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California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 9, 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

Four States Prepare Legal Assault On California's Climate Law.
The attorneys general of at least four states are preparing to
sue California if the state’s landmark law limiting greenhouse
gas emissions survives a challenge at the ballot box this
November. The attorneys general of Alabama, Nebraska, Texas and
North Dakota have been devising a legal strategy to challenge the
California act, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, on
the grounds that it interferes with the right to freely conduct
interstate commerce, according to Wayne Stenehjem, the attorney
general of North Dakota. Posted.
http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/four-states-prepare-legal-assault-californias-climate-law-4564

Don't Make Mistakes With SB 375. California needs high quality
jobs, new manufacturing facilities and small business growth.
Rational state environmental policy, supported by economic
impacts analysis, will help us achieve these goals.
Unfortunately, the state is implementing another expensive
environmental program that drags the economy farther down. SB
375, passed into law two years ago, seeks bold greenhouse gas
emission reductions by controlling regional planning policies.
Posted. http://foxandhoundsdaily.com/print/7777

Imperial County’s Regional Planning Group Against Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Proposal. Greenhouse gas reductions standards are too
strict, according to the Southern California Association of
Governments. The group, which represents Imperial and five other
Southern California counties, voted last week against a recently
announced proposal for future greenhouse gas emissions.
California Air Resources Board staff recommended an 8 percent
reduction by 2020 for the 21 million people that live within
SCAG’s sphere of influence. Posted.
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2010/09/09/local_news/news03.prt

Dan Morain: Oil Moguls Spend Big To Gut Clean Air Law. David and
Charles Koch, billionaire oil men from Kansas, can't stop
dabbling in California politics. David lives in New York, where
he donates to museums and opera. Charles lives in Wichita, and
doles out millions to colleges. But the Kochs are not your
run-of-the-mill billionaire philanthropists. They are heavily
involved in an unusual brand of conservative, free-market,
libertarian politics, which draws them to California. 
Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/09/v-print/3014974/oil-moguls-spend-big-to-gut-clean.html
http://washingtonindependent.com/97018/koch-brothers-spend-big-to-derail-greenhouse-gas-law-in-california


Chevron Sits Out Big Oil's Prop. 23 Fight. Millions are spent by
Texas oil companies and Koch brothers--but not a drop from CA's
oil giant. In the battle over Proposition 23, the most
interesting action is taking place on the sidelines. The
proposition would suspend AB 32, California's landmark climate
change law, until unemployment in the state is below 5.5 percent
for a year. The campaign is being funded with millions from
out-of-state oil companies Tesoro and Valero – and now the Tea
Party-funding Koch brothers. Posted.
http://www.baycitizen.org/elections-2010/story/chevron-sits-out-texas-oils-prop-23/print/
http://www.newswise.com/articles/prop-23-creates-legal-turmoil-reduces-state-revenue-cuts-jobs

Environmental Law Being Tested. Frustrated by environmental
reviews, businesses are employing a new tactic to speed
development: asking legislators for exemptions from the rules.
The latest example appears to be an expansion of Chevron's
Richmond refinery. The refinery's fate is tied up in closed-door
talks involving the oil company, environmentalists, local leaders
and Sacramento legislators trying to resolve a yearslong quarrel
over the project on San Francisco Bay. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/09/EDTE1FAH7M.DTL&type=printable

Do Higher Electricity Prices Drive Away Manufacturing Jobs?
California's "Global Warming Solutions Act," AB32, mandates
reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Will this cost jobs? Before I talk about California's AB32,
permit me to advertise my "Wayne's World" style TV appearance in
Seattle. Watch it here . Climatopolis is "officially" published
tomorrow. I'm excited about that. Returning to California's
unilateral effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, I'm
quoted here saying that this legislation will cost California
manufacturing jobs. Posted.
http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/324507

San Francisco Bay: $5m For Cleaner Air Will Have Little Impact.
Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area are exposed to unhealthy
levels of smog and particulate matter. Having allocated $5m to
fund electric vehicle charging points in the area, a government
agency is seeking to tap into electric vehicles as a cleaner
alternative to traditional motors. However, $5m is too little
funding to develop a suitable infrastructure. 
Residents in San Francisco enjoy a number of advantages when
buying an electric car. Posted.
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4484022#

World Bank's Climate Change Envoy Steers Around Hot-Button
Issues. Ask Andrew Steer, the World Bank's new climate change
envoy, what he thinks of his institution's controversial recent
decision to help build the world's fourth-dirtiest coal plant in
South Africa, and he hedges. "My job is not to give a personal
opinion on things," Steer finally says. His thoughts on a
sensitive proposal to calculate the environmental and social
costs of carbon emissions in all new project assessments? That's
for World Bank shareholders to decide, Steer maintains. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/09/09/09climatewire-world-banks-climate-change-envoy-steers-arou-12297.html?pagewanted=print

CAP AND TRADE

Conservatives Wield Cap And Trade As Anti-Government Weapon.
Riding a wave of anger at big government and perceived
out-of-control spending, conservative Republicans are using cap
and trade as the latest weapon in their campaigns against
Democrats and even moderate Republicans. Candidates in Delaware,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky are all using cap and
trade to boost their profiles. Republicans who voted for the
House energy bill, which included cap-and-trade provisions, are
being assailed by conservative opponents. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/09/8

AIR POLLUTION

California Takes New Look At Diesel Rules. California’s
air-quality enforcers dramatically overstated the impact of soot
from diesel construction equipment, at least in part because the
state’s abrupt economic decline idled thousands of vehicles.
Controlling the emissions from off-road diesel equipment –
including the vehicles used in heavy construction – has been the
subject of debate for years at the Air Resources Board. Posted.
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z4aavnmdl2pgh4&xid=z49s2hbpp9llve&done=.z4aavnmdl3cgh4#
http://inhabitat.com/2010/09/09/greener-tech-could-eliminate-9000-pollution-deaths-in-california/
http://green.autoblog.com/2010/09/08/carb-finds-fine-particle-pollution-leads-to-9-000-premature-deat/

Editorial: Will Paper Mill Foul Our Air? Not In 2010. Details are
scarce as the city negotiates. Even so, the announcement that
Southwest Paper USA, a somewhat mysterious start-up manufacturer
of paper products, is considering investing in a major plant at
Redding’s Stillwater Business Park is an extraordinary piece of
good news. New “primary” jobs? Check. A payoff on the millions
that the public has sunk into Stillwater? Check. Posted.
http://www.redding.com/news/2010/sep/08/will-paper-mill-foul-our-air-not-in-2010/?print=1

GREEN ENERGY/ENERGY

Rancho Cordova Energy Firm To Add 150 Jobs With $30 Million In
Stimulus Funding. More than 150 new green jobs will be created in
the Sacramento area thanks to $30 million in new federal stimulus
funding. The U.S. Energy Department on Wednesday selected Clean
Energy Systems Inc. of Rancho Cordova for the stimulus money for
its work on zero-emission power plant technology. The award is
the latest for the local clean tech sector, which has received
more than $280 million in stimulus funds since 2009. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/09/v-print/3015216/rancho-cordova-energy-firm-to.html
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4482680

Union Accuses China of Illegal Clean Energy Subsidies. Hong Kong
— The United Steelworkers union filed a legal case with the Obama
administration on Thursday morning, accusing China of violating
World Trade Organization rules by subsidizing exports of clean
energy equipment to the United States. The filing, more than
5,000 pages long and 18 inches thick, contends that the central
government in Beijing and China’s provincial governments have
used land grants, low-interest loans and dozens of other measures
that violate W.T.O. rules.  Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/business/energy-environment/10steel.html?_r=1&src=me&pagewanted=print

On Clean Energy, China Skirts Rules. Changsha, China — Until very
recently, Hunan Province was known mainly for lip-searing spicy
food, smoggy cities and destitute pig farmers. Mao was born in a
village on the outskirts of Changsha, the provincial capital here
in south-central China. Now, Changsha and two adjacent cities are
emerging as a center of clean energy manufacturing. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/business/global/09trade.html?sq=energy&st=cse&scp=2&pagewanted=print

Making Energy Awareness Month a Boon for Green Initiatives.
Sustainability leaders should consider sponsoring employee
activities in October for Energy Awareness Month. Energy
Awareness Month, created in 1991 by the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE), promotes energy awareness and energy savings.
Increasingly, corporations, institutions, and governmental
agencies are participating by launching their own internal
programs. An energy awareness program offers sustainability and
energy teams a number of benefits. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS381139883820100909

VEHICLES

Groups Launch Campaign For 60 Mpg Fuel Standard. A coalition of
environmental and consumer groups is urging the Obama
administration to raise automobile fuel-efficiency standards to
at least 60 miles per gallon by 2025. Twenty groups -- including
the Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club -- said
they will send a letter to President Obama encouraging him to
raise the standard as part of a campaign being launched today.
U.S. EPA and Department of Transportation are set to issue a
proposal for fuel efficiency standards Sept. 30 that would apply
to cars and light trucks sold between 2017 and 2025.The current
standard, which runs out in 2016, is 34 mpg. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/09/7

Hyundai Unveils South Korea's First Electric Car. Hyundai Motor
Co. today unveiled its new electric car, the BlueOn, which it
bills as South Korea's first full-speed electric vehicle. Hyundai
debuted the car at the office and residence of South Korean
President Lee Myung-bak, who got to test-drive the car. The
automaker plans to build 2,500 of the cars by the end of 2012 in
an effort to match its Japanese rivals, and will send 30 of them
on a test basis to government organizations by October. Company
officials said it was "too early" to think about exporting the
car abroad. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/09/09/11

TRANSPORTATION

Put High-Speed Rail In San Joaquin Valley First. High-speed rail
has been a fact in Japan since 1964 and throughout Europe (France
first) since 1981. High-speed rail is a great way to travel and
may become a fact in California. Before that happens, however,
the planned system should be structured with the best operating
and financial scenario possible in order to protect the taxpayer
(you and me) and to attract the necessary outside investors. The
total cost of the planned California system will exceed $40
billion. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/09/EDEI1FAHET.DTL&type=printable

Forthcoming Study Finds Gap Between Expectations And Reality Of
Electric Cars. As the roll-out of plug-in electric vehicles
approaches, IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) is
preparing a report that challenges hopes for a rapid deployment
of the plug-in models. It argues that they will be held back, in
part, by shortages of recharging stations for urban motorists.
CERA Vice President Larry Makovich said the report, to be
released in November, also takes issue with a scenario that
foresees millions of plug-in electric vehicles being recharged at
night by wind power. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/09/09/1

BLOGS

First Take: The GOP's Global Warming Problem. State goes after
PacifiCare. Arnold packs for Asia. Global warming may be a
double-edged sword for Republican politicians in California this
year. Steve Lopez offers some free political advice to Jerry
Brown. Budget cuts have forced Los Angeles public schools to
delay the start of the new school year. California regulators are
seeking nearly $10 billion in damages from PacifiCare for nearly
1 million alleged violations of state law in a two-year period.
Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/09/first-take-the-gops-global-warming-problem-state-goes-after-pacificare-arnold-packs-for-asia.html

Brown Rips Whitman's Jobs Plan, Defends Climate-Change Law And
His Decision Not To Fight For Prop. 8. Democratic gubernatorial
nominee Jerry Brown tore into Republican rival Meg Whitman on
Thursday morning, accusing the billionaire of having a major
conflict of interest concerning her proposal to eliminate state
taxes on capital gains. “Her so-called jobs plan, which is as
phony as a three-dollar bill, is to give tax breaks to herself in
one of grossest conflicts of interest I’ve ever seen in a
campaign,” Brown said during his weekly interview on KGO radio in
San Francisco. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/09/brown-rips-whitmans-jobs-plan-defends-climate-change-law-and-his-decision-not-to-fight-for-prop-8.html

‘Windfall’ Documentary Explores Perils of Wind Power. “Windfall,”
a new documentary that premieres Friday at the Toronto
International Film Festival, could take the sails out of wind
power. The film observes the deeply divided residents of
Meredith, New York — an Upstate farm community in decline — as
they debate the pros and cons of allowing wind turbines on their
land. Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/09/09/windfall-documentary-explores-perils-of-wind-power/tab/print/

Irrigation May Reduce Climate Change. Not Good News. With all the
evidence of human-induced global warming, you'd think it would be
good news that some of our activities, like releasing aerosols
for example, are also helping to cool the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, often the opposite is true. This is starkly
illustrated by a new study showing the regional cooling effects
of mass irrigation. So why is this a bad thing? Posted.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/irrigation-may-reduce-climate-change.php

The Surprisingly Complex Truth About Planes And Climate Change. A
new study suggests that planes cause more warming than cars,
while ships are cooling enough to counteract them both. Air
travel causes more warming than cars, while shipping counteracts
them both. We hear much about the environmental costs of air
travel. As our recent Q&A explained, the problem is not just that
planes burn a lot of fuel and therefore kick out plenty of CO2
per passenger. Posted.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/sep/09/carbon-emissions-planes-shipping/print

California Energy Commission approves Abengoa Mojave Solar
Project. State regulators on Wednesday unanimously cleared the
Abengoa Mojave Solar Project for construction, pushing California
closer to approving 4,300 megawatts of solar power by the end of
the year. The 250-megawatt Abengoa project is one of nine solar
proposals angling for the go-ahead from the California Energy
Commission by the end of 2010, when federal stimulus funds
expire. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/09/california-energy-commission-approves-abengoa-mojave-solar-project.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheTechnologyBlog+%28Los+Angeles+Times+Technology+Blog%29