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California Air Resources Board News Clips for August 6, 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.
 AB 32

California: Brown Puts Whitman on the Defensive over Greenhouse
Gases. How does California attorney general Jerry Brown fight
billionaire Meg Whitman in the battle to be the next governor of
the Golden State? Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, spends nearly
as much per day (an average of $531,378 over the past six weeks)
as Brown has spent all year — $633,205. Yet the cagey and frugal
Brown leads the free-spending billionaire in the latest poll 37%
to 34%. By necessity, Brown is running a low-budget guerrilla
campaign against Whitman, whose spending has now zoomed past the
$100 million mark. Posted.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2009013,00.html#ixzz0vqFkYCrv

‘False' Language Banned From Prop. 23 Ballot. The fight over
plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California turned on
a legal ruling this week, with a Sacramento judge barring certain
language on ballots for a proposition that would suspend the
state's landmark emissions law. A county Superior Court judge
found state Attorney General Jerry Brown's language in voter
pamphlets about Proposition 23 to be “false, misleading and
prejudicial.” Posted.
http://www.theunion.com/article/20100806/NEWS/100809834/1006&parentprofile=1053

Calif. Climate Law Foes Face Uphill Battle, Despite Court Ruling.
Political strategists in California, asked to assess a judge's
decision this week to tweak the state's ballot initiative on
climate change, said the ruling could affect the November
election for a small group of voters but not enough to change the
final outcome. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/06/06climatewire-calif-climate-law-foes-face-uphill-battle-de-69622.html

Prop 23’s Mystery Money. There are two new stories today on the
funding of Prop 23, the Texas oil companies' effort to kill
California's clean energy and clean air standards. This
afternoon, the Center for American Progress posted a story about
the Texas oil companies' attempt to enlist other oil companies in
their campaign. The report includes slides from their
presentation, which are insightful
(http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/08/05/tesoro-powerpoint/).
Posted.
http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&aid=4467&ptid=9

Whitman's Jab at Poizner May Cost GOP Votes. The California
Republican Party, already challenged to win key races this year
in a blue-leaning state, has a new problem to deal with: The two
GOP gubernatorial primary candidates are still tangling two
months later. Meg Whitman's recent attacks on Steve Poizner, who
lost the primary, could cost her the support of his backers, some
GOP officials say, when she needs every Republican vote and many
of the state's independent voters to beat Democrat Jerry Brown in
November. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/05/MNQ01EPF2D.DTL#ixzz0vqTLhVNI

Laird, Blakeslee Tackle the Issues in First Public Forum. State
Senate hopeful John Laird chided his opponent Sam Blakeslee for
not supporting California's landmark greenhouse gas law, AB 32,
during their first face-to-face meeting Thursday in Santa Clara
in the high-stakes race for District 15, a territory that runs up
the coast from Santa Barbara County to Santa Cruz and inland to
the Almaden Valley. "I'm the only person up here who voted for
it," said Laird, a former Democratic assemblyman from Santa Cruz,
at a forum sponsored by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. "It
was a very important act. It was good the way it was done. It is
guiding jobs here, and it should not be repealed." Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_15691041?nclick_check=1

CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG

Texas Joins Challengers to EPA's Greenhouse Gas 'Tailoring' Rule.
The state of Texas stepped up its legal campaign against U.S.
EPA's climate program this week, asking a federal appeals court
to review the agency's plans for the regulation of greenhouse
gases from stationary sources under the Clean Air Act. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/05/05greenwire-texas-joins-challengers-to-epas-greenhouse-gas-25612.html

Obama Gets a Menu of Climate Actions He Can Take Without
Congress. President Obama could invoke strong climate policies,
like gasoline carbon limits, without congressional input before
world leaders convene this fall to negotiate an international
global warming treaty, a research group says in a plan provided
to the administration. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/06/06climatewire-obama-gets-a-menu-of-climate-actions-he-can-35377.html

Climate Talks Appear to Slip Backward. Global climate talks
appeared to have slipped backward after five days of negotiations
in Bonn, with rich and poor countries exchanging charges of
reneging on agreements they made last year to contain greenhouse
gases. Delegates complained that reversals in the talks put
negotiations back by a year, even before minimal gains were
scored at the Copenhagen summit last December. Posted.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g1JSga_CNGr6cpuIGcVrNxOuOBOAD9HE2KNO1
                  
http://www.modbee.com/2010/08/06/1283349/climate-talks-appear-to-slip-backward.html
                                    
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-climate-change,0,2689663.story

Diplomats Ponder Temporarily Extending the Kyoto Protocol. With
the clock ticking on the current international climate change
treaty, negotiators are considering a set of stopgap measures to
protect the European trading system and years of emission
reduction efforts from collapse. One option under serious study
is a proposal to extend the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for two years,
which presumably would keep countries bound by their existing
obligations until a new agreement can be finalized. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/05/05climatewire-diplomats-ponder-temporarily-extending-the-k-54406.html

PORTS

Congress Joins Fight Over Control of Port Truck Drivers. 
The fight over control of port truck drivers spilled out of the
courtroom into Congress last week when Rep. Jerrold Nadler,
D-N.Y., offered a bill that would give ports more authority over
drayage operations. Under current law, states and local
authorities such as ports are barred from regulating truck
prices, routes or service. Nadler's Clean Ports Act would create
an exemption to let these entities set requirements "reasonably
related" to improving pollution, congestion, and safety
operations at ports. Posted.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=71253

AIR POLLUTION

Balloon Measures Gas Created By Dairies. An orange balloon
floated 50 feet above California State University, Fresno's small
dairy herd last week, helping in the unsavory task of gathering
air samples from a plume of pungent gases. On the ground, a gas
chamber held more samples while massive Holstein and Jersey cows
drooled and munched feed nearby. Researchers sweated in the
barnyard stench, making sure sampling instruments worked
properly. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/06/2941657/balloon-measures-gas-created-by.html
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/08/06/1520833/balloon-measures-gas-created-by.html#ixzz0vqBWnxW2

Air Pollution Increases Asthma Rates at Schools. LA Testing
provides both outdoor and indoor air quality (IAQ) testing
solutions to help identify airborne contaminants to protect
students and teachers. Asthma is a common childhood disease that
new research indicates may be made worse for some children due to
air pollution at their schools. The Environmental Health
Perspectives journal recently published research implicating
traffic-related air pollution as a cause of children developing
asthma. Posted.
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=121015

ENERGY/GREEN

Edison to Offer Zero Interest On Energy-Saving Equipment. In its
latest surge to offer energy efficiency incentives, Southern
California Edison this week announced a zero-interest financing
plan for business customers to purchase and install energy-saving
equipment. Modeled on a pilot program last year, On-Bill
Financing will bill customers for loan payments on their utility
bills.
Business customers can apply for up to $100,000 with a five-year
term. The limit for institutional and government customers is
$250,000 with a 10-year term, and the minimum amount for all
loans is $5,000.  Posted.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_15689663

Innovate and Grow: Mapping California’s Growing Green Economy.
The Chairman of the Federal Reserve recently called the nation’s
economic outlook “unusually uncertain.” Here’s something that is
certain: California has a growing green economy. Want proof?
Check out a first-of-its-kind map compiled by Environmental
Defense Fund that features 3,500-plus entities providing green
solutions or using sustainable practices to improve their bottom
lines. The map is searchable by seven industry categories and by
county and state legislative district. Posted.
http://www.favstocks.com/innovate-and-grow-mapping-california%E2%80%99s-growing-green-economy/0522248/

State Rejects Union Appeal to Block Solar Apprenticeship Program.
California has approved and upheld the state’s first solar
installation apprenticeship program. The California
Apprenticeship Council voted 13-4 to reject an appeal filed by
the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to block the
state’s approval of the program. “It’s a relief,” said Jose
Radzinsky, CEO of Renewable Power Solutions, a Bay Area
solar-panel installation company. Posted.
http://www.californiawatch.org/watchblog/california-rejects-appeal-256-block-solar-apprenticeship-program-4

Liberty Sludge Incinerator Isn't a Job-Creating, Environmentally
Friendly Project as Portrayed. The Californian's July 27
editorial, "Sludge power? Smells like a winner," was incorrect on
several points as it discussed the supposed benefits of the
proposed Liberty Energy sewage sludge incinerator in Lost
Hills.First, this project does not create renewable energy.
Incinerating sewage sludge does not qualify as renewable energy
in California. That is why there is a tipping fee paid of $60 to
$80 per ton to haul the stuff away. Posted.
http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/community/x2120046186/Liberty-sludge-incinerator-isnt-a-job-creating-environmentally-friendly-project-as-portrayed

Clean-Coal Project Advances with $1 Billion in Funding. The Obama
administration Thursday awarded $1 billion to an Illinois project
that aims to sharply reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from
coal-fired power plants, the latest in a long-running saga aimed
at proving coal's viability amid widespread pressure to combat
climate change. The new project, known as "FutureGen 2.0,"
replaces an earlier plan to build a first-of-a kind, "clean coal"
power plant in Illinois using a different technology. Supporters
of the latest version say it will create jobs and reduce
greenhouse-gas pollution. Opponents contend it is a waste of
money and thinly veiled reward for President Barack Obama's home
state. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704657504575411784292302468.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

U.S. Changes Plan for Capturing Emissions from Coal. The Energy
Department abruptly shifted course on Thursday on a flagship
federal effort to capture and sequester carbon dioxide from
coal-fired power plants, saying it would not finance construction
of a new plant in Mattoon, Ill. Instead of underwriting that
project, which would have turned coal into a hydrocarbon gas,
filtered out the carbon and burned the hydrogen, the government
said it would contribute $737 million to remake an obsolete
oil-burning plant in Meredosia, Ill. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/business/energy-environment/06coal.html?src=busln

US Needs To Act Quickly To Develop Renewable Energy. The
devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico dramatically raises
the stakes in confronting the challenges we face in balancing
America's energy needs with protecting its precious natural
resources. In his recent address to the nation, President Obama
made a compelling case for passing a comprehensive energy bill
that would reduce the nation’s dependence on oil, noting that the
spill is, “the most painful and powerful reminder that the time
to embrace a clean energy future is now.” Posted.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/08/us-needs-to-act-quickly-to-develop-renewable-energy

OIL / GASOLINE / ALTERNATIVE FUEL

Tracing Oil Reserves to Their Tiny Origins. In 1913, as the
automobile zoomed into American life, The Outing Magazine gave
its readers a bit of background on what fueled the new motorcars
in “The Story of Gasoline.” After a brief vignette describing the
death of “old Colonel Stegosaurus Ugulatus,” the article
explained that “yesterday you poured the remains of the dinosaur
from a measuring-can — which, let us hope, held five gallons,
full measure — into your gasoline tank.” Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/science/03oil.html?th&emc=th

BLOGS

Can Injecting Carbon Emissions Underground Really Be Safe? In
Kern County, a joint venture with energy giant BP is getting
federal stimulus money to build a power plant that will bury
millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions underground. Which
leads to a natural question: Is that even safe? Supporters of the
"carbon capture and sequestration" technology – including many
scientists, the government, and some environmentalists – insist
that it is. They point to several projects around the world that
are doing it successfully. Posted.
http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/01-can-injecting-carbon-emissions-underground-really-be-safe-234

California Law Breathes New Life Into REDD. The winds of change
are blowing across the climate change policy landscape. With
legislation stalled in the U.S. Senate, attention now shifts to
state and regional initiatives.  In California, the Global
Warming Solutions Act of 2006, better known as AB32, establishes
a statewide mandate for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions,
including participation in a regional cap-and-trade system.
Posted.
https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/08/06/california-law-breathes-new-life-redd#ixzz0vqDHR74i

Prop. 23 is a Hot Potato For State GOP: Confusion Reigns On
Endorsement. One day after GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg
Whitman said she's unlikely to support Prop. 23, the
controversial November ballot measure, the California Republican
Party issued a statement today saying it may not take position on
it -- even though the GOP endorsed the measure earlier this year.
The move set off a tremor after Prop. 23 proponents noted that
the exact wording of the ballot measure -- minus the numbered
title, which hadn't yet been decided on -- was overwhelmingly
endorsed by party members when the state GOP met at its Santa
Clara spring convention. Posted.                              
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=69475#ixzz0vqH3N31C

Adam Smith Would Roll in His Grave. The Texas Oil Companies
behind the Dirty Energy Prop seem to be up to some new tricks,
including using Adam Smith's name in vain! The latest news on
this front is that their fundraising campaign is raising the
federal government’s eyebrows. As reported here before, the
campaign is desperate to save big oil’s bottom line, and their
legally questionable tactics are proving it. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/dkennedy/detail??blogid=175&entry_id=69537

Air Regulators to Provide $5 Million for Electric Vehicle
Chargers. Electric vehicle charging stations will be installed
across the Bay Area with the help of millions of dollars in
grants from air regulators. A lack of charging stations is seen
as a barrier to the adoption of electric cars, with would-be
owners fearful of being stranded without access to a charger.
Posted.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/under-the-dome/air-regulators-to-provide-5-million-for-electric-vehicle-chargers-100052949.html#ixzz0vq9ZVpZb