What's New List Serve Post Display

CARB Newsclips for June 12, 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.

CARB BUSINESS

The California Air Resources Board
(ARB) Executive Officer has posted the final 2016 Crude Average
Carbon Intensity calculation. It can be found on the following
LCFS webpage: 
http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/crude-oil/crude-oil.htm.   

¬¬¬¬________________________________________________

Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., PDT (WEBCAST) Sierra
Hearing Room, 2nd Floor, CalEPA Building
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California

The 2010 emission standards for heavy-duty engines have
established a limit for oxides of nitrogen (NOX) emissions of
0.20 g/bhp-hr, a 90% reduction from the previous emission
standards. However, it is projected that even when the entire
on-road fleet of heavy-duty vehicles operating in California is
compliant with the 2010 NOX emission standards, the upcoming
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) requirements for
ambient particulate matter and ozone will not be achieved in
California without further significant reduction in NOX emissions
from the heavy-duty vehicles.
https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/seminars/sharp/sharp.htm     

CAP AND TRADE

Macron Seeking Stiff Carbon Costs to Avert Climate Change.
Emmanuel Macron reached out to Germany to establish a common
price floor for carbon dioxide emitted by power utilities as the
French president seeks to strengthen his alliance with Angela
Merkel after the U.S. decided to exit the Paris climate accord,
according to people familiar with the matter.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-09/macron-said-to-push-for-franco-german-c02-emissions-price-floor


Cap and trade funds electric vehicle car share for the poor. An
electric vehicle car-share program launched Friday in Los Angeles
is funded in part by $1.67 million in revenue from California's
cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions. The BlueLA EV
system will run in low-income communities: portions of the LA
neighborhoods of Westlake, Pico-Union, Koreatown, Echo Park and
the city's downtown.
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/06/12/stories/1060055875


AIR POLLUTION

Scientists may have just found an unexpected new threat to the
ozone layer. Severe storms over the central United States may be
posing bigger problems beyond bad weather. New research suggests
that frequent summertime storms in the Great Plains region could
be depleting the protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere,
putting humans at increased risk of unhealthy exposure to
ultraviolet radiation. And some scientists believe that climate
change could make the situation worse.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/06/09/scientists-may-have-just-found-an-unexpected-new-threat-to-the-ozone-layer/?utm_term=.098c18c4c01a


Jerry Brown’s trip to China earned him wall-to-wall media
coverage — internationally and here at home. Much less covered
was another environmental visit the California governor took just
weeks earlier: to Bell Gardens in Los Angeles County, a
transportation corridor with some of the worst air quality in the
state. “It is a little surprising to actually be there (in Bell
Gardens) and witness first-hand…
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2017/06/12/brown-grossly-hypocritical-to-oppose-oil-production-in-california


Air pollution more harmful to children in cars than outside,
warns top scientist. Children are at risk of dangerous levels of
air pollution in cars because exposure to toxic air is often far
higher inside than outside vehicles, a former government chief
scientific adviser has warned. Prof Sir David King, writing for
the Guardian, says walking or cycling to school would be much
better for children’s health.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/12/children-risk-air-pollution-cars-former-uk-chief-scientist-warns
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/816148/air-pollution-cars-toxic-gases-children
 

Health Effects of Oil and Gas Emissions Investigated in Texas.
Focus is on benzene, volatile organic compounds and other
chemicals within a half-mile of production wells. Lucas Jasso,
66, has seen a lot of changes in Karnes County, Texas, since oil
and gas companies first began flocking to his part of the state
several years ago. “I call it Flare City USA — every time I go
into the countryside, I see flares,” Jasso said. “It used to be
paradise.”
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/health-effects-of-oil-and-gas-emissions-investigated-in-texas/


CLIMATE CHANGE

Kerry says U.S. climate goals in reach despite Trump Paris
pullout. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry predicted on
Monday that the United States will achieve goals to limit climate
change set by the Obama administration despite President Donald
Trump's decision to quit a 2015 global pact. Kerry, an architect
of the Paris climate agreement, said during a visit to Oslo…
http://in.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-kerry-idINKBN1931RQ


U.S. formally rejects Paris climate treaty at G-7 environmental
meeting. Two weeks after President Trump announced he’d withdraw
from the Paris climate accord, the U.S. on Monday took its first
concrete step toward that end by formally rejecting the agreement
on the world stage. At a meeting in Italy, environmental
ministers from G-7 nations released a lengthy communique on
climate change…
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/12/us-formally-rejects-paris-climate-treaty-g-7-envir/

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12062017/g7-scott-pruitt-climate-change-paris-agreement-international-relations


BlackRock Urges Exxon to Disclose More About Climate
Change-Related Risks. The world's largest asset manager BlackRock
Inc on Friday urged Exxon Mobil Corp to "enhance its disclosures"
regarding risks related to climate change. Less than two weeks
ago, shareholders approved a measure calling for increased
transparency on climate change…
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/06/12/business/12reuters-exxon-mobil-climatechange-blackrock.html?_r=0


How Much Do You Know About Solving Global Warming? There is no
silver bullet for climate change, because slowing planetary
warming will require a variety of strategies. “Drawdown,” a new
book edited by the green entrepreneur Paul Hawken, analyzes 100
potential solutions, ranks them by the amount of greenhouse gases
they could cut, and reaches some surprising conclusions about the
most effective ways to fight global warming.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/09/climate/drawdown-climate-solutions-quiz.html?ref=energy-environment


San Francisco joins 11 cities in posting deleted climate data.
More than a month after the Trump administration purged data
tracking climate change from the Environmental Protection
Agency’s website, the numbers are going back online in some
unexpected places. San Francisco and 11 other cities, including
Atlanta, Boston, Houston and Seattle, were set to launch their
own websites Sunday publishing the numbers.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-joins-11-cities-in-posting-deleted-11210766.php
http://climatechangedispatch.com/san-francisco-mayor-reposts-deleted-epa-global-warming-web-pages/


Trump leads ferocious fight against carbon regulations. While
President Trump’s beliefs about global warming remain something
of a mystery, his actions make one thing clear: He doesn’t
consider it a problem for the federal government to solve.
Trump’s recent decision to pull out of the Paris climate deal was
just his latest rapid-fire move to weaken or dismantle federal
initiatives to reduce carbon emissions…
http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Trump-leads-ferocious-fight-against-carbon-11210820.php

Governor And German Official Vow To Work To Curb Greenhouse Gas
Emissions. Governor Jerry Brown met with Germany's federal
minister for the environment in San Francisco Friday, and the two
vowed to work to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the governor's
office announced. Barbara Hendricks, Germany's Federal Minister
for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear
Safety, met with Brown in the wake of…
http://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/Governor-And-German-Official-Vow-To-Work-To-Curb-11210180.php


Cities need state help to meet Paris climate goal. Just minutes
after President Donald Trump announced his decision to pull the
United States out of the Paris pact to fight climate change,
mayors began announcing their plans to stay committed to it. "As
the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the
guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy &
future," Mayor Bill…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article155561214.html#storylink=cpy


Pollution, climate change among risks to Canadian waterways, says
WWF. The World Wildlife Fund says Canada can no longer pretend it
is a country rich with pristine lakes and rivers. In a new report
based on four years of research, the conservation organization
says one-third of Canada’s 167 watersheds are experiencing high
levels of disturbance due to everything from pollution and
overuse to climate…
http://www.torontosun.com/2017/06/12/pollution-climate-change-among-risks-to-canadian-waterways-says-wwf


NASA Report: As Climate Change Continues, Tropical Regions Will
Likely See More. People who live in the tropics can expect to see
more rainfall in the future as the climate changes, NASA research
shows. The research lead by Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist
Hui Su revealed current climate models are underestimating the
decreases in high clouds in these regions.
http://www.ibtimes.com/nasa-report-climate-change-continues-tropical-regions-will-likely-see-more-rainfall-2551005


Germany, California to tackle climate change together. Germany is
teaming up with California to cooperate on tackling climate
change following the U.S. government's decision to withdraw from
the 2015 Paris agreement. Europe's largest economy and the
biggest U.S. state in economic terms will back the work of the
"Under 2 Coalition," which includes cities, regional governments
and states…
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-germany-california-to-tackle-climate-change-together-2017-6


$1.8B methanol plant gains key permit from Washington State— with
conditions. Developers of a $1.8 billion Cowlitz County methanol
plant would have to offset — or find ways to reduce — carbon
emissions under the terms of a key shoreline permit approved this
week by the state Department of Ecology. The high-profile
Northwest Innovation Works project in Kalama is to produce
methanol from Western natural gas…
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/18b-methanol-plant-gains-key-permit-from-washington-state/


Gov. Brown seeks global stage on climate. California Gov. Jerry
Brown (D) continues to take a leadership role on climate change
in the wake of President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris
Agreement by planning to attend global talks on warming in the
fall. Brown returned Thursday from a trip to China, where he met
with Chinese President Xi Jinping and signed multiple agreements
with national and…
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/06/12/stories/1060055874


Big majority of Americans want states to act on climate — poll.
Two-thirds of Americans believe that states should take
responsibility for addressing climate change in the absence of
federal leadership on the world's most pressing environmental
challenge, according to a new poll by researchers at the
University of Michigan. The survey, conducted before President
Trump's announcement that…
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/06/12/stories/1060055873


Did warming's effect on beans drive a migration crisis? Climate
change, often cited as a threat to coffee farms, endangers more
than cafés au lait. Coffee supports a large portion of some Latin
American and African economies, where millions of small farms
grow Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta trees within narrow
temperature and rainfall ranges. But areas with the right
conditions are becoming scarcer.
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/06/12/stories/1060055855


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

ARB study compares in-use NOx emissions from diesel, hydraulic
hybrid diesel and LNG refuse trucks. A team from the California
Air Resources Board (ARB), in partnership with the City of
Sacramento, has characterized the in-use emissions from model
year (MY) 2010 or newer diesel, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and
hydraulic hybrid diesel engines during real-world refuse truck
operation.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/06/20170612-arb.html 

FUELS

How one group is charting health risks near oil fields. Lucas
Jasso, 66, has seen a lot of changes in Karnes County, Texas,
since oil and gas companies first began flocking to his part of
the state several years ago. "I call it Flare City USA — every
time I go into the countryside, I see flares," Jasso said. "It
used to be paradise." Once mainly fields and ranchland, Karnes
County is now a top crude oil producer in Texas, due to its
location on top of the Eagle Ford Shale play.
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/06/12/stories/1060055865


VEHICLES

Here’s How to Kill Electric Cars. The Tesla Killer Isn’t What You
Think It Is
The electric car seems to be on an unstoppable trajectory. In the
past five years, the number of electric cars on the road
worldwide has soared to two million from basically nothing, the
International Energy Agency said this week.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-09/the-tesla-killer-isn-t-a-car-at-all

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2017/06/11/how-to-kill-the-electric-car-report/#5d589ad8274e


Germany to test Porsche Cayenne after media report on emissions.
Porsche has said reports that the Cayenne breaches limits are
"implausible". Germany's transport ministry is to test a Porsche
SUV model following reports it could be in breach of diesel
emissions limits. Der Spiegel magazine said it had tested the
Cayenne V6 TDI and found its emissions were higher than allowed.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40251763 

Legendary car designer Henrik Fisker unveils his Tesla rival.
Henrik Fisker, the automotive designer behind iconic cars like
the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9, unveiled his long-range,
electric sedan on Saturday. Fisker has made bold claims about the
car. Last October, Fisker said the vehicle would have a range
surpassing 400 miles and will be able to charge in just 9 minutes
thanks to new battery technology.
http://www.businessinsider.com/henrik-fisker-emotion-electric-car-unveil-2017-6


Number of electric cars worldwide increased 60% in 2016.
Globally, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) surpassed 2
million units in 2016, an increase of 60 per cent compared to
2015, according to the latest report from the International
Energy Agency (IEA). In 2005, the number of electric cars owned
worldwide was in the hundreds.
A decade later, EV sales surpassed the 1 million milestone and in
2016…
http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/number-of-electric-cars-worldwide-increased-60-in-2016


ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

LA pioneering largest EV car sharing program for disadvantaged
communities. Mayor Eric Garcetti Friday unveiled what’s being
billed as the nation’s largest EV car sharing program for
disadvantaged communities, which will serve portions of Westlake,
Pico Union, Koreatown, Echo Park and downtown Los Angeles. “We
have to put sustainability at the center of everything we do in
Los Angeles -- and putting more…
http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20170609/la-pioneering-largest-ev-car-sharing-program-for-disadvantaged-communities

http://electriccarsreport.com/2017/06/los-angeles-launches-electric-car-sharing-program-disadvantaged-communities/

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/06/20170611-bluela.html 
http://cal.streetsblog.org/2017/06/12/ladot-and-bluela-partner-for-low-income-electric-car-share/


OPINIONS

Trump's Climate Retreat Is About Fear, Not Just Greed.
"Conditional cooperation" like the Paris accord breaks down if
some individuals feel weak and defensive. Is it human nature to
show restraint today, so that strangers might benefit tomorrow?
Well, that depends on the human. Researchers studied this
question by telling subjects that they and four other players
were allowed to take up to $20 from…
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-06-12/trump-s-climate-retreat-is-about-fear-not-just-greed


Don't confront drivers of gas-guzzling SUVs about climate change
— talk to them about it instead. To the editor: I applaud
Virginia Heffernan’s piece exhorting all of us to stop blaming
and arguing with people who don’t agree with us on climate
change. (“Stop playing the climate blame game. We're all
responsible,” Opinion, June 7) I am a volunteer for a group
proposing that the U.S. levy a fee on fossil fuel and then return
all...
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-climate-change-blame-game-20170612-story.html


Did Michael Gove really try to stop teaching climate change? Did
Michael Gove really try to stop schools in England from teaching
about climate change in geography?
His ministerial return, as secretary of state for the
environment, food and rural affairs, has prompted a wave of
claims that Mr. Gove tried to remove the teaching of climate
change when he was in charge of the education department.
http://www.bbc.com/news/education-40250214 

Blaming global warming on our 'creator' abdicates our
responsibility to act. Once again, simplistic thinking and binary
choices are the only ways that deniers of global warming can
analyze the issue. Max Isaacson’s June 7 letter stated that he
"concedes" there is global warming, but believes since volcanoes
and other natural conditions were primary contributors of the
age-old established fact…
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/06/12/blaming-global-warming-our-creator-abdicates-our-responsibility-act/382718001/


2017 Ford Fusion Energi: low electric range, no public charging
frustrating. Electric-car charging infrastructure in the United
States is getting better, but still has a very long way to go.
While anyone that's given even a passing glance to plug-in
vehicles would likely tell you the same thing, I experienced the
impact of a charging-free society first-hand while driving a Ford
Fusion Energi.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110949_2017-ford-fusion-energi


BLOGS

10 green questions for the new cabinet. What follows all comes
with the caveat that parts of it could be rendered obsolete in 5,
4, 3, 2…The Prime Minister has requested permission to form a
government and appointed her new cabinet, but at the time of
writing it remains unclear if she has the votes needed to pass a
Queen's Speech or the authority to resist those in her party who
want to hand her the number of a good removals firm.
https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/blog-post/3011767/10-green-questions-for-the-new-cabinet


US disagrees with G7 partners on climate change and refuses to
endorse joint statement. The US is the only country to refuse to
the endorsement in light of its withdrawal from the Paris
Agreement. The US has refused to endorse a joint communique with
other G7 countries on climate change at the end of a two-day
summit in Bologna, Italy but says it will continue to work with
international partners on environment matters.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/g7-bologna-climate-change-environment-us-disagrees-international-partners-joint-statement-scott-a7785836.html


Climate change drives Valley Fever to soar 800 percent in the
U.S. Southwest. As the region dries out, infections from inhaling
soil-dwelling fungus see stunning jump. The infection rate of
Valley Fever in the Southwest United States has gone up a
stunning 800 percent from 2000 to 2011, as dust storms have more
than doubled. New research directly links the rise in Valley
Fever to the rise in dust storms…
https://thinkprogress.org/valley-fever-soars-climate-change-8b236cf4e9c9


Why Corn is a Climate Change Champion. A new, more detailed
reference genome for corn will bring new insights to the world’s
most productive and widely grown crop, according to researchers.
“Our new genome for maize shows how incredibly flexible this
plant is, a characteristic that directly follows from the way its
genome is organized,”…
https://www.agweb.com/article/why-corn-is-a-climate-change-champion-naa-ben-potter/
 

Can science fiction idea save us from global warming? Global
warming is the reality that the world lives with today, with
temperatures hitting new records every passing year. 2016 went
down in history as the hottest year on record, with all-time
highs of 42.7°C in Pretoria, South Africa to 54°C in Mitribah,
Kuwait. Overall, the World Meteorological Organisation recorded a
1.2 degree rise in temperatures in 2016, warmer than
pre-industrial levels.
http://www.nation.co.ke/health/Can-science-fiction-idea-save-us-from-global-warming/3476990-3966964-55u3d3/index.html


An Abandoned US Nuclear Base in Greenland Could Start Leaking
Toxic Waste Because of Global Warming. In 75 years, Camp Century
could literally melt down. Over the last century, many glaciers
have pulled back farther than humans have ever previously
witnessed. While the retreat of glaciers, and changes in the
cryosphere more generally (which includes ice sheets and
permafrost)…
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/06/camp-century-global-warming/