What's New List Serve Post Display

This is a service of the California Air Resources 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 or Board) staff has
posted a report on ARB's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credit
transfer activity covering information on recent credit volumes
transferred, credit prices and price trends through June 2017. 
Staff publishes monthly LCFS credit transfer activity reports on
the second Tuesday of every month.  

The monthly credit transfer activity reports can be accessed
here:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/credit/lrtmonthlycreditreports.htm
      

Staff also publishes weekly LCFS credit transfer activity reports
on the Tuesday of every week.  

The weekly credit transfer activity reports can be accessed
here:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/credit/lrtweeklycreditreports.htm
      


_______________________________

The Air Resources Board (ARB) announces the launch of its new
California Dairy and Livestock GHG Reduction Working Group (Dairy
Working Group) and Subgroup list serves that will provide
interested stakeholders with up-to-date information about current
activities and processes.  Sign-up for the main Dairy Working
Group process List Serve:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv_ind.php?listname=dairy  
    


AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution exposure in early pregnancy may increase chance of
premature birth, finds study.
Exposure to air pollution in the first and second trimesters of
pregnancy could increase the risk of premature birth and low
birth weight, scientists have warned. Researchers examining the
effect on pregnant mice of fine particle air pollution, emitted
by car exhausts and coal-fired power plants, said their findings
add to growing evidence that breathing polluted air in early
pregnancy is “potentially dangerous”.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/air-pollution-early-pregnancy-premature-birth-effects-babies-new-york-university-study-a7863016.html


Dems mobilize against bill to weaken Clean Air Act mandates.
Key Senate Democrats are voicing reservations or outright
opposition to a House-passed bill to loosen the Clean Air Act,
underscoring doubts about the measure's chances of becoming law,
despite President Trump's eagerness to roll back environmental
regulations. H.R. 806 would delay implementation of U.S. EPA's
2015 ozone standard by eight years and permanently stretch the
act's timetable for future pollutant reviews. It won House
approval last week on a mostly party-line vote.
https://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2017/07/27/stories/1060057989 

CAP AND TRADE

Questions remain as Gov. Brown signs legislation to address
neighborhood-level air pollution.
Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed legislation aimed at
improving air quality in disadvantaged communities, a key step in
shifting the debate over how the state fights climate change and
an issue that has tested the influence of environmental justice
advocates. The law imposes new requirements to monitor and reduce
pollution in neighborhoods where houses and schools are squeezed
between oil refineries, industrial facilities and freight
corridors. 
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-air-pollution-law-20170725-story.html


Now California Needs to Cap Costs While it Caps Carbon.
Now that California has extended its carbon dioxide trading
program through 2030 businesses are waiting to see how state
regulators plan to keep compliance costs down. Gov. Jerry Brown
(D) claimed victory when he signed an extension of California’s
landmark cap-and-trade program into law July 26, but several
crucial components of the program still need to be worked out by
the California Air Resources Board. Those include setting the
annual emissions caps for the largest emitters of greenhouse
gases from 2021 through 2030 and enacting new measures to control
industry’s expenses while meeting the state’s goal of reducing
its greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2030.

https://www.bna.com/california-needs-cap-n73014462306/ 

For Latino communities living in areas with high air pollution,
the cap-and-trade package may not do enough.
On Wednesday, Governor Jerry Brown signed the final bill in the
cap-and-trade package. This measure would, among other things,
empower the California Air Board to identify and monitor areas
with high levels of air pollution. Fifteen miles south, just
northwest of Long Beach, is the city of Wilmington, a community
sandwiched between several oil refineries. As of 2015, the city
is majority Latino, and it’s certainly a contender to be one of
those critical areas that the assembly bill would monitor.
https://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2017/07/27/58228/for-latino-communities-living-in-areas-with-high-a/


CLIMATE CHANGE

EPA transition official dismisses climate science strategy as
'silliness'.
A former transition official at the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is dismissing the agency's plan to debate climate
change science as "silliness." EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is
planning to deploy a “red team, blue team” debate over the
scientific consensus around climate change. But David Schnare, a
34-year EPA veteran and former transition official for the Trump
administration, dismissed that approach in an op-ed for
InsideEPA.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/343976-epa-transition-official-dismisses-pruitt-climate-science-strategy


How Climate Change Is Making Wildfire Season Worse.
This summer there have been dozens of fires burning in the West,
which has been experiencing record-high temperatures. Here &
Now's Jeremy Hobson talks with Gary Ferguson (@GaryAFerguson),
author of the book "Land on Fire," about why wildfires have been
getting hotter and burning longer in recent years.
http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017/07/27/land-on-fire-gary-ferguson


Related articles:
https://phys.org/news/2017-07-climate-wildfires-experts.html 
How climate change will affect the quality of our water. 
Last year, slimy green and foul-smelling algae took over
Florida’s beaches, releasing toxins that killed fish and
shellfish and sickened people. The algal bloom prompted the
Florida governor to declare a state of emergency and likely
caused widespread economic damage. If climate change goes
unchecked, we could see more of these algal blooms along our
coasts and in lakes, according to new research. That means that
climate change won’t just affect the quantity of our water supply
— causing drought, for instance — but it will also affect its
quality.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/27/16035776/climate-change-rain-nitrogen-algae-blooms-water-quality


How Will Climate Change Hurt The American Economy? Depends On
Where You Live.
A new study estimates that southern areas of the US, many of
which are already poor, could face a 20 percent decline in
economic activity if carbon emissions continue unabated through
the 21st century. The study was issued by economists with the
Climate Impact Lab, a consortium of experts from the Universities
of California, Chicago and Rutgers and the Rhodium Group.
https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/articleshow-will-climate-change-hurt-the-american-economy-depends-on-where-you-live/


Poll: Californians support climate change policies, want state
leaders to do more.
Most Californians support the state’s policies fighting climate
change — and they want state leaders to go further, a poll
released Wednesday found. More than half of state residents say
they found it very important for California to act as a leader on
climate change around the world, and two-thirds supported the
state making its own climate change policies beyond those
implemented by the federal government, according to a poll from
the Public Policy Institute of California.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/26/poll-californians-support-climate-change-policies-want-state-leaders-to-go-further/


Locals tapped for Vermont Climate Action Commission.
Middlebury businessman Bill Laberge, of Laberge Insurance, and
Bridport farmer Marie Audet, of Blue Spruce Farm, are two Addison
County residents named to the newly formed Vermont Climate Action
Commission. The commission was formed by an executive order from
Gov. Phil Scott this past Thursday, July 20. Among the
commission’s responsibilities will be the task of unifying
Vermont’s ambitious climate and economic goals.
http://www.addisonindependent.com/201707locals-tapped-vermont-climate-action-commission


VOLKSWAGEN

U.S. Regulators Approve Fix for 326,000 VW Diesels.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air
Resources Board on Thursday approved a fix for 326,000 Volkswagen
AG diesel cars, the agencies and the automaker said Thursday. The
fix will include hardware and software upgrades, including
replacing an emissions catalyst but will reduce vehicle fuel
economy ratings by as much as 2 miles per gallon.
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/07/27/business/27reuters-volkswagen-emissions-regulator.html


Related articles:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-regulator-idUSKBN1AC2F3
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-volkswagen-diesel-20170727-story.html
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/07/27/epa-volkswagen-diesel-fix/516686001/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/vw-and-regulators-agree-on-fix-for-cars-in-cheating-scandal/2017/07/27/28fedf14-72fc-11e7-8c17-533c52b2f014_story.html

Germans find illegal emissions device in Porsche model.
German authorities have found what they consider an illegal
"defeat device" in a Porsche diesel model that manipulates
emissions levels, leading to the recall of some 22,000 cars. The
model affected is a Cayenne 3-liter TDI that is still in
production, Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Thursday.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_PORSCHE_DIESEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Smog and mirrors: On world’s climate stage, Sacramento chases
electric vehicle market and a new economic identity.
An array of touch-screen lights flicker to life. The seat belt
clicks and the driver’s seat drifts into place. As the pedal
eases down, a wave of invisible electric torque floats the car
forward without a sound. After rounding the block, Jerry Kaplan
glided his hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai to a stop. Along with a
dozen other alternative-fuel cars, the one with a Japanese name
meaning “the future” was brought to the Capitol that April 19 to
offer test drives and convince the public they were worth
buying.
https://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/smog-mirrors-on-worlds/content?oid=24711789


VEHICLES

Tesla’s Model 3 is Making Electric Vehicles Successful Even
Before its Launch.
THE MODEL 3, Tesla's long-awaited mass-market electric vehicle,
launches Friday to what will no doubt be significant fanfare. The
unveiling isn't only a coming-of-age party for the nascent car
manufacturer; it feels like a significant moment in EV history,
too. “It is the car that has been promised to us since the
inception of this industry,” says Terry O’Day, who heads up
marketing at the electric charging company EVgo. “It’s the moment
that we demonstrate a mass-produced vehicle that is affordably
priced and has features that don’t require consumers to
compromise in any way.”
https://www.wired.com/story/tesla-model-3-electric-market/

Electric bus maker Proterra opens California factory.
Proterra, the Burlingame builder of electric buses, opened a
factory in the Los Angeles area Wednesday, in an effort to move
some of its manufacturing closer to its West Coast customers. The
company’s new plant, in the City of Industry, will build buses
for public transit agencies throughout California and other
Western states. Until now, all of its battery-powered buses have
been built in South Carolina and shipped to customers — a
sometimes expensive proposition. 
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Electric-bus-maker-Proterra-opens-California-11438401.php

GREEN ENERGY

U.S. House Hacks Away at Renewable Energy, Efficiency Programs.
The U.S. House brushed aside Democrats' efforts to preserve
federal funding for clean energy and energy efficiency on
Thursday as it moved toward passage of a large spending bill that
would slash those programs by 45 percent while maintaining
federal support for fossil energy research and development. The
GOP-led House tucked its $9 billion federal energy spending plan
into its so-called "minibus" budget bill, a catch-all package to
fund one-quarter of the federal government when the new fiscal
year begins in October.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27072017/congress-budget-house-vote-renewable-energy-efficiency-programs-fossil-fuel-spending

AEP to spend $4.5 billion on biggest single wind farm in U.S.
AEP plans to spend $4.5 billion on new power – and in a sign of
recent times, it’s in renewable energy, not coal. The electric
utility plans to spend the money on what will be the biggest
single wind farm in the United States, as the Columbus company
continues its fast churn away from coal toward a more diverse mix
of power generation.
https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/07/26/aep-to-spend-4-5-billion-on-biggest-single-wind.html

The future of renewable energy is in Texas.
Renewable energy isn't at a crossroads in the U.S. so much as on
a two-lane highway: While the federal government hits the gas on
fossil fuels, states are speeding ahead to develop renewable
energy -- and reaching new milestones. For example, enough solar
energy is being collected every year to power all the
single-family homes in Florida. 
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-is-leading-the-way-in-renewable-energy/


South Miami makes solar PV panels mandatory for new houses.
A new law requiring all new homes built in the city to have solar
panels, making South Miami the first city outside California to
support such an initiative. Under the new law passed on 18 July
2017 from South Miami City Commission, new residential
construction would require 175 square feet of solar panels to be
installed per 1,000 square feet of sunlit roof area, or 2.75 kW
per 1,000 square feet of living space, whichever is less.
http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/south-miami-makes-solar-pv-panels-mandatory-for-new-houses


VIDEO: Palo Alto city officials showing commitment to renewable
energy.
Palo Alto city officials are showing their commitment to
renewable energy. They unveiled new solar panels installed at two
public garages on Webster and Bryant Streets on Tuesday. The
solar panels will power the garages and electric vehicle charging
stations. Officials plan to add more charging stations around the
city. They say the city wants to make driving electric convenient
and economical.
http://abc7news.com/news/video-palo-alto-city-officials-showing-commitment-to-renewable-energy/2250070/


MISCELLANEOUS

Californians put high priority on environment, poll shows. 
As California emerges as a force on climate change and a
counterweight to President Donald Trump, residents of the
green-minded state widely support environmental actions taken by
leaders in Sacramento, according to a survey released Wednesday.
Fifty-one percent of California adults approve of the way Gov.
Jerry Brown and the Legislature are handling environmental
issues, the Public Policy Institute of California survey shows,
even as state climate policies threaten to raise gasoline and
electricity prices.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Survey-Californians-support-state-s-emergence-11438714.php

Has the Moment for Environmental Justice Been Lost?
Given how President Donald Trump has taken aim at the
Environmental Protection Agency with regulatory rollbacks and
deep proposed budget cuts, it may come as no surprise that the
Office of Environmental Justice is on the chopping block. This
tiny corner of the EPA was established 24 years ago to advocate
for minorities and the poor, populations most likely to face the
consequences of pollution and least able to advocate for
themselves.
https://www.propublica.org/article/has-the-moment-for-environmental-justice-been-lost


OPINIONS

Could complex cap-and-trade deal derail Jerry Brown’s bullet
train?
The political deal that led to reauthorization of California’s
cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions has many pieces,
but one of the strangest is Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1.
To win support from Assembly Republican leader Chad Mayes and
presumably several other Republicans, Gov. Jerry Brown and his
fellow Democrats agreed to place the measure, authored by Mayes,
on next year’s statewide ballot.
https://calmatters.org/articles/complex-cap-trade-deal-derail-jerry-browns-bullet-train/


AB 398 is Most Cost Effective Way to Reduce Emissions for
Business & the Economy.
When SB 32 passed in 2016, California businesses and consumers
were confronted with huge costs due to the Air Resources Board
command-and-control regulations created to achieve mandated and
unprecedented emission reductions, even though California
represents only one percent of total global emissions. As a
result, we aggressively sought reforms to create a market-based
cap-and-trade program that protects the economy and lowers future
cost increases for all Californians, which is the only realistic
policy approach for success.
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2017/07/ab-398-cost-effective-way-reduce-emissions-business-economy/