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newsclips -- Newsclips for July 13, 2010.
Posted: 13 Jul 2010 12:50:33
California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 12, 2010. 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. CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S Editorial: Don't Let Lobbyists Love AB 32 To Death. Some fossil fuel producers push Proposition 23 to overturn Assembly Bill 32, the landmark law to combat climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But industry lobbyists are focused on an entirely separate and equally significant front: the regulatory process to implement the law. The Bee's Rick Daysog reported Monday that industry lobbyists are focused on shaping the guts of AB 32. They greatly outgun lobbyists for environmentalists and health groups. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/13/v-print/2885777/dont-let-lobbyists-love-ab-32.html Lobbyists Pull Out Checkbooks to Overturn CA Emission Law. Tesoro Corp. and Valero Energy Corp., both of San Antonio, Tx., have spent a combined $1.5 million or 79 percent of the funds collected in an effort to overturn California’s AB 32, which seeks to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2020, and which would begin to go into effect in 2012. That would bring carbon emissions in the state down to levels not seen since 1990. Posted. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/07/13/tesoro-valero-spend-1-5m-to-overturn-ca-emission-law/ Kerry Looking to Strike Deal With Utilities on Carbon Emissions Cap. Senate Democrats are searching for a way to entice the utility sector to sign on to an industrywide emissions cap in a final bid to salvage President Obama's goal of pricing carbon this year. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told reporters yesterday that conversations between Democrats and utilities are ongoing and that he remained optimistic that they could strike a deal. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/07/13/13climatewire-kerry-looking-to-strike-deal-with-utilities-16078.html?pagewanted=print http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071300015.html OPINION: The Science Behind Climate Science. How we as a society use what we have learned from climate science could well define our generation. Right now, our nation — and the world — are at a crossroads. Yet we seem stalled — despite an increasingly clear picture of what human-induced global warming is doing to our planet. The scientific community – often working closely with governments – has produced numerous, carefully reviewed, international and national assessments of the scientific understanding behind climate change. Posted. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39664.html Election In Japan Threatens National Climate Bill With Co2 Target. Tokyo -- Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan lost control of the upper house in parliament on Sunday, dealing a severe blow to his Democratic Party's chances of passing a climate bill this year. The bill would attempt to honor his country's pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent. Kan's coalition now has 110 lawmakers in the upper house after half of the 242 seats were up for grabs in Sunday's vote. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/13/1 Acid Rain, Smog Rules to Spur CO2 Law, Traders Say. The threat of power-plant closures under the Obama administration's planned limits on acid rain and smog pollution should revive efforts to pass legislation this year establishing a U.S. carbon market, an emissions trading group said today. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071203783.html CBO: Climate Bill Would Cut U.S. Deficit By $19 Billion. A report released by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation found that the American Power Act would reduce U.S. deficits by about $19 billion from 2011 to 2020. While the legislation would direct spending by $732 billion over the 10 years, it would increase revenues by about $751 billion, the report found. The American Power Act, introduced by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), would establish a hard price collar on carbon emissions credits that operators would have to purchase. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70984 ENERGY Moment Of Truth For Energy Bill. The next three weeks represent Democrats’ last, best shot at getting an energy and climate change bill passed this year. In the White House and the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, it’s moment-of-truth time. People on every side of the energy debate say that Reid must unveil a concrete plan backed by a full-court press from the president this week, or the entire effort will fall apart in the run-up to the midterm elections. Posted. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=C48C3ED6-18FE-70B2-A8ADD497D46918F2 Two Firms Get Funds For Energy Research. Two firms get funds for energy research. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Monday that two San Diego companies have qualified for $2.4 million in federal stimulus grants for “shoot the moon” energy research. General Atomics will get nearly $2 million to work with the University of California San Diego to develop a battery big enough to store power for utilities, in which chemicals would flow through cells as power is needed. Posted. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/12/two-firms-get-funds-energy-research/ Green-Tech Projects In State Get Stimulus Funds. The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday awarded $92 million in stimulus funds for research projects that could change the way the country uses and stores energy, with $22 million going to California companies and universities. The money represents the Obama administration's latest round of investments in green technology. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has already funded loans for several green Bay Area companies, such as Solyndra of Fremont and Tesla Motors of Palo Alto. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/13/BUFP1ED9GI.DTL&type=printable California To Get $22 Million In DOE Clean-Tech Grants. The federal Department of Energy on Monday awarded $92 million for 43 clean-energy research projects across the country, including 11 projects in California that will receive a total of $22 million. The projects include $1.6 million to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for energy storage and more than $5 million to HRL Laboratories in Malibu to develop low-cost battery chargers for electric cars. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/business-headlines/ci_15500339?nclick_check=1 Unions, Contractors Spar Over Solar Jobs In Calif. Labor unions and independent contractors are jockeying for position as the solar industry begins to boom in California. An agreement brokered last month after a year of negotiations among the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the National Electrical Contractors Association and the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) would create a new union-approved job classification in California for solar photovoltaic installers working on residential and modular commercial projects. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/07/13/3 Eco-Friendly Bulbs Hold Hidden Risk. For years, consumers have been urged to switch to "CFLs," or compact fluorescent lights, which use about one-quarter of the electricity of incandescent bulbs. But unknown to many consumers, the lights come with a health risk: They contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin that can be particularly harmful to pregnant women and children. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15499763 Supervisors To Discuss Proposed Solar Plant. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors today will conduct a hearing on a proposed 27-acre solar power generating plant in Newberry Springs that has been appealed. The county Planning Commission approved the project, planned for the northwest corner of Cottonwood and Mountain View roads, on April 22. Newberry Springs residents James and Ramona Doles filed their appeal eight days later. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15500358 Opinion: A Good Energy Strategy Doesn't Fit In A Slogan. It's much easier to look for a magic solution than it is to adapt to reality. Take energy, for instance. These days "clean energy," also known as "green energy," is being presented as the magic solution for global warming, our dependence on foreign oil, and the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071205041.html Obama Sticks With Clean-Energy Goals. President Obama is looking again to convince voters that the billions of dollars he has pumped into embryonic clean-energy firms will build a better economy even if they generate only a modest number of jobs before the middle of the decade. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071205700.html Korea Groups to Invest $18.5 Billion in Clean Energy. July 13 (Bloomberg) -- South Korea's 30 major industrial groups plan to invest 22.4 trillion won ($18.5 billion) by 2013 in clean energy, including batteries and solar power, to benefit from the government's spending on environment-friendly projects. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071300072.html Could Poultry-Litter Power Plants Be In California's Future? In the search for new sources of energy, California policymakers may need to look to the birds.The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday on a company interested in building chicken litter-fueled power plants in poultry-producing states. The company, Fibrowatt LLC, is based in Langhorne, Penn., and is a unit of the privately held Homeland Renewable Energy. Chicken and turkey litter is commonly used by farmers to fertilize croplands. Posted. http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/will-californias-energy-production-go-birds Compact Fluorescent Lamps Save Energy But Need To Be Disposed Of Properly. For years, consumers have been urged to switch to CFLs, or compact fluorescent lights, which use about one-quarter of the electricity of incandescent bulbs. But unknown to many, CFLs come with a health risk if they're broken: They contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin that can be particularly harmful to pregnant women and children. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_15499538 CARBON EMISSIONS Draft Bingaman Bill Would Cap Power Plant Emissions. A climate bill being developed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chairman would impose carbon caps on electric utilities and achieve far fewer emission reductions than more sweeping proposals under consideration in the Senate. A discussion draft by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) would cut emissions by 2020 from regulated sources by 17 percent from 2005 levels and 42 percent by 2030. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/13/1 FORMALDEHYDE California Extends Formaldehyde Deadline To Dec. 31, 2011. Gives retailers another year to sell furniture inventories. Sacramento, Calif. — The California Air Resources Board has granted a one-year extension of to sell-though dates to give retailers another year to clear inventories that don't comply with the first phase of the state's strict new formaldehyde emission standards. The standards affect composite panel, a commonly used product in wood furniture and upholstery frames. Posted. http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/print/530054-California_extends_formaldehyde_deadline_to_Dec_31_2011.php FUELS EPA Releases Proposed Standards For Renewable Fuel Standard Program.The Environmental Protection Agency has released its proposed 2011 percentage standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard program, know as RFS2. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) established the annual renewable fuel volume targets, with the goal of reaching overall level of 36 billion gallons in 2022. Under the standard, each refiner, importer and non-oxygenate blender of gasoline determines the minimum volume of renewable fuel to use in its transportation fuel. Posted. http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=70985 VEHICLES Calif. Carpool Extension Favors Electrics Over Hybrids. Solitary drivers of the popular Toyota Prius or Honda Insight will no longer be allowed to coast in California carpool lanes starting next year under a rule published yesterday by the state's Air Resources Board. The regulation extends high-occupancy vehicle lane benefits only for vehicles powered by electric batteries, hydrogen and compressed natural gas through Jan. 1, 2015. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/13/11 Tesla-Toyota Will Test Electric SUV Prototypes. Toyota Motor Corp. will team with Tesla Motors Inc. to produce electric vehicles, starting with a battery-powered test version of the RAV4 and Lexus RX. The two prototypes will be delivered to Toyota this month, according to a person familiar with the deal. Toyota is also hoping to add an electric Corolla compact car but will start with the two light trucks because they will better support the weight of Tesla's battery pack, the source said. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/07/13/13 Roadshow: Have An Old Clunker? Air District May Pay $1,000 To Take It Off The Road. Q I got a letter from an agency asking if I wanted to get rid of my old '83 Civic and they would pay me for it. But I have no idea if this is legitimate. Can you help? Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15498753 http://www.contracostatimes.com/traffic/ci_15498752 MISCELLANEOUS The Gulf-Friendly Product Guide: Alternatives To Petroleum-Based Goods. The Gulf disaster has brought into cruel relief our reliance on petroleum-based products and made it all too clear how much that reliance is costing us and our environment. Reducing our dependence on oil means burning less gas by carpooling, taking public transportation, bicycling and walking. But we consume oil in many everyday products without even knowing it and excess plastic packaging only adds to the problem. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/12/v-print/2884258/the-gulf-friendly-product-guide.html BLOGS Will SB 375 Help Achieve The Governor's Vision For California? For those of us who support a healthier, smarter, more sustainable California, the last few weeks have given us much to write home about. The centerpiece of California’s efforts is Senate Bill 375 –the nation's first law to control global warming pollution by curbing sprawl. Posted. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aeaken/will_sb_375_help_achieve_the_g.html CNG Buses A Hit In Los Angeles, California. Orders keep coming for low emission trucks and buses at Daimler Trucks North America and Daimler Buses. Around 130 compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses were ordered from Thomas Built Buses—Daimler Truck North America’s school bus manufacturer—alone. That figure is actually the biggest ever purchase of CNG buses for Daimler. You might be wondering who purchased such a huge order. The answer to that is the Los Angeles Unified School District. The CNG buses should be all be delivered by the fourth quarter of this year. Posted. http://www.benzinsider.com/2010/07/cng-buses-a-hit-in-los-angeles-california/