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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for February 2, 2017.

Posted: 02 Feb 2017 16:21:48
ARB Newsclips for February 2, 2017. 

This is a service of the California Air Resources 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

'Buy clean' bill favors low-emitting contractors. A bill
introduced yesterday in the California Legislature aims to direct
public funding on infrastructure to companies that practice
low-emissions manufacturing. A.B. 262 would require state
agencies and universities to take greenhouse gas emissions into
account when evaluating infrastructure spending.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049429

EPA takes next step on 'findings of failure' for ozone plans.
U.S. EPA is moving ahead with publication of "findings of
failure" for 15 states and the District of Columbia that have not
turned in full plans for meeting the 2008 ozone air quality
standards. The final rule will take effect 30 days after
appearing in tomorrow's Federal Register, marking the start of a
two-year timetable for the affected jurisdictions…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049457 
 
ALISO CANYON

Raucous crowd at public hearing on proposal to allow resumed
operations at Aliso Canyon.  A hearing by state regulators to
gather public input on a proposal to allow Southern California
Gas Co. to resume injecting natural gas into the Aliso Canyon
public storage facility ended earlier than planned because of
calls by hundreds of raucous San Fernando Valley residents to
halt the immediate reopening of the storage facility.
http://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/ 
http://www.dailynews.com/business/20170201/public-hearing-on-aliso-canyon-gas-field-cut-short-as-tempers-flare

http://abc7.com/news/porter-ranch-residents-pack-hearing-over-aliso-canyon-facility/1733682/

http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049437 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Faced with U.S. retreat on climate change, EU looks to China.
Faced with a U.S. retreat from international efforts to tackle
climate change, European Union officials are looking to China,
fearing a leadership vacuum will embolden those within the bloc
seeking to slow the fight against global warming.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-eu-climatechange-idUSKBN15G5B3?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ae25013f32-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ae25013f32-327747457

‘Beyond the extreme’: Scientists marvel at ‘increasingly
non-natural’ Arctic warmth. The Arctic is so warm and has been
this warm for so long that scientists are struggling to explain
it and are in disbelief. The climate of the Arctic is known to
oscillate wildly, but scientists say this warmth is so extreme
that humans surely have their hands in it and may well be
changing how it operates.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/02/01/beyond-the-extreme-scientists-marvel-at-increasingly-non-natural-arctic-warmth/?utm_campaign=ae25013f32-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Inside
Climate News&utm_term=.430da7c386ab 

This Bay Area Proposal Would Strike a Huge Blow to the Dirtiest
Forms of Oil Production. A proposed emissions cap would prevent
the area’s refineries from converting dirtier-burning oils into
fuel. Will it pass? uring his State of the State address last
week, California Governor Jerry Brown defiantly declared, “We
cannot fall back and give in to the climate deniers.” Just hours
after President Trump announced his intention to resume
construction of the Keystone XL…
https://www.thenation.com/article/this-bay-area-proposal-would-strike-a-huge-blow-to-the-dirtiest-forms-of-oil-production/


California’s climate policy depends on federal waivers—what if
Trump doesn’t grant them? California officials have discerned a
chilling signal that the Trump administration may be willing to
halt the state’s unique authority to impose its own vehicle
emission rules—a move that could undercut its pioneering effort
to battle climate change.
https://calmatters.org/articles/californias-climate-policy-depends-on-federal-waiverswhat-if-trump-doesnt-grant-them/


3 Things You Need to Know About the Science Rebellion Against
Trump. The new president’s first moves on science spur a Twitter
war and prompt a march. 
The Trump administration was merely minutes old when all
references to climate change disappeared from the White House
website. Later that day, the National Park Service Twitter
account was briefly shutdown because the new president was miffed
about a retweet… 
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/01/scientists-march-on-washington-national-parks-twitter-war-climate-science-donald-trump/?google_editors_picks=true


Oregon far short of greenhouse gas emissions goals, report says.
Oregon is not reducing carbon dioxide emissions fast enough to
meet its goals for 2020 and beyond, a new report finds. In fact,
it's not even close. Those are the findings of a biennial report
the Oregon Global Warming Commission will deliver to state
lawmakers this week, and they come despite ambitious legislation
passed to cut emissions from the electricity and transportation
sectors.
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/02/oregon_wont_hit_greenhouse_gas.html#incart_river_home


Green group pushes unconventional climate suit. An unconventional
environmental group is heading to federal court with a unique
climate lawsuit. The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
(CELDF) on Tuesday filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Washington, arguing that federal jurisdiction
over trains carrying coal and oil robs local residents of their…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049399

Climate impacts help Latin America reaffirm global promises. Some
Latin American nations are pushing toward a low-carbon future
even as the United States threatens to retreat from its global
climate commitments. Experts believe many countries in the
region, which has experienced damage due to climate change, will
stick to the commitments made under the Paris Agreement…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049430 

FUELS

Consol moves to fully shed coal for natural gas. It was once a
jewel in King Coal's crown, but now Consol Energy Inc. is hoping
to get out of the business. The company said Monday that it wants
to divest its remaining coal mines in Pennsylvania this year so
it can focus on the business line that's growing: producing
natural gas. While coal majors have gone bankrupt over the last
two years…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049424 

VEHICLES

Tesla drops 'Motors' from name as CEO Musk looks beyond cars.
Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) changed its name to "Tesla Inc" as
Chief Executive Elon Musk looks to transform the Silicon Valley
firm from an electric car maker to a diversified energy products
company. In October, Musk unveiled solar-powered roof tiles that
eliminate the need for traditional panels and a longer-lasting
home battery illustrating the benefits of combining his electric
car and battery maker with solar installer SolarCity Corp.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-namechange-idUSKBN15G4SL


Google-Parent Alphabet’s Self-Driving Car Testing Far Ahead in
California, Reports Show.  Alphabet’s Waymo system logged the
most miles and deactivated at a lower rate than others. New data
on tests of self-driving car technology in California suggest
that Alphabet Inc.’s efforts remain ahead of many rivals in the
intensifying race to bring fully autonomous vehicles to the
roads.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-parent-alphabets-self-driving-car-testing-far-ahead-in-california-reports-show-1485993092


Tesla Gets Reprieve Under Protectionist Indiana Bill. A bill that
would have driven automaker Tesla from doing business in Indiana
has been revamped to allow the electric car company to stay. The
Indiana House transportation committee amended and approved the
bill Thursday. It grandfathers in Tesla but prohibits other major
automakers from direct car sales in the future.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/tesla-reprieve-protectionist-indiana-bill-45219579


GREEN ENERGY

Saudi Arabia Plans the World’s Cheapest Power With Solar and
Wind. Saudi Arabia will award its first tender to build 700
megawatts of solar and wind energy in September, with the cost of
power forecast to be the lowest in the world, Energy Minister
Khalid Al-Falih said. OPEC’s biggest oil producer plans to build
300 megawatts of solar plants in the al-Jouf area in northern
Saudi Arabia and 400 megawatts of wind projects…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-01/saudis-plan-1st-renewables-bids-with-world-s-lowest-power-cost


Solar developer steps up contract dispute with Duke.  A
California solar developer with more than 2,000 megawatts of
projects in the works in North Carolina has filed a regulatory
complaint against Duke Energy Corp. for not granting sufficient
long-term contracts to buy the power from it. Cypress Creek
Renewables LLC already owns and operates 767 MW of solar in North
Carolina. The company, one of the nation's largest solar
developers…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049401 

Energy storage has 'barely penetrated' low-income neighborhoods.
Energy storage technologies promise to revolutionize the way
electricity is consumed in the United States as more Americans
look to batteries that can harness energy from rooftop solar
panels and reduce customers' dependence on grid-delivered power.
But with residential and small-scale commercial storage systems
costing…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049403

MISCELLANEOUS

Senate Panel Approves Trump EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt. GOP
Chairman suspended rules to approve nominee, who advances to a
vote by the full Senate. Senate Republicans voted Thursday to
advance President Donald Trump’s choice to head the Environmental
Protection Agency, the latest nominee of the new administration
the GOP is sending to the Senate floor despite near-universal
Democratic opposition.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-panel-approves-trump-epa-nominee-scott-pruitt-1486052220

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-senate.html?_r=0


Battle over EPA pick is big business. Outside groups are spending
millions in the Senate battle over confirming Scott Pruitt,
President Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). More than $3 million in spending and other actions
on both sides are coming from nonprofit organizations that do not
have to disclose their donors.
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/317472-battle-over-epa-pick-is-big-business


US Republicans launch effort to abolish Environmental Protection
Agency with new bill. Today, the American people are drowning in
rules and regulations promulgated by unelected bureaucrats’. A
bill to “completely abolish” the Environmental Protection Agency
has been drafted that would close the main arm of the US
Government responsible for fighting climate change by the end of
next year.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/environmental-protection-agency-bill-drafted-abolish-matt-gaetz-congress-a7556596.html


Republicans target environmental rules protecting parks and
limiting methane. Congress begins effort to remove Obama-era
protections, including measures to keep people safe when
mountaintops are blown off to reach coal. Republicans have begun
dismantling Obama-era environmental protections by targeting
rules that restrict drilling in national parks, curb the release
of methane…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/01/environment-republicans-congress-climate-methane-parks?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ae25013f32-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ae25013f32-327747457


Trump team scouting for energy, enviro slots. The Trump team is
actively looking to fill several key White House energy and
environmental slots, according to a source close to the
administration. While President Trump has selected his nominees
for energy and environmental agencies, he has yet to fill some
critical jobs within the White House, including a leader for the
Council on Environmental Quality…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/02/02/stories/1060049467 

OPINIONS

Is California climate law worsening pollution in communities of
color? California’s main tool for fighting climate change is at a
crossroads. Gov. Jerry Brown sees the so-called cap-and-trade
system of buying and selling pollution permits as key to cutting
greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half by 2030. The California
Chamber of Commerce calls it an illegal tax…
http://www.scpr.org/news/2017/02/02/68616/is-california-climate-law-worsening-pollution-in-c/


Why Environmentalists Are So Worried About Trump's Supreme Court
Pick. Neil Gorsuch is a steadfast foe of the 'Chevron' standard,
a pillar of modern regulatory law that matters greatly to climate
change advocates. For environmentalists worried about future
Supreme Court decisions on climate change, the biggest difference
between Donald Trump's nominee to the court and Barack Obama's
boils down to one word, Chevron.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01022017/neil-gorsuch-donald-trump-supreme-court-climate-change?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=ae25013f32-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-ae25013f32-327747457


We’re probably underestimating how quickly electric vehicles will
disrupt the oil market. Unpredictably rapid growth happens pretty
predictably. Just about every analyst agrees that the electric
vehicle market is poised for rapid growth. But how rapid?
It’s not an idle question. The rate of EV growth will have huge
implications for oil markets, auto markets, and electric
utilities. Yet it is maddeningly difficult to predict the future;
forecasts for the EV market are all over the place.
http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/2/2/14467748/electric-vehicles-oil-market



BLOGS

Tesla Has Little To Show In California's Tally Of Autonomous Car
Test Data. Tesla is fixated on getting fully self-driving vehicle
technology to owners of its electric cars as soon as possible,
and rapidly updating the capabilities of the semi-automated
Autopilot system it already offers. Yet public road test data
filed with California’s Department of Motor Vehicles is limited
and unimpressive…
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2017/02/01/tesla-has-little-to-show-in-californias-tally-of-autonomous-car-test-data/#61af215b30d7
 
 
Think States Alone Can’t Handle Sea Level Rise? Ask California.
Last March, a paper by a geoscientist named Rob DeConto came out
in Nature. And as far as geology papers go, it was a big deal: It
outlined a new paradigm for how Antarctic ice sheets are impacted
by climate change. As the oceans and atmosphere warm, they don’t
just melt the ice from below; they create honking cracks in
glaciers that make it easier…
https://www.wired.com/2017/02/think-states-alone-cant-handle-sea-level-rise-watch-california/


Anti-Tesla Bill Pops Up In Indiana. Indiana legislators have
filed an anti-Tesla bill, prohibiting the sale of Tesla vehicles
in the state. It specifically targets an all-electric automaker,
but does not list Tesla’s name. Republican Ed Soliday filed the
controversial bill, that is obviously anti-Tesla, proven by a
list of qualifications that only fit the long-range
battery-electric automaker. Specifics apply to automakers that:…
http://insideevs.com/anti-tesla-bill-indiana/ 





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