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California Air Resources Board News Clips for September 16, 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

CLIMATE CHANGE/GHG’S

U.K. Unprepared For Climate Change, Must Do More To Adapt –
Report. London -The United Kingdom is woefully unprepared for the
inevitable impacts of climate change, despite efforts to curb
carbon emissions. It must quickly do far more to prepare for
impacts on water, weather, resources and health, a key government
advisory body said today. The adaptation subcommittee of the
independent Committee on Climate Change, created by the 2008
Climate Change Act, said a lot of preparatory work has already
been done …Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/09/16/16climatewire-uk-unprepared-for-climate-change-must-do-mor-33124.html?pagewanted=print

Future of U.S., Canada Carbon Markets Hinge on California,
Barclays Says. The future of cap-and-trade markets for carbon
dioxide pollution rights in the U.S. and parts of Canada may
depend on the outcome of a political battle in California,
analysts at Barclays Plc said. Proposition 23, a ballot
initiative that Californians will vote on in November, would
delay the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act until the state’s
unemployment rate, now 12.3 percent, falls to 5.5 percent for
four consecutive quarters. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2010-09-16/future-of-u-s-canada-carbon-markets-hinge-on-california-barclays-says.html

ENERGY/GREEN ENERGY

More Solar-Power Projects Sprouting In The Valley. Cities are
continuing to latch onto solar power as a means of saving money
on their energy bills. One of the latest installations is a
spread of solar panels at the city of Madera's wastewater
treatment plant. Construction on the plant began in January and
it became operational on Aug. 25. Officials plan to dedicate the
facility in the near future. Posted.
http://fresnobeehive.com/news/2010/09/more_solar-power_projects_spro.html#ixzz0zi12vszK

RAILROAD POLLUTION

Rail-Yard Pollution: Federal Court Rules Against Air Quality
Board. Air-quality watchdogs in Southern California can't impose
limits on pollution from idling trains because that could
interfere with interstate commerce -- a federal responsibility --
a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday. The lawsuit filed by the
Assn. of American Railroads and the BNSF and Union Pacific
railroad companies challenged restrictions imposed in 2005 and
2006 by the South Coast Air Quality Management District in an
attempt to curb cancer-causing air pollution. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/air-pollution-railroads.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/09/15/state/n174851D77.DTL&type=business
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16085542
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-air-pollution-railroads-20100916,0,1199313.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Flocal+%28L.A.+Times+-+California+|+Local+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

AIR QUALITY

Clean Air Plan Sets Blueprint For Healthier Air. Homeowners with
open hearth fireplaces could be required to upgrade to
low-emitting fireplace inserts or stoves before selling their
homes. A Bay Area version of a "Cash for Clunkers" program could
be expanded to get polluting cars off the road. Dairies in the
Bay Area could be required to reduce methane gas from their cows
by providing animal feed that reduces their passing or belching
gas, and wineries could be required to minimize sweet-smelling
emissions from fermentation tanks. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_16084470?nclick_check=1

Regulators: Bad Air Kills 9,200 a Year. Some experts contest the
study by the state's Air Resources Board. More than 9,000
Californians are dying prematurely every year because of the
health effects of the kind of pollution emitted by diesel trucks
and heavy equipment, according to a new study by the Air
Resources Board, the state’s air quality regulator. Posted.
http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/regulators-bad-air-kills/print/

OPINIONS

Opinion: Why Doctors Are Supporting The Drive Toward Sustainable
Communities. If doctors and other health experts designed our
cities, they would look quite different than the sprawling,
car-centered communities of today. But why would health experts
care about city planning and laws like the Sustainable
Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375 passed in 2008)?
The answer is simple: our communities significantly impact
chronic illness and overall public health. Most California cities
were designed to make it easy to drive and park cars. Posted.
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z4x2k9zgfq1021&xid=z4vopvviys5uf8&done=.z4x2k9zgfqq021#

Opinion: Adopt City Planning Strategies To Improve Health. The
California Air Resources Board should adopt plans that "call for
regional cooperation in reversing course" on our "auto-centered
lifestyle," which has "led people to become more sedentary,
putting themselves at higher risk for a string of chronic
illnesses," Sonal Patel, a board member of the American Lung
Association, writes in a Capitol Weekly opinion piece. Posted.
http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2010/9/16/opinion-adopt-city-planning-strategies-to-improve-health.aspx?p=1#ixzz0zi5eogmO

Opinion: Focusing On Efficiency, SB 375 Is Vital To A Stronger
California Economy. SB 375 (Steinberg) was passed in 2008 under
the rubric of climate protection.  But there is a new, rather
staggering realization: SB 375 may provide the critical boost our
taxpayers, cities and regions need to grow their economies and
reap savings from more vibrant and efficient communities. That’s
because SB 375 focuses on efficiency; it will make it easier for
people to drive less by spurring convenient communities, shorter
commutes, and more transportation choices.  
Posted.
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=z4x2k9zgfq1021&xid=z4vowwkzp4tvh4&done=.z4x2k9zgfqq021#

VEHICLES

Diesel-Powered Bentleys? Not Likely. Automakers must conform to
tightening fuel economy and emissions regulations but diesel
engines won't be a Bentley option just yet. A diesel Bentley has
long been hinted at, but Brian Gush, the brand's powertrain
chief, cites high cost and poor expected customer reaction as the
main obstacles to an oil-burning future. "The forthcoming Euro 6
clean-air regs are likely to pile some big costs on to diesels,"
says Gush. "And there's a strong prejudice against them in the
U.S. and Japan, which are key markets for us. Posted.
http://wot.motortrend.com/6684050/auto-news/diesel-powered-bentleys-not-likely/index.html#ixzz0ziYx6o95

MISCELLANEOUS

Scientist Shake-Up. Did conservative groups prompt the dismissal
of five state environmental researchers? Most Californians have
probably never heard of the Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air
Contaminants. Of the countless boards of scientists and
researchers in state government and academia, the SRP is neither
the most powerful nor the most glamorous. Posted.
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=1711320

EPA’s Pollution-Busting Cops Have Lost Focus, Say Watchdogs. The
federal government’s anti-pollution detectives have lost their
focus, allege government watchdog group Public Employees for
Environmental Responsibility. According to documents obtained by
Peer under the Freedom of Information Act, the Environmental
Protection Agency’s investigation unit is understaffed and
referring fewer cases for federal prosecution than during the
Bush administration. Posted.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/obama-epa-investigations/#ixzz0ziGILQI6

BLOGS

Prop. 23 Throwdown At The Sac Press Club! The arguments over
Prop. 23, the November ballot measure to suspend California's
greenhouse gas emission law, were front and center at a debate at
the Sacramento Press Club today. Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Linda
(Yuba County), who has spearheaded the effort, traded jabs over
jobs, health and the economy with Tom Steyer, a San
Francisco-based hedge fund founder, who is co-chairing the
campaign to defeat it. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=72437#ixzz0ziFOMXut
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/09/proposition-23-luncheon.html

LA Port Develops A Passion For Green Jobs.  PortTechLA, a
relatively new business incubator operated by a coalition that
includes the port and city of Los Angeles, officially launched
Wednesday. The project is looking for office space for a campus
that will house and nurture start-up companies with products that
help reduce pollution or the port's dependence on fossil fuels.
Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/port-develops-a-passion-for-green-jobs.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

1,000-Megawatt Blythe Solar Power Cleared By State Regulators. A
massive solar project planned for the California desert got the
go-ahead from state regulators Wednesday. The California Energy
Commission unanimously cleared the Blythe Solar Power Project to
start construction. Over the next few weeks, commissioners are
expected to authorize construction on several other solar
installations that are scrambling to take advantage of a federal
stimulus package that expires in December. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/09/1000-megawatt-blythe-solar-power-cleared-by-state-regulators.html
http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7992&Itemid=23

Another Study About Air Pollution And Pesticides. There's another
ominous study out about the chemical bombardment from air
pollution and pesticides on the Sierra Nevada and other natural
land in California. The message: An excess of nitrogen, a gas
that's all around us on Earth, is causing overgrowth in forests
and possibly damaging water quality in streams. The nitrogen is
coming from ozone and pesticides. Overgrown forests are a
breeding ground for catastrophic wildfires. Posted.
http://fresnobeehive.com/news/2010/09/another_ominous_study_about_ai.html#ixzz0zhzwckTg

Global Warming Could Affect Arctic Storms. Climate changes
brought on by global warming could lead to less frequent Arctic
storms known as polar lows, British scientists said Wednesday.
Polar lows form in ice-free high latitudes in the North Atlantic
during the winter and can cause havoc on ships and oil rigs.
There was an average 36 storms per season during the 20th
century, according to climatologists at the University of
Reading. Posted.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1918103/global_warming_could_affect_arctic_storms/#

The U.S. Clean Air Act is 40! Happy Birthday!. The Clean Air Act
was signed by President Richard Nixon on December 31, 1970, and
so it is 40 this year. To celebrate, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is looking back at the past few decades
to see how things have changed and what kind of impact this
important piece of legislation had on air quality in the U.S.
(and around the world, since there's only one atmosphere, and
many other countries follow U.S. regulations pretty closely).
Posted.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/clean-air-act-40th-birthday-epa.php?campaign=top_news