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California Air Resources Board News Clips for December 18-21,
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.

Air Board Calls For Flexibility. Sacramento - The Air Resources
Board directed its staff Wednesday to return to the board in
April with a new provision that would provide truck fleets more
flexibility in cleaning up their diesel emissions under the
state's truck and bus rule, adopted in December 2008, in light of
the recession's effect on the industry. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14025695?nclick_check=1

AP Interview: SC Senator Stumps For Climate Change.
Washington—Sen. Lindsey Graham makes an unlikely champion for
action on climate change. The South Carolina Republican has
joined forces with Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts and
independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut to drum up support for a
bill that would put a price on heat-trapping pollution. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14020020

Chinese Environmental Group Wins 2 Cases. Beijing—An
environmental group backed by the government said Friday it had
won two lawsuits on behalf of residents threatened by pollution,
marking the first time such an organization has been allowed to
file a public interest case. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14025108

Climate Reality: Voluntary Efforts Not Enough. Copenhagen—Around
the world, countries and capitalism are already working to curb
global warming on their own, with or without a global treaty. In
Brazil more rainforests are being saved, and in Chicago there's a
voluntary carbon pollution trading system. People recycle, buy
smaller and newer cars, and change lightbulbs. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14033444

Danville School Working On Eco-Friendly Projects. Danville —
Maggie Rowland wants to give something back to the school where
she has spent the past several years. For the 17-year-old senior
at the Athenian School, that could mean turning used cooking oil
into fuel for the private school's buses. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_14033644

Acid Oceans: The 'Evil Twin' Of Climate Change. Monterey Bay
National Marine Sanctuary — Far from Copenhagen's turbulent
climate talks, the sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters
reposing along the shoreline and kelp forests of this protected
marine area stand to gain from any global deal to cut greenhouse
gases. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14027657

Gas Could Be The Calvary In Global Warming Fight. An unlikely
source of energy has emerged to meet international demands that
the United States do more to fight global warming: It's cleaner
than coal, cheaper than oil and a 90-year supply is under our
feet. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14037830

U.N. Chief Declares Climate Accord 'Significant Achievement'.
United Nations -- The U.N. secretary-general tried today to put a
positive spin on a controversial accord that came out of climate
change talks in Copenhagen last week. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon insisted that the Copenhagen Accord fulfills the
parameters he had sought, even though the end result fell far
short of even the most modest expectations voiced before the
meeting. "This was quite a significant achievement which we were
able to make in Copenhagen," Ban told reporters. "We should be
more proactive. We should be more forthcoming rather than
critical." Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/12/21/21greenwire-un-chief-declares-climate-accord-significant-a-24845.html?pagewanted=print

Merkel Calls On US For Deeper Emissions Cuts. Berlin—Germany's
chancellor has called on the United States to cut back even more
on emissions of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gasses.
Angela Merkel told parliament ahead of her departure for the
climate talks in Copenhagen on Thursday that the current U.S.
offer of a 4 percent cut "is not ambitious enough." Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/nation-world/ci_14016130

Global Warming A Tough Sell For The Human Psyche. New York—The
Copenhagen talks on climate change were convened with a sense of
urgency that many ordinary folks don't share. Why is that? One
big reason: It's hard for people to get excited about a threat
that seems far away in space and time, psychologists say. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14019358

Forest Plan Gets The Ax At UN Climate Talks. Copenhagen—A plan
to protect the world's biologically rich tropical forests by
paying poor nations to protect them was shelved Saturday after
world leaders failed to agree on a binding deal to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/environment/ci_14032929

Climate Change Deal Made In Copenhagen Elicits Disappointment,
Criticism As Well As Optimism. President Barack Obama agreed
Friday to a non-legally binding agreement which could require
countries to set goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
monitor the actions made, and wealthy nations to pump out
billions of dollars to developing countries. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14029160

Martinez Congressman disappointed in lack of Copenhagen climate
deal. Congressman George Miller, telephoning from Copenhagen,
described what appears to be the failure of world leaders to come
to a solid agreement at the global climate change summit as a
disappointment but not a waste of time. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/politics-government/ci_14028069

San Rafael Pioneering Countywide Green-Building Regulations. The
San Rafael Planning Commission recommended approval this week of
a new-and-improved green-building ordinance that now will be
shopped around to all Marin's cities and towns. Officials
envision the ordinance, the first of its kind in Marin, to serve
as a model countywide. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14012491

Aid Group Tries To Reduce Carbon Footprint Of Weddings In
Kashmir Valley. Srinagar, Indian-Administered Kashmir -- During
every wedding season in the Kashmir Valley, love is in the air --
along with a thick cloud of grey smoke from thousands of cooking
fires as platoons of wedding chefs, or wazas, slow-cook lamb and
chicken over wood fires, sometimes for days. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121704675.html

Editorial: One Cheer For Copenhagen. LATE FRIDAY at the
Copenhagen climate conference, cheers erupted when word came that
President Obama had struck a deal with Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao. But privately, some climate activists scratched their
heads. What, exactly, were people cheering? Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/19/AR2009121902333.html

Spare the Air Debate: Nostalgia Vs. Asthma. Richard Johnson, of
Pinole, is still stewing that he couldn't burn his wood stove on
Thanksgiving. He says he'll be upset all over again on Christmas
if Bay Area air quality regulators decide to declare another
Spare the Air day that triggers a rule banning wood-burning
fires. Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14019987

My Word: Climate Change Issues Must Be Made To Resonate With
Voters. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S decision to attend the U.N.
Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen underscores his
commitment to slow global warming. The administration has
wrangled agreements from China and India to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions. Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_14026722

Global Shipping Line First In Oakland To Cut Dangerous Diesel
Emissions. Each time the 960-foot-long APL Korea glides into the
Port of Oakland to deliver goods from around the globe, the
container ship also brings with it something nobody wants: a
half-ton of dangerous pollutants that foul the air and cause
serious health problems for some West Oakland residents. Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14028492

Peninsula's Green Efforts Lauded. Leaders at Copenhagen's
climate change conference are struggling this week to agree on
actions to reduce global warming-related emissions, but a new
report from the Sierra Club suggests that Peninsula cities are
already fighting climate change at home. Posted.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14012994

Commute Plan Approved By SJ Valley Air Board. Fresno,
Calif.—Businesses across the San Joaquin Valley will soon have to
follow new rules to help their employees cut down on their daily
commute. As regulators try to improve air quality in the valley
-- where the most polluted air in the nation is often reported --
the board of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control
District approved a plan Thursday requiring companies to reduce
the number of miles employees have to drive. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14021092

Readers' Forum: Climate Change Shifting How Bay Area Land-Use
Decisions Are Made. IN THE battle against global warming,
increasing attention is focused on land-use patterns because of
the interconnection between development and transportation.
Thirty percent of greenhouse gas emissions in California come
from cars and light trucks. Posted.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_14026259

Study Says States Need To Broaden Their Approach To Clean Energy
Incentives. State solar rebates are plain vanilla, while other
financing tools for renewable energy programs, like competitive
loans, are more like tutti-frutti. They can add variety, appeal
and reach to state energy efforts. A new analysis of financing
mechanisms for clean power projects says states that offer a rich
mix of rebates, loans, guarantees and other policies will advance
their markets more quickly. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2009/12/18/5

Obama Tries To Rally The Conference, But Deadlock Persists.
Copenhagen -- President Obama exhorted world leaders today "not
to talk, but to act" as they scrambled in the closing hours of a
historic U.N. global warming summit to salvage an agreement to
curtail greenhouse gas emissions. Behind the scenes, dozens of
presidents and prime ministers worked on a three-page document
that they hope will become the lone outcome of the two-week
negotiations here. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2009/12/18/1

A Pro-Bicycle City Faces Trouble Promoting Electric Cars.
Amsterdam -- Cars in the pinched, medieval streets at the center
of this city can quickly clog traffic. The policy has been to
find myriad ways to discourage them, clearing the way for more
and more bicyclists. The Dutch have tried stiff fees, a maze of
prohibited lanes and other ways of outright discrimination to
limit the number of cars in this antique city of arched bridges
and canals. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2009/12/21/2

EPA Shipping Rule May Exempt Older Vessels. A pending U.S. EPA
rule aimed at slashing air pollution from large oceanbound ships
could exempt older steamships that are unequipped for switching
to cleaner fuel, according to a key House Democrat. Rep. Norm
Dicks of Washington, chairman of the House Interior
Appropriations Subcommittee, said EPA plans to include an
exemption for older steamships from regulations limiting the
sulfur content of fuel in ships operating in U.S. waters. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/12/18/3

Mich. Lawmakers Approve $220M For Makers Of Next-Gen Vehicles.
The Michigan Legislature has approved $220 million in tax credits
for businesses developing battery packs, aimed at helping
companies such as Ford, General Motors and Dow Chemical to create
components used in hybrid and electric vehicles. Republican state
Sen. Jason Allen said the credits would create more than 2,000
jobs in Michigan while positioning the state to gain from the
expected rise in demand for energy-efficient vehicles. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2009/12/18/8

Some Climate Experts Seek Alternative To U.N. Process.
Copenhagen -- The U.N. global warming summit became a myth long
before it happened. By the time it closed with a compromise to
acknowledge a U.S.-brokered accord, the two weeks of intrigue,
chaos and divisiveness had shattered for many the idealized
notion of a global consensus to tackle climate change. The week
started with a maneuver by the tiny island nation of Tuvalu to
block work until it could be assured the 1997 Kyoto Protocol
would be preserved as leaders tried to craft a new climate pact. 
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2009/12/21/1

EPA Delays Smog Proposal. U.S. EPA has delayed until January its
plans to issue a draft reconsideration of the George W. Bush
administration's smog standards, the Justice Department announced
yesterday. The agency announced plans in September to reconsider
the federal standard for airborne ozone, or smog, due to concerns
about whether the Bush administration's standard satisfies the
requirements of the Clean Air Act (Greenwire, Sept. 16). Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/12/18/22

Largest U.S. Thin-Film Plant Opens In Calif. A new solar power
plant opened in California today after a three-month build-out,
becoming the largest U.S. facility of its kind. The 21-megawatt
plant in Blythe, about 200 miles east of Los Angeles, will supply
enough power to run nearly 17,000 homes when operating at peak
capacity, according to the plant's owner, NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:
NRG). The facility was built by First Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR),
which will maintain and operate it, and consists of
electricity-generating thin-film solar panels. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2009/12/21/8

BLOGS

Recycling Could Become Compulsory For Businesses Operating In
California. Following an example set in San Francisco,
California's businesses may need to start recycling all of their
solid waste within three years or face fines. Recycling and
composting became mandatory this year for San Francisco residents
and businesses, but The City is not yet imposing fines for
violations.  Posted.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/under-the-dome/Recycling-could-become-compulsory-for-businesses-operating-in-California-79763077.html