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California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 29, 2009.
 

This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
of Communications.  You may need to sign in or register with
individual websites to view some of the following news articles.

Burning Home Fires Will Be A Crime On Bad-Air Nights In Bay
Area. Light a fire at home, pay a $400 fine. Burning wood fires
in home fireplaces and stoves on bad air nights in the Bay Area
becomes illegal again as of Sunday, when the region enters its
second cold-weather season with lighting up banned during Spare
the Air alerts. The crackdown, aimed at protecting public health
from smoke, has two significant changes this year, the Bay Area
Air Quality Management announced Wednesday: Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_13664939?source=rss

Reality Sets In; Senate Allocation Pie Smaller Than House
Climate Bill's. At first glance, global warming legislation
unveiled last week by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) appeared to
mirror the House-passed climate bill when it came to the critical
question of how to distribute valuable emission allowances. But a
closer look reveals that the two measures are actually quite
different. Boxer's press release offered numerous details for how
she wanted to slice up nearly three-quarters of the cap-and-trade
program's allowances among power plants, petroleum refiners,
automakers and other powerful industry interests. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/29/29climatewire-reality-sets-in-senate-allocation-pie-smalle-73100.html

EU Leaders Debate Climate Aid To Poor At Summit. Brussels,
Belgium - European Union nations struggled Thursday to decide how
much climate aid to offer poor nations, with Hungary and Poland
demanding that richer EU states pay a larger share of the costs
of enticing more governments to sign a new global climate change
pact. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt — who is chairing
a two-day EU summit in Brussels — said the bloc's credibility was
on the line, and failure to make a clear financial offer could
jeopardize the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen in December.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/29/international/i074309D45.DTL&type=printable
http://www.modbee.com/business/story/912441.html#ixzz0VLgSA4VT

Reuters: Senate Republicans Weigh Delaying Climate Bill.
Washington (Reuters) - Progress on climate change legislation in
the U.S. Senate could be delayed by a group of Republicans who
are considering boycotting upcoming committee work sessions, a
spokesman for the lawmakers said on Thursday. A "boycott is on
the table as an option," said Matt Dempsey, a spokesman for
Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
"We're certainly heading in that direction." Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE59Q0JY20091029

Global Pollution-Fighters Find Scant Success. New York - Twelve
of the worst pollution problems in the developing world are being
cleaned up, demonstrating that tens of thousands of others also
could be improved, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The clean-up sites, ranging from Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear
disaster area to the polluted streets of Delhi, were in the
fourth annual World's Worst Polluted Places Report issued by the
New York-based Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland.
Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE59R4BE20091029

Idling School Buses Spew Black Carbon, Fine Particles. Idling
school buses spew tons of exhaust into the air, putting children
at risk when they leave school at the end of each day. In New
York City alone, idling vehicles emit as much pollution as nine
million diesel trucks driving from the Bronx to Staten Island.
But the city's laws requiring them to shut down their engines in
school zones are poorly enforced. Posted.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/idling-school-buses

California Focus: Let The State Choose Your TV? Proposed
energy-efficiency rules could effectively ban plasma sets. There
are many things to consider when choosing a television to buy.
Some consumers care about color contrast. Others want high
resolution. And still others prefer a thin panel. California
regulators, however, want to eliminate these choices. As early as
next week, the state's Energy Commission will vote on standards
that would force consumers to give priority to one attribute over
all others: energy efficiency. Posted.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-energy-efficiency-2627686-standards-commission#

Tesla Won't Have To Pay Sales Tax On Equipment. Tesla Motors
won't have to pay sales tax on $320 million worth of
manufacturing equipment for building its electric cars, under an
agreement California Treasurer Bill Lockyer announced Wednesday.
Tesla will purchase the machinery, but title to the equipment
initially will be held by the California Alternative Energy and
Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, which doesn't have
to pay sales tax on equipment used to make advanced vehicles.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/28/BU971AC134.DTL
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2009/10/29/12

E.U. Calls For Strict Emission Limits On Small Trucks. The
European Union proposed rules yesterday that would further limit
that amount of carbon dioxide released by light trucks and vans,
beginning in 2014. The rules, released by the European
Commission, the E.U.'s executive arm, would increase the average
cost of vans $5,250 by 2020, with fuel savings offsetting these
extra costs, the commission said. Vans and light trucks
constitute 11 percent of road vehicle sales in Europe. The
commission made certain that it did not include loopholes in the
regulation that would allow gas-guzzling passenger vehicles to
fall under the emission rules, said Stavros Dimas, the E.U.
environment minister. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/10/29/17

BP, GE To Build 'Clean Coal' Plant In Socal. Oil giant BP and
General Electric Co. announced plans yesterday to collaborate on
a 250-megawatt coal-fired power plant that would employ
integrated gasification technology and carbon dioxide capture in
Southern California. The plant, to be built near Bakersfield in
oil-rich Kern County, is the result of a technology licensing
agreement between GE Energy and Hydrogen Energy International, a
joint venture of BP and mining giant Rio Tinto. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/10/29/5 

Deal Struck On Great Lakes Ship Pollution. Congressional
negotiators reached a deal Tuesday that would effectively exempt
13 ships that haul iron ore, coal and other freight on the Great
Lakes from a proposed federal rule meant to reduce air pollution.
The Lake Carriers' Association, which represents the 55
U.S.-flagged vessels that operate on the lakes, had asked for at
least a partial exemption from rules proposed by the
Environmental Protection Agency that would require large vessels
operating within 200 miles of a U.S. coast to use cleaner — and
costlier — fuel and improve engine technology. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/27/national/a134457D35.DTL&type=printable

Enviro Groups' Lawsuit Seeks Protection For Pika In Calif. San
Francisco -- Environmental groups have sued a California agency
for failing to protect an alpine mammal that may be an early
casualty of climate change. Earthjustice and the Center for
Biological Diversity filed briefs in state court yesterday
against the California Fish and Game Commission for a series of
decisions that have left five species of the American pika
unprotected by the state's Endangered Species Act. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/10/29/21

Body Burden Study for Northwest Berkeley. The ongoing debate
about toxic emissions in northwest Berkeley and their health
impacts may be closer to resolve with the advent of a project
that will collect blood samples during the next several months.
This community effort is funded by the Clarence E. Heller
Charitable Foundation to provide a better understanding of the
toxic impacts from the area’s poor air quality. The principal
focus of this study centers on those who live, work, and attend
schools and childcare facilities downwind from Pacific Steel
Casting, a local foundry and Berkeley’s biggest air polluter.
Posted.
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-10-29/article/34008?headline=Body-Burden-Study-for-Northwest-Berkeley

Being Eco-Friendly Has Never Been Easier. A somewhat
idiosyncratic automaker, Subaru is best known for its
all-wheel-drive vehicles that have found favour with loyal niche
groups. But, as it doesn't do hybrids or diesels -- for the North
American market, at least -- it might appear as though Subaru's
products aren't reaching out to the environmentally conscious or
fuel thrifty. PZEV could change at least one of those things, as
the word continues to get out. Here's the lowdown: PZEV, which
Subaru introduced early last year to several of its models,
stands for Partial Zero Emission Vehicle. Posted.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Being+friendly+never+been+easier/2158567/story.html

Appeals Court Backs State Washing Machine Rules. A federal
appeals court revived California's effort Wednesday to increase
water efficiency in home washing machines, a plan that state
regulators say would ease the water shortage and save households
money. The state Energy Commission's water-use requirements for
new washers, the first in the nation, were scheduled to take
effect in 2007. But the U.S. Energy Department under President
George W. Bush vetoed the rules in 2006, saying California had
not presented evidence supporting the need for the regulations.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/29/BA1A1ABSL7.DTL&type=printable

Dust Prompts Pollution Warnings. State air pollution officials
warned Tuesday afternoon that blowing dust may produce unhealthy
air throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Short-term exposure to
small particles of pollution such as dust can trigger asthma
attacks, bronchitis and respiratory infections, the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District said. Posted.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091028/A_NEWS/910280319/-1/a_news14#STS=g1dtn4fz.zag


Bay Bridge Closure Shows Drivers Are Resistant To Transit. The
startling fact about the Bay Bridge closure is how few drivers
opted to use public transit for their commute. BART and the
ferries garnered some 30,000 extra passengers and the rest of
100,000 or so Bay Bridge users chose to either stay at home or
drive around on other bridges. Posted.
http://www.examiner.com/x-11025-Bay-Area-Public-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m10d28-Bay-Bridge-closure-shows-drivers-are-resistant-to-transit
 
Marin Foundation To Fund $10 Million In Climate Change Projects.
The Marin Community Foundation will fund $10 million worth in
climate change-related projects during the next five years,
according to an announcement today. “We want Marin to do more
than just play its part,” said foundation President Thomas
Peters. “We want to spur Marin residents to set the standard for
how an entire community rallies around a global issue. In doing
so, we’ll be building on decades of world-renowned environmental
stewardship in the county.” Posted.
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/16286/marin-foundation-to-fund-10-million-in-climate-change-projects/


Obama Needs to Show Leadership on Climate Treaty. The following
editorial appeared in the San Jose Mercury News on Tuesday, Oct.
27: Saturday's demonstrations in 181 countries were a reminder of
the looming United Nations Climate Change Conference, set to
begin Dec. 7 in Copenhagen with the goal of replacing the
expiring Kyoto accord. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/world/story/910630.html#ixzz0VLm0nySV

UN Climate Chief Doubts Full Treaty This Year. Reaching a final
global warming treaty will be impossible this year, but the
political ingredients of a deal must be settled at a conference
in December, the U.N.'s top climate official said Wednesday.
Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/29/world/AP-EU-Climate-Change.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=global%20warming&st=cse


California Must Commit To More Renewable Energy. California is
building its global reputation for environmental awareness and
clean energy leadership, with much of the action centered here in
Silicon Valley. However, more substantial and tenacious
leadership at the state level is needed to keep California, and
the Silicon Valley, at the cutting edge. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_13662307 

Is The End Near For Humanity? If catastrophic climate change is
for real and is as devastating as most of the world’s scientists
say it could be, most of us would be killed prematurely by its
effects. The naysayers tell us it’s a big hoax; it’s just big
corporations finding a new way to make money, and more government
taking over our lives. And anyway, for us to build an entirely
new alternative energy system would create more enormous debt
that our children and grandchildren would have to pay back.
Posted.
http://rosevillept.com/detail/133566.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=


Good For More Than The Environment. Not long after Sustainable
Contra Costa announced its formation and its mission — to help
county residents better use their natural resources — the
nonprofit group promptly honored a handful of those already
dedicated to providing education and resources for sustainable
living. Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/green-living/ci_13660914 

BLOGS

Some Tough Thoughts on Climate Policy. Two readers with
different backgrounds who both accept that humans could disrupt
the climate shared strong feelings of discouragement after the
Obama administration’s “evidence-based revival meeting,” as Cathy
Zoi, the head of the Energy Department office on efficiency and
renewable energy, described Wednesday’s White House forum on
energy and climate. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/some-tough-thoughts-on-climate/


Do Green Jobs Create Greener Americans? Most “green job”
training programs aim to teach low-income workers the job skills
necessary to join the nascent clean-tech economy:
energy-efficiency retrofitting, wind turbine maintenance,
brownfield remediation and so forth. Posted.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/do-green-jobs-create-greener-americans/?scp=5&sq=climate%20change&st=cse


Global Warming Fact Of The Day (Or, “Oops” As It’s Come To Be
Known). This is another of those global warming oops moments. You
know, when the props holding up this phony catastrophe get kicked
out and its credibility start falling. Again. It seems Habibullo
Abdussamatov, the top guy at the space research unit of St.
Petersburg’s Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, has
published a paper that concludes it is the sun’s irradiance
that’s the primary factor responsible for earth’s climate
variations, not carbon dioxide. Posted.
http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2009/10/28/global-warming-fact-of-the-day-or-oops-as-its-come-to-be-known/13683/

Summing Up Global Warming. The American public is downplaying
global warming even as the American Congress is ratcheting up its
supposed seriousness. It’s a good time for a quick summary of the
situation, courtesy Patrick J. Michaels of the Cato Institute:
“Does the most recent science and climate data argue for
precipitous action? (No.) “Is there a suite of technologies that
can dramatically cut emissions by, say, 2050? (No.) “Would such
actions take away capital, in a futile attempt to stop warming,
that would best be invested in the future? (Yes.) Posted.
http://orangepunch.freedomblogging.com/2009/10/28/summing-up-global-warming-2/13669/

The Bronze Medal Goes To... China and the United States are the
world's first and second largest emitters of carbon dioxide. Just
behind the two behemoths comes...Indonesia? That's right. The
tiny island nation, whose forests are particularly carbon rich,
is being deforested so quickly that its emissions put it on the
playing field with huge economic powerhouses. The news puts
increased pressure on the debate surrounding an idea called REDD,
or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=50490 

U.N. Climate Chief Says Money for Poorer Nations Is Key to
Copenhagen. Bloomberg News “Finance is the key to a deal in
Copenhagen said the U.N.’s climate chief, Yvo de Boer. The head
of the United Nations climate office said Wednesday that richer
nations must pledge funds to poorer nations to make progress on a
new agreement to curb global warming this yearPosted.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/un-climate-chief-says-money-for-poorer-nations-is-key-to-copenhagen/?pagemode=print