023474 What live peer review looks like when the fate of the planet is at stake. Last month, a scientific paper appeared that kicked off what is, by any stretch, the most interesting climate science debate of the year. In the paper, former NASA climate expert James Hansen, who is widely credited with putting the climate issue itself on the map, collaborated with 16 other researchers to outline a pretty dire climate scenario. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/14/what-live-peer-review-looks-like-when-the-planet-is-at-stake/ Alaska's permafrost threatened by intense fires, climate change. One of the state’s worst wildfire seasons in history has scorched 5 million acres of tundra and forests across Alaska, and experts here fear climate change will cause even more devastating fires through a combination of lower snowpack, drying tundra and melting permafrost. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/13/climate-change-alaska-wildfires/31203153/ Hormel Foods’ Plant Cuts GHG Emissions 60%. Hormel Foods achieved a 60 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in 2014, compared to 2013, at its Beijing, China plant after replacing two coal fire boilers with more efficient steam generators, relocating the equipment closer to ovens to reduce energy loss… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/08/14/hormel-foods-plant-cuts-ghg-emissions-60/#ixzz3ioRx6Oom How Smart Grid and Demand Response Could Fit Into the Clean Power Plan. Pathway to credits for CO2-cutting grid and demand-side tech—and a boost to solar-wind integration enablers. Less dirty energy, more clean energy. These are the fundamental drivers of the Clean Power Plan's push to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and while that’s a potential boon to wind and solar power… http://www.theenergycollective.com/jeffstjohn/2259677/how-smart-grid-and-demand-response-could-fit-clean-power-plan Australia's emissions cut target 'at or near bottom' of comparable countries. Climate Change Authority chairman Bernie Fraser says ‘more ambitious targets than those adopted by the government can be achieved at modest costs’. he independent Climate Change Authority has shot down key parts of Tony Abbott’s new environmental message… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/14/australias-emissions-cut-target-at-or-near-bottom-of-comparable-countries EL NINO Federal experts: This El Nino may be historically strong. The current El Nino, nicknamed Bruce Lee, is already the second strongest on record for this time of year and could be one of the most potent weather changers of the past 65 years, federal meteorologists say. But California and other drought struck areas better not count on El Nino rescuing them like in a Bruce Lee action movie, experts say. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_EL_NINO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Q&A: Drought-weary California hopes El Nino means wet winter. Chances are strong that a record-setting El Nino is headed toward California this winter. What is unknown is how it will play out for the state beset by four years of drought that fallowed farm fields, turned lawns brown and dried up streams and wells. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_EL_NINO_QA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/el-nino-likely-this-winter-for-drought-weary-california/2015/08/14/1c7f32ca-424d-11e5-9f53-d1e3ddfd0cda_story.html A huge El Niño could devastate Southern California. It started in October 1997 in Mexico, when a hurricane fueled by El Niño slammed into Acapulco, causing massive flooding and hundreds of deaths. A few weeks later, storms started hitting Southern California. Then in December, the skies opened up in Orange County in what meteorologists described as the biggest rainstorm in a century. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-huge-el-nino-could-devastate-southern-california-20150813-story.html Coming El Niño to pack a punch, so experts named it ‘Bruce Lee'. The current El Niño, nicknamed Bruce Lee, is already the second strongest on record for this time of year and could be one of the most potent weather changers of the past 65 years, federal meteorologists say. But California and other drought-struck areas better not count on El Niño rescuing them like Bruce Lee in an action movie, experts say. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ni241o-333716-ocprint-bruce-lee.html DROUGHT Heat wave heightens danger in an already epic summer of fire. Northern winds that siphon moisture from the air. Flames that run rampant at night after aircraft have been grounded. Flying embers that spark more blazes. And now, rising temperatures are expected throughout the state. The obstacles are only intensifying for crews fighting wildfires across Northern California, where years of drought have altered the landscape and set an unpredictable stage. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-wildfires-reach-new-heights-heat-wave-brings-new-dangers-20150812-story.html Wealthy city big winner in drought lawn rebate program. For homeowners with sprawling lawns who sought rebate money for switching to less thirsty landscaping, it paid to move quickly. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for a time offered $2 per square foot of lawn removed with no limit on the size of the rebate. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-turf-rebates-20150812-story.html Brewery hopes to tap creative minds to deal with drought. It's a new approach to an old-school solution for a state gripped by severe drought: Place a brick in a toilet tank to conserve water with every flush. The new version, dubbed Drop-A-Brick 2.0, will be unveiled Thursday as part of an unusual effort to stimulate water-saving inventions through crowdsourcing and crowdfunding. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-drought-inventions-20150813-story.html Drought, then rain undermined Pasadena tree that fell on children. Prolonged drought, a lack of strong roots and a burst of heavy rain were the main reasons an 85-foot pine toppled and injured children in a Pasadena park last month, an arborist's report said Thursday. The massive, city-owned Italian stone pine came crashing down on young day campers outside the Kidspace Museum at Brookside Park on July 28. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pasadena-tree-0150813-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES California Aims to Regulate Sustainability Into Freight System. Viewed from a year out, it's hard to know how green or blue the freight plan California is cooking up will turn out to be for trucking. When it comes to rolling out regulations, California leads the nation. Rules written by the Golden State, due to its immense population and gargantuan economic might, tend to be adopted sooner or later by other states and to influence federal rulemaking. http://www.truckinginfo.com/article/story/2015/08/california-aims-to-regulate-sustainability-into-freight-system.aspx?utm_campaign=Headline-News-20150814&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter&btm_ea=cGphY29ic0BhcmIuY2EuZ292 FUELS Japan Environment Minister Won’t Back Another Coal-Fired Plant. Japan’s environment minister said he won’t support a new coal power station planned for central Japan, the latest push by the ministry to rein in coal projects to control the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. The move, by Yoshio Mochizuki, pits the environment ministry against the trade and industry ministry… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-14/japan-environment-minister-won-t-back-another-coal-fired-plant Sacramento’s Propel Fuels takes ‘high-performance’ diesel to Southern California. Sacramento-based Propel Fuels, a retailer of low-carbon vehicle fuels, is rolling out its “high-performance renewable” diesel fuel in Southern California. In March, Sacramento motorists were among the first to fill up with “Diesel HPR” – short for High Performance Renewable – which is manufactured almost entirely from various plant- and animal-based waste… http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article31011423.html#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY RPT - ANALYSIS-Solar is having a great year, except on Wall Street. By almost any measure, the U.S. solar market is on fire. Installations of solar panels are expected to soar by a third this year, the price of solar power is now cheap enough to compete neck and neck with gas and coal-fired power in places like California, and the fledgling industry received a vote of confidence last week… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL1N10O32120150814 Distributed solar PV prices fell sharply for 5th straight year – DOE. The installed price of distributed solar power fell by 40 cents per watt for U.S. residential and small-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems between 2013 and 2014, while large nonresidential systems saw costs fall by an average of 70 cents per watt, according to new Energy Department data released this week. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/14/stories/1060023465 OPINIONS Editorial Feinstein-Boxer water bill offers real drought relief. It's in many ways a pleasant surprise: The latest water bill introduced by California's two U.S. senators, Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, offers the state some serious help as the Sierra snowpack becomes a less reliable source of fresh water. If the bill were to advance on its own, it would be a good base from which to work. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-drought-relief-legislation-congress-20150814-story.html Michael Gerson: Hunting for a miracle on global warming. In recognition that Internet questionnaires get more eyeballs than earnest columns on energy policy, here is today’s quiz on obscure presidential history: When President George W. Bush met Bill Gates for the first time, the topic of discussion was (A) nuclear power, (B) rural Internet access, (C) global health or (D) all of those subjects… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article31029813.html What, me worry about climate change? Uh, yeah. Jim Schweitzer's letter to the editor, "Carbon dioxide regulates itself, keeps us from freezing to death," again shows us how climate-change deniers misinform the public. His bottom line was the earth self-regulates its global temperature and that the CO2 we put into the atmosphere is all absorbed by rocks and the oceans, so we shouldn't worry. http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/letters/2015/08/13/climate-change-carbon-dioxide/31669641/ Letters: Sorry, descendants, for our role in global warming. Re: Robert Samuelson’s Aug. 10 commentary, “Curbing global warming: Mission impossible?” After reading his article, I thought that, since civilization has caused this “superwicked” problem of global warming, it is only morally right to do the civilized thing: admit our mistake, and punt. Real men and women aren’t afraid to say they were wrong! http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150813/letters-sorry-descendants-for-our-role-in-global-warming Editorial: Solar power: Spending on the future. If our path to reliance on a “renewable” energy system was a summer vacation road trip, the answer to the incessant, “Are we there yet?” question would be, “Heck, let’s get out of the driveway first.” That’s an exaggeration but it highlights the fact that although considerable work and money has been put into renewable energies… http://www.dailyrecordnews.com/opinion/editorial-solar-power-spending-on-the-future/article_4a6ee302-4206-11e5-aa46-eb78eee857f1.html Death by a Thousand Cuts. It’s common knowledge that polar bears, and their primary prey the ringed seal, might go extinct this century as the Arctic sea ice melts because rising levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG) are warming the planet. Hearing this news, many Americans likely felt something akin to, “Gee, that’s a shame,” but the country did little more than shrug its collective shoulders before getting back to business as usual. http://sandiegofreepress.org/2015/08/death-by-a-thousand-cuts/ BLOGS Researchers Detail Carbon Output from Rivers and Streams. Work by a University of Wyoming professor and a recent UW Ph.D. graduate has provided a more complete picture of the role of rivers and streams in the global carbon cycle. http://www.uwyo.edu/uw/news/2015/08/researchers-detail-carbon-output-from-rivers-and-streams.html Climate Fiction: Can Books Save the Planet? A new literary genre that focuses on the consequences of environmental issues is striking a chord with younger generations—and engaging them in thinking about the Earth’s sustainability. http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/08/climate-fiction-margaret-atwood-literature/400112/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 14:15:46 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 17, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 17, 2015. 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 Sacramento heat rises while air quality falters under smoky assault. The summer heat made its comeback this weekend, as temperatures hovered around 100 degrees on Saturday and Sunday and are expected to stay sizzling Monday. In addition, smoke from wildfires is contributing to poor air quality. http://www.sacbee.com/news/weather/article31255163.html#storylink=cpy Record high of 104 breaks Napa record; air quality alert extended. The heat was on for Napans on Sunday, as never before in mid-August. Afternoon temperatures soared to 104 degrees to break the Aug. 16 record of 100 set in 1950, the National Weather Service reported. The daytime peak tied for second highest in the Bay Area on a day filled with triple-digit figures in Northern California… http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/record-high-of-breaks-napa-record-air-quality-alert-extended/article_b873f147-6bdf-55e2-baeb-e5dd4bbc07e2.html Grimy city buildings release smog-forming air pollutant through sunlight exposure. Sunlight has been found to trigger the release of smog-forming compounds from the grime that builds up on city buildings. Scientists say they still do not know just to what extent this process is occurring, but it could be a significant contributor to air pollution in urban areas. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/grimy-city-buildings-release-smog-forming-air-pollutant-through-sunlight-exposure-1515784 CLIMATE CHANGE EPA tightens rules for greenhouse gas emissions at landfills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has tightened standards for the nation's landfills to reduce emissions of methane and other harmful air pollutants. EPA estimates the new rules announced Friday as part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan will reduce methane from decomposing household waste by about 480,000 tons a year by 2025. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LANDFILL_METHANE_RULES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT As seas rise, saltwater plants offer hope farms will survive. On a sun-scorched wasteland near India's southern tip, an unlikely garden filled with spiky shrubs and spindly greens is growing, seemingly against all odds. The plants are living on saltwater, coping with drought and possibly offering viable farming alternatives for a future in which rising seas have inundated countless coastal farmlands. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_SALTWATER_GARDEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Critics of carbon regulations using mine spill to skewer EPA. Authorities say rivers tainted by last week's massive spill from an abandoned Colorado gold mine are starting to recover, but for the Environmental Protection Agency the political fallout from the disaster could linger. The federal agency's critics are already seeking to use its much-maligned handling of the mine spill to undercut… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MINE_WASTE_LEAK_POLITICAL_FALLOUT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Red Pandas Are Adorable and in Trouble. The red panda is loved but vulnerable to habitat loss and climate change. The five red panda cubs in large boxlike cribs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute here are bottle-fed, sleepy and wobbly on their legs. They have bandit masks and thick, rich fur, and they make soft squealing noises and something called a huff-quack… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/science/red-pandas-are-adorable-and-in-trouble.html What grows after natural disasters? U.S. plants new idea to restore landscapes. Peggy Olwell has seen her share of forest fires, hurricanes and other natural disasters. She knows all too well what errant Mother Nature can do. The career botanist has watched Western wildfires scorch the earth and scary-high winds wipe coastal landscapes clean. She also has seen what happens to native plants. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-blm-seed-program-20150817-story.html Fiorina, Cruz and Walker respond to Jerry Brown on climate change. California Gov. Jerry Brown, blaming climate change for hot weather that has exacerbated the state’s historic drought, has pressed Republican presidential candidates in recent weeks to address the issue in their campaigns, first scolding them in a letter and then telling reporters… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article31237517.html#storylink=cpy Obama’s climate change proposals face stiff legal challenges this fall. President Barack Obama’s climate change plan will be challenged in in the courts this fall, when lawyers for at least 15 states join the coal and power industries to block the carbon-reducing rules before they take effect. They will argue that the Clean Air Act does not authorize a national attack on greenhouse gases and that states… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/national/article31252778.html#storylink=cpy Sen. Fran Pavley: A quiet force in the climate storm. In a small hearing room decorated with paintings of birds and flowers, Sen. Fran Pavley -- the great-granddaughter of a three-time presidential candidate -- sat down to present the bill that will likely cement her legacy as the California Legislature's most accomplished environmentalist. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_28650595/sen-fran-pavley-quiet-force-climate-storm Climate Change May Get Its Own Museum. New York City may add another museum, this one exploring global warming. American museums get about 850 million visits annually, nearly double the attendance of all major league sporting events and theme parks combined, according to the American Alliance of Museums. Massie expects that the climate change museum… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-may-get-its-own-museum/ ‘Godzilla El Niño’ Plus Carbon Pollution Equals Global Warming Speed-Up. NASA oceanographer Bill Patzert called the intensifying El Niño, “Godzilla.” A NOAA research scientist called it “Bruce Lee” in July, and, by August, she said that what’s coming is “Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious.” Whatever you call it, the short-term burst of regional warming in the tropical Pacific… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/17/3691712/godzilla-el-nino-global-warming/ APP to Retire Commercial Plantations to Cut Carbon Emissions. Asia Pulp and Paper Group has committing to retire around 7,000 hectares of commercial plantation areas to protect threatened carbon-rich peatlands. The company says this is the first time that plantations on tropical peatland have been retired for conservation purposes worldwide. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/08/17/app-to-retire-commercial-plantations-to-cut-carbon-emissions/#ixzz3j6I3ZuTm Top 10 cities facing the most “danger days” due to climate change. Chances are you’ve never heard the phrase “danger day” when it comes to weather. That’s because they’re rare. You’ll want to get to know it, though, because climate change is about to make them a lot more common over the next 15 years. http://grist.org/climate-energy/top-10-cities-facing-the-most-danger-days-due-to-climate-change/ Turning CO2 emissions into plastic with algae? It may not be as crazy as it sounds. From polyester shirts, plastic milk jugs and PVC pipes to the production of high-grade industrial ethanol, the contribution of the chemical feedstock ethylene can be found just about everywhere around the globe. But ethylene's ubiquity as a building block in plastics and chemicals masks an underlying environmental cost. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060023524 Wash. Gov. Inslee pushes forward carbon cap. In a move that mirrors President Obama's recent executive action on climate change, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) is pushing forward a cap on carbon emissions under the state's Clean Air Act after failing to convince the Legislature to approve a market-based program last year. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/17/stories/1060023526 Strong winds are driving erosion on the melting Greenland ice sheet – study. Strong winds off the Greenland ice sheet are blowing patches of the surrounding tundra bare of the plants that cycle nutrients, store carbon and feed wildlife, found researchers characterizing soil erosion and its ecological impacts in a new study. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/17/stories/1060023525 Global temperatures continue to spike, despite disagreement on the 'pause'. There continues to be some disagreement among climate scientists about the global warming "hiatus" that some believe occurred between 1998 and 2013. Meanwhile, starting in 2014, there seems to be a marked uptick in temperatures, with some scientists predicting that 2015 could well emerge as the hottest year on record. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/17/stories/1060023511 DROUGHT California Town, United by Drought, Is Split Over New Water Park. On a typical hard-hat tour of a major municipal construction project, city officials extol the venture’s expansiveness and rave about how many citizens will benefit. But this city has taken a different approach to a nearly $44 million recreational complex underway: Officials boast how small it is and how few people are expected to use it. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/us/california-town-united-by-drought-is-split-over-new-water-park.html?_r=0 The next drought: Water officials endorse a 'less is more' strategy for the future. Glimpses of California's water future: A sprawl of sewage treatment plants, recharge basins and desalination facilities, stretching out across an industrial backlot near Rancho Cucamonga. A collection of slender, solar-powered telemetry towers rising from an almond orchard in the San Joaquin Valley to bring high-tech efficiency to irrigation. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-next-drought-20150816-story.html Crews begin work on drought fix at Folsom Lake. As water regulators continue to rapidly drain Folsom Lake to bolster supplies downstream, crews have begun construction of a floating barge that could keep water flowing to the city of Folsom this fall. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the reservoir, has allowed roughly 42 billion gallons to flow from Folsom Lake in the last 30 days. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article31164809.html#storylink=cpy California Drought: Marin tule elk have sufficient water supply, federal park says. Tule elk are being closely watched in the Point Reyes National Seashore this summer after the population fell off amid concerns of a dearth of water supplies. Earlier this year, park service officials revealed that more than 250 Tule elk died inside a 2,600 acre fenced-in preserve on Tomales Point over a two-year period. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28653558/california-drought-marin-tule-elk-have-sufficient-water California drought: ‘Emergency situation’ for state’s trees. The rush to save water is claiming legions of unintended casualties — California’s trees. Specimens that have stood tall and strong for decades are stressed and dying because of the drought, as Californians turn off spigots to comply with Gov. Jerry Brown’s mandatory conservation measures. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150816/california-drought-emergency-situation-for-states-trees Orange County has led the way as a model for recycling water, but here's what's being done to do more. In the 1960s, when most of Irvine was farm fields, planners realized the value of recycling water. In a remarkable act of foresight, they built an extra set of pipes into plans for the master-planned city to carry treated wastewater to those fields. “We could work with developers to put in main distribution lines as development was happening… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-677812-recycled-recycling.html FUELS Low Oil Prices Pose Threat to Texas Fracking Bonanza. No place in Texas produces more oil than Karnes County, but suddenly the roaring economy here is cooling fast, chilled by the plunging price of crude. Workers who migrated from far and wide to find work here, chasing newfound oil riches, are being laid off, deserting their recreational vehicle parks and going home. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/15/business/energy-environment/low-oil-prices-pose-threat-to-texas-fracking-bonanza.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 Oil Prices Drop on Shrinking Japan Economy, More US Drill Rigs. Oil prices fell to near six-year lows on Monday as Japan's economy contracted and producers in the United States added drilling rigs for a fourth straight week despite a recent rout in prices. Japan's economy, the second biggest in Asia and No.3 in the world… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/08/16/business/16reuters-markets-oil.html South L.A. residents resist oil firm's plans to burn gas at drilling site. In South Los Angeles, residents are battling an oil company that has been a longtime neighbor, resisting its plans to burn off excess gas at its West Adams Boulevard drilling site. Freeport-McMoRan, which operates the site, says an enclosed burner is needed as a backup method to dispose of unused gas that is pulled from the earth along with the oil. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-gas-flare-20150817-story.html Researchers Modify Oilseed To Lower Viscosity For Use As Biodiesel Fuel. Heading into another U.S. presidential election year, getting more biofuels into the U.S. gasoline supply continues to pose both political and logistical hurdles. But researchers, regulators, and entrepreneurs increasingly see promise in synthetic diesel created from a variety of non-fossil fuel sources. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099609_researchers-modify-oilseed-to-lower-viscosity-for-use-as-biodiesel-fuel Judge rebuffs latest challenge to Calif. fuel standards. A federal judge last week largely upheld one of California's primary efforts to address climate change in a challenge from crude oil producers. The judge largely granted the state's motions to dismiss the litigation on California's low-carbon fuel standard, holding that previous lawsuits had already resolved most of the issues in the case. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/17/stories/1060023549 VEHICLES Morgan Stanley Thinks Tesla's Real Battle Might Be With Apple, Uber And Google. What if Tesla Motors TSLA +3.95%‘ real competition in the future is more likely to come from the likes of Uber and Google GOOGL +0.43% than the entrenched automakers it’s challenging today? That’s a question Morgan Stanley MS +0.00% analyst Adam Jonas ponders in a note to clients Monday and he thinks Elon Musk’s automaker… http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveschaefer/2015/08/17/forget-the-automakers-teslas-real-battle-might-be-with-uber-and-google/ Immortus Electric-Car Concept Claims Solar Running Up To 35 MPH. Many electric-car owners use solar panels to generate power that they can use in home charging stations. But what if they could actually put those panels directly on their electric cars instead? Solar-car racing is nothing new, and solar panels have been used to a very limited extent to supplement battery power in a few production cars. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099606_immortus-electric-car-concept-claims-solar-running-up-to-35-mph GREEN ENERGY AP EXCLUSIVE: California measure fails to create green jobs. Three years after California voters passed a ballot measure to raise taxes on corporations and generate clean energy jobs by funding energy-efficiency projects in schools, barely one-tenth of the promised jobs have been created, and the state has no comprehensive list to show how much work has been done or how much energy has been saved. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GREEN_ENERGY_PROMISES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT MISCELLANEOUS States raising taxes, fees and debt to pay for road repairs. While Congress remains stalled on a long-term plan for funding highways, state lawmakers and governors aren't waiting around. Nearly one-third of the states have approved measures this year that could collectively raise billions of dollars through higher fuel taxes, vehicle fees and bonds to repair old bridges… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HIGHWAY_FUNDING_STATES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OPINIONS India Finally Faces Up to an Ugly Reality. Every society has its articles of faith: “This is a free country”; “Islam is a religion of peace.” The strength of a society depends on the extent to which its articles of faith match the reality on the ground. In the India I grew up in, one such article of faith was: “India is a beautiful country.” It was what we said about ourselves; it was what others said about us, too. It seemed unassailable. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/opinion/india-finally-faces-up-to-an-ugly-reality.html Climate Change Is the Defining Story of Our Time. Voters in 2016 must understand that climate change is very real and dangerous, not distant and irrelevant. Younger people should be especially vigilant about each candidate’s stance on the issue because we will inherit a planet that the next president can either redeem or ignore. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/08/17/what-college-students-care-about-in-this-presidential-election/climate-change-is-the-defining-story-of-our-time Get ready for the new normal: dry and drier. California in the Great Drought is a living diorama of how the future is going to look across much of the United States as climate change sets in. Like hippies and "dude," wine bars and hot tubs, mega-churches and gay rights, what gets big in California goes national soon enough. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-debuys-drought-foretells-future-20150817-story.html State response to drinking water editorial. Regarding the editorial “State needs to step up response to water emergencies” (Aug. 2): California is in a fourth year of extreme drought, and a number of communities are running out of water, creating uncertainty for some of our most economically vulnerable Central Valley residents. http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article31124147.html#storylink=cpy New carbon rules can propel innovation, jobs. With President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, the U.S. has taken its biggest step yet to combat climate change. But equally important is how this plan provides an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen the American economy and usher our energy system into the 21st Century. Some climate-change deniers in Congress are trying to paint these environmental… http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/08/17/obama-carbon-plan/31859815/ Trucking with better fuel economy, lower emissions: Guest commentary. Undoubtedly, at some point in your day, you pass by a Waste Management truck, perhaps collecting recycling in your neighborhood or driving down one of California’s highways. What you may not know is that the Waste Management fleet is one of the greenest on the road, having committed early to reducing carbon emissions… http://www.presstelegram.com/opinion/20150815/trucking-with-better-fuel-economy-lower-emissions-guest-commentary BLOGS California First: As Both Climate Victim and Responder, the National Style-Setter Leads the Way. Long ago, I lived in a cheap flat in San Francisco and worked as the lone straight man in a gay construction company. Strangely enough, the drought now strangling California brings back memories of those days. It was the 1970s. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-debuys/california-first-climate-change_b_7995954.html Carbon Fees are Not the Best Solution to Climate Pollution. Several prominent articles this year that have taken a position against energy efficiency have attracted enough press attention to require formal refutations, which you can find here and here and here and here. But these articles all have something in common: an ideological belief that markets work best unconditionally and therefore that a carbon pollution fee… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dgoldstein/carbon_fees_are_not_the_best_s.html Study Indicates Bulk Energy Storage Would Increase Total U.S. Electricity System. Because renewable energy technologies like wind and solar don’t always produce energy when we want them to, it’s often argued that we’ll have to store wind and solar energy in giant batteries or other forms of grid energy storage before we can fully transition the electricity system toward renewable sources. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/study-indicates-bulk-energy-storage-would-increase-total-u-s-electricity-system-emissions/ Wikipedia wars are harming politically charged science. Politically controversial scientific topics like global warming and evolution are being ransacked on Wikipedia, leading to "egregious errors" that must be monitored. This was the finding of the first investigation into Wikipedia science edits of its kind, published in PLOS One… http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-08/17/wikipedia-wars-are-killing-politically-charged-science California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 13:07:41 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 18, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 18, 2015. 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 CAP AND TRADE: California polluters go out of state to offset emissions. California’s cap and trade system allows polluters to pay other businesses to reduce emissions. So a Pennsylvania pig farmer, among others around the nation, will earn thousands from the program. Gov. Jerry Brown's revised 2015-2016 budget pencils in an additional $20 million for dairy digester systems. http://www.pe.com/articles/california-777192-methane-farms.html AIR POLLUTION EPA to Propose Rules Cutting Methane Emissions From Oil and Gas Drilling Agency to call for 40%-45% cut in methane emissions by 2025. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday will propose the first-ever federal regulations to cut methane emissions from the nation’s oil and natural-gas industry, according to people familiar with the move, which is part of President Barack Obama’s climate agenda. http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-to-propose-rules-cutting-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-drilling-1439852519 http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1N10T03C20150818 http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NT97U96KLVRE01-1DO5JS4U60S06FFGUFUNK16J7S http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/18/us/politics/ap-us-obama-methane-emissions.html?_r=0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/08/18/epa-tightens-landfill-methane-emissions-rules/ http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/251368-epa-unveils-plan-to-slash-methane-emissions Air quality remains bad remains bad, fires almost contained. Smoke and haze from the wildfires in Trinity, Humboldt, Del Norte, and other areas of northern California continued to affect air quality along with reduced visibility throughout Mendocino County Monday, according to the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District. http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/general-news/20150818/air-quality-remains-bad-remains-bad-fires-almost-contained Air Pollutant Optimization Model Helps Reduce Health Impact of Ozone and Fine Particulate Pollution. By combining information about power plant operation with real-time air quality predictions, researchers have created a new capability to minimize the human health effects of air pollution resulting from electric power generating facilities. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22335 CLIMATE CHANGE Islamic experts urge more Muslim action on climate change. A group of Islamic experts urged the world's 1.6 billion Muslims on Tuesday to do more to fight global warming, in a new example of religious efforts to galvanize action before a U.N. climate summit in Paris in December. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/18/us-climatechange-muslims-idUSKCN0QN1HI20150818 http://www.modbee.com/news/nation-world/article31376888.html#storylink=cpy http://www.mintpressnews.com/new-declaration-presents-moral-case-for-muslims-to-mobilize-to-fight-global-warming/208730/ New Antarctic Research Ups Sea Level Rise Estimates. The West Antarctic is one of the most remote places on the planet, but its fate is intimately tied with hundreds of millions living along the world’s coastlines. That’s because it’s frozen expanse contains enough ice to raise sea levels by up to 13 feet. There have been multiple warnings of growing instability across the… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/west-antarctica-sea-level-estimates-19345?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed#sthash.Dxfe2XvX.dpuf Climate change could bring twice as many big El Niños. Scientists have long wondered whether rising global temperatures will lead to an increase in intense El Niño events, like the one that could bring major storms to Southern California this winter. According to a groundbreaking study published Monday, the answer is a resounding, “Yes.” http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/08/17/climate-change-bring-twice-many-big-el-nios/31891371/ Cost of not acting on climate change $44 trillion: Citi. Up to $44 trillion could be going up in smoke if the world does not act on climate change, according to the latest piece of research from U.S. banking giant Citigroup. The report – Energy Darwinism II: Why a Low Carbon Future Doesn't Have to Cost the Earth -- has forecast that spending on energy will hit around $200 trillion in the next 25 years. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/18/cost-of-not-acting-on-climate-change-44-trillion-citi.html New calculations of rising temperatures paint a dismal picture for economies of poorer nations. Rising temperatures in the near future could bring about some economic growth for richer countries while hurting poor economies, concludes a new historical analysis. The results, published in Nature Climate Change yesterday, add to the body of research predicting that developing countries will suffer more from climate change… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/18/stories/1060023580 The quirky, complex business of calculating sea-level rise. Scientists have figured out the worst that could happen if the mammoth chuck of continental ice at the bottom of the world -- the West Antarctic Ice Sheet -- continues melting. By 2100, ice sheet melt would raise sea levels by 7.9 inches, enough to pose a risk to low-lying nations, according to a study published today in The Cryosphere. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/18/stories/1060023577 Oyster farmers join with scientists to fight ocean acidification. Oyster farmers are teaming up with marine biologists to understand the threat of climate change to the industry, as ocean acidification continues killing off baby oysters. As carbon emissions increase, the ocean's absorption of carbon dioxide also increases. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/18/stories/1060023570 DROUGHT A Chinese Drought Weather Report Written on Cave Walls. Writings on the walls of a cave in China record the effects of droughts over the last 500 years, researchers have found. The inscriptions are on the walls of Dayu Cave in the Qinling Mountains of central China. They describe the impacts of seven droughts between 1520 and 1920. One inscription, dated 1528, reads, “Drought occurred in the 7th year… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/science/a-chinese-drought-weather-report-written-on-cave-walls.html California water prices set to rise next year: Fitch. Residents of drought-ravaged California can expect to pay more for water next year as utilities pass on the cost of mandatory conservation measures to customers, a survey released by rating agency Fitch on Tuesday said. Seventy-eight percent of the 46 retail water utilities polled said rate increases would either begin next year or have already begun. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/18/us-california-water-rates-idUSKCN0QN1PH20150818 California drought impact pegged at $2.7 billion. The drought is carving $2.7 billion out of California’s economy, according to a study by UC Davis. In their latest estimate of the drought’s economic impact, university professors said the drought is reducing seasonal farm employment by 10,100 this year. The drought is leading to direct crop revenue losses of $900 million and is costing dairy and livestock producers $350 million. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article31396805.html#storylink=cpy http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/08/18/drought-causing-$27-billion-economic-hit-in-california/ 'Flash' drought scorches southern U.S. While most attention has focused on the lingering drought in California, a "flash" drought has spun up in the past few weeks across much of the South, from Texas to the Carolinas. "A flash drought is one that develops rapidly with impacts observed almost as quickly," such as wildfires and stress on farming… http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/08/17/flash-drought-scorches-southern-us/31863587/ Drought cost California agriculture $1.84B and 10,100 jobs in 2015. The drought is tightening its grip on California agriculture, squeezing about 30 percent more workers and cropland out of production than in 2014, according to the latest drought impact report by the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. In 2015, the state’s agricultural economy will lose about $1.84 billion… http://www.dailydemocrat.com/business/20150818/drought-cost-california-agriculture-184b-and-10100-jobs-in-2015 Drought panel visits Salinas but says little publicly. The Governor’s Drought Task Force met with local government officials and other stakeholder leaders in Salinas on Monday. All but the final 20 minutes of the meeting were held behind closed doors in a meeting room above… http://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/local/2015/08/17/drought-panel-visits-salinas-says-little-publicly/31888499/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Report Says Proposed GHG Rule Good for Bottom Line. A report released ahead of a public hearing Aug. 18 in Long Beach, California, on proposed Phase 2 greenhouse-gas rules found 87% of medium- and heavy-duty fleet operators surveyed earlier supported increased fuel efficiency and fewer emissions because the changes would also reduce what typically is trucking’s second-biggest expense, fuel. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39195 FUELS Environmental groups say go-ahead for Arctic drilling clashes with global warming message. The Obama administration's approval of drilling for oil in the Arctic Ocean clashes with the message President Barack Obama will deliver when he visits Alaska to emphasize the dangers of climate change, some environmental groups say. As much as the groups praise Obama for his overall body of work — from stricter fuel-efficiency standards to regulations… http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/08/18/approval-of-arctic-drilling-comes-just-before-obamas-visit Approval of Arctic drilling comes just before Obama's visit. The Obama administration's approval of the final permit to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean clashes with the message President Barack Obama will deliver when he visits Alaska to emphasize the dangers of climate change, some environmental groups say. As much as the groups praise Obama for his overall body of work… http://www.modbee.com/news/business/article31370414.html#storylink=cpy Gas getting cheaper pretty much every day in Los Angeles County. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped today for the 30th time in 33 days, decreasing 2.6 cents to $3.808. The average price has dropped 49.4 cents over the past 33 days, including 1 cent on Monday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. http://www.dailynews.com/business/20150818/gas-getting-cheaper-pretty-much-every-day-in-los-angeles-county Huge oil company gains a sign of gas price gouging. The days when oil companies could easily deny they’ve gouged California motorists through much of this year should have ended with the second-quarter financial reports of Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., which together control about 40 percent of the California gasoline market. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/columnists/thomas_d_elias/huge-oil-company-gains-a-sign-of-gas-price-gouging/article_36d2b616-6db0-5eba-a3a6-910b099f281b.html FCA approving use of E15 in MY 2016 vehicles. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is approving the use of E15 (15% ethanol and 85% gasoline) in its model year (MY) 2016 Chrysler/Fiat, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles. The decision means that FCA joins General Motors and Ford in covering E15 in its warranty statements; GM started covering E15 with its MY 2012 vehicles, while Ford joined a year later with its MY 2013 vehicles. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150818-fca.html#sthash.0hqbN842.dpuf The fracking 'loophole' that just keeps growing. Like a fish story, the "Halliburton loophole" grows a little with every telling. It started 10 years ago as a narrow, little-known exemption to a federal environmental law embedded in sweeping energy legislation. In the intervening years, it has grown to be an all-purpose bogeyman for environmentalists raging against "fracking," or hydraulic fracturing. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/18/stories/1060023558 Propel Fuels' Sales of Neste Renewable Diesel Jump 15x. West Coast renewable fuel retailer says the launch of 100% drop-in renewable diesel has spiked sales on a per-outlet basis — 5X jump in renewable content, and 3X jump in gallons sold. In California, Propel Fuels is reporting a 15X jump in per-outlet sales of renewable fuel for diesel engines… http://www.altenergystocks.com/archives/2015/08/propel_fuels_sales_of_neste_renewable_diesel_jump_15x.html Poplars considered as new source of biofuel. Poplars may soon be harvested as a new source of biofuels in the US Pacific Northwest. The Advanced Hardwood Biofuels (AHB) Northwest Project is hoping to build the world's first biorefinery for trees. http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/9523/poplars_considered_as_new_source_of_biofuel/ Valero Energy Corporation Analyst Rating Update. Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) has received a short term rating of buy from research analysts at Zacks with a rank of 2. The company has been rated an average of 1.71 by 14 Wall Street Analysts. 9 analysts have added the shares in their list of strong buys. 2 stock experts have also rated a buy. 2 analysts have advised hold. 1 has rated the company as strong sell. http://www.moneyflowindex.org/valero-energy-corporation-analyst-rating-update/3106464/ VEHICLES Nissan introduces hybrid version of Murano to China first. Nissan announced that the all-new Murano, including the hybrid version (earlier post), is officially available for sale from its joint venture in China, Dongfeng Nissan Passenger vehicle company (DFL-PV). As a key market in Nissan’s global business, China is the first market to introduce the hybrid version of Murano. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/201508.html#sthash.uFehnkaz.dpuf Aston aims to launch 800-hp, all-electric Rapide in 2 years. Aston Martin is betting that even James Bond won’t mind an 800-hp electric car. The longtime builder of British sports cars will bring an all-electric version of its four-door Rapide to market in two years, CEO Andy Palmer confirmed to Automotive News. Speaking at Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance -- a target-rich environment for a high-end brand such as Aston Martin … http://www.autonews.com/article/20150818/OEM04/150819871/aston-aims-to-launch-800-hp-all-electric-rapide-in-2-years Should I Buy A Used Chevy Volt Electric Car? The Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car scores higher on owner satisfaction than any other vehicle GM has sold since it began surveying its buyers. It has attracted new buyers who'd never otherwise has considered a Chevy. And GM data reveals that 80 percent of all Volt trips… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099540_should-i-buy-a-used-chevy-volt-electric-car GREEN ENERGY Lawmakers seek oversight of California measure's green jobs, energy savings. California lawmakers from both parties are calling for more stringent oversight of a clean jobs initiative after an Associated Press report found that a fraction of the promised jobs have been created. The report also found that the state has no comprehensive list to show how much work has been done or energy… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GREEN_ENERGY_PROMISES?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Indian Airport First in World to Be Completely Solar Powered. An airport in the south of India is the world’s first to run completely on solar energy following commissioning of a 12-megawatt project overseen by Bosch Ltd. The undertaking, at Cochin International Airport, is estimated to generate more than 50,000 units of electricity daily and will make CIAL grid-power neutral… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NT9J9O6S972801-12MJGGI4KS62LB32HTJJ3A0220 UC Berkeley ranked one of the coolest, greenest schools. Once again, UC Berkeley has made the list of the top 10 “Cool Schools” for its commitment to the environment and sustainability. Berkeley ranked 10th on Sierra magazine’s annual listing of environmentally conscious colleges and universities, released today. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/4841-uc-berkeley-ranked-one-of-the-coolest-greenest-schools.html Calif. program subsidized more efficient energy use for both rich and poor. Guess whose habits didn't change? A 2005 subsidy to encourage more efficient energy use in sunny California worked remarkably well to reduce energy usage in lower-income communities, a new study determined. But the program had little effect on people's behavior in cooler and wealthier coastal residences… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/18/stories/1060023582 MISCELLANEOUS Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. hires chief compliance officer. The stock price of Lumber Liquidators increased 7% to $15.12 per share at the time of this writing around 11:09 AM in New York. Jill Witter joined Lumber Liquidators as chief compliance officer and legal counsel. She previously served as senior vice president, general counsel, chief ethics and compliance officer at Novation LLC. http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/08/lumber-liquidators-hires-chief-compliance-officer/ OPINIONS The breakthrough technologies needed to address climate change. In his Aug. 14 op-ed column, “Looking for a climate change miracle,” Michael Gerson drew an apt analogy between the need for breakthrough technologies to get to the moon and those for weaning mankind from reliance on fossil fuels. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-breakthrough-technologies-needed-to-address-climate-change/2015/08/17/85a8ed76-42d0-11e5-9f53-d1e3ddfd0cda_story.html Curb pollution at the source. Regarding the Aug. 12 Metro article “House GOP girds to fight EPA on climate change”: I wonder if Virginia Republicans, when they vow to maintain the status quo for power plant owners, take into account the cost to the economy of illnesses, lost workdays and early death brought about by breathing air laden with particulates, heavy metals and noxious gases? https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/curb-pollution-at-the-source/2015/08/17/f064a18a-41e7-11e5-9f53-d1e3ddfd0cda_story.html Trust in short supply as Prop. 39 gets off to slow start. In 2012, Proposition 39’s promoters made bold promises: The initiative would generate $1 billion a year by shutting a corporate tax loophole, and earmark $500 million to combat climate change and provide good blue-collar jobs. Several newspaper editorial boards endorsed the measure, The Sacramento Bee’s included, and voters overwhelmingly blessed it. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article31345247.html#storylink=cpy Keep the flood of water-saving policies coming. If the latest predictions are correct, there’s a good chance that one of the wettest, most powerful El Niños on record is headed straight for California. When – or, we should say, if – that rain does arrive, it will be a welcome reprieve from four years of drought. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article31342946.html#storylink=cpy Clean Energy Jobs Act proving to be full of hot air. "When we launched Proposition 39,” said Tom Steyer, the hedge fund billionaire who bankrolled the 2012 ballot measure, “we pledged to California that it would improve public schools, create good, clean-energy jobs and contribute to our state’s global leadership in combating climate challenge.” http://www.ocregister.com/articles/energy-678006-state-clean.html Big money issues face a rough ride in Sacramento: Dan Walters. The Legislature reconvened Monday after a month-long summer recess and immediately focused on what most members like best: spending money. The 2015-16 state budget was enacted in June, but three big financial issues were postponed — raising and spending billions of dollars on transportation… http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150818/big-money-issues-face-a-rough-ride-in-sacramento-dan-walters LETTER: Air pollution not 'free'. Thank you for the article "Changes coming at plant," regarding Brunner Island's conversion to a natural gas/coal fired power plant. The amount of carbon pollution (the equivalent of 1.3 million cars annually) coming from Brunner Island is staggering. It's no wonder our air quality in York County consistently receives a failing grade from the American Lung Association. http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_28658780/letter-air-pollution-not-free Are absolute or intensity targets better to curb your carbon footprint? When it comes to cutting carbon emissions, people frequently ask me which is better: setting an absolute emission reduction target or an intensity reduction target? Absolute reduction refers to the total quantity of greenhouse gas emissions being emitted, whereas intensity compares the amount of emissions to some unit of economic output. http://www.greenbiz.com/article/are-absolute-or-intensity-targets-better-curb-your-carbon-footprint Mass migration is no ‘crisis’: it’s the new normal as the climate changes. What’s the common factor between the tragic deaths of refugees in the Mediterranean and the Arab spring? Food shortages driven by global warming. I’ve been interested in the way the migrant crisis is being debated in politics and the media. It’s that word – crisis – that is particularly striking. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/18/mass-migration-crisis-refugees-climate-change BLOGS Dirty air returns this week, but August has changed. Schoolchildren breathe bad air outside on August afternoons in the San Joaquin Valley. We’ve talked about it a lot in the last five years, but something interesting has changed in the back-to-school month. The change since 2010 has not been postponing the start of school until September or stopping children from riding bikes or walking home in bad air. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/earth-log/article31387973.html#storylink=cpy Builders warn of skyrocketing housing costs under climate-change law. A builders trade group warns that a pending climate-change bill could stifle home construction in California and drive up the cost of new houses. Senate Bill 32, which would extend and expand California’s pollution reduction targets into the year 2050, would likely create a mandate that all homes produce zero net energy… http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/morning-roundup/2015/08/builders-warn-of-skyrocketing-housing-costs-under.html?ana=e_sac_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2015-08-18&u=48zidwXI73mCj+vn7gp6vA0acf0b37&t=1439912672 FEMA Trying to Catch Up to Impacts of Climate Change. The climate is changing. Extreme storms and flooding are becoming more common - especially in the Midwest and Northeast. That is because warmer air and water temperatures exacerbate the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. For coastal areas, there is the added spectre of sea level rise. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jscata/fema_trying_to_catch_up_to_imp.html Four Powerhouse Bills to Help California get to 50 Percent Renewable Energy. California is deep into the dog days of summer, and pressure is mounting on the state’s electric grid to keep up with demand. Luckily, California’s legislature is working to bring more clean energy resources to the grid, diversifying how we power our homes and businesses while also improving the resiliency, efficiency, and carbon footprint of our energy system. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/08/18/four-powerhouse-bills-to-help-california-get-to-50-percent-renewable-energy/ How Bad Is Power Plant Pollution? Depends on the Weather. Making coal-fired plants less dangerous to health could be as simple as checking a special air quality forecast designed by Georgia researchers. Just how dirty is a coal-fired power plant? The answer, it turns out, can change a lot from hour to hour. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/08/150817-power-plant-pollution-depends-on-the-weather/ Stop trashing the climate! EPA’s new plan would crack down on landfills. Municipal solid waste — commonly known as trash, garbage, or Ke$ha — is under fire. (Not literally, of course, unless you live in Sacramento.) On Friday, the EPA released two proposals for curbing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, with the goal of reducing methane emissions from garbage by one third. http://grist.org/news/stop-trashing-the-climate-epas-new-plan-would-crack-down-on-landfills/ What will happen when the floods hit drought-parched California? After four years of a near-biblical dry spell, it’s hard to think of California ever getting wet again. The entire state is scorching — literally, in the 118,000 acres engulfed in flames. But just last week climatologists announced that the “Godzilla El Niño” could drench California this winter. Droughts often end in floods. http://grist.org/article/what-will-happen-when-the-floods-hit-drought-parched-california/ Legislature Taking Up Climate Change and Social Change. The Legislature is back in session after a summer recess. On the agenda, according to sources inside the Capitol, nobody seems to have any new issues circulating at this point. Some think that Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, will still try to move for something on low income housing or homeless housing, but there are no specifics yet. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/08/legislature-taking-up-climate-change-and-social-change/ Study Reveals Vast Unrecorded Oil and Gas Industry Methane Emissions. A new study published today reveals that facilities that collect and gather natural gas from well sites across the United States emit about one hundred billion cubic feet of natural gas a year, roughly eight times the previous estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the segment. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brownstein/study-reveals-vast-unreco_b_8003416.html The California Drought Is So Bad, It Might Be Killing The Giant Sequoia. Some of the trees are nearly 3,000 years old. A full-grown giant sequoia is a thirsty tree. In the height of summer, the millenia-old behemoths, some of which grow upwards of 30 stories tall, can guzzle 500 to 800 gallons of water per day. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-drought-giant-sequoia_55d1edcfe4b0ab468d9db8e7?kvcommref=mostpopular California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 13:29:01 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 19, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 19, 2015. 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 Report: California cap-and-trade bills seek billions more than available. California lawmakers have proposed spending billions more in cap-and-trade money than is likely to be available, according to a report compiled by an advocacy organization critical of the climate program. Under the state’s system for curbing greenhouse gases, businesses must buy emissions credits. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article31464677.html#storylink=cpy Carbon auctions help finance West Sac housing project – and lots more. Christopher Cabaldon, the mayor of West Sacramento, showed up in style last week to help break ground on an affordable housing project in his city: He rode his bicycle. His entrance fit the occasion. The housing project, known as West Gateway Place, wouldn’t be getting built without money generated by California’s multibillion-dollar crusade against climate change. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article31480399.html#storylink=cpy AIR POLLUTION China’s Carbon Dioxide Emissions May Have Been Overstated by More Than 10%. Scientists may have been overestimating China’s emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas driving global warming, by more than 10 percent, because of inaccurate assumptions about the country’s coal-burning, according to a study published on Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/world/asia/china-carbon-dioxide-emissions-may-be-overstated-nature-study.html http://www.businessinsider.com/r-chinas-carbon-count-could-be-overstated-by-14-percent-nature-2015-8 Exide cleanup: Toxic lead removal could be California's biggest yet. The task of removing lead-contaminated soil from thousands of homes near a closed Vernon battery recycling plant would be the largest cleanup of its kind in California and rank among the biggest conducted nationwide, say environmental officials and experts in toxic remediation. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-exide-cleanup-20150817-story.html Air freshener maker sniffs at slaughterhouse neighbor plan. The company that invented the iconic pine tree-shaped automotive air fresheners is turning up its nose at a proposal to open a slaughterhouse near the firm's northern New York factory. The Watertown Daily Times reports (http://bit.ly/1USRhuW ) a group of local investors wants to build a meat-processing plant in Watertown's Jefferson County Corporate Park, home to the Car-Freshner Corp. … http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article31507034.html#storylink=cpy Wildfires contributing to poor air quality in Kern County. Wildfires burning in Fresno and San Luis Obispo counties have caused unusually bad air quality and spread an acrid smoky smell through parts of Kern County. Central Bakersfield was experiencing particulate matter of 27 micrograms per cubic meter Tuesday afternoon, far above what’s normal during the summer months. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Breaking-News/2015/08/18/Wildfires-contributing-to-poor-air-quality-in-Kern-County.html ENVIRONMENT: SoCal air heavy with pollution this month. Smog combines with smoke from wildfires for the bad air blues in Inland valleys. Headachy? Runny nose? Itchy eyes? Coughing? It may not be the common cold. All of the above, as well as nausea and fatigue, are among the symptoms of ozone pollution, aka summer smog. And we have been getting a good dose of it. http://www.pe.com/articles/air-777373-ozone-cassmassi.html How sunlight on dirty buildings is creating dirty air. As sunlight hits the grime covering urban structures, smog-inducing chemicals are released, a new study has found. A new study has confirmed a previously held suspicion as to what helps drive up air pollution: the sun. Scientists have found that natural sunlight may play a key role in cities’ smog levels… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0818/How-sunlight-on-dirty-buildings-is-creating-dirty-air http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/29067/20150819/sunlight-causes-building-grime-change-dangerous-air-pollution.htm Methane argument hinges on how fast emissions should be cut. The argument about methane regulation in the oil field revolves around whether industry has been reducing emissions quickly enough. U.S. EPA and the Obama administration's answer to that has been "no," judging by their proposal to expand existing regulation to cut emissions by roughly 30 percent compared with 2005 levels. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/19/stories/1060023639 CLIMATE CHANGE Clinton seeks distance from Obama on climate change issues. Hillary Rodham Clinton is voicing opposition to President Barack Obama's authorization for oil drilling in the Alaska Arctic and his delays on Keystone XL, in some of the clearest signs of the Democratic front-runner distancing herself from the president. Having agreed with him on most issues so far in her 2016 race... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_CLINTON_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/19/us/ap-us-dem-2016-clinton-obama.html AP poll: Minority of US Catholics know pope's climate views. A new survey has found fewer than half of U.S. Roman Catholics said they knew of Pope Francis' bombshell encyclical on curbing climate change - and only a fraction of those heard about it from the pulpit - in the month after he released the document with an unprecedented call for the church to take up his message. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_REL_POPE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate change may have driven dog evolution. It's possible that a shifting climate millions of years ago helped make dogs what they are today. In a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications, researchers report that based on the analysis of wolf and dog remains dating back to 40 million years ago, it's likely that the animals developed their unique approach to hunting in response to changes in their habitat. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/08/19/climate-change-may-have-driven-the-evolution-of-dogs/ http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0819/How-climate-change-drove-evolution-of-dogs China's carbon count could be overstated by 14 pct – Nature. International organizations could be overestimating emissions from China, the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gas because of problems in the way they calculate their data, said a study published by Nature on Wednesday. With talks on a new global climate accord set to take place in Paris in December… http://www.trust.org/item/20150819170121-e5j08/?source=reTheWire 4 trends driving the Oregon climate movement. It’s been a hot year for Oregon’s climate, and not just because of the record temperatures. From pipelines to clean fuels, “bomb trains” to kayaktivists, the state is increasingly on the front lines of the battle to address global climate protection. The tumultuous low carbon fuel debates that characterized Oregon’s 2015 legislative session may be behind us, but climate change… http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/08/4-trends-driving-the-oregon-climate-movement.html DROUGHT Report: Groundwater pumping in California has land sinking. Vast areas of California's Central Valley are sinking faster than in the past as massive amounts of groundwater are pumped during the historic drought, NASA said in new research released Wednesday. The research shows that in some places the ground is sinking nearly two inches each month, putting infrastructure on the surface at growing risk of damage. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_SINKING_LAND?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Losing Water, California Tries to Stay Atop Economic Wave. Despite the drought, communities are pushing ahead with plans for new housing, with advocates saying there will be enough water to meet the demand. vert W. Palmer has a vision for this city famous for its state prison: 10,200 new homes spread across the rolling hills to the south, bringing in a flood of new jobs, new business and 25,000 more people. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/us/losing-water-california-tries-to-stay-atop-economic-wave.html?_r=0 Valley land sinking fast in drought, NASA study shows. Portions of the San Joaquin Valley floor are sinking nearly two inches per month as farmers pump ever more groundwater during California’s extended drought, according to a NASA study released Wednesday. The report, generated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the state Department of Water Resources, sheds new light on the phenomenon known as subsidence. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article31527953.html#storylink=cpy Leadership gap hinders federal drought response. The federal response to the Western drought has been hindered by high-level vacancies, bureaucratic caution and political calculations that have thrown sand in the gears. Put another way: With more than 70 percent of California now classified in a state of “exceptional” or “extreme” drought, Uncle Sam is floundering. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/national/article31529762.html#storylink=cpy Study: Drought to fallow half-million acres in state in '15. SAN FRANCISCO California's four-year drought will cost state agriculture $1.84 billion in 2015, researchers estimated in a study Tuesday from UC Davis. The biggest chunk of that cost will come from the fallowing of 542,000 acres that lack water for irrigation, the study said. That's about one-fifth more land than drought forced out of production last year, researchers noted. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-334521-ocprint-state-study.html The next target in Southern California’s drought conservation? Renters. Southern California homeowners have been hammered by the drought and have responded by replacing 150 million square feet of lawn in an effort to avoid surcharges slapped onto bills. The result amounted to a savings in water use in June of 23 percent, just below the mandate required by the governor. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150818/the-next-target-in-southern-californias-drought-conservation-renters DIESEL ACTIVITIES Federal Agencies Hear Testimony on Strict New Big Truck Emissions Rules. Industry leaders call for including financial incentives, environmental groups ask for earlier deadlines. Federal regulators are weighing how best to implement strict new truck emissions standards to both reduce pollution and save fleets money. It may not be easy. http://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-agencies-hear-testimony-on-strict-new-truck-emissions-rules-1439937356 Environmentalists, industry debate proposed new federal clean-truck rules. Environmentalists and trucking industry representatives clashed Tuesday at an all-day hearing in Long Beach on the federal government’s next regulatory phase of diesel truck emissions, which experts say account for 20 percent of greenhouse gases. With government regulators listening intently… http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150818/environmentalists-industry-debate-proposed-new-federal-clean-truck-rules California Air Quality Regulators Target Nitrogen Oxide Emissions Reduction. State air quality regulators in California said proposed Phase 2 standards for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and increasing fuel efficiency for medium- and heavy-duty trucks do not go far enough. At a public hearing Aug. 18 in Long Beach, they called for reducing the existing standard on nitrogen oxide emissions from medium- and heavy-duty trucks to near-zero levels… http://ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39203 Concerns Aired at GHG Phase 2 Hearing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held a public hearing in Long Beach, Calif., Tuesday to listen to comments about their jointly proposed greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/08/sides-differ-on-particulars-in-ghg-phase-2-hearing.aspx California May Be Among Top Beneficiaries to Greenhouse Gas Regs. Diesel Technology Forum Representative Speaks to Federal Officials. Thanks to its massive fleet of medium and heavy-duty trucks, the state of California stands to benefit the most from greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency regulations, according to the Diesel Technology Forum. http://www.trucktrend.com/news/1508-california-may-be-among-top-beneficiaries-to-greenhouse-gas-regs/#ixzz3jHZvGtyC Are Higher Fuel Efficiency Standards For Large Trucks Good For Business? Both fleet operators and consumers agree: it’s in everyone’s best interest for the EPA to increase fuel efficiency standards for large trucks. For both groups, cutting back on carbon emissions isn’t the key factor driving this attitude. It’s money. That is, this is what two new studies have determined. http://www.hybridcars.com/are-higher-fuel-efficiency-standards-for-large-trucks-good-for-business/ OEMs, Cummins disagree on separate GHG engine standard. CARB calls for technology-forcing emissions limits, focus on NOx. he second public hearing on proposed truck fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions standards shaped up much like the first: Trucking industry representatives expressed qualified support for the stringency goals and implementation schedule outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)… http://fleetowner.com/regulations/oems-cummins-disagree-separate-ghg-engine-standard Your Aug. 19 Pre-Trip: Idling alternatives can save fuel, money. Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. The U.S. Department of Energy has released a fact sheet that considers the effects of long idling periods of heavy-duty trucks and offers alternatives to idling. According to the Department of Energy, idling wastes fuel and increases engine wear, degrades air quality, and may be illegal. http://fleetowner.com/fleet-management/your-aug-19-pre-trip-idling-alternatives-can-save-fuel-money Will Big Truck MPG Rules Save Fleets Money? Companies that operate fleets of vehicles will save money if higher US fuel-economy requirements for medium- and heavy-trucks are put in place, according to a report from the clean transportation organization CALSTART. The report comes as the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/08/18/will-big-truck-mpg-rules-save-fleets-money/#ixzz3jHbd0MgU ARB ENFORCEMENT [Combat truck emissions] evening news station in Los Angeles 18 08182015. In order to achieve clean air standards in California, the California Air Resources Board for heavy-duty diesel trucks made a number of provisions to limit the diesel emission trucks. For the implementation of the implementation of the relevant provisions, and today, the California Air Resources Board joint highway patrol and other police departments in the eastern city of Los heavy trucks in and out of the area were frequently raided. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgiEfm3tuzo FUELS U.S. crude hits six-and-a-half-year low on surprise stock build. Oil prices fell about 4 percent on Wednesday, with U.S. crude hitting 6-1/2 year lows and threatening to break below $40, after a huge unexpected stockpile build in the United States reinforced concerns about a growing global oil glut. U.S. crude inventories rose by 2.6 million barrels last week to 456.21 million, the government's Energy Information Administration said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/19/us-markets-oil-idUSKCN0QO01520150819?feedType=RSS&feedName=wtMostRead Obama’s Methane Limits Seen Wiping Out the Marginal Driller. A proposal by the Obama administration to strengthen methane regulations threatens to wipe out marginal drillers already teetering on the edge of closing because of low oil and natural gas prices, according to Oppenheimer & Co. The proposed rules from the Environmental Protection Agency target for the first time oil wells… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NTAOHJ6NKN1B01-7JB1E5OTVDQKQCC4E4U1GFHV1A EPA's methane plan raises questions about industry's next steps. At a time when global oil prices have crashed and some American energy companies are struggling with debt, U.S. EPA proposed new regulations yesterday that would require the sector to invest in cleaning up its greenhouse gas pollution. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/19/stories/1060023642 VEHICLES What Cities Have Most Electric Cars In The U.S.? In the U.S., government entities on the Federal, state, and local levels are pushing for greater electric-car adoption in different ways. While different regions in the country are working towards the same goal, the policies enacted to reach it--and the degree to which they're implemented--can vary significantly. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099636_what-cities-have-most-electric-cars-in-the-u-s GREEN ENERGY EU debate on green energy targets pitches UK against Germany. Britain and Germany will line up on opposite sides of a European Union green energy debate starting next month on how to meet agreed renewable fuel targets for the next decade. The 28 member states agreed climate and energy goals last October, but to make it easier to get a deal, the decision went only as far as a framework. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N10P4HL20150819 SMA Solar wins order to supply 317 inverters to California. Germany's largest solar company SMA Solar has won an order from San Diego-based Swinerton Renewable Energy to supply 317 inverters for seven solar parks in California with a planned capacity of 700 megawatt, it said on Wednesday. No order volume was given. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFFWN10U00Q20150819 EXCHANGE: Diagnostics imaging company taps sun for power. Joliet business that offers virtual imaging technology is going green and clean with solar power covering much of its electricity needs. Future Diagnostics Group unveiled recently the solar panel technology that covers most of the roof and parking lots of the building at 254 Republic Ave. Solar modules absorb the sunlight … http://www.sacbee.com/news/article31497419.html#storylink=cpy Residents with solar panels protest Michigan energy measure. Advocates of installing solar panels on rooftops are protesting Michigan legislation they warn would make it harder for residents to reduce utility bills with their own renewable energy sources. Dozens rallied Wednesday at the Capitol, holding umbrellas to urge lawmakers not to block the sun. http://www.modbee.com/news/business/article31497122.html#storylink=cpy Calif. power suppliers propose special fees for solar customers. Utilities across the country are copying a once-groundbreaking move by Arizona regulators to impose a special charge on residential customers with rooftop solar. On Aug. 3, Southern California Edison Co. announced a rate structure similar to one used by Arizona Public Service Co.: a monthly $3-per-kilowatt-hour fee. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/19/stories/1060023620 MISCELLANEOUS Tehama County Board of Supervisors authorizes letter is support of wood stove change out program. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors Tuesday authorized a letter in support of a wood stove change out concept outlined in a California Air Resources Board plan. That program, if enacted, would bring money to Tehama County. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150819/tehama-county-board-of-supervisors-authorizes-letter-is-support-of-wood-stove-change-out-program OPINIONS Is California Really Winning the Drought?: Reader Q. & A. In a Sunday Review article last weekend, “How California Is Winning the Drought,” Charles Fishman, author of “The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water,” argued that despite the severe ongoing drought conditions, California’s economy, job market and population are finding ways to thrive. Hundreds of readers responded, posing questions and ideas for the author on Facebook and The Times’ site. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/opinion/is-california-really-winning-the-drought-reader-q-a.html?_r=1&assetType=opinion Legal nitpicking over climate-change rules. To the editor: On the one hand, policymaking must be vetted, even through the courts, assuring that our system of checks and balances is adhered to. On the other hand, when crisis is upon us, our leaders should apply their collective tools to the problem while scrutinizing the rules. ("Next step for Obama's climate rules: A court debate over wording 'glitch,'" Aug. 5) http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0819-wednesday-climate-change-obama-20150819-story.html Why the absence of oversight on California's clean energy job fund? When voters endorsed Proposition 39 in 2012, they did so with the best of intentions. The measure closed a corporate tax loophole that had deprived the general fund of desperately needed cash — an estimated $1 billion a year — and had encouraged multistate companies to locate jobs outside of California. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-prop39-20150819-story.html Editorial, Aug. 19, 2015: Desal projects are in the future for Monterey Peninsula. We cannot afford to repeat our past history of failed water projects. The drought, along with a looming state-required pumping cutback from the Carmel River, and the opportunities offered by a recovering economy are all factors that make it imperative that we are successful NOW in developing a new water supply. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20150818/editorial-aug-19-2015-desal-projects-are-in-the-future-for-monterey-peninsula Mandate To Cut Gasoline Use Would Cripple California’s Economy. Friends tend to make fun of my car. Granted, it is dented, scratched and old. But in my house we tend to buy our cars, pay them off and then drive them until they fall apart. So imagine my surprise when I was sitting in a California State Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee hearing on Senate Bill 350… http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/08/mandate-to-cut-gasoline-use-would-cripple-californias-economy/ BLOGS New warning from oil lobby: Climate bill could limit your driving. As lobbying reaches a boil in the final weeks of the legislative session, business groups and others opposed to a climate-change bill have a new message: It could lead to state limits on when and how much you drive. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/morning-roundup/2015/08/new-warning-from-oil-lobby-climate-bill-could.html?ana=e_sac_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2015-08-19&u=48zidwXI73mCj+vn7gp6vA0acf0b37&t=1440004633 California's Drought Will Cost The State $2.74 Billion This Year, Report Finds. The loss to California's agricultural industry alone is estimated at $1.84 billion. California's ongoing drought will cost the economy in the most populous U.S. state an estimated $2.74 billion in 2015 and lead to the loss of 10,000 seasonal farm jobs, despite overall health in the state's agricultural sector, researchers said. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-drought-cost_55d3b8b0e4b055a6dab1f07b?kvcommref=mostpopular A Very Early Yet Highly Accurate Guide to This Coming Winter. There’s a silver lining to all this talk of a super mega record-breaking Godzilla El Niño: The seasonal weather outlooks for this fall and winter will be some of the most accurate ever issued. Last spring I profiled what El Niño—a periodic warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean—means for 60 places across the globe. http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/08/18/winter_weather_preview_thanks_to_el_nino_we_know_what_s_coming.html?google_editors_picks=true Can Islamic scholars change thinking on climate change? Declaration calls on Muslims to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Fewer than four months before politicians gather in Paris to try to hammer out an international climate agreement, Islamic scholars have underscored the urgency of halting climate change. http://www.nature.com/news/can-islamic-scholars-change-thinking-on-climate-change-1.18203 How One Company Is Building An Innovation Hub In Silicon Valley To Address The Drought Crisis Through Mobile Tech. Every year, Americans waste a trillion gallons of water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency — and the way we do it is pretty embarrassing. Most of it is through leaky faucets in our kitchens and bathrooms, our faulty sprinkler systems, or our malfunctioning toilets. http://www.forbes.com/sites/lyndseygilpin/2015/08/19/how-one-company-is-building-an-innovation-hub-in-silicon-valley-to-address-the-drought-crisis-through-mobile-tech/ This startup is developing an electric car battery that can charge in minutes. Tesla’s fast chargers can add about 170 miles worth of electricity to its cars’ batteries in about 30 minutes. If an Israeli startup achieves its goal, electric cars could travel hundreds of miles after only five minutes of charging. On Wednesday three-year-old startup StoreDot, said that it’s raised $18 million in funding… http://fortune.com/2015/08/19/electric-car-battery-charges-minutes/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 15:29:27 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 20, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 20, 2015. 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 Report: cap-and-trade funds overestimated. California lawmakers have proposed spending billions more in cap-and-trade money than is likely to be available, according to a report compiled by an advocacy organization critical of the climate program. Under the state's system for curbing greenhouse gases, businesses must buy emissions credits. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/trade-334662-ocprint-cap-money.html AIR POLLUTION Beijing pollution awaits runners at worlds, just like ’08. The drifting smoke from forest fires sometimes makes it difficult for marathoner Heather Lieberg to take a deep breath during her afternoon training runs in the hills of Montana. Even on days when the local advisory lists the air quality as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” Lieberg is out there chugging away through the hazy and hot conditions. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/beijing-pollution-awaits-runners-at-worlds-just-like-08/2015/08/20/452d4f68-4702-11e5-9f53-d1e3ddfd0cda_story.html http://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2015/08/20/beijing-pollution-awaits-runners-at-worlds-just-like-08 CLIMATE CHANGE Global Climate Deal Under Threat. More countries need to submit emission-reduction targets, EU climate chief warns. A planned global deal to keep average temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius to contain climate change is under threat unless more countries submit emission-reduction targets and technical negotiations are substantially accelerated, the European Union’s energy and climate commissioner warned Thursday. http://www.wsj.com/articles/global-climate-deal-under-threat-1440071864?mod=fox_australian Climate Boss Says EU Can Only Back a Strong Paris Deal. The European Union will support a U.N. deal to cap global warming only if the agreement is legally binding and includes regular reviews to ensure words translate into deeds, Europe's climate boss said on Thursday. With just 10 days scheduled for formal negotiations before landmark talks begin in Paris on Nov. 30, preparations are painfully slow. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/08/20/uk-eu-climatechange-idUKKCN0QP1J920150820 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/08/20/world/asia/20reuters-eu-climatechange.html To Ease Climate Change, U.S. Should End Drilling on Federal Land: Study. Up to 450 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases would be kept out of the atmosphere if the U.S. government stopped leasing federal lands to fossil fuel companies, according to a study released on Wednesday. The government currently allows energy companies to lease federal lands for drilling, and environmental groups… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/08/20/us/20reuters-usa-climatechange-carbon.html Obama to Visit New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina Anniversary. President Obama will travel to New Orleans next week for the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the costliest disasters in United States history. Mr. Obama will use the Aug. 27 anniversary to promote his administration’s efforts to restore the economy and infrastructure of the region, which include building barriers to protect against a recurrence of the disaster… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/us/president-obama-hurricane-katrina-new-orleans.html Feeling the Heat: Earth in July Was Hottest Month on Record. Federal officials say July was Earth's hottest month on record, smashing old marks. July's average temperature was 61.86 degrees Fahrenheit, beating the previous global mark set in 1998 and 2010 by about one-seventh of a degree. That's a large margin for weather records. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/20/science/ap-us-sci-hottest-month.html EU Urges G20 Countries to Make Climate Goals Public. The European Union is urging major emerging industrialized powers to make public their emissions targets ahead of a key climate conference in December. Top EU climate official Miguel Arias Canete called Thursday on Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey to submit goals to the United Nations. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/20/world/europe/ap-eu-europe-climate.html One of the world’s fastest melting glaciers may have just lost its biggest chunk of ice on record. While examining satellite images of Greenland’s massive Jakobshavn glacier over the weekend, members of the Arctic Sea Ice Forum noticed something odd: Between August 14 and August 16, it appeared as though a huge chunk of ice — which some guessed might be the largest ever observed — broke away from the glacier’s face. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/19/one-of-the-worlds-fastest-melting-glaciers-may-have-just-lost-its-biggest-chunk-of-ice-ever/ Global warming worsened the California drought, scientists say. California’s drought was spawned by natural weather variations that have bedeviled the West throughout recorded history. But a new study released Thursday says human-caused global warming is worsening the natural phenomenon. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/20/scientists-say-global-warming-has-made-californias-drought-25-percent-worse/ Why lawmaker says climate-change bill is actually good for business. Over the last 15 years, Fran Pavley has stood at the forefront of the most progressive and controversial energy policies in the state of California. She is the author of Assembly Bill 32, which established the state’s cap-and-trade program. The Agoura Hills state Senator, a Democrat who served in the Assembly until 2006… http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/08/19/why-lawmaker-says-climate-change-bill-is-actually.html In climate change era, new idea for conservation takes shape. Conservation has long been about protecting communities of plants and animals where they are. But climate change is leading to a nascent form of conservation that embraces change and instead seeks to provide a thriving stage on which it can happen. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0820/In-climate-change-era-new-idea-for-conservation-takes-shape Climate stance of Australian politicians 'disturbing' – US Geological Survey chief. Chief scientist Virginia Burkett says: ‘I thought it was just a US problem but it’s not, apparently, it’s a global problem’. A senior US government official has decried a “disturbing” rejection of climate science by Australian politicians. Virginia Burkett, chief scientist for climate and land-use change at the US Geological Survey… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/20/climate-stance-of-australian-politicians-disturbing-us-geological-survey-chief?utm_source=Daily%20Carbon%20Briefing&utm_campaign=32f421ed6c-cb_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_876aab4fd7-32f421ed6c-303452465 Climate change and the California drought cause farmers to experience record early harvests. Will these changes impact grape, almond and major California crops? On July 24, winemaker Abe Schoener began picking his first pinot grigio grapes. It was the earliest start of harvest in Schoener's grape-growing career. Other Sacramento and California farmers also have experienced record early harvests… https://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/climate-change-the-california/content?oid=18026315 Reduced carbon emission estimates from fossil fuel combustion and cement production in China. Nearly three-quarters of the growth in global carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and cement production between 2010 and 2012 occurred in China1, 2. Yet estimates of Chinese emissions remain subject to large uncertainty; inventories of China’s total fossil fuel carbon emissions in 2008 differ by 0.3 gigatonnes of carbon… http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v524/n7565/full/nature14677.html Montana reviews proposal for climate change ballot initiative. A retired clergyman and a one-time political candidate have teamed up in an effort to put global warming mitigation to a statewide vote in 2016. John Soderberg, former minister of the Bozeman United Methodist Church, submitted on Wednesday a ballot initiative to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released from electricity generators in Montana. http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-reviews-proposal-for-climate-change-ballot-initiative/article_3831ef7c-f769-588c-859c-8449b44c0fd5.html DROUGHT California land quickly sinking in drought costs farmers. Land in Central California's agricultural region is sinking so quickly because of the state's historic drought that it is forcing farmers to spend millions of dollars upgrading irrigation canals and putting roads, bridges and other infrastructure at risk. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_SINKING_LAND?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/20/us/ap-us-california-drought-sinking-land.html Wildfires Wreak Havoc in Drought-Choked Western States. Wildfires rampaged across the drought-choked West on Thursday as authorities scrambled for resources to beat back the flames. The blazes took a deadly turn in Washington state, where three firefighters were killed and four more injured. Here's a look at large wildfires burning in several Western states… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WESTERN_WILDFIRES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/20/us/ap-us-western-wildfires.html Study Sees Dying Wildlife, Bigger Fires if Drought Lasts. The carcasses of salmon, trout and more than a dozen other newly extinct native species lie in dry streambeds around California. Exhausted firefighters in the Sierra Nevada battle some of the biggest wildfires they've ever seen. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_CRISES_TO_COME_1ST_LD_WRITETHRU?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/20/us/ap-us-california-drought-crises-to-come-1st-ld-writethru.html http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060023693 Climate Change Intensifies California Drought, Scientists Say. Global warming caused by human emissions has most likely intensified the drought in California by roughly 15 to 20 percent, scientists said Thursday, warning that future dry spells in the state are almost certain to be worse than this one as the world continues to heat up. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/21/science/climate-change-intensifies-california-drought-scientists-say.html California: Pumping of Water Speeds Sinking of Land. Vast areas of California’s Central Valley are sinking faster than in the past as huge amounts of groundwater are pumped during the drought, NASA said in research released Wednesday. In some places, the ground is sinking nearly two inches each month, putting surface infrastructure at growing risk of damage. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/us/california-pumping-of-water-speeds-sinking-of-land.html?mabReward=CTM&moduleDetail=recommendations-1&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.®ion=Footer&module=WhatsNext&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&src=recg&pgtype=article Another 2 or 3 years of drought? Report looks at what it might mean. Should the current drought extend for another two or three years, most California cities and much of the state's agriculture would be able to manage, but the toll on small rural communities dependent on well-water and on wetlands and wildlife could be extensive. That was the assessment of a new study… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-what-if-drought-continues-20150819-story.html California drought: Climate change plays a role, study says. But how big? A growing number of scientists have made the claim that climate change is at least partly responsible for California's crippling drought. Now researchers have estimated the extent to which humans are to blame: between 8% and 27%. In other words, without heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions causing temperatures to rise… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-climate-change-drought-20150820-story.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/20/stories/1060023693 The Climate Change ‘Bully’ in California’s Drought. There’s a drought in California. Perhaps you’ve heard a few things about it. Like the fact that it’s cost the state $2.7 billion in losses, helped burn up roughly 118,000 acres of forest this year to date and inspired Los Angeles to release a 96 million-strong armada of shade balls into reservoirs (though it was apparently a PR stunt). http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-bully-california-drought-19354 How Much Of California’s Drought Was Caused By Climate Change? Scientists Now Have The Answer. Over the last few years, as California’s historic, four-year drought has intensified, scientists have found clues linking the extreme weather event to human-caused climate change. Now, a new study is the first to estimate just how much climate change contributed to the drought. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/20/3692972/quantifying-climate-change-in-californias-drought/ FUELS Oil price falls on surprise climb in US crude supplies. The price of oil fell to its lowest closing price in almost six and a half years Wednesday on new data showing that U.S. crude inventories rose at a time of year when they are typically in decline. Shares of the world's biggest oil companies were battered after the report, with Exxon Mobil, BP, Marathon Oil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips all sliding to multiyear lows. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OIL_COMPANIES_STOCKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Cheap Oil’s Making It Tough for Ethanol to Pay the Bills. Cheap crude oil may make it hard for ethanol companies to pay their bills on time. The lowest oil prices in six years are hitting biofuel producers two ways: They’re making ethanol less attractive as a blend for gasoline, and emboldening the arguments of petroleum backers who say the U.S. law mandating consumption of the fuel alternative is obsolete… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NTCHBT6JIJUQ01-03AJPBFIRRI15CSUG7645KQ02D GREEN ENERGY UK may use EU small print to swerve impact of green cuts. Britain is thinking of using an EU loophole to dodge the impact of its own subsidy cuts on renewable energy and escape fines for missing 2020 European renewable targets. Under EU rules Britain could use the loophole, termed statistical transfer, which would see it pay other, greener, EU countries overshooting their targets, to make up the difference. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N10V2AS20150820 EU Debate on Green Energy Targets Pitches UK Against Germany. Britain and Germany will line up on opposite sides of a European Union green energy debate starting next month on how to meet agreed renewable energy targets for the next decade. The 28 member states agreed climate and energy goals last October, but to make it easier to get a deal, the decision went only as far as a framework. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/08/19/world/europe/19reuters-eu-energy-targets.html State offers new incentives for home heating. New incentives are available from the state for residential and industrial wood heating systems, according to a media release from NYSERDA. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority recently announced increased levels of support through Renewable Heat NY for high-efficiency, low-emission wood heating systems to improve the return-on-investment for homeowners and businesses. http://www.thedailystar.com/news/local_news/state-offers-new-incentives-for-home-heating/article_14b9e9b1-c947-56b5-b415-41ce48fed8b4.html New cell taps captured CO2 for a range of clean energy uses. A simple electrochemical cell could turn carbon dioxide from the air into materials used in many clean energy applications, researchers have found. At scale, the setup could produce carbon nanofibers in a way that actually reduces greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/20/stories/1060023692 MISCELLANEOUS For Latinos, Environment Seems Just As Important As Immigration. An increasing amount of research suggests the environment — an issue that has long been seen within the purview of progressive, white liberals — is now increasingly important to Latinos. A new poll conducted by Latino Decisions (a polling firm focusing on Hispanics in America) on behalf of two environmental nonprofit groups… http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/08/19/432774289/for-latinos-environment-seems-just-as-important-as-immigration OPINIONS The World’s Hot Spot. Here’s my bet about the future of Sunni, Shiite, Arab, Turkish, Kurdish and Israeli relations: If they don’t end their long-running conflicts, Mother Nature is going to destroy them all long before they destroy one another. Let me point out a few news items you may have missed while debating the Iran nuclear deal. On July 31, USA Today reported that in Bandar Mahshahr, Iran, a city adjacent to the Persian Gulf… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/19/opinion/thomas-friedman-the-worlds-hot-spot.html?ribbon-ad-idx=4&src=me&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Most%20Emailed&pgtype=article&_r=0 GOP presidential wannabes have no clue about drought. California’s severe drought has proven to be an opportunity to rethink the state’s complex water policies and improve its resilience. Unfortunately, it also is proving to be an opportunity to make political points. In the past few days, several Republican candidates for president have weighed in, essentially blaming the drought on Democrats… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article31547585.html#storylink=cpy Another View: Big Oil is gouging Californians. The math is so simple, anyone should be able to grasp it: Triple the gasoline prices + Triple oil refiner profits = Golden State Gouging. Instead, Dan Walters ignores facts and misuses gas pricing data to wrongly blame environmental standards for unprecedented pain at the pump that is the result of historic oil industry profiteering (“Steyer’s flunking logic test,” Aug. 12). http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article31551845.html#storylink=cpy Obama's Clean Power Plan is bad news for California. The White House recently released its Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent by 2030. Almost immediately, California Gov. Jerry Brown praised the plan, claimed it should be the model for international agreements and touted California’s own statewide plans. But California’s carbon control program should be a warning… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/power-678408-california-plan.html BLOGS On a Climate Roll: EPA Starts to Tackle Methane, Following Historic Carbon Pollution Standards. Earlier this month, the U.S. EPA took the historic step of setting the first-ever standards for carbon dioxide pollution from power plants, our nation's largest source of climate pollution. This week, the agency took another step forward by starting the process of addressing the second-largest industrial source of climate pollution: rampant methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mgeertsma/on_a_climate_roll_epa_starts_t.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 21 Aug 2015 13:27:14 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 21, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Calif. engaging in carbon-trading discussions with other Western states. California's top climate policymaker said yesterday that she is urging other Western states to use carbon trading to comply with President Obama's Clean Power Plan. California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols is participating in discussions led by former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) through his clean energy center at Colorado State University. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060023751/search?keyword=california AIR POLLUTION Toxic smoke scare after Vallejo metal recycling plant burns. The Vallejo Fire Department contained a massive three-alarm warehouse fire on Mare Island early Friday morning, but potentially toxic smoke from the blaze was still posing health concerns to the surrounding area, officials said. The fire was a "commercial structure fire" at Alco Metal & Iron Company, a recycling plant at 629 Azuar Drive. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Ferocious-blaze-at-Vallejo-metal-plant-still-6457422.php More than hot air. Research shows health risks in air pollution caused by leaf blowers, but industry disputes implications. Blasting air at up to 185 mph, leaf blowers can whip up hazardous particles and contaminants from the ground at speeds greater than a Category 5 hurricane, sending them long distances. Epidemiological studies have long recognized the harm these particles — including hydrocarbons from gasoline… http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/08/21/more-than-hot-air Soundscape of Palo Alto being disrupted by leaf blowers. Gas-powered leaf blowers are banned from neighborhoods — so why are they being used everywhere. Several days a week, Stan and Kiyomi Hutchings relax on their brick-lined backyard patio in Old Palo Alto. They enjoy reading under the wisteria canopy and eating lunch on blue-and-white cotton tablecloths next to their burbling, cherub-adorned fountain. http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/08/21/soundscape-of-palo-alto-being-disrupted-by-leaf-blowers Scientists say they have found a way to transform carbon dioxide in the air into valuable materials. Reducing the greenhouse emissions has been an international goal for years, but now scientists have a solution about the carbon dioxide that is already in the atmosphere: They want to turn them into nanofibers. http://www.businessinsider.com/scientist-turned-co2-into-valuable-material-2015-8#ixzz3jT4uzmDA CLIMATE CHANGE EU urges G20 countries to make climate goals public. The European Union is urging major emerging industrialized powers to make public their emissions targets ahead of a key climate conference in December. Top EU climate official Miguel Arias Canete called Thursday on Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey to submit goals to the United Nations. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Feeling the heat: Earth in July was hottest month on record. Earth just keeps getting hotter. July was the planet's warmest month on record, smashing old marks, U.S. weather officials said. And it's almost a dead certain lock that this year will beat last year as the warmest year on record, they said. July's average temperature was 61.86 degrees Fahrenheit… http://bigstory.ap.org/article/01a778b2b46b4304b4b98459abc416d7/feeling-heat-earth-july-was-hottest-month-record Germany and Brazil join forces on climate change action. Germany and Brazil committed themselves on Thursday to a joint stance on climate change, putting the largest economies in Europe and Latin America on the same page ahead of global climate talks in Paris in December. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff focused mainly on environmental cooperation… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/21/us-brazil-germany-climatechange-idUSKCN0QQ06320150821 Gov. Jerry Brown: Climate change worsening California’s drought. Citing a new report, Gov. Jerry Brown said Thursday that climate change is worsening the effects of California’s four-year drought. “New scientific reports now make it crystal clear that climate change is already affecting California… http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150820/gov-jerry-brown-climate-change-worsening-californias-drought How small farmers are adapting to climate change. Everyone must play a role in helping small farmers adapt to climate change, and chefs are uniquely positioned to do so. Recipes for change, a campaign of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), features ingredients that are under threat from climatic changes. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Bite/2015/0821/How-small-farmers-are-adapting-to-climate-change Clean, green New Zealand falls behind Australia on climate change. Even the carbon tax-scrapping Australians will do more than New Zealand to address climate change, reports Stuff.nz. Emission-slashing pledges by countries including the United States have experts questioning if New Zealand’s recently-announced climate change target… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/21/clean-green-new-zealand-falls-behind-australia-on-climate-change DROUGHT Drought-Fueled Wildfires Burn 7 Million Acres in U.S. Sap a forest of rain — say, for three or four years — toss in seemingly endless sunshine and high temperatures, and you’ve got just the right recipe for some catastrophic wildfires. Such is the story playing out in the West, where, thanks in part to climate change, drought-fueled infernos are incinerating forests at a record pace from Alaska to California… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/wildfires-burn-7-million-acres-19363?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed FUELS U.S. ethanol nears rare premium to gasoline, threatening margins. Benchmark U.S. ethanol prices are about to return to a rare premium versus gasoline for the first time since January, threatening to end a period of relatively healthy margins that was bolstered by unexpectedly strong summer fuel demand. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/21/markets-ethanol-gasoline-idUSL1N10V27Q20150821?type=companyNews Most Canada oil sands crude being produced at a loss –report. More than three-quarters of Canada's daily output of 2.2 million barrels of crude from oil sands is being produced at a loss at current prices, research from analysts at TD Securities shows, although producers are unlikely to halt operations. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/20/canada-oil-sands-costs-idUSL1N10V2KB20150820 VEHICLES CMU analysis finds BEVs powered with natural gas-based electricity have about 40% of the lifecycle GHGs of a conventional gasoline vehicle. According to a new lifecycle analysis by a team at Carnegie Mellon University, a battery electric vehicle (BEV) powered with natural gas-based electricity achieves around an average 40% lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction when compared to a conventional gasoline vehicle. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150821-cmu.html Poll: Consumer Interest In Electric Vehicles Stagnating? Today you’re far more likely to see an all-electric vehicle like the Nissan Leaf or Tesla Model S on your way to work or to the store, versus just a couple of years ago. That much is almost certainly true. But that doesn’t mean that EVs are past a market tipping point just yet. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099677_poll-data-interest-in-electric-vehicles-stagnating GREEN ENERGY EIB issues 600 mln-euro green bond. The European Investment Bank issued a new 600 million-euro ($676 million) "green bond" this week, taking its total issuance of such bonds to 10 billion euros. Proceeds from green bonds are aimed at funding projects to cut greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change or expand the use of renewable energy. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N10W1AK20150821 Makai Builds Ocean Thermal-Energy Demo Plant in Hawaii. Makai Ocean Engineering Inc. has built an ocean thermal-energy conversion demonstration plant in Hawaii. The 105-kilowatt project that cost about $5 million to construct is the world’s largest plant to date utilizing the evolving renewable source. It was funded by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and Makai. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-21/makai-builds-ocean-thermal-energy-demo-plant-in-hawaii Homes Make as Much Energy as They Use. Will zero-net-energy homes be the wave of the future? Marisol Sanabria points to a small white device about the size of her palm encased in a hard clear plastic box. Mounted on the wall above a kitchen countertop between a blender and a gleaming stainless steel toaster, the device, which emits a soft purple glow from one side and red glow on the other… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/homes-make-as-much-energy-as-they-use/ Managing the Rise of Distributed Energy: Emerging Utility Trends. Much has been written and discussed over the last few years regarding the conventional utility’s “death spiral.” America’s power generation utilities have become increasingly fearful that a significant majority of their customers will generate their own electricity through innovative distributed energy technologies like rooftop solar. http://www.theenergycollective.com/van-hilderbrand-jr/2262393/managing-rise-distributed-energy-emerging-utility-trends Clean energy is about to start an earthbound 'space race' One of the seminal achievements of the last century was the Space Race and its successful culmination in putting a man on the moon. What must have seemed like a wildly audacious plan when it was first announced, ushered in a new era of satellites and space shuttles, and positioned America at the forefront of a technological revolution. http://www.businessinsider.com/clean-energy-earthbound-space-race-2015-8#ixzz3jTGfccEu Solar power crosses threshold, gets cheaper than natural gas. Several large solar power plants under construction in the United States have in the past few months promised to do something that none has done before: offer prices equal to or lesser than that of a natural gas-fired power plant, even as gas is abundant and cheap. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/21/stories/1060023749 MISCELLANEOUS WORLD LOGISTICS CENTER: Warehouse center could face lawsuits. One Inland environmental group vows to sue to stop the warehouse complex; others consider going to court. The leader of an Inland environmental group said Thursday it will sue Moreno Valley over its approval the previous night of the World Logistics Center megawarehouse complex that would cover more than 4 square miles of the city’s east side. http://www.pe.com/articles/city-777653-environmental-benzeevi.html?page=1 OPINIONS Our View: Smoke is ugly; invisible ozone is a greater danger. When you see something that looks like a bruise in the sky, it’s not a good sign. But that’s how it looked Wednesday – yellowish, brown and thick – as smoke from the Tesla fire gathered in a huge cloud hanging low in the sky from Manteca to north Modesto. You could see it from Livingston and Oakdale. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/opinion/editorials/article31675316.html#storylink=cpy http://www.modbee.com/opinion/editorials/article31675277.html Carbon tax a boondoggle (letter). Here’s another reason why taxpayers should vehemently oppose a carbon tax: no accountability. Billions of dollars are wasted regularly by incompetent government bureaucracies; boondoggles are the norm, not the exception. Earlier this month, the AP reported that in both a Health & Human Services audit and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report… http://www.ydr.com/letters/ci_28673866/carbon-tax-boondoggle-letter Apple And Google Pour Billions Down A Green Drain. Business has been captured by climatism, the belief that humans are causing dangerous global warming. Leading companies announce plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, purchase renewable energy, use vehicle biofuels, and buy carbon credits. But there is no evidence that commercial policies to “fight” climate change have any measureable effect on global temperatures. http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/21/apple-and-google-pour-billions-down-a-green-drain/#ixzz3jTBV7yhx Letter: Ozone pollution poses serious dangers. By now, the public should be used to opponents of more protective air pollution standards making inflated claims about cost (“Obama’s new ozone rules will cost Michigan jobs” ). Every time our nation has set new standards to limit dangerous air pollution, we’ve heard the same arguments, and they’re proven wrong time and time again. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/08/21/letter-ozone-pollution-dangerous/32078637/ BLOGS EPA's Methane Policy: Statistically Trivial For The Planet And Terrible For The Economy. The Environmental Protection Agency wants to protect civilization from methane. Methane is, essentially, natural gas. And is it ever “natural.” Nature gushes the stuff, constantly and everywhere. Methane is emitted by cattle, termites… http://www.forbes.com/sites/markpmills/2015/08/21/epas-methane-policy-statistically-trivial-for-the-planet-and-terrible-for-the-economy/ EPA Methane Rule: A Good Start Toward Meeting Administration's Landmark Goal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took a big step this week, announcing the nation's first methane pollution standards for the oil and gas industry. But to understand the impact of these new draft rules, it's important to look at what they do - and what they don't… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brownstein/epa-methane-rule-a-good-s_b_8020824.html Sunlight Activates Smog-Causing Chemicals in City Grime. The grime on city buildings and may actively contribute to urban air pollution. Christopher Intagliata reports. In recent years big cities have seen lower rates of crime. But there’s still plenty of grime. Combustion from cars, factories and fires spews out nitrogen oxides. Those compounds react with sunlight and air to form ozone—the main ingredient in smog. http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/sunlight-activates-smog-causing-chemicals-in-city-grime/ Faith in the Face of Climate Change. Among the more recognised names that will be occupying the stages at this year's Greenbelt festival over the August Bank Holiday, will be a little known Filipino priest called Father Herbert Fadriguella. The likes of choral multi-instrumentalists The Polyphonic Spree and the protest ballads of Grace Petrie will draw the crowds at Boughton House… http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/joe-ware/faith-in-the-face-of-climate-change_b_8015650.html Six Lessons Learned About the Politics of Climate Change. Over the past few weeks, every Democratic candidate running for president has discussed climate change in a major speech and made climate solutions a central part of their platform. Republican candidates continue to use stock phrases like "I'm not a scientist," but at least they are talking about climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-taylormiesle/six-lessons-learned-about_b_8021936.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 12:19:09 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 24, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS Kenya’s Council of Churches launches climate change campaign ahead of Paris conference. While calling for global carbon emissions cuts, Kenya’s National Council of Churches has launched a multifaith campaign to lobby governments, industries and multilateral agencies to agree on a binding treaty at the UN climate change talks in Paris later this year. A new protocol is expected to be adopted at the meeting, known as COP21, to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire. That protocol required that state signers reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that global warming exists and human-made carbon dioxide emissions have caused it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/kenyas-council-of-churches-launches-climate-change-campaign-ahead-of-paris-conference/2015/08/21/a66e94cc-483c-11e5-9f53-d1e3ddfd0cda_story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES CARB Touts ‘Most Promising’ Technologies That Could Cut GHG Output From Reefers. Electric and hydrogen cell-powered transport refrigeration units are the “most promising” technologies that can be used to reduce reefer emissions over the next five to 10 years and beyond, according to California environmental regulators.... http://www.ttnews.com/gateclient/premiumstorylogin.aspx?storyid=39242 DROUGHT Jerry Brown says California’s groundwater management ‘not aggressive enough’. Gov. Jerry Brown said in an interview aired Sunday that California is not aggressive enough policing use of the state’s groundwater, promising stepped-up oversight in future years. Brown’s remarks on NBC’s “Meet the Press” followed the release of a study tying climate change to the worsening effects of California’s drought. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article31965159.html California drought may exacerbate wildlife-human encounters. The scarcity of food in the wild has been blamed for unusual animal activity during California's drought including a recent bear attack, mountain lion sightings and an uptick in orphaned animals. But the devastating four-year drought that's dried up streams and vegetation isn't the sole cause, state officials and experts say. Instead, they say the drought is exacerbating long-term trends and natural animal behaviors in a state that is becoming increasingly developed. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WILDLIFE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT FUELS RFS’ biofuel requirements saved 589.3M tons of carbon emissions over past decade. Over its 10-year lifespan, the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS’) requirement to substitute biofuels for fossil fuels has displaced nearly 1.9 billion barrels of foreign oil and reduced US transportation-related carbon emissions by 589.33 million metric tons, according to a new analysis released by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150824-bio.html Southern California gas prices drop for 35th time in 38 days. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped today for the 35th time in 38 days, decreasing 1.8 cents to $3.706. The average price has dropped 59.6 cents over the past 38 days, including 2.8 cents on Saturday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/business/20150823/southern-california-gas-prices-drop-for-35th-time-in-38-days Gasoline Falls to $2.7073 a Gallon in Lundberg Survey. The average price for regular gasoline at U.S. pumps fell 0.35 cent in the past two weeks to $2.7073 a gallon, according to Lundberg Survey Inc. The survey covers the period ended Aug. 21 and is based on information obtained from about 2,500 filling stations by the Camarillo, California-based company. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39248 VEHICLES California limits hybrid rebates to households earning less than $500,000. Hundreds of Californians with household incomes of $500,000 or more have collected state subsidies for buying electric and hybrid cars under a program that is criticized as a taxpayer handout to the wealthy. State regulators, in response, are restricting the subsidies to Californians who earn less than $250,000 or couples taking in less than $500,000. But that standard is also under fire from some lawmakers and anti-tax activists, who ask why subsidies worth up to $5,000 are given to people who can already afford the cars. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-electric-cars-20150824-story.html California Shoots for 1.5 Million ZEVs by 2025. Sacramento and Amsterdam may be 5,374 miles apart as Boeing flies, but they’ve been collaborating on climate, energy, and sustainable transportation since 2013, most recently in the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) movement. The Netherlands claims to have 5 percent of those vehicles sold worldwide, and California holds one of every six. The rest might be in Québec, which joined the alliance this month to accelerate the global adoption of electric-drive vehicles. http://www.independent.com/news/2015/aug/23/california-shoots-15-million-zevs-2025/ Hyundai To Launch All-Electric 'Prius Fighter' Model In 2016: Tip. Hyundai's ambitious plans to offer more green cars than any other maker except Toyota may have tilted slightly toward electric cars. At least, that is, if a tip from a source close to the company is to be believed. According to the report, Hyundai has decided that it will offer an all-electric "AE" version of its forthcoming dedicated "Prius fighter," a high-tailed and aerodynamically efficient hatchback, before the end of next year. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099702_hyundai-to-launch-all-electric-prius-fighter-model-in-2016-tip GREEN ENERGY President Obama Announces New Actions to Bring Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to Households across the Country. President Obama is committed to taking responsible steps to address climate change, promote clean energy and energy efficiency, drive innovation, and ensure a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations. That is why at Senator Reid’s National Clean Energy Summit later today, he is announcing a robust set of executive actions and private sector commitments to accelerate America’s transition to cleaner sources of energy and ways to cut energy waste. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/08/24/fact-sheet-president-obama-announces-new-actions-bring-renewable-energy Related articles: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NTL9BP6JIJV301-1VB0APRI6RE30J68I8SG1OJHK7 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-renewable-energy_55db2bade4b04ae49703a7b7?kvcommref=mostpopular California pushes forward on renewable power. At a Pacific Gas and Electric power plant east of San Francisco, greenhouse gases flow from a stack as the air shimmers from heat, with no dirty cloud of pollution in sight. In the distance, wind turbines spin slowly under a cloudy sky. And nearby in the city of Antioch, local schools are celebrating the addition of solar panels to their roofs and parking structures. “If you look around, it’s really clean,” said Ben Stanley, PG&E’s plant manager, as he showed how the gas facility makes electricity for northern California. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/business/20150823/california-pushes-forward-on-renewable-power Related articles: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-335158-ocprint--.html http://grist.org/climate-energy/california-looks-to-boost-clean-energy-with-ambitious-new-climate-bill/ Measuring wind energy’s effectiveness and growth. The Aug. 11 Economy & Business article “Wind-generated energy advancing at rapid rate” left out important information. I wish it had included the total cost of wind power before the wind production tax credit is applied. The article also should have cited the second- and third-biggest types of new electricity-generating capacity. The article said, “it’s important to note that costs would not be so low without the wind production tax credit, or PTC.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/measuring-wind-energys-effectiveness-and-growth/2015/08/21/3d08522c-45d3-11e5-9f53-d1e3ddfd0cda_story.html MISCELLANEOUS Want to keep your lawn from going brown? Try Soil2O. Many Southern California lawns are going brown as cities implement stiffer water restrictions amid the state’s ongoing drought. But before you rip out your grass and replace it with drought-tolerant plants, a Jupiter, Fla.-based company says, “not so fast.” http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150822/want-to-keep-your-lawn-from-going-brown-try-soil2o OPINIONS When firefighters speak out on climate change, we ought to listen up. Climate change is worsening the fires that ravage many parts of America each year. Grime-streaked firefighters battling one of the 167 active wildfires currently scorching portions of the US west will tell you as much. What they have encountered on the firelines in the past few years is evidence that everything has changed as a result of global warming. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/24/firefighters-climate-change-drought Can California meet its ambitious greenhouse gas goals? When President Obama announced his controversial and ambitious Clean Power Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, Californians gave a collective yawn. The president's goal of generating 28% of the nation's electricity from renewable resources by 2030 paled next to California's push, which began nearly a decade ago, to fuel 33% of its electrical needs with solar, wind and other renewables by 2020. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-change-20150823-story.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 12:53:07 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 25, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS Gambia Ahead in Preparation for UN Climate Change Meeting. The minister of Environment, Climate Change, Water, Forestry and Wildlife said The Gambia has completed the preparation of her Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) ahead of many countries, thus making the country among the few African countries to do so. http://allafrica.com/stories/201508251601.html United Nations’ Paris summit: India's climate plan to have sectoral goals. India's climate action plan ahead of the United Nations' Paris summit in December will come with sector-specific emphasis on emission reduction. The Union environment ministry has held at least five rounds of meetings with key infrastructure ministries to help clarify the definition, scope and approach for preparing India's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to be submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), officials from various government departments told ET. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/united-nations-paris-summit-indias-climate-plan-to-have-sectoral-goals/articleshow/48660566.cms CAP AND TRADE $2.2B in cap-and-trade funds begins flowing, boosting rail, housing, clean cars. California is starting to dole out nearly $2.2 billion generated by its cap-and-trade program to cut carbon emissions, allocating funds to hundreds of projects. Winners include regional rail, electric car rebates and rooftop solar for low-income residents. Revenue from auctions of pollution permits under the system has bolstered the state's budget. A database compiled by ClimateWire shows for the first time precisely where funds have been directed. It reveals that more than $1.4 billion has been pledged to more than 350 recipients. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/25/stories/1060023868 How carbon credit scheme resulted in even more greenhouse gas emissions The use of carbon credits – offsetting pollution from one source by preventing it at another – under the Kyoto climate treaty may have worsened climate change instead of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, a new study indicates. The authors of the study say that offsets that were created under the United Nations' scheme significantly undermined the efforts to address climate change and estimate it actually increased emissions by some 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0825/How-carbon-credit-program-resulted-in-even-more-greenhouse-gas-emissions AIR POLLUTION What Does That Air Pollution Reading Actually Mean? Recent advances in satellite measurements and portable air sensors have made it easier than ever to track fine particulate matter—the tiny junk that gets in your lungs and causes cardiovascular and respiratory disease. But accurate measurements alone are not enough; you have to be able to interpret them. The World Health Organization guideline for safe air is an annual average of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of PM 2.5, for instance, but what does that really mean to the average person? http://www.citylab.com/weather/2015/08/what-does-that-air-pollution-reading-actually-mean/402142/ CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Symposium Kicks Off In Sacramento. California is already dealing with the effects of climate change, but scientists and policy experts are discussing how to better manage and adapt to those effects during the California Climate Change Symposium in Sacramento. Managing the state's water resources is a top concern. Scientists released a study last week that found climate change is intensifying the drought in California. Peter Gleick with the Pacific Institute says the state should prepare for more hydrological extremes, both drought and flooding. He says the drought is bringing unexpected consequences to California’s climate picture. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/08/24/climate-change-symposium-kicks-off-in-sacramento/ DROUGHT Water use in Bakersfield hits and misses state's conservation targets. Customers of California Water Service Co. in Bakersfield deserve a pat on the back: They not only met but far exceeded the state's conservation mandate for July. Water use in the district fell 38.9 percent in July compared to July 2013, easily surpassing the district’s 32 percent requirement, Cal Water Bakersfield district manager Rudy Valles said. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/2015/08/24/cal-water-cust.html FUELS Biofuel Use Saved 589.3 Million Tons of Carbon Emissions Over the Past Decade. Over its 10-year lifespan, the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) requirement to substitute biofuels for fossil fuels has displaced nearly 1.9 billion barrels of foreign oil and reduced U.S. transportation-related carbon emissions by 589.33 million metric tons, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) finds in an analysis released today. http://www.pharmiweb.com/pressreleases/pressrel.asp?ROW_ID=126419#.VdyyVvlVhBd Fossil-Fuel Industry Can’t Stop Renewable Energy, Obama Says President Barack Obama pledged to provide incentives to support investments in renewable energy, saying the industry will thrive despite opposition by Republicans and fossil-fuel suppliers.The White House on Monday announced a $1 billion increase in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects, $24 million in new grants for solar research and measures to reduce costs for homeowners to install solar panels. The government also said it would approve a transmission line for a large solar plant in Riverside County, California. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-25/fossil-fuel-industry-can-t-stop-renewable-energy-obama-says VEHICLES Tesla rival seeking billion-dollar California factory? Here’s what we know. Could California finally drive off with a new billion-dollar factory for electric cars? A secretive electric car developer recently announced that it's scouting several locations for a new factory, fueling speculation about a state tax-credit race similar to last year’s push for Tesla's gigafactory. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/morning-roundup/2015/08/tesla-rival-seeking-billion-dollar-california.html?ana=e_sac_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2015-08-25&u=mWGE3JCkQISFrrs/NMmWBIotlWU&t=1440519282 Tech startups want to change the way you drive. A veteran computer scientist hates sitting in his car at stop lights, so he creates software that makes the experience less annoying. A former engineering professor wants to double the range of today's electric vehicles. And an aeronautics expert believes flying cars shouldn't be science fiction. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEC_AUTOS_TECH_STARTUPS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT GREEN ENERGY Solar, wind power draw Obama support at Vegas energy summit. President Barack Obama brought presidential star power to tout the benefits of solar electricity in Western states during an annual green power conference Monday in Las Vegas hosted by U.S. Sen. Harry Reid. The president used a keynote speech to the eighth National Clean Energy Summit at the Mandalay Bay resort to endorse continuing development of wind and solar energy. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_ENERGY_SUMMIT_VEGAS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OPINIONS How to pay for cleaning up the Exide mess. The now-closed Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon has apparently spread toxic lead dust through a much larger area than had previously been believed, perhaps contaminating as many as 10,000 homes. That revelation by state officials this month means thousands of children may have been exposed to a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Making the properties safe for residents could require the largest cleanup of its kind in California history. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-exide-20150824-story.html Dan Walters: How could carbon cut impact us? Nancy McFadden, a top aide to Gov. Jerry Brown, last week dismissed as “ridiculous” fears that Brown’s push to reduce oil-based fuel use in California by 50 percent would mean gas rationing. She spoke during a conclave to support two measures that would commit California to making deep reductions in carbon emissions over the next few decades. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article32260479.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 15:51:29 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 26, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 26, 2015. 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 An FAQ on climate-change bills: What they mean for business. Champions of climate change regulations gathered in a Capitol hallway Tuesday in an attempt to answer critics about two bills pending before the Assembly. To show California’s business community is on board with the legislation, Senate leader Kevin de León appeared alongside representatives for Facebook… http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2015/08/26/an-faq-on-climate-change-bills-what-they-mean-for.html Cap-and-trade money replaces redevelopment funds for cash-short projects. National City in San Diego County was one of the last places in California to lock in redevelopment money to start an affordable housing project, just before the state abolished that revenue source. The city of 60,000 people had enough to launch the first half of its planned development… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060023941/search?keyword=california $2.2B in cap-and-trade funds begins flowing, boosting rail, housing, clean cars. California is starting to dole out nearly $2.2 billion generated by its cap-and-trade program to cut carbon emissions, allocating funds to hundreds of projects. Winners include regional rail, electric car rebates and rooftop solar for low-income residents. Revenue from auctions of pollution permits under the system… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060023868 AIR POLLUTION New Mexico monitoring wildfires' impact on air quality. State health and environment officials are closely monitoring New Mexico air quality in the wake of wildfires still burning in the Pacific Northwest. Officials from the state Department of Health and Environment Department say the air quality may change on a daily basis. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NM_AIR_QUALITY_NMOL-?SITE=NMALJ&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Lawmakers will alter climate-change bills to boost oversight of Air Resources Board. With legislation to battle climate change facing a tough road in the Assembly, top state senators said Tuesday that they would make changes in an effort to alleviate some lawmakers' concerns that California's air regulator is gaining too much power. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-fran-pavley-climate-change-legislation-20150825-story.html ARB opens applications window for CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards. The California Air Resources Board is accepting applications through Nov. 2 for its sixth annual CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards Program. The awards recognize small firms that integrate positive environmental practices and sustainability into their business practices, including reduced energy use… http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article32356671.html#storylink=cpy East Oakland Residents to Breathe Easier. Activists led a successful campaign to reroute diesel-spewing trucks away from residential streets. East Oakland residents suffer from some of the most polluted air in Alameda County, but they will soon breathe a little easier thanks to a successful years-long campaign to get big-rig trucks off local streets. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/east-oakland-residents-to-breathe-easier/Content?oid=4472208 Fire crews eye weather as heat, wind build in West. Massive wildfires in the West have led to poor air quality across the region, causing respiratory problems for people far from the fire lines as well as grounding firefighting aircraft. “It’s been a nightmare to breathe,” said Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers in Washington state. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/26/western-wildfires/32387257/ CLIMATE CHANGE Global insecurity and refugee crisis linked to climate change: expert. Climate change is "adding fuel to the fire" of worsening political instability and unrest around the world, an expert told a security forum. "We are experiencing a surprising uptick in global insecurity... partially due to our inability to manage climate stress," Columbia University professor Marc Levy, who conducts studies for U.S. government agencies… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/26/us-climatechange-security-aid-idUSKCN0QV0ER20150826 What glaciers might look like in a future haunted by global warming. The town of Fiesch, Switzerland, sits surrounded by the largest glaciers in the Swiss Alps: the Aletsch, Fiescher and neighboring Rhone glacier. Beginning in 1674, the people of the devoutly Catholic town have made an annual pilgrimage to pray for the glaciers to recede. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2015/08/26/what-glaciers-might-look-like-in-a-future-haunted-by-global-warming/ New Application Shows Projected Climate Change Impacts in California. An application that shows how climate change could alter ecosystems in the California desert and the natural range of birds, fish, and mammals was released today by the California Energy Commission. The Climate Console provides information that can improve landscape-level planning to better account for climate change. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/4963-new-application-shows-projected-climate-change-impacts-in-california.html California climate researchers sound the alarm at symposium: ‘There’s no way out’. A warming atmosphere has already worsened California’s drought and harmed coastal ecosystems, but the worst is yet to come, according to the latest scientific research presented this week on the interactions of air pollution, water reserves and weather patterns. http://www.dailynews.com/article/20150825/NEWS/150829648 New Study Attributes Fewer Carbon Emissions To China. So Where Did They Go? The pollution caused by China’s coal use gets a great deal of attention, and for good reason. It causes health problems in both China and America — helping to kill 4,000 Chinese people per day and traveling across the Pacific Ocean to increase smog levels in the western United States. China burns four times as much coal as the United States does. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/25/3694669/chinas-missing-carbon-emissions/ DROUGHT Drought-plagued California readies for El Nino storms. While drought-plagued California is eager for rain, the forecast of a potentially Godzilla-like El Nino event has communities clearing out debris basins, urging residents to stock up on emergency supplies and even talking about how a deluge could affect the 50th Super Bowl. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article32412183.html http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/26/california-drought-el-nino/32390855/ Drought-plagued California communities ready for nature's next challenge: El Nino. While drought-plagued California is eager for rain, the forecast of a potentially Godzilla-like El Nino event has communities clearing out debris basins and urging residents to stock up on emergency supplies. Roofers, on the other hand, are reveling in the uptick in business as homeowners ready for the prospect of downpours after four years of dry weather. http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/08/26/drought-plagued-california-readies-for-el-nino-storms Steyer launches fund to help drought victims. California climate activist Tom Steyer announced a relief fund today aimed at helping Californians cope with the state's historic drought. The California Drought Relief Fund will assist people who have run out of water or are affected by wildfires. Steyer said climate change is exacerbating the drought, underscoring the need to control greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060023964/search?keyword=california FUELS New Jersey’s $225 Million Settlement With Exxon Mobil Is Approved. New Jersey’s widely debated $225 million settlement of a pollution lawsuit with Exxon Mobil Corporation was approved on Tuesday by a state judge who called the deal fair, reasonable and in the public interest. The ruling comes in a longstanding legal battle in which New Jersey demanded $8.9 billion in compensation for natural resource damage… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/26/nyregion/new-jerseys-225-million-settlement-with-exxon-mobil-is-approved.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Troubled California oil field regulator faces major overhaul. California’s embattled oil field regulatory agency will undergo a sweeping overhaul following revelations that the office for years let petroleum companies dump their waste water into federally protected aquifers. The state’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources will reorganize its staff into teams… http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Troubled-California-oil-field-regulator-faces-6465373.php GAS PRICES: If price of crude oil's down, why are fuel costs so high? But Inland motorists for the most part aren’t seeing the benefits of the lowest oil prices since 2009. Gas is 12 cents cheaper than it was a week ago across Inland Southern California and half a dollar less than it was in late July. “It’s a start,” said Jose Alvarado, who works as a groundskeeper at UC Riverside, while filling up with mid-level octane… http://www.pe.com/articles/california-778036-oil-prices.html US environmental agency advising Australia on impact of fracking on water. The US’s Environmental Protection Agency has given Australia’s Department of the Environment details of recent fracking study and is peer reviewing papers. The Australian government has obtained information from US environmental regulators on the impact of fracking upon water supplies… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/26/us-environmental-agency-advising-australia-on-impact-of-fracking-on-water VEHICLES Electric-Car Driver To Plant Trees In 48 States On Cross-Country Trip. Despite its name, National Drive Electric Week is actually an international awareness event for plug-in electric cars. And in concert with this year's event, one driver is taking a road trip. Quite an impressive road trip, actually--in an electric car, naturally. Formerly known as National Plug-In Day, it's organized by advocacy group Plug-In America… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099741_electric-car-driver-to-plant-trees-in-48-states-on-cross-country-trip GREEN ENERGY E.ON targets United States in solar push. Germany's biggest utility E.ON (EONGn.DE) aims to aggressively expand its solar business and is banking on the United States where President Barack Obama has pledged to promote renewables in a bid to fight climate change. E.ON, which has spent about 10 billion euros ($11.50 billion) on renewable since 2007, has a pipeline of around one gigawatt (GW) of solar… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/26/us-e-on-renewables-idUSKCN0QV0PZ20150826?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews MISCELLANEOUS U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces $9.5 Million in Workforce Development Grants to Promote Careers in Transit, Ladders of Opportunity. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced $9.5 million in grants to 19 projects in 13 states selected to help train a new generation of skilled workers and support long-term careers in the public transportation industry. The announcement was made at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC), http://www.transportation.gov/us-transportation-secretary-foxx-announces-95-million-workforce-development-grants-promote-careers#sthash.jNjI3bt7.dpuf Moreno Valley OKs 40 million-square-foot warehouse project. A divided Moreno Valley City Council voted 3-2 Wednesday to approve a 40 million-square-foot warehouse project to be developed on the eastern edge of town. The proposed World Logistics Center had split the city between those who said it would bring needed jobs to a struggling bedroom community and those who worried it could have major environmental consequences… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-moreno-valley-warehouse-20150820-story.html OPINIONS Dan Walters: California has other calamities to worry about. Gov. Jerry Brown says California’s drought and the wildfires it has spawned are wake-up calls about the potentially cataclysmic effects of climate change. That may be true. But they are not the only indications of potential disaster that could devastate a state perched, however precariously, on the continent’s western edge. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article32378976.html#storylink=cpy Past efforts to promote electric cars in California ran out of juice. Senate Bill 350, from state Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, is the latest attempt to nudge California motorists from their gas-guzzlers and into supposedly more ecofriendly vehicles. SB350, among other things, mandates a 50 percent cut in gasoline use by 2030. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vehicles-679291-percent-california.html Wildfire Smoke Becomes The Health Threat That Won't Go Away. I stepped out my parents' front door last Thursday, expecting a typically glorious summer day in southern Oregon. Instead, I was hit with acrid wood smoke that stung my eyes and throat. The air was thick with haze that obscured the mountains. I quickly retreated inside. Health departments across the West are mobilizing to protect residents from smoke generated by dozens… http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/08/25/434609238/wildfire-smoke-becomes-the-health-threat-that-wont-go-away BLOGS The sense in Republican climate-change nonsense. Conservatives often insist that it’s pointless to cut climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions: It would amount to unilateral economic disarmament; China and the rest of the world wouldn’t reduce pollution, instead taking all the emissions-heavy industries that climate regulations squeeze out of the United States. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/08/25/the-sense-in-republican-climate-change-nonsense/ California Lawmakers Say Fracking Study Shows Lax Oversight. California lawmakers say the report by the California Council on Science and Technology and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab outlined the lack of information state regulators have about fracking. The study said the state lacks data about the toxicity of hundreds of chemicals used in fracking as well as how wastewater from the process is disposed of or reused. http://www.capradio.org/55942 Calif. may already have a cleanup bill from limited fracking. California will likely have to clean up years' worth of residual contamination from hydraulic fracturing and other unconventional oil production that occurred before the state imposed tighter regulations this year, scientists and agency heads told the state. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060023936/search?keyword=california California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 15:15:59 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 27, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CLIMATE CHANGE 10 Years Later, Obama Says New Orleans Is Reborn. President Barack Obama is marking 10 years since Hurricane Katrina by celebrating the revival of New Orleans, which suffered the worst of the storm's devastation. He's also using the occasion to press governments to start helping communities prepare for the stronger storms that climate change will cause. http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/08/27/obama-visiting-new-orleans-on-hurricanes-10th-anniversary Energy Commission Launches Application to Track Climate Change in California Deserts. The California Energy Commission on Tuesday announced a new application, the Climate Console, that utilizes geospatial data to show how climate change could impact the state’s desert regions and wildlife. Developed by the Conservation Biology Institute, the new tool allows scientists and planners to develop climate change models to predict such things as temperature and precipitation. https://www.techwire.net/energy-commission-launches-application-to-track-climate-change-in-california-deserts/ DROUGHT Flick a cigarette butt? Not in a drought, Cal Fire warns. Napa resident Dick Schaaf became concerned when he saw a motorist flick a lit cigarette out of a car window earlier this month, so he took down the license plate number and called the California Highway Patrol. To Schaaf’s surprise, the CHP said that they did take this issue seriously, especially during wildfire season. In fact, although this type of littering is common, it is illegal. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/flick-a-cigarette-butt-not-in-a-drought-cal-fire/article_1aaa5ff2-96f9-5efe-8c95-66fe6389f257.html L.A. continues dramatic water savings; 21% in July. Los Angeles residents cut their water use by 21% in July, surpassing the mandatory conservation standard set by state regulators to combat the drought, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. The 21% reduction compared with July 2013 means that for the second straight month, Angelenos have met their state target and will avoid fines and other penalties for non-compliance. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-la-water-conservation-20150826-story.html Official: Californians Conserving Water In Drought. State officials say strong water conservation figures for July show Californians are beginning to understand the dire need to cut back in a fourth year of drought. Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, says that regulators are now turning their focus to the communities failing to conserve. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/08/27/official-californians-conserving-water-in-drought/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Fleet Managers Go Hands-On With Green Vehicles. Fleet managers drove a wide spectrum of green fleet vehicles including a diesel-electric hybrid cabover, battery-electric Class 8 rig, and plug-in hybrid SUV that's yet to reach the market at the Fleet Technology Expo's Aug. 25 ride and drive event. The fleet event, which is hosted by Bobit Business Media, ran from Aug. 24-26 at the Long Beach Convention Center in southern California. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/08/fleet-managers-go-hands-on-with-green-vehicles.aspx VEHICLES Event to offer some Fresno drivers free emissions testing. Certain drivers in Fresno will be able to get free vehicle emissions testing through a partnership between a regional pollution control agency and nonprofit clean air advocacy group. The Fresno Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1NWro9F) this year's annual tune-up event provided by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and Valley Clean Air Now is being held Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fresno Fairgrounds. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article32519028.html New electric car charging station opens in Richmond. Richmond's Main Street Station parking lot is now home to an electric car charging station. The Richmond Times-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1MPDcfa) reports that the city's first DC Fast Charging Electric Vehicle Charging Station has opened. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/technology/article32515776.html GREEN ENERGY Thinking small, South Africans develop affordable solar power prototype that stumped Google. By thinking small, a group of South African scientists may have pioneered solar technology that has stumped Internet giant Google. The Helio100 project, based at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape province, is a cost-effective heliostat that harnesses solar power to generate electricity. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_SOUTH_AFRICA_SOLAR_INVENTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Related articles: http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/08/27/south-african-prototype-may-solve-solar-power-problem http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/apgeneral/south-african-prototype-may-solve-solar-power-problem/article_ddf4e969-88f4-589d-8dfe-cf5e905c52c7.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_28712588/has-south-african-team-solved-solar-tech-that MISCELLANEOUS New York City Might Get a Climate Change Museum. Climate change is an environmental issue. But it's civil rights issue, argues lawyer Miranda Massie. “If you don’t have the right to thrive as an organism, then everything else falls away,” she tells reporter Lisa W. Foderaro for The New York Times. “I came to see the environment as a civil rights issue.” The effects that Hurricane Sandy had on New York City helped spur her to this realization. And now, Massie is working hard to build the Climate Museum, a place where the public can gain a broader understanding of the effects of climate change. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-will-have-climate-change-museum-180956411/?no-ist OPINIONS California drought, wildfires aren't the only looming disasters. Gov. Jerry Brown says California's drought and the wildfires it has spawned are wake-up calls about the potentially cataclysmic effects of climate change. That may be true. But they are not the only indications of potential disaster that could devastate a state perched, however precariously, on the continent's western edge. California has been experiencing a series of moderate earthquakes this month -- coinciding, somewhat eerily, with the first anniversary of a temblor that severely damaged downtown Napa. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28712216/dan-walters-california-drought-wildfires-arent-only-looming BLOGS Why Big Corporations Like Gap And eBay Are Mobilizing Against Climate Change. This week, California legislators received a pair of letters signed by dozens of corporations in support of two bills that would require the state to further reduce its greenhouse gas emissions through 2050. In both letters, the firms say tackling climate change is "one of America’s greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-corporations-are-on-board-with-climate-change-policy_55dde804e4b08cd3359e2704?kvcommref=mostpopular California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Aug 2015 14:05:52 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 28, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change legislation approaches pivotal showdown with oil industry. With only a few days left in the current session of the California legislature, an aggressive political and public relations fight between the oil industry and top lawmakers over climate change legislation is moving into a final round. At stake is the passage of far-reaching environmental bills that would fundamentally alter the way the state does business and deals with planet-warming pollution – but would likely also change the way everyday Californians travel, live and consume. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/28/climate-change-legislation-showdown-california-sb350-sb32 Why Climate Change Could Make Hurricane Impact Worse. Hurricane Katrina surprised disaster preparedness authorities when it made landfall 10 years ago, leveling entire communities and killing more than 1,800 people. The storm caused more than $100 billion in damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. But for all the damage the storm caused in New Orleans, Katrina was a relatively weak hurricane when it hit the city. http://time.com/4013637/climate-change-hurricanes-impact/ Richmond agricultural conference to spotlight food security, reducing emissions. Farmers, scientists, policymakers, nonprofit organizations and community leaders will converge in Richmond next week to explore how sustainable, regenerative agriculture practices can help reduce global warming and increase food security. The Soil Not Oil International Conference, set for Sept. 4 and 5 at the Richmond Civic Center, will focus on practical carbon farming (also known as regenerative agriculture) solutions including cover crops, planned grazing, compost application on range land, tree planting and other holistic land use practices. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28714064/richmond-agricultural-conference-spotlight-food-security-reducing-emissions Nasa: sea levels rising as a result of human-caused climate change – video Josh Willis of Nasa explains the space agency’s announcement that a long-term satellite imaging study has shown a dramatic rise in sea levels due to climate change. He says the findings that sea levels worldwide rose an average of nearly 3 inches (8 cm) since 1992 could indicate how strongly impacted coastal populations will be in the coming century. http://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2015/aug/28/nasa-sea-levels-rising-human-climate-change-video DROUGHT Is the drought killing California's giant sequoias? Sixty feet from the top of a giant sequoia named Kong, biologist Anthony Ambrose studied the foliage around him. Dense clusters of green leaves grew like shaving brushes from the branches, cones clustered like Indian clubs. Topping out 25 stories above the ground, Kong was spectacular, an ancient beastly creature well-suited for its name. Its trunk at the base measured 17 feet across. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-sequoia-drought-20150828-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Hearing on greenhouse gas proposal shows where experienced truckers stand. Truckers on site at the Great America Trucking Show in Dallas had a unique opportunity on Thursday, Aug. 27, to engage in direct conversation with representatives of two federal agencies proposing to further regulate truck emissions and fuel economy standards. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29683#.VeCd7vlVhBc FUELS DOE to award up to $10M for Bioenergy Technologies Incubator 2; provides $4M to two additional biofuel projects. The US Department of Energy (DOE) released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0001320)for up to $10 million to advance the production of advanced biofuels, substitutes for petroleum-based feedstocks and bioproducts made from renewable, non-food-based biomass, such as algae, agricultural residues, and woody biomass. This work supports the Energy Department’s efforts to make drop-in biofuels more accessible and affordable, as well as to meet the cost target equivalent of $3 per gallon of gasoline by 2022. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150828-doe.html VEHICLES Bosch acquires U.S. electric car battery developer Seeo. Auto parts maker Robert Bosch has bought Seeo Inc, a California-based company that has developed next-generation lithium-ion batteries that could double the range of electric cars. Electric vehicles have failed to take off with mainstream customers because current battery technology limits the operating range of vehicles to below 500 kilometres (311 miles), and because vehicles take hours to fully recharge. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/28/seeo-ma-robert-bosch-idUSL5N11337N20150828?feedType=RSS&feedName=mergersNews GREEN ENERGY Solar power planned for four middle schools. The use of solar panels at American Canyon High School has proven to be a financially smart move for the Napa Valley Unified School District — so smart that officials want to duplicate this success at all of the district’s middle schools. Without opposition, the school board told staff last week to request bids from companies for solar installations at American Canyon Middle School and the three middle schools in Napa: Harvest, Redwood and Silverado. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/solar-power-planned-for-four-middle-schools/article_29e0cb7c-8d65-5055-ae2e-52751b12aa64.html MISCELLANEOUS Cathedral City seeks to build CV Link segment early. Cathedral City is seeking support from neighboring cities to build an early segment of the CV Link — a proposed 50-mile bicycle, pedestrian and low-speed electric vehicle path — to take advantage of two grants before they expire. On Monday, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ transportation committee will consider amending existing CV Link contracts. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/08/27/cathedral-city-seeks-build-cv-link-segment-early/71285970/ OPINIONS California water storage bond a drop in a leaky bucket. With news of an enormous El Niño year flowing in, some believe their prayers might have been answered. But memory quickly turns to the devastating flooding and mudslides so synonymous when these subtropical storms arrive in California. In the past, such deluges were were relatively uncommon. Now, many scientists are predicting that prolonged periods of drought followed by torrential downpours will be par for the course. Climate change will bring greater weather extremes on both sides of the precipitation spectrum. Add warmer winters that melt vital mountain snowpack early in the season, and the period for California to collect and store water becomes increasingly short. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/community-columns/article32630679.html BLOGS Renewable Energy Investments: A Case Study. Early adopters are consumers who aspire to own the newest gadget even if it means paying top price. When it came to a renewable energy plan for our home and automobiles, we were no exceptions. Despite the high cost, we wanted our home and two cars dependent on 100 percent clean and renewable energy. Why? Where did we get the money? Was our idealism too expensive? Would this energy cost-saving-investment make a difference in our monthly electric bill? How long could it take to pay for itself? This blog post answers those questions. We took the plunge, began our conversion with 24 solar panels seven years ago and a few years later purchased two 100 percent electric cars. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-schullo-and-dan-robertson/renewable-energy-investme_1_b_8028316.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 31 Aug 2015 13:53:23 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 31, 2015 From: pbrown@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. CLIMATE CHANGE Kerry, Obama to raise global warming issues in Alaska Scientists are "overwhelmingly unified" in concluding that humans are contributing to global climate change, Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday night, and the public is slowly getting the full picture. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KERRY_ALASKA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT In Alaska, Obama to walk fine line on climate change, energy With melting glaciers and rising seas as his backdrop, President Barack Obama will visit Alaska next week to press for urgent global action to combat climate change, even as he carefully calibrates his message in a state heavily dependent on oil. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ALASKA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/08/29/in-alaska-obama-to-walk-fine-line-on-climate-change-energy http://www.msn.com/en-au/health/medical/in-alaska-obama-to-walk-fine-line-on-climate-change-energy/vp-AAdKjYl http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/29/us/politics/ap-us-obama-alaska.html Related Articles http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-climate-change-to-wipe-out-u.s.-towns/article/2571059 http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddessig/2015/08/31/the-global-is-local-as-obama-visits-alaska-to-press-for-climate-action/ http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/08/30/436066425/obama-plays-defense-on-climate-change-ahead-of-alaska-trip http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/31/us/politics/obama-to-urge-aggressive-climate-action-in-visit-to-arctic-alaska.html http://www.wsj.com/articles/obamas-arctic-trip-comes-as-climate-change-builds-as-2016-issue-1440963782 Historic climate-change bills in California Legislature go down to the wire With the deadline for lawmakers to finish their work less than two weeks away, Gov. Jerry Brown and state Senate leader Kevin de León are working feverishly to pass what they call the year's most important legislation -- measures that both men believe will enhance their political legacies. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_28725373/historic-climate-change-bills-california-legislature-go-down http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28725374/historic-climate-change-bills-california-legislature-go-down Senate Leader Pushes for SB 350 Kevin de Leon, Senate President pro Tempore, on the controversial bill SB 350 that looks to cut gas use by 50% over the next 15 years. He tells NBC4's Conan Nolan how that will be accomplished. http://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/NewsConference-Senate-Leader-Pushes-for-SB-350/323293091 UN climate negotiators work in Bonn on deal to fight warming U.N. climate talks began anew Monday in Germany, three months before world governments are supposed to adopt a landmark deal to fight global warming. The climate pact envisioned for Paris in December will be a crucial test for the diplomatic process, which failed to deliver a strong deal six years ago in Copenhagen. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/world/article32853900.html#storylink=cpy Climate change: 2015 will be the hottest year on record 'by a mile', experts say Exclusive: Findings make a nonsense of claims of a 'pause' in global warming Climate scientists are predicting that 2015 will be the hottest year on record “by a mile”, with the increase in worldwide average temperatures dramatically undermining the idea that global warming has stopped – as some climate-change sceptics claim. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/climate-change-2015-will-be-the-hottest-year-on-record-by-a-mile-experts-say-10477138.html How will climate change affect your livelihood? As the reality of global warming starts to hit home, people may ask: "How will it affect my livelihood?" Well, that depends. On your profession, your age, and exactly where you live, among other things. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48720420.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst N ew study reveals the possibility of hurricanes ‘unlike anything you’ve seen in history’ Last week, the nation focused its attention on the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the most destructive hurricane in U.S. history. As bad as the storm was, though, it wasn’t the worst storm that could have possibly hit New Orleans. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/31/new-study-reveals-the-possibility-of-hurricanes-unlike-anything-youve-seen-in-history/ Indonesia looking to boost climate pledge Indonesian officials are considering increasing their greenhouse gas emissions pledge ahead of an international climate summit, Reuters reported on Monday. The country’s former president had pledged to curb deforestation in Indonesia and cut its carbon emissions 26 percent by 2020, or up to 41 percent with financial support from other countries. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/252314-indonesia-looking-to-boost-climate-pledge P arty leaders in Scotland make climate change pledge The leaders of Scotland's five main political parties have promised to set out plans on how they will tackle climate change and reduce emissions. An agreement was brokered by WWF Scotland ahead of the Holyrood election next year. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-34102208 AIR POLLUTION Rough fire can take your breath away Forget about natural splendors at Cedar Grove in rugged Kings Canyon National Park. The stifling air last week was more like Beijing in January than a Sierra vacation spot in August. Temporary air monitors at times showed soot from the Rough fire had turned the air “hazardous” – a federal pollution category only occasionally triggered even in California, home of the nation’s worst air. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/earth-log/article32714430.html#storylink=cpy Breathing Boston air is like smoking 5 cigarettes a year This site converted air pollution into a cigarette measurement. The areas where you can smoke a cigarette have been shrinking over the years. Smokers have been pushed out of bars and restaurants, ushered 25-feet away from doors, and even banned from Boston Common. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/08/28/breathing-boston-air-like-smoking-cigarettes-year/qCqNsqQXAkXesuTHYhJLuJ/story.html Xinhua Insight: China passes law to control air pollution China's top legislature on Saturday adopted an amendment to the Air Pollution Control Law that will restrict various sources of smog and make information on environmental cleanliness more readily available to the public. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-08/29/c_134568483.htm Beijing Smog Gives Way to ‘Military Parade Blue’ Before World War II Event A week before China’s mega-military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II, smog levels in Beijing appear to have fallen to their lowest levels in at least three years, the Chinese news media reported on Wednesday. http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/26/beijing-smog-gives-way-to-military-parade-blue-before-world-war-ii-event/ W anted! An army of citizen scientists to tackle air pollution A Europe-wide project asks iPhone users to help monitor levels of pollution in major cities. Turn off Tinder and exit Instagram – scientists want you to turn your iPhones to research. Launching on Tuesday, the iSpex-EU project aims to recruit people from major cities across Europe, including Manchester and London, to take part in an initiative to monitor levels of air pollution. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/30/citizen-scientists-tackle-air-pollution CAP & TRADE/CCI Rosa Parks Metro Station Set For $39 Million Upgrade The Blue Line is getting $39 million in state funding in order to renovate the Rosa Parks Metro Station. State and local officials gathered at the Rosa Parks Metro Station on the eleven-thousand block of Willowbrook Ave this morning, to announce the grant to the public. The $39 million grant is provided under the California Climate Investments Program. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/08/29/rosa-parks-metro-station-set-for-39-million-upgrade/ Manure for some, dollars for others Not far from the Amish farms of Central Pennsylvania, in the rolling hills southwest of coal mining country, Dennis Brubaker raises 30,000 pigs a year for slaughter. In four enclosed barns, the hogs gain two pounds a day away from predators. That is, until they are shipped away to be processed for supermarkets. http://calmatters.org/articles/manure-for-some-dollars-for-others/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES California Awards its 2,000th Hybrid, Clean Air Truck Voucher The California Air Resources Board has awarded its 2,000th Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher, an incentive program that has contributed to air pollution reductions in neighborhoods throughout California. http://www.truckingnewsonline.com/news/california-awards-its-2000th-hybrid-clean-air-truck-voucher/ VEHICLES California’s Plug-In Vehicle Rebate Program Imposes New Income Cap Even though financial incentives have helped in wooing consumers toward electric and hybrid vehicles, California is implementing its first-ever income cap for electric vehicle buyers receiving rebates. The state’s move, however, should not be a major setback in the further penetration of EVs into the state’s car market. http://www.energyfuse.org/californias-plug-in-vehicle-rebate-program-imposes-new-income-cap/ 2016 Toyota Prius: Full View Photos Finally Leaked With the 2016 Toyota Prius scheduled to make its global debut in Las Vegas on the evening of September 8, you had to figure that photos of the car would leak out at some point. And so they have. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099781_2016-toyota-prius-full-view-photos-finally-leaked GREEN ENERGY Brown seeks to broaden California's clean-energy reach in the West Gov. Jerry Brown is working on an ambitious plan for transmitting electricity across state lines and bolstering California's role in the region, according to energy officials .The plan would integrate PacifiCorp, a utility serving six Western states, into the electricity grid run by the California Independent System Operator, which is based in Folsom. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-brown-energy-20150830-story.html MISCELLANEOUS General Mills has big plans to go green General Mills has outlined a plan to cut carbon emissions by nearly 30% over the next decade, an ambitious goal that will require the cereal maker to lean on farmers and suppliers to make that vision a reality. http://fortune.com/2015/08/31/general-mills-going-green/ OPINIONS Clearing the air in the fight over climate change The oil industry is spending millions of dollars in a massive statewide campaign hoping to scare you into thinking California is going to take away your car and get you to tell your legislator to oppose Senate Bill 350. http://www.vcstar.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-clearing-the-air-in-the-fight-over-climate-change_00830524 SB350 is déjà vu all over again Nine years ago, the Democratic liberal majorities in the state Legislature passed Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger. The cornerstone of AB32 was the admirable goal of reducing statewide greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. http://www.ocregister.com/common/archives/?catID=0 Support continued efforts to protect climate This summer, we’ve been hearing a lot about climate change. In July, the Pope reminded us that preserving the climate is a moral issue with outsized impact on the world’s most vulnerable populations. In August, President Obama unveiled the federal Clean Energy Plan, calling on us all to do better in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Here in Napa, the historic drought and punishing fire season have reminded us all what a hotter, drier climate could look like. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/support-continued-efforts-to-protect-climate/article_bfbca3da-a73e-5502-b293-ca0b8c45600c.html Far-reaching climate bills warrant approval Forgive us if we’ve become jaded about oil industry claims that California as we know it will collapse if the Legislature approves bills aimed at further curbing emissions of greenhouse gas. Time and again, the state and the industry have survived efforts to address the all-too-real prospect of global warming. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article32666292.html#storylink=cpy Mulcair mum on cap-and-trade cost It’s a simple question and the fact NDP Leader Tom Mulcair won’t answer it speaks volumes. How much will his plan to impose a national cap-and-trade carbon pricing scheme on Canadians cost? http://www.torontosun.com/2015/08/28/mulcair-mum-on-cap-and-trade-cost BLOGS Elevated Indoor Air Pollution Levels During NDTV Breathe Clean Conclave in New Delhi NDTV, a popular media house in India, organized a televised experts discussion on ways to address air quality challenges across India earlier this week as part of its "Breathe Clean" campaign. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ajaiswal/elevated_indoor_air_pollution_.html Air pollution at home could lower kids’ GPAs It’s a safe bet that most kids who make excuses for bad grades are just totally full of it. Couldn’t upload your homework because the internet was down? Nice try… But if a kid says her GPA is a touch low because her home is shrouded in toxic air pollution, maybe listen to her. http://grist.org/news/air-pollution-at-home-could-lower-kids-gpas/ Bill Maher Calls Out Rick Santorum On Climate Change In an interview with Rick Santorum on Friday night's "Real Time With Bill Maher," the host challenged the Republican presidential candidate about his failure to seriously consider the issue. But Santorum didn't sway from his point of view. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-maher-rick-santorum-climate-change_55e2109ee4b0b7a963393ebc Going green gets lost over cost It’s funny, in an ironic and ultimately head-shaking way, how John Q. Public reacts to efforts to “go green” or “combat climate change.” Poll any group of Americans, and no doubt, you’ll find healthy majorities ready, willing and able to back all sorts of “green initiatives” such as using more “renewable energy sources” to generate electricity or cutting petroleum consumption. http://fleetowner.com/blog/going-green-gets-lost-over-cost California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 14:26:43 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 2, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 2, 2015. 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 could alter key ocean bacteria: study. Climate change could put a type of oceanic bacteria into evolutionary overdrive in a way that could pose a threat to its long-term survivability and its important role in the food chain, according to a study published on Tuesday. The research published in the journal Nature Communications focuses on trichodesmium… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/01/us-usa-microbes-study-idUSKCN0R149K20150901 Indonesia to pledge to make deeper emission cuts by 2030. Indonesia will pledge to increase its commitments on cutting greenhouse gas emissions growth by 29 percent by 2030, the environment and forestry minister said on Wednesday, but giving few details on how this would be done. Indonesia, ranked third in the amount of land covered by tropical forests and the world's top palm oil producer… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL4N1182KZ20150902 Denmark’s Government Readies U-Turn on Ambitious Climate Targets. Denmark’s widening budget deficit is forcing its policy makers to take some hard decisions in the very area where they are considered global role models: the fight against climate change. Denmark’s Liberal government is to reverse ambitious CO2 emission targets The news about Denmark’s cost-cutting measures, which also include a reduction in… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NTZWYZ6KLVRV01-0HETAGE4NLAVFPL7KQLF03TRQU International Efforts to Cut Carbon Pollution Won’t Be Enough. Pledges from dozens of nations to rein in carbon emissions aren’t enough so far to avoid catastrophic climate change, according to four European research centers. Plans submitted by China, the U.S., the European Union and other top polluters won’t limit global warming… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NU0KX16KLVRB01-0A27KA7G23JAIC8P1DFQHIFU10 Analysts: Emission cuts for Paris climate pact not enough to stop Earth warming 2 degrees C. Analysts tracking efforts to control greenhouse gas emissions say the reductions pledged by major economies ahead of an envisioned climate pact this year won't be enough to avoid warming the Earth by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or more. http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/09/02/nations-pledges-to-cut-emissions-called-insufficient UN: This El Nino to be among the strongest since 1950. The current El Nino weather pattern may be on track to become one of the strongest in more than half a century, experts at the World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday. The El Nino event involves a shift in winds in the Pacific Ocean along the equator every few years, warming the water more than usual and triggering a change in global weather patterns. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/UN-agency-predicts-El-Nino-to-be-among-strongest-6478098.php DOE awards ~$25M to 8 projects for CO2 capture and compression; $15M for novel. The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has selected eight projects to receive almost $25 million in funding to construct small- and large-scale pilots for reducing the cost of CO2 capture and compression through DOE’s Carbon Capture Program. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150902-fcedfc.html California Forest Helps Offset Volkswagen Emissions. Volkswagen is relying on a privately managed forest in California to help offset its contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. Auto industry analyst Karl Brauer writes in Forbes that although the German auto giant is in the midst of various steps to curb its environmental impact, VW can't eliminate its emissions entirely. http://www.mbtmag.com/news/2015/09/california-forest-helps-offset-volkswagen-emissions PRESIDENT OBAMA - ALASKA ARTIC Obama visits Arctic community to discuss Native issues. President Barack Obama on Wednesday will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit a community north of the Arctic Circle, a trek the White House hopes will bring into focus how climate change is affecting Americans. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1N1171LJ20150902 Rapid Arctic Change Adds Pressure to Climate Talks. President Barack Obama's historic trip to the rapidly warming Alaskan Arctic could help put pressure on international negotiators to successfully ink a global deal to fight climate change at a year-end summit in Paris. Urgency has been a theme of the three-day trip: The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. http://www.bna.com/rapid-arctic-change-n17179935453/ Obama points to melting glacier in climate change campaign. President Barack Obama stared down a melting glacier in Alaska on Tuesday in a dramatic use of his presidential pulpit to sound the alarm on climate change. From a distance, Exit Glacier appears as a river of white and blue flowing down through the mountains toward lower terrain. In fact, it's just the opposite. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/glacier-336934-ocprint-obama-climate.html President Obama Announces New Investments to Enhance Safety and Security in the Changing Arctic. Climate change is reshaping the Arctic in profound ways. The global Arctic has warmed approximately twice as fast as the rest of the world, resulting in significant impacts on land and sea. Among the most noticeable changes is the retreat of Arctic sea ice, which has experienced significant… http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/national-news/5063-president-obama-announces-new-investments-to-enhance-safety-and-security-in-the-changing-arctic.html In climate bid, Obama stares down melting Alaska glacier. President Barack Obama stared down a melting glacier in Alaska on Tuesday in a dramatic use of his presidential pulpit to sound the alarm on climate change. From a distance, Exit Glacier appears as a river of white and blue flowing down through the mountains toward lower terrain. In fact, it's just the opposite. http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/national/In-climate-bid-Obama-stares-down-melting-Alaska-glacier-323802001.html Obama ends Alaska trip with climate funds for Native towns. President Obama will wind up his historic three-day trip to Alaska today by providing millions of dollars in federal funding and assistance to help the state's Native communities grapple with climate change and high energy costs. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/09/02/stories/1060024171 DROUGHT When the wells run dry: California families cope in drought. Looking for water to flush his toilet, Tino Lozano pointed a garden hose at some buckets in the bare dirt of his yard. It’s his daily ritual now in a community built by refugees from Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl. But only a trickle came out; then a drip, then nothing more. “There it goes,” said Lozano, a 40-year-old disabled vet, masking his desperation with a smile. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-680308-california-okieville.html GREEN ENERGY UPDATE 2-EEX to launch wind power contract in early 2016. The European Energy Exchange (EEX) will launch a wind power futures contract in the first quarter of 2016, it said on Wednesday, allowing customers to hedge risks and speculate on an increasingly important part of the electricity market. The contract could help both wind and conventional power plants cope with the unpredictability of wind production. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/02/power-bourse-eex-idUSL5N1181KJ20150902?feedType=RSS&feedName=utilitiesSector Scott Walker's Record on Wind and Solar Power Leaves Renewables Industry Fuming. Five years after Walker took office, renewable energy in Wisconsin is lagging the boom in the rest of the country and industry blames the two-term governor for the shortfall. Walker and his appointees have pushed new restrictions on windmills… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NU1L0B6KLVR801-7AH1H1DFOQU7SKKHVAVPNU0VPL Better Health a Key Benefit of Renewables, Study Says. Building wind and solar farms helps to reduce the human impact on climate change by displacing noxious emissions from coal-fired power plants. A new study says there’s another important benefit to renewables development: cost savings from cleaner air that saves lives. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/renewables-benefit-climate-public-health-19397?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20climatecentral/djOO%20Climate%20Central%20-%20Full%20Feed MISCELLANEOUS This Democrat's decision on climate change could be a game changer. Henry T. Perea was having a change of heart. For years, the Democratic assemblyman had griped about the Central Valley getting shortchanged by Sacramento and overshadowed by Los Angeles, San Francisco and other big-city magnets for state dollars. Now he was in a poor Fresno neighborhood, not far from where he grew up… http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-pol-c1-henry-perea-20150902-story.html Mercury News reporters win Oakes environmental writing award for drought reporting. Two San Jose Mercury News reporters have won one of environmental writing's most prestigious prizes -- the 2015 John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism -- for their reporting on the California drought. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_28743993/mercury-news-reporters-win-oakes-environmental-writing-award OPINIONS In Alaska, Obama warns against climate change but OKs drilling. President Obama is doing God’s work in Alaska by highlighting the ominous shifts in the Arctic environment being caused by climate change, but his administration has made a deal with the devil by approving Royal Dutch Shell’s plans to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-alaska-obama-climate-20150901-story.html It's not 'the environment vs. jobs' anymore. To the editor: The conclusion in the UC Berkeley study that stronger requirements for renewable energy would create jobs is another piece of evidence that California has known for a long time. Renewable energy regulations have helped to make California a leader in the country in creating jobs, reducing harmful air pollution… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0902-wednesday-renewable-energy-20150902-story.html Transit is key to both climate change and transportation. We are in the midst of a record drought and wildfire season that scientists tell us is one of the effects of climate change. We clearly cannot continue business as usual, yet two deeply intertwined debates are underway in their usual separate silos in the Legislature. Gov. Jerry Brown is pushing even more ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article33219828.html#storylink=cpy Fabian Nuñez: On climate change, California matters. In three months, world leaders will gather in Paris at the United Nations climate summit. As the evidence mounts that man made greenhouse gas emissions are a significant cause of climate change--now an incontrovertible, scientific fact--the summit represents a narrow window of opportunity for the world's largest economies to reach common ground on reducing emissions and turning the tide before it's too late. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28740569/fabian-nunez-climate-change-california-matters BLOGS Marcos Breton: Consumption, contradiction and climate change. The allure of a big truck is strong even though I have no need for one. I would never drive it off-road. I wouldn’t use it to haul anything heavier than laundry and groceries. But there I am late at night, scanning car websites, imagining myself behind the wheel of a massive vehicle that would not fit my lifestyle. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/marcos-breton/article33306153.html#storylink=cpy Fossil Fuel Execs Made Twice As Much As U.S. Pledged To Help Fight Climate Change Overseas. "If we don't reverse these perverse incentives, we all remain at risk." The top executives at the largest publicly held fossil fuel companies in the United States have made nearly $6 billion in the last five years -- enough to double the U.S. commitment to addressing climate change abroad. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fossil-fuel-execs-climate-change_55e62913e4b0b7a9633ac41a How China Is Taking Major Steps to Control Shipping Air Pollution. In a series of announcements over the weekend and on Monday, the Chinese government took several important steps to control emissions from shipping activities, which until now have been virtually unregulated. Vessels and ports are major sources of the severe air pollution choking many coastal cities in China… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-a-finamore/how-china-is-taking-major_b_8078334.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 14:13:52 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 3, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 3, 2015. 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 Cap-And-Trade Money to Pay for California Road Work? A proposal to use cap-and-trade money to pay for fixing and repairing California roads and bridges was killed in committee, Tuesday. San Dimas Republican Bob Huff says the proposal was a common sense use of the money already being raised by the passage of AB 32, the Cap-and-Trade environmental bill of 2006. http://www.kabc.com/2015/09/02/cap-and-trade-money-to-pay-for-california-road-work/ High speed rail measure dies in committee. State Sen. Sharon Runner, R-Antelope Valley, said Wednesday her legislation to prohibit Cap and Trade funds from being used for high-speed rail was killed by the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Development Committee. Introduced in the First Extraordinary Session on Transportation and Infrastructure Development, Senate Bill X1-6 would have required Cap and Trade dollars… http://www.hesperiastar.com/article/20150902/NEWS/150909915 AIR POLLUTION County adopts finding of ozone standards non-attainment area. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors Tuesday adopted a finding recognizing the necessity of a new air pollution policy. The Tehama County Air Pollution Control District rule 2:3c New Source Review Rule recognizes that the Tuscan Buttes region of Tehama County, about 1,800 feet in elevation in northeastern Tehama County…Posted. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150903/county-adopts-finding-of-ozone-standards-non-attainment-area China's First 3rd-Party Study on Regional Air Quality Management Across 30 Provinces. China’s air quality has been dire over the past few years. In 2013, China State Council issued the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan 2013-2017 (aka “Ten Measures of Air”), setting a new precedent for governmental air pollution management efforts. http://www.theenergycollective.com/jennytang/2266468/china-s-first-3rd-party-study-regional-air-quality-management-across-30-provinces- CLIMATE CHANGE Nations' pledges to cut emissions called insufficient. Analysts tracking efforts to control greenhouse gas emissions say the reductions pledged by major economies ahead of an envisioned climate pact this year won't be enough to avoid warming the Earth by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or more. That's the benchmark governments have set to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_GREENHOUSE_GASES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT On Arctic voyage, Obama banks on power of his celebrity. President Barack Obama brought no grand policy pronouncements, new legislative proposals or major tranches of federal aid with him to Alaska. Instead, he sought to use the power of his own celebrity to command attention to the issue of climate change. Closing out his Alaska tour with a trip Wednesday to the tiny town of Kotzebue, Obama became the first sitting president to set… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Lots of trees to hug: Study counts 3 trillion trees on Earth. More than 3 trillion trees now grow on Earth, seven times more than scientists previously thought. But it's also trillions fewer than there used to be, a new study concludes. A United Nations-affiliated youth group had a goal of planting one billion trees and Yale forestry researcher Thomas Crowther was asked if planting that many trees… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_TRILLION_TREES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0902/Earth-has-lost-half-its-forests-since-dawn-of-civilization-study-finds Obama, Visiting Arctic, Will Pledge Aid to Alaskans Hit by Climate Change. President Obama on Wednesday will pledge to step up government aid for Arctic communities whose shorelines and infrastructure are crumbling as warming seas melt their foundations, intensifying his administration’s effort to cope with the effects of climate change where they are being felt most acutely. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/03/us/politics/obama-arctic-alaska-climate-change.html?_r=0 Obama Takes Climate Message to Alaska, Where Change Is Rapid. In this native village situated on a gravel spit above the Arctic Circle, life is changing more quickly than the Alaskans who have lived off the land and water here for thousands of years can keep pace with. “The ice is the biggest thing,” said Dominic Ivanoff, 28, a leader of Kotzebue’s tribal council. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/03/us/politics/obama-takes-climate-message-to-alaska-where-change-is-rapid-in-alaska.html Residents of Eroding Village Welcome Obama's Attention. Residents of a Native village threatened by erosion were thankful for President Barack Obama's attention to their plight, saying they hope his visit to Alaska will help them secure funding to build a critical evacuation road to drier ground. Even with a protective ocean rock wall… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/09/03/us/ap-us-obama-eroding-alaska-village.html California: Coal Dropped From Public Pension Funds. California lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday that will force the state’s public employee pension funds to drop investments in coal. The bill, passed by the Assembly on a vote of 43 to 27, will now go to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown. The Senate president pro tempore, Kevin de León, the bill’s sponsor, noted that stocks in the battered coal industry were losing value and said… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/03/us/california-coal-dropped-from-public-pension-funds.html Menlo Park: City on track to miss emissions reduction goals. The city is lagging in its effort to meet the state's greenhouse gas-reduction goals by 2020. For instance, in 2013, the most recent year for which the city has data, there was a 1 percent increase in emissions over 2012. Additionally, residential energy consumption increased by 3.4 percent over 2012 and commercial energy consumption by 5.5 percent. http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_28749443/menlo-park-city-track-miss-emissions-reduction-goals Lung Association: Climate Change Worsens California Air Quality. The American Lung Association in California has started a campaign to call attention to worsening air quality because of climate change. The online campaign "Doctors for Climate Health" supports California in its efforts to combat climate change, but says more is needed. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/02/lung-association-climate-change-worsens-california-air-quality/ Climate Change: Drought and Heat Waves to Occur More Often at the Same Time. Droughts and heat waves may be happening simultaneously with much greater frequency. Scientists have found that as climate change continues, we should expect temperatures to become warmer as drought occurs. "Heat waves can kill people and crops while worsening air quality… http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/29601/20150903/climate-change-drought-heat-waves-occur-more-same-time.htm New Study Shows How Climate Change Is Already Reshaping The Earth. A landmark study in the journal Nature documents an expansion of the world’s dry and semi-arid climate regions since 1950 — and attributes it to human-caused global warming. This expansion of the world’s dry zones is a basic prediction of climate science. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/03/3697620/expanding-global-dry-semi-arid-zones/ DROUGHT Global economic losses from drought to top $8 billion: report. Global economic losses from drought are likely to reach more than $8 billion in the next few months as the El Nino weather pattern intensifies, reinsurance broker Aon Benfield said on Thursday. Total economic losses from drought in the United States are likely to reach at least $3 billion… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/03/us-drought-loss-report-idUSKCN0R31QX20150903?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews A fight between farmers and tribes over Northern California water. Fish vs. farmers. Tribes vs. agribusiness. It might seem easy, summarizing the conflict over the Trinity River in Northern California. But amid record drought, this long-running and singular battle has become a case study about the difficulties in balancing Western water use. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article33417963.html#storylink=cpy DIESEL ACTIVITIES 2,000th HVIP Voucher Awarded. The California Air Resources Board and Calstart last week celebrated the 2,000th award under HVIP, the agency’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher program – $23,000 to Redwood Products of Chino toward the purchase of a Hino 195h hybrid vehicle. http://www.fleetsandfuels.com/fuels/evs/2015/09/2000th-hvip-voucher-awarded/?utm_source=Fleets-Fuels+September+2%2C+2015&utm_campaign=fleetsfuelsnewsbrief&utm_medium=email GREEN ENERGY Feds charge 3 in alleged green energy Ponzi scheme. Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania are charging three individuals for allegedly orchestrating a $54.5 million Ponzi scheme for an alternative energy company. The United States Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said Thursday that Troy Wragg, Amanda Knorr and Wayde McKelvy defrauded more than 300 investors. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/252658-feds-charge-3-in-alleged-green-energy-ponzi-scheme MISCELLANEOUS Caltrain Modernization Program getting boost: Board to talk funding, real estate negotiations. Caltrain officials are inching closer toward a more than $1.5 billion electrification project by considering several steps to secure funding and partnering with other agencies to consider using eminent domain in worst-case scenarios. The http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-09-03/caltrain-modernization-program-getting-boost-board-to-talk-funding-real-estate-negotiations/1776425149528.html OPINIONS A pro-business tool in the fight against air pollution. A little-known tool for fighting air pollution is growing in scope and impact and is disproving the conventional wisdom that every plan to help the environment will inevitably harm businesses. NAMAs, or Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions, are not even a decade old… http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/2/ned-helme-pro-business-tool-fight-against-air-poll/ California's Missing Climate Hawk. Governor Jerry Brown fashions himself as a global leader on climate change, but he's gone missing in action now that his plan for reducing greenhouse gases is under attack. In his inaugural speech in January, Governor Jerry Brown outlined a sweeping plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in California. http://m.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/californias-missing-climate-hawk/Content?oid=4481037 Dan Walters: Signs and portents of danger in California. Gov. Jerry Brown says California’s drought and the wildfires it has spawned are wake-up calls about the potentially cataclysmic effects of climate change. That may be true. But they are not the only indications of potential disaster that could devastate a state perched, however precariously, on the continent’s western edge. http://napavalleyregister.com/print-specific/columnist/dan-walters-signs-and-portents-of-danger-in-california/article_8e14355f-a291-56ce-8156-69b81cac6144.html ELOISE GOMEZ REYES: We need a plan for cleaner air, cheaper energy, healthier lives, shared prosperity. Our children deserve to live in a cleaner environment with less pollution. They rely on adults to make decisions today that will put us on the path toward that cleaner environment. The Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015 aims to protect that future for generations to come. http://www.pe.com/articles/energy-778895-sb350-air.html California must think beyond cap and trade. Re “Manure for some, dollars for others” (Aug. 19): The curious smell of cap and trade in California highlights some vexing complexities. California’s cap and trade system is a noble attempt to responsibly deal with the reality of our 21st century environment, but unfortunately it relies on the sort of government management that is an anathema to many. http://www.dailybulletin.com/opinion/20150902/new-national-monuments-will-boost-the-economy-letters Canada needs a single price on carbon. Canada needs a federally mandated national price on carbon emissions to ensure there is a single, meaningful price for emitting carbon anywhere in the country. We’ve been schooled to believe that reducing fossil fuel dependence comes at the cost of economic growth and jobs. Indeed, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has called proposals to reduce carbon pollution... http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/09/02/canada-needs-a-single-price-on-carbon.html BLOGS How China is Taking Major Steps to Control Shipping Air Pollution. In a series of announcements over the weekend and on Monday, the Chinese government took several important steps to control emissions from shipping activities, which until now have been virtually unregulated. Vessels and ports are major sources of the severe air pollution choking many coastal cities in China… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/bfinamore/how_china_is_taking_major_step.html Canadian Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Electricity Cut By 22% In 5 Years. The electrical generating sector reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 5.8 per cent in 2014 and 22 per cent over the past five years, according to the Canadian Electricity Association's annual report. The sector also decreased its emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and mercury because of new technology to clean up emissions… http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/01/canadian-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-electricity-cut-by-22-in-5-years_n_8072714.html Fossil fuel bosses' soaring pay may spell trouble for the climate – and their firms. It may be time for oil and gas firms to take a hard look at their compensation practices, whether to save the environment or themselves. Anyone who watched the shenanigans on Wall Street in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis couldn’t have been left with much doubt http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2015/sep/03/fossil-fuel-executive-pay-climate-crisis … Here’s how India can increase the chances of a successful climate deal in Paris. You can do a lot in 100 days. Fitness programs promise that you can go from couch potato to distance runner. Intrepid journalist Nellie Bly traveled around the world with four weeks to spare, more than a decade before the first airplane flight. http://grist.org/climate-energy/heres-how-india-can-increase-the-chances-of-a-successful-climate-deal-in-paris/ Study Says Insane CEO Pay Is Fueling Climate Change. There are any number of causes for climate change—some natural, some man-made. But a new report by the liberal think tank Institute for Policy Studies points to a distinctly economic cause: greed. According to the report, dramatically rising CEO pay at major fossil fuel companies is also contributing to climate change… http://www.wired.com/2015/09/ceo-pay-climate-change/ Sea Level Rise: NASA warns Maldives could submerge sooner. The report published by NASA on Friday says the global sea level has risen by over 9 inches in some locations and about 3 inches in global average. The measurements were based on satellite data. NASA says an intensive research is underway but warns the sea level rise of several feet is unavoidable. http://www.maldivesfinest.com/location-map/nasa-warns-maldives-could-submerge-sooner California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 4 Sep 2015 13:44:06 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 4, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION AIR QUALITY: Salton Sea stink alert issued. The Salton Sea belched sulfer-smelling gas Thursday, triggering an odor alert by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Hourly average concentrations of hydrogen sulfide reached levels of 129 parts per billion in the community of Mecca in the morning. That is more than four times the state standard of 30 parts per billion for outdoor levels of the… http://www.pe.com/articles/sulfide-779180-hydrogen-air.html Smog reaches acceptable levels in Lancaster, but milestone may be shortlived. Here’s the good news: Lancaster County will soon not be a violator of federal smog pollution standards for the first time in eight years. The bad news: The federal regulator Environmental Protection Agency intends to toughen smog limits, possibly again putting Lancaster County in violation. http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/smog-reaches-acceptable-levels-in-lancaster-but-milestone-may-be/article_14540bf4-51aa-11e5-bea0-a74738bb9ac4.html New air quality rule for remote area of Tehama Co. Air Quality Official: "The regulation really doesn't regulate anything". On Tuesday the Tehama County Board of Supervisors approved a new rule for a remote part of the county under the Air Pollution Control District. The rule addresses a remote and desolate part of the Tehama County mountains called the Tuscan Buttes that cars cannot access and where there are no buildings. http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/new-air-quality-rule-for-remote-area-of-tehama-co/35095722 California 'job killer' bill aims to reduce emissions. A bill on the move at the California statehouse would have severe ramifications for professional drivers. In an effort to reduce pollution and cut the state’s oil consumption, the full Assembly could soon vote on a bill from Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, to enact energy policies that include a requirement for the use of gas and diesel in the state to be trimmed in half in the next 15 years. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29725#.VenE1U2IOUk White House sets stakeholder meetings on EPA ozone plan. The White House has scheduled a series of meetings with industry and public interest groups on U.S. EPA's proposed air standard for ozone. The Office of Management and Budget has scheduled six meetings between now and Sept. 16, according to an online post by the White House. Other meetings are also possible. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/09/04/stories/1060024285 CLIMATE CHANGE China slowdown needn't hamper climate deal: U.N. A slowdown in the Chinese economy that has alarmed global stock markets won't cast a "dark cloud" over U.N. efforts to reach an accord to slow global warming by December, the United Nations' climate chief predicted on Thursday. Christiana Figueres also told Reuters that investments in renewable energies were rising despite some worries that a fall in oil prices… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/03/us-climatechange-summit-economy-idUSKCN0R322B20150903 On Gardening: Carbon farming important to climate change fight. Climate change has been described as the consequence of the Industrial Revolution, which introduced extensive burning of fossil fuels. This practice disrupts the natural balance of carbon in the soil, the atmosphere and the ocean. Plans to slow or reduce the process of climate often emphasize reducing use of fossil fuels. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/lifestyle/20150903/on-gardening-carbon-farming-important-to-climate-change-fight California's healthcare industry can lead the way on stronger climate change regulation. The health care industry is focused on providing high quality care for its patients. But making and keeping people well involves more than just treating individuals: it requires an environment that enables people to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Today, that environment is under siege. The effects of climate change are already being felt… http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/sep/04/california-healthcare-industry-climate-change-paris-cop21-sb-32-dignity-health Clean Power Plan Hostility Arises on Campaign Trail. Two Republican presidential candidates this week condemned the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's plan to address climate change, the latest in vocal opposition from their party to the Clean Power Plan. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told a crowd of energy officials Sept. 2 that as president he would stop the Obama administration's regulation to curb carbon dioxide emissions… http://www.bna.com/clean-power-plan-n17179935579/ UN climate talks: Hints of compromise on key issue. Rich nations at UN climate talks are said to be edging towards a compromise on the thorny issue of loss and damage. Poorer countries want compensation for extreme weather events that they link to large scale carbon emissions. But the US and EU have long resisted this idea, fearing an endless liability running into billions of dollars. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34147192 DROUGHT How green should a course be in times of drought? For the non-golfer, the image is an unsettling one -- lush golf courses sprawling across the desert areas around Palm Springs in arid California while the state is suffering a drought for a fourth consecutive year. Similar scenes can be found in states such as Nevada, Texas and Arizona where golf courses appear to be getting more than their fair share of water in an era of climate change… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/03/us-golf-courses-water-idUSKCN0R32J520150903?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews To battle drought, Burbank is giving free access to recycled water. In a new move to battle the drought, Burbank residents will get access to free recycled water starting this month and running through the end of October. Plumbing every home in Burbank for the treated wastewater, which is good for most uses except drinking, would be “outrageously, hugely expensive,” Jeanette Meyer… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-to-drought-burbank-free-recycled-water-20150904-story.html California farm revenue grew in 2014 despite drought. Take a spin through rural California and evidence of the drought is everywhere: cracked soil, unplanted fields. Unprecedented cutbacks in deliveries of water from state and federal reservoirs have put agriculture on the defensive. In terms of dollars and cents, however, farmers seem to be holding their own. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article33812181.html#storylink=cpy Drought funds help clean up fire hazard, invasive plants near Bidwell Park. Little by little, and with an enormous amount of work overall, some places in Chico are getting a makeover through a work program of the Alliance for Workforce Development, a nonprofit organization that matches workers with jobs that need to get done. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150903/drought-funds-help-clean-up-fire-hazard-invasive-plants-near-bidwell-park DIESEL ACTIVITIES Court orders Navistar to produce EPA certification documents. While Labor Day weekend will mean barbecues, trips to the lake and baseball for many, executives at Navistar may hope it will close the book on a season of disappointing news. On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a judge’s order that the truck-making giant hand over documents the company had been trying to keep under wraps. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29726#.VenFoU2IOUk FUELS The Oil-Sands Glut Is About to Get a Lot Bigger. The last place oil producers want to be when prices plummet to profit-demolishing lows is midstream on a billion-dollar project in one of the costliest parts of the planet to extract crude. Yet that’s exactly where half a dozen oil sands operators from Suncor Energy Inc. to Brion Energy Corp. find themselves with prices for Canadian oil now hovering around $30 a barrel. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-03/canada-oil-sands-fork-over-billions-for-500-000-unneeded-barrels Oil industry, environmentalists in ad war over bill to cut gasoline use. When Californians check their mailboxes or flip on their radios these days, they might be forgiven for thinking an election is around the corner. It's not, of course. But with just a week left for lawmakers to finish their work this year, a heated ad war is being fought over a bill to cut state gasoline consumption in half. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-ad-war-20150904-story.html California fines oil companies for failing to report water use data. The state fined 30 oil companies on Thursday for failing to meet a deadline to report information about the source, volume and disposal of water used in oil and gas production. Under a 2014 law, California's 433 oil producers were required to report the data to the California Department of Conservation, but only half filed completed reports in time. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0904-oil-fines-20150904-story.html Toshiba catalyst for efficient direct solar conversion of CO2 into ethylene glycol. Toshiba has developed a prototype of a highly efficient molecular catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into ethylene glycol, a useful industrial raw material, without producing other and unwanted by-products. The new catalyst can be used in artificial photosynthesis powered by solar energy to convert carbon dioxide… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150904-toshiba.html DRIVERS FEES New road-repair plan from Gov. Jerry Brown includes higher gas taxes, vehicle fees. Gov. Jerry Brown has ramped up his efforts to reach a deal on funding road repairs, dispatching a top administration official to present a new proposal to Republican leaders on Thursday morning. The proposal would provide $3.6 billion annually for transportation and includes a new $65 fee for vehicle owners… http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-road-repairs-california-proposal-20150903-story.html http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-brown-legislature-20150904-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-drivers-could-face-a-new-65-highway-6483821.php http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article33812049.html#storylink=cpy http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/04/california-governor-proposes-65-driver-fee/ http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/03/driver-fees-would-fund-california-governors-road-fix/ http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/09/03/gov-jerry-brown-california-fee-registrations-highway-repairs/ GREEN ENERGY Finland to get less wind power as govt overhauls subsidies. Finland's government proposed setting a November 2017 deadline for granting subsidies to wind power plants as applications exceeded a previously set capacity limit. The decision, if approved by the parliament, would mean the end of the existing feed-in tariff system in Finland, and follows a decision by Britain to scrap all new subsidies for onshore wind from next April. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/04/finland-windpower-idUSKCN0R40NH20150904 Renewable energy bill far from perfect, experts say. With one week until California’s Legislature closes shop for the year, lawmakers are scrambling to pass an ambitious climate and energy plan. At stake are several top priorities for Gov. Jerry Brown: a 50 percent cut in oil use, a 50 percent increase in energy efficiency in existing buildings, and a 50 percent clean energy mandate. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/09/03/renewable-energy-bill-far-perfect-experts-say/71670984/ OPINIONS Storms Come Up Short on Drought Relief for Caribbean, Florida. One bright spot in the roiling clouds of tropical storms and hurricanes is that they often provide the rain that drought-stricken areas of the world need to slake parched land. As Tropical Storm Erika, which killed at least 20 people across the Caribbean, moved toward the U.S., there was hope it would at least help ease the dryness in Florida and Puerto Rico. It didn’t. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NU40456KLVRN01-6RPBIRABU7DPAEMR9P48JJ2I2K A Mixed Legacy on Oil. If Obama rejects the Keystone XL pipeline, it would taint his strong reputation of boosting domestic energy production. Single action can define a legacy. If President Barack Obama rejects the Keystone XL pipeline in the next few weeks, as appears likely, it will solidify the impression that the administration is fully committed to action on climate change and generally opposed to domestic energy production. http://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2015/09/04/rejecting-keystone-xl-will-hurt-obamas-energy-legacy Is the drought killing our trees? The city claims the heritage oak as its symbol, but the actual trees that line its streets might not feel particularly adored. The leader of the city's fire department says some trees along his route are in such sad shape that he recently brought up the idea of forming a task force to make sure they're getting enough water during the drought, now in its fourth year. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150904/is-the-drought-killing-our-trees BLOGS Obama Puts Alaska At Epicenter Of Climate Change With Big Oil's Blessing. President Obama has ventured where no other U.S. president has gone before — the Arctic Circle. But his trip there coincides with another ethereal cause where no other leader of the Free World has traveled: the curbing of climate change and the attempts to win approval in Congress and the courts. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2015/09/04/obama-puts-alaska-at-epicenter-of-climate-change-with-big-oils-blessing/ California Is Fining a Company That's Supplied Starbucks' Bottled Water—for Making the Drought Worse. Sugar Pine Spring Water, a California company that has supplied bottled water to Starbucks, was hit on Tuesday with a complaint and draft cease-and-desist order by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) for alleged illegal diversion and bulk delivery of water in 2014 and 2015. http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/09/california-fining-starbucks-bottled-water-drought Is America Ready for Climate Change Refugees? Right after the government of Iceland announced to accept only 50 refugees in 2015, more than 10,000 Icelanders offered on Facebook to take them in their own houses this week. If Iceland would have as many inhabitants as the U.S. the number would be more than 1 million. The number of refugees coming to Europe this year is the highest on record. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andreas-sieber/more-than-10000-icelander_b_8083880.html Taking Solar to the Next Level. Google grabbed headlines last month with a tool that makes it easier than ever before to go solar. Project Sunroof allows its users to determine exactly how much solar power could be generated at their address, how much it would cost, and even which local companies could install the panels. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-sargent/taking-solar-to-the-next-level_b_8083294.html Climate Truth, Justice, and the American Way. The overwhelming scientific consensus is that humans are warming our planet by burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees. 97% of climate scientists agree about this. But the agreement doesn't stop there; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also went to a lot of effort to create equally strong reports about who will be hurt worst… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joylette-portlock/climate-truth-justice-and_b_8080508.html Broad Set of Voices Agree: EPA’s Proposed Methane Pollution Standard is Common Sense. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first-ever nationwide standards to reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. It’s a common sense move: With its potent global warming power and low-cost solutions, cutting methane is the biggest bargain for greenhouse gas reductions in the energy business. http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2015/09/03/broad-set-of-voices-agree-epas-proposed-methane-pollution-standard-is-common-sense/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 12:36:23 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 7-8, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Rough fire surges, air quality alert issued. The Rough Fire grew by several thousand acres overnight and consumed a total of 97,884 acres by Tuesday morning, officials said. Air quality for the central San Joaquin Valley is considered unhealthy for those with sensitive conditions in Fresno, Tulare and Madera counties. All campgrounds in Kings Canyon National Park are closed until further notice. Nearly 2,000 firefighters and allied personnel are fighting the fire, currently the largest in California. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article34340490.html CLIMATE CHANGE California lawmakers face major policy bills in this last week. State lawmakers return to work Tuesday with more than 300 bills awaiting their action in the final four days of this year’s regular session. The governor has called concurrent special sessions on healthcare and transportation that could go beyond Friday. But legislative leaders have said they want to wrap up action this week. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-lawmakers-face-major-policy-bills-in-this-last-week-20150904-story.html State lawmakers challenge Air Resources Board's power over climate change rules. Top members of Gov. Jerry Brown's staff hosted more than a dozen Assembly members recently to take their temperatures on hotly contested environmental legislation. Instead, the meeting became a gripe session about the California Air Resources Board, the powerful government regulator that would implement proposed rules for slashing the use of gasoline on state roads. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-air-board-20150906-story.html Californians support stronger climate-change rules. Californians support stronger efforts to fight climate change by requiring more electricity to come from renewable resources and cutting gasoline use in half, according to a new poll from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS). The online survey, which questioned 1,062 Californians from Aug. 11-26 and was released today, found clear partisan differences, with Democrats supportive of the regulations and Republicans opposed. Support was strongest among the young and tapered off among older people. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/5139-californians-support-stronger-climate-change-rules.html Why climate law advocates are watching these black and Latino lawmakers. The "wanted" poster with pictures of five state lawmakers appeared in the pages of a Spanish-language newspaper in Southern California last week. "Would these politicians be willing to confront the petroleum industry and fight for Latino families?" the ad said in support of tougher environmental rules. "Help us make sure these elected politicians stay responsible to the community." http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-minority-legislators-20150908-story.html New York City, a climate change leader, challenges enlarged flood maps. New York City and dozens of other communities that were flooded during Superstorm Sandy are challenging the government's updated flood maps showing expansions of flood risk areas where thousands of buildings could be damaged. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received appeals and comments from about 190 communities in New Jersey and New York since the agency began issuing preliminary flood maps earlier this year, according to Andrew Martin, a spokesman in FEMA's New York office. New maps have been issued for more than 200 municipalities in the two states. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060024322 The strange link between global climate change and the rise of the robots. We’ve already heard of all the nasty consequences that could occur if the pace of global climate change doesn’t abate by the year 2050 — we could see wars over water, massive food scarcity, and the extinction of once populous species. Now add to the mix a potentially new wrinkle on the abrupt and irreversible changes – superintelligent robots would be just about ready to take over from humanity in the event of any mass extinction event impacting the planet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/09/08/the-strange-link-between-global-climate-change-and-the-rise-of-the-robots/ DROUGHT California Shuts Off Beach Showers In Attempt To Conserve Water. California State Parks has shut off the water in public showers at state beaches in an attempt to conserve water during the drought. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the taps ran dry Wednesday. Officials say the change should save up to 18 million gallons of water annually. The restrictions apply only to outdoor showers and rinse stations, not to indoor campground showers. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/09/california-shuts-off-beach-showers-in-attempt-to-conserve-water/ Western wildfires: Growing flames charge across dry states. Wildfires continued across the drought-plagued West on Saturday, leading residents to flee their homes and authorities to scramble for resources to beat back the flames. Blazes in Washington state that killed three firefighters and injured four others continued to explode in size, while other fires charged toward populated areas in several states. http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/18083220-113/western-wildfires-growing-flames-charge-across-dry-states FUELS Toyota and public and private partners in Japan to trial renewable CO2-free hydrogen supply chain. Major corporate and public sector partners in Japan are launching an effort to test a full carbon-neutral hydrogen supply chain powered by renewable wind energy. The trials are planned to take place near the cities of Yokohama and Kawasaki in the Keihin coastal region. On the public sector side, the project is being implemented by the Kanagawa Prefectural Government, Yokohama City, and Kawasaki City. The four private sector participants are Iwatani Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Toyota Turbine and Systems Inc. In addition, the project will be supported by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150908-tmch2.html VEHICLES Burbank installs 8 curbside electric vehicle charging stations. Hoping to make driving more convenient for owners of electric vehicles, Burbank has installed eight curbside charging stations throughout the city. Burbank Water and Power crews installed the stations during July, part of a project funded largely through a grant from the California Energy Commission. Last week, the utility hosted state and local officials at a dedication ceremony and demonstration of the technology. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-electric-car-stations-20150907-story.html Tesla And Panasonic: Partners In Electric Cars, Foes In Home Energy Storage. Tesla and Panasonic work closely together on battery-cell production for the carmaker's high-end electric cars. Panasonic currently produces all cells for the Tesla Model S, and also owns a small stake in the carmaker. It's also helping to fund Tesla's massive Nevada "Gigafactory," and will oversee cell-fabrication operations once the factory is completed. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099915_tesla-and-panasonic-partners-in-electric-cars-foes-in-home-energy-storage Most Electric-Car Tax Credits Benefit Highest-Income Households. When it comes to encouraging electric-car adoption, tax credits and other financial incentives are an important tool. They can help erase the typical price premium of electric cars over comparable internal-combustion models. But as greater amounts of money are given to electric-car buyers, there has been considerable debate over whether the majority of people who receive tax credits really need them. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099916_most-electric-car-tax-credits-benefit-highest-income-households OPINIONS Brown's compromise is California's best bet to fix roads. After spending months on the sidelines and "above the fray" while legislators debated how to pay for California's massive backlog of road repairs, Gov. Jerry Brown has finally offered a reasonable compromise that raises fuel taxes and vehicle fees while tapping carbon pollution fees to fund highway, street, bridge and public transit improvements. Legislators ought to support it and start reinvesting in critical state infrastructure. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-road-funding-20150906-story.html Climate policy must work for all Californians. Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature have made clear their commitment to combating global climate change. But in his inaugural address earlier this year, the governor wisely observed that “how we achieve these goals and at what pace will take great thought and imagination mixed with pragmatic caution. It will require enormous innovation, research and investment. And we will need active collaboration at every stage with our scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, businesses and officials at all levels.” http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article34299861.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 14:17:01 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 9, 2015 From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 9, 2015. 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 People living near 60 Freeway in Ontario breathe the worst air in the Southland. With its sprawl of tract homes, apartment complexes, shopping centers and warehouses, Ontario looks like many other communities in the Inland Empire and shares the same environmental woes, including heavy truck traffic and air pollution. But people in one neighborhood near the 60 Freeway have a dubious new distinction… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-freeway-soot-20150909-story.html 2nd Day of Heat Advisory, Spare the Air Alert, Early School Dismissal. Continuing hot weather has prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to call another Spare the Air alert for Wednesday, and the early dismissal of at least one school district because of the expected soaring temperatures. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/2nd-Day-of-Heat-Advisory-Spare-the-Air-Alert-Early-School-Dismissal-325915881.html CLIMATE CHANGE China must embrace global obligations on climate change: premier. China must embrace its global obligations when it comes to combating climate change, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday, adding that the country was already under huge pressure to meet emission reduction goals. Complaints that China's slowing economy was dragging down global growth had to take into account the strenuous efforts it was making to clean up its environment… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-china-economy-climatechange-idUSKCN0R915120150909?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Governor, top lawmakers ready to modify climate change measure as negotiations continue. Facing resistance from even some fellow Democrats, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders were scrambling Tuesday to find a compromise on a controversial bill that embodies some of the governor's most ambitious environmental goals. With the end of this year's legislative session set for Friday, Brown’s senior aides have been holding private meetings… http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-climate-change-amendments-california-20150908-story.html California's climate fight comes down to late negotiations. Gov. Jerry Brown has made climate change the centerpiece of his final tenure by laying out the most aggressive benchmark in North America, which would reduce California's carbon footprint and boost the state's renewable energy use to 50 percent in 15 years. Securing legislation requiring that standard in the world's eighth-largest economy… http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/California-s-climate-fight-comes-down-to-late-6488045.php California Is About to Do Something Great That No State Has Ever Done Before. Back in January, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) made a promise. His state, he said, would pursue a new package of climate goals that are the most ambitious in the nation (and among the most ambitious in the world). California was already a leader in efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/09/california-about-do-something-no-state-has-done El Nino, global warming to cause more coastal nuisance flooding in coming months, feds predict. Federal scientists said Wednesday they expect nuisance flooding to increase in many places along the nation's coasts in coming months. A combination of sea level rise from human caused global warming and the giant El Nino will likely combine to increase the type of minor street… http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/09/09/more-coastal-nuisance-flooding-forecast-for-coming-months Scientists tried to redo 38 climate change-denying studies — and it didn't go very wel. About 97% of scientists agree not only that climate change is real, but also that human activity, like driving a fossil fuel-burning car, is making it worse. That agreement stems from nearly 4,000 studies that suggest humans are culpable, compared to only about 80 that say we have nothing to do with the problem. http://www.techinsider.io/global-warming-denier-studies-not-replicable-2015-9#ixzz3lH07zQeU California Has Two Fire Seasons, and Climate Change Will Make Both Worse. A new study confirms what many Californians have suspected for some time: that climate change stands to make California wildfires more frequent and more destructive. The study, published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Research Letters, found that destructive fires in California have increased in both number and severity over the last decades… http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/revisit/fire/california-has-two-fire-seasons-and-climate-change-will-make-both-worse.html DROUGHT California drought: CVWD OKs $1.5M for grass removal. The Coachella Valley Water District approved $1.5 million Tuesday to help homes and businesses tear out grass. But even with that money, it's anyone's guess whether the agency's customers will cut their water use 36 percent, as mandated by Gov. Jerry Brown in response to California's historic drought. Homes and businesses served by the Coachella Valley Water District… http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/09/09/cvwd-approves-million-grass-removal/71918330/ Can solar power make up for loss of hydroelectricity during drought. Snowmelt entering Big Creek’s hydroelectric powerhouses has slowed to a trickle in Southern California. Reservoirs such as those in Shasta and elsewhere sit at their lowest levels ever. The 102-year-old central-California complex owned and operated by Southern California Edison lost 80 percent of its hydroelectric power this year… http://www.dailydemocrat.com/environment-and-nature/20150908/can-solar-power-make-up-for-loss-of-hydroelectricity-during-drought DIESEL ACTIVITIES Inspeccionan camiones para cuidar el medio ambiente. Como chofer de camión, Élmer Martínez ha pasado por inspecciones de la Junta de Recursos del Aire (ARB) para determinar el buen funcionamiento de su vehículo y evitar la contaminación del medio ambiente. “Ya he pasado otras veces por eso. Siempre sale bien [el camión] en el chequeo. http://www.laopinion.com/2015/09/08/inspeccionan-camiones-para-cuidar-el-medio-ambiente/ DROUGHT Farmers get new drought tips for crops. As California endures a fourth year of drought and ever-tightening water supplies, water-management strategies have become even more critical to farmers. To help farmers make the best use of the water they have available, a series of new and updated drought tips fact sheets has been developed by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists. http://paloverdevalleytimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=747&ArticleID=21855 FUELS U.S. regulators' biofuels plan to cost at the pump: industry study. The U.S. government's proposal for biofuels use will hit consumers at the pump, according a study prepared for an oil group, just months after regulators refuted similar claims and as pressure mounts ahead of a deadline to finalize the plan. The targeted volumes of ethanol use for 2015 and 2016 are impossible… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-usa-renewablefuels-idUSKCN0R91Q420150909 Why Russia keeps pumping crude even as oil prices plummet. Russia – despite serious economic headwinds, and Western energy sanctions – is scrambling make sure it retains its status as a global leader in oil and gas. As oil prices fall , the typical response from oil producing nations is to cut production in an effort to boost prices. But as prices tumbled – first last year, and now again this fall… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0908/Why-Russia-keeps-pumping-crude-even-as-oil-prices-plummet VEHICLES YES, that's really a Prius. Drivers of Toyota's Prius, one of the most popular vehicles in Orange County, will no longer have to wear their eco incentives on their sleeves. The 2016 model, unveiled in spectacular Las Vegas fashion Tuesday night, shows a vehicle that isn't instantly recognizable as a hybrid. Instead, it shares some styling features with Toyota's futuristic Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/prius-338248-ocprint-toyota-mpg.html Russia Decrees: Every Gas Station Must Have Electric-Car Charging Too. Thanks to a single, sweeping decree, Russia could soon become a much more hospitable place for electric cars. The country is currently home to just a small number of electric cars, and its charging infrastructure is relatively undeveloped. But the national government now requires that all gas stations in the country must be equipped for electric-car charging… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099934_russia-decrees-every-gas-station-must-have-electric-car-charging-too GREEN ENERGY India to Start Offering Offshore Wind Blocks for Development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government adopted a policy for India’s offshore wind industry, paving the way for developments as much as 200 nautical miles into the surrounding seas. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the National Institute of Wind Energy were authorized to… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NUENR56S972B01-4KVJD77ERL34FRAMIRMF4J1RPH SMUD approves solar power array on 62 acres of Rancho Seco site. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District board has approved construction of a solar power array on about 62 acres of its Rancho Seco property, where the utility once operated a nuclear power plant. The project includes a 20-year power purchase agreement for a 10.88-megawatt array. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article34472742.html#storylink=cpy Solar power passes milestone. Solar power installations in the United States passed 20 gigawatts of capacity in the second quarter of this year, the industry said. The March-through-June period saw 1,393 megawatts of solar power capacity installed, dominated as usual by utility installations, pushing the total market above 20 gigawatts for the first time… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/253038-solar-power-passes-milestone http://www.pv-tech.org/news/us_solar_installations_surpass_20gw_mark?utm_source=pvtech-http://fortune.com/2015/09/09/solar-panel-record-america/feeds&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news-rss-feed Obama Has Done More for Clean Energy Than You Think. A blue-black field of 5.2 million solar panels tilted toward the Arizona sun might just be the Hoover Dam project of the Great Recession. The Agua Caliente Solar Power Project hosts nearly 300 megawatts of silicon photovoltaics (PV) that turn sunshine into electricity. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/obama-has-done-more-for-clean-energy-than-you-think/ B.C. First Nations alliance calls for scrutiny of energy projects. Ten First Nations leaders in northern British Columbia have formed a new alliance to draw attention to their environmental concerns that range from hydraulic fracturing to exporting liquefied natural gas. Pacific NorthWest LNG, led by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas, wants to take natural gas from northeastern British Columbia… http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/bc-first-nations-alliance-calls-for-scrutiny-of-energy-projects/article26264419/?cmpid=rss1 MISCELLANEOUS California Welcomes Three Brazilian States to Growing Coalition to Limit Global Warming. Three Amazon basin states have become the latest to join a growing worldwide coalition of states and regions in signing a first-of-its-kind agreement to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius. Leaders of the Brazilian states of Amazonas, Rondônia and Tocantins signed the “Under 2 MOU,” as the agreement is known, on Saturday at the Milan Expo 2015… http://www.calepa.ca.gov/PressRoom/Releases/2015/GlobalWarm.htm#sthash.vrkNlkMb.dpuf OPINIONS Low U.S. gasoline prices are supercharging fuel sales: Kemp. As the summer driving season ends, U.S. gasoline prices have fallen to the lowest level for the time of year since 2004, wiping out the effect of more than a decade of rising fuel bills. The average retail price of gasoline across the United States was just $2.53 per gallon on Monday, including federal, state and local taxes, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-usa-gasoline-kemp-idUSKCN0R929T20150909 Sacramento caused water crisis, not drought. I have read your Aug. 28 front page article dealing with the drought. It referenced a just released Fresno State study. There is no question that the drought has had a significant negative impact on Valley agriculture. There were three recommendations. They didn’t go far enough. Much has been made about the need to conserve. http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article34380756.html#storylink=cpy Marin IJ Editorial: Marin water-users meet state’s drought mandate. Marin residents and businesses have stepped up and reduced their water use beyond the mandated emergency drought levels handed down by Sacramento. By being smart and more frugal, residents and businesses have cut back on the water pouring out of their spigots, doing their part of save on water resources which are in short supply across most of California. http://www.marinij.com/opinion/20150909/marin-ij-editorial-marin-water-users-meet-states-drought-mandate BLOGS Public Utilities Scale Up Efficiency Savings, But More Effort Needed to Meet Governor's Goal. California's publicly owned utilities (POUs), which serve about one-fourth of the state's electricity demand, play a critical role in helping their customers save electricity and lower their energy bills. A new NRDC analysis shows California's POUs collectively saved enough energy last year to equal… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/cheavey/public_utilities_scale_up_effi.html First carbon neutral challenge is getting consumers to care, says Neal’s Yard Remedies. As the United Nations Conference on Climate Change draws closer, beauty retailer Neal’s Yard Remedies believes all companies can go carbon neutral or at least start to work out how they can do it, but the first challenge is getting consumers to care about carbon. http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Market-Trends/First-carbon-neutral-challenge-is-getting-consumers-to-care-says-Neal-s-Yard-Remedies The Energy Storage Market Is About To Boom. The signs point to the fact that the energy storage industry is poised for massive growth — not only are states across the country adopting policies to incorporate renewable energy, but utilities and consumers are investing in solar photovoltaic systems and the technology for cheaper, more efficient battery storage is finally coming to market. http://www.forbes.com/sites/lyndseygilpin/2015/09/09/the-energy-storage-market-is-about-to-boom/ Why CA Climate Change Legislation Will Lower Gasoline Prices. The fate of landmark climate legislation will be decided before the California statehouse closes for the year Friday. Its oil industry opponents are desperate to stop it, claiming the proposal will drive up prices at the pump. In fact, Senate Bill 350, currently written to cut California's gasoline use in half by 2030… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-court/why-ca-climate-change-leg_b_8111916.html This enormous air purifier sucks smog from the air, turns it into cubes. After visiting Beijing and experiencing the effects of smog first hand, the folks at Studio Roosegaarde were inspired to do something about this form of air pollution. For three years, the team worked on an indoor smog remover prototype, and now they are ready to take the project to next level. http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/smog-free-tower-diamonds/#ixzz3lGxzpTQL Cheap Pollution Monitor Aims to Help World’s Cities. A new, low-cost tool backed by the United Nations may help developing-world cities control pollution that kills millions each year. A toxic haze shrouds the Nairobi skyline. Buses spew out gray clouds of diesel exhaust at every stoplight. The city’s notorious traffic jams add dangerous gases and particles to the air. http://www.voanews.com/content/cheap-pollution-monitor-aims-to-help-world-cities/2953520.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 11 Sep 2015 12:00:46 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 10, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov *My Apology for those who did not receive the newsclips on 9/10/15. ARB Newsclips for September 10, 2015. 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 Lawsuit says new L.A. streets plan creates more air pollution, not less. A Westside-based nonprofit group went to court Wednesday to overturn Los Angeles' sweeping new 20-year transportation plan, saying officials failed to properly examine its effects on public safety, air pollution and other aspects of city life. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-mobility-plan-20150908-story.html Fires in West Have Residents Gasping on the Soot Left Behind. The air in the San Joaquin Valley hangs thick with gray-brown dust, a result of the state’s largest fire, which has burned through more than 160 square miles in the nearby hills. The fire has so far spared lives and homes. But it has exposed one of the obscured effects that four years of record drought has unleashed here: dangerous drops in air quality… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/us/fires-in-west-leave-residents-gasping-on-the-soot-left-behind.html?_r=0 Unhealthy air quality remains with record heat wave. Unhealthy air quality that arrived with this week’s record-setting heat wave is expected to remain in the region through Thursday, leading the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue another Spare the Air alert for smog. It marks the third consecutive day for the alert and the seventh alert of the year. http://www.dailyrepublic.com/news/fairfield/unhealthy-air-quality-remains-with-record-heat-wave/ Duke Energy settles federal air case for $5.4 million. Duke Energy will spend about $5.4 million to resolve longstanding federal air pollution violations at five North Carolina power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department announced the settlement Thursday of a federal lawsuit filed against Duke in 2000. A trial had been set to begin next month. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article34661772.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE California Democrats drop oil mandate in climate proposal. California will continue to lead the fight in curbing greenhouse gas emissions for the sake of future generations, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative Democrats said as they scaled back an ambitious climate change proposal amid opposition from oil interests. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_XGR_CALIFORNIA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-democrats-drop-petroleum-provision-from-climate-change-bill-1441854651 http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NUFOE06JIJVE01-28Q4LASV25DTORJULH96KTL7D5 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/us/california-democrats-drop-plan-to-force-50-percent-cut-in-oil-use.html http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ln-gasoline-reduction-dropped-from-climate-change-bill-20150909-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Jerry-Brown-Oil-lobby-gutted-climate-bill-6494672.php http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article34613694.html http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_28784374/california-bills-climate-change-taxes http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/oil-usereduction-provision-dropped-from-climate-change-bill_44163969 http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28784375/republicans-gov-jerry-brown-no-new-gas-tobacco http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/08/key-climate-change-bill-fails-in-california-assembly-for-now/ http://ww2.kqed.org/news/Democrats-strip-oil-goal-from-climate-legislation http://www.ocregister.com/articles/brown-681837-oil-climate.html http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/10/oil-industry-california-bill-gasoline-sb350 http://www.ibtimes.com/oil-reduction-measure-dropped-california-climate-change-bill-2090313 http://www.wfmd.com/onair/bill-handel-30603/california-democrats-drop-petroleum-provision-from-13932733 http://grist.org/climate-energy/california-democrats-cave-to-oil-industry-drop-major-piece-of-climate-bill/ http://www.autonews.com/article/20150910/OEM11/150919989/california-lawmakers-drop-fuel-economy-provision-from-climate-bill http://www.wral.com/california-democrats-drop-oil-mandate-in-climate-proposal/14888195/ http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/10/stories/1060024479 Climate change denial days over in oil rich Alberta –minister. The environment minister of Alberta, the province where the oil sands industry is Canada's fastest growing source of carbon emissions, says the days of denying climate change are over. The minister, Shannon Phillips, told a conference on Wednesday that the New Democratic Party provincial government elected in May was taking action after Alberta's climate change… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/canada-climatechange-alberta-idUSL1N11F2VB20150909 Southern Ocean soaks up more greenhouse gases, limits warming. The vast Southern Ocean around Antarctica has started to soak up more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere in recent years, helping limit climate change, after signs its uptake had stalled, a study said on Thursday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/10/us-climatechange-oceans-idUSKCN0RA29O20150910 Australian PM fends off climate critics at Pacific summit. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday defended his country's climate change policy during a regional summit in Papua New Guinea, amid calls from Pacific island leaders to end new coal mine construction worldwide. Impoverished, low-lying Pacific Islands such as Vanuatu, Kiribati and Tuvalu… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/10/us-pacific-climatechange-idUSKCN0RA08P20150910 World nuclear capacity set to grow by 45 percent by 2035. Global nuclear power generation capacity could increase by more than 45 percent in the next 20 years but the pace of growth will still fall short of what is needed to curb climate change, an industry organization report showed on Thursday. The World Nuclear Association Nuclear Fuel report forecasts global nuclear capacity will grow to 552 gigawatts equivalent (GWe)… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/10/us-energy-nuclear-idUSKCN0RA14220150910 National Geographic fans worry about partnership with climate change skeptic Rupert Murdoch. Last month, Rupert Murdoch took to Twitter to vent his frustration about an upcoming United Nations climate summit in New York. A week later, he blamed “extreme greenies” for hindering economic growth. “Seems beyond reason,” he wrote. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/10/national-geographic-fans-worry-about-partnership-with-climate-change-skeptic-rupert-murdoch/ This animated map shows an alarming change in sea levels over the last 23 years. Sea level rise is an expected result of climate change but few realize how much the sea has already risen in the past few decades. Researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have compiled satellite data to show how sea level has changed since 1993 and it's alarming. http://www.techinsider.io/nasa-animated-sea-level-rise-map-climate-change-2015-9#ixzz3lM1TCUzr California Lawmakers Abandon Key Part Of Climate Legislation, Blaming Oil Industry Lobbying. California Democrats dropped a major component of their ambitious climate change legislation Wednesday, after a group of moderate Democratic holdouts threatened to spell the end for the bill. The legislation affected was Senate Bill 350, which originally aimed for a 50 percent reduction in petroleum use in cars and trucks… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/10/3700145/california-drops-petroleum-measure-sb-350/ The Climate Story Nobody Talks About. On Nov. 30, world leaders will gather in Paris for a pivotal United Nations conference on climate change. Given its importance, I want to use the next couple months to explore some alternative perspectives on the unruly aggregate of topics lumped together as "climate change." There is an urgent demand for such alternative narratives and it rises, in part… http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=438913284 Canada's tar sands heartland can't deny climate change, says Alberta minister. Shannon Phillips says ‘great appetite for action’ on carbon emissions exists in Canadian province despite economy relying heavily on fossil fuel extraction. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/10/canadas-tar-sands-heartland-cant-deny-climate-change-says-alberta-minister Industrial Revolution, Global Warming Impact Centuries of Ocean Cooling. The high frequency and magnitude of volcanic eruptions could have been the cause of the progressive cooling of ocean surfaces over a period of 1,800 years. This is made apparent in an international study published recently in the journal Nature Geoscience, involving researcher P. Graham Mortyn of the Institute for Environmental Science… http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22474 New Orleans sees limits to adaptation efforts as sea level rises. Ten years after Hurricane Katrina and a failed federal levee system killed more than a thousand and devastated the Gulf Coast, this city is littered with constant reminders of the risks locals face each storm season. Seventeen "evacuspots" around the city, marked by metal sculptures of 14-foot waving stick figures… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/10/stories/1060024453 DROUGHT Scientists seek insights from 6-state western drought study. Federal scientists are conducting a drought study in six western states in an attempt to gain insights that could help resource managers better allocate scarce water supplies during future droughts. U.S. Geological Survey workers are measuring flows and temperatures through September in nearly 500 streams… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/ID_DROUGHT_STUDY_WAOL-?SITE=VABRM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Scientists-seek-insights-from-6-state-western-6496323.php Forecasters see 95 percent chance of El Niño. California has a 95 percent chance of experiencing an El Niño winter, bringing possible relief to the state’s four-year drought, forecasters said Thursday. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, in its monthly update, said the El Niño phenomenon is continuing to gather strength. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article34656051.html#storylink=cpy El Niño to provide little relief for drought. A stronger than average El Niño is expected to sweep through the United States this winter and last through Spring 2016. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predictions show strong rainfall for certain parts of the country. But early forecasts indicate that the North State region will not receive a big boost in rainfall this coming winter season. http://www.redding.com/news/local-news/el-nio-to-provide-little-relief-for-drought This Corona del Mar home is so drought-friendly, the trees are made of steel. Some listings for homes on the market in Orange County reflect the trend toward water-wise landscaping. Instead of lush, green lawns, the photos show front yards with drought-tolerant or native plants. A Corona del Mar homeseller takes it a step further. http://www.ocregister.com/lansner/one-681815-steel-home.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Government launches £5m fund to drive down bus emissions. Local authorities can bid for up to £500,000 to install emission-slashing technology in their buses. Local authorities are being urged to bid for a share of a new £5m government grant scheme that aims to improve curb emissions from the UK's bus fleet. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2425394/government-launches-gbp5m-fund-to-drive-down-bus-emissions FUELS France ends export subsidies for coal before climate talks. The French government is ending export subsidies for building coal plants abroad, as the country tries to clean up its environmental reputation before hosting landmark U.N. climate talks. Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced Thursday the immediate end to the coal credits, primarily used by French group Alstom… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_COAL_SUBSIDIES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT U.S. regulators' biofuels plan to cost at the pump: industry study. The U.S. government's proposal for biofuels use will hit consumers at the pump, according a study prepared for an oil group, just months after regulators refuted similar claims and as pressure mounts ahead of a deadline to finalize the plan. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-usa-renewablefuels-idUSKCN0R91Q420150909 Energy Pipeline Boom Ebbs. Demand for new oil-and-gas pipelines subsides as output slows in once-hot shale production. Falling U.S. oil production and low crude prices are casting a shadow over one of the bigger energy-infrastructure building sprees: pipeline construction. The shale boom that began in 2008 created a huge need for new pipelines in places… http://www.wsj.com/articles/energy-pipeline-boom-ebbs-1441791001?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f Bill to Reverse Ban on U.S. Oil Exports Advances in House. A congressional panel voted Thursday to lift the nation’s 40-year ban on exporting crude oil. A House panel voted to end the nation’s decades-old ban on exporting crude oil Thursday, adding momentum to a bipartisan drive to lift the 1970s-era restriction and – as one of the first meetings lawmakers scheduled after the end of their five-week recess Monday… http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/09/10/bill-to-reverse-ban-on-us-oil-exports-advances-in-house U.S. gasoline prices projected to hit $2.03 by December. U.S. gasoline prices are projected to fall through the end of the year to almost $2 a gallon -- but California drivers won't be so fortunate. he U.S. Energy Information Administration said Wednesday that low oil prices and the end of the summer driving season will continue to propel a decline in gasoline prices nationwide. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gasoline-prices-december-20150909-story.html VEHICLES Toyota unveils a Prius that moves beyond 50 mpg with a sleeker design. In Japan in 1997, Toyota, at the time a medium-sized force in a U.S. car market still dominated by Detroit's Big Three, launched the first-generation Prius. It was the first mass-produced hybrid and a seminal blueprint to a new type of car. On Tuesday evening in Las Vegas, Toyota unveiled the latest iteration of the car that helped move a middle-of-the-pack automaker… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/10/stories/1060024477 GREEN ENERGY California board told 91 clean-energy projects completed. California officials told a citizens oversight board Tuesday that they know of 91 school energy-efficiency projects completed with funding from a green energy ballot initiative, and they expect the number will climb as districts provide updates at the end of the year. California Energy Commission staff told the Proposition 39 Citizens Oversight Board that 43 education districts out of more… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GREEN_ENERGY_PROMISES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OPINIONS Weak climate deal would harm new global goals: Robinson. A new set of U.N. development goals, due to be adopted later this month, will be undermined if an international deal to tackle climate change does not set the world on track to keep within a safe limit of global warming, top human rights advocate and U.N. envoy Mary Robinson said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/10/us-development-goals-climatechange-idUSKCN0RA0JA20150910?virtualBrandChannel=11563 Updated: California climate bills merit support. State Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Calabasas, addresses the Senate at the Capitol in Sacramento in this April 23, 2015 file photo. With just two days left in the legislative session, two bills that would solidify California’s — and Gov. Jerry Brown’s — leadership on slowing climate change remain in limbo. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150909/updated-california-climate-bills-merit-support Further deep emissions cuts would stifle housing. One reason housing costs so much in California is that building new dwellings is so expensive – and abuses of the California Environmental Quality Act contribute to those costs. Such abuses could become even more widespread if Senate Bill 32, by state Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Calabasas, is passed in its current form by the Legislature. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-681761-ceqa-sb32.html Opinion: Obama, Pope Francis, UN scientists can’t save Planet Earth. They’re losing the global warming battle. In spite of all their efforts, our power players — the United Nation’s Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. President Barack Obama and Roman Catholic Pope Francis — really are losing the 21st century war to save the world from overheating and self-destructing. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/obama-pope-francis-un-scientists-cant-save-planet-earth-2015-09-09 BLOGS Next Steps in the Climate Change Policy Debate. Yesterday saw a strategic retreat by Governor Brown and legislative leaders on climate change policy. While disappointing to leaders who want to seize the moment, this is in truth a good time to reassess mechanisms to achieve climate and energy goals. Like most Californians, I believe our elected leaders should take sensible actions to address global warming. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/09/next-steps-in-the-climate-change-policy-debate/ Big Oil Slick Captures Round 1 of CA Climate Change Drive. The power of California's oil refiners is always felt but rarely visible in Sacramento. It was on full display at Wednesday's press conference when the Governor, State Senate leader and Assembly Speaker acknowledged that California's effort to lead the world by cutting petroleum use in half was dead for the year due to oil company lobbying and advertising. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-court/big-oil-slick-captures-ro_b_8117642.html GOP Congressman Wants To Impeach EPA Chief Gina McCarthy. He said she's "guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors." Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) is looking to remove Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy from office, circulating a resolution calling for McCarthy's impeachment. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gop-congressman-wants-to-impeach-epa-chief-gina-mccarthy_55f0bc0ae4b03784e277edd9?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green§ion=green Shipping Not Covered in UN Climate Deal ? Shipping has a carbon footprint the size of Germany and growing. Unchecked, it could account for up to 14% of global emissions by 2050, says a report from RTCC (Responding to Climate Change). UK and US envoys admit to industry the International Maritime Organization could be overruled on emissions goals. http://www.maritimeprofessional.com/news/shipping-covered-climate-deal-277557 The Republican Plot to Destroy an International Climate Agreement. Humanity’s response to the threat of climate change, like just about every good thing humanity has ever done, is happening later than it should have. But the signs are everywhere that it is happening. My story in the magazine describes how political pressure and technological innovation are feeding into each other, producing a virtuous cycle of affordable green energy… http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/09/gop-plot-to-destroy-climate-agreement.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 11 Sep 2015 15:27:21 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 11, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 11, 2015. 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 Indonesia sending thousands of troops to fight smog-causing fires. Indonesia said on Friday it will send more than 10,000 troops to fight fires in southern Sumatra, as smoke makes thousands sick, delays flights and pushes air quality to unhealthy levels in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia. Indonesia has vowed before to end the seasonal fires but has failed each time to stop the so-called "haze"… http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN0RB0PB20150911 Record temperatures, bad air make it a tough day for Modestans. High heat, mixed with bad air, is going to make it a trying day for people across the Northern San Joaquin Valley. As a second straight day of record heat is expected in Modesto, the high temperatures will be joined by bad air made worse by the encroaching smoke from the Butte fire… http://www.modbee.com/news/article34850643.html#storylink=cpy http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/10/california-drought,-wildfire-smoke,-heat-creates-unhealthy-air-in-san-joaquin-valley/ Southern California air quality agency finds South Ontario air worst in region. South Ontario residents Esther Ponce and Joe Ponce were alarmed in recent days to learn about a new finding showing the area in which they live registered the worst air pollution from vehicle exhaust soot, or fine-particulate matter, in the four-county region. http://www.dailybulletin.com/environment-and-nature/20150910/southern-california-air-quality-agency-finds-south-ontario-air-worst-in-region AIR QUALITY: Salton Sea stench sets new record. Air district officials have issued rotten-egg odor alerts for nine consecutive days. Residents in the Coachella Valley are used to the seasonal rotten-egg stench from the Salton Sea, but not for nine days in a row. Stationary air monitors northwest of the inland lake -- in Mecca and the Torres-Martinez Reservation… http://www.pe.com/articles/sea-779875-billion-odors.html Smoke And Ash Pour Into The Valley. The skies over the Central Valley had an ominous look Friday morning. Jim De La Vega explained the fires burning around Hume Lake have shifted directions and the smoke coming right at us. A photo released by NASA shows the plume of smoke is flowing due west, filling in the foothills, and then flowing down into the Valley. http://www.kmph-kfre.com/story/30010379/smoke-and-ash-pour-into-the-valley North Carolina might loosen regulations on small air pollution emitters. North Carolina environmental officials are considering whether to loosen the state’s air pollution regulations for small emitters. The proposed changes to existing air quality standards would exempt about 1,200 facilities in the state from having to comply with the air quality permitting process. Another 240 facilities would become eligible to register with the N.C. Division of Air Quality, rather than having to obtain an official permit. http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2015/09/11/north-carolina-may-loosen-regulations-on-small-air.html CLIMATE CHANGE World Bank Confident Funding to Back Climate-Change Deal Will Be Secured. Industrialized countries are set to gather in Paris this year to discuss the plan. The World Bank’s special envoy on climate change on Friday expressed confidence that industrialized countries will open their wallets when they gather in Paris later this year to bankroll a global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions http://www.wsj.com/articles/world-bank-confident-funding-to-back-climate-change-deal-will-be-secured-1441975772 . Another environmental bill takes a hit in Sacramento. The push for aggressive new California policies on climate change suffered another major setback Thursday. Legislation to require the state to reduce its carbon emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and to 80% below those levels by 2050 was pulled from consideration. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ln-carbon-emissions-bill-tabled-20150910-story.html Analysis: Jerry Brown puts happy face on climate change, road improvement defeats. Gov. Jerry Brown gets his way with the California Legislature so often that his defeat on major climate and transportation initiatives this week put him in an unusual defensive spot. The fourth-term Democrat rests his reputation on greenhouse gas reduction policies… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article34815483.html#storylink=cpy Court refuses to block Obama climate rule. A federal appeals court declined requests Wednesday to block the Obama administration’s landmark climate rule for power plants. In a short, two-paragraph order filed just after 5 p.m., the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that West Virginia, more than a dozen other states… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/253143-court-refuses-to-block-obama-climate-rule Global warming and the ultimate cost of inaction (letter). Many scientists are now saying 2015 will be the hottest year on record globally, beating 2014 as the hottest year on record "by a mile." Climate scientists overwhelmingly agree the burning of fossil fuels is causing our planet to warm with potentially catastrophic consequences for ecosystems and all life on earth, including humanity. http://www.ydr.com/letters/ci_28795059/global-warming-and-ultimate-cost-inaction-letter Bill to set 2030 emissions target pulled as lawmakers focus on scaled-back renewables, efficiency policies. A nimbler version of Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) landmark climate change package is expected on the state Assembly floor today, but firm emissions targets for 2030 and 2050 eluded lawmakers in the final hours of the legislative session. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060024553 DROUGHT California citrus farmers pull up trees, dig reservoirs to survive drought. At the Gless family's sprawling citrus ranch north of Los Angeles, a massive excavator twists and bends, digging a private reservoir on drought-parched land that just a few months ago contained 400 orange trees. As California confronts its fourth year of scorching drought… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/11/us-usa-california-drought-farmers-idUSKCN0RB15420150911 For California, El Niño’s Dark Clouds Could Mean Rain but Also Trouble. A soaking El Niño weather system is in the forecast, promising to pummel California with torrents of rain by the end of the year. That would seem like Champagne-popping news as this state suffers through its worst drought in a millennium. But in the latest sign of the meteorological… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/11/us/for-california-el-ninos-dark-clouds-could-mean-rain-but-also-trouble.html?_r=1 Drought is no reason to ease environmental protections, California voters say. After four parched years, most California voters seem to be taking the drought in stride, saying it has had little to no effect on their daily lives. They oppose sacrificing environmental protections to expand water supplies and generally approve of how Gov. Jerry Brown has handled the crisis… http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-poll-drought-20150911-htmlstory.html El Niño almost a sure thing, but the north state may get missed. As summer turns to fall, the El Niño conditions brewing in the Pacific Ocean continue to grow, increasing the chances of a wet winter in parts drought-stricken California, federal scientists reported Thursday. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150910/el-nixf1o-almost-a-sure-thing-but-the-north-state-may-get-missed Drought’s impact spreading in California. More than one in three California voters say the drought has had a major impact on them and the lives of their families, according to results from the latest University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters Arts, and Sciences/Los Angeles Time Poll. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=29047 Napa sends water quality alerts to 3 neighborhoods. Residents in parts of Napa are again seeing notices for higher levels of disinfection by-products in their water – a condition the city points to as an effect of the drought. The city Water Division has mailed notifications to customers in downtown, Browns Valley and the northwestern area around Alston Park. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-sends-water-quality-alerts-to-neighborhoods/article_ed56fe9d-0dfd-57b6-a318-a7b6dbca4846.html DIESEL EMISSIONS Group asserts airline and shipping industries could save billions by cutting GHG emissions. The shipping and aviation industries, which have long been allergic to curbing greenhouse gas emissions, actually stand to save billions of dollars by doing so, a new study has found. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/11/stories/1060024535 FUELS How Low Can Oil Go? Goldman Says $20 a Barrel Is a Possibility. The global surplus of oil is even bigger than Goldman Sachs Group Inc. thought and that could drive prices as low as $20 a barrel. While it’s not the base-case scenario, a failure to reduce production fast enough may require prices near that level to clear the oversupply… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-11/-20-oil-possible-for-goldman-as-forecasts-cut-on-growing-glut UPDATE 9-Oil down about 3 pct as Goldman cuts price forecast. Crude futures fell about 3 percent on Friday after Wall Street's most influential voice in oil trading, Goldman Sachs, slashed its price outlook through next year, citing oversupply and concerns over China's economy. Joining Germany's Commerzbank and a long list of other banks in cutting price projections… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/11/markets-oil-idUSL4N11H0NT20150911 Fossil-Fuel License Limits Seen Viable Option to Emissions Cap. Limiting fossil-fuel supplies to combat climate change may be more attractive for governments than trying to negotiate a global emissions cap, according to Andy Howard, an adviser to Critical Resource Strategy & Analysis Ltd. Nations producing coal, oil and natural gas could protect revenue by applying “supply-side discipline”… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-11/fossil-fuel-license-limits-seen-viable-option-to-emissions-cap Lower L.A. gas prices coming soon? Exxon Mobil is poised to increase output at Torrance refinery. Exxon Mobil's plan to increase production at its Torrance refinery appears on track for approval, which could help lower gasoline prices in the Los Angeles region within weeks. The latest schedule would bring Exxon Mobil Corp. before the South Coast Air Quality Management District on Thursday seeking permission to use an old pollution-control system… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exxon-refinery-pollution-20150911-story.html UC sells off coal and oil sands investments. The University of California system has sold off endowment and pension fund holdings in coal and oil sands companies, a $200-million move that officials said was in response to environmental concerns and rising financial risk. The action, short of a formal divestment, represents a small portion of UC's overall energy holdings. http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-uc-coal-20150911-story.html Shell leaves climate project it helped set up amid Arctic drilling row. Campaign against Shell’s drilling off coast of Alaska leads to company’s exit from Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leader Group. Shell has been forced to leave a Prince of Wales climate change project which it helped found after a row over the oil company’s controversial drilling programme in the Arctic. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/10/shell-leaves-climate-project-it-helped-found-amid-arctic-drilling-row VEHICLES Jaguar Land Rover's Future Electric-Car, Efficiency Concepts Previewed. With European prestige-car makers scrambling to respond to the unexpected and disruptive arrival of electric-car company Tesla Motors, a host of luxury car brands have been showing off their electric concepts. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099972_jaguar-land-rovers-future-electric-car-efficiency-concepts-previewed GREEN ENERGY Alameda, Contra Costa solar power discount program gathering customers. East Bay homeowners have been joining a nonprofit discount solar power purchase program set up to take advantage of an expiring federal tax credit, and Piedmont this week joined the other four participating cities, Fremont, Concord, Lafayette and Walnut Creek. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28791488/alameda-contra-costa-solar-power-discount-program-gathering Army reaches out to industry to 'elevate' its renewables program. Army Maj. Gen. Al Aycock stood before a crowded room of solar advocates, industry leaders and policymakers and asked for their help in the military's continued transformation toward renewable energy. "I'm taking what you say back to the Pentagon," he said here yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/11/stories/1060024533 Wind industry pushes back against PTC opposition. Hoping to woo a rested and reconvened Congress, the wind power industry yesterday opened a new front in its effort to extend the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind generation, crediting the subsidy for driving down the costs of clean energy while aiding in the U.S. economic recovery since 2010. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/11/stories/1060024552 MISCELLANEOUS Edison files opposition to reopening San Onofre settlement. Southern California Edison asked state regulators Thursday to reject calls to reopen the settlement agreement over the closed San Onofre nuclear power plant. In a 52-page filing with the California Public Utilities Commission, Edison argued that reopening the settlement would cause "serious harm to the public." http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-edison-san-onofre-20150910-story.html OPINIONS Why is the Legislature backsliding on climate change? Could legislators in Sacramento possibly have fallen for the oil industry propaganda that cutting oil consumption would lead to gas rationing and a ban on SUVs? Are they so ignorant that they believe that an ongoing commitment to battling climate change is bad for California? What if the next governor doesn't share Brown's passion for combating climate change? http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-change-20150911-story.html Desert Sun letters to the editor for Sept. 11, 2011. What about fuel use? Re: “Energy bill ‘far from perfect,’ ” by Sammy Roth, Sept. 4. While excellent your piece should have gone into the ramifications of the mandated 50 percent reduction in motor fuel (gasoline and diesel) consumption. The fallout from this provision in SB 350 will bring huge price increases, rationing and penalties for using too much fuel. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/09/10/desert-sun-letters-editor/72037936/ Did California try to go too far in fight against climate change? Californians have relished being the vanguard of American climate change policy. With a new bill, though, people are rising up to protect their cars. Joe Del Bosque, owner of Del Bosque Farms on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley in central California, is keeping half an eye on the latest climate legislation making its way through the statehouse. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0911/Did-California-try-to-go-too-far-in-fight-against-climate-change Fallout from SB 350 Change. After the governor and legislative leaders announced pulling the 50-percent petroleum cut mandate from SB 350, the controversial climate change bill, fallout whirled about the capitol from finger pointing to relative silence from a main supporter to a defiant stand from the state’s chief executive. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/09/fallout-from-sb-350-change/ Pope Francis' visit is just one ring in 2016 campaign circus — but it’s a big one. For a century, it was the paranoid political fantasy of Protestant fundamentalists and Know-Nothing nativists: The pope — “the whore of Babylon,’’ they called him, citing the Book of Revelation — would use Catholic immigrants to bend Washington to his will. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/09/10/pope-francis-visit-2016-candidates/71575872/ Coming to grips with environmental realities. Had the Pembina Institute held its one-day symposium on the challenges that climate change poses for Alberta a year ago, it might have filled a small room of similarly minded environmental do-gooders. Fascinating how that equation changes when an NDP government gets elected on the promise to bring in credible policies designed to recast the province’s dismal environmental image. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/coming-to-grips-with-environmental-realities/article26318560/ BLOGS Big Win for Big Oil in California. California's sweeping climate change legislation was derailed Wednesday when Gov. Jerry Brown and state officials removed a clause to cut gasoline consumption 50 percent after a "titanic struggle" with the oil industry. In an impromptu evening press conference just two days before the legislative deadline, Brown and state Democratic leaders said Senate Bill 350… http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/09/10/big-win-for-big-oil-in-california.htm Projects seek concrete solutions to global warming. When it comes to global warming, most people worry about power plants. Clare White thinks about another kind of plant- those that make cement. http://phys.org/news/2015-09-concrete-solutions-global.html Renewable Energy Pricing: Been There, Done That, Learned Nothing. Around the world, there are numerous efforts to encourage the development of renewable energy, especially power production from wind and solar. In some countries, like Germany, enormous investments have been made and production has increased sharply, reaping praise from the environmental community. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2015/09/10/nba-star-draymond-green-donates-3-1-million-to-his-alma-mater-michigan-state-university/ The Real Climate Wars. The oil industry just counted coup, scoring an important tactical victory in the most important domestic climate fight of the year. (No it's not President Obama's Clean Power Plant rule. Rather it is California's Governor Jerry Brown's crusade to commit his state - and effectively, with a time lag, the US economy - to another 25% cut in carbon emissions… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope/the-real-climate-wars_b_8114226.html One of the most under-appreciated aspects of the climate change problem is the so-called "fat tail" of risk. In short, the likelihood of very large impacts is greater than we would expect under typical statistical assumptions. We are used to thinking about likelihoods and probabilities in terms of the familiar "normal" distribution -- otherwise known as the "bell curve". It looks like this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-e-mann/the-fat-tail-of-climate-change-risk_b_8116264.html Southern Ocean soaks up more greenhouse gases, curbs warming, study finds. The vast Southern Ocean around Antarctica has started to soak up more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere in recent years, helping limit climate change, after signs its uptake had stalled, a study said on Thursday. The Southern Ocean's natural absorption of carbon roughly doubled to 1.2 billion tonnes in 2011. http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/southern-ocean-soaks-up-more-greenhouse-gases-curbs-warming-study-finds-20150910-gjk28i.html#ixzz3lRw3a2Gc Oil Lobby Compels California to Drop 50% Oil Cut. California, Gov. Jerry Brown and Senate Democrats abandoned a 50 percent cut in petroleum use by 2030 that was a focal point of the state’s climate change policy, following an intense campaign against the mandate by the oil industry, The New York Times reports. http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/leadership/mike_hower/environmentalists_cringe_california_drops_50_oil_cut Urban Air Iniative: Real economic harm is to keep using gasoline. Officials from the Urban Air Initiative called the recent effort by the American Petroleum Institute to discredit ethanol a smokescreen to hide the fact that the toxic components in gasoline are endangering the lives of millions of people. UAI President David VanderGriend responded to a new study and a press blitz by the petroleum industry as "shameful". http://www.ethanolproducer.com/articles/12615/urban-air-iniative-real-economic-harm-is-to-keep-using-gasoline California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 14:43:05 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 14, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 14, 2015. 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 Northeast cap-and-trade program nets $2.2 billion since 2008. The latest auction in the Northeast’s cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants brought in $152 million to be distributed to the nine participating states including New York. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative sets a cap on carbon dioxide emissions… http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/13/northeast-cap-and-trade-program-nets-22-billion-si/ Australia's Divisive Prime Minister Tony Abbott Is Out. Meet the New Guy. Malcolm Turnbull may not be much better on climate change. Australia has a new prime minister. Again. The turbulent tenure of now former conservative PM Tony Abbott—infamous around the world for repealing Australia's groundbreaking carbon pricing system and extending the country's draconian immigration policies… http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/09/australia-tony-abbott-malcom-turnbull-new-prime-minister-climate Calif. Legislature spends more cap-and-trade money but holds back $1.7B. California's Legislature late Friday approved spending nearly $250 million in revenue from its cap-and-trade program to cut carbon emissions but delayed allocating another $1.7 billion in proceeds. Lawmakers set aside the bulk of remaining money that is generated by the program that auctions pollution permits to businesses… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024611 AIR POLLUTION Chinese emissions of two key pollutants drop slightly in first half of 2015. China's emissions of two key pollutants fell slightly in the first half of 2015, according to the environment ministry, as authorities stepped up punitive measures to combat environmental degradation. Emitted levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide - both associated with acid rain… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-china-pollution-idUSKCN0RE0IR20150914 Los Angeles, Beijing agree on plan to promote clean air as part of Obama-Xi deal. Mayors of a dozen cities in the U.S. and China are nailing down agreements to team up in the fight against climate change, starting with a plan forged over the weekend between the officials of Los Angeles and Beijing to collaborate in promoting clean air in their cities. http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-na-cities-climate-china-20150914-story.html Valley Fire: Air quality hazardous in fire areas. Because of the weather patterns and lack of control of the fires, Lake County is experiencing unhealthy to hazardous air quality. The prediction Monday is for “Unhealthy” to “Hazardous” air quality in Lake County. With the size of the Valley Fire, all areas of Lake County are affected by these conditions. http://www.record-bee.com/general-news/20150914/valley-fire-air-quality-hazardous-in-fire-areas Government passing the buck on air pollution, say campaigners. Critics say plan to make councils responsible for policing pollution in urban areas offers no extra money or new powers. A government plan to meet European air quality limits by letting councils ban diesel vehicles and charge drivers more for parking polluting cars and vans is disappointing and could result in further court cases…http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/13/government-passing-the-buck-air-pollution-campaigners CLIMATE CHANGE State Officials Question Clean Power Plan Approach. The Environmental Protection Agency cannot show any quantifiable climate change gains from its Clean Power Plan, and it overly relied on health benefits from other pollutant reductions to make a case for the regulation, Texas and Ohio officials told a House subcommittee Sept. 11. http://www.bna.com/state-officials-question-n17179935931/ California Lawmakers Tackle Climate, Marijuana, Aid in Dying. California lawmakers counted far-reaching but less-ambitious climate change legislation, statewide medical marijuana regulation and a deeply emotional measure to allow aid in dying among the hundreds of bills they passed before closing out the 2015 legislative session early Saturday. But they also left unfinished many of the thorniest challenges of the year. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/09/12/us/ap-us-xgr-california-legislature.html?_r=0 California Legislature: 'Right to die," climate change bills sent to governor. After months of emotionally wrenching debate, state lawmakers on Friday sent a landmark bill to Gov. Jerry Brown that would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill Californians who request them. http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28800951/california-legislature-right-die-climate-change-bills-sent Migrant Crisis: 'If We Don't Stop Climate Change...What We See Right Now Is Just the Beginning' A Q&A with Frank Biermann, a Dutch researcher who led a controversial 2010 study on climate refugees, who fears crises like Europe's will only get worse. The surge of people fleeing to Europe from the Middle East highlights how quickly mass migrations can occur. It may also offer a glimpse of what's to come as climate change… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/13092015/migrant-crisis-syria-europe-climate-change Why British forecasters say the global warming 'pause' is over. A strong El Niño is going to contribute to a rise in global temperatures and major weather shifts over the next year, says Britain's Met Office. Climate scientists in Britain have issued a warning: the “pause” in global warming is ending, and global temperatures will likely hit record highs in the next few years as the effect of greenhouse gases combines… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0914/Why-British-forecasters-say-the-global-warming-pause-is-over http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/253526-global-warming-pause-could-be-ending-uk-says Why global warming bleaches coral in Hawaii. As temperatures continue to rise in ocean waters surrounding Hawaii, stressed-out coral reefs are losing color and their health. Warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures around Hawaii could create the worst year ever for coral bleaching, experts say. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with the microscopic algae called zooxanthellae that live in their tissues… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0914/Why-global-warming-bleaches-coral-in-Hawaii Virtual-reality viewfinders show sea-level rise and what to do about it. A 7-year-old with her bike helmet still on saw more than marshes and the shimmer of an inlet in the northern San Francisco Bay when she looked through a black viewfinder next to a popular bike path near her home. "Look, Mommy, it's the floods!" exclaimed Ashlyn. Her mother, Tanya Steinhofer, had never stopped at the devices before, but now she took a look. The two viewfinders, called Owls… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024598 DROUGHT Lawmakers seek special session on drought. A bipartisan group of 47 state Assembly members delivered a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday asking him to declare a special session to tackle problems related to California's drought. In the letter, provided to The Associated Press, they say a special session is needed to address the unprecedented water crisis, which could worsen as California… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/drought-338768-ocprint-letter-special.html California Drought Factor In Rapid Growth Of Wildfires. The Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties increased to more than 50,000 acres in less than 48 hours after it started last week. The Valley Fire in Lake County doubled overnight to 40,000 acres early Sunday. Extreme weather conditions and steep topography were factors in the rapid spread of the Butte Fire. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/14/california-drought-factor-in-rapid-growth-of-wildfires/ 10,000-acre forest deal near Lake Tahoe to aid in drought studies. Researchers are hoping the preservation of 10,000 acres of watershed land west of Lake Tahoe can help provide solutions to California’s persisting drought and wildfire epidemic. The Nature Conservancy — an environmental group that aims to prove that thinning areas of the Tahoe National Forest could enhance old forest habitats and improve the quality of… http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/18171466-113/10000-acre-forest-deal-near-lake-tahoe-to-aid DIESEL EMISSIONS Nine out of 10 new diesel cars exceed EU pollution limits, report finds. Road test reveals cars emit seven times the permitted level of exhaust emissions when tested in real-world conditions. Nine out of 10 new diesel cars break new EU pollution limits when tested on roads rather than test tracks, according to a new report. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/14/nine-out-of-10-new-diesel-cars-in-breach-of-eu-pollution-rules-report-finds http://fleetworld.co.uk/news/2015/Sep/Only-one-in-10-new-diesel-cars-complies-with-EU-air-pollution-limits-research-finds/0434021532 FUELS Rich world struggles to resolve row over coal subsidies. Rich nations are stubbornly divided ahead of talks in Paris on Thursday to seek a deal to phase out coal subsidies in a foretaste of the difficulty of agreeing on action to curb global warming at a U.N. summit later this year. France, host of the U.N. climate summit, has piled on the political pressure to restrict a type of subsidy that helps nations export technology for power generation from coal… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-oecd-coal-idUSKCN0RE12P20150914 Average U.S. gas price drops 27 cents in past 3 weeks -Lundberg survey. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States fell 27 cents in the past three weeks as refiners and retailers gave up some of their profits margins to sell more fuel, according to the Lundberg survey released on Sunday. Regular grade gasoline fell to $2.44 per gallon in the Sept. 11 survey from $2.71 on Aug. 21… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL1N11J0JZ20150913 http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Survey-US-gasoline-price-drops-27-cents-over-3-weeks--327210241.html Biofuels Try to Snap Out of Dormant Phase. The promise of energy from sources like wood chips and switchgrass is still a long way off. Nearly 10 years ago, then-President George W. Bush promised to fund research in “cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips and stalks or switchgrass.” But that promise of biofuels made from non-food products is still a long way off. http://www.wsj.com/articles/biofuels-try-to-snap-out-of-dormant-phase-1442197715 How shale oil can kill. When Joe Morales found him, Jim Freemyer was standing over the hatch, dazed and miming the gestures of measuring the crude oil tank with nothing in his hands. Later, Freemyer wouldn't even remember Morales guiding him off the catwalk. All he recalled was smelling something like gasoline and getting dizzy. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024589 Green groups push for halt to coal, oil and gas leasing on public lands. A coalition of more than 400 citizens, in a letter sent this morning, called on President Obama to halt the sale of coal, oil and natural gas leases on public lands. During his seven years in office, they said, Obama has "given new voice" to urgent climate threats and overseen critical steps to cut planet-warming emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024607 Uncertainty grows within Canada's LNG industry. Worries are sprouting that Canada's liquefied natural gas exports will encounter delays and cancellations amid rising construction costs and as low LNG prices eat away at the confidence of international energy stakeholders. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024584 VEHICLES Porsche and Audi unveil electric cars to take on Tesla. The high-performance electric car market is shaping up to be a high-profile battleground featuring some of the world's most glamorous brands after Porsche and Audi unveiled models to challenge U.S. pioneer Tesla Motors (TSLA.O). Consumers have largely shunned electric vehicles because of their high price tags and limited driving range… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-autoshow-frankfurt-audi-tesla-idUSKCN0RE1GV20150914 LA police, city vehicles go green with 160 new electric cars. The sounds of city vehicles on Los Angeles streets are about to get a bit quieter. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Friday the city will lease 160 pure battery electric vehicles, which reduce greenhouse emissions and also make less noise. The Los Angeles Police Department will use 100 of the vehicles, while the fire department… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vehicles-682324-angeles-electric.html Long Beach electric vehicle exposition offers window into an all-electric future. Long Beach residents got a small glimpse into the future of transportation at Houghton Park Saturday morning as they viewed Teslas, electric motorcycles and a prototype of an electric bus that will soon be ferrying people around the city. The Long Beach Drive Electric celebration was the first in what local advocates… http://www.presstelegram.com/technology/20150912/long-beach-electric-vehicle-exposition-offers-window-into-an-all-electric-future GREEN ENERGY Renewable Energy’s Potential May Be Understated. Utilities look at batteries, software and new pricing strategies to prevent overloads from wind and solar power. In February 2013, California energy officials sat down with power-industry executives to figure out how to avert an approaching calamity: The rapid rollout of wind and solar electricity was stressing the state’s grid. http://www.wsj.com/articles/renewable-energys-potential-may-be-understated-1442197711 California Climate Law Boosts Solar Power and Building Retrofits. Solar and wind-power entrepreneurs will get a bigger share of California’s energy market. Construction contractors will get more work tightening the energy efficiency of buildings. And environmentalists will tiptoe closer to their goal of weaning the most-populous U.S. state from fossil fuels. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NUJM0C6S972A01-04CJJMRQMVJE50DV4COU8UIQ74 Dubai Plans to Award Solar Power Contract in First Quarter. Dubai’s government-owned utility will probably announce the winners in the first quarter to build the third phase of a $3.3 billion solar energy park. The project to produce 800 megawatts of electricity from the sun will probably be awarded to more than one company… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NUM2C66JTSEI01-6JD2JIGRBI8U89MU3QAC61VC74 California Legislature: Green tech gets green light. Despite a testy and drawn-out political battle, the new green mandates just approved by state lawmakers — higher efficiency standards for buildings, more reliance on renewable energy — signal good news for the state’s clean-energy industry. The guidelines are expected to draw new investment and jump-start wind and solar projects… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20150913/california-legislature-green-tech-gets-green-light SOLAR ENERGY: Edison seeks fee for new solar customers. The power company also wants to pay future solar users less for the power they generate. Southern California Edison, which supplies electricity to much of the Inland area, wants to levy a fee on future residential solar users, ostensibly to pay for maintaining the grid. The monthly fee, condemned by the solar industry and environmentalists and likely to be controversial with solar customers… http://www.pe.com/articles/solar-780145-electricity-edison.html Half Of California’s Electricity Will Come From Renewable Energy In 15 Years. Late Friday night, the California State Assembly voted 51-26 to pass SB 350, a landmark bill that would boost renewable energy and make buildings twice as efficient as before. The legislature sent the bill to California Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature, and he is expected to sign it later this month… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/12/3700981/california-landmark-climate-bill/ California passes law accelerating renewable energy, energy efficiency targets. The California State Assembly has passed legislation that would significantly increase the use of renewable energy and dramatically increase the energy efficiency of buildings in California. The legislation, the Clean Energy and Reduction Act (SB 350), was passed by a vote of 51 to 26 on Friday. http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/california-passes-law-accelerating-renewable-energy-energy-efficiency-targe/2015-09-14 The US Green Energy Movement Is Red, White, And Blue. The energy might be clean, but the work is rooted in all-American dirt, sweat, and hard labor. The Pope just took a stand on climate change. One of the fastest cars in the world is electric. China is the world’s leading market for solar. So why does it feel like America is stuck in the sixties when we talk about energy? http://cleantechnica.com/2015/09/14/the-us-green-energy-movement-is-red-white-and-blue/ Strong Policy Framework Vital For Renewable Energy Development In North & South America. A strong policy framework is vital for the development of renewable energy in North and South America, says GlobalData in new report. GlobalData, a global intelligence provider for the energy and healthcare industries… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/09/14/strong-policy-framework-vital-renewable-energy-development-north-south-america/ Lawmakers pass 50% renewable energy standard and efficiency package. California lawmakers passed a bill last week that moves the state further along its low-carbon path, although not as far as Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and legislative leaders would have liked. The state Assembly voted Friday night, on the last day of the legislative session, to approve S.B. 350, which mandates a 50 percent renewable energy… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/14/stories/1060024612 OPINIONS California’s Climate Change Revolt. Democrats reject green schemes that raise energy costs for the non-rich. The environmental lobby has tried to turn climate change into a social justice issue even though its anticarbon policies disproportionately harm the poor. Honest Democrats are starting to admit this, as we saw in this week’s stunning revolt in the California legislature. http://www.wsj.com/articles/californias-climate-change-revolt-1442014369?cb=logged0.28146320558153093 Why activists are pushing a “supply side” strategy for fighting climate change. Even as President Obama further amplifies his rhetoric about addressing climate change, a coalition of environmental organizations released a letter Monday seeking to push his administration much further still. Not content with recently announced curbs on emissions from fossil fuel fired power plants… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/14/green-groups-ask-obama-to-curb-new-federal-fossil-fuel-leases/ Vermont solar plan brightens green energy hopes. Once a leading producer of marble in the world, Rutland, Vt., is embracing a new reputation as the "Solar Capital of New England." Festivities set for Tuesday will commemorate the designation, which may seem modest in comparison to Rutland's industrial past. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2015/09/13/loveless-solar-rutland-vermont/32060851/ http://www.desertsun.com/story/money/columnist/2015/09/13/loveless-solar-rutland-vermont/32060851/ Dan Morain: How oil won the battle for SB 350. Before he would commit to voting for landmark legislation to cut petroleum use by 50 percent, Assemblyman Adam Gray had a few requests. Actually, it was more than a few. The term sheet runs three pages. The quid for the quo is something to behold. In one of his more remarkably bold suggestions, the Merced Democrat sought $550 million a year in cap-and-trade revenue… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dan-morain/article34976295.html#storylink=cpy Another View: EU’s failing carbon market a lesson for California. California’s Global Warming Solutions Act created a market-based effort to achieve a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, following the lead of the European Union carbon market. A new report out of Europe serves as a warning that California should reverse… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article34587792.html#storylink=cpy Analysis: Gov. Brown shares blame for oil bill’s problems. It was an angry Gov. Jerry Brown who pulled his landmark plan to cut gasoline use by 50 percent by 2030 after not only Republicans but also moderate Democrats said they weren’t convinced it could — or should — be done. “We didn’t get this one,” Brown said this week. “This is one skirmish, but I’ll tell you it’s increasing the intensity of my commitment to do… http://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Jerry-Brown-shares-blame-for-green-bill-s-woes-6499373.php?t=4cbec52eed1210a92f&cmpid=twitter-premium Gov. Jerry Brown long ago mastered political jiujitsu. For those unfamiliar with jiujitsu, it is a martial art centered on the principle of turning an opponent’s energy against himself and then dispatching him. Often the vanquished foe is left wondering, “What in the world happened?” The governor’s deft handling of myriad issues since he returned to office in 2010 has put California… http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/editorials/article34979769.html#storylink=cpy CA Climate-Change Bill Passed, Electric Utilities To Target Oil Industry. Let's call this one a good news, bad news, good news story. On Friday, September 11, the California Senate approved SB 350, the Clean Energy and Reduction Act--by far the most far-reaching climate change legislation enacted in the U.S. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099999_ca-climate-change-bill-passed-electric-utilities-to-target-oil-industry BLOGS Why Renewable Energy Still Needs Subsidies. The wind-energy sector won a long-fought battle in mid-July, when the Senate Finance Committee voted to extend the production tax credit, the most commonly-used subsidy for wind project development in the U.S., for another two years. But the road to credit extension wasn’t easy: The tax credit has been on-again, off-again for years, as has the parallel Investment tax credit for solar-project development. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/09/14/why-renewable-energy-still-needs-subsidies/ Why Investors Can’t Avoid Climate Risk by Divesting. The topic of divestment often comes up in conversations about how to mitigate climate change. But these discussions often miss an important point: Climate risk is real and embedded across a portfolio, and as such, investors cannot diversify away from climate risk by divesting. Take climate as an example. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/09/14/why-investors-cant-avoid-climate-risk-by-divesting/ California Legislature Doubles Down on Energy Efficiency. Senate Bill 350 will double our current goals (yes, that is a 100% increase) for energy savings in California's homes, businesses, and factories - an ambitious but achievable target that will boost the state's ability to reduce climate pollution. California legislators are headed home this evening after a tumultuous legislative session with this truly significant… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mborgeson/CA_doubles_EE.html California Doubles Down on Energy Efficiency with Passage of SB 350. SB 350 With passage of SB 350 on September 11, California is poised to reduce its electricity needs by about 30 percent and its natural gas needs by about 10 percent below the demand projected in 2030. NRDC’s Merrian Borgeson explains. Senate Bill 350 will double our current goals (yes that is a 100 percent increase) for energy savings in… http://energyefficiencymarkets.com/california-doubles-down-on-energy-efficiency-with-passage-of-sb-350/ Can Index Insurance Protect Poor Farmers Against Climate Change Risks? Insuring crops against unforeseen weather events is a standard practice among farmers in rich countries. Traditional insurance is either unavailable or is very expensive in many developing countries, leaving small farmers particularly vulnerable. A severe drought, a devastating earthquake or another weather disaster can wipe out small farmers. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gloria-grandolini/can-index-insurance-prote_b_8133400.html What Global Warming Hiatus? Year 5775 Was Hot. Happy New Year! Or as those who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah say, "shana tovah u'metukah" (a good and sweet new year). People who are engaged in the political debate over global warming have established the New Year's tradition of speculating on whether a new annual record has been set, and then arguing about arcane and irrelevant details. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-boslough/what-global-warming-hiatu_b_8130912.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 12:27:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 15, 2015 From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 15, 2015. 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 Malaysia to begin cloud-seeding as schools shut due to haze. Heavy haze forced Malaysian authorities to shut schools Tuesday in three states and two key cities as aircraft prepared to begin cloud-seeding operations to induce rain to help clear the air. Indonesia intensified efforts to extinguish the forest fires that cause the haze, which blanketed parts of the archipelago and neighboring countries. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_MALAYSIA_HAZE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Beijing to impose fee on emitters to curb pollution: Xinhua. Manufacturers of furniture, petrochemicals, automobiles and electronics in Beijing will start paying fees in October for emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a source of air pollution, the Xinhua state news agency said on Tuesday. Pollution has triggered increasing unease in China, where smog blankets many major cities… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/us-china-pollution-idUSKCN0RF1IR20150915 Air Pollution Can Send You to An Early Grave, Study Says. Toxic chemicals from the air could send you to an early grave. Breathing in tiny particles of toxic chemicals from the air could lead to an increased risk of premature death, a large new study suggests. "Our data add to a growing body of evidence that particulate matter is really harmful to health… http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/09/15/air-pollution-exposure-may-boost-risk-of-early-death Pollution Kills — Even With Stricter Air Standards, Study Finds. Air pollution kills people — even with new, stricter standards on emissions, according to a study released Tuesday. The survey of more than 500,000 Americans shows that as air pollution levels rise in the areas where they live, rates of death rise. The researchers have even shown that as levels of certain pollutants in the air go up, rates of death go up… http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pollution-kills-even-stricter-air-standards-study-finds-n427726 Cargill Agrees to Settle Clean Air Act Violations. Cargill has reached an administrative civil settlement with the EPA over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its Vitamin E manufacturing facility in Eddyville, Iowa. Cargill’s Eddyville facility uses the hazardous air pollutants methanol, methyl tertiary butyl ether, and formaldehyde to produce Vitamin E and similar compounds from soybean byproducts. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/09/14/cargill-agrees-to-settle-clean-air-act-violations/#ixzz3lpoyD9cX Researchers cement link between airborne particulates and mortality. Even minuscule amounts of tiny airborne particles can lead to an increase in deaths from heart disease, researchers have found. Health officials have long associated breathing in particles that are 2.5 microns across or less with increased cardiovascular distress. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/15/stories/1060024685 CLIMATE CHANGE Chinese cities pledge early carbon emissions peak under deal with U.S. Leaders of 11 Chinese cities and provinces are to announce that their carbon emissions will start to fall earlier than China's national target of 2030 at a U.S.-China meeting on Tuesday, a move meant to build momentum for a global climate change accord in December. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/us-usa-climatechange-china-idUSKCN0RF18820150915 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/16/us/us-and-chinese-climate-change-negotiators-to-meet-in-los-angeles.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&_r=2 http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-obama-china-climate-20150915-story.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/15/stories/1060024682 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/15/us-and-chinese-cities-reveal-stronger-pledges-to-cut-emissions Green Dreams Stymied as Turnbull Backs Abbott Climate Policy. Anyone hoping that Australia will do more to fight climate change after Malcolm Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott to become prime minister may be disappointed. After beating Abbott in a late-night ballot of Liberal Party lawmakers, Turnbull described the nation’s current climate policy as “a very, very good piece of work.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-15/greener-australia-dreams-stymied-as-turnbull-backs-abbott-policy California Lawmakers Just Gutted Brown's Climate Bills. So What? Jerry Brown’s dreams of cutting California’s gasoline use in half and imposing a stricter limit on greenhouse-gas emissions may have died on the legislative floor last week. But they live on elsewhere. There are plenty of ways for the four-term governor to achieve his goals with an end-run around the legislature. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-14/california-lawmakers-just-gutted-brown-s-climate-bills-so-what- U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern Travels to Los Angeles. U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern will travel September 15 – 16 to Los Angeles, California to represent the U.S. Department of State at the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit. Announced last November by President Obama and President Xi Jinping during the historic U.S.-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change… http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/national-news/5273-u-s-special-envoy-for-climate-change-todd-stern-travels-to-los-angeles.html A very strong El Niño is increasing the likelihood of a wet winter during California's record drought. The latest observations are clear: A monster El Niño is currently brewing in the Pacific Ocean. The latest satellite observations and computer models from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) point to a sea surface warming… http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/5260-a-very-strong-el-nino-is-increasing-the-likelihood-of-a-wet-winter-during-california-s-record-drought.html How to beat the climate crisis? Start with carrots. To speed up progress in tackling climate change, policymakers need to build political support by investing in clean-energy industries rather than first penalizing polluters, according to a new policy paper by UC Berkeley researchers. In the paper, published today in the journal Science, a multidisciplinary team of environmental… http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/5257-how-to-beat-the-climate-crisis-start-with-carrots.html Nuclear Capacity Set to Grow by 45 Percent by 2035. Global nuclear power generation capacity could increase by more than 45 percent in the next 20 years but the pace of growth will still fall short of what is needed to curb climate change, an industry organization report showed this week. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/nuclear-capacity-set-to-grow-by-45-percent-by-2035-19437 City Cuts Eliminate as Much Global Warming Pollution as Japan Produces. Leaders of Los Angeles, Beijing and more than two dozen other Chinese and American municipalities will announce sweeping climate change commitments today as they prepare for a landmark U.N. deal in December. The promises of 11 Chinese cities to peak greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/city-cuts-eliminate-as-much-global-warming-pollution-as-japan-produces/ GOP moderates to push to fight climate change. A group of moderate Republicans is working on a resolution calling for action to fight climate change. The effort, led by Rep. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.) seeks to get at least some in the GOP on the record as agreeing with Democrats and the vast majority of scientists that the climate is changing and that human activity is to blame. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/253681-house-republicans-to-push-to-fight-climate-change Hotter times are coming: Effect of El Niño or renewed warming? Researchers predict rapid warming over the next couple years, matching record-breaking recent months. The global warming “pause” may be over, and things are heating up. Record high temperatures are likely to continue and warming rates are increasing… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0915/Hotter-times-are-coming-Effect-of-El-Nino-or-renewed-warming Emaciated polar bear pictures raise global warming concerns. Photographs of underweight polar bears have gone viral on social media and raised concerns about the effects of climate change. Photographs of emaciated polar bears have gone viral on social media, and raised concerns over the effects of global warming. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/globalwarming/11865256/Emaciated-polar-bear-pictures-raise-global-warming-concerns.html http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/photo-of-sickly-polar-bear-signals-tragedy-ahead-in-arctic-150915.htm Land degradation exacerbated by warming costing the world trillions – report. Researchers have just calculated the economic cost of land degradation worldwide, and the figures are astronomical, reaching 10 to 17 percent of the world's total gross domestic product. According to a report released today by the Economics of Land Degradation Initiative, an interdisciplinary partnership of experts… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/15/stories/1060024679 DROUGHT California voters increasingly squeezed by drought. As one of California’s most severe droughts on record continues to worsen, more than one in three state voters say the drought has had a major impact on them and the lives of their families, according to results from the latest USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences/Los Angeles Times Poll. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/5262-california-voters-increasingly-squeezed-by-drought.html CA drought: Desert falling behind on water conservation. All six Coachella Valley water agencies failed to meet their state-mandated conservation targets in August, and it will be increasingly difficult for them to make up lost ground in the coming months. Myoma Dunes Mutual Water Company led the way by cutting water use 30 percent, six percentage points shy of its goal. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/09/11/coachella-valley-falling-behind--water-conservation/72104142/ FUELS EU extends import duties on U.S. biodiesel to 2020. The European Union is extending anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties imposed on U.S. biodiesel imports for a further five years, until September 2020, maintaining its defense against trade in the renewable fuel source. The bloc set the duties in 2009 on a number of U.S. producers of biodiesel, including Archer Daniels Midland Co and Cargill Inc., effectively bringing to a halt $1 billion in annual trade. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N11L0PQ20150915 VEHICLES Toyota launches hydrogen-fueled sedan. Toyota is taking the next step in its quest for carbon-free travel with the launch of the Mirai hydrogen-fueled sedan. The Japanese brand that pioneered the hybrid gas-electric powertrain sees hydrogen cars as the end-game, following plug-in hybrids and full-electric vehicles. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FRANKFURT_AUTO_SHOW_TOYOTA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VW unveils battery-powered Porsche in Frankfurt. The world's biggest carmakers have made a fresh show of commitment to electric vehicles, with Volkswagen unveiling a battery-powered Porsche capable of travelling 500km on a single charge and refuelling to almost full in 15 minutes. VW, the world's second-biggest carmaker by sales… http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/15/vw-unveils-battery-powered-porsche-in-frankfurt.html GREEN ENERGY Will solar energy shine on poor communities? A billion-dollar effort to bring more rooftop solar to multi-family housing projects in poor communities is among a raft of clean-energy remedies approved late last week by California lawmakers, and now awaiting the governor's signature. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/sep/14/solar-shine-poor-renters/ Santa Rosa to partner with Tesla in 'microgrid' project at wastewater plant. Santa Rosa is taking part in an innovative energy efficiency project that aims to improve the resiliency of the state’s power grid in part by parking a massive Tesla battery pack outside its Llano Road wastewater treatment plant. The project, which is funded by a $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission… http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4456463-181/santa-rosa-to-partner-with MISCELLANEOUS Scientists see how the brain makes environmental decisions. Natural resources are under increasing threat from both human development and climate change, and environmental economists have struggled to understand how the public assigns value to remaining pristine wilderness areas. In a recent study, environmental scientists and psychologists teamed up to explore how people make environmental decisions. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/latest-news/5261-scientists-see-how-the-brain-makes-environmental-decisions.html OPINIONS Plug-in electric vehicles are setting the pace. This month marks a new milestone. With global sales set to reach 1 million vehicles this month, zero emission vehicles are becoming the new normal. In particular, plug-in electric vehicles, or PEVs – with their cost effectiveness, competitive performance and increasing convenience – are lining up at dealerships and traffic signals around the world. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article35254344.html#storylink=cpy There's a Simpler Way to Fight Climate Change, California. Say this for California's landmark bill to reduce carbon emissions: It doesn't lack for ambition. At the same time, it shows the pitfalls of relying too much on regulators instead of the market. The original bill would have set in law three extraordinary targets for 2030: Get half the state's power from renewable sources... http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-09-14/there-s-a-simpler-way-to-fight-climate-change-california How the Golden State got so green. Brown may be the new green in California during the drought, but a UC Berkeley authority on the politics of health, safety and environmental regulation says the state is, and historically has been, unabashedly green. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/5258-how-the-golden-state-got-so-green.html BLOGS Snowpack In Sierra Nevada At 500-Year Low. An "ominous sign of the severity of this drought," researchers said. California's record multiyear drought is severe, but new research suggests that, historically, it may be even worse than previously thought. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/snowpack-sierra-nevada-california_55f70110e4b042295e370bec Obama's Alaska Global Warming Story Backfires. President Obama attempted to gin up concern about global warming during his recent high-profile trip to Alaska, but he inadvertently called attention to major flaws in alarmist global warming theory. If Obama wants to use Alaska as a poster child in the global warming debate, skeptics will be all too happy to oblige. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2015/09/15/alaska-is-the-front-line-in-global-warming-debate/ California passes one weakened climate bill, wholly fails to pass a second. Late Friday night, the California state legislature passed a new climate bill, and while it will lead to some progress, overall its passage should ring as a disappointment to environmentalists. The Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act, or Senate Bill 350 — an ostensibly “landmark” piece of legislation — will beef up the state’s renewable… http://grist.org/climate-energy/california-passes-one-weakened-climate-bill-wholly-fails-to-pass-a-second/ Alabama Students Will Finally Be Required To Learn About Climate Change And Evolution. "We still have to teach what the science is." Students in Alabama will be required to learn about climate change and evolution for the first time next year, after officials announced an overhaul of the state's science education standards. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/alabama-schools-climate-change-evolution_55f6e154e4b042295e36d3f2 3 Big Challenges Facing Electric Cars. The electric car is a long way from mainstream, despite the popularity of the idea. Electric vehicles, or EVs, have fully entered the public consciousness, in large part because of the success and publicity generated by Tesla Motors’ (TSLA -0.38%) Model S. However, investors should remember that the company’s sales are still measured in the tens of thousands per year… http://time.com/money/4033934/electric-car-challenges/?xid=homepage Rebuttal: The case for EPA’s proposed methane regulations is just common sense. On the Congress blog last week, Katie Brown argued against the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed new rules to reduce the 7 million tons of methane emissions released by the oil and gas industry each year. Those companies could easily be rallying around solutions to a problem they’ve already agreed is manageable. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/253422-rebuttal-the-case-for-epas-proposed-methane Solar Power Today and its Potential for the Future. Solar power, once called the energy of the future, is actually the energy of today. This week in Anaheim California, Solar Power International (SPI), the largest solar power trade show in North America, will host 15,000 attendees with over 600 exhibitors to talk about solar energy. One indication of how the Obama administration views solar power is that Vice President Biden… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-d-rosenstein/solar-power-today-and-its_b_8134790.html Appropriations Showdown on Climate Change. Earlier this year, in promoting its fiscal year 2016 budget resolution, the Republican majority on the House Budget Committee pronounced, “It is fundamentally unfair to our kids and grandkids for today’s policymakers to be so undisciplined and to ignore difficult decisions. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2015/09/15/121062/appropriations-showdown-on-climate-change/ 5 things you should know about Australia's new PM Malcolm Turnbull. He’s been a successful businessman who defended a British spy. Australia has just seen yet another leadership change, with challenger Malcolm Turnbull toppling incumbent Tony Abbott to become the country’s 29th prime minister. Turnbull defeated Abbott 54-44 in a leadership ballot for the Liberal Party… http://fortune.com/2015/09/14/malcolm-turnbull-australia-prime-minister/ Carbon to replace milk as the new quota in farming. Carbon will become the new quota in Irish farming, according to Trinity College economist Professor Alan Matthews. Matthews was addressing over 400 farming and food industry leaders at the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) conference in Kilkenny recently. Professor Matthews said following the ending of the 31-year milk quota system… http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/carbon-to-replace-milk-as-the-new-quota-in-farming/ To Stop Climate Change, We Must Grow Movements of Moral Force. Today, from Syria to California, climate change is costing us lives and livelihood. The headlines are new, but our knowledge of the problem is not. The Nixon administration was warned about climate change in 1969, and fossil fuel companies and the U.S. Congress were aware of it in the 1980s. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/benjamin-franta/to-stop-climate-change-we_b_8134792.html The next 2 years are going to be even hotter because of continued global warming. Man-made global warming is set to produce exceptionally high average temperatures this year and next, boosted by natural weather phenomena such as El Nino, Britain's top climate and weather body said in a report Monday. "It looks very likely that globally 2014, 2015 and 2016 will all be amongst the very warmest years ever recorded… http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-global-warming-to-pick-up-in-2015-2016-experts-2015-9 Plano couple among consumers in class action suit against Lumber Liquidators over formaldehyde. A representative complaint has been filed in federal court on behalf of several classes of consumers in five state, including Texas, alleging that Toano, Virginia-based Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL) fraudulently sold composite flooring that contained excessive and unlawful levels of formaldehyde. http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/morning_call/2015/09/plano-couple-among-consumers-in-class-action-suit.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 14:57:34 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 16, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Beijing to impose fee on emitters to curb pollution: Xinhua. Manufacturers of furniture, petrochemicals, automobiles and electronics in Beijing will start paying fees in October for emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a source of air pollution, the Xinhua state news agency said on Tuesday. Pollution has triggered increasing unease in China, where smog blankets many major cities, including Beijing, home to 21 million people. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/us-china-pollution-idUSKCN0RF1IR20150915 Poor air quality hampers buildup for Singapore GP. The Singapore Grand Prix is already one of the most physically taxing races on the Formula One calendar, and this year drivers will have to put up with the additional strain of poor air quality. Smoke from forest fires in Indonesia has choked Singapore in the days leading up to the race, with the local government's Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) wavering between "unhealthy" and "very unhealthy." http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKCN0RG16020150916 Study: More than 6 million could die early from air pollution every year. The air we breathe outdoors could be harming more people than ever, a new study suggests. Globally, more than 3 million people die prematurely each year from prolonged exposure to air pollution, according to the World Health Organization. By 2050, it could be 6.6 million premature deaths every year worldwide, a new study predicts. Chronic exposure to air pollution particles contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer, WHO said. http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/16/health/air-pollution-deaths-rising/ California’s Fire Problem Is Turning Into a Smoke Problem. So far this year, fires have destroyed hundreds of homes and tens of thousands of acres in California. Thanks to the state’s four-years-and-counting drought, those flames are spreading fast and far. But what travels even faster are the billows of smoke from those fires—which means a fire’s impact extends far beyond its perimeter. http://www.wired.com/2015/09/californias-fire-problem-becoming-smoke-problem/ CLIMATE CHANGE Investigation Finds Exxon Ignored Its Own Early Climate Change Warnings. Despite its efforts for nearly two decades to raise doubts about the science of climate change, newly discovered company documents show that as early as 1977, Exxon research scientists warned company executives that carbon dioxide was increasing in the atmosphere and that the burning of fossil fuels was to blame. The internal records are detailed in a new investigation published Wednesday by InsideClimate News, a Pulitzer Prize-winning news organization covering energy and the environment. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/investigation-finds-exxon-ignored-its-own-early-climate-change-warnings/ Southland rain could be preview of the coming El Niño winter, experts say. It swamped streets, spilled into buildings, sent mud in motion and roiled rivers where rescue crews aided those swept up in the water overflow. Then the downpour that stunned the drought-weary Southland with its intensity slunk off in the sun. But if experts are right, the deluge offered a preview for the wet El Niño winter ahead. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0916-rain-20150916-story.html Sierra Nevada snowpack at 500-year low. The State of California - while be warned that the coming El Nino will be a rough one fraught with storms, secretly prays for a lot of water in the forecast. It has been learned that the state's Sierra Nevada snowpack is at a 500-year low, meaning little to no fresh water for the state. http://www.catholic.org/news/green/story.php?id=63849 FUELS Stems, Sticks Seen Driving Biofuel’s Next Expansion After 2020. The next generation of biofuels that don’t use food crops as a raw material are starting to take hold, with a big expansion of the industry coming after 2020, one of the industry’s key suppliers said. Novozymes A/S Chief Executive Officer Peder Holk Nielsen said the industry is shifting slowly toward using more cellulosic material -- the woody bits of plants -- instead of food crops such as corn and sugar beets. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NUPO516JIJUQ01-1M4I8USNFTRMQTC6RU7Q916R95 UK shale gas cash should pay for carbon capture projects – report. Britain should use revenues from the shale gas industry to help fund the development of projects that capture carbon dioxide emissions and store them underground, a shale gas industry-funded task force said on Wednesday. Britain is estimated to have substantial amounts of shale gas trapped in underground rocks and Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to go "all out for shale", hoping it will help reduce dependence on energy imports and generate additional tax revenue. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/uk-britain-shale-report-idUKKCN0RF2VP20150915 Activists say ‘keep it in ground’; Jewell calls it simplistic. Hundreds of environmental groups are uniting under a new banner to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. It’s called: “Keep it in the ground.” They’re asking President Obama to stop new petroleum leases on public lands. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell rejected the idea in a meeting with reporters today. For decades, Alaska’s congressional delegation has been clamoring for more oil and gas leases on federal land. Now, in a letter to Obama, more than 400 green groups are saying exactly the opposite, that the president should just stop fossil fuel lease sales. http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/09/15/activists-say-keep-it-in-ground-jewell-calls-it-simplistic/ VEHICLES Survey: People can't imagine life without cars. A majority of people around the world could not imagine living their lives without a car, according to a study released Wednesday at theFrankfurt Motor Show. The findings by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), a group that defends the various interests of the car industry, revealed that 57% of people globally would find life harder or more challenging without access to four wheels. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/09/16/survey-people-cant-imagine-life-without-cars/32489283/ GREEN ENERGY Wind industry says could supply 25 percent of EU electricity by 2030. Wind farms could supply a quarter of the European Union’s electricity needs by 2030 if member states come good on energy and climate pledges, an industry report said on Wednesday. Wind energy provides around 10 percent of the bloc’s electricity but lobby group… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/16/us-europe-windpower-report-idUSKCN0RG1F420150916?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Tenneco’s gasoline particulate filter technology ready to meet Euro 6c. Tenneco introduced its oval-shaped gasoline particulate filter design at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show . The filters are designed for gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines to reduce particulate emissions in compliance with the Euro 6c emissions regulations, which take effect on 1 September 2017. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150916-tenneco2.html Zambia to triple power generation in two years with solar. Zambia expects to triple power output to 6,000 megawatts (MW) in 2 years through expansion of solar energy by foreign investors, the head of its investment agency said. Erratic electricity supplies have hit mining in the continent's second biggest copper producer, where the bulk of its generation capacity of 2,200 MW of power is water-powered. http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKCN0RG16020150916 MISCELLANEOUS U.S. consumer prices post first decline in seven months. U.S. consumer prices unexpectedly fell in August as gasoline prices resumed their decline and a strong dollar curbed the cost of other goods, pointing to tame inflation that complicates the Federal Reserve's decision whether to hike interest rates. The Labor Department said on Wednesday its Consumer Price Index slipped 0.1 percent last month… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/16/us-usa-economy-idUSKCN0RG1NB20150916?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews http://www.fresnobee.com/news/politics-government/article35423220.html http://www.modbee.com/news/politics-government/article35423220.html http://www.ocregister.com/articles/percent-682863-prices-inflation.html http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/09/16/us-consumer-prices-fell-01-percent-in-august http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39452 One in three California homes prone to wildfires. A third of homes in California are located in areas prone to wildfires, according to data from the U.S. Forest Service, a startling statistic that helps explain the fires that destroyed hundreds of homes in the state over the weekend. More such devastation is likely as people continue to build houses close together in areas vulnerable to wildfires and the blazes themselves become more common as a result of prolonged droughts and higher temperatures partly blamed on global warming, Forest Service and climate data show. http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/09/15/wildfire-risk-california/72315460/ OPINIONS Climate change, fire, Jerry Brown, UC, etc. Bold action needed on climate change. Re “Incinerated” (Page 1A, Sept. 14): Unusually devastating wildfires are raging across California. The Bee reports the fires have grown exponentially, been more explosive and grown faster than forecast. The “mass destruction” is so much worse because of the drought. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article35351745.html#storylink=cpy Ignoring climate change will produce American refugees. Earlier this week, communities in Lake County, Calif., virtually disappeared in minutes, gobbled up by a raging wildfire that sprang up seemingly out of nowhere. Residents could do little except run for their lives. Hundreds of homes and businesses were gone in a few hours. Nineteen-thousand people, a third of the county’s population, are displaced. This is the third devastating fire in this county in the past six weeks, according to the local Santa Rosa Press Democrat, one of a dozen fires currently burning in California alone. http://www.mtexpress.com/opinion/editorials/ignoring-climate-change-will-produce-american-refugees/article_6bf2911c-5bcf-11e5-b97e-e3259de441ba.html BLOGS Celebrating the Best Climate Treaty of All Time. Today is international ozone day, a day when we traditionally celebrate the Montreal Protocol treaty for its historic success solving the first great threat to the global atmosphere--the threat to the protective stratospheric ozone layer from chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs. The treaty's success in phasing out CFCs and related chemicals prevented millions of deaths from skin cancer… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/durwood-zaelke/celebrating-the-best-clim_b_8143502.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 18 Sep 2015 15:49:55 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 18, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 18, 2015. 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 says VW intentionally violates clean air standards. The Environmental Protection Agency says nearly 500,000 Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars built in the past seven year are intentionally violating clean air standards by using software that evades EPA emissions standards. The EPA says the cars include a device programmed to detect when the car is undergoing official emissions testing. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EPA_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EPA Says Volkswagen Software Cheated Car Emissions Tests. Volkswagen AG sold diesel cars with software that circumvented U.S. emissions standards for air pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency said. The company sold Volkswagen and Audi brand cars from model years 2009-2015 that contained a “sophisticated software algorithm” that detects when the car is undergoing official emissions testing… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-18/epa-says-volkswagon-software-circumvented-car-emissions-testing Volkswagen Is Told to Recall Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Emissions Software. The Obama administration on Friday directed Volkswagen to recall nearly a half million cars from the road, saying the German automaker used software intentionally designed to circumvent environmental standards for reducing smog. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/business/volkswagen-is-ordered-to-recall-nearly-500000-vehicles-over-emissions-software.html?_r=0 EPA: 482K VW diesel vehicles violated emissions rules. The Environmental Protection Agency and the state of California said Volkswagen AG violated federal law by using sophisticated software in 482,000 diesel VW and Audi cars sold since 2009 to purposely evade emissions requirements for dangerous pollutants. VW could face up to $18 billion -- or $37,500 per vehicle — as well as criminal prosecution… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/09/18/epa-vw-diesel-vehicles-violated-emissions-rules/72401296/ OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/18/us-usa-volkswagen-idUSKCN0RI1VK20150918 http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-accuses-volkswagen-of-dodging-emissions-rules-1442595129 http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/18/epa-volkswagen-used-defeat-device-to-circumvent-air-pollution-controls/ http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/09/18/epa-accuses-volkswagen-audi-evading-emission-laws/72400018/ http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-volkswagen-probe-20150918-story.html http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/EPA-says-VW-intentionally-violates-clean-air-6513932.php http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article35699754.html http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/09/18/441467960/volkswagen-used-defeat-device-to-skirt-emissions-rules-epa-says?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=environment Oil field operator settles air-quality violations, moves closer to reopening. An oil field linked to chronic respiratory illnesses in South Los Angeles has moved a step closer to resuming operations by paying $144,250 to settle air quality violations. Announcement of the settlement with AllenCo Energy Inc. earlier this week was unwelcome news for University Park residents who had filed hundreds of complaints in 2010… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-0918-allenco-20150918-story.html Scientists link millions of deaths to air pollution: What can be done? A new study published in the journal Nature found that air particles from traffic, agriculture, even cooking are causing premature deaths, especially in Asia. A new study linking millions of deaths around the world to air pollution offers some dire predictions for global health if pollution continues to rise at the current rate… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0917/Scientists-link-millions-of-deaths-to-air-pollution-What-can-be-done CLIMATE CHANGE Actors join campaign to draw attention to Arctic issue. Critics of Arctic offshore petroleum drilling have used climbing gear, kayaks and polar bear costumes to protest industrial activity in the Arctic. They're now trying humor. Actors Alexander Skarsgard of "True Blood" and Jack McBrayer of "30 Rock," along with Andy Bichlbaum of "The Yes Men" activists, are on a Greenpeace ship in the Greenland Sea with a team… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_AWARENESS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate-smart development crystallizes on Senegal's salt flats. In Senegal's central Kaffrine region, stretches of the national highway cut through vast salt ponds. Yet the salt industry - which could help local people earn more and cope with worsening climate pressures - is little developed, experts say. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/18/us-development-goals-senegal-climatechan-idUSKCN0RI00I20150918 Polish elections complicate EU quest for Paris climate stance. Looming parliamentary elections in coal-dependent Poland will bedevil European Union efforts on Friday to agree a strong position for a global deal to tackle climate change. EU environment ministers meet in Brussels on Friday to finalize the bloc's negotiating position for a U.N. climate summit in Paris starting at the end of November. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N11N2L920150917 `West Polluted World' for 150 Years, and India Says It Won't Pay. “You made the mess -- you clean it up” may well be India’s attitude at the coming international climate-change talks in Paris. “It’s the West which has polluted the world for the last 150 years with cheap energy,” Indian Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in an interview. “I can’t tell the people of India that we’ll burden you with high costs because the West has polluted the world, now India will pay for it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-17/-west-polluted-world-for-150-years-and-india-says-it-won-t-pay 11 Republicans vow to fight climate change. Eleven House Republicans signed on to a resolution Thursday that recognizes humans have a role in causing climate change. The resolution also endorses steps to combat global warming, though it stops well short of calling for specific solutions. Led by Rep. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.), the lawmakers want the House to go on record to generally agree… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/254021-11-republicans-seek-to-fight-climate-change Earth's record streak of record heat keeps on sizzling. Earth's record-breaking heat is sounding an awful lot like a broken record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday that August, this past summer and the first eight months of 2015 all smashed global records for heat. That's the fifth straight record-hot season and the fourth consecutive record-hot month. http://www.latimes.com/nation/ct-earth-record-heat-20150917-story.html DROUGHT Drought is taming wild horses in Southern Nevada. The beige mare's skin stretched tightly over her ribs as she grazed at Oliver Ranch. It's the temporary holding area for the wild horses the Bureau of Land Management rounded up at the end of August to save from the drought that's parching the American West. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Drought-is-taming-wild-horses-in-Southern-Nevada-6513211.php ‘Lake West Covina’ is drying up but not completely due to drought. Here’s why. For 13 years, whenever David Miyahira gazed over the edge of his backyard he’d see a blue-green pond full of fish and encircling waterbirds. “My wife, Vivian, who is Chinese, believes in feng shui. She says if that pond goes away we will have to leave. It brings balance and a sense of energy,” he said. The 1.3-acre pond, sometimes referred to as Lake West Covina, is indeed going away. One might call it a victim of the state’s four-year drought. http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20150918/lake-west-covina-is-drying-up-but-not-completely-due-to-drought-heres-why >From Oregon to Johannesburg, micro-hydro offers solution to drought hit cities. Cities worldwide are harnessing the power of gravity to generate electricity from public drinking water pipes. To see how closely water and energy are linked, you only have to look at the west coast of the US, where four years of severe drought have led to historically low levels in water reservoirs… http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/sep/18/portland-oregon-drought-microhydro-electricity-from-water-pipes-lucid-energy-california Nevada ranch uses waste water to survive the drought. At Douglas County’s Bently Ranch, these days the backup is squarely up front. Reclaimed wastewater is used to water crops late every irrigation season, but this year, during a protracted drought, it’s largely what’s keeping the place in the business of agriculture. http://www.capitalpress.com/Water/20150918/nevada-ranch-uses-waste-water-to-survive-the-drought DIESEL ACTIVITIES Judge will consider CARB DPF lawsuit Friday. A legal action seeking to halt California’s enforcement of its diesel particulate filter regulation could come to a head as soon as Friday, Sept. 18. Glenn County, Calif., Superior Court Judge Peter Twede is scheduled to hear a motion by the California Air Resources Board to dismiss a legal action brought by a trucking industry veteran and his organization. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29801#.Vfw5-E2IOUk http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150917/carb-back-in-glenn-county-court-friday-over-diesel-filters VEHICLES DOE awards nearly $55M to advance fuel efficient vehicle technologies in support of EV Everywhere and SuperTruck. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding nearly $55 million for 24 projects to develop and deploy advanced vehicle technologies, supporting the Energy Department’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable to own and operate as today’s gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150918-doevto.html 1917 Detroit Electric Vs 2014 BMW i3: A Century Of Electric Cars. What a difference a century makes, more or less. The 1917 Detroit Electric Model 68 in these photos was painstakingly restored over a period of years by owner Donald Davidson, who is only the car's third owner in 98 years. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100087_1917-detroit-electric-vs-2014-bmw-i3-a-century-of-electric-cars Electric cars will be the quickest way to decarbonize the U.S., says industry-enviro group report. California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) issued an executive order in April that set a goal to cut the state's greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and eventually 80 percent by 2050 compared with 1990 levels. "I don't know how you're getting anywhere close to that without electrification," Ted Craver, CEO of Edison International, the parent company… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/18/stories/1060024917 HIGH-SPEED RAIL A high-speed rail from L.A. to Las Vegas? China says it's partnering with U.S. to build. or decades private developers and entrepreneurs have periodically announced bold plans to run high-speed trains between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. None have gotten anywhere because they lacked money or suffered other setbacks. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-vegas-la-chinese-high-speed-rail-20150917-story.html GREEN ENERGY Renewable energy to power Sacramento state buildings. Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration and Sacramento’s not-for-profit electric utility have reached an agreement that will power nearly two dozen state office buildings with electricity from renewable sources within the next month. The three-year pact between SMUD and the Department of General Services will kick in with the state’s next billing cycle… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article35643843.html#storylink=cpy State’s renewable energy bill is costly for Covanta waste-to-energy plant. The Covanta energy plant, which serves as the municipal waste burner for Stanislaus County and Modesto, can continue for another year selling higher-cost electricity to buyers that want renewable energy credits. But a major state Senate bill to increase renewable energy sources in California will remove its special status in 2017. http://www.modbee.com/news/article35653536.html#storylink=cpy California entering uncharted territory on clean energy. The Coachella Valley’s state Senator, Republican Jeff Stone, wrote a bill this year urging Congress to extend a 30 percent tax credit for solar energy. The bill sailed unanimously through the Senate, then passed the Assembly with just one dissenting vote. Stone’s resolution was largely symbolic. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/water-energy-summit/2015/09/17/california-entering-uncharted-territory-clean-energy/72361426/ Mt. SAC approves mega solar power plant after adding concessions. After agreeing to move solar panels farther away from homes, the Mount San Antonio College board approved the construction of a massive solar-power project on a residential hillside across the street from the community college. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150917/mt-sac-approves-mega-solar-power-plant-after-adding-concessions Latin American, European cities lead world on renewables. Tokyo gets more than 80 percent of its energy from coal and gas. Hydroelectricity alone powers more than a dozen Brazilian cities. Geothermal power provides nearly a third of Reykjavik's energy in Iceland. A new data set released yesterday by the Carbon Disclosure Project, a U.K.-based greenhouse gas emissions tracking and disclosure organization… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/18/stories/1060024909 MISCELLANEOUS Which bills will Jerry Brown sign? Governor has more than 600 measures to act on in the coming weeks. Among the major issues in California are assisted death, medical marijuana, alternative energy. After a flurry of action by California lawmakers in the final weeks of the legislative session, the attention now shifts to Gov. Jerry Brown, who will act on an estimated 640 bills over the next month. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article35665722.html#storylink=cpy David Letterman to appear in climate change series in first TV gig post-'Late Show'. David Letterman has lined up his first television gig since retiring from "Late Show" in May. The comedian will appear as a correspondent in the second season of the climate change documentary series, "Years of Living Dangerously," which will premiere on National Geographic in October 2016… http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-david-letterman-climate-change-series-first-post-late-show-20150917-story.html http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/09/david-letterman-just-got-new-gig OPINIONS There's no need for Californians' trees and lawns to dry up amid the drought. Have you watered your yard lately? You probably should. Such a recommendation might seem irresponsible in the face of the California drought, but the recent rush to slash urban landscape water use, and in the process let trees, shrubs and lawns decline or die, is shortsighted, foolish, expensive and, most tragic of all, unnecessary. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-hodel-pittenger-water-lawn-20150917-story.html California’s carbon emissions fight shows there’s another path. Say this for California’s landmark bill to reduce carbon emissions: It doesn’t lack for ambition. At the same time, it shows the pitfalls of relying too much on regulators instead of the market. The original bill would have set in law three extraordinary targets for 2030: Get half the state’s power from renewable sources… http://www.kearneyhub.com/opinions/hubopinion/california-s-carbon-emissions-fight-shows-there-s-another-path/article_f51007c0-6a39-57b7-86b8-90e2f6e82bd3.html BLOGS Let’s Bring Competition to the Fuel Pump. Why are we asking the question “What do we do when oil prices once again crush the global economy?” The answer is simple: It is as inevitable as the sun rise. The capital-spending reductions now in place around the world because of low oil prices, especially the draconian cuts in North America, coupled with inevitable natural reservoir declines everywhere… http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/09/18/lets-bring-competition-to-the-fuel-pump/ Lawmakers never agreed on cap-and-trade funding. Now what? Back in June, the Brown administration announced that it would carve out more than $1 billion in expected cap-and-trade revenue from the budget discussion because lawmakers couldn’t agree on how to spend the money. As lawmakers quarreled and attempted to direct funds into their individual districts… http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/morning-roundup/2015/09/lawmakers-never-agreed-on-cap-and-trade-funding.html?ana=e_sac_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2015-09-17&u=48zidwXI73mCj+vn7gp6vA0acf0b37&t=1442532365 "Water" flows through KPCC. OK we did get some grief — the biggest rain in recent memory, just as KPCC launched our Future of Water series on radio, digital and social media, telling us how much hotter, drier and more water-challenged California will be by 2040. That’s ok — the “Future” series isn’t about the current drought, but instead aims to go deeper and explore more profound changes. http://www.scpr.org/blogs/inside-kpcc/2015/09/17/18072/water-flows-through-kpcc/ Acting faster on climate. “We’re not acting fast enough.” President Obama said four times in a 24-minute speech recently in Alaska urging the world do more to combat climate change. Scientists agree. While the president has done everything he can using the limited executive branch tools at his disposal, we will fall far short of achieving his goal of reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent by 2025. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/253902-acting-faster-on-climate GOP Congressman Boycotting Pope's Speech Over Climate Change. "When the Pope chooses to act and talk like a leftist politician, then he can expect to be treated like one." Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) is boycotting Pope Francis' address to Congress next week because of reports that His Holiness plans to focus on the "fool’s errand of climate change." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/paul-gosar-pope-climate-change_55fc04f6e4b0fde8b0cdcffe Black Carbon and Methane and HFCs -- Oh My! Even if you don't track news from the "apocalypse beat" closely, the lexicon of climate science and policy is probably familiar: carbon footprint, carbon budget, two-degree scenario, CO2 equivalent, ocean acidification, sea-level rise. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-muncrief/black-carbon-and-methane-and-hfcs-oh-my_b_8149206.html The Global Imperative of the 'Clean Trillion' Climate change is the most significant threat to sustainable development. Left unchecked, it threatens to undermine progress on nearly all of the other Sustainable Development Goals -- from ending poverty and hunger to ensuring access to clean water and decent work. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mindy-lubber/the-global-imperative-of-the-clean-trillion_b_8152660.html The Green Thread. On September 25, at the UN General Assembly in New York, government leaders will agree to "take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts" as they sign on to the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) -- setting the global-development agenda for the next 15 years. It is good to see that climate action and renewable energy… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-saleemul-huq/the-green-thread_b_8149614.html Climate Action Does Not Require Economic Sacrifice. More than two decades ago, the world agreed on the need to confront climate change. The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) emerged in 1992, spawning a variety of negotiating forums with the goal of preventing catastrophic impacts from planetary warming caused mostly by polluting societies. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-kyte/climate-action-does-not-require-economic-sacrifice_b_8155246.html Critical Year for Climate Change. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) will help government leaders develop policies that address a series of major global economic challenges, as well as promote growth. Whilst all these goals are equally important in their own right, Goal 13, combating climate change, is arguably the only one that… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-kenber/critical-year-for-climate-change_b_8152682.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 16:56:20 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 21-22, 2015 From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 21-22, 2015. 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 Carbon pricing schemes double since 2012 in climate fight: World Bank. The number of carbon pricing schemes worldwide has almost doubled since 2012 but most taxes or markets have prices too low to prevent damaging global warming, the World Bank said on Sunday. Carbon pricing, including emissions trading schemes from California to China… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/20/us-climatechange-carbon-idUSKCN0RK12V20150920?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews RGGI CARBON PRICES CONTINUE UPWARD TREND. Carbon allowances sold by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) have set a new high, continuing an upward trend that began a year ago. The key takeaways from the latest auction are that the Clean Power Plan is helping to drive prices up and that demand for the allowances continues to be strong. http://www.bna.com/rggi-carbon-prices-b57982058492/ State and trends of carbon pricing 2015 (English). With the countdown on to the Paris climate change conference, there is clear evidence of growing momentum to put a price on carbon. The growth of carbon pricing around the world has been substantial. Since January 2012, the number of carbon pricing instruments already implemented or scheduled for implementation has almost doubled, jumping from 20 to 38. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/09/25053834/state-trends-carbon-pricing-2015 AIR POLLUTION How strict California rules on emissions led to lower cancer risk. California has made tremendous progress cleaning its once-notorious air pollution over the last generation, with Los Angeles smog easing in response to the state's ever-stricter emissions standards. On Monday, there was more good news. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-0922-pollution-risk-20150922-story.html The rise of diesel in Europe: the impact on health and pollution. In a bid to reduce CO2 emissions in the 90s, Europe backed a major switch from petrol to diesel cars but the result was a rise in deadly air pollution. Volkswagen’s rigging of emissions tests for diesel cars comes after nearly 20 years of the technology being incentivized in Europe in the knowledge that its adoption would reduce global warming emissions… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/22/the-rise-diesel-in-europe-impact-on-health-pollution CLIMATE CHANGE Washington State Announces Plan to Cap Carbon Emissions. Washington businesses annually emitting more than 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent—foundries like Alcoa Inc. and refineries like BP Plc, Shell, Phillips 66 Co. and Tesoro Corp.—will face a new regulation capping their carbon emissions, the state's ecology director said Sept. 21. http://www.bna.com/washington-state-announces-n57982058550/ Pope Heads to Climate Talks as Rare Word -- Optimism – Surfaces. Optimism’s not a mood usually associated with global warming. Yet when President Barack Obama, Pope Francis and other world leaders start gathering in New York next week, they’ll be in sight of a goal that seemed unattainable just a few years ago: an agreement that may actually slow the pace of rising temperatures. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-18/pope-heads-to-climate-talks-as-rare-word-optimism-surfaces EU Ministers Call for Global Greenhouse Gas Peak by 2020. Delegates from around the world meeting at the United Nations climate summit in Paris late this year should agree that global greenhouse gas emissions will peak no later than 2020 and will then decline to half their 1990 level by 2050, environment ministers from the European Union's 28 member states said Sept. 18. http://www.bna.com/eu-ministers-call-n57982058487/ The top five things Pope Francis gets totally right about climate change. Pope Francis’s six-day trip to the U.S., which begins on Tuesday, is highly anticipated — and not just among American Catholics. The pope’s progressive stances have earned him nearly unprecedented favor with liberal-leaning Americans, and his aggressive position on climate change has been one of his most applauded moves. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/22/the-top-five-things-pope-francis-gets-totally-right-about-climate-change/ Scientists calculate the dramatic economic cost of a warming Arctic. The Arctic is one of the most vulnerable parts of the world when it comes to climate change, and has the potential to contribute some costly climate-related effects, such as sea-level rise from melting glaciers. But one of the biggest emerging talking points in conversations about climate change in the Arctic involves something else — permafrost. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/21/scientists-calculate-the-dramatic-economic-cost-of-a-warming-arctic/ Senate Democrats to Unveil Climate Change Bill. Senate Democratic leaders on Tuesday plan to unveil a measure intended to signal their support of President Obama’s aggressive climate change agenda to 2016 voters and to the rest of the world. The Democrats hope that the bill, sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell, of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Energy Committee… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/us/politics/senate-democrats-to-unveil-aggressive-climate-change-bill.html Jerry Brown, governors, Chinese officials talk climate. After seeing a core piece of climate change legislation gutted, Gov. Jerry Brown doubled down on his determination to curb carbon emissions, perhaps through his executive authority and with a maximally enhanced zeal. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article36063648.html#storylink=cpy Despite setbacks, state’s climate push accelerates. The Legislature may have scuttled the centerpiece of Gov. Jerry Brown’s climate change plans, but it still approved ambitious new environmental policies that will impact the economy and life of Californians. In coming years, the new legislation means California’s homes and buildings are expected to use dramatically less electricity… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article35959722.html#storylink=cpy Warming Arctic is trouble for Caribou in unexpected way. Global warming in the Arctic means earlier and more plentiful mosquitoes in Greenland, and that's bad news for the country's already shrinking caribou population, Alaska Dispatch Newsreports. A new study found that for every degree Celsius the temperature rises in Greenland, mosquitoes take 10% less time to reach full, biting adulthood. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/09/20/arctic-warming-caribou/72515298/ U.N.: Paris Climate Summit Pledges Won’t Avoid Warming. The greenhouse gas emission cuts being pledged by the world’s nations will fall short of restricting global warming to 2°C, the U.N.’s climate chief and UK government sources have warned. A rise beyond 2°C, the internationally agreed safety limit, may push the climate beyond tipping points and into dangerous instability. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/paris-pledges-wont-avoid-warming-19470?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed Arctic Mosquitoes Will Increase With Climate Change. Mosquitoes will appear in much greater numbers in the Arctic as it warms because of climate change, with negative consequences for caribou and the indigenous people who live off them, researchers warn. The survival rates for Arctic mosquitoes will increase by more than 50 percent with a 2°C temperature rise in the region… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/arctic-mosquitoes-increase-climate-change-19468?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed Ranks of companies setting an internal price on CO2 emissions almost triple in a year. The number of large companies placing an internal price on carbon emissions nearly tripled over the last year, from 150 to 437 firms globally, according to new data released this morning by CDP, the U.K.-based nonprofit that tracks corporate-sector greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060025003 Exxon Confirmed Global Warming Consensus in 1982 with In-House Climate Models. The company chairman would later mock climate models as unreliable while he campaigned to stop global action to reduce fossil fuel emissions. Steve Knisely was an intern at Exxon Research and Engineering in the summer of 1979 when a senior vice president asked him to analyze how global warming might affect fuel use. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/18092015/exxon-confirmed-global-warming-consensus-in-1982-with-in-house-climate-models UN: Paris climate pledges won't stop dangerous warming. But what will? In December 190 nations are set to convene in Paris to discuss reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, but the UN warns plans are already coming up short. If climate policy were Sesame Street, it would be sponsored by the number 2. A broad scientific consensus sets 2 degrees Celsius – about 3.6 Fahrenheit… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0920/UN-Paris-climate-pledges-won-t-stop-dangerous-warming.-But-what-will BP tops the list of firms obstructing climate action in Europe. Company emerges as Europe’s worst climate policy wrecker, according to a new table ranking firms by their records on lobbying and opposition. BP is Europe’s fiercest corporate opponent of action on climate change, according to a ranking of companies by their efforts to obstruct carbon-cutting initiatives. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/21/bp-tops-the-list-of-firms-obstructing-climate-action-in-europe The key to a politically appropriate climate policy is not cost. MIT study finds it's lobbying. An economic analysis of how much counties would gain or lose financially under different climate policies helps explain why the renewable fuel standard was ultimately favored in Congress, even though economists say it is a less cost-effective way of reducing carbon emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/22/stories/1060025050 Farming to improve crops and store more CO2 gains traction in Calif. Fourth-generation rancher Loren Poncia calls himself a soil geek, and California wants to pay him for it. "If the soil is healthier, everything is better: the grass, the cows and the pocketbook," said the rancher, gesturing toward the yellow perennial grasses streaked with green that cover Stemple Creek Ranch in the hills of Petaluma in Northern California. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/22/stories/1060025053 Researchers, climate models collide over how to measure melting permafrost. $43 trillion: That may be the price tag of a warming Arctic. Scientists have found that permafrost thaw would increase the cost of global warming to $369 trillion by 2200. Without permafrost thaw, the world would lose $326 trillion. The additional costs would result from agricultural losses, the increased use of air conditioning… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/22/stories/1060025056 DROUGHT Drought exposes cracks in Australia's acclaimed water market. A pioneering Australian scheme to improve the management of water in the world's driest inhabited continent is facing its first real test as an intensifying El Nino threatens crops and builds tensions between farmers and environmentalists. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N10T2CZ20150920 Some growers can divert water again amid drought, regulators say. State regulators have lifted water-use restrictions that they had previously imposed on a handful of California’s most senior rights holders during the drought. The move Friday marks the first time the state Water Resources Control Board has eased up on those growers since ordering them to stop diverting water in June. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-rights-20150918-story.html MWD: Residents may have to pay taxes on their turf rebate money. Thousands of Southern Californians who received checks to tear out their lawns and replace them with more drought-friendly landscapes may have to pay taxes on the rebate money they received. To prepare for that possibility, officials from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California -- which funded a $340-million incentive program… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-turf-rebate-tax-20150921-story.html Drought Test California's Water Rights System. California’s water rights system was established in 1913. Those with the longest rights get top priority; they’re called senior rights holders. But they were not immune to the ongoing drought. In June the state took the unusual step of ordering even senior rights holders to stop drawing water. It recently announced about 240 of those holders can begin taking water again. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/22/drought-test-californias-water-rights-system/ Drought supply spurs water taste complaints from some Bay Area customers. Some East Bay Municipal Utility District customers are complaining their water has tasted and smelled worse recently. They're not imagining it. The district relies on high quality Sierra water from the Mokelumne River for its regular supplies… http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_28853861/drought-supply-spurs-water-taste-complaints-from-some How much rain will it take to end state’s drought. Despite the high heat of recent days, the California rainy season is rapidly approaching. But to nudge California out of drought territory, it will take almost double the amount of rain that falls in a normal year during the upcoming rainy season that starts in less than two weeks, according to a recent analysis prepared by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologists. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/20150921/how-much-rain-will-it-take-to-end-states-drought VMWD receives $115,000 for proactive drought planning. To further foster water supply planning efforts and engage community stakeholders in preparation for drought emergencies in the future, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District received $115,000 to expand its drought contingency plan. The funding, which was made available through the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation… http://myvalleynews.com/homeandgarden/evmwd-receives-115000-for-proactive-drought-planning/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Truckers case against CARB continues after ‘exemption’ surfaces. A Glenn County Superior Court judge has given a California trucking and business group another month in its case against the California Air Resources Board and diesel particulate filters. Judge Peter Twede on Friday gave the Alliance for California Business 30 days to file a brief in regards to an exemption CARB says truckers have in regards to the filter. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150918/truckers-case-against-carb-continues-after-exemption-surfaces FUELS Exclusive: In clash with pope's climate call, U.S. Church leases drilling rights. Casting the fight against climate change as an urgent moral duty, Pope Francis in June urged the world to phase out highly-polluting fossil fuels. Yet in the heart of U.S. oil country several dioceses and other Catholic institutions are leasing out drilling rights to oil and gas companies to bolster their finances… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/22/us-pope-usa-drilling-idUSKCN0RM0AY20150922?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews The 800 Ways Taxpayer Money Supports Fossil Fuel Industries. The measures were worth $167 billion last year for the oil, natural gas and coal industries, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based institution that advises 34 industrial nations. While that number has fallen from almost $200 billion in 2012, it easily exceeds the value of subsidies for renewables such as wind and solar. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NUVROFSYF01Y01-7UI871A6RJIOJT01B4URQ3VNL2 VEHICLES Fiat Chrysler US says its cars do not use any defeat devices. The U.S. unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said on Tuesday its vehicles do not use any defeat devices like those at the centre of an emissions scandal plaguing rival Volkswagen. Shares in Volkswagen, Europe's biggest carmaker, plunged on Monday and Tuesday after it admitted using software that deceived U.S. regulators measuring toxic emissions in some of its diesel cars. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N11S36U20150922 Mazda Tests Hybrid Vs Electric To See Which Japanese Drivers Prefer. In large part, Mazda hasn't strayed far from the internal-combustion path while looking for ways to improve the efficiency of its vehicles. The Japanese carmaker has delivered notable fuel-economy gains using its SkyActiv line of efficiency-focused powertrains and new vehicles developed around them. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100133_mazda-tests-hybrid-vs-electric-to-see-which-japanese-drivers-prefer Electric Cars Aren't Selling Because Makers Can't, Don't Market Them: Report. Electric-car sales have grown more or less steadily over the past years, but the segment still represents a tiny fraction of total new-car sales. Factors like range, charging infrastructure, and low production volumes all contribute to caution on the part of the car-buying public. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100135_electric-cars-arent-selling-because-makers-cant-dont-market-them-report Volkswagen of America debuts 2016 Passat; 38 mpg highway from the 1.8 TSI. Although the timing arguably could have been better, Volkswagen of America proceeded with the planned debut of the restyled 2016 Volkswagen Passat in New York on Monday. The midsize sedan, built in Volkswagen’s LEED Platinum-certified factory in Chattanooga, will offer three engine options—1.8-liter TSI gasoline; 2.0-liter diesel TDI… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150922-passat.html AAA: Mich. gas prices rise 7 cents in past week. AAA Michigan says gas prices Tesla Model X: The Electric SUV Women Say They Want. First deliveries of the Tesla Model X electric crossover are expected to take place just over a week from now. With production set to ramp up gradually after that, speculation will likely shift to whether the Model X will be as much of a success as the Model S. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100118_tesla-model-x-the-electric-suv-women-say-they-want EPRI-NRDC report finds widespread vehicle electrification and a cleaner grid could lead to substantial cuts in GHG by 2050. Widespread adoption of electric transportation, including electrification in the off-road sector, could lead to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and could modestly improve air quality, according to a new analysis released by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150921-eprinrdc.html Episode Of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' Features Electric Cars. Fred Rogers covered many topics on his eponymous children's television show, and it turns out one of them was electric cars. "Mister Rogers" test drove an electric car during an episode that originally aired in 1981. That was a long time before the rise of modern electric cars and substantial public charging networks… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100104_episode-of-mister-rogers-neighborhood-features-electric-cars VW RECALL VW CEO says he's 'endlessly sorry' for tarnishing brand. Volkswagen AG's smog-test scandal escalated Tuesday as the company issued a profit warning, set aside billions to cover the fallout and lost billions more in market value. VW's CEO said he is "endlessly sorry" that the world's top-selling carmaker has squandered worldwide trust in its brand. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.modbee.com/news/nation-world/article36083301.html#storylink=cpy UPDATE 2-EU Commission in contact with VW on emissions tests. EU regulators said on Tuesday they are in contact with Volkswagen AG and U.S. authorities following the car-makers' admission it had rigged emissions tests, and called on member states to rigorously enforce the relevant law. In calling on national governments to be "particularly vigilant ... on national manufacturers"… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/22/usa-volkswagen-eu-commission-idUSL5N11S24Q20150922?feedType=RSS&feedName=governmentFilingsNews UPDATE 1-VW cuts guidance, sets aside 6.5 bln eur for emission costs. Volkswagen will cut its earnings guidance as it sets aside about 6.5 billion euros ($7.27 billion) in the third quarter to cover costs related to the diesel emissions scandal in the United States and other markets. The amount of provisions it needs could still change as the investigation continues, it said on Tuesday. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N11S1TE20150922 Volkswagen to halt U.S. sales of some 2015 diesel cars. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) told U.S. dealers to halt sales of some 2015 diesel cars after regulators found software it designed for the affected vehicles gave false emissions data, the company said Sunday, announcing it had launched an investigation. In a statement published by the carmaker on Sunday… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/20/us-usa-volkswagen-ceo-idUSKCN0RK0IK20150920 EPA, California to test other diesel vehicles after VW. The Environmental Protection Agency and California officials will test other diesel vehicles for use of software that deceives regulators measuring toxic emissions following news Friday that Volkswagen could face $18 billion in penalties for using that technology, an agency official said Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/21/usa-volkswagen-idUSL1N11R0XQ20150921 VW's Emissions Cheating Found by Curious Clean-Air Group. It didn’t add up. The Volkswagens were spewing harmful exhaust when testers drove them on the road. In the lab, they were fine. Discrepancies in the European tests on the diesel models of the VW Passat, the VW Jetta and the BMW X5 last year gave Peter Mock an idea. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-19/volkswagen-emissions-cheating-found-by-curious-clean-air-group Volkswagen Shares Tumble Following Emissions Allegations. Crisis facing German auto maker over alleged cheating on U.S. emissions tests deepens. Volkswagen AG’s share price tumbled Monday as a crisis over alleged cheating on U.S. emissions tests deepened, with the German auto maker halting American sales of popular diesel-powered cars… http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-shares-driven-lower-1442826436 Volkswagen Stock Plummets As CEO Apologizes For Emissions Cheat. "I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public," says Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, days after the EPA said the German carmaker had purposefully rigged its diesel cars to pass emissions tests. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=442174444 VW to U.S. dealers: Halt sales of some '15 diesel cars. Volkswagen of America told its dealers Saturday to halt sales of remaining 2015 diesel cars with 2.0 liter engines after federal officials said the automaker had intentionally evaded emissions requirements. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/09/19/vw-us-dealers-halt-sales-diesel-cars/72488232/ Volkswagen CEO Vows to Get to Bottom of Scandal as Probe Widens. Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn vowed to get to the bottom of the scandal shaking the German carmaker and promised to do everything possible to prevent such an incident from happening again as the probe into VW’s diesel manipulations expanded around the globe. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NV2OQ46TTDSA01-47QQQB99USO1210N8A9MTJABH1 VW’s U.S. Chief Apologizes for Diesel Dupe: ‘We Screwed Up’ “Our company was dishonest with the EPA, and the California Air Resources Board and with all of you,” Michael Horn, the head of the VW brand in the U.S., said Monday night in Brooklyn, New York, where he was revealing a redesigned version of the slow-selling Passat sedan at an event featuring rock star Lenny Kravitz. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NV1NHTSYF01X01-0GKHVG9OSQTQPBO7O2IHN95AVJ Lower Saxony Premier Warns Consequences May Follow From VW Probe. The prime minister of Lower Saxony said Volkswagen AG must swiftly clarify U.S. charges that it cheated on air pollution tests for years and warned that “possible consequences” may follow. Stephan Weil, whose state government holds a blocking 20 percent stake in Europe’s largest carmaker… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NV0ZFH6K50YO01-7F5LL0HEJFACTU1AS9EAGNHF3S Volkswagen Says 11 Million Cars Worldwide Are Affected in Diesel Deception. A scandal that has undermined Volkswagen in the United States spread to its core market of Europe on Tuesday, after the company said that 11 million of its diesel cars worldwide were equipped with software that was used to cheat on emissions tests. Volkswagen did not provide information on where the affected cars are… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/business/international/volkswagen-diesel-car-scandal.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0 How Volkswagen Got Away With Diesel Deception. Volkswagen said on Monday that 11 million of its diesel cars worldwide were equipped with software that was used to cheat on emissions tests. How Did the System Work? The software sensed when the car was being tested and then activated equipment that reduced emissions, United States officials said. But the software turned the equipment off during regular driving… http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/09/22/business/international/vw-volkswagen-emissions-explainer.html?_r=0 The Wrath of Volkswagen’s Drivers. Volkswagen’s stunning admission that it sold diesel-powered cars that intentionally faked emissions testing results has left many of their owners — who thought they were buying fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles — angry and feeling betrayed. The deception could prove a major threat to Volkswagen’s reputation in the United States… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/business/the-wrath-of-volkswagens-drivers.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news U.S. taxpayers duped into shelling out $51 million in green subsidies for 'clean' VW vehicles. The federal government paid out as much as $51 million in green car subsidies for Volkswagen diesel vehicles based on falsified pollution test results, according to a Times analysis of the federal incentives. On Friday, federal and state regulators said the German automaker used software in 482,000 of its diesel vehicles… http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-vw-subsidies-20150922-story.html VW focus of criminal probe on emissions. The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation of Volkswagen's admission to systemically cheating on federal air pollution tests, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the inquiry. Volkswagen said last week it's cooperating with regulators probing gaps between emissions on the road and lab tests on some diesel models… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/diesel-340632-ocprint-monday-volkswagen.html Questions about Volkswagen's emissions crisis. German automaker Volkswagen AG admits that it rigged U.S. emissions tests so it would appear that its diesel-powered cars were emitting fewer nitrogen oxides, which can contribute to ozone buildup and respiratory illness. Here are some questions and answers about the ongoing crisis. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/20150922/questions-about-volkswagens-emissions-crisis VW CEO's days appear numbered as emissions crisis deepens. Martin Winterkorn's days as head of Volkswagen AG appeared numbered on Tuesday after the German carmaker said a scandal over falsified vehicle emission tests in the United States could affect 11 million of its cars worldwide. http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/vw-to-dismiss-ceo-over-emissions-cheating-scandal/ar-AAeBzOE?li=AAa0dzB?ocid=ansmsnmoney11 Volkswagen says 11 million of its cars have emissions test-beating software. Volkswagen says that an internal investigation has revealed that 11 million of its vehicles sold worldwide are fitted with the same software designed to trick emissions-testing equipment as the 500,000 vehicles involved in an emerging scandal in the United States. http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/09/22/volkswagen-says-11-million-its-cars-are-equipped-with-emissions-test-beating/ http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=442457697 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100146_vw-11-million-diesels-had-cheating-software-7-3-billion-set-aside-criminal-probe-reported Clean Diesel No More: Volkswagen Scandal Grows. The automaker now says 11 million diesel vehicles were equipped with the software that helped them cheat emissions tests worldwide. Volkswagen says some 11 million diesel vehicles were equipped with the software that helped them cheat emissions tests worldwide… http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/volkswagen-scandal-grows/406639/?single_page=true&print= Volkswagen's appalling clean diesel scandal, explained. It sounds like the sinister plot of some straight-to-DVD movie. Since 2009, Volkswagen had been installing elaborate software in 482,000 "clean diesel" vehicles sold in the US, so that the cars' pollution controls only worked when being tested for emissions. The rest of the time, the vehicles could freely spew hazardous, smog-forming compounds. http://www.vox.com/2015/9/21/9365667/volkswagen-clean-diesel-recall-passenger-cars GREEN ENERGY Clean tech a priority issue as Chinese president lands in US. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington state Tuesday for a visit to the U.S. that will include talks on how U.S. and Chinese experts and businesses can collaborate on nuclear energy, smarter electricity use and other clean technologies. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHINESE_PRESIDENT_US_VISIT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Rooftop solar companies sound alarm. Rooftop solar providers in San Diego are shifting into crisis mode as subscriptions fill up for a generous solar tariff that may expire early next year if a new system is not agreed upon sooner. Solar customers at California's major investor-owned utilities, including San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison… http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/sep/21/socal-solar-companies-sound-alarm/ A Lone Star leader in solar. Doyle Beneby is a leader among U.S. utility executives when it comes to promoting solar energy, and he has the bruises to show for it. As the chief executive of CPS Energy in San Antonio since 2010, Beneby has made solar a priority for generating electricity and new jobs in Texas' second largest city. http://www.desertsun.com/story/money/columnist/2015/09/20/bill-loveless-solar-energy-san-antonio-doyle-beneby/72408486/ OPINIONS A Wet Winter Won’t Save California. As wildfires rage, crops are abandoned, wells run dry and cities work to meet mandatory water cuts, drought-weary Californians are counting on a savior in the tropical ocean: El Niño. This warming of the tropical Pacific occurs about every five years, affecting climate around the globe and bringing heavy winter precipitation to parts of California. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/opinion/a-wet-winter-wont-save-california.html?hpw&rref=opinion&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=2&mtrref=undefined&assetType=opinion The Pope's Tricky Argument on Climate. This week, Pope Francis is expected to implore both the U.S. Congress and the UN General Assembly to take aggressive steps to curb greenhouse-gas emissions. His thinking on this issue is not simple alarm over climate change. It involves an extraordinary combination of passionate environmentalism… http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-09-21/the-pope-s-tricky-argument-on-climate Did Volkswagen cheat? If the accusations against Volkswagen hold up, Americans should be outraged at the company's cynical and deliberate efforts to violate one of this country's most important environmental laws. On Friday, the federal Environmental Protection Agency accused the German automaker of outfitting nearly half a million VW and Audi diesel vehicles with illegal "defeat devices"… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-vw-20150919-story.html David Little: SoCal will share with us in drought. They are going to be Northern California’s salvation. We’re going to fill it with Southern California water so we don’t dry away next summer. We are going to show those San Joaquin Valley farmers and those Angelenos what it’s like to be dependent. Perhaps the folks south of the delta missed the news a little more than a week ago. We certainly didn’t. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20150919/david-little-socal-will-share-with-us-in-drought Editorial: Yes, it rained; no, the drought is not over. Early Wednesday morning, while Los Angeles County was getting a record amount of rain, Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake were continuing to dip lower and lower. When the rain finally got to the north state, people were absolutely giddy about it ... and Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake continued to dip lower and lower. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20150920/editorial-yes-it-rained-no-the-drought-is-not-over Water pricing called unfair. Battled over recycled water rates pitting south communities vs. north. Among the many consequences of California’s severe drought is an escalating dispute involving San Diego County’s northern and southern communities over the price of recycled water, which is treated sewage used primarily for irrigation. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/sep/18/drought-water-rate-otay-recycling-irrigation/ Hundreds of Millions in Drought Relief Failing to Reach Many Californians. The next time you bring home a case of those little 16-ounce bottles of water, imagine living out of them: pouring a little out every time you wash a dish and dumping them into buckets to shower or flush the toilet. That’s what Maria Medina’s family has done since their well went dry 18 months ago. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/09/19/hundreds-of-millions-in-drought-relief-failing-to-reach-many-californians BLOGS The Number Of Companies Weaning Off Carbon Is Surging. Internal carbon pricing has tripled since last year. Corporations are finally starting to quit carbon. The number of companies putting a price on their own carbon emissions has tripled since last year, according to a report released Sunday by the environmental data nonprofit CDP. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/carbon-pricing-report_55fc8026e4b08820d918b6f9?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green§ion=green Shifting Gears on Climate Change. As world leaders gather this week in New York, the pressure is mounting to produce a new climate change agreement in Paris in December. The outcome of that meeting will set the stage for the global response to rising temperatures and ongoing environmental disruption. Rather than relying solely on national level leadership to foster change… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-c-esty/shifting-gears-on-climate-change_b_8167428.html VW orders external probe into diesel emission scandal. There are well over 480,000 Volkswagen-made, diesel-powered vehicles currently traveling roads in the United States that do not meet the Environmental Protection Agency's emissions requirements. This, as you can probably imagine, is a very big deal, and has led… http://www.autoblog.com/2015/09/20/vw-external-probe-diesel-emission-scandal/ Particulate Matters. New research suggests even small amounts of air pollution can make you sick. Airborne particulate matter—from car exhaust, wildfires, coal-burning power plants, and many other sources—is terrible for your health. Studies have proven beyond doubt that inhaling these tiny particles increases the risk of heart attacks… http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/new-research-suggests-even-small-amounts-of-air-pollution-can-make-you-sick How to Defeat Big Agriculture. For small farmers -- and those who pay attention to things like climate change, food systems and water -- the answers to ecological sustainability are right under our feet: Dirt. Soil. Ground. Land. Community control of these precious resources (terrestrial ecosystems, forests and biodiversity) is critical to achieving "Life on Land," as Goal 15 is known. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chungwha-hong/how-to-defeat-big-agriculture_b_8171622.html Pope’s visit reveals flaws in U.S. climate policy. This week Pope Francis will arrive in the U.S. with climate change and global poverty high on his agenda. The Catholic Church is not known for taking many progressive social or political positions, so Pope Francis’ commitment to speak the truth to global powers on behalf of people and the planet comes as a surprise to many. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/254406-popes-visit-reveals-flaws-in-us-climate-policy Why Bill Gates is wrong about clean energy. Bill Gates recently announced a $1 billion increase in his investments to address climate change. He intends to focus on long-shot solutions—i.e., safer nuclear reactors and carbon-capture technologies—he believes can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In doing so, Gates joins a number of billionaires investing in new technologies to save the planet. http://fortune.com/2015/09/22/bill-gates-microsoft-clean-energy/ Pope Francis and climate change you can believe in. There has never been a week quite like this when it comes to global warming. The historic U.S. visit of Pope Francis, which begins Tuesday afternoon, could accomplish what some climate activists have long sought to do: transform global warming from a scientific and environmental issue to a moral and ethical imperative. http://mashable.com/2015/09/22/pope-francis-global-warming-opinion/#2Ig8uapKQGk8 Senate Democrats Stage Major Climate Change Push. "Compared to what Republicans are doing, it's pretty damn good." Leading Senate Democrats unveiled climate change legislation on Tuesday that is expected to go nowhere. The point: Present a united party front on the energy and climate debate. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/democrats-climate-change-bill_56017397e4b00310edf895c8 BLM moves forward with plan to crack down on venting and flaring. An Obama administration plan to clamp down on oil companies burning or venting natural gas at wells on public land has advanced in the nation’s capital. The measure, developed by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management, was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for review on Friday. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/09/21/blm-moves-forward-with-plan-to-crack-down-on-venting-and-flaring/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 16:35:14 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 23, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 23, 2015. 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 Car emissions rigging may have added to dirty air death toll. Volkswagen's admission that it rigged car emission tests has prompted environmental and health experts to ask whether such deception is to blame for a lack of progress in reducing death and disease from air pollution. Air choked with tiny particles, ozone and other pollutants kills some 3.7 million people a year… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/us-volkswagen-health-idUSKCN0RN1PL20150923 Pollution controls cut toxic chemical concentrations in California. The concentration of seven toxic chemicals responsible for most of the known cancer risk from airborne contaminants in California dropped between 1990 and 2012, a study by the California Air Resources Board has found. Published this month in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the study found steep reductions in chemicals such as benzene and perchloroethylene, which is used in dry cleaning. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article36234879.html#storylink=cpy EPA hears widely different views on methane emission threat. An energy industry representative says over-regulating methane emissions could discourage the use of environment-friendly natural gas, but a former Colorado air quality official says cutting methane is a cost-effective way to fight climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency heard radically different views Wednesday as it… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article36257871.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE On White House lawn, Pope calls on U.S. to fight climate change. Pope Francis on Wednesday urged the United States to help tackle climate change and called on Americans to build a truly tolerant and inclusive society, as he struck a political tone on his first visit to the world's richest nation. In a speech on the White House South Lawn, the Argentine. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/us-pope-usa-idUSKCN0RN1KZ20150923 Obama praises pope for helping poor, fighting climate change. U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis to the White House on Wednesday with warm praise for the popular pontiff's work to lift up the poor and his commitment to fight climate change. Obama thanked the pope for his help in thawing relations between the United States and Cuba and called his message of "mercy" one that highlights… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/pope-usa-obama-idUSL1N11T0N520150923 Obama says Paris climate talks bound to 'fall short' on carbon curbs. President Barack Obama said he hopes major countries agree to "aggressive enough targets" to cut carbon emissions at climate talks in Paris later this year, but he said any deal will fall short of what is needed to slow global warming. "I'm less concerned about the precise number, because let's stipulate right now, whatever various country targets are… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/usa-obama-climatechange-idUSL1N11T0P320150923 Russia rejects criticism of greenhouse gas plan, will not amend - top Putin adviser. Russia has rebuffed calls for a more ambitious plan to cut its carbon dioxide emissions after environmentalists branded its current pledge inadequate and backward-looking. The world's fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, Russia pledged in March to keep its emissions at 25-30 percent below the level it generated in 1990… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/russia-climatechange-idUSL5N11S3IE20150923 Papa! DC crowds cheer pope; he calls for climate action. Plunging headlong into the issues of the day, Pope Francis opened his visit to the United States with a strong call for action to combat climate change, calling it a problem that "can no longer be left to a future generation." President Barack Obama, in turn, hailed the pontiff as a moral force who is "shaking us out of our complacency"… http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Pope-president-to-seek-common-ground-in-Oval-6523470.php Clinton wants North American climate agreement. Democratic president candidate Hillary Clinton today called for a North American "climate compact" to help the continent reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and expand the use of low-carbon energy sources. Clinton said that as president she would "immediately launch negotiations" with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to create a climate compact that includes ambitious national GHG reduction targets, coordinated policy approaches and "strong accountability measures." http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1108264 Man sought climate refugee status, but New Zealand is saying 'no'. A Pacific Islander whose bid to become the world’s first climate-change refugee drew attention to the plight of tiny nations at the front lines of global warming is to be deported from New Zealand. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/new-684126-zealand-pacific.html DROUGHT Caribbean braces for worsening drought as dry season nears. The most severe drought to hit the Caribbean in recent years is expected to worsen despite rains from tropical storms that have replenished some reservoirs. Forecasters say El Nino phenomenon is gathering strength and will continue to warm the tropical Pacific until early next year, which translates into sparse rainfall for this largely parched region as the dry season approaches. http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Caribbean-braces-for-worsening-drought-as-dry-6522529.php CA Drought Continues To Affect Farmers. There has been a lot of talk about the effect California's drought has had on the agriculture industry. One farmer says it has affected his workers and the community they share. Joe DelBosque's farm near Firebaugh employs hundreds of workers, but he has had to let 30 percent of them go because so much of his land is unplanted. http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/ca-drought-continues-to-affect-farmers-13971615#ixzz3matIrpZt Reno-Sparks won't have to tap largest drought reserve reservoir. Truckee Meadows residents have saved enough water over this summer of drought that the area’s primary water provider will not be forced to tap its most important reservoir for drought reserves as originally expected. Water stored at the Sierra’s Independence Lake will not be needed to meet water demand as the summer winds to a close… http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2015/09/22/reno-sparks-wont-have-tap-largest-drought-reserve-reservoir/72642770/ Craft beers are in trouble as drought and fire savage the Pacific Northwest. Higher prices? Fewer IPAs? Drought and extreme temperatures are forcing farmers and brewers to change the way they think about hops – and your brew. By the end of June, temperatures in Washington’s Yakima Valley had hovered around 100F (37.7C) for weeks. Hops – the flowering cones that give beer its bitterness – began to brown on trellises, making beer makers nervous. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/23/craft-beer-wildfires-northwest-drought-hops-artisinal FUELS Exxon Mobil scraps plans for temporary fix to damaged Torrance refinery. Just when Southern California motorists were expecting to see some relief from high gasoline prices in the next few weeks, they now may have to wait well into next winter — at least. Exxon Mobil Corp., still at loggerheads with air quality regulators over a short-term fix for the company's damaged Torrance refinery, appears poised to build a new pollution-control system… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exxon-refinery-plans-20150923-story.html COLUMN-U.S. gasoline sales surge at fastest for over a decade: Kemp. Gasoline sales to U.S. motorists rose by more than 5 percent in July compared with the same month a year before, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Gasoline sales are rising at the fastest year-over-year rates for more than 14 years as demand surges. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N11T2DZ20150923 VEHICLES European lawmakers vote to speed tougher car emissions regime. European politicians on Wednesday voted to speed up rules to tighten compliance with pollution limits on cars, adding to pressure for reform after U.S. regulators caught Volkswagen AG rigging the performance of vehicles in tests. The European Union executive, working for years to close loopholes in testing procedures for new vehicles… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/usa-volkswagen-europe-tests-idUSL5N11S4CI20150923 Exposing vehicle emissions problems not new for university. A West Virginia University research unit that helped expose Volkswagen AG's smog-test scandal had been involved in another emissions test two decades ago involving polluting trucks that had similar results. In October 1998, the WVU Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions… http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_28862848/exposing-vehicle-emissions-problems-not-new-university Electric Cars Cut Greenhouse Gases, Energy Use: New EPRI-NRDC Study. Electric cars charged on the grid generally have a lower carbon footprint than internal-combustion vehicles--and their wells-to-wheels carbon emissions only shrink as more renewable energy comes online. That's the conclusion of a new study on the environmental effects of future transportation electrification… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100156_electric-cars-cut-greenhouse-gases-energy-use-new-epri-nrdc-study EPA Expands VW Diesel Probe To Audi, Porsche V-6s; All Diesels To Be Tested. Amidst a growing list of probes into Volkswagen's diesel-emission cheating scandal, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expanding its investigation to cover additional diesel engines used in VW Group vehicles. The original admission by the company that it used a software "defeat device" to circumvent emission controls… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100167_epa-expands-vw-diesel-probe-to-audi-porsche-v-6s-all-diesels-to-be-tested VW RECALL Volkswagen boss quits over diesel scandal. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday, taking responsibility for the German carmaker's rigging of U.S. emissions tests in the biggest scandal in its 78-year history. "Volkswagen needs a fresh start - also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation," Winterkorn said in a statement. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/us-usa-volkswagen-idUSKCN0RL0II20150923 http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-ceo-winterkorn-resigns-1443007423?mod=trending_now_3 http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/09/23/vw-winterkorn/72674020/ http://www.usatoday.com/videos/money/markets/2015/09/23/72679270/ http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/volkswagen-ceo-winterkorn-steps-down-over-emissions-scandal/ar-AAeGIU5?ocid=ansmsnmoney11 NEWSMAKER-Details catch up with VW's micromanaging CEO. Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn, ousted on Wednesday after the company admitted deliberately falsifying U.S. diesel emissions tests, is perhaps best known for his near-obsessive attention to detail. It is not yet clear how high up the company knowledge of the cheating went, but Winterkorn's reputation as a micromanager… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/usa-volkswagen-winterkorn-idUSL5N11T3NI20150923 Volkswagen emissions scandal dims outlook for diesel. The scandal over Volkswagen's falsification of car emissions in the United States further dims the outlook for what was once seen as the fuel of the future. Unforeseen changes in fuel consumption in the world's fastest growing economies such as China… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/us-usa-volkswagen-diesel-idUSKCN0RN1VX20150923 Czech ministry launches probe into VW emissions problem. The Czech Transport Ministry has launched an investigation together with car maker Volkswagen to find out how many VW group cars in the country could be affected by a scandal involving falsified emissions tests, the ministry said on Tuesday. Minister Dan Tok said the ministry would be in contact with authorities… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/usa-volkswagen-czech-idUSL5N11T2L020150923 Volkswagen Emissions Problem Exposed by Routine University Research. ‘When we first saw the numbers, they were higher than we anticipated’. The research that prompted U.S. regulatory scrutiny of Volkswagen AG ’s diesel-car emissions levels started as a routine research request. West Virginia University’s Center for Alternative Fuels Engines and Emissions… http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-emissions-problem-exposed-by-routine-university-research-1443023854 VW lawyers up with firm that defended BP. The string of bad news for Volkswagen shows no sign of slowing yet, especially with the recent resignation of CEO Martin Winterkorn. For aid in its legal defense in the US over its ongoing diesel emissions scandal, the automaker has now employed Kirkland & Ellis LLP, which was the same law firm BP used for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill… http://www.autoblog.com/2015/09/23/volkswagen-hires-law-firm-diesel-emissions-scandal/ What's Behind VW's Downfall and Secretive Emissions Deals. The German carmaker’s emissions-testing cheat reveals how car companies and regulators negotiate tradeoff between fuel efficiency and performance. Volkswagen AG admitted on Tuesday that 11 million of its diesel vehicles worldwide use the software that helped the carmaker cheat on U.S. federal emissions tests. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-s-behind-vw-s-downfall-and-secretive-emissions-deals/ How this clean air NGO caught Volkswagen cheating emissions tests. Although the Volkswagen emissions scandal has caught many by surprise, in fact it has been brewing for a while. Volkswagen has set aside €6.5 billion to cover the costs of the growing scandal over cheating on emissions tests in the US. Putting a number on the cost further down line will be far harder, however, as it is a crisis… http://fortune.com/2015/09/23/volkswagen-carbon-emissions-scandal/ VW CEO: ‘Endlessly sorry'. Volkswagen's smog-test scandal escalated Tuesday as the company acknowledged putting stealth software in millions of vehicles worldwide. The crisis has already cost VW more than $26 billion in market value. The world's top-selling automaker now admits that 1 1 million of its diesel vehicles contain software that evades emissions controls… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/volkswagen-340789-ocprint-tuesday-trust.html VW: Euro regulators didn't act on diesel emissions report. European regulators didn't act after real-world emissions results were published last year showing a dozen diesel car models were an average of seven times dirtier than the standards were supposed to allow. So tests were conducted on three models in the U.S. -- two Volkswagens and a BMW… http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/09/23/volkswagen-diesel-emissions/72664902/ VW scandal caused nearly 1m tonnes of extra pollution, analysis shows. Volkswagen’s rigging of emissions tests for 11m cars means they may be responsible for nearly 1m tonnes of air pollution every year, roughly the same as the UK’s combined emissions for all power stations, vehicles, industry and agriculture, a Guardian analysis suggests. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/22/vw-scandal-caused-nearly-1m-tonnes-of-extra-pollution-analysis-shows GREEN ENERGY Risks Dissipating for Renewable Energy in Europe, Moody’s Says. Europe’s renewable energy industry is becoming less risky because investor appetite for the assets is rising and more projects are able to refinance at attractive rates, a report by Moody’s said. Solar and wind farms are drawing in capital from infrastructure debt funds and pension fund managers lured by returns at a time… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NV4MP96KLVRL01-285ULN5VQ0UFF7FA26VSBVRLC3 Clean tech in spotlight on first day of Chinese president's U.S. trip. Leaders from Michigan to Beijing attended meetings Tuesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the U.S. and signed an agreement aimed at pushing cooperation on the use of clean tech businesses to combat climate change. The meetings with governors from five U.S. states and local Chinese officials came on the first day of Xi's visit to the U.S.… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/china-340777-ocprint-energy-clean.html What clean-energy innovators can learn from Apple. Bringing cheap, low-carbon energy to the developing world means rethinking how we finance technology. We noted in an earlier piece that Bill Gates’s “moonshot” investments to stop climate change, while well intentioned, are misdirected. We do need an Apollo Project for clean energy but it should be an effort… http://fortune.com/2015/09/23/bill-gates-clean-energy-innovations-apple/ Equinix and its California data centers go solar. The data center operator embraces solar partly because it’s a request from its Internet customers. Equinix, which operates more than 105 data centers around the world, has agreed to buy solar energy to power its operations in California. The move, announced on Wednesday, shows how the world’s largest Internet companies—many of which buy data center services http://fortune.com/2015/09/23/equinix-data-centers-solar/ Starbucks, Nike and Walmart commit to sourcing 100% renewable electricity. Nine leading companies join the likes of Ikea and M&S as part of RE100 global campaign for low-carbon business, reports BusinessGreen. Some of the world’s largest businesses have today announced plans to fully transition to using renewable electricity, providing a further boost to the global renewables market. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/23/starbucks-nike-walmart-commit-sourcing-100-renewable-electricity OPINIONS Timm Herdt: How the California Air Resources Board caught Volkswagen. To the names Bernie Madoff, Kenneth Lay and Lance Armstrong, we can now add Volkswagen. World-class cheaters. We know this in large part because of the detective work of scientists at the California Air Resources Board, an agency with an international reputation for its technical and scientific expertise on all matters relating to air quality. http://www.vcstar.com/opinion/columnists/timm-herdt/timm-herdt-how-the-california-air-resources-board-caught-volkswagen_01503757 California should stick with clean-fuel rule. Though state lawmakers caved to the oil industry by spiking a plan to sharply reduce gasoline use, there's another option for Sacramento in reducing climate change and promoting alternative sources to fill gas tanks. State regulators are close to extending a measure that cuts carbon levels in everyday driving fuel. https://app.meltwater.com/report/5602b0805afd6e8484837511/inbox/160613/open/documents/vcE1IgX4uGtw1KraaUKI2dF1pMw?type=search&s=mail-digest&name=CA%20ARB%20News On climate change, listen to Pope Francis. As we await Pope Francis’ historic address to Congress on Thursday, one of the most anticipated themes will be the need to act on climate change. And we hope our nation’s leaders listen. As a Catholic priest and theology professor and a scientist, we concur with NASA, NOAA and the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff… http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/09/23/climate-change-listen-pope-francis/72661722/ Here's why VW's 'Dieselgate' won't hurt Detroit. The Volkswagen emissions scandal is clearly bad news for VW. And perhaps for other European automakers that sell a lot of vehicles running on diesel. But will it be a huge problem for the entire industry? Some have suggested that VW's cheating on diesel emissions tests in the United States could be a more widespread practice… http://www.kspr.com/life/money/heres-why-vws-dieselgate-wont-hurt-detroit/21052342_35435740 BLOGS Congress should look to American wind power for climate solutions. World leaders and U.S. policymakers are increasingly in the market for climate solutions. A recent example is the 11 House Republicans who introduced a resolution last week calling for “improved environmental stewardship” and for conservatives to take the lead on “bringing our energy sector into the next generation.” http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/254532-congress-should-look-to-american-wind-power-for This Map Will Tell You If Your City's Pollution Could Affect Your Health. The new map launches as international researchers sound louder alarms about air pollution's profound health effects in China. Ever wondered about how your town or travel destination's air quality might affect your health? Here's your chance to find out. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/air-pollution-interactive-map_56015ef8e4b00310edf87d0b Obama Outlines What Success At Paris Climate Conference Would Look Like. "If we get the structure right, then we can turn the dials as there's additional public education." President Barack Obama is "cautiously optimistic" about the prospect of a global climate agreement emerging from negotiations in Paris at the end of this year. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-paris-climate_5602dc70e4b0fde8b0d0d31a California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 14:58:21 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 28, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 28, 2015. 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 With cap and trade plan, China adopts emissions policy that couldn’t get through U.S. Congress. China may be the world’s largest greenhouse gas producer, but Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to make his new commitment to introduce a nationwide cap and trade program to limit greenhouse gas emissions a centerpiece of his speech at the United Nations General Assembly Monday morning. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/28/with-cap-and-trade-plan-china-adopts-emissions-policy-that-couldnt-get-through-u-s-congress/ Almond growers could get carbon credits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is starting an experimental program that could allow Valley almond growers to sell carbon credits in California's cap-and-trade market. A recent University of California, Davis, study found that almonds contribute little to carbon emissions. http://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/almond-growers-could-get-carbon-credits/article_f2e8b4b4-c92e-5855-a2d3-daa346b30a74.html Carbon Pricing Schemes Have Almost Doubled Since 2012. The World Bank has concluded that carbon pricing schemes globally have almost doubled since 2012, and are now worth about $50 billion. In a new Feature Story on its website, The World Bank Group have praised the efforts of nations, cities, and businesses the world over, for implementing carbon pricing schemes. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/09/28/carbon-pricing-schemes-almost-doubled-since-2012/ State Board's Carbon Fuel Limits Pick Up Where Failed Legislation Left Off. It’s not exactly a new regulation (pdf) with tougher fuel standards, designed to accomplish administratively what Governor Jerry Brown couldn’t push through the Legislature—as touted in varying degrees here, here and here. But the action taken Friday by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) does affirm… http://www.allgov.com/usa/ca/news/top-stories/state-boards-carbon-fuel-limits-pick-up-where-failed-legislation-left-off-150928?news=857520 AIR POLLUTION Masks and Other Air Pollution Defenses. Q. I commute by car through an area of bad highway air pollution. Would wearing a surgical mask help protect me from health problems? A. Possibly, but there is only limited evidence to show that even the best modern surgical masks, which help filter out a wide range of particle sizes, make a difference along a congested highway. The pollutants encountered include ultrafine particles… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/science/masks-and-other-air-pollution-defenses.html?_r=0 Health Update 2015: Is Air Pollution Killing You? New Study Reports. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley found exposure to high levels of pollution lead to health problems in both infants and adults. The study had only limited evidence to demonstrate there was an increase in adult mortality, though some evidence pointed to higher mortality in the elderly. http://www.ibtimes.com/health-update-2015-air-pollution-killing-you-new-study-reports-2115891?rel=latest4 VW scandal fuels French debate on whether to dump diesel, as polluted Paris bans cars for day. Guidebooks rarely mention it, but Paris is one of the most polluted cities in the rich world. The Eiffel Tower is periodically shrouded in smog, and there's one key culprit: France's disproportionately heavy reliance on diesel fuel. Critics are increasingly questioning the need for diesel vehicles… http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/09/27/amid-vw-scandal-polluted-paris-asks-if-time-to-dump-diesel Week ahead: EPA set to release ozone rule. The Environmental Protection Agency is set to release a contentious new rule limiting surface-level ozone pollution. The agency has proposed tightening the current standard on ozone from 75 parts per billion to 65 or 70 parts per billion. Regulators say they need to raise the standards to help the environment and improve public health. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/254994-week-ahead-epa-set-to-release-ozone-rule CLIMATE CHANGE National climate pledges to curb temperature rises: study. National promises to curb greenhouse gas emissions will help avert the worst levels of global warming by 2100, but more action is needed to keep temperature rises within the 2 degree limit set by governments, a study showed on Monday. Promises by governments this year to restrain emissions beyond 2020 would limit warming… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/28/us-climatechange-outlook-idUSKCN0RS1G820150928?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews France's Hollande says climate talk promises must now become action. French President Francois Hollande said on Sunday he was encouraged by promises made by leaders at the U.N. General Assembly to reach a climate change deal in Paris in November, but said those words now had to be turned into concrete action. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/09/27/uk-un-assembly-france-climatechange-idUKKCN0RR0ZZ20150927 UPDATE 1-China-U.S. deal sets bar low ahead of Paris climate talks. China and the United States have outlined an eye-catching "common vision" to secure an ambitious global climate deal later this year, but experts say a centrepiece pledge by Beijing to establish a nationwide carbon market is no game-changer. In a joint statement made during President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States, China confirmed it would launch national cap-and-trade scheme in 2017, forcing big emitters to buy credits to meet CO2 reduction targets. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N11Y3HF20150928 Limited Progress Seen Even as More Nations Step Up on Climate. The pledges that countries are making to battle climate change would still allow the world to heat up by more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit, a new analysis shows, a level that scientists say is likely to produce catastrophes ranging from food shortages to widespread extinctions of plant and animal life. Yet, in the world of global climate politics, that counts as progress. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/world/limited-progress-seen-even-as-more-nations-step-up-on-climate.html India and Brazil will not follow China's pledge to donate to poorer nations' climate efforts. Neither India nor Brazil will unveil a major financial contribution toward poorer countries grappling with climate change as China did last week to the tune of $3.1 billion, ministers from both major economies said this weekend. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/28/stories/1060025396 Climate Change Update 2015: Brazil Vows To Reduce Carbon Emissions By Nearly Half. The president of Brazil vowed to reduce the country's carbon emissions significantly in a speech to the United Nations Sunday. President Dilma Rousseff said the South American nation would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent by 2025 from 2005 levels. http://www.ibtimes.com/climate-change-update-2015-brazil-vows-reduce-carbon-emissions-nearly-half-2115770 DROUGHT Exports suffer as Sacramento Valley rice crop takes hit in drought. It’s harvest time in Sacramento Valley rice country, and like a lot of farmers in the state, rice grower Fritz Durst loves the idea that California agriculture helps feed the world. It’s more than an idle boast. Traditionally, nearly half of the state’s agricultural output is shipped each year to international destinations, from Mexico to the Middle East… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article36705894.html#storylink=cpy Drought has killed 25M trees, heightening wildfire risks. The number of dead trees in California has soared to 25 million, the result of drought and diseases exacerbated by lack of water. The toll seen at the end of summer is more than double the 12 million dead trees counted in spring. It brings with it mounting costs for rural counties and for individuals who have dead trees on their land. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/09/28/stories/1060025416 Californians digging deep to slash. Golden State residents show rest of Southwest plenty of ways to reduce water waste. Californians aren't letting their water crisis go to waste. After helplessly watching their mountain reservoirs sink into mud, many like Raymond Lobjois have made drastic changes that will forever shrink their consumption. http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/investigations/2015/09/25/as-river-runs-dry-california-water-crisis/72102742/ California drought drives cities to filter drinkable water from sewage. Plants deliver filtered water that is 'clean down to the atomic level'. The liquid in the trough below looks remarkably like iced tea. But trust me, you don't want to drink it. Not yet. "This is the first step of our treatment process," says Denis Bilodeau, vice-president of the Orange County Water District, on a metal catwalk next to a canal of municipal sewage. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/california-sewage-to-drinking-water-1.3231396 Calif. could learn from nation's 'Big Dry' response. Those enduring California's ongoing drought can look to the world's smallest continent for a vision of how they might end up because of it. Through a 13-year drought called the "Big Dry," Australians buckled down on water conservation and recycling, leaving their nation better prepared than ever for a future world where droughts could strike again. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060025406/search?keyword=california FUELS RPT-UPDATE 1-Europe's gasoline-heavy refiners see profit in VW scandal. Some of Europe's struggling refineries could get an unexpected boost from Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal if once-dominant gasoline regains its popularity. Europe's refineries, many of which were built in the 1950s to support booming petrol demand, have been hit over the past 20 years by shrinking fuel… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N11Y1CZ20150928 California Board Backs New Limits on Carbon From Gas and Diesel. California air regulators on Friday approved a substantial cut to carbon pollution from gasoline and diesel fuels, a move that will force oil producers to reduce the amount of carbon generated by all transportation fuels in the state at least 10 percent by 2020. The action, coming two weeks after a stinging defeat for Gov. Jerry Brown’s planned 50 percent cut in petroleum use by 2030… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/us/california-board-backs-new-limits-on-carbon-from-gas-and-diesel.html?_r=1 California regulators restore emission-cutting fuel rule. State: Plan will likely cost commuters up to $56 per year. California regulators on Friday restored ambitious rules to cut transportation fuel emissions 10 percent within five years, a decision that gives Gov. Jerry Brown a boost for his climate change agenda. http://www.kcra.com/news/california-regulators-restore-emissioncutting-fuel-rule/35490804 Biomass Burning Has Environmental and Health Benefits, UI Study Reveals. Biomass burning sometimes gets a bad rap. That's because many associate the burning of living and dead vegetation with human-caused fires and clearing of land that release unhealthy particles and gases that spur global warming. But what if you burned biomass in a controlled environment, such as in a power plant that at least partially replaces using a fossil fuel? http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22541 Average US Gasoline Price Drops 9¢ in Two Weeks: Lundberg. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States fell 9 cents in the past two weeks as refiners and retailers reduced their profit margins to sell more fuel, according to a Lundberg survey released on Sept. 27. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39554 VEHICLES Tesla blows away the competition when it comes to how far its cars can go on a charge. Tesla is unveiling its much-awaited Model X Tuesday, which has many of the same features as the Model S with a few extra perks. With the same range as the Model S (250 to 270 miles depending on the model bought) the Model X differs in its ability to seat more and all-wheel drive standard (as opposed to optionality). http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-range-versus-the-competition-2015-9 Which Is Best Use Of Electric Cars: Eliminating Some Gas, Or Saving Lots Of It? Electric-car friendly policies like tax incentives and zero-emission vehicle mandates are meant to put as many plug-in cars on the road as possible. Policymakers hope that by making electric cars more available, and more attractive to consumers… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100214_which-is-best-use-of-electric-cars-eliminating-some-gas-or-saving-lots-of-it VW RECALL German govt. says had no prior knowledge of Volkswagen defeat devices. The German government had no prior information about rigged diesel emissions tests at carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) before the story broke earlier this month, a spokesman said on Monday. "The transport minister found out about the allegations of manipulation the weekend before last. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/28/us-volkswagen-emissions-germany-idUSKCN0RS15Q20150928 VW emissions issue affects 1.8 mln light commercial vehicles – paper. Volkswagen's light commercial vehicles account for 1.8 million of the 11 million diesel cars fitted with software linked to a scandal over rigged emissions tests, a spokesman for VW's commercial vehicles business told a German newspaper. The VW business, whose models include the Transporter and Caddy vans… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/28/volkswagen-emissions-commercial-idUSL5N11Y3V320150928 Audi Confirms 2.1 Million Cars Involved in Volkswagen Emissions Scandal. Diesel-powered vehicles among 11 million Volkswagen group cars affected. About 2.1 million Audi cars have the software that is at the center of the Volkswagen AG emissions scandal, a spokesman for Audi AG said Monday. Volkswagen, which owns most of Audi, revealed last week that software for manipulating emissions test results http://www.wsj.com/articles/audi-confirms-2-1-million-cars-involved-in-emissions-scandal-1443436979?mod=trending_now_5 German Prosecutors Investigating Winterkorn, Volkswagen’s Ex-C.E.O.. The potential damage to Volkswagen from an emissions cheating scandal grew again on Monday, as prosecutors said they were investigating the former chief executive, and the company disclosed that more than two million Audi-brand cars — a crucial source of Volkswagen’s profit — were among the affected vehicles. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/business/international/volkswagen-winterkorn-diesel-investigation.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 Volkswagen said to be warned years ago about illegal emissions tricks. German media reported Sunday that Volkswagen was warned years ago about the use of illegal tricks to defeat emissions tests. The German automaker admitted last week that it used special software to fool U.S. emissions tests for its diesel vehicles. About 11 million VW diesel cars built since 2008 are affected by the scandal. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-volkswagen-warned-20150927-story.html VW facing 'tsunami' of legal trouble in emissions scandal. Who knew about the deception, when did they know it and who directed it? Those are among questions that state and federal investigators want answered as they plunge into the emissions scandal at Volkswagen that has cost the chief executive his job, caused stock prices to plummet and could result in billions of dollars in fines. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/VW-facing-tsunami-of-legal-trouble-in-emissions-6532984.php VW Diesel Drivers Hurt, Confused, Angry, Remorseful. After the discovery that it installed software allowing diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests, the heat is coming down on Volkswagen. Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned last week, and the company may soon face a criminal probe by the U.S. Justice Department. On top of that, VW must face the wrath of angry owners. Many of the owners of the 482,000 implicated VW and Audi vehicles in the U.S. bought their cars… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100228_vw-diesel-drivers-hurt-confused-angry-remorseful EPA Will Test New-Car Emissions On The Road After VW Scandal. Recent incidents of carmakers overestimating fuel economy have led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to consider stricter testing standards. But the unfolding Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal may finally be pushing the agency to take concrete action. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100229_epa-will-test-new-car-emissions-on-the-road-after-vw-scandal Deadly Diesel Emissions Plummeting in California. Amidst the bad publicity coming from Volkswagen's engineered fraud on diesel emissions testing comes good news from California Air Resources Board: The cancer risk from airborne toxins, most of which come from burning diesel fuel, dropped 76 percent. http://www.planetizen.com/node/81255/deadly-diesel-emissions-plummeting-california Volkswagen Needs to Adopt 21st Century Sustainability Management. Volkswagen's deliberate and systematic effort to violate clean air rules is a shameful scandal, but it is also an example of management incompetence. Like BP's inability to manage its drilling contractors in the Gulf of Mexico, it is an example of massive and predictable management failure. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/volkswagen-needs-to-adopt_b_8207160.html GREEN ENERGY Bosnian power utility ERS to build 48 MW wind farm. Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic on Monday awarded a concession to regional power utility ERS to build a 48 megawatt (MW) wind farm in southeastern Bosnia, the first such renewable energy project in the region. The concession for the project, which will help to diversify energy sources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Bosnia, was awarded for a period of 50 years. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/28/bosnia-energy-windfarm-idUSL5N11Y1WK20150928?feedType=RSS&feedName=financialsSector State solar users would lose savings if proposal is OKd; SolarCity describes 'catastrophic' future. Tired of growing electricity bills, Miguel Espinoza decided to turn to the sun, rather than the grid, for power. The Inglewood resident signed in March with solar leasing giant SolarCity to fix his electric bills at $130 a month — down from the $250 to $300 he had been paying. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-net-metering-20150927-story.html Walmart doubles down on renewable energy with wind deal. The world’s largest retailer will buy 58% of the energy produced by a new wind facility in Texas, as the retailer looks to ultimately get to 100% renewable use. Walmart (WMT 0.05%) is taking a big step toward fulfilling its long-term ambition of being wholly supplied by renewable energy… http://fortune.com/2015/09/28/walmart-renewable-energy/ Solar energy becomes a major power player in the Middle East. In a patch of otherwise empty desert 30 miles south of Dubai, the outline of what is expected to become the Middle East's largest photovoltaic solar project is taking form in the sands of the United Arab Emirates. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, launched in 2013 with 13 megawatts of capacity… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/28/stories/1060025361 OPINIONS RPT-COLUMN-China carbon trading not all bad news for commodities: Russell. China's planned national cap-and-trade carbon emissions system may at first appear to be yet another bearish factor for commodity demand in the world's largest consumer of natural resources. In theory, limiting the amount of carbon emissions by setting a price per tonne and then making polluters pay for permits… http://af.reuters.com/article/metalsNews/idAFL3N11Y1LJ20150928 In Moreno Valley, profit vs. pollution. If there was ever a project that required the scrutiny and public protections of the California Environmental Quality Act, it's the World Logistics Center. Sadly, the massive warehouse complex in Moreno Valley, which could snarl traffic and create as much smog as a major oil refinery, may not get them. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-0928-world-logistics-center-20150928-story.html Why El Niño won't save us from the drought. We've all seen the forecasts: there's a 95 percent chance El Niño will hit the Northern Hemisphere this winter. For Californians, for whom the sound of rain has become an exciting novelty, the idea of a rainy season sounds like the promise of salvation. The drought will end, and we will be saved. http://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/Why-El-Ni-o-won-t-save-us-from-the-drought-6530641.php What Can China Achieve with Cap-and-Trade? It was hard to avoid the irony. The leader of China—nominally, at least, a Communist country—came to Washington and announced that his government was adopting a market-based approach to curbing carbon emissions. Meanwhile, to reduce its carbon emissions, the unreservedly capitalist U.S. of A. is relying on regulations issued by a centralized bureaucracy. http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-can-china-achieve-with-cap-and-trade Pope Francis’ call to action on climate change: Editorial. In the Pope’s view, humankind “is not authorized to abuse (creation), much less to destroy it.” Pope Francis covered a lot of moral ground in his speech to the United Nations on Friday, as the world body marks its 70th anniversary. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/09/27/pope-francis-call-to-action-on-climate-change-editorial.html BLOGS California’s Renewables Progress Commendable But Emission Of Global CO2 Still Exponential. California continues its remarkable legislative breakthroughs in going green under the SB 350 Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015. Legislation just passed sets two goals for 2030: 50% of state utility power from renewables and a 50% increase in energy efficiency of buildings. http://sandiegofreepress.org/2015/09/californias-renewables-progress-commendable-but-emission-of-global-co2-still-exponential/ Europe's $36M hydrogen infrastructure for 325 vehicles in Europe. Fresh of its victory from installing the first publicly-accessible hydrogen refueling station in the UK, ITM Power is going after the rest of the continent, or at least nine other countries throughout Western Europe. The company, like others before it, will try to address the rather expensive chicken-or-egg issue of providing enough hydrogen refueling stations for the fuel-cell vehicles… http://www.autoblog.com/2015/09/28/europes-36m-hydrogen-infrastructure-for-325-vehicles-in-europe/ Obama’s solar energy socialism. President Barack Obama recently made headlines in Nevada by promoting the “progress” his administration has made in promoting solar power and fighting climate change. Most media outlets conveniently forgot to mention one crucial fact: Without government mandates, subsidies, and sweetheart deals, the sun would quickly set on Obama’s solar empire. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/254987-obamas-solar-energy-socialism California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 14:39:31 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 29, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Smog Linked to Organ Rejection, Deaths in Lung Transplant Patients. Living near busy roads with high levels of air pollution raises lung transplant patients' risk of organ rejection and death, but some antibiotics lower that risk, a new study shows. Researchers examined data gathered from more than 5,700 lung transplant patients in 10 European countries between 1987 and 2013. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/09/29/smog-linked-to-organ-rejection-deaths-in-lung-transplant-patients EPA: Current smog limit inadequate to protect public health. The current federal limit on smog-forming pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illness "is not adequate to protect the public health," a top environmental regulator said Tuesday. Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said a new, stricter standard is needed to cut dangerous ozone pollution and prevent thousands of asthma attacks, emergency room visits and even premature deaths. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/article36900096.html CLIMATE CHANGE Despite pledges, climate action seen falling short. The emissions pledges that countries have made ahead of a landmark conference in Paris have been a major boost to the slow-moving U.N. effort to fight climate change. Less so for the climate itself. With pledges to cut or curb greenhouse gas pollution on the table from all major countries except India, researchers say the world is on track for more than 2 degrees C (4 F) of warming this century. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_TARGETS_?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT New York City flood risk rising due to climate change. The risk of major New York City flooding — such as what happened during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 — is likely to occur once every 25 years, rather than every 500 years, as a result of human-caused global warming, says a study released Monday. http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/09/28/new-york-city-flooding-floods-flood-hurricane-sandy-climate-change/72987564/ Shark culling could indirectly accelerate climate change, study warns. The findings come as shark experts meet at a summit at Taronga Zoo in Sydney to discuss emerging technologies that can deter the marine predators. Shark experts will gather in Sydney on Tuesday to discuss new safety measures, as new research warns the culling of sharks could indirectly accelerate climate change. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/29/shark-culling-climate-change-research State advances climate agenda. The Legislature may have scuttled the centerpiece of Gov. Jerry Brown's climate change plans, but it still approved ambitious new environmental policies that will impact the economy and lives of Californians. In coming years, the new legislation means California's homes and buildings are expected to use dramatically less electricity and the power grid will increase its share of renewable energy. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/brown-341878-ocprint-percent-state.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Norwegian/Finnish studies find Euro 6 cars exceeding NOx and CO2 type limits in real-world conditions; below on PM. Emission measurements conducted by Institute of Transport Economics in Norway, in collaboration with VTT in Finland, show that new Euro 6 cars with diesel engines are struggling with NOx emissions well in excess of regulatory type limits when in real traffic. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/09/20150929-toi.html FUELS Shell move dims oil prospects, delights environmentalists. Royal Dutch Shell has abandoned its long quest to become the first company to produce oil in Alaska's Arctic waters, darkening the nation's long-term oil prospects and delighting environmental groups that tried to block the project. After years of effort, Shell is leaving the region "for the foreseeable future" because it failed to find enough oil to make further drilling worthwhile. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SHELL_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_WELL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VEHICLES How much can electric cars impact climate change? New report says a lot. Just two months before international climate talks begin in Paris, a new report from energy and environmental groups predicts greenhouse gases can plunge 77 percent in 2050 by electrifying more than half the nation’s cars, trucks and forklifts. Through electrification of 53 percent of the vehicle miles traveled primarily from passenger cars, small trucks, buses and off-road equipment, along with more wind and solar power plants, the nation would realize a reduction in greenhouse gases of 550 metric tons per year in 35 years, equal to 100 million gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles taken off the road, according to the report. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150929/how-much-can-electric-cars-impact-climate-change-new-report-says-a-lot Tesla Model X launches tonight at Fremont plant. It's Christmas for Tesla lovers. Electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors launches its Model X SUV tonight at a private event at its Fremont factory. The first customers, buying the $132,000 Signature version, are expected to receive their cars. Chairman and CEO Elon Musk unveiled the prototype in 2012. Production has lagged 18 months behind the initial schedule, but the Palo Alto-based automaker claims about 20,000 customers have placed a deposit for the Model X. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_28894645/tesla-model-x-launches-tonight VW RECALL Volkswagen to refit cars affected by emissions scandal. Volkswagen announced plans on Tuesday to refit up to 11 million vehicles and overhaul its namesake brand following the scandal over its rigging of emissions tests. New Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said the German carmaker would tell customers in the coming days they would need to have diesel vehicles with illegal software refitted, a move which some analysts have said could cost more than $6.5 billion. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/29/us-volkswagen-emissions-plan-idUSKCN0RT0OL20150929?feedType=RSS&feedName=wtMostRead Volkswagen Scandal Highlights European Stalling on New Emissions Tests. European legislators got a jolt this month in their long-running effort to update auto-emissions standards when a German member of the European Parliament suddenly proposed exempting a whole class of vehicles. “This was a huge loophole, and everyone was asking: Where does this idea come from?”… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/world/europe/volkswagen-scandal-highlights-european-stalling-on-new-emissions-tests.html?partner=rss&emc=rss German investigators talking to EPA on VW - transport ministry. German investigators are talking with officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of their probe into manipulation of diesel emissions tests at Volkswagen, a spokesman for the German transport ministry said. "I can confirm this," the spokesman responded when asked about contact with U.S. authorities. "An investigative commission was set up by the ministry last week to clear up the issues surrounding manipulation in Germany. The commission is also holding talks with the U.S. environmental authority." http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/29/volkswagen-emissions-germany-usa-idUSB4N0ZH00820150929?feedType=RSS&feedName=bondsNews VW Crisis Signals Shift for Diesel-Focused Europe Oil Market. Europe’s refineries have been shifting for decades toward greater output of diesel to mirror alterations to the continent’s car fleet. As they have done so, imports have also surged, causing an ever-expanding glut to build up, while the fuel itself is under growing scrutiny for risks it may pose to public health. “This will only be bearish for diesel prices,” said Christopher Haines, a London-based senior oil and gas analyst at BMI Research, which is part of the Fitch Group. “Output levels are good and at the same time stocks are high. If consumption dips, prices will follow.” http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NV8DNK6JIJV801-2C9IAIUUV2EN2NP6U4CIDGEQ7R The Latest: Dutch VW dealers halt sale of diesel cars. Dutch Volkswagen dealers are halting the sale of diesel cars that may be affected by the German automaker's emissions-rigging scandal. Pon, the Dutch importer of Volkswagens, Audis, SEATs and Skodas, says in a statement that the temporary sales halt applies to 4,100 cars that its dealers still have in stock. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article36801426.html#storylink=cpy Volkswagen America CEO: EPA emissions findings 'do not reflect our values'. Volkswagen Group of America President Michael Horn is the latest executive to issue a public apology on behalf of the German carmaker for secretly installing software in its diesel-powered cars to circumvent emissions standards. Horn delivers his apology in a straight-to-camera statement that has been uploaded… http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/news/volkswagen-ceo-apologizes-company-launches-support-site-article-1.2377235 VW’s stock to be removed from Dow Jones indexes. Volkswagen AG’s stock will be removed from the Dow Jones Sustainability indexes after the automaker cheated on emissions tests. The carmaker’s admission on Sept. 18 that it systematically manipulated U.S. emissions tests prompted a review of its status, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and RobecoSAM said in a statement Tuesday. The stock will be pulled after the close of trading Oct. 5 from the DJSI World, DJSI Europe and all other related indexes, according to the statement. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/09/29/vw-sustainibility-indexes/73019318/ PAGE NOT FOUND Staff, supplier Bosch warned VW years ago that diesel emissions software was illegal: reports. Volkswagen ignored warnings from staff and a supplier years ago that the emission test rigging software that sparked the company’s worst ever scandal was illegal, German media reports said Sunday. German authorities, meanwhile, heaped pressure on the embattled corporate titan… http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/09/28/business/staff-supplier-bosch-warned-vw-years-ago-diesel-emissions-software-illegal-reports/#.VgnC1JOE7Sg Price to pay in Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal: Billions of dollars, loss of public trust. German manufacturer Volkswagen, which spent the past decade promoting its clean-diesel cars and clawing its way to the worldwide auto sales mountaintop, is now clamoring to preserve its assets and reputation amid disclosures that its recent-model diesel vehicles included technology to circumvent U.S. pollution limits. Regaining the trust of angry consumers might be the biggest struggle of all, based on random interviews at Sacramento-area Volkswagen dealerships last week. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article36484947.html VW just the latest in long history of cheating car companies. In stock car racing, there's an old adage: If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'. You could say the same sometimes for auto makers up against stricter environmental rules. Volkswagen is far from the first company to stand accused of trying to game required emissions tests. Almost since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, major manufacturers of cars, trucks and heavy equipment have been busted for using what regulators call "defeat devices" — typically programing a vehicle's on-board computer to boost horsepower or fuel mileage by belching out dirtier exhaust than allowed. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/politics-government/article36925599.html GREEN ENERGY Big utilities enter market for small rooftop solar. Traditional power companies are getting into small-scale solar energy and competing for space on your rooftop. The emerging competition comes as utilities and smaller solar installers fight over the future of the U.S. energy system. While the market for residential solar power remains a financial drop in the bucket for a big utility, the installation of solar panels overall grew by more than 50 percent in 2014 and is on track for another record-breaking year at time when the traditional utility business is pretty flat. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_28894650/big-utilities-enter-market-small-rooftop-solar OPINIONS A new low in science: Criminalizing climate change skeptics. Scientists have many important roles to play in preparations for the upcoming UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris. Some are working hard to clarify uncertainties in the science, others on developing and evaluating alternative climate policies. One group of climate scientists is trying a different approach. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/09/28/new-low-in-science-criminalizing-climate-change-skeptics.html Climate change. Climate change is affecting our economy and national security. Within a few years, climate change, if unaddressed, will produce a magnitude of refugees and resource shortages like we have never seen. It will continue to create a crisis that we cannot run away from. Countless businesses, nonprofits and local governments are already working independently to address and reverse the impacts of climate change. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/ct-climate-change-20150928-story.html When VW cheated ON EMISSIONs, IT cheated ON health. Already, Volkswagen Group is on the hook for what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says could be more than $18 billion in civil penalties for violating the U.S. Clean Air Act with its emissions scam. Additionally, the German automaker will be forced to pay for the repair of 482,000 affected diesel vehicles it sold in the U.S. between 2009 and 2015. And the company will need to defend itself in court from dozens of lawsuits related to the company's use of so-called defeat device software that engages cars' pollution controls only when they are emissions-tested. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-341879-ocprint--.html BLOGS Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Look to Consolidate VW Emissions Scandal Lawsuits. The Volkswagen AG’s emissions-cheating scandal has already spawned more than two dozen plaintiffs’ lawsuits across the country. The lawyers suing the German auto maker want to consolidate all the cases in one court, but they don’t agree on where. It will be up to a federal judicial panel to decide whether the VW litigation… http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2015/09/28/plaintiffs-lawyers-look-to-consolidate-vw-emissions-scandal-lawsuits/ The East and West Must Join Together to Fight Climate Change. With the conclusion of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, the international community has now adopted an even more expansive set of Sustainable Development Goals for the future. The SDGs aim not only to end extreme poverty and reduce inequality but to do so in a way that is environmentally sustainable. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-rudd/east-west-climate-change_b_8204072.html New York's Next Move Could Shake Up The Climate Change Fight. Mayor Bill de Blasio is ready to quit coal. On Tuesday, the de Blasio administration urged New York City's five pension funds -- worth a collective $160 billion -- to sell their $33 million exposure to coal. “New York City is a global leader when it comes to taking on climate change and reducing our environmental footprint," de Blasio said in a statement. "It’s time that our investments catch up -- and divestment from coal is where we must start." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-york-divest-coal_560a95cee4b0af3706ddd3f1 We May Have Just Bought Ourselves An Extra Decade To Avoid Catastrophic Climate Change. The world appears to have bought itself a little time in the fight to avoid climate catastrophe, according to a new analysis. Virtually every major country has made pledges to limit or reduce carbon pollution in advance of the Paris climate talks this December. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/28/3706024/paris-co2-pledges/ The Time for Excuses on Climate Action is Over. As global leaders have gathered at the United Nations over the last few days, climate action has very much been at the forefront. Looking ahead to the December international climate conference, countries are continuing to put their contributions to reduce climate pollution on the table. These climate action commitments continue to expose the emptiness of Republican excuses to avoid climate action. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/sclefkowitz/the_time_for_excuses_on_climat.html EPA expects success from new methane rules. A top environmental regulator said Tuesday that he expects new federal standards for methane emissions will succeed in cutting down on the potent greenhouse gas. Joseph Goffman, the associate assistant administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Air and Regulation, said Tuesday that the agency’s new methane standards, combined with expanded voluntary programs, will help the natural gas industry reduce its methane emissions. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/255273-epa-expects-success-from-new-methane-rules California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Sep 2015 13:42:22 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 30, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for September 30, 2015. 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 Luxury Markets Are No Breath of Fresh Air. It may be fair in San Diego, but air quality? Au contraire. Relative to other parts of the country, California’s luxury real-estate markets have the worst air quality, according to an analysis of data from the Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.wsj.com/articles/luxury-markets-are-no-breath-of-fresh-air-1443630700 Pilot Program Will Gauge Air Quality in New York Nail Salons. It is a question that has lurked in the minds of many manicurists: Are the chemicals they handle on a daily basis endangering their health? A pilot program, introduced Tuesday by the New York City public advocate’s office and backed by the Clinton Global Initiative, is designed to ensure that they do not. Dozens of desk lamps fitted with air quality sensors… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/nyregion/pilot-program-will-gauge-air-quality-in-new-york-nail-salons.html?_r=0 http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/09/30/air-quality-to-be-tested-at-nyc-nail-salons/ http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-nail-salons-air-quality-monitors-article-1.2379364 New Regulations on Smog Remain as Divisive as Ever. In August 2011, as President Obama prepared to unveil a major new environmental regulation on smog, his political advisers issued a warning: The rule would affect power plants and factories throughout the Midwest, slowing the economy in states like Ohio that would be crucial to the president’s re-election. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/us/politics/new-regulations-on-smog-remain-as-divisive-as-ever.html?src=twr&_r=1 EPA adopts rules to limit oil refineries' emissions into neighborhoods. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopted new rules Tuesday intended to clean the air around oil refineries across the nation, including communities near six major refineries in Southern California. The rules for the first time require refineries to monitor and report levels of benzene, a cancer-causing compound, at the boundaries of their properties… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-refinery-emissions-epa-rules-20150929-story.html http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rules-342035-ocprint-bill-defense.html http://www.ibtimes.com/obama-ozone-rule-epa-make-it-harder-factories-power-plants-emit-smog-pollution-2121052?rel=latest1 http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/29/3706306/ozone-rule-coming-soon / http://www.pressherald.com/2015/09/30/epa-issues-rules-to-reduce-oil-refinery-air-pollution/ HEALTH: Cancer risk from air toxins on the decline. Analysis by California air pollution experts finds dramatic drop in cancer risk from emissions since 1990. Californians can breathe easier these days thanks to significant progress in the battle against air pollution, officials said. The latest good news came in a study published this month by state air pollution regulators… http://www.pe.com/articles/air-781905-diesel-cancer.html South Bay environmentalists praise new federal oil refinery mandates. South Bay environmentalists and public health advocates, who for years have fought for stronger government regulation of the hazardous air pollutants released by the region’s six oil refineries into neighboring communities, praised new federal mandates signed into law Tuesday. http://www.dailybreeze.com/environment-and-nature/20150929/south-bay-environmentalists-praise-new-federal-oil-refinery-mandates https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2015/09/29/new-epa-rules-will-cut-refinery-emissions/ Michigan-based Guardian to spend $70M to cut pollution. Michigan-based Guardian Industries Corp. on Monday agreed to spend more than $70 million to reduce emissions from producing glass for automobile windshields and office and home windows — and will pay a fine of $300,000, federal regulators said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department disclosed the settlement… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2015/09/29/michigan-based-guardian-spend-cut-pollution/73034958/ Current smog limit inadequate to protect public health, EPA says. The current federal limit on smog-forming pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illness "is not adequate to protect the public health," a top environmental regulator said Tuesday. Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said a new, stricter standard is needed to cut dangerous ozone pollution… http://napavalleyregister.com/ap/washington/current-smog-limit-inadequate-to-protect-public-health-epa-says/article_a5d16925-35a5-5942-8f46-61d04ceb03b8.html Lord Drayson launches pollution sensor powered by radio waves. Businessman and Labour party donor’s FreeVolt project uses ambient wireless and mobile network waves to power CleanSpace tag for app designed for cyclists and pedestrians. Lord Drayson, the millionaire businessman, Labour party donor and former science minister, has released a pollution monitor that he hopes will drive efforts to improve air quality around the world. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/sep/30/lord-drayson-launches-pollution-sensor-powered-by-radio-waves http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34401616 Appeals court rules state air pollution plan for parks is insufficient. The air pollution control plan Pennsylvania submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 is insufficient to protect national parks and wilderness areas from regional haze, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2015/09/30/Appeals-court-rules-state-air-pollution-plan-for-parks-is-insufficient/stories/201509300203 Wide range of cars emit more pollution in realistic driving tests, data shows. Diesel cars made by Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Citroen, Fiat and Volvo among others emitted far more NOx in more rigorous tests, research shows. New diesel cars from Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Citroen, Fiat, Volvo and other manufacturers have all been found to emit substantially higher levels of pollution… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/30/wide-range-of-cars-emit-more-pollution-in-real-driving-conditions-tests-show CLIMATE CHANGE BHP Tests Climate-Deal Scenario. World’s biggest miner says a global agreement on climate-change action would merely slow demand growth. BHP Billiton Ltd. , the world’s biggest miner, says a global agreement on climate-change action would slow but not stop demand growth for most of the commodities it produces. Revealing projections for the first time as December’s Paris Climate Conference nears… http://www.wsj.com/articles/bhp-tests-climate-deal-scenario-1443524401 One of the World’s Most Powerful Central Bankers Is Worried About Climate Change. A new speech about climate change is fascinating both for what it says and who said it. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, declared that the warming climate presented major risks for the global economy and global financial stability… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/upshot/one-of-the-worlds-most-powerful-central-bankers-is-worried-about-climate-change.html http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060025569 Can pledges to cut emissions save the world from climate change? Many nations are pledging to curb greenhouse gas emissions, but these plans may not be enough. Greenhouse gases may be the culprit in the climate change dilemma, but will countries’ pledges to curb emissions solve the problem? The pledges have been picking up, with more nations adding their commitments… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0929/Can-pledges-to-cut-emissions-save-the-world-from-climate-change IMO Argues Against Hard Emissions Cap on Shipping in Paris Climate Deal. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is urging world leaders to decide against the idea of an overall emissions cap for the shipping industry ahead of global climate deal talks to be held in Paris at the end of the year, the IMO announced this week. http://shipandbunker.com/news/world/821863-imo-argues-against-hard-emissions-cap-on-shipping-in-paris-climate-deal Global Warming to Affect El Niño and La Niña. A research which was recently published in Journal Science Advances has revealed that global warming’s frequency may double and this can have negative effects on El Niño and La Niña phenomena. They are expected to become even stronger and more frequent. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describe El Niño and La Niña as complex weather phenomena… http://www.wallstreetotc.com/global-warming/220888/ Warming Ocean Could Make King Crabs Predators in Antarctic Marine Ecosystems. King crabs may soon become high-level predators in Antarctic marine ecosystems where they haven't played a role in tens of millions of years, according to a new study led by Florida Institute of Technology. "No Barrier to Emergence of Bathyal King Crabs on the Antarctic Shelf," published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ties the reappearance of these crabs to global warming. http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22554 France, U.K. increase their payments to climate aid. French President François Hollande announced yesterday that his government will increase climate change finance from €3 billion to €5 billion ($3.3 billion to $5.62 billion) annually by 2020, boosting chances of an accord in Paris in December but putting the United States in an awkward position. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060025470 Carbon-trading options -- and questions -- swirl in Ga. As Georgia continues to consider using a market-based approach to comply with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, it's clear that those who would have to create such a market still have a lot of questions. The state already intends to ask for a two-year extension when it files an initial plan on how it will meet EPA's carbon-reduction goals… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025558 DROUGHT Water, 2015, California: The no-good, very bad year -- now, 'pray for rain'. The year of the brown lawn and shortened showers concludes Wednesday, with water officials citing bleak statistics and expressing hope that the next few months will bring the heavy rains California so desperately needs. “Water year” 2015 was hot, dry and fiery, compounding the misery brought on by a fourth year of drought. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-year-20150929-story.html Poll: Californians Willing To Sacrifice In Drought. The Hoover Institution’s Golden State Poll focused on how to address the state's fourth year of drought. It found 54 percent of likely voters back current water cuts. An even higher percentage would support sharing groundwater or restricting its use. http://www.capradio.org/58091 Sacramento Area Water Districts Reducing Outdoor Water Days. The 173,000 customers of the Sacramento Surburban Water District, from Carmichael to Antelope, are currently allowed to water two days a week on an odd-even schedule. Now, the district wants customers to cut that to one day a week. Under a California state mandate, SSWD is required to reduce its water use by 32 percent from June through February 2016 compared to the same period in 2013. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/09/29/sacramento-area-water-districts-reducing-outdoor-water-days/ Even in drought, CA water rights politically toxic. It was the worst drought in California’s history. Reservoirs hit new lows as a historically dry year was followed by the driest year ever recorded. Forty-seven of the state’s 58 counties declared drought emergencies, and officials urged Californians to flush their toilets less and let their lawns go brown. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/09/30/even-drought-ca-water-rights-politically-toxic/73065384/ FUELS Biodiesel can help slash U.S. carbon emissions – report. Biodiesel can contribute significantly to U.S. carbon dioxide reduction goals, according to a new analysis released by the industry's main trade group. The report conducted by Bates White Economic Consulting found that boosting biodiesel production would represent nearly 20 percent of the transportation sector's share of the United States' climate commitment by 2025. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025595 Fossil fuel firms sponsor $20M prize to turn captured CO2 into sellable products. A consortium of fossil energy producers yesterday opened a new prize challenge for putting captured carbon to work. The $20 million in awards administered by XPRIZE will go to the team that can most profitably turn carbon dioxide into something useful, whether that's polymers, concrete or fuels. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025564 VEHICLES France to Run Emissions Tests on 100 Cars of All Makes. Cars to be tested in real-world situations. France will test cars belonging to individuals and rental agencies to see if their emissions in real-world situations exceed legal limits, French Environment Minister Ségolène Royal said Wednesday. The new tests—part of an effort to find out whether techniques used by… http://www.wsj.com/articles/france-to-run-emissions-tests-on-100-cars-of-all-makes-1443597905 Tesla pulls back curtain on its latest offering, the Model X. Tesla Motors Inc. frontman Elon Musk unveiled the company's Model X sport utility vehicle in California last night.The midsized crossover and newest option in the electric automaker's lineup has several new selling points -- a HEPA filter, blazing acceleration, agile "falcon wing" doors, a low center of gravity that reduces rollover risk… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025565 VW RECALL Volkswagen to refit cars affected by emissions scandal. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) said on Tuesday it will repair up to 11 million vehicles and overhaul its namesake brand following the scandal over its rigging of emissions tests. New Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said the German carmaker would tell customers in the coming days they would need to have diesel vehicles… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/30/us-volkswagen-emissions-plan-idUSKCN0RT0OL20150930 UPDATE 1-VW communications chief may resign on Wednesday – sources. Volkswagen's communications chief may resign later on Wednesday, sources told Reuters, following departed Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn as Europe's largest automaker grapples with the fallout of cheating diesel emissions tests. Stephan Gruehsem, head of group communications, external… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5N1202U820150930 Despite Volkswagen Scandal, Europe’s Diesel Habit Could Be Hard to Kick. A loyal Volkswagen owner for years, Jane Kelley was “shocked,” she says, by recent revelations that the German company had cheated on emissions tests in the United States. Snug in Ms. Kelley’s garage in North London recently was a white 2013 Passat powered by a 2-liter diesel engine. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/business/international/volkswagen-diesel-europe.html ENVIRONMENT: When VW cheated on emissions, it cheated on health. Dozens of Californians may have died from pollution linked to the automaker’s diesel vehicles, analyses suggest. Already, Volkswagen Group is on the hook for what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says could be more than $18 billion in civil penalties for violating the U.S. Clean Air Act with its emissions scam. http://www.pe.com/articles/health-781861-air-california.html The Latest: Nordic nations face up to VW scandal; Norway considering action. The latest developments in the Volkswagen emissions scandal. All times local. Norway says it's considering action against Volkswagen over the emissions-rigging scandal, with auto dealers in the Nordic region estimating that at least 500,000 cars could be affected. http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/09/30/the-latest-czech-republic-has-148-000-vw-cars-to-be-fixed VW braces for hit to business from emissions scandal. Financing arm freezes hiring; engine factory cuts a shift; U.S. law firm Jones Day to lead external probe. Volkswagen has imposed a hiring freeze at its financing business and cut a shift at a German engine factory as it braces for a hit to business from cheating in diesel emissions tests. http://www.autonews.com/article/20150930/OEM02/150939985/vw-braces-for-hit-to-business-from-emissions-scandal GREEN ENERGY Utilities battle for share of rooftops. The large, old-school power companies want to keep your business, even if it's on your roof. Solar power is still relatively small compared to traditional power, but it increased more than 50 percent in 2014 and is gaining momentum. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/09/30/stories/1060025519 OPINIONS Climate 'Reparations' for Poor Nations? Not So Fast. There is unprecedented momentum for a real international agreement at the Paris climate talks in December: The U.S. is on track to make significant cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions, China has announced a cap-and-trade program and many others have made commitments of their own. The biggest obstacle? Justice -- or at least two ideas about justice. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-09-29/climate-reparations-for-poor-nations-not-so-fast Test Emissions Where Cars Pollute: On the Road. VOLKSWAGEN has shown how easy and tempting it can be for car manufacturers to rig the pollution controls on vehicles to cheat the system. We shouldn’t have been surprised. Manufacturers of heavy-duty diesel engines were caught doing the same thing in the 1990s. How do we guard against this happening again? http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/opinion/test-emissions-where-cars-pollute-on-the-road.html China's change of heart on climate change. Think of the irony, if the push that finally makes the United States a world leader in combating climate change comes from ... China. Of course, President Xi Jinping would first have to follow through on the promises made in his new carbon-cutting accord with President Obama, which commits China to launching a cap-and-trade program for… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-adv-china-climate-20150930-story.html Your food waste contributes to global warming. Southern Californians, for decades now, have become quite used to separating their curbside trash into recyclables, yard waste and plain old garbage. Actually, there was just a short span in which we weren’t used to it. Sam Yorty in 1961 successfully ran for mayor of Los Angeles on a platform of “eliminating the inconvenience of separating refuse.” http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150929/your-food-waste-contributes-to-global-warming PD Editorial: Free markets, emissions and China. The irony of China’s climate plan is hard to miss. As journalist Elizabeth Kolbert wrote for the New Yorker: “The leader of China — nominally, at least, a Communist country — came to Washington and announced that his government was adopting a market-based approach to curbing carbon emissions. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/opinion/4548890-181/pd-editorial-free-markets-emissions Millennials leading climate change movement: David Oxtoby. Repairing the world is not a one-person job. To confront the greatest environmental crisis of our time — climate change — we need a movement. A groundswell of action, each person reaching another, is what is required to galvanize political and business leaders to move on behalf of our environment rather than moving against it. http://www.dailybulletin.com/opinion/20150929/millennials-leading-climate-change-movement-david-oxtoby One of the biggest consequences of the Volkswagen diesel scandal. Cheating is not a victimless crime. The recent revelations that Volkswagen rigged in-vehicle software to defeat emissions tests are but the latest example of efforts to evade regulations that protect human health and the environment. In crimes against the environment, it’s sometimes difficult to calculate who is affected… http://fortune.com/2015/09/30/volkswagen-diesel-scandal-consequences/ LA Chefs Editorial – methane and global warming. Domesticated ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) in North American basically replaced the corresponding wild ruminants (bison, elk, deer, pronghorns, and moose). (1). So in regards to methane and a reductionist point of view, if there still were the approximately 110 million wild ruminants (instead of the domesticated ones)… http://www.examiner.com/article/la-chefs-editorial-methane-and-global-warming BLOGS China Set to Achieve 2015 Climate Goals, Study Says. China is on track to hit its short-term target for reducing carbon emissions, newly released research shows, as slower economic growth proves a boon for global efforts to control greenhouse gas. In a newly-published paper, the World Resources Institute said an analysis of unofficial data shows that by the end of 2014… http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/09/30/china-set-to-achieve-2015-climate-goals-study-says/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 14:53:14 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 2, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 2, 2015. 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 regulator says new claims could double Exide penalties. A California air pollution regulator is pressing the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware to allow it to bring revised claims in a suit in state court that could boost penalties for battery maker Exide Technologies to at least $80 million. The South Coast Air Quality Management District and Exide have been sparring for months… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/bankruptcy-exide-idUSL1N1220J720151002 New Limit for Smog-Causing Emissions Isn’t as Strict as Many Had Expected. The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a major new regulation on smog-causing emissions that spew from smokestacks and tailpipes, significantly tightening the current Bush-era standards but falling short of more stringent regulations that public health advocates and environmentalists had urged. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/us/politics/epa-to-unveil-new-limit-for-smog-causing-ozone-emissions.html New federal EPA smog standard angers both sides of the issue. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency adopted a stricter smog limit Thursday that will force states to reduce emissions over the next decade, improving respiratory health for millions of people through pollution controls that will cost industry billions of dollars. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy issued a new standard… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-epa-adopts-stricter-smog-standard-but-disappoints-environmentalists-20151001-story.html Port of Los Angeles emissions show dramatic drops in most recent survey. The Port of Los Angeles has set new records for reducing harmful emissions from port-related activity, with diesel particulates down an unprecedented 85 percent in the past 10 years and sulfur oxides bordering on total elimination. The latest pollution-reduction figures, contained in a report released Thursday… http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151001/port-of-los-angeles-emissions-show-dramatic-drops-in-most-recent-survey CLIMATE CHANGE India vows to cut carbon intensity in Paris pledge. As the last major economy to submit a target for a global climate pact, India is pledging to reduce the intensity of its carbon emissions and boost the share of electricity produced from sources other than fossil fuels to 40 percent by 2030. The world's third-largest carbon polluter filed its climate action plan to the Germany-based U.N. climate secretariat http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_INDIA_CLIMATE_TARGET?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/climatechange-summit-india-emission-idUSKCN0RW05C20151002?virtualBrandChannel=11563 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-10-02/india-pledges-clean-energy-push-in-un-plan http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-02/india-seeks-2-5-trillion-to-curb-fossil-fuel-pollution-by-2030 http://www.wsj.com/articles/indias-modi-expresses-support-for-climate-change-agreement-1443460252 http://www.wsj.com/articles/india-pledges-to-cut-emissions-intensity-to-help-fight-climate-change-1443752106 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/world/asia/india-announces-plan-to-lower-rate-of-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html?_r=0 Philippines aims to cut carbon by 70 percent by 2030, if it gets help. The Philippines aims to cut its carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030 but only if it gets financial and technical help to meet that target at international climate change talks this year, a presidential aide said on Friday. Countries have submitted plans to limit greenhouse gases this week, in advance of a summit in Paris… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/us-climatechange-summit-philippines-idUSKCN0RW0KN20151002 Govts must cooperate more in water 'hotspots' to prevent conflict-UN University. Governments in water 'hotspots' need to scale up cooperation over shared water resources to avoid 'drastic' consequences such as international conflicts, the United Nations University (UNU) said on Friday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/global-water-cooperation-idUSL5N11Z2D920151002 51 countries just released their climate plans — and they’re still not enough. When it comes to slowing climate change, it takes more than a village. On Wednesday and Thursday, 51 countries filed their climate action plans with the United Nations, a key step toward reaching an international accord at the Paris climate summit in December. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/02/51-countries-just-released-their-climate-plans-and-theyre-still-not-enough/ 9 things we learned from national climate pledges. Almost 150 countries covering 90% of world carbon pollution submit timely plans to UN in unprecedented global exercise. final whistle blew at midnight in Bonn on Thursday as UN officials set down to tot up a torrent of national plans, or “intended nationally determined contributions” (INDCs) in climate lingo. http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/02/9-things-we-learned-from-national-climate-pledges/ DROUGHT Drought Woes in California Town Highlight Thirsty Poultry Industry. Residents of Livingston, California have sharply reduced their water usage during the state’s severe drought, now in its fourth year. But this summer, when state officials ranked how water suppliers had done meeting mandated conservation goals, the blue-collar town of 13,800 came in dead last. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/02/business/02reuters-usa-drought-fosterfarms-insight.html Looking At Year 5 Of Drought In California. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows no changes in the drought across California or throughout the Western U.S. for the period ending Tuesday, September 29. But the report released October 1 says any rain falling after Tuesday morning (Sept. 29) will be incorporated into next week’s U.S. Drought Monitor. "Across California and the Great Basin, drought remained unchanged… http://www.capradio.org/58180 DIESEL ACTIVITIES California ARB announces $24M grant solicitation for zero-emission truck and bus pilot commercial deployment projects. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced a grant solicitation for Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Pilot Commercial Deployment Projects. Up to $23,658,000 is available for this project from FY 2014-15 funds. Up to an additional $60,000,000 may be available for projects under this solicitation from future funds appropriated by the California legislature on or before 30 June 2016. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151002-arbzet.html FUELS U.S. fines Exxon $2.63 million for Arkansas oil pipeline leak. The U.S. pipeline safety office has fined Exxon Mobil Corp $2.63 million for spilling crude oil in an Arkansas residential area in 2013, the regulator said on Thursday. The Illinois-to-Texas, 20 inch (51 cm), Pegasus pipeline spilled about 3,190 barrels of oil in a neighborhood near the town of Mayflower. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/01/us-usa-exxon-mobil-pipeline-idUSKCN0RV5NP20151001?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/02/us/ap-us-pollution-trial.html http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article37303071.html VEHICLES Student-built solar motorbikes hit the road in Kenya. Motorcycle taxi operators waiting for passengers in this village in western Kenya's Kisumu County lounge on their various machines – but Alfred Omondi's plug-in electric scooter stands out from the crowd. Surrounded by motorbikes running on polluting fossil fuels, Omondi sits astride his solar-powered rechargeable motorcycle… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/us-kenya-solar-motorbikes-idUSKCN0RW11N20151002 Why Car Insurance Costs More for Electric Vehicles. Electric cars require less service than their gas counterparts, but insurance rates are still higher. When you buy an electric car, you’re showing fuel costs the door. But you might be letting in an unexpected guest: higher auto insurance rates. NerdWallet researched insurance premiums for gas and electric versions of the same cars… http://time.com/money/4058630/electric-car-insurance/?xid=homepage VW RECALL UPDATE 2-VW starts telling customers if affected by emissions scandal. Two weeks after it admitted to cheating diesel emissions tests, Volkswagen provided the first information on Friday allowing customers to find out if their vehicles are affected. The German carmaker, which has said it will have to refit up to 11 million cars and vans containing illegal software… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/02/volkswagen-emissions-idUSL5N1222ID20151002?feedType=RSS&feedName=marketsNews Town That VW Built Views Future With Caution. Residents of Wolfsburg, Germany, begin belt-tightening over diesel-emissions scandal. In the hometown of Volkswagen AG , residents are bracing for a bumpy ride. Wolfsburg grew around a 1938 factory created as part of Adolf Hitler’s plan to mass-produce his “people’s car”. http://www.wsj.com/articles/town-that-vw-built-views-future-with-caution-1443797584 U.S. States Jumping Into Investigation of VW Emissions Deception. A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from at least 30 states and the District of Columbia has joined a fast-moving investigation into the possibilities of consumer fraud and environmental violations by the German automaker Volkswagen. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/03/business/us-states-jumping-into-investigation-of-vw-emissions-deception.html?_r=0 VW Rivals Risk Bigger Blow as Emissions Scandal Hits Diesel. Volkswagen's cheating on emissions tests has soured the European car industry's heavy bet on diesel, with Renault, Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler potentially facing bigger long-term setbacks than the company that sparked the crisis. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/02/business/02reuters-volkswagen-emissions-industry-insight.html Problems With VW Engines Will Not Affect Russia: Russia Head. Problems with emissions from Volkswagen diesel engines will not affect Russia, the German carmaker's head of Russian operations said on Friday. "I'm not expecting any problems in Russia," said Marcus Osegowitsch, general director of Volkswagen's Russian unit. Russia said earlier this week it was yet to find any problems… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/02/business/02reuters-volkswagen-emissions-russia.html VW scandal widens as France and Italy launch deception inquiries. BMW, Chrysler, GM, Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz diesel models also being investigated by US Environmental Protection Agency. The Volkswagen emissions-testing scandal is deepening, with authorities in France and Italy launching investigations into the embattled German carmaker. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/02/vw-scandal-french-authorities-launch-deception-inquiry GREEN ENERGY Clean energy growth is ‘off track’ to avert climate change, says energy agency. First the good news: In a new report on the near term future of the global renewable energy industry, the International Energy Agency is projecting impressive growth. Renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydropower should constitute nearly two-thirds of new net power capacity… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/02/why-the-world-could-be-shifting-to-clean-energy-a-lot-faster/ SolarCity makes more efficient panels for life after tax credits. SolarCity Corp. announced a new solar panel today that, it claims, prepares it for a world of lower tax credits. The San Mateo, Calif.-based firm said it has built "the world's most efficient rooftop solar panel," with an efficiency of more than 22 percent. That compares with the 21.5 percent advertised by SunPower Corp.'s high-efficiency unit… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/02/stories/1060025737 U.S. offshore wind industry feels momentum building as steel hits the water. Backers of the U.S. offshore wind industry are hoping to build on recent momentum to crack the major financial and regulatory roadblocks that still remain before they can catch up with their thriving European counterparts. The image of a steel foundation being lowered into the ocean off the coast of Rhode Island this summer has become a sign of hope for the industry. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/02/stories/1060025746 OPINIONS Ways to Combat Global Warming. Re “Progress Seen on Warming, With a Caveat” (front page, Sept. 28): With the world’s countries heading kicking and screaming into a climate meeting in Paris in December, and China announcing a woefully complex cap-and-trade scheme, we should be talking about carbon fees, which are as painless as they are effective. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/opinion/ways-to-combat-global-warming.html California’s huge solar projects causing energy poverty: Thomas Elias. When ex-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made their way onto a hot, dry alkali flat just west of the 15 Freeway between Barstow and Las Vegas in late 2010, all anyone knew for sure was that they were opening an era of giantism in solar electricity in California. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20151002/californias-huge-solar-projects-causing-energy-poverty-thomas-elias Adapting to a Hotter World. We must prioritize adaptation efforts – not just mitigation plans – to handle global climate change. As countries gear up for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference – which comes on the heels of President Obama's Clean Power Plan announcement, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants… http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2015/10/02/the-vital-element-missing-from-the-climate-change-debate Californians need some attitudinal changes on drought: Guest commentary. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that, in this land of tanning beds and liposuction, Californians expect more in the way of instant gratification — a deluge of winter rain to ease the Golden State’s four-year drought. That is, if El Niño arrives and is as formidable as forecasted. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20151001/californians-need-some-attitudinal-changes-on-drought-guest-commentary BLOGS Why ‘science’ alone isn’t enough for setting environmental policy. The Environmental Protection Agency announced new, stiffer smog rules on Thursday that will reduce the allowable level of ozone in the air. Business leaders and state officials point out that many regions of the country still cannot meet federal standards set in 2008, or even back in 1997. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/10/02/why-science-alone-isnt-enough-for-setting-environmental-policy/ David Lazarus: Duped VW owners wonder what their next move should be. Paul Mason works for Pacific Forest Trust, a San Francisco nonprofit group focusing on environmental protection. He is, by his own admission, a tree-hugging kind of guy. That’s why Mason purchased a Volkswagen Golf TDI five years ago. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/article37339596.html#storylink=cpy The Fire Next Time: The Precious Opportunity of Climate Change. We are in the process of burning ourselves and many of the beings on Earth right out of existence. Overwhelming. Unbelievable. Wildly inconvenient. Weirdly difficult to take in. But true. We are. The fire, too slowly for our senses to note, warms and warms and warms some more. We could lower the flame, but we don't. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/davidgoldstein/the-fire-next-time-the-pr_b_8222716.html Stanford poll shows Californians ready for drought ‘sacrifice’. When it comes to California’s longstanding drought, citizens are ready for action – both of the policy as well as the personal kind. On Sept. 29, Stanford’s Hoover Institution released a new survey revealing deep concern within the Golden State’s electorate about California’s historic drought. Ideology and regional affiliations did not matter on most issues. http://news.stanford.edu/thedish/2015/10/02/stanford-poll-shows-californians-ready-for-drought-sacrifice/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 16:09:17 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 5, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 5, 2015. 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 Poland to sell sovereign carbon permits to Italy for $5.3 mln. Poland will sell some its surplus government-held emission permits to Italy for 20 million zlotys ($5.3 million), Poland's environment minister Maciej Grabowski said on Monday. Nations comfortably below their greenhouse gas targets in the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-12) could sell excess emission permits… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/05/poland-italy-emissions-idUSL8N12521220151005?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews Calif. likely to rely on cap and trade to show compliance with EPA rule, but interstate trading remains unclear. California is facing a potential surplus of emissions reductions resulting from U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, but officials are still unsure how or whether to take advantage of them. California is an outlier compared to the rest of the country in that it has been pursuing economywide emissions reductions for the past decade. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/05/stories/1060025829 AIR POLLUTION Smog-shrouded Malaysia shuts schools for 2 days. Malaysia on Monday shut most schools nationwide for two days to protect children from a thick, noxious haze caused by smoke from burning forests in neighboring Indonesia. The haze, which has shrouded parts of Malaysia and Singapore for about a month, also spread to Thailand on Monday, the first time it has reached hazardous levels so far north. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/environment/2015/10/05/asia-haze/73367038/ Researchers try freezing CO2 emissions to curb coal emissions. A team at Brigham Young University has developed a cryogenic carbon capture technology capable of eliminating the carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants. The researchers said that in tests, between 96 and 98 percent of the emissions was captured. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/05/stories/1060025775 CLIMATE CHANGE Six experts vie for top U.N. climate science job. Six candidates are vying to become head of the U.N.'s top authority on climate change science this week, seeking to narrow down uncertainties about future warming to guide a trillion-dollar shift to greener energies. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/04/us-climatechange-science-idUSKCN0RY0CH20151004 Toughen climate action every five years, U.N. draft suggests. All nations should agree to toughen curbs on greenhouse gas emissions every five years under a U.N. accord to combat global warming due in December, according to a first suggested text of a U.N. agreement on Monday. The 20-page accord, slashing a previous text of more than 80, is a step towards a deal due at a summit in Paris from Nov. 30-Dec 11… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/05/us-climatechange-summit-draft-idUSKCN0RZ1WT20151005 India's Global Climate Pledge Has Hefty Price Tag. The renewable energy targets in India's pledge to fight climate change most likely underestimate the drop in carbon intensity that could play out in the country with the world's fourth-highest emissions of greenhouse gases, analysts told Bloomberg BNA Oct. 2, a day after the document was submitted to the United Nations. http://www.bna.com/indias-global-climate-n57982059082/ EIB Links Green Bonds to Projects in Push for Climate. “Ahead of the Paris climate conference, the EIB is supporting EU’s leadership in climate policy also through innovation in the green bond market,” said Bertrand de Mazieres, director general of finance at the EIB. “Green bond issuance has grown substantially, and has the potential to contribute significantly to addressing the 2 degree Celsius target.” http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVQPK86K50XW01-4G98NPV4ECR4ABBQRJ4R98N61O Alaska Seeks Federal Money to Move a Village Threatened by Climate Change. One of the most eroded Native Alaskan villages on the state’s coast is being considered as a possible national model for moving entire communities whose futures are threatened by natural disasters escalated by climate change. The state is hoping to kick-start an exodus from the village of Newtok, about 500 miles west of Anchorage… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/us/alaska-seeks-federal-money-to-move-a-village-threatened-by-climate-change.html?ref=us&_r=0 UN releases a draft for potential agreement on climate. The United Nations on Monday released a first draft of the negotiating text for the major conference on climate taking place in Paris in December. The document is a step forward for the talks, slimming down the text from more than 90 pages earlier this year to just 20. http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article37783959.html#storylink=cpy Warming helps spur odd side effect in Northwest Passage: more ice. A new study is serving as a reminder that despite dramatic warming in the Arctic, the ice trend in the region is not straight downward in all locations, and some areas are showing surprising resiliency. Sea ice in the Northwest Passage -- a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans along the Canadian archipelago… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/05/stories/1060025789 When will rising seas and storm surges make an island uninhabitable? Many atoll islands may become uninhabitable in just a few decades, due to the combination of rising sea levels and flooding caused by storm waves, according to new research by the U.S. Geological Survey. Both threats are growing due to climate change. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/05/stories/1060025785 DROUGHT Will El Niño ‘solve’ drought? Not if the rain falls in Southern California. In recent weeks, conditions have gelled for what forecasters say could be one of the strongest El Niño weather patterns in recorded history. Will it substantially ease California’s historic drought? If the storms center on Southern California, the answer is probably not. Experts stress that El Niño is notoriously unpredictable… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article37743690.html#storylink=cpy Dust and desperation: How the drought is hurting health. Four years of drought in California is wearing on the bodies and minds of the people who live in the San Joaquin Valley. State health officials say they have not seen anything to link the drought to changes in residents’ health. But local doctors and health experts, and a drive south on Highway 99 from Sacramento to Tulare County, tell a different story. http://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/Dust-and-desperation-How-the-drought-is-hurting-6544787.php?t=6bed1c6c6d1210a92f&cmpid=fb-premium California drought: San Jose's tough conservation rules have few appeals so far. When San Jose Water Company, which provides water to 1 million people in San Jose and nearby cities, held a public meeting to announce its summer water conservation rules in May, more than 350 people -- most of them angry -- turned out. At the time, people complained that the company's rules were unfair… http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28920105/california-drought-san-joses-tough-conservation-rules-have Salton Sea risks 'falling off a cliff' as drought diverts attention, officials warn. The Salton Sea in Southern California risks "falling off a cliff environmentally," with devastating impacts on public health and the local economy, in a couple of years, officials there warned. But getting attention and resources has been made more difficult with the drought gripping the state. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/05/stories/1060025776 Panel to debate long-awaited drought measures. After months of quiet backroom discussions, efforts to pass Western drought legislation are getting ready for prime time. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R-Alaska) Energy and Natural Resources Committee this week will hold a long-awaited legislative hearing on the two lead California-specific relief measures, as well as several other bills dealing with Western water issues. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060025813 DIESEL ACTIVITIES FUELS Oil Patch Braces for Exploration Chill After Canada's Election. As Canada’s oil patch grapples with a price shock, pipeline delays and rising tax rates, the federal election could add another barrier to recovery by reining in a key incentive for development of new wells. Two of the three major parties jostling for power in the Oct. 19 vote are campaigning against “fossil fuel subsidies” … http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-05/oil-patch-braces-for-exploration-chill-after-canada-s-election Canada Can Halve Methane Emissions for $555 Million, Study Says. Canada can almost halve emissions of methane from oil and natural gas production for about C$726 million ($555 million) using off-the-shelf technology, a study said. Methane pollution from oil and gas production accounts for 6 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study by the Pembina Institute and the Environmental Defense Fund… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVM4KK6JTSE901-66740CB6UT6EPN4B9JQLLKFC35 Aemetis harvests demo crop of optimized biomass sorghum in California for advanced biofuels; ~90 days from planting to harvest. Aemetis, Inc., an advanced renewable fuels and biochemicals company, has harvested 12- to 15-foot tall biomass sorghum grown in Central California that was produced using proprietary seed genetics from Nexsteppe, a provider of optimized sorghum feedstock solutions. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151005-aemetis.html VEHICLES Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Sep: Waiting On Better 2016 Models. Sales of plug-in electric cars in the U.S. had a low-to-average month in September, with the sole bright spot being the astounding sales of the BMW i3 electric hatchback. Two new 2016 models, the entirely redesigned Chevy Volt and the longer-range 107-mile Nissan Leaf… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100333_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-sep-waiting-on-better-2016-models VW RECALL AP analysis: Dozens of deaths likely from VW pollution dodge. Volkswagen's pollution-control chicanery has not just been victimless tinkering, killing between five and 20 people in the United States annually in recent years, according to an Associated Press statistical and computer analysis. The software that the company admitted using to get around government emissions limits allowed VWs to spew enough pollution… http://bigstory.ap.org/article/a6925f0af82e44aaa1a1ed4b55d030f6/ap-analysis-dozens-deaths-likely-vw-pollution-dodge Volkswagen admits rigging of 8 mln cars in EU. Volkswagen has admitted that 8 million vehicles were fitted with software capable of cheating diesel emissions tests in the European Union, a German newspaper said on Monday, citing a letter the carmaker sent to members of parliament. The letter - dated Oct. 2 and cosigned by the former government spokesman and current VW chief lobbyist Thomas Steg… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12548G20151005 Volkswagen Emissions Investigation Zeroes In on Two Engineers. Company investigation focuses on two men elevated after Winterkorn was made CEO. Two top Volkswagen engineers who found they couldn’t deliver as promised a clean diesel engine for the U.S. market are at the center of a company probe into the installation of engine software designed to fool regulators… http://www.wsj.com/articles/vw-emissions-probe-zeroes-in-on-two-engineers-1444011602?mod=trending_now_1 Race is on to file suits against VW. Volkswagen's stunning admission that it rigged its diesel cars to pass emissions tests is setting up one of the largest, costliest legal cases in U.S. history. And it could all be played out in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles. More than 230 federal class-action lawsuits have been filed against the German automaker in courts across the United States. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-volkswagen-legal-20151003-story.html >From Italy to California, Volkswagen scandal was eight years in the making. Volkswagen’s diesel pollution scandal began unfolding with a series of road tests in the hills of northern Italy eight years ago. The automaker’s dirty secret was finally exposed when a team of California scientists devised a way to trick the company’s stealth software at a state-run laboratory off the San Bernardino Freeway. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article37570722.html#storylink=cpy Dirty secrets. Volkswagen’s falsification of pollution tests opens the door to a very different car industry. EMMISSIONS of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other nasties from cars’ and lorries’ exhausts cause large numbers of early deaths—perhaps 58,000 a year in America alone, one study suggests. So the scandal that has engulfed Volkswagen (VW) this week is no minor misdemeanour or victimless crime (see article). http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21666226-volkswagens-falsification-pollution-tests-opens-door-very-different-car VW exec to face grilling at emissions scandal hearing. A top Volkswagen executive could be pressed for a detailed accounting of the automaker's emissions-cheating scheme at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing Thursday. Michael Horn, president and CEO of Volkswagen's American arm, will be a witness at the hearing by the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2015/10/05/stories/1060025803 GREEN ENERGY Germany offers India $2.25 billion for solar, clean energy. German will provide India more than 2 billion euros ($2.25 billion) for developing a clean energy corridor and solar projects, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Modi has made ambitious renewable energy targets a key part of his development agenda and climate change mitigation commitments ahead of a landmark international summit in Paris at the end of this year. "I admire German leadership in clean energy and commitment to combating climate change," Modi told journalists after meeting Merkel, who was on a three-day visit to India. Austin backs 300-MW solar push while delaying review of bigger expansion. The City Council in Austin, Texas, endorsed a major expansion of renewable energy last week by authorizing the local electric utility to enter into agreements for as much as 300 megawatts of solar power. But council members delayed a decision on whether to boost solar exposure even further amid lingering questions about costs and implications. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/05/stories/1060025810 OPINIONS COLUMN-U.S. motorists opt for larger vehicles, lower fuel economy: Kemp. U.S. motorists are opting for larger, more powerful cars with worse fuel economy in response to the sharp drop in gasoline prices. The average fuel economy for vehicles sold in the United States in September was 25.2 miles per gallon, down by 0.6 mpg since August 2014, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N12539Q20151005 Jeb Bush’s energy plan. JEB BUSH laid out an energy plan last week that hardly addresses climate change. Given what passes for climate debate in the Republican Party, maybe we should be grateful that Mr. Bush didn’t use the rollout to indulge in climate know-nothingism. By any reasonable measure, however, it’s breathtakingly irresponsible…https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jeb-bushs-energy-plan/2015/10/04/77aef22e-66ed-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html Dan Walters: Electrical power tripping. When California’s electric power system went into a virtual meltdown 15 years ago, one might think it would have cured politicians’ urges to fiddle with its operations. After all, it was caused by a know-it-all overhaul of the system four years earlier by then-Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature, and successor Gray Davis’ mishandling of the crisis contributed… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article37438068.html#storylink=cpy Collaborative approach needed after failure of fuel-reduction mandate. Pundits proclaimed that the petroleum industry was the big winner coming out of the most recent legislative session. But the real winners were the millions of Californians who believe we can protect the environment without sacrificing our economy and middle class. The fuel-reduction mandate in Senate Bill 350 would have restricted the use of gasoline… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article37010571.html#storylink=cpy Rep. Charles Rangel: Let's slow down the next superstorm. The news last week that New York City faces Superstorm Sandy-level flooding every 25 years, instead of every 500 years, is a wet blanket after such a banner week bolstered by presidents, prime ministers and the pope talking about sustainability and climate change. What a serious wake-up call after all the positive pomp and circumstance. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/10/05/joaquin-hurricane-noreaster-superstorm-sandy-flood-column/73161698/ BLOGS Let’s Talk Health: EPA takes steps to improve air quality, but is it enough? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has tightened its restriction on ground-level ozone standards, and while that may be good news for public health in the San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere, the change met complaints from industry, which sees it as burdensome and a threat to businesses and jobs. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/article37419576.html#storylink=cpy San Francisco's Innovative Step to Save Water. After four years of drought, dwindling reservoirs and overdrafted aquifers, California's water woes are prompting dire predictions and desperate measures. In some places in the Central Valley, entire communities are at risk of drying up. Many are pinning their hopes to wet weather predictions from a coming El Niño. Others communities… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tara-lohan/san-franciscos-innovative-step-to-save-water_b_8236072.html Overcoming Fear: Women and Climate Change. Threatening hurricanes like Joaquin churn up waves of speculation. When a doozy of a storm is eminent -- dumping boatloads of rain and destruction -- I fearfully follow a steady stream of hurricane alerts on social media. Normally, the wild weather choir would swallow me up… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronnie-citronfink/overcoming-fear-women-and_b_8241472.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 15:43:01 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 6, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 6, 2015. 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 UPDATE 2-Choking Delhi vows pollution tax, car-free days to improve air. India's polluted capital, New Delhi, will within two months impose a tax on commercial vehicles entering the city and prohibit the use of cars on certain busy routes once every month, its transport minister said on Tuesday. High pollution levels have worried environmentalists… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/india-pollution-idUSL3N1262DW20151006 U.K. Said to Consider Closing All Coal-Fired Plants by 2023. The U.K. is considering whether to close all of its 12 coal-fired power plants by 2023 as part of its effort to reduce the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, an official with knowledge of the discussions said. Europe’s second-biggest polluter is also considering whether to make the announcement before Nov. 30… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-06/u-k-said-to-consider-closing-all-coal-fired-plants-by-2023 Coal emits twice the climate pollution of LNG -- industry study. Exporting U.S.-sourced natural gas to distant markets to produce electricity is environmentally preferable to burning coal in those same countries, according to an industry-backed study that considered a wide range of technology and resource scenarios to reach its sweeping conclusion. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/06/stories/1060025889 CLIMATE CHANGE UN releases a draft for potential agreement on climate. The United Nations on Monday released a first draft of the negotiating text for the major conference on climate taking place in Paris in December. The document is a step forward for the talks, slimming down the text from more than 90 pages earlier this year to just 20. Negotiators from 195 countries are to gather for a new session of talks… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT France urges more climate pledges ahead of UN talks in Paris. France is urging holdout countries to submit their pledges to curb greenhouse gas pollution ahead of a major U.N. climate conference in Paris. A total of 146 nations accounting for 87 percent of global carbon emissions submitted their pledges by a U.N. deadline last week. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_TARGETS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT UPDATE 1-India leads Asia's dash for coal as emissions blow east. Deep in the thickly forested hills in its east, India last month started production at what it hopes will in five years be Asia's biggest coal mine. At the open-cast mine, which involves the clearing of more than 18,000 hectares (44,500 acres) of land, noisy excavators are busy digging for coal… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/asia-coal-climatechange-pix-graphic-tv-u-idUSL3N12616220151006 Green beer cuts Tanzanian brewery's costs and carbon emissions. Green beer may not sound too appealing, but in Mwanza, it's going down a treat. A locally produced "greener" brew not only slakes thirst but is reducing the carbon footprint of the country's second largest city. Tanzania Breweries Limited is tapping biomass energy to produce more sustainable beer while cutting its fuel costs. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/tanzania-climatechange-beer-idUSL8N12529620151006 Millions face hunger due to climate change, "super El Nino" – Oxfam. At least 10 million poor people face hunger this year and next because of droughts and erratic rains linked to record global temperatures and an expected "super" version of the evolving El Nino weather pattern, aid charity Oxfam has warned. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/05/us-climatechange-aid-hunger-idUSKCN0RZ21120151005 Philippines aims to cut carbon by 70 percent by 2030, if it gets help. The Philippines aims to cut its carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030 but only if it gets financial and technical help to meet that target at international climate change talks this year, a presidential aide said on Friday. Countries have submitted plans to limit greenhouse gases this week, in advance of a summit… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/05/uk-climatechange-summit-philippines-idUSKCN0RZ1W720151005 Citigroup, Citing Climate Change, Will Reduce Coal Financing. Citigroup Inc., the third-biggest U.S. bank, said it will cut back on financing for coal mining projects, in the latest blow to the industry that’s viewed as a key contributor to global warming. Citigroup said its credit exposure to coal mining had “declined materially" since 2011 and that the trend would continue into the future. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-05/citigroup-citing-climate-change-will-reduce-financing-for-coal What the historic South Carolina floods can — and can’t — tell us about climate change. In 2013, after some controversy, South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources released a report on risks the state could face due to climate change. One of those risks? “A predicted result of climate change is the increase in intense storm events causing greater water inputs in shorter periods of time… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/05/what-the-historic-south-carolina-floods-can-and-cant-tell-us-about-climate-change/ E.P.A. Strategist Is Appointed to Fine-Tune Global Warming Agenda. As President Obama doubles down on climate change as a legacy issue, the White House has appointed Thomas Reynolds, a top communications strategist at the Environmental Protection Agency and a seasoned political operative, to a new position dedicated solely to messaging Mr. Obama’s global warming agenda. http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/06/e-p-a-strategist-is-appointed-to-fine-tune-global-warming-agenda/ El Nino expected to bring warmer US winter. El Niño conditions likely will result in a warmer-than-average winter in the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today. US heating degree days, a measure of heating demand, in December 2015-February 2016 should be 1.6pc below the average in 1981-2010. That measure should also be 6pc lower than it was last winter, said Michael Halpert, deputy director at the federal agency's Climate Prediction Center. http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1114615 How volcanoes can hurt the world's largest rivers. Scientists have long known the enormous climatic effects of giant volcanoes, but are only now discovering implications for the world's largest rivers. Volcanic eruptions can reduce flow in some of the world’s largest rivers, which millions depend upon for clean drinking water, say researchers from the University of Edinburgh. How it works: during a volcanic eruption, erupted ash is flung into the atmosphere… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1006/How-volcanoes-can-hurt-the-world-s-largest-rivers New Research Shows How Climate Change Will Influence Infant Health. The world has learned much in recent years about the harmful health effects of climate change, such as heat-related deaths, respiratory and heart problems caused by air pollution, and emotional disorders that result from the consequences of extreme weather. Now researchers have found that it poses a surprising new danger: low birth weight. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/10/06/3709407/low-birth-weight-climate/ Ice Loss in Antarctica Filchner-Ronne Region Directly Linked to Ocean Warming. The more ice is melted of the Antarctic Filchner-Ronne shelf, the more ice flows into the ocean and the more the region contributes to global sea-level rise. While this might seem obvious, it is no matter of course for the huge ice masses of Antarctica: parts of the ice continent are characterized by instabilities that, once triggered, can lead to persistent ice discharge… http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22574 China is working to reach its emissions peak before 2030 deadline, analyst says. Qi Ye, director of public policy centre in Beijing, says China is showing ‘global leadership’ on climate change and it will look to clean energy technologies. China may aim for an earlier greenhouse gas emissions peak before its 2030 deadline, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/06/china-is-working-to-reach-its-emissions-peak-before-2030-deadline-analyst-says DROUGHT Water and Power: What the last drought taught California. Conservation figures: Californians saved water in August, though not as much as they had in the months immediately following the governor’s call for a 25% cut in usage. Water officials blame the heat and a lack of rain for the slight uptick in use. “We can’t roll the dice when we’re still in the worst drought we’ve seen,” said Felicia Marcus… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-power-html-20151006-htmlstory.html Could lake water from Alaska be shipped to L.A., Long Beach ports? California needs water. Blue Lake in Sitka, Alaska, has a lot. So a company that holds the rights to up to 9 billion gallons of the lake’s water is pitching an idea that would send some of it — via tanker ship — to the Golden State as it endures the fourth year of severe drought. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20151005/could-lake-water-from-alaska-be-shipped-to-la-long-beach-ports Rancho Cucamonga reduces water use by 40 percent. Saving water doesn’t always translate to financial savings as city staff have learned while trying to meet state mandates for reduction. When the governor declared mandatory water restrictions, Rancho Cucamonga was tasked with reducing its consumption at city parks, greenways and facilities by 32 percent based on 2013 levels, said Bill Wittkopf, Public Works Services director. http://www.dailybulletin.com/article/20151005/NEWS/151009708 City to eateries: Use paper plates in California drought. A California city has ordered restaurants to cut back on dishwashing by using disposable plates, cutlery and cups as a way to save water during the fourth year of drought in the state. Officials in declared a water emergency after a river the provides the coastal town's drinking water got so low that ocean water seeped into city pipes… http://www.redding.com/news/wire-news/fort-bragg-orders-eateries-to-use-paper-plates FUELS U.S. motorists opt for larger vehicles, lower fuel economy: Kemp. U.S. motorists are opting for larger, more powerful cars with worse fuel economy in response to the sharp drop in gasoline prices. The average fuel economy for vehicles sold in the United States in September was 25.2 miles per gallon, down by 0.6 mpg since August 2014, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/us-usa-autos-fueleconomy-kemp-idUSKCN0RZ24X20151006 Biofuel from whisky byproducts better than ethanol, says maker. A Scottish company has developed a commercial scale method of producing biofuel capable of fuelling cars from the unwanted residue of the whisky fermentation process. Edinburgh-based Celtic Renewables developed its process of producing biobutanol at industrial scale in Belgium… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/05/us-biofuel-whisky-idUSKCN0RZ12420151005 Shell CEO `Pulling Out All the Stops' to Safeguard Dividends. Royal Dutch Shell Plc is “pulling out all the stops” to safeguard its dividend in a world where oil prices remain “lower for longer,” Chief Executive Officer Ben Van Beurden said. Europe’s biggest oil company is also protecting a plan to buy back shares and keeping its investment program “steady for the future,” … http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-05/shell-ceo-doing-all-to-safeguard-dividends-amid-low-oil-prices Obama doubles down on Arctic drilling regs. The Obama administration still plans to issue regulations for oil and natural gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean despite Royal Dutch Shell's decision to abandon its drilling efforts “for the foreseeable future.” Brian Salerno, director of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), said regulators are moving forward with their rules… http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/255934-obama-still-moving-forward-on-arctic-drilling-regs National Diesel Average Rises 1.6¢ to $2.492 a Gallon. The average price of diesel fuel in the United States rose 1.6 cents a gallon to $2.492, the Department of Energy reported Oct. 5. The national average for trucking’s main fuel was cheaper by $1.241 a gallon from a year ago, DOE’s Energy Information Administration said after its weekly survey of fueling stations. http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39631 VEHICLES Plug-in Electric Car Sales In Canada, September 2015: Triple-Triple. With a "double-double" being Canadian shorthand for a coffee with two creams and two sugars, we might call September a "triple-triple": Three plug-in electric car models hit the 100-sales mark last month. Chevy sold 126 first-generation Volts in Canada in September… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100353_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-canada-september-2015-triple-triple CWI ISL G Near Zero natural gas engine certified to near zero NOx; 90% below current standard. Cummins Westport Inc. (CWI) announced that its new ISL G Near Zero (NZ) natural gas engine is the first mid-range engine in North America to receive emission certifications from both US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Air Resources Board (ARB) in California that meet the 0.02 g/bhp-hr optional… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/201510-6-wi.html VW RECALL VW chief warns workers of 'pain' to come because of scandal. Volkswagen's new CEO has told more than 20,000 workers that overcoming its emissions-rigging scandal will "not happen without pain" and that the company will have to review its investment plans. Matthias Mueller vowed Tuesday that "we will overcome this crisis" but said that the company would have to be more careful about costs. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT For Volkswagen, costs of scandal will be piling up. For Volkswagen, the cost of its cheating on emissions tests in the U.S. is likely to run into the tens of billions of dollars and prematurely end its long-sought status as the world's biggest carmaker. As well as fines from governments, Volkswagen faces the massive expense of recalling up to 11 million cars globally. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VOLKSWAGEN_THE_RECKONING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VW pollution test site under scrutiny amid cheating scandal. When Volkswagen opened its gleaming pollution testing center near the California coast, a top executive from the German automaker helped snip the blue ribbon and joined a tour of a lab so advanced that VW would brag the air inside was cleaner than in the surrounding strawberry fields. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_EMISSION_TESTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VW under pressure for answers as emissions scandal deadlines loom. Hans Dieter Poetsch's first board meeting as chairman of Volkswagen on Wednesday could turn out to be his most important, coming just hours before a deadline set by German regulators and testimony by the company's top U.S. executive in Congress. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/volkswagen-emissions-idUSL8N1262DI20151006 EU seeks to harness VW outrage in diesel testing push. The European Commission sought on Tuesday to increase pressure on carmakers to agree to faster, deeper diesel emissions cuts, counting on public anger over Volkswagen's test-rigging to help its case. In an unprecedented test of its political heft - and of European regulatory enforcement - the industry is resisting a push by Brussels to crack down on nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/volkswagen-emissions-eu-testing-idUSL8N1252GP20151006 UPDATE 2-New VW CEO tells staff to brace for "massive cutbacks". New Volkswagen Chief Executive Matthias Mueller warned staff on Tuesday to brace for "massive cutbacks" in response to the diesel emissions scandal that has hammered the company's stock and reputation. Speaking to employees at VW headquarters in Wolfsburg, Mueller, who replaced longtime… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N1261MI20151006 U.S. House Panel Prepares to Grill VW on Cheating Timeline. Volkswagen AG waited two months after acknowledging a software abnormality in its cars to tell regulators the algorithm was designed to cheat emissions tests, according to a staff memo prepared for lawmakers investigating the automaker. The Energy and Commerce Committee, which will hold a hearing on Thursday in Washington, also wants further details on how and why the German-based automaker… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-06/u-s-house-panel-prepares-grill-volkswagen-on-cheating-timeline VW’s Emissions Scandal Has Its German Hometown Facing an Uneasy Future. This sturdy, workaday city in northern Germany has long been known as the birthplace of the “people’s car” — the Volkswagen. But even though the Volkswagen Group’s hulking plant and headquarters still dominate the skyline and local economy, city planners in recent years have tried to forge a more modern identity for Wolfsburg and its 125,000 inhabitants. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/business/international/volkswagen-wolfsburg-diesel-emissions-scandal.html House Dems want new VW cheating investigation. House Democrats on Monday urged the Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to hold a hearing into Volkswagen AG’s admitted cheating in 11 million diesel cars. Reps. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J. and Brendan Boyle, D-Pa. — all members of the Transportation and Public Assets Subcommittee… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/10/05/house-dems-vw-cheating-investigation/73405586/ EPA officials to testify on VW; West Virginia sues. Washington — Two Environmental Protection Agency officials will testify Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the government’s investigation into cheating by Volkswagen AG in 482,000 diesel cars in the United States. The testimony comes as the state of West Virginia filed suit against VW late Monday demanding refunds for the premium prices consumers paid for the diesel cars. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/10/06/vw-epa/73444566/ VW Diesel Emission Scandal: Five Possible Long-Range Effects. Thus far, it's a been a quiet start to the third week of the Volkswagen diesel-emission cheating scandal. Eight years' worth of VW TDI models, both new and used, have been taken off sale at the company's North American dealerships. We surmise its engineers are working around the clock at their Wolfsburg headquarters… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100346_vw-diesel-emission-scandal-five-possible-long-range-effects VW considers diesel fixes ranging from upgrade to new car, report says. Volkswagen Group is exploring options from a simple software upgrade to outright replacing cars as a deadline approaches to present a fix for up to 11 million rigged diesel vehicles. Swapping out the affected models for new ones is the most extreme in a range of options the carmaker is discussing ahead of talks… http://europe.autonews.com/article/20151006/ANE/151009905/vw-considers-diesel-fixes-ranging-from-upgrade-to-new-car-report-says Attorney general files suit against Volkswagen. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a lawsuit Monday against Volkswagen of America Inc., alleging the automotive company violated the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act. Morrisey said the company engineered certain vehicles to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. http://www.register-herald.com/news/attorney-general-files-suit-against-volkswagen/article_3fdca59f-a467-5412-bd8e-7ca5958f4ed2.html Volkswagen Fire Sale: Update 1. Summary •VW's staff have "acted criminally" per VW Board Member Olaf Lies. •Initial spin seeks to separate individual actions from the company's actions. •CEO Martin Winterkorn has been forced to resign. •Volkswagen estimates approximately 11 millions vehicles may be affected. This is the first update in the Volkswagen Fire Sale series, the first article is here. http://seekingalpha.com/article/3551146-volkswagen-fire-sale-update-1 GREEN ENERGY US forecast calls for lower heating bills this winter. Heating bills should drop this winter for most U.S. households thanks to a combination of lower energy prices and warmer weather across most of the country, the U.S. Energy Department said Tuesday. The Energy Department's annual prediction calls for lower heating bills across the board but with the biggest savings for those who use propane or oil to heat their homes. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WINTER_HEATING_COSTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-us--winter-heating-costs-20151006-story.html Renewables to struggle to replace fossil fuels - Shell CEO. Clean renewable energy will struggle to replace fossil fuels as heavy industries will only gradually wean themselves off coal, oil and gas, Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden is set to say on Tuesday. In a speech he will make to the annual Oil and Money conference in London, van Beurden will again urge… http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/uk-shell-renewables-idUKKCN0S000120151006 California Leads a Quiet Revolution. California is cruising toward its 2020 goal for increasing renewable energy and is setting far more ambitious targets for the future. Its large-scale solar arrays produced more energy in 2014 than those in all other states combined. Half the nation’s solar home rooftops are in the state… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/business/energy-environment/california-leads-a-quiet-revolution.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=2 BNEF: wind and solar boost cost-competitiveness versus fossil fuels. This year has brought a significant shift in the generating cost comparison between renewable energy and fossil fuels, according to detailed analysis by technology and region, published this week by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The levelized cost of electricity analysis for H2 2015 shows onshore wind to be fully competitive against gas and coal in some parts of the world, while solar is closing the gap. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151006-bnef.html OPINIONS The EPA’s new smog limits may be late, but they are a start. YOU’VE PROBABLY seen the ominous TV ads: The Obama administration is recklessly upsetting federal regulations on ozone — a primary component of smog — that are working fine already. All the nation has to do is sit back and keep improving its air under current rules, the commercials argue. “Common sense,” a concerned narrator frets in one spot, “does it exist in our nation’s capital?” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-epas-new-smog-limits-may-be-late-but-they-are-a-start/2015/10/05/0ee01242-6949-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html Jim Inhofe: Obama's ozone overreach. With unrealistic ozone standards that will push counties into nonattainment, Obama risks national welfare for his political legacy. On Thursday, the Obama administration finalized a new national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for ozone as part of the president’s legacy of addressing the environment through regulatory overreach. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/10/05/jim-inhofe-obamas-ozone-overreach-harms-economic-welfare-column/73401920/ The Union’s weekly columnist: an ideologue but not informative. In his weekly column today, dissing California’s “green revolution,” The Union’s weekly George Boardman wrote: “State Senator Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, proposed earlier this year to eliminate state tax credits for cars costing more than $40,000. ‘It’s hard for the average Californian to understand why someone buying a $100,000 car should get a rebate,’ he said. http://sierrafoothillsreport.com/2015/10/05/the-unions-weekly-columnist-an-ideologue-but-not-informative/ 3.3 Million Lives Taken By Horrific Polluted Air… Every Year. You know that smog that you hate breathing when you’re stuck in traffic? Yeah, it’s killing you. I suppose that’s something that most of us know in the back of our heads, but it probably doesn’t come to the forefront all that often. New research published in the journal Nature might change that, though, as the numbers are pretty clear… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/06/3-3-million-lives-taken-by-horrific-polluted-air-every-year/ Climate Change Is Not Our Fault. It's time to change the way we talk about climate change. Political leaders have acknowledged human-driven (or "anthropogenic") global warming since 1964 (when President Lyndon Johnson mentioned it in a speech to Congress). Since then, however, we've done almost nothing to address its dangers. As everyone knows, the problem is the political polarization of an issue that is… http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/10/06/446109168/climate-change-is-not-our-fault BLOGS VW: Restraining order bid is just maneuver by class action firm. Can hundreds of class action lawyers be wrong? Every day brings another clutch of filings against Volkswagen by clean diesel car owners who claim the automaker lied about their cars’ noxious emissions. Plaintiffs’ lawyers seem to regard the litigation against VW as a sure thing, thanks in no small part to the company’s own admissions. http://blogs.reuters.com/alison-frankel/2015/10/06/vw-restraining-order-bid-is-just-maneuver-by-class-action-firm/ A Top Task for the New Chair of the U.N. Climate Panel – a Communication Reboot. The new chairman* of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is scheduled to be elected shortly at a large gathering of climate scientists and government representatives in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Yet, after years of complaints from both inside and out, there’s a troubling opacity to the panel’s operations and there’s been no public view of the meeting so far. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/a-top-task-for-the-new-chair-of-the-u-n-climate-panel-a-communication-reboot/?ref=international&_r=0 http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/a-top-task-for-the-new-chair-of-the-u-n-climate-panel-a-communication-reboot/?ref=international&_r=0 Lumber Liquidators Stock Fell Another 13% Last Month: Time to Buy or Time to Bail? It's been an ugly year. Let's take a closer look at what's happening. It may be time to buy. Or maybe not... What: According to S&P Capital IQ, shares of specialty flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators (NYSE:LL) fell 13% in September. This is especially disappointing for investors who saw the stock shoot up as much as 37% from early August through mid-September… http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/06/lumber-liquidators-stock-fell-another-13-last-mont.aspx 2015 Has Been A Year Of Record-Breaking U.S. Weather Events. Floods, droughts, hurricanes, fires -- and it's not over. Catastrophic flooding in South Carolina since last week shattered state rainfall records and shocked longtime residents and officials, who said they've never seen rain so powerful. But it's hardly the first extreme, record-breaking weather event in the U.S. this year. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/record-breaking-weather-events_5612d0e8e4b0dd85030ce995?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green§ion=green California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 15:56:45 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 7, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 7, 2015. 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 Guardian to cut air pollution at plants in seven states. Guardian Industries Corp. will take steps to better control emissions from its plants, pay a penalty and fund a project that will reduce particulate matter pollution in the San Joaquin Valley. This action comes after a settlement that was announced between the glass manufacturer, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency Sept. 29. http://hanfordsentinel.com/kingsburg_recorder/news/guardian-to-cut-air-pollution-at-plants-in-seven-states/article_915cd172-9173-50fb-891d-223fa0bd3017.html Utility group bows to the inevitable, gets wish on ozone rule. In late September, the trade group representing investor-owned utilities attended two meetings with top White House and U.S. EPA officials. Its request: Set a new ozone standard at 70 parts per billion. Six days later, the Obama administration unveiled its final new national ambient air quality standard at that level. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/07/stories/1060026013 CLIMATE CHANGE Korean energy economist to head UN climate science panel. A South Korean professor of climate change economics will lead the Nobel Prize-winning group of climate scientists who keep track of global warming. Hoesung Lee, elected chairman Tuesday of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told The Associated Press that the United Nations-affiliated science group will do more to examine the effects of man-made global warming… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CLIMATE_PANEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Rich countries two-thirds of way to $100 bln climate finance goal: report. The world's richest countries spurred $61.8 billion in public and private funds in 2014 to help poor countries combat and adapt to climate change, nearly two-thirds of a key international goal to raise $100 billion a year starting in 2020, according to a report released on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/un-climatechange-finance-idUSL1N12708520151007 UPDATE 2-Oil bosses to meet in latest climate change offensive. The leaders of eight of the world's top oil companies will meet in Paris next week to explain how they will help combat climate change, as part of an offensive ahead of a U.N. summit later this year. The Oct. 16 meeting will be followed by a press conference, where the company heads are also expected to renew… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/total-climate-idUSL8N1271TN20151007?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews Report Reveals Gap in Climate-Change Financing. OECD study finds developed world must ramp up spending to meet commitments to help poorer nations deal with climate change. Rich countries face a gap of nearly $40 billion in annual financing to help developing countries combat global warming, according to a report that puts a price tag on efforts to reach an international accord at climate talks due to start in Paris in December. http://www.wsj.com/articles/report-reveals-gap-in-climate-financing-1444239865 California governor signs aggressive climate change bill. California Gov. Jerry Brown signed an ambitious bill on Wednesday to combat climate change by increasing the state's renewable electricity use to 50 percent and doubling energy efficiency in existing buildings by 2030. Brown approved the measure after losing a political battle against oil interests as he also tried to cut petroleum use by half in the state. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-jerry-brown-climate-change-renewable-energy-20151007-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article38089830.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/science/ci_28931393/californias-landmark-renewable-energy-law-be-signed-wednesday http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/10/07/54886/california-governor-to-sign-aggressive-climate-cha/ http://www.kcra.com/news/ca-climate-change-bill-aims-to-reduce-greenhouse-gases/35701582 http://www.ocregister.com/articles/brown-686428-bill-california.html Almost two-thirds of climate fund for developing nations already pledged. OECD report showing extent of existing pledges towards $100bn target to help poorer countries tackle climate change, gives further hope for success in Paris. Rich countries and businesses have provided close to two-thirds of the financial assistance pledged to poorer nations… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/07/almost-two-thirds-of-climate-fund-for-developing-nations-already-pledged Cruz, Sierra Club chief get hot over climate change at hearing. A Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing yesterday on the topic of federal regulations and their impact on minority communities devolved into a standoff over the existence of climate change -- with neither Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) nor Sierra Club President Aaron Mair willing to budge from their respective positions. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060025973 DROUGHT Key Calif. reservoirs only 24% full – report. California's Central Valley Project has significantly lower reservoirs than it did last fall because of the drought, the federal Bureau of Reclamation said yesterday. Six key reservoirs are holding less than half the water that they historically hold at the end of September, the agency said. The reservoirs are less than a quarter full. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/07/stories/1060026006 DIESEL ACTIVITIES UC Berkeley scientists measure diesel truck emissions in Caldecott Tunnel. A team of campus researchers is measuring the relative levels of diesel truck emissions passing through Berkeley’s Caldecott Tunnel in an effort to determine the effectiveness of California’s new emissions requirements. The researchers, a group of scientists from the campus’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, have been using a set of cameras, monitors… http://www.dailycal.org/2015/10/06/uc-berkeley-scientists-measure-diesel-truck-emissions-in-caldecott-tuneel/ FUELS Methane emissions fall for 3rd consecutive year – EPA. Greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector are on the rise, but methane leakage continues to fall, according to new U.S. EPA data. Petroleum and natural gas systems emitted 236 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere in 2014, up from 228 million metric tons CO2e in 2013, yesterday's update to EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) shows. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/07/stories/1060025987 VW RECALL VW CEO: Emissions fixes could take until end of next year. Volkswagen said a recall of cars with software that can be used to evade emissions tests could start in Germany in January and last until the end of next year. The recall does not yet include cars in the U.S., where the scandal engulfing the world's largest carmaker erupted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VW, with limited DC lobbying footprint, braces for Congress. For the first time, Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO Michael Horn will appear before a congressional investigative committee this week. He, and the company, will bring little Washington political clout to the table. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_INFLUENCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT APNewsBreak: Senate panel probing VW's use of tax credits. The Senate Finance Committee opened a probe Tuesday into Volkswagen's use of a federal tax credit intended for fuel-efficient cars as the company's emissions-rigging scandal widened. Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore. said in a letter to Volkswagen that more than $50 million in tax subsidies may have gone to VW owners under false pretenses. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Resale values falling for Volkswagen diesels. Kelley Blue Book says the average resale value of Volkswagens with two-liter diesel engines is down 13 percent since mid-September, when VW admitted it cheated on U.S. emissions tests using software installed on 11 million diesels worldwide. Used car values often drop in the fall, since demand for them is stronger in the summer. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_RESALE_VALUES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Volkswagen, Audi say 90,000 Australia vehicles had emissions cheating software. The number of vehicles sold in Australia fitted with devices designed to mask the level of emissions has risen to more than 90,000 from 77,000, to include the Audi brand, widening a global scandal that engulfed German automaker Volkswagen. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/volkswagen-emissions-australia-idINKCN0S10NO20151007 Volkswagen's India unit says investigating Polo cars. German carmaker Volkswagen AG's India unit is investigating the Polo hatchback cars it sells over "technical issues", a spokesman for the local unit told Reuters on Wednesday. The spokesman said the investigation is not related to the diesel emissions scandal over which the company is facing a probe in the United States and Europe. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/us-volkswagen-india-idUSKCN0S117Z20151007 Volkswagen faces first German lawsuit over rigged diesel tests. A female motorist from Cologne has filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen, accusing the company of deceiving car owners by rigging diesel emissions tests, law firm Jordan Fuhr Meyer said on Wednesday. The woman, who lodged her claim for damages with Braunschweig district court, is the first known German to sue Volkswagen… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/volkswagen-emissions-germany-lawsuit-idUSL8N1273S220151007 Volkswagen's UK managing director to appear before British lawmakers. Volkswagen's UK managing director will face questions from British lawmakers on Monday following the German car company's admission that it rigged U.S. diesel emissions tests. VW's Paul Willis, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and Mike Hawes, who heads British car industry body the SMMT… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N1273BH20151007 New VW chairman says it will take time to clear up emissions scandal. New Volkswagen Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said it would take "some time" to clear up a diesel emissions scandal that has hammered the company's stock and reputation. "Nobody is served by speculation or vague, preliminary progress reports," Poetsch told a news conference after being confirmed as the carmaker's new chairman on Wednesday. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFB4N0ZH00D20151007 UPDATE 3-VW plays down hopes of quick answers over emissions cheating. Volkswagen said on Wednesday it would take time to get to the bottom of its rigging of diesel emissions tests, hours before the carmaker is due to give updates on its findings to German regulators and U.S. lawmakers. More than two weeks after it admitted to cheating U.S. emissions tests, Europe's largest carmaker is… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N1272I420151007 VW Faces Long Road to Recovery as Diesel Fixes to Take a Year. Volkswagen AG’s efforts to fix diesel cars with rigged emissions systems are set to drag on through at least the end of 2016, signaling the long road ahead for the automaker to emerge from the scandal. VW said it has presented proposals to German authorities in the first stage of a global recall but cautioned that the mix of technology… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-07/vw-s-mueller-pledges-to-complete-diesel-recalls-by-end-of-2016 VW chief: Investigation will determine how many knew about emissions deception. Volkswagen said a recall of cars with software that can be used to evade emissions tests could start in Germany in January and last until the end of next year. The recall does not yet include cars in the U.S., where the scandal engulfing the world's largest carmaker erupted. http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/07/vw-ceo-recall-of-cars-hit-by-scandal-to-begin-in-january Volkswagen Chief Says Few Knew of Diesel Fraud. As car owners waited for Volkswagen to meet a Wednesday night deadline to explain how it would fix 11 million faulty diesel vehicles, the company’s new chief executive blamed a small number of employees for the scandal and said he believed the previous chief executive had been ignorant of the fraud. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/08/business/international/volkswagen-diesel-emissions-fix.html?_r=0 Volkswagen Sought a Green Seal for Its Diesel Cars. In July 2011, President Obama took the stage here to announce sweeping new fuel economy and carbon emissions targets for vehicles in the United States. Joining him were top executives from nearly every automaker, representing 90 percent of vehicles sold domestically. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/business/international/volkswagen-sought-a-green-seal-for-its-diesel-cars.html U.S. hearing into VW violations puts industry, EPA under scrutiny. Volkswagen's top U.S. executive on Thursday will field questions from U.S. lawmakers on how the automaker managed to evade pollution rules, kicking off a congressional probe into the scandal and whether other automakers might be implicated. http://www.autonews.com/article/20151007/OEM11/151009877/u.s.-hearing-into-vw-violations-puts-industry-epa-under-scrutiny Volkswagen slashing costs that aren't 'absolutely vital' amid emissions scandal. Volkswagen's new boss is warning that the company is planning comprehensive cuts to navigate the crisis resulting from its admission to rigging engines on diesel cars around the world to beat emissions tests. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/10/06/volkswagen-slashing-costs-arent-absolutely-vital-amid-emissions-scandal/73435322/ Six Possible VW TDI Diesel Fixes: From Software To New Car. "You have power, you have energy, you have emissions: You get to choose two of them." That's the conundrum facing diesel-engine engineers, as summarized by Don Hillebrand, the director of energy systems research at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. And the VW diesel emission cheating scandal shows just how tough those tradeoffs… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100364_six-possible-vw-tdi-diesel-fixes-from-software-to-new-car GREEN ENERGY UPDATE 1-German households face rising green power surcharge. A green energy surcharge levied on German consumers to support renewable power generation is likely to rise next year, despite government efforts to rein in the costs of the planned transition to a low-carbon economy, green energy group BEE said on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/germany-energy-renewables-idUSL8N1270T320151007 Outside Forces Shape European Energy. The European Union is struggling to create what it calls its “energy union.” This is largely a refinement of existing policies aimed at improving energy security, accelerating the shift to a low-carbon economy and, on a political level, showing that the 28 European Union member states… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/business/energy-environment/outside-forces-shape-european-energy.html Wind costs fall to match coal, gas in key energy markets – report. In a finding that should resonate across global energy markets, Bloomberg New Energy Finance revealed this week that wind energy has achieved cost parity with fossil fuel power in two key European markets, while solar continues to close the energy price gap across many parts of the world. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/07/stories/1060025981 State on target for 50% renewable power by 2030 – report. California's leaders want the state to set an example for how to cut carbon emissions. Spurred on by progressive policies, a high-tech mindset and abundant sunshine, the state has been ramping up its production of clean electricity and hasn't seen major price increases yet. More than a quarter of the state's power this year will come from sources like the sun or wind… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/07/stories/1060025936 OPINIONS Much Alternate Energy Isn’t All That Green. Calling for extension of renewable-energy tax incentives is strange given the avian and bat carnage from windmills. Collin O’Mara’s “Exporting Oil and Protecting Wildlife” (op-ed, Sept. 30) continues the cognitive dissonance of the environmental movement on the energy front. His calling for extension of renewable-energy tax incentives is strange given the avian and bat carnage from windmills. http://www.wsj.com/articles/much-alternate-energy-isnt-all-that-green-1444158446 Why Can the E.P.A. Regulate Smog, but not Greenhouse Gases? LAST week the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled stringent new regulations on smog, and it’s crystal clear the agency has legal authority to impose these rules. The E.P.A. also recently announced an initiative to reduce greenhouse gases from power plants, though its legal authority to regulate emissions that cause global warming is murky. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/08/opinion/why-can-the-epa-regulate-smog-but-not-greenhouse-gases.html Stuff Happens to the Environment, Like Climate Change. With both China and India having just announced major plans to curb their carbon emissions, the sound you hear is a tipping point tipping. Heading into the United Nations climate summit meeting in Paris in December, all the world’s largest industrial economies are now taking climate change more seriously. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/opinion/thomas-friedman-stuff-happens-to-the-environment-like-climate-change.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&_r=0 Monterey pines aren't the only casualties of prolonged drought. Here in Cambria’s backcountry, we have a sprinkling of native maple trees that have always graced us with weeks of the warm colors of autumn. The beauty was something we anticipated with excitement and experienced with joy each year. Over the past few years, our maples seem to have lost the energy and strength… http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/10/07/3843743_maple-drought-cambria.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Drought Leads To Smaller California Pumpkins, More Shipments From Oregon. You may not be able to find The Great Pumpkin this year from California — and you can blame it on the drought. If you look around, this season’s pumpkins seem smaller than in the past. John Moore owns the San Ramon and Castro Valley pumpkin farms and says he is anxiously awaiting truckloads of pumpkins driven down from Silverton, Oregon. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/10/07/drought-pumpkin-patch-farm-halloween-oregon/ Victoria's unused $4bn desalination plant may be dusted off to ease drought. Little rain since July 2014 prompts Labor government to consider turning it on to top up water storage areas, particularly in state’s north-west. Victoria’s $4bn seawater desalination plant, which has been standing idle since it was completed in 2012, may be switched on for the first time to help deal with the state’s water shortages. http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/oct/07/victorias-unused-4bn-desalination-plant-may-be-dusted-off-to-ease-drought BLOGS Anti-pollution cycling masks tested. With thousands dying a year from poor air quality, is a mask as good a safety precaution as a helmet? Many British urban bike commuters opt to wear a helmet. Some also go for a hi-vis jacket. But considerably fewer use an anti-pollution mask, despite evidence that smog might be the biggest single danger you face on two wheels. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2015/oct/07/avoiding-pollution-on-bike-we-test-cycling-anti-pollution-masks-respro-totobobo-biologic Why and how Brazil should do more to stop deforestation and climate change. Brazil’s climate pledges in advance of the Paris negotiations were significant because it is one of the world’s most important emerging economies, and it’s taking on an absolute, economy-wide emissions reduction target. But, its related goal of achieving zero illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 2030… http://blogs.edf.org/climatetalks/2015/10/07/why-and-how-brazil-should-do-more-to-stop-deforestation-and-climate-change/ South Korean Economist to Lead Global Warming Science Panel. The new leader of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change replaces Rajendra Pachauri. South Korean economist Hoesung Lee, a professor at the Korea University in Seoul, was elected as the fourth chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)… http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/south-korean-economist-to-lead-global-warming-science-panel/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 16:11:18 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 8, 2015 From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 8, 2015. 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’s environmental standards face skeptical justices. State Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical Wednesday of the Bay Area air district’s environmental standards that would require developers of new projects to consider the harm residents and workers might suffer from local conditions, like air pollution from nearby freeways. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Air-district-s-environmental-standards-face-6557102.php CLIMATE CHANGE Coal Industry Seeks Unusual Partner in UN Green Climate Fund. With more than 2,000 new coal power stations planned or being built in Asia to Africa, the UN Green Climate Fund should help finance making the plants more efficient, according to Mick Buffier, the chairman of the World Coal Association. New coal technology can cut climate-warming… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVUCU0SYF01U01-414AQC6NSIKP0OPTN281HREJE2 Climate change hears a cattle call. Tom Steyer's crusade to force politicians to confront climate change is well known, manifesting itself in millions of dollars of campaign funding, including the windfall he raised for Hillary Rodham Clinton recently in his San Francisco home. Less well known is the billionaire's crusade to force farmers to confront it. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article38172414.html#storylink=cpy Activists promise largest climate civil disobedience ever at Paris summit. Thousands expected to take part in ‘red line’ blockades of Paris climate summit, after two weeks of colourful protests that have been dubbed ‘the Climate Games’ Thousands of climate change campaigners have promised to blockade a major UN climate summit… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/08/activists-promise-largest-climate-civil-disobedience-ever-at-paris-summit Exxon's Business Ambition Collided with Climate Change Under a Distant Sea. Throughout the 1980s, the company struggled to solve the carbon problem of one of the biggest gas fields in the world out of concern for climate impacts. In 1980, as Exxon Corp. set out to develop one of the world's largest deposits of natural gas, it found itself facing an unfamiliar risk: the project would emit… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/08102015/Exxons-Business-Ambition-Collided-with-Climate-Change-Under-a-Distant-Sea California enacts monumental climate change goals. Gov. Jerry Brown has set an ambitious goal of producing half of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030. California already has some of the toughest air quality standards in the world, but Gov. Jerry Brown still isn’t satisfied. On Wednesday, Mr. Brown committed the state to ambitious climate change goals… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/1008/California-enacts-monumental-climate-change-goals States seek answers on Clean Power Plan delay. Fourteen states seeking to challenge the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan in federal court are pushing U.S. EPA to release any internal communication explaining why the rule has not yet been published in the Federal Register. The states, led by West Virginia, filed a Freedom of Information Act request Tuesday, asking EPA to turn over emails… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026069 http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026068 Expert says algae cultivation will be needed as rising heat shrinks farmland. Algae may be tiny, but new research suggests the single-celled organisms could play an outsized role in slowing the rate of global warming over the rest of the 21st century. In fact, it is their small size, or rather their small land requirement that could make them an important tool to help mitigate climate change… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026053 Warm waters causing 3rd global coral bleaching event on record – NOAA. Corals around the world are undergoing stress and are in danger of dying in the third global coral bleaching event ever recorded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Climate change and an ongoing El Niño have warmed the ocean significantly and caused the bleaching event, Mark Eakin… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026045 This year's climate change victim: pumpkins. Pumpkin lovers, it's time to stock up. Poor growing conditions and significantly lower-than-normal yields of processing pumpkins used for baking mean that the popular canned pumpkin brand, Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin, may be in short supply in the coming months -- just in time for the holiday season. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026048 DROUGHT The drought is so bad in one California town that restaurants can’t wash dishes. California has turned off its sprinklers, shortened its showers and let its gardens turn brown beneath a baking sun. But even that wasn’t enough to save the coastal city of Fort Bragg, where ocean water recently started leaking into municipal pipes. More drastic measures had to be taken. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/08/the-drought-is-so-bad-in-one-california-town-that-restaurants-cant-wash-dishes/ New forecast says El Niño could help Northern California, ease drought. Forecasters now say Northern California stands a decent chance of getting significant precipitation from this winter’s El Niño weather pattern, a development that could help ease the state’s four-year drought. In a revised forecast released Thursday, the National Weather Service said the outlook for precipitation has become “more favorable” http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article38191380.html#storylink=cpy DIESEL ACTIVITIES Virginia trucking firm fined $100,000 for violating California's diesel pollution rules. Virginia-based firm will pay a $100,000 fine and spend $285,000 on pollution-reduction programs for operating 73 trucks in California without diesel particulate filters, federal and state officials announced Thursday. The Environmental Protection Agency’s settlement with Estes Express Lines was the first federal enforcement action against a company for violating… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-california-diesel-truck-penalties-estes-20151008-story.html VEHICLES Infiniti Sees No Demand For Luxury Electric Cars Before 2020. The Renault Nissan Alliance has sold more electric cars globally than any other company, more than a quarter million as of June. But Nissan's Infiniti luxury division has not been a part of that volume--and now it appears it may not be for some time. Infiniti says it has the capability to launch an electric car… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100386_infiniti-sees-no-demand-for-luxury-electric-cars-before-2020 More Than 1,000 People Want 2016 Toyota Mirai Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles. Order books for the 2016 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car have been open to California residents since July. Between then and now, Toyota says customer requests have exceeded the number of cars allotted to the U.S. for the first year of production.. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100377_more-than-1000-people-want-2016-toyota-mirai-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicles 2016 VW Diesel Lineup Withdrawn: Jetta, Passat, Golf, Beetle TDI Models May Be Modified. Michael Horn, CEO of Volkswagen's U.S. arm, will testify today before Congress on the VW diesel-emission cheating scandal, including what he knew and when he knew it. His testimony, released yesterday, included a nugget of future product information: VW has withdrawn its application for certification of 2016 model-year Jetta… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100383_2016-vw-diesel-lineup-withdrawn-jetta-passat-golf-beetle-tdi-models-may-be-modified Toyota to unveil new fuel cell vehicle concept; focus on distributed generation as well as transportation. With its fuel cell Mirai already on sale, Toyota Motor is continuing to push the fuel cell envelope with the introduction of a new fuel cell concept at the upcoming Tokyo Moto Show at the end of this month. The new Toyota FCV Plus is a fuel cell concept that embodies Toyota’s vision of a hydrogen-based society. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151008-toyota.html VW RECALL German prosecutors raid Volkswagen offices. German prosecutors raided Volkswagen's headquarters and other offices on Thursday as part of their investigation into the carmaker's rigging of diesel emissions tests. Prosecutors from Braunschweig, close to the German company's home town of Wolfsburg, said they were targeting documents and data storage devices that might help with their inquiries. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/08/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0S217M20151008?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews VW Pulls Request to Certify 2016 Diesel Models. Auto maker’s U.S. CEO to testify at congressional hearing Thursday. Volkswagen AG conceded it won’t be able sell diesel-powered vehicles in the U.S. for a prolonged period, withdrawing a request for regulators to certify new models in the wake of an emissions-cheating scandal. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-withdraws-request-to-certify-2016-model-year-vehicles-1444243809 VW’s U.S. Head to Tell Congress There’s No Repairs Schedule. “Volkswagen has betrayed a nation -- a nation of regulators, loyalists and innocent customers. It’s time to clean it up or get off the road” said Representative Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican, as a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee began Thursday. “VW will inevitably pay a steep price for its dirty little secret. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVVE1X6K50XT01-6M2PU6BS1FB7AVL2007FECSHE1 How Volkswagen Got Away With Diesel Deception. Volkswagen has admitted that 11 million of its diesel cars worldwide were equipped with software that was used to cheat on emissions tests. How Did the System Work? The software sensed when the car was being tested and then activated equipment that reduced emissions, United States officials said. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/business/international/vw-diesel-emissions-scandal-explained.html Story So Far What you need to know about the VW emissions scandal. Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal has shaken the auto industry on both sides of the Atlantic, displacing the company's chief executive and sparking investigations in the U.S. and Europe. The scheme was discovered by U.S. and California environmental regulators in 482,000 vehicles with VWs… http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-volkswagen-qa-html-20151007-htmlstory.html VW executive: Any fix for car owners could take year or more. Volkswagen's top U.S. executive apologized Thursday as the emissions-rigging scandal engulfing the world's largest automaker deepened and members of Congress said the company violated the public's trust. "On behalf of our company, my colleagues in Germany and myself, I would like to offer a sincere apology for Volkswagen's use … http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article38168607.html#storylink=cpy The Latest: VW is looking at compensating car owners. The latest on the congressional hearing on Volkswagen's emissions-rigging (all times local): 11:47 a.m. Volkswagen is looking at compensating owners of diesel-powered cars that have devices set up to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. U.S. CEO Michael Horn tells lawmakers that the company may pay customers for a loss in resale values because of the scandal. http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article38175054.html#storylink=cpy Volkswagen U.S. CEO: 3 suspended over emissions scandal. Volkswagen U.S. CEO Michael Horn on Thursday apologized for the company's emissions scandal in testimony before a Congressional committee, pledged to fix cars and said three people in Germany have been suspended. He said he believes the company's American workers did not know about the matter… http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2015/10/08/volkswagen-us-ceo-michael-horn-congress-testimony/73572476/ GREEN ENERGY U.K. Confirms Plan to End Onshore Wind Subsidy a Year Early. The U.K. government confirmed plans to end a subsidy program for onshore wind farms a year early, after finishing consultations on the issue. The Renewables Obligation will close for new projects on April 1, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVWDHZ6S972H01-0MOGGESLU6VEQ9J291AGMVAAUQ The U.S. needs a solar energy revolution. But it’s laying off solar energy researchers. On Monday, Oct. 5, Stuart Farrell had planned to take the morning off from his job as a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., after being awake all night taking care of his sick 2-year-old son. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/08/the-u-s-needs-a-solar-energy-revolution-so-why-did-federal-solar-researchers-just-lose-their-jobs/ State sets ambitious energy goals. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new energy law Wednesday that sets California on a path to attack global warming on two fronts – by boosting renewable energy production and increasing energy efficiency. Brown and others wanted a third front – reducing oil consumption by half – but oil companies and others lobbied against that. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/energy-343408-ocprint-california-law.html California Wants Renewable Energy For Half Its Power By 2030. "What has been the source of our prosperity now becomes the source of our ultimate destruction, if we don't get off it" Gov. Jerry Brown dramatically increased California’s climate-change goals, committing the state to use renewable energy for half its electricity and make existing buildings twice as energy-efficient in just 15 years. http://time.com/4065940/californi-renewable-energy-power-2030/?xid=homepage http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/california-wants-renewable-energy-for-half-its-power-by-2030/ Renewables soon could knock the wind out of natural gas. Energy industry experts here predict that the growth of renewable energy will challenge natural gas in the years to come, based purely on the economics. Reporting relative ease with garnering long-term renewable power contracts with electricity distributors, renewables investors were beaming with optimism at the annual South by Southwest Eco conference… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/08/stories/1060026041 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators to Pay $13.2 Million to Resolve Complaints. Some timber harvested illegally, among other violation. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. has agreed to plead guilty and pay a combined $13.2 million for importing illegally harvested timber from such areas as forests in far eastern Russia and other compliance issues. Shares of the company, down 78% this year, rose 12% in after-hours trading to $16.29. http://www.wsj.com/articles/lumber-liquidators-to-pay-13-2-million-to-resolve-complaints-1444255244 OPINIONS Down on Diesel? The 2016 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid Is a Greener Pasture. The plug-in hybrid version of the ubiquitous fancy SUV is there to make you feel good about yourself—at a price. Last Saturday I went downtown with Moti Ankari, the impeccably dressed, devastatingly young Bloomberg market editor with 116,000 Instagram followers and many beautiful leather man bags. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-08/down-on-diesel-the-2016-porsche-cayenne-s-e-hybrid-is-a-greener-pasture Don’t give free ride to geothermal energy. California’s landmark legislation calling for 50 percent renewable energy by 2030 is helping the state grapple with clean energy needs in the face of climate change and population growth. Geothermal energy – using heated water and steam from deep below the earth’s surface to produce electricity – is a viable source of clean energy from the north state… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article38111055.html#storylink=cpy California's Drought Is About Economic Inequality. Racial disparities and political dysfunction are at the heart of the state's water crisis. Bulmario Tapia Madrigal doesn't want to shower in a stream of dirt. He doesn't want to cook with bottled water, haul a bucketful to flush the toilet, or wonder if he has enough water to clean the diabetes wounds on his feet. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/10/san-joaquin-valley-communities-no-running-water-drought BLOGS Americans haven’t been doing what they said were doing with their fuel savings. Gasoline prices began to plunge a year ago. They rebounded a bit this spring, and then they fell again. American drivers haven't enjoyed prices this low, for this long, in at least five years. By most economic thinking, that should be a big boost to the economy… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/08/americans-havent-been-doing-what-they-said-were-doing-with-their-fuel-savings/ Hydrogen: Power for the present and the future. Today, Oct. 8, the United States celebrates National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day to acknowledge the significant and important contributions hydrogen makes to our nation’s economy and environment, and to recognize its potential for the future. As it receives its day in the spotlight, all Americans, both policymakers and private citizens… http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/256232-hydrogen-power-for-the-present-and-the-future Nations Most Threatened By Climate Change Form 'Vulnerable 20' Group. Twenty of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, from the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, will form a new group on Thursday to press for tougher action to curb warming. Draft documents for a meeting of finance ministers in Lima… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nations-most-threatened-by-climate-change-form-vulnerable-20-group_5616656be4b0082030a136f8 Candle Soot May Be The Key To A Better Battery For Electric Cars. The discovery could also help us fight pollution and global warning. It sounds like something that Harry Potter might have bought himself as a reward for defeating the most powerful dark wizard who ever lived -- a car powered by candles. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/candle-soot-electric-cars_5615892ce4b0fad1591aac14 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 12:13:38 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 9, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 9, 2015. 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 Gov. Cuomo aims to link U.S. Northeast's carbon market with Calif.'s. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) yesterday announced his state will "explore the possibility" of linking the Northeast's carbon cap-and-trade system with California's, envisioning a "North American market" where emissions allowances are bought and sold across the United States as well as in Canada. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/09/stories/1060026140 AIR POLLUTION So that's why Beijing's skies were polluted during a national holiday. Beijingers, well-accustomed to eye-watering air pollution, have long found some respite in official holidays, when the city’s traffic eases and its factories temporarily close, granting them a few precious days of fresh air. But not this year. http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-beijing-skies-polluted-20151008-story.html Valley air district gets $255,400 to modernize wood-burning stoves. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will receive $255,400 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to get area residents to switch from old wood-burning stoves to energy-efficient ones. EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfield announced the funding during a Thursday news conference. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article38283765.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE This El Niño, dubbed Bruce Lee, may be the strongest in recorded history. One of the strongest El Niño winters ever recorded since modern records first began in 1950 continues to grow in the Pacific Ocean, federal scientists reported Thursday. So, with the likelihood for a wet winter increasing across drought-parched California, residents staring at empty reservoirs… http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151008/this-el-nixf1o-dubbed-bruce-lee-may-be-the-strongest-in-recorded-history 'The worst is yet to come' -- experts warn of impacts from strong El Niño. The El Niño that is developing in the Pacific Ocean is expected to be one of the strongest on record. It could rival the episode that happened in 1998, when almost 20,000 people died and damages of $100 billion were reported. It refers to the unusual warming of sea surface temperatures… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/09/stories/1060026107 IMF chief seeks climate breakthrough at Lima meet. Christine Lagarde calls on governments to back carbon pricing, slash fossil fuel subsidies as finance leaders gather in Peru. “If we collectively chicken out of this, we’ll all turn into chickens and we’ll all be fried, grilled, toasted and roasted1.” So said Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, in a press conference in Lima on Wednesday. http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/08/imf-chief-seeks-climate-breakthrough-at-lima-meet/ DROUGHT Feinstein, Boxer hopeful for compromise to increase state water. Four years into California's epic drought, a Senate committee heard Thursday from California lawmakers proposing two wildly conflicting approaches to water shortages, hoping to meld a compromise that could come together by the time El Nino arrives in the state. https://app.meltwater.com/dashboard/index?redirectTo=%2F Rain No Help For California Reservoirs. A fifth year of drought is likely in California, and El Niño won't end it, say water scientists and forecasters. Water managers can only wait, hoping the fall and winter precipitation brings enough snowpack and rain to ease four years of drought. The snowpack last year was gone in early spring. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/08/rain-no-help-for-california-reservoirs/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES First federal enforcement of California’s Truck and Bus Regulation. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Thursday that Virginia-based Estes Express Lines will pay a $100,000 penalty for violations of the California Truck and Bus Regulation, for failing to install particulate filters on 73 of its heavy-duty diesel trucks (15% of its California fleet). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151009-epa.html http://www.ngtnews.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.11200#.VhfzlvlVhBc http://abc30.com/politics/trucking-company-fined-for-violating-clean-air-laws-helps-clean-valleys-air/1023973/ Dearman and Hubbard Products form technology partnership for zero-emission transport refrigeration. Dearman, the developer of the liquid air Dearman Engine—an innovative heat engine that uses liquid air (or liquid nitrogen) as a “fuel” and emits cold air as exhaust(earlier post)—has formed a technology partnership with Hubbard Products, Europe’s leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of commercial cooling equipment. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151009-dearman.html Four more carmakers join diesel emissions row. Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi’s cars are shown to emit significantly more NOx pollution on the road than in regulatory tests. Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi have joined the growing list of manufacturers whose diesel cars are known to emit significantly more pollution on the road than in regulatory tests… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/09/mercedes-honda-mazda-mitsubishi-diesel-emissions-row FUELS Philippines move to cleaner fuel cuts imports. The Philippines' move to cleaner fuel from January next year has cut imports of diesel, with a major refinery upgrading units to produce fuel meeting the new requirement, industry sources said on Thursday. Oil companies are required to be ready with the more environmentally friendly Euro-IV compliant diesel and gasoline fuels by Jan. 1, 2016. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N1280J720151009 VEHICLES Honda Accord Hybrids Recalled For Software Fix. Honda is recalling certain 2014 and 2015 Accord Hybrid sedans to address a software issue that may disable the cars' gasoline engines. A defect in the cell voltage sensors (CVS) may leave a car only able to travel on battery power and limiting top speed to 40 mph. The CVS "may not have sufficient electrical noise toughness," Honda says. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100401_honda-accord-hybrids-recalled-for-software-fix VW Diesel Fixes, Tesla Model S Changes, CA Hydrogen Station Update: Today's Car News. Today, we look at potential fixes for the Volkswagen diesel cars affected by the ongoing emissions scandal, we track updates to the Tesla Model S, and the California Fuel Cell Partnership issues an update on hydrogen station construction. All this and more on Green Car Reports. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100408_vw-diesel-fixes-tesla-model-s-changes-ca-hydrogen-station-update-todays-car-news HIGH-SPEED RAIL California bullet train project is attracting interest — but not funding. Since its earliest days of planning, California's $68-billion bullet train project has counted on a massive infusion of private capital to fill any gaps in state and federal funding. A new sounding of international interest in such investments indicates the money may not arrive any time soon. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/me-bullet-train-gap-20151009-story.html VW RECALL House slams regulators for not catching VW for years. Volkswagen AG's (VOWG_p.DE) U.S. chief executive blamed "individuals" for using software to cheat on diesel emissions at a House hearing on Thursday as lawmakers attacked federal environmental regulators for failing to catch the fraud for years. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/09/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0S217M20151009?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews VW exec blames 'a couple of' rogue engineers for emissions scandal. Michael Horn, chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America, apologized and promised a full investigation into the company's emissions-cheating scandal at the first congressional hearing on the matter. A top Volkswagen executive on Thursday blamed a handful of rogue software engineers for the company's emissions-test cheating… http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-vw-hearing-20151009-story.html Spain minister: VW guarantees multibillion Spain investments despite emissions debacle. Spain's industry minister says Volkswagen has guaranteed it will follow through with 4.2 billion euros ($4.8 billion) in investments for two auto plants despite the diesel emissions scandal that is expected to significantly hurt the carmaker's finances. http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/09/spain-vw-investments-guaranteed-despite-emission-debacle VW Withdraws Emissions Certification Application. In the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, the automaker is withdrawing US emissions certification applications for its 2016 diesel Jettas, Golfs, Passats and Beetles, according to an Associated Press report. In addition to almost half a million cars in the US, Volkswagen admitted that almost 1.2 million diesel vehicles in the UK are… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/10/09/vw-withdraws-emissions-certification-application/#ixzz3o5ipmD16 How can the emissions of 482,000 cars be fixed? One of many questions facing VW in the U.S. Michael Horn, president and CEO of Volkswagen's U.S. subsidiary, testifying before a House investigation committee yesterday morning, said it will take a year or more to fix most of the automaker's vehicles with on-board software designed to deceive emissions tests. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/09/stories/1060026138 GREEN ENERGY How Canadians on a Shopping Spree Are Propping Up U.S. Power. Canada’s appetite for U.S. power assets extended a record run of deals this week, bolstering the value of American targets. The $1.51 billion purchase of Pennsylvania power plants by Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. and Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners LP Thursday boosted cross-border deals this year to a record $11.7 billion… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVWZ2Z6TTDS701-43NC4A6AJKN5QH3HOU79IAHUA6 Is Building Efficiency the Next VW Emissions Scandal? A building advisory official speaking at UK Construction Week has warned the construction and property sector could face legal action over the “performance gap” between buildings’ promised efficiency and their actual performance — and cautions the industry could face its own VW-style emissions scandal, Business Green reports. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/10/09/is-building-efficiency-the-next-vw-emissions-scandal/#ixzz3o5jQ3DBW BLOGS Live map shows the current air pollution level in hundreds of cities all around the world. We've long known that air pollution is associated with a whole host of health problems like respiratory disease and lung cancer, and a recent study published in the journal Nature tried to quantify its full human toll. Air pollution, the authors concluded, contributes to approximately 3.3 million premature deaths worldwide each year. http://www.businessinsider.com/map-shows-worldwide-air-pollution-in-real-time-2015-10 State Department Embraces Cities As Key To Meeting Climate Goals. Mayors from 19 cities are meeting in Washington to talk about cutting planet-warming emissions. The State Department thinks cities are essential to unlocking meaningful climate change commitments and is hosting mayors from around the world on Thursday to demonstrate that. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cities-climate-change_5616cad2e4b0dbb8000daec6?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green§ion=green California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 13:56:16 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 12, 2015 From: pbrown@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. CAP AND TRADE California has unspent billions from carbon auctions. One of the chores the Legislature left undone when it adjourned was spending billions of dollars from auctioning carbon dioxide emission credits. There’s no shortage of suggestions on how to spend the “cap-and-trade” money, but state law says it’s supposed to be spent on reducing carbon emissions and thus combating climate change. Gov. Jerry Brown already has a big chunk of the money – $250 million a year and growing – to spend on his pet bullet train project on the assertion that it will make a big dent in tailpipe carbon emissions. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article38765793.html CLIMATE CHANGE Even as climate change gets worse, U.N. climate reports are getting harder to read. Let’s face it: Climate science isn’t always the easiest subject to explain to non-scientists. However, the political charge surrounding global conversations about climate change makes it all the more important to communicate the science to the general public as clearly and accurately as possible. Unfortunately, new research suggests that the world’s foremost body dedicated to reviewing and communicating climate science may be falling short in this area. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/12/even-as-climate-change-gets-worse-u-n-climate-reports-are-getting-harder-to-read/ EU climate boss says emissions cuts not enough. Europe's climate chief has acknowledged for the first time that climate pledges made by national governments ahead of a major U.N. conference fall short of meeting the international goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said the EU's projections show the current pledges to curb greenhouse gas emissions would put world on a path toward 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article38802903.html Paying to Pollute Gains Ground as Nations Seek Climate Solution. The world is coming to terms with the idea that putting a price on carbon emissions is necessary to fight global warming. Now there’s a growing consensus on how to make it happen. Cap and trade. After years of political defeats and operational snafus, systems that let companies buy and sell the right to pollute are gaining traction as a way to reduce emissions without dragging down the economy. With less than two months before nations are expected to finish a binding global deal to rein in greenhouse gases, Japan, South Korea, dozens of U.S. states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec are among governments coming out in favor of these carbon markets. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVIBAN6KLVR901-0DTC2GU9FI2QJQUAVMP3RQ50NK DIESEL ACTIVITIES EPA, Calif. hit carrier with $400k in fines for not using diesel particulate filters. A Virginia trucking company will pay $100,000 to the Environmental Protection Agency and an additional $290,000 to California in the first federal enforcement of the state’s Truck and Bus Regulation. The EPA has fined Estes Express Lines $100,000 for lacking diesel particulate filters on 73 trucks operating in California. That represents 15 percent of the fleet Estes operates there, but the national carrier now only uses new trucks in the state. http://www.overdriveonline.com/epa-calif-hit-carrier-with-400k-in-fines-for-not-using-diesel-particulate-filters/ FUELS MIT study finds carbon prices more cost-effective than fuel economy regs at reducing CO2 emissions; fuel economy regs more efficient at reducing fuel use. Researchers at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change have compared the worldwide economic, environmental, and energy impacts of currently planned fuel economy standards (extended to the year 2050) with those of region-specific carbon prices designed to yield identical CO2 emissions reductions. Their study, which appears in the Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, finds that such stringent fuel economy standards would cost the economy 10% of global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2050, compared with a 6% cost under carbon pricing. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151012-mit.html VEHICLES Québec lays out C$420M action plan for electrification of transport through 2020. The Government of Québec has unveiled a new Action Plan for the electrification of transport in 2015-2020. With a budget of more than C$420 million (US$324 million), the plan has the following objectives: Increase the number of electric vehicles in the car park of Québec; Reduce greenhouse gas emissions; Reduce energy dependence on oil and improve the trade balance of Quebec; and Contribute to Québec’s economic development by focusing on a future industry and using the electrical energy available in Quebec. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151012-quebec.html Argonne study finds lightweight material substitution increases vehicle-cycle GHGs, but results in total life-cycle benefit. A team at Argonne National Laboratory has taken a closer look at vehicle-cycle (all processes related to vehicle manufacturing) and vehicle total life-cycle (vehicle-cycle plus fuel cycle—i.e., the use phase) impacts of substituting lightweight materials into vehicles. In a study published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, they reported that while material substitution can reduce vehicle weight, it often increases vehicle-cycle greenhouse gas emissions GHGs—for example, replacing steel with wrought aluminum, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CRFP), or magnesium increases the vehicle-cycle GHGs. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151012-kelly.html GREEN ENERGY Solar panels getting cool reception from homeowners associations. Ilam Mougy wanted to green up his condominium with solar power. The 49-year-old software engineer won approval to install panels on his home from PG&E and the city of San Jose. He expected little trouble from the Tuscany Hills homeowners association since another neighbor had an array on his roof. He was wrong. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/technology/20151011/solar-panels-getting-cool-reception-from-homeowners-associations MISCELLANEOUS California pushes to make landfills food-free. Heather Maloney thinks of herself as an environmentalist but, as a working mother, doesn’t have the time to create a backyard compost heap. The little bucket for food waste that Napa’s recycling authority sent her offers a more convenient way to keep her leftovers from lining a landfill. “You’re already scraping plates and rinsing them off to put in the dishwasher, so it’s a pretty easy system,” Maloney said, standing in her kitchen. “It’s definitely cut down on our trash.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article38764776.html OPINION Greener, cheaper electricity with community choice. Even though our federal government seems gridlocked when it comes to bold plans for renewable energy, this year Silicon Valley is leading the way with innovative solutions for Community Choice Energy. Municipalities across Silicon Valley are taking on special interests to offer cleaner and cheaper energy directly to their residents. Given the flurry of recent activity, it very much seems that CCE is an idea whose time has come. http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Greener-cheaper-electricity-with-community-choice-6565076.php BLOGS The CEO and the Activist: Meet Renewable Energy’s Odd Couple. Meet the renewable-energy odd couple, the environmental activist and his onetime target, the chief of Italy’s largest utility. A year ago, Kumi Naidoo, the head of Greenpeace International, and Francesco Starace were sworn enemies, after the group said Enel SpA’s coal plants were killing people. Now, they’re drinking orange juice together at the Four Seasons in New York, discussing the urgent need to fight global warming. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVGRSW6KLVR701-0VBLS8CPSRR8IUN3R2NFCUEE8J UN climate science head calls for carbon pricing. The new head of the United Nations’s climate science agency said countries around the world need to implement systems to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions. Hoesung Lee, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said at a news conference in his native South Korea that he wants the agency to put more focus on solving problems around climate change. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/256646-un-climate-science-head-calls-for-carbon-pricing California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 15:33:25 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- REVISED ARB Newsclips for October 12, 2015 From: pbrown@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. AIR POLLUTION Why air pollution is sometimes good news for the climate BURNING fossil fuels for heating, generating electricity or for transport does not simply produce carbon-dioxide emissions, but also other greenhouse gases (GHG), such as particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2015/10/climate-change Indian Express journalists awarded for series on Delhi’s air pollution Express journalists Pritha Chatterjee and Aniruddha Ghosal were awarded the Young Environment Journalism Award in the print category for their Death by Breath series on Delhi’s air pollution. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/indian-express-journalists-awarded-for-series-on-delhis-air-pollution/#sthash.kN1Le9hN.dpuf Benzene in traffic emissions tied to childhood leukemia Traffic pollution near the home – and specifically, benzene in the air - increases the risk of one type of childhood leukemia, according to a nationwide study in France. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/us-health-airpollution-kids-leukemia-idUSKCN0S02Q520151006 CAP AND TRADE California has unspent billions from carbon auctions. One of the chores the Legislature left undone when it adjourned was spending billions of dollars from auctioning carbon dioxide emission credits. There’s no shortage of suggestions on how to spend the “cap-and-trade” money, but state law says it’s supposed to be spent on reducing carbon emissions and thus combating climate change. Gov. Jerry Brown already has a big chunk of the money – $250 million a year and growing – to spend on his pet bullet train project on the assertion that it will make a big dent in tailpipe carbon emissions. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/dan-walters/article38765793.html CLIMATE CHANGE Even as climate change gets worse, U.N. climate reports are getting harder to read. Let’s face it: Climate science isn’t always the easiest subject to explain to non-scientists. However, the political charge surrounding global conversations about climate change makes it all the more important to communicate the science to the general public as clearly and accurately as possible. Unfortunately, new research suggests that the world’s foremost body dedicated to reviewing and communicating climate science may be falling short in this area. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/12/even-as-climate-change-gets-worse-u-n-climate-reports-are-getting-harder-to-read/ EU climate boss says emissions cuts not enough. Europe's climate chief has acknowledged for the first time that climate pledges made by national governments ahead of a major U.N. conference fall short of meeting the international goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said the EU's projections show the current pledges to curb greenhouse gas emissions would put world on a path toward 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article38802903.html Paying to Pollute Gains Ground as Nations Seek Climate Solution. The world is coming to terms with the idea that putting a price on carbon emissions is necessary to fight global warming. Now there’s a growing consensus on how to make it happen. Cap and trade. After years of political defeats and operational snafus, systems that let companies buy and sell the right to pollute are gaining traction as a way to reduce emissions without dragging down the economy. With less than two months before nations are expected to finish a binding global deal to rein in greenhouse gases, Japan, South Korea, dozens of U.S. states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec are among governments coming out in favor of these carbon markets. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVIBAN6KLVR901-0DTC2GU9FI2QJQUAVMP3RQ50NK What Exxon knew about the Earth's melting Arctic Back in 1990, as the debate over climate change was heating up, a dissident shareholder petitioned the board of Exxon, one of the world’s largest oil companies, imploring it to develop a plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its production plants and facilities. http://graphics.latimes.com/exxon-arctic/ SANDAG board adopts regional plan The SANDAG Board of Directors voted unanimously Friday to adopt the final version of San Diego Forward: The Regional Plan, a sweeping blueprint for the future that will invest $204 billion into transportation infrastructure projects over the next 35 years. http://www.kusi.com/story/30228083/sandag-board-adopts-regional-plan VOLKSWAGEN EMISSIONS US: California authorities give VW deadline for diesel fix The most populous US state, a well known fair haven for environmentalists, has now prompted German automaker Volkswagen AG to deliver a repair strategy by November 20 for diesel-powered cars. http://www.inautonews.com/us-california-authorities-give-vw-deadline-for-diesel-fix California gives VW Nov. 20 deadline for technical fix in diesel scandal California has given carmaker Volkswagen until November 20 to come up with a plan to fix the diesel cars affected by its rigging of emissions tests, a spokesman for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) said on Friday. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3266842/California-gives-VW-Nov-20-deadline-technical-fix-diesel-scandal.html#ixzz3oOUXwHHZ http://www.autonews.com/article/20151009/OEM11/151009800/vw-faces-nov.-20-deadline-in-california-to-fix-diesel-violations As Clouds Grow Darker Over Volkswagen, What’s Next For The Automotive Giant? This has been a particularly dramatic week for floundering automotive giant Volkswagen—one that played out with an air of intrigue and subterfuge that’s becoming almost Nixonian in scale. http://www.popsci.com/as-evidence-gathers-volkswagen-announces-plan-to-fix-its-cars VW may have a second device to skirt emissions Federal regulators are investigating if Volkswagen used a second device to avoid federal regulations on one of the automaker's new "clean diesel engines." http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/vw-may-have-a-second-device-to-skirt-emissions/article/2573819 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-09/epa-s-new-volkswagen-probe-may-reveal-failure-to-disclose Q&A How much pollution did VW's emissions cheating create? Here's a look at how VW's emission standards cheating might affect Californians. Volkswagen has admitted equipping half a million diesel cars in the U.S. with software to cheat on emissions tests — and then, in normal driving, to spew between 10 and 40 times the allowable levels of nitrogen oxides. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-vw-pollution-footprint-20151007-htmlstory.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES EPA, Calif. hit carrier with $400k in fines for not using diesel particulate filters. A Virginia trucking company will pay $100,000 to the Environmental Protection Agency and an additional $290,000 to California in the first federal enforcement of the state’s Truck and Bus Regulation. The EPA has fined Estes Express Lines $100,000 for lacking diesel particulate filters on 73 trucks operating in California. That represents 15 percent of the fleet Estes operates there, but the national carrier now only uses new trucks in the state. http://www.overdriveonline.com/epa-calif-hit-carrier-with-400k-in-fines-for-not-using-diesel-particulate-filters/ Cutting ozone will require radical transformation of California's trucking industry At a laboratory in downtown Los Angeles, a big rig spins its wheels on massive rollers as a metal tube funnels its exhaust into an array of air quality sensors. Engineers track the roaring truck's emissions from a bank of computer screens. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-adv-ozone-transportation-20151011-story.html FUELS MIT study finds carbon prices more cost-effective than fuel economy regs at reducing CO2 emissions; fuel economy regs more efficient at reducing fuel use. Researchers at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change have compared the worldwide economic, environmental, and energy impacts of currently planned fuel economy standards (extended to the year 2050) with those of region-specific carbon prices designed to yield identical CO2 emissions reductions. Their study, which appears in the Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, finds that such stringent fuel economy standards would cost the economy 10% of global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2050, compared with a 6% cost under carbon pricing. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151012-mit.html VEHICLES Québec lays out C$420M action plan for electrification of transport through 2020. The Government of Québec has unveiled a new Action Plan for the electrification of transport in 2015-2020. With a budget of more than C$420 million (US$324 million), the plan has the following objectives: Increase the number of electric vehicles in the car park of Québec; Reduce greenhouse gas emissions; Reduce energy dependence on oil and improve the trade balance of Quebec; and Contribute to Québec’s economic development by focusing on a future industry and using the electrical energy available in Quebec. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151012-quebec.html Argonne study finds lightweight material substitution increases vehicle-cycle GHGs, but results in total life-cycle benefit. A team at Argonne National Laboratory has taken a closer look at vehicle-cycle (all processes related to vehicle manufacturing) and vehicle total life-cycle (vehicle-cycle plus fuel cycle—i.e., the use phase) impacts of substituting lightweight materials into vehicles. In a study published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, they reported that while material substitution can reduce vehicle weight, it often increases vehicle-cycle greenhouse gas emissions GHGs—for example, replacing steel with wrought aluminum, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CRFP), or magnesium increases the vehicle-cycle GHGs. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151012-kelly.html GREEN ENERGY Solar panels getting cool reception from homeowners associations. Ilam Mougy wanted to green up his condominium with solar power. The 49-year-old software engineer won approval to install panels on his home from PG&E and the city of San Jose. He expected little trouble from the Tuscany Hills homeowners association since another neighbor had an array on his roof. He was wrong. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/technology/20151011/solar-panels-getting-cool-reception-from-homeowners-associations MISCELLANEOUS California pushes to make landfills food-free. Heather Maloney thinks of herself as an environmentalist but, as a working mother, doesn’t have the time to create a backyard compost heap. The little bucket for food waste that Napa’s recycling authority sent her offers a more convenient way to keep her leftovers from lining a landfill. “You’re already scraping plates and rinsing them off to put in the dishwasher, so it’s a pretty easy system,” Maloney said, standing in her kitchen. “It’s definitely cut down on our trash.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article38764776.html OPINION Greener, cheaper electricity with community choice. Even though our federal government seems gridlocked when it comes to bold plans for renewable energy, this year Silicon Valley is leading the way with innovative solutions for Community Choice Energy. Municipalities across Silicon Valley are taking on special interests to offer cleaner and cheaper energy directly to their residents. Given the flurry of recent activity, it very much seems that CCE is an idea whose time has come. http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Greener-cheaper-electricity-with-community-choice-6565076.php Op-ed: Air pollution threatens Utah’s national parks and economy Live. Climb. Repeat. It's a phrase often recited here at Black Diamond, where we work every day to create innovative products that help get people and families, young and old, outside to enjoy wild places like Utah's "Mighty Five" national parks. http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/3044373-155/op-ed-air-pollution-threatens-utahs-national State’s vehicle testing programs have an Achilles’ heel Cheating on “clean diesels”? I am shocked! Shocked! But I was really shocked when told in 2009 that the Volkswagen diesel had passed the California Air Resources Board’s stringent dynamometer emission tests. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article38047368.html#storylink=cpy Teaching the Truth About Climate Change Misinformation about climate change is distressingly common in the United States — a 2014 Yale study found that 35 percent of Americans believe that global warming is caused mostly by natural phenomena rather than human activity, and 34 percent think there is a lot of disagreement among scientists about whether global warming is even happening. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/opinion/sunday/teaching-the-truth-about-climate-change.html?_r=0 BLOGS The CEO and the Activist: Meet Renewable Energy’s Odd Couple. Meet the renewable-energy odd couple, the environmental activist and his onetime target, the chief of Italy’s largest utility. A year ago, Kumi Naidoo, the head of Greenpeace International, and Francesco Starace were sworn enemies, after the group said Enel SpA’s coal plants were killing people. Now, they’re drinking orange juice together at the Four Seasons in New York, discussing the urgent need to fight global warming. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NVGRSW6KLVR701-0VBLS8CPSRR8IUN3R2NFCUEE8J UN climate science head calls for carbon pricing. The new head of the United Nations’s climate science agency said countries around the world need to implement systems to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions. Hoesung Lee, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said at a news conference in his native South Korea that he wants the agency to put more focus on solving problems around climate change. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/256646-un-climate-science-head-calls-for-carbon-pricing California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 13:44:38 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 13, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 13, 2015. 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 Volkswagen Scandal Puts Spotlight on Europe’s Dirty Air. Disparity between lab tests and real-world driving is one reason European cities struggle to meet air pollution targets, environmental experts say. Alain Brakha has run a newspaper kiosk for the past 30 years outside this city’s opulent opera house, where he breathes some of the worst traffic pollution in Europe. http://www.wsj.com/articles/vw-scandal-raises-scrutiny-of-emissions-tests-and-diesel-pollution-in-europe-1444728624 Singapore's Air Quality Reaches `Unhealthy' Level With Haze. Singapore’s air quality worsened on Tuesday, reaching an "unhealthy" level as haze from Indonesian forest fires blanketed the city-state. The three-hourly pollution index was at 154 at 10 a.m. Singapore time, the National Environment Agency said, the highest level since it entered the "unhealthy" range on Monday afternoon. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-13/singapore-s-air-quality-reaches-unhealthy-level-with-haze Why USC air pollution researchers are studying air, children’s lungs in Africa. USC scientists are taking their landmark study on smog and children’s lungs on the road, part of the realization that dirty air anywhere on the planet can drift to distant lands and contribute to global climate change. http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20151012/why-usc-air-pollution-researchers-are-studying-air-childrens-lungs-in-africa Ozone debate between oil industry, environmentalists propels Congress to the outer limits. Capitol Crude takes a look at the US EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone, issued October 1, which sees the air pollution limit lowered from 75 ppb to 70 ppb, drawing protests from the oil and gas industry… http://www.platts.com/podcasts-detail/crude/2015/october/capitol-crude-101215?hootpostid=8832141de9cb6f06e1bc87c9f7f15a65 CLIMATE CHANGE AP Interview: EU climate boss says G20 countries can improve pledges to cut emissions. Europe's climate chief has acknowledged for the first time that climate pledges made by national governments ahead of a major U.N. conference fall short of meeting the international goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EU_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/12/ap-interview-eu-climate-boss-says-emissions-cuts-not-enough ITF Calls for Global Rules for Ship Operators to Cut Emissions. Group says United Nations’ maritime arm should impose a carbon tax, set enforceable goals for maritime operators. The International Transport Forum called Monday for global, enforceable regulations for the maritime industry to reduce carbon emissions by half over the next 35 years and entirely by 2080. The ITF… http://www.wsj.com/articles/itf-calls-for-global-rules-for-ship-operators-to-cut-emissions-1444644247 This is how rising seas will reshape the face of the United States. In a new study, a team of scientists who specialize in studying rising seas bring the implications of their research right to the U.S.’s doorstep — calculating just how many American cities and municipalities are at risk of being flooded in the future, as well as how many may already be committed to that fate. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/12/this-is-how-rising-seas-will-reshape-the-face-of-the-united-states/ Climate change could triple Amazon drought, study finds. When thinking about greenhouse gas emissions, there are a few obvious sources that come to mind, such as cars or coal-burning plants. But there are also some huge natural reservoirs of carbon on Earth, known as “carbon sinks,” which could pour huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere if they were unleashed. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/12/climate-change-could-triple-amazon-drought-study-finds/ Bringing Republicans to the Climate Change Table. The climate has been changing forever. It will continue to change. Some scientists believe that humans have a direct impact on it. But trying to curb carbon emissions to slow the change could destroy the economy, eliminate millions of jobs, and cast Americans into poverty. This is what’s known today as the moderate Republican position on climate change… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/business/economy/bringing-republicans-to-the-climate-change-table.html Climate Qualms Mean Oil Will Never Be Used Up-BP. Concerns about the climate change impact of burning the world's remaining oil resources mean the reserves will never be fully exploited, BP Chief Economist Spencer Dale said on Tuesday. That assumption means the relative price of oil will not necessarily increase over time, Dale said at an economists' conference in London on Tuesday. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/business/13reuters-bp-climatechange-oil.html Global Climate Pledges Not Enough but Good Start-European Commission. National pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions, even if fully implemented, would cap global warming at 3 degrees Celsius rather than the 2 degrees targeted to avoid dangerous consequences, the European Commission said on Monday. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/12/world/12reuters-climatechange-europe.html Study Quantifies Liana Vines’ Threat to Forests. Woody climbing vines called lianas are a known threat to tropical forests. They increase tree mortality and reduce growth, ultimately hampering a forest’s ability to store carbon in trees and battle climate change. Now a new study quantifies the rapid effect of the vines: Researchers who examined forests in the Barro Colorado Nature Monument in Panama report that after three years of growth… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/science/study-quantifies-liana-vines-threat-to-forests.html Expected Polish Election Winner Urges EU Climate Deal Renegotiation. The likely winner of Poland's Oct. 25 parliamentary election called on Tuesday for a renegotiation of a climate deal agreed last year by the European Union, saying the country needed more coal-based power stations. The European Union agreed last year, after marathon negotiations, to cut greenhouse gases by 40 percent by 2030… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/world/europe/13reuters-climatechange-summit-poland.html Here's why a few degrees of global warming could be catastrophic. There's no denying that our planet is getting warmer. Average surface temperatures across the globe have already risen 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1880. Meanwhile, new climate models predict that, by the end of the 21st century, they could further rise by between 2 C and 6 C (between 3.6 F and 10.8 F). http://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-degrees-melting-ice-2015-10 Antarctic ice is melting so fast the whole continent may be at risk by 2100. New research predicts a doubling of surface melting of the ice shelves by 2050, risking their collapse by the end of the century, say scientists. Antarctic ice is melting so fast that the stability of the whole continent could be at risk by 2100, scientists have warned. Widespread collapse of Antarctic ice shelves – floating extensions of land ice projecting into the sea… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/12/antarctic-ice-melting-so-fast-whole-continent-may-be-at-risk-by-2100 Methane release from melting permafrost could trigger dangerous global warming. A policy briefing from the Woods Hole Research Center concludes that the IPCC doesn’t adequately account for a methane warming feedback. While most attention has been given to carbon dioxide, it isn’t the only greenhouse gas that scientists are worried about. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/oct/13/methane-release-from-melting-permafrost-could-trigger-dangerous-global-warming BP admits climate concern makes some oil unburnable. Oil major’s chief economist accepts analysis that two thirds of fossil fuels must stay in the ground to hold warming to 2C. Some of the world’s oil will not be burned as a result of climate concerns, BP’s chief economist said on Tuesday. Scientists have calculated around a third of proven oil reserves need to stay in the ground to hold global warming to 2C, the international goal. http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/13/bp-admits-climate-concern-makes-some-oil-unburnable/ Something fishy: How climate change reaches deep into the ocean. Researchers examined the effects of rising global temperatures on a variety of fish. Climate change could have devastating consequences for the world’s fish. As global temperatures rise, the resulting ocean acidification and warming may hurt the diversity and population of fish species across the globe, say researchers. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1013/Something-fishy-How-climate-change-reaches-deep-into-the-ocean 25 million Americans could lose their homes to global warming: Will you? In the US, between 20 and 31 million people's homes will be submerged by rising oceans, if global average temperatures rise by 6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a new study in PNAS. Millions of Americans could lose their homes if planet-warming emissions continue unabated through 2100… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1012/25-million-Americans-could-lose-their-homes-to-global-warming-Will-you Rising numbers of Americans believe climate science, poll shows. Level of belief has increased seven percentage points in the past six months as climate change brings weather events closer to home. Around 70% of Americans believe in the science behind global warming - the highest level of acceptance in the US since 2008 - according to a new survey. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/13/rising-numbers-of-american-believe-climate-science-poll-shows PJM state officials discuss possible carbon rule coordination. Following the lead of states throughout the Midwest and other regions, counterparts in the Mid-Atlantic have been talking in recent months about ways they could work together to facilitate compliance with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/13/stories/1060026205 Behind the scenes, most states are exploring the benefits of carbon trading. Swaths of states are engaged in early regional talks about how to comply with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan and whether to embrace carbon trading to keep costs down. These "no regrets" discussions -- mostly coordinated by nongovernmental organizations -- offer a safe space for state air and electric regulators to share ideas and analyze how various paths forward might affect their power systems and economies. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/13/stories/1060026225 DROUGHT Evidence Mounts for El Nino That Could Ease Calif. Drought. Evidence is mounting that the El Nino ocean-warming phenomenon in the Pacific will spawn a rainy winter in California, potentially easing the state's punishing drought but also bringing the risk of chaotic storms like those that battered the region in the late 1990s. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/12/us/ap-us-el-nino.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-us--el-nino-20151012-story.html http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/18608420-113/evidence-mounts-for-el-nino-that-could-ease http://www.kesq.com/news/evidence-mounts-for-el-nino-that-could-ease-calif-drought/35812878 Poll: California’s drought heavy on the mind. California’s punishing drought has taken a firm grip on the electorate’s conscience, with more than 3 in 4 voters describing the state’s water shortage as extremely serious, according to a new poll. The Field Poll, released Tuesday, follows months of mandatory water restrictions, public relations campaigns and media focus on the drought. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/field-polls/article38900478.html#storylink=cpy California drought: New poll shows growing majority calls it 'extremely serious' After four years of relentless drought, more Californians are worried about water shortages than ever, despite El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean that are boosting hopes for a wet winter. A new Field Poll released Tuesday showed that 76 percent of registered California voters now call the state's water situation… http://www.contracostatimes.com/drought/ci_28961005/california-drought-new-poll-shows-growing-majority-calls http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=29240 California drought: CVWD could increase penalty fees. If you’re still wasting water, now would be a great time to stop – maybe by deciding not to overseed your lawn. That was the takeaway from Tuesday’s meeting of the Coachella Valley Water District’s board of directors, which followed the agency’s dismal conservation performance in September. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/10/13/california-drought-cvwd-increase-penalty-fees/73878116/ TEMECULA: Drought surcharge reduced by Rancho Water. Rancho Water reducing its drought surcharge. The vote wasn’t unanimous but the Rancho California Water District board recently reduced a drought surcharge that heavily penalizes customers who exceed their water budgets. The two-tier surcharge structure that was put in place this summer charged ratepayers $3.40 per hundred cubic feet of water if they were… http://www.pe.com/articles/water-783228-percent-surcharge.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Estes Fined by EPA for Failing to Install Diesel Particulate Filters. Estes Express Lines has been fined $100,000 for failing to install particulate filters on 73 heavy-duty diesel trucks, a violation of the California Truck and Bus Regulation. Estes also will spend $290,400 on projects to educate the out-of-state trucking industry on the regulation and for replacing old wood-burning devices in the San Joaquin Valley… http://ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39691 EPA Promises More Fines For Diesel Polluters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expects to levy more fines against out-of-state trucking and bus companies operating in California. It issued the first last week. Under a rule implemented in 2012 to combat its worst-in-the-nation air quality, California requires trucks and buses older than 2007 to install diesel filters. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/12/epa-promises-more-fines-for-diesel-polluters/ FUELS WSU researcher receives $450,000 grant to improve biofuels. A researcher at Washington State University (WSU) has received a three-year $450,000 (appr. €395,000) federal grant to develop computer models for using iron to more efficiently refine bio-oils and make better biofuels. Jean-Sabin McEwen, assistant professor in the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering… http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/9754/wsu_researcher_receives_450000_grant_to_improve_biofuels/ VEHICLES Toyota promises better mileage and ride with Prius hybrid. Toyota Motor Corp. released details for its fourth-generation Prius on Tuesday, promising that improvements in the battery, engine, wind resistance and weight mean better mileage for the world's top-selling hybrid car. It gets up to 40 kilometers a liter under Japanese tests, which translates to more than 93 miles per gallon… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_TOYOTA_PRIUS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Tesla Model X buyers could get $25,000 tax break. Take heart, prospective Tesla buyers alarmed by the probable $100,000-plus price tag for the company's new Model X: You may qualify for a $25,000 tax break. Tesla has confirmed reports that the falcon-winged all-electric SUV, because of its gross vehicular weight, may qualify for a federal tax break designed for heavy equipment. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-model-x-tax-break-20151012-story.html The tax loophole that can save you big bucks off a Tesla Model X. Elon Musk and Tesla Motors, masterful at mining state and federal tax incentives, may have lucked into a tax loophole. The company's new $100,000-plus Model X electric SUV qualifies for a $25,000 federal tax deduction. That's on top of a $7,500 federal tax credit and a $2,500 California rebate given to buyers of battery-electric vehicles. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-model-x-tax-break-20151012-story.html VOLKSWAGEN Scandal-Hit VW to Change Diesel Emissions Technology. Volkswagen's flagship brand plans to change its diesel technology in Europe and North America as well as develop new hybrid and electric vehicles in response to its emissions scandal. The new steps were part of a plan to confront the company's scandal over cars that were equipped with computer software that let them evade U.S. emissions tests. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/13/world/europe/ap-volkswagen.html http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1014-volkswagen-diesel-change-20151013-story.html VW fallout: Wolfsburg postpones planned training center. Volkswagen-backed Bundesliga club Wolfsburg has postponed the construction of a youth training center because of the German car manufacturer's emissions-rigging scandal. Wolfsburg chief executive Klaus Allofs tells news agency dpa that "I think it's understandable that we at least suspend it for now," referring to the planned 40-million euro ($45.5 million) project. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOC_WOLFSBURG_TRAINING_CENTER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/13/volkswagen-emissions-wolfsburg-soccer-idUSL3N12D4UD20151013?feedType=RSS&feedName=cyclicalConsumerGoodsSector German investor confidence down as VW adds to worries. A survey shows investor confidence in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, has fallen for the seventh consecutive month as concern about the fallout from the Volkswagen scandal adds to worries about weak growth in emerging economies. The Center for European Economic Research, known by its German acronym ZEW… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_ECONOMY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VW diesel cars recalled in China, sales halted in Singapore. Volkswagen said Monday it is recalling 1,950 diesel vehicles in China to change engine software it has admitted cheats on emissions tests and Singapore suspended sales of the company's diesel cars. The German automaker admitted last month that 11 million of its vehicles worldwide were fitted with cheating software to beat emission tests. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_ASIA_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VW looks to cutbacks and electric cars to overcome scandal. Volkswagen will cut investment plans at its biggest division by 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) a year and step up development of electric vehicles, it said on Tuesday, as it battles to cope with the fallout from its cheating of diesel emissions tests. The German company also said it would speed up cost cutting at the VW division, its largest by revenues… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/13/us-volkswagen-emissions-investment-idUSKCN0S710020151013?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews UPDATE 2-VW crisis hits German investor mood but officials play down economic impact. German investor morale plunged in October to its lowest in a year as the emissions scandal at Volkswagen hit confidence but an industry group and minister said the crisis would not permanently damage Europe's largest economy. The monthly survey of German analysts and investors by think tank… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N12D1RP20151013 Volkswagen emissions scandal headed for Hollywood. The Volkswagen AG scandal over diesel emission tests is headed for Hollywood. U.S. movie studio Paramount Picture and actor Leonardo DiCaprio's production company have acquired movie rights to a book proposal by New York Times journalist Jack Ewing about the clean diesel scandal… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/12/us-volkswagen-emissions-movie-idUSKCN0S627020151012 Volkswagen, in Future Cars, to Adopt New System for Controlling Diesel Emissions. Volkswagen said on Tuesday that it would revamp the technology it uses for controlling diesel exhaust in future models as it struggles to overcome an emissions cheating scandal that has battered its reputation and threatened its financial stability. The company said it would switch to what it called a selective catalytic reduction system to decrease emissions… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/business/international/volkswagen-diesel-emissions.html Volkswagen Says Diesel Repairs Will Vary in Europe and U.S. Volkswagen’s top executive in Britain said Monday that the car company was taking a different approach to fixing its vehicles in Europe than in the United States, raising new questions about the manufacturer’s response to its emissions testing scandal and highlighting gaps in trans-Atlantic regulations. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/business/international/volkswagen-says-diesel-repairs-will-vary-in-europe-and-us.html Investors Ask Automakers to Explain Emissions Lobbying. Leading European investment managers and pension funds controlling nearly $1 trillion have joined forces to call for automakers to better explain how they have lobbied public bodies on emissions standards. Nineteen investors including AXA Investment Managers, the fund arm of insurer AXA… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/12/business/12reuters-volkswagen-emissions-funds.html German State of Lower Saxony to Keep VW Stake-State PM. Germany's state of Lower Saxony, Volkswagen's second-largest stakeholder, will keep its holding in Europe's biggest automaker, state Prime Minister Stephan Weil said. "The state has great interest in VW's success," Weil said in a speech to the Hanover-based regional parliament on Tuesday, referring to Lower Saxony's 20 percent holding in VW. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/business/13reuters-volkswagen-emissions-lower-saxony.html Got a Volkswagen? The diesel emissions scandal could affect you. Volkswagen Philippines received official information from Volkswagen AG that all vehicles distributed and sold by Volkswagen Philippines are not affected by the particular software used in diesel engines. "Audi Australia is working as quickly as we can, together with our head office, to analyse the potential effect on Australian vehicles… http://nysepost.com/got-a-volkswagen-the-diesel-emissions-scandal-could-affect-17355 VW unveils new strategy after emissions fiasco. Volkswagen said Tuesday it would slash investment in its main passenger-car brand by $1.1 billion a year and make changes to its diesel-engine technology in the wake of an emissions-cheating scandal. Herbert Diess, the Wolfsburg, Germany-based carmaker's chief executive, said Volkswagen was announcing the changes as part of a strategic overhaul. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/10/13/vw-unveils-new-strategy-after-emissions-fiasco/73855160/ Lawsuit seeks Volkswagen buyback of emissions-cheating diesels in California. California owners of Volkswagen diesel cars caught up in the emissions-test rigging scandal might have a shot at getting the German automaker to buy back the vehicles. A Seattle law firm filed a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen in Los Angeles federal court Monday demanding an immediate buyback under California emissions laws. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-volkswagen-diesel-buyback-lawsuit-20151012-story.html VW diesel owners sue for immediate buyback of models tainted by emissions cheating scandal. California owners of Volkswagen diesel vehicles affected by the emissions cheating scandal are demanding the company buy back their cars immediately, according to a new class action lawsuit filed against the German automaker Monday in federal district court in Santa Ana. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/diesel-687253-berman-emissions.html The man who discovered the Volkswagen emissions scandal. "I'm just a simple engineer from Michigan," says John German, the man who helped discover the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Speaking to Wake Up To Money on BBC Radio 5 live, Mr. German revealed he had told VW about his findings in May 2014, but the company had failed to fix the problem. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34519184 GREEN ENERGY Batteries to power O.C. office buildings. Orange County's largest landlord is installing battery-powered energy systems at more than a dozen office buildings as part of a state initiative to combat global warming and rebuild capacity lost when the San Onofre nuclear power plant was shut down. Irvine Co. plans to install the systems — which would use batteries purchased from Elon Musk's Tesla… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-irvine-energy-storage-20151013-story.html MISCELLLANEOUS Study Shows Spread of Cigarettes in China. Chinese men now smoke one-third of all the world’s cigarettes, and a third of all young men in China are doomed to eventually die from the habit, scientists in China and Britain have concluded. Their study, published last week in The Lancet, estimated that two-thirds of all males in China smoked, more were still taking up the habit and more were starting as teenagers, which adds risk. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/health/study-shows-spread-of-cigarettes-in-china.html Can State’s Business And Environmental Interests Create A Successful And Mutually Beneficial Freight Strategy? California is often cited as having some of the toughest environmental regulations, not only in the nation but in the world. When new environmental regulations have been imposed by the state on industries and private interests, protestations have inevitably… http://www.lbbizjournal.com/#!Can-State%E2%80%99s-Business-And-Environmental-Interests-Create-A-Successful-And-Mutually-Beneficial-Freight-Strategy/c1sbz/561bdc460cf2c3576e5993a2 OPINIONS G.O.P. and Climate Change. Re “Stuff Happens” (column, Oct. 7): Thomas L. Friedman rightly criticizes the “dumb-as-we-wanna-be thinking” of most of the Republican presidential candidates on climate change. However, several of these candidates aren’t denying that climate change exists; they’re denying that America can solve the problem. Denying science is no longer a tenable position. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/opinion/gop-and-climate-change.html The New Conservative Argument to Ignore Climate Change Is Even Dumber Than the Old One. Over the last year, the most common conservative rationale for supporting unlimited, free dumping of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has shifted from insisting that carbon emissions are probably harmless to insisting that international cooperation is impossible. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/10/new-reason-to-ignore-climate-dumber-than-old-one.html Exxon is to Arctic climate change what big tobacco is to lung cancer. To the editor: My parents smoked for decades; one died of lung cancer and the other of emphysema. So it really hits home when companies like Exxon use tactics straight from the tobacco industry playbook to sow doubt about scientific realities with denials and misdirection. (“What Exxon knew about warming in the Arctic,” Oct. 11) http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1013-exxon-arctic-20151012-story.html Dan Walters: How should state spend cap-and-trade dollars? One of the chores the Legislature left undone when it adjourned was spending billions of dollars from auctioning carbon dioxide emission credits. There's no shortage of suggestions on how to spend the "cap-and-trade" money, but state law says it's supposed to be spent on reducing carbon emissions and thus combating climate change. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28962624/dan-walters-how-should-state-spend-cap-and Should companies be forced to disclose carbon emissions? An industry-led Climate Disclosure Task Force to design and create a single voluntary standard of carbon disclosure would go far in addressing the problem. Ask the average investor or investment manager if they know how climate change will affect the assets in their portfolio and you’ll likely get a blank stare in return. http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/10/13/should-companies-be-forced-to-disclose-carbon-emissions.html Letter: Historical drought. I feel the major drought in California must be taken care of as soon as possible. While we are a dry state ourselves, California has been going through a major drought that has gone to historical records. There have been major fires over the past two months. I feel that we and other states could supply freshwater to California until the drought has eased up. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638877/Historical-drought.html BLOGS California Builds Near Real-Time Analytics System to Tackle Drought’s Effects. California is building a large-scale analytics system to provide data about the state’s drought to scientists analyzing the problem and legislators looking for new ways to mitigate its effects. Recent legislation related to the drought called for state agencies to more closely monitor the use of ground water… http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2015/10/13/california-builds-near-real-time-analytics-system-to-tackle-droughts-effects/ How to Manage Fire to Cut Pollution and Slow Climate Change. Here’s a “Your Dot” contribution on the many benefits of managing fires in forests, savannah and peatlands — including slowing global warming, protecting threatened ecosystems and reducing noxious palls of haze. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/how-to-manage-fire-to-cut-pollution-and-slow-climate-change/?partner=rss&_r=0 Will the U.S. follow China’s cap-and-trade deal? China has made a commitment to start a national cap and trade program in 2017 to limit and price greenhouse gas emissions. President Xi Jinping announced the country’s initiative during a visit to the U.S. in September. China is the world’s largest polluter, and contributes to 30 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, but the U.S. is not far behind. http://blogs.mprnews.org/todays-question/2015/10/will-the-u-s-follow-chinas-cap-and-trade-deal/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 16:11:54 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 14, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 14, 2015. 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 Calif. carbon offsets face slowdown in market development. California's market for carbon offsets is limping along as a result of uncertain policies, project developers and customers said last week. The market is intended to provide emitters with a lower-cost option than the state-issued carbon allowances, which have been sold at quarterly auctions since November 2012. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026292 Norwegian Prime Minister demands global carbon price and end to fossil fuel subsidies. Erna Solberg says governments must create predictable framework and a clear direction for low carbon investment. Erna Solberg, the Norwegian Prime Minister, has called on the world to immediately set a global carbon price and phase out fossil fuel subsidies in order to better drive investment in low carbon technologies. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2430358/norwegian-prime-minister-demands-global-carbon-price-and-end-to-fossil-fuel-subsidies AIR POLLUTION Environmental groups sue for soot cleanup plan 9 years after law. Environmental groups are suing the federal government to enforce nine-year-old pollution control standards in five Western states with excessive levels of toxic soot in the air, in one of a series of similar lawsuits across the nation. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/13/environment-soot-idUSL1N12D0GA20151013 Port of Los Angeles has failed to meet pollution-cutting measures. The Port of Los Angeles has failed to carry out vital pollution-reduction measures it agreed to make after a legal settlement more than a decade ago, according to a document released by the port. In an environmental notice, the port revealed it has not completed 11 of 52 measures it agreed to impose to reduce air pollution, noise and traffic… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1014-port-pollution-20151014-story.html http://lbpost.com/business/trade-transportation/2000007289-port-of-long-beach-surpasses-air-pollution-reduction-milestones-set-for-2014 Cutting ozone will require radical transformation of California's transit sector. At a laboratory in downtown Los Angeles, a big rig spins its wheels on massive rollers as a metal tube funnels its exhaust into an array of air quality sensors. Engineers track the roaring truck's emissions from a bank of computer screens. The brand-new diesel truck is among the cleanest on the road, the engineers at the California Air Resources Board testing lab say. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article39038067.html#storylink=cpy Program to improve air quality with emission-reducing tech. In an effort to help the San Joaquin Valley reduce emissions and meet critical air quality standards, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will provide funding for businesses and individuals to develop new emission-reducing technology through its Technology Advancement Program. http://www.turlockjournal.com/section/12/article/30408/ Port of Long Beach Surpasses Air Pollution Reduction Milestones Set for 2014. An annual study of port-related air pollution emissions found that the Port of Long Beach (POLB) surpassed each and every air pollution reduction standard set for 2014 by the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). Specifically, the port announced today, the study found that the POLB cut diesel particulates by 85 percent… http://lbpost.com/business/trade-transportation/2000007289-port-of-long-beach-surpasses-air-pollution-reduction-milestones-set-for-2014 EPA rolls out new standards for aluminum producers. Aluminum production facilities will be subject to new standards for several air pollutants, as well as face new work practice and monitoring requirements under a new rule that will be published tomorrow. The rule represents an update to 1997 standards for primary aluminum production facilities. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026313 CLIMATE CHANGE With Market on Their Side, Electric Utilities Skip Fight Against Carbon Rule. Cheap natural gas, falling costs for wind, solar already have power companies on low-carbon path. U.S. coal companies and at least 16 state governments are working on challenges to the Obama administration’s new rule limiting carbon emissions from power plants. Most electric utilities have a different strategy: They are embracing it. http://www.wsj.com/articles/with-market-on-their-side-electric-utilities-skip-fight-against-carbon-rule-1444606397 What Exxon knew about global warming's impact on the Arctic. Back in 1990, as the debate over climate change was heating up, a dissident shareholder petitioned the board of Exxon, one of the world's largest oil companies, imploring it to develop a plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its production plants and facilities. The board's response: Exxon had studied the science of global warming and concluded it was too… http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article39038058.html#storylink=cpy Can climate pledges forestall ocean ecosystem collapse? Nearly 150 countries have pledged to cut down on carbon emissions as scientists warn that current emission levels severely threaten the diversity and abundance of marine life. Europe’s climate change commissioner is smiling, but some scientists have worry lines. As nations prepare for a global conference on climate change… http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1014/Can-climate-pledges-forestall-ocean-ecosystem-collapse Democratic rivals put climate change firmly on the agenda. Four of the five contenders call for action on the issue despite its relegation to a single question in the final part of the CNN event. Democratic contenders promised repeatedly to take forceful action against climate change in their first presidential debate on Tuesday night – even before they were asked. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/14/democratic-rivals-climate-change-agenda-despite-cnn 150 countries pledge to curb carbon emissions. Countries represent 90% of global carbon emissions, leading to hopes for deal at Paris climate summit. Some 150 countries representing around 90% of the world’s carbon emissions have now filed pledges to curb them, dramatically increasing the chances of a deal at the Paris climate summit in December. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/13/150-countries-pledge-to-curb-carbon-emissions Climate skeptics more likely to prepare for wildfires – study. Believing in climate change and its capacity to increase both the number and severity of catastrophic wildfires does not make a person more likely to take actions to protect their homes and property, not at least in two fire-prone counties in Colorado, according to research published this month in the journal Environmental Hazards. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026294 DROUGHT Nestle drawing millions of gallons of California water on expired permit, suit claims. nvironmental groups sued the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday, alleging that the agency has allowed Nestle Waters to draw water from a creek in the San Bernardino Mountains under a permit that expired more than 25 years ago. The company, owner of the Arrowhead bottled water brand, has drawn millions of gallons from the west fork of Strawberry Creek under a permit it apparently acquired in 2002. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nestle-water-lawsuit-20151013-story.html Paper plates and plastic forks? Drought restriction rankles restaurants and diners. Four years of drought have forced most Californians to shoulder some inconvenience. Homeowners have had to watch their lawns go brown, city halls have turned off their ornamental fountains and hotels have had to implore their guests to use their towels twice. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fort-bragg-paper-plates-20151013-story.html FUELS New palm oil council would drop "no deforestation" pledge – Indonesia. A new palm oil producer grouping being set up by Indonesia and Malaysia would replace "no deforestation" pledges made by major palm companies in favour of a joint set of standards proposed by the two countries, an Indonesian minister said late Tuesday. Indonesia wants big palm oil companies to row back on the historic pledges made at a climate change summit last year… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/indonesia-palm-ipop-idUSL3N12E22820151014 Oil Sands Boom Dries Up in Alberta, Taking Thousands of Jobs With it. At a camp for oil workers here, a collection of 16 three-story buildings that once housed 2,000 workers sits empty. A parking lot at a neighboring camp is now dotted with abandoned cars. With oil prices falling precipitously, capital-intensive projects rooted in the heavy crude mined from Alberta’s oil sands are losing money… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/business/international/oil-sands-boom-dries-up-in-alberta-taking-thousands-of-jobs-with-it.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Refiners and industry group refuse to meet about California gas prices. An advisory committee to the California Energy Commission wanted to discuss the causes of the high gasoline prices in the state this summer during a workshop Tuesday -- only the oil refiners and their association refused to show. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-oil-refiners-gas-prices-20151013-story.html L.A. officials set oil drilling terms but fail to enforce them. When oil companies wanted to drill wells at a South Los Angeles site decades ago, city planners set out a long list of requirements intended to ensure that oil production was "strictly controlled to eliminate any possible odor, noise" and other hazards. Nearly a half-century later, neighbors complained about a foul stench, headaches and nosebleeds. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-allenco-conditions-20151014-story.html Natural gas overreliance could cost customers, advocacy group warns. States shifting from coal-fired power and relying too much on natural gas to meet regulatory goals may expose consumers to price fluctuations, the Union of Concerned Scientists argues in a report released yesterday. John Rogers, report co-author and senior energy analyst for UCS, said states should especially pay attention… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026286 VEHICLES Toyota aims to nearly eliminate gasoline cars by 2050. Toyota, under ambitious environmental targets, is aiming to sell hardly any regular gasoline vehicles by 2050, only hybrids and fuel cells, to radically reduce emissions. The automaker promised to involve governments, affiliated companies and other "stakeholders" in its push to reduce average emissions from Toyota cars by 90 percent by about 2050, compared with 2010 levels. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/14/world/asia/ap-as-japan-toyota.html http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NW6Y2C6JTSEQ01-14HMG2SCHPMU5IA076B9ML3IO9 http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1014-toyota-gasoline-20151014-story.html http://www.ibtimes.com/toyota-announces-environmental-targets-plans-sell-30k-fuel-cell-cars-eliminate-co2-2140803 Carmakers Lobby To Keep Software Secret, Despite VW Emission Scandal. The software that allowed Volkswagen diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests was not found by government regulators. Instead, its effects were discovered by researchers at West Virginia University, working with the International Council on Clean Transportation. Confronted with on-road emission levels far higher than its test results… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100457_carmakers-lobby-to-keep-software-secret-despite-vw-emission-scandal VW RECALL Volkswagen Italy sees no major impact on Oct orders after scandal. Volkswagen Italy has not seen a "worrying fall" in orders so far in October following the carmaker's emissions cheating scandal, a senior executive said on Wednesday, adding that the company's namesake brand has seen the biggest impact. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/volkswagen-italy-sales-idUSR1N11H01520151014 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/14/business/14reuters-volkswagen-italy-investments.html Bosch sees diesel market so far unharmed by Volkswagen scandal. German automotive supplier Robert Bosch [ROBG.UL] has not seen any change so far in the diesel car market as a result of an emissions scandal that has rocked Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), its chief executive said on Wednesday. "It will depend, though, on an active campaign for diesel to quickly dispel the current… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/us-volkswagen-emissions-bosch-idUSKCN0S81E720151014 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/14/business/14reuters-volkswagen-emissions-bosch.html German minister calls for tougher emissions limits due to VW scandal-paper. German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks is calling for tougher emissions regulations and tests due to the diesel emissions scandal at German carmaker Volkswagen, newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/volkswagen-emissions-germany-environment-idUSL8N12E14320151014 Volkswagen Scandal Puts Spotlight on Europe’s Dirty Air. Disparity between lab tests and real-world driving is one reason European cities struggle to meet air pollution targets, environmental experts say. Alain Brakha has run a newspaper kiosk for the past 30 years outside this city’s opulent opera house, where he breathes some of the worst traffic pollution in Europe. http://www.wsj.com/articles/vw-scandal-raises-scrutiny-of-emissions-tests-and-diesel-pollution-in-europe-1444728624?mod=fox_australian 2016 VW Diesels Have New Software Affecting Emissions Tests. Volkswagen has disclosed to U.S. regulators that there is additional suspect software in its 2016 diesel models that would potentially help their exhaust systems run cleaner during government tests. Volkswagen confirmed to The Associated Press that the "auxiliary emissions control device" at issue operates differently from the "defeat" device… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/14/us/politics/ap-us-volkswagen-suspect-software.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article39045468.html VW Denies Report Saying Over 30 Managers Involved in Emissions Rigging. Volkswagen denied a report by German magazine Der Spiegel on Wednesday that had said at least 30 managers at the carmaker were involved in rigging diesel emission test results. "This number is completely unfounded," a spokesman at VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany said. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/14/business/14reuters-volkswagen-emissions.html At Least 30 Involved in VW Diesel Cheat: Spiegel. At least 30 managers were involved in Volkswagen's emissions test cheating, German magazine Spiegel reported on Wednesday, citing internal and external investigations. VW's U.S. Chief Executive Michael Horn last week blamed "a couple of software engineers" for installing the software that defeated emissions tests and said it was not a corporate decision. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/14/business/14reuters-volkswagen-emissions-investigation.html Recently Named Head of VW North America Will Not Take Post. The recently named head of Volkswagen's North American business won't be taking up his new job - and has left the company. The announcement comes as Volkswagen faces a scandal over rigging the results of emissions testing of its diesel vehicles in the U.S. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/14/world/europe/ap-volkswagen.html http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-volkswagen-test-cheating-resignation-20151014-story.html EPA Hasn't Decided if New Software on 2016 VW Diesels Is Legal. U.S. regulators haven't determined the legality of a new emission-control device on Volkswagen's 2016 diesel models, a top official said on Tuesday. Those models still have not been certified for sale by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The existence of the new software was made public last week by VW's top U.S. executive… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/business/13reuters-volkswagen-emissions-epa.html VW may be sorry, but 'rolling coal' diesel polluters make no apologies. While Volkswagen executives turn on a spit, apologizing for their role in the ongoing diesel emissions cheating scandal, another group of polluters isn't sorry at all. They're the "rolling coal" guys, who use aftermarket software programs and other devices to turn their EPA-approved diesel pickup trucks into smoke-spewing monsters. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-vw-diesel-polluters-rolling-coal-20151013-story.html GREEN ENERGY Poland's PGE launches first solar power plant. Poland's biggest power producer PGE has started operating its first solar power plant as part of a plan to generate more electricity from renewable sources, the company said on Wednesday. The 0.6 megawatt 2.8 million zloty ($754,000) plant in southern Poland marks a turning point for PGE, which owns one of the most polluting lignite-fueled power plants in Europe. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12E2EU20151014 China Agricultural Bank Sells $1 Billion Debut 'Green Bond' in London. Agricultural Bank of China, the country's third-largest listed lender, completed its debut sale of $1 billion dual currency bonds late on Tuesday in London - the first "green bond" from a Chinese bank. Green bonds are issued to fund environment-friendly projects. This category of fixed-income instrument is growing fast as countries tackle climate change and pollution… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/business/13reuters-china-bonds-offshore.html High court seems troubled over energy pricing rule. The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed troubled by a federal regulation backed by environmental groups that requires utilities to pay big electric customers who save energy during times of peak demand. The Obama administration and other supporters say the rule has helped consumers save billions in energy costs, improved reliability of the power grid… http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article39083022.html#storylink=cpy Contra Costa explores its own renewable energy program. Contra Costa County moved a step closer Tuesday to creating or joining a partnership that would provide residents with a choice for clean energy. Supervisors voted to begin an outreach program with cities in the county to gauge interest in creating a renewable energy collaboration that would compete with Pacific Gas & Electric. http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28962832/does-contra-costa-want-create-its-own-renewable Solar combined with battery storage can help low-income housing. Residents and owners of multifamily residential buildings can reap sizeable benefits by adopting solar-plus-storage technology that allows energy from the sun to be harnessed and held for use during emergencies or for grid stabilization, according to a new analysis from the Clean Energy Group. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026295 Moniz touts rules, smart grid as boon to U.S. climate goals. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz pledged today that his department will spend the next 15 months doing everything it can to improve U.S. energy efficiency, both by promulgating rules and by modernizing the power grid. "We are scheduled to roll out more than 200 additional efficiency rules in the remainder of this administration… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026315 MISCELLANEOUS SCAQMD launches US’ largest zero-emission commercial lawn mower demonstration program in San Bernardino. The California South Coast Air Quality Management District delivered a dozen new, battery-electric commercial lawn mowers to agencies in San Bernardino County as part of a long-term demonstration program to promote the zero-emission equipment. SCAQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151014-scaqmd.html OPINIONS There's no such thing as a bad idea when it comes to solving California's drought. To the editor: New, creative, out-of-the-box solutions are desperately needed regarding our drought, yet The Times' editorial ridiculed a sincere suggestion put forth by Rep. Janice Hahn while supplying nothing of its own. (“North to Alaska for water?” Editorials, Oct. 9)… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1014-alaska-water-drought-california20151013-story.html Drought posse searching for Bel Air's biggest water waster. The water-hogging champ of California, a Bel-Air resident who has managed to suck 1,300 gallons of H2O an hour from the state's scant drought-limited supply, may soon find that there's no ice bucket for the champagne, no green in the polo turf and nothing but dust in the Versailles fountain. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1011-lopez-belair-20151011-column.html In Bel-Air, someone is using 1,300 gallons of water — per hour. This much we know: California's champion water hog lives somewhere in Bel-Air, guzzling more gallons per year — 11.8 million — than any other homeowner in the state. Who is the culprit? This we do not know. A June 1 story by the Center for Investigative Reporting did not reveal the name or address… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1007-lopez-water-glutton-20151007-column.html State's green energy is a tax on the poor. When ex-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made their way onto a hot, dry alkali flat just west of the Interstate 15 freeway between Barstow and Las Vegas in late 2010, all anyone knew for sure was that they were opening an era of giantism in solar electricity in California. http://hanfordsentinel.com/news/opinion/columnns/state-s-green-energy-is-a-tax-on-the-poor/article_9a6ee59a-f148-53c6-9050-70d684b74d3c.html Amid drought, rise in roadkill in Sonoma County. California’s record-breaking drought is responsible for low reservoirs, dried-up creeks and parched, brown hillsides. But the most grisly toll can be seen on Sonoma County’s busiest roads: dead animals. A growing number of animals are being struck by cars on roads in Sonoma County and other parts of California… http://www.petaluma360.com/news/4614826-181/amid-drought-rise-in-roadkill Walsh: How’s the air up there? The recent experience of spending an inordinate amount of time at 37,000-plus feet, cruising at 450 mph to and from Europe, begged this question: To what extent do thousands of high-altitude airline flights contribute each day to the devil’s brew of “greenhouse” gases that exacerbate global warming and impact climate change? Seems like the huge volume of aviation traffic — passenger… http://www.timesargus.com/article/20151014/OPINION02/151019749/0/TODAYFRONT BLOGS California Leads the Way on Climate Change. On the whole, state governments, especially those with Republican-dominated legislatures, have been remarkably passive and uninventive in recent years on the matter of climate change. Indeed, at least a dozen states have challenged the Obama administration’s new rule regulating carbon dioxide emissions from power… http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/california-leads-the-way-on-climate-change/?_r=0 An Inconvenient Truth About Clean Diesel. The recent Volkswagen emissions scandal is not only about how emissions testing can be avoided by computer programs instead of physical technology that prevents emission. It brings into question the very core of climate policy on light duty vehicles. Around the world we developed emission standards for CO2 emissions, typically in grams of CO2/km… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcelo-mena/an-inconvenient-truth-about-clean-diesel_b_8281420.html Climate Change Gets Its Due In The Democratic Debate. "The future of the planet is at stake." The Democratic presidential front-runners attempted to differentiate themselves on climate change Tuesday night. Former Maryland Gov. Martin staked his claim with a pledge to get to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, a goal he'd previously set out. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-democratic-debate_561da270e4b028dd7ea5abe0 With the threat of coal exports, Oakland piles more pollution on a polluted community. For Margaret Gordon, West Oakland is home. So when she learned that a new shipping terminal would be bringing coal right through the heart of it, Gordon was angry. They’d been promised this wouldn’t happen. She joined the hundreds of residents who showed up at City Council to voice their concerns. http://grist.org/cities/with-the-threat-of-coal-exports-oakland-piles-more-pollution-on-a-polluted-community/ This Devastating Chart Shows Why Even a Powerful El Niño Won’t Fix the Drought. In California, news of a historically powerful El Niño oceanic warming event is stoking hopes that winter rains will ease the state's brutal drought. But for farmers in the Central Valley, one of the globe's most productive agricultural regions, water troubles go much deeper—literally—than the current lack of precipitation. http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/10/el-nino-drought-farms-california Air Pollution: Haze Particles Hard Enough To Cause Abrasive Damage On Industrial Alloys. Particular air pollution (haze) has a major impact on the rapid economic growth and urbanization in developing countries, thus researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong University investigated the mechanical properties of haze particles. The presence of haze has raised concerns worldwide since due to its impact on human health… http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/31234/20151013/air-pollution-haze-particles-hard-enough-cause-abrasive-damage-industrial.htm California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 14:55:56 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 15, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 15, 2015. 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 Ontario urged not to give breaks to big polluters under cap-and-trade. Ontario must not go easy on big polluters lobbying for breaks under the upcoming cap-and-trade program, a coalition of 80 businesses, environmental groups and labour unions warns in a report to be released Thursday. The province should create an arms-length agency to handle the money raised from the program… http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-urged-not-to-give-breaks-to-big-polluters-under-cap-and-trade/article26818496/ AIR POLLUTION Germany Considers Emissions Levy as CO2 Reduction Target Wobbles. Germany may have to implement a tax on emissions as it struggles to meet its target to cut carbon dioxide pollution by 2020, said Franzjosef Schafhausen, a senior government official. The government’s decision in August to back away from measures that would close some of the most polluting coal plants raises questions… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/germany-considers-emissions-levy-as-co2-reduction-target-wobbles Torrance, AQMD to study use of alternative to toxic chemical at ExxonMobil refinery. Facing public pressure in the wake of a four-hour community workshop on safety issues at the troubled ExxonMobil refinery, the Torrance City Council has decided to study safer alternatives to a potentially lethal chemical used to produce gasoline at the plant. http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/20151014/torrance-aqmd-to-study-use-of-alternative-to-toxic-chemical-at-exxonmobil-refinery 5 states face the highest Clean Power Plan costs – report. Nebraska, Kansas, Tennessee, Missouri and West Virginia may experience the greatest challenges to complying with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan, according to rankings from financial analysts at Fitch Ratings. Under the final rule issued in August, other states must make steeper reductions in power-fleet carbon emissions by 2030… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026360 CLIMATE CHANGE In climate bid, Obama expands steps to cut refrigerants. President Barack Obama is ordering new steps to reduce refrigerants that contribute to climate change as he works to secure a global climate treaty. The Obama administration is proposing to extend rules targeting emissions of ozone-depleting chemicals to refrigerants called hydrofluorocarbons. The White House said Thursday the rules will be finalized next year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/us-usa-climatechange-hfcs-idUSKCN0S92D220151015 Vast Alpine glacier could almost vanish by 2100 due to warming. One of Europe's biggest glaciers, the Great Aletsch, coils 23 km (14 miles) through the Swiss Alps - and yet this mighty river of ice could almost vanish in the lifetimes of people born today because of climate change. The glacier, 900 meters (2,950 feet) thick at one point, has retreated about 3 km (1.9 miles)… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/us-climatechange-summit-earthprints-swit-idUSKCN0S914A20151015 Even Coal-Mining Giants Now Want a Climate-Change Deal This Year. Calling for action on climate change is as trendy as it gets for corporations these days. But the latest businesses to declare support for a global deal on greenhouse gases may turn some heads. The 14 companies that issued a joint statement Wednesday endorsing international negotiations include leaders from some of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/even-coal-mining-giants-now-want-a-climate-change-deal-this-year How Indonesia’s staggering fires are making global warming worse. Experts say that along with dramatic global coral bleaching, thousands of fires across Indonesia represents the next sign of an intensifying global El Niño event. And the consequences, in this case, could affect the entire globe’s atmosphere. That’s because a large number of Indonesia’s currently raging fires are consuming ancient stores of carbon-rich peat… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/15/how-indonesias-staggering-fires-are-making-global-warming-worse/ Obama aims to reduce a different class of greenhouse gases: hydrofluorocarbons. President Obama took his campaign to fight climate change to another front Thursday, rolling out a series of executive actions to reduce a class of greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs, as they're called, are part of a class of man-made gases that help trap heat in the earth's atmosphere… http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/10/15/obama-aims-reduce-different-class-greenhouse-gases-hydrofluorocarbons/73994288/ Forecast: Strong El Niño Will Improve California Drought. A strong El Niño is predicted to help ease drought conditions in some, but not all of California. The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, released Thursday, Oct. 15, by the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows a strong El Niño improving drought conditions across central and southern California through January. "Strong El Niño conditions are ongoing across… http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/15/forecast-strong-el-nino-will-improve-california-drought/ Native landscaping should thrive — not wash away — in heavy El Nino rains. After four years of drought finished off your lawn, you finally invested in native landscaping, complete with succulents, meadow flowers and herbs and wood chips. But are those drought-resistant designs also flood-proof? Or will it all drown or be uprooted, with your beloved cactuses rushing in a water wave toward the storm drains… http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20151014/native-landscaping-should-thrive-x2014-not-wash-away-x2014-in-heavy-el-nino-rains 2015 Closes in on Becoming the Warmest Year Yet. With each passing month, 2015 is edging closer and closer to locking in its ranking as the warmest year on record for the planet, and the chances of that happening are now at 93 percent, according to calculations from NASA. The strong El Niño event that has taken shape this year – which could rank among the strongest on record… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/2015-warmest-year-more-certain-19548?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed El Niño Lifts Odds of Wetter South, Drier North This Winter. The El Niño chatter has been going on for months, but we’re now entering the time of year when the climate phenomenon has noticeable impacts on U.S. weather. Government forecasters announced Thursday that they expect this year’s strong event to set up a north-south divide in both temperature and precipitation… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/el-nino-winter-weather-forecast-19550?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed Climate Change: 7 Out Of 10 Americans Now Believe There Is 'Solid Evidence' Of Global Warming. Last week, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump criticized President Barack Obama for focusing his efforts on tackling climate change. In the past, Trump, along with several other GOP presidential candidates, has expressed doubt over the existence of global warming -- which, in Trump’s case… http://www.ibtimes.com/climate-change-7-out-10-americans-now-believe-there-solid-evidence-global-warming-2141932 Will climate change and 'devil winds' bring year-round wildfires to Southern Calif.? As autumn approaches and temperatures cool, residents in Northern California typically breathe a sigh of relief -- traditionally, this is the time fire season winds down. But in the southern part of the state, the fire threat is far from gone. In fact, it's just heating up. "Traditionally, this is the peak of our fire season,"… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026351 Americans agree climate change is real. But made by humans? Not so much. Despite scientific near-certainty on global warming's causes, many Americans' views remain influenced by local weather trends and group norms. A large majority of Americans now say there is strong evidence for global warming… http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/1015/Americans-agree-climate-change-is-real.-But-made-by-humans-Not-so-much. Warming oceans driving East Coast fish to cooler waters – NOAA. Young East Coast fish are making moves to cooler waters, and researchers say that could mean changes for regional stock assessments. For decades, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been charting fish movement along the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Ecosystem -- from Cape Hatteras, N.C., to Cape Sable in Nova Scotia. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026341 DROUGHT Cities and private equity firms fight over ownership of water systems. Apple Valley residents were among the millions of Californians who cut back on water use during the state-mandated water restrictions this spring. Unlike most, however, their monthly water bills from their privately owned water provider, Park Water Co. in Downey, contained a rude surprise: a surcharge of 5% — for using less water. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-public-private-properties-20151015-story.html Districts slow flow of their water use. Much of south Orange County, as well as California as a whole, remains on track to achieve the state’s mandated water-use reduction after the first three months of the cutback period. Among South County water districts and cities, the exceptions are the city of San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Beach County Water District. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-687680-district-south.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES German minister says higher diesel taxes not on agenda. German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said on Thursday higher taxes for diesel vehicles were not on the political agenda, hours after she had suggested Berlin should think about ending tax breaks on diesel cars and promoting electric ones. "For me, higher taxes for diesel vehicles are not on the political agenda… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/us-volkswagen-emissions-germany-hendrick-idUSKCN0S917L20151015 To Meet Its Environmental Goals, California Has to Transform How People Travel. At a laboratory in downtown Los Angeles, a big rig spins its wheels on massive rollers as a metal tube funnels its exhaust into an array of air quality sensors. Engineers track the roaring truck's emissions from a bank of computer screens. The brand-new diesel truck is among the cleanest on the road… http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/cutting-ozone-will-require-radical-transformation-of-californias-transit-sector.html FUELS WRAPUP 1-Gasoline weighs on U.S. consumer prices; jobless claims fall. U.S. consumer prices recorded their biggest drop in eight months in September as the cost of gasoline fell, but a steady pick-up in the prices of other goods and services suggested inflation was starting to firm. There was good news on the labor market, with other data on Thursday showing new applications for unemployment aid fell back to a 42-year low last week. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1N12F0U320151015 Study questions RFS's environmental and economic benefits. University of Tennessee researchers cast doubt today on the environmental and economic track record of the renewable fuel standard, the federal policy that requires refiners to use increasing amounts of ethanol and advanced biofuels. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026378 Alaska company gets first U.S. OK to ship LNG by rail. The U.S. Transportation Department last week granted the Alaska Railroad Corp. permission to become the first U.S. company to transport liquefied natural gas tanks by rail. In a letter to the Alaska company, the Federal Railroad Administration opened the door for the rail line to carry a limited number of LNG shipments over the next two years. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/15/stories/1060026355 VEHICLES Volvo Cars Plans First All-Electric Vehicle by 2019. The first step will be the introduction of plug-in hybrid versions of the larger 90-series and 60-series cars, the Gothenburg-based manufacturer said in a statement on Thursday. Volvo has a plug-in hybrid version of the new XC90 SUV on the market and will offer the same option for the S90 sedan that is set to be introduced next year. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NW7UUI6S972A01-7PVO7F0RR08CVFGISB6EH319AN http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/10/15/volvo-plug-ins/73981460/ Honda adding 120 EV chargers to Torrance Campus; 50kW DC fast charger adjacent to campus. In an effort to increase the use of alternative fuel vehicles by its associates for daily commuting, and to prepare for a new generation of plug-in vehicles set to arrive by 2018, Honda is adding 120 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers on the Torrance, CA headquarter campus of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151015-honda.html Ford to Deliver More Power to Employees; Network of Charging Stations to Expand. Ford Motor Company is highlighting its commitment to plug-in electric vehicles by expanding efforts to provide more workplace charging stations to employees across the United States and Canada. The automaker began installing charging stations in September 2014, and currently has 145 units available for employee use at 43 Ford offices and manufacturing facilities in 6 states and Canada. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2015/10/15/144185-ford-to-deliver-more-power-to-employees-network-charging-stations.html VW RECALL German order triggers recall of 8.5M VW cars in Europe. German authorities on Thursday ordered a recall of all Volkswagen cars fitted with emissions test-cheating software, a decision that will affect 8.5 million VW diesel vehicles across the 28-nation European Union. The Federal Motor Transport Authority announced that the recall would affect 2.4 million vehicles in Germany. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/business/international/volkswagen-germany-recall.html?_r=1 EPA: Proposed fix for some diesel Volkswagens expected soon. U.S. regulators say they expect to receive a proposed fix later this week for some diesel Volkswagens caught up in the German automaker's emissions-rigging scandal. Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman Laura Allen said Thursday the proposed software patch would be for 2012 to 2014 Passat TDI models. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_PROPOSED_FIX?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Italy police search VW offices in Verona in emissions probe. Italian authorities have searched the headquarters of Volkswagen Italia as part of a local investigation into the emissions testing scandal at the German automaker. The financial police in the northern city of Verona conducted the searches on Thursday and confirmed that there are officials under investigation. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_ITALY_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VW working on fix for scandal-hit British cars - UK boss. Volkswagen's boss in Britain said the company's engineers were working to find a way to fix the brand's British models that contain software that can rig diesel emissions. About 1.2 million vehicles in Britain have been affected by the scandal. Some engines require changes to both hardware and software whilst others only need the software changed… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/volkswagen-emissions-britain-idUSU8N10Z00P20151015?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews At the Orange County Auto Show, Volkswagen will face consumers for first time since emissions scandal [The Orange County Register]. The Orange County International Auto Show figures to be a popular showcase for dozens of new vehicles and concept cars -- and for one of the more anticipated business encounters in years. Starting Thursday in Anaheim, Volkswagen's auto show booth will be its first face-to-face… http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201510151133KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_3565_41906-1 UPDATE 1-Faurecia sees limited impact from Volkswagen troubles. French car parts maker Faurecia said on Wednesday it expected a limited impact from its biggest client Volkswagen's struggle with a diesel emissions scandal. To illustrate its exposure to Volkswagen, Faurecia said that its sales of diesel passenger car parts to Europe's largest carmaker were… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/faurecia-results-idUSL8N12E47420151014 Germany mandates VW recall over deceptive software. Germany’s motor transport agency is ordering a mandatory recall of Volkswagen cars sold with software that enabled them to evade diesel emissions testing. The dpa news agency reported that the Federal Motor Transport Authority rejected a Volkswagen proposal for a voluntary recall. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/vw-emissions-scandal/2015/10/15/volkswagen/73974656/ VW suspends head of Kassel transmission plant – sources. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) has suspended the head of its main transmissions plant as it presses on with an investigation into who was responsible for cheating on diesel emissions tests, two people familiar with the matter said. Falko Rudolph, head of VW's factory in Kassel, Germany, has been suspended after being questioned by internal investigators last week… http://finance.yahoo.com/news/vw-suspends-head-kassel-transmission-130322746.html GREEN ENERGY FERC Energy-Saving Rule in Doubt After Supreme Court Session. U.S. Supreme Court justices raised doubts about a federal rule that rewards industrial consumers for cutting electricity use, hearing arguments in a clash between the Obama administration and the power-generation industry. The hour-long session Wednesday suggested the court was likely to give at least a partial victory to generators… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/ferc-energy-saving-rule-left-in-doubt-by-u-s-high-court-session Making cheaper solar panels by making less waste. Researchers in Germany have developed a new technology that reduces solar costs substantially. Solar photovoltaics can generate clean electricity, but until recently one major barrier to greater adoption is the fact that solar panels have been prohibitively expensive. In recent years there have been technological advances in photovoltaic cells’ efficiency, and increased production has brought down their cost. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/1015/Making-cheaper-solar-panels-by-making-less-waste Report Names Funders Of Anti-Solar-Power Initiatives & Legislation. As home-solar installations proliferate, electric utilities are worried about what affect that could have on their business. There's been much talk among analysts about whether distributed generation of electricity from renewable sources could threaten the traditional grid-based model. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100471_report-names-funders-of-anti-solar-power-initiatives-legislation OPINIONS Volkswagen can take $80 bln hit before crumpling. Volkswagen is strong enough to withstand the financial fallout of disguising emissions of 11 million diesel engines sold globally. If Europe’s biggest carmaker can keep its operations stable, the cash it produces means it could allow it to absorb an impact of 70 billion euros ($79.7 billion) without having to sell brands or raise equity. VW’s financial power-train is its core business of selling motor vehicles. http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/10/15/volkswagen-can-take-80-bln-hit-before-crumpling/ Tesla Model S P90D: A normal person drives the ‘best car’ ever made. The first thing I Googled from the driver's seat of this $142,000 Tesla Model S P90D was a plea: "turn off tesla." A representative of Elon Musk's heavily hyped automaker had just patiently explained everything I would need to know about the all-electric sedan, including how to enjoy its 300 miles of battery-powered range… https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/10/15/tesla-model-s-p90d-a-normal-person-drives-the-best-car-ever-made/ Exxon's damaging denial on climate change. Before most Americans were even aware of global warming, Exxon was investing in high-quality research on the subject. According to reports in the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere, the oil company's scientists concluded in the 1970s, '80s and '90s that climate change was real… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-exxon-climate-change-20151015-story.html A dirty trucking industry means dirty air for all of us. To the editor: Thank you for the story on the radical transformation needed in California's trucking industry. (“To cut smog, radical steps are next,” Oct. 11). It certainly is good to see this kind of leadership. It gives me hope. But it leaves me with questions as well. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1015-trucking-emissions-ozone-20151014-story.html Letter: Volkswagen not doing enough to fix its problem. Volkswagen not doing enough to fix its problem. Volkswagen’s apology: What does it really mean? Simply this: 1. They deny responsibility. VW management says they are sorry clean air standards were subverted but that they are not culpable. Taking a page from Donald Rumsfeld, “a tiny group of software developers” did it (AP, E-R, Oct. 9). http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20151014/letter-volkswagen-not-doing-enough-to-fix-its-problem Editorial: District correctly reverses course on sealing fireplaces after catching public heat. Sometimes it really does take the angry voice of ordinary people to get a zealous single purpose agency to back off and bury a wrong-headed idea. Earlier this year when the Bay Area Air Quality Management District proposed a rule that would bar any home from being sold that has a traditional wood burning fireplace… http://www.mercurynews.com/milpitas/ci_28969541/editorial-district-correctly-reverses-course-sealing-fireplaces-after BLOGS EPA right to go after methane. The EPA recently proposed to reduce methane emissions from one of its largest sources -- the oil and gas industry. Methane is more than 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide in its greenhouse gas effects and as such, cutting methane emissions is critical to addressing climate change. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/256940-epa-right-to-go-after-methane Climate Change: Warming Ocean is Causing Bubbling Plumes to Release Methane. Scientists have uncovered methane plumes in a warming ocean. They've found bubble plumes off of the Pacific Northwest that could support the idea that gradual ocean warming at about a third of a mile down may be releasing frozen methane in the seafloor. http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/31359/20151015/climate-change-warming-ocean-causing-bubbling-plumes-release-methane.htm Filling the Glass on Water Conservation. Californians have been stepping up to the challenge of meeting Governor Brown's water conservation goals; the numbers for May showed a 29 percent reduction in water use, a laudable achievement showing concerted effort by water districts and residents throughout the state. The good news: we're half way there. But the other half of the empty glass is still there, with a looming… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-daniels/filling-the-glass-on-wate_b_8299780.html Unleashing Innovation for a Clean Energy Economy. One of America's greatest assets is the ingenuity of its people. President Obama has been driving that theme home since the beginning of his Administration. At EPA, we've seen time and again that by unleashing homegrown American innovation, we can bring about big wins for both the environment and the economy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-mccarthy/unleashing-innovation-for_b_8303696.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 15:27:26 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 16, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 16, 2015. 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 Shipping industry protests call for tax on emissions. Plane emissions soar. In a brief released this week, a think tank division of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development warned of rising emissions from the shipping industry -- greenhouse gases could climb 50 to 250 percent in the next 35 years, according to the group -- and implored the industry to act. Emissions from the maritime shipping industry, a little more than 2 percent in 2012… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/16/stories/1060026414 AIR POLLUTION Port of L.A. terminal met pollution goal despite unfulfilled remedy steps. The executive director of the Port of Los Angeles says emissions levels at the China Shipping terminal met its targets, even though it failed to fully implement a series of pollution-reduction measures. The Port of Los Angeles met air-pollution reduction targets at one of its busiest terminals despite failing to take a number of steps it had agreed to impose to control emissions, the port's top official says. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1016-port-pollution-20151016-story.html Air Quality Monitoring System Can Be 95% Recycled. Environment SA has launched the e-Series of air quality analyzers, designed with special consideration to the environmental impacts of the product during its whole lifecycle. The measurement modules of the e-Series air quality monitoring systems are fitted in closed cell… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/10/16/air-quality-monitoring-system-can-be-95-recycled/#ixzz3okqG2LRf CLIMATE CHANGE Oil and Gas Companies Make Statement in Support of U.N. Climate Goals. Ten of the world’s big oil companies, mainly from Europe, on Friday jointly acknowledged their industry’s role in global climate change and said that they agreed with the United Nations’ goals of limiting global warming. The point, in a public declaration, was to try convincing… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/17/business/energy-environment/oil-companies-climate-change-un.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 Oil bosses fight 'bad guy' image ahead of climate talks. Oil and gas industry bosses pledged on Friday to curb gas flaring as they sought to boost their image in the climate change debate ahead of a United Nations summit later this year, but disagreed on putting a price on carbon emissions. The leaders of 10 companies that produce 20 percent of the world's oil and gas recognized that current greenhouse gas levels… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/16/us-oil-climatechange-idUSKCN0SA0ME20151016 Another weird effect of climate change — too many female sea turtles. Climate change is affecting wildlife in a lot of serious, and occasionally weird, ways. It’s destroying the icy habitats of polar bears and walruses. It’s driving fish species out of their normal habitats and taking away the food supplies of seals, sea lions and whales. It’s even causing bumblebees’ tongues to shrink. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/16/another-weird-effect-of-climate-change-too-many-female-sea-turtles/ Congressmen want probe of Exxon Mobil 'failing to disclose' climate change data. Members of Congress are asking for a federal investigation into Exxon Mobil. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles) and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Walnut Creek) wrote a letter Wednesday to Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch asking the Department of Justice whether the company violated the law by “failing to disclose truthful information” regarding climate change. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-investigation-exxonmobil-20151015-story.html Shutting down debate on climate change. Are you skeptical of human-caused global warming or climate change like many respected scientists and climate experts? Then you should be prosecuted like a Mafia mob boss, according to 20 academics at ivory towers such as Columbia, Rutgers and the University of Washington. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article39388794.html#storylink=cpy DROUGHT Bel-Air water hogs spur move to impose stiff penalties on L.A. guzzlers. Water hogs, beware. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power agreed Wednesday to study ways to curb excessive water use after the City Council called for a crackdown that could include “severe financial penalties” and “as a last resort, shutting off water.” The council approved a motion… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bel-air-water-wasters-drought-20151015-story.html El Niño keeps getting stronger, raises chance of drenching rains. The National Weather Service now expects El Niño to bring greater-than-average rainfall to virtually all of California, forecasters said for the first time Thursday. The new forecast is significant because it raises the chance that El Niño will send big storms not only to Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-forecast-20151015-story.html El Niño: Wet winter likely across California, not just in south, new report says. In the latest sign that El Niño conditions are likely to bring wet weather to drought-parched California, federal scientists on Thursday announced for the first time that the entire state -- including the northern part of California from the Bay Area to the Oregon border… http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28974825/el-nino-wet-winter-conditions-now-likely-across DIESEL ACTIVITIES Adomani, A-Z Bus partner to maintain hybrid school bus fleets. Adomani announced an agreement with A-Z Bus Sales to partner in the conversion and maintenance of hybrid and all-electric drive school bus fleets. With this partnership, Adomani said it will supply A-Z Bus Sales with a patented Adomani drivetrain and components for retrofitting school buses that are capable… http://fleetowner.com/running-green/adomani-z-bus-partner-maintain-hybrid-school-bus-fleets Neste renewable diesel to power Oakland's city fleet. The city of Oakland, California, began filling up its vehicles with Neste’s NEXBTL renewable diesel in order to reduce the emissions of its municipal fleet. Oakland is the first major U.S. city to convert its entire fleet to renewable diesel. The switch from petroleum to renewable diesel took place in early October. Reduced emissions resulting from the use of renewable diesel will allow the city of Oakland to decrease its carbon footprint and help meet ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets established by the city. http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/12479/neste-renewable-diesel-to-power-oaklands-city-fleet FUELS China to revive corn-based ethanol amid record high stocks. China, the world's second-largest corn consumer, is set to resume building new corn-based ethanol plants after a nearly decade-long ban, in a move that could help absorb the country's record stocks, industry sources said. Beijing barred corn-based ethanol in late 2006 on concerns over food security at a time of rising domestic corn prices. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/16/china-ethanol-idUSL3N12G19820151016?virtualBrandChannel=11563 VEHICLES Norway Is a Model for Encouraging Electric Car Sales. Berit Nordgarden and her husband, Eivind Tellefsen, loved their nonpolluting Nissan Leaf electric car. But they found its 85-mile battery life too short for weekend trips to their cottage with their two young children. So the outdoorsy couple took a deep breath and bought a second car: a Tesla Model S luxury sedan with three times the battery range… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/17/business/international/norway-is-global-model-for-encouraging-sales-of-electric-cars.html Companies pledge more electric vehicle charging stations in California. Corporate and government leaders gathered Thursday in Los Angeles to announce that hundreds more electric vehicles will be coming to California roads -- and they'll have hundreds more places to charge up. Navy and Marine Corps bases in the state will get 450 of the zero-pollution vehicles, while several major utilities… http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_28979033/companies-pledge-more-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-california VW RECALL VW’s Global Vehicle Sales Decline as Diesel-Motor Recalls Loom. Volkswagen AG’s namesake car brand reported a 4 percent decline in global sales last month amid a scandal over cheating on diesel-emissions tests. Deliveries at the VW brand, which is at the center of the crisis, fell to 513,500 cars from 534,800 a year ago, the Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said Friday in a statement. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-16/vw-loses-market-share-in-europe-as-diesel-cheating-recalls-loom http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/10/16/vws-car-sales-decline-diesel-motor-recalls-loom/74056762/ http://www.ibtimes.com/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-german-carmaker-loses-european-market-share-2143782 Volkswagen to Daimler: We Could Do With Your Help on Compliance. As Volkswagen AG reels from one of the worst corporate scandals in German history, Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch had an unusual request for his counterpart at Daimler AG: could we have one of your top managers to help dig us out of this mess? Surprisingly, Daimler Chairman Manfred Bischoff consented… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-16/vw-hires-compliance-chief-from-daimler-in-wake-of-diesel-scandal Volkswagen's Advertising of Rigged Diesels Probed by FTC. Volkswagen AG is under investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for advertising claims for cars that were marketed as “clean diesels,” but were actually rigged to pass pollution tests. Justin Cole, a spokesman for the agency, said the FTC is coordinating with the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, which opened their own… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/volkswagen-s-advertising-of-rigged-diesels-probed-by-ftc Is Volkswagen Losing its Grip? Volkswagen AG failed to keep pace with European competitors as the German carmaker’s market share slipped last month in the wake of the diesel-emissions test scandal. Volkswagen’s registrations in Europe rose 8.3 percent in September, while the overall market expanded 9.8 percent, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-10-16/is-volkswagen-losing-its-grip- VW Sustainability Reports May Have Hinted at Problems. Research suggests there may have been hints of the still-unfolding diesel emissions scandal at Volkswagen AG hidden in corporate sustainability reports. The German automaker is facing charges, first made by U.S. regulators on Sept. 18, that for years it used software to mask the true emissions of its diesel cars… http://www.bna.com/vw-sustainability-reports-n57982059519/ Volkswagen crisis may be platinum-coated for emission-control system suppliers. Automobile emissions-control system makers such as Johnson Matthey and France's Faurecia are set to gain more from the chaos engulfing Volkswagen after its diesel emissions tests scandal, investors say. Europe's largest carmaker needs to fix up to 11 million vehicles, and the scandal is likely to lead to tighter… http://www.autonews.com/article/20151016/OEM10/151019904/volkswagen-crisis-may-be-platinum-coated-for-emission-control-system GREEN ENERGY Canada election: how Stephen Harper’s fossil fuel gamble may have backfired. The Conservative prime minister pledged to make the country an ‘energy superpower’, but with the election ahead and many Alberta residents struggling to make ends meet, a promise has become a liability for Harper. It’s 11.30am in the pumping heart of Canada’s tar sands industry, on a day when local crude is trading at a rock-bottom $29 a barrel. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/16/canada-election-stephen-harper-fossil-fuel-backfires Kasich energy plan would repeal Obama rules, boost drilling. GOP presidential hopeful John Kasich wants to repeal impediments to oil and natural gas production, including Obama administration regulations and limits on offshore drilling. The provisions are part of the energy plan the Ohio governor published Thursday, in which he frames energy limitations as roadblocks to economic growth. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/257078-kasich-energy-plan-would-repeal-obama-rules-boost-drilling CalCharge adds utility, school, patent firm as members. A consortium aimed at growing energy storage is expanding, especially in Southern California. University of California, San Diego; Los Angeles-based utility Southern California Edison Co.; and MPEG LA, a patent licensing firm, have joined the CalCharge alliance. The nonprofit group works on the development, commercialization and adoption of storage technologies. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/16/stories/1060026425 General Mills factory wins DOE accolades for energy efficiency efforts. The Department of Energy on Tuesday commended a General Mills factory that has devised a way of making fruit snacks and cereal using 23 percent less energy. The company's Cedar Rapids, Iowa, plant was recognized for introducing efficiencies in its production process over the past two years. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/16/stories/1060026409 MISCELLANEOUS ONE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LAW YOU SHOULD KNOW. On Oct. 8, California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a law (S.B. 673) aimed at improving protections for low-income and minority communities from hazardous waste impacts. What makes it of national interest is one of its requirements that the California agency in charge of issuing new or modified related permits… http://www.bna.com/one-new-environmental-b57982059441/ OPINIONS Climate Change at the Bank of England. It is not a central banker’s job to protect energy investors from themselves. The risks of climate change—increasingly severe storms, crop failures and flooding of coastal cities—need no embellishment. Nonetheless, Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England and chairman of the global Financial Stability Board, recently warned that climate change poses another danger:… http://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-change-at-the-bank-of-england-1444948424 Voters to GOP: 'I'm not a scientist' won't cut it on climate change. If the Republican Party wants to win the White House in 2016, it should take climate change seriously. In the 2012 presidential campaign, global warming didn't come up in any of the three debates between Mitt Romney and President Obama. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-maibach-gop-climate-change-position-20151016-story.html BLOGS Air Toxics Lessons for Texas from a Friendly Rival. California has had success dealing with air toxics challenges similar to those facing Texas. California has had success addressing air toxics challenges similar to those in Texas. For all their differences, Texas and California have a few big environmental challenges in common: large populations that drive significant miles on roadways… http://blogs.edf.org/texascleanairmatters/2015/10/15/air-toxics-lessons-for-texas-from-a-friendly-rival/ Volkswagen's Lies Show Need for Real Emissions Tests. Caught red-handed for cheating on diesel emissions tests, German carmaker Volkswagen's actions in putting profits before public health have underscored the need for urgent reforms of car industry pollution laws. These reforms must ensure that future vehicle approvals and emission tests are independent, transparent and reflect real-life driving conditions. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-grayblock/volkswagens-lies-show-nee_b_8292538.html Bosch: Diesel demand still strong, despite VW scandal. Is A Happier Story In The Works For Oil Burners? ike an auto racer's results on the circuit, Volkswagen's recovery from its diesel-emissions scandal may well depend on spin control. That's what Bosch Chairman Volkmar Denner said in recent remarks at an event in Germany, Reuters reports. Bosch is a major VW supplier, of course, so it does have some skin in the game. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/10/16/bosch-diesel-demand-still-strong-despite-vw-scandal/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 11:42:25 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 19, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CLIMATE CHANGE White House enlists companies in climate push The White House is enlisting corporate America to try to bolster its push for an international climate change agreement. White House officials say 81 companies have signed on to the American Business Act on Climate pledge. That's an additional 68 companies since the White House first unveiled the pledge in June. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WHITE_HOUSE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Other related articles: http://time.com/4078217/walmart-mcdonalds-global-warming/?xid=homepage http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/PG-E-chief-meeting-with-Obama-joining-global-6576879.php http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article40124088.html http://fortune.com/2015/10/19/white-house-climate-pledge/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/white-house-business-climate-change_56251c94e4b0bce3470179a5 Kerry: Climate change, food security key to global stability The stability of the world is directly linked to climate change and its impact on food security for billions of people, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday. In a speech to the Milan Expo, Kerry argued that unrest tied to climate change-induced agricultural failure poses an international threat. The Milan Expo is focused on food security, and Kerry urged attendants to act quickly against climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UNITED_STATES_KERRY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Other related articles: http://time.com/4077597/kerry-climate-speech/ http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN0SB0PJ20151017 Rich nations lag in 'fair share' of climate action - study The United States and other rich nations are doing less than their fair share to fight climate change under a U.N. accord due in December while China is outperforming, a report by 18 civil society groups said on Monday. Overall, governments' pledges for curbs on greenhouse gas emissions are not enough to limit a rise in temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), seen as a threshold for damaging heat waves, downpours and rising sea levels, it said. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12I0VN20151018 DROUGHT Drought takes toll on 'agritourism' farms that once thrived on Halloween crowds. Bob Lombardi, 70, went ahead and planted two acres of baby bear pumpkins in a corner of his shut-down ranch this year, just to say he had farmed for 50 years. He hoed them every day by hand, too, the way he and his wife, Joann, did in the beginning, when they had youth, hope and water. All three are gone, and this may be the end of Lombardi Ranch, a Santa Clarita landmark known for its lavish Halloween pumpkin patch. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pumpkins-drought-20151017-story.html In the drought-parched Central Valley, a waiting game begins The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. — Book of Jeremiah, 8:20. With October comes a waiting season. Californians have more or less survived one more dry year — with shower buckets and brown lawns, with ever deeper wells and fallowed croplands; in short, with every trick known to those who consume or manage water. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-san-joaquin-river-20151018-story.html Drought Creates Fresh Produce Shortage At Central Valley Food Banks The four-year drought in California is beginning to squeeze food banks. With less water for irrigation, farmers have planted fewer row crops this year, and that's creating a shortage of fresh produce at San Joaquin Valley food banks. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/19/drought-creates-fresh-produce-shortage-at-central-valley-food-banks/ LA Times Says Climate Not to Blame for More Wildfires. They're Wrong. California Gov. Jerry Brown says climate change is responsible for increased wildfire activity in the state. "It's a new normal. California is burning." Needless to say, climate change isn't the only culprit. Changing land use patterns are also at fault, as is a century long habit of "fire exclusion," in which fires aren't allowed to burn normally. This causes dry underbrush to build up, producing huge amounts of tinder whenever a fire starts. Still, climate plays a significant role too. http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/10/la-times-says-climate-not-blame-more-wildfires-theyre-wrong DIESEL ACTIVITIES Trailer Makers Say GHG Plan Exceeds EPA’s Legal Authority. Trailer makers are troubled by the Phase 2 proposal on greenhouse-gas emissions, with some asserting the agencies involved exceeded their regulatory authority and others arguing the mandates are overly aggressive and based on faulty assumptions.... http://www.ttnews.com/gateclient/premiumstorylogin.aspx?storyid=39732 FUELS Energy Commission Funding Supports Efficiency, Alternative Fuel Projects The California Energy Commission approved several grants, contracts and loans that support projects that will help the state meet its energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. A $2.7 million grant was awarded to the City of Gardena's Gardena Municipal Bus Lines to conduct a battery-electric repower bus demonstration, and a $2.6 million grant was awarded to UC Riverside to demonstrate a community scale energy generation system at the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe Community Center in San Bernardino County. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/5801-energy-commission-funding-supports-efficiency-alternative-fuel-projects.html VEHICLES New technology is keeping the air we breathe under an unprecedented level of scrutiny. Measure twice, cut once, they say. Unless you are trying to save the planet. In that case, measure and cut constantly. Rising calls to create cleaner air and limit climate change are driving a surge in new technology for measuring air emissions and other pollutants — a data revolution that is opening new windows into the micro-mechanics of environmental damage. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-measuring-future-20151018-story.html Hilton to expand electric vehicle charging program Hilton Worldwide has announced plans to install electric vehicle charging stations at 50 of its U.S. hotels by the end of the year, with a goal of expanding to 100 hotels across the country, and to properties internationally, by the end of 2016. The program will cover all types of electric vehicles. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hilton-345292-ocprint-year-mountain.html Will Next Chinese Five-Year Plan Boost Electric Cars Dramatically? Over the past few years, the Chinese government has aggressively promoted electric cars with incentives and preferential policies. Those policies may finally be paying off, as multiple analyses have shown a major increases in sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids in China this year. But China is still reportedly falling behind previously-set sales targets, which may force the government to take even more aggressive action. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100507_will-next-chinese-five-year-plan-boost-electric-cars-dramatically VW RECALL Essential Part of the Volkswagen Diesel Repair Is the Owner Even as Volkswagen embarks on the task of fixing the emissions systems it disabled on almost 500,000 of its diesel vehicles in the United States, the automaker faces another hurdle: persuading owners to make the repair at all. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/19/business/the-owner-has-a-crucial-part-in-volkswagen-diesel-repair.html?ref=automobiles&_r=1 US models to be fixed in VW emissions cheating case. Volkswagen has admitted that 11 million of its cars worldwide are programmed to cheat on emissions tests, including 8.5 million vehicles that will be recalled in Europe and another 482,000 cars in the U.S. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the cars with 2-Liter four-cylinder diesel engines can still be driven, even though they can spew ozone-causing nitrogen oxide at 10 to 40 times the legal limits. But affected models will need changes to software and even hardware. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_BUY_BACK_THE_CARS_GLANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.chicoer.com/business/20151019/us-models-to-be-fixed-in-vw-emissions-cheating-case http://www.modbee.com/news/business/article40176339.html Lawsuits could force VW to buy back cheating diesels. Volkswagen almost inevitably will have to compensate owners of diesel cars equipped with emissions-rigging software. Some legal experts say the automaker could be forced to buy back the cars altogether. Many of the more than 200 lawsuits filed in the past few weeks allege that for seven years VW marketed four-cylinder diesel Golfs, Jettas, Beetles and Passats as clean alternatives to gas engines, knowing all along that the cars were spewing pollution that far exceeded legal limits. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_BUY_BACK_THE_CARS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article40173642.html French police search VW offices in emissions probe French authorities have searched the headquarters of Volkswagen France as part of a local investigation into the emissions testing scandal at the German automaker. Investigators from France's environment and public health office conducted the searches Friday at Volkswagen France's offices in Villers-Cotterets, 52 miles north of Paris, and seized computer equipment, the Paris prosecutor's office said Sunday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Other related stories: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/18/us-volkswagen-emissions-france-idUSKCN0SC0SM20151018 GREEN ENERGY Obama: Clean energy is good for business, not just 'tree-huggers' The White House is enlisting Fortune 500 CEOs in its attempts to reach a breakthrough agreement on climate change, announcing agreements with 68 more companies committed to reducing their greenhouse gasses ahead of international talks in Paris. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/10/19/more-companies-commit-obamas-climate-pledge/74211502/ >From hearing aids to farming, solar energy powers climate innovation. Set against the might of climate change, can small measures like solar-powered batteries or drip irrigation make a difference? Innovations involving both are among 10 finalists in the 2015 Sustainia Award, an international competition for projects with a potential to address the impact of climate change. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12G3M320151019 Gary Griggs, Our Ocean Backyard: Countries makes strides with renewable energy After driving more than 5,000 miles along the coasts and through four countries, we have had ample time to notice some differences and similarities. We have also been paying frequently and generously along the toll roads of Spain and Portugal and filling up with gas at $1.10 to $1.30/liter, roughly $4.40 to $5.20/gallon, a modest price to pay for what we have experienced. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/environment-and-nature/20151017/gary-griggs-our-ocean-backyard-countries-makes-strides-with-renewable-energy MISCELLANEOUS Clean air contest for Tulare County students Students in grades kindergarten through 12 can enter artwork in the Tulare County Association of Governments’ clean air contest. The winner receives a free bicycle and helmet. The Walk & Roll poster is intended to encourage students to show how they walk, ride and roll to school in order to help clean the air in Tulare County. Categories are kindergarten through grade one; grades two and three; grades four and five; grades six to eight; and grades nine to 12. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/education/article39628863.html OPINIONS There are some signs of change in our dealing with drought OK, when it rains so hard that mud slides close down both main highways out of the south end of the San Joaquin Valley, the drought has to be over, right? Well, if you live around here, you know the answer to that is no. Thursday was kind of weird that way. North valley residents read and watched news accounts of mud slides and flash floods, with Interstate 5 and Highway 58 through Tehachapi covered by as much as 6 feet of mud. Then we walked outside and looked around ... and there was nothing. No rain. No flash floods. No mud slides. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20151017/editorial-there-are-some-signs-of-change-in-our-dealing-with-drought Climate doubt doesn't mean do nothing As a self-described climate change “doubter,” columnist Joseph Perkins expresses offense at the alternative label denier and suggestions of validity in comparing climate change doubting with denying the Holocaust or that smoking causes cancer. For scientists like myself, this quibble over doubter vs. denier is unimportant, akin to calling the tuber a “potato” or a “po-TAH-to,” and bringing in the Holocaust and cigarette smoking is an utter waste of emotional energy. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/climate-345261-ocprint-change-percent.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 12:20:08 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 20, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 20, 2015. 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 Singapore Set to Suffer Indonesia's Defaults as Well as Its Smog. Singapore’s bond market is bracing for the latest unfortunate export from Indonesia: debt defaults. The city state, shrouded in smog from fires in its neighbor, is also starting to feel the impact of that nation’s currency woes. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-19/singapore-set-to-suffer-indonesia-s-defaults-as-well-as-its-smog White House Emphasizes Companies’ Commitment to Cutting Emissions. The Obama administration announced Monday that 81 major companies have committed to large reductions in carbon emissions, part of a broad push by the White House to show progress ahead of international climate talks in Paris this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/us/politics/obama-carbon-emissions-climate-nike-mcdonalds-procter-gamble.html?_r=0 Desert solar power plant has a pollution problem. A solar power plant at the center of the Obama administration’s push to reduce America’s carbon footprint by using millions of taxpayer dollars to promote green energy has its own carbon pollution problem. The Ivanpah plant in the Mojave Desert uses natural gas as a supplementary fuel. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/plant-688230-gas-energy.html Using Fenceline Monitoring to Track Fugitive Emissions. Fenceline monitoring is making it easier to track fugitive emissions — undetected air pollution leaks from pipes, seals and other areas at industrial facilities, according to an article in the EPA’s Science Matters newsletter. Last month the agency updated air pollution standards with a rule requiring first-of-its-kind fenceline monitoring to control emissions from refineries. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/10/20/using-fenceline-monitoring-to-track-fugitive-emissions/#ixzz3p7bKUS8l CicLAvia improves air quality in LA neighborhoods, study finds. Thousands of people biked, skated and walked the streets in and around downtown Los Angeles Sunday, breathing in the fresh air — at least, fresher air. In a study released Monday, researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health said events like CicLAvia — in which residents are encouraged to ditch their cars and use alternative forms of transportation… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/10/19/55084/ciclavia-improves-air-quality-in-neighborhoods-stu/ Human body acts as ‘big sponges’ by absorbing air pollutants directly through skin, say scientists. A new study reveals that the human body absorbs harmful pollutants in the air through the skin, equivalent to the levels absorbed through breathing. The absorption through the skin, called “dermal uptake,” has been found to potentially cause asthma and cancer due to prolonged period of exposure. http://www.ibtimes.com.au/human-body-acts-big-sponges-absorbing-air-pollutants-directly-through-skin-say-scientists-1476249 Greens decry ozone limit as easier lift than Bush-era reg. Key green allies are delivering a scathing critique about the new ozone standard finalized by the Obama administration earlier this month: President Obama is letting industry off easy compared to the Bush administration. Green groups contend that fewer counties are likely to be named out of compliance under U.S. EPA's final standard than… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060026526 CLIMATE CHANGE Obama Huddling With CEOs to Shore Up Support on Climate. President Barack Obama is bringing executives from five Fortune 500 companies to the White House on Monday in a bid to shore up business support for combating climate change. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-16/obama-huddling-with-ceos-to-shore-up-business-help-on-climate Beefed-up climate deal draft forms basis for UN talks. Governments have begun negotiating on an updated draft of a global climate change deal that was released on Tuesday morning at the latest round of U.N. talks in Bonn, amid relief new additions had not seen the text balloon. Developing countries voiced anger at the beginning of the talks on Monday that a slimmed-down 20-page version of the text… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12K2F220151020 Dalai Lama: Combating Climate Change a Matter of ‘Survival of Humanity’. Spiritual leader calls for protection of the Tibetan plateau in particular. The Dalai Lama said on Tuesday that action against climate change was a question of “the survival of humanity,” echoing recent statements by Pope Francis on the need to combat global warming. http://www.wsj.com/articles/dalai-lama-combating-climate-change-a-matter-of-survival-of-humanity-1445358872 http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/10/20/tibet-climatechange-idINL3N12K2H420151020 A Case Study of Climate Change vs. Human Activity. Human activity has had at least as much effect as climate change on the survival of animals on the Bahamian island of Abaco, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at 10,000-year-old fossils found in an underwater cave on Abaco. They compared them with fossils from the island that date to 1,000 to 3,000 years ago, along with data from current vertebrate populations. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/science/a-case-study-of-climate-change-vs-human-activity.html Europe's greenhouse gas emissions fall to record low. Member states report a 23% drop since 1990, but the pace is slowing and several countries have missed renewable and energy efficiency targets. Greenhouse gas emissions in Europe have plunged to the lowest level ever recorded after the EU’s member states reported an estimated 23% drop in emissions between 1990 and 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/20/europes-greenhouse-gas-emissions-fall-to-record-low Are humans a bigger threat than climate change? A study of fossils and bones in a Bahamian sinkhole revealed that, of the species no longer alive today, 56 percent made it through a dramatic global warming, only to be killed off by humans. Seventy-five percent of Americans believe that global warming is a “very” or “somewhat” serious problem, even if they continue to debate whether human activity is to blame. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1020/Are-humans-a-bigger-threat-than-climate-change Obama recruits 68 companies to support economic impacts of new climate accord. Nearly 70 companies announced plans to cut carbon output yesterday as part of a White House campaign to enlist American businesses in its effort to strike a global deal on climate change and to challenge attacks that describe warming policies as economically harmful. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060026585 DROUGHT Drought takes toll on 'agritourism' farms that once thrived on Halloween crowds. Bob Lombardi, 70, went ahead and planted two acres of baby bear pumpkins in a corner of his shut-down ranch this year, just to say he had farmed for 50 years. He hoed them every day by hand, too, the way he and his wife, Joann, did in the beginning, when they had youth, hope and water. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pumpkins-drought-20151017-story.html Monarchs Get Help From Unlikely Source: California's Drought. The struggling monarch butterfly is getting help from an unlikely source: the California drought. Californians have been ripping up their lawns in record numbers and many are planting native, drought-tolerant plants instead -- including milkweed species native to California that can thrive in arid conditions. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/20/monarchs-get-help-from-unlikely-source-californias-drought/ FUELS New Corn Ethanol Study Finds Renewable Fuel Standard “Created More Problems Than Solutions”. A ten-year review of the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by researchers at the University of Tennessee (UT) found that the RFS is “too reliant” on corn ethanol, and the production of this biofuel is resulting in additional water and soil problems, as well as “hampering advancements” in other biofuels. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/19/new-corn-ethanol-study-finds-renewable-fuel-standard-created-more-problems-than-solutions/ Obama administration closes off two avenues for new Arctic drilling. The Obama administration moved on several fronts Friday to block new oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean, weeks after Shell said it would be walking away from the area “for the foreseeable future.” The Interior Department announced it was canceling government auctions of drilling rights in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas… http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/10/16/obama-administration-closes-off-two-avenues-for-new-arctic-drilling/ VEHICLES Consumer Reports Pulls Its Recommendation on the Tesla Model S. Consumer Reports pulled its recommendation to purchase the Tesla Model S after owners of the luxury electric car reported a long list of reliability issues to the magazine. Tesla shares plunged 9% following the announcement, made in Detroit at an Automotive Press Association meeting. http://www.wsj.com/articles/consumer-reports-pulls-its-recommendation-on-the-tesla-model-s-1445363667?mod=e2tw GM partners with LG companies to develop Chevy Bolt EV. General Motors Co. said Tuesday that it created a partnership with LG Corp. to develop the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt EV, combining expertise from the automaker and supplier to engineer several components for the vehicle that goes into production next year. The Detroit-based automaker called its relationship with LG “unprecedented.” http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2015/10/20/gm-partners-lg-companies-develop-chevy-bolt-ev/74263840/ Even In 2007, As VW Designed Dirty Diesels, It Said Electric Cars Were The Future. Many journalists tend to have pack-rat tendencies, but sorting out old press kits, files, and magazines can have unexpected rewards. So it was for auto writer John Rettie, who recently uncovered an interesting tidbit in an issue of Driver… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100539_even-in-2007-as-vw-designed-dirty-diesels-it-said-electric-cars-were-the-future 2016 Scion iA Review, Honda Solar Charging, VW On Electric Cars: Today's Car News. Today, we drive the 2016 Scion iA subcompact sedan, Honda tests solar-powered electric-car charging in the Marshall Islands, and some digging reveals that Volkswagen thought electric cars were the future, back in 2007. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100548_2016-scion-ia-review-honda-solar-charging-vw-on-electric-cars-todays-car-news HIGH-SPEED RAIL Banks May Balk at Financing $68 Billion California Bullet Train. California is counting on private companies to kick in as much as $35.5 billion toward the most expensive public-works project in U.S. history, a proposed high-speed rail line linking San Francisco with Los Angeles. Banks and other contractors who’ve studied the plan say not so fast. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-19/banks-may-balk-at-financing-68-billion-california-bullet-train VW RECALL Volkswagen Suspends Quality-Control Chief. Frank Tuch is the fifth senior executive to be put on leave in connection with an emissions cheating scandal. Volkswagen AG recently suspended its chief quality-control official, Frank Tuch, the fifth senior executive to be put on leave in connection with an emissions cheating scandal, according to a person close to the company. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-suspends-quality-control-chief-1445345666 http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/10/20/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-investigation-suspension/74262268/ States probe VW over emissions, look for settlement money. An expanding investigation into Volkswagen's emissions-cheating scandal launched by state attorneys general could last years and will likely end in a negotiated settlement. Forty-five states and D.C. have joined the review, investigating how VW was able to game emissions tests to hide that its "Clean Diesel" cars emitted smog-causing exhaust up to 40 times dirtier than the law allows. http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/States-probe-VW-over-emissions-look-for-6578765.php Two-thirds of Germans still trust Volkswagen after emissions scandal. Polls shows 65% of respondents think the scandal has been exaggerated, and 63% expect it to be forgotten in a year. Two-thirds of Germans say they still trust Volkswagen despite the emissions rigging scandal that has engulfed the carmaker, according to a survey. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/20/two-thirds-of-germans-still-trust-volkswagen-after-emissions-scandal GREEN ENERGY Power line opponents give renewables their Keystone moment. Dave Ulery was set to build his "forever home" on his family's 26-acre property near the Ozark mountain foothills in Arkansas when a knock on the door heralded trouble. The visitor represented Clean Line Energy Partners LLC, a Texas company established to build transmission lines for carrying wind and solar power. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/20/us-usa-climatechange-renewables-insight-idUSKCN0SE0BL20151020 Google’s newest renewable energy investment: Africa’s biggest wind farm. Google has made a reputation for itself in recent years as a major investor in renewable energy. And this morning, the company announced its newest investment: a wind power project in Kenya that, when completed, will be the continent’s biggest wind farm. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/20/googles-newest-renewable-energy-investment-africas-biggest-wind-farm/ Energy minister 'open-minded' about UK solar subsidy cuts. Energy minister Andrea Leadsom has told MPs she remains “open-minded” about plans to slash subsidies for solar power in order to protect consumer bills, but told MPs on Tuesday that “very expensive” nuclear power stations were nonetheless “affordable for customers”. Leadsom was questioned by MPs on the energy and climate change (ECC)… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/20/energy-minister-open-minded-about-uk-solar-subsidy-cuts Rubio targets environmental regs in energy plan. Sen. Marco Rubio wants to overhaul and limit the way that environmental regulations are written and give states more control over energy. The Republican senator from Florida and presidential hopeful largely targets environmental restrictions favored by the Obama administration and Democrats in his energy plan released Friday. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/257168-rubio-targets-environmental-regs-in-energy-plan Renewable Energy Cuts Wholesale Cost Of Energy. A new report has concluded that renewable energy is cutting the wholesale price of energy as well as decreasing the impact of subsidies on bill payers. Specifically, wind and solar generators reduced the wholesale cost of electricity by £1.55 billion in the UK in 2014. In net terms, the cost of supporting wind and solar generation technology in 2014 was only £1.12 billion… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/20/renewable-energy-cuts-wholesale-cost-energy/ A renewable energy success story above the Arctic Circle. An autumn rainstorm was moving across the Kotzebue Sound in late September as Matt Bergan stopped by the power plant to check how much renewable electricity was flowing into this northeastern coastal community. Four miles outside town, 19 wind turbines were spinning steadily in the breeze… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060026559 OPINIONS Will the Brown Administration’s War on Climate Change Doom the State’s Logistics Industry? California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. has long had a tortuous relationship with state transportation policy. The latest episode, involving his administration’s proposals to sharply reduce the harmful air emissions associated with the movement of goods is no exception. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/10/will-the-brown-administrations-war-on-climate-change-doom-the-states-logistics-industry/ California’s Diesel Rule Scam. The state imposes a rule based on phony science on all U.S. truckers. The Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board (CARB) are riding high after exposing Volkswagen’s emission scam. But the self-proclaimed guardians are running their own regulatory racket. See their shakedown of Virginia-based trucker Estes Express Lines. http://www.wsj.com/articles/californias-diesel-rule-scam-1445212223 Water desalination is here. But is it sustainable? In a very dry state, turning to the sea as a source of water for drinking, bathing and irrigation has its attractions. Desalination is drought-proof — the ocean is one pond we can’t empty so quickly. It’s more expensive, but the cost is relatively stable, and as technology makes the process more efficient, those costs have been trending downward. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/livable-city/la-ol-desalination-20151019-story.html Climate change isn't the cause of California's wildfires, but it's still a major threat. To the editor: It's correct to call out Gov. Jerry Brown for invoking climate change to explain this year's wildfires if the science is not there to back it up. ("Gov. Brown's link between climate change and wildfires is unsupported, fire experts say," Oct. 18) On the other hand, there's nothing in his faux pas… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1020-tuesday-fires-climate-change-201501020-story.html Valley Voice: Don't fall for CV Link's flowery promises. The Oct. 4 Valley Voice, "CV Link would be a boon for the valley," by Sabby Jonathan is disingenuous at best. It is a boondoggle! First, equating year-round athletic training with the YMCA's one day health event is ridiculous. I worked extensively with our biking and hiking communities (the "bump and grind" trail, for example)… http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/2015/10/20/valley-voice-dont-fall-cv-links-flowery-promises/74271822/ Solar power in crisis: 'My panels generate enough power for two loads of washing' Endless energy from the sun looked like a long-term solution for running our homes. But now the state has pulled the plug on the subsidies that made panels affordable for many. What happens now? Sit back, relax, and read this story with an untroubled conscience: it has been created on a laptop and mobile phone powered entirely by the rays of the sun. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/20/solar-power-in-crisis-panels-generate-power-government-subsidy Solar Power Expansion Could Pose Ecological Risks. Scientists are concerned about threats to biological diversity. Solar power development is big business in sunny California, fueled by low solar panel prices and the drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to tackle climate change. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/solar-power-expansion-could-pose-ecological-risks/ BLOGS As Lightning Deaths Surge in India, Some Blame Global Warming. Villagers squeezed into a tiny community hall in August to ask visiting scientists to help fight a killer stalking their families. Four people in this hamlet of 1,100 have been killed by lightning strikes this year, in what locals say is a steadily worsening toll of injuries and deaths. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/10/20/as-lightning-deaths-surge-in-india-some-blame-global-warming/ Europe Already Beat Its 2020 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target. It's a "strong signal" that "Europe stands by its commitments and that our climate and energy policies work," EU Climate Commissioner said. The European Union, the world's No. 3 greenhouse gas polluter, says its emissions fell 4 percent last year, meaning the 28-nation bloc has already surpassed its target for 2020. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/europe-already-beat-its-2020-greenhouse-gas-emissions-target_56263c5ee4b0bce347021b8b Is Your Car Affected By The Volkswagen Diesel Scandal? Check Your VIN. We're one month into the Dieselgate fiasco, and there's no relief in sight for Volkswagen owners. In fact, as more of the automaker's offices are raided and plundered by investigators, we wouldn't be surprised to see new and unpleasant revelations come to light. http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1100545_is-your-car-affected-by-the-volkswagen-diesel-scandal-check-your-vin California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 12:31:52 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 21, 2015 From: pbrown@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. CLIMATE CHANGE Study Finds the Warmer It Gets, the More World Economy Hurts With each upward degree, global warming will singe the economies of three-quarters of the world's nations and widen the north-south gap between rich and poor countries, according to a new economic and science study. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_WARMING_ECONOMY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/21/science/ap-us-sci-warming-economy.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/study-finds-the-warmer-it-gets-the-more-world-economy-hurts/2015/10/21/2debcaba-7816-11e5-a5e2-40d6b2ad18dd_story.html Trudeau victory may not signal a U-turn in Canada's climate policy Well before his stunning victory in Canada’s elections, Justin Trudeau, the Liberal party leader, telephoned David Suzuki, the country’s best-known science broadcaster, environmentalist – and a national treasure – to ask for his endorsement. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/20/trudeau-victory-not-signal-u-turn-canadas-climate-policy Why Justin Trudeau’s Election Is Good News for the Fight Against Climate Change Trudeau's predecessor Stephen Harper was a climate change skeptic. But the new prime minister brings a different attitude. For years, climate change activists have criticized the Canadian government as a global warming laggard. The Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has been in power since 2006, has never taken climate change seriously. http://time.com/4080073/canada-climate-change-justin-trudeau/ Related: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CN_CANADA_ELECTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT X-ray technology reveals California's forests are in for a radical transformation Biologist Greg Asner first heard the numbers in April, but they did little to prepare him for what he saw.The Forest Service had estimated that nearly 12.5 million trees in the state's southern and central forests were dead. But as Asner peered down upon the same forests from his airplane at 6,000 feet, he saw something far worse. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-dying-forests-20151020-story.html UT poll finds 3 in 4 believe climate change is occurring While Washington may not be able to come to a consensus on climate change, a new poll from the University of Texas shows that Americans have already decided what they feel and that is climate change is occurring. http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/10/20/ut-poll-finds-3-4-believe-climate-change-occurring/74270004/ 2015 Likely to Be Hottest Year Ever Recorded Just one year after 2014 set a record as the hottest year in the historical record, 2015 is on track to beat it by a substantial margin, possibly signaling a return to a sustained period of rapid global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/science/2015-likely-to-be-hottest-year-ever-recorded.html CAP AND TRADE China helps clear a path to a climate agreement in Paris China, the biggest emitter of global warming gases, announced it would soon implement a nationwide cap-and-trade program, and partner with the US, the world’s second biggest emitter, on other ways to reduce emissions. http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-10-20/china-helps-clear-path-climate-agreement-paris PORTS California Air Resources Board Approves New Pollution-Scrubbing Technology Sponsored by the Long Beach Port The Port of Long Beach (POLB) announced today that a special kind of pollution-scrubbing barge technology, sponsored by the port, was approved by the California Air Resources Board. According to a release, the port provided approximately $2 million in seed money to test the so-called Advanced Maritime Emissions Control System (AMECS), which provides an alternative power source to container ships by allowing them to plug in to the electrical grid to reduce emissions while at berth. http://lbpost.com/business/trade-transportation/2000007340-california-air-resources-board-approves-new-pollution-scrubbing-technology-sponsored-by-the-long-beach-port VW Susman Godfrey Expands Class Action Suit Against Volkswagen For Fraudulent Emissions Tests to 18 States Susman Godfrey, one of the nation’s top law firms, has expanded its nationwide class-action lawsuit against Volkswagen Group of America to include plaintiffs in 18 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Virginia. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151021006097/en/Susman-Godfrey-Expands-Class-Action-Suit-Volkswagen Dispute over rigged ship engine tests adds to Volkswagen's woes Norwegian shipowner I.M. Skaugen has disclosed it is seeking $50 million in compensation from a marine unit of Volkswagen for rigging performance tests of ship engines produced over a decade ago. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/21/volkswagen-emissions-ships-idUSL8N12F37L20151021 Volkswagen Says 3 Million European Cars Need Hardware Changes Volkswagen said on Wednesday about 3 million cars in Europe have 1.6 liter engines, which will require hardware changes in the wake of the company's diesel emissions rigging scandal. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/21/volkswagen-emissions-europe-idUSL8N12L5DC20151021 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/21/business/21reuters-volkswagen-emissions-europe.html Volkswagen CEO Says Emissions Scandal Bill Could Rise Volkswagen may have to set aside more than the 6.5 billion euros ($7.4 billion) it has so far allocated to cover the costs of an emissions scandal if car sales suffer, its chief executive said on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/21/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0SF1FU20151021 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/21/business/21reuters-volkswagen-emissions.html GM's CEO Says No Change in Diesel Demand Expectations Due VW General Motors Co Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said on Wednesday the company has not adjusted its expectations for diesel vehicle demand because of the Volkswagen AG emissions scandal. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/21/business/21reuters-gm-results-ceo.html VW Halts Sales in EU of Diesels With Scandal-Hit Engine Volkswagen has stopped sales in the 28-country European Union of the remaining new cars that contain the diesel engine fitted with the software that was used to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/21/world/europe/ap-volkswagen.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/vw-halts-sales-in-eu-of-diesels-with-scandal-hit-engine/2015/10/21/70576e86-77f8-11e5-a5e2-40d6b2ad18dd_story.html German State Files Criminal Complaint Over Missing VW File The German state of Lower Saxony has filed a criminal complaint after discovering that a file on scandal-hit Volkswagen had disappeared. A spokeswoman for the state government says the file, which included internal government memos on the emissions scandal, was last seen on Friday, Oct. 9. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_VOLKSWAGEN_MISSING_FILE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/21/world/europe/ap-eu-germany-volkswagen-missing-file.html GREEN ENERGY U.S. leads industrialised nations in shift from coal: study The United States is leading a shift away from using coal among leading industrialized democracies, with Japan the main laggard in policies that will help to combat climate change, according to a study on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/21/us-climatechange-g-idUSKCN0SF1LX20151021 OPINIONS Exxon's missed opportunity to address climate change The following editorial appeared in The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday, Oct. 21: What did Exxon executives know about global warming and when did they know it? A report by InsideClimate News published Sunday suggests the company's own scientists were warning as far back as the 1970s that carbon dioxide from fossil fuels were putting the planet at risk. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article40573248.html#storylink=cpy http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20151020-editorial-exxons-missed-opportunity-to-address-climate-change.ece Anne Kelsey Lamb: Every asthma attack is its own perfect storm About a month ago, a journalist called to ask my perspective on data showing an increase in asthma ER visits in parts of California, particularly the San Joaquin Valley. Emergency room visits for children 5 and older have more than doubled in rural Madera County and nearly doubled in Merced County. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/opinion/article40512183.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS Here's What Climate Change Could Do To Your Diet Humans have been domesticating plants and animals for over 10,000 years, enabling our population to grow to over 7 billion people. Farmers around the world now face climate change and shifts in weather patterns that pose risks to their livelihoods and our food supplies. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-climate-change-could-do-to-your-diet_562670ffe4b0bce347025507 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 11:51:47 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 22, 2015 From: pbrown@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. AIR POLLUTION New Delhi goes car-free for a day to combat chronic air pollution The world's most polluted city is trying a new experiment to freshen its air: a "car-free day." For five hours on Thursday morning, New Delhi's transport authorities asked drivers to avoid a usually traffic-clogged, six-kilometer stretch of road along the city's iconic India Gate. http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/22/asia/delhi-car-free-day/ http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_CAR_FREE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/22/world/asia/ap-as-india-car-free.html Bay Area first: Wood-burning heating devices to be banned in new homes Wood-burning heaters -- including modern pollution-fighting wood stoves -- will not be permitted in new homes built in the Bay Area starting next fall, as part of a first-in-the-nation ban approved by air quality regulators Wednesday. http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-news/ci_29002364/ban-wood-burning-heating-devices-considered-new-bay CLIMATE CHANGE Fight climate change for global stability, say US defence and diplomacy elite Nearly 50 leaders of America’s defence and foreign policy establishment are calling on political and business leaders to “think past tomorrow” and lead the fight on climate change. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/22/fight-climate-change-for-global-stability-says-us-defence-and-diplomacy-leaders Study finds the warmer it gets, the more world economy hurts With each upward degree, global warming will singe the economies of three-quarters of the world's nations and widen the north-south gap between rich and poor countries, according to a new economic and science study. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_WARMING_ECONOMY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/1021/Does-climate-change-affect-income-New-study-sees-robust-link https://earth.stanford.edu/news/high-cost-climate-change Paris Climate Summit Will Hinge on Climate Aid-Poor Nations More funds to help poor nations cope with climate change will be the make-or-break issue when a Paris summit seeks a U.N. deal in December to slow global warming, the main group of developing nations said on Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/22/world/europe/22reuters-climatechange-aid.html U.S. Moves Ahead With Carbon Rule as 25 States Prepare to Sue The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will formally issue carbon regulations for power plants on Friday, opening the door to a wave of lawsuits from states and industry groups. The EPA will publish its Clean Power Plan in the Federal Register, a formal step that will start the clock on legal challenges from opponents of the rule. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/22/us/22reuters-usa-epa-climatechange.html EPA: Clean Power Plan Extensions Not a ‘Heavy Lift' The Environmental Protection Agency has intentionally set a very low bar for states seeking a two-year extension to submit plans to implement the Clean Power Plan, the agency’s top air pollution official said. http://www.bna.com/epa-clean-power-n57982062579/ Fires in Southeast Asia may be emitting more greenhouse gases than the entire U.S. A toxic haze has repeatedly wafted over huge swaths of Southeast Asia in the last month, causing school closures, grounded flights, canceled events and widespread concern about public health risks across the region. Here’s what you need to know about the Great Haze of 2015. http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-great-haze-explainer-20151021-htmlstory.html Draft plan relaxing car GHG controls called 'outrageous' At a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing yesterday, there was no disagreement that auto safety is a good thing. But angry divisions emerged over a Republican plan to give carmakers a break on greenhouse gas emission requirements in return for making more use of innovative safety features. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2015/10/22/stories/1060026734 MIT to Fight Climate Change, but Won't Divest Fossil Fuels The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a five-year plan Wednesday to combat climate change but said it won't divest its $12.4 billion endowment from fossil fuels, despite pressure from students and a campus committee. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/21/us/ap-us-mit-climate-change.html HIGH SPEED RAIL Firms question how carbon levy will fund California rail project Private firms looking to build California's $68 billion high-speed train system have concerns about the state's ability to finance some of the project's cost through an untested 'cap-and-trade' carbon trading levy. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/22/california-rail-captrade-idUSL1N12L3AK20151022?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews Siemens raises questions about financial underpinnings of high-speed rail Siemens has said it hopes to create hundreds of local jobs by building California high-speed trains at its South Sacramento plant. But in a recent expression of interest to state officials, the German rail firm questioned the long-term funding prospects for the bullet train. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/10/21/siemens-raises-questions-about-financial.html DROUGHT Water bills will creep up next year in L.A. because we've conserved so much Under orders to slash their water use in the fourth year of a statewide drought, Los Angeles residents and businesses have largely risen to the challenge. But this week, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said that because its customers have done such a good job saving, the agency is short on revenue. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-dwp-water-rates-20151021-story.html VW Volkswagen Says Recall Will Be Limited to Older Diesel Engines Volkswagen AG said its current-generation diesel engine doesn’t have software designed to cheat on emissions tests, meaning its global recall of as many as 11 million cars won’t need to be even bigger. Diesel cars with EA 288 motors meet legal and environmental requirements, the Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said Thursday in an e-mailed statement. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-22/volkswagen-says-recall-will-be-limited-to-older-diesel-engines http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-widens-diesel-engine-emissions-probe-1445520747 How Could Volkswagen’s Top Engineers Not Have Known? For the gearheads at West Virginia University, it was a minor commission. An environmental group, the International Council on Clean Transportation, had asked the school’s Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions to test the tailpipes of diesel cars in the U.S., such as those sold by Volkswagen and BMW. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-21/how-could-volkswagen-s-top-engineers-not-have-known- Volkswagen Asks to Combine Fraud Claims in Virginia, Detroit Volkswagen AG is maneuvering to steer hundreds of class-action lawsuits over its emissions-cheating software to the court nearest its current U.S. headquarters or to Detroit, its former location. The automaker asked a panel of federal judges to combine the more than 350 lawsuits against it in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, a venue known for moving cases quickly and also the one closest to its U.S. headquarters in Herndon. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-21/volkswagen-seeks-to-combine-emission-suits-in-virginia-detroit Volkswagen Investigating if Diesel Emissions Deception Was More Extensive Volkswagen said on Thursday that it was investigating whether substantially more vehicles than previously disclosed were equipped with software intended to deceive emissions tests, raising the possibility of even greater damage to the company’s reputation and finances. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/business/international/volkswagen-diesel-investigation.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT How Volkswagen Got Away With Diesel Deception Volkswagen has admitted that millions of its diesel cars worldwide were equipped with software that was used to cheat on emissions tests. The company is now grappling with the fallout. (Updated) http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/business/international/vw-diesel-emissions-scandal-explained.html VEHICLES Tesla's Best Celebrity Evangelist Emerges: It's Stephen Colbert When “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” debuted on CBS last month, the host chose Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla Motors Inc., as one of his first guests. Colbert, who commutes into Manhattan in a Model S sedan, took his enthusiasm for Tesla one step further in an episode last week. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-22/tesla-s-best-celebrity-evangelist-emerges-it-s-stephen-colbert Nissan and Ecotricity call for official EV charging point road signage in UK Nissan and Ecotricity, which operates Europe’s biggest and most comprehensive rapid charging network, the Electric Highway, called on the UK government to introduce official road signage for the UK’s growing number of standard and rapid EV charging points. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151022-nissan.html More than 2K handraisers in California so far for Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle The Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (earlier post) is now officially on sale in California; more than 300 new owners— representing each of the dealership locations in Southern and Northern California—received ceremonial keys at a Mirai premiere event in Torrance. More than 2,000 people so far have requested to buy a Mirai in California, where it is first available. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151022-mirai.html GREEN ENERGY In California, solar panels getting cool reception from homeowners associations Ilam Mougy wanted to green up his condominium with solar power.The 49-year-old software engineer won approval to install panels on his home from utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and the city of San Jose. He expected little trouble from the local homeowners association since another neighbor had an array on his roof. He was wrong. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article40824861.html#storylink=cpy Apple Cleaning Up Act in China With More Renewable Energy Apple is cleaning up its manufacturing operations in China to reduce the air pollution caused by the factories that have assembled hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads during the past eight years. http://time.com/4082921/apple-china-renewable-energy/ http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/21/us/ap-us-apple-cleaner-china.html It's not easy being green The solar power plant at the center of the Obama administration's push to reduce America's carbon footprint has its own carbon pollution problem. The administration's initiative, which uses millions of taxpayer dollars to promote green energy, has been a boon for the Ivanpah plant in the Mojave Desert. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-345841-ocprint--.html OPINIONS 'California, here we come' for Canada? It will be interesting to see how California Gov. Jerry Brown interfaces with new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Both are the sons of former leaders – Gov. Pat Brown and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau – remembered for overseeing major changes in their respective polities. Both sons are big on halting climate change and advancing cap-and-trade programs. Both are liberals with a pragmatic side. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/percent-688594-trudeau-california.html Flawed Carbon Accounting Drives Boom in Burning U.S. Forests in E.U. Power Plants Updated | Forestry, done in the right place the right way and for the right reasons, can be an important source of materials, jobs and wildlife habitat. But are forests an appropriate fuel source for power plants? I can’t find many scientists who say yes. http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/flawed-carbon-accounting-drives-boom-in-burning-u-s-forests-in-e-u-power-plants/ This Child Doesn’t Need a Solar Panel Spending billions of dollars on climate-related aid in countries that need help with tuberculosis, malaria and malnutrition. In the run-up to the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, rich countries and development organizations are scrambling to join the fashionable ranks of “climate aid” donors. http://www.wsj.com/articles/this-child-doesnt-need-a-solar-panel-1445466967?mod=trending_now_2 http://www.wsj.com/articles/immoral-environmentalism-1445512918 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 15:39:53 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 23, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 23, 2015. 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 Firms question how carbon levy will fund California rail project. Private firms looking to build California's $68 billion high-speed train system have concerns about the state's ability to finance some of the project's cost through an untested 'cap-and-trade' carbon trading levy. The doubts, mentioned in correspondence to the state and reviewed by Reuters through a public records request… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/21/us-california-rail-captrade-idUSKCN0SF36520151021 AIR POLLUTION States reliant on fossil fuels sue over new clean air rules. States and industry groups dependent on fossil fuels are lining up to file court challenges to President Obama's Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A flurry of lawsuits was expected Friday at U.S. Court of Appeals as the Environmental Protection Agency published the final version of the new regulations. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_AIR_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT New UN health agency report cites measures to reduce risks from climate pollutants. The World Health Organization (WHO) today spotlighted the need to reduce short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon, ozone, methane and carbon dioxide that contribute to climate change and lead to more than 7 million deaths linked to air pollution each year. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201510230611M2______EUPR_____01f9000002d057ff_3600-1 RPT-Indonesia prepares warships to evacuate "haze" refugees. Indonesia is preparing warships as a last resort to evacuate children and others suffering from smoke inhalation from slash-and-burn fires, a minister said on Friday, as the country struggles to contain fires expected to continue for weeks. Southeast Asia has suffered for years from annual "haze" caused by forest… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N12N2R20151023 UPDATE 1-GM's Opel denies violating EU emissions standards. General Motors' Opel division has denied violating European environmental standards after researchers said tests on one of its latest models had shown excessive emissions of nitrous oxide. German environmental lobby group DUH said on Friday that the emissions… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12N2Z820151023 Major road in heavily polluted New Delhi briefly car-free. One of the world's most polluted capitals, New Delhi, closed a stretch of a major road to private cars for a few hours Thursday, hoping to give its citizens a brief breath of fresh air by observing a car-free day. Only public transport was allowed on the road from Old Delhi to the doorstep of Parliament. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-as--india-car-free-20151022-story.html No wood burning devices in new homes: Property owners escape having to change out heaters, fireplaces at point of sale. Starting next fall, wood-burning devices will be forbidden in newly constructed homes built in the Bay Area under new rules adopted by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-10-23/no-wood-burning-devices-in-new-homes-property-owners-escape-having-to-change-out-heaters-fireplaces-at-point-of-sale/1776425152358.html Artificial lung to help study air pollution effects. Air pollution is one of the leading causes of lung cancer and respiratory diseases, responsible for one in eight global deaths, according to the World Health Organisation. However, researchers will soon be able to develop new treatments for such diseases with a life-sized, artificial human lung created at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/49101 Pollution Could Buy an Extra Decade of Arctic Sea Ice. Arctic sea ice continues to dwindle at an exceptional pace. Summer sea ice has declined at a rate of 13 percent per decade, and the rate has sped up in the last 10 years. The main driver for Arctic sea ice’s disappearing act is the rising ocean and air temperatures driven by human greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pollution-could-buy-an-extra-decade-of-arctic-sea-ice/ CLIMATE CHANGE Talks on UN climate deal heat up over bill to fix problems. The trillion-dollar question of who should pay for global warming is coming to a head in talks on an international climate pact, as developing countries worry they won't get enough money to tackle the problem. With just five weeks left before a U.N. climate summit in Paris, developing countries closed ranks at weeklong talks ending Friday in Bonn, calling on wealthy nations… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_UN_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article41173464.html#storylink=cpy http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/ZZ/20151023/NEWS/310239945/16909/NEWS?rssfeed=true Americans Have Never Been So Sure About Climate Change—Even Republicans. Look at the massive shift among Republicans on the issue this year. Maybe it's the pope. Or the freakish year in extreme climate records. It might even be explained by the United Nations climate talks and the bright lights of the presidential election cycle. Whatever the cause, U.S. views on climate change are shifting—fast. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-23/americans-have-never-been-so-sure-about-climate-change-even-republicans By Adding One Word, UN Climate Deal Moves in New Direction. Eliminating fossil fuels from the world’s energy supply is back on the United Nations agenda as envoys from around the world wrap up a week of discussions about a deal on global warming they intend to adopt by the end of the year. The delegates drawn from energy and environment ministries in more than 190 nations… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-22/by-adding-just-one-word-un-climate-deal-moves-in-new-direction VW Downgrade Underlines Climate Change Role on Ratings, S&P Says. Environmental and climate risks are increasingly impacting corporate credit ratings as the example of Volkswagen AG’s downgrade this month demonstrates, rating agency Standard & Poor’s said in a report. The rating company identified 299 cases where environmental and climate developments were a significant factor in influencing a revision or rating analysis… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-23/vw-downgrade-underlines-climate-change-role-on-ratings-s-p-says CORRECTED-Migration needs a home in global climate deal - UN experts. One person is displaced by disasters every second, migration experts emphasised at U.N. climate talks in Bonn, as they called for climate-related migration to be more prominent in a new U.N. agreement to curb global warming. Very few mentions of displacement linked to climate change now exist in a draft deal… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12N2L820151023 Why record-breaking hurricanes like Patricia are expected on a warmer planet. First there was Supertyphoon Haiyan — which peaked out at 170-knot or 196 mile-per-hour winds in 2013 as it slammed the Philippines. And now there is Patricia, forecast to soon hit Mexico, with currently estimated maximum sustained wind speeds of 175 knots or, that’s right, over 200 miles per hour. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/23/why-hurricanes-like-patricia-are-expected-on-a-warmer-planet/ Numerous States Prepare Lawsuits Against Obama’s Climate Policy. As many as 25 states will join some of the nation’s most influential business groups in legal action to block President Obama’s climate change regulations when they are formally published Friday, trying to stop his signature environmental policy. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/us/politics/numerous-states-prepare-lawsuits-against-obamas-climate-policy.html?_r=0 States and industry groups reliant on fossil fuels challenge Obama's Clean Power Plan in court. States and industry groups dependent on fossil fuels are lining up to file court challenges to President Obama's Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A flurry of lawsuits was expected Friday at U.S. Court of Appeals as the Environmental Protection Agency published the final version of the new regulations. http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/23/states-reliant-on-fossil-fuels-sue-over-new-clean-air-rules Snow leopards at risk as Himalayas face climate change 'crisis'. Warming temperatures could cause over a third of the endangered big cats’ habitat to become uninhabitable, conservationists have warned. More than a third of the snow leopard’s mountain habitat could become uninhabitable for the endangered big cat because of climate change, conservationists have warned. Warming temperatures could cause the tree line to shift up the mountains… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/23/snow-leopards-at-risk-himalayas-face-climate-change-crisis California Faces a Future of Droughts Alternating with Floods. A warming climate coupled with more intense El Niño and La Niña events could cause twice as many droughts and three times as many floods in California. A warming climate coupled with more intense El Niño and La Niña events could cause twice as many droughts and three times as many floods in California by 2080… http://insideclimatenews.org/news/22102015/california-faces-future-drought-alternating-floods-el-nino Can a phrase change the world? Some diplomats here hope so. As countries skirmish here over money and carbon emission cuts, a seemingly abstract debate is shaping up with real-world implications for investors and governments alike. Dubbed the "long-term goal," it is wording in a burgeoning international climate change accord that defines how 194 countries want the world to look by the century's end. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026824 DROUGHT Congressional Republicans demand plan for collecting El Niño water. The Republican members of California's delegation are demanding a government plan to store the deluge of water that could come with El Niño this winter. Fourteen GOP lawmakers will send a letter to President Obama and Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday asking for specifics about how federal and state agencies expect to capture, save and transport water. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-gop-el-nino-drought-letter-story.html High And Dry: A Deep Dive Into The Water Crisis. From the parched California coast to soaring water bills in New York, this episode of Reveal takes an in-depth look at water issues around the country. Reporters track down water guzzlers in the Golden State, where some people are using millions of gallons of water in a year in the middle of a historic drought. But their identities are kept secret. http://www.capradio.org/news/special/reveal/2015/10/23/high-and-dry-a-deep-dive-into-the-water-crisis/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES San Joaquin Valley air district gets $1 million in fed funds to replace diesel tractors. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District received $1 million to replace 75 off-road agricultural diesel tractors, part of a federal pot of more than $3 million awarded Thursday to California clean-air agencies. The new tractors coming to the Valley will have Tier 4 or cleaner engines. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/agriculture/article41133222.html#storylink=cpy http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/energy-and-environment/19905-epa-awards-1m-to-reduce-diesel-emissions-in-valley VEHICLES Tesla Take Two, Nissan Electric Goals, No VW Reprieve In U.S.: Today's Car News. Tesla electric cars are always a big topic here, and today we've got some more thoughts on their reliability. And Nissan set some ambitious goals for its own electric cars. But while VW says there's no defeat software in its latest diesels, that won't help the company in the U.S. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100616_tesla-take-two-nissan-electric-goals-no-vw-reprieve-in-u-s-todays-car-news Europe's automakers and cities rush to accommodate more electric cars. Still breathing the fumes from its diesel-emissions scandal, Volkswagen AG has made a strategic decision to make the next version of its flagship sedan, the Phaeton, an electric car. The decision, viewed by some as a diversionary tactic, is more likely an indication of where the industry is heading -- toward pure electrics and plug-in hybrids. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060026701 Battle grows over utilities' role in EV charging station market. California wants 1.5 million clean cars on state roads by 2025, a tenfold jump from the current number. The push has unlocked an opening for utilities seeking to join the charging station business. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) needs to ensure there are enough places to plug in electric vehicles. It's agreed to let the biggest utilities get involved in deploying stations. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026783 VW RECALL German Minister Heads to U.S. for Talks on Volkswagen Scandal. Meetings with U.S. counterpart and EPA officials as worries over fallout to economy rise. Germany’s transport minister heads to Washington, D.C., on Monday to discuss the Volkswagen AG emissions scandal with top U.S. officials amid mounting pressures by regulators to more accurately and realistically test automotive pollution. http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-minister-heads-to-washington-for-talks-on-volkswagen-scandal-1445614488?alg=y VW dealers reassure customers, wait for emissions-software fix. PR experts suggest incentives, truth will help retain loyalty. Volkswagen dealers find themselves on the front lines of a scandal not of their making, expecting to be tasked with repairing diesel vehicles containing software designed to cheat on emissions testing. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/10/23/dealers-on-front-lines-of-vw-scandal.html GREEN ENERGY Apple cleaning up act in China with more renewable energy. Apple is cleaning up its manufacturing operations in China to reduce the air pollution caused by the factories that have assembled hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads during the past eight years. The world's most valuable company is working with its Chinese suppliers to produce 2.2 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable energy by 2020. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_APPLE_CLEANER_CHINA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026821 UK and China sign the Clean Energy Partnership. The Clean Energy Partnership establishes co-operation in research and industry while transitioning to a low carbon global economy. This will strengthen the UK's position as the partner of choice for China in low carbon energy and will help to pave the way for effective energy relations between the two countries. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201510231115M2______EUPR_____297400000113a670_3600-1 Aggressive rooftop solar proposal clears key legal hurdle. One of the nation's most aggressive rooftop solar initiatives has cleared a critical hurdle. The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday approved a ballot initiative that would deregulate a growing sector of the electricity industry in that state. The proposed ballot initiative by Floridians for Solar Choice – an unusual grass-roots coalition of Tea Party and Christian Coalition conservatives… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rooftop-solar-proposal-clears-court-20151022-story.html Graphene Could Lower The Cost Of Renewable Hydrogen For FCEVs. We’ve been calling graphene the nanomaterial of the new millennium, and among its many superpowers it looks like this ultra thin material with unique electronic properties could help lower the cost of renewable hydrogen fuel. That’s great news for fans of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/23/graphene-lower-cost-renewable-hydrogen-fcevs/ U.S., Asia lead world in solar PV manufacturing – report. Asia dominates the global solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing sector, accounting for seven of the 10 strongest markets, but the United States and Canada are gaining ground in key areas, according to new findings published by GTM Research. Among the strongest factors promoting solar manufacturing in the United States are a positive business environment, strong regional demand for solar generation… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026787 Wind power industry catches another breeze. The U.S. wind power industry added 1,602 megawatts of new generation during the third quarter of 2015, nearly four times the amount of capacity added in the same quarter of 2014 and the second-highest third quarter since 2012. For the first nine months of 2015, U.S. wind energy capacity expanded by 3,596 MW… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/23/stories/1060026805 MISCELLANEOUS Edison reaches $400-million settlement with nuclear insurer. Southern California Edison has reached a $400-million settlement with its insurer over the shuttered San Onofre nuclear plant that the utility says will help cut customers' costs. Edison said 95% of the money from Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited, or NEIL, "will benefit customers," though it will not come in the form of a refund. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-edison-settlement-nuclear-20151022-story.html OPINIONS To protect their homes, Nipomo retirees are taking on an oil refinery. It's a well-trod path for many urban Californians: You hit retirement age, you start dreaming about living in the country, away from the noise, the traffic, the high cost of living. You decamp from, say, your job as a real estate agent in Irvine, and settle into a new life on the Central Coast, in a house near the eucalyptus groves of the Nipomo Mesa. http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-oil-train-20151023-column.html Essential Politics: GOP asks Brown for drought plan. I’m Christina Bellantoni, the Essential Politics host today. Let’s get started. The 14 Republicans in California’s congressional delegation are demanding a government plan to capture, store and transport the water expected from this winter’s El Niño. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-essential-politics-html-20151022-htmlstory.html Piece of Mind: Tapping the universe to dampen the drought. The wind gusts that arrived here Wednesday, dropping our paltry humidity levels farther south, reminded me of a column I’ve been sitting on for three months. I’ve previously considered the topic of the drought and of our community’s overuse of landscape watering, but have never before brought any metaphysical thoughts into the equation. But this is my new proposal: http://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/opinion/tn-vsl-piece-of-mind-tapping-the-universe-to-dampen-the-drought-20151022-story.html Hawaii faces winter drought despite wettest summer in years. The strong El Nino has flipped Hawaii's seasons, making the normally dry summer months extremely wet while the traditionally wet winter months will be dry, forecasters said Wednesday. The summer rains were the heaviest the state had seen in 30 years and ended drought conditions that have persisted since 2008… http://www.latimes.com/travel/cruises/sns-bc-us--hawaii-drought-20151021-story.html Parts of Montrose Gardens need replanting after being trampled during Oktoberfest. Parts of the newly planted Montrose Gardens won’t be blooming anytime soon because nearly a quarter of the drought-tolerant plants were trampled by pedestrians during this year’s Oktoberfest. The city recently removed 18 plots of grass along the sidewalks… http://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/tn-gnp-parts-of-montrose-gardens-need-replanting-after-being-trampled-during-oktoberfest-20151022-story.html PRO: New ozone regulations are easily met and will protect millions. On Oct. 1, the Environmental Protection Agency revised the national standards for ground-level ozone, one of the primary components of photochemical smog. This was a modest action but one that will help protect the health of many Americans. http://heralddemocrat.com/opinion/national-commentary/pro-new-ozone-regulations-are-easily-met-and-will-protect-millions#sthash.fr2qItWx.dpuf El Niño is coming. Are we ready? The anticipation is building. Stories and news reports are popping up everywhere. Predictions and expectations fill coffee shops and social media. No, I’m not talking about the 2024 Olympics in Los Angeles. I am talking about El Niño. And, chances are that it will arrive this winter along with plenty of precipitation. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/10/el-nino-is-coming-are-we-ready/ BLOGS No Turning Back on Clean Power. AS THE GAME-CHANGING CLEAN POWER PLAN BECOMES OFFICIAL, WE MUST STAND TOGETHER TO MOVE FORWARD AND ENSURE A HEALTHIER FUTURE. The official publication of President Obama's Clean Power Plan in the Federal Register gives our states and our people exactly what we need to fight climate change our way -- by cutting carbon pollution from the power plants in our own backyard. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rsuh/no_turning_back_on_clean_power.html VW does not want to fight diesel class action suit in California. Volkswagen knows it has a long legal battle ahead of it over the diesel emissions contretemps. History is a good enough guide for that knowledge, even better are the 350 lawsuits filed in 41 states and the District of Columbia so far, with more coming daily. Come what may, the company does not want to fight that battle in California, which is where some of the plaintiff's attorneys who are aiming to combine cases have requested they be transferred. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/10/23/vw-does-not-want-to-fight-diesel-class-action-suit-in-california/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 12:38:22 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 26, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 26, 2015. 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 States reliant on fossil fuels sue over new clean air rules. States and industry groups dependent on fossil fuels began filing court challenges Friday to President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Opponents of the plan were expected to file a flurry of lawsuits at the U.S. Court of Appeals as the… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AP_US_CLEAN_AIR_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Avalanche of Lawsuits to Be Triggered by Carbon Rule Publication. Lawyers are expected to unleash a flood of lawsuits Friday when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes regulations on power-plant pollution, challenging everything from the timing to the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s signature climate initiative. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-23/avalanche-of-lawsuits-to-be-triggered-by-carbon-rule-publication Vapor cloud from Exxon refinery in California triggers alarm. The unexplained release of a large vapor cloud on Friday from an Exxon Mobil Corp refinery near Los Angeles prompted authorities to sound public safety sirens, but no toxic fumes were detected and no one was hurt, a fire official said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/24/us-refinery-operations-exxon-torrance-idUSKCN0SI03O20151024 UPDATE 3-U.S. states, business groups challenge Obama's carbon rules in court. Twenty-five states and several business groups on Friday launched legal challenges seeking to block the Obama administration's proposal to curb carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, the centerpiece of its high-profile climate change strategy. West Virginia, Texas, Florida and Ohio are among the states challenging… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/23/usa-climatechange-lawsuit-idUSL1N12N0ZQ20151023 Shell settles with Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Shell Oil has agreed to pay $208,000 in air pollution penalties to settle complaints of 12 violations in 2013 at the Shell Martinez Refinery, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced Monday. The refinery violations included discharging excessive quantities of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide… http://martinezgazette.com/archives/23395 California Approves New Mobile Scrubbing Technology. AMECS is said to use specialised barges to attach scrubbers to the exhaust ports of container ships. The California Air Resource Board (CARB) has approved the use of an Advanced Environmental Group, LLC (AEG) exhaust gas scrubber alternative to shore power, known as the Advanced Maritime Emissions Control System (AMECS)… http://shipandbunker.com/news/am/828834-california-approves-new-mobile-scrubbing-technology As legal onslaught begins, EPA tells states how to buy time on climate rule. As expected, the publication of the final Clean Power Plan in the Federal Register on Friday brought on a swarm of lawsuits from opponents of the U.S. EPA rule. On Friday morning, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton jointly announced a 24-state lawsuit challenging EPA's rule. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/26/stories/1060026874 As Obama meets with Indonesia's president, activists push for action on forests and climate change. With the backdrop of massive peat land fires sending carbon into the atmosphere and the fast-approaching U.N. climate talks, environmental advocates expect today's visit between Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and President Obama to touch on climate change and deforestation challenges. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/26/stories/1060026868 CLIMATE CHANGE Why did Hurricane Patricia become a monster so quickly? Hurricane Patricia zoomed from tropical storm to record-beater in 30 hours flat like a jet-fueled sports car. Why? The Pacific storm had just the right ingredients. Plenty of warm water provided the energy for what meteorologists call explosive intensification. The air was much moister than usual, adding yet more fuel. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_TROPICAL_WEATHER_STRENGTH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT One of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded is fueled by El Niño, scientists say. Hurricane Patricia, one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded, is being fueled by El Niño, a weather phenomenon that continues to gain strength in the Pacific Ocean, scientists say. Scientists say the powerful hurricane offers… http://www.latimes.com/local/weather/la-me-ln-hurricane-patricia-an-el-nino-fueled-hurricane-scientist-says-20151023-story.html World's Catholic bishops issue appeal to Paris climate talks. Catholic patriarchs, cardinals and bishops representing five continents appealed to climate negotiators on Monday to approve a "transformative" and fair, legally binding agreement that sets global temperature limits and goals for eliminating fossil-fuel emissions. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/climatechange-summit-vatican-idUSL8N12Q2F620151026 Talks on climate deal heat up over bill for global warming. The trillion-dollar question of who should pay for global warming is coming to a head in talks on an international climate pact, as developing countries worry they won't get enough money to tackle the problem. With just five weeks left before a U.N. climate summit in Paris, developing countries… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_UN_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Turkey's plan to help farmers adapt to climate change? Ask a tablet. Ahmed Kinavkates has a problem. The farmer in the Kazan district of the Turkish capital usually starts ploughing his fields now, to prepare them for his winter crops of potato and cabbage. But he needs rain and the erratic weather in the region makes it impossible for him to predict when it will come. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/turkey-climatechange-technology-idUSL8N12P08R20151026 Plankton poo clue could aid climate predictions. Scientists from the UK's National Oceanography Center (NOC) have set their sights on unmasking the ocean's 'twilight zone' - the area between 100 and 1000 meters deep where a small amount of the sun's light can still penetrate. This area has proved particularly troublesome for researchers to study, as scientific instruments are typically designed to either sink to the ocean floor or… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/us-planktonpoo-climate-idUSKCN0SK1NJ20151026 Developing Nations Push for Tougher Target in Climate Change Talks. African countries, low-lying nations fear bearing brunt of global warming. Developing nations facing some of the biggest threats from climate change are pressing rich countries to make a goal that has underpinned years of negotiations even tougher, highlighting the difficulty of reaching a new global agreement this year. http://www.wsj.com/articles/developing-nations-push-for-tougher-target-in-climate-change-talks-1445625743 New York lawmakers to discuss climate change. Members of New York's state Assembly will meet to discuss the state's response to climate change. The Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation and the chamber's Climate Change Work Group will hold a joint gathering Monday in Albany. The Work Group was created earlier this year by Speaker Carl Heastie to discuss ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.wsj.com/articles/APfab83fb7472e4d13b5fbd2a481559446 How Exxon went from leader to skeptic on climate change research. Throughout much of the 1980s, Exxon earned a public reputation as a pioneer in climate change research. It sponsored workshops, funded academic research and conducted its own high-tech experiments exploring the science behind global warming. But by 1990, the company, in public, took a different posture. http://graphics.latimes.com/exxon-research/ http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article41314959.html Coal mine expansion stalls in lawsuit citing climate change. The U.S. Interior Department should not have approved the expansion of a southeastern Montana coal mine before taking a closer look at its effect on the environment, a federal judge said about a lawsuit arguing the government ignored coal's contributions to climate change. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article41440002.html#storylink=cpy UN’s Bonn Climate Talks End Up Better Than They Started. Friday marked the end of the week-long October international climate meeting (11th part of the second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action) in Bonn, a runup to the first global climate change agreement in 18 years this December. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/26/uns-bonn-climate-talks-end-better-started/ DROUGHT California’s Growers Bear Brunt of Drought Woes. Even as water costs mount, farmers find it difficult to raise prices for fruits, vegetables. California’s historic drought is forcing farmers in the dominant produce-growing state to fallow hundreds of thousands of acres and spend millions of dollars to access water. Yet U.S. grocery shoppers are barely feeling an impact. http://www.wsj.com/articles/californias-growers-bear-brunt-of-drought-woes-1445765403 In Drought-Ridden California, the Classic Lawn Loses Ground. With help from public rebates, yards are being redefined as grass gives way to less thirsty materials, including decomposed granite. Just a year ago, the Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club — which bills itself as having an “exquisitely manicured, visually breathtaking” golf course — featured the same traditional rolling hills of grass found at golf clubs around the country. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/us/in-drought-ridden-california-the-classic-lawn-loses-ground.html?_r=0 Big water users, take note: DWP is considering outing you. Decades before someone coined the Twitter hashtag #droughtshaming and people began posting YouTube videos of their neighbors' drowning lawns, California water suppliers encouraged conservation by releasing the names of their biggest water hogs. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-bill-secrecy-20151025-story.html Essential Politics: Learning tough lessons from Australia's drought. California lawmakers who visited the driest inhabited continent on the planet are bringing home lessons learned from crippling drought. The 10-day fact-finding mission to Australia included a meeting with the Victoria Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water… http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-essential-politics-html-20151026-htmlstory.html South state storms show no easy remedies for California drought. An epic rainstorm brought mudslides, flooding and road closures to Southern California recently, but it did little to ease the state’s four-year drought. The fierce squalls that struck north of Los Angeles on Oct. 15 and 16 delivered a likely preview of what’s shaping up as a very wet winter in much of California. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article41406858.html#storylink=cpy DIESEL ACTIVITIES DIESEL EMISSIONS: State cites air-quality violators. Air quality officials and CHP officers team up for spot diesel truck inspections. A truck driver from Merced didn't expect to be handed a $300 citation from state air-quality officials after dropping off load of cheese in Ontario. “This an older truck, but it’s alright. http://www.pe.com/articles/air-784150-state-truck.html TruStar builds CNG station for Advanced Disposal. TruStar Energy opened a new time-fill fueling station designed and built for Advanced Disposal in Hartland, WI. TruStar Energy and Advanced Disposal have partnered on 11 stations nationwide. “We are on track to meet our goal to increase our CNG fleet to 15% by the end of 2015,” said Advanced Disposal CEO Richard Burke. http://fleetowner.com/fuel/trustar-builds-cng-station-advanced-disposal FUELS Green Plains Inc buys idled ethanol plant in Virginia. Green Plains Inc has paid $18.25 million for the sole ethanol plant in Virginia, it said on Monday, the latest in a string of consolidations as vast supplies and low crude oil prices squeeze industry profits. Green Plains said it planned to spend another $6 million to $7 million for a corn oil extractor… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/green-plains-inc-plant-idUSL1N12Q16W20151026?type=companyNews Winter is coming – expect to pay less at the gas pump as refineries switch to cheaper blend. Winter-blend gasoline, the historically less-costly sibling of the summer blend, officially arrives Nov. 1 – and drivers in the Inland Empire and Orange County can look forward to paying a little less at the gas pump. “The transition from summer to winter gas is always good news for consumers because refiners are able to process more gas for every barrel of crude… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-688987-gas-gasoline.html Alaska gets sales guarantees for LNG project. The long road to commercializing Alaska's North Slope natural gas became a little smoother last week when Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) and the state's three industry partners reached a tentative agreement guaranteeing that the companies' gas would be available for a state-industry liquefied natural gas export project. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/26/stories/1060026890 VEHICLES Toyota at top in global vehicle sales for first 9 months. Toyota was the world's top-selling automaker for the first nine months of this year, selling nearly 7.5 million vehicles, and overtaking Volkswagen which was in the No. 1 spot for the half year. Toyota Motor Corp.'s global sales for the first three quarters totaled 7.498 million vehicles… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_TOYOTA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-toyota-tops-volkswagen-sales-20151026-story.html http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/1026/Toyota-regains-top-spot-as-world-s-largest-automaker-from-Volkswagen http://www.autoevolution.com/news/volkswagen-loses-sales-crown-to-toyota-and-it-s-not-really-down-to-dieselgate-101344.html Tech companies face rocky road on the way to making cars. Silicon Valley may think it can build a better car. But should it? As tech giants like Google and Apple look to automobiles as the next frontier for innovation, they face a looming reality: Cars are a lot harder to manufacture and sell than smartphones. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TECH_INDUSTRY_AUTOMAKERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Tesla Aims to Build Its Electric Cars in China. CEO Elon Musk says local production could cut price of its cars by a third in that country. Luxury electric-car maker Tesla Motors Inc. is in discussions with state and national government officials about producing its $76,000 and up vehicles in China… http://www.wsj.com/articles/tesla-plans-to-produce-electric-vehicles-in-china-within-two-years-1445602222 Tesla's most absurd-sounding feature will actually help it sell a ton of cars in China. Tesla Motors' $100,000 cars are hitting a sweet spot in China, offering the country's elite exclusivity and luxury. But Tesla's newest feature is going to give those wealthy Chinese customers an entirely different reason to own a Tesla. Sales in China are ramping up fast. http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-bio-weapon-mode-china-2015-10 Diesel scandal opens door for other technologies. The Volkswagen diesel scandal has drawn fresh attention to automakers’ drive toward alternate fuels and clean engine technology. It won’t be the end of diesel engines, but it could sharpen the focus on other technologies. “Automakers have made great progress” improving fuel efficiency… http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/mark-phelan/2015/10/24/auto-energy-emissions-vw-toyota-gm-diesel-fuel-cell-electric-vehicle-hybrid/74239880/ Honda's Tokyo Fuel-Cell Vehicle May Be Its Electric Car And Plug-In Hybrid Too. In less than two days, Honda will officially reveal the production version of its hydrogen fuel-cell sedan at the Tokyo Motor Show. The company released two photos late last month that show the car and its interior, following its FCEV and FCV Concepts over the past two years. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100634_hondas-tokyo-fuel-cell-vehicle-may-be-its-electric-car-and-plug-in-hybrid-too Both Electric And Gas Cars Lose Range In The Cold; Electrics Just Lose More. When it comes to electric cars, one of the biggest fears for potential customers is range anxiety in general--but for many, it's specifically their cold-weather range. Batteries lose efficiency in colder temperatures, something that only heightens the range anxiety many potential buyers feel acutely. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100629_both-electric-and-gas-cars-lose-range-in-the-cold-electrics-just-lose-more 2016 Green Car of the Year Finalists Announced. The Los Angeles Auto Show is coming up next month and, as activity starts ramping up, news is starting to break on the new models that will be announced and other juicy tidbits. This past week, the five finalists for the Green Car Journal’s 2016 Green Car of the Year award were shared. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/10/26/2016-green-car-year-finalists-announced/ Cars To Vanish From Downtown Oslo Before 2020. Norway has firmly established itself as the most friendly country in the world for electric cars. Cars with plugs account for a higher percentage of sales there than anywhere else. But the Scandinavian country may soon take even more aggressive steps to reduce its transportation-related carbon emissions. Norway's capital, Oslo, may ban most people from driving their cars--electric or otherwise--into the city center by 2020, according to The Independent. VW RECALL Scandal-hit Volkswagen hires Opel exec as strategy chief. Volkswagen is hiring a top strategy executive from competitor Opel as it seeks to recover from a scandal over its cheating on U.S. diesel emissions tests. Taking on Thomas Sedran as Volkswagen's new chief of corporate strategy brings another outside voice to the company as it… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Scandal-hit-Volkswagen-hires-Opel-exec-as-6590531.php German business optimism resilient after VW scandal. Germany's Ifo index of business optimism fell by less than expected in October, as executives' outlooks for Europe's largest economy remained relatively strong despite worries about a scandal at Volkswagen and troubles in emerging markets. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_ECONOMY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Is Volkswagen so complicated only insiders can fix it? Volkswagen's effort to fix its emissions scandal will be largely led by company insiders. Some experts say it's the only way, given the German carmaker's unusually complicated structure and power groups. Others, however, argue the company is just compounding its risks if it does not bring an outsider to change its ways. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN_CULTURE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EU Set for Fight Over New Car-Emission Tests After VW Deception. The European Union’s industrial-policy chief faces a clash with EU governments over car pollution this week as the political stakes from Volkswagen AG’s cheating rise. Elzbieta Bienkowska, the European commissioner for industrial policy, wants to give automakers less leeway than do many EU nations in a move to a tougher system of emission tests… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-26/eu-set-for-fight-over-new-car-emission-tests-after-vw-deception Volkswagen Suspends More Employees. Law firm Jones Day urges the action to prevent tampering with emissions probe. Volkswagen AG has suspended a larger number of engineers than previously acknowledged, following a recommendation from the law firm conducting an internal investigation into the auto maker’s emissions cheating scandal, according to a person familiar with the matter. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-widens-suspensions-in-emissions-scandal-1445791586 Volkswagen Inquiry’s Focus to Include Managers Who Turned a Blind Eye. A widening internal investigation at Volkswagen is focusing not only on who was responsible for installing illegal software designed to fool emissions testers, but also on which managers may have learned of the deception and failed to take appropriate action… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/business/international/volkswagen-investigation-focus-to-include-managers-who-turned-a-blind-eye.html?_r=2 Volkswagen loses sales top spot to Toyota after emissions scandal. Toyota is back as world’s bestselling carmaker just three months after surrendering its long-held status to Volkswagen. Volkswagen has been knocked off the top spot for global car sales by Toyota after taking it from its rival earlier this year… http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/26/volkswagen-top-spot-toyota-vw-emissions-scandal Volkswagen May Offer Discounts To German Owners Of Cars With Illicit Software: DPA. Volkswagen AG may offer VW owners in Germany discounts on new cars if they turn in certain old models affected by the emissions scandal that has rocked Europe's biggest carmaker, the German news agency DPA reported Sunday. Volkswagen is battling the biggest business crisis in its 78-year history after admitting last month it installed software… http://www.ibtimes.com/volkswagen-may-offer-discounts-german-owners-cars-illicit-software-dpa-2155404 Peugeot Says It Never Cheated on Emissions as Car Sales Rise PSA Peugeot Citroen said it has never duped consumers about its diesel vehicles, taking a swipe at Volkswagen AG as the German rival reels in the aftermath of a cheating scandal. Peugeot promised new measures to make its vehicles cleaner and said it will also soon publish real-world fuel economy figures vetted by an independent body. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-26/peugeot-says-it-never-cheated-on-emissions-as-its-car-sales-rise HIGH-SPEED RAIL Special Report $68-billion California bullet train project likely to overshoot budget and deadline targets. The monumental task of building California's bullet train will require punching 36 miles of tunnels through the geologically complex mountains north of Los Angeles. Crews will have to cross the tectonic boundary that separates the North American and Pacific plates… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bullet-train-cost-final-20151025-story.html GREEN ENERGY Duke Energy buying Piedmont Natural Gas $4.9B. Multimedia a. Duke Energy will spend about $4.9 billion in cash to acquire Piedmont Natural Gas, adding about a million new customers in the Carolinas and Tennessee. The Charlotte, North Carolina, companies are key partners in the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DUKE_ENERGY_ACQUISITION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/duke-energy-to-buy-piedmont-natural-gas-for-4-9-billion-1445858176 Solar panels empower indigenous people in Canada's north. Daniel T'seleie, an indigenous activist in Canada's far north, is campaigning to help his people wean themselves from a worrying dependence on imported fuel and food, recover old traditions and win greater autonomy from the government. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/us-climatechange-canada-solar-idUSKCN0SK0G120151026 MISCELLANEOUS This Is Your Office, If Ex-Goldman Twins Get Their Way. 'Healthy buildings' make happy workers, they say. The pitch could make them a fortune, if their bet on wellness in real estate pans out. Last October a New York startup called Delos, founded by twin brothers who were once partners at Goldman Sachs, published what may be the most marketable proposition in real estate… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-23/your-office-building-might-save-your-life PlugShare.com steers electric car owners to charging stations. Take charge — here's a website and app that make life easier for owners of electric vehicles. Name: PlugShare.com and app What it does: A searchable website and app that shows more than 26,000 charging stations, shared residential chargers and high-power stations in the United States and Canada. It also includes more than 60,000 stations across the globe. http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-tr-webbuzz-20151025-story.html OPINIONS Diesel prices pressured by poor demand, high stocks: Kemp. Reported stocks of crude and refined fuels continue to climb in the United States, pressuring on oil prices, but the stock build is concentrated in specific parts of the complex. Most of the stock build has occurred in crude petroleum and the middle distillates used for road diesel and home heating oil, while gasoline stocks have remained relatively normal. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/us-usa-oil-kemp-idUSKCN0SK15120151026 Where's the urgency in cleaning up the Exide battery plant mess? State environmental regulators knew for decades that the Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon was spewing deadly substances into its surroundings, but revelations about the extent of the damage have continued even after the company agreed to shutter the plant. Six months ago, state officials discovered dangerously high levels of toxic lead dust… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-adv-exide-20151026-story.html Don't dismiss the link between wildfires and climate change, scientists say. Was Gov. Jerry Brown wrong to blame this year's epic California wildfires on climate change? An Oct. 18 Times article said he was; scientists and activists responding to that article say it's a lot more complicated. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1024-saturday-wildfires-climate-change-20151024-story.html Don’t give PG&E a monopoly on electric vehicle charging stations. Buried deep within a highly technical filing with the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&E put forward an audacious proposal – giving itself monopoly power to deploy thousands of electric vehicle charging stations and getting ratepayers to foot the bill at triple the cost of private vendors. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article41395416.html#storylink=cpy Drought-stressed California forests face a radical shift. Biologist Greg Asner first heard the numbers in April, but they did little to prepare him for what he saw. The Forest Service had estimated that nearly 12.5 million trees in California’s southern and central forests were dead. But as Asner peered down upon the same forests from his airplane at 6,000 feet, he saw something far worse. California’s drought-parched landscape was poised for a radical transformation. http://azdailysun.com/news/opinion/columnists/drought-stressed-california-forests-face-a-radical-shift/article_cef81d84-2ccd-5eb2-aa5e-efa44dd82265.html CHRIS HILGER: Republican climate heroes in Congress unlock gridlock. The Onion recently ran the satirical headline, “Congress gets in a solid 12 hours of gridlocking before calling it a day.” Stories from the press come out daily bemoaning the gridlock afflicting Congress. The stories almost write themselves. Mention a serious problem. Then mention gridlock. End of story. One such serious problem is climate change. http://www.pe.com/articles/climate-784313-congress-gibson.html Editorial: Air quality rules. Anyone living or spending much time in western Pinal County knows the air often is dusty, especially during summer storms. Federal, state and county authorities have been grappling with the issue, although it is nothing new and generally has been taken for granted. http://www.trivalleycentral.com/opinion/our_view/editorial-air-quality-rules/article_e2a08640-7bfd-11e5-a7f4-bbb0aefe68fc.html Will hacking nature protect us from climate change? To avoid a global warming catastrophe by the end of the century, humans may need to actually hack the climate. Whether you call it hacking, or "fiddling with the knobs in the climate system," or the less-imaginative "geoengineering," it revolves around this question: Can humans game the system by using science to reverse global warming? http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/26/tech/pioneers-carbon-sink-geoengineering-climate-hack/index.html Body Blows to the High-Speed Rail. Like a punch-drunk fighter, the High Speed Rail Authority must be reeling from the blows landed by Ralph Vartabedian’s Special Report in the Los Angeles Times asserting with expert testimony that the project is likely over cost and behind schedule. And, an even bigger blow could come from the courts removing the rail’s one steady income stream. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/10/body-blows-to-the-high-speed-rail/ BLOGS How diesel-mad EU laid seeds of VW scandal. The fierce response of U.S. regulators to Volkswagen’s emissions manipulation shows how lax European peers have been on a core public health issue. Legal limits for harmful diesel emissions are too high, test procedures are weak, and early evidence of non-compliance in real life was ignored. Clean diesel is possible, but this will dent automakers’ profits. http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/10/26/how-diesel-mad-eu-laid-seeds-of-vw-scandal/ Place some limits on new pumping till drought ends. As he manages the terrible drought, Gov. Jerry Brown has persuaded Californians to reduce their water use by more than 25 percent and led the campaign to persuade voters to approve a $7.5 billion water bond, which will help us get through future droughts with less economic and environmental damage. http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article41234982.html#storylink=cpy Smoky September clouds San Joaquin Valley clean-air record. San Joaquin Valley folks breathed the healthiest air on record most of the 2015 summer, but a smoky September made this year a brutally memorable tale of two seasons. For the record, the 25,000-square-mile Valley has had only 80 exceedances of the federal eight-hour ozone standard – easily the lowest total ever. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/earth-log/article41252997.html#storylink=cpy Businesses that owe the most in pollution fines are revealed. Jefferson County's manufacturing base and coal-fired electricity led it to be ranked fourth in the country for industrial toxic air pollution in 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says, and the American Lung Association ranks Louisville as the 28th most polluted city for ozone. http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/blog/morning_call/2015/10/businesses-that-owe-the-most-in-pollution-fines.html The White House Pushes Clean Energy While Coal States Push the Past. In an article appearing in The Hill last week, Timothy Cama reported that: A coalition of 24 states and a coal mining company filed lawsuits Friday to challenge the most significant piece of President Obama's environmental agenda, his signature climate change rule for power plants. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/the-white-house-pushes-cl_b_8389004.html World Bank-IMF Pushes “Carbon Pricing” Global Tax-&-Spend Scheme. Carbon budget. Carbon regime. Carbon pricing. Carbon trading. These are code words for the colossal UN grab for money and power at the upcoming global Climate Summit in December in Paris. With the United Nations’ world summit on global warming now only weeks away, the propaganda war is ratcheting up — at a furious pace. http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/environment/item/21822-world-bank-imf-pushes-carbon-pricing-global-tax-spend-scheme Is The Future of Transport All-Electric? The future of transportation was a hot topic at last week’s Future of Energy Summit in London hosted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). In particular, discussions were built around the question of what transportation will look like as the sector tries to balance 1) meeting demand and 2) compliance with air pollution standards. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/transportation-cities-and-air-quality-is-the-future-of-transport-all-electric/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 10:56:28 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 28, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for August 28, 2015. 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 legislation approaches pivotal showdown with oil industry. With only a few days left in the current session of the California legislature, an aggressive political and public relations fight between the oil industry and top lawmakers over climate change legislation is moving into a final round. At stake is the passage of far-reaching environmental bills that would fundamentally alter the way the state does business and deals with planet-warming pollution – but would likely also change the way everyday Californians travel, live and consume. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/28/climate-change-legislation-showdown-california-sb350-sb32 Why Climate Change Could Make Hurricane Impact Worse. Hurricane Katrina surprised disaster preparedness authorities when it made landfall 10 years ago, leveling entire communities and killing more than 1,800 people. The storm caused more than $100 billion in damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. But for all the damage the storm caused in New Orleans, Katrina was a relatively weak hurricane when it hit the city. http://time.com/4013637/climate-change-hurricanes-impact/ Richmond agricultural conference to spotlight food security, reducing emissions. Farmers, scientists, policymakers, nonprofit organizations and community leaders will converge in Richmond next week to explore how sustainable, regenerative agriculture practices can help reduce global warming and increase food security. The Soil Not Oil International Conference, set for Sept. 4 and 5 at the Richmond Civic Center, will focus on practical carbon farming (also known as regenerative agriculture) solutions including cover crops, planned grazing, compost application on range land, tree planting and other holistic land use practices. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28714064/richmond-agricultural-conference-spotlight-food-security-reducing-emissions Nasa: sea levels rising as a result of human-caused climate change – video Josh Willis of Nasa explains the space agency’s announcement that a long-term satellite imaging study has shown a dramatic rise in sea levels due to climate change. He says the findings that sea levels worldwide rose an average of nearly 3 inches (8 cm) since 1992 could indicate how strongly impacted coastal populations will be in the coming century. http://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2015/aug/28/nasa-sea-levels-rising-human-climate-change-video DROUGHT Is the drought killing California's giant sequoias? Sixty feet from the top of a giant sequoia named Kong, biologist Anthony Ambrose studied the foliage around him. Dense clusters of green leaves grew like shaving brushes from the branches, cones clustered like Indian clubs. Topping out 25 stories above the ground, Kong was spectacular, an ancient beastly creature well-suited for its name. Its trunk at the base measured 17 feet across. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-sequoia-drought-20150828-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Hearing on greenhouse gas proposal shows where experienced truckers stand. Truckers on site at the Great America Trucking Show in Dallas had a unique opportunity on Thursday, Aug. 27, to engage in direct conversation with representatives of two federal agencies proposing to further regulate truck emissions and fuel economy standards. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29683#.VeCd7vlVhBc FUELS DOE to award up to $10M for Bioenergy Technologies Incubator 2; provides $4M to two additional biofuel projects. The US Department of Energy (DOE) released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0001320)for up to $10 million to advance the production of advanced biofuels, substitutes for petroleum-based feedstocks and bioproducts made from renewable, non-food-based biomass, such as algae, agricultural residues, and woody biomass. This work supports the Energy Department’s efforts to make drop-in biofuels more accessible and affordable, as well as to meet the cost target equivalent of $3 per gallon of gasoline by 2022. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150828-doe.html VEHICLES Bosch acquires U.S. electric car battery developer Seeo. Auto parts maker Robert Bosch has bought Seeo Inc, a California-based company that has developed next-generation lithium-ion batteries that could double the range of electric cars. Electric vehicles have failed to take off with mainstream customers because current battery technology limits the operating range of vehicles to below 500 kilometres (311 miles), and because vehicles take hours to fully recharge. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/28/seeo-ma-robert-bosch-idUSL5N11337N20150828?feedType=RSS&feedName=mergersNews GREEN ENERGY Solar power planned for four middle schools. The use of solar panels at American Canyon High School has proven to be a financially smart move for the Napa Valley Unified School District — so smart that officials want to duplicate this success at all of the district’s middle schools. Without opposition, the school board told staff last week to request bids from companies for solar installations at American Canyon Middle School and the three middle schools in Napa: Harvest, Redwood and Silverado. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/solar-power-planned-for-four-middle-schools/article_29e0cb7c-8d65-5055-ae2e-52751b12aa64.html MISCELLANEOUS Cathedral City seeks to build CV Link segment early. Cathedral City is seeking support from neighboring cities to build an early segment of the CV Link — a proposed 50-mile bicycle, pedestrian and low-speed electric vehicle path — to take advantage of two grants before they expire. On Monday, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ transportation committee will consider amending existing CV Link contracts. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/08/27/cathedral-city-seeks-build-cv-link-segment-early/71285970/ OPINIONS California water storage bond a drop in a leaky bucket. With news of an enormous El Niño year flowing in, some believe their prayers might have been answered. But memory quickly turns to the devastating flooding and mudslides so synonymous when these subtropical storms arrive in California. In the past, such deluges were were relatively uncommon. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/community-columns/article32630679.html BLOGS Renewable Energy Investments: A Case Study. Early adopters are consumers who aspire to own the newest gadget even if it means paying top price. When it came to a renewable energy plan for our home and automobiles, we were no exceptions. Despite the high cost, we wanted our home and two cars dependent on 100 percent clean and renewable energy. Why? Where did we get the money? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-schullo-and-dan-robertson/renewable-energy-investme_1_b_8028316.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 11:09:38 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- CORRECTION: From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov CORRECTION ARB Newsclips for August 28, 2015. OLD NEWS PLEASE EXCUSE 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 legislation approaches pivotal showdown with oil industry. With only a few days left in the current session of the California legislature, an aggressive political and public relations fight between the oil industry and top lawmakers over climate change legislation is moving into a final round. At stake is the passage of far-reaching environmental bills that would fundamentally alter the way the state does business and deals with planet-warming pollution… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/28/climate-change-legislation-showdown-california-sb350-sb32 Why Climate Change Could Make Hurricane Impact Worse. Hurricane Katrina surprised disaster preparedness authorities when it made landfall 10 years ago, leveling entire communities and killing more than 1,800 people. The storm caused more than $100 billion in damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. But for all the damage the storm caused in New Orleans, Katrina was a relatively weak hurricane when it hit the city. http://time.com/4013637/climate-change-hurricanes-impact/ Richmond agricultural conference to spotlight food security, reducing emissions. Farmers, scientists, policymakers, nonprofit organizations and community leaders will converge in Richmond next week to explore how sustainable, regenerative agriculture practices can help reduce global warming and increase food security. The Soil Not Oil International Conference, set for Sept. 4 and 5 at the Richmond Civic Center… http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28714064/richmond-agricultural-conference-spotlight-food-security-reducing-emissions Nasa: sea levels rising as a result of human-caused climate change – video Josh Willis of Nasa explains the space agency’s announcement that a long-term satellite imaging study has shown a dramatic rise in sea levels due to climate change. He says the findings that sea levels worldwide rose an average of nearly 3 inches (8 cm) since 1992 could indicate how strongly impacted coastal populations will be in the coming century. http://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2015/aug/28/nasa-sea-levels-rising-human-climate-change-video DROUGHT Is the drought killing California's giant sequoias? Sixty feet from the top of a giant sequoia named Kong, biologist Anthony Ambrose studied the foliage around him. Dense clusters of green leaves grew like shaving brushes from the branches, cones clustered like Indian clubs. Topping out 25 stories above the ground, Kong was spectacular, an ancient beastly creature well-suited for its name. Its trunk at the base measured 17 feet across. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-sequoia-drought-20150828-story.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Hearing on greenhouse gas proposal shows where experienced truckers stand. Truckers on site at the Great America Trucking Show in Dallas had a unique opportunity on Thursday, Aug. 27, to engage in direct conversation with representatives of two federal agencies proposing to further regulate truck emissions and fuel economy standards. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=29683#.VeCd7vlVhBc VEHICLES Bosch acquires U.S. electric car battery developer Seeo. Auto parts maker Robert Bosch has bought Seeo Inc, a California-based company that has developed next-generation lithium-ion batteries that could double the range of electric cars. Electric vehicles have failed to take off with mainstream customers because current battery technology limits the operating range of vehicles to below 500 kilometres (311 miles), and because vehicles take hours to fully recharge. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/28/seeo-ma-robert-bosch-idUSL5N11337N20150828?feedType=RSS&feedName=mergersNews GREEN ENERGY Solar power planned for four middle schools.T he use of solar panels at American Canyon High School has proven to be a financially smart move for the Napa Valley Unified School District — so smart that officials want to duplicate this success at all of the district’s middle schools. Without opposition, the school board told staff last week to request bids from companies for solar installations at American Canyon Middle School and the three middle schools in Napa: Harvest, Redwood and Silverado. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/solar-power-planned-for-four-middle-schools/article_29e0cb7c-8d65-5055-ae2e-52751b12aa64.html MISCELLANEOUS Cathedral City seeks to build CV Link segment early. Cathedral City is seeking support from neighboring cities to build an early segment of the CV Link — a proposed 50-mile bicycle, pedestrian and low-speed electric vehicle path — to take advantage of two grants before they expire. On Monday, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ transportation committee will consider amending existing CV Link contracts. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/08/27/cathedral-city-seeks-build-cv-link-segment-early/71285970/ OPINIONS California water storage bond a drop in a leaky bucket. With news of an enormous El Niño year flowing in, some believe their prayers might have been answered. But memory quickly turns to the devastating flooding and mudslides so synonymous when these subtropical storms arrive in California. In the past, such deluges were were relatively uncommon. Now, many scientists are predicting that prolonged periods of drought followed by torrential downpours will be par for the course. http://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/community-columns/article32630679.html BLOGS Renewable Energy Investments: A Case Study. Early adopters are consumers who aspire to own the newest gadget even if it means paying top price. When it came to a renewable energy plan for our home and automobiles, we were no exceptions. Despite the high cost, we wanted our home and two cars dependent on 100 percent clean and renewable energy. Why? Where did we get the money? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-schullo-and-dan-robertson/renewable-energy-investme_1_b_8028316.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 11:28:40 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 28, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov Our sincere apologies. Earlier ARB newsclips were sent out with the date of August 28, 2015 instead of October 28, 2015. Please discard. Here are the ARB Newsclips for October 28, 2015. Have a good day! 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 Correction: Clean Air Lawsuits story. In a story Oct. 23 about states and industry groups filing challenges to President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, The Associated Press, relying on information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, erroneously reported that New Mexico was among the states opposing the rules. New Mexico is not among the more than two dozen states appealing the plan in court. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_AIR_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT The Air in There: Offices, and Issues, That Seem to Make Us Stupid. CO2 in office air slows our thinking, a study finds. But the air is bad partly because we're getting thriftier in our use of energy. It's tempting to conclude from the climate change debate that all that carbon dioxide in the air is making everybody dumber. In fact, all that carbon dioxide in the air is making everybody dumber. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-28/the-air-in-there-offices-and-issues-that-seem-to-make-us-stupid CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change deal will not include global carbon price: UN climate chief. A climate change deal to be agreed in Paris in December will not be able to come up with a global carbon price, the United Nations' climate chief, Christiana Figueres, said on Tuesday. Big multinational companies and investors, and most recently oil majors, have called for a global carbon price to help spur investments in low-carbon energy. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/us-climatechange-summit-figueres-idUSKCN0SL1J220151028 Climate envoys should try harder after Paris, poorer nations say. The global push to fight climate change must intensify after a major meeting in Paris, said poorer nations on Tuesday, who are reconciled to disappointment in any upcoming deal. Climate negotiators should not abandon hope of limiting global temperatures rises to below 1.5… http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/10/27/us-climatechange-summit-targets-idUKKCN0SL2E820151027 INTERVIEW-Winemakers will survive, international body says of climate change. Good news for wine drinkers: a leading international body says grape vines are a hardy little number and can survive climate change, at least over the medium term. Earlier harvesting, changes in grape varieties and new wine-making processes have already helped counter the impact of the harsher weather hitting vineyards across the globe… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N12S33K20151028 Gov. Jerry Brown vows legal action to defend Washington's clean-power plan. Gov. Jerry Brown is planning legal action to defend Washington's clean-power plan, a key part of President Obama’s effort to combat climate change despite tenacious opposition from Republicans in Congress. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-sac-brown-climate-story.html Why is NOAA withholding climate documents from Congress? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is refusing to answer a subpoena from a congressional committee. Some scientists say that the motive behind the subpoena is a congressman's unhappiness with the conclusion of a study on climate change. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/1028/Why-is-NOAA-withholding-climate-documents-from-Congress Global warming is unlocking carbon stores long-locked in permafrost. Scientists find that when an ancient Alaskan permafrost thaws, half of the dissolved organic carbon trapped can decompose within a week. For thousands of years, a large percentage of the world’s carbon stores have been safely locked in permafrost, the frozen layer of soil and organic matter that covers much of the planet’s northernmost latitudes. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/1027/Global-warming-is-unlocking-carbon-stores-long-locked-in-permafrost Too hot to work: climate change 'puts south-east Asia economies at risk'. Report says rising heat stress could threaten labour capacity across region, with Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia worst hit. Rising temperatures and humidity due to climate change are likely to increase the number of days with unsafe “heat stress”… http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/28/too-hot-to-work-climate-change-south-east-asia-economies-at-risk Exxon's conflicting concerns about climate change: A tale of 2 investigations. Many environmentalists believe that the oil and gas major Exxon, now known as Exxon Mobil Corp., is on the wrong side of history when it comes to climate change. Two new investigations into the company's early history of climate research have deepened the antagonism toward the company. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060027024 DROUGHT Winter salmon run nearly extinguished in drought, feds say. For the second straight year, huge numbers of juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon appear to have baked to death in the Sacramento River because of California’s drought, federal officials said Wednesday, bringing the endangered species a step closer to extinction. The news raises the specter of more agricultural water cuts next summer… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article41684160.html#storylink=cpy LA Aqueduct flows after dam built for drought is dismantled. Water in the aqueduct that helped fuel Los Angeles' growth was flowing toward the city Wednesday for the first time in six months after workers removed an earthen and concrete dam that had diverted runoff to the parched Owens Valley. With little mountain runoff due to a historic drought… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article41656908.html#storylink=cpy FUELS New investments signal turnaround in Brazil ethanol industry. Improved returns from sales at home and abroad are unleashing the first major flurry of investment in Brazil's struggling ethanol industry in nearly a decade, with at least nine companies expanding or building new capacity. Medium-sized private mill Rio Verde said it would double ethanol output over the next two years to capture resurgent biofuel demand. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/brazil-ethanol-investment-idUSL1N12N21520151028 Primus Green Energy and Jereh launch global collaboration on gas-to-liquids. Primus Green Energy Inc., a gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology and solutions company that transforms methane and other hydrocarbon gases into gasoline, methanol and diluent (earlier post), and Jereh, an international, integrated oil and gas company specializing in Oil and Gas EPC services, oilfield technology services… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151028-primus.html Berkeley Lab Researchers Develop MOFs for Storing Methane. With new makes of all-electric and hybrid automobiles seeming to emerge as fast as the colors of fall, it is easy to overlook another alternative to gasoline engines that could prove to be a major player in reduced-carbon transportation – cars powered by natural gas. Space-filling models of cobalt-bdp MOF in the collapsed state (left) and CH4-expanded state (right). http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22665 Petroleum industry launches ads targeting the RFS. The American Petroleum Institute today launched a new advertising campaign targeting the renewable fuel standard as the Obama administration works to finalize new standards for refiners. The ads highlight criticism of corn ethanol by anti-hunger and environmental groups and RFS opposition from newspaper editorials and lawmakers from both parties. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/28/stories/1060027072 REFINERY Latest ExxonMobil Torrance refinery accident another close call, oil industry analyst says. The latest accident at the ExxonMobil refinery, which sent a 200-foot-high plume of vapor spiraling over Torrance, was another close call for an already jittery community, an oil industry analyst claimed Tuesday based on an inside source at the plant. http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20151027/latest-exxonmobil-torrance-refinery-accident-another-close-call-oil-industry-analyst-says VEHICLES Green self-driving cars take center stage at Tokyo auto show. Visions of cars that drive themselves without emitting a bit of pollution while entertaining passengers with online movies and social media are what's taking center stage at the Tokyo Motor Show. Japan, home to the world's top-selling automaker, has a younger generation disinterested in owning or driving cars. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_AUTO_SHOW?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EU nations agree on stricter emissions testing for diesel. European Union nations have agreed on tougher emissions tests for diesel cars after the Volkswagen scandal showed previous methods were ineffective. The new standards, though, give carmakers five years to bring them close to what the real emissions standards should be. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_CAR_EMISSIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Auto power play: Japan's hydrogen car vs China's battery drive. Asia's two autos powerhouses, Japan and China, are jostling for supremacy in how future electric cars should generate their power – from batteries or hydrogen-powered fuel-cells. In a potentially high-stakes clash reminiscent of Sony versus Panasonic in the Beta-VHS video war in the 1980s… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/us-autoshow-japan-electric-insight-idUSKCN0SM04F20151028 Honda shows Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle at Tokyo show. Honda is using the Tokyo auto show for the global premiere of the Clarity fuel cell vehicle which it will start leasing to customers in Japan in March before it becomes available in other parts of the world. A fuel cell vehicle uses electricity generated onboard to power the motor. http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2015/10/27/honda-shows-clarity-fuel-cell-vehicle-tokyo-show/74692632/ Lafayette mulls electric charging stations. Electric car drivers may soon be able to juice up their vehicles at several new city-owned charging stations planned for public use. City officials are mulling installation of up to four new electric vehicle charging stations around town, from the Lafayette Community Center to an office park in the city's burgeoning west end. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_29033136/lafayette-mulls-electric-charging-stations Lexus Fuel Cell Car Likely To Be Based on New LS Luxury Sedan. The next-generation Lexus LS luxury sedan could be offered with a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain option. After multiple reports that Toyota was considering this for its luxury brand, Lexus unveiled a fuel-cell concept car at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The Lexus LF-FC is a large fuel-cell sedan that the carmaker says previews its next flagship model. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100669_lexus-fuel-cell-car-likely-to-be-based-on-new-ls-luxury-sedan VW RECALL Volkswagen suffers loss due to scandal but sales hold up. Volkswagen lost 1.67 billion euros ($1.83 billion) in the third quarter as it set aside 6.7 billion euros to pay for recalling and fixing cars that were rigged to evade U.S. diesel emissions tests. While the German carmaker warned Wednesday that operating profit this year would be "down significantly," it indicated that sales would prove resilient. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VOLKSWAGEN_EARNS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-posts-loss-as-emissions-scandal-bites-1446021802?alg=y http://uk.reuters.com/video/2015/10/28/emissions-scandal-drives-vw-into-loss?videoId=366104783 http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=452497981 Spain court begins proceedings against Volkswagen over rigged engines. Spain's high court has opened initial proceedings against German car maker Volkswagen after the scandal surrounding its rigging of diesel emissions tests, according to a court ruling released on Wednesday. The company must present a representative before the Spanish judge by Nov. 10, 0930 GMT, to face the accusations, the document showed. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/volkswagen-emissions-spain-idUSE8N11T03H20151028?feedType=RSS&feedName=marketsNews VW’s U.S. Reputation Won’t Suffer Long, German Official Says. Volkswagen AG’s reputation in the U.S. shouldn’t suffer lasting damage from an emissions-cheating scandal that has reduced sales and added billions of dollars of recall-related costs, Germany’s transport minister said during a visit to Washington. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NWUNUB6K50Y701-5NCI038K5HLP3SGNGC471NPG4O VW Keeps Lid on Diesel Scandal Fallout as Car Margin Rises. The VW brand, which faces the biggest impact from years of rigging diesel engines to pass emissions tests, widened its return to 3 percent of sales in the third quarter from 2.8 percent a year ago as operating profit jumped 17 percent. Some 6.7 billion euros ($7.4 billion) in special costs linked to the cheating scandal… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NWVNCV6TTDSD01-4EMU4V44NLEI6DK1SDEQ7VUURU Volkswagen on Its Own on Electric Cars as Merkel Plan Lags. Executives at VW’s Wolfsburg headquarters say they plan a shift in focus to more plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles in response to the emission controversy. While Merkel aims to see 1 million electric cars on German roads by 2020, she’s offering none of the help to carmakers that the French government provides. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NWW3716JIJVC01-6INMUD7NPO4QV0E6141AIDQEEN Volkswagen chief executive apologizes for emissions scandal at Tokyo auto show, promises fix. A top Volkswagen executive Herbert Diess apologized at the Tokyo auto show Wednesday for the automaker's emissions-cheating scandal, promising to win back customer trust, and said it will delay the launch of a diesel vehicle in Japan. http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/27/volkswagen-ceo-apologizes-for-emissions-scandal-at-auto-show OPINIONS Indonesian Fires Spread an Ill Wind. I just returned home after a three-week trip to America to learn that the supermarket chains here no longer sell my favorite brand of four-ply toilet paper. The reason? Its producer — Asia Pulp and Paper — is one of five companies being investigated by Singaporean authorities in connection with forest fires in Indonesia that have left parts of Southeast Asia blanketed in a choking.. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/29/opinion/indonesian-fires-spread-an-ill-wind.html?_r=0 Rainfall in Indonesia Starts Taming Forest Fires That Spread Toxic Haze. Thanks to heavy rainfall, Indonesia may have turned the corner in battling mass forest fires that have blanketed much of Southeast Asia in toxic haze, but more rain will be needed in the coming days to get the blazes under control, a senior government minister said on Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/29/world/asia/indonesia-forest-fire-toxic-haze.html Exxon's climate-killing pursuit of profit reflects American thinking. To the editor: The Times has shown us that Exxon Mobil, as powerful as it is (and with resources to hire the best advisors), is still subject to whimsical fantasies about the future. The corporation understood the consequences of climate change back when Jimmy Carter was president… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1027-tuesday-exxon-climate-change-20151027-story.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 11:38:14 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 29, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 29, 2015. 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 Governments to raise $22 billion from carbon pricing in 2015: report. Governments around the world will this year raise around $22 billion from schemes putting a price on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions such as taxes or emissions trading systems, a report on Wednesday showed. The role of carbon pricing, in efforts to curb rising emissions blamed for global warming… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/us-global-carbonpricing-revenues-idUSKCN0SM1IG20151028 Air Resources Board looks to tropical deforestation for cap-and-trade offsets. California environmental regulators zeroed in on tropical deforestation Wednesday as a top cause of global climate change and looked for ways to halt the destruction of distant forests through the state’s pioneering carbon cap-and-trade program. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article41761962.html#storylink=cpy http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/29/stories/1060027124 Massachusetts Mulls an Economy-Wide Price on Carbon. One of six states considering carbon pricing to combat climate change, Massachusetts weighs two bills that could make the state a trendsetter. "We have to step up our fight against climate change," Massachusetts state Sen. Michael Barrett told a packed committee hearing in Boston on Tuesday. Barrett's solution: put a price on carbon. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/29102015/massachusetts-mulls-economy-wide-price-carbon-michael-barrett AIR POLLUTION China warns of severe winter smog, worsened by El Nino. China could face another bout of severe air pollution this winter with unfavorable weather expected to aggravate the problem, the environment ministry said on Thursday. Smog has emerged as a major problem for the government, which has relied on coal and highly polluting heavy… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/us-china-environment-smog-idUSKCN0SN16A20151029?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews European politicians back new law to reduce air pollution. The European Parliament on Wednesday backed a new draft law to cut toxins in the air and halve the number of premature deaths caused by pollution. Environment campaigners, however, said the plans are too conservative and the proposed limits for emissions are above safe levels… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/environment-air-eu-idUSL8N12O0JH20151028 CLIMATE CHANGE UN weather body: Antarctic ozone hole expands due to cold. The Antarctic ozone hole has swelled this month to one of its biggest sizes on record, U.N. and U.S. scientists say, insisting that the Earth-shielding ozone layer remains on track to long-term recovery but residents of the southern hemisphere should be on watch for high UV levels in the weeks ahead. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UNITED_NATIONS_OZONE_LAYER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N12T41M20151029 http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-eu--united-nations-ozone-layer-20151029-story.html British foreign minister discusses climate change in Gulf. Speaking from a Gulf nation whose skyscrapers rose on oil wealth, Britain's foreign secretary called Thursday on the rest of the wealthy Arab world to put their money toward renewable and clean energy ahead of the landmark climate change conference in Paris later this year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_EMIRATES_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Malawi's hydropower dries up as river runs low, menacing forests. Dwindling water levels are hobbling Malawi's hydroelectric power supply and putting more pressure on the country's already stressed forests, officials say. The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), a public utility, says the amount of power it generates through three plants on the Shire River has fallen by 66 percent… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/malawi-energy-hydropower-idUSL8N12S4O920151029 What El Niño could mean for California: 5 takeaways. A Wednesday state Senate hearing dove into a topic on the mind of many Californians, examining how an anticipated El Niño surge of wetness could affect residents and force a pivot from drought preparedness to flood response. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article41705805.html#storylink=cpy What is California’s Climate Change Plan? For decades, California has been a leader on environmental and climate change policies, including the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in 1990 and a “Clean Car” bill in 2002 that became a model for the National Fuel Efficiency Standards that President Obama announced in 2012. http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan What is the California Global Warming Solutions Act and is it working? The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 established a comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The legislation was signed into law on September 27, 2006 by former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_california_global_warming_solutions_act_and_is_it_working? DROUGHT China's answer for drought-plagued area: Move residents out. Village elder Yang Zhenjun isn't ready to move out from the valley where his people have herded sheep and tended crops for generations amid arid, drought-prone mountains of China's northwest. Still, he acknowledges that life as he has known it is all but over. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_DISPLACED_BY_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Lingering drought heightens worries of extinction for salmon. Another deadly summer of drought has heightened fears of extinction in the wild for an iconic California salmon, federal officials said Wednesday. Officials with the National Marine Fisheries Service said preliminary counts indicate that hot, shallow waters caused by the drought killed most of this year's juvenile winter-run… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_ENDANGERED_SALMON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Drought, other factors contribute to larger Texas wildfires. Larger, more threatening wildfires are occurring at greater rates as Texas faces lingering drought, consistent development - driven by millions of new residents and the spread of outlying suburbs - and changes in how the state's land is used. Texas had 157,000 wildfires over a nine-year period ending in 2014… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEXAS_WILDFIRES_GROWING_THREAT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT River god, drought blamed for power shortages in Africa. With the rains not having fallen as they normally do, water levels have dropped in a dam that supplies electricity to Zambia and Zimbabwe, causing power blackouts, business closures and consternation. Some traditional chiefs are blaming an angry river god. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_ZIMBABWE_ZAMBIA_POWER_SHORTAGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California officials outline preparations for El Nino flooding. As California braces for torrential downpours this winter from El Nino, authorities have stockpiled extra sandbags across the state while putting hundreds of personnel through flood-control training, officials told state lawmakers on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/california-elnino-idUSL1N12S2MI20151028 UPDATE 1-Beyond haze, El Nino drought poses poverty challenge for Indonesia. On a dry and dusty sports field in central Java, Indonesian men dressed as traditional warriors take turns to battle with wooden staves, while village women crowd around, chanting: "All farmers let us pray that rain comes and washes our sorrow away." http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/indonesia-elnino-idUSL3N12T46M20151029 These water districts are way short of their conservation targets. Over the last four months, the residents and businesses of the Indian Wells Valley Water District have cut their water consumption by about 25%, and General Manager Don Zdeba thinks that's "pretty darn good." The problem for Zdeba and his Kern County customers is that the state expects the district to slash its water usage by even more — 36% as compared with 2013. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-conservation-20151029-story.html Dry Times Continue In California, Nevada. The U.S. Drought Monitor released October 29 shows no change in the drought depiction for California or Nevada. "A mostly dry week led to status quo conditions in the hardest-hit drought areas of the Far West, including California," according to the weekly report. "On October 25, California led the nation in topsoil and subsoil moisture rated very short to short (both 90%). http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/29/dry-times-continue-in-california,-nevada/ California drought: Agencies not fining water wasters. The Coachella Valley has fallen far short of its state-mandated water conservation targets, but local agencies have largely declined to fine homes and businesses for violating water rules. When Gov. Jerry Brown ordered cities to slash consumption by as much as 36 percent earlier this year, local agencies dramatically restricted water use… http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/10/28/california-drought-agencies-not-fining-water-wasters/74757454/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin= FUELS What is the Low Carbon Fuel Standard? The LCFS was adopted in 2009 as the California Air Resources Board sought to achieve AB 32’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Transportation accounts for 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in California. The LCFS regulation, which became effective in 2011 and was updated in 2015… http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_low_carbon_fuel_standard? How can the state cut fuel use in half by 2030? Although the goal of cutting fuel use in half by 2030 was rejected by the state Assembly in 2015, Governor Brown said he still plans to achieve it through regulations and executive orders. Many policies already in place are expected to substantially reduce the state’s use of gasoline and diesel, perhaps approaching the governor’s goal. http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#how_can_the_state_cut_fuel_use_in_half_by_2030? VEHICLES BMW plans to market sedan fuel cell vehicle after 2020. BMW AG on Wednesday said its first fuel cell vehicle would likely be a larger-sized sedan which would put on the market after 2020, when a hydrogen development partnership ends between the German luxury automaker and Toyota Motor Corp. Under its partnership with Toyota, BMW is developing a way to compress hydrogen at ultra-low… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/autoshow-japan-bmw-idUSL3N12T3TN20151029?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews Tokyo Motor Show Green Cars: Concepts & Production Models. Auto-show season continues with the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, which featured a number of notable green-car debuts. Tokyo usually boasts a few significant world launches from the local carmakers, mixed with more esoteric models designed primarily with Japan in mind. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100679_tokyo-motor-show-green-cars-concepts-production-models VW RECALL VW affirms commitment to Chattanooga plant despite scandal. Volkswagen is sticking with planned investments at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee - including production of a new SUV there next year - despite the uncertainty caused by its emissions scandal. Volkswagen said Thursday it is reviewing investment spending worldwide as it faces huge costs to deal with its scandal… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN_TENNESSEE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Switzerland: 600 criminal complaints filed in VW scandal. Swiss prosecutors say that they have received some 600 criminal complaints related to the Volkswagen emissions-rigging scandal. The federal prosecutor's office said Thursday that it has agreed with its state-level counterparts to handle all the complaints from private citizens itself rather than leaving them to local authorities to evaluate individually. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_SWITZERLAND_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Tennessee lawmakers to hear from Volkswagen on Thursday. Volkswagen is reaffirming its commitment to its lone U.S. plant in Tennessee after a diesel emissions cheating scandal rocked the German automaker. The Chattanooga plant's CEO, Christian Koch, said in a statement that the company must "deepen our commitment to America." http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_TENNESSEE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Hybrid technology to fill autos gap as diesel damaged by VW scandal. The Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) diesel emissions test rigging scandal could accelerate a shift toward gasoline-electric hybrid cars and plug-in electric hybrids - even as cheaper gasoline, for now, saps demand for green cars. The fallout from VW - where the cost of the scandal pushed the German automaker… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/us-autoshow-japan-volkswagen-fallout-idUSKCN0SM2SU20151028 Volkswagen CEO looks to restructure in wake of 'Dieselgate' scandal. In the wake of Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, the company's chief executive plans on decentralizing Europe's top automobile manufacturer and allowing its various brands to operate independently to prevent similar issues from arising in the future. http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/ceo-volkswagen-restructure-wake-emissions-scandal-article-1.2415093 A new study estimates that the VW emissions cheat will cause 59 premature deaths in the US. Nearly 60 people will die prematurely from the excess air pollution caused by Volkswagen cheating emissions tests in the US, according to a new study. The first peer-reviewed estimate of the public health impacts of VW’s rigging of tests for 482,000 diesel cars in the US found that if the company recalls all the affected cars… http://www.businessinsider.com/vw-emission-cheat-estimated-to-cause-59-premature-deaths-in-the-us-2015-10 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/29/vw-emissions-estimated-to-cause-59-premature-us-deaths GREEN ENERGY Thai developer Sena aims to boost solar energy capacity. Thai property developer Sena Development Pcl said on Thursday it aimed to boost solar power capacity to 100 megawatts (MW) over the next three years to lift revenue and profits from renewable energy. Sena is among several Thai companies diversifying into solar energy, with the government aiming to raise solar power capacity to 6,000 MW by 2036 from 1,570 in 2014. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N12T3RX20151029 Republicans Embrace Obama on Energy. One line seemed awfully familiar during the third Republican debate, held Wednesday night. Candidates Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Lindsey Graham and George Pataki declared their support for an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy – effectively embracing the marquee stance of GOP Public Enemy No. 1, President Barack Obama. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/10/29/republicans-embrace-obama-on-energy What is the state renewable energy policy? In 2015, Governor Brown signed a bill (SB 350) that says California will get half of its electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind power by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal, but it continues an increasingly aggressive policy that started back in 2002 when the state said it would get 20 percent… http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_state_renewable_energy_policy? How will the state increase energy efficiency in homes, businesses and factories? Senate Bill 350, signed by the governor in September 2015, included a major provision that requires buildings, homes and factories to double their energy efficiency by 2030. As the Natural Resources Defense Council reported, that will save enough electricity for 5 trillion cups of coffee per year and enough natural gas for 13 billion showers. http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#how_will_the_state_increase_energy_efficiency_in_homes,_businesses_and_factories? MISCELLANEOUS Your Place: Some professional tips for clearing the air. October is National Indoor Air Quality Month, so I thought I would share a few thoughts from Broan Nu-Tone, a manufacturer of home-ventilation products. Of course, it's a good idea to spend the entire year in a clean-air environment. For those with allergies, that's especially true… http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/home-garden/article41786181.html#storylink=cpy OPINIONS 'Desperate environmentalism' won't save the environment. When I started teaching environmental law and policy, I thought I would work with the next generation of extraordinary environmentalists. I don't. My students are extraordinary, but many see themselves as "corporate social responsibility consultants," "ecosystem service managers," "sustainability leaders," "industrial efficiency experts," maybe "clean energy entrepreneurs" http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-galperin-environmental-desperation-20151029-story.html Buy Coal Now! It’s the best way for climate-concerned billionaires to fight global warming. The idea is simple. People burn fossil fuels. The fuels emit carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere. If that carbon lingers in the air, it causes greenhousing and contributes to global warming; if it gets absorbed by the ocean, it acidifies the water and wrecks the marine food chain. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/10/every-climate-concerned-billionaire-should-do-this-to-save-the-world/413020/ BLOGS Indian villagers desperate for water as wells and pumps run dry. Raj Kumar Jaiswal begins his day irritated. He needs water from the pump that stands in the courtyard of his home. Working the handle is a struggle; it often yields little water, or none at all. http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2015/10/29/indian-villagers-desperate-for-water-as-wells-and-pumps-run-dry/ EVs Need Equity: California is Ditching Big Oil to Charge Ahead with Clean Cars for All. Big Oil is a big loser in California. The Golden State is trailblazing a clean transportation future by setting the ambitious goals of getting 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on the road by 2025, cutting California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Oct 2015 13:52:27 -0700 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 30, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for October 30, 2015. 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 Benicia: Valero to pay $196,000 to settle air quality violation notices. Valero Oil Co. will pay $196,000 for air quality violations at its Benicia refinery, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced Thursday. The settlement covers 23 violation notices issued by the air district for incidents that occurred in 2012, the district said. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_29043764/benicia-valero-pay-196-000-settle-air-quality http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/10/29/valero-to-pay-nearly-200k-in-penalties-to-bay-area-air-district-over-benicia-refinery-violations/ ‘Don’t Light Tonight’ season is in the air over Yolo County. The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District has announced that it will launch its 2015-16 Don’t Light Tonight season on Sunday. Smoke from the use of fireplaces and wood stoves is a major source of local wintertime air pollution. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/article/NI/20151029/NEWS/151029872 San Joaquin County Restricts Wood Burning. People in San Joaquin County had 58 days and in Stanislaus 69 days last year in which wood burning in fireplaces was banned. Burn restrictions run from November through February and the air quality threshold has been lowered in the Central Valley which means there will be more "no burn" days. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/30/san-joaquin-county-restricts-wood-burning/ Texas, California Lead Nation in Carbon Emissions. Everything is bigger in Texas. Its honky tonks. Its highway system. Its wind power industry. Its oil industry. And even, a new report says, its carbon dioxide emissions. Texas emitted more carbon dioxide from burning energy in 2013 than it did at any point since 2004. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/carbon-emissions-spike-in-some-states-19615?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20climatecentral/djOO%20Climate%20Central%20-%20Full%20Feed CLIMATE CHANGE World Set to Exhaust 75% of ‘Carbon Budget’ by 2030, UN Says. The world is set to use up three quarters of a theoretical carbon budget that would limit global warming to safe levels within 15 years, the United Nations said. The world will pump out 748 gigatons (748 billion metric tons) of carbon dioxide from 2012 through 2030, the world body said Friday in an e-mailed report that analyzed emissions pledges by 146 nations. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NWZT7H6K50Y901-1KMS7VA2E538UKSC0TUG5VKCN5 Worst Climate Threat You Never Heard of Is Stronger Than CO2. Climate negotiators from across the globe will gather in the Persian Gulf city to debate how to get rid of hydrofluorocarbons -- a class of hundreds of artificial chemicals used in refrigerators, air-conditioners, fire suppressants and other widely used products. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NWXV4G6KLVRC01-6SIJ0D5L67SV2N805VD8QSE17H World’s Worst Greenhouse Gas Spurs Global Smuggling Rings. The U.S. and Europe have taken measures to ban HFCs and are pushing other countries to do the same, as well as offering financial aid to help poorer countries switch to newer refrigerants. Environmentalists say they fear another round of chemical bans could invigorate the worldwide black market in restricted coolants… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NWZPVW6K50Y501-4SKHLO4EA63DSMJLKVAAKN3K8I Climate curbs will slow temperature rise; more needed for 2C goal-UN. Plans by about 150 countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions will slow climate change this century and keep alive a goal of limiting a rise in temperatures to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), the United Nations said on Friday. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12T67B20151030 Nations’ climate pledges will still leave emissions rising for years, U.N. says. In a key moment on the road to the much anticipated Paris climate meeting this December — and one underscoring just how difficult solving the climate problem will be — the United Nations has released a “synthesis” report assessing all of the emissions cutting pledges made by countries in advance of the meeting. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/30/nations-climate-pledges-will-still-leave-emissions-rising-u-n-says/ Paris Agreement Could Put Leash Around Global Warming. World governments are cooperating as they work to slip a leash around the monstrous problem of global warming, but new analysis shows that leash will need to be severely tightened in the coming years if damage from future warming is to be meaningfully reduced. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/paris-agreement-global-warming-19624 Democrats question SEC's enforcement of climate risk disclosures. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), in a letter sent yesterday to the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, asked for an update from the agency regarding its implementation of formal climate change guidance. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/30/stories/1060027169 Governor, Napolitano push for state's universities to be climate 'living laboratories'. Reducing the carbon footprint of the 10-campus University of California System is a moral imperative, said University President Janet Napolitano. Speaking Tuesday at the UC Carbon and Climate Neutrality Summit held at UC San Diego, both Napolitano and California Gov. Jerry Brown (D)… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/30/stories/1060027188 Collapse of Gulf of Maine cod linked to rapid warming -- study. Overfishing has long been considered the primary reason why cod populations have collapsed in the Gulf of Maine. Now, new research in the journal Science finds that warming temperatures need to be considered as a significant factor in why cod populations have struggled. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/30/stories/1060027190 DROUGHT One-day-a-week watering begins Sunday in Sacramento. One-day-a week watering of landscaping starts Sunday in Sacramento. Residents within the city of Sacramento may only water once a week, instead of twice as it was during the summer months. The winter watering schedule is aimed at saving water during the drought even in the rainy season. Sacramento city customers used about nine billion gallons of water from June through August this year… http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article41806137.html#storylink=cpy State releasing latest water figures, discussing penalties. State officials plan to tell Californians what penalties they are taking against communities that fail to meet a mandated 25 percent reduction in water use when they announce usage figures Friday, in the state's battle against a widespread drought. http://www.modbee.com/news/nation-world/article41909358.html#storylink=cpy http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/30/state-releasing-latest-water-figures,-discussing-penalties/ Fresno’s Pumpkin King Struggles to Supply Region as Drought Takes Toll. Wayne Martin stands tall among hundreds of fleshy orange gourds that cover the ground of his pumpkin patch in Fresno. He greets customers with an easy charm that comes from 31 years in the business. http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/10/30/fresnos-pumpkin-king-this-years-crop-a-mixed-bag El Niño: Miracle or Mediocre? We in California have endured a historic drought most of this decade. During the 18 years since the big 1997-98 El Niño, six years have been wet, but 12 have been very dry. Now comes the hope of another El Niño, but will this one be a miracle.. or just mediocre? How did we get here? Rainfall statistics tell the tale. http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/El-Nino-Miracle-or-Mediocre--338602432.html FUELS Low Oil Prices Take a Toll on Royal Dutch Shell. Lower petroleum prices are shaking up the plans and bottom lines of the world’s biggest oil companies, and Royal Dutch Shell is the latest to show the effects. On Thursday, the company reported a loss of $7.4 billion for the third quarter, in contrast to a profit of $4.5 billion in the quarter a year earlier. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/business/energy-environment/royal-dutch-shell-oil-third-quarter-earnings.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0 Caribbean countries get a plan to sharply cut reliance on fossil fuels. Endowed with stunning natural beauty but also outsized climate risk, Caribbean countries will need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 46 percent over the next 12 years to avoid the worst effects of climate change, according to findings published this week by the Worldwatch Institute. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/30/stories/1060027173 World's largest cellulosic ethanol plant opens in Iowa. DuPont Industrial Biosciences opened the world's largest cellulosic ethanol plant today in central Iowa. The facility is capable of producing 30 million gallons of ethanol a year out of the residues left on surrounding farm fields after the corn harvest. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/30/stories/1060027208 VEHICLES Toyota’s 2050 Emissions Target Seen as Wake-Up Call to Suppliers. Toyota Motor Corp.’s second-biggest supplier said the carmaker’s goal to almost eliminate conventional gasoline engines by 2050 is a wake-up call for parts makers to transform their businesses. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NX0ISX6KLVRK01-2MRMNDUFA6PCGSL7JELKL45KF7 Automakers struggle to bring affordable diesel cars to U.S. market. In hindsight, it's clear how Volkswagen, in the 2009 model year, seemed to have nailed the elusive formula for affordable, sporty diesel cars — when none of its competitors could crack the code. At the time, U.S. regulators had been tightening pollution controls on diesels and diesel fuel for years… http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-future-of-diesel-20151031-story.html Hyundai hits 10 million in U.S. sales. Hyundai Motor Co. sold its 10 millionth vehicle in the U.S., Wednesday, a milestone for the automaker with North American headquarters in Fountain Valley. Hyundai’s top-selling cars in the U.S. are the Sonata and the Elantra, both with nearly 2.5 million units sold, representing about 25 percent of overall sales. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/million-689718-sales-bonneville.html EU Regulators Dilute New Emission Rules To Allow 2.1 Times The Legal Limits Until 2020. The official press release from the European Union sounds as though Wednesday's vote on new emission-testing rules makes it tougher for automakers to cheat as Volkswagen admitted doing with its 2.0-liter diesel engines. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100703_eu-regulators-dilute-new-emission-rules-to-allow-2-1-times-the-legal-limits-until-2020 Honda's Electric Four-Motor CR-Z Prototype: We Drive It. The idea of the four-motor electric car has been around since the start of the 20th century. One of Ferdinand Porsche's first ideas, in fact, was the Lohner-Porsche that debuted at the 1900 Paris World Fair, with a hub motor in each front wheel. Toss four electric motors in a car and you could have plenty of power… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100699_hondas-electric-four-motor-cr-z-prototype-we-drive-it 31% of Americans are open to an EV as their next car – poll. About a third of Americans are open to purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle as their next car, while about 60 percent aren't open to that option and the remainder are unsure, according to a survey the Consumer Federation of America released yesterday. Though few Americans drive electric cars, 31 percent of respondents said they would consider an EV… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/30/stories/1060027183 VW RECALL Volkswagen's Excess Emissions Will Kill 59 Americans: Study. An MIT and Harvard study is the first peer-reviewed estimate of the health impacts of Volkswagen's faulty software code. Volkswagen's emissions scandal now has an estimated death toll. The excess emissions that the company concealed will be responsible for about 59 early deaths in the U.S. alone, according to a sweeping new study. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-30/volkswagen-s-excess-emissions-will-kill-59-americans-study GREEN ENERGY Germany Cuts Onshore Wind, Biomass Plant Subsidies From 2016. Germany will cut subsidies for onshore wind farms and biomass plants starting in January, the nation’s grid regulator said. Above-target onshore-wind installations resulted in a 1.2 percent subsidy cut, while below additions for biomass plants meant a lower cut of 0.5 percent… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NX122N6K50YC01-2APBPLEMSOTU7UFV26Q9GCH270 China considers price cuts for solar, wind generators –source. China is considering cutting the electricity price paid by grid firms to solar and wind power generators to reflect recent declines in operating costs, a government source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Friday. If approved, price cuts of 0.03-0.05 yuan per kilowatt-hour (kWh) would come into effect next year… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N12U3K520151030 NextEra sees life after tax credits. NextEra Energy Inc. is "very bullish" on renewables even if tax incentives are phased out this decade, an executive said. John Ketchum, NextEra's senior vice president for finance, said he expects another "step change" in efficiency and cost for wind turbines, which are already getting taller and using wider blades. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/30/stories/1060027180 New batteries make rapid progress, but market expectations move faster. Whether it's electric cars or smoothing over the ever-shifting output from solar panels, saving and supplying electricity on demand is an important part of the technical solution to climate change. But as the technology inches forward, smartphones still struggle to make it through a whole day without charging up… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/30/stories/1060027182 OPINIONS Time for a united front on climate change. Within hours of the publication of President Barack Obama’s new climate-change regulations last Friday, two dozen red states and assorted allies rushed to block them from taking effect. Of all the ways in which blind partisanship is damaging this country, the assault on Obama over global warming has to be among the most destructive. Last year was the hottest on record for the planet. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article41843748.html#storylink=cpy BLOGS Climate Change in the Eyes of El Nino? This year's El Niño can already lay claim to spawning Mexico's record-breaking Hurricane Patricia or contributing to one of the worst ever outbreaks of peatland and forest fires in Indonesia, but it might only be just getting started. After playing hide and seek with climate scientists for a year, the current El Niño is shaping up as the strongest since 1998… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-grayblock/climate-change-in-the-eye_b_8429890.html Paris and the Amazing Technicolor Charm-Quilt: Why This Year's Climate Talks Really Are Different. The United Nations today released an amazing document: namely, its tally of all the climate action plans that almost 150 countries have submitted this year. It shows that plans now in development will slash global emissions by 4 gigatonnes per year by 2030, but that's not what makes the document so amazing. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/forest-trends/paris-and-the-amazing-tec_b_8429882.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 16:18:33 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 2, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 2, 2015. 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 Youths across US suing to push government on climate change. They can't vote yet, but dozens of young people want a say in the planet's future, so minors nationwide have been suing states and the federal government in recent years to push action on climate change. They say their generation will bear the brunt of global warming and… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KIDS_SUE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT French weatherman fired after slamming climate conference. A weather forecaster for French state television has been fired after releasing and promoting a book criticizing politicians, scientists and others for what he calls an exaggerated view of climate change. Philippe Verdier's dismissal from France-2 comes a month before Paris hosts a U.N. conference aimed at the most ambitious worldwide agreement yet to limit global warming. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_WEATHER_FORECASTER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT China, France agree climate pact should have automatic cuts. The Chinese and French presidents announced Monday they have agreed that a global climate change pact should require countries to increase their emissions cuts every five years, in an important signal four weeks before world leaders meet in Paris. France is proposing the automatic updating of countries' emissions targets… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_CHINA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/02/climatechange-summit-china-idUSL8N12X37820151102 http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/11/02/china-france-say-climate-pact-should-have-5-year-reviews Sweden projected to lose 40-80 days of snow as climate warms. Snowy white winters are likely to become a thing of the past for most Swedes. The national weather service on Monday released a new analysis of how climate change will affect the Nordic country - and it's bad news for skiing enthusiasts. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_SWEDEN_NO_SNOW?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT French president heading to China to promote climate talks. French President Francois Hollande hopes to use a state visit to China to boost difficult climate negotiations, a month before a U.N. conference in Paris aimed at slowing global warming. China, the most populous country and the biggest emitter of climate-warming greenhouse gases in the world… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_CHINA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT With ice melting, Arctic coast guards pledge cooperation. Coast guard leaders from the U.S., Russia and other Arctic nations pledged Friday to strengthen cooperation in response to safety and environmental concerns as warming temperatures open new waterways in northern seas. With human activity increasing dramatically in the Arctic… http://bigstory.ap.org/article/45ec36c4e1fc4214afb8d8cee0b65b38/coast-guards-arctic-nations-seek-deeper-cooperation Senators urge Obama administration to include carbon costs in coal program. Democratic U.S. senators on Monday urged the Obama administration to reform the federal coal mine program to include costs of the fuel's carbon emissions and potentially raise royalties paid by companies that mine the fuel on public lands. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top Democrat on the senate energy panel… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/02/us-usa-coal-senate-idUSKCN0SR1A220151102?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Pacific islands make last-ditch plea to world before Paris climate change talks. ‘Unless the world acts decisively in coming weeks, the Pacific as we know it is doomed,’ says Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama. Amid the rustling palm trees, blissed newlyweds and colourful attire of a tropical island resort… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/02/pacific-islands-make-last-ditch-plea-to-world-before-paris-climate-change-talks New Study Finds Global Warming Could Be More Economically Devastating Than Originally Thought. A new study published in Nature by scientists at Stanford and UC Berkeley has made waves for its finding that thus far we have dramatically underestimated the damage human-caused climate change will do to the global economy. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/11/02/new-study-finds-global-warming-could-be-more-economically-devastating-than-originally-thought/ Global Warming 2015: Antarctica Actually Gaining Ice, But It Won't Last. A NASA study finds Antarctica is actually gaining ice cover despite global warming. A study released last week used satellite data to determine the continent's ice sheet gained 112 billion tons of ice a year from 1992 to 2001, slowing to 82 billion tons from 2003 to 2008. http://www.ibtimes.com/global-warming-2015-antarctica-actually-gaining-ice-it-wont-last-2164285 U.S. government contractor to unveil laser network in Paris to monitor CO2 emissions. A system of rooftop lasers will soon let Parisian officials monitor and map carbon dioxide emissions from the city in near real time. The technology could eventually help decision makers regulate traffic and other sources of pollution, developers said. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/02/stories/1060027257 FUELS Daewoo Ship Expects LNG Carrier Orders to Revive in 2016. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., the world’s second-biggest shipbuilder, expects demand for liquefied-natural gas carriers to return next year as global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases increase the need for cleaner fuel. More industries will look at using gas to replace other fuels, Kim Nam Soo, deputy director of the company’s ship design department… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-30/daewoo-shipbuilding-expects-lng-carrier-orders-to-revive-in-2016 Chevron and Exxon Post Declining 3rd-Quarter Results. Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported plunging revenue and profits on Friday, but their fortunes would have been even worse had it not been for a boom in their refining and chemical businesses. Still, those gains were not enough to stanch further job losses at Chevron, which said it planned to cut up to 10 percent of its work force. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/business/energy-environment/exxon-chevron-q3-earnings-oil-prices.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 VEHICLES First Detroit Electric SP:01 Built, Sold--But U.S. Won't Get It. The first Detroit Electric SP:01 sports car has finally rolled off an assembly line, but it's not headed for anyplace near the company's namesake city. Despite its name, the Detroit Electric sports car isn't being built in the U.S.--and it won't be sold here either. Detroit Electric set up a production facility in Leamington Spa in the U.K. earlier this year… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100719_first-detroit-electric-sp01-built-sold--but-u-s-wont-get-it EVs Can Save China (And The US) From Its Air Pollution Problem. Electric vehicles are off to the races. NRDC, WWF, China, China Coal Cap Project, coal, air pollution, renewables, climate change, smogSparked by eco-concern, the high maintenance cost of internal combustion vehicles, and the ever-dwindling oil supply, EVs have found a definite lasting foothold in the personal vehicle market. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/11/02/evs-can-save-china-and-the-us-from-its-air-pollution-problem/ VW RECALL EPA says Volkswagen cheated a 2nd time on pollution tests. The Volkswagen emissions scandal widened Monday when the U.S. government accused the German automaker of cheating for a second time. Although VW denied the charge, it faced the prospect of steeper fines and lost sales, as well as more intense scrutiny from disbelieving U.S. lawmakers. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_EMISSIONS_CHEATING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-notifies-volkswagen-of-added-emissions-violations-1446491504?alg=y http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34705604 http://www.usatoday.com/videos/money/cars/2015/11/02/75063392/ http://nysepost.com/we-caught-vw-in-more-emissions-cheating-33605 http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article42237156.html#storylink=cpy http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vehicles-690246-diesel-epa.html http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/vw-emissions-scandal/2015/11/02/epa/75045136/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/02/volkswagen_defeat_devices_in_audi_porsche/ http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/volkswagen/volkswagen-cheated-pollution-tests-time-epa-article-1.2420860 http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2015/1102/How-deep-does-the-Volkswagen-emissions-scandal-go http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/11/02/epa-says-volkswagen-cheated-2nd-time-on-pollution-tests/ http://fortune.com/2015/11/02/volkswagen-emissions-porsche-audi/ Local expert notes clean-diesel advances, despite VW scandal. Michael Horn, chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America, faced angry questions on Oct. 8 from members of Congress about his company’s use of software “defeat devices” to fool EPA air-pollution tests on 482,000 Volkswagen clean-diesel vehicles with EA 189 engines sold in the United States from 2009 to 2015. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/industrynews/transportation/4669940-181/local-expert-notes-clean-diesel-advances#Xsx0zppUWH0b7Ulz.99 Volkswagen emission cheating scandal spreads to Porsche. Volkswagen’s emission cheating scandal grew Monday, and this time it extended out to Porsche, its luxury car brand. The Environmental Protection Agency and California regulators cited VW for another 10,000 cars on the road with diesel engines designed to give false emission readings when tested. http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/02/autos/volkswagen-porsche-emission-cheating-scandal/index.html GREEN ENERGY Could Solar Energy Be California's Next Cash Crop? Strapped by drought, farmers are increasingly sowing solar panels rather than seeds. Several years ago, Nick Rajkovich bought 1,200 acres in California's Fresno County, planning to grow almonds for his family's farming business. The ranch had a steady supply of water at the time. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/10/151030-farmland-agriculture-solar-energy-conversion/#.VjSWoUmLuCQ.twitter A 'wind rush' of new development is underway as power production sets records. Wind power industry officials are touting what they describe as a "wind rush" of new development and technology advances in the U.S. market, a trend characterized by substantial expansions of generation capacity in Texas and other wind-rich states, and the improved operating efficiencies of wind farms due to technology advances… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/02/stories/1060027256 Supreme Court's FERC case endangers Calif. climate goals. The U.S. Supreme Court's review of a federal rule requiring compensation for those who cut electricity consumption carries major stakes for California and its ambitious climate goals. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Order 745 tells grid managers that during periods of peak demand, they must pay those reducing power use the same rate as energy generators. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/11/02/stories/1060027261 MISCELLANEOUS Pioneer of national emissions trading business to step down. The president of one of California's two carbon offset registries is retiring. Gary Gero, president of the Climate Action Reserve (CAR), will step down from the organization that he has led since the inception of California's carbon market. A successor has not yet been named. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/02/stories/1060027258 Cheap, reliable, lightweight battery may be near, but is not yet here. In the push for a better battery, many in the industry are finding that the biggest challenges aren't in chemistry and physics, but in regulations and market forces. Currently, the opportunities for a cheaper, more efficient way to store electricity are booming. Market research firm IHS Inc. reported that grid-level energy storage is on track to reach 40 gigawatts in capacity by 2022… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/02/stories/1060027259 OPINIONS Gov. Jerry Brown’s road to the Paris climate talks. Ken Alex is a lanky, self-effacing and bearded fellow who heads up the governor’s Office of Planning and Research, an obscure think tank one block from the Capitol’s Dome of Power. He’s been working quietly for two years on what will be big news on the road to the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/article/Gov-Jerry-Brown-s-road-to-the-Paris-climate-6601287.php Please, PUC, don't cast a cloud over the solar boom. Southern California, the land of sunny days and houses as far as the eye can see, is particularly suited to take advantage of rooftop solar. And though solar was slow to take off, it is sizzling now, thanks to government incentives and subsidies to offset the steep installation costs. Almost 400,000 California homes have solar panels on their roofs… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-1030-net-metering-20151028-story.html BLOGS European Parliament Takes Big Step Towards Tackling Air Pollution, But the UK Government Is Taking Us Two Steps Back. It was all going so well. After thousands of emails, hundreds of phone calls, more meetings than I care to remember, and many late nights and endless negotiations, we finally secured the vote we wanted in the European Parliament. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/seb-dance/european-parliament-takes_b_8449736.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 12:52:44 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 3, 2015 From: pbrown@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. AIR POLLUTION Paris to stop traffic when air pollution spikes The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has won a long-running battle with the French government to introduce emergency traffic bans in the city when air pollution spikes. The move to speed up the introduction of alternate driving days for cars with odd and even number registration plates was announced after pollution spiked in the French capital on Monday, just weeks before the city is due to host a crucial UN climate change summit. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/03/paris-to-stop-traffic-when-air-pollution-spikes http://www.nytimes.com/video/multimedia/100000004014406/mon-dieu-pollution-alert-in-paris-ahead-of-climate-summit.html Delhi's air pollution is causing a health crisis. So, what can be done? For a few hours one morning two weeks ago, private cars were banned from driving into the heart of old Delhi. It was hard to tell at the messy road junction in front of the historic Red Fort and the shopping street of Chandni Chowk, though, which was still crammed with auto-rickshaws and buses barrelling along the roads with seemingly little regard for any traffic rules. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/03/delhis-air-pollution-causing-health-crisis-so-what-can-be-done CLIMATE CHANGE As scientists worry about warming world, US public doesn't Most Americans know the climate is changing, but they say they are just not that worried about it, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_THE_AMERICANS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/11/03/science/ap-us-sci-climate-countdown-the-americans.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/ct-climate-change-global-warming-poll-20151103-story.html UN food security expert warns about impact of climate change A U.N. expert is warning that more extreme weather, higher temperatures, floods, droughts and rising sea levels linked to climate change are threatening people's access to food over the long term. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UNITED_NATIONS_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/11/03/world/europe/ap-eu-united-nations-climate-change.html?_r=0 https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/un-food-security-expert-warns-about-impact-of-climate-change/2015/11/03/efd2d824-8231-11e5-8bd2-680fff868306_story.html California Gov. Jerry Brown: Time is Running Out For Cleaner Energy Climate change is adding urgency of the normally slow process of updating the world’s energy infrastructure. That was the sentiment from two high-profile leaders—California Gov. Jerry Brown and former BP CEO John Browne—who have spent decades pushing the energy industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. http://fortune.com/2015/11/03/jerry-brown-energy-california/ China, France Say Climate Pact Should Have 5-Year Reviews. The Chinese and French presidents announced Monday they have agreed that a global climate change pact should require countries to review their emissions pledges every five years, in an important signal four weeks before world leaders meet in Paris. France is proposing the automatic increase of countries' emissions targets in a climate deal to be thrashed out at a U.N. conference beginning at the end of November. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/china-france-agree-climate-pact-automatic-cuts-34908313 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/02/china-tries-to-recast-itself-as-a-global-leader-in-climate-change-fight/ Merkel: We must hit climate target to avoid refugee waves German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the world must do everything it can to meet an international goal to fight global warming, arguing that failing to do so could set off large new waves of refugees. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article42539721.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/science/article/Merkel-We-must-hit-climate-target-to-avoid-6607124.php Oil industry’s spending surged as it fought California climate bill Oil companies who succeeded in weakening a California climate change bill massively increased their lobbying spending during the final chunk of the Legislature’s calendar, shelling out nearly $11 million to persuade lawmakers and to run a media campaign. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article42348678.html#storylink=cpy http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article42324663.html http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-oil-industry-pumped-cash-into-capitol-lobbying-campaign-20151102-story.html Climate Change Kills the Mood: Economists Warn of Less Sex on a Warmer Planet Climate change has been blamed for many things over the years. Never, until now, has anyone thought it was possible to see it as a kind of contraceptive. Hot weather leads to diminished “coital frequency," according to a new working paper put out by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Three economists studied 80 years of U.S. fertility and temperature data and found that when it’s hotter than 80 degrees F, a large decline in births follows within 10 months. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NX7M6J6KLVR601-469O60A82MJSKCU00TABGQ2KJU http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-02/climate-change-kills-the-mood-economists-warn-of-less-sex-on-a-warmer-planet Three Mexican States Join Global Pact to Limit Climate Change The international effort to limit the impact of climate change gained more support over the weekend. Three Mexican states joined California and other cities, states and nations by signing the Under 2 MOU, an agreement to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/6102-three-mexican-states-join-global-pact-to-limit-climate-change.html CAP and TRADE Ontario is playing politics with power – again Do you understand your electricity bill? Me neither. All I know is that it keeps going up. There was a rate increase in May, and Ontarians got another one this week. The provincial government made it sound like nothing. An increase of only 3.4 per cent, on average. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/ontario-is-playing-politics-with-power-again/article27072317/ DROUGHT California dead tree ‘emergency’ could fuel wildfires, El Nino floods Calling it “the worst epidemic of tree mortality in modern history,” Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency this week, asking for swift removal of dried-out trees either through controlled burns or as feed for biomass energy plants. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20151102/california-dead-tree-emergency-could-fuel-wildfires-el-nino-floods FUELS TransCanada Asks U.S. to Suspend Keystone Pipeline Application The company behind the controversial Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the U.S Gulf Coast has asked the U.S. State Department to pause its review of the project. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/11/02/world/ap-cn-canada-us-pipeline.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-keystone-xl-20151102-story.html DIESELS Supreme Court Boots Calif. Truckers' Emissions Upgrade Row The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to hear a challenge to a California Air Resources Board regulation requiring emissions upgrades on heavy-duty diesel trucks, which the Western States Trucking Association had contended was not protected by federal law. http://www.law360.com/articles/721864/supreme-court-boots-calif-truckers-emissions-upgrade-row VEHICLES EVs Can Save China (And The US) From Its Air Pollution Problem Sparked by eco-concern, the high maintenance cost of internal combustion vehicles, and the ever-dwindling oil supply, EVs have found a definite lasting foothold in the personal vehicle market. https://cleantechnica.com/2015/11/02/evs-can-save-china-and-the-us-from-its-air-pollution-problem/ VW RECALL Germany's VW: new C02 problems with 800,000 vehicles Germany's Volkswagen, already reeling from news that it had cheated on U.S. tests for nitrogen oxide emissions, said Tuesday that an internal investigation had revealed "unexplained inconsistencies" in the carbon dioxide emissions from 800,000 vehicles that could cost the company another 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion). http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-03/volkswagen-emissions-woes-deepen-as-800-000-more-cars-affected U.N. Official 'Delighted' at VW Scandal, Sees Clean Car 'Revolution' The United Nations climate change chief said on Tuesday she was "delighted" by the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal because the company will now hasten manufacturing of electric and hybrid cars, speeding a global shift away from fossil fuels. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/11/03/business/03reuters-volkswagen-emissions-climatechange-un.html Porsche, more Audi models pulled into VW emissions scandal Volkswagen used devices to cheat air pollution tests in diesel luxury vehicles, U.S. environmental regulators said on Monday, in a new blow to the automaker already reeling from similar allegations regarding millions of smaller diesel engines. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/02/us-volkswagen-usa-epa-idUSKCN0SR22L20151102#gZiPCfs0RJaU7fyc.99 http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_EMISSIONS_CHEATING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/vw-also-cheated-audis-porsches-epa-says-new-round-charges-n45610 http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vehicles-347822-ocprint-diesel-epa.html http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/11/02/calif-regulators-find-1,600-more-cars-evading-emissions-tests/ http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-vw-emissions-porsche-20151103-story.html http://www.latimes.com/nation/ct-epa-says-volkswagen-cheated-second-time-20151102-story.html http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-notifies-volkswagen-of-added-emissions-violations-1446491504 Volkswagen denies Porsche cars involved in emissions scandal German car maker Volkswagen has denied cheating air pollution tests with its luxury diesel vehicles as well as its smaller engines. It follows new accusations by the US government that VW has been economical with the truth. If proven it drags VW’s Porsche line into the scandal for the first time. http://www.euronews.com/2015/11/03/volkswagen-denies-porsche-cars-involved-in-emissions-scandal/ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-02/vw-prepares-to-fight-epa-s-latest-diesel-cheating-allegations VW shares sag after new accusation of emissions cheating Shares in automaker Volkswagen are sliding after U.S. environmental officials said the company equipped more models than previously thought with software that let the cars cheat on diesel emissions tests. The company's ordinary shares fell 3.0 percent to 109.30 each in midday trading in Europe on Tuesday. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20151103/eu-volkswagen/ http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/VW-shares-sag-after-latest-emissions-cheating-6607031.php GREEN ENERGY By the Numbers: China's Clean Energy Investments Show Big Strides. China does things in a big way, and nowhere is that more evident than in renewable energy. The world’s most populous nation was the biggest center of investment in the quarter ended Sept. 30, with $26.7 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The U.S. was second for the same period at $13.4 billion. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-02/by-the-numbers-china-s-clean-energy-investments-show-big-strides EBRD earmarks $250 mln for renewables in N. Africa, Middle East The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched a $250 million financing programme to spur private sector investment in renewable energy in Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan, it said on Tuesday. http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKCN0SS13720151103 ENERGY: Batteries coming to boost California's grid But some think this area of the state’s energy future is moving too slowly. The grid in California’s future will rely on electricity storage – batteries – to supply power when demand is highest. http://www.pe.com/articles/edison-785175-electricity-gas.htm MISCELLANEOUS Lumber Liquidators' Legal Woes Still Loom Following Felony Plea Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. investors showed relief last month when the company resolved a U.S. federal investigation over importing flooring made with illegal timber. After the company agreed to pay nearly $13.2 million in penalties in October, its stock surged almost 30 percent over two days. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-03/lumber-liquidators-legal-woes-still-loom-following-felony-plea OPINIONS The Costs of Solar Energy to the Environment Solar energy is widely seen as a crucial means of reversing climate change by replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources. Drought-stricken California has been particularly aggressive in its use. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/11/03/the-environmental-costs-of-solar-energy BLOGS The Papal Encyclical and Climate Change Policy June 18, 2015, Coral Davenport, writing in the New York Times, was the first in the press to note that the encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si', released by Pope Francis that same day, with tremendous praise from diverse quarters, "is as much an indictment of the global economic order as it is an argument for the world to confront climate change." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-stavins/the-papal-encyclical-and_b_8456424.html How Trash Is Adding to Delhi’s Air Pollution Problems It’s that time of year again in India’s capital: The season of mists and yellow acridness. Delhiites opening their windows on a winter morning are often greeted by the smell of wood smoke mingled with gasoline as they peer through the yellowy air. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/11/03/how-trash-is-adding-to-delhis-air-pollution-problems/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 12:51:11 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 5, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 5, 2015. 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 Calif. proves that its cap-and-trade program works, with one hiccup. California's cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases finished accounting for its first two years of operations last week, with nearly all businesses turning in allowances to cover their emissions. The California Air Resources Board reported yesterday that out of 290.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/05/stories/1060027520 AIR POLLUTION National Parks Fail EPA Ozone Mandates. Tourists visit national parks to get away from pollution, but 26 popular sites fail EPA clean air standards. The EPA's newest ozone pollution threshold has placed 26 national parks at non-compliant levels. But while the rest of the nation's communities must spend billions conforming to the new normal… http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/11/04/national-parks-fail-epa-ozone-mandates Los Angeles smog comparison riles Utah air quality agency. Utah air quality regulators are firing back at the Sierra Club after an online blog by its national director said visibility at two of the state's national parks is akin to 1970 Los Angeles. The Sierra Club's Michael Brune wrote in the Huffington Post last month that Utah's high desert national parks are "plagued by smog,"… http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865640689/LA-smog-comparison-riles-Utah-air-quality-agency.html India: Severe warning issued for pollution levels in Delhi as temperatures start dropping. he deadly smog that covers the world's most polluted city, New Delhi, during the winter months is back, only much sooner bumping up the polluted air quality level to "severe". Pollution levels in the city are expected to be at its peak on 5 November, according to a forecast. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/india-severe-warning-issued-pollution-levels-delhi-temperatures-start-dropping-1527329 ASARCO to Pay $163.5M, Cut Toxic Emissions. ASARCO has agreed to a settlement with the EPA and US Department of Justice that requires the company to spend $150 million to install new equipment and pollution control technology to reduce emissions of toxic heavy metals at a large copper smelter in Hayden, Arizona. The company will also fund local environmental projects valued at $8 million… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/11/05/asarco-to-pay-163-5m-cut-toxic-emissions/#ixzz3qe4MwM4X CLIMATE CHANGE Saudi pilot carbon storage project may boost recovery rates at giant oilfield. Saudi Arabia's first carbon capture and storage pilot project, located at its Ghawar oilfield, may boost oil recovery rates by 20 percentage points, oil minister Ali al-Naimi said. Carbon storage schemes are being promoted around the world as a way to slow global warming by preventing the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/05/saudi-carboncapture-idUSL8N13025Z20151105#CtbM7KgiVtODkBPb.99 Why a Paris climate agreement could actually be very good for the U.S. With the 2015 UN climate conference looming less than a month away, there’s a strong economic reason for the United States to support a strong international agreement to curb carbon emissions, says a new report: There are trillions of dollars to be gained at home from other countries’ climate mitigation efforts. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/11/05/why-a-paris-climate-agreement-could-actually-be-very-good-for-the-u-s/ Scientists Study Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather. Did climate change cause that heat wave? That hurricane? That drought? A new collection of studies examined extreme weather events last year, including drought, floods and storms, to look for signs that climate change was a cause or contributor. The papers are part of a broader effort to recognize the effects of climate change… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/science/climate-change-extreme-weather-global-warming.html?_r=0 California revs up for Paris climate-change summit. In the wonky world of climate change, California’s presence at the United Nations summit in Paris next month is expected to be a star-studded affair. There will be an actual movie star, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who jump-started some of the state’s most ambitious efforts to slow global warming. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-california-paris-climate-change-delegation-20151104-story.html Berkeley assesses greenhouse emission reduction efforts. The city reduced greenhouse gas emissions 9 percent between 2000 and 2013, but that's not enough, Chief Resilience Officer Timothy Burroughs told the City Council at a Nov. 3 work session on Berkeley's Climate Action Plan. Berkeley won't meet its goal of cutting emissions 33 percent below the 2000 level by 2020… http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_29071549/berkeley-assesses-greenhouse-emission-reduction-efforts Scientists warned the US president about global warming 50 years ago today. On 5 November 1965 climate scientists summarized the risks associated with rising carbon pollution in a report for Lyndon Baines Johnson. Fifty years ago today, as the American Association for the Advancement of Science highlighted, US president Lyndon Johnson’s science advisory committee sent him a report entitled Restoring the Quality of Our Environment. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/nov/05/scientists-warned-the-president-about-global-warming-50-years-ago-today BP: ‘Modest’ Carbon Price Would Make Carbon Capture Economical. BP says a “modest” price on carbon would make some types of renewable energy competitive with gas-fired power and would make carbon capture technology economical, according to the oil giant’s Technology Outlook. In the annual report, BP says the power sector offers the greatest scope for reducing carbon emissions. In the power sector… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/11/04/bp-modest-carbon-price-would-make-carbon-capture-economical/#ixzz3qdyv5Gsa Extreme Heat Is Defining Climate Change. The lasting legacy of climate change will be heat. The land, the oceans, all of it. It’s the tie that binds and while the global average temperature is the defining metric, the increasing incidence of heat waves and longer lasting extreme heat is how the world will experience it. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/extreme-heat-climate-change-19641?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed Attribution Studies Hone in on Climate Change Signal. From Hawaii’s flurry of hurricanes, to record high sea ice in Antarctica, and a heat wave that cooked the Australian Open like shrimp on a barbie, 2014 saw some wild weather. How much of that was tied to climate change is what scientists around the world tried to answer in the… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/attribution-studies-hone-climate-signal-19640 Warming Is Increasing Wildfire Risks in California. Extreme wildfire seasons have been afflicting drought-parched California in recent years, and new computer modeling indicates that the state will continue to become more susceptible to ruinous fires as the world continues to warm. But the scientists behind an ambitious new study, which combined historical fire records and data with projections for a warming world… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-increases-wildfire-risks-in-california-19643 Scientists wary of new research showing more ice on frozen continent. A recent study published in the Journal of Glaciology that found the Antarctic ice sheet is expanding because accumulated snowfall is outpacing melting glaciers has drawn sharp criticism from many climate scientists. While it does not contradict the science on global warming, it has pried open a long-standing debate… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/05/stories/1060027517 Legal action supporting EPA climate rule reveals more discord in states. Republican-led Florida is among the 26 states suing U.S. EPA in an attempt to kill the Clean Power Plan, the Obama administration's newly released rule aiming to slash the nation's carbon emissions 32 percent by 2030. But that doesn't mean everyone in Florida wants the climate rule to go away. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/05/stories/1060027491 Climate deal would save the U.S. economy money – report. An international agreement that spurs other countries to contain greenhouse gas emissions would be a "windfall" for the United States' economy, according to a new report by the Institute for Policy Integrity. The think tank, housed at New York University's School of Law, published a paper today contending that a strong outcome at the… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/05/stories/1060027514 DROUGHT Heavy snows in Sierra Nevada raise hopes of relief from drought. A day of heavy snow may have turned swaths of the Sierra Nevada into a winter landscape, but it's too early to tell if it will have a lasting effect on the winter snowpack, forecasters say. The early November storm dumped more than a foot of snow over Lake Tahoe, according to the National Weather Service… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1104-snow-20151104-story.html McCarthy: Use high-speed rail funds to quench California’s drought. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a persistent critic of California’s high-speed rail program, said that the funds for the project should be diverted to quench the state’s severe drought. The California Republican made the proposal Wednesday after the Los Angeles Times reported that the system’s contractor pegged the cost of building… http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article43045029.html#storylink=cpy Rain Brings Some ‘Drought Relief’ To California, Nevada. The storms that brought rain and snow to California and Nevada over the past week brought slight improvement in the drought. But, the U.S. Drought Monitor released November 5 says with four consecutive years of drought, "this precipitation was just a start to moisten the soils in the Sierra Nevada, thus no changes were made in the Sierra." http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/11/05/rain-brings-some-drought-relief-to-california,-nevada/ DIESEL ACTIVITIES Cheap diesel deals big setback to natural gas truck sales. Sales of trucks powered by natural gas are sputtering and growth will be far weaker this year than last as tumbling diesel prices prevent drivers from switching over to the cleaner-burning fuel even though it is cheaper than it has been in years. Sales of medium and heavy duty natural gas trucks are expected to rise less than 1 percent this year… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/05/us-natgas-vehicles-idUSKCN0SU0GJ20151105#o515pv4kHe7DwUzA.99 FUELS Pacific Ethanol sees 2015 U.S. ethanol exports up slightly. Pacific Ethanol Inc sees total U.S. ethanol exports up slightly this year at about 900 million gallons, due to strong demand from Brazil and globally, said the company's chief Neil Koehler during an investor earnings call on Thursday. "We see continued strength and even growth in exports," Koehler said. Total U.S. exports were about 850 million gallons in 2014. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/05/usa-pacificethanol-idUSL1N13029I20151105#qQXgmiuTvuLEpb1C.99 Supercritical biodiesel plant at ethanol refinery now operational. Nearly two years after the project was announced, the 5 MMgy supercritical biodiesel plant in Annawan, Illinois, is operational. Designed and built by Jatrodiesel Inc., the innovative facility is co-located with the 125 MMgy CHS-owned Patriot Renewable Fuels ethanol plant, leveraging the existing refinery’s infrastructure, steam, and distillers corn oil byproduct for biodiesel feedstock. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/585495/supercritical-biodiesel-plant-at-ethanol-refinery-now-operational VEHICLES Mysterious electric car start-up Faraday plans $1-billion factory. Faraday Future, a mysterious electric car start-up taking shape in Nissan’s former U.S. sales office in Gardena, said it plans to sell its first vehicle in 2017 and is looking to make a $1-billion investment in a factory. The company founded by former Tesla Motors employees said Wednesday that it was eyeing several locations, including California, Georgia... http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-faraday-auto-factory-plan-20151105-story.html How A Folding Electric Vehicle Went From Car Of The Future To 'Obsolete' A few years ago, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology debuted a design, a decade in the making, for a car that would transform urban transportation. They called it the CityCar. It's a small, electric two-seat pod, with "robot wheels." It looks like a futuristic Volkswagen Beetle. http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/11/05/454693583/how-a-folding-electric-vehicle-went-from-car-of-the-future-to-obsolete Oregon's Pitch To Electric-Car Industry: Come Test New Stuff Here! New Stuff Here! When it comes to raw numbers of electric cars sold, California leads. However, just to the north, the small state of Oregon has long been a pioneer and a trendsetter when it comes to electric mobility. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100663_oregons-pitch-to-electric-car-industry-come-test-new-stuff-here Are gasoline cars going extinct? Major carmakers may be ditching gasoline and diesel powered vehicles sooner than we thought. We’ve seen predictions of the death of the automotive industry before; even the death of the car salesman, and, more recently, the death of diesel. To be clear, the automobile isn’t going anywhere – on form and function… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/1105/Are-gasoline-cars-going-extinct Energy efficient cars, fridges seen aiding climate, GDP. Tougher energy efficiency standards ranging from cars to fridges could cut annual world greenhouse gas emissions by about a tenth by 2030 while also spurring economic growth, an international report said on Thursday. The study, by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, urged the Group of 20 to do more to improve the energy use of vehicles… http://www.businessinsider.com/r-energy-efficient-cars-fridges-seen-aiding-climate-gdp-2015-11 VW RECALL VW luxury cars in Europe fitted with same devices as in U.S. Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) luxury diesel cars in Europe are fitted with the same software that American regulators say was used to cheat emissions tests in the United States, the carmaker said on Thursday. U.S. regulators said on Monday that about 10,000 VW cars in the United States - including some Audi and Porsche models… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/05/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0SU2JI20151105 VW Carbon Cover-Up May Tarnish EU Image at Global Talks in Paris. Volkswagen AG may have just driven a hole into the European Union’s leadership aspirations for international talks next month on a pact to fight climate change. The German company said on Tuesday an internal probe showed carbon-dioxide emissions in around 800,000 vehicles were understated, an irregularity it estimated could cost 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion). http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-04/vw-carbon-cover-up-may-tarnish-eu-image-at-global-talks-in-paris Problems caused by Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal expand. The fallout from Volkswagen's emissions-cheating scandal intensified Wednesday, as investors dumped the company's stock and a credit rating firm downgraded its debt. European regulators demanded that VW speed up its investigation into the cheating… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-volkswagen-problems-expand-20151105-story.html GREEN ENERGY Covering the world in solar panels would alter climate – study. What would happen if the world's cities and deserts were blanketed in solar panels? The deserts of the U.S. Southwest would get hotter, though most other deserts would get cooler, and experience less rain. Cities would get a shade cooler, and civilization could run entirely on the power of the sun. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/11/05/stories/1060027516 MISCELLANEOUS Gov. Jerry Brown had state workers research oil on family ranch. Gov. Jerry Brown last year directed state oil and gas regulators to research, map and report back on any mining and oil drilling potential and history at the Brown family's private land in Northern California. After a phone call from the governor and follow-up requests from his aides, senior staffers in the state's oil and gas regulatory agency… http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-state-research-oil-ranch-20151105-story.html California delays opening of crab season amid toxic scare. The California Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to delay opening of the crab-fishing season as officials scramble to deal with a coastal algae bloom that’s left Dungeness crabs with a potentially fatal toxin called domoic acid. Meeting by conference call, the commission voted 3-0 to delay the recreational crabbing season, which was supposed to begin Saturday. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article43186440.html#storylink=cpy OPINIONS California's Drought Demands Better Markets. California's cities are adapting to the state's worst-in-a-century drought, hitting aggressive targets for water reduction set by Governor Jerry Brown in April. The bigger challenge is to change the behavior of farmers, who consume 80 percent of the state's water and have so far been spared the same magnitude of restrictions. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-11-04/california-s-drought-demands-better-markets Global warming is its own solution. The National Bureau of Economic Research has concluded a study that indicates global warming causes lower birth rates. We are saved. Lower birth rates means less carbon pollution. Less carbon pollution means a halt in global warming. Global warming is the solution for global warming. Oh brother!!! http://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article43058379.html#storylink=cp Letter: Say ‘yes’ to Clean Power Plan. As a mother and grandmother, I am deeply concerned about air pollution and my children and grandchild’s health. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, interfere with lung development and increase adverse birth outcomes. Air pollution can also change our climate and trigger extreme weather events. To protect our families, we must significantly reduce carbon pollution. http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/19311742-95/letter-say-yes-to-clean-power-plan Why has carbon capture and storage not taken off yet? For all of the talk about green energy one fact still remains clear; fossil fuels are going to continue to be used in enormous quantities for decades to come. From China and India to the U.S. and Canada, the world is flooded with growing markets looking for new sources of fossil fuels and developed markets coming up with new ways to extract those fossil fuels. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/1105/Why-has-carbon-capture-and-storage-not-taken-off-yet BLOGS The Insiders: Inconvenient numbers for the global warming crowd. Some important numbers that will affect the global warming debate came out in the media this week and they are worth reviewing. First — and most incredibly — the New York Times revealed that the amount of coal China burns has been underreported by about 1 billion tons a year, and has been underreported for the last 15 years. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/11/04/the-insiders-inconvenient-numbers-for-the-global-warming-crowd/ OPEC proves fracking is no panacea. November marks the one-year anniversary of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Country’s (OPEC) decision to continue its excessive rate of production despite spiraling oil prices on international markets. The result was easily predicted by anyone with only a rudimentary understanding of economics… http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/259148-opec-proves-fracking-is-no-panacea All eyes on China as climate summit approaches. Ahead of the historic climate meeting beginning later this month in Paris, all eyes are on how China -- the world's largest carbon polluter -- will navigate global negotiations to cap carbon and help curb catastrophic global warming. With new official data released this week revealing that China is burning significantly more coal than it had previously disclosed… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-groundtruth-project/all-eyes-on-china-as-clim_b_8480026.html International Action On Climate Has Already Saved The U.S. $200 Billion. Critics of carbon-reduction efforts often rely on rhetoric about how expensive regulations would be, but a new report from economists at New York University found that international efforts to reduce carbon have already benefited the United States some $200 billion, and more reductions… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/11/05/3719323/is-america-freeloading-on-international-carbon-reductions/ U.S. Electric Sector Expected To Hit Lowest CO2 Emissions In 20 Years. This will be the first time the industry emits fewer than 2 billion metric tons since 1995. The U.S. electric sector is expected to hit its lowest carbon emissions since 1995 this year, partly due to the widespread closure of coal-powered power plants over the past five years, a Sierra Club report released Wednesday found. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/coal-emissions-lowest-20-years_563a5fb1e4b0b24aee488d72 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 15:18:37 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 6, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 6, 2015. 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 Clean power takes off with 'breakthrough' into low-income communities. The Clean Power Plan borrows from California's bill to funnel cap-and-trade proceeds to underserved areas, as new energy markets uplift more people. When California was building its carbon emissions cap and trade program, environmental justice activist Vien Truong and a few others came to the state with an idea. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2433613/clean-power-takes-off-with-breakthrough-into-low-income-communities CLIMATE CHANGE Killing Keystone XL, Obama says pipeline not in US interests. President Barack Obama rejected an application to build the Keystone XL pipeline Friday after 7 years of federal review, declaring the proposed project wouldn't serve U.S. national interests and would have undercut America's global leadership on climate change. The 1,179-mile proposed pipeline wouldn't have lowered U.S. gas prices, Obama said… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KEYSTONE_PIPELINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-administration-to-reject-keystone-xl-pipeline-citing-climate-concerns-1446825732?alg=y http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/usa-keystone-idUKL1N1311KJ20151106?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/usa-keystone-republicans-idUSL1N1311OZ20151106 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/us/obama-expected-to-reject-construction-of-keystone-xl-oil-pipeline.html?_r=1 http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2015/11/06/keystone-pipeline/75293456/ http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/11/06/keystone-xl-pipeline http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/06/455007054/president-obama-expected-to-reject-keystone-xl-plan-friday?sc=nd http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060027609 Official: NY probes Exxon, Peabody climate statements. New York's attorney general is examining statements by Exxon Mobil and Peabody Energy to determine whether they deceived investors about the causes and impacts of climate change, an official familiar with the investigations said Thursday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_CHANGE_INVESTIGATIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-exxon-climate-probe-20151105-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article43272975.html http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_29079439/ny-attorney-general-examines-climate-change-statements-by http://www.kspr.com/life/money/exxonmobil-hit-with-climate-change-investigation-in-new-york/21052342_36283306 http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2015/1106/Exxon-Mobil-under-fire-Did-energy-giant-suppress-climate-research Hot weather is now affecting Belgian beer too. One of the most renowned Belgian beer brewers says it is a victim of climate change because increasingly high temperatures have shortened the brewing season by a month since the 1950s. The Cantillon gueuze brewery needs to cool its hot brew in open vessels so that the natural yeasts in the air… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BELGIUM_CLIMATE_CHANGE_BEER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article43424700.html 40-country survey: Majority support for cutting emissions. A survey across 40 countries around the world found most people see global warming as a serious problem, and most of them want their governments to limit emissions as part of a global agreement being negotiated in Paris in a month. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_ATTITUDES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Scientists tinker with evolution to save Hawaii coral reefs. Scientists at a research center on Hawaii's Coconut Island have embarked on an experiment to grow "super coral" that they hope can withstand the hotter and more acidic oceans that are expected with global warming. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SAVING_HAWAII_CORAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT France sees progress on UN climate deal, but questions abound. Governments have made a "very significant first step" to rein in climate change with national plans for action but more than 30 core questions remain unsolved before a summit on global warming starts in Paris on Nov. 30, a French document shows. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/climatechange-summit-idUSL8N13136720151106#C5XOcEfsw7ZrXGqx.99 New U.N. report underscores the tough math of the global carbon budget. With less than a month to go until the all important U.N. climate change conference in Paris, yet another key report has reinforced how off target the world is from the goal of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/11/06/new-u-n-report-underscores-the-tough-math-of-the-global-carbon-budget/ Pledges for Paris Signal Breakthrough in Global Warming Fight. Climate pledges by nations across the world signal a breakthrough in efforts to step up the fight against global warming, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Commitments by 146 countries submitted to the UN for a new climate agreement next month put the world on track to cut greenhouse gases by 4 gigatons to 6 gigatons… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NXEACS6JIJUZ01-1813TD8SB6H8VLC5EHJ4P7GIVT Global emissions gap could still be 12 bln tonnes in 2030 – UN. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 could still be up to 12 billion tonnes more than the level needed to keep global warming within 2 degrees Celsius this century, a United Nations report estimated on Friday. The sixth annual U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) report analysed the impact of countries' climate policies and emissions pledges… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12Y2WS20151106 As scientists warn of ‘chilling effect’ on research, congressman doubles down on NOAA to release deliberations on climate study. A nasty fight between a senior House Republican and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration over a recent climate change study is getting nastier. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2015/11/06/as-scientists-warn-of-chilling-effect-on-research-congressman-doubles-down-on-noaa-to-release-deliberations-on-climate-study/ Map: Where climate change is a big deal (and where it isn’t). A Pew survey conducted in 40 countries found that a majority of respondents were concerned about the threat of climate change and wanted their governments to be more proactive about mitigating its effects. The report comes just weeks in advance of a pivotal United Nations summit in Paris, where world leaders will attempt to negotiate a major global pact… https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/06/map-where-climate-change-is-a-big-deal-and-where-it-isnt/ Michael Bloomberg Targets Attorneys General With Ads on Carbon Emissions. Former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City will run millions of dollars in political television ads against four state attorneys general who are suing the Obama administration over new regulations on carbon emissions from power plants. The ads, which Mr. Bloomberg’s advisers said would cost more than $10 million… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-state-attorneys-general-carbon-emissions.html?_r=0 World only half way to meeting emissions target with current pledges. Governments will need to increase efforts to limit carbon emissions in order to stop climate change, says UN report ahead of Paris summit. Current global efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions leave about half of the reductions needed still to be found, according to a new analysis by the UN. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/06/world-only-half-way-meeting-emissions-target-with-current-pledges Extreme Heat Defines Climate Change. The connection between heat waves and global warming strengthens. The lasting legacy of climate change will be heat. The land, the oceans, all of it. It’s the tie that binds and while the global average temperature is the defining metric, the increasing incidence of heat waves and longer lasting extreme heat is how the world will experience it. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/extreme-heat-defines-climate-change/ DROUGHT Early-season storm makes small dent in California's drought outlook. An early-season storm that blanketed mountains from Northern California to the Central Valley with snow showed tangible results on the state’s historic drought, new federal data show. Two areas of California considered to be in “exceptional” drought were upgraded to the “extreme” category… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-snow-drought-monitor-report-20151106-story.html Majority of Texas out of drought thanks to heavy Oct. rains. Recent rains that fell on Texas saturated many parts of the state and lessened drought conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday shows that about 95 percent of Texas has no drought. Just more than 4 percent has moderate drought. http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article43239045.html#storylink=cpy Bay Area country club gulps over 2 million gallons of water a week. It takes a lot of water to feed the lush lawns that drape in vibrant folds across the Menlo Country Club’s golf course on the edge of Woodside. And, apparently, a crippling drought is seen as no reason to pull back on the spigot. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-country-club-gulps-more-than-2-million-6614294.php CALIFORNIA DROUGHT: Redlands restricts outdoor watering. City Council OK’s limits in wake of state water board’s $61,000 fine. Redlands, which was fined $61,000 by the state water board last week for failing to meet its state water reduction target, will now limit outdoor watering to two days a week. The City Council voted Tuesday, Nov. 3, to impose the new irrigation restrictions. http://www.pe.com/articles/water-785510-state-city.html Feds fund research on droughts. U.S. EPA announced $4 million in grants yesterday for research on the impacts of drought and the perils it fosters, like wildfire and runoff from flooding. It comes as climate change exacerbates the frequency and severity of drought across the United States. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/06/stories/1060027581 Heavy rains bring drought relief, except in Calif. Heavy rainfall that drenched the southern United States in October spurred a record decline in the nation's drought, even as conditions in parched California remain largely unchanged, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/06/stories/1060027602 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Air quality grants available for heavy-duty diesel equipment, school buses. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is providing up to $700,000 to reduce emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles/equipment, school buses and landscape/maintenance equipment through the Clean Air Retrofit, Replacement and Off-Road Technology program. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865640773/Air-quality-grants-available-for-heavy-duty-diesel-equipment-school-buses.html?pg=all FUELS Biofuels Could Make Up 5-10 Percent of Global Marine Fuel Mix By 2030. According to GoodFuels Marine CEO Dirk Kronemeijer, biofuels could make up 5-10 percent of the total global marine fuel mix by 2030, Hellenic Shipping News reports. Though the figures are an estimate, the company said that it is planning on a more formal global study to "research the scaling of the supply and demand of sustainable marine biofuels." http://shipandbunker.com/news/world/590063-biofuels-could-make-up-5-10-percent-of-global-marine-fuel-mix-by-2030 VEHICLES Former Tesla workers launch mysterious Gardena start-up with ties to Chinese multibillionaire. In an industrial corner of Gardena, near a credit union and pet cemetery, a small white sign in front of a metal building reads “Faraday Future,” with a number to call for deliveries. It's the only indication of the high-tech hive of activity inside, where a mysterious electric car start-up is taking shape. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-faraday-auto-factory-plan-20151105-story.html Plug-in Electric Car Sales in Canada, October 2015: The Wallet Ballot. During the same month in which a second-generation Trudeau won the Canadian election, the second-generation Chevy Volt took the plug-in electric vehicle sales crown. The new model helped Chevrolet sell 203 Volts in Canada in October, well above the 126 sold in September… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100803_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-canada-october-2015-the-wallet-ballot VW RECALL Volkswagen says chief designer de Silva to retire. Scandal-hit Volkswagen's chief designer Walter Maria de Silva will retire at the end of November, the company said on Friday, confirming earlier reports that he would quit. Volkswagen's statement made no mention of a successor, and said de Silva would remain connected to the company in an advisory capacity. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/volkswagen-emissions-designervolkswagen-idUSF9N12L01D20151106#xTBQXASr7Pa2RpuH.97 Volkswagen Media Site Says its Published Emissions Figures Are ‘Conditional’. Volkswagen issues warning to journalists logging onto media database. Volkswagen AG issued a warning to the media on Thursday in a pop-up window that appears when journalists log onto its massive media database on the corporate website: the information found here may be inaccurate. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-media-site-says-its-published-emissions-figures-are-conditional-1446738728 EU asks members to investigate after VW admits new irregularities. The European Commission has written to all 28 European Union member countries urging them to widen their investigations into potential breaches of vehicle emissions rules after Volkswagen admitted it had understated carbon dioxide levels. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/uk-volkswagen-emissions-eu-idUKKCN0SU2XE20151106 Correction: Volkswagen-Union Story. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — In a story Nov. 3 about unionization efforts at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, The Associated Press erroneously identified a previous labor case involving a Mobile, Alabama, nursing home. The name of the facility is Specialty Healthcare, not Southern Healthcare. A corrected version of the story is below: VW opposes union for maintenance workers at Tennessee plant. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/11/05/us/ap-us-volkswagen-union.html GREEN ENERGY U.N. climate fund approves first projects ahead of Paris summit. A multi-billion dollar fund set up by the United Nations to help poor countries tackle climate change on Friday approved its first eight projects, which will receive $168 million, a key step before a global climate summit starts on Nov. 30. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has $10.2 billion in pledges and is a key ingredient for a U.N. climate accord. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/us-un-climatechange-finance-idUSKCN0SV0FD20151106#1zT7wTV7KELPmtxu.99 Philippines Largest Wind Farm Gets $20 Million Loan From ADB. The Asian Development Bank agreed to lend as much as $20 million to help finance the biggest wind farm in the Philippines. ADB has signed a financing assignment agreement with the project operator EDC Burgos Wind Power Corp., Eksport Kredit Fonden, and a syndicate of international banks for the 150- megawatt Burgos wind power project… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NXE0V46S972901-545C0VMQPFKI0I738R2CVL32UT Green-living people seek natural burial options. You've switched to energy efficient light bulbs. You've installed solar panels. But you probably have not taken the green-living lifestyle as far as it can go. Talk about greener pastures. Among those who are attuned to environmental sustainability, some look for a way to be greener, even after death. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/11/06/green-living-people-seek-natural-burial-options/75272990/ MISCELLANEOUS Lumber Liquidators Hires CEO for Turnaround Bid; Shares Gain. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. appointed Chairman John Presley as its next chief executive officer, turning to a longtime board member and banking-industry veteran to turn around the embattled retailer. Presley, a Lumber Liquidators director since 2006, will take the reins from company founder Thomas Sullivan… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-04/lumber-liquidators-names-new-ceo-after-posting-another-loss http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/business/lumber-liquidators-names-john-m-presley-as-chief.html Kangaroo farts not as environmentally friendly as previously thought. Kangaroos can no longer feel smug about their flatulence. Traditionally, it’s been thought that the animals produce unusually low amounts of methane when they pass gas. Since livestock farts (I’m looking at you, cows) make up a lot of our global greenhouse gas emissions that would make kangaroos potential lifesavers in the global warming department. http://www.modbee.com/news/nation-world/world/article43333518.html#storylink=cpy OPINIONS Soak the rich to help solve California's water crisis. During a time of drought, when most urban dwellers are making do with less, nothing sticks in the craw quite like the cad in Bel-Air who reportedly is using 90 times as much water as the average household. Nothing would be more emotionally satisfying than socking him (or her, or them) with a hefty fine… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-water-20151106-story.html Red flags for high-speed rail. Did the California High-Speed Rail Authority downplay potential cost increases for the state's controversial bullet train? In a draft PowerPoint presentation dated October 2013, the agency's project management consultant estimated that the cost of the first phase of the line, from Burbank to Merced, could grow to about $36 billion. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-1105-high-speed-rail-20151105-story.html The oil industry isn’t only polluting our air; it’s polluting our politics as well. Take a look at the latest lobbying figures released by the California Secretary of State’s Office. In the third quarter of this year alone, the oil lobby spent more than $11 million getting lawmakers in Sacramento to do its bidding. Its top priority: killing part of Senate Bill 350 that would have cut statewide gasoline consumption in half by 2030. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article43248378.html#storylink=cpy For clean energy, let’s go with solar. Re “Wind energy is being unfairly held back” (Insight, Nov. 3): Wind power is not practical, takes up too much acreage, cannot be stored and is financed by wealthy investors and large corporations. Jobs are created when the wind farm is being built, but after it is powered, only a handful of employees need to remain. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article43075578.html#storylink=cpy Is the threat from climate change really like the Nazis? In the great tradition of such 1940s sloganeering as “We can do it” (but not “Keep calm and carry on”), a very animated Gov. Jerry Brown puts California’s response to climate change on par with the Golden State’s involvement in the birth of the world’s first atomic bomb. This isn’t a critique of the significance the governor places on global warming. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/bill-whalen/article43258515.html#storylink=cpy Menlo Park: As the sea rises so should the urgency to tackle the problem locally, officials agree. One thing seems certain: The seas are rising. Yet the approach to dealing with sea level rise in San Francisco Bay is as fluid as the Bay itself. For one thing, the science keeps evolving, leading to conflicting reports of the likely impacts of climate change. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_29074513/menlo-park-sea-rises-so-should-urgency-tackle The little things that come with climate change. "It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important," said Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Nowhere is this more true than in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), the system I was taught for controlling pests using least toxic methods. This is an approach created to stop overreaction to the presence of small pest problems with powerful chemical insecticides. http://www.desertsun.com/story/life/home-garden/maureen-gilmer/2015/11/06/little-things-come-climate-change/75099208/ BLOGS Only 18% in China View Climate Change as ‘Very Serious’ Problem. When it comes to climate change, many Chinese just aren’t as fussed as they used to be. That is among the key findings of global polling by the U.S.-based Pew Research Center, which found less than one-fifth of Chinese surveyed viewed climate change as a very serious problem, down 23 percentage points from polling five years ago. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/11/06/only-18-in-china-view-climate-change-as-very-serious-problem/ Carbon Dioxide Inside Can Be Harmful Too. New studies show that CO2 inside buildings could be just as harmful as outside. The dangerous consequences of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere are well-documented, from destructive weather events and deadly health effects, to its harmful impact on oceans, species migration, agriculture and national security. http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/11/06/carbon-dioxide-inside-can-be-harmful-too Cap and Trade under AB 32 – Now it’s an “Official Success” Many people have been following the AB 32 cap-and-trade program since it kicked off on January 1, 2013. After all, it’s the most comprehensive carbon market in the world; it has created billions in investments for pollution reduction in California communities and garnered intense international attention. http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/2015/11/05/cap-and-trade-under-ab-32-now-its-an-official-success/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 09:51:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 9, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 9, 2015. 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 Top EU court set for view on legality of free carbon permit rules. A top EU court adviser will on Thursday deliver an opinion on whether the European Commission's calculations to decide free carbon allowances are legal, in a case brought by refiners OMV, Esso Italiana and big chemical firms. Analysts say the case is unlikely to affect prices on the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N12X4BY20151109 AIR POLLUTION Heavy smog shrouds northeastern China as winter begins. Air quality reached extremely hazardous levels in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, as northern China began to burn coal to heat homes for winter. Real-time data released by the Shenyang Environmental Protection Agency Sunday showed the density of the poisonous tiny airborne matters known as PM2.5… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Even Moderate Air Pollution Could Trigger Severe Heart Attacks: Study. New findings link modest particulate pollution to heart risks in people with coronary disease. Even moderate levels of air pollution have now been linked to increased risk of heart attacks in people with heart disease. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-09/even-moderate-air-pollution-could-trigger-severe-heart-attacks-study http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/11/08/smoggy-days-linked-to-most-severe-type-of-heart-attack Marathon meeting over waste transfer facility in Huntington Beach ends without resolution. Residents of the Oak View neighborhood finally had their chance to tell officials from the South Coast Air Quality Management District and an independent hearing board how they feel and what they think should be done about pollution from a nearby dump… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rainbow-691142-facility-residents.html Airpocalypse now: China pollution reaching record levels. In some areas level of harmful particles in the air were 56 times the levels considered safe by the World Health Organisation. Residents of north-eastern China donned gas masks and locked themselves indoors on Sunday after their homes were enveloped by some of the worst levels of smog on record. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/09/airpocalypse-now-china-pollution-reaching-record-levels Judges blast EPA's 'wrong' language in Calif. diesel case. A panel of Washington, D.C.-based federal judges appears inclined to reject U.S. EPA's argument that a California air pollution case belongs in their court. Judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sharply criticized EPA's arguments today that their court is the correct venue for industry groups' challenges to EPA's approval of California rules to cut pollution from nonroad diesel engines… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/11/09/stories/1060027711 CLIMATE CHANGE New York finds Peabody climate statements misleading. Peabody Energy, the world's biggest private-sector coal company, violated New York laws with misleading statements to investors and the public about the financial risks from climate change and potential regulatory responses, New York's attorney general said Monday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_CHANGE_INVESTIGATIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT UK: In 1st, global temps average could be 1 degree C higher. This year is on track to be a record 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the 19th-century average, hitting a symbolic milestone in the temperature rise that scientists blame mostly on human activities, Britain's weather service said Monday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_GREENHOUSE_GASES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/09/us-climatechange-summit-temperatures-idUSKCN0SY1F220151109#KdVBxt12vu6wrzC3.99 http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NXJRC6SYF02901-4F347TAO12SIEV2MP8OEV23R8R http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N1342G720151109 Senegal: Saloum Delta islands on frontline of climate change. The place where Fatou Faye's kitchen once stood is now outlined with short branches of mangroves, a small and perhaps futile attempt to prevent the sea from destroying the rest of her house. The rising sea levels pushing into the waters of... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_SENEGAL_DISAPPEARING_ISLANDS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT China promises action on climate ahead of Paris talks. China has changed course and emerged as a leader in curbing greenhouse gas emissions six years after it was accused of obstructing the last high-level climate talks in Copenhagen. Heading into this month's Paris meeting, the world's biggest source of climate-changing gases has yet to accept binding limits. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT World Bank: Climate change could result in 100 million poor. Climate change could push more than 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030 by disrupting agriculture and fueling the spread of malaria and other diseases, the World Bank said in a report Sunday. Released just weeks ahead of a U.N. climate summit in Paris, the report highlighted how the impact of global warming is borne unevenly… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_POVERTY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT White House says Obama will press ambitious climate targets in Paris. The White House said on Monday that President Barack Obama will press for an agreement at the Paris climate talks that reflects ambitious climate targets. Obama and other world leaders will meet in Paris later this month to work on a plan to reduce the effects of climate change. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/09/us-usa-climate-obama-idUSKCN0SY27920151109 The unbearable lightness of Chinese emissions data. To get a sense of how hard it is to measure greenhouse gas emissions in China, it pays to visit the Deqingyuan poultry farm on the outskirts of Beijing, where streams of chicken manure are piped from wooden sheds to an industrial gas digester that rises above the ground like a tethered balloon. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/08/us-china-climatechange-insight-idUSKCN0SX0WS20151108#WSbbFaz7aqCcJgEW.99 U.N. climate fund approves first projects ahead of Paris summit. A multi-billion dollar fund set up by the United Nations to help poor countries tackle climate change approved its first eight projects on Friday, a key step before a global climate summit starts on Nov. 30. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), which approved its first $168 million in aid… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/us-un-climatechange-finance-idUSKCN0SV1F020151106#HeLbByzAE3zCwTJi.99 Greenhouse gases hit new milestone, fueling worries about climate change. Greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere reached another grim milestone earlier this year as carbon dioxide levels surpassed the symbolic threshold of 400 parts per million across much of the planet… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/report-691250-carbon-gases.html http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/world/2015/11/09/greenhouse-gases-reach-record-high/75441504/ http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/environment/2015/11/09/climate-countdown-greenhouse-gases/75442166/ http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/science/un-agency-carbon-dioxide-levels-hit-record-high-in/article_e6a0e466-4046-50c5-b412-5f71ab3b738c.html Climate change a likely culprit for declines in ocean fish. Fish populations off California’s coast have plummeted more than 70 percent in the last four decades, and scientists’ best guess is that climate change is to blame. The precipitous decline has occurred ecosystemwide in the California current, a stretch of the Pacific that runs from the Pacific Northwest to Baja California… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fish-691164-ocean-water.html Climate Change May Put Over 100 Million Into Poverty By 2030 – Report. Climate change could drive more than 100 million people into poverty by 2030 largely due to difficulties producing crops, according to a new World Bank report. Around the world, climate change could lead to a 5% decline in crop yields by 2030 and 30% by 2080. http://fortune.com/2015/11/09/climate-change-world-bank-poverty-report/ Images Show Impact of Sea Level Rise on Global Icons. Long-term sea level rise set in motion by near-term carbon emissions threatens major coastal cities across the world. Here we present paired images showing how iconic locations — in London, Shanghai, Mumbai, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/global-icons-at-risk-from-sea-level-rise-pictures-19633?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed Green Climate Fund Must Fight Corruption Before It Can Beat Global Warming. Over the past five years, wealthy countries have been contributing billions of dollars to a fund designed to rescue the poorest countries from the effects of climate change. It’s like a complicated, politically charged Kickstarter campaign in which the reward is saving the planet. http://www.newsweek.com/green-climate-fund-must-fight-corruption-it-can-beat-global-warming-391771?piano_d=1 Climate impacts threaten to expand poverty worldwide. Without policies to protect the world's most vulnerable from crop failure, natural disasters, waterborne diseases and other impacts of climate change, 100 million more people could sink into poverty by 2030, the World Bank said. The report unveiled yesterday is one of a growing number of high-level studies linking poverty to climate change. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/09/stories/1060027680 Companies became more valuable under emissions law. Standing before banking professionals at an investment forum, Philipp Krüger, a Swiss finance professor from the University of Geneva, reversed the message of conservative politicians on regulation: Climate policies can benefit, not hamstring, the firms they directly affect. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/09/stories/1060027681 Gas pumps might carry warnings of planetary warming. Some cities in the metropolitan Vancouver, British Columbia, region are considering placing dire warnings about the consequences of climate change on local gas pumps. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/09/stories/1060027666 DROUGHT Drought drives bears into California town in search of food. Tourists and animal lovers hoping to see a bear in Sequoia National Park this fall probably stand a better chance of spotting one in this tiny town at the park's entrance. Three Rivers is literally crawling with hungry bears driven down from the mountains by drought in search of food to fatten up for winter. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_BEARS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Drought-drives-bears-down-to-foothill-town-in-6618832.php http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/environment/2015/11/09/california-drought-bears/75445172/ http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/11/09/drought-drives-bear-into-california-town-in-search-of-food/ California drought shrinks winter digs for migratory birds. With their red heads, 7-foot (2.13 m) wingspan and a trilling call, migrating Sandhill Cranes provide a dramatic sunset spectacle as they land by the thousands in wetlands near Sacramento each night during the fall and winter. But the state's ongoing drought has left the cranes… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/07/us-california-drought-birds-idUSKCN0SW0H720151107#omyvMkHpKEysuRRM.97 This map of climate change attitudes around the world might surprise you. The Pew Research Center is out with a survey of climate change attitudes from around the world. What caught our eye? A map showing relative concern about climate change from country to country. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/11/09/this-map-of-climate-change-attitudes-around-the-world-might-surprise-you/ Dueling drought relief bills reveal stark differences. As California enters the fifth consecutive year of unprecedented drought, Congress is debating two competing bills designed to provide federal drought relief to California agriculture. The proposals reveal stark differences in proposed federal water and environmental policy. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article43480272.html#storylink=cpy LA County governments limits car washes to once a month. In the wake of criticism over wasted water, the Los Angeles County government has cut its car washing to once a month. In August it was reported that some county supervisors wash their cars two or three times a week despite calls for county residents to limit water use during California's drought. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article43721064.html#storylink=cpy Drought believed to be hastening tree deaths in Los Angeles. Thousands of trees in the city of Los Angeles are at risk of dying because of an infestation that appears to be worsened by the punishing statewide drought. A Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services report warns the Xylella fastidiosa infestation is affecting trees across… http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20151107/drought-believed-to-be-hastening-tree-deaths-in-los-angeles Relief from the drought found in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. For Southern Californians struggling through the worst drought in the history of the state, relief may finally be here — or at least a sprinkle of relief. Rain has arrived, but it is confined to a 2,500-square-foot windowless room in a museum exhibition on the Miracle Mile, open to a handful of people who are let in… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-691109-people-rain.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES Frost & Sullivan forecasts Gasoline Particulate Filters to climb from 50,335 units now to 4.2-4.6 million units by 2020. Gasoline direct injection (GDI) is a strategy to improve fuel efficiency that is rapidly gaining market acceptance. However, unlike conventional gasoline engines, gasoline direct injection engines produce particulate matter, as do diesels, and emission controls will become an issue… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151108-pf.html FUELS Analysis: Polarized politics dictated Obama Keystone call. President Barack Obama's decision to block the Keystone XL oil pipeline has exposed an endlessly polarized Washington, and likely hardened its divides. Obama is now being praised to the skies by environmentalists and most Democrats, and denounced in apocalyptic terms by Republicans and the business community. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KEYSTONE_POLITICS_ANALYSIS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Keystone off the table, but back East, pipeline fight builds. Carolyn and Ian Reilly and their four children left Florida's sprawl in 2010 to farm 58 acres in rural Virginia, raising beef cattle, chicken and hogs. Then a year ago, they learned a natural gas pipeline would slice through part of their farm and their lives took another dramatic turn. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PIPELINE_TO_PROTESTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Showa Shell’s 49 MW Biomass Power Plant Starts Operations. Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., a Japanese refiner, said it has completed a 49-megawatt biomass power plant south of Tokyo. The plant in Kanagawa prefecture began commercial operations earlier this month, the company said in a statement Monday. It’s Showa Shell’s first biomass power project. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NXJDOW6JIJUY01-0O0J97GLSFM8HODLCP07H0BUIE Survey: US gasoline prices up a penny over past 2 weeks. The average price of gasoline rose a penny over the past two weeks, to $2.25 a gallon. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg reports Sunday that the slight increase comes after prices previously fell 63 cents over 19 weeks. Lundberg says the end of the price decline comes as crude costs jumped a bit. http://www.chicoer.com/business/20151108/survey-us-gasoline-prices-up-a-penny-over-past-2-weeks Another day, another setback for Canada's producers. The Obama administration's rejection of TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL oil pipeline project Friday is only the latest setback for Canadian oil producers. Its oil and gas industry has suffered blow after blow this year, and more pain is in store as companies there struggle to cope with an unexpected economic and political storm that has sunk their fortunes. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/11/09/stories/1060027669 Pipeline's defeat could translate to rail gains. President Obama's decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline Friday could come with a heavy side of tank cars. Canadian energy companies need about a dozen crude-laden trains each day to replace the volume of oil that could have been transported through KXL. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/11/09/stories/1060027677 How a 2012 book helped two teams of journalists probe Exxon's changing view of climate risks. With the launch of an investigation into Exxon Mobil Corp.'s climate stance by New York's attorney general, talk of wide-ranging tobacco-style litigation against Exxon and other oil and gas companies has amplified. But if the Exxon inquiry does blow up into a battle against civil and criminal charges… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/09/stories/1060027682 VEHICLES Electric-Car Drivers Will Pay For DC Fast-Charging 12-To-1 Over Level 2. A growing fleet of electric cars will need a comprehensive network of public charging stations, but those who build and maintain those stations have some choices to make. They have to provide charging infrastructure that will be useful to the public, but is also financially sustainable. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100804_electric-car-drivers-will-pay-for-dc-fast-charging-12-to-1-over-level-2 Electric-Car Drivers Don't Pay Their Share? Actually, No One Does. The annual registration fees for electric cars implemented by several states have been the subject of much controversy. Electric-car advocates view the fees as a form of harassment, and a hindrance to electric-car sales. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100816_electric-car-drivers-dont-pay-their-share-actually-no-one-does 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Price To Start At $29,270. The 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid will start at $29,270, and will be offered in only two of the four trim levels available for its gasoline counterpart. That base price--which includes a $900 destination charge--buys a RAV4 Hybrid XLE, one step up from the base LE trim level offered on gasoline models. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100825_2016-toyota-rav4-hybrid-price-to-start-at-29270 Report: Hyundai launching new brand of electrified vehicles in January: hybrid first, then PHEV and EV. The Korea Times reports that Korea-based Hyundai Motor will launch its new brand of electric vehicles scheduled for January. The first model of Hyundai’s new car brand—tentatively named “AE”—will be first introduced as a hybrid electric vehicle, followed by PHEV and full-EV editions… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151109-hyundai.html VW RECALL VW offers diesel owners $1,000 in gift cards and vouchers. Volkswagen is offering $1,000 in gift cards and vouchers as a goodwill gesture to owners of small diesel-powered cars involved in an emissions cheating scandal. The offer announced Monday goes to owners of 482,000 cars in the U.S., many who are angry at the company because they paid extra for the cars to be environmentally sensitive without losing peppy acceleration. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/09/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0SY1UO20151109?virtualBrandChannel=11563 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/business/international/volkswagen-offers-1000-to-diesel-owners.html http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/11/09/vw-offers-diesel-owners-1000-in-gift-cards-and-vouchers/ http://www.ocregister.com/articles/diesel-691287-owners-volkswagen.html http://autoweek.com/article/vw-diesel-scandal/volkswagen-offers-500-gift-card-goodwill-package-diesel-owners http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/1109/Volkswagen-diesel-owners-to-get-1-000-in-gift-cards http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/11/09/volkswagen/75447976/ http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/08/455248618/report-says-volkswagen-will-attempt-to-compensate-defrauded-diesel-owners Details of Volkswagen's offer for diesel owners. Volkswagen said Monday it's offering a goodwill package to current owners of its 2.0-liter diesels in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Volkswagen acknowledged in September that the vehicles don't meet U.S. emissions standards and contain software that allowed them to cheat on emissions tests. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_GLANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Greenpeace targets Volkswagen over emissions scandal. Environmental activists protested outside the main entrance to Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg, unfurling a banner reading "Das Problem" - a play on the carmaker's marketing slogan "Das Auto." The Greenpeace protest Monday comes after Volkswagen announced last week that it had "understated" the carbon dioxide emissions on 800,000 vehicles. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_VOLKSWAGEN_PROTEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Volkswagen managers afraid to travel to the U.S.: paper. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) managers are worried about traveling to the United States, a German newspaper reported on Saturday, saying U.S. investigators have confiscated the passport of an employee who is there on a visit. Citing company sources, the Suddeutsche Zeitung said Volkswagen believes… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/07/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0SW0QB20151107#ksM40LF72yXkiLY7.99 EU Asks Volkswagen For Emissions Details Within 10 Days. In letter, the EU seeks for ‘further clarifications’ on emissions of VW cars. The European Union’s climate commissioner is asking Volkswagen AG to supply within 10 days details on recently revealed “irregularities” related to carbon-dioxide emissions from its vehicles, according to a letter sent to VW’s chief executive on Monday. http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-asks-volkswagen-for-emissions-details-within-10-days-1447096891?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f&alg=y VW Board Meets After Employees Flagged Latest Emissions Faults. Volkswagen AG will need to perform significant engine repairs on 540,000 cars in Germany, highlighting the complicated task the company faces as its top executives met after disclosing further emissions irregularities last week. The recall is still planned to start by early next year, the Federal Motor Transport Authority said Monday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-08/volkswagen-says-its-employees-flagged-latest-emissions-faults Volkswagen Seeks to Rebuild Trust With U.S. Initiative. German auto maker looks to appeal to customers, dealers following emissions scandal. Volkswagen AG, struggling to get out in front of its emissions-cheating scandal, is trying to overcome missteps in its crisis-fighting strategy and plans to announce a new sales initiative in the U.S… http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-seeks-to-rebuild-trust-with-u-s-initiative-1446995472 Galvanized by VW Scandal, E.P.A. Expands On-Road Emissions Testing. Concerned that cheating on vehicle emissions could be prevalent across the automobile industry, regulators in the United States and Canada are significantly expanding their on-the-road emissions tests to cover all makes and models of diesel cars. The tests, which come in the wake of Volkswagen’s admission that it… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/business/energy-environment/epa-expands-on-road-emissions-testing-to-all-diesel-models.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=2 http://www.ocregister.com/articles/road-348868-ocprint-tests-testing.html VW doubles down on electric vehicles, hoping to move beyond the diesel scandal. Volkswagen’s renewed focus on hybrid and electric vehicles may be its last great hope of containing the fallout from a rapidly spreading diesel emissions scandal that has engulfed its Porsche and Audi brands – and, most recently, even some of its gasoline-powered cars. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/diesel-691041-vehicles-electric.html What emissions scandal? Volkswagen still sees sales growth in US. Despite an emissions-cheating scandal, Volkswagen’s brand appears to have weathered the storm: at least one model experienced its best month on record. American consumers appear to have at least one virtue: they’re forgiving. Despite an emissions-cheating scheme that scientists estimate will result in… http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/1109/What-emissions-scandal-Volkswagen-still-sees-sales-growth-in-US Volkswagen investor Nordea to sue over emissions fixing. The €190bn Scandinavian fund manager is the first major investor in the carmaker to signal such legal moves. Nordea, the €190bn (£135.6bn) Scandinavian fund manager, has become the first major investor to signal it is preparing to sue Volkswagen over the carmaker’s manipulation of emissions tests. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/08/nordea-will-sue-volkswagen-vw-emission-fixing GREEN ENERGY Newfangled Energy Stocks Disappoint. Renewable-energy ‘yieldcos’ soared, then fizzled. Will they reinvent themselves When they were first launched, “yieldcos” lit up the stock market like fireworks with their impressive dividends and the prospect of even higher yields to come. But these new renewable-energy stocks flamed out as dramatically as they appeared… http://www.wsj.com/articles/newfangled-energy-stocks-disappoint-1447038121 Final desert renewable energy plan coming Tuesday. The long-awaited day has finally arrived. State and federal officials plan to release part one of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan on Tuesday, nearly seven years to the day after then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for such a plan. The document will designate clean energy development zones and conservation areas across 10 million acres… http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2015/11/09/final-desert-renewable-energy-plan-coming-tuesday/75467484/ Energy minister expects UK to miss renewables target, leaked letter shows. Letter from Amber Rudd revealing UK is forecast to fall 3.5 percentage points short of target exposes ‘dark side of government energy policy’, says Greenpeace. The energy secretary, Amber Rudd, has been accused of misleading the public after a leaked letter revealed that the UK is predicted to fall short of its European Union… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/09/energy-minister-expects-uk-to-miss-renewables-target-leaked-letter-shows Renewable Energy Supply to Double in Major Economies. Renewable energy supply in eight major economies will collectively more than double by 2030 due to new national climate and energy plans, according to a study by the think tank World Resources Institute (WRI). Wind turbine generators are pictured in Desert Hot Springs, California on July 11, 2011. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/renewable-energy-supply-to-double-19650?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed Barrier-breaking physicist clears path for solar power. The leader of the Department of Energy effort to drive down the cost of solar power enjoys a big challenge. When Lidija Sekaric was recruited for the SunShot initiative in 2010, she turned up her nose at the program's goal -- lowering the installed cost of solar from $2 a watt to 50 cents by 2020. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/11/09/stories/1060027624 MISCELLANEOUS GOP takes control of AQMD. A concerted, back-channels effort by Republican leaders has succeeded in gaining a board majority at the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which oversees the regulation and compliance of everything from power plants to gas stations. The selection of Republican Dwight Robinson, a Lake Forest councilman, will give the GOP a 7-6 edge that could result in less stringent air quality policies. LOCAL 1 http://www.ocregister.com/articles/air-348850-ocprint-block-gop.html OPINIONS Airpocalypse, again. With winter coming, China hit by ‘doomsday’ smog. "Fairyland or doomsday?" Sure looks like doomsday. China's state-backed news agency asked Monday. Walking the line between cluelessness and dark comedy, Xinhua's English-language Twitter account on Monday called global attention to what may be the worst air pollution… https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/09/airpocalypse-again-with-winter-coming-china-hit-by-doomsday-smog/ The war against Exxon Mobil. If you care about free speech, you should pay attention to the campaign now being waged against Exxon Mobil. More than 50 environmental and civil rights groups have written Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging her to open a “federal probe” of the giant energy firm. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have also joined the chorus. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-war-against-exxon-mobil/2015/11/08/094ff978-84a6-11e5-8ba6-cec48b74b2a7_story.html Dueling drought relief bills reveal stark differences. As California enters the fifth consecutive year of unprecedented drought, Congress is debating two competing bills designed to provide federal drought relief to California agriculture. The proposals reveal stark differences in proposed federal water and environmental policy. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article43480272.html#storylink=cpy California needs to rid the Valley of cancer-causing pesticide. Ten million pounds. It’s hard to wrap your head around that number, but that was the amount of glyphosate, commonly known by its brand name Roundup, used in California in 2013. As a result, when state officials add glyphosate to the list of known cancer-causing chemicals, as they’re expected to do soon, they will be unmasking a 5 million… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article43617405.html#storylink=cpy Timely reminder of an El Niño's havoc. Central and Southern California are in the midst of a four-year drought, and any talk about an above-average rainy season this fall and winter is welcome news. Two months ago, I wrote about a “Godzilla El Niño” being forecasted by Bill Patzert, a climatologist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/nino-690966-rain-super.html Expect global warming rhetoric to heat up. Let’s be blunt. Forty years of global warming hysteria never has been about the globe getting warmer, or saving the planet. It’s always been about control and money. Their control. Your money. If you need to be told who “they” are, you haven’t been paying attention. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/emissions-690952-gore-control.html Letter: End subsidies for fossil fuel industry, too. End subsidies for fossil fuel industry, too. Joseph Neff’s letter Tuesday (“End subsidies for solar and wind power”) ignores the fossil industry’s tax breaks that rob our public treasury. The biggest fossil fuel subsidy we all pay is for the economic damage from climate change. Ask farmers and their laid-off employees if the 1,000-year drought has hurt them. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20151107/letter-end-subsidies-for-fossil-fuel-industry-too Climate Change: Don’t Forget the Warming Oceans. As the Paris climate meeting rapidly approaches, the preparatory discussions have been remarkably silent on the crucial links between global warming and the health of the world’s oceans. This is a missed opportunity to galvanize global political will behind significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.newsweek.com/climate-change-dont-forget-warming-oceans-391678?piano_d=1 BLOGS The Reality Gap in the Push to Close the Global Warming ‘Emissions Gap’ in Paris. Year by year, the great transition away from the world’s risky carbon-based path to progress is said to be just around the corner. This year’s Emissions Gap report from the United Nations Environment Program, aiming to energize Paris climate talks next month, was released today with this headline… http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/the-reality-gap-in-the-push-to-close-the-global-warming-emissions-gap-in-paris/?_r=0 Symbolic Politics, the Keystone Pipeline, and Climate Policy in the Real World. From burying a car at the first Earth Day to the campaign to ban the Keystone Pipeline, U.S. environmentalists have long demonstrated an affinity for symbolic politics. We obviously knew that one buried car wouldn't stop air pollution, and any reasoned analysis would acknowledge that stopping one pipeline would not eliminate global warming. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/symbolic-politics-the-key_b_8509482.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 14:16:51 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 10, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 10, 2015. 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 Local carbon pricing may help states comply with Clean Power Plan, analysts say. Though the United States has failed to launch a national cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide, individual states and regions provide useful precedents for pricing carbon, experts say. Now that the final rule for U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan is in the open, states are now going over their compliance options. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/10/stories/1060027761 AIR POLLUTION China Alone Now Burns Half The World's Coal, New Data Reveals. China now burns half of the world's coal, according to newly-released data that appears to correct previous government estimates. This latest data shows that China has been burning up to 17 percent more coal annually than its government previously reported. That means China may have also released almost a billion more tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year for the past few years. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100848_china-alone-now-burns-half-the-worlds-coal-new-data-reveals CLIMATE CHANGE Poland's anti-climate rhetoric seen as more hot air than reality. Poland's bid to block global efforts to slow climate change is likely to struggle to gain traction as it risks alienating European partners and as top emitters China and the United States dominate the international debate. Ahead of U.N. talks in Paris on a new climate pact, Poland's president vetoed an amendment to the Kyoto protocol on greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/09/us-climatechange-poland-idUSKCN0SY1SJ20151109#Pkt6OIxmAh4IcqB4.99 Carbon emissions fall in 11 of G20 members, in turning point. Greenhouse gas emissions per capita are falling in 11 of the Group of 20 major economies, a turning point for tackling climate change, a study showed on Tuesday. The report, by a new organization of scientists and other experts called Climate Transparency, also said 15 of the G20 members… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/10/us-climatechange-g-idUSKCN0SZ1G720151110#rZgvWhuviEHTaAho.99 Saudi Arabia says will diversify oil economy to slow climate change. Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, plans to diversify its economy to help combat climate change in a move that could reduce expected carbon emissions by up to 130 million tonnes a year by 2030, the government said on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/10/us-climatechange-saudi-idUSKCN0SZ1TM20151110#BvGAQDzWqzW8khrW.99 Clinton Vows to Make Climate Change ‘Huge' Priority. Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton said Nov. 9 she would continue and expand on President Barack Obama's climate change initiatives as some of her first acts in office. Clinton, speaking in Nashua, N.H., said she would look at renewing executive actions on climate change… http://www.bna.com/clinton-vows-climate-n57982063357/ Saudi Arabia submits climate pledge to UN deal. Petropower offers conditional emissions cuts of up to 130Mt CO2e by 2030, becoming last G20 member to submit plan before Paris summit. Saudi Arabia made its contribution to a climate rescue pact on Tuesday, calling it a “significant deviation” for the emissions of the oil-reliant economy. The world’s largest crude oil producer pledged to achieve “mitigation co-benefits”… http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/11/10/saudi-arabia-submits-climate-pledge-to-un-deal/ DROUGHT To save water, an underground movement to bank El Niño's rainfall. Gary Serrato watched as a tractor worked its way across a field of dried-up weeds, slicing the sandy dirt into orderly furrows. The field was being readied not for a crop but for what he hopes will be a bountiful harvest of floodwater this El Niño winter. "We're going to capture as much as we can," said Serrato, general manager of the Fresno Irrigation District. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-storage-20151109-story.html FUELS RPT-INSIGHT-Keystone's death bolsters "keep carbon in the ground" camp. For environmentalists dedicated to killing it, President Barack Obama's rejection of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline unleashed a moment of euphoria. Activists celebrated with tequila shots at Sierra Club headquarters in San Francisco and in Lafayette Square across from the White House, site of the first anti-Keystone protests in 2011… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/10/climatechange-keystone-strategy-insight-idUSL1N13504M20151110#u6gHQ1IOPhu1SfeC.99 VEHICLES New Government, New Hope For More Electric Cars In Canada? Canadian electric vehicle advocates can look at the election of Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party with cautious optimism, and not just for the party's promise to install charging stations at government buildings. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100831_new-government-new-hope-for-more-electric-cars-in-canada VW RECALL VW only carmaker found cheating by U.S. regulator –magazine. Volkswagen is the only carmaker whose diesel engines have been found so far by a U.S. regulator to be using illicit emissions-control software, German magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported. "Up until now we have found no fraudulent defeat device in vehicles of other brands," the magazine quoted Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB)… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N1353A320151110 VW says software in larger diesel models not seen as 'problematic' by Germany. Germany's KBA motor authority does not regard the use of software in Volkswagen's 3.0-litre V6 diesel engines, which U.S. officials have said was used to cheat air pollution tests, as "problematic", VW's boss in Britain said on Tuesday. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N13536Z20151110 VW Looks at Cost Cuts and Offers Money to Diesel Car Owners. Volkswagen said on Monday that it would begin talks with worker representatives about how to cut costs, in the latest sign that the company’s crisis over cheating on emissions tests is taking a heavy toll. Separately, the German automaker said it would offer up to $1,000 to owners of diesel cars in the United States affected by the scandal. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/business/international/volkswagen-offers-1000-to-diesel-owners.html?_r=2 (The next two items are translation from Wirstchafts Woche, German Newspaper) VW of currently the only manufacturer with fraud software. Good news for car managers around the globe: tests of the California Environmental Protection Agency CARB could reveal so far no exhaust doctoring other car brands. The authority has increased since flying up the fraud by Volkswagen about two months ago several diesel models of other brands under the magnifying glass. "Our testing of diesel vehicles go on," said authority Director Mary Nichols of the WirtschaftsWoche. "So far we have found no fraudulent defeat devices on cars of other brands. That doesn't mean that all emission values are how we would want it. But there is nothing that comes close to the extent of exceedance for VW vehicles." Raised extremely high nitrogen oxide emissions by VW diesel vehicles had the scandal. The manipulation experienced recently by VW at CO2 values play a minor role for CARB so far. Nichols believes that, due to other admission tests in the United States, the most CO2 information are correct. "About the misstatement of the CO2 VW I learned only from the press", said Nichols. In the previous tests, CO2 had played no role. "We look at certainly also this data manipulation", so Nichols. "But there will be other than throw the nitrogen oxides, probably no whole new round of testing, as far as I can currently see that." http://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/auto/kalifornische-umweltbehoerde-carb-vw-bislang-einziger-hersteller-mit-betrugssoftware/12566090.html Chairwoman of the California Environmental Protection Agency sharply criticized VW. Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Environmental Protection Agency, "California Air Resources Board" (CARB), harshly criticized the handling of Volkswagen exhaust amid the scandal. The group have since become aware of the scandal from the perspective of the authority do not adequately responding, she said in an interview with the WirtschaftsWoche. "Volkswagen has not properly dealing with the scandal from my point of view", Nichols said. "They have made provisions for the financial damage and have launched an investigation. It thereby comes them across well to represent the shareholders. "But I don't think that they have recognized the true extent of the damage which has already been set." Volkswagen to realize that with the emissions-related environmental and health damage and present now real solutions to the problems of emissions is crucial from the point of view of authority,: "California nitrogen oxides from cars are a main cause for the particulate matter and ozone pollution", says Nichols. "Every additional gram nitrogen oxides increased the health burden of our citizens. Volkswagen has acknowledged that in any way or made efforts to solve the problem." http://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/auto/vw-skandal-chefin-der-kalifornischen-umweltbehoerde-kritisiert-vw-scharf/12553464.html LUMBER LIQUIDATORS >From Trees to Tigers, Case Shows Cost of Illegal Logging. Historic fine against U.S. retailer Lumber Liquidators is a strike against an illicit industry that’s devastating forests—and rare tigers—in eastern Russia. Lumber Liquidators’ ads are hard to miss. They’re bright yellow and boast of the hardwood floor retailer’s low prices in loud black letters. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/151110-timber-russian-far-east-illegal-logging-siberia/ BLOGS ExxonMobil's war against climate scientists. It is time for ExxonMobil to come clean about the war it waged against climate scientists and their work during the George W. Bush presidency, part of its efforts to stop the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions that affect its products. The company is currently under investigation following accusations that its senior management has known for several decades that burning fossil fuels is the main driver of climate change… http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/259628-exxonmobils-war-against-climate-scientists Don’t weaken the RFS. For over a century, we have seen fossil fuels pollute our environment, damage our climate, and spew toxic chemicals into the air we breathe. Unfortunately, our most vulnerable communities are hit the hardest from this pollution. Poor air quality affects urban areas and communities of color disproportionately. To combat the problem, Congress created America’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2005. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/259614-dont-weaken-the-rfs California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 17:05:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 11- 12, 2015 From: pbrown@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. AIR POLLUTION Valley air district gets $6 million to help combat pollution Jared Blumenfeld, regional administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, talks about the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District receiving a Targeted Air Shed grant of nearly $6 million, which will help fund changing out wood-burning devices and replacing farm tractors. The district also received a federal grant that will help fund additional tractor replacements. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article44170512.html#storylink=cpy India sees clean cooking as climate action that saves lives Kamlesh feeds the flames of a crude clay cookstove with kindling, kerosene and sunbaked discs of cow dung. She breathes in the billowing smoke, as she does for hours every day. Her eyes water and sting. Her throat feels scratchy and sore. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_CLEAN_COOKING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Alarm over Delhi pollution doesn't stop Diwali fireworks The fireworks have fizzled. The festival lights are coming down. What's left of the Hindu holiday of Diwali in the Indian capital - already considered the world's most polluted - is a toxic haze that has residents gagging for oxygen and hiding indoors. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_AIR_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT CLIMATE CHANGE 2 GOP Candidates Have Reasonable Positions on Climate Change. They Won’t Be in Tonight’s Debate. If you were hoping for a reasonable discussion about science during Tuesday night's Republican presidential debates, you're probably going to be sorely disappointed. That's because the only two candidates with serious positions climate change have been excluded from the event. http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/11/fox-business-debate-republicans-climate-change http://www.newsweek.com/one-thing-missing-tonights-gop-debate-serious-discussion-about-climate-change-392654 Record Levels of CO2 Herald the Future of Climate Change Global warming has become a 1-degree Celsius reality, making progress at climate talks in Paris even more imperative. The Earth's climate has changed. After nearly two centuries of fossil fuel-burning, concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have reached 400 parts per million, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/record-levels-of-co2-herald-the-future-of-climate-change/ Kerry says climate change impacts armies as much as polar bears Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Tuesday he will integrate climate change analysis and its national security implications into all future foreign policy planning. In a speech delivered at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, home to the world’s largest naval base and already experiencing flooding linked to climate change, Kerry called climate change a threat to national security. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kerry-says-climate-change-impacts-armies-as-much-as-polar-bears/2015/11/10/00a8c678-87db-11e5-9a07-453018f9a0ec_story.html US textbooks portray climate change as opinion Climate change is possibly happening, humans may or may not be causing it, and it is unclear if we need to take immediate mitigating action, sum up dubious messages emanating from science textbooks in the US. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/us-textbooks-portray-climate-change-opinion-1528127 Marin OKs ambitious climate change goals Ambitious goals to curb greenhouse gas emissions were approved this week by county officials who pledged to meet aggressive targets outlined in a climate change action plan. The county, updating its climate change program, said that by 2020 it intends to cut community greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent below 1990 levels, and those generated by government activities by 15 percent. http://www.marinij.com/government-and-politics/20151111/marin-oks-ambitious-climate-change-goals Cities must take lead role in tackling climate change, says Mexico City mayor Ahead of the Paris climate talks, Mancera says countries should change direction and look to cities for inspiration – while revealing plans for a new water fund to address his city’s major shortages. Once notorious for air pollution, Mexico City’s ability to clean its skies has shown it can also be a leader in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, according to the city’s mayor, Miguel Angel Mancera. http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/12/cities-must-take-lead-role-in-tackling-climate-change-says-mexico-city-mayor 'Science Guy' Bill Nye gets heated up over climate change Bill Nye is discussing his new book on climate change from an apt location: behind the wheel of a Tesla. While electrically navigating the streets of New York City, Nye offers a supercharged warning about the dangers ahead if the problem isn't tackled, and now. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOOKS_QA_BILL_NYE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/bill-bill-bill-bill-nye-book-unstoppable-1.3313741 http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article44231874.html http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOOK_REVIEW_UNSTOPPABLE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Report: Climate change could create extreme poverty Study finds that rising global temperatures contribute to crop losses, food price shocks Rising sea levels from unchecked carbon emissions could drive more than 100 million people into extreme poverty and submerge the homes of over half a billion, two new reports say. The reports have been released ahead of the United Nation's 21st annual global conference on climate change -- known as COP21 -- being held in Le Bourget, France from 30 November to 11 December, 2015 http://www.wcvb.com/national/climate-change-could-create-extreme-poverty/36337946 CLIMATE COUNTDOWN: When's a warming treaty not a treaty? It's the elephant in the negotiating room that few officials want to acknowledge: Whatever international deal comes out of Paris climate talks, it likely won't be a treaty that needs ratification by a reluctant Republican U.S. Congress. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_PRETZEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/11/12/us/politics/ap-us-climate-countdown-pretzel.html Clinton releases plan to help coal country adapt to climate Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign announced a $30 billion plan to help coal country adapt to new climate change policies that could have a striking economic impact on their communities. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AP_US_DEM_2016_CLINTON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT A twist for Paris climate talks: Al Gore the optimist After decades of raising alarms about global warming, former Vice President Al Gore is now raising hopes. As a top-level international climate summit starts later this month in Paris, Gore - who helped negotiate the 1997 climate treaty that didn't control the problem - is sure this time will be different. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_GORE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT The Secrets in Greenland’s Ice Sheets At one point several hundred thousand years ago, snow began falling over the center of the earth’s largest island. The snow did not melt, and in the years that followed, storms brought even more. All around Greenland, the arctic temperatures remained low enough for the snow to last past spring and summer. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/magazine/the-secrets-in-greenlands-ice-sheets.html?_r=0 CAP AND TRADE Shell executive touts carbon tax or cap-and-trade at UH forum A carbon tax or cap-and-trade system in the U.S. - and globally - would serve the energy industry better than the current slate of piecemeal state and federal regulations, Shell Oil Co. President Marvin Odum said Tuesday. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Shell-executive-touts-carbon-tax-or-cap-and-trade-6623749.php http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/11/10/shell-oil-co-president-touts-carbon-tax-over-piecemeal-regulations/ Ontario to detail cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions in coming days Wynne government hopes to cut greenhouse gases, but industry worries about cost increases. Whether you're putting fuel in your car, heating your home or manufacturing a product in Ontario, you'll soon know more about the price the province wants you to pay for the carbon you pump into the atmosphere. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-to-detail-cap-and-trade-system-for-carbon-emissions-in-coming-days-1.3313232 VW RECALL VW emissions scandal pummels prices of used diesel cars Prices for used Volkswagen diesel cars have hit the skids since an emissions scandal broke, but prices for gasoline-powered VWs appear to be relatively unscathed, according to auto industry sources. http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/networth/article/VW-emissions-scandal-pummels-prices-of-used-6625964.php VW offers some employees amnesty for information on cheating Volkswagen is telling non-managerial employees they can come forward with information about how the company cheated on U.S. emissions tests and they won't be fired.http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/business/volkswagen-offering-amnesty-asks-workers-to-come-forward-on-emissions-cheating.html http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/11/12/business/12reuters-volkswagen-emissions-whistleblower.html Former VW CEO Quits as Audi Chair as Emission-Scandal Probes Continue Former Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn has stepped down as chairman of luxury brand Audi amid an investigation of two emissions scandals that occurred during his reign at Europe's largest carmaker. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/11/12/business/12reuters-volkswagen-emissions-audi.html VW’s Emissions-Test Trickery May Not Be Illegal in Europe Four years ago, European auto regulators identified and debated a loophole in their pollution testing rules that could render vehicle emissions tests ineffectual, but it was ultimately left in place, internal documents show. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/12/business/international/vw-scandal-eu-emissions-tests.html DIESEL California transportation funding agreement closer to reality? The California Legislature continues to meet in special session in their pursuit of plans to address some of the $59 billion in state transportation needs over the next decade. However, they don’t appear to be any closer to a deal in the session that started over the summer. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=30095#.VkTzZE3lupo OPINION California Dreamin’—of Lower Prices at the Pump Despite a reputation for being, like, laid back, many Californians are tired of paying top dollar at the pump before heading out on the 405. Still, the machinations of state bureaucrats are set to push prices even higher. http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-dreaminof-lower-prices-at-the-pump-1447285670?alg=y BLOGS John Kerry Wants U.S. Embassies To Consider Climate Change In Their Strategic Planning Extreme weather is linked to global unrest, he said. Secretary of State John Kerry is directing a task force of government officials and experts to start including climate change and its threat on security in all foreign policy planning, he announced Tuesday. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-kerry-climate-change_5642172be4b0307f2caf0074 The Path to Cleaner Air in India It's been unseasonably hot in North India this month; but cooler weather brings not relief but stinging eyes and painful breath. Air pollution has become headline news here -- one of the snippets that flowed from President Obama's visit was that breathing the air had cut six hours off his life-expectancy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope/the-path-to-cleaner-air-i_b_8524312.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 12:19:47 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 13, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 13, 2015. 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 China's gray smog has a blue lining: Air improves this year. Lawyer Wu Congsi has asthma and keeps air purifiers whirring away in his office, home and car to counter Beijing's hazardous smog. He prefers to stay inside unless the sky is blue. But this year, he's been able to regularly walk the 15 minutes or so to work. That's because of some good news that so far has gone little noticed outside of China: The air in Beijing… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_AIR_GETTING_BETTER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Introducing the purple queen. They're called volatile organic compounds or VOCs, that emanate from adhesives, solvents, furnishings and even clothing in well insulated energy-efficient homes. Chemicals used in manufacturing emit fumes that have so affected indoor air quality that the World Health Organization conducted a study to determine how to mitigate the problem. http://www.desertsun.com/story/life/home-garden/maureen-gilmer/2015/11/13/introducing-purple-queen/75499796/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin= CLIMATE CHANGE Al Gore hosting climate telethon from Paris' Eiffel Tower. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is hosting a 24-hour live webcast from the foot of the Eiffel Tower to drum up attention for this month's international climate summit in Paris. Gore, who helped negotiate the 1997 climate treaty that failed to control global warming, will host the round-the-clock event that includes musical performances by Elton John… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_AL_GORE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT French activists 'reclaim' chairs to protest climate change. French climate activists have carried out an unusual bank heist, stealing chairs from two bank branches in a protest linked with the upcoming Paris talks on fighting global warming. The group says Thursday it will use the chairs to organize a "citizens' summit" on social and environmental issues during the COP 21 climate negotiations… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_CLIMATE_PROTEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Farmer sues Pakistan's government to demand action on climate change. Asghar Leghari had had enough. The farmer was tired of watching his family fight against the unpredictable weather that threatened their crops in Rahim Yar Khan District, in Pakistan's South Punjab region. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/13/pakistan-climatechange-lawsuit-idUSL8N1383YJ20151113#Q5KlQBBp20HgQpku.99 The Secrets in Greenland’s Ice Sheets. By studying the largest glaciers on earth, scientists hope to determine whether we’ll have time to respond to climate change or whether it’s already too late. At one point several hundred thousand years ago, snow began falling over the center of the earth’s largest island. The snow did not melt, and in the years that followed, storms brought even more. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/magazine/the-secrets-in-greenlands-ice-sheets.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/11/12/greenland-glacier-melting-global-warming-climate-change/75661092/ U.S. forests will lose ability to sequester CO2 – study. Forests in the United States are projected to lose their ability to absorb the nation's carbon dioxide emissions over the next 25 years, which would force the country to pursue deeper emissions cuts in other sectors to achieve its climate change goals, according to a study published yesterday by two Forest Service scientists. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/11/13/stories/1060027976 DROUGHT How the drought is forging a new California. A dust devil makes its way across hot land made white from dried minerals as a result of the natural lake-bottom buildup and evaporation process April 10, 2015 near Kings County, Calif. The land is situated in part of the San Joaquin Valley that used to contain the Tulare Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the western half of the continental United States. The lake was dried up by the year 1900 due to emerging agriculture in the region. http://www.theterranews.com/content/?p=84374 DIESEL ACTIVITIES A Fullerton startup retrofits old locomotives to reduce their emissions. The locomotive that arrived at the Anaheim rail yard earlier this year, a workhorse of North Carolina’s passenger rail service, has seen better days. Its green paint is smeared with soot. Its enormous diesel fuel tank is coated with grime from feeding the 3,000-horsepower… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/emissions-691886-locomotives-rail.html FUELS The Hottest Energy Trade: A Ride Aboard the Colonial Pipeline. Energy companies and trading firms are scrambling for space on the nation’s biggest refined-fuel pipeline. Energy companies and trading firms are scrambling for space on the nation’s biggest refined-fuel pipeline, as U.S. infrastructure fails to keep pace with the oil boom. The Colonial Pipeline, which covers 5,500 miles stretching from… http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-hottest-energy-trade-a-ride-aboard-the-colonial-pipeline-1447374586 Ryder to Fuel Fleets with 100% Renewable Natural Gas in California. Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R) and Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE), today announced an agreement for Ryder to take the bold step in switching the fuel at their stations in Orange and Fontana, Ca. to Clean Energy’s Redeem™ renewable natural gas (RNG), the cleanest fuel commercially available today. http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2015/11/ryder-to-fuel-fleets-with-100-renewable-natural-gas-in-cali.html Beyond what #Exxonknew, refineries face flooding dangers. Exxon Mobil Corp., the giant oil producer that's drawn outrage and a legal investigation for its handling of internal climate change research, may have a lot to lose from a warming planet, at least according to one measure. Two of Exxon's biggest refineries, in Beaumont and Baytown, Texas, are in low-lying areas… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060027921 VEHICLES Merkel Complained in 2010 About California Emissions Rules. German leader told officials that strict nitrogen-oxide limits were hurting car makers German Chancellor Angela Merkel intervened on behalf of German auto makers with California environment authorities about the state’s tough emissions rules, saying they were hurting German manufacturers, according to a spokesman for California’s environment agency. http://www.wsj.com/articles/merkel-complained-in-2010-about-california-emissions-rules-1447349303 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid coming to market with EPA-estimated 27-mile electric range; starts at $34,600. The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is arriving in select dealerships in 10 states this week with an EPA-estimated 27-mile (43.5-kilometer) All-Electric Range (AER). At the Sonata PHEV’s launch in January, Hyundai had estimated a 22-mile AER (earlier post), which it later bumped up to around 24 miles (earlier post). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151113-sonataphev.html VW RECALL Volkswagen brand sales dip in wake of scandal. Volkswagen's flagship brand saw global auto sales fall 5.3 percent in October in the wake of a scandal over cars equipped with software that let them cheat on U.S. diesel emissions tests. It appeared that economic downturns in Brazil and Russia caused as much or more damage than the scandal to the month's figures. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_VOLKSWAGEN_SALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-13/vw-brand-deliveries-decline-in-october-amid-emissions-scandal http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFF9N13401520151113 http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-sales-fall-in-october-amid-emissions-scandal-1447426173?alg=y http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/11/13/volkswagen-global-sales-dip-53-percent-in-oct-after-scandal Brazil fines Volkswagen $13 million over emissions scheme. The Brazilian government says its environmental protection agency has fined Volkswagen $13 million over the German automaker's emissions cheating scheme. Brazil's Ibama environmental agency also is requiring Volkswagen to present a plan for recalling vehicles sold here that contain software that turns on pollution… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_BRAZIL_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT EPA Will Add On-Road Testing For Emissions Compliance. In the wake of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will expand on-road emissions testing to all diesel vehicles. The agency currently conducts only a handful of on-road tests of new vehicles each year, to confirm laboratory results. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100950_epa-will-add-on-road-testing-for-emissions-compliance GREEN ENERGY Enel sticks to guidance ahead of green merger. Italy's biggest utility, Enel (ENEI.MI), posted a 12 percent rise in core earnings for the third quarter on Friday and beat forecasts, as it prepares to merge with renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power (EGPW.MI). http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/13/us-enel-results-idUSKCN0T21H220151113#Xb8m0vF2H7wd1kFf.99 Clean-energy lender Renovate America tops $1 billion in loans. A leading clean-energy lender has topped $1 billion in loans for home improvements — a milestone for the San Diego company as well as a once-foundering government program to encourage projects that reduce electricity or water use. Renovate America got into the business in 2011 as the Property Assessed Clean Energy financing program… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-renovate-america-20151113-story.html Indian Railways To Issue Green Bonds. One of the world’s largest rail networks is planning to raise funding through green bonds to finance development of renewable energy infrastructure. Indian Railways is expected to issue its first green bonds to finance project development in accordance with the capacity addition targets announced this year. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/11/13/indian-railways-issue-green-bonds/ How solar is turning American energy on its head. It's early days, but solar power is beginning to show how it could recast the entire American power grid. Some power companies are worried. But in Vermont, they're giddy with excitement. At first glance, Baxter Street seems an unlikely place for an energy revolution. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/1112/How-solar-is-turning-American-energy-on-its-head MISCELLANEOUS Expanded budget for turf replacement rebates nearly spent, Santa Clara Valley Water. The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors has kicked in an extra $4.6 million for its popular landscape conversion rebate program. Despite approving the expenditure on Oct. 27, there has been so much interest in the program that the expanded budget of $22.8 million is nearly spent for the year… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20151113/expanded-budget-for-turf-replacement-rebates-nearly-spent-santa-clara-valley-water-district-says OPINIONS How to Respond to Climate Change. To the Editor: Re “Tough Realities of the Climate Talks,” by Steven E. Koonin (Op-Ed, Nov. 4): The first rule in managing any crisis is: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. In order to manage climate change, we have to reduce its primary cause, the greenhouse gas emissions that are making the problem worse by the day. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/opinion/how-to-respond-to-climate-change.html?_r=0 Thanks to climate change, the future looks awfully warm – and very itchy. In the midst of dire headlines and global horror, sometimes the greatest, most devastating terror strikes you right in your home, right in your bedroom, in the middle of the night. I was awoken the other night by an unpleasant itch on the bridge of my nose. In my dizzy half-consciousness… http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/13/thanks-to-climate-change-the-future-looks-awfully-warm-and-very-itchy Melting glacier? Yawn. Climate change is boring, worthy – and terrifying. It’s the existential threat to our species, and it bores us to tears. Admit it. You think the consequences of human-driven climate change are terrifying, but it seems too abstract, too technical and too long term. A recent poll in the US found that, while most Americans accepted that the climate was indeed changing… http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/13/climate-change-melting-greenland-glacier-warning Turning up the heat on Amber Rudd over renewable energy. Amber Rudd admits the UK doesn’t have the right policies to meet the UK’s renewable energy targets (Rudd criticised after leak reveals renewables failure, 10 November), but she is clutching at straws to try to transfer the burden on to transport and renewable heat, while sacrificing a popular grassroots movement that could bring about a real transition to a low-carbon economy… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/12/turning-up-the-heat-on-amber-rudd-over-renewable-energy BLOGS TJ Cox: Clean air is good for business, not just health. “Yuck” was the immediate reply from my off-at-college daughter after I recently texted her a picture of Fresno’s air quality. Yuck is right. Her response made me reflect on a Fresno Bee opinion piece by several members of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Board about the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent proposal to establish more… http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article44265252.html#storylink=cpy California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 11:06:17 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 16, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 16, 2015. 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 investment up 18 pct in 2014 as clean energy surges. Global investment in activities to reduce planet-warming emissions and vulnerability to climate change grew 18 percent to $391 billion in 2014, as private backing for renewable energy technologies surged, researchers said. More money than ever before was channeled into action to curb climate change and its impacts… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N13B2R720151116 House investigators to grill scientists on climate change research. Scientists and top officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have agreed to start interviews akin to depositions this week with House investigators, who are demanding to know their internal deliberations on a groundbreaking climate change study. http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/House-investigators-to-grill-scientists-on-6636220.php Chapman marine biologist looks at climate change's potential effects on marine life. Some may muse about climate change as a far-off eventuality, but many experts say that for the aquatic critters dwelling in Earth's oceans, it is a much more immediate problem – of life and death in some cases. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/wright-692316-hermit-change.html The Republican Solution for Climate Change. Republicans have the ability to offer a market-based solution to climate change, so why aren’t they doing it? William F. Buckley, widely considered the father of modern conservatism, once opined: “Conservatives pride themselves on resisting change, which is as it should be. But intelligent deference to tradition and stability can evolve into intellectual sloth and moral fanaticism, as when conservatives simply… http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/a-conservative-approach-to-addressing-climate-change/415887/?single_page=true&print= Climate summit under terror’s shadow in Paris. Friday's deadly attacks in Paris threaten to cast a shadow on the global climate summit that's set to begin in that city two weeks from now — steering public attention away from the longer-term threat of a warming planet and rising seas toward the more immediate threat of ISIL terrorists. But advocates of a climate pact say hopes for a consensus at the summit could gain… http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/paris-attacks-climate-change-talks-215914 Utilities push dialogue on carbon trading options. Large investor-owned electric utilities that operate in multiple states agree that the cheapest way to cut carbon emissions under the Clean Power Plan is to create the biggest interstate trading system possible. But when it comes to the specifics, they diverge. U.S. EPA has laid out a number of plan formats from which states can choose… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/16/stories/1060028023 U.N.: Climate Talks Will Go On Despite Paris Attacks. France is still planning to host the upcoming climate treaty talks in Paris despite a series of deadly attacks in the country's capital on Nov. 13, United Nations officials said. "COP21 is going ahead as planned ... Security is always tight at U.N. climate conferences, but it is understandable that this year in Paris, it will be even tighter," U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change spokesman Nick Nuttall said. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060028003 DROUGHT El Niño strengthening, will be among biggest on record: WMO. The El Niño weather pattern, a phenomenon associated with extreme droughts, storms and floods, is expected to strengthen before the end of the year and become one of the strongest on record, the U.N. weather agency said on Monday. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said this El Niño was already "strong and mature" and the biggest in more than 15 years. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/16/us-weather-elnino-idUSKCN0T51KA20151116#EEKtV0Ex4vIlCREv.99 Water Conservation Order Is Extended in California. Gov. Jerry Brown has extended his executive order requiring Californians to conserve water as the state prepares for a fifth year of drought. The order, which was announced Friday, gives state water officials expanded authority to take new measures to deal with the parched conditions and to cope with potential storms from an El Niño weather pattern. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/us/water-conservation-order-is-extended-in-california.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 As huge El Niño brews, California fights to keep drought mentality. As experts continue to predict a wet winter because of El Niño, California officials continue to take a cautious approach when it comes to easing water conservation measures amid the state's four-year drought. http://www.latimes.com/local/weather/la-me-ln-as-huge-el-nino-brews-california-fights-to-keep-drought-mentality-20151116-story.html How did some of California's biggest water savers cut even more? By getting creative. Californians could be justifiably proud earlier this fall when the State Water Resources Control Board reported that for the three steamy months of summer, the state had not only met Gov. Jerry Brown's mandated 25% reduction in water use but had surpassed it by nearly 4%. http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-water-saving-20151114-story.html In a warming world, more rain can mean less water. Countries 'may need to prepare for a world where the snow reservoir no longer exists,' researchers say, highlighting the challenges of both too much water and not enough. As California enters its fifth year of severe drought, and as the state pumps more and more groundwater up to the surface, Central Valley farmers watch their fields literally sinking. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1116/In-a-warming-world-more-rain-can-mean-less-water Water-wasting rules may continue after California drought ends. Hope to hose down your driveway one day? It might never happen again. Even when California's historic drought finally ends, many of the water conservation rules put in place this year to cope with the emergency may be here to stay. http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_29121577/california-drought-water-wasting-rules-may-continue-after VEHICLES Best Deals On Hybrid, Electric, Diesel Cars For November 2015. While many people are already starting holiday shopping, carmakers are hoping they'll stop by the local dealership as well. It's a new month, which means there's a new round of deals and incentives on hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric cars, and diesels. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100978_best-deals-on-hybrid-electric-diesel-cars-for-november-2015 Jaguar Electric SUV As Soon As 2017? 'Radical' Styling Planned. Since a concept version was unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, all eyes have been on Audi's electric crossover to be the auto-industry establishment's first true rival to the Tesla Model X. But another luxury brand could beat Audi to the punch. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100977_jaguar-electric-suv-as-soon-as-2017-radical-styling-planned VW RECALL UK parliament launches inquiry into vehicle approval after VW scandal. The British parliament's transport committee said on Monday it would launch an inquiry into whether the system used to approve new vehicles was fit for purpose in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal engulfing Volkswagen. The inquiry will seek "written evidence on the effectiveness of the current arrangements… http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N13B2DL20151116 Volkswagen sales plunge on emissions scandal. The German car maker said it fitted as many as 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide with software that could cheat nitrogen oxide emissions tests. Volkswagen (VLKAF) halted sales of some of its models soon after the scandal broke in September, and is now counting the losses. "The temporary sales stops for vehicles affected by the diesel issue had an impact on sales…http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/04/news/companies/volkswagen-scandal-five-things-to-know/index.html?iid=EL GREEN ENERGY Does Burning Garbage for Electricity Make Sense? Nickolas J. Themelis of Columbia University says it has clear advantages; economist Jeffrey Morris says we should stick with landfills. The amount of garbage produced by the world’s urban dwellers is growing at an astonishing clip. The World Bank has estimated that countries are generating 1.4 billion tons of municipal solid waste each year and forecasts that this number will double by 2025. What is to be done with all of that stuff? http://www.wsj.com/articles/does-burning-garbage-for-electricity-make-sense-1447643515?alg=y OPINIONS Don’t forget home front on climate change. Notwithstanding Friday’s horrifying attacks in Paris, California’s leaders are bound for the coming United Nations climate conference. And rightfully so: Perhaps the only issue as urgent as the rise of terrorism on the planet is the threat of climate change. Last year was the hottest on record. This year is shaping up to be even hotter. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article44785623.html#storylink=cpy Cap-and-trade cash grab. Ontario’s carbon pricing scheme will deliver profits to polluters and the government, higher prices for consumers and insignificant environmental benefits. The outline released by Ontario’s Liberal government Friday of how it plans to introduce cap-and-trade carbon pricing to Ontario starting Jan. 1, 2017, is the most financially irresponsible document I have ever read in nine years of reporting on climate change and carbon pricing. http://www.torontosun.com/2015/11/14/cap-and-trade-cash-grab California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 12:27:58 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 17, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 17, 2015. 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 intends tougher downwind air-pollution rule in 23 states. The Environmental Protection Agency wants to set tougher new limits on smokestack emissions from nearly two dozen states that burden downwind areas with air pollution from power plants they can't control. At the same time, the EPA moved Tuesday to remove two states —South Carolina and Florida — from the "good neighbor" rules… http://www.sacbee.com/news/article45228804.html#storylink=cpy Government accused of being 'in breach' of Supreme Court air pollution ruling. Government failure to act 'immediately' to Supreme Court's April ruling puts it in breach of legal decision, argues ClientEarth. Environmental lawyers ClientEarth have accused the government of being in breach of a Supreme Court order by failing to take swift action to improve the UK's air quality. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2434935/government-accused-of-being-in-breach-of-supreme-court-air-pollution-ruling EPA proposes updates to its cross-state rule. U.S. EPA today released proposed updates to its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, intended to cut nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from power plants in 23 Eastern states that contribute to downwind ozone air quality problems. By reducing ozone pollution, "this update will help protect the health and lives of millions of Americans," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a news release. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028146 CLIMATE CHANGE Climate activists want to march in Paris despite attacks. Environmental activists said Monday that they want to go ahead with plans to march in Paris before the U.N. climate summit later this month, despite the attacks in the French capital. A coalition of activist groups including Avaaz, Greenpeace and 350.org said that they intend to "hold all the mobilizations currently planned… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_PARIS_ATTACKS_CLIMATE_MARCH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Obama looks for late momentum on climate deal. With a high-stakes deadline two weeks away, President Barack Obama hopes to build momentum on Wednesday for a broad and potentially legacy-burnishing global climate change agreement. At a meeting of chief executives in this Southeast Asian capital, Obama was expected to urge business leaders to reduce emissions in their operations… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_OBAMA_CLIMATE_ASOL-?SITE=VANOV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Report details impact of climate change in Puget Sound, sees more flooding, rising sea levels. The Puget Sound region is projected to face more intense flooding, rising sea levels, heavier downpours and thinner winter snowpack as temperatures continue to warm in coming decades, according to a report released Tuesday by the University of Washington. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WA_PUGET_SOUND_CLIMATE_CHANGE_WAOL-?SITE=ILROR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT#ixzz3rmDRnnfj The hidden factor that could undermine U.S. plans to cut carbon emissions. We tend to have a greatly oversimplified view of the planet’s carbon problem — and therefore, of what we have to do to solve it. The general notion is that it’s all about fossil fuels, and so if we stop driving so much and using so much coal, we solve climate change. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/11/16/the-hidden-factor-that-could-complicate-u-s-plans-to-cut-carbon-emissions/ Despite attacks, Brown will attend U.N. climate summit in Paris next month. Gov. Jerry Brown is still planning to travel to Paris next month for the highly anticipated United Nations summit on climate change, which French leaders said will go on despite Friday's terrorist attacks. "As long as events move forward, the governor intends to participate," Evan Westrup, a spokesman for Brown, said Monday. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-brown-climate-20151117-story.html Paris climate deal meeting still on as Republican leaders register opposition. Despite Friday’s horrific attacks, Obama and other world leaders will attend talks in France, as Republicans in Congress continue to fight Obama’s climate plan. The point person behind Barack Obama’s environmental agenda has declared Americans are fed up with climate change denial… http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/16/paris-climate-deal-meeting-still-on-despite-attacks-as-republican-leaders-register-opposition Germany unites with Calif. in climate action pact. Germany and regions within the country have signed onto the California-led pact committing to actions aimed at keeping global warming's temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius. The European nation has joined the alliance known as "Under 2 MOU." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028106 Utility steps in to protect U.S. historic site, at a price. The first English settlement in the United States could mostly drown or wash away from sea-level rise, and while a power company wants to help mitigate this, it would come at a price of installing power lines. "The issue with Jamestown Island is the visual aesthetics… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028068 DROUGHT El Niño could be the most powerful on record, scientists say. A key location of the Pacific Ocean is now hotter than recorded in at least 25 years, surpassing the temperatures during the record 1997 El Niño. Some scientists say their measurements show that this year’s El Niño could be among the most powerful on record -- and even toppling the 1997 event from its pedestal. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-temperatures-new-record-20151117-story.html As huge El Niño brews, California fights to keep drought mentality. As experts continue to predict a wet winter because of El Niño, California officials continue to take a cautious approach when it comes to easing water conservation measures amid the state's four-year drought. Officials have long feared heavy rains would reduce conservation by residents, even though a major El Niño would not end the drought by a long shot. http://www.latimes.com/local/weather/la-me-ln-as-huge-el-nino-brews-california-fights-to-keep-drought-mentality-20151116-story.html El Niño prompts state of emergency. San Diego council makes declaration to speed up flood preparation. Concerned that El Niño rains might cause significant flooding this winter, the San Diego City Council unanimously declared a local state of emergency on Monday that could help accelerate clearing of clogged drainage channels. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/nov/16/el-nino-winter-rains-preparation-drainage/ AUDIO: California’s vast water systems may not mesh with future needs. For more than a century, California has relied on its reservoirs, rivers and dams fed by snowmelt to provide the majority of its water. The massive State Water Project and its federal twin, the Central Valley Project exemplify that approach. And as effective as all that concrete in dams and canals was in the 20th Century, it might be the wrong idea… http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=29451 FUELS Coal not going away anytime soon despite renewables push. Coal: Can't live with it and can't live without it - at least not yet. It is the biggest source of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that negotiators around the world hope to limit in an agreement to be thrashed out in Paris next month. Demand for coal is leveling off, but it will remain a key energy source for decades… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_COALS_FUTURE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Manure from millions of hogs fuels natural gas project. One recipe for renewable natural gas goes: Place manure from about 2 million hogs in lagoons, cover them with an impermeable material and let it bake until gas from the manure rises. Then, use special equipment to clean the gas of its impurities and ship the finished product out. That's the vision of one of the largest biogas projects of its kind in the U.S. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HOG_MANURE_BIOGAS_PROJECT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT No Keystone, No Problem: TransCanada Turns to Mexico Expansion. Days after the U.S. spurned TransCanada Corp.’s proposal to expand its Keystone pipeline network across North America, Mexico opened its arms. TransCanada won the rights last week for its sixth pipeline in Mexico, one of the company’s key targets for growth. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-17/no-keystone-no-problem-transcanada-turns-to-mexico-expansion Diesel prices down 2 cents. The average U.S. retail pump price for diesel was down 2 cents in the Nov. 16 report by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), to $2.482 per gallon. The price is about $1.18 per gallon cheaper than this time last year. Prices were down in every region of the country, paced by California where the cost fell 3.4 cents to $2.769. http://fleetowner.com/fuel/diesel-prices-down-2-cents Enormous Northwest refineries would feed China exclusively. China is seeking to tap the flood of cheap natural gas coming from the interior of North America by converting it to methanol at three huge refineries in Washington and Oregon. The processing plants, collectively called Northwest Innovation Works, have received little attention despite their head-snapping impact: http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028071 Biodiesel makers lobbying Hill to reinstate tax credit. Biodiesel makers are pushing members of Congress this week to reinstate an expired tax credit to produce the renewable fuel, a financial support whose absence has hurt the domestic industry, according to the National Biodiesel Board. Nearly 100 industry representatives are meeting with lawmakers today to reinstate the biodiesel tax… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028134 LA AUTO SHOW 2017 Ford Escape debuts ahead of the L.A. Auto Show. Ford isn't one to wait, apparently. Two days before the 2015 L.A. Auto Show media preview, the Dearborn-based automaker opted to unveil the newest version of its popular Escape crossover. Wearing a new familial face to bring it into line with larger sport-utes, like the Explorer and Edge, the new Escape places a premium on fuel economy and safety features. http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/news/la-auto-show-2017-ford-escape-breaks-cover-article-1.2437467 http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2015/1117/Ford-unveils-2017-Escape-crossover-at-Los-Angeles-Auto-Show L.A. Auto Show: New VW plug-in hybrid could make diesel drivers happy, if it gets to market. VW’s Golf onslaught continues. Already, the German automaker’s hatchback is available in gas, all-electric and, as VW would rather us forget, diesel versions. At this week’s L.A. Auto Show, it will show a sporty plug-in hybrid with such impressive performance figures and truly low emissions that it might be a worthy substitute for VW’s diesel devotees. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/gte-692350-electric-sport.html VW RECALL VW sales dip in Europe, but no more than competitors. European car buyers appear reluctant to punish Volkswagen for its emissions scandal, penalizing the German automaker's sales last month no more than some of its mass-market competitors. The European car market expanded 2.9 percent in October, topping 1.1 million units as growth slowed in all major markets… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_CAR_SALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Washington Takes Legal Action Over Volkswagen's Diesel Pollution. Washington is taking legal action against Volkswagen in the wake of a diesel vehicle scandal. Back in September, Volkswagen admitted to installing special software in some of its diesel vehicles, causing them to give false readings during pre-sale air quality tests. http://www.opb.org/news/article/washington-announces-action-against-volkswagen-over-diesel-emissions/ Volkswagen Emissions Scandal: VW, Audi Executives To Meet US Regulators Ahead Of Deadline As Crisis Deepens. Volkswagen and Audi executives are expected to meet U.S. environmental regulators this week ahead of a deadline to submit a plan to fix nearly 500,000 diesel cars that are equipped with the rigged emissions software, sources told Reuters Monday. http://www.ibtimes.com/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-vw-audi-executives-meet-us-regulators-ahead-deadline-2187446 VW Diesel Ad Pledges It's 'Working To Make Things Right. While U.S. recalls of diesel cars fitted with "defeat device" software still haven't been announced, Volkswagen has begun the process of trying to market its way out of the current emissions scandal. It placed a series of full-page ads in U.S. newspapers Sunday declaring its good intentions, and plugging a customer goodwill program. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100985_vw-diesel-ad-pledges-its-working-to-make-things-right GREEN ENERGY Dominion Energy acquires solar project in Accomack County. An 80-megawatt solar energy project in Accomack County has been acquired by Dominion Energy. Dominion Energy says the Amazon Solar Farm U.S. East will provide power to Amazon Web Services. The project also has secured interconnection agreements with Delmarva Power. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article45163716.html#storylink=cpy Mexico moves to elevate its global energy status. Mexico is seeking to join the ranks of the world's largest energy importers. It's a slightly unusual development as Mexico is still a net energy exporter, primarily of crude oil. But Mexico's overall energy consumption is rising and its energy imports are growing. Its energy trade with the United States is diversifying, as well, as Mexico… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028083 Solar lamps and clean cookstoves for refugees could ease cost and emissions. Away from the media glare focused on the European migrant crisis, most of the nearly 60 million forcibly displaced refugees in the world today live in the shadows, without proper access to the basic necessities of life, including energy. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028105 EPA climate rule could boost solar, wind in Ariz. – study. A new study says Arizona could meet carbon-cutting goals in U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan simply by developing the state's abundant and already available solar and wind power resources over the next 15 years. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028135 MISCELLANEOUS Lumber Liquidators tightens vinyl flooring standards. Retailer Lumber Liquidators Inc. will stop selling vinyl flooring made with reprocessed plastic and will limit its lead content, the company and advocacy groups said today. The company, which worked with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families and its Mind the Store campaign, said it would be the first major retailer to phase out the use of reprocessed plastic in vinyl flooring. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/11/17/stories/1060028141 OPINIONS Gambling the World Economy on Climate. The emission-cut pledges will cost $1 trillion a year and avert warming of less than one degree by 2100. The United Nations climate conference in Paris starting Nov. 30 will get under way when most minds in the French capital will still understandably be on the recent terror attacks. http://www.wsj.com/articles/gambling-the-world-economy-on-climate-1447719037?alg=y Seyed Sadredin: Wood smoke can make Valley air dangerous to breathe. The Valley Air District’s mission is to improve the health and quality of life for all Valley residents through efficient, effective and entrepreneurial air quality management strategies. We do this through regulations designed to protect public health, through public education to empower Valley residents… http://www.modbee.com/opinion/article45227706.html#storylink=cpy When Will We Start To See 'Tailpipes' On Cars As Morally Wrong? The economists call them "externalities." They're the costs of people's actions on other people or communities--but the people taking those actions don't have to pay for those costs, even though they harm others. And the emissions from combusting fossil fuels are clearly a prime example. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101015_when-will-we-start-to-see-tailpipes-on-cars-as-morally-wrong BLOGS The Environmental Failure of ‘Green’ Schools. TODD MYERS: In the name of energy efficiency, school districts across the country are building new schools to “green” building standards that promoters promise will deliver huge energy savings. The most prominent system, known as LEED for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, promises energy savings and environmental benefit. The record, however, is different. http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/11/17/the-environmental-failure-of-green-schools/ This Coal Mine Could Create More CO2 Emissions Than Entire Countries. Australia’s Carmichael coal mine project has been under major scrutiny by large conservation groups and prominent Australians for months. Now, progressive think tank the Australia Institute has found just how damaging the emissions from burning coal at the mine could really be. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/11/16/3722647/single-coal-mine-create-co2-emissions-entire-countries/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20climateprogress/lCrX%20%28Climate%20Progress%29 California hoping for a snowier ski season this year. Forecasters are hoping that a strong El Nino winter will bring above-average precipitation to California this season. Some ski resorts already opened after fresh powder blanketed parts of the Sierra following a winter-like storm in early November. The wet weather did not end the state's four-year drought… http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/California-hoping-for-a-snowier-ski-season-this-year-351081541.html CIA Director Delivers Some Blunt Talk About....Climate Change I don't happen to think that a concern over a massive program of warrantless domestic surveillance is "handwringing," but OK. That's Brennan's opinion. However, for all the people pointing to Brennan as a voice of authority for his blunt talk about surveillance, how about if we also pay attention to his blunt talk about climate change? http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/11/cia-director-delivers-some-blunt-talk-aboutclimate-change California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 12:17:12 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 18, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 18, 2015. 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 White House threatens to veto U.S. Senate challenge of power plant rule. The White House issued a veto threat on Tuesday for a resolution from the Republican-led U.S. Senate that would nullify new regulations to cut carbon emissions from power plants, the central piece of President Barack Obama's climate plan. The Senate sponsors of the motion have said the Environmental Protection Agency regulation… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/17/us-usa-climatechange-congress-veto-idUSKCN0T628720151117#RdhOuXkRMCaMQoPZ.99 In Coal Setback, Rich Nations Agree to End Export Credits. Members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development struck an historic agreement Tuesday to scale back public financing for coal-fired power plants, dealing another blow to the industry ahead of a global summit on climate change in Paris. Under the agreement, detailed by the White House in a conference call, the world’s richest economies will restrict subsidies… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-18/in-latest-blow-to-coal-rich-nations-agree-to-end-export-credits Britain Calls for Closing of Coal-Fired Power Plants by 2025. The British government on Wednesday called for the closing of all coal-fired power plants in the country by 2025, and proposed that use of the plants be restricted two years before that. The move, announced in advance of the United Nations conference on climate change set to open in Paris on Nov. 30… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/19/business/energy-environment/britain-to-close-coal-fired-power-stations-by-2025.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Environmentalists ask judge to halt $500-million harbor-area rail yard. A coalition of environmentalists, community groups and Long Beach officials is seeking a court order to halt construction of a controversial $500-million Port of Los Angeles rail yard that they claim will increase pollution in surrounding low-income, minority communities. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-port-project-lawsuit-20151117-story.html CLIMATE CHANGE Getting that sinking feeling in tortuous U.N. climate talks. Abdullahi Majeed was a young delegate for the Maldives when low-lying island states warned for the first time in 1989 that climate change and rising seas could "threaten the very survival" of some nations. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/us-climatechange-summit-negotiator-idUSKCN0T70P920151118#u7p8jqcI0clcGK8U.99 Obama Tells CEOs Climate Change Offers Growth Opportunities. The president’s call to action, delivered to executives from some of the world’s biggest companies at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Manila, was made in anticipation of talks in Paris starting late this month intended to deliver binding targets for each nation to cut carbon emissions. “http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NXYHXLSYF01S01-41VBLL04BT4V23U9S9F8FC08G9 After attacks, Paris prepares for climate change talks. California has long led the world in tackling climate change. Now, Golden State leaders hope the rest of the world will follow their lead. Negotiators from more than 190 countries will gather in Paris two weeks from Monday, in a last-ditch effort to strike a deal that averts catastrophic levels of global warming. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/11/14/paris-climate-talks-nations-look-california/75540806/ Berkeley reduces greenhouse gas emissions, report says. Residents and businesses in this green-conscious city are treading ever more softly on the earth, an analysis shows, but more work needs to be done to achieve the goals of the Climate Action Plan. Berkeley reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 9 percent between 2000 and 2013 even though the population in that time span increased by 14 percent… http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_29130478/berkeley-reduces-greenhouse-gas-emissions-report-says What we don't know about the carbon cycle could hurt you. Palm trees flower here in flashes of magenta and orange. Luscious green fronds drag on the floor, and ropelike lianas hang off trees, topped by giant flowers. Ignoring the brilliance all around, 22 scientists trudged through their forest with their eyes planted on the floor. At times, they picked up roots. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/18/stories/1060028165 Politicization of climate change hinders adaptation in cities – report. Portland, Ore., gets it -- adapting to climate change, that is. Local decision makers in the liberal city, with a bustling population of just over 600,000 people, reported very high levels of concern about climate change and advanced adaptation plans, according to an analysis undertaken by researchers at George Washington University (GW). http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/18/stories/1060028192 DROUGHT California Water Agencies Want More Flexibility To Meet Conservation Requirements. Sacramento-area water agencies are hoping that the state will give them less stringent water conservation requirements going forward. Last week in an executive order, California Governor Jerry Brown called for extending water restrictions through October next year if the drought continues. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/11/17/california-water-agencies-want-more-flexibility-to-meet-conservation-requirements/ FUELS Following in Shell’s footsteps, oil major Statoil will also exit the Alaskan Arctic. Statoil, the major Norwegian oil company, announced Tuesday that just like Royal Dutch Shell, it too is abandoning plans of drilling in the Alaskan Arctic. The company said it is exiting 16 leases under its own operation and also shutting down its Anchorage, Alaska office. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/11/17/following-in-shells-footsteps-oil-major-statoil-will-also-exit-the-alaskan-arctic/ Propel Fuels reports strong consumer adoption of renewable diesel in SoCal; retail sales up 300% over biodiesel. Propel launched Diesel HPR across Southern California in August 2015, and consumer adoption of the fuel has risen 300% compared to its former biodiesel product (B20). (Earlier post.) Utilizing Neste’s NEXBTL renewable diesel, Propel’s Diesel HPR is a low-carbon, drop-in renewable fuel that meets the ASTM D-976 petroleum diesel specifications… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151118-propel.html VEHICLES UPDATE 1-China's Geely aims for 90 pct of sales to be green energy cars by 2020. China's Geely Automobile Holdings plans to concentrate entirely on developing green energy vehicles, eschewing traditional combustion engines and completely overhauling its product portfolio, the company said on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/autos-geely-idUSL3N13D3YA20151118#7pIgYFlG0cVYdXUP.99 Toyota says its fuel-cell vehicle gaining traction in California. Toyota Motor Corp's hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are gaining traction in California, where 22 of the company's Mirai cars have been delivered in its first month of availability, company officials said on Tuesday. Toyota has ambitious plans to sell 30,000 fuel-cell vehicles globally by 2020… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/autoshow-losangeles-toyota-idUSL1N13C2OR20151118#XQZ1VbVTQiY8dS55.99 Honda Clarity On Sale Late In 2016; Plug-In Hybrid To Get 40 Miles Of Range. The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell hydrogen fuel-cell car will go on sale in the U.S. in late 2016, and initially it will be sold only in California. It will be followed in 2018 by a plug-in hybrid vehicle that shares its platform, which Honda says will have 40 miles of electric range or more. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101043_honda-clarity-on-sale-late-in-2016-plug-in-hybrid-to-get-40-miles-of-range GREEN ENERGY Enel approves merger with green subsidiary. Italy's biggest utility Enel and its renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power said on Wednesday their boards had approved plans to merge the companies to boost growth and generate synergies. The deal will be carried out through a partial non-proportional spin-off of Enel Green Power http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/enelgreenpower-enel-idUSI6N13001P20151118#zCYm6h2y4m5QpohH.99 White House pushes community solar power as rooftop alternative. About half of electric customers can't install solar panels because they don't own their building, don't get enough sun or don't have a large, south-facing roof to install solar panels, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Those technical challenges are a particular hurdle for low- and middle-income customers… http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/17/white-house-pushes-community-solar-power-rooftop-alternative/75950054/ Lower-cost wind and solar will drive energy storage technology. Large wind and solar farms can compete in the power market even with low natural gas prices and will drive the adoption of technology to store renewable energy, according to an analysis by financial advisers Lazard. The cost to build a utility-scale solar photovoltaic plant has fallen by about 80 percent since 2009 while wind projects… http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_29130632/lower-cost-wind-and-solar-will-drive-energy Clean Energy Tax Incentive Will Hit Its Cap. A program to lure clean energy and other green businesses to California will run out of money for the first time. A state program started in 2010 awards up to $100 million per year in tax breaks to clean energy, electric vehicle, and energy efficient manufacturing companies, to encourage them to locate in the state. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/11/17/clean-energy-tax-incentive-will-hit-its-cap/ Well-connected group brings Calif., N.Y. together on distributed energy. California and New York regulators are working together in the fast-moving policy arena of distributed energy. Both states are at the forefront of policymaking on rooftop solar systems and other technologies on the distribution side of the electric grid. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/11/18/stories/1060028185 OPINIONS California's gasoline demand slowed over the summer: Kemp. California motorists drive almost 1 billion miles every day, and in doing so consume around 40 million gallons of gasoline and 8 million gallons of diesel. Californians use their cars a bit less than the average U.S. resident but the state’s population is so large it is one of the largest driving markets in the world. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/us-california-gasoline-kemp-idUSKCN0T71LT20151118#fICO17yiictEbZPl.99 Volkswagen Needs an Activist. VW's investors have paid a high price for their hands-off approach to owning the German carmaker. In the wake of the diesel emissions scandal, VW needs outspoken, activist shareholders to press it to change gear. VW has long traded at a discount to other carmakers. That's in part due to governance risks, including an almost total lack of independent shareholders… http://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2015-11-18/activist-investor-needed-after-volkswagen-emissions-scandal BLOGS Japan Satellite Shows Global CO2 Levels Near 400 Parts Per Million. Operators of the world’s first satellite designed to measure greenhouse gas levels from space said Monday that the monthly average level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is likely to exceed 400 parts per million next year. The satellite, called Ibuki, is able to observe CO2 levels in all layers of the atmosphere… http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/11/17/japan-satellite-shows-global-co2-levels-near-400-parts-per-million/ Exxon's Handling of Climate Change Raises Questions About Board Oversight at Oil Giant. Corporate boards and the critical oversight function they play have come to the fore over the last year. You don't need to look any further than the scandal roiling ExxonMobil to understand the high stakes at play. Exxon is facing a moment of truth with potentially huge financial ripples. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mindy-s-lubber/exxons-handling-of-climate-change_b_8577556.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 14:56:47 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 19, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS China expects consensus to be reached at Paris talks. China expects world leaders at upcoming climate talks in Paris to be able to reach consensus, the country's climate change special representative Xie Zhenhua said on Thursday, adding Beijing wants a legally binding treaty. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N13E1NU20151119 Other related articles: http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NY1R8T6JTSEE01-23AA0ICKH88DVMOTJ5HGD0OSVI Courting business, Obama presses for climate action in Asia. Aggressive action to fight climate change will be a boon for businesses in Asia and beyond, President Barack Obama is asserting as he reaches for a global climate change agreement he hopes will burnish his environmental legacy. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_OBAMA_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Britain Calls for Closing of Coal-Fired Power Plants by 2025. The British government on Wednesday called for the closing of all coal-fired power plants in the country by 2025, and proposed that use of the plants be restricted two years before that. The move, announced in advance of the United Nations conference on climate change set to open in Paris on Nov. 30, appeared aimed at showing Britain as a leader in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/19/business/energy-environment/britain-to-close-coal-fired-power-stations-by-2025.html France, UN: Climate finance must ramp up. French president Francois Hollande met UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon yesterday to discuss ways to ensure an ambitious outcome of the Cop 21 climate change conference in Paris in December. Talks on the deal will resume at the end of this month, with only 10 official negotiating days before the Paris meeting begins, and amid concerns that too many issues remain undecided. http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1093526 CLIMATE CHANGE Brazil carbon emissions dip overall, but most sectors show increases. Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions fell 0.9 percent in 2014, according to a network of local environmental organizations, which expressed concern that only one sector, though a large one, showed a decline. The drop last year to 1.558 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) resulted solely because Brazil managed to reduce deforestation after a spike in 2013, the Climate Observatory said in a report released on Thursday. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N13E36W20151119 Senators Revive Financing Tactic From ’70s for Carbon Emissions. For years, power companies, manufacturers and entrepreneurs have tried to make capturing and storing carbon emissions from industrial operations like burning coal into a business, to little avail. Despite decades of promising research, demonstration projects and government investment, large-scale developments have often proved too difficult and costly to get off the ground. But now two senators think they have hit on a way to move the industry forward. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/19/business/energy-environment/senators-revive-financing-tactic-from-70s-for-carbon-emissions.html?_r=0 Runaway global warming becomes a concern as permafrost melts. Northwest Territories -- In a fragile landscape where footsteps leave an imprint for years, Jennifer Baltzer stood and surveyed the surrounding bog of green sphagnum moss. Black spruce trees tilted here and there like drunkards. Using a metal rod, Baltzer, an ecologist with Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, pierced the ground near a spruce. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060028256 Bad Credit is Making Global Warming Worse. Bad credit now threatens the international effort to limit carbon emissions. At the Paris climate conference next month, policymakers will pledge massive rollouts of wind and solar. But the issue of financing is mostly addressed as an afterthought. You can’t end global warming by decree; you need money, lots of it. If renewable energy is to grow on a scale anywhere close to what’s required, rich countries need to guarantee solar and wind bonds in the developing world. It is in the developing world where most of the additional carbon released into the atmosphere will come from. http://fortune.com/2015/11/19/global-climtate-sumit-paris-climate-change/ The Forgotten U.N. Climate Goal: 1.5°C. While much of the attention on a historic Paris climate meeting in the coming weeks will focus on the confounding task of trying to keep global warming below 2°C, or 3.6°F, a battle over another goal — one that has been forgotten by many — will be playing out in the negotiating halls. Delegates representing island states and others whose homelands are most threatened by rising seas will be pushing for the formal adoption of a long-overlooked goal, one that limits warming to less than 1.5°C, or 2.7°F. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/the-forgotten-un-climate-goal-19701?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed VOLKWAGEN Volkswagen Says 120,000 U.S. Diesel Owners Will Get Gift Cards, Repairs. Volkswagen of America said on Wednesday that 120,000 owners of diesel cars that have violated U.S. emission standards will receive $500 gift cards and $500 toward vehicle repairs. Last week, Volkswagen said it was offering a $500 prepaid Visa gift card, a separate card good for $500 toward services at a VW dealerships and free 24-hour roadside assistance for three years. In total, that could mean at least $120 million in benefits to the participating owners. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/11/19/business/19reuters-volkswagen-usa.html FUELS DOE to issue funding opportunity for up to $35M for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies RD&D. The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it will issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Research, Development, and Demonstrations” (No. DE-FOA-0001412). This FOA will provide funding to meet the DOE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office’s (FCTO’s) goals for hydrogen production and delivery, hydrogen storage, fuel cell technologies, technology validation, manufacturing, and analysis programs. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151118-doe.html Gasoline Most Expensive Over Oil as Refinery Profit Increases. Gasoline at the pump hasn’t been so expensive against its raw material, crude oil, since at least 2004. Regular gasoline in the U.S. has averaged $1.13 a gallon more than Brent crude, the global benchmark, so far in 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg based on AAA prices and Brent futures. That’s almost 20 cents a gallon higher than the average in the past 10 years. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NXCTQS6KLVRJ01-1QJOMIB6RACC9CN647OFDK2AVL Proof-of-principle of cost-effective methane cracking technology for H2 production without CO2; 50% cleaner than SMR, comparable to electrolysis. Researchers of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have achieved the proof-of-principle for a innovative technique to extract hydrogen (H2) from methane (CH4) without the formation of CO2 as a byproduct. At this stage, cost estimates are uncertain, since methane cracking is not yet a fully mature technology. However, preliminary calculations show that it could achieve costs of €1.9 to €3.3 per kilogram of hydrogen at German natural gas prices—without taking the market value of the solid black carbon byproduct of the process into consideration. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151119-iass.html VEHICLES Geely Auto Seeks 90% Sales From New-Energy Vehicles by 2020. About two-thirds of Geely’s new-energy vehicle sales will come from plug-in hybrids and gasoline-electric hybrids by the end of the decade, with the remaining from battery-electric vehicles, the company said on Wednesday. China has a deadline requiring automakers to lower average fuel consumption across their models from 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers this year to no more than 5 liters/100 km by 2020. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NXY8026JIJUQ01-4FB1UFFRPSJFN21M35PP4D5ONH Army tests fuel cell Chevy Colorado. Can a pickup truck powered by a fuel cell endure the rigors of military missions? Over the next 12 months, General Motors and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center (TARDEC) will deploy a Chevrolet Colorado, equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system where is will be exposed to daily military use. http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2015/11/19/army-tests-fuel-cell-chevy-colorado/76013596/ GM, TARDEC to modify Chevy Colorado to run on hydrogen. General Motors Co. said Thursday that the automaker and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center (TARDEC) are altering a Chevy Colorado pickup to run on hydrogen fuel cells and will test the vehicle in extreme military use for a year. GM said it would announce more details on the vehicle and timing later. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2015/11/19/gm-tardec-modify-chevy-colorado-run-hydrogen/76038668/ Free Electric-Car Charging For Ford C-Max Energi Owners (For 3 Years). Charging an electric car is already much cheaper than paying for gasoline, but free charging can be even more attractive. Tesla offers its free network of Supercharger DC fast-charging stations and Level 2 AC stations, and Nissan has offered free charging as a promotion to drive showroom traffic. Now, Ford is jumping on the free-charging bandwagon with its EV 1-2-3 Charge card. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101050_free-electric-car-charging-for-ford-c-max-energi-owners-for-3-years ROEV Association forms to promote public EV charging interoperability. Automakers, electric vehicle charging networks and other stakeholders have joined together to create the ROEV Association (ROEV), a neutral collaboration of industry stakeholders designed to support EV adoption by facilitating public charging network interoperability. Initial automaker members include BMW of North America, Nissan, Honda and Audi; the three largest charging networks in the US—CarCharging/Blink, ChargePoint, and NRG EVgo—are also participating. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/roev-association-forms-to-promote-public-ev-charging-interoperability.html GREEN ENERGY Europe sees 2 major moves toward reliance on renewable energy. Enel SpA, the biggest utility in Italy and among the biggest in Europe, is buying out the minority shareholders of its renewable energy business, Enel Green Power. The company called the consolidation "beneficial," predicting it will reduce the volatility of producing electricity, smooth out grid connections and take advantage of the "acceleration in the pace of growth in the renewable business." The firm announced that it had approved the purchase in a statement yesterday as part of its corporate plan for the next four years. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060028272 Why many states are panicked by the federal clean power plan. The four huge power plants that stand smoking in Colstrip, Mont., don't just employ hundreds of workers. They pay property taxes that allow the city of some 2,000 people to afford services other remote, rural communities lack, such as a parks and recreation department. The electricity-generating plants consume almost all the coal mined at the Rosebud Mine, the second-largest coal mine in Montana. When the mine removes - or "severs" - coal from the earth, the mining company pays the state a severance tax on the value of the coal. http://www.sacbee.com/news/news-services/article45355305.html MISCELLANEOUS One of 10 Things: New generation hybrid. Where's a hydrogen fueling station when you need one? Granted, we're enjoying the (relatively) low gasoline prices of late. But we can't help anticipating the day when we "gas up" on hydrogen, one of the few alternate energy sources packing enough punch to compete with fossil fuels as a vehicle fuel. http://www.bakersfield.com/News/2015/11/18/One-of-15.html OPINION Joel Fox: Imaging California without oil – two different perspectives. A week ago, Zocalo Public Square published an article, Imagining California Without Oil Refineries, by one of its editors, Lisa Margonelli, suggesting that Californians are embracing new technology that will lead to an oil free future. Meanwhile, the California Resources Corporation (CRC), a publicly traded oil and natural gas exploration and production company, produced a website also asking Californians to imagine the state without oil. The two imaginings could not have been more apart. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/11/imagining-california-without-oil-two-different-perspectives/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 10:44:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 23, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 23, 2015. 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 Heads of state confirm Paris climate talks attendance – source. Heads of state invited to climate talks in Paris starting on Nov. 30 have confirmed they will attend even after the Nov. 13 attacks by Islamic State militants that killed 130 people, a French presidency source said. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/11/22/climatechange-summit-leaders-idINKCN0TB07O20151122 FEATURE-Climate change sends Chile's wine industry southward. Well into their drive to make Chile's wines less about bang-for-your-buck and more about premium vino, vintners in the world's fourth largest wine exporter are watching some of their promising vines wither with climate change. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountain range on the east… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/climatechange-summit-chile-wine-idUSL1N13038E20151123#Dt921aKPHxJyX2fc.97 The Climate Change Pledges Are In. Will They Fix Anything? Nearly 200 countries will meet in Paris in early December to work on the global agreement addressing climate change. By 2025, the United States has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent from 2005 levels. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/11/23/world/carbon-pledges.html More than 2,000 academics call on world heads to do more to limit global warming. Linguist Noam Chomsky and historian Naomi Oreskes among signatories of open letter urging leaders to limit warming to 1.5C, rather than current 2C target, at Paris climate talks. More than 2,000 academics from over 80 countries – including linguist Noam Chomsky, climate scientist Michael E Mann… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/23/over-2000-academics-world-heads-do-more-limit-global-warming-noam-chomsky Why do so many Americans doubt climate change? A Yale University survey showed one-fifth of Americans do not think climate change is real, even though there is a near-consensus among scientists that the problem exists. Where does the split come in? http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1123/Why-do-so-many-Americans-doubt-climate-change Exposing a small part of a forest to the 'threatening' heat of 2100. Yellow cables marked "danger" carry 480 volts of electricity through the rainforest. The cables reach into a circular metal scaffold that holds six large space heaters. The heaters, pointed at the forest floor, are not working. At the control center building half a mile away… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/11/23/stories/1060028419 DROUGHT In California, Stingy Water Users Are Fined in Drought, While the Rich Soak. Outside her two-story tract home in this working-class town, Debbie Alberts, a part-time food service worker, has torn out most of the lawn. She has given up daily showers and cut her family’s water use nearly in half, to just 178 gallons per person each day. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/us/stingy-water-users-in-fined-in-drought-while-the-rich-soak.html?_r=2 Councilman Pushes For Limits To Artificial Turf Installations. A California law, which was passed to respond to the drought- allows artificial turf on all residential property. But a Sacramento city councilman says the law should allow cities to restrict its use. The new law says a city may not prohibit or impede installation of artificial turf for any reason. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/11/23/councilman-pushes-for-limits-to-artificial-turf-installations/ FUELS Natural gas leak that's sickening Valley residents could take months to fix. Southern California Gas Co. is warning that it might need several months to plug a natural gas leak that has been sickening residents in the San Fernando Valley for weeks. A leaking well in the Santa Susana Mountains, more than a mile from the nearest homes in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Porter Ranch, has elicited hundreds of complaints from residents… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1121-gas-leak-20151121-story.html VEHICLES Carpool-Lane Access: Very Important For Electric-Car Adoption, It Turns Out. Depending on where they live, electric-car owners can enjoy a variety of perks associated with the vehicle they drive. That's especially true in California, which grants rebates for new plug-in car purchases, as well as access to carpool lanes for solo drivers in plug-in hybrids and electric cars. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101097_carpool-lane-access-very-important-for-electric-car-adoption-it-turns-out VW RECALL Volkswagen Chief Says Emissions Inquiry May Take Months. Volkswagen is still several months away from being able to clarify who was responsible for installing emissions-cheating software in millions of diesel vehicles and plunging the company into crisis, the automaker’s leader said on Monday. The statement by the chief executive, Matthias Müller, is a further indication that the company’s internal investigation is moving slowly. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/24/business/international/volkswagen-chief-says-emissions-inquiry-may-take-months.html Volkswagen Submits Recall Plan to California Air Regulators. Volkswagen AG submitted its recall plan to regulators with the California Air Resources Board and federal counterparts Friday, a little more than two months after the company’s cheating on diesel emissions tests was revealed by regulators from the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-21/volkswagen-submits-diesel-recall-plan-to-california-regulators GREEN ENERGY Gov. Cuomo to Order Large Increase in Renewable Energy in New York by 2030. Frustrated by the pending shutdown of two nuclear power plants on Lake Ontario, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo plans to order state regulators to mandate that, by 2030, half of all power consumed by New Yorkers be generated from renewable sources that emit much less carbon dioxide, people briefed on the matter said. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/23/nyregion/gov-cuomo-to-order-large-increase-in-renewable-energy-in-new-york-by-2030.html?_r=3 How Renewable Energy Could Make Climate Treaties Moot. Powering the U.S. and 138 other countries exclusively with wind, water, and solar would solve global warming—and is entirely doable. The world is counting on an international climate agreement in Paris next month to stop the rising fossil fuel and biofuel emissions that are warming the planet. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-renewable-energy-could-make-climate-treaties-moot/ OPINIONS Letters: Warming believers on thinner ice than they think. The nonsense and misrepresentation from the Left concerning the global warming scam is pervasive. On Nov. 14, one letter-writer pretends to present facts but does nothing of the sort. Likewise, another letter-writer smears global warming adversaries with petty comments and falsehoods. No, “97 percent of scientists” do not believe that “humans are causing global warming.” http://www.ocregister.com/articles/warming-693155-care-global.html Our Voice: Water agencies, spur water culture change. Coachella Valley water agencies, for the most part, continue to miss the mark when it comes to state-mandated water conservation. With the summer long over and the best opportunity for significant cutbacks now gone, it seems these agencies that manage this most valuable resource could be facing harsh fines from Sacramento. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/11/21/our-voice-water-agencies-culture-change/76115456/ BLOGS The Small Steps That Will Lead to a Low-Carbon Economy. As the world heads toward the Paris Climate talks in a few weeks, we will focus on the big ideas and large steps that will lead to a renewable resource-based future. There is a time and place for big ideas, and this year the COP21 talks in Paris are the time and place for those discussions. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/the-small-steps-that-will_b_8628076.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 15:57:07 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 24, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for November 24, 2015. 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 Five U.S. states, D.C. seek joint plan to cut auto sector emissions. Five states and the District of Columbia will develop a joint market-based approach to try to cut greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles across a large area of the Northeastern United States, their governors and mayor announced on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/climatechange-summit-autos-idUSL1N13J1FT20151124#lSmKeQg0llM3FjlS.99 Porter Ranch gas leak increasing California's greenhouse gas output by 25 percent. Natural gas has been spewing from a ruptured well near Porter Ranch for a month, and the state Air Resources Board estimates the leak is so large that it's increasing California's atmospheric load of methane — the primary component of natural gas — by 25 percent. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/11/23/55836/porter-ranch-methane-leak-increasing-california-s/ CLIMATE CHANGE World Bank sets out plan to bolster Africa against climate change. The World Bank aims to drive more funding into efforts to help African countries withstand climate change impacts and boost their clean energy production through a $16 billion plan revealed on Tuesday. The "Africa Climate Business Plan" lays out investments to make the continent's people, land, water and cities more resilient to droughts… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/africa-climatechange-investment-idUSL8N13J2RU20151124#Vr6mLHwR3ilzIsw4.99 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-24/world-bank-sets-16-billion-plan-for-african-climate-campaign Climate change sends Chile's wine industry southward. Well into their drive to make Chile's wines less about bang-for-your-buck and more about premium vino, vintners in the world's fourth largest wine exporter are watching some of their promising vines wither with climate change. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountain range on the east… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-chile-wine-idUSKBN0TC18W20151124#y9TsHCxclw4fcF4s.97 Canada to tell world it's serious about climate change, says PM. Canada will tell a green summit next week that it is finally ready to tackle climate change, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday after a meeting with the country's provinces to work out a national strategy. Trudeau's Liberals won an election last month promising radical change on the environment from the previous Conservative administration, which was widely criticized for not doing enough to combat global warming during its near decade in power. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-canada-idUSKBN0TC2I320151124#2uyiITxEE4gLPgEq.99 U.S. government agencies to slash greenhouse gas emissions 41.8 percent. U.S. federal agencies will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their operations to 41.8 percent below 2008 levels by 2025, the White House announced on Monday. The announcement comes one week before nearly 200 countries meet in Paris to negotiate a United Nations climate change pact… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/us-usa-climatechange-agencies-idUSKBN0TC2BH20151123#Rq8rUGZQIsURPx6Z.99 Alliance of 78 big firms urges carbon pricing to slow warming. Leaders of 78 major companies urged governments on Monday to include the pricing of carbon emissions as part of policies to curb global warming, as world leaders prepare for a summit on climate change in Paris next week. Chief executives of the companies, with combined annual turnover of $2.1 trillion… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/climatechange-summit-companies-idUSL8N13I44Z20151123#L5UTFDRhYH0RF3kg.99 Factbox: Many hurdles to Paris deal on climate change. Almost 200 nations will meet in Paris from Nov. 30-Dec. 11 for a summit on climate change, seeking a turning point away from an increasing reliance on fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution. Following are among the hurdles to a United Nations accord that will map out action by rich and poor nations beyond 2020 to curb greenhouse… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/us-climatechange-summit-factbox-idUSKBN0TC00320151123#V2IrQL8bo2FGiS5U.99 Japan says advanced coal technology can help global CO2 cut. Japanese exports of advanced technology for coal-fired power plants will help fight global warming, the environment minister said on Tuesday, even though the world's richest nations had decided to restrict subsidies on such exports. Many developing countries will continue to look to coal-fired power plants to meet their energy requirements… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-japan-environment-minister-idUSKBN0TD1AA20151124#pMHOmb2P5UQK7s3o.99 Obama to meet China's Xi, India's Modi at Paris climate talks: White House. U.S. President Barack Obama will meet China's president and India's prime minister on the first day of Paris climate talks on Nov. 30 to give momentum to the two-week U.N. negotiations, White House officials said. Obama's meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the start of the two-week climate summit… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-obama-idUSKBN0TD2NB20151124#7Yyt4ADddZB83ite.99 Weather disasters occur almost daily, becoming more frequent - U.N. Weather-related disasters such as floods and heatwaves have occurred almost daily in the past decade, almost twice as often as two decades ago, with Asia being the hardest hit region, a U.N. report said on Monday. While the report authors could not pin the increase wholly on climate change… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/climatechange-disasters-idUSKBN0TC1EU20151123#7cAhRyMHKrUM9AM2.99 Poor nations need support to cut emissions from farming – experts. Developing countries can boost food production while reducing planet-warming emissions from agriculture, given the right technologies and financial support to put them into practice, researchers said on Monday. Wealthy governments and other donors need to invest more to reduce carbon emissions stemming from agriculture… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/climatechange-summit-agriculture-idUSKBN0TC0Y420151123#7M5SSpW4UA8t4qBJ.99 China says keeping leaders away is key to climate talk success. Keeping state leaders away from the negotiations will play a major role in ensuring that crucial talks on a new global climate deal in Paris next week proceed smoothly, China's top climate change negotiator said in an interview on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/us-climatechange-china-idUSKBN0TC0Z820151123#gVzdVwQqMLscbCz7.99 California, An Environmental Leader, Eyes A Key Role In Climate Talks. World leaders are scheduled to meet in Paris soon, trying to draft an agreement on how to combat climate change. Among the heads of state, you'll also see California Gov. Jerry Brown, who is spearheading his own international climate movement. Brown has been on an international diplomatic tour the last few months — all about climate change. http://www.npr.org/2015/11/24/456650555/california-an-environmental-leader-eyes-a-key-role-in-climate-talks US agencies look to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Obama administration is pushing federal agencies to cut their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 40 percent by 2025. The White House announced the 41.8 percent reduction target on Monday, pushing government agencies to cut emissions from their buildings and vehicle fleets around the country. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/261182-us-agencies-look-to-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions California at forefront of US battle on climate change. Tim Krantz still remembers a time when the pollution in Los Angeles was so bad it turned the sky yellow, making it hard to breathe and irritating the eyes. Today, the skies over the city are clear enough to see the Pacific Ocean from the Hollywood hills or the San Gabriel Mountains to the north. http://news.yahoo.com/california-forefront-us-battle-climate-change-033349277.html DROUGHT El Niño to Last Into Middle of 2016. The weather phenomenon appears to be reaching its peak, but its effects on weather and agriculture are expected to continue. he El Niño weather pattern in place over the Pacific Ocean could last into the middle of 2016, as farmers and growers across the globe continue to struggle with the unseasonable weather conditions associated with it. http://www.wsj.com/articles/el-nino-to-last-into-middle-of-2016-1448358886 FUELS India opposes deal to phase out fossil fuels by 2100 at climate summit. India would reject a deal to combat climate change that includes a pledge for the world to wean itself off fossil fuels this century, a senior official said, underlying the difficulties countries face in agreeing how to slow global warming. Almost 200 nations will meet in the French capital on Nov. 30 to try and seal a deal to prevent the planet from warming… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-india-idUSKBN0TD1I220151124#2IyYKRqOWIdWUQ2C.99 VEHICLES Renault Espace Exceeds Pollution Limits, German Environmental Group Says. A German environmental group said on Tuesday that a diesel passenger van made by Renault produces up to 25 times as much pollution as allowed, a further indication that Volkswagen may not be the only company that has flouted emissions rules. The group, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, did not accuse Renault of using software… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/business/international/renault-van-pollution-limits.html?_r=0 VW RECALL VW Faces Fresh Probe Over Tax Violation Claims in Germany. Volkswagen AG is facing a new criminal investigation after publishing incorrect emissions data that gave some drivers tax breaks that may have been unjustified. Prosecutors in Braunschweig, already looking into Volkswagen diesels, are now formally examining tax issues linked to faulty carbon-dioxide readings as well… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-24/german-prosecutors-open-new-vw-probe-into-tax-violation-claims http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-faces-tax-evasion-investigation-in-germany-1448376783 http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2015/nov/24/volkswagen-now-under-investigation-tax-evasion/337375/ VW wins approval to fix diesel engines in Europe. Volkswagen AG said it has approval to repair most of its rigged European diesel engines and made a deal with U.S. regulators to resubmit questionable software for review in 85,000 other vehicles, signs of progress in its effort to overcome the two-month-old emissions crisis. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/24/business/vw-wins-approval-fix-diesel-engines-europe/#.VlTMdU3luUn Software To Be Updated In All 2009-2016 VW, Audi V-6 Diesels. It was only three weeks ago that Volkswagen headquarters in Germany came out swinging against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA had issued a complaint in which it accused VW of incorporating emission-cheating software into its 3.0-liter V-6 TDI diesels, used by Audi and Porsche as well. But it appears the company's tone has changed since then. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101129_software-to-be-updated-in-all-2009-2016-vw-audi-v-6-diesels GREEN ENERGY Gov. Cuomo May Order 50% Renewable Energy In NY By 2030. Governor Andrew Cuomo is reportedly planning to order state regulators to mandate that 50% of all electricity in New York come from renewable sources. Two nuclear power plants will probably be shut down at some point, so the electricity they generate will need to be placed, and it only seems sensible to replace it with clean, renewable electricity… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/11/24/gov-cuomo-may-order-50-renewable-energy-ny-2030/ To ease trade problems, Chinese solar companies move production abroad. With the dominating role of Chinese factories in the global solar supply chain, the label "Made in China" has adorned the majority of solar panels installed in the world. But now, some Chinese solar manufacturers are out to get a different label. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060028474 OPINIONS Exxon’s Research on Climate Is Transparent. Beginning in the 1970s, company scientists began examining the question of anthropogenic contributions to climate change. Fred Krupp of the Environmental Defense Fund defends his call for government probes into Exxon Mobile ’s climate research based on inaccurate reporting in InsideClimate News and the Los Angeles Times… http://www.wsj.com/articles/exxons-research-on-climate-is-transparent-1448302103 Opinion: World at tipping point for renewable energy. Adnan Z. Amin is director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency. Fatih Birol is executive director of the International Energy Agency. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the authors. The world has reached a tipping point: Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies are now the solutions of choice… http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20151124/NEWS02/311249974/opinion-world-at-tipping-point-for-renewable-energy Ethanol mandate results in pollution. I respond to the Thursday letter “Big Oil likes to spread lies about ethanol” from Fred Yoder. I think he has been reading too many farm magazines. I also am a farmer, and I read the agriculture publications and have discovered their position on ethanol is more than a bit one-sided. Ethanol does offer slightly less air pollution when burned in an automobile… http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2015/11/24/1-ethanol-mandate-results-in-pollution.html BLOGS Volkswagen's Fix For European Diesels Gets The Green Light (But Will Owners Get The Shaft?). It's been more than two months since news of Volkswagen's emissions-test cheating software first began to make headlines, and we still have no concrete details about how the company plans to fix more than 11 million vehicles affected by the Dieselgate scandal. That could soon change -- at least in Europe, where Volkswagen's proposed fix has been approved for 90 percent of its illegally rigged, smaller diesels. http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1101130_volkswagens-fix-for-european-diesels-gets-the-green-light-but-will-owners-get-the-shaft California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 14:14:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 25, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS Next Monday: a busy and symbolic day for Paris and the world. President Obama will meet with the leaders of China and India when he arrives in Paris on Monday to spur momentum for a global warming accord that has become a top priority for the French government in the wake of deadly terrorist attacks. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060028568 India opposes deal to phase out fossil fuels by 2100 at climate summit. India would reject a deal to combat climate change that includes a pledge for the world to wean itself off fossil fuels this century, a senior official said, underlying the difficulties countries face in agreeing how to slow global warming. Almost 200 nations will meet in the French capital on Nov. 30 to try and seal a deal to prevent the planet from warming more than the 2 degrees Celsius that scientists say is vital if the world is to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-india-idUSKBN0TD1I220151124#PK2Y4ZRwAxZz6R3t.97 U.N. warns "business as usual" will cause huge temperature rise. A "business as usual" approach to climate change could lead to a rise in global temperatures of 6 degrees or more, the head of the U.N. weather agency said on Wednesday. However, decisions taken at a meeting of world leaders in Paris next week could still mean temperatures stay within 2 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial averages. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N13K24K20151125 Other related articles: http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/science/article/UN-weather-agency-It-s-record-hot-out-there-this-6656191.php http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34915448 http://fortune.com/2015/11/25/united-nations-record-hot/ Expect climate change plan details in new year. Premier Kathleen Wynne said Ontario's long-term plans to combat climate change are "optimistic and entirely realistic" on Tuesday. The province wants to achieve an 80-per-cent reduction in emissions over 1990 levels by 2050. Wynne said to do that, the province will work on a range of projects, from getting more electric cars on the roads to changing the building codes to create more environmentally-friendly buildings. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-climate-change-1.3332478 Have questions about next week's climate talks? Here are 8 answers that might help. Diplomats from more than 190 countries will gather on an airfield in Le Bourget, just outside the French capital, to negotiate a new international agreement on climate change through the United Nations. About 20,000 people, including business leaders, environmental activists and journalists, have been accredited to attend the proceedings, and the talks will draw an estimated 20,000 more to Paris for a series of clean energy and other events happening on the sidelines. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060028564 CLIMATE CHANGE Renewable NatGas Benefits From California Low Carbon Fuels Standard. California officials are encouraging alternative fuel fleets, including those switching to renewable natural gas (RNG), to take advantage of the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) and cap-and-trade program created under the state's 2006 climate change law (AB 32). A state greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction fund administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has $230 million available for low carbon transportation. The money comes from proceeds of CARB cap-and-trade auctions selling emission credits. http://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/104472-renewable-natgas-benefits-from-california-low-carbon-fuels-standard FUELS Fossil fuel companies risk wasting $2tn of investors' money, study says. Fossil fuel companies risk wasting up to $2tn (£1.3tn) of investors’ money in the next decade on projects left worthless by global action on climate change and the surge in clean energy, according to a new report. The world’s nations aim to seal a UN deal in Paris in December to keep global warming below the danger limit of 2C. The heavy cuts in carbon emissions needed to achieve this would mean no new coal mines at all are needed and oil demand peaking in 2020, according to the influential thinktank Carbon Tracker. It found $2.2tn of projects at risk of stranding, ie being left valueless as the market for fossil fuels shrinks. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/25/fossil-fuel-companies-risk-wasting-2tn-paris-climate-deal ARPA-E awards $2.1M to Marine BioEnergy for open ocean farming of kelp for hydrocarbon biofuels. Marine BioEnergy, Inc. was awarded $2.1 million in funding from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) under the agency’s OPEN 2015 solicitation (earlier post). The funding will be used to research and develop open ocean farming of kelp as a biomass feedstock. The kelp will be processed into biocrude and further to hydrocarbons ready for commercial refineries. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151125-marinebio.html VEHICLES A Car Dealers Won’t Sell: It’s Electric. More than seven years ago, President Obama called for one million electric cars to be on the road by this year, and the vehicles have gained a large fan club. Environmentalists promote them as a smart way to cut dangerous emissions. Owners love their pep and the gas money they save. Apple and Google have jumped into the race to build next-generation battery-powered cars. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/01/science/electric-car-auto-dealers.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1 Electric cars and the coal that runs them. In this traffic-packed Dutch city, electric cars jostle for space at charging ¬stations. The oldest exhaust-spewing vehicles will soon be banned from the city center. Thanks to generous tax incentives, the share of electric vehicles has grown faster in the Netherlands than in nearly any other country in the world. But behind the green growth is a filthy secret: In a nation famous for its windmills, electricity is coming from a far dirtier source. Three new coal-fired power plants, including two here on the Rotterdam harbor, are supplying much of the power to fuel the Netherlands’ electric-car boom. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/electric-cars-and-the-coal-that-runs-them/2015/11/23/74869240-734b-11e5-ba14-318f8e87a2fc_story.html U.S. delays 'quiet car' rules for hybrids, electric cars. U.S. regulators are delaying rules that would require electric and hybrid cars to alert sight-impaired pedestrians and bicyclists until at least mid-March, according to a recent government filing. The decision is the latest setback for a government plan that has been in the works since 2013 to require "quiet cars" - vehicles that operate at low speeds without an internal combustion engine running - to add new audio alerts at low speeds. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/usa-autos-regulations-idUSL1N1372SN20151124?feedType=RSS&feedName=industrialsSector Nissan Electric Cars Will Be For Mass Market: CEO Ghosn. The Renault Nissan Alliance will concentrate on mass-market electric cars, rather than luxury models, CEO Carlos Ghosn told reporters at the recent Tokyo Motor Show. Renault and Nissan will not produce a rival to the Model S or Model X, Ghosn said during a roundtable discussion (via Charged EVs). "Frankly we are concentrated on the mass market, the core market," he remarked. He said the small sales increases that would result from "going niche" by competing with Tesla aren't what Renault-Nissan is aiming for. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101140_nissan-electric-cars-will-be-for-mass-market-ceo-ghosn VW RECALL VW will stick to 6.7 bln eur provisions despite simple technical fix. Volkswagen will not reduce planned provisions of 6.7 billion euros ($7.1 billion) for costs of its diesel emissions scandal although technical fixes for affected vehicles have turned out less complex. As long as VW does not know how much it will incur in total costs for the manipulations, there is no reason to alter planned provisions, a spokesman told reporters at the carmaker's base in Wolfsburg. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N13K2BR20151125 GREEN ENERGY California’s energy goals collide with the desert tortoise. Federal officials announced earlier this month that 400,000 acres of public land in California’s Mojave Desert would be designated for possible renewable energy development as part of theDesert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. The plan represents a laudable effort to balance California’s long-standing commitment to the preservation of its natural heritage with its more recent commitments to address climate change. But it also reveals some hard truths about the environmental trade-offs inherent in the state’s commitment embodied in SB350 to generate 50 percent of its electricity with renewable energy by 2030. http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/article/California-s-energy-goals-collide-with-the-6654981.php Better batteries could beat global warming. One of the key technologies that could help wean the globe off fossil fuel is probably at your fingertips or in your pocket right now: the battery. If batteries can get better, cheaper and store more power safely, then electric cars and solar- or wind-powered homes become more viable — even on cloudy days or when the wind isn’t blowing. These types of technological solutions will be one of the more hopeful aspects of United Nations climate talks that begin next week in Paris. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2015/11/25/better-batteries/76359784/ OPINIONS L.A.'s turf rebates aren't just a gimmick. City Controller Ron Galperin took aim last week at Los Angeles' popular "Cash in Your Lawn" rebate program, calling the program a "gimmick" that helped get people to pay attention to the drought but didn't generate much immediate water savings. His audit of Department of Water and Power conservation programs found that Angelenos voluntarily cut their daily water use by 22 gallons per person over the course of the last year, while the turf removal saved only about half a gallon — or, as the controller said, a "drop in the bucket." http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-1125-turf-rebates-20151125-story.html BLOGS Setting the Mood for a Strong Global Climate Agreement. Twenty-three years ago, I was in the room when leaders signed the original convention on climate change. The occasion had a tone of strong moral purpose and promise. In Paris next week, we have the opportunity to fulfill that promise. If wisdom prevails, world leaders will agree to a historic agreement in Paris. The brutal attacks appear not to have dampened resolve, but rather to have increased the sense of solidarity. The number of heads of state and government coming to Paris has risen since the attacks to around 120. On the first day of the meeting, almost all of these are expected to pledge their support for a strong outcome. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-andrew-steer/setting-the-mood-for-a-st_b_8643566.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Nov 2015 15:48:59 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 26 30, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS The Latest: 6 nations call for a price on carbon dioxide. The latest news from the U.N. climate conference that began Monday in Paris. All times local: The leaders of six countries and the World Bank have called on economies across the globe to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions to fight global warming. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_THE_LATEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Leaders of warming Earth meet in Paris to cut emissions. The largest group of world leaders ever to stand together kicked off two weeks of high-stakes climate talks outside Paris on Monday, saying that striking an ambitious deal to curb global warming can show terrorists what countries can achieve when they are united. "What greater rejection of those who would tear down our world than marshaling our best efforts to save it?" President Barack Obama asked his fellow world leaders. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Paris Climate Talks Avoid Scientists’ Idea of ‘Carbon Budget’. After two decades of talks that failed to slow the relentless pace of global warming, negotiators from almost 200 countries are widely expected to sign a deal in the next two weeks to take concrete steps to cut emissions.The prospect of progress, any progress, has elicited cheers in many quarters. The pledges that have already been announced “represent a clear and determined down payment on a new era of climate ambition from the global community of nations,” said Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in a statement a month ago. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/science/earth/paris-climate-talks-avoid-scientists-goal-of-carbon-budget.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 Climate talks are underway, but saving the world might be harder than we thought. “If I sound a little testy,” says David Hawkins, sounding testy, “it’s because I see 20 complaints a day about this idea, and I don’t think it’s very helpful at this point.” Hawkins, director of climate programs for the Natural Resources Defense Council, has been fighting a mostly uphill battle to get the American political system to deal seriously with global warming. Just in the past few months, he has seen signs of progress, including new power-plant regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and a few cracks in the Republican Party’s monolithic opposition to action on climate change. https://www.yahoo.com/politics/saving-the-world-may-be-1310073531105334.html Climate action plans of poorest nations to cost $1 trillion. The world's 48 poorest countries will need to find around a trillion dollars between 2020 and 2030 to achieve their plans to tackle climate change - and those plans should be a priority for international funding, researchers said. Estimates based on plans submitted by the least-developed countries (LDCs) toward a new U.N. deal to curb global warming show they will cost some $93 billion a year from 2020, when an agreement expected to be ironed out in Paris over the next two weeks is due to take effect. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/30/climatechange-summit-funding-idUSKBN0TJ0B420151130 The magic number. Getting the world’s governments to reach a global agreement at the United Nations’ climate conference in Paris is going to require careful politics, but the effort may be up against an even tougher challenge: mathematics. The central goal of the gathering is to forge an agreement that would set the world on a path to ultimately restrict planetary warming to less than two degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. The target was originally proposed by the European Union in the 1990s as a way to avert some of the worst consequences of climate change, such as rising sea levels. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2015/11/29/carbon/ World leaders launch bid for climate breakthrough in Paris. World leaders launched an ambitious attempt on Monday to hold back the earth's rising temperatures, with French President Francois Hollande saying the world was at "breaking point" in the fight against global warming. Some 150 heads of state and government, including U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, urged each other to find common cause in two weeks of bargaining to steer the global economy away from its dependence on fossil fuels. http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN0TJ1TH20151130 Why Negotiators At Paris Climate Talks Are Tossing The Kyoto Model. Negotiators and heads of state from nearly 200 countries are meeting for the next two weeks near Paris to craft a new treaty to slow global warming. It's the 21st "Conference of the Parties" held by the United Nations to tackle climate change. One treaty emerged, in 1997, after the conference in Kyoto, Japan. That's no longer in effect, and, in fact, the Kyoto Protocol, as it's known, didn't slow down the gradual warming of the planet. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/30/457402547/why-negotiators-at-paris-climate-talks-are-tossing-the-kyoto-model?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news Timeline of key events in international effort to combat climate change. After decades of warnings from scientists that greenhouse gas emissions were warming the planet, governments started coming together in the 1980s to combat the problem. Here's a timeline of key moments in the diplomatic effort to stop global warming, leading up to the U.N. climate conference in Paris: 1987: MONTREAL — Governments adopt a treaty pledging to restrict emissions of chemicals damaging the ozone layer. While it doesn't deal with climate change specifically, the Montreal Protocol becomes a model for how to rein in man-made emissions through international agreements. http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/11/30/timeline-of-key-events-in-un-effort-against-climate-change With climate at 'breaking point', leaders urge breakthrough in Paris. World leaders launched an ambitious attempt on Monday to hold back rising temperatures, with the United States and China leading calls for the climate summit in Paris to mark a decisive turn in the fight against global warming. In a series of opening addresses to the U.N. talks, heads of state and government exhorted each other to find common cause in two weeks of bargaining to steer the global economy away from its dependence on fossil fuels. French President Francois Hollande said the world was at a "breaking point". http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/30/us-climatechange-summit-idUSKBN0TI0TI20151130 Climate change talks: Updates from the landmark COP21 summit near Paris. As things kick off for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change near Paris, which is scheduled to last 12 days, The Times will be covering the summit, including the large delegation attending from California with Gov. Jerry Brown. After years of faltering negotiations, the conference of 150 world leaders is expected to produce a landmark agreement between nations. But it remains to be seen whether it will achieve the target of limiting rising global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels this century. http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-climate-change-talks-paris-updates-htmlstory.html Paris deal would herald an important first step on climate change. President Barack Obama and more than 100 world leaders will convene with thousands of diplomats Monday on the outskirts of Paris to open two weeks of intense negotiations aimed at forging an accord that could begin to avert the most devastating effects of global warming and redefine the economy of the 21st century. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/paris-694190-climate-countries.html Jerry Brown in Paris to push pact to curb emissions. California Gov. Jerry Brown is heading to the U.N. Climate Change conference, which opens Monday, where he will promote the state's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and urge other states and provinces to sign on to his climate pact. So far, 57 jurisdictions from 19 countries have added their signatures to a memorandum promising to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_29179973/jerry-brown-paris-push-pact-curb-emissions Other related articles: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/brown-694161-oil-california.html Paris climate talks: 5 things to know. High-level negotiations on an international agreement to fight global warming open outside Paris in Le Bourget on Monday and are scheduled to conclude Dec. 11. The event is formally known as the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/world/2015/11/26/paris-climate-talks-5-things-know/76357910/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin= 10 Things To Know About The U.N. Climate Talks In Paris. Leaders from around the world will converge on Paris beginning Nov. 30 for the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Conference. The two-week event is designed to allow countries the chance to come to an agreement on stifling climate change. Below are 10 questions and answers that should better prepare you for the conference and what to expect during and after its completion. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=457364450 AIR POLLUTION Beijing air pollution reaches extremely hazardous levels. Beijing suffered its worst air pollution of the year on Monday, with monitoring sites throughout the city reporting extremely hazardous levels of pollutants. City authorities issued a rare orange alert, the second highest of four danger levels. Schools suspended outdoor activities and polluting factories were required to reduce production. http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/health/beijing-air-pollution-reaches-extremely-hazardous-levels/article_a0535a7d-f476-537e-8183-4997e311611f.html CLIMATE CHANGE Merced marchers hope to raise awareness on climate change. A group of about 40 people marched up and down M Street in Merced on Sunday on the eve of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris to raise awareness about environmental issues. The U.N. climate summit formally opened Sunday afternoon with a minute of silence for the victims of this month’s Paris attacks and vows not to let terrorism derail efforts to slow or stop climate change. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article47104230.html California Sixth-Grade Textbooks Frame Climate Change As Uncertain. Sixth-grade is usually the first time California students are formally taught about climate change as part of their science curriculum. A recent study shows some textbooks present the subject as a debate stemming from opinions rather than science. Stanford and Southern Methodist University researchers analyzed the language in four sixth grade science textbooks from major publishers. All were published in 2008 and adopted for use in California. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/11/30/california-sixth-grade-textbooks-frame-climate-change-as-uncertain/ California, global climate model, has work to do at home. Gov. Jerry Brown, in Paris this week to attend a major international conference on climate change, will showcase one of the world's most sweeping programs to cut greenhouse gas emissions. California has perhaps the most comprehensive cap-and-trade program in the world, setting a limit and a price for pollution from factories, utilities and transportation fuels. The state's 2030 goals of getting half of its electricity from renewable sources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels are also among the most ambitious anywhere. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-352254-ocprint-emissions-state.html VEHICLES 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell At LA Auto Show: Video. The 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell made its North American debut this month at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. It will go on sale in Japan in early 2016, followed by a U.S. launch later in the year. That will make it the third current production fuel-cell vehicle sold here, after the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell and Toyota Mirai. First revealed at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the Clarity is a five-seat, four-door sedan with styling heavily influenced by Honda's recent pair of fuel-cell concept cars. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101163_2017-honda-clarity-fuel-cell-at-la-auto-show-video BMW Gives a Glimpse of Its Electric Supersport Motorcycle. BMW just demonstrated its commitment to electric-powered vehicles by announcing an experimental Supersport electric motorcycle based on its S1000RR. The experimental vehicle is called the BMW eRR for electric racing replica and it was made in conjunction with the Technical University of Munich. The eRR shares the body styling of the aggressive S1000RR, and should support similar technical specs, though none have been divulged. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101127_bmw-gives-a-glimpse-of-its-electric-supersport-motorcycle GREEN ENERGY University of California, Silicon Valley leaders form green energy investment group. Saying they cannot wait for traditional business development to do it, 28 business leaders – largely from Silicon Valley -- and organizations including the University of California have launched what’s being called the “Breakthrough Energy Coalition.” “The existing system of basic research, clean energy investment, regulatory frameworks, and subsidies fails to sufficiently mobilize investment in truly transformative energy solutions for the future,” says Coalition Chairman Bill Gates. “We can’t wait for the system to change through normal cycles.” http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=29519 Bill Gates Expected to Create Billion-Dollar Fund for Clean Energy. Bill Gates will announce the creation of a multibillion-dollar clean energy fund on Monday at the opening of a Paris summit meeting intended to forge a global accord to cut planet-warming emissions, according to people with knowledge of the plans. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/28/us/politics/bill-gates-expected-to-create-billion-dollar-fund-for-clean-energy.html?_r=0 OPINIONS Don't let climate debate hinder economy: Column. Super-hurricanes, mega-droughts and 1000-year floods have made big news in the months leading to this week's global climate talks in Paris. Everyone wants to know how global warming has contributed and if we should prepare for a future of weather-on-steroids. The science community races to provide clear answers. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/11/30/natural-climate-variability-economic-effects-partisanship-column/76374446/ BLOGS In Paris, Business Helping To Lead The Way On Climate Change. Smart business leaders know what's good for the environment can also be good for the economy. No place is that more evident right now than at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris, where business is taking center stage as global leaders focus on fixing our ailing planet. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-keefe/in-paris-business-helping_b_8681274.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 13:32:44 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 1, 2015 From: dchelini@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. UN CLIMATE TALKS Obama says parts of climate deal must be legally binding. Parts of a global climate agreement being hammered out in Paris should be legally binding, President Barack Obama said Tuesday. His declaration was both a boost to climate negotiators seeking a tough accord and a challenge to Republican senators, many of whom don't believe that global warming is real. Whether or not to make the climate accord legally binding is a major sticking-point at the two-week talks in Paris, which aim to get all countries to agree to cut emissions that scientists say are warming the Earth and increasing extreme weather such as droughts and floods. http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-climate-countdown-20151201-story.html Related articles: http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Climate-talks-get-down-to-tough-business-of-6666796.php Climate talks updates: The hard work at COP21 begins today in Paris. After years of faltering negotiations, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change is expected to produce a landmark agreement during the next two weeks. But it remains to be seen whether the gathering of 150 world leaders near Paris will achieve the target of limiting rising global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels this century. The Times will be covering the negotiations, including the large delegation attending from California with Gov. Jerry Brown. http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-climate-change-talks-paris-updates-htmlstory.html California Lawmakers Joining Brown In Paris. There will be a heavy California presence at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris this week. In addition to Gov. Jerry Brown, the state’s legislative leaders are each leading delegations. Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) are among eight California lawmakers making the trip. All are Democrats. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/11/30/california-lawmakers-joining-brown-in-paris/ France, Germany, Canada call on world to put price on carbon. One of the smartest ways to fight global warming is putting a price on carbon dioxide pollution, some key world leaders at the international climate summit say. Either a tax on carbon dioxide emissions or trading carbon pollution like pork bellies, which puts a price on carbon, will help use capitalism to get closer to a day when the world isn't adding heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere, according to leaders of France, Germany, Canada, Chile, Mexico and Ethiopia, as well as heads of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. http://www.whig.com/article/20151201/AP/312019984 AIR POLLUTION San Francisco Bay Weighs Tougher Air Rules for Refineries. San Francisco Bay officials are considering what they say are the toughest emission rules in the nation for oil refineries. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District heard Monday from the public and from managers of the area's five petroleum refineries about the proposed tightening of pollution standards. Air quality officials say the five refineries collectively are the biggest industrial polluters in the Bay Area. The air board is seeking to reduce refinery emissions 20 percent by 2020. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/11/30/us/ap-us-california-refineries-tougher-rules.html CLIMATE CHANGE Almond Growers Explore Ways To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Representatives of almost 60 countries are gathering this week in Paris for talks on climate change. California farmers are also looking for incentives to reduce greenhouse gas. The Almond Board of California is looking for ways to reduce fertilizer use in orchards and to limit other farming factors that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/01/almond-growers-finding-ways-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ As Big Food Feels Threat Of Climate Change, Companies Speak Up. Chances are, you've picked up some chatter about the new global talks on climate change. If you can't quite see how it matters to you, personally, you might want to take a peek inside your pantry. Or your candy jar. Because it might just affect your access to everything from cheese to chocolate. "It's very clear now that a changing climate will have a profound effect on agriculture," says Molly Brown, a geographer at the University of Maryland. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=456369536 FUELS E.P.A. Rule Requires a Big Jump in Biofuel Use. The Environmental Protection Agency released its much-delayed biofuel mandate on Monday, raising the amounts of biofuel that refiners are required to blend into conventional vehicle fuel from levels proposed in May. The agency set levels for 2014 and 2015 at what producers actually used in those years, and it increased the total volume of renewable fuel required by the end of 2016 to 18.11 billion gallons, an 11 percent increase from 2014, the agency said. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/01/business/energy-environment/epa-announces-biofuel-levels-for-2016.html Why Ethanol Makers Are Actually Relieved With New EPA Cuts. The Environmental Protection Agency issued revised energy guidelines that reduce targets set in a 2007 law for the amount of biofuel that must be added to gasoline in the U.S., but the cuts were less than expected. The new renewable fuel standards call for refiners to mix 18.11 billion gallons of ethanol or equivalent biofuels in the country’s fuel supply in 2016. Earlier this year, the agency had recommended blending in 17.4 billion gallons of the corn-derived product. http://fortune.com/2015/12/01/ethanol-stocks-rebound-epa-rules/ MISCELLANEOUS Eight Great Multimedia Resources on Climate Change. President Obama joined leaders and diplomats from more than 190 countries who convened in Paris today to kick off a two week effort towards negotiating an international climate change agreement. TheUnited Nations’ sponsored event, the largest gathering of world leaders in history, is an urgent, sweeping attempt to reduce global carbon emissions and stave off the worst consequences of climate change. http://ww2.kqed.org/lowdown/2015/11/30/the-inequalities-of-climate-change-visualized-in-one-fascinating-map-and-6-other-great-interactive-resources/ OPINIONS Paris climate conference: Without Congress' support, Obama's dealmaking powers are limited. As more than 190 nations meet this week to negotiate an agreement to limit greenhouse gases, President Obama finds himself in a terrible bind. On one side is international pressure to vest any climate deal with what international law considers to be binding legal force. On the other is the political difficulty, even the impossibility, of approving a climate treaty under our Constitution because of the need for approval by two-thirds of the Senate. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-boltonyoo-paris-climate-deal-not-binding-20151201-story.html Porter Ranch gas leak is a wake-up call. More than 280 families have fled their homes in Porter Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, sickened by the smell of a voluminous natural gas leak from underground storage wells. The gas has been seeping from the ground for more than a month, yet Southern California Gas Co. says it might to take another three to four months to shut down the well, which goes 8,500 feet deep. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-1201-gas-leak-20151201-story.html David Brooks: The green tech solution. I’ve been confused about this Paris climate conference and how the world should move forward to ameliorate climate change, so I séanced up my hero Alexander Hamilton to see what he thought. I was sad to be reminded that he doesn’t actually talk in hip-hop, but he still had some interesting things to say. First, he was struck by the fact that on this issue the GOP has come to resemble a Soviet dictatorship – a vast majority of Republican politicians can’t publicly say what they know about the truth of climate change because they’re afraid the thought police will knock on their door and drag them off to an AM radio interrogation. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article47317690.html BLOGS Poll: Two-thirds of Americans want US to join international climate pact. Two-thirds of Americans want the United States to join an international agreement to fight climate change, a new poll found. The survey, from the New York Times and CBS, could provide a tailwind to the United Nations talks that launched Monday in Paris, where world leaders plan on finalizing such a global pact. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/261491-polls-two-thirds-want-us-to-join-international-climate-pact California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 08:05:22 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 2, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Obama says carbon price is better than regulations. Steven Chu was meeting with the president for his "exit interview" when the outgoing Energy secretary told his boss that the best way to attack climate change is with a carbon tax. That marked a shift in thinking for the physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in 1997. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/02/stories/1060028785 AIR POLLUTION India to ban old trucks as cities choke on dirty air. India will force all commercial trucks more than 15 years old off the road from April and is reviewing how it checks vehicle emissions, a senior transport official said, as the government tries to curb soaring urban air pollution. The World Health Organization said last year that India had 13 of the 20 most polluted cities on the planet, including the worst offender, New Delhi. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/12/02/us-india-pollution-idUSKBN0TL2SD20151202#WbOKtSCZV1ARYDLC.99 UN CLIMATE TALKS Brown Pledges California's Help for Obama Paris Climate Summit Goals. As President Obama departs Paris still lacking Republican congressional support for an emerging multi-national treaty obliging the United States to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, California Governor Jerry Brown is heading to the French capital pledging that the largest U.S. state will help limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-02/brown-pledges-california-s-help-for-obama-paris-climate-summit-goals Brown readies to take spot on global climate stage: 'They're not calling him Moonbeam anymore'. Gov. Jerry Brown was deep into a two-hour meeting on climate change with some of California’s top scientists when he interjected a highly technical and much more personal question. He wanted to install solar panels to generate his own power on his family’s ranch in Colusa County, then find a way to feed the electricity directly into energy-efficient lighting. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-climate-brown-profile-20151201-story.html California isn't a country, so why are so many in the state headed to climate talks in Paris? California will have a massive footprint at the United Nations summit on climate change in Paris, a symbol of the state’s political commitment to fighting global warming and the business interest of companies that can benefit from clean-energy policies. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-climate-california-preview-20151202-story.html Jerry Brown to Paris, a ‘Johnny Appleseed’ in climate fight. Gov. Jerry Brown, preparing to travel to France this week for international climate talks, said Tuesday that humanity is engaged in a “race against dramatic climate change,” while casting himself as a Johnny Appleseed in the struggle. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article47448775.html#storylink=cpy Californians need 'lighter, more elegant' lifestyle. Starting Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown will attend more than 20 events over six days during his trip to the global climate summit in Paris. When Gov. Jerry Brown and other state leaders land in Paris this week for a global climate summit, they are expected to tout California's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.kcra.com/news/brown-californians-need-lighter-more-elegant-lifestyle/36747298 Solar Lobby Questions Gov. Brown’s Commitment To Solar Panel Industry. As world leaders discuss climate change, Gov. Jerry Brown is preparing to head to Paris this week to provide input. But at home, Brown is facing criticism for not doing enough to protect California’s solar panel industry. “They are very aggressive in their lobbying as are the utilities and my job is to do what is right for California,” Brown said. http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/12/01/solar-lobby-questions-gov-browns-commitment-to-solar-panel-industry/ Gov. Jerry Brown Talks Climate Change, Terrorism Before Trip to Paris. California and Gov. Jerry Brown will be in the spotlight during the COP21 Conference. The governor has criss-crossed the world in the last year, gathering support and showing off California's ambitious goals. http://fox40.com/2015/12/01/gov-jerry-brown-talks-climate-change-terrorism-before-trip-to-paris/ Jerry Brown lambastes Republicans for climate vote ‘disgrace’. Gov. Jerry Brown, on the eve of his six-day trip to Paris to address world leaders at the United Nations Climate Conference, lambasted Republican leaders in Congress for what he called “dangerous” and disgraceful efforts to “subvert” the Obama administration on the issue of climate change. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/california/2015/12/8584437/jerry-brown-lambastes-republicans-climate-vote-disgrace DROUGHT Californians miss water savings target for first time. California’s water savings slipped in October as cities and towns failed to meet Gov. Jerry Brown’s 25 percent conservation target for the first time since reductions became mandatory in June, according to state water data released Tuesday. Urban water use dropped 22.2 percent statewide compared to the same month in 2013. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Californians-miss-water-savings-target-for-first-6667725.php FUELS More than $3.4 Trillion in Assets Vow to Divest from Fossil Fuels. The list of institutions committed to ridding their portfolios of at least some fossil fuel interests has surged in recent months, organizers say. More than 500 institutions representing about $3.4 trillion in assets have agreed to sell their investments in fossil fuel companies, divestment leaders announced on Wednesday, a nearly 24 percent increase since the http://insideclimatenews.org/news/02122015/divestment-campaign-grows-more-34-trillion-assets-vow-exit-fossil-fuels VW RECALL VW Diesel NOx Problem: So Tough Angela Merkel Complained About It (In 2010). Weeks after it was first announced that the carmaker used "defeat device" software in diesel cars to cheat U.S. emissions tests, Volkswagen is no closer to implementing a plan for fixing the affected cars. But new information hints at just how far back Volkswagen's concerns over emissions standards may go. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101223_vw-diesel-nox-problem-so-tough-angela-merkel-complained-about-it-in-2010 VW sales plummet in wake of emissions scandal. November was a smooth financial ride for the American auto industry, although the emissions scandal surrounding Volkswagen AG continued to have ripple effects. Sales of Volkswagens in the United States plummeted last month despite Black Friday specials and deals, the company said yesterday, three months after regulators accused VW of deliberately cheating federal emissions standards. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/02/stories/1060028786 GREEN ENERGY Terna on smart drive to cope with green revolution. Terna is banking on smart technologies to help it harness growing renewable energy to cut emissions, as the Paris talks put climate change high on the world's agenda, its chief executive officer said. Terna, one of Europe's biggest independent power grids with almost 64,000 kilometres of high-tension lines, is spending more than 200 million euros to upgrade power lines… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/12/02/us-terna-ceo-idUSKBN0TL1HU20151202#IY1GuivxRrDsvsc3.97 German utility splits as power producers move away from nuclear toward solar and wind. RWE AG, the second-largest of Germany's "Big Four" utilities, will split in two, the company announced yesterday. Renewable energy operations, including some offshore wind farms, grids and retail activities in Germany and abroad, will be transferred into a new subsidiary company that will be listed on the stock market probably by late 2016. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/02/stories/1060028807 Rooftop project to boost D.C.'s solar capacity by 70%. The District of Columbia is set to increase its share of electricity from renewable sources with a new solar power project on the roofs of government buildings. The D.C. Department of General Services (DGS) has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with Nextility Inc., http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/02/stories/1060028808 OPINIONS Op-Ed: West Coast thinking globally, acting locally on climate change. SOMETIMES the easiest way to solve a large, vexing problem is to look right under your nose. Here on the West Coast, we refuse to be daunted by the scale of climate change. Starting right in our own backyard, we are leading the way in creating and sustaining the clean economy of tomorrow. http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/west-coast-thinking-globally-acting-locally-on-climate-change/ BLOGS False air pollution reports net General Electric $2.25 million federal fine. General Electric Co. will pay a $2.25 million penalty for releasing unsafe levels of air pollution from a hazardous waste incinerator at its former silicone plant in Waterford, a host of federal and state officials announced Wednesday. A settlement and complaint released by federal officials today revealed that General Electric, which owned the Momentive Performance Materials plant off Route 32 from 1947 to 2006… http://blog.timesunion.com/business/false-air-pollution-reports-net-general-electric-2-25-million-federal-fine/71097/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 16:30:11 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 3, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 3, 2015. 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 China Repeats Pledge to Upgrade Coal Plants After Toxic Smog. China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, repeated plans to upgrade coal power plants in the next five years in a bid to crack down on the kinds of pollutants and heavy smog that this week blanketed northern parts of the country, including Beijing. The nation plans to cap average coal consumption at existing plants at… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NYRW6E6JTSEC01-3Q5NNM6SQRD7TG7UM32NAQ21GQ India to ban old trucks as cities choke on dirty air. India will force all commercial trucks more than 15 years old off the road from April and is reviewing how it checks vehicle emissions, a senior transport official said, as the government tries to curb soaring urban air pollution. The World Health Organization said last year that India had 13 of the 20 most polluted cities on the planet, including the worst offender, New Delhi. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/12/03/india-pollution-idINKBN0TL2SK20151203 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-34998622 Wood-burning ban in effect today, AQMD says. A wood-burning ban was placed on Orange County and the surrounding areas for today, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said. Indoor and outdoor wood burning will be prohibited through midnight due to high air pollution expected today. The ban also applies to manufactured fire logs, likes ones made from wax paper. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/wood-352893-ocprint-ban-burning.html World leaders urged to cut air pollution to save lives in poor countries. World Health Organisation tells Paris climate summit that tackling air pollution and global warming in tandem will reduce mortality in developing countries. World governments have been urged to tackle air pollution in poorer countries by greening cities, reducing traffic and adopting better diets… http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/dec/03/air-pollution-save-lives-poor-countries-paris-climate-talks CLIMATE CHANGE Artist hauls Greenland ice to Paris as a reminder of climate change. Residents of central Paris got a chilling reminder on Thursday of the challenge facing negotiators at the world climate summit on the city's outskirts: 80 tonnes of Greenland ice left to slowly melt on the cobbles in front of the Pantheon. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N13S3MO20151203 Top fashion CEOs fear rising costs from climate change. The chief executives of seven top clothing companies, including Hennes & Mauritz Gap and Adidas, are calling on governments to agree a strong climate change deal, saying they fear global warming will drive up their costs. Almost 200 nations are meeting in Paris until Dec. 11, trying to work out a deal to limit a rise in temperatures blamed on increasing emissions of greenhouse gases. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N13S2EN20151203 El Nino is bittersweet for disappearing Kiribati as it battles climate change. As the tiny South Pacific nation of Kiribati battles to save its islands from climate change-induced rising sea levels and drought, in an ironic twist the strongest El Nino in nearly 20 years is providing it with an economic bonanza in tuna. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/12/03/us-climatechange-elnino-tuna-idUSKBN0TM0F320151203#KviOpRs3XeixXtPF.99 California’s political center shifts to France for a week. Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins registered for the international climate summit underway outside of Paris on Thursday and posted a photograph on Twitter of the first person she ran into. “Amazingly,” she wrote, it was California’s billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer. It shouldn’t be that big a surprise. No one will have a hard time finding a Californian in France this week. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article47769855.html#storylink=cpy Developing nations shift emissions stance in climate talks. The once black-and-white world of climate negotiations for poorer countries has evolved into many shades of gray at talks this week in Paris. For years, many in the developing world said richer countries created the global warming problem with their industrial emissions so it is up to them to clean it up — a sticking point in past climate negotiations. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article47706495.html#storylink=cpy Meet Jerry Brown's team of science advisors. With Jerry Brown in charge, the governor's office can seem more like a free-wheeling, nonstop conversation than a formal administration, and it's no different when it comes to climate change. Brown regularly turns to a collection of California scientists for help developing new policies, rallying support for fighting global warming… http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-jerry-brown-scientists-20151202-htmlstory.html Poll: Californians say climate change a very serious problem. More than half of Californians view climate change as a very serious problem facing the state, a higher rate than their counterparts nationwide, and a majority support the state’s efforts to curb emissions, according to a survey released Wednesday. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/state-694604-climate-change.html http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/03/poll-compares-climate-change-concern-in-california,-other-countries/ FUELS U.S. oil groups face rising biofuels costs, see higher pump prices. U.S. oil companies will likely pay close to $1 billion this year to put more ethanol and renewables in gasoline and diesel and face even higher compliance costs in 2016 after the U.S. government set targets for alternative fuel use above industry expectations. Higher costs could be passed on to consumers, pushing fuel prices higher.. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/12/03/us-biofuels-compliance-idUSKBN0TM0E120151203#ZJoz1x5j7KCKW32W.99 SoCal Gas relocates hundreds of Porter Ranch residents while trying to fix leaking well. Midco Switzer knew it was time to leave her home in the northern San Fernando Valley when the smell of gas began wafting in with the breeze weeks ago and her husband complained of nausea and dizziness after his early-morning bike rides. Then she started getting headaches, she said. So did her son. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-adv-gas-leak-20151203-story.html VEHICLES Germany Joins Global Group to Encourage Zero-Emission Vehicles. Germany, the largest auto market in Europe, joined a multinational group that set a goal for all passenger cars in their jurisdictions to become emissions-free by 2050. The International Zero-Emission Vehicle Alliance, which includes 13 governmental units in Europe, the U.S. and Canada, made the announcement Thursday at the global climate talks in Paris. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NYR0JS6KLVRD01-54RJJPPOVHDPB3T3NHE1SI8MID What Comes After Lithium-Ion Batteries To Power Electric Cars, And When? All mass-market plug-in electric cars on sale today have one thing in common. They are powered by battery packs composed of cells with lithium-ion chemistries. But to surpass current limits on range and charging speed--as well as to lower the cost and weight of battery packs--researchers are diligently looking for ways to augment or replace lithium-ion cells with something even better. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101233_what-comes-after-lithium-ion-batteries-to-power-electric-cars-and-when Japan's Ambitious Hydrogen-Vehicle Plans Stumble, With Bureaucracy To Blame. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ambitious plans for hydrogen fuel-cell infrastructure are stumbling, thanks to bureaucratic red tape. Abe is a serious supporter of hydrogen fuel-cell cars. He's pushed through measures to cut taxes on them, and encouraged construction of a network of fueling stations. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101239_japans-ambitious-hydrogen-vehicle-plans-stumble-with-bureaucracy-to-blame How Tesla Is Powering a Better Beef Business. In Fresno, California, one large-scale beef processing plant has just electrified its push to be an industry leader in sustainability through an unlikely partnership. Cargill, the plant owner, contacted Tesla, a revolutionary electric car company based in California, to collaborate on a unique initiative. http://www.forbes.com/sites/cargill/2015/12/03/how-tesla-is-powering-a-better-beef-business/ VW RECALL Volkswagen’s Software Was ‘Illegal Defeat Device,’ German Regulator Says. German regulators said on Tuesday that the software Volkswagen used in many of its diesel vehicles constituted illegal cheating on emissions tests, deepening the company’s problems. Volkswagen admitted in September that it had installed software in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide aimed at cheating emissions tests… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/business/international/volkswagens-software-use-was-illegal-german-regulator-rules.html?_r=0 While U.S. Car Sales Jump, VW’s Plunge. While other automakers were reporting gains in a strong market for new vehicles in November, Volkswagen said on Tuesday that the impact of a widening emissions scandal caused its sales in the United States to plunge nearly 25 percent during the month. The results suggest that American consumers are turning their backs on the German brand… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/business/while-us-car-sales-jump-vws-plunge.html VW Argued for Easing New E.U. Tests on Emissions. Volkswagen successfully lobbied to remove two key parts of Europe’s forthcoming auto emissions tests, an internal email shows, including a provision to measure the significant pollution released when an engine is started but hasn’t yet warmed up. The automaker also argued against requiring special, high-speed tests for cars designed to be driven fast. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/business/international/vw-argued-for-easing-new-eu-tests-on-emissions.html Judges to decide if VW cases will be heard in Detroit. A panel of judges is meeting Thursday in New Orleans to hear arguments about which federal court should oversee the flurry of civil lawsuits being filed against Volkswagen AG over its emissions-cheating scandal. Some plaintiffs are advocating for the cases to be transferred to Detroit, where lawyers say the court and Chief Judge Gerald E. Rosen are experienced in complex and automobile litigation. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/12/02/judges-decide-vw-cases-will-heard-detroit/76699440/ GREEN ENERGY Google Buys 781 Megawatts of Wind, Solar Power in Three Nations. Google, the world’s biggest corporate buyer of renewable energy, is expanding its clean power portfolio with deals for 781 megawatts of solar and wind power. The Alphabet Inc. unit completed five deals to buy the output from power plants in the U.S., Chile and Sweden, and now has contracts for 2 gigawatts of renewable energy worldwide… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NYR53K6KLVR901-3HCHNM2OF22FEALMO37LNVV6IR MISCELLANEOUS The 2016 Power List — And the Person of the Year Is… 49 of the Auto Industry's Top Players, Plus Our Person of the Year. 8. The Outsider: Mary Nichols, California Air Resources Board Chairwoman. 2015 Rank: Not ranked. No board has as much power to regulate tailpipe emissions as CARB, the California Air Resources Board. Thirteen additional states have adopted CARB’s regulations. And what’s good for CARB is good for the world, many believe, as its unique regulating powers (beyond just cars) have become an example for the world on fighting climate change. Nichols is likely to become more powerful in the coming years. http://www.motortrend.com/news/2016-power-list-and-the-person-of-the-year/#top10 OPINIONS Editorial, Dec. 3, 2015: California’s global climate impact on view in Paris. California, much as we sometimes like to think of ourselves as a nation-state, is not really a country — so what are so many of our political leaders doing by heading for the international climate summit in Paris? Grandstanding, some would say. And certainly there is an element of that whenever state leaders… http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20151202/editorial-dec-3-2015-californias-global-climate-impact-on-view-in-paris BLOGS Is It Worse to Exercise in Air Pollution Or Not to Exercise at All? What is the greater evil for your health: Exercising in polluted air or not exercising at all? If you live in a polluted city and check air quality readings as a daily ritual, you likely recognize the conundrum. The monitors, which often color-code the likely impact on your health — from green for good to brown for bad... http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/12/03/is-it-worse-to-exercise-in-air-pollution-or-not-to-exercise-at-all/ Energy Efficiency Makes More Out of Less. Global warming cannot be stopped by simply developing energy production. We need new methods to decrease energy consumption without sacrificing the standard of living. Finland is a small European country almost completely located North of the 60th parallel. That means we are as far North as Alaska. For half of the year, the country is dark and cold, and we need energy to overcome these conditions. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/teija-lahtinuuttila/energy-efficiency-makes-m_b_8655312.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 4 Dec 2015 16:02:04 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 4, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 4, 2015. 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 NY fund to shift stocks into $2B index of lesser polluters. New York's comptroller plans to shift domestic stock holdings in the state retirement fund to companies with lower carbon emissions in a new $2 billion index. The investment strategy, announced Friday at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, includes another $1.5 billion going separately into so-called "sustainable investments,”… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/APFN_US_INVESTMENT_SHIFT_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT New York Pension Fund, Goldman Create $2 Billion Low-Carbon Fund. New York State’s retirement fund, the third-largest U.S. public pension, will shift $2 billion of its holdings away from big emitters of greenhouse gases as part of a new fund created with the help of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the fund Friday while participating in an investor panel… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-04/new-york-pension-fund-goldman-create-2-billion-low-carbon-fund World's Most Polluted City Plans Odd/Even Cars on Alternate Days. New Delhi, the world’s most polluted city, plans to restrict the number of cars on its roads by implementing license-plate based driving bans. India’s capital will allow passenger vehicles with license plates ending with odd and even numbers to ply on alternate days starting Jan. 1… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-04/world-s-most-polluted-city-plans-odd-even-cars-on-alternate-days Companies and Cities Vow to Cut More Pollution Than India Emits. Companies and cities around the world have pledged to cut greenhouse gases by a combined total that exceeds India’s annual emissions, according to research to be released by the United Nations. The analysis by Yale University shows cities and regions ranging from Sora in Spain, with a population of 175, to the state of California… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NYTT9M6VDKHT01-7OP5N8FM8CGMD43IOPU24P107D Smokestack pollution targeted. Regional air pollution regulators are poised to adopt new rules slashing smog-forming emissions from Southern California's oil refineries, power plants, factories and other non-moving pollution sources by more than half. The South Coast Air Quality Management District's governing board is expected to decide today on plans to cut 14 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions per day… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/air-353059-ocprint-pollution-district.html UC Davis to monitor nation's fine particles. The University of California, Davis, Crocker Nuclear Laboratory is now the prime contractor for both major federal fine particle air quality monitoring networks -- the National Park Service's IMPROVE network and the Environmental Protection Agency's Chemical Speciation Network, or CSN, which monitors urban air quality. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=29551 Embattled mercury rule likely to withstand court assault. U.S. EPA's landmark air standards for mercury appear likely to survive an effort by industry and states to kill the rules in court. A panel of federal judges this morning seemed reluctant to vacate EPA's rules to slash mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from power plants after the Supreme Court sent the… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/04/stories/1060029011 Airborne coal particles carry much higher heart risk – study. Not all fine airborne particles are created alike when it comes to the risk of a fatal heart attack, according to a new study that found those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels are far more dangerous than average. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/04/stories/1060029003 UN CLIMATE TALKS Matter of degree: Temperature goal in climate talks an issue. Here's a math problem that is confounding international climate negotiators: Which is better, 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius? The difference is just half a degree, but small nations say that for them it could mean the difference between life and death. For larger nations, the question is what's realistic and what's not when it comes to limiting global warming. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT AP Interview: UN climate chief to negotiators: sleep, focus. The head of the U.N. climate change agency says high-intensity negotiations in Paris are on track so far and says her biggest concern now is that negotiators get enough rest to stay focused. Christiana Figueres, chief of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, insisted that an international accord fighting global warming… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_UN_CHIEF?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT The 11 countries that haven't made pledges for climate deal. Some are at war, others recovering from natural disasters and some are simply ideologically opposed to the climate deal taking shape in U.N. talks outside Paris. Only 11 countries haven't submitted pledges for the envisioned agreement, including conflict-ridden Syria, reclusive North Korea… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_HOLDOUTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Rusal's Deripaska Says Climate Talks May Fail, Urges Carbon Tax. Oleg Deripaska, the billionaire president of aluminum producer United Co. Rusal, said climate talks in Paris will probably fail to produce a meaningful agreement and urged a carbon tax to reduce emissions of planet-warming gases. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-04/rusal-s-deripaska-says-climate-talks-may-fail-urges-carbon-tax Climate targets may not be enough to avert catastrophes. Negotiators at climate change talks here are working to produce a realistic plan to limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial levels, but many scientists say that may still be too warm to avert climate catastrophes. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/world/2015/12/03/paris-united-nations-climate-conference-2-degrees-celsius/76709712/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin= Michael Bloomberg to head global taskforce on climate change. Former New York City mayor charged with helping companies gauge exposure to global warming costs. Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, is to head a new global taskforce aimed at highlighting the financial exposure of companies to the risk of climate change. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/04/mark-carney-unveils-global-taskforce-to-educate-business-on-climate-change Oil, coal come to climate table with significantly fewer bargaining chips. Oil and coal companies have been an easy target for activists descending on global climate negotiations this week. To nobody's surprise, wiping out billions of dollars in future fossil fuel profits is a central theme here. But oil and coal interests come to this airfield outside of Paris facing particularly tough times. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/04/stories/1060028978 CLIMATE CHANGE Carney Backs Effort for Standard Company Climate Disclosure. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney backed a global effort to bring greater transparency to the way companies disclose the risks they face from climate change, wading into a debate that has ensnared some of the biggest fossil-fuel producers. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NYS8556S972C01-7MRPM46SBQ9PM594V3GM15JO0N New Carbon Market Years Away Says Envoy Seeking Paris Allies. The latest attempt to create an international carbon market will take about four more years and may prompt some countries to press ahead with their own emissions trading rules, according to New Zealand’s climate minister, who’s seeking to hasten talks on the subject at climate negotiations in Paris. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NYMIKGSYF01S01-0880DVS27KKSAQ1EM76N9THVES Obama: Climate change is a major threat. President Obama is sticking with his view that climate change is a global threat on the order of terrorism, in part because terrorist groups like the Islamic State will be defeated in traditional ways. "But If you start seeing the oceans rise by five, six, seven feet" and if weather patterns change to where "bread baskets to the world suddenly can no longer grow food… http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2015/12/04/obama-climate-change-terrorism-cbs-news-islamic-state/76773860/ Stopping climate change can begin at breakfast. Dozens and dozens of world leaders are meeting this month at the critical world climate change conference in Paris, in the hope of reaching a legally binding, universal agreement to curb carbon emissions and keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. The goal is crucial and long overdue. But it's also in jeopardy. Concerns have already been raised that the summit will not meet its goal. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article47926250.html#storylink=cpy They Need Millions — Make That Billions — To Cope With Climate Change. For the developing countries at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris, it's more than a chance to talk. It's a chance to be heard — and their representatives are taking advantage of the world stage by airing their grievances and proposing potential fixes. How these specific demands will be addressed is still up in the air (along with way too much carbon dioxide). http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=458349068 Why will melting permafrost and more forest fires cause trouble at sea? A warming climate could send more black carbon, or charred organic materials rich in carbon, into the Arctic Ocean, according to research published this week. Black carbon -- a massive, stable source of carbon in soils -- is carried by rivers into the ocean, where it can dissolve and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/04/stories/1060028971 Investors may soon learn more about the climate risks of their holdings. The Financial Stability Board, an international advisory body whose members advise Group of 20 officials, will form a task force in the coming weeks to study the practice and implementation of corporate disclosures of risks related to climate change. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/04/stories/1060028970 DROUGHT Don’t expect a brawny El Niño to bust California’s historic drought. Scientists say a vast swath of warmer-than-normal water known as El Niño circulating in the eastern Pacific Ocean is poised to be one of the strongest of the past seven decades. It has the potential to play a key role in the formation of storms that could bring much-needed rain and snow to California and at least ease the effects of the state’s severe four-year drought. http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article47926140.html#storylink=cpy California farmers now see drought as rule, not exception. Farmers are no strangers to struggle or drought. But this four-year drought is different than others, they say. It’s more widespread, touching nearly everyone who turns on the tap or starts an irrigation pump. This past summer, wells dried up and farmland sat idle. The drought also came to mean that life on the farm has likely changed forever. http://www.modbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article47926390.html#storylink=cpy Even if El Niño delivers rain and snow, drought may never release its grip. Will the drought ever really end? California hopes for a sodden winter of El Niño-spawned storms. If they come, our near-empty reservoirs may fill to the brim. But will the rain and snow be enough to replenish underground basins sinking from years of desperate pumping? http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article48003320.html#storylink=cpy DIESEL ACTIVITIES $1 million grant to help cut diesel emissions in Detroit. A $1 million grant will be used to help reduce emissions from diesel trucks with the goal of improving air quality in Detroit. The funding for Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision was announced this week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The money will help Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision to replace 33 short-haul trucks… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article47922730.html#storylink=cpy FUELS Rich nations' fossil fuel subsidies exceed climate aid 40 to 1: researchers. Wealthy nations spend 40 times as much money subsidizing fossil fuel production as they contribute to the Green Climate Fund to help poor countries adapt to global warming, a research group said in a study released on Thursday. Eight industrialized nations - Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-energy-environment-idUSKBN0TM2LM20151203#0TCVfMmMZuU0vxIr.99 VEHICLES Chinese Cities Give Toyota Boost in Hunt for Hybrid Buyers. China’s former leader Deng Xiaoping famously quipped that it doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice. When it comes to environmentally-friendly cars that might help clear up the nation’s polluted skies, China has ignored Deng’s advice -- to the detriment of Toyota Motor Corp.’s lineup of hybrid cars. That may soon change. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-03/chinese-cities-give-toyota-boost-in-hunt-for-hybrid-car-buyers Electric Cars Can’t Take the Cold. Batteries generate power less efficiently as temperatures drop. California’s mandatory sales targets for electric and hydrogen-powered cars will go from less than 1 percent today to more than 15 percent by 2025. The targets, the result of legislation passed in 2003, are a means of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-03/electric-cars-can-t-take-the-cold New York City To Deploy Vast Electric-Vehicle Fleet By 2025. By 2025, New York City could deploy a vast fleet of electric cars, under a new plan announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio. It calls for replacing large numbers of municipal vehicles with electric cars, potentially giving New York the largest electric municipal fleet in the country. That would include around 2,000 city-owned cars used by agencies like the Parks and Recreation Department. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101253_new-york-city-to-deploy-vast-electric-vehicle-fleet-by-2025 VW RECALL Volkswagen car sales drop 20 percent in UK after scandal. Volkswagen car sales in Britain dropped by almost 20 percent in November compared with a year earlier as the company's emissions testing scandal took a toll. There were 12,958 Volkswagen registrations last month in the U.K., compared to 16,196 in November 2014, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said Friday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BRITAIN_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT VW lawyer: Consolidate lawsuits against carmaker in Michigan. A Volkswagen lawyer says the company would like hundreds of federal civil lawsuits filed against the carmaker over its emissions cheating scandal to be consolidated in Michigan. Volkswagen's attorneys were among hundreds of lawyers Thursday at a hearing in federal court in New Orleans to look at consolidating more than 460 lawsuits against the German carmaker. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT GREEN ENERGY China starts building 2nd biggest offshore wind farm. China's top wind power company has started building the country's second-largest offshore wind farm, state media said, as Beijing aims to boost the nation's clean power industry and cut dependence on fossil fuels that are contributing to smog. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL3N13T2UA20151204 Goldman Sachs says fastest, most profitable way to clean energy is close at hand. Investors should focus on four established energy technologies that hold the most potential to reduce emissions in the next decade, rather than emerging ones that are far from being commercialized, according to a report from Goldman Sachs. The investment bank's guide to a low-carbon world comes as the technology community… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/04/stories/1060028975 U.N. study makes the case for steering investments to renewable energy. A head-to-head analysis comparing the environmental impacts of six power generation sources found that while no electricity fuel is benign, renewable resources such as wind and solar present a tiny fraction of the environmental downsides of coal and natural gas. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/04/stories/1060028969 U.S., E.U. experts plot how to share ideas to boost renewables. Governments in both the United States and the European Union have goals to boost the share of electricity from renewable sources, yet collaborate little with each other on designing policies to help spread the technology. The electricity sectors of the two regions are very different, as are the policies… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/04/stories/1060028977 MISCELLANEOUS California entrepreneurs push to reinvent the nuclear industry. The state that spawned a generation of activists committed to shutting down nuclear reactors and crippling the industry has lately become a hotbed of advocacy and financial support for fighting global warming with, of all things, nuclear power. Encouraged by the Obama administration, notable California innovators and financiers are looking to reinvent the industry in the mold of wind and solar power… http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-climate-nuclear-energy-20151204-story.html OPINIONS Why I’m optimistic on climate change despite the impossible goals of the Paris talks. Only a few days into the UN climate summit, and it is already time to sing the Paris blues. The path to Paris was, unfortunately, paved with pessimism and imperfect accords: Rio, Kyoto, Copenhagen. In the meantime, carbon dioxide in the air has increased, raising the world’s average temperature by one degree Celsius relative to pre-industrial times. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/12/04/why-im-optimistic-on-climate-change-despite-the-impossible-goals-of-the-paris-talks/ Why I will provide a Christian moral witness at the Paris climate conference (COMMENTARY). As world leaders and diplomats gather in Paris for two weeks of climate talks, many Christians will join them. I will be among them. I view my eight-day journey as a spiritual pilgrimage. Climate change — and its threat to hundreds of millions of people — stands as a great moral crisis of our time. http://coloradosprings.com/why-i-will-provide-a-christian-moral-witness-at-the-paris-climate-conference-commentary/article/1564809 BLOGS Growing Older In a Changing Climate. Population aging is a triumph of development. The proportion of people aged 60 and over is projected to grow in all regions of the world. Moreover, older people are disproportionately impacted by disaster and climate-related stresses such as heat waves and drought. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rosita-kornfeldmatte/growing-older-in-a-changi_b_8712902.html The Climate-Nuclear Nexus: Two Key Threats Endangering Future Generations. Over the next two weeks, Heads of States are meeting in Paris to finally agree on a plan to curb climate change. Considering that climate change can exacerbate a range of interconnected transnational threats and crises that our generation faces today, such as extreme poverty, hunger, violent conflicts and… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jakob-von-uexkull/the-climate-nuclear-nexus_b_8707016.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 14:49:19 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 7, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 7, 2015. 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 Beijing Issues Red Alert Over Air Pollution for the First Time. Officials in the Chinese capital declared for the first time on Monday evening that the thick smog blanketing the city was bad enough to require a red alert, the highest level of alarm. It was the first time a code red had been sounded since Beijing announced an emergency air pollution response system with multicolored warnings in 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/world/asia/beijing-pollution-red-alert.html Electric Scooters, and a Network. Across Asia, motorized two-wheeled vehicles provide mobility for the masses, but emissions from hundreds of millions of scooters and motorcycles are responsible for more than half of traffic pollution in many cities, choking the air with hazardous levels of benzene and particulate matter, in addition to greenhouse gases. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/business/energy-environment/electric-scooters-and-a-network.html Study Sees Possible Dip in World Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Global carbon dioxide emissions may be dropping ever so slightly this year, spurred by a dramatic plunge in Chinese pollution, according to a surprising new study by a scientific team that regularly tracks heat-trapping pollution. The unexpected dip could either be a temporary blip or true hope that the world is about to turn… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/07/world/europe/ap-eu-climate-countdown-pollution-peak.html Conservative judge predicts court battle over EPA 'co-benefits'. As opponents sparred in court last week over the fate of a major U.S. EPA rule to slash mercury emissions, a federal judge forecast that the next big fight over the rule will center on how the agency measures so-called co-benefits. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is grappling with how to handle EPA's standards to cut … http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/07/stories/1060029089 Health groups press EPA for new methane emissions limits. U.S. EPA should forge ahead with new emissions limits for methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from existing oil and natural gas operations, similar to what it is already proposing for new sources, more than 600 nurses, doctors and other health care professionals said in a letter Friday. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/07/stories/1060029090 CLIMATE CHANGE Surprisingly good news for the Earth’s climate: Greenhouse gas pollution dropped this year. Emissions of man-made greenhouse gases appear to have declined slightly in 2015, scientists said Monday, reflecting what experts say is an encouraging, though likely temporary, pause in the steady rise in pollutants blamed for climate change. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/07/surprisingly-good-news-for-the-earths-climate-greenhouse-gas-pollution-dropped-last-year/ Bernie Sanders puts forward ambitious plan to combat climate change. Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday released a highly ambitious plan to combat climate change, a problem he pointedly says is being perpetuated by the “billionaire fossil fuel lobby.” The plan, which reads like an environmentalist’s wish list, seeks to reduce U.S. carbon pollution by 40 percent by 2030… https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/07/bernie-sanders-puts-forward-ambitious-plan-to-combat-climate-change/ New Data Suggest Period of Soaring Global Emissions May Have Peaked. Industrial emissions of greenhouse gases rose only slightly in 2014 and appear to be on track to decline in 2015, according to new data that raise the possibility that a period of rapid global emissions growth may be coming to an end. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/science/carbon-emissions-decline-peak-climate-change.html >From the Archives, 2005: How Much Warming Is Too Much? There was one small problem with the first treaty addressing global warming, in which 193 countries pledged to avoid “dangerous” human interference with the climate: There was no accepted definition of “dangerous.” http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/climate/2015-paris-climate-talks/from-the-archives-2005-how-much-warming-is-too-much How Big Business Found Religion on Climate Change. CEOs still don’t care about the whales. At a black-tie event in an opulent ballroom late in 2014, a grim figure at a podium warned of the “catastrophic impact of climate change.” “While there is still time to act,” he admonished, “the window of opportunity is finite and shrinking.” http://fortune.com/2015/12/07/big-business-climate-change/ UN CLIMATE TALKS At U.N. climate talks, top officials turn up heat for final week. A four-year global effort to craft a binding deal to brake rising world temperatures enters an intense home stretch on Monday, with senior officials in Paris stepping up pressure to resolve the most contentious points. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, dispatched to secure a deal meant to cement President Barack Obama's legacy as a guardian of the environment… http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-idUKKBN0TO0C820151207 UN Officials Warn of Climate Disaster if Paris Pact Fails. Talks on a universal climate pact shifted to a higher gear Monday with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging governments to set off an "energy revolution" to rein in heat-trapping carbon emissions and avert disastrous global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/07/world/europe/ap-climate-countdown.html Scientists Enlist the Big Gun to Get Climate Action: Faith. The cold hard numbers of science haven't spurred the world to curb runaway global warming. So as climate negotiators struggle in Paris, some scientists who appealed to the rational brain are enlisting what many would consider a higher power: the majesty of faith. It's not God versus science, but followers of God and science together trying to save humanity and the planet, they say. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/06/world/europe/ap-eu-climate-countdown-god-factor.html Climate Talks Shift From Binding Targets to 'Name and Shame'. It's clear at this point that even if the international climate accord being negotiated in suburban Paris becomes legally binding, it won't include punitive measures like trade sanctions or embargoes on straggler countries that fail to meet their commitments. "The only penalty for falling short on efforts to fight global warming… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/07/world/europe/ap-climate-countdown-peer-pressure.html Kerry Off to Paris Again for Climate Conference. Secretary of State John Kerry is headed back to Paris, to join negotiators there trying to break through impasses on a climate change agreement. Kerry left Washington late Sunday to return to the talks in the French capital that he and President Barack Obama were at just a week earlier. Kerry, who has made climate change a priority as secretary of state… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/06/us/politics/ap-us-kerry.html The Latest: India Urges Strong Rich Country Moves on Climate. The latest news related to the U.N. climate conference in Paris, which runs through Dec. 11. All times local: 8:55 a.m. India's environment minister is urging industrialized nations to take strong action and make sacrifices to fight climate change, as Paris climate talks enter a second, crucial week. Prakash Javadekar said in a statement Sunday night that "India is here to ensure that rich countries… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/07/world/asia/ap-climate-countdown-the-latest.html Paris Climate Talks: How Often to Ratchet, and How Much? There is (officially) less than a week to go at the Paris climate conference, and Monday is the start of the “high-level segment,” where foreign ministers and secretaries of state start wrangling over the toughest parts of the text. One wonky but important question yet to be resolved is the question of ratcheting – how often, how much? http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/climate/2015-paris-climate-talks/paris-climate-talks-how-often-to-ratchet-and-how-much Despite Push for Cleaner Cars, Sheer Numbers Could Work Against Climate Benefits. As United Nations climate conferees meet near here, Eric Feunteun wishes everyone could agree: If the world is going to curb climate change, there is no choice but to stop driving cars that burn fossil fuels. “If we want affordable, practical and fully green technology,” Mr. Feunteun said in an interview in an office building on the edge of… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/business/energy-environment/despite-push-for-cleaner-cars-sheer-numbers-could-work-against-climate-benefits.html Chasing a Climate Deal in Paris: ‘We’re Just Warming Up,’ Jerry Brown Says. Gov. Jerry Brown of California is known for making off-the-cuff remarks; now in his fourth term as governor (the first two were from 1975 to 1983), he rarely uses prepared remarks. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/climate/2015-paris-climate-talks The Latest: IEA Chief Wants End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy says Republicans and others fighting the Obama administration's efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants are going to lose — and might as well get over it. Despite a lawsuit and Congress voting to repeal to the regulation… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/07/world/asia/ap-climate-countdown-the-latest.html Trust and Money at Core of Crucial Paris Talks on Climate Change. The international climate change negotiations entering their second and final week encompass a vast and complicated array of political, economic and legal questions. But at bottom, the talks boil down to two issues: trust and money. In this global forum, no one questions the established science that greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/07/world/europe/trust-and-money-at-core-of-crucial-paris-talks-on-climate-change.html?ref=world In Paris, Schwarzenegger and Brown unite seeking climate action. It was like the debut of a environmentally themed buddy cop drama, with a political odd couple joining together against a common foe. In one chair was California’s current governor, Jerry Brown, the cerebral Democrat known for dropping Latin phrases into Capitol press conferences. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-paris-climate-talks-schwarzenegger-brown-story.html Brown pushes cities, states to set tough environmental targets. More than a year and a half ago, Franz Untersteller, the environment secretary for the German state of Baden-Württemberg, stepped into a meeting with Gov. Jerry Brown in Sacramento. Untersteller was visiting California to learn about energy policy, but the conversation shifted to how the two states… http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-pol-sac-climate-brown-agreement-20151206-story.html Jerry Brown finds theme song: ‘Eve of Destruction’. On his second day in Paris, Gov. Jerry Brown found music. Delivering a speech tied to the United Nations climate summit, Brown warned a crowd the world is “on a track of destruction” if it does not move quickly to counteract effects of climate change. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article48319365.html#storylink=cpy Jerry Brown’s MOU life in Paris. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, hearing one night this spring that Jerry Brown planned to “convene government leaders from around the world” for a climate change announcement, smiled broadly and surmised that the governor had “another MOU” in the works. It was a safe bet. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article48303625.html#storylink=cpy Paris climate talks: biggest polluters back tougher warming target. US, China, Canada and EU among big carbon emitters at UN summit supporting 1.5C target to protect most vulnerable countries such as small island states. The world’s biggest climate polluters rallied around a stronger target for limiting warming on Monday, saying they were open to the 1.5C goal endorsed by the most vulnerable countries. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/07/paris-climate-talks-biggest-polluters-back-tougher-warming-target Arnold Schwarzenegger says climate campaigns need to focus on 'right now' not 2050. Green campaigners should stop talking about the risks from climate change in 2050 and talk about “right now”, the former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has said. “It drives me crazy when people talk about 30 years from now, rising sea levels and so on… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/07/arnold-schwarzenegger-climate-campaigns-need-focus-right-now-not-2050?CMP=twt_gu 10 U.S. Senators Travel To Paris To Show Their Support For An International Climate Deal. With the first week of the U.N. climate summit coming to a close, the world appears increasingly nearer to reaching to an international deal on climate action. Back in the United States, a coalition of Republican senators and representatives have been hard at work to stymie such a deal… http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/12/05/3728661/democratic-senators-support-climate-deal-in-paris/ Russia pledges not to stand in the way of Paris climate deal. Vladimir Putin assures that his negotiators will not block an agreement that has the backing of other major countries. Russia has pledged not to stand in the way of a deal at the Paris climate change conference, removing another obstacle to a potential agreement, the Guardian has learned. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/07/russia-pledges-not-to-stand-in-the-way-of-paris-climate-deal Climate Change Is Killing Us, Literally — And Here's How. Climate change may be bad for people but it's good for bugs. Germs of all kinds, as well as mosquitoes and other disease carriers, will live longer in warmer weather because cold kills them. They'll find more areas with the hot, humid conditions they need to thrive. Disease-carrying insects have already begun to move into new territory… http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=458487877 Carbon Farming Gets A Nod At Paris Climate Conference. This week, world leaders are hashing out a binding agreement in Paris at the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Conference for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. And for the first time, they've made the capture of carbon in soil a formal part of the global response to the climate crisis. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=458063708 How Climate Change Became the Central Development Issue. Just a decade ago, humanitarian groups working to address everything from education to poverty competed with climate change for public attention and development dollars. Now, leaders of groups focused on solving a whole slew of development issues say that climate change has become central with its effects permeating to other key problems. http://time.com/4137733/climate-change-development/ The president's deal-shaper takes the stage in climate talks. Todd Stern doesn't mind being the bad guy. The Obama administration's special envoy for climate change said he knows personal attacks come with the territory of pushing often-unpopular U.S. positions before the United Nations. Over the nearly seven years http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/07/stories/1060029066 DROUGHT Drought in cities: Will people get tired of water-saving demands? Dead lawns. Buckets in showers. Low-flow toilets. In 2015, people in cities from Merced to Tulare made changes inside and outside their homes, some grudgingly to avoid a water penalty and some willingly out of a sense of civic duty. http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article48403240.html#storylink=cpy FUELS UCLA–UC Berkeley paper outlines how CA can boost biofuel production to cut pollution and help the economy. California has not taken full advantage of opportunities to increase its in-state production of biofuel, despite state policies that encourage biofuel consumption, according to a policy paper by the Climate Change and Business Research Initiative at the UCLA and UC Berkeley law schools. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151207-calibiofuels.html A global 'free-for-all' fueled by OPEC. The world's prime force for moving oil prices has seemingly thrown in the towel, signaling to its members that they can pump as much crude as they like. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, at a long and contentious meeting in Vienna last week, failed to make a decision on anything, including on a possible revision to the combined production target of 30 million barrels a day set in 2011. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/07/stories/1060029053 VEHICLES Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Nov: Volt Strong, But Leaf, i3 Decline (UPDATED). Sales of plug-in electric cars generally fall off a bit as the weather gets colder, and it's the same this year, with November sales slightly down on those of October. The new 2016 Chevrolet Volt continued strong, even though it's on sale only in California and a few other states, but weakness in the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 was stronger. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101281_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-nov-volt-strong-but-leaf-i3-decline Hyundai introduces IONIQ: compact car with BEV, PHEV or HEV powertrains. Hyundai Motor announced the name of its advanced, alternative-fuel compact vehicle due for launch in 2016: the Hyundai IONIQ. The car will be available with battery-electric electric (BEV), plug-in gasoline/electric hybrid (PHEV), or gasoline/electric hybrid (HEV) powertrains… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151207-ioniq.html GREEN ENERGY Green ETFs Struggle, Thanks to Fall in Oil. Lower oil prices pressure shares of renewable energy companies. The environment is in the spotlight, with the Paris climate talks in full swing. But investors in “green” exchange-traded funds have learned from experience that these funds have yet to establish a long-term footing. There are all sorts of ETFs in this sector. http://www.wsj.com/articles/green-etfs-struggle-thanks-to-fall-in-oil-price-1449460370 Change Isn’t as Easy as a Flip of a Switch. The spinning blades of wind turbines produced 9 percent of Germany’s electricity in 2014. Most of those turbines are in the north of the country, near Denmark and the Netherlands, or off the coast in the North Sea. The majority of Germany’s electricity demand, however, comes from some 400 miles to the south, in the factories and corporate headquarters of Bavaria. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/business/energy-environment/change-isnt-as-easy-as-a-flip-of-a-switch.html Denmark, a Green Energy Leader, Slows Pace of Its Spending. Not long ago, Denmark was making headlines for harvesting so much wind power that it was leading the way in generating renewable energy, while becoming a center of innovation and growth for green and clean technology. Then, in June, a center-left government was replaced by a right-wing, minority coalition determined… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/world/europe/denmark-a-green-energy-leader-slows-pace-of-its-spending.html OPINIONS The Invisible Spill Spewing the Gases of a Half-Million Cars. Call it the invisible spill. You can’t see it, but it’s there -- a steady stream of natural gas seeping out of the pipe casing in a well in Southern California that may spew as much greenhouse gas into the air as a half-million cars do in a year. Pipeline operator Sempra Energy says it may take three to four months to plug. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-05/the-invisible-spill-spewing-the-gases-of-a-half-million-cars California's appearance at the climate change talks belies an L.A. oil and gas health threat. Gov. Jerry Brown and a delegation of California officials are in attendance at the U.N. climate change conference in Paris. They are there, in part, to tout the state's efforts to cut carbon pollution and simultaneously grow the economy. Yet as much as California's environmental progress deserves recognition… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-sauls-los-angeles-oil-well-dangers-20151207-story.html In Paris climate summit, a beginning not an end. No single agreement should be expected to be the final solution to the climate crisis, writes Heather Zichal, a former climate adviser to President Obama. Today marks the final week of COP 21 in Paris, the latest UN brokered negotiation to address the global climate crisis, and with it comes high expectations that world leaders… http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/1207/In-Paris-climate-summit-a-beginning-not-an-end BLOGS The 2°C limit on global warming. “NEVER before has a responsibility so great been in the hands of so few,” declared Christiana Figueres, head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the opening of COP21 in Paris. The UNFCCC, an environmental treaty, has been signed by more than 190 countries since its inception in 1992. http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/12/economist-explains-4?cid1=cust/noenew/n/n/n/2015127n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/NA/email Energy Efficiency Is the Largest Contributor to Reducing CO2 Emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy efficiency can deliver 38 percent of what is needed to keep our planet within the two degree scenario of global warming by 2050. Taking that into account, we should put energy efficiency first when we discuss solutions to climate change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/niels-b-christiansen/energy-efficiency-is-the_b_8655434.html Climate Negotiators Won't Protect Oceans. The oceans occupy 71 percent of Earth's surface and they account for over 95 percent of the biosphere, the planet's living space. It is shameful that the climate negotiators in Paris have removed the ocean impacts from the climate crisis and that they are refusing to protect them. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-reese-halter/climate-negotiators-wont-_b_8736396.html Forests: Big Player in the Fight against Climate Change. Forests are often described as the "lungs of the planet," and their ability to absorb immense volumes of carbon dioxide makes them a tremendous asset in the fight against climate change. Cutting forests down not only negates that ability; it also adds significantly to global warming. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-jenkins-/forests-big-player-in-the_b_8737166.html We May Get Some Good News About Global Carbon Emissions This Year. But don't celebrate too much. There's still a long way to go. As world leaders meet in Paris to negotiate a climate deal, a study released Monday brings some good news: Global carbon emissions likely stalled and possibly decreased this year. If the final data show the world's CO2 emissions have dropped, it will be the first recorded decrease during a "period of strong global economic growth," according to the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/global-carbon-emissions-2015_565f3e33e4b072e9d1c45ccf California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 13:50:41 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 8, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 8, 2015. 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 Carbon market would cover half of nation's emissions at launch. China's nationwide carbon market will regulate nearly half of the country's emissions and cover up to 10,000 firms when it's launched in 2017, according to an official yesterday speaking on the sidelines of the climate talks in Paris. The nation's carbon market would become the world's biggest… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/08/stories/1060029152 AIR POLLUTION L.A. city attorney sues SoCal Gas over gas leak affecting Porter Ranch. Los Angeles leaders announced Monday that the city attorney is suing Southern California Gas Co. over how it handled a natural gas leak that has sent sickening fumes into Porter Ranch and caused hundreds of families to leave their homes. “This is an unprecedented environmental disaster for the city of Los Angeles… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-gas-leak-porter-ranch-lawsuit-20151207-story.html Study sees possible dip in world carbon dioxide emissions. Global carbon dioxide emissions may be dropping ever so slightly this year, spurred by a dramatic plunge in Chinese pollution, according to a surprising new study released Monday. The unexpected dip could either be a temporary blip or true… http://www.fresnobee.com/latest-news/article48472345.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE California billionaire Tom Steyer has rare access and a big megaphone on climate change. Sitting under a soaring ornamental ceiling in a museum near the Seine, Gov. Jerry Brown gave thanks for the political backdrop that has enabled California's tougher environmental rules. “If it weren’t for sympathetic legislators, and powerful constituencies, then California wouldn’t be where it is today,” he said during a Monday event. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-pol-ca-climate-tom-steyer-20151208-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article48612905.html Betting against global warming is a sure way to lose money. Even climate contrarians don’t bet against global warming, probably because they know it’s a bet they would lose. In 2008, a paper was published in the journal Nature predicting that global surface temperatures would cool slightly in the years 2005–2015 as compared to 1994–2004. The authors of that paper thought that during that time, the cool phase of natural ocean cycles would be enough to more than offset warming from the increased greenhouse effect, before human-caused global warming caught up again thereafter. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/dec/08/betting-against-global-warming-is-a-sure-way-to-lose-money UN CLIMATE TALKS U.S. Republicans Pushed by CEOs in Paris to Shift Climate Stance. As the leaders of 195 countries gather in Paris to hammer out a global climate deal, much of the attention is on the U.S. -- where business leaders and scientists say they’re trying to persuade Republicans to accept emissions curbs. A key question among those attending the two-week summit is whether the U.S. will keep to the ambitious pledges… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-08/u-s-republicans-pushed-by-ceos-in-paris-to-shift-climate-stance European utilities want carbon price as main climate change tool. French power generator Engie and a group of European utilities called on Tuesday for carbon pricing rather than targets for increasing renewable energy use to be the main tool for fighting climate change. The group, which includes Germany's E.ON, Italy's Enel and Spain's Iberdrola, wants the European Commission to strengthen its emissions trading… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-utilities-idUSKBN0TR12L20151208#a4R4AzCL97BTqWj0.99 Once a Fixture, Climate Sceptics Say They Are Being Stifled in Paris. To be a climate change sceptic in Paris this week means facing heavy odds. Arrayed against them are thousands of environmentalists, scientists and even big business leaders, who have come to U.N.-sponsored climate talks to pledge their commitment to cutting the manmade emissions that an overwhelming majority of scientists say are warming the planet. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/12/08/world/europe/08reuters-climatechange-summit-skeptics.html?_r=0 The Latest: Wealthy Nations Urged to Increase Climate Aid. The latest news related to the U.N. climate conference in Paris, which runs through Dec. 11. All times local: 4:35 p.m. Major developing countries taking part in climate talks outside Paris are calling on wealthy nations to increase their financial support to help poor countries to cope with global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/08/world/europe/ap-climate-countdown-the-latest.html Back in U.S., divisions and indifference on climate change. Negotiators are hammering out a climate change deal in Paris, but the U.S. political landscape remains deeply divided about the issue, and the wider American public is indifferent. That is the analysis put forward by Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institute. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-climate-change-talks-updates-day-6-htmlstory.html In new California climate initiative, bill will target key pollutants Chris Megerian. California would target certain harmful emissions under new legislation being introduced by state Sen. Ricardo Lara in an effort to boost public health while battling global warming. Known as short-lived climate pollutants, the emissions include diesel exhaust and methane from agriculture. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-ln-california-senator-lara-pollution-bill-climate-change20151208-story.html Lots of MOUs in Paris, but cap-and-trade expansion ‘moving slowly’ for California. In his effort to rally local and state governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Gov. Jerry Brown has appeared repeatedly in Paris with like-minded politicians from around the world. His message is not only outward-looking; Brown is also trying to make an impression back home. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article48497645.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Brown touts 'coercive power of government' to attack climate change. Gov. Jerry Brown has been doing more than just touting California’s environmental policies here – he’s been making an explicit case for the power of government. It’s rare for a politician to tout the benefits of regulations, which are often dismissed as nothing more than red tape for slowing down businesses. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-pol-sac-climate-brown-government-20151207-story.html China and the world turn to California for climate change expertise. China’s top negotiator at the United Nations summit on climate change practically gushed as he described his country’s relationship with California. During a speech Monday, Xie Zhenhua described Gov. Jerry Brown as an “old friend” whose administration has provided green wisdom from across the Pacific. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-pol-sac-climate-california-china-20151207-story.html How Cities and States Took the Spotlight in Paris Climate Talks Justin Worland. Jerry Brown may not be a world leader, but he’s the talk of the town in Paris at what organizers hope will be the most significant international gathering ever on climate change. The governor of California is here to spend a week touting his efforts on the issue at the state level… http://time.com/4140172/paris-cities-states-climate-change/ Breathing Space: Why China's Population Worries About Air Pollution But Ignores Climate Change Talks In Paris. As Chinese officials take part in the climate change negotiations in Paris, the issue could hardly seem more urgent back home. After several days of choking smog-blanketed Northern China last week -- particularly the capital of Beijing, where the concentration of dangerous fine-particle… http://www.ibtimes.com/breathing-space-why-chinas-population-worries-about-air-pollution-ignores-climate-2216055 Britain can’t preach on climate change while it dismantles its green economy. The Green MP Caroline Lucas is right to have called this a “spectacular display of cognitive dissonance”. Not surprisingly, the world is beginning to notice. “On eve of Paris climate summit, Britain pulls plug on renewables”, read a recent headline in the Washington Post. The job of government on climate change is to ensure attractive… http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/08/britain-climate-change-green-economy-david-cameron-paris US west coast leads the way on climate agenda. Governor Jerry Brown of California has been one of the most colourful figures in US politics for at least 40 years. He trained as a Jesuit priest, but became a lawyer instead. He dated the singer Linda Ronstadt and successfully sued Standard Oil, Gulf Oil and Mobil Oil. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/cop21-us-west-coast-leads-the-way-on-climate-agenda-1.2457874 Developing World Spurning Key U.S. Climate Demand. The Obama Administration wants an agreement to emerge from meetings in Paris that redefines the nature of global cooperation in the fight against climate change, but the developing world’s most influential diplomats are strongly resisting a key negotiating demand. Since governments struck their first climate pact in 1992 they have been divided into two groups: rich and poor… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/developing-world-spurning-key-us-climate-demand-19780 China accused of blocking progress at Paris climate talks. As Beijing declared its first “red alert” for heavy smog this week, closing schools and curbing car use, Chinese negotiators at UN talks in Paris are being accused of trying to weaken the new global climate accord due to be finalised by Friday. “It is very frustrating,” said one negotiator from a developed country after a meeting… http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/15be0e10-9dca-11e5-b45d-4812f209f861.html#slide0 Exxon Mobil Corp. is touting its support for a climate tax to stop the Earth's average temperature from rising. The oil company says it supports the U.N. climate negotiations in Paris, and its executives said yesterday that if nations do not take action together, the Earth will warm by 2.5 degrees Celsius in the next hundred years. But Exxon says limits need to be achieved efficiently to prevent economic harm to companies. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/08/stories/1060029159 FUELS Sierra Club challenges San Diego power plant. The Sierra Club yesterday filed a lawsuit challenging California's approval of a large natural gas plant north of San Diego. The California Public Utilities Commission, or PUC, approved San Diego Gas & Electric's bid for a natural gas plant to compensate for lost electricity following the unexpected shuttering of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/08/stories/1060029167 VEHICLES Plug-in Electric Car Sales in Canada, November 2015: Autumn Reign For Volt. The second-generation Chevy Volt followed up its 203 October sales with 178 units in November, likely leading the Canadian plug-in electric vehicle pack. Though it will end December with slightly lower year-over-year volumes, the positive early reception suggests the 2016 Volts… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101270_plug-in-electric-car-sales-in-canada-november-2015-autumn-reign-for-volt More Than 500 Nissan Electric Cars In Taxi Service Now. On any given city street, only a portion of the vehicles are private passenger cars. Taxis make up a large part of the traffic in cities, and in the same way it's proved popular with individual owners, the Nissan Leaf electric car appears to have the favor of cabbies. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101296_more-than-500-nissan-electric-cars-in-taxi-service-now GREEN ENERGY UPDATE 2-Norway oil fund to target green energy, infrastructure if allowed. Norway's $850 billion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, would invest in renewable energy, transport and grids if it were allowed to put money into unlisted infrastructure projects, the fund's CEO told Reuters on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/climatechange-summit-norway-idUSL8N13X2L920151208#tL1y5DGWx0B52mWo.99 OPINIONS Once again, California leads the way. At the Paris Climate Change Conference, the world’s nations are pledging their first real steps toward addressing catastrophic climate change. Yet in this country, Republicans in Congress are already vowing to block President Obama’s program, while their presidential candidates scorn scientists’ alarm. Even if Democrats hold the White House in 2016… https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/once-again-california-leads-the-way/2015/12/08/3bdc8cf4-9d0a-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html The Assault on Climate Science. WITH world leaders gathered in Paris to address climate change, most of the planet seems to have awakened to the reality that the Earth is warming and that we’re responsible. But not Lamar Smith, the Texas Republican who is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. He has long disputed the overwhelming scientific evidence that carbon dioxide emission… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/opinion/the-assault-on-climate-science.html?ref=opinion Climate change and El Niño: East Africa is already suffering. To the editor: It is heartening to see so many California business leaders and state officials, with strong support from Gov. Jerry Brown, attending the United Nations climate change summit in Paris. Your coverage of climate change has made readers aware of the potential positive and negative impacts of El Niño on California. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1208-tuesday-climate-change-africa-20151208-story.html Letter: Global climate change an important local issue, too. We at Chico350.org were overjoyed to see coverage of Chico’s global climate march in the E-R. Over 250 people showed up asking our world leaders at the U.N. climate summit in Paris to pledge to keep fossil fuels in the ground and to meaningfully finance a worldwide transition to renewable energy. http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20151207/letter-global-climate-change-an-important-local-issue-too Whether Up Is Down or Down Is Up , There’s Never a Need to Reduce Emissions at The Wall Street Journal Editorial Page. For a few years now, President Obama has had this crazy idea in his head that he could work together with China to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. But The Wall Street Journal editorial page understood all along that this preposterous scheme could never work. “Mr. Obama's logic seems to be that the U.S. should first set a moral example by imposing costs that reduce our prosperity,” mocked a Journal editorial a year and a half ago. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/never-a-need-to-reduce-emissions-at-wsj.html BLOGS What a climate deal means for oil markets. Over the next two weeks countries from around the world are convening in Paris to develop a global plan to address climate change. A successful deal in Paris could have significant impacts for energy and equity markets. In many ways, the heavy lifting for Paris has already occurred. Learning from failed past attempts to impose global rules, governments have developed a more flexible bottom up approach. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/07/what-a-climate-deal-means-for-oil-markets/ UN Climate Summit's Scattered Approach Points Up Importance of California and Jerry Brown. There is some very good news and some very bad news about the current United Nations Climate Summit in Paris. The good news is two-fold: First, that it is even happening at all in the wake of last month's shocking Friday the 13th jihadist terror attacks on the City of Light… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-bradley/un-climate-summits-scatte_b_8745540.html Global energy negotiations require straight talk. As the United States engages in the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris, activists here at home have ramped up pressure to repeal so-called "subsidies" for the oil and gas industry. A recent Oil Change International study proclaims that the United States provides more than $20 billion in national subsidies to the fossil fuels industry. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/262404-global-energy-negotiations-require-straight-talk The Vicious Circle of Climate Change and Water Scarcity. Water is the basis for human life. Without water, there is no life. Water in the right quality, at the right place, at the right time and in the right amount is becoming one of the main global challenges and issues for society at large - and it is worsened by climate change. These days, the eyes of the world is on Paris and the COP21-negotiations. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mads-nipper/the-vicious-circle-of-cli_b_8746862.html Arnold Schwarzenegger Doesn't Care If You Agree With Him On Climate Change. Arnold Schwarzenegger is using his muscle to tackle the growing threat of climate change, and he doesn't "give a damn" whether you agree with him. In an impassioned letter posted to his Facebook page on Monday, the former California governor told his followers that he doesn't care if they believe the climate… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/arnold-schwarzenegger-climate-change-facebook_56666ce0e4b072e9d1c76571 China Acts to Control Shipping Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The shipping industry is not only a major contributor to the air pollution choking many port cities, but also, as explained in a front page article in today's New York Times, one of the fastest growing sources of transport greenhouse gas emissions. Shipping is currently responsible for almost 3 percent of global CO2 emissions and over 2 percent of global black carbon emissions… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-a-finamore/china-acts-to-control-shi_b_8750516.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 15:46:42 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 9, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 9, 2015. 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 Chinese customs officers seize 120,000 fake face masks: media. Customs officers in China's commercial capital, Shanghai, have discovered 120,000 fake respiratory masks, supposedly made by U.S. diversified manufacturer 3M Co, state media said on Wednesday. News of the seizure came as air pollution has engulfed the capital, Beijing, with authorities declaring a "red alert" there because of dangerously high levels of smog. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-idUSKBN0TS1LY20151209#I5uRTmGgK0VJcTTB.99 http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article48761360.html China offers bonus to coal power plants to meet emissions rules. Getting China's cash-strapped coal-fired power industry to comply with tough emissions rules and tackle choking smog that has recently blanketed the capital and other major cities will take incentives as well as fines. In a change in tack after years of fining rule-breaking firms... http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-coal-power-idUSKBN0TS11320151209#LGzM80FtfoC7pDiq.99 EPA head says U.S. pollution rules could help China tackle smog. The Obama administration's new pollution rules are under attack from Republican critics at home, but its top environmental official is telling China that similar regulations offer a solution to the air pollution currently choking its major cities. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-usa-china-idUSKBN0TR2EK20151208#VSepTD63BFuvqzvT.99 No-burn order issued for today. The region will be under a “no-burn” order today, meaning indoor fireplace use and outdoor wood-burning will be prohibited due to pollution concerns. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued the order Tuesday for all residences in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes Orange County. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article48761360.html Beijing authorities use technology in pollution battle. Some Beijing residents use smokestacks to predict smog: Smoke drifting gently upward means stagnant air where smog will accumulate, while smoke blowing away from the mountains indicates fresher winds and clear air ahead. But the city government uses more sophisticated technology for its forecasts, including the one used this week to trigger Beijing's first-ever red alert for smog. http://www.sacbee.com/news/article48758130.html#storylink=cpy CLIMATE CHANGE Canada climate push spells uncertainty for oil sands. Canada's newly elected government is committed to being a strong ally in global efforts to curb climate change, but it is unclear yet what that will mean for its vast oil patch, Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna said on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-canada-idUSKBN0TS20U20151209#dEJETyOf3rfWakUF.99 European utilities want carbon price as main climate change tool. French power generator Engie and a group of European utilities called on Tuesday for carbon pricing rather than targets for increasing renewable energy use to be the main tool for fighting climate change. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-utilities-idUSKBN0TR12L20151208#ZkV7uRqZkZd0HrAs.99 Corruption, poverty hinder fight to save Africa's forests. When Idrissa Balde, mayor of a small community in southern Senegal, blew the whistle on illegal logging in a nearby forest reserve, he says the government agent charged with protecting the trees proposed a deal to keep him quiet. What Balde says was on offer typifies the problems many African countries face in enforcing high-minded policies… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-africa-idUSKBN0TS1TJ20151209#UevyQDZ8wzfv20xg.97 Scientists just discovered a surprising new factor that could make global warming worse. In a surprising new study, scientists say they’ve pinned down the climate factor most strongly tied to variations in terrestrial carbon storage — that is, the ability of plants and other features of the Earth’s surface to take up carbon, thus preventing it from going into the atmosphere. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/09/the-surprising-factor-affecting-carbon-storage-in-the-worlds-forests/ How the buildings we live in add to the threat from global warming. When we think of the culprits of climate change, we tend to picture coal-burning power plants, airplanes and traffic-clogged highways. But there are other offenders — the places we live, work, study and shop. From urban high-rises to squat suburban malls, buildings are responsible for about 40% of global energy use… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-climate-change-buildings-20151209-story.html Blocking the Sun Is No Plan B for Global Warming. Planet-wide geoengineering schemes might work—or backfire. Either way, there is no getting around the need to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. More than 300 watts per square meter of sunshine hits the top of Earth's atmosphere each year. A third is reflected and the sky, sea and land absorb the rest. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/blocking-the-sun-is-no-plan-b-for-global-warming/ UN CLIMATE TALKS With new climate draft, a deal creeps closer in Paris. Eleven days of negotiations produced a slimmer but still-troubled version of a climate deal on Wednesday, with negotiators from 195 countries divided over how far to go in curbing global temperature rises - and how to pay for it. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-idUSKBN0TS1SG20151209#DuU5wCCkYMRkrSFH.99 Climate-change naysayers better at war of words, study finds. Climate-change opponents are better at spreading their point of view than those who see climate change as real and troublesome, according to a study underlining the challenge of rallying public support as world leaders meet in Paris to discuss the environmental threat. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-usa-study-idUSKBN0TR2Z820151208#wKXmzDGcDQeHDJU9.99 No hiatus in global warming, says IPCC chief. Global warming has not paused, but more research is needed to understand the level that might cause tipping points, or irreversible damage to the earth's climate system, the chair of the U.N. panel of climate scientists told Reuters on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-ipcc-idUSKBN0TR23920151208#Z4LHSGZbsTUV3dv3.99 Kellogg, Sony and others sign up to emissions goals. Kellogg (K.N), Sony (6758.T), Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE.N) and a group of other companies have committed to targets certified by independent assessors to cut their carbon emissions, they said on Tuesday. The initiative came as negotiators gathered in Paris try to reach an accord on reducing greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-companies-idUSKBN0TR10U20151208#zTKIowjUtZtAlMC7.99 U.S. to Double Climate Funding for Poor Countries. Part of a push by developed countries to increase climate-change finance and remove a key obstacle to securing a deal at Paris summit. The U.S. on Wednesday said it would double financial grants for poor nations to protect themselves from the effects of climate change… http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-to-double-climate-funding-for-poor-countries-1449671794 California Governor Thinks U.S. Should Follow His State’s Lead. Gov. Jerry Brown of California, speaking at The International New York Times Energy for Tomorrow conference in Paris on Wednesday, pointed to his state’s success in reducing pollution and carbon emissions and called on the federal government to take notice. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/climate/2015-paris-climate-talks/jerry-brown-on-chinas-help-to-his-state Business Leaders Commit to Energy Goals at Climate Conference. Unilever. Total. Bank of America. Patagonia. Ikea. Some of the world’s largest companies — and brands — announced their commitment on Tuesday to cutting carbon emissions and participating in practices that would support sustainable energy. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/world/europe/business-leaders-commit-to-energy-goals-at-climate-conference.html Bill Gates Takes On Climate Change With Nudges and a Powerful Rolodex. When Bill Gates arrived at the Élysée Palace to meet the French president François Hollande and other officials in June, he brought a message. Mr. Gates told Mr. Hollande that energy innovation needed to be a top agenda item at the climate change conference now taking place in this airport suburb outside Paris. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/business/energy-environment/bill-gates-takes-on-climate-change-with-nudges-and-a-powerful-rolodex.html?_r=0 Climate Negotiators Face Hurdles on Key Issues as Deadline Looms. Less than two days before their deadline to conclude a sweeping new climate accord, negotiators from nearly 200 countries have yet to resolve major issues, such as how and when pledged cuts to carbon emissions would be verified. Lead negotiators said they were confident that a deal could still be reached… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/world/europe/paris-climate-conference.html?_r=0 California falling short in push for more clean vehicles. Even as California sells itself as an environmental success story during the United Nations summit here, the state is in danger of failing to meet its own targets for getting clean vehicles on the road. In a state with sprawling suburbs, stiff traffic and a longtime love affair with the internal combustion engine… http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-pol-sac-climate-vehicle-emissions-20151208-story.html Paris climate talks: With new draft finished, negotiators regroup in home stretch of summit. Gov. Jerry Brown's trip to Paris is coming to a close. The last stops on his schedule, including a panel discussion with U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, are on Wednesday. On Monday, Brown touted California's environmental partnerships with China, a glimpse of how the state could play a key international role. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-climate-change-talks-updates-day-6-htmlstory.html#85274308 Jerry Brown heckled in France, with video. Gov. Jerry Brown, at the conclusion of a speech here Tuesday, was heckled by a group of protesters opposed to carbon offset programs they said could hurt indigenous people. Brown, accompanied by several South American governors at a 19th century mansion in Paris, has finished brief remarks urging further efforts to counteract climate change… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article48638750.html Kerry challenges nations on climate change. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced Wednesday that the United States will double its contribution to helping vulnerable nations adapt to climate change impacts, as he appealed for the world to take action to deal with the phenomenon. Challenging participants at U.N. talks here to reach a new global climate agreement by Friday's… http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article48770910.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Kerry-challenges-nations-on-climate-change-6686045.php Chasing a Climate Deal in Paris. Diplomats are trying to agree to a plan to slow global warming. As China steps up its efforts to tackle climate change, the government is sharply lifting its targets for renewable energy. China now wants to generate 150 to 200 gigawatts of electricity using solar power by 2020, possibly quadrupling the previous target. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/climate/2015-paris-climate-talks/china-raises-its-targets-for-renewable-energy Paris Climate Talks: Deadlines, Ratcheting and Stock-Taking. There is a mood of cautious, qualified, keep-your-fingers-crossed optimism going into the homestretch of these climate talks. Historically, this tends to be the moment when divides deepen, brinkmanship ramps up, and the whole deal appears to be hanging by a thread. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/climate/2015-paris-climate-talks/paris-climate-talks-deadlines-ratcheting-stock-taking New draft of Paris climate accord solves few big disputes. Negotiators released a new, shorter draft of an international accord to fight global warming Wednesday — and it leaves key issues unresolved just two days before high-stakes talks in Paris are scheduled to end. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry challenged diplomats to reach agreement by Friday's self-imposed deadline… http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/national-international/article48781045.html#storylink=cpy We Mean Business coalition: Business leaders ask for clear long-term emissions goal to be included in Paris climate deal. With just 48 hours to go before the end of the COP21 UN climate conference, business organization’s working with thousands of corporations and investors urged world leaders to ensure that a clear and specific long-term emissions goal is included in the final Paris agreement. http://www.corporateleadersgroup.com/resources/news-items/business-leaders-ask-for-clear-long-term-emissions-goal-to-be-included-in-paris-climate-deal#sthash.fTzcbjEa.dpuf Can California Help the Paris Climate Talks Succeed? California is no stranger to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. It has the second-highest carbon footprint of any US state (after Texas). But as diplomats from nearly every country on Earth hash through the final details of an international climate change agreement in Paris this week, they're seeing a very different side of the Golden State. http://www.newsweek.com/can-california-help-paris-climate-talks-succeed-402662 Much Of The World Perplexed That Climate Debate Continues In U.S. At the U.N. climate summit in Paris, the U.S. has a big footprint. Cabinet officials scurry from meeting to meeting, trying to get a binding deal that would help some 200 countries slow the planet's warming. Yet in some ways, the United States is an outlier. http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=458930580 Saudi Arabia accused of trying to wreck Paris climate deal. Saudi Arabia stood accused on Tuesday of trying to wreck the Paris climate summit in order to protect its future as one of the world’s largest oil producers. As the talks entered the home stretch, developing country negotiators and campaigners became increasingly vocal in their complaints that the kingdom was getting in the way of a deal. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/08/saudi-arabia-accused-of-trying-to-wreck-the-paris-climate-deal?CMP=edit_2221 Paris climate talks: John Kerry sees hurdles to deal as deadline approaches. John Kerry, the US secretary of state, has said governments trying to reach a climate agreement in Paris face a tough fight in the 72 hours remaining to reach a deal. The talks move into the endgame on Wednesday, when the French hosts produce a new draft text for review by the 195 assembled countries. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/08/paris-climate-talks-deal-john-kerry Climate coalition breaks cover in Paris to push for binding and ambitious deal. A coalition of more than 100 countries, formed in secrecy six months ago, has emerged at key UN talks in Paris to push for a legally binding global and ambitious deal on climate change. The “high ambition coalition” makes up the majority the 195 countries at the crunch conference and consists of 79 African… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/08/coalition-paris-push-for-binding-ambitious-climate-change-deal DROUGHT Local water agencies plead for relief from California drought cutbacks. Municipal water agencies from Sacramento and elsewhere pleaded for relief from California’s mandatory drought cutbacks Monday, arguing they should be given credit for coping with arid climates and developing their own supplies. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article48481795.html#storylink=cpy Disaster officials brace for havoc from historic El Niño. Federal disaster officials warned Tuesday that El Niño-fueled storms in California could inflict millions of dollars in damage this winter — from mud-soaked homes to broken levees to downed electrical lines — and said they’re taking steps to minimize the toll. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Disaster-officials-brace-for-havoc-from-historic-6684750.php CHRISTMAS: Drought has not affected tree sales, growers say. Farmers say prices are up slightly on trees shipped from Oregon and Washington. The California drought has not tempered Christmas tree sales in the region, farmers affiliated with the California Christmas Tree Association say. Jack Wickerd, owner of Wickerd Farm in Menifee, said the well on the farm held plenty of water to keep the trees watered. http://www.pe.com/articles/tree-788619-cut-trees.html Calif. scrambles to count every drop of water. California officials are facing increasing pressure to answer a simple but politically charged question. Exactly how much water is there in the state? Now enduring its fourth year of drought, California has never established a baseline measurement for water. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/09/stories/1060029148 FUELS ExxonMobil’s Torrance refinery hit by another emergency hazardous materials leak. The largely inoperable ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance was struck by another hazardous materials leak just hours after the state announced it would hold a public meeting in the city aimed at improving safety at such plants. The leak also came days before a scheduled state hearing on the company’s appeal of a $560,000 fine… http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20151208/exxonmobils-torrance-refinery-hit-by-another-emergency-hazardous-materials-leak LA County to explore joining city attorney’s lawsuit over Porter Ranch well leak. Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich wants the county to join the Los Angeles city attorney’s lawsuit against Southern California Gas Co. regarding the natural gas leak above Porter Ranch. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151208/la-county-to-explore-joining-city-attorneys-lawsuit-over-porter-ranch-well-leak VEHICLES Japan govt plans tax breaks on low-emission cars from April 2017 – sources. Japan's government will introduce tax breaks on low-emission cars from April 2017 in a bid to accelerate a shift to environment-friendly vehicles and to support car sales, ruling party and government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. The plan will be implemented at the same time the country's sales tax rises to 10 percent from the current 8 percent… http://www.reuters.com/article/japan-economy-tax-idUSL3N13Y27F20151209#P5m8jjtRgIAFJSTJ.99 VW RECALL VW says CO2 emissions scandal not as bad as feared. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) understated carbon dioxide emissions on many fewer vehicles than initially feared, it said on Wednesday, providing some relief to the automaker as it battles a wider diesel emissions scandal affecting up to 11 million cars. Europe's biggest motor manufacturer said its investigations found it had understated fuel consumption… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-carbon-idUSKBN0TS12I20151209#K540s0MDQqKFUV0C.99 VW Kept Earlier Emissions Issue From Regulator. German official ruled out notification on defect, insisting wasn’t relevant to emissions. Long before Volkswagen AG’s emissions-cheating scandal erupted, the German auto giant withheld information from regulators in the U.S., according to internal documents. http://www.wsj.com/articles/vw-kept-earlier-emissions-issue-from-regulator-1449612215?mod=djemalertNEWS Volkswagen diesel civil suits to be heard in California. More than 500 civil lawsuits filed against Volkswagen AG over the use of software to evade emissions limits will be heard by a federal judge in California, a U.S. judicial panel responsible for consolidating related lawsuits said on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-suits-idUSKBN0TR2SF20151208#C7eDL6STLrJFBsWU.99 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-08/volkswagen-consumer-lawsuits-sent-to-san-francisco-u-s-court-ihxwhn48 http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article48683280.html http://www.ibtimes.com/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-diesel-civil-suits-be-heard-california-2217171?rel=latest2 Volkswagen, Other Car Makers Have Bumpy Emissions History. Companies have clashed with regulators over pollution controls for decades. For more than 40 years, federal regulators have required auto makers to disclose engine parts that affect emissions. And for almost as long, Volkswagen AG and its rivals have been clashing with officials over compliance with those requirements. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-other-car-makers-have-bumpy-emissions-history-1449622992 Why Volkswagen Is Going Electric at CES. Volkswagen might be getting tired of talking about diesel emissions. Volkswagen is ready to distance itself from the diesel emissions cheating scandal that has forced the company to restructure and eviscerated its sales in the U.S. So, the German automaker is taking the calculated step into electric vehicles. http://fortune.com/2015/12/09/volkswagen-electric-car-ces/ GREEN ENERGY U.S. solar industry battles 'white privilege' image problem. Solar power companies have an image problem - and they are beginning to do something about it. Despite a sharp drop in the price of solar panels and innovative financing plans that have brought the technology to many middle income households over the past decade… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-solar-minorities-insight-idUSKBN0TS0G220151209#dbdYdcA2tSSBOXFH.99 Solar Project Plays Key Role In Combating Climate Change At UC Davis. The University of California recently announced at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris that it’s joining a coalition to invest in clean energy technologies to fight climate change. Solar power is playing a key role toward that goal. UC Davis recently unveiled the largest solar power farm on a university campus in the nation. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/09/solar-project-plays-key-role-in-combating-climate-change-at-uc-davis/ Solar boom expected to set 4th-quarter record – report. The U.S. solar industry notched its eighth consecutive quarter of more than 1 gigawatt of newly installed capacity during the August-October period, industry figures released today show. The third-quarter figure of 1,361 megawatts of new installations sets the U.S. solar photovoltaic industry on a trajectory to break its previous annual growth record… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/09/stories/1060029209 OPINIONS California is leading way on climate change. The selection of Paris as the site for negotiating a landmark deal on climate change is rich in symbolism. Not only did the French capital win its fame as the “City of Light” by embracing natural gas street lamps back in the early 1800s, France today can claim the distinction of having the lightest carbon footprint of all the developed economies on Earth. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article48670375.html Guest commentary: Bay Area must play vital role in fighting climate change effects. For thousands of years the first rains of fall have been followed by the dramatic migration of coho salmon into Bay Area streams. These cold-water fish return from the ocean to the streams of their birth, where they find mates, bury their eggs, and die. http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_29220464/guest-commentary-bay-area-must-play-vital-role Editorial: Brown spreads the word about big government. If there’s one thing we admire about California Gov. Jerry Brown — admittedly it’s a short list — it would be his candor. But sometimes Brown’s candid remarks reveal a little too much about his true intentions. The governor is off in Paris this week, basking in the glow of like-minded people who have gathered in France to talk about climate change… http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20151208/editorial-brown-spreads-the-word-about-big-government Renewable Energy Is Possible, Practical, & Cheaper (Than Nuclear Or Fossil Fuels). Since I spent so much time writing the addendum to this article, I figured I should better highlight the key points in a separate post. They tackle various myths regarding renewable energy and nuclear energy. Slightly edited from that addendum, below are key notes on renewable energy’s ability to take over in the electricity sector… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/12/08/renewable-energy-can-take-over-is-much-cheaper-than-nuclear-or-fossil-fuels/ Electric Car 'Outrage': Obama Goal Missed, Dubious TV Report Dissected. "Billions of your tax dollars were spent to put a million electric cars on the road by the end of this year. You might be outraged when you hear what happened." Sounds shocking, doesn't it? Also perhaps vaguely reminiscent of 2011 and 2012, when uninformed, context-free… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101319_electric-car-outrage-obama-goal-missed-dubious-tv-report-dissected BLOGS The U.S. Navy’s $500 million ship that’s ready for disaster in a warmer world. Culturally, the U.S. military is a fairly conservative organization. But unlike many other conservative American institutions, the armed services harbor no doubt about arguably the most important issue in the world today — one that has drawn experts, advocates and leaders from all over the world to Paris for an historic conference. Climate change. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/09/the-navys-500-million-ship-thats-ready-for-disaster-in-a-warmer-world/ Why Delhi Doesn’t Have a Beijing-Style Response to Pollution. The cities of Delhi and Beijing share a dubious honor as the world’s most-polluted capitals. But their response to dangerous levels of air pollution separates them. Earlier this week, Beijing for the first time issued a red-alert for pollution, triggered when authorities forecast air-quality levels above 300 for at least three consecutive days. http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/12/09/why-delhi-doesnt-have-a-beijing-style-response-to-pollution/ China Acts to Control Shipping Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The shipping industry is not only a major contributor to the air pollution choking many port cities, but also, as explained in a front page article in today's New York Times, one of the fastest growing sources of transport greenhouse gas emissions. Shipping is currently responsible for almost 3 percent of global CO2 emissions and over 2 percent… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-a-finamore/china-acts-to-control-shi_b_8750516.html Overestimating Citizens' Wish for Climate Action. Her agency produced a report, Surprising Citizens' Views on Climate Change, in partnership with national partners like the Danish Board of Technology Foundation, identifying the views on climate change from 80 countries. The results are spectacular: Almost 80% are very concerned about the impacts of climate change and 79% say their country should cut CO₂ even if other nations don't. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bjorn-lomborg/overestimating-citizens-w_b_8757892.html The Fight Against Global Warming: How to Use the Power of Social Networks. Ever since Prometheus provided us with the secret to machines, we never stopped using them. Unfortunately, since the 18th century machines have functioned primarily with fossil fuels, which we now know lead to global warming. Our society as a whole is addicted to carbon. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sylvain-guyoton/the-fight-against-global-_b_8758396.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 15:17:35 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 10, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION China Pollution Crosses Sea to Hamper Air Cleanup Effort in U.S. Chinese air pollution is blowing across the Pacific Ocean and partly offsetting clean air measures taken in California, according to Dutch and U.S. researchers. More than two-fifths of the expected benefits of anti- pollution controls in the western U.S. were canceled out by rising ozone pollution from China. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NSPNOW6JIJUR01-5FNN9G0I1093R70HUE42G6327L EPA orders more air quality tests for homes near Superfund sites. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered a new round of air quality tests for a South Bay neighborhood after detecting a variety of contaminants inside homes near two federal cleanup sites. The EPA sampled 107 homes near the Del Amo and Montrose Superfund sites earlier this year under pressure… http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-del-amo-superfund-20150810-story.html LA region breathes much easier since Obama attended Occidental. President Barack Obama attended Occidental College in Los Angeles from 1979 to 1981. His memories are full of smog. So how bad was it? According to historic ozone data collected by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, it was pretty bad. In 1979, the air quality failed to meet modern standards for 234 days of the year. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28613049/la-region-breathes-much-easier-since-obama-attended POLLUTION: Clean air target missed. Southern California has missed a long-standing federal deadline to reduce toxic soot and other small particle air pollution because unhealthful levels of such pollutants persist in northwest Riverside County. Under rules set by the Bush administration, communities in Southern California’s ocean-to-mountains air basin were supposed to meet the goal by 2015. http://www.pe.com/articles/air-776370-pollution-loma.html County air quality to reach unhealthy range Monday. The Tehama County Air Pollution Control District warns again Monday that air quality is expected to reach unhealthy levels due to smoke from wildfires in the region. Those at risk, including children and adults with respiratory disease, should stay indoors and avoid prolonged outdoor exertion. Intense physical activity should be avoided. http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150810/county-air-quality-to-reach-unhealthy-range-monday CLIMATE CHANGE Australia’s Prime Minister Warns Climate Policy Must Not Cool Economy. The country’s cabinet is expected to discuss emissions targets when Parliament resumes this week. Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott drew a line in the sand on climate policy Sunday, saying any measures to cut emissions must not hurt the economy or involve a carbon-pricing scheme, as his chief lawmakers prepare to debate…http://www.wsj.com/articles/australias-abbott-says-climate-policy-cannot-come-at-expense-of-economy-1439096152 Why Shell Cut Ties to Conservative Lobby Group Over Climate Change. Hint: It's got something to do with the company drilling offshore in the Arctic. Does it matter that Royal Dutch Shell plans to cut ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) over climate policy? Shell follows big oil rival BP and Silicon Valley titans Google, Facebook, and Yahoo… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-10/why-shell-cut-ties-to-conservative-lobby-group-over-climate-change Climate Change Could Harm British Butterflies. Six species of butterflies in Britain will face local extinctions by 2050 because of climate change, a new study reports. “What was surprising to me was that even in the most benign scenario, the drought effects are quite severe… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/science/climate-change-could-harm-british-butterflies.html?_r=0 In simple terms, Climate change will heat up California cities. Like San Diego weather? Stick around several decades and we all just might have it. A glimpse into our future reveals a Bay Area whose weather feels a lot like California’s balmy border city. Seattle could feel like present-day San Jose, forcing hipsters to shed their beards and knit beanies. A future Sacramento may have armpit stains the size of small nations. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150808/in-simple-terms-climate-change-will-heat-up-california-cities http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28605516/climate-change-future-bay-area-weather-will-be Did the EPA Bulletproof the Clean Power Plan? By making the Obama administration's landmark climate rules more workable and more stringent, Gina McCarthy may have strengthened their legal footing. Gina McCarthy, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has learned two lessons from her long career in the regulatory martial arts: adversity can be a source of strength… http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/03082015/did-epa-bulletproof-clean-power-plan-obama-climate-carbon-regulations?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=35fd0d1dfe-Weekly_Newsletter_8_9_20158_6_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-35fd0d1dfe-327494049 Underground Desert Aquifers Could Hold Missing Carbon. Here’s what we know: Carbon dioxide is building up in the atmosphere as the result of manmade emissions, trapping more and more heat and warming the planet. Here’s what we’re still working on: Of the excess CO2 that doesn’t stick around in the atmosphere — about 60 percent of it — exactly how much gets pulled into various so-called carbon sinks… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/desert-aquifers-hold-missing-carbon-19320 Can combating climate change coexist with increased US oil production? After the unveiling of President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, it's an appropriate time to take stock of whether the administration's climate goals are at odds with the ongoing shale boom. Platts senior editor Brian Scheid asks whether history will remember Obama as the climate change… http://www.platts.com/podcasts-detail/crude/2015/august/capitol-crude-081015?hootpostid=38014dc179caacb63fae50673ec3a189 Climate change crusade goes local. While US leaders remain bogged down in debate over global warming, local communities are acting on their own to hold back rising seas. Florida’s state leaders are running hard from climate change. The governor, Rick Scott, doesn’t want state employees to even utter the words. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0809/Climate-change-crusade-goes-local Concerns mount as Australia decides its greenhouse gas emissions targets. Climate change activists are glumly anticipating the announcement tonight of Australia's new greenhouse gas emissions target, which many say is sure to be weak and could even dampen hopes for an ambitious global climate change agreement. The target -- expected by many to be in the range of 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2030… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023204 Court won't reconsider greenhouse gas judgment. Federal judges on Friday declined an industry request to reconsider their interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling that trimmed U.S. EPA's greenhouse gas regulations. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023210 Rivers may slow CO2 release from Arctic permafrost – study. Permafrost holds vast amounts of stored carbon, making its fate in a warming world of critical interest to scientists. Yet much is still misunderstood about how it will behave with higher temperatures and how much greenhouse gases it will release. Now, a new study in Nature finds that large amounts of organic carbon… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023199 Governor warns of global warming's 'new normal' at site of massive blaze. California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) spotlighted the increasing risks of global warming to the state on a visit to the site of the erratic and destructive Rocky Fire in Northern California. On Thursday, the governor met with first responders and residents who had lost their homes in the 69,600-acre blaze that started more than a week ago. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023189 New research initiative aims at making cities more resilient to climate change. The National Science Foundation has bankrolled a $12 million initiative called the Urban Resilience to Extreme Weather-Related Events Sustainable Research Network (UREx SRN), which launched Friday. The five-year effort is a collaboration between Arizona State University and the Forest Service and brings together experts from different fields… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023201 DROUGHT Tribes seek boost in Oregon, California water flows to aid salmon. Two American Indian tribes asked the U.S. government to increase flows from dams to prevent the spread of a deadly fish disease that flourishes in warm water as trout and salmon suffer along the drought-parched West Coast. Starting in about three weeks, a fall run of some 120,000 Chinook salmon is expected to swim up the Klamath River… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/08/us-usa-oregon-fish-idUSKCN0QD00T20150808?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews A Once-Flourishing Pima Cotton Industry Withers in an Arid California. Up and down the San Joaquin Valley, vast fields that once grew cotton lie fallow, remnants of a boom and bust fueled by a worldwide demand for premium T-shirts and linens. Farmers here have fallowed acres of Pima cotton by the thousands, threatening the region’s unlikely reign as the world’s biggest producer of the specialty cotton, also called Supima. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/08/business/a-once-flourishing-pima-cotton-industry-withers-in-an-arid-california.html?_r=0 Where the drought has brought Head Start to a stop. A plush Cookie Monster wearing overalls and a sparkling pony ridden by a doll with one eye permanently shut huddled against a living room wall with a contingent of other orphaned toys. Diana Toscano picked up a child's hat with a yellow puppy stitched on the front. http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-drought-head-start-20150810-story.html#page=1 Innovation is blooming at water-wise urban farms. As California moves through its fourth summer of drought, cutting back on water use means shorter showers, fuller dishwashers and drier lawns for most people living in urban areas. But for small farms nestled between city streets, saving water means recycling it — and finding new ways to keep plants alive without wasting the precious liquid. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-urban-farming-drought-20150810-story.html Green waste collections fall by millions of pounds as Sacramentans let their lawns turn brown. One less thing for many Sacramento-area residents to worry about: Is this the day to put out the green waste can? As families across the region let their lawns go brown, garbage haulers for the area’s largest population centers have collected 26 million fewer pounds of green waste so far this summer compared to 2012… http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article30553818.html#storylink=cpy Explosive Rocky Fire a warning for drought-parched state. Scott Upton shook his head in wonder as he drove past ranch lands along a flat section of Highway 20, where the massive Rocky Fire had leaped over helpless firefighters trying to make a stand. The firefighters had set intentional backfires in an attempt to burn away fuel, but the blaze shot embers across what is known as New Long Valley, igniting the hills on the other side of the road. http://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/Explosive-Rocky-Fire-a-warning-for-6433258.php Southern California turf rebate program paid out nearly $57M. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California shelled out nearly $57 million during a popular program that paid homeowners and businesses to replace lawns with drought-friendly landscaping. The money went to 15,000 residents and businesses, many of which received additional rebate funds from their local water supplier… http://www.modbee.com/news/state/article30549792.html#storylink=cpy California drought hasn't killed summer vacations. At Russian River Adventures near Healdsburg, owner Larry Laba fields calls every day from people worried that California's epic drought has pulled the plug on their summer rafting trips. Surely, after four years of drought -- with fish and farmers fighting over every drop -- there can't be much left over for the lowly inflatables, right? http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20150809/california-drought-hasnt-killed-summer-vacations FUELS U.S. gas prices fall alongside crude oil: Lundberg survey. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States fell 11 cents in the past two weeks, pulled down by the ongoing slump in crude oil prices, according to the Lundberg survey released on Sunday. Regular grade gasoline fell to an average price of $2.71 per gallon, according to the biweekly survey dated Aug. 7, down 11 cents from the previous survey on July 24. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/09/us-usa-gasoline-survey-idUSKCN0QE0SH20150809 Methane-Powered Tractor Could Cut Farmers' Costs, Emissions. Luca Remmert's dream of running a self-sustainable farm is within sight. He produces energy from corn and grain near the northern Italian city of Turin and hopes in the not too distant future to run all of his eight tractors on methane generated at the farm. Remmert's 450-hectare (1,100-acre) La Bellotta farm has been testing a second-generation prototype of what will be the first tractor to run on methane. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/10/business/ap-eu-italy-biofuel-tractor.html Canadian candidates battle over Keystone pipeline, climate. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended Thursday his work on approving the Keystone XL Pipeline and predicted the next United States president will support the project. “As you know, that’s a situation under the control of the United States,” Harper said of Keystone during Canada's first pre-election debate Thursday night. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250545-canadian-candidates-battle-over-keystone-pipeline-climate Tsinghua studies on alcohol-gasoline dual fuel engines show fuel efficiency and particle number benefits. Researchers at Tsinghua University in China are studying the effects of Dual-Fuel Spark Ignition (DFSI) combustion fueled with different alcohols and gasoline. In one paper, published in the journal Fuel, they investigated the use of alcohols–gasoline DFSI Combustion for knock suppression and high fuel efficiency using a gasoline engine with high compression ratio. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150810-tsinghua.html New one-pot process to produce gasoline-grade biofuel from the bacterial biopolymer PHB. A team from the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa is developing a new one-pot process to produce gasoline-grade (C6–C18) hydrocarbon oil from polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)—an energy storage material formed from renewable feedstock in many bacterial species. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150809-phb.html VEHICLES Electric-Car Mandates: Can't Meet 'Em, Makers Say, While Buyers 'Shrug' At Efficiency. With the approaching midterm review of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules coming up in the next two years, automakers and advocates are positioning themselves to lobby for changes to the rules. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099510_electric-car-mandates-cant-meet-em-makers-say-whle-buyers-shrug-at-efficiency GREEN ENERGY The boom in wind energy couldn’t be coming at a better time. The Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, released last week, requires the country to use a lot more renewable energy by the year 2030 — and a lot less coal. And right on time, two new reports published Monday by the Department of Energy find that one key renewable sector — wind — is booming… http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/10/the-boom-in-wind-energy-couldnt-be-coming-at-a-better-time/ Pleasanton: Big solar project planned at Shadow Cliffs Park. The East Bay Regional Park district is betting big on solar power -- big enough to offset nearly all the energy used at its 65 regional parks in two counties. The agency plans an $8 million solar project at Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area to generate up to 1.2 megawatts of electricity -- roughly as much power as used by 800 to 1,000 homes. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_28611109/pleasanton-big-solar-project-planned-at-shadow-cliffs Solar power begins to surge in Latin America, mostly without subsidies. Riding an unprecedented expansion of solar in Honduras and continued strong performances in Chile, Brazil and Mexico, Latin America's solar sector netted its strongest quarterly growth from April to June with 363 megawatts of new capacity coming online, according to industry data released last week by GTM Research. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023197 U.S. will help Indonesia lower its greenhouse gas emissions. The United States will work with Indonesia to help the country develop its geothermal energy potential, the U.S. State Department has announced. In a workshop with high-level government officials and technical experts from both countries last week, the United States and Indonesia agreed to collaborate "to accelerate private investment in geothermal energy." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/10/stories/1060023200 DOE: US wind power capacity grew 8% in 2014 to ~66 GW, 2nd in world; meets 4.9% of end use demand; lowest prices to date. According to the 2014 Wind Technologies Market Report released today by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and its Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, total installed wind power capacity in the United States grew at a rate of 8% in 2014… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150810-doewind.html OPINION Curbing global warming: Mission impossible? On climate change, we need to go beyond the tired story line of “deniers” vs. the “scientific consensus.” Until it’s discredited by falling temperatures, global warming is a reality. We can still debate how much has occurred and the share attributable to human activity, but the more relevant question is what — if anything — can be done about it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/curbing-global-warming-mission-impossible/2015/08/09/b95b2650-3d2d-11e5-b3ac-8a79bc44e5e2_story.html As long as California allows fracking, it can't call itself a leader on climate change. To the editor: Even as Gov. Jerry Brown applauds President Obama's new clean power plan, our governor is sabotaging the fight against global warming in California by supporting fracking and other extreme techniques for extracting dirty fossil fuels. ("California is ahead of the game as Obama releases Clean Power Plan," Aug. 4). http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0808-saturday-california-fracking-climate-change-20150808-story.html RON LOVERIDGE: Climate change law benefiting many residents. It’s an easy applause line to say that the politicians in Sacramento put their personal ideologies ahead of their district’s needs. Orchestrated attacks on California’s landmark clean energy law, Assembly Bill 32, are so easy and commonplace that I was more than disheartened to see this smear campaign parading as fact in “Focusing on climate over constituents” [Opinion, July 26]. http://www.pe.com/articles/california-776354-energy-climate.html Letters: Remember water crisis at polls. Gov. Jerry Brown should be recalled based on his inaction concerning the current drought. One of his primary duties is to ensure that California’s infrastructure can support the population. He has admitted that California’s infrastructure can’t support its population. To compound the problem, he promotes policies that encourage unlimited increases in the illegal alien and welfare populations. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-676851-homes-new.html A bad climate change plan. President Barack Obama has a new plan to fight global warming, and science is on his side, isn’t it? No, not exactly. But wait, calculations show the economy will benefit, don’t they? No, not even close — consumers will take a bath. Well, finally, the Constitution backs up the effort’s legality, does it not? It does not. http://salina.com/opinion/columns/a-bad-climate-change-plan/article_9bb68ed2-780a-53dc-a61d-3e4c08ef5ee7.html Robert J. Samuelson: Curbing global warming: mission impossible? On climate change, we need to go beyond the tired storyline of “deniers” versus the “scientific consensus.” Until it’s discredited by falling temperatures, global warming is a reality. We can still debate how much has occurred and the share attributable to human activity, but the more relevant question is what — if anything — can be done about it. http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150809/robert-j-samuelson-curbing-global-warming-mission-impossible Carbon fee uses free market to promote cleaner energy. Is regulation by the EPA’s Clean Power Plan the best choice to help us breathe easier? A carbon-fee-and-dividend plan advocated by George P. Shultz, former secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan, is a free-market plan with a fee on dirty energy that recycles 100 percent of revenue back to American households. It would speed the transition from our dirty past and into a clean-energy future. http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/letters/2015/08/10/carbon-fee-uses-free-market-promote-cleaner-energy/31384675/ BLOGS Alexander Sherriffs and William B. Marcus: Clean-energy economy for the Valley. The San Joaquin Valley is a remarkable place. It has played a vital role in the development of the economy and the character of the state. The Midway-Sunset and Kern Oil Fields produced over 5 billion barrels of oil since being discovered in the 1890s. Natural water run-off and later some of the world’s largest public works brought water to the Valley floor creating an agricultural treasure… http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article30437568.html Daily oil trains could threaten lives in the Bay Area. If oil giant Phillips 66 has its way, an oil train disaster and increased air pollution may be coming to a Bay Area town near you. Phillips 66 is proposing an oil transport station to refine Canadian tars sands in San Luis Obispo. If the project is approved by the San Luis Obispo planning commission and board of supervisors… http://blog.sfgate.com/hottopics/2015/08/10/daily-oil-trains-could-threaten-lives-in-the-bay-area/ IKEA is going green in a very big way. It’s making a significant change. IKEA has announced it will be the first major U.S. retailer to carry only LED lightbulbs when it makes the switch next month. Steve Howard, IKEA’s Chief Sustainability Officer, explained the company’s motivation behind the LED shift: “LED is a light revolution. http://fortune.com/2015/08/10/ikea-green-led/ The Perilous Morality of Climate Change. It's a challenging endeavor to discuss "what's working" with climate change. News outlets the world over are littered with stories of doom and gloom, of current calamities and human suffering. A quick perusal of the summary of the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, the definitive scientific body on the topic, lays out where we are and what that means. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maxwell-d-dotson/the-perilous-morality-of-_b_7815156.html The Forest Path to an Ambitious Climate Deal. Later this year, global leaders will make important decisions about some of the planet's toughest challenges. If the world wants a climate deal and new development agenda that's good for the economy, for the poor, and for businesses, the path forward needs to include forests. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-polman/the-forest-path-to-an-amb_b_7964208.html An Extreme Climate Warming Episode Led To Smaller Mammals - But How? A massive and bizarre climate event 56 million years ago seems to have had some odd effects on terrestrial life. This event, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is marked in the rock record by an extremely unusual carbon isotope signature in both the marine and terrestrial sediment records. http://www.forbes.com/sites/shaenamontanari/2015/08/10/extreme-climate-warming-episode-lead-to-smaller-mammals-but-how/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 11 Dec 2015 14:00:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 11, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 11, 2015. 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 RGGI navigates the risks of expanding its carbon market. Participants in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative are worried that their carbon trading system could experience growing pains from linking with other states under U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. The nine-state Northeast cap-and-trade program requested comments from stakeholders about how it might fit in with other potential trading markets… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029373 AIR POLLUTION China's capital to increase smog monitoring after 'red alert'. China's capital will step up air quality monitoring, a senior city official said, after recent severe pollution prompted authorities to issue a first smog "red alert". Rapid industrial growth and car ownership have led to surging levels of air pollution in major urban areas… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-idUSKBN0TU1E920151211#UDrUbYHrA6PuRw6e.99 A view of Paris from a hot air balloon: putting pollution on the climate agenda. Beijing may hit headlines, but European cities such as Paris also regularly exceed safe limits for pollutants such as NO2, with impacts on health and climate change. John Vidal takes to the skies to get a clearer picture. The air quality is officially “good”, 400ft above Paris in a balloon at rush hour. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/10/view-paris-from-hot-air-balloon-putting-pollution-on-climate-agenda European Commission takes Poland to court over poor air quality. The European Commission has decided to take Poland to court over its failure to address its poor air quality, the EU's executive said on Thursday. The use of coal and, sometimes, garbage to heat houses makes Poland's air the most polluted in Europe, according to local government data. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-poland-environment-idUSKBN0TT1RF20151210#1DC3sBOtjleFSWqg.99 China Faces Balancing Act in Slowing Business to Reduce Pollution. Beijing’s pollution red alert highlights the country’s dilemma of sacrificing economic activity to clamp down on pollution. As Chinese authorities lifted Beijing’s “red alert” on smog, businesses were assessing the impact of 2½ days of pollution shutdown and grappling with the prospect of more. http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-faces-balancing-act-in-slowing-business-to-reduce-pollution-1449747175 430,000 Deaths Per Year In Europe Due To Long-Term Exposure To Air Pollution. A new report from the European Environment Agency has revealed that long-term exposure to common air pollution is responsible for over 430,000 deaths a year in Europe, according to recent reports. It was found by the researchers involved that most urban-living people in Europe are exposed to levels of air pollution that are known… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/12/11/430000-deaths-per-year-in-europe-due-to-long-term-exposure-to-air-pollution/ CLIMATE CHANGE Plants may not battle climate change as much as previously thought. Plants might not be quite the climate change combatants scientists have thought they were. A new study in Nature Climate Change suggests that plant growth will have a harder time keeping up with increases in global carbon emissions than previously thought. That means that plants will be taking less carbon out of the atmosphere… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029374 Climate change may boost groundwater supply in tropical nations – study. The United Nations' leading scientific body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has long projected tropical nations would be hit hard by climate change. Increased temperatures, rising seas, stronger hurricanes and typhoons, and longer droughts are all threats. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029368 Residents of historic Va. island may become the first U.S. climate 'refugees'. For Tangier Island, Va., lifelong resident Claudia Parks, climate change is a direct threat to her golf cart. As flooding and erosion have worsened on the Chesapeake Bay island in recent decades, the tour director with a broad smile avoids certain saturated roads at least 15 times in the spring and fall during tidal events on her regular work route. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029371 UN CLIMATE TALKS How Paris may succeed where Copenhagen failed. The final Friday night of the United Nations' climate talks in Copenhagen six years ago saw the process in disarray. No one knew where the text of an agreement was or if there was even a text. Delegations were angry because they felt the Danish presidency was limiting their access to information and mismanaging the process. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029405 Global climate deal in sight though finance, timing gaps remain. The chairman of global climate talks in Paris said on Thursday negotiators were on the cusp of an agreement, despite persistent differences on key issues dividing rich and developing countries in nearly two weeks of talks. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-deal-idUSKBN0TT1HI20151211#TF3lPCSLIhqDtObI.99 French Foreign Minister says never been better momentum to get climate deal. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Friday there had never been a better time to get an ambitious, global climate deal and the responsibility was on national governments to make necessary compromises. "All the conditions are in place to have a universal, ambitious final deal," he told reporters. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-fabius-idUSKBN0TU2D320151211#LwxAGp7exBUghdIV.99 Climate draft puts temperature limit out of reach: scientists. A deal to slow climate change being thrashed out in Paris fails to map out steep enough cuts in carbon dioxide emissions to limit global warming to the target of at least "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), scientists said on Friday. Negotiations on the draft agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-emissions-idUSKBN0TU21E20151211#8BTlwKuml4wpFB4c.99 Red lines, condoms and the Arc de Triomphe: Climate activists step up protests. >From storming the Arc de Triomphe in central Paris to handing out condoms to bureaucrats in the suburbs, climate change activists stepped up public stunts on Friday in a last-ditch bid to get negotiators to agree a powerful accord. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-protests-idUSKBN0TU21V20151211#DgT1iLHw5X4SUzAe.99 Global climate talks stumble near finish line, Fabius optimistic. Efforts to craft a global accord to combat climate change stumbled on Friday with China and many other nations refusing to yield ground, forcing host France to extend the U.N. summit by a day to overcome stubborn divisions. Despite the delay, many expressed hope the 195 nations meeting in Paris would grasp the strongest agreement… http://www.reuters.com/article/climatechange-summit-idUSKBN0TU0KA20151211#bzEW1Fj8LEbMlMV8.99 Compromises Make Global Climate Deal More Possible. New draft shows breakthrough on emissions cuts, but developing countries remain at odds with EU, U.S. on other issues. Nations moved closer to a global climate deal that has eluded them for more than 20 years, as compromise emerged on some of the most controversial issues facing negotiators at a summit here, even as other problems remain unresolved. http://www.wsj.com/articles/developing-nations-hesitant-to-embrace-global-warming-limits-1449768622?mod=WSJ_article_EditorsPicks_1 Billions in climate aid pledges have ‘wild west’ accounting. There’s a lot of money in climate financing. Six years ago, rich nations pledged that by 2020 they would provide $100 billion a year in aid, loans and private money to help poorer nations cope with climate change and wean themselves off fossil fuels. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/billions-in-climate-aid-pledges-have-wild-west-accounting/2015/12/11/7454626a-a00b-11e5-9ad2-568d814bbf3b_story.html Key to Success of Climate Pact Will Be Its Signals to Global Markets. As diplomats here work through the final points of a sweeping new climate change accord, experts said the ultimate measure of success of the agreement will be whether it sends a clear signal to global financial investors that they should move money away from fossil fuels and toward clean-energy sources such as wind and solar power. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/world/europe/key-to-success-of-climate-pact-will-be-its-signals-to-global-markets.html?_r=0 'Finishing Line' in Sight at Paris Climate Summit. Negotiators hope to reveal a final draft of an accord shortly, but disagreements remain. The end is in sight at the U.N. climate summit in Paris, but there's still a long night ahead for negotiators who have spent the past two weeks working to achieve an international first: a worldwide agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/12/11/finishing-line-in-sight-at-paris-climate-summit Amid disputes, critical Paris climate talks continue for an extra day. High-stakes climate talks outside Paris are dragging into an extra day as diplomats try to overcome disagreements over how — or even whether — to share the costs of fighting climate change and shift to clean energy on a global scale. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20151211/amid-disputes-critical-paris-climate-talks-continue-for-an-extra-day More time for Paris climate change negotiations. With a historic, planetwide pact on the line, hundreds of diplomats in Paris are preparing to extend the U.N. climate change conference into Saturday. The deadline to reach consensus on a climate deal was supposed to be midnight Friday. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/12/11/56193/more-time-for-paris-climate-change-negotiations/ Climate talks move toward overtime to deal with a few tough issues. Climate change talks have gone into the final stretch, and despite early optimism about completing a global accord early, it now seems the negotiations will need a pair of elastic pants. For the second night in a row, diplomats jousted over phrases well past midnight, this time over a shortened but still-contentious 27-page draft text. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029376 Excluding Shipping Emissions from COP Deal Makes 2°C Limit Close to Impossible. The dropping of international aviation and shipping emissions from the draft Paris climate agreement published this afternoon has fatally undermined the prospects of keeping global warming below 2°C, green NGOs Seas At Risk and Transport & Environment (T&E) have said. http://www.marinelink.com/news/impossible-emissions402095.aspx DROUGHT Northwest storms ease drought worries; mudslide risks remain. Fierce storms in the Pacific Northwest sent rivers bursting from their banks, spilled boulders and trees into a major highway and spawned a rare tornado that snapped power poles and battered homes. They've also had one positive effect — easing drought concerns after an unusually dry summer. http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Wild-Northwest-weather-eases-drought-worries-6691072.php GOP blames Feinstein for blocking drought bill for farmers. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and several other California Republicans blamed California Sen. Dianne Feinstein for blocking progress on legislation to bring more water to California's farm belt amid a severe and lengthy drought. Republicans have been hoping to add the bill to the omnibus spending legislation that Congress is aiming to pass before the holidays. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article49246285.html#storylink=cpy http://www.pe.com/articles/washington-789010-california-drought.html http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029406 Angry California Republicans call drought bill dead for the year. Angry California Republicans threw in the towel late Thursday, conceding that a California water bill that had divided the state was dead for the year. In a remarkably acrimonious ending to negotiations that once seemed close to bearing fruit, GOP House members acknowledged the bill’s failure… http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article49172085.html#storylink=cpy California Farmers Could Learn Drought Lessons From Israel. California produces half the nation’s fruits, nuts and vegetables. Now that the state is headed into its fifth year of drought, it’s looking at more water-efficient ways to grow food. California may be able to learn some lessons from Israel. The arid country averages less than 25 inches of rain a year and still produces almost all of its food. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/11/california-farmers-could-learn-drought-lessons-from-israel/ http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/12/11/wild-northwest-weather-eases-drought-worries Global market, not drought, snips California-grown flower production in Rose Parade. Four years of severe drought haven’t withered supplies of California-grown flowers on Rose Parade floats. That can be blamed on the global economy. Simply put, float builders source everything from roses to orchids from growers across the globe. http://www.sgvtribune.com/lifestyle/20151211/global-market-not-drought-snips-california-grown-flower-production-in-rose-parade Drought forces Pismo Beach to issue building moratorium. The city of Pismo Beach recently issued a tiered building moratorium aimed to conserve water during the state’s historic drought. The first tier is effective immediately — the city will not issue new building permits. Planning and building permits already in the pipeline will move forward and new planning applications will be accepted. http://www.pacbiztimes.com/2015/12/11/drought-forces-pismo-beach-to-issue-building-moratorium/#sthash.KYYsFDlc.dpuf DIESEL ACTIVITIES EPA offers grants to replace, upgrade diesel school buses. School districts and transportation companies will split some $7 million from U.S. EPA to replace or refurbish about 375 older diesel-powered school buses, the agency announced today. Funded through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), the program will provide rebates ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 to replace school buses with engines from model year 2006 or earlier, EPA said in a news release. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029394 FUELS Oil eyes 11-year low as IEA warns of worse glut, U.S. stays warm. Oil prices extended their freefall on Friday, flirting with 11-year lows, after the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that global oversupply of crude could worsen next year. Brent and U.S. crude's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell as much as 5 percent on the day and 12 percent on the week as mild pre-winter weather and a plummeting U.S. stock market added to the toll on oil prices. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-oil-idUSKBN0TU02C20151211#m0OI3t08LiHCawZg.99 Brazil antitrust body assesses Black River sugar mills purchase. Brazil's antitrust regulator CADE is evaluating a request made by U.S.-based Black River Asset Management LLC to approve an acquisition of two local sugar mills, documents seen by Reuters on Friday showed. The request sent to CADE indicates that Black River, controlled by U.S. commodity trader Cargill, and Antonio Ruette Agroindustrial Ltda have agreed on terms for the mills' sale… http://www.reuters.com/article/brazil-sugar-blackriver-idUSL8N13X44120151211#rJVRXTug1kA0xwlZ.99 VEHICLES In smog-choked China, drivers check out electric cars. The heavy smog shrouding Beijing this week has proved to be a boon for China's nascent electric car market, with some dealers saying inquiries about all-electric models are up by almost a tenth. Beijing issued a first 3-day pollution "red alert" on Monday, and set out measures to combat the hazardous smog… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-autos-idUSKBN0TT08K20151211#psBVEXJzhZsPkGJP.97 VOLKSWAGEN RECALL VW Brand Sales Set to Drop for First Time in More Than a Decade. Volkswagen AG’s deliveries of its namesake brand are set to decline for the first time in 11 years as customers turn away from Golf hatchbacks and Passat sedans tainted by the scandal over diesel emissions cheating. Sales fell 4.5 percent through November to 5.34 million vehicles… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NZ730R6JIJV501-152S90N7P92EO83OHN86NDNF52 Volkswagen’s World-Wide Sales Fall on Declines in U.S., South America. Sales declined 15% in the U.S. in November, despite overall buoyant demand for new cars. Volkswagen AG ’s world-wide sales shrank in November, hurt by steep declines in the U.S. and South America, illustrating the commercial impact of its emissions-cheating scandal. http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-sales-fall-showing-commercial-strain-of-emissions-scandal-1449845910 VW Says Emissions Cheating Was Not a One-Time Error. The chairman of Volkswagen said on Thursday that the decision by employees to cheat on emissions tests was made more than a decade ago, after they realized they could not meet United States clean air standards legally. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/business/international/vw-emissions-scandal.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/12/10/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-investigation/77082362/ Volkswagen Chairman Says Emissions Cheating Sprang From 'Chain Of Errors'. Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal was the result of a "chain of errors," Chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch said Thursday, admitting that the fault extends to the company as a whole, rather than a handful of rogue engineers. The company continues to maintain that only a small group of people were actively involved… http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/12/10/459195558/volkswagen-chairman-says-emissions-cheating-sprang-from-chain-of-errors GREEN ENERGY IKEA to buy 1-2 wind farms to boost renewable energy output. IKEA Group, the world's biggest furniture retailer, will buy at least one or two wind farms in its current fiscal year as it aims to reach by 2020 a target to produce, from renewable sources, as much electricity as it consumes. http://www.reuters.com/article/ikea-energy-renewables-idUSS3N12500720151210#eSl5LMD4UJbwxf4P.99 California and Germany, Opposites With a Common Energy Goal. One is a European country known as “the powerhouse of Europe” that struggles against soggy winters and seemingly endless gray skies. The other is a digitally driven American state, known as “the Golden State,” for its abundant sunshine and year-round growing season. One is determined to lead an energy transformation through carefully drafted laws… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/11/world/europe/california-and-germany-opposites-with-a-common-energy-goal.html Critics bash PG&E for plan to raise fee on green energy. Utility company PG&E has filed papers to raise its exit fee for customers transferring to local green energy programs, in some cases as much as doubling the price, a new report says. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that last month the utility quietly filed papers to raise its Power Charge Indifference Adjustment… http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/real-estate/2015/12/pg-e-eyes-raising-fee-on-green-energy-solar-wind.html Wind energy is a key climate change solution. To curb climate risks, we must cut emissions and deploy low-carbon energy sources like wind. When we think about climate change, it’s easy to focus on reducing emissions in order to maintain a healthy global temperature. But any real progress has to be complemented by a significant increase in clean and renewable energy. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/dec/10/wind-energy-is-a-key-climate-change-solution To store renewable electricity, utilities turn to pumped water. Utilities from Spain to China are increasingly relying on pumped storage hydroelectricity – first used in the 1890s – to overcome the intermittent nature of wind and solar power. In the past decade, wind energy production has soared in Spain, rising from 6 percent of the country’s electricity generation in 2004 to about 20 percent today. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2015/1210/To-store-renewable-electricity-utilities-turn-to-pumped-water Duke Energy Renewables and Green Charge Networks Partner to Increase Savings for Commercial Solar Customers. Duke Energy Renewables is increasing savings for commercial solar customers through an alliance with Green Charge Networks, the country's largest provider of commercial energy storage for retail, industrial and government customers. The agreement provides these customers with "solar firming… http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22847 Texas scientists look to save, transport renewable energy. Texas scientists and universities are looking at how to capture, store and transmit energy from their growing wind and solar energy market to the state grid. Intermittent power given by wind turbines or solar panels doesn't make for the constant energy the electric grid needs… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/11/stories/1060029332 OPINIONS Coming clean on corruption’s links to pollution. A common link lies in VW’s emissions cheating and the air-quality alerts in China, India, and Indonesia. Arrogant dishonesty can lead to pollution. As VW now admits, leaders must learn to act with humility. Rarely does the leader of a country or corporation link character virtue with air pollution. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2015/1210/Coming-clean-on-corruption-s-links-to-pollution It's time to end the ethanol mandate. The Environmental Protection Agency recently set the marker for how much ethanol will have to be blended in your car's gasoline next year. There are two takeaways from this: It could have been worse, and we absolutely have to do away with the whole charade. Setting government requirements for ethanol is simply an… http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-ethanol-epa-fuel-mandate-renewables-20151211-story.html BLOGS U.S. EPA approves the sale of the new 2016 BMW X5 diesel. The EPA and California Air Resources Board approved the sale of the new 2016 BMW X5 diesel. Last month, the Spartanburg plant decided to put a temporary hold on the BMW X5 xDrive35d production for the American market. American customers who have ordered a BMW X5 xDrive35d were advised by U.S. dealers to expect a delay. http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/12/11/u-s-epa-approves-the-sale-of-the-new-2016-bmw-diesel-x5/ Guest post: Cellulosic ethanol holds promise, but can we get it right? This post was written by Loni Kemp, who has been a consultant to NRDC for seven years. She works on agriculture, energy and conservation policy for nonprofits, foundations and government. Previously she was at the Minnesota Project for 29 years. She is the author of the NRDC report, "Cellulosic Ethanol from Corn Stover: Can We Get It Right?" http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/slyutse/guest_post_can_we_get_it_right.html Rainforest: Up to Half the Global Warming Solution. As climate negotiators in Paris struggle to agree on how to avoid the catastrophic consequences of global warming, a big part of the solution is hiding in plain sight: trees, specifically the trees of the rainforest. Conserving tropical rainforest isn't just about protecting spectacular wildlife and unparalleled biodiversity, though that's reason enough. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brett-byers/rainforest-up-to-half-the-global-warming-solution_b_8760622.html The Destination Is 100 Percent Renewable Energy for All. When it comes to prosperity, humans seldom care about the environment. But our planet would not have it and there's evidence at hand: the ten hottest years on record have all occurred since 1998. The year 2014 keeps the highest mark now and it's all but guaranteed already that 2015 will claim the infamous title. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-kaiser/the-destination-is-100-pe_b_8784114.html NSF grant to enhance ‘grass to gas’ biofuel technology. University of Massachusetts Amherst computational chemist Scott Auerbach has been awarded a three-year, $330,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to improve basic understanding and optimize the process of producing fuels such as gasoline from plant biomass instead of from petroleum. http://www.agprofessional.com/news/nsf-grant-enhance-%E2%80%98grass-gas%E2%80%99-biofuel-technology California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 13:02:48 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 14, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 14, 2015. 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 China's efforts on climate deal partly due to its pollution. China's push for a global climate pact was due in part to its own increasingly pressing need to solve serious environmental problems, observers said Sunday. China, the world's biggest source of climate-changing gases, was blamed for obstructing the last high-level climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_CHINAS_ROLE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Beijing's new favorite gadget reads pollution levels. For Beijing residents obsessed with air pollution, the stocking stuffer of the season is a smog-detecting gadget called the Laser Egg. The device is the size of a large orange and can be used at home, in the car or anywhere air pollution is a concern — which in Beijing these days is basically everywhere. It joins a booming market for devices that measure indoor air quality… http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-pollution-egg-20151214-story.html UK pushing for limits on air pollution to be relaxed, documents reveal. In papers seen by the Guardian, government calls for carmakers to be allowed to far exceed the nitrogen oxides limit until 2021. The UK is pushing for a weakening of air pollution limits and a delay to their introduction in response to lobbying from the motor industry, documents reveal. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/13/uk-pushing-for-limits-air-pollution-relaxed-documents-reveal Parties stake out positions on how to allocate emissions allowances. For state air regulators, the big question for 2016 is whether to choose rate- or mass-based compliance plans to satisfy U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. For the states that decide simpler mass-based plans to cap power plant CO2 emissions are the way to go, an even thornier issue awaits. It involves how to allocate emissions allowances. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/14/stories/1060029415 CLIMATE CHANGE Record heat sets the tone for year's searing headlines. When a devastating heat wave hit India this year, it killed more than 2,500 people and melted the pavement of New Delhi's streets. In California, where an ordinary year sees mountain snow pile six-feet-deep or more - supplying much drinking water - surveyors had nothing to measure in some spots but bare grass. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_YE_THE_HOTTEST_YEAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate Deal Is Signal to Industry: The Era of Carbon Reduction Is Here. With the ink barely dry on a landmark climate accord, nations now face an even more daunting challenge: how to get their industries to go along. If nothing else, analysts and experts say, the accord is a signal to businesses and investors that the era of carbon reduction has arrived. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/14/business/climate-accord-draws-mixed-reaction-from-business-leaders.html Obama's fragile climate legacy. More than his other achievements, the international climate agreement relies on the good will of Congress and the next president to keep it in place. Barack Obama wants to be remembered as the president who saved the world from climate change. But the 195-nation accord aimed at curbing global warming may be the most fragile of his presidential achievements so far. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/climate-change-obama-paris-216716#ixzz3uK9tH3UW Auto Industry CEOs Unite In Rare Vow To Tackle Climate Change. It’s not easy to get the world’s major automakers to agree on anything. But even before last weekend’s landmark climate change agreement by world leaders in Paris, 13 auto industry chief executives from the U.S., Europe and Asia had pledged to accelerate the development of cleaner vehicles to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2015/12/14/auto-industry-ceos-unite-in-rare-vow-to-tackle-climate-change/ West Coast Mayors Form EV Consortium, Pledge Carbon Reductions. As world leaders met this past week in Paris to discuss carbon reductions on a global scale, mayors of four large West Coast cities—Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland—met in Portland for a two-day summit and united to reduce carbon emissions on a regional level. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101389_west-coast-mayors-form-ev-consortium-pledge-carbon-reductions UN CLIMATE TALKS Businesses get climate certainty they wanted; now for action. With the new global climate deal, businesses around the world got the long-term certainty that they had been clamoring for - now they need to back up the shift to a greener world with cold hard cash. Many business leaders have praised the climate deal reached Saturday in Paris, saying it will help them steer their companies… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_BUSINESS_IMPACT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Winners and losers in the Paris climate pact. The climate deal adopted in suburban Paris was the culmination of four years of negotiations on how to get nearly all countries to jointly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are warming the planet. The talks were difficult and sometimes teetered on the brink of collapse. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_WINNERS_AND_LOSERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Now comes the tough part: The world's carbon diet starts. The world is about to go on a carbon diet. It won't be easy - or cheap. Nearly 200 nations across the world on Saturday approved a first-of-its-kind universal agreement to wean Earth off fossil fuels and slow global warming, patting themselves on the back for showing such resolve. On Sunday morning, like for many first day dieters, the reality sets in. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_CARBON_DIET?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Historic pact to slow global warming is celebrated in Paris. Nearly 200 nations adopted the first global pact to fight climate change on Saturday, calling on the world to collectively cut and then eliminate greenhouse gas pollution but imposing no sanctions on countries that don't. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT UN wants world leaders to sign climate deal on April 22. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is inviting world leaders to the United Nations on April 22 - Earth Day - to sign the landmark agreement to tackle climate change that was reached in Paris. Ban told reporters Monday he wants leaders of the nearly 200 countries that approved the deal on Saturday to come to U.N. headquarters… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UN_UNITED_NATIONS_CLIMATE_AGREEMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT How the world learned its lesson and got a climate deal. It was an agreement born from a fear of failure, delivered by the smoothness of French diplomacy. Six years earlier, countries had bitterly walked away from global climate talks in Copenhagen without a deal. The decision to reassemble in Paris to try again at getting almost 200 countries to sign a pact on cutting carbon emissions was a gamble… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-ticktock-idUSKBN0TW0PR20151214 Climate Agreement’s Success Hinges on Countries Making Painful Decisions. Supporters hope the deal will unleash an avalanche of investment in renewable energy, new technologies. The landmark climate agreement that more than 190 countries struck over the weekend ushers in a broad, new international effort to wind down the fossil-fuel era. http://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-agreements-success-hinges-on-countries-making-painful-decisions-1450055578 Countries just adopted a historic climate change accord. Here’s what happens next. The word “historic,” already being used to describe the just-accepted Paris climate agreement, is more than warranted. The world will now have a new and comprehensive regime in place to shape how its diverse nations go about the urgent task of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/12/countries-just-adopted-a-historic-climate-change-accord-heres-what-happens-next/ Leaders Move to Convert Paris Climate Pledges Into Action. Before the applause had even settled in the suburban convention center where the Paris Agreement was adopted by consensus on Saturday night, world leaders warned that momentum from the historic accord must not be allowed to dissipate. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/14/world/europe/leaders-move-to-convert-paris-climate-pledges-into-action.html?_r=0 Nations strike historic deal on climate change. Delegates from 195 countries approved on Saturday a historic climate accord that seeks to slow the rise of greenhouse gasses blamed for putting Earth on a dangerous warming path. Called the Paris Agreement, the document is the result of five sets of grueling negotiations this year. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/nations-strike-historic-deal-on-climate-change/ar-BBnttvP 4 Pieces You Should Read About The Global Climate Deal. A day after representatives from 196 countries signed an agreement that aims to curb climate change, it's time to start assessing its import. Yesterday, Camila broke down the basics. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/12/13/459580031/4-pieces-you-should-read-about-the-global-climate-deal Global Aviation Emissions Deal Expected Next Year. A deal on limiting carbon dioxide emissions from aviation will likely be reached next year, no matter the outcome of climate change talks in Paris, a senior official from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/aviation-emissions-deal-expected-next-year-19796 Paris climate deal: the trouble with targetism. The headline targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change invite hypocrisy from policymakers. The 21st UN climate summit (COP21) found a happy ending on December 12, when delegates from 195 countries adopted a set of decisions and the so-called “Paris Agreement”. As usual in diplomatic negotiations, the final document contains very vague language on many crucial aspects. http://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2015/dec/14/the-trouble-with-targetism Paris climate change deal too weak to help poor, critics warn. COP21 agreement excludes poor and fails to put humanity’s interests above short-term goals, say environmentalists and financial experts. Leaders from around the world have hailed the agreement struck in Paris on climate change, but some analysts and environmentalists are less sure about its impact. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/14/paris-climate-change-deal-cop21-oxfam-actionaid Climate change and the continual demand for economic growth. The agreement reached at the COP21 Paris climate change talks is certainly a great improvement on anything that has gone before (One paragraph at a time: how the deal was done to save the planet, 14 December). Whether it is enough to save the planet (to be more precise, save the human race from catastrophe; the planet will look after itself) is questionable. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/14/climate-change-and-the-continual-demand-for-economic-growth United States praises 'most ambitious' climate change agreement. Although the worldwide agreement reached in Paris on Saturday still leaves the world perilously vulnerable to global warming and rising seas, Obama has significantly advanced the global climate agenda and has established a mechanism that would enable countries to exploit new technology to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and… http://thevillagessuntimes.com/2015/12/14/united-states-praises-most-ambitious-climate-change/http://thevillagessuntimes.com/2015/12/14/united-states-praises-most-ambitious-climate-change/ How the world solved the 'shall' crisis and reached a new climate accord. Before America would join its first-ever global climate change accord, before the gavel would fall and the cheers and the tears and applause, before top U.S. negotiator Todd Stern would dance the night away with his staff at a Paris nightclub, there was a word to be fixed. Buried on the 36th line of the 21st page of the agreement was the word "shall." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/14/stories/1060029452 DROUGHT Drought bill 'slight' likely to push negotiations to 2016. Infighting among California's congressional delegation has likely put off a legislative attempt to deal with the state's historic drought for another year. After an apparent attempt to circumvent the state's senators in inserting drought language into the omnibus spending bill… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060029443 FUELS Company plans gravel island to extract Arctic offshore oil. Arctic offshore drilling by Royal Dutch Shell PLC drew protests on two continents this year, but a more modest proposal for extracting petroleum where polar bears roam has moved forward with much less attention. While Shell proposed exploratory wells in the Chukchi Sea about 80 miles off Alaska's northwest coast, a Texas oil company wants to build a gravel island as a platform for five or more extraction wells… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING_BEAUFORT_SEA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Between Cheap Gas And Carbon Caps, Oil Sands Face Uncertain Fate. Canada has the world's third-largest oil reserve, and it's worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Nearly all of that crude is contained in Alberta's oil sands. Getting the oil from underground and into your car requires an extraordinary mining effort that has significant effects on the environment and is expensive. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/14/459336339/between-cheap-gas-and-carbon-caps-oil-sands-face-uncertain-fate Duke team sees opportunities for studying how fracking affects society. Rooted in the science of Duke University professor Avner Vengosh, a team of 11 faculty members and students are in the midst of a yearlong effort to understand the effects of unconventional shale development on rural communities. The project is part of Duke's Bass Connections program, which asks students to address real-world problems across five themes… http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/14/stories/1060029330 VEHICLES What's Driving The Electric Car Trend In China? Increased electric car sales are good for a country with a big pollution problem. Until recently only a few clean cars were on the road. The sales are also a bright spot for China's economy. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/14/459637364/what-s-driving-the-electric-car-trend-in-china?ft=nprml&f=459637364 GREEN ENERGY PG&E ups exit fees, hurting 'clean energy' alternatives. California's clean energy programs may take a major hit if a utility's new rate-hike rule gets through the state Public Utilities Commission. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. filed early last month to increase exit fees up to double for many customers starting to buy energy from programs like CleanPowerSF, Marin Clean Energy and Sonoma Clean Power. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/14/stories/1060029410 European company to build first-ever offshore wind farm in the Great Lakes. A Norwegian firm with extensive experience building wind farms in Europe will construct the first U.S. offshore wind farm on the Great Lakes, supplying up to 18 megawatts of electricity from turbines sited on Lake Erie near Cleveland. The wind farm, to be known as the Icebreaker project, is projected to cost $120 million and will be a critical test of wind power's viability on the Great Lakes… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/14/stories/1060029451 OPINIONS Punchlines: China’s smog days beat snow days. China issued its first “red alert” for air pollution in Beijing last week. The high concentrations of smog are health hazards, especially for people with heart disease or asthma. Officials urged schools to close to keep children away from the unhealthy air. Yes, kids in Beijing get smog days. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/12/14/china-smog-larry-wilmore-trevor-noah-seth-meyers-punchlines/77284736/ The Paris Climate Agreement Changes Everything. World leaders agree to take meaningful steps to slow the impacts of climate change. The last time the world came together to cut a climate deal was in Copenhagen in 2009, and it was a diplomatic train wreck, ending in melodrama, bitterness and recrimination. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-paris-climate-agreement-changes-everything-20151214#ixzz3uK1wOLpv After Paris, push to expand climate regulations could grow. It was two months before the Paris climate talks when White House officials met with an unusual collection of businesses to talk about their efforts to cut carbon emissions. These weren't obvious visitors. They represented the industrial sector, one of the largest-emitting components of the economy, and one that isn't governed by carbon rules. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/14/stories/1060029426 BLOGS Why the climate change deal works. After years of painstaking negotiations, the climate change deal struck by leaders of 195 countries on Saturday was a diplomatic success. It represents a welcome shot in the arm for attempts to tackle global warming and, crucially, establishes a new set of guidelines for lowering greenhouse gas emissions. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/14/why-the-climate-change-deal-works/ What Energy Analysts Are Saying About the Paris Climate Agreement. Nearly 200 nations reached a landmark climate agreement over the weekend intended to limit global emissions. A number of countries have committed to reducing their fossil-fuel use in the coming decades and investing more in renewable and low-carbon energy. http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/12/14/what-energy-analysts-are-saying-about-the-paris-climate-agreement/ Paris Means Climate Change Science Is Here to Stay. Now that the dust has settled, what does the future hold for climate change? The historic Paris climate agreement is concluded. Every country in the world is now in the climate fight, to one degree or another. In its wake are three obvious and important markers for those who’ve paid attention… actions on climate change… http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/articles/2015-12-14/paris-climate-accords-what-do-they-really-mean COP21 Paris Agreement -- Tickles Car Industry. Representatives of 195 nations came to Paris to attend the UN COP 21 summit to 'tackle' the climate change crisis faced by the citizens of the world due to a suicidal model of development and unsustainable industrialization. The nations attending were represented by Heads of State, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Vice-presidents… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/-fernando-moralesde-la-cruz/cop21-in-paris-more-than-_b_8793114.html Conservationists Look to 'Blue Carbon' to Help Ease Global Warming. When subsistence fishermen on the island of Chira couldn't find clams in Costa Rica's lush Gulf of Nicoya, they dug deep into the mangrove forests where the small shellfish liked to hide. Women on the island soon realized the fishermen were actually hacking away at their own livelihoods, says Emily Pidgeon of Conservation International… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-bentley2/conversationists-look-to_b_8803596.html Failure to address global warming will cost many lives. CLIMATE change kills. In 2005 the World Health Organisation estimated that climate change caused by human activity claims more than 150,000 lives annually. More recently, the Climate Vulnerability Monitor placed the death toll at around 400,000. Using the Value of Statistical Life proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, this represents a cost of more than $3 trillion. http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2015/12/climate-change?cid1=cust/noenew/n/n/n/20151214n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/NA/email California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 16:43:31 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 15, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 15, 2015. 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 Calif. explores how to mesh cap and trade with federal rule. California regulators are wading through the details of how to connect their landmark cap-and-trade system to U.S. EPA's regulations for power plants. At the top of the regulators' agenda is how to preserve their own program, which has been in place since 2012. As the only state with an economywide carbon cap… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029514 AIR POLLUTION US appeals court leaves Obama mercury air pollution rule in place. A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday said that an Obama administration rule that regulates mercury and other toxic pollutants can remain in effect while the government revises it in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling. In a brief order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the rule could remain in effect… http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-pollution-idUSL1N11V2CZ20151215 EU parliament panel rejects car pollution rules as too lax. he European parliament's environmental committee voted on Monday against new car pollution rules they say are too lenient in the light of the Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) scandal which exposed loopholes in existing emissions tests. The new rules agreed in a closed-door committee in October would allow vehicles to carry on spewing out… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-eu-idUSKBN0TX25B20151215 Hazardous smog hits Shanghai as China's bad air spreads. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday, prompting schools to ban outdoor activities and authorities to limit work at construction sites and factories as polluted air spreads around the country. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-idUSKBN0TY0MN20151215 China again promises to clean up air ahead of 2022 Games. China promised again on Tuesday to take steps to reduce air pollution in the run-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, to be held in Beijing and a nearby city, after a choking pall of smog prompted the Chinese capital's first ever red alert last week. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-china-idUSKBN0TY14620151215 Shanghai Warns People to Stay Indoors on ‘Severe’ Air Pollution. Shanghai warned children and elderly to remain indoors and everyone else to avoid physical activity outdoors as air pollution levels worsened. The city’s air was classified as “severely polluted,” the worst level of a 6-grade scale, as the air quality index hit 315… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/shanghai-warns-people-to-stay-indoors-on-severe-air-pollution In China, Diners Pay for Clean Air With Their Entrée. Has clean air become such a luxury in China that restaurants can charge patrons for it? That question raged on Tuesday after Xinhua, the state news agency, reported that a restaurant in the eastern province of Jiangsu was doing just that. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/world/asia/china-air-restaurant-clean-charge.html?_r=0 The Port of L.A. rolled back measures to cut pollution -- during its 'green' expansion. Shortly after the Port of Los Angeles agreed to require air quality improvements at one of its busiest terminals seven years ago, top port officials privately began rolling back pollution-cutting measures they promised, government records obtained by The Times show. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-port-pollution-20151215-story.html Porter Ranch gas leak could be declared local emergency by supervisors. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected Tuesday to vote to proclaim a local state of emergency due to a natural gas leak above Porter Ranch. If the proclamation is approved, it will be sent to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services… http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151214/porter-ranch-gas-leak-could-be-declared-local-emergency-by-supervisors Leak At Natural-Gas Field Now One-Quarter Of All CA Methane Emissions. For half a century, California has been at the forefront of reducing emissions and cleaning up air pollution. And the state has made breathtaking progress since the days of early-Seventies technicolor photochemical smog alerts. But then bad things happen--and a leak at a single natural-gas well shows… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101414_leak-at-natural-gas-field-now-one-quarter-of-all-ca-methane-emissions CLIMATE CHANGE India worries it compromised too much on climate treaty. As the world celebrates reaching an unprecedented global climate treaty, India praised nations' willingness to compromise for the good of the planet. But many in the country - which had been among the most strident during the negotiations - worry they had to compromise the most. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_CLIMATE_TREATY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Pope's comments on global warming top notable quotes list. Pope Francis' comments that human activity is mostly to blame for global warming top a list of the most notable quotes of 2015, as compiled by a Yale Law School librarian who also included several sound bites from the U.S. presidential campaign. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_QUOTES_OF_THE_YEAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate deal typo hiccup solved 'in a small room,' France says. A last minute dispute over an apparent typing error in last weekend's global climate deal in Paris was solved "in a small room" and thanks to trust established during the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-error-idUSKBN0TY1CS20151215 Look Who's Hiring a Climate Researcher (It's Exxon). An oil giant needs a climate scientist, offers competitive compensation and benefits. ExxonMobil is looking for a PhD engineer, scientist, or economist who can “lead research in areas such as Earth systems science and the role of technologies and systems in managing the risks posed by global climate change.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/look-who-s-hiring-a-climate-researcher-it-s-exxon- Greenland May Seek UN Climate Deal Opt-Out Amid Emissions Goal. The ink hasn’t yet dried on the UN climate accord and one of the territories most at risk from global warning is already demanding an opt-out. “We still have the option of making a territorial opt-out to COP21," Kim Kielsen, the prime minister of Greenland, said during a visit to Copenhagen on Monday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/greenland-may-seek-un-climate-deal-opt-out-amid-emissions-goal Climate change activists are just warming up. Even as it became clear that a historic climate agreement could be reached in France, activists were organizing protests deep into next year, some liberal political leaders were pledging to go beyond whatever goals the agreement might yield and diplomats, scientists… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-climate-after-paris-20151215-story.html An Unusual Tech Bet Could Slow Climate Change. Ethanol, saltwater and fermentation all get involved. Corn is king in the U.S. Midwest, and few companies in the field are larger than Archer Daniels Midland. The agribusiness giant runs a corn processing plant in Decatur, Ill. that turns tons of golden kernels into thousands of liters of alcohol, food chemicals, even syrup. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-unusual-tech-bet-could-slow-climate-change/ Study: Climate change slowing the Earth's rotation. Earth's spin is slowing down by one millisecond per day. File this under Things You May Not Have Known: Climate change, scientists say, is slowing Earth's rotation ever so slightly. It's not a new idea. In fact, scientists have been looking at the relationship among melting glaciers, rising sea levels and a slowing Earth for years. http://www.wmur.com/national/climate-change-is-a-drag-on-earth-study-says/36974066 UN CLIMATE TALKS France: Expect pressure to stick to climate pledges. France's foreign minister says the nearly 200 countries that signed up to a global climate deal should expect heavy pressure to fulfill their promises to reduce emissions and fight global warming. Laurent Fabius on Tuesday recounted the "extremely difficult" climate talks that ended Saturday… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Businesses get climate certainty they wanted; now for action. With the new global climate deal, businesses around the world got the long-term certainty that they had been clamoring for - now they need to back up the shift to a greener world with cold hard cash. Many business leaders have praised the climate deal reached Saturday in Paris… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_BUSINESS_IMPACT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Paris Paves Way for Global Carbon Price, Ex-Australia PM Says. The Paris climate accord will pave the way for carbon markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. to link and form a global emissions price, according to Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister whose climate policies helped cost him his job. “It’s easier for emissions-trading schemes… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/paris-paves-way-for-global-carbon-price-ex-australia-pm-says Goldman Sachs to launch climate-focused ETF. Goldman Sachs Group Inc said in a filing on Monday it would launch a new climate-focused index-tracking exchange-traded fund (ETF). Launch of the Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Environmental & Socially Responsible ETF comes on the heels of the recent landmark agreement on climate change at the global climate summit in Paris. http://in.reuters.com/article/goldmansachs-etf-idINL3N14450E20151215 Scientists See U.N. Climate Accord As A Good Start, But Just A Start. Climate scientists who scrutinized the U.N. accord are urging citizens to keep a sharp eye on each nation's leaders to make sure they follow through on pledges to reduce emissions. Climate scientists who scrutinized the U.N. accord are urging citizens… http://www.npr.org/2015/12/15/459693015/scientists-see-u-n-climate-accord-as-a-good-start-but-just-a-start Businesses see boost for carbon trading in climate accord text. The climate accord in Paris does not put a price on carbon dioxide, which many big businesses had been asking for, but does include language laying the groundwork for more emissions trading. The binding section of the deal allows countries to use "internationally transferred mitigation outcomes… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029502 DROUGHT Environmental group gives California mixed marks for drought management. More than four years into a drought, California's efforts to manage the crisis have produced mixed results, according to a report card issued Monday by a leading environmental nonprofit organization. The state received high marks from the Natural Resources Defense Council for its urban conservation and water recycling… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-nrdc-20151215-story.html http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/california-gets-low-grades-for-drought-14204015 FUELS Gasoline Nearing $2 Seen Spurring Record U.S. Holiday Travelers. U.S. travelers over the year-end holiday season will surge to a record 100.5 million as cheap fuel makes trips more affordable. About 91.3 million people will drive to holiday destinations 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more from home, an increase of 1.4 percent over last year, according to Heathrow, Florida-based AAA, a national federation of motor clubs. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/gasoline-nearing-2-seen-spurring-record-u-s-holiday-travelers China's NDRC plans domestic fuel pricing reform amid low crude. China plans further reforms of its retail fuel pricing system, the country's central economic planning commission said on Tuesday, part of efforts to make prices more market-driven. The world's second-largest oil consumer has taken big steps this year in reforming the oil and gas sector. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-fuel-prices-idUSKBN0TY18I20151215 The Worst Gas Leak in California’s History Isn’t Close to Being Fixed. A massive natural gas leak in California is still releasing huge amounts of methane into the environment almost two months after it began, driving over a thousand families from their homes and prompting the FAA to create a no-fly zone over the area. The Aliso Canyon gas storage facility near the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles started leaking massive amounts of methane into the San Fernando Valley area on Oct. 23. http://time.com/4149170/california-natural-gas-methane-leak/?xid=homepage Between Cheap Gas And Carbon Caps, Oil Sands Face Uncertain Fate. Canada has the world's third-largest oil reserve, and it's worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Nearly all of that crude is contained in Alberta's oil sands. Getting the oil from underground and into your car requires an extraordinary mining effort that has significant effects on the environment and is expensive. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/14/459336339/between-cheap-gas-and-carbon-caps-oil-sands-face-uncertain-fate?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news Study quantifies impact of fuel composition on PM emissions from gasoline direct injection engines. Researchers from Tsinghua University and Peking University have investigated the effects of fuel properties on particulate emissions gasoline direct injection engines (GDI). The study results, reported in the journal Fuel, demonstrated that the fuel composition has a significant on particulate emissions from GDI engines. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151214-gdipm.html VEHICLES Europe Car Recovery to Slow After Fastest Growth in a Decade. The European car market’s growth is set to slow from its fastest pace in at least 10 years as consumers increasingly choose alternatives to owning a vehicle, sapping a recovery from a two-decade low. New-car registrations in Europe are set to rise 8 percent this year to more than 14 million vehicles for the first time since 2009. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/europe-car-recovery-to-slow-after-fastest-growth-in-a-decade South Korea Plans Big Jump in Fuel-Cell Vehicles. South Korea wants one in 10 of every new cars sold in the country to be a fuel-cell model by 2030. South Korea is honing plans to put more hydrogen-powered vehicles on its roads, as auto makers around the globe look to develop technologies to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Korea aims to drastically increase the number of fuel-cell cars on its streets… http://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korea-plans-big-jump-in-fuel-cell-vehicles-1450152058 Nissan To Launch Range-Extended Electric Vehicle In 2016: Report. The Nissan Leaf is now firmly established as the bestselling electric car in history. Nissan expects to deliver its 200,000th Leaf sometime next month. And Nissan managed to achieve that without offering a gasoline range extender, as some other makers do with their battery-electric models. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101409_nissan-to-launch-range-extended-electric-vehicle-in-2016-report VW RECALL VW European sales growth screeches to near-halt. Volkswagen sales growth in Europe screeched to a near-halt in November compared with both its mass-market and premium competitors as the German carmaker was penalized for its involvement in a diesel emissions-cheating scandal. Sales of the core Volkswagen brand grew in November by just 2.8 percent, compared with nearly 14 percent for the industry as a whole… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_CAR_SALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/vw-s-europe-market-share-narrows-most-since-emissions-crisis Chinese environmental group sues Volkswagen over emissions scandal. A Chinese environmental group said it has sued Volkswagen AG over its use of software to rig emissions tests, in what state-owned media calls the first public interest lawsuit over the scandal in the German company's biggest global market. http://www.reuters.com/article/volkswagen-emissions-china-idUSL1N1440LJ20151215 U.S. brands tap European auto recovery as Volkswagen left behind. European car sales rose 13.7 percent in November, according to industry data published on Tuesday, with U.S. brands recording strong gains as Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) continued to pay the price of its diesel emissions test-rigging scandal. Registrations rose to 1.12 million cars last month from 989,758 a year earlier… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-carsales-idUSKBN0TY0JY20151215?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews VW to end contracts of 600 temp workers at Zwickau next year. Volkswagen will terminate contracts of about 600 temporary workers next year at a plant in Zwickau, Germany as it battles the costs of its diesel emissions test-rigging scandal, the carmaker's labour representatives said on Tuesday. Jobs of more than 10,000 core workers at VW's three eastern German sites in Zwickau… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFF9N13D02520151215 Bosch Role in VW Diesel Scandal Reviewed by German Prosecutors. Prosecutors in Stuttgart said they are investigating whether Robert Bosch GmbH employees helped Volkswagen AG rig software to cheat on emissions tests. The probe is looking at corporate staff at the car-parts maker, which provided VW with the software, but no suspects have been identified… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/bosch-role-in-vw-diesel-scandal-reviewed-by-german-prosecutors GREEN ENERGY W.House urges Congress to invest in renewable energy in spending bill. U.S. President Barack Obama would like to see Congress make investments in renewable energy in its omnibus spending bill, though final details of the funding measure would be up to lawmakers, the White House said on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-fiscal-whitehouse-energy-idUSW1N12Z00V20151214 Paris climate pact sinks coal stocks, lifts renewable energy. A landmark deal to curb global warming dented shares of fossil fuel companies and lifted renewable energy stocks on Monday, although some price swings were muted by the non-binding nature of the pact. The deal forged at the Paris climate summit is widely seen as the most important climate agreement since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-stocks-idUSKBN0TX22A20151214 China's Senyuan Starts Building $1.55 Billion Solar Farm. Henan Senyuan Group Co., a Chinese electrical power equipment maker, started construction of a 10 billion-yuan ($1.55 billion) photovoltaic power project in central China’s Henan province. The 1 gigawatt Yuzhou project will be capable of generating 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/china-s-senyuan-starts-building-1-55-billion-solar-farm Canada expected to triple solar PV capacity in the next 5 years. While considerably smaller than in the United States, Canada's solar market is riding a growth trajectory similar to that of its southern neighbor, with developers looking to nearly triple the country's solar photovoltaic capacity by 2020, from 2,400 megawatts to roughly 6,300 MW. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029499 MISCELLANEOUS Australian court tosses out Adani coal mine challenge. An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a bid to stop India's Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) building one of the world's biggest coal mines, saying the project should go ahead provided the firm complies with a host of environmental measures. The ruling by the Land Court of Queensland sets Adani back on track to proceed… http://www.reuters.com/article/adani-ent-australia-coal-idUSKBN0TY0L020151215 OPINIONS Windmills Have Direct Benefits for Farmers. With 98%-99% of wind-farm land free for other uses, wind has little impact on farmers and ranchers. Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst’s “How Wind Farms Blow Away Rights on Real Farms” (Cross Country, Dec. 5) ignores the benefits of low-cost wind energy… http://www.wsj.com/articles/windmills-have-direct-benefits-for-farmers-1450131095 A Global Accord on Climate Change. To the Editor: Re “Nations Approve Landmark Climate Deal” (front page, Dec. 13): The climate negotiators in Paris gave us a deal that falls far short of staving off the worst effects of climate change. They gave us nonbinding promises to reduce carbon emissions without a mechanism for verification, leaving room for inaccurate reporting and cheating. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/opinion/a-global-accord-on-climate-change.html Remember the Paris climate deal when voting in 2016. To the editor: The Paris climate agreement is a resounding success — within the context of reduced expectations after 20 years of failed agreements. ("Nearly 200 nations join together to fight climate change in historic Paris agreement," Dec. 12) The U.S. Senate has effectively held the entire world hostage by refusing to ratify a true legally… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-want-the-paris-climate-deal-to-succeed-then-vote-accordingly-in-2016-20151215-story.html Paris pact is more hype than real change. Perhaps the best part of the United Nations climate change agreement reached in Paris this weekend is that the hype is much more sweeping than the actual impact of the accord. Given President Barack Obama’s determination to secure his legacy by turning back rising temperatures, Paris could have been disastrous to future economic growth… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/12/14/paris-climate-talks-hype-global-warming/77334752/ The Hidden Climate Threat That Gas Companies Noticed, But Rarely Fixed. World leaders left Paris over the weekend with an aggressive agreement to cut methane emissions and other so-called short-lived climate pollutants. Methane doesn’t last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, but it’s much more potent. That’s one reason the city of Los Angeles is suing over the methane leak from a natural gas well north of L.A. … http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/12/14/the-hidden-climate-threat-that-gas-companies-noticed-but-rarely-fixed/ BLOGS Breakdown: Uneven CO2 prices are better than none. A uniform price on carbon emissions is unlikely to emerge from the United Nations climate change confab in Paris. There’s plenty of support for one, but enough opposition that any mention of it in a final agreement is likely to be vague at best. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s important – and why the current hodge-podge of local and ad hoc measures is far better than nothing. http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/12/15/breakdown-uneven-co2-prices-are-better-than-none / Why the climate change deal works. After years of painstaking negotiations, the climate change deal struck by leaders of 195 countries on Saturday was a diplomatic success. It represents a welcome shot in the arm for attempts to tackle global warming and, crucially, establishes a new set of guidelines for lowering greenhouse gas emissions. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/14/why-the-climate-change-deal-works/ California's Billion-dollar Drought Plan Draws Ire. Political leaders in water-starved Southern California are headed for a confrontation over an innovative but costly plan to build one of the world’s largest systems for recycling wastewater, VOA has learned. San Diego officials are casting serious doubt on the proposal, which advocates say could provide the region… http://www.voanews.com/content/california-billion-dollar-drought-plan-draws-ire/3097600.html The hard truths about renewable energy and subsidies. In a recent Washington Post article, author Griff Witte laments how the British government has cut renewable energy subsidies. This policy change has alarmed some across the world because of climate change fears. Britain is not, however, casting away a bright future of renewables; it is facing harsh realities. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/263214-the-hard-truths-about-renewable-energy-and-subsidies Hazardous Smog Hits Another Chinese City. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday, prompting schools to ban outdoor activities and authorities to limit work at construction sites and factories as polluted air spreads around the country. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shanghai-smog-china_5670207de4b0fccee16fd089 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 16:46:18 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 15, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CAP AND TRADE Calif. explores how to mesh cap and trade with federal rule. California regulators are wading through the details of how to connect their landmark cap-and-trade system to U.S. EPA's regulations for power plants. At the top of the regulators' agenda is how to preserve their own program, which has been in place since 2012. As the only state with an economywide carbon cap… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029514 AIR POLLUTION US appeals court leaves Obama mercury air pollution rule in place. A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday said that an Obama administration rule that regulates mercury and other toxic pollutants can remain in effect while the government revises it in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling. In a brief order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the rule could remain in effect… http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-pollution-idUSL1N11V2CZ20151215 EU parliament panel rejects car pollution rules as too lax. he European parliament's environmental committee voted on Monday against new car pollution rules they say are too lenient in the light of the Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) scandal which exposed loopholes in existing emissions tests. The new rules agreed in a closed-door committee in October would allow vehicles to carry on spewing out… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-eu-idUSKBN0TX25B20151215 Hazardous smog hits Shanghai as China's bad air spreads. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday, prompting schools to ban outdoor activities and authorities to limit work at construction sites and factories as polluted air spreads around the country. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-idUSKBN0TY0MN20151215 China again promises to clean up air ahead of 2022 Games. China promised again on Tuesday to take steps to reduce air pollution in the run-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics, to be held in Beijing and a nearby city, after a choking pall of smog prompted the Chinese capital's first ever red alert last week. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-china-idUSKBN0TY14620151215 Shanghai Warns People to Stay Indoors on ‘Severe’ Air Pollution. Shanghai warned children and elderly to remain indoors and everyone else to avoid physical activity outdoors as air pollution levels worsened. The city’s air was classified as “severely polluted,” the worst level of a 6-grade scale, as the air quality index hit 315… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/shanghai-warns-people-to-stay-indoors-on-severe-air-pollution In China, Diners Pay for Clean Air With Their Entrée. Has clean air become such a luxury in China that restaurants can charge patrons for it? That question raged on Tuesday after Xinhua, the state news agency, reported that a restaurant in the eastern province of Jiangsu was doing just that. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/world/asia/china-air-restaurant-clean-charge.html?_r=0 The Port of L.A. rolled back measures to cut pollution -- during its 'green' expansion. Shortly after the Port of Los Angeles agreed to require air quality improvements at one of its busiest terminals seven years ago, top port officials privately began rolling back pollution-cutting measures they promised, government records obtained by The Times show. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-port-pollution-20151215-story.html Porter Ranch gas leak could be declared local emergency by supervisors. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected Tuesday to vote to proclaim a local state of emergency due to a natural gas leak above Porter Ranch. If the proclamation is approved, it will be sent to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services… http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151214/porter-ranch-gas-leak-could-be-declared-local-emergency-by-supervisors Leak At Natural-Gas Field Now One-Quarter Of All CA Methane Emissions. For half a century, California has been at the forefront of reducing emissions and cleaning up air pollution. And the state has made breathtaking progress since the days of early-Seventies technicolor photochemical smog alerts. But then bad things happen--and a leak at a single natural-gas well shows… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101414_leak-at-natural-gas-field-now-one-quarter-of-all-ca-methane-emissions CLIMATE CHANGE India worries it compromised too much on climate treaty. As the world celebrates reaching an unprecedented global climate treaty, India praised nations' willingness to compromise for the good of the planet. But many in the country - which had been among the most strident during the negotiations - worry they had to compromise the most. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDIA_CLIMATE_TREATY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Pope's comments on global warming top notable quotes list. Pope Francis' comments that human activity is mostly to blame for global warming top a list of the most notable quotes of 2015, as compiled by a Yale Law School librarian who also included several sound bites from the U.S. presidential campaign. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_QUOTES_OF_THE_YEAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Climate deal typo hiccup solved 'in a small room,' France says. A last minute dispute over an apparent typing error in last weekend's global climate deal in Paris was solved "in a small room" and thanks to trust established during the talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-error-idUSKBN0TY1CS20151215 Look Who's Hiring a Climate Researcher (It's Exxon). An oil giant needs a climate scientist, offers competitive compensation and benefits. ExxonMobil is looking for a PhD engineer, scientist, or economist who can “lead research in areas such as Earth systems science and the role of technologies and systems in managing the risks posed by global climate change.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/look-who-s-hiring-a-climate-researcher-it-s-exxon- Greenland May Seek UN Climate Deal Opt-Out Amid Emissions Goal. The ink hasn’t yet dried on the UN climate accord and one of the territories most at risk from global warning is already demanding an opt-out. “We still have the option of making a territorial opt-out to COP21," Kim Kielsen, the prime minister of Greenland, said during a visit to Copenhagen on Monday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/greenland-may-seek-un-climate-deal-opt-out-amid-emissions-goal Climate change activists are just warming up. Even as it became clear that a historic climate agreement could be reached in France, activists were organizing protests deep into next year, some liberal political leaders were pledging to go beyond whatever goals the agreement might yield and diplomats, scientists… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-climate-after-paris-20151215-story.html An Unusual Tech Bet Could Slow Climate Change. Ethanol, saltwater and fermentation all get involved. Corn is king in the U.S. Midwest, and few companies in the field are larger than Archer Daniels Midland. The agribusiness giant runs a corn processing plant in Decatur, Ill. that turns tons of golden kernels into thousands of liters of alcohol, food chemicals, even syrup. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-unusual-tech-bet-could-slow-climate-change/ Study: Climate change slowing the Earth's rotation. Earth's spin is slowing down by one millisecond per day. File this under Things You May Not Have Known: Climate change, scientists say, is slowing Earth's rotation ever so slightly. It's not a new idea. In fact, scientists have been looking at the relationship among melting glaciers, rising sea levels and a slowing Earth for years. http://www.wmur.com/national/climate-change-is-a-drag-on-earth-study-says/36974066 UN CLIMATE TALKS France: Expect pressure to stick to climate pledges. France's foreign minister says the nearly 200 countries that signed up to a global climate deal should expect heavy pressure to fulfill their promises to reduce emissions and fight global warming. Laurent Fabius on Tuesday recounted the "extremely difficult" climate talks that ended Saturday… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Businesses get climate certainty they wanted; now for action. With the new global climate deal, businesses around the world got the long-term certainty that they had been clamoring for - now they need to back up the shift to a greener world with cold hard cash. Many business leaders have praised the climate deal reached Saturday in Paris… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_COUNTDOWN_BUSINESS_IMPACT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Paris Paves Way for Global Carbon Price, Ex-Australia PM Says. The Paris climate accord will pave the way for carbon markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. to link and form a global emissions price, according to Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister whose climate policies helped cost him his job. “It’s easier for emissions-trading schemes… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-14/paris-paves-way-for-global-carbon-price-ex-australia-pm-says Goldman Sachs to launch climate-focused ETF. Goldman Sachs Group Inc said in a filing on Monday it would launch a new climate-focused index-tracking exchange-traded fund (ETF). Launch of the Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Environmental & Socially Responsible ETF comes on the heels of the recent landmark agreement on climate change at the global climate summit in Paris. http://in.reuters.com/article/goldmansachs-etf-idINL3N14450E20151215 Scientists See U.N. Climate Accord As A Good Start, But Just A Start. Climate scientists who scrutinized the U.N. accord are urging citizens to keep a sharp eye on each nation's leaders to make sure they follow through on pledges to reduce emissions. Climate scientists who scrutinized the U.N. accord are urging citizens… http://www.npr.org/2015/12/15/459693015/scientists-see-u-n-climate-accord-as-a-good-start-but-just-a-start Businesses see boost for carbon trading in climate accord text. The climate accord in Paris does not put a price on carbon dioxide, which many big businesses had been asking for, but does include language laying the groundwork for more emissions trading. The binding section of the deal allows countries to use "internationally transferred mitigation outcomes… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029502 DROUGHT Environmental group gives California mixed marks for drought management. More than four years into a drought, California's efforts to manage the crisis have produced mixed results, according to a report card issued Monday by a leading environmental nonprofit organization. The state received high marks from the Natural Resources Defense Council for its urban conservation and water recycling… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-nrdc-20151215-story.html http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/california-gets-low-grades-for-drought-14204015 FUELS Gasoline Nearing $2 Seen Spurring Record U.S. Holiday Travelers. U.S. travelers over the year-end holiday season will surge to a record 100.5 million as cheap fuel makes trips more affordable. About 91.3 million people will drive to holiday destinations 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more from home, an increase of 1.4 percent over last year, according to Heathrow, Florida-based AAA, a national federation of motor clubs. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/gasoline-nearing-2-seen-spurring-record-u-s-holiday-travelers China's NDRC plans domestic fuel pricing reform amid low crude. China plans further reforms of its retail fuel pricing system, the country's central economic planning commission said on Tuesday, part of efforts to make prices more market-driven. The world's second-largest oil consumer has taken big steps this year in reforming the oil and gas sector. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-fuel-prices-idUSKBN0TY18I20151215 The Worst Gas Leak in California’s History Isn’t Close to Being Fixed. A massive natural gas leak in California is still releasing huge amounts of methane into the environment almost two months after it began, driving over a thousand families from their homes and prompting the FAA to create a no-fly zone over the area. The Aliso Canyon gas storage facility near the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles started leaking massive amounts of methane into the San Fernando Valley area on Oct. 23. http://time.com/4149170/california-natural-gas-methane-leak/?xid=homepage Between Cheap Gas And Carbon Caps, Oil Sands Face Uncertain Fate. Canada has the world's third-largest oil reserve, and it's worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Nearly all of that crude is contained in Alberta's oil sands. Getting the oil from underground and into your car requires an extraordinary mining effort that has significant effects on the environment and is expensive. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/14/459336339/between-cheap-gas-and-carbon-caps-oil-sands-face-uncertain-fate?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news Study quantifies impact of fuel composition on PM emissions from gasoline direct injection engines. Researchers from Tsinghua University and Peking University have investigated the effects of fuel properties on particulate emissions gasoline direct injection engines (GDI). The study results, reported in the journal Fuel, demonstrated that the fuel composition has a significant on particulate emissions from GDI engines. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151214-gdipm.html VEHICLES Europe Car Recovery to Slow After Fastest Growth in a Decade. The European car market’s growth is set to slow from its fastest pace in at least 10 years as consumers increasingly choose alternatives to owning a vehicle, sapping a recovery from a two-decade low. New-car registrations in Europe are set to rise 8 percent this year to more than 14 million vehicles for the first time since 2009. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/europe-car-recovery-to-slow-after-fastest-growth-in-a-decade South Korea Plans Big Jump in Fuel-Cell Vehicles. South Korea wants one in 10 of every new cars sold in the country to be a fuel-cell model by 2030. South Korea is honing plans to put more hydrogen-powered vehicles on its roads, as auto makers around the globe look to develop technologies to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Korea aims to drastically increase the number of fuel-cell cars on its streets… http://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korea-plans-big-jump-in-fuel-cell-vehicles-1450152058 Nissan To Launch Range-Extended Electric Vehicle In 2016: Report. The Nissan Leaf is now firmly established as the bestselling electric car in history. Nissan expects to deliver its 200,000th Leaf sometime next month. And Nissan managed to achieve that without offering a gasoline range extender, as some other makers do with their battery-electric models. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101409_nissan-to-launch-range-extended-electric-vehicle-in-2016-report VW RECALL VW European sales growth screeches to near-halt. Volkswagen sales growth in Europe screeched to a near-halt in November compared with both its mass-market and premium competitors as the German carmaker was penalized for its involvement in a diesel emissions-cheating scandal. Sales of the core Volkswagen brand grew in November by just 2.8 percent, compared with nearly 14 percent for the industry as a whole… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_CAR_SALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/vw-s-europe-market-share-narrows-most-since-emissions-crisis Chinese environmental group sues Volkswagen over emissions scandal. A Chinese environmental group said it has sued Volkswagen AG over its use of software to rig emissions tests, in what state-owned media calls the first public interest lawsuit over the scandal in the German company's biggest global market. http://www.reuters.com/article/volkswagen-emissions-china-idUSL1N1440LJ20151215 U.S. brands tap European auto recovery as Volkswagen left behind. European car sales rose 13.7 percent in November, according to industry data published on Tuesday, with U.S. brands recording strong gains as Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) continued to pay the price of its diesel emissions test-rigging scandal. Registrations rose to 1.12 million cars last month from 989,758 a year earlier… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-carsales-idUSKBN0TY0JY20151215?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews VW to end contracts of 600 temp workers at Zwickau next year. Volkswagen will terminate contracts of about 600 temporary workers next year at a plant in Zwickau, Germany as it battles the costs of its diesel emissions test-rigging scandal, the carmaker's labour representatives said on Tuesday. Jobs of more than 10,000 core workers at VW's three eastern German sites in Zwickau… http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFF9N13D02520151215 Bosch Role in VW Diesel Scandal Reviewed by German Prosecutors. Prosecutors in Stuttgart said they are investigating whether Robert Bosch GmbH employees helped Volkswagen AG rig software to cheat on emissions tests. The probe is looking at corporate staff at the car-parts maker, which provided VW with the software, but no suspects have been identified… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/bosch-role-in-vw-diesel-scandal-reviewed-by-german-prosecutors GREEN ENERGY W.House urges Congress to invest in renewable energy in spending bill. U.S. President Barack Obama would like to see Congress make investments in renewable energy in its omnibus spending bill, though final details of the funding measure would be up to lawmakers, the White House said on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-fiscal-whitehouse-energy-idUSW1N12Z00V20151214 Paris climate pact sinks coal stocks, lifts renewable energy. A landmark deal to curb global warming dented shares of fossil fuel companies and lifted renewable energy stocks on Monday, although some price swings were muted by the non-binding nature of the pact. The deal forged at the Paris climate summit is widely seen as the most important climate agreement since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-stocks-idUSKBN0TX22A20151214 China's Senyuan Starts Building $1.55 Billion Solar Farm. Henan Senyuan Group Co., a Chinese electrical power equipment maker, started construction of a 10 billion-yuan ($1.55 billion) photovoltaic power project in central China’s Henan province. The 1 gigawatt Yuzhou project will be capable of generating 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/china-s-senyuan-starts-building-1-55-billion-solar-farm Canada expected to triple solar PV capacity in the next 5 years. While considerably smaller than in the United States, Canada's solar market is riding a growth trajectory similar to that of its southern neighbor, with developers looking to nearly triple the country's solar photovoltaic capacity by 2020, from 2,400 megawatts to roughly 6,300 MW. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/15/stories/1060029499 MISCELLANEOUS Australian court tosses out Adani coal mine challenge. An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a bid to stop India's Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) building one of the world's biggest coal mines, saying the project should go ahead provided the firm complies with a host of environmental measures. The ruling by the Land Court of Queensland sets Adani back on track to proceed… http://www.reuters.com/article/adani-ent-australia-coal-idUSKBN0TY0L020151215 OPINIONS Windmills Have Direct Benefits for Farmers. With 98%-99% of wind-farm land free for other uses, wind has little impact on farmers and ranchers. Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst’s “How Wind Farms Blow Away Rights on Real Farms” (Cross Country, Dec. 5) ignores the benefits of low-cost wind energy… http://www.wsj.com/articles/windmills-have-direct-benefits-for-farmers-1450131095 A Global Accord on Climate Change. To the Editor: Re “Nations Approve Landmark Climate Deal” (front page, Dec. 13): The climate negotiators in Paris gave us a deal that falls far short of staving off the worst effects of climate change. They gave us nonbinding promises to reduce carbon emissions without a mechanism for verification, leaving room for inaccurate reporting and cheating. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/opinion/a-global-accord-on-climate-change.html Remember the Paris climate deal when voting in 2016. To the editor: The Paris climate agreement is a resounding success — within the context of reduced expectations after 20 years of failed agreements. ("Nearly 200 nations join together to fight climate change in historic Paris agreement," Dec. 12) The U.S. Senate has effectively held the entire world hostage by refusing to ratify a true legally… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-want-the-paris-climate-deal-to-succeed-then-vote-accordingly-in-2016-20151215-story.html Paris pact is more hype than real change. Perhaps the best part of the United Nations climate change agreement reached in Paris this weekend is that the hype is much more sweeping than the actual impact of the accord. Given President Barack Obama’s determination to secure his legacy by turning back rising temperatures, Paris could have been disastrous to future economic growth… http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/12/14/paris-climate-talks-hype-global-warming/77334752/ The Hidden Climate Threat That Gas Companies Noticed, But Rarely Fixed. World leaders left Paris over the weekend with an aggressive agreement to cut methane emissions and other so-called short-lived climate pollutants. Methane doesn’t last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, but it’s much more potent. That’s one reason the city of Los Angeles is suing over the methane leak from a natural gas well north of L.A. … http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/12/14/the-hidden-climate-threat-that-gas-companies-noticed-but-rarely-fixed/ BLOGS Breakdown: Uneven CO2 prices are better than none. A uniform price on carbon emissions is unlikely to emerge from the United Nations climate change confab in Paris. There’s plenty of support for one, but enough opposition that any mention of it in a final agreement is likely to be vague at best. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s important – and why the current hodge-podge of local and ad hoc measures is far better than nothing. http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/12/15/breakdown-uneven-co2-prices-are-better-than-none / Why the climate change deal works. After years of painstaking negotiations, the climate change deal struck by leaders of 195 countries on Saturday was a diplomatic success. It represents a welcome shot in the arm for attempts to tackle global warming and, crucially, establishes a new set of guidelines for lowering greenhouse gas emissions. http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/14/why-the-climate-change-deal-works/ California's Billion-dollar Drought Plan Draws Ire. Political leaders in water-starved Southern California are headed for a confrontation over an innovative but costly plan to build one of the world’s largest systems for recycling wastewater, VOA has learned. San Diego officials are casting serious doubt on the proposal, which advocates say could provide the region… http://www.voanews.com/content/california-billion-dollar-drought-plan-draws-ire/3097600.html The hard truths about renewable energy and subsidies. In a recent Washington Post article, author Griff Witte laments how the British government has cut renewable energy subsidies. This policy change has alarmed some across the world because of climate change fears. Britain is not, however, casting away a bright future of renewables; it is facing harsh realities. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/263214-the-hard-truths-about-renewable-energy-and-subsidies Hazardous Smog Hits Another Chinese City. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday. Smog in Chinese metropolis Shanghai hit its highest level since January on Tuesday, prompting schools to ban outdoor activities and authorities to limit work at construction sites and factories as polluted air spreads around the country. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shanghai-smog-china_5670207de4b0fccee16fd089 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 12:12:12 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 16, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 16, 2015. 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's International Model for Climate Success. The ongoing COP21 international climate agreement negotiations should be guided by California’s experience. While our transition is ongoing, smart policy and bipartisan leadership have reduced emissions and increased renewable energy while creating economic growth. California has decoupled economic growth from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. http://www.theenergycollective.com/energy-innovation-llc/2299636/californias-international-model-climate-success AIR POLLUTION US appeals court leaves Obama mercury air pollution rule in place. A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday said that an Obama administration rule that regulates mercury and other toxic pollutants can remain in effect while the government revises it in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling. http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-pollution-idUSL1N11V2CZ20151215 New Diesel-Gulping SUVs Banned in Delhi to Fight Toxic Air. Big fat diesel-guzzling SUVs are becoming an endangered species in New Delhi as India’s capital grapples with hazardous air pollution. The nation’s Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily banned the registration of larger diesel vehicles in the city… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-16/india-court-temporarily-bans-some-new-diesel-vehicles-in-delhi China Suspends Fuel Price Cuts to Curb Oil Demand, Pollution. China suspended fuel price adjustments as the world’s biggest energy consumer tries to curb demand growth and cut pollution to help improve air quality. Shares of the country’s biggest energy producers surged. Keeping domestic fuel rates stable, while oil price continue to fall… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-16/china-suspends-fuel-price-adjustments-to-curb-demand-pollution Harbor-area residents demand better oversight of port operations. Harbor-area residents and environmentalists on Tuesday urged the city to appoint an independent body to oversee the Port of Los Angeles, saying it cannot be trusted to fulfill air pollution-cutting requirements at one of its busiest shipping terminals. The demands follow the port's disclosure in September that it has failed to carry out… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1216-port-hearing-20151216-story.html ALISO CANYON Workers wary of igniting natural gas as they try to stop leak near Porter Ranch. California regulators are taking precautions so that crews do not ignite leaking methane gas as they work to plug a defective well north of Los Angeles, the state’s oil and gas supervisor said Tuesday. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-workers-wary-of-igniting-natural-gas-20151215-story.html LA County declares state of emergency over Porter Ranch gas leak. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday declared a state of emergency over a Southern California Gas Co. leaking well site above Porter Ranch that has pumped up to 1,200 tons of methane into the atmosphere. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151215/la-county-declares-state-of-emergency-over-porter-ranch-gas-leak Two Months In, Much Remains Unknown About Calif. Gas Leak. Almost two months after the discovery of a natural gas leak at a storage site near Los Angeles, the company responsible says it can’t identify the cause or how much methane has been released. Southern California Gas Company updated legislative staff at the state Capitol Monday. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/15/two-months-in,-much-remains-unknown-about-calif-gas-leak/ CLIMATE CHANGE UK should put carbon limit on back-up plants to meet climate goals. Britain needs to put a carbon emissions limit on power plants bidding for back-up capacity contracts as an auction last week laid bare the contradiction between support for dirty emergency power stations and ambitions to tackle climate change. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-energy-climatechange-idUSKBN0TZ1FE20151216?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews U.S. spending bill does not block climate fund payment. The U.S. State Department will be able to deliver its first payment of $500 million to the United Nations Green Climate Fund, after lawmakers agreed on a federal fiscal deal that does not include language to block it. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-congress-idUSKBN0TZ2ED20151216 Investors put pressure on miners to respond to climate change. An alliance of around 100 investors is calling on mining companies Anglo American Glencore and Rio Tinto to show that they are working to lessen the impact of climate change on their businesses. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-investment-mining-idUSKBN0TZ1BS20151216 Climate change puts Venezuelan amphibians at risk of extinction. Venezuelan frogs and toads are in critical danger due to climate change as rising temperatures complicate reproduction and spread a deadly fungus, say scientists, who liken the species to canaries in a coalmine warning of imminent danger. Scientists studying global warming have warned that rising temperatures… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-environment-idUSKBN0TY2M020151216 Japan, South Korea stick to coal despite global climate deal. Less than a week since signing the global climate deal in Paris, Japan and South Korea are pressing ahead with plans to open scores of new coal-fired power plants, casting doubt on the strength of their commitment to cutting CO2 emissions. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-summit-coal-idUSKBN0TY2TG20151216 Climate policy intact though agency funding stays flat. The omnibus fiscal 2016 spending deal unveiled by congressional leaders last night would allow the Obama administration to go forward with a key international climate policy while keeping U.S. EPA's budget level. The bill would not explicitly prohibit the United States from funding the Green Climate Fund, a U.N.-launched fund to provide… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/16/stories/1060029603 NOAA reports 'rapidly evolving' effects from Arctic warming. The Arctic continued to set records or near-records in 2015 that highlighted the severe effects of warming across the region, according to a new analysis led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average air temperature over the Arctic's land was the highest since records began in 1900, or about 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/16/stories/1060029565 DROUGHT California drought regulators back off controversial salmon-rescue plan. California drought regulators on Tuesday backed off a controversial plan to withhold water from farms and cities next year in an effort to preserve an endangered species of salmon, instead choosing a more flexible approach they said still could do the trick. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/national/article50010365.html#storylink=cpy After drought and warmer weather, local farmers are taking time off. Four years of drought and unusually warm weather have exhausted the patience and the resources of many local farmers, and the result is empty farm stands at Southern California farmers markets. For the first time in 30 years, farmers Jerry Rutiz of Rutiz Family Farms in Arroyo Grande and Chris Caldwell of Tutti Frutti Farms in Lompoc are taking time off. http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-drought-farmers-20151214-story.html Visalia, Cal Water tiptoe toward truce in dispute over drought, rates. The city of Visalia and California Water Service Co. appear to be moving toward a truce in their escalating war over control of the Visalia waterworks. The water system is owned by Cal Water, a publicly traded company, and the city set off alarm bells last month by ordering an appraisal of the company’s Visalia operation… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article49970935.html#storylink=cpy Los Angeles, San Diego Reshaping California Drought Strategy. Southern California’s two great cities, Los Angeles and San Diego, are pursuing different but equally cutting-edge solutions to the state’s epic, four-year drought. The extreme dry spell, called a 500-year event, follows previous droughts in the early 1990s that galvanized local… http://www.voanews.com/content/los-angeles-san-diego-reshaping-california-drought-strategy/3104927.html Burning Amazon forests and a rain-drenched Calif. are likely to come with El Niño – researchers. The Amazon forests of Central and South America are at increased risk of fires in 2016 due to the ongoing El Niño, according to NASA scientists. This El Niño, which has helped trigger more than 100,000 fires in Indonesia and spewed an estimated 1.75 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents into the atmosphere… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/16/stories/1060029584 Feinstein touts 'progress' on drought bill. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) quest to introduce a bill addressing California's drought continued yesterday when she sat down with federal officials responsible for ensuring compliance with the Endangered Species Act. Negotiations with California House Republicans fell apart late last week… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2015/12/16/stories/1060029569 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Shipping industry split on how to curb GHGs. The shipping industry is debating how to reduce carbon emissions after being left out of the international climate deal struck in Paris over the weekend. In a voluntary pact, countries agreed to set targets to curb emissions within their borders, which doesn't cover ships and aircraft that carry goods around the world. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/16/stories/1060029559 FUELS RPT-Cheap gas spurs SUV sales and puts U.S. climate goals at risk. Surging demand for trucks and SUVs fueled by cheap gasoline is holding back improvements in U.S. fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions, a government report due out on Wednesday is expected to show. The disconnect between consumer demand for larger, less efficient vehicles… http://www.reuters.com/article/autos-emissions-idUSL1N14504420151216 Pickup, SUV Revival Stalls U.S. Automaker Fuel Economy Progress. Americans have flocked back to pickups and SUVs as gasoline prices have fallen and that’s slowing U.S. automakers’ progress on fuel economy targets, according to new data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. fleet of passenger cars and light trucks averaged 24.3 miles per gallon in 2014, increasing only slightly from 24.1 mpg in 2013. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-16/pickup-suv-revival-stalls-u-s-automaker-fuel-economy-progress . Canadian Oil Sands' Greatest Asset Now Worst With Carbon Curbs. Canadian oil-sands producers like Suncor Energy Inc. like to tout the long life of the world’s third-largest crude reserves as their greatest asset. That longevity may now be their biggest liability with a new global agreement to curtail carbon emissions. Alberta is one of the costliest -- and most carbon intensive -- places in the world to produce oil. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-15/canadian-oil-sands-greatest-asset-now-worst-with-carbon-curbs U.S. on verge of lifting 40-year oil export ban. The United States appears on the brink of ending a four-decade ban on most exports of crude oil, which would end a years-long fight brought about by a boom in domestic shale output that contributed to a supply glut and depressed prices. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-oilexports-idUSKBN0TZ1QZ20151216 http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-push-to-end-oil-export-ban-puts-china-in-slippery-situation-1450271641 Shell fights to keep Arctic drilling leases. Royal Dutch Shell is fighting the Obama administration’s decision not to extend its drilling rights leases in the Arctic Ocean. Shell filed an administrative appeal of the decisions Tuesday with the Interior Department, which in October rejected the company’s pleas to pause its leases that are due to expire in 2017 and 2020. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263290-shell-fights-to-kep-arctic-drilling-leases VEHICLES German lobby group says excess emissions detected in Mercedes model. German environmental lobby group DUH turned on carmaker Daimler on Wednesday, saying test results had shown nitrogen oxide emissions from one of its Mercedes diesel models far exceeded European legal limits. Daimler (DAIGn.DE) described the results from a Mercedes C-Class 200 CDI as "questionable"… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-daimler-emissions-idUSKBN0TZ17F20151216 Tesla rival NextEV hires former Cisco tech chief Padmasree Warrior. Chinese electric car company NextEV has hired Cisco Systems Inc's former tech head, Padmasree Warrior, as its chief development officer and the chief executive of its U.S. unit. Warrior, a tech industry veteran who featured in Forbes magazine's "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list thrice… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nextev-moves-developmenthead-idUSKBN0TZ28V20151216 India to allow ethanol-only vehicles; response to be muted. India will soon allow automakers to manufacture vehicles that can run entirely on ethanol, but adoption is likely to be slow as the country has not been able to source the sugarcane by-product even for its current low gasoline-blending targets. Transport minister Nitin Gadkari's announcement to push the cleaner-burning fuel came… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-ethanol-idUSKBN0TZ1B320151216 http://www.wsj.com/articles/indian-court-bans-registration-of-some-diesel-vehicles-in-delhi-over-pollution-1450269657 Ford driverless car to hit California roads. Add Ford to the growing list of car companies fielding autonomous vehicles on the West Coast. The Detroit auto giant has received a permit to begin operating a driverless car on public streets as part of the California Autonomous Vehicle Testing Program. Ford executives say a Ford Fusion hybrid is already being tested in a closed-course setting in the Palo Alto area. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-ford-driverless-car-to-hit-california-roads-20151215-story.html Why Electric Cars Make Sense Even When Gas Is $2 A Gallon. Whenever gas prices fall, there's always much speculation about how they will impact electric-car sales. That's because, for some consumers, one of the primary selling points of an electric car is the money saved by avoiding gas stations. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101430_why-electric-cars-make-sense-even-when-gas-is-2-a-gallon VW RECALL European Parliament set to hold inquiry into VW emissions scandal. The European Parliament plans to set up a committee to investigate Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) emissions scandal and determine whether regulatory oversight of the car industry was too lax. Members of the European Parliament will vote on the issue on Thursday, but lawmakers said that was a formality after leaders of the various political groups decided on Wednesday to establish the committee. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-eu-idUSKBN0TZ2AT20151216 VW gets go-ahead to repair diesel cars affected by emissions scandal. Volkswagen recall will begin in 2016 with 2-litre cars, as German firm promises to compensate customers for any fall in residual value of their vehicle. Volkswagen has secured regulatory approval to repair diesel cars affected by the emissions scandal and will begin work in January. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has… http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/16/vw-gets-go-ahead-to-repair-diesel-cars-affected-by-emissions-scandal Emissions scandal result of series of errors from 2005, says Volkswagen Tri-County. "It was not a one-off error, but an unbroken chain of errors", said the company's supervisory board chief Hans Dieter Poetsch. To prevent this happening again, Volkswagen intends to hand over all future emissions testing to a third-party independent auditor. http://thevillagessuntimes.com/2015/12/16/emissions-scandal-result-of-series-of-errors-from-2005-says/ GREEN ENERGY Samsung SDI team up in energy storage push. Germany's top utility E.ON and South Korea's Samsung SDI have entered a partnership in the field of energy storage, aiming to take advantage of an expected boom in battery demand following Tesla's push into the market. Both groups signed a memorandum of understanding to develop "profitable energy storage solutions and… http://www.reuters.com/article/e-on-samsung-sdi-batteries-idUSL8N1451SW20151216 Norway's Statkraft ceases new offshore wind investments. Norwegian utility Statkraft will cease investing in new offshore windfarms, including the world's biggest project off the coast of Britain, so it can continue paying dividends to its government owners despite a slump in Nordic power prices. http://www.reuters.com/article/statkraft-windfarm-idUSL8N1450Q920151216 Iberdrola to list 18.5 percent of U.S. grids and renewables unit Avangrid. Spanish utility Iberdrola will list an 18.5 percent stake in its new U.S. grids and renewables unit Avangrid in New York on Thursday, its chief executive told Reuters, as it looks to raise finance for its multi-billion dollar investment plans. CEO Ignacio Galan declined comment on Avangrid's likely valuation… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iberdrola-avangrid-idUSKBN0TZ1IQ20151216 U.K. Solar Industry Braces for Government Decision on Subsidies. U.K. solar companies are bracing for the results of a public consultation on subsidies to photovoltaic installations, with the future of the industry hinging on whether ministers go ahead with their plan for a cut of as much as 87 percent. The proposal made in August would reduce feed-in tariffs for solar power by 62 percent to 87 percent… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-16/u-k-solar-industry-braces-for-government-decision-on-subsidies China's State Power Buys Clean-Energy Unit From IFM Investors. State Power Investment Corp. of China agreed to acquire Pacific Hydro Pty, a renewable energy company with assets in Australia, Chile and Brazil, from IFM Investors Pty. Pacific Hydro has 19 hydro-electric and wind assets with capacity of 900 megawatts, IFM and State Power said in a statement Wednesday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-16/china-s-state-power-buys-clean-energy-unit-from-ifm-investors Spain Plans First Auction for Renewable Energy in Three Years. Spain announced that its first auction for renewables in three years will take place on Jan. 14. Developers may bid to install 500 megawatts of wind energy and 200 megawatts of biomass, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism said in an e-mailed statement. The wood-burning plants will be located on the Iberian peninsula. http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NZGBSV6TTDS001-0FH9UO6V9QD7NG8BJ9SQ3SR0DA California regulators propose new rooftop solar fees. Rooftop solar panel owners could face new fees under a proposal issued Tuesday, but state regulators rejected several recommendations by utility companies that threatened the expansion of residential and commercial solar efforts. Southern California Edison and the state's other big investor-owned utilities had pushed to charge more for homes… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rooftop-solar-subsidy-20151215-story.html (POSSIBE KEY STORY???) San Diego Vows to Move Entirely to Renewable Energy in 20 Years. Last weekend, representatives of 195 countries reached a landmark accord in Paris to lower planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. On Tuesday, local leaders in San Diego committed to making a city-size dent in the problem. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/science/san-diego-vows-to-move-entirely-to-renewable-energy-in-20-years.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&action=click&contentCollection=us®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=sectionfront&mtrref=www.nytimes.com&_r=3 Energy spending would get big boost in omnibus. A $1.15 trillion fiscal 2016 spending bill released overnight is being hailed as a win for energy programs and the nation's national labs, as well as research into advanced fossil and nuclear technologies. The Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee portion of the omnibus includes $37.2 billion, $3 billion above 2015 enacted levels and more than $1 billion above the president's request. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/16/stories/1060029604 MISCELLANEOUS California reaches $26-million settlement with Comcast over electronic waste. Cable television giant Comcast Corp. has agreed to pay the state of California $25.95 million to resolve allegations that the company unlawfully disposed of electronics, including remote controls, modems, splitters and routers. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-et-ct-california-ag-harris-comcast-hazardous-waste-settlement-20151215-story.html OPINIONS Congress poised to lift the ban on U.S. crude exports: Kemp. Congressional leaders have reached a deal to lift the 40-year-old ban on exporting U.S. crude in a symbolically important move that could give domestic oil producers much more flexibility in future. There is no immediate prospect of large-scale oil exports from the United States because domestic refineries… http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-oilexports-kemp-idUSL8N14530J20151216 Oil makes only one promise and that's volatility: Kemp. Just about the only thing we know about where oil prices are headed over the next few years is that most of the forecasts will be wrong. The oil market has defied every attempt to fix or predict prices in terms of oil's value to customers, the marginal cost of production, or the price of available substitutes. "It was to me an economic aberration that oil remained much cheaper than Evian mineral water,"… http://www.reuters.com/article/oil-prices-kemp-idUSL8N1443E920151216 A 19th-Century Glimpse of a Changing Climate. John Ruskin’s warnings about a “plague-wind” offer one way of looking at the Paris deal. The first time John Ruskin noticed the gray clouds of the “plague-wind” was in 1871, decades into the industrial era. Walking home from work at the University of Oxford one spring day, the renowned English art critic looked skyward, to the “dry black veil which no ray of sunshine” … http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/12/ruskin-paris-climate-change/420453/?single_page=true&print= BLOGS >From the UN to the Market. We have a climate agreement. Now, the business world has to come with the good solutions. After years of intense negotiations, the world agreed this weekend on a new climate agreement in Paris. 186 countries signed on the papers describing how every country shall bring down their greenhouse gas emissions. In addition every country has agreed that their goals must be more ambitious than until now. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erik-solheim/from-the-un-to-the-market_b_8816224.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 12:21:22 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 16, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 16, 2015. 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 Janice Hahn calls for independent oversight of Port of L.A.'s anti-pollution efforts. Rep. Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro) is throwing her support behind the demands of harbor-area residents calling for independent oversight of the Port of Los Angeles after its failure to impose air quality improvements at one of its busiest shipping terminals. "It is incredibly troubling that the Port of Los Angeles has failed to carry out court-mandated pollution reduction measures… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1217-hahn-20151217-story.html Stricter pollution controls approved for Bay Area oil refineries. The Bay Area's clean air board adopted three new rules Wednesday designed to cut air pollution from the region's oil refineries by 14 percent in the first part of a new push to make the plants run cleaner. Much to the disappointment of environmentalists, however… http://www.insidebayarea.com/business-headlines/ci_29264306/stricter-pollution-controls-approved-bay-area-oil-refineries Smog alert: Will Chinese buy clean Canadian air for $14 a bottle? Highlighting the country's foul air crisis, a Canadian company is peddling bottled fresh air in China. In China, a nation plagued by air pollution, Canadian entrepreneurs have begun selling bottled clean air. "Essentially we're selling air," Troy Paquette, one of the co-founders of Vitality Air, told CBC News. "Clean, beautiful, fresh Banff mountain air." http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2015/1216/Smog-alert-Will-Chinese-buy-clean-Canadian-air-for-14-a-bottle Lawmakers seek 2-year 'pause' on EPA ozone standard. U.S. EPA would have to freeze implementation of its new ozone standard for up to two years until completion of a study on how air pollution from other countries affects the United States under a bipartisan bill introduced yesterday by Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) and three other House members. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2015/12/17/stories/1060029640 EPA is urged at hearing to toughen cross-state rule. U.S. EPA must go beyond its currently proposed changes to its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), a handful of speakers urged at a brief public hearing this morning. The proposal unveiled last month is designed to reduce power plant emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) that waft across state lines and contribute to the creation of ozone. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029692 CLIMATE CHANGE New York’s Tropical December Days: Climate Change or El Nino? After a year that has seen a record number of powerful typhoons and hurricanes, unprecedented snow in Boston and what will probably be a new high for global warmth, the terms weather, climate and climate change are being thrown around freely. So what’s actually the difference? http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NZGN5Q6K50Y001-0FL7BE77GDQTHE45KBHDIRAMS8 Climate change: Greenland Ice Sheet is shrinking at high rate. The Greenland Ice Sheet has lost about 9,013 gigatonnes of water ice from 1900 to 2010 – and it’s dropping mass today at an increasing rate, an international team of scientists say. From 2003 to 2010, the ice sheet lost mass at a rate more than twice the rate during the entire 20th century, a new study shows. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-greenland-ice-sheet-20151216-story.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029655 Climate change activists are just warming up. Even as it became clear that a historic climate agreement could be reached in France, activists were organizing protests deep into next year, some liberal political leaders were pledging to go beyond whatever goals the agreement might yield and diplomats, scientists and consultants were planning the next global summit. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-climate-after-paris-20151215-story.html November was record-warm month for globe, extending streak. Last month was the globe's warmest November on record, the seventh consecutive month to reach a new high. A climate update Thursday from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also noted a record-warm average temperature for January… http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/dec/17/november-was-record-warm-month-for-globe/#sthash.KG15VZGN.dpuf Republican trio offers bill to prevent EPA carbon limits. A trio of Wisconsin Republicans this week introduced legislation aimed at limiting U.S. EPA's ability to issue further regulations over greenhouse gas emissions. The bill, H.R. 4259, would prohibit EPA from putting in place or enforcing any limits on aggregate carbon dioxide emissions from a state. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2015/12/17/stories/1060029646 DROUGHT Drought Improves In California, Pacific Northwest. The U.S. Drought Monitor released December 17 shows that recent storms have brought improvement in drought conditions in California and other parts of the western U.S. Although the precipitation is not building up snowpack as much as expected for this time of year. "Another stormy week was experienced across most of the region… http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/17/drought-improves-in-california,-pacific-northwest/ New study casts doubt on climate link to El Niño. A new study is challenging conventional predictions of El Niño weather patterns. The study, published Dec. 14 in Nature Geoscience, finds that the El Niño pattern -- a warming in the equatorial Pacific Ocean associated with wet weather on the West Coast -- may be less influenced by large-scale climate trends than currently assumed. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029652 FUELS Expected Repeal of Oil Export Ban Unlikely to Have Immediate Impact. Ever since the 1970s, when international oil boycotts threatened the American economy and produced around-the-block waiting lines at gasoline stations, a ban on oil exports has been at the heart of national energy policy. Now, if a congressional deal holds up and President Obama agrees as is expected, that policy is about to be reversed. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/business/energy-environment/expected-repeal-of-oil-export-ban-unlikely-to-have-immediate-impact.html?ref=energy-environment Iowa voters have given up on ethanol; presidential candidates are following suit. fortunes of the wonder fuel that promised to help clean the environment, secure America and save small family farms have steadily dwindled as environmentalists, food advocates and auto enthusiasts sour on its promise. Now that fuel, corn-based ethanol, finds itself threatened with a defection that was once unthinkable: Iowa voters. http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-ethanol-iowa-campaign-20151217-story.html Sea-Tac, Boeing, Alaska Air partnership hopes to take biofuels into mainstream. The use of aviation biofuels could go more mainstream as the result of a joint effort by Boeing, Alaska Airlines and the Port of Seattle. On Wednesday the three organizations signed an agreement to study how biofuels could be incorporated into the nation's 13th busiest airport's fuel system in five to six years. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2015/12/17/sea-tac-boeing-alaska-air-partnership-hopes-take-biofuels-into-mainstream/77472600/ Pickup, SUV revival stalls U.S. automakers' progress on mileage. Americans have flocked back to pickups and SUVs as gasoline prices have fallen, and that's slowing U.S. automakers' progress on fuel economy targets, according to new data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. fleet of passenger cars and light… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/automakers-355364-ocprint-fuel-epa.html MISO says gas prices will have big impact on Clean Power Plan costs. The cost impact of U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator's 15-state footprint ranges from a few billion dollars to more than $100 billion over the next two decades, according to an initial analysis by the grid operator. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029637 ConocoPhillips CEO sees lower prices, climate action as industry's new normal. If oil prices get too high, they'll fall right back down again, the head of ConocoPhillips Co. said yesterday. That's why Ryan Lance, CEO of the U.S. onshore giant, sees prices stabilizing well beneath the $100-plus-per-barrel levels of yore. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029651 VEHICLES Saab successor Nevs signs $12 billion China electric car deal. National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs), which bought the assets of bankrupt Saab Automobile, announced a 78-billion-yuan ($12 billion) deal on Thursday to supply 150,000 electric cars to Chinese leasing firm Panda New Energy. The agreement marks a big breakthrough for Nevs, which bought Saab's assets in 2012… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nevs-panda-electric-vehicles-idUSKBN0U01QB20151217?feedType=RSS&feedName=innovationNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fdeals+%28Reuters+Deals+News%29 http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/technology/article50227670.html#storylink=cpy Trucks Hit Record 20.4 MPG, EPA Says; Carmakers Are Ahead Of Emissions Standards. Fuel economy is at record highs and carmakers have surpassed strict greenhouse gas emissions standards for the third straight year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which released a pair of annual reports about the U.S. fleet of cars and trucks Wednesday. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/12/16/459996497/trucks-hit-record-20-4-mpg-epa-says-carmakers-are-ahead-of-emissions-standards Speeding up the hydrogen highway. Drivers are seeing more hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) on the road, but refueling stations for those vehicles are still few and far between. This is about to change, and one reason is a new testing device being validated at California refueling stations that will greatly accelerate station commissioning. https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/hystep_hydrogen/#.VnH08E3luUl Most Fuel-Efficient Maker Does It Without Plugs Or Hybrids. The most fuel-efficient automaker in the U.S. doesn't sell a single hybrid car, let alone battery-electric cars or plug-in hybrids. In fact, it currently doesn't have any vehicles with electrified powertrains in its whole U.S. lineup. That's because the company in question is Mazda, which is notably improving efficiency across its lineup through refinements to internal-combustion engines alone. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101461_most-fuel-efficient-maker-does-it-without-plugs-or-hybrids More 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Sketches Before Hybrid, Electric Cars Debut. Last week, the Hyundai Ioniq name was confirmed for the Korean carmaker's upcoming Prius-fighting five-door hatchback. The Ioniq lineup will include hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric variants of the compact car built on the underpinnings of the new Elantra sedan. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101452_more-2017-hyundai-ioniq-sketches-before-hybrid-electric-cars-debut Formula E Electric-Car Racing Series Gains Jaguar As Contender. Jaguar Land Rover is the latest carmaker to enter the Formula E electric-car racing series. The British luxury manufacturer says its Jaguar brand will join the series for its third season, which begins next fall. In discussing its entry, Jaguar said it hoped to gain technical experience with electric powertrains that could be applied to future production cars. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101431_formula-e-electric-car-racing-series-gains-jaguar-as-contender VW RECALL Volkswagen chief appoints new top management team. Volkswagen's chief executive Matthias Mueller named his new management team on Thursday, including the replacement for the group's research and development chief who left earlier this month as a result of the diesel emissions scandal. Under the overhaul the number of top managers reporting to the CEO almost halves. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-managers-idUSKBN0U01BD20151217 GREEN ENERGY Britain follows Paris deal with cuts to green subsidies. Britain cut more renewable energy subsidies on Thursday, putting jobs at risk and drawing criticism for losing credibility in tackling climate change, a week after the landmark deal in Paris. Britain's Conservative government has been reining in spending on all renewables subsidies… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-solar-idUSKBN0U01SV20151217?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Solar power has lots of headroom to make it stronger, cheaper and global. On paper, the amount of sunlight hitting the Earth in one hour could fulfill humanity's energy needs for a year, an equation that's hard to ignore. However, harnessing more of this vast potential remains a major challenge, since the sun has to compete with coal, oil and natural gas… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029627 White House says climate pact will unleash private cash in clean energy. A top adviser to President Obama predicted yesterday that the global climate accord reached in Paris five days ago would have "a profound impact" on private investments in clean energy, resulting in cheaper technologies able to compete with fossil fuels. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029630 Renewable industry hails extensions of tax credits. Renewable energy industry leaders praised congressional budget writers' omnibus spending and tax extenders package yesterday, saying it gives new life to tax credits that have helped sustain a boom in U.S. wind and solar power over the past eight years. The two tax measures, known as the production tax credit (PTC) for onshore wind energy… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029634 MISCELLANEOUS California Supreme Court to decide environmental law's scope. The California Supreme Court is set to decide whether public agencies must evaluate the impact of air pollution and other existing environmental problems on future residents of a proposed development. Builders say a requirement to consider the environment's impact on a development could force them into expensive mitigation measures… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article50256280.html#storylink=cpy Air Pollution Control District Names New Director. The county’s Air Pollution Control District board is expected to approve Aeron Arlin-Genet as its new director during Thursday’s meeting. Arlin-Genet worked for San Luis Obispo’s APCD for 15 years and for the Western States Petroleum Association for six, according to her LinkedIn page. She also heads the Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition and the area’s chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. http://www.independent.com/news/2015/dec/17/air-pollution-control-district-names-new-director/ OPINIONS Advice for Volkswagen: Being Green Is Profitable. To the Editor: While “Cleaning Up After Volkswagen” (editorial, nytimes.com, Dec. 7) focuses on why Volkswagen continues to try to deceive regulators and the public on the level of pollution emitted by its cars, I’m more baffled about why a company as sophisticated as Volkswagen didn’t understand in the first place that sustainability is a business imperative today. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/opinion/advice-for-volkswagen-being-green-is-profitable.html?_r=0 Climate change is indeed a cause of social conflict. First Bernie Sanders said “climate change was directly related to the growth of terrorism.” Then Prince Charles said drought was the root cause of the Syrian conflict and current refugee crisis. Pundits everywhere leaped at the opportunity to say both claims were wrong. Who is right? We have been studying the possible link between climate and violence for years… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1217-hsiang-burke-climate-change-violence-20151217-story.html Scrap, don't replicate, California's climate policy. Roughly 40 representatives from California joined leaders from around the world at the recently concluded U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Paris. Political elites from around the globe reached a universal agreement to fight global warming. The California delegation traveled to France to showcase the Golden State as a model of progressive climate policy… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-696363-energy-people.html Pollution on the rise. We all know that global warming and climate change are on the rise, but one other thing that we look past is pollution. In recent years, there have been many things that have led to the rise of air, soil and water pollution. According to CNN.com, in China, there have been thousands of deaths since 1997 because of industrial air pollution as China grows economically. http://highschool.latimes.com/verdugo-hills-high-school/pollution-on-the-rise/ Mailbag: Orange County needs desalinated water. As a diverse coalition of Orange County organizations supporting the development of all kinds of new local water for the county, we applaud San Diego for its foresight in establishing a seawater desalination plant in Carlsbad capable of providing the region with 50 million gallons a day of local drought-proof water. http://www.latimes.com/socal/hb-independent/opinion/tn-hbi-me-1217-mailbag-20151216-story.html Guest commentary: Environmental justice takes place in world leadership. Recently, members from Asian Pacific Environmental Network and other community-based organizations gathered in Paris at the U.N. climate conference to demand strong international agreements that protect and benefit the people most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_29265463/guest-commentary-environmental-justice-takes-place-world-leadership Are diesel SUVs the real cause of pollution... The recent ban imposed by the Supreme Court on the sale of diesel SUVs and passenger cars with an engine capacity of 2000cc and more in the NCR region, has evoked strong reactions. I am completely committed to reduction of pollution and improving the air quality in Delhi and other cities of India and something surely needs to be done to correct this. But what? http://overdrive.in/opinions/are-diesel-suvs-the-real-cause-of-pollution/ BLOGS Too Big to Succeed? The United Nations climate talks in Paris, also known as COP21, carried a distinct air of excitement along with a desperate quest for something big, monumental, epic, and transformative. We saw events with big names, big venues, big businesses, big rhetoric. This was in large part due to the enormity of the task at hand: Finalize a global accord that mobilizes international action against arguably the largest threat to humankind and the planet. http://greenlining.org/blog/2015/too-big-to-succeed/ 12 steps to climate sobriety. The nations of the world have unanimously agreed, 195 to zero, that climate change is a major problem, that human activities are a major cause and that it's high time to do something about it. Those debates are now over globally, although some American politicians have yet to notice. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/263551-12-steps-to-climate-sobriety California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 12:31:24 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 17, 2015 From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ****My apologies, Today's ARB Newsclips that were sent out are for December 17, 2015, not December 16, 2015.**** Thank you 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 Janice Hahn calls for independent oversight of Port of L.A.'s anti-pollution efforts. Rep. Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro) is throwing her support behind the demands of harbor-area residents calling for independent oversight of the Port of Los Angeles after its failure to impose air quality improvements at one of its busiest shipping terminals. "It is incredibly troubling that the Port of Los Angeles has failed to carry out court-mandated pollution reduction measures… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1217-hahn-20151217-story.html Stricter pollution controls approved for Bay Area oil refineries. The Bay Area's clean air board adopted three new rules Wednesday designed to cut air pollution from the region's oil refineries by 14 percent in the first part of a new push to make the plants run cleaner. Much to the disappointment of environmentalists, however… http://www.insidebayarea.com/business-headlines/ci_29264306/stricter-pollution-controls-approved-bay-area-oil-refineries Smog alert: Will Chinese buy clean Canadian air for $14 a bottle? Highlighting the country's foul air crisis, a Canadian company is peddling bottled fresh air in China. In China, a nation plagued by air pollution, Canadian entrepreneurs have begun selling bottled clean air. "Essentially we're selling air," Troy Paquette, one of the co-founders of Vitality Air, told CBC News. "Clean, beautiful, fresh Banff mountain air." http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2015/1216/Smog-alert-Will-Chinese-buy-clean-Canadian-air-for-14-a-bottle Lawmakers seek 2-year 'pause' on EPA ozone standard. U.S. EPA would have to freeze implementation of its new ozone standard for up to two years until completion of a study on how air pollution from other countries affects the United States under a bipartisan bill introduced yesterday by Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) and three other House members. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2015/12/17/stories/1060029640 EPA is urged at hearing to toughen cross-state rule. U.S. EPA must go beyond its currently proposed changes to its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), a handful of speakers urged at a brief public hearing this morning. The proposal unveiled last month is designed to reduce power plant emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) that waft across state lines and contribute to the creation of ozone. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029692 CLIMATE CHANGE New York’s Tropical December Days: Climate Change or El Nino? After a year that has seen a record number of powerful typhoons and hurricanes, unprecedented snow in Boston and what will probably be a new high for global warmth, the terms weather, climate and climate change are being thrown around freely. So what’s actually the difference? http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NZGN5Q6K50Y001-0FL7BE77GDQTHE45KBHDIRAMS8 Climate change: Greenland Ice Sheet is shrinking at high rate. The Greenland Ice Sheet has lost about 9,013 gigatonnes of water ice from 1900 to 2010 – and it’s dropping mass today at an increasing rate, an international team of scientists say. From 2003 to 2010, the ice sheet lost mass at a rate more than twice the rate during the entire 20th century, a new study shows. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-greenland-ice-sheet-20151216-story.html http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029655 Climate change activists are just warming up. Even as it became clear that a historic climate agreement could be reached in France, activists were organizing protests deep into next year, some liberal political leaders were pledging to go beyond whatever goals the agreement might yield and diplomats, scientists and consultants were planning the next global summit. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-climate-after-paris-20151215-story.html November was record-warm month for globe, extending streak. Last month was the globe's warmest November on record, the seventh consecutive month to reach a new high. A climate update Thursday from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also noted a record-warm average temperature for January… http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/dec/17/november-was-record-warm-month-for-globe/#sthash.KG15VZGN.dpuf Republican trio offers bill to prevent EPA carbon limits. A trio of Wisconsin Republicans this week introduced legislation aimed at limiting U.S. EPA's ability to issue further regulations over greenhouse gas emissions. The bill, H.R. 4259, would prohibit EPA from putting in place or enforcing any limits on aggregate carbon dioxide emissions from a state. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2015/12/17/stories/1060029646 DROUGHT Drought Improves In California, Pacific Northwest. The U.S. Drought Monitor released December 17 shows that recent storms have brought improvement in drought conditions in California and other parts of the western U.S. Although the precipitation is not building up snowpack as much as expected for this time of year. "Another stormy week was experienced across most of the region… http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/17/drought-improves-in-california,-pacific-northwest/ New study casts doubt on climate link to El Niño. A new study is challenging conventional predictions of El Niño weather patterns. The study, published Dec. 14 in Nature Geoscience, finds that the El Niño pattern -- a warming in the equatorial Pacific Ocean associated with wet weather on the West Coast -- may be less influenced by large-scale climate trends than currently assumed. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029652 FUELS Expected Repeal of Oil Export Ban Unlikely to Have Immediate Impact. Ever since the 1970s, when international oil boycotts threatened the American economy and produced around-the-block waiting lines at gasoline stations, a ban on oil exports has been at the heart of national energy policy. Now, if a congressional deal holds up and President Obama agrees as is expected, that policy is about to be reversed. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/business/energy-environment/expected-repeal-of-oil-export-ban-unlikely-to-have-immediate-impact.html?ref=energy-environment Iowa voters have given up on ethanol; presidential candidates are following suit. fortunes of the wonder fuel that promised to help clean the environment, secure America and save small family farms have steadily dwindled as environmentalists, food advocates and auto enthusiasts sour on its promise. Now that fuel, corn-based ethanol, finds itself threatened with a defection that was once unthinkable: Iowa voters. http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-ethanol-iowa-campaign-20151217-story.html Sea-Tac, Boeing, Alaska Air partnership hopes to take biofuels into mainstream. The use of aviation biofuels could go more mainstream as the result of a joint effort by Boeing, Alaska Airlines and the Port of Seattle. On Wednesday the three organizations signed an agreement to study how biofuels could be incorporated into the nation's 13th busiest airport's fuel system in five to six years. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2015/12/17/sea-tac-boeing-alaska-air-partnership-hopes-take-biofuels-into-mainstream/77472600/ Pickup, SUV revival stalls U.S. automakers' progress on mileage. Americans have flocked back to pickups and SUVs as gasoline prices have fallen, and that's slowing U.S. automakers' progress on fuel economy targets, according to new data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. fleet of passenger cars and light… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/automakers-355364-ocprint-fuel-epa.html MISO says gas prices will have big impact on Clean Power Plan costs. The cost impact of U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator's 15-state footprint ranges from a few billion dollars to more than $100 billion over the next two decades, according to an initial analysis by the grid operator. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029637 ConocoPhillips CEO sees lower prices, climate action as industry's new normal. If oil prices get too high, they'll fall right back down again, the head of ConocoPhillips Co. said yesterday. That's why Ryan Lance, CEO of the U.S. onshore giant, sees prices stabilizing well beneath the $100-plus-per-barrel levels of yore. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029651 VEHICLES Saab successor Nevs signs $12 billion China electric car deal. National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs), which bought the assets of bankrupt Saab Automobile, announced a 78-billion-yuan ($12 billion) deal on Thursday to supply 150,000 electric cars to Chinese leasing firm Panda New Energy. The agreement marks a big breakthrough for Nevs, which bought Saab's assets in 2012… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nevs-panda-electric-vehicles-idUSKBN0U01QB20151217?feedType=RSS&feedName=innovationNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fdeals+%28Reuters+Deals+News%29 http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/technology/article50227670.html#storylink=cpy Trucks Hit Record 20.4 MPG, EPA Says; Carmakers Are Ahead Of Emissions Standards. Fuel economy is at record highs and carmakers have surpassed strict greenhouse gas emissions standards for the third straight year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which released a pair of annual reports about the U.S. fleet of cars and trucks Wednesday. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/12/16/459996497/trucks-hit-record-20-4-mpg-epa-says-carmakers-are-ahead-of-emissions-standards Speeding up the hydrogen highway. Drivers are seeing more hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) on the road, but refueling stations for those vehicles are still few and far between. This is about to change, and one reason is a new testing device being validated at California refueling stations that will greatly accelerate station commissioning. https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/hystep_hydrogen/#.VnH08E3luUl Most Fuel-Efficient Maker Does It Without Plugs Or Hybrids. The most fuel-efficient automaker in the U.S. doesn't sell a single hybrid car, let alone battery-electric cars or plug-in hybrids. In fact, it currently doesn't have any vehicles with electrified powertrains in its whole U.S. lineup. That's because the company in question is Mazda, which is notably improving efficiency across its lineup through refinements to internal-combustion engines alone. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101461_most-fuel-efficient-maker-does-it-without-plugs-or-hybrids More 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Sketches Before Hybrid, Electric Cars Debut. Last week, the Hyundai Ioniq name was confirmed for the Korean carmaker's upcoming Prius-fighting five-door hatchback. The Ioniq lineup will include hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric variants of the compact car built on the underpinnings of the new Elantra sedan. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101452_more-2017-hyundai-ioniq-sketches-before-hybrid-electric-cars-debut Formula E Electric-Car Racing Series Gains Jaguar As Contender. Jaguar Land Rover is the latest carmaker to enter the Formula E electric-car racing series. The British luxury manufacturer says its Jaguar brand will join the series for its third season, which begins next fall. In discussing its entry, Jaguar said it hoped to gain technical experience with electric powertrains that could be applied to future production cars. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101431_formula-e-electric-car-racing-series-gains-jaguar-as-contender VW RECALL Volkswagen chief appoints new top management team. Volkswagen's chief executive Matthias Mueller named his new management team on Thursday, including the replacement for the group's research and development chief who left earlier this month as a result of the diesel emissions scandal. Under the overhaul the number of top managers reporting to the CEO almost halves. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-managers-idUSKBN0U01BD20151217 GREEN ENERGY Britain follows Paris deal with cuts to green subsidies. Britain cut more renewable energy subsidies on Thursday, putting jobs at risk and drawing criticism for losing credibility in tackling climate change, a week after the landmark deal in Paris. Britain's Conservative government has been reining in spending on all renewables subsidies… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-solar-idUSKBN0U01SV20151217?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Solar power has lots of headroom to make it stronger, cheaper and global. On paper, the amount of sunlight hitting the Earth in one hour could fulfill humanity's energy needs for a year, an equation that's hard to ignore. However, harnessing more of this vast potential remains a major challenge, since the sun has to compete with coal, oil and natural gas… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029627 White House says climate pact will unleash private cash in clean energy. A top adviser to President Obama predicted yesterday that the global climate accord reached in Paris five days ago would have "a profound impact" on private investments in clean energy, resulting in cheaper technologies able to compete with fossil fuels. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029630 Renewable industry hails extensions of tax credits. Renewable energy industry leaders praised congressional budget writers' omnibus spending and tax extenders package yesterday, saying it gives new life to tax credits that have helped sustain a boom in U.S. wind and solar power over the past eight years. The two tax measures, known as the production tax credit (PTC) for onshore wind energy… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/17/stories/1060029634 MISCELLANEOUS California Supreme Court to decide environmental law's scope. The California Supreme Court is set to decide whether public agencies must evaluate the impact of air pollution and other existing environmental problems on future residents of a proposed development. Builders say a requirement to consider the environment's impact on a development could force them into expensive mitigation measures… http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article50256280.html#storylink=cpy Air Pollution Control District Names New Director. The county’s Air Pollution Control District board is expected to approve Aeron Arlin-Genet as its new director during Thursday’s meeting. Arlin-Genet worked for San Luis Obispo’s APCD for 15 years and for the Western States Petroleum Association for six, according to her LinkedIn page. She also heads the Central Coast Clean Cities Coalition and the area’s chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. http://www.independent.com/news/2015/dec/17/air-pollution-control-district-names-new-director/ OPINIONS Advice for Volkswagen: Being Green Is Profitable. To the Editor: While “Cleaning Up After Volkswagen” (editorial, nytimes.com, Dec. 7) focuses on why Volkswagen continues to try to deceive regulators and the public on the level of pollution emitted by its cars, I’m more baffled about why a company as sophisticated as Volkswagen didn’t understand in the first place that sustainability is a business imperative today. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/opinion/advice-for-volkswagen-being-green-is-profitable.html?_r=0 Climate change is indeed a cause of social conflict. First Bernie Sanders said “climate change was directly related to the growth of terrorism.” Then Prince Charles said drought was the root cause of the Syrian conflict and current refugee crisis. Pundits everywhere leaped at the opportunity to say both claims were wrong. Who is right? We have been studying the possible link between climate and violence for years… http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1217-hsiang-burke-climate-change-violence-20151217-story.html Scrap, don't replicate, California's climate policy. Roughly 40 representatives from California joined leaders from around the world at the recently concluded U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Paris. Political elites from around the globe reached a universal agreement to fight global warming. The California delegation traveled to France to showcase the Golden State as a model of progressive climate policy… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-696363-energy-people.html Pollution on the rise. We all know that global warming and climate change are on the rise, but one other thing that we look past is pollution. In recent years, there have been many things that have led to the rise of air, soil and water pollution. According to CNN.com, in China, there have been thousands of deaths since 1997 because of industrial air pollution as China grows economically. http://highschool.latimes.com/verdugo-hills-high-school/pollution-on-the-rise/ Mailbag: Orange County needs desalinated water. As a diverse coalition of Orange County organizations supporting the development of all kinds of new local water for the county, we applaud San Diego for its foresight in establishing a seawater desalination plant in Carlsbad capable of providing the region with 50 million gallons a day of local drought-proof water. http://www.latimes.com/socal/hb-independent/opinion/tn-hbi-me-1217-mailbag-20151216-story.html Guest commentary: Environmental justice takes place in world leadership. Recently, members from Asian Pacific Environmental Network and other community-based organizations gathered in Paris at the U.N. climate conference to demand strong international agreements that protect and benefit the people most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_29265463/guest-commentary-environmental-justice-takes-place-world-leadership Are diesel SUVs the real cause of pollution... The recent ban imposed by the Supreme Court on the sale of diesel SUVs and passenger cars with an engine capacity of 2000cc and more in the NCR region, has evoked strong reactions. I am completely committed to reduction of pollution and improving the air quality in Delhi and other cities of India and something surely needs to be done to correct this. But what? http://overdrive.in/opinions/are-diesel-suvs-the-real-cause-of-pollution/ BLOGS Too Big to Succeed? The United Nations climate talks in Paris, also known as COP21, carried a distinct air of excitement along with a desperate quest for something big, monumental, epic, and transformative. We saw events with big names, big venues, big businesses, big rhetoric. This was in large part due to the enormity of the task at hand: Finalize a global accord that mobilizes international action against arguably the largest threat to humankind and the planet. http://greenlining.org/blog/2015/too-big-to-succeed/ 12 steps to climate sobriety. The nations of the world have unanimously agreed, 195 to zero, that climate change is a major problem, that human activities are a major cause and that it's high time to do something about it. Those debates are now over globally, although some American politicians have yet to notice. http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/263551-12-steps-to-climate-sobriety California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 18 Dec 2015 13:01:30 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 18, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 18, 2015. 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 Canada is selling its clean air to China. The air in China's major cities, as has been well documented, is atrocious. Last month, the smog choking parts of the country was so thick that the situation got widely described as having reached "doomsday" levels. On Friday, authorities in Beijing issued the second-ever "red alert," warning of hazardous smog descending on the city over the next few days. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/12/18/canada-is-selling-its-clean-air-to-china/ http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/world/article50439155.html China Warns of Widespread Smog, Beijing Issues Second 'Red Alert'. China warned residents across a large part of its north on Friday to prepare for a wave of choking smog arriving over the weekend, the worst of which is expected over Beijing, prompting the capital to issue its second ever "red alert". http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/12/18/world/asia/18reuters-china-pollution.html Beijing's 'red alert' smog warning closes schools, limits driving. Beijing issued its second-ever “red alert” for smog Friday morning, triggering school closures and driving restrictions across the city. Beijing residents were less than thrilled – many questioned the government’s commitment to fighting air pollution, and the effectiveness… http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-beijing-red-alert-smog-warning-20151218-story.html Court narrows state's environmental review law. The California Supreme Court on Thursday limited the scope of the state's environmental review law, saying public agencies generally don't have to evaluate the impact of air pollution and other existing environmental problems on residents of a proposed development. But the court created an exception in cases where the development could exacerbate existing environmental hazards. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/environmental-355405-ocprint-air-court.html Is China cracking down on pollution violators? Worsening air conditions in China have lead to heightened public frustrations with pollution, causing the government to confront companies believed to be lying about their emissions data. Chinese police have detained 10 company officials Thursday for lying about their pollution data, the environment ministry reports. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/1217/Is-China-cracking-down-on-pollution-violators CLIMATE CHANGE Why Paris could mark the beginning of the end for global warming denial. After 195 countries agreed in Paris Dec. 12 to a sweeping agreement to try to bring global warming under control, there has been much analysis of what this means for the future of energy. But there are reasons to think that it also may have a surprising impact on the future of politics, even in the U.S. … https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/18/why-paris-could-mark-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-global-warming-denial/ San Diego adopts an ambitious, and legally binding, plan to cut emissions. Raising the bar for municipalities across the country, San Diego has adopted one of the nation's most ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions. And in one aspect, the city's document goes further than the historic climate change deal forged Sunday by world leaders gathered in Paris: It creates legally binding mandates for reducing levels of greenhouse gases. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-sd-climate-20151218-story.html Study: Lake Tahoe Warming Due To Climate Change. Lake Tahoe is among hundreds of lakes worldwide that researchers say are warming due to climate change. The study funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation was presented this week at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. The study used 25 years of satellite and on-scene measurements of… http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/12/18/study-lake-tahoe-warming-due-to-climate-change/ http://www.modbee.com/news/state/article50444880.html Ireland plans to wipe out 95 per cent of carbon emissions. Ireland unveils bold plan to revolutionize energy systems and radically slash emissions by 2050. Ireland has revealed an ambitious new plan to eliminate fossil fuels from its energy system by the end of the century, in a move the country's Energy Minister Alex White said would transform the country's attitude to energy use. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2439698/ireland-plans-to-wipe-out-95-per-cent-of-carbon-emissions Agency turns over subpoenaed climate documents. Federal officials are turning over scores of emails and documents related to climate science research in response to a subpoena from a House committee. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) official said Thursday that the agency provided about 100 documents to the House Science Committee this week. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263623-noaa-turns-over-subpoenaed-climate-documents-to-house-committee DROUGHT Scarred Riverbeds and Dead Pistachio Trees in a Parched Iran. The early-morning sun meagerly brightened the gloom of this sad township, a collection of empty, crumbling houses along a highway through the dusty desert landscape in southeastern Iran. Until a decade or so ago, Amin Shoul would come here every year to help his father harvest pistachios, the nuts that are as much a symbol of Iran as caviar. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/19/world/middleeast/scarred-riverbeds-and-dead-pistachio-trees-in-a-parched-iran.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 Ballyhooed Calif. plant's launch sparks desalination debate. At the dedication of the desalination plant here this week, lawmakers heralded the $1 billion facility as a turning point for drought-ravaged California. The Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant makes ocean water drinkable and pipes 50 million gallons a day into San Diego. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/18/stories/1060029657 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Judges rebuff EPA's 'transparent sleight of hand' in diesel case. Federal judges in Washington, D.C., ruled today that their court shouldn't be the one to hear challenges to a California air pollution rule, sharply rejecting the Obama administration's arguments. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/18/stories/1060029774 FUELS Hydrogen from biomethane; gasoline & diesel from tree residue; cellulosic ethanol among new proposed California LCFS fuel pathways. California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff posted 32 new Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) fuel pathway applications for comments at the LCFS website. Among the multiple applications for different processing pathways of corn or sorghum ethanol are four pathways from LytEn for hydrogen produced from biomethane… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/hydrogen-from-biomethane-gasoline-diesel-from-tree-residue-cellulosic-ethanol-among-new-proposed-cal.html VEHICLES Saab successor makes EV deal with Chinese company. National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (Nevs), the electric vehicle company that succeeded Swedish automaker Saab, announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Chinese leasing company Panda New Energy Co. to supply 150,000 sedan vehicles in a deal that is pegged at 78 billion yuan ($12 billion). http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/18/stories/1060029719 VW RECALL Volkswagen creates U.S. diesel emissions claims program. Volkswagen of America said on Thursday it is creating an independent claims program for the owners of nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles that emit up to 40 times legally allowable emissions. The German automaker said it was naming compensation expert Ken Feinberg, who administered compensation funds for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKBN0U02QW20151218 Don’t fine Volkswagen; make it go electric, clean tech types say. Rather than forcing Volkswagen to fix its polluting diesel cars in California, state officials should require the company to speed up its release of electric vehicles instead, a group of clean-tech investors and executives argued Thursday. The group, which includes Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, also wants… http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Don-t-fine-Volkswagen-make-it-go-electric-6705670.php Volkswagen Taps Kenneth Feinberg for Emissions-Crisis Claims Program. Attorney ran compensation programs linked to GM ignition switch, BP oil spill. Volkswagen AG tapped victims-compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg to run a program addressing U.S. owners’ claims linked to the German auto giant’s tainted diesel-powered vehicles. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/18/stories/1060029719 VW Names Kenneth Feinberg to Oversee Fund for Claims on Emissions Deception. Volkswagen has hired Kenneth R. Feinberg, a prominent specialist in compensation funds, to devise and administer a program to address claims related to vehicles that have been affected by the company’s admitted use of deceptive software to cheat on emissions tests. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/business/ken-feinberg-vw-lawsuit-compensation-fund.html Elon Musk, others urge dropping fixes as penalty in VW scandal. A group of corporate and environmental executives yesterday urged California's Air Resources Board to steer away from making Volkswagen Group fix cars as part of its emissions cheating scandal. The alliance of 45 people, which included Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, told the Air Resources Board (ARB)… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/18/stories/1060029750 http://www.autoevolution.com/news/california-could-forgive-volkswagen-after-the-dieselgate-scandal-103086.html Musk On VW, Ford F-150 Hybrid, 2015 Mercedes S550e Driven: Today's Car News. Today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk signs a proposal to force Volkswagen to develop zero-emission vehicles as penance for its diesel cheating, a Ford F-150 hybrid is reconfirmed by the company's CEO, and we drive the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550e plug-in hybrid. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101489_musk-on-vw-ford-f-150-hybrid-2015-mercedes-s550e-driven-todays-car-news VW hires lawyer to handle claims tied to emissions scandal. Volkswagen has hired Kenneth Feinberg -- a high-profile lawyer who has worked on some of the biggest national cases in the United States in the past 15 years -- to create and manage a program to address claims related to the car company's emissions violation scandal. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/18/stories/1060029731 GREEN ENERGY Britain slashes renewable funding. A week after a landmark climate deal was signed in Paris, Britain slashed renewable energy subsidies, raising questions about its commitment to greenhouse gas emissions cuts. Since a Conservative government came to power in May, it has been curbing spending on all renewable subsidies… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/18/stories/1060029716 On the cusp of a boom, 'soft costs' pose a challenge for solar. Solar energy is surging in the United States, but the biggest boost isn't coming from better hardware. Instead, innovative business models and cutting red tape are the seeds that need to be planted for the solar energy sector to bloom. The technology behind solar power continues to ramp up in performance and drop in price. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060029745 MISCELLANEOUS What California stands to gain from Congress' budget deal. The sweeping budget deal — a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill — tackles a number of policy areas, including making some $650 billion in tax breaks permanent, adopting new cybersecurity rules and repealing a decades-old ban on crude oil exports. These types of year-end bills are loaded with spending in just about every area of government, and are sometimes referred to as “Christmas trees.” http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-omnibus-spending-bill-california-20151218-htmlstory.html OPINIONS Letter: Climate change is political power play. Maurice Strong (founder of the World Meteorological Organization): “Isn’t the only hope for the planet that the industrialized nations collapse? Isn’t it our obligation to bring that about?” United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres stated that the aim of the Paris talks is “to change the economic development model that has been reigning...since the Industrial Revolution.” http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article49904220.html#storylink=cpy A Bottom-Up Approach to Clean Energy. Climate change has proven to be a tough issue on which to make progress both domestically and internationally. Last week's Paris agreement provides a foundation for action to bring down the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and to spur a transition toward a clean energy future. It doesn't specify every detail of what needs to be done in the next several decades… http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-the-paris-climate-agreement-a-good-strategy/a-bottom-up-approach-to-clean-energy Is the Paris Climate Agreement a Good Strategy? This week, 195 nations came together in Paris and adopted a global agreement to combat climate change. The accord aims to keep global warming below 2 degree Celsius, with nations pledging to gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among other goals. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-the-paris-climate-agreement-a-good-strategy?offset=20 An Agreement to Prop Up the Climate Industry. The question before us is straightforward: Is the Paris climate agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions a good strategy? A strategy, of course, is a set of tools used to achieve some goal. It is not the goal itself. Accordingly, we must ask: What is the goal? If it is some unspecified reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions intended to moderate … http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-the-paris-climate-agreement-a-good-strategy/an-agreement-to-prop-up-the-climate-industry A Huge Step Forward on Climate Change. The short answer is that the Paris climate agreement is a huge step in the right direction. And it is historic, for a few simple reasons. First of all, the Paris agreement is ambitious. Countries are now committed to action to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and to make efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-the-paris-climate-agreement-a-good-strategy/a-huge-step-forward-on-climate-change An Important, but Imperfect, Agreement by an Unprecedented Coalition. The climate change agreement negotiated last week in Paris is an important milestone. It's not perfect, and it doesn't automatically put us on a path to success. But it's a critical step forward. International agreements can do certain things. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-the-paris-climate-agreement-a-good-strategy/an-important-but-imperfect-agreement-by-an-unprecedented-coalition Haunted by Waters. You stand in the mist and roar of Snoqualmie Falls, more than 100 feet higher than Niagara, and feel the liquid power of the Cascade Mountains crashing down. It’s been raining, seemingly nonstop, for at least a month in the Pacific Northwest, and this is the payoff. Hope is 4,000 cubic feet of water per second, going off a cliff. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/opinion/haunted-by-waters.html Elon Musk Wants California To Forgive Volkswagen For Dieselgate (But There's A Very Big Catch). The ongoing Dieselgate scandal has thrown Volkswagen into an administrative, public relations, and financial crisis. But while many residents of Planet Earth seem eager to shove Volkswagen under the bus, the automaker received a vote of support from 45 entrepreneurs and investors… http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1101488_elon-musk-wants-california-to-forgive-volkswagen-for-dieselgate-but-theres-a-very-big-catch BLOGS Fuzzy Math? China Detains 10, Alleging Pollution Fraud. Chinese authorities have uncovered eight cases of pollution-data fraud — one involving a Coca-Cola plant — and are punishing 10 people for alleged wrongdoing. The announcement by the Ministry of Environmental Protection comes as China attempts to clean up its pollution problem, caused by decades of breakneck industrial growth and a lack of environmental oversight. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/12/18/fuzzy-math-china-detains-10-alleging-pollution-fraud/ A Weapon Against Climate Change May Be Right Under Our Feet. Healthy soil may play a huge role in mitigating global warming and helping us adapt to it. Scientists battling to slow climate change and cope with its effects are harnessing an overlooked, yet potentially powerful partner -- one that happens to be right beneath our feet. Soil, they say, is critical to reducing the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, where it traps heat and warms the planet. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/soil-climate-change_567217e3e4b0648fe3023ad0 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 12:48:05 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 21, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 21, 2015. 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 Iran closes capital's schools due to air pollution. High air pollution has forced Iranian authorities to close all schools and kindergartens in the capital for two days beginning Sunday, saying the pollution had reached dangerous levels. Iranian state television said on Saturday that a government committee had ordered the schools' closure because of the "polluted and unhealthy" weather. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_AIR_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/20/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iran-air-pollution.html Porter Ranch gas leak dampens local businesses. It’s a Sunday afternoon and the NFL season is in high gear. But Wines of the World in Porter Ranch, a popular spot for locals to pick up football party supplies, is quiet. No customers are dropping by. A pall has settled over the tony North San Fernando Valley community as a massive leak… http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151220/porter-ranch-gas-leak-dampens-local-businesses?source=most_viewed CLIMATE CHANGE Obama vetoes anti-climate change measures passed by Congress. President Barack Obama has vetoed two measures that would have blocked steps that his administration is taking to address climate change. One would have nullified carbon pollution standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The second would have voided a set of national standards designed to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas pollution from existing power plants. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015-12-19/obama-vetoes-anti-climate-change-measures-passed-by-congress To Achieve Paris Climate Goals, U.S. Will Need New Laws. The climate agreement reached in Paris last weekend has been hailed as a landmark in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and it could well turn out to be one. But the accord’s lofty goals won’t be achieved without large corporations making big changes. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/business/energy-environment/to-achieve-paris-climate-goals-us-will-need-new-laws.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1 Republicans grope for way to kill Paris climate agreement. Republicans are running out of ways to undermine the Obama administration's commitments as part of the Paris climate agreement. GOP lawmakers acknowledge that they won't get a vote on the international accord, which they vehemently oppose. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263780-gop-gropes-for-way-to-kill-paris-climate-deal Climate change warming world's lakes at alarming rate. Many lakes, especially in the cold regions, lose winter ice faster, while others are no more blanketed by clouds, thus, being directly exposed to solar heat. A recent large-scale study sampled over 200 lakes from all continents to help bring the point home: world's lakes are warming faster than the oceans or surface temperature due to climate change. http://thevillagessuntimes.com/2015/12/21/climate-change-warming-worlds-lakes-at-alarming-rate/ Carbon capture projects get $160M federal infusion. The omnibus spending bill that Congress approved last week directs $160 million to boost demonstration projects aimed at commercializing technology to capture and reuse carbon emissions from power plants -- the most prominent of which is the now-$6.5 billion Kemper County Energy Facility in Mississippi. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/12/21/stories/1060029815 DROUGHT California Wants to Store Water for Farmers, but Struggles Over How to Do It. Californians suffering through the fourth year of a punishing drought have a new worry. With fierce storms predicted for the winter, they are bracing for floods by stockpiling sandbags and rushing to buy insurance. Yet those who need water the most, farmers, are in a poor position to take advantage of any deluge. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/22/science/california-wants-to-store-water-for-farmers-but-struggles-over-how-to-do-it.html California regulators to propose water conservation changes. State regulators say they're proposing changes to water conservation requirements as they anticipate a possible fifth year of drought. The State Water Resources Control Board this week is expected to release the draft changes to the mandate that requires communities statewide to conserve by 25 percent. California is in its driest four-year span on record. http://www.insidebayarea.com/california/ci_29292136/california-regulators-propose-water-conservation-changes Drought dries up livelihoods for farm workers. California's ongoing drought is also drying up livelihoods for the state's thousands of agricultural workers. "The drought has all of California's attention," said Maria Echaveste, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/21/stories/1060029839 FUELS Survey: Gas prices still falling as crude oil costs nosedive. The price of gasoline nationwide keeps dropping. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that the average price of regular gas fell 4 cents in the past two weeks, to $2.06 per gallon. That’s the lowest price since April 2009. But the price-tracking website GasBuddy.com says the average has dropped to $1.99 per gallon… https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/survey-gas-prices-still-falling-as-crude-oil-costs-nosedive/2015/12/20/1bbe1aba-a77c-11e5-b596-113f59ee069a_story.html Oil Prices Slump to 11-Year Lows in Asia and Europe. Oil prices hit 11-year lows in Asia and Europe on Monday, as a glut of crude on world markets and the recent global climate accord continue to depress fossil-fuel prices. Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, was trading at $36.50 per barrel in late European trading. Analysts say there is little to restrain continued price declines in the near term. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/22/business/energy-environment/oil-prices-opec.html Survey: California gas prices still falling as crude oil costs nosedive. The price of gasoline nationwide keeps dropping. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that the average price of regular gas fell 4 cents in the past two weeks, to $2.06 per gallon. That's the lowest price since April 2009. http://www.insidebayarea.com/traffic/ci_29292152/survey-california-gas-prices-still-falling-crude-oil VEHICLES US regulators slap BMW with $40M fine for safety violations. U.S. safety regulators have slapped German automaker BMW AG with a $40 million penalty for moving too slowly to fix Mini brand cars that failed federal crash tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also said Monday BMW failed to send the agency accurate recall information. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article50894720.html#storylink=cpy Electric cars await jump-start in New Jersey. Ask Art Vatsky about his electric car, and he'll tell you about his smooth, quiet commute from Teaneck to the Bronx, the $100 he saves each month bypassing the gas pumps and everything about its engine. But he'll also tell you about its drawbacks: the limited range and lack of charging stations in New Jersey and elsewhere. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/technology/article50648145.html#storylink=cpy India’s first Electric Vehicle Expo to be held in Delhi. The country’s first ever Electric Vehicle Expo is set to be inaugurated by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways on December 24, 2015. The Expo comes at a time when the country is looking at a paradigm shift in the way city residents commute in order to bring down dangerous levels of pollution. http://overdrive.in/news/indias-first-electric-vehicle-expo-to-be-held-in-delhi/ VW RECALL Volkswagen Considers Rotation of Key Executives. Car maker undergoing massive management restructuring in the wake of emissions crisis. Volkswagen AG is considering implementing a mandatory rotation of key executives in its engine-development groups across the company’s main brands, another indication that the car maker is growing certain that a culture of tolerance… http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-considers-rotation-of-key-executives-1450628225?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f Volkswagen hires compensation expert to handle 'Dieselgate' claims. Volkswagen is bringing in an expert to handle the claims process in relation to the emissions-cheating scandal that broke earlier this year. More than 500 lawsuits from owners of the affected cars have been filed against Volkswagen after news broke that the German automaker had been installing software to cheat emissions testing. http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/news/vw-hires-compensation-expert-handle-dieselgate-claims-article-1.2472602 VW Gets More Time To Figure Out TDI Diesel Emission Update. It's been just over three months since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first revealed that Volkswagen diesel cars were equipped with "defeat device" software that allowed them to cheat emissions tests. But U.S. owners of the 482,000 2009 through 2015 models equipped with EA189 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101500_vw-gets-more-time-to-figure-out-tdi-diesel-emission-update GREEN ENERGY Wind Power Continues Steady Growth Across The U.S. The U.S. wind power industry is celebrating after reaching a new milestone in November: 70 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity. "That's enough to power about 19 million homes," says Michael Goggin, senior director of research at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=460527376 Experts predict renewable investment boom as Congress renews tax credits. The U.S. solar and wind power industries will mark the holidays with heightened spirits after receiving multiyear extensions of their coveted renewable energy tax credits from a divided Congress. On Friday, the House and Senate agreed by significant margins to grant extensions to the 30 percent investment tax credit (ITC)… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/21/stories/1060029809 Climate change scientists exchange verbal punches over all-renewable energy solution. A fault line developed in the climate science community last week, as outspoken climate scientist Naomi Oreskes called James Hansen, the former NASA scientist and climate change activist, a "climate denier." At the epicenter of the disagreement is energy policy. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/21/stories/1060029818 MISCELLANEOUS California lieutenant governor orders environmental review of nuclear plant. California's lieutenant governor on Friday directed the State Lands Commission to draw up a plan for a thorough environmental review of PG&E's Diablo Canyon power plant, the state's last operational nuclear power plant. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-nuclearpower-lease-idUSKBN0U201T20151219 OPINIONS Britain's long transition from coal holds lessons for China: Kemp. Britain’s last deep coal mine closed on Friday, bringing the curtain down on an industry that once employed more than 1 million miners at over 3,000 collieries. Coal helped Britain become the first modern industrial power, fuelling her factories, steel works, ships and railways in the 19th century, when the country became famous as the workshop of the world (“Energy transitions”, Smil, 2010). http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-coal-kemp-idUSKBN0U405J20151221 Businessman touts electric bikes used in Europe, China [The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.)]. Take a quick glance at the bicycles on display at Adam Solar Rides in Bridgeville, and they look like ordinary two-wheelers. They're not. The bikes, it turns out, are electric bikes (also known as e-bikes), which are booming in popularity in Europe and China, where they're held in high regard for their low impact on the environment. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201512211247KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_52930_27129-1 Pollution and climate change. The most immediate threat to the earth is not climate change, but the destruction of the ecosystem. Economic growth has not only caused environmental disasters through mining and deforestation. It has also fueled an exponential increase in the amount of waste and effluent that are poisoning the soil and rapidly killing the oceans, mother of all lives. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/21/opinion/letters-to-the-editor.html The ideological causes of smog. Re “Beijing issues a second ‘red alert’ on pollution” (Dec. 17): The article reminds me of the first time I went to that city 51 years ago. Back then the students in my institute used “Dickensian fog” and “London smog” as a metaphor for the awful conditions created by capitalism. Now that London has relatively clean air (but is still capitalist)… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/21/opinion/letters-to-the-editor.html Close SoCalGas' facility in Aliso Canyon – eventually. As the natural gas leak in Aliso Canyon continues into its 10th week, its deleterious effects keep growing. Some 1,700 families in nearby Porter Ranch, sickened by the smell, have been moved away to temporary housing, and 1,000 households more have applied for relocation. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-adv-porter-ranch-gas-leak-20151219-story.html There is a downside to cheap oil. Really. Oil prices have fallen dramatically to the mid-$30s on the New York Mercantile Exchange from more than $105 per barrel in 2014. Such extraordinarily low prices are affecting global stock markets, big oil exporters and consumers worldwide. How can we explain this crash and where are oil prices headed? http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1221-yetiv-oil-price-explainer-20151221-story.html Don't let terrorism take away our focus from climate change. To the editor: Your fine articles on the Paris climate-change deal reported the successes and also the very serious shortcomings of the conference on global warming. ("Climate change activists are just warming up," Dec. 15). http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1219-saturday-climate-change-terrorism-20151219-story.html Four ways to gear up on climate change. This state is a national model for environmental action. But anyone who drives during rush hour knows that Californians are a long way from the finish line on climate change. Californians drive 330 billion miles per year, the vast majority on gasoline and diesel engines whose exhaust generates about 40 percent of the state’s contribution to global warming. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article50538305.html#storylink=cpy They'll always have Paris, but not much else. The hope of Jerry Brown and his predecessor as governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, that the U.N.’s Paris Climate Summit, which they attended, actually would achieve something always was illusory. It’s part of the hope from Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which promised a California dream of not only… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/summit-696708-california-paris.html Letters: Practice what you preach on climate. Re: “Rally urges action on climate change” [Irvine World News, Dec. 3]: One hundred “activists” drove their automobiles to the Irvine Spectrum Center to “combat climate change.” Said Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen, “Corporations seeking more profit are destroying the environment all across the globe.” http://www.ocregister.com/articles/news-696736-climate-hair.html BLOGS Quoted: Should Volkswagen ‘cure the air, not the cars’? “A giant sum of money thus will be wasted in attempting to fix cars that cannot all be fixed, and where the fix may be worse than the problem if the cars are crushed well before the end of their useful lives.” — from a letter to the California Air Resources Board last week signed by Elon Musk, Jeff Skoll and others, urging the agency to “show leadership”… http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/12/21/quoted-303/ ExxonMobil, Peabody Coal Lobbying for Bill Preventing Climate Change Accounting in US Trade Deals. The day before global leaders and diplomats passed a climate change deal in Paris at the United Nations climate summit, the U.S. House of Representatives -- in a 256-158 vote -- authorized the final text of a bill that has a provision preventing climate change to be accounted for in all U.S. trade deals going forward. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-horn/exxonmobil-peabody-coal-l_b_8851220.html Limiting Global Warming Will be Hard, But Hardly Impossible. COP 21's ambitious goals are a call to overcoming the lack of imagination and entrenched groupthink that keep us from seeing and seizing the opportunities at hand. or decades, researchers have been sounding the alarm on climate change: it’s happening, we’re causing it, it’s bad. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/limiting-global-warming-will-be-hard-but-hardly-impossible/ The Art of a Climate Deal. The Paris conference on climate change was quite the cliffhanger. Even till the last minute, we were left wondering: Will Paris be another Copenhagen, where, famously, the deal had unravelled? Officials worked late into the wee hours, well past the official deadline, to cobble together a document on which 196 nations could put their signatures. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bhaskar-chakravorti/the-art-of-a-climate-deal_b_8853584.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 13:03:54 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 22, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 22, 2015. 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 Beijing Air Pollution Worsens Though Red Alert Set to Be Lifted. Air pollution in Beijing worsened even as environmental regulators embarked on a round of inspections to evaluate emergency measures being taken in China’s north to curb the toxic levels of smog. Concentrations of PM2.5 -- the smallest particles that pose the greatest health concern… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-22/beijing-air-pollution-worsens-though-red-alert-set-to-be-lifted Companies in South China See Opportunity in Beijing’s Smog. The online ads sound alluring: Come to the sunny south of China and forget the smog of Beijing, they say. Enjoy the laid-back lifestyle; abandon unhealthy Beijing! As Beijing residents endured heavy smog on Tuesday, the last day of a four-day red alert for hazardous air pollution… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/23/world/asia/beijing-air-pollution-china-smog.html China: 40 cities issue alerts over air pollution as smog covers northern regions. As many 40 cities across China have issued alerts for air pollution, with Beijing and four others issuing red alerts, the most severe on a four-tier warning system warning for air quality reaching hazardous levels. All the cities are located in smog-hit northern China, where industrial emissions and coal burning are the biggest pollution-causing factors. http://www.ibtimes.co.in/china-40-cities-issue-alerts-over-air-pollution-smog-covers-northern-regions-660525 Will state count massive L.A. methane leak when it totals hoped-for GHG cuts? Multiple investigations are underway into the natural gas leak in Los Angeles County that has forced evacuations and school closures and could mean steep fines for the utility involved. Now in its ninth week, the leak poses a setback to California's ongoing work to cut carbon pollution. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/22/stories/1060029879 CLIMATE CHANGE Japan to Consider Emissions Trading in Climate Change Plan. Japan may consider introducing national-emissions trading as part of a set of measures it intends to put together by early next year to tackle climate change. The government will compile the climate change plan to fulfill its pledge to reduce emissions by 26 percent by 2030 from 2013 levels, according to a statement issued Tuesday. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-22/japan-to-consider-emissions-trading-in-climate-change-plan ExxonMobil and Sierra Club Agreed on Climate Policy—and Kept It Secret. A forgotten accord reached in 2009 may yet have relevance for the future of U.S. climate policy. ExxonMobil and Sierra Club may be thought of as natural enemies, particularly when it comes to a question so tricky as how to address climate change. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-22/exxonmobil-and-sierra-club-agreed-on-climate-policy-and-kept-it-secret Weather Worsens Seasonal Air Pollution in Italian Cities. Rome is limiting auto circulation, and other Italian cities have been offering free bus rides to encourage public transport use as the country battles seasonal air pollution that has been worsened this year by long spells of no rain and little wind. As it has done several times this fall, Rome this week limited the number of cars and motorcycles… http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/22/world/europe/ap-eu-italy-pollution.html Scientists say climate change could cause a ‘massive’ tree die-off in the U.S. Southwest. In a troubling new study just out in Nature Climate Change, a group of researchers says that a warming climate could trigger a “massive” dieoff of coniferous trees, such as junipers and piñon pines, in the U.S. southwest sometime this century. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/21/scientists-say-climate-change-could-cause-a-massive-tree-die-off-in-the-southwest/ Bad news: Scientists say we could be underestimating Arctic methane emissions. Arctic permafrost has become a recent star in the climate change conversation, capturing the attention of scientists, activists and policymakers alike because of its ability to emit large quantities of carbon dioxide as well as methane — a particularly potent though relatively short-lived greenhouse gas — when it thaws. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/21/bad-news-scientists-say-we-could-be-underestimating-arctic-methane-emissions/ Greenhouse Gas Methane Seeps from Arctic Ice Even in the Depths of Winter. It turns out that the amount of methane gas escaping from the Arctic each year is far higher than expected. Scientists have found that during the long, cold period each winter, more methane is entering the atmosphere than thought. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that intensifies atmospheric warming… http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/34939/20151222/greenhouse-gas-methane-seeps-arctic-ice-even-depths-winter.htm Coal Gas Assessment Services Helps Reduce GHG Emissions. The EPA estimates that coal mines worldwide emitted 589 million tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases in 2010. By 2030, that emission rate is expected to increase by 33 percent. The third generation of WellDog’s GasMapper coal gas assessment services enables coal mine operators… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/12/22/coal-gas-assessment-services-helps-reduce-ghg-emissions/#ixzz3v4YZmFqI Nations urged to improve climate pledges by April 2017. Date UN shuts book for signing Paris agreement is the moment for world to show it’s cutting carbon faster, says Dutch think tank. In a new global warming pact, countries set out milestones over the next five years in a bid to bridge the gap between national targets and what science recommends. http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/12/22/nations-urged-to-improve-climate-pledges-by-april-2017/ Five US “Green Wall” Cities Tackle Climate Change With New Pledge. The legendary rivalry between the US west coast and east coast has spread to climate action. Earlier this month, mayors from five cities representing all three west coast states joined together in a pledge for “bold” action on climate change, creating a virtual “green wall” all along the Pacific. What now, east coast? http://cleantechnica.com/2015/12/22/five-us-green-wall-cities-tackle-climate-change-new-pledge/ Florida’s Record Warm 2015 an Outlier in U.S. East. Florida stuck out like a sore thumb on U.S. temperature maps this year, the lone bright orange spot in the sea of blue that dominated the eastern half of the country for most of the year. And after particularly sultry November weather that has bled into December… http://www.climatecentral.org/news/florida-to-see-warmest-year-19860?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20climatecentral/djOO%20Climate%20Central%20-%20Full%20Feed An Energy Sea Change Is Required. The oceans are the only thing keeping atmospheric temperatures and its oxygen content within habitable limits. Oceans moderate the temperature two ways. First water has very high heat capacity, which is the ability to absorb heat energy while resisting temperature change. The ocean’s heat capacity also allows the thermohaline circulation… http://www.theenergycollective.com/jim-baird/2302248/energy-sea-change-required Recalculation of leaking methane impacts may affect natural gas market. Environmental advocates are trying to change how policymakers consider the climate impacts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The change, if implemented, could make natural gas a less attractive option for generating electricity in power plants. At issue is the global warming potential (GWP)… http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060029873 As temperatures rise, pines and firs face massive die-off – study. In just a few decades, coniferous forests in the American Southwest could all but disappear, according to a study using both on-the-ground and modeling evidence published yesterday in the journal Nature Climate Change. Due to prolonged droughts and rising temperatures, the group of national and international researchers further modeled that… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/22/stories/1060029872 DROUGHT Gov. Brown helped drought, wildfires percolate as Bing search topics. Gov. Jerry Brown, Starbucks and Tom Selleck drove the nationwide curiosity and concern over California’s fourth year of dreadful drought conditions, according to a survey of billions of online search engine records. Drought and wildfires together came in as the sixth most searched-for news topic in 2015 among the U.S. users… http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-drought-wildfires-bing-20151221-story.html California water regulators suggest slight easing of conservation requirements. As they look to next year, state regulators are suggesting a slight easing of the conservation requirements that slashed urban water use across California. In a draft released Monday, the staff of the State Water Resources Control Board recommended a few changes to the 2014 drought order, which mandated a 25% cut. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-water-regs-20151222-story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article50967395.html http://www.pe.com/articles/water-789932-state-percent.html http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/12/21/ca-drought-state-likely-ease-conservation-mandate/77716400/ http://www.capitalwired.com/california-may-ease-up-on-water-use-limits-in-drought-affected-areas/211434/ El Niño exacerbates severe climate patterns around the globe. Unusual weather patterns are emerging all over the world, partly as a result of the El Niño in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The periodic ocean warming is associated with a wide variety of impacts, including disruptions in the monsoon regime, disturbance of trade winds patterns, increased storm activity, droughts, floods and food shortages linked to climatic changes. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/12/22/stories/1060029865 FUELS India doubles ethanol blending target to help sugar mills. India has doubled its target of blending ethanol with gasoline to 10 percent, a minister said on Tuesday, as the government tries to promote the cleaner-burning fuel to check pollution and help money-losing sugar companies. Oil companies have never met the current 5 percent blending target as ethanol derived from molasses… http://www.reuters.com/article/india-ethanol-idUSL3N14B3H920151222?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews Kinder Morgan, Andersons Plan Ethanol Projects as Demand Rises. Kinder Morgan Inc. and Andersons Inc. announced separate plans to invest in ethanol projects amid record demand and after the U.S. mandated increased higher use in gasoline in 2016. Houston-based Kinder agreed with Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., the largest U.S. ethanol producer, and Bailey Feed Mill to develop a new ethanol hub in… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-21/kinder-morgan-andersons-plan-ethanol-projects-as-demand-rises China ethanol imports set new record in Nov at 135,865 cu m. China's total imports of ethanol hit a new record of 135,865 cu m in November, according to official data from the General Administration of Customs released Tuesday, with a surge in inflows of the denatured variant used for fuel blending. http://www.platts.com/latest-news/agriculture/singapore/china-ethanol-imports-set-new-record-in-nov-at-26318133 VEHICLES California's 85,000 green carpool stickers are all gone. If you are thinking of buying a plug-in hybrid car and getting those coveted green carpool stickers to cruise solo in carpool lanes, forget about it. For now. The state is no longer issuing green stickers, having reached the 85,000 cap approved by the California Legislature. The Department of Motor Vehicles will continue to accept applications for a waiting list in case the cap is once again raised. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_29295327/green-carpool-stickers-all-gone Nissan, BMW Partner To Provide More Fast-Charging For Electric Cars. Many automakers are working to add public DC fast-charging stations for their electric cars. But not all stations can be used by all cars. In fact, there are currently three different fast-charging standards. There's the CHAdeMO standard used by the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and Kia Soul EV. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101527_nissan-bmw-partner-to-provide-more-fast-charging-for-electric-cars VW RECALL UAW says Volkswagen refuses collective bargaining for Tennessee workers. The United Auto Workers union has filed charges against Volkswagen AG, claiming the company is refusing to enter into collective bargaining for a portion of workers at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory, the union said on Tuesday. The charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-uaw-idUSKBN0U51T120151222 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-22/uaw-says-volkswagen-refuses-to-bargain-with-tennessee-workers VW Executive Had a Pivotal Role as Car Maker Struggled With Emissions. A few months after taking over engine development at Volkswagen in 2007, Wolfgang Hatz faced a potential challenge that he considered insurmountable. It was the State of California. Regulators there were seeking to limit global warming gases released by automobiles, a step never directly taken before in the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/22/business/international/vw-executive-had-a-pivotal-role-as-car-maker-struggled-with-emissions.html 'Das Auto' no more: Volkswagen plans image offensive. Scarred by a public relations thrashing over its "Dieselgate" scandal, Volkswagen is planning an image offensive, and its "Das Auto" global advertising slogan is an early casualty. Launched in 2007 under ousted boss Martin Winterkorn, the slogan has had the advantage of simplicity, merely meaning "The Car". http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-communications-i-idUSKBN0U514L20151222 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/12/22/business/22reuters-volkswagen-emissions-communications-insight.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/12/22/volkswagen-das-auto/77746882/ Volkswagen Hires Kenneth Feinberg To Set Payments For U.S. Diesel Owners. Volkswagen still won't publicly discuss a timeline for initiating recall repairs of U.S. diesel cars equipped with "defeat device" software. But it is beginning the process of compensating their often angry and frustrated owners. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101518_volkswagen-hires-kenneth-feinbeg-to-set-payments-for-u-s-diesel-owners GREEN ENERGY SMA Solar sees strong business in United States: CEO. SMA Solar, Germany's largest solar company, continues to see strong demand for its inverters in the United States, its chief executive said, banking on an extension of local tax benefits for renewable energy. Last week, U.S. Congress voted in favor of a five-year extension of tax breaks to boost solar and wind power... http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sma-solar-usa-idUSKBN0U51GH20151222?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Renewable Energy Efforts Stymied by Transmission Roadblocks. Mike McKeown opens the back door of his Missouri farm house and is met with a chilly gust. "Stupid wind," he mutters. Today, the winds that blow through his corn and soybean farm have become more than just an irritant. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/22/us/ap-us-infrastructure-power-grid-renewable-energy.html A state-by-state look at renewable energy requirements. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have requirements that utilities get a certain amount of their electricity from renewable sources. Nine additional states have goals for renewable energy, while a dozen others have no targets. A state-by-state look at renewable energy policies. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article50056630.html#storylink=cpy MISCELLANEOUS How a battery recycler contaminated L.A.-area homes for decades. Residents of southeast L.A. County rejoiced this year at news that a battery recycling plant that had long emitted lead, arsenic and other dangerous pollutants would be closed. Just a few months after the announcement by the U.S. attorney’s office, soil testing revealed the mess left behind by decades of pollution from the Exide Technologies plant. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-exide-cleanup-story-so-far-20151121-story.html OPINIONS Porter Ranch gas leak offers its own lessons after Paris climate agreement: Fran Pavley. As delegates from 195 nations returned from Paris after reaching a historic agreement to address global climate change, they were both celebratory and sober. There was, in fact, much to celebrate. Confronted with growing evidence that life-altering effects of climate change are upon us, they came together to collectively commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with the goal of arresting global temperature increases before they cause irreversible, calamitous damage. http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20151222/porter-ranch-gas-leak-offers-its-own-lessons-after-paris-climate-agreement-fran-pavley How Obama can follow Paris climate deal: Column. President Obama’s crackdown on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and power plants made the U.S. a leader at the United Nations climate summit. Now, with the whole world watching, he can give real meaning to the promise Paris offers without bumping into an intractable Congress. The president can accelerate and expand efforts to slash emissions of global warming… http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/12/21/obama-climate-change-paris-epa-regulation-legacy-column/77418794/ What Was Volkswagen Thinking? On the origins of corporate evil—and idiocy. One day in 1979, James Burke, the chief executive of Johnson & Johnson, summoned more than 20 of his key people into a room, jabbed his finger at an internal document, and proposed destroying it. The document was hardly incriminating. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/01/what-was-volkswagen-thinking/419127/ BLOGS How Bad of a Greenhouse Gas Is Methane? The global warming potential of the gaseous fossil fuel may be consistently underestimated. Environmental advocates are trying to change how policymakers consider the climate impacts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The change, if implemented, could make natural gas a less attractive option for generating electricity in power plants. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-bad-of-a-greenhouse-gas-is-methane/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 14:48:53 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 23, 2015. From: gmassey@arb.ca.gov ARB Newsclips for December 23, 2015. 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 Japan considering cap and trade under climate deal. Japanese officials are considering launching an emissions trading program as a way to reduce the nation's carbon pollution. Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that a cap-and-trade market is one of a handful of proposals the Japanese are contemplating after the country committed to cutting its greenhouse gases as part of an international climate deal … http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/264038-japan-considering-cap-and-trade-under-climate-deal AIR POLLUTION Court order seeks to hasten relocation of residents near Porter Ranch gas leak. Los Angeles city officials on Tuesday filed a restraining order against Southern California Gas Co. over its leaking well above Porter Ranch that has forced more than 2,000 residents to flee their homes because of ill effects from the escaping natural gas. http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20151222/court-order-seeks-to-hasten-relocation-of-residents-near-porter-ranch-gas-leak http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/12/23/la-city-attorney-seeks-court-order-against-socal-gas-company-in-response-to-porter-ranch-leak/ Manufacturers, businesses sue over ozone rule. The industry groups most critical of new smog rules from the Obama administration are suing over those standards. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) limits on surface level ozone on Wednesday. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/264089-manufacturers-businesses-sue-over-ozone-rule CLIMATE CHANGE Cities join defense of EPA's key carbon rule. The National League of Cities, which represents over 19,000 U.S. cities, filed a motion in a federal court Tuesday to support the Obama administration's push to curb carbon emissions against legal challenges. The NLC joined the U.S. Conference of Mayors, as well as 13 cities from Baltimore… http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-usa-cleanpowerplan-idUSKBN0U520H20151222 The Home Depot Exceeds 2015 Carbon Reduction Goals. The Home Depot has reduced its supply chain carbon emissions by 35 percent in 2015 over 2008 levels, significantly surpassing the 20 percent reduction goal it set in 2010, according to the company’s 2015 Sustainability Report. The Home Depot also reported that its stores have reduced energy use by 30 percent over 2004 levels… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/12/23/the-home-depot-exceeds-2015-carbon-reduction-goals/#ixzz3vA7DSYXq Palo Alto: Summit planned to update climate action plan. Now that the city has assembled a 100 percent carbon-neutral electricity portfolio, officials want input from the public about what environmental goals they should target next. Residents can help update the city's Climate Action Plan at the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Summit on Jan. 24. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20151223/palo-alto-summit-planned-to-update-climate-action-plan Weather Not Warming GOP Lawmakers to Climate Change. Now that it's pushing 70 degrees in the Northeast in December, some congressmen are staying fairly silent. It's been 10 months since scientists around the world nearly had a collective aneurism after the head of the Senate environment committee hefted a snowball on TV to demonstrate that "very unseasonable" cold temperatures… http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015-12-22/remember-the-congressmen-who-said-global-warming-doesnt-exist-because-its-cold Brazil declares emergency after 2,400 babies are born with brain damage, possibly due to mosquito-borne virus. Brazilian health auth orities are sounding the alarm about a mosquito-borne virus that they believe may be the cause of thousands of infants being born with damaged brains.The pathogen, known as Zika and first discovered in forest monkeys in Africa over 70 years ago, is the new West Nile -- a virus that causes mild symptoms in most but can lead to serious neurological complications or even death in others. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/12/23/brazil-declares-emergency-after-2400-babies-are-born-with-brain-damage-possibly-due-to-mosquito-borne-virus/ Building Energy Codes in 2015: A Foundation of Cutting Climate Pollution. The Paris climate talks gave strong impetus to the world's determination to curtail climate pollution through policies that create jobs and economic growth while simultaneously cutting emissions. While they may be a lower profile solution, improved building codes are a cornerstone of a successful climate policy. http://www.theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2304592/building-energy-codes-2015-foundation-cutting-climate-pollution U.S. Bread Basket Shifts Thanks to Climate Change. Farming across the Midwest will be challenged by a shifting climate and may struggle to keep up crop production. In September 2014, a group of leading plant and agricultural researchers sat down at Washington University in St. Louis to discuss a looming question -- how will agriculture in the Midwest be affected by climate change? This wasn't just an academic exercise. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-bread-basket-shifts-thanks-to-climate-change/ DROUGHT California snowpack exceeds average for first time in years. A series of powerful snowstorms in the Sierra Nevada has resulted in a small milestone in drought-stricken California: The snowpack is now higher than average for this time of year. The storms, which are likely to continue into Friday, have fattened the mountain snowpack to levels California hasn't seen for two years… http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-snowpack-20151222-story.html http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_29298325/bay-area-storm-heavy-rain-departs-heavy-winds The drought plus El Nino increases the threat of mudslides. A n intense October rainstorm that pounded the Grapevine's barren hillsides offered a sober preview of what El Niño might unleash in the rest of drought-stricken Southern California. The rain hit the dry, hardened terrain where the drought had shriveled vegetation. The topsoil easily gave way, with mudflows cascading onto Interstate 5… http://www.latimes.com/local/weather/la-me-el-nino-drought-20151223-story.html Wet Storms Making Positive Impact On California Drought. Storms have consistently rolled through our region recently, but the question we’ve gotten over and over is are they really making a dent on our drought? This is the winter Bill Proffit has been waiting for. http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/12/23/wet-storms-making-positive-impact-on-california-drought/ Tahoe gets 6.4 billion gallons of water in 24 hrs. More than 6 billion gallons of water have poured into Lake Tahoe in less than two days, helping the lake begin to recover from four years of crushing drought. Since midnight Monday, the lake has gone up 1.92 inches, the equivalent of 6.39 billion gallons of water. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Tahoe-gets-6-4-billion-gallons-of-water-in-24-hrs-6715363.php?cmpid=brknow No surprise to Washington residents: Our drought is over. The state’s drought declaration, which was declared back in early March, will be allowed to expire thanks to a series of favorable snowstorms. But officials also warn that it’s too early to celebrate. The snowpack is at or above normal across the Cascades, eliminating drought in Western Washington and reducing drought from extreme to moderate… http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/no-surprise-to-washingtonians-our-drought-is-over/ FUELS FuelCell Energy pathway for hydrogen from digester gas has negative carbon intensity for CA LCFS. Connecticut-based FuelCell Energy (FCE) has applied for a prospective pathway for California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) for the production of hydrogen fuel produced from biogas derived from the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge at a publicly owned treatment works (POTW). http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151223-fce.html VEHICLES When Electric-Car Drivers Learn How Gas Cars Work: Video. One of the major tasks of electric-car advocates is getting people used to the idea of cars with plugs. For some people, driving around in near silence and plugging in at charging stations can take some getting used to. But what if someone has driven only electric cars, and decided to see what an "old-fashioned" internal-combustion car was like? http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101554_when-electric-car-drivers-learn-how-gas-cars-work-video VW RECALL VW Sales In U.S., Europe Slammed By Diesel Emission Scandal. It's been a little more than three months since the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal erupted into the public eye. Over that time, VW has revealed multiple violations of emissions rules across the globe for roughly 11 million of its TDI diesel cars sold not only by Volkswagen but also Audi and Porsche. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101538_vw-sales-in-u-s-europe-slammed-by-diesel-emission-scandal GREEN ENERGY Batteries Gaining Favor Over Gas Peaker Plants in California. Southern California Edison is embracing energy-storage technology over the natural gas-fired peaker plants that utilities have traditionally relied upon to meet sudden shortfalls in electricity. “If the requirement is just, ‘Hey we’re just short energy or capacity,’ then yes, energy storage is going to be the solution before probably a peaker,”… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-22/batteries-gaining-favor-over-gas-peaker-plants-in-california Canadian Solar Sells Second Project to Concord Green Energy. Canadian Solar Inc. sold a 10-megawatt plant in Ontario to Concord Green Energy Inc., the second deal between the two companies this week. The Earthlight LP solar park in Georgina, Ontario, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Toronto, was valued at C$69.4 million ($50 million), according to a statement today from Guelph… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-23/canadian-solar-sells-second-project-to-concord-green-energy China struggles to use wind power to avert toxic, 'red alert' smog. Last year, when her relatives came to visit Beijing, Wang Yuefei took them to photograph the Bird's Nest, a stadium built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. But if the visitors came this year, they wouldn't have had the chance -- the stadium is now shrouded in charcoal-gray smog and is barely visible. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060029923 MISCELLANEOUS Comcast to pay $26 million for mishandling hazardous waste [The Philadelphia Inquirer]. Comcast Corp. has agreed to pay nearly $26 million to settle a California investigation into improperly disposing hazardous waste and failing to shred discarded customer records. California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris said that the Philadelpia cable giant's "careless and unlawful hazardous waste… http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201512230001KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_47728_32567-1 OPINIONS Letters: Incentivize, don't scold, to cut carbon use. Re: “Practice what you preach on climate” [Letters, Dec. 21]: John Jaeger’s criticism of climate rallies is correct, but not in the way he thinks. It’s true that many activists drive or even fly to attend events. That’s a clear indication that we will never solve the problem of reducing emissions by asking people to sacrifice or give up their lifestyles. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/climate-697042-people-dec.html Valley Voice: Look to California for biodiesel targets. The state took a historic step earlier this year in its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted unanimously to finalize the state’s low carbon fuels standard. http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/2015/12/23/valley-voice-look-california-biodiesel-targets/77706414/ Tri-Valley letters: Climate change 'consensus' is anything but. Climate change 'consensus' is anything but In a recent letter to the editor from Jan Weiss, she bemoans climate deniers and asks what "magical secrets" and sources they have that differ from her so-called "consensus" of 30,000 scientists. Well, let's start with the fact that these 30,000 (bogus number) are not all climate scientists and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (which claims such consensus)… http://www.insidebayarea.com/letters/ci_29299733/tri-valley-letters-climate-change-consensus-is-anything BLOGS Obama Has Been More Friend Than Foe to Oil Industry. When President Barack Obama first took office in 2009, he was expected to be an adversary of oil and gas companies, seen as polluters of the environment. He hasn’t been. Last week, Mr. Obama gave the oil and gas industry its biggest priority of the past two years: lifting the 40-year-old ban on oil exports, which he signed into law as part of broader spending and tax legislation. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/12/23/obama-has-been-more-friend-than-foe-to-oil-industry/ What Went Wrong at Porter Ranch? Before she retired in 2014, Anneliese Anderle was a field engineer for the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermic Resources, which regulates oil drilling. She worked out of offices in Bakersfield, Cypress and Ventura, and for a while she was responsible for monitoring the massive natural gas storage field at Aliso Canyon. http://www.laweekly.com/news/what-went-wrong-at-porter-ranch-6405804 The Year in Clean Vehicles - Saving Money and Cleaning the Air. Part of NRDC's Year-End Series Reviewing 2015 Energy Developments. In signing the Paris Agreement, nations across the world are taking a much-needed step toward cutting carbon pollution from fossil fuel use and fortunately, the United States has a strong start--particularly in the traditionally oil-dependent transportation sector. Strong fuel efficiency and clean vehicle standards… http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ltonachel/the_year_in_clean_vehicles_sav.html Army on the front line of fight against climate change. From the pope to the president to Paris, there is a growing national and international discussion about the causes of climate change and what actions, if any, should be taken by policymakers. The U.S. Army, however, does not have the luxury of engaging in this debate – instead, we must respond to the effects of climate change that are already affecting our mission. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/263944-army-on-the-front-line-of-fight-against-climate-change California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 15:19:08 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 24, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Choking on smog, Rome and Milan issue no-car day edicts. Rome and Milan have ordered no-car days next week to combat pollution, which has hit unhealthy levels for weeks mainly because no rain has fallen to wash away the smog. A six-hour ban on cars this Monday and Tuesday was announced by Rome on Thursday, while Milan’s anti-pollution measure sees six-hour bans daily from Monday to Wednesday. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/choking-on-smog-rome-milan-issue-no-car-day-edicts/2015/12/24/f990ff3c-aa3e-11e5-b596-113f59ee069a_story.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/article51458020.html Plan to clean New Delhi's air may fizzle as auto rules eased. The Indian capital, gasping and choking under record-high air pollution, announced a grand plan to clean its air. But that plan seems to be fizzling before it starts. Arvind Kejriwal, the top elected official of the Indian capital, had said last month that private cars will be allowed on New Delhi’s roads only on alternate days from Jan. 1-15, depending on whether their license plates end in an even or an odd number. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/world/article51455730.html http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/science/article/Plan-to-clean-New-Delhi-s-air-may-fizzle-as-auto-6719209.php More cities issue smog alerts. Dangerous smog levels are spreading to other parts of China following two air quality red alerts in the capital Beijing earlier this month. Cities in the eastern provinces of Hebei, regarded as China's most polluted province, and Shandong have issued their first red alerts as excessive pollution levels are expected to last more than 24 hours. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/12/24/stories/1060030008 CLIMATE CHANGE Paris climate goals mean emissions must drop below zero. If governments are serious about the global warming targets they adopted in Paris, scientists say they have two options: eliminating fossil fuels immediately or finding ways to undo their damage to the climate system in the future. The first is politically impossible — the world is still hooked on using oil, coal and natural gas — which leaves the option of a major cleanup of the atmosphere later this century. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/environment/2015/12/24/climate-negative-emissions/77871252/ A Black Carbon Crackdown Could Cool Temperatures. Black carbon, also known as soot, has an important role in global warming, especially in the Arctic. When it’s in the atmosphere, it traps heat, and when it falls on snow or ice, it speeds up melting. Curbing black carbon emissions could help slow down the planet’s warming. On the margins of the Paris climate conference, where governments made plans to keep global average temperatures below 2C (3.6F) by 2100, scientists and policymakers discussed other air pollutants that also contribute to global warming. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-carbon-crackdown_567b0a3be4b014efe0d7fa13 This is Why Scientists Have Hope For the Climate. There’s no getting around the fact that climate change is a bummer. The planet is warming, ice is melting, oceans are acidifying and, well, you get the point. While the bad news is important — it lets us know what we’re getting into with this whole climate change thing — it’s also worth remembering there’s reason for hope. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/scientists-climate-hope-19838?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed VEHICLES DOE releases three reports showing strong growth in US fuel cell and hydrogen technologies market. The US Department of Energy (DOE) released three new reports today showcasing strong growth across the US fuel cell and hydrogen technologies market. According to these reports, the United States continues to be one of the world’s largest and fastest growing markets for fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. With support from the Energy Department, its national laboratories and private industry have already achieved significant advances in fuel cell and hydrogen technologies, resulting in reduced costs and improved performance. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151224-doeh2.html GREEN ENERGY Why 2015 may be remembered as a transformative year for how we get energy. The United States is on track to shut down a record amount of coal-fired power plants in 2015. At the same time, it has installed a record amount of new solar energy capacity. The past year, in other words, hints at a historic transition for the U.S. energy sector. From dramatic price plunges for oil and natural gas to the significant emergence of industrial batteries for energy storage, 2015 was on a momentous course even before the world came together in Paris to agree on steps to reduce global warming. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/12/24/why-2015-may-be-remembered-as-a-transformative-year-for-how-we-get-energy/ BLOGS Building a Renewable Energy Future. The U.S. has some big problems that require bold solutions. Unfortunately, books about solutions to our society's problems are often given short shrift by reviewers or languish on our bookshelves. As I often say, this country has more problems than it deserves and more solutions than it uses. Now comes S. David Freeman. In 1974 David Freeman, an energy engineer and lawyer, wrote much of and directed all of the research for the book, A Time to Choose: America's Energy Future, a comprehensive early inquiry into America's energy crisis. A Time to Choose offered ideas galore about how our country could use efficiency and conservation to benefit the environment and the economy and ushered in a new era of energy efficiency. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ralph-nader/building-a-renewable-ener_b_8870814.html Cities will help lead in putting Paris climate agreement into action. World leaders came together this month and reached an historic agreement to combat climate change. At the international talks in Paris, the United States, China, India and more than 180 other countries committed to reducing their carbon pollution and protecting future generations from extreme drought, storms, floods and heat waves. Though more work needs to be done, this bold agreement represents the biggest step the world has ever taken to defuse the climate threat. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/264020-cities-will-help-lead-in-putting-paris-climate California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 13:50:44 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 25 - 28, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Beijing's smog may be thick, but parents say the bureaucracy is impenetrable. It was a one-two punch: first came the air pollution, then the bureaucracy. Sara Zhang, like many Beijing residents, has taken precautions at home to protect herself and two children from the city’s notorious air pollution. Yet her 7-year-old son’s public primary school, Yunhe Elementary, has not installed any air purifiers — humming, boxy machines common in the city’s expensive private schools — leaving its students no choice but to breathe eye-watering toxic air. http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-beijing-smog-bureaucracy-20151228-story.html Study: Asthma rates down for U.S. children. Asthma rates in U.S. children have quieted down after a decades-long increase, a government study found, and researchers are trying to pinpoint reasons that would explain the trend. A possible plateau in childhood obesity rates and declines in air pollution are among factors that may have helped lower cases in kids, the 2001-13 study suggests. Overall, average asthma rates among kids aged 17 and younger increased slightly, then leveled off and declined by the study's end, when 8.3 percent of kids were affected. Rates varied among some regions, races and ages. http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_29316132/study-asthma-rates-down-u-s-children Massive Porter Ranch gas leak may impact new development. The two-month-old leak at Southern California Gas Co.’s storage facility above Porter Ranch that ispumping massive amounts of methane into the air may derail a big upscale housing development planned for the community. Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich has asked the Local Agency Formation Commission to block the annexation of county property in the community by the City of Los Angeles. He made the request earlier this month in a letter to Paul Novak, the commission’s executive director. http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20151227/massive-porter-ranch-gas-leak-may-impact-new-development CLIMATE CHANGE Paris Points the Way Forward on International Environmental Policy. Regardless of your views on climate change, it is unprecedented that nearly 200 nations came together in early December for the Conference of Parties and the 21st United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as “COP21.” This meeting also served as the conference of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. http://www.forbes.com/sites/uhenergy/2015/12/28/paris-points-the-way-forward-on-international-environmental-policy/ Climate deal caps a long quest for UN chief. When international negotiators reached a first-of-its kind climate change agreement in Paris this month, the United Nations’ normally low-key leader, Ban Ki-moon, celebrated onstage, arms raised in victory and more exuberant than many had ever seen him before. Nearly nine years had passed since, in his first days as secretary-general, Ban surprised world leaders by making global warming a top item on his agenda. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/world/article51673055.html The 8 Biggest Climate Storylines of the Year. We’re coming to the end of arguably the most influential year ever when it comes to climate change. The agreements struck at the Paris climate talks gave the world hope that nations could finally get their acts together to cut carbon emissions and with them, the risks climate change poses. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-storylines-of-the-year-19842?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climatecentral%2FdjOO+Climate+Central+-+Full+Feed Great Basin rangeland facing challenges with climate change. Fighting the effects of climate change in Great Basin rangeland is drawing together federal, state and private interests to deal with what scientists say is greater weather variability causing big swings in forage available for cattle and wildlife. Biomass can triple some years or see declines just as great, experts say, and native vegetation in the region that has survived climate variations for tens of thousands of years now faces challenges from invasive species and wildfires. http://www.modbee.com/news/state/article51770110.html FUELS Study shows branched ketone biofuels derived from alcohols have potential for use in aviation fuel blends. Researchers at the University of Bath (UK) have demonstrated that branched ketone biofuels produced from the alkylation of isoamyl alcohol and isobutanol with acetone have the potential to be used as blending agents with Jet A-1 fuel. A paper on their work is published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels. Although the technology to produce cellulosic ethanol is becoming established, ethanol’s low energy density and high affinity for water have led to the development of higher energy density alochol alternatives such as n-butanol, isoamyl alcohol, and isobutanol. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151225-bath.html VEHICLES China Emission Standards: So Tough Honda Will Have All Hybrids By 2025. China is the world's largest market for new cars, and it also has some of the world's worst air pollution. Cities have had to limit new-car sales and restrict car use to combat rampant pollution, while the government is aggressively promoting electric cars as a solution to the problem. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101597_china-emission-standards-so-tough-honda-will-have-all-hybrids-by-2025 OPEC Says Electric Cars Will Remain Irrelevant Through 2040. Increased electric-car adoption could dramatically decrease global demand for fossil fuels, but the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries--better known as OPEC--isn't too worried about that. OPEC recently issued its annual World Oil Outlook report and, not surprisingly, it's very optimistic about the future use of fossil fuels in transportation. The organization dismisses electric cars as irrelevant, and claims they will remain so for decades. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101592_opec-says-electric-cars-will-remain-irrelevant-through-2040 Fuel Economy Improvements: Too Slow In Developed Countries, Minimal In Rest Of World. Several countries have policies in place demanding greater fuel economy or reduced carbon emissions from new cars, in the hopes of combating climate change. While the average fuel economy of new vehicles in developed countries like the U.S. has notably improved over the past few years, but is it enough? A new report released during the recent Paris COP21 climate-change summit says no. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101590_fuel-economy-improvements-too-slow-in-developed-countries-minimal-in-rest-of-world 2017 Chevrolet Volt Details Emerge: More Features, Same Price. The redesigned 2016 Chevrolet Volt is now in showrooms, but only in certain regions. Chevy is limiting second-generation Volt sales to California and other states friendly to plug-in electric cars for the time being, but will roll the car out nationwide early next year. The 2016 Volt will have a shortened model year, making way for the 2017 Volt's arrival this coming spring. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101579_2017-chevrolet-volt-details-emerge-more-features-same-price GREEN ENERGY Europe's Energy and Electricity Policies are a Bad Model. It’s quite telling that COP21 took place in Paris. Western leaders, environmental groups, and international institutions are convinced that Europe is the model for the rest of the world to install more renewable energy and efficiency. Entered into force in 2005, Europe has been a mainstay of the failed Kyoto Protocol, the first agreement for country-by-country reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. And the European Union Energy Roadmap 2050 wants the EU to cut its emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, setting milestones for reductions of the order of 40% by 2030 and 60% by 2040. http://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/12/27/europes-energy-and-electricity-policies-are-a-bad-model/ Cheap batteries will give utilities electric shock. Power suppliers have long enjoyed a natural monopoly. But the arrival of budget batteries coupled with cheaper solar power will allow a growing number of consumers to pull the plug on old-fashioned electricity networks in 2016 and beyond. Solar panel prices have already plummeted, and batteries look set to follow in the near future as manufacturers hone new technologies and ramp up production. http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2015/12/28/cheap-batteries-will-give-utilities-electric-shock/ MISCELLANEOUS San Joaquin Valley air district considers pollution-reducing technology for charbroiler barbecue restaurants. Billowing smoke and the scent of sizzling meats might be familiar to anyone who drives down East Shaw Avenue in Fresno past Dog House Grill. Officials with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District notice it, too. They’re tasked with noticing all kinds of smoke, even the emissions coming from barbecue restaurants like Dog House Grill that are a small fraction of the Valley’s total particle pollution, known as PM-2.5. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article50569040.html http://www.modbee.com/news/article51820785.html OPINION To help stop global warming, curb short-lived pollutants. Among climate scientists, the consensus is that we must become carbon-neutral by 2050 to avoid catastrophic environmental disruptions. Negotiators at the recent summit in Paris accordingly focused on curbing carbon dioxide emissions. There's a major problem, however, with a CO2-centric strategy. Because carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for a century or more, and because we won't abandon fossil fuels overnight, neutrality by 2050 simply isn't good enough to keep the Earth from warming 2 degrees Celsius — the generally agreed-upon limit — much less the ambitious goal of 1.5 degrees C that many nations support. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1225-ramanathan-press-slcps-climate-change-20151225-story.html Fighting climate change requires more than soothing fantasies. On climate change, curb your enthusiasm. It’s not that the recent international conference in Paris didn’t take significant steps to check global warming. It did. Nearly 200 countries committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from preindustrial times was reaffirmed. The trouble is that what’s being attempted is so fundamentally difficult that even these measures may be wildly unequal to the task. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/fighting-climate-change-requires-more-than-soothing-fantasies/2015/12/27/9738fe82-ab2b-11e5-bff5-905b92f5f94b_story.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 10:49:50 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 29, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Progress Made on Effort to Stop L.A. Gas Leak. A two-month effort to stop a big natural gas leak in the Los Angeles area advanced Dec. 27 when Southern California Gas Co. was able to target the leaking gas well several thousand feet below ground at the Aliso Canyon storage reservoir. The underground targeting, using magnetic ranging technology, was essential to guide the relief well, which has been drilled to a depth of 3,800 feet so far. http://www.bna.com/progress-made-effort-n57982065566/ Air Quality Officials Consider Regulations For Barbecue Grill Restaurants. A good steak on a charcoal or wood-fired grill throws up a lot of smoke. But that smoke isn't regulated by air pollution controls. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is looking to give restaurants equipment to clean up the smoke. Heather Heinks, with the district, says the equipment can be costly, but it would be provided for free during this trial period. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/29/san-joaquin-air-quality-officials-consider-regulations-for-barbecue-grill-restaurants/ CLIMATE CHANGE 16 major NYC hotels pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in decade. More than a dozen of New York City's most famed hotels are pledging to get greener. The Waldorf-Astoria New York, the Lotte New York Palace, the Pierre-A Taj Hotel and the Crowne Plaza Times Square are among the 16 city hotels — all currently thronged with tourists visiting New York for the holidays — whose owners have agreed to cut greenhouse gases from their buildings by 30 percent or more in the next decade. http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015-12-28/major-nyc-hotels-pledge-to-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions Can the Planet Be Saved? The two words “climate” and “change” are so routinely strung together that just saying them as a pair—“climate change”—seems to somehow obscure the full weight of the phenomenon they describe, to say nothing of its consequences. But in those moments when one pauses to consider the ramifications of human activity on the planet for generations and generations ahead, things can feel beyond bleak. And yet: This past year saw the nations of the world reached their first-ever agreement on an ambitious plan to rein in emissions, perhaps the most significant progress yet made on this issue. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/hope-despair-climate-change/421794/ VOLKSWAGEN Environmental Justice Groups: Not So Fast, Musk--VW Diesels Must Be Fixed! U.S. regulatory agencies still haven't approved a plan to modify the 482,000 Volkswagen 2.0-liter TDI diesel cars equipped with "defeat device" software used to circumvent emissions laws. It will likely cost VW billions of dollars to update the delinquent cars, and it may not be practically possible for certain models. That prompted 45 environmental leaders and Silicon Valley executives, including Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, to suggest that VW shouldn't bother. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101603_environmental-justice-groups-not-so-fast-musk--vw-diesels-must-be-fixed DROUGHT California Drought Could Spell Death for 58 Million Trees, and That’s Terrible News For Future Water Supply. The past four years of punishing drought have badly hurt California’s forests. Rain was scarce, the days were too hot, and this year’s wildfire season was the worst anyone has seen in years, burning up nearly 10 million acres across the West. For the first time, a team of researchers has measured the severity of the blow the drought dealt the trees, uncovering potential future destruction in the process. The resulting paper, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is a rich visual testament to just how much California needs its trees and how close the state is to losing 58 million of them. http://www.newsweek.com/california-drought-58-million-trees-could-die-409557?rx=us FUELS New HPAC lignocellulose pretreatment method could accelerate cellulosic biofuel production. A team from Chonnam National University in Korea has developed a new pretreatment method for lignocellulosic biomass that is more efficient and effective for the downstream biocatalytic hydrolysis of various lignocellulosic materials. This, they suggest, will accelerate bioethanol commercialization. The new hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-acetic acid (CH3COOH) (HPAC) pretreatment removes lignin without the use of high temperatures or strong acids. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151228-hpac.html VEHICLES Chinese auto start-ups are poised to disrupt the electric car market. Carmakers are very slow when it comes to electric cars. Volkswagen makes one solitary electric model, as does Mercedes. The Toyota Prius? That's a hybrid. There's extraordinarily little choice if you want an all-electric car — and there's even less if you want an affordable one that's well below the sizable price tag of the TeslaModel S. That could all change in 2016, thanks to China's new wave of nerdy automakers. They're globally-oriented start-ups that are looking to leap into the void left by dinosaur juice-obsessed companies. http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-1229-thedownload-china-electric-cars-20151229-story.html Ford Wants To Develop Its Own Battery Chemistries For Hybrids, Electric Cars, But Why? When it announced a range increase for its 2017 Focus Electric earlier this month, Ford executives also revealed an intriguing snippet about the company's battery plans. The company is conducting its own research into fundamental battery chemistries, and could develop its own cells for use in future electrified vehicles. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101606_ford-wants-to-develop-its-own-battery-chemistries-for-hybrids-electric-cars-but-why Buying A New Car Can Trim Your Carbon Footprint, But There's More To It. If you drive an older, less efficient vehicle, ever think about swapping it for a new, more efficient one? It's a good way to reduce your carbon footprint. But there are a lot of factors to consider. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/28/461304299/buying-a-new-car-can-trim-your-carbon-footprint-but-theres-more-to-it MISCELLANEOUS No More California Carpool-Lane Stickers For Plug-In Hybrids. Solo carpool-lane access has proven to be one of the most effective tools to get California drivers to buy plug-in electric cars. But soon new drivers of plug-in hybrids in the Golden State may no longer be able to take advantage of that perk--unlike new drivers of battery-electric cars. The full allotment of 85,000 "green stickers" has been issued, and there will be no more unless the state legislature authorizes it. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101602_no-more-california-carpool-lane-stickers-for-plug-in-hybrids What you should know about Sacramento's plastic bag ban. If you're out grocery shopping in Sacramento in the new year, remember to bring your reusable shopping bags. The city's ban on single-use plastic carryout bags goes into effect January 1st for approximately 400 retailers. About 14 million of these bags are handed out in the city every month and Erin Treadwell, outreach manager for Sacramento's Recycling and Solid Waste division, said the ban is designed to reduce that waste. http://www.abc10.com/story/news/local/sacramento/2015/12/28/what-you-should-know-city-sacramentos-plastic-bag-ban/77980382/ BLOGS Two Tech Giants Are Tackling Epidemic Air Pollution In China. Air pollution in China could be big business. Two of the world's largest technology firms, IBM and Microsoft, are vying to tap the nascent, fast-growing market for forecasting air quality in the world's top carbon emitters. Bouts of acrid smog enveloping Beijing prompted authorities in the Chinese capital to declare two unprecedented "red alerts" this month - a warning to the city's 22 million inhabitants that heavy pollution is expected for more than three days. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/two-tech-giants-are-tackling-epidemic-air-pollution-in-china_568297ebe4b06fa6888118a8 OP-ED: The other pollutants Among climate scientists, the consensus is that we must become carbon-neutral by 2050 to avoid catastrophic environmental disruptions. Negotiators at the recent summit in Paris accordingly focused on curbing carbon dioxide emissions. There's a major problem, however, with a CO2-centric strategy. Because carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for a century or more, and because we won't abandon fossil fuels overnight, neutrality by 2050 simply isn't good enough to keep the Earth from warming 2 degrees Celsius - the generally agreed-upon limit - much less the ambitious goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius that many nations support. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article52022235.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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 Dec 2015 13:26:18 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 30, 2015 From: dchelini@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. CLIMATE CHANGE Republican presidential candidates go their own way on climate change despite Paris agreement. A tale of environmental suspense unfolded throughout 2015: Would nations finally reach a global agreement to fight climate change? Record drought and heat, wildfires, Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment, President Obama's Clean Power Plan and his photogenic trip to Arctic Alaska — all became plot points in the developing narrative. http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-sej-year-ahead-environment-20151230-story.html Climate Change Is Threatening Our Seafood Supply. It’s no secret that eating seafood is good for us, but will there be enough to go around after El Nino? A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that due to a decline in micro algae in our waters around the globe, there is a shortage of food available for young fish, which is causing them to die within days. This finding comes from a review of a global database of 262 commercial fish stocks in dozens of large marine ecosystems around the globe. http://www.forbes.com/sites/phillempert/2015/12/29/climate-change-is-threatening-our-seafood-supply/ VOLKSWAGEN VW Buybacks, Payments For Hard-To-Fix Diesels Will Cost Billions. Hundreds of thousands of diesel-VW owners are waiting to find out how their cars will be updated to meet emissions standards, once modifications are approved by regulators. And Volkswagen Group has clearly been tarnished by the emission-cheating scandal, which affects 11 million cars worldwide. But the costs of the entire affair remain to be tallied; some analysts have said that the 6.5 billion euros ($7.1 billion) set aside several months ago will not be nearly enough. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101623_vw-buybacks-payments-for-hard-to-fix-diesels-will-cost-billions DROUGHT Biomass Power Could Help California's Dying Forests. Millions of dead trees in California create a huge risk of wildfire. It’s led Governor Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency that will require utilities, power plants and state agencies to work together. Biomass power plants can create energy from those dead trees, but the biomass plants alone may not be able to solve the crisis. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/12/30/biomass-power-could-help-californias-dying-forests/ California ends 2015 changed by drought, anxious for El Nino. The fourth year of drought and a promising El Niño did more than just fill the news pages of 2015. Water news changed the relationship between Californians and water, inculcating permanent cultural shifts. Brown lawns are now OK. Native plants are popular. Buckets in showers, not always toilet-flushing, low-flow faucets? Check. Check. Check. http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20151229/california-ends-2015-changed-by-drought-anxious-for-el-nino VEHICLES North America Must Plan for Old Electric Car Batteries. The U.S., Canada and Mexico must devise alternative uses for end-of-life electric vehicle batteries by 2030, when more than 1.5 million electric vehicles in North America are expected to reach the end of their useful life, according to a new report from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Recycling of current batteries is driven by the value of the nickel and cobalt they contain, but that no longer may be if new types of batteries contain less valuable components, said the report published Dec. 22 by the Montreal-based agency that administers the environmental side agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement. http://www.bna.com/report-north-america-n57982065571/ Hyundai To Launch 400-Mile Fuel-Cell SUV By 2020: Report. Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell crossovers were first delivered to customers in Southern California last year, and almost 100 vehicles have been leased since then. But now Hyundai faces competition from two dedicated vehicles that haven't been converted from existing models. Unlike the Tucson, the 2016 Toyota Mirai and 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell ride on their own platforms, with their own distinct styling. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101621_hyundai-to-launch-400-mile-fuel-cell-suv-by-2020-report GREEN ENERGY Top five energy stories to follow in 2016. The world's energy landscape changed dramatically in 2015. The coming year could bring even greater upheaval. In 2016, world leaders will start implementing the climate change deal they struck in Paris in December, which will require a huge infusion of renewable energy. Solar and wind advocates will continue to do battle with supporters of coal, oil and gas, in the United States and elsewhere. In the California desert, a recently extended solar tax credit could jump-start development — or not. http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2015/12/30/top-five-energy-stories-follow-2016/77895364/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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, 31 Dec 2015 12:38:39 -0800 Subject: newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 31, 2015 From: dchelini@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. AIR POLLUTION Smoggy Naples catches up with Italian urban car bans. Naples on Thursday became the latest Italian city to ban road traffic within certain hours, in a bid to limit air pollution which is causing growing alarm about health risks. The southern port town follows in the tracks of Milan and Rome, which both imposed emergency limits last week, after a nationwide build-up of micro particles in the atmosphere during an unusually dry winter. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N14K15V20151231 Growing Fresh Air To Breathe Easy In New Delhi's Pollution. Garnering itself a prestigious spot in the world rankings of most polluted city, New Delhi’s air quality issues have turned doctor’s advice to one man into a viable green air movement – now they’re growing their own fresh air to breathe easier, and they’ve turned it into a business solution. Over 20 years ago, doctors had told now-environmental activist and Paharpur Business Centre CEO Kamal Meattle he should leave New Delhi; his lungs were struggling with the state of pollution in the city at the time. http://www.forbes.com/sites/abehal/2015/12/31/growing-fresh-air-to-breathe-easy-in-new-delhis-pollution/ CLIMATE CHANGE CDFA Board to discuss climate change issues. The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss climate change issues at its upcoming meeting on January 5th in Sacramento. The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N Street - Main Auditorium, Sacramento. http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/7069-cdfa-board-to-discuss-climate-change-issues.html DIESEL ACTIVITIES California ARB holding Advanced Clean Transit Advisory Committee meeting in Jan; at work on regulatory proposal. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has tentaively scheduled the first Advanced Clean Transit Advisory Committee meeting for 29 January 2016 in Sacramento. The meeting will include a wide range of stakeholders such as technology providers, original equipment manufacturers, transit agencies, and other interested parties to discuss the current status of advanced technologies for reducing emissions from transit buses. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/12/20151231-arb.html VEHICLES Volkswagen Teases Electric Concept Car. Next week, Volkswagen will show off its all-electric concept car as it tries to distance itself from the diesel emissions cheating scandal that has eviscerated sales and forced the company to restructure. In prelude to the unveiling at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the automaker has dropped a few hints. The latest image, tweeted on Wednesday, appears to reveal the rear of the concept car. http://fortune.com/2015/12/30/volkswagen-concept-car-teaser/ The 8 most anticipated things from the auto industry in 2016. The new year is a time to look ahead and consider what may unfold in the coming months in the auto industry, as consumers look for new vehicles and solutions to help them get around. If 2015 was most notable for the VW emissions scandal, self-driving cars and unprecedented passenger vehicle sales enabled by lower gas prices, 2016 promises an evolution of those themes, along with a slew of new cars and motorcycles and experiences for Southern California gear heads to get their motors running. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/new-697965-cars-car.html GREEN ENERGY Renewable energy hits technical, regulatory challenges. Mike McKeown opens the back door of his Missouri farm house and is met with a chilly gust. “Stupid wind,” he mutters. Today, the winds that blow through his corn and soybean farm have become more than just an irritant. The homestead in northern Missouri, which his family has owned for nearly 70 years, sits smack in the path of a proposed high-voltage line that would carry renewable energy from the wind-whipped plains of western Kansas to power-thirsty cities farther east. And McKeown doesn’t like that. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2015/12/31/renewable-energy-hits-technical-regulatory-challenges/78108764/ 5 Energy Trends to Watch in 2016. This year was a big one for energy news. Ultra-low oil prices, coal plant closures, a landmark climate change deal in Paris, and records set for global solar projects all signaled a continued massive transformation under way for the world’s energy infrastructure. http://fortune.com/2015/12/30/5-trends-energy-2016/ OPINION As L.A. reels from Porter Ranch gas leak, San Diego and Las Vegas vow to go carbon-free. Welcome to the new world of urban climate politics post-Paris 2015. No sooner was the ink dry on the Paris accord than San Diego’s Republican mayor proudly announced that his city would become the largest city in the country to run entirely on renewable energy by 2035. Las Vegas had already beat San Diego to the punch, announcing well before the United Nations climate summit that it would go all green by 2025. Instantly, all eyes turned to Los Angeles. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/livable-city/la-ol-porter-ranch-leak-san-diego-las-vegas-carbon-free-20151231-story.html BLOGS Paris Agreement Catalyzes Global Cooperation Toward a Low-Carbon Future. Paris is again in the news -- and, this time, as host to nearly all the world's nations who came to a historic agreement to address climate change. I recall both the achievement of -- and tensions spawned by -- the Kyoto Protocol climate agreement nearly 20 years ago. The Paris Agreement marks a profound and different achievement. The words of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning -- "let me count the ways" -- resound in my mind. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lynn-scarlett/paris-agreement-catalyzes-global-cooperation_b_8806956.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips. ====================================================================== 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. ======================================================================