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California Air Resources Board News Clips for October 19, 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.

VEHICLES

New High-Tech Smog Test Saves Time, Money. “Cheaper, faster smog
checks are coming” -- so say the backers of a new alternative
California Smog Check program. Assembly-Bill 2289 passed earlier
this year by the state legislature and was signed into law by
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill's author, Assemblymember
Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park), along with representatives of the
California Air Resources Board, the Bureau of Automotive Repair
and the American Lung Association were at a press conference
Monday in El Monte to announce the new law, which will go into
effect Jan. 1. Posted.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/New--Smog-Test-Announced-105199704.html
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_16370690
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-10/19/c_13564192.htm

Famed Muscle Car Designer Enters The Race To Get To 80 Mpg.
Shalford, England -- Gordon Murray, celebrated for designing the
fastest, most powerful cars in the world, has gone to the other
extreme. His latest product, the T.25, a fuel-abstemious
three-seater passenger car, is made from metal tubes and recycled
plastic bottles. Murray is famous for his Formula 1 race cars
that won a string of Grand Prix races and World Championships
first for the Brabham and then the McLaren racing teams. He
designed the F1, which was for years the world's fastest road
car, and the sleek, powerful gull-winged Mercedes SLR. Posted.
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/1

CLIMATE CHANGE

Prop 23 Architect Denies Referendum Campaign Is Fading. The
architect of a campaign that would delay California's climate
change law yesterday insisted the effort is alive and predicted a
fresh burst of funds would materialize within the next week, just
in time for a last sprint to the November election. Republican
Assemblyman Dan Logue, who initiated a ballot measure that would
suspend the state's warming law, said in an interview that rumors
pointing to paralysis among those backing Proposition 23 are not
accurate. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/7

Green Group Pushes Lawmakers To Defend Climate Policies Amid
Heavy Attacks. A major environmental group is encouraging
vulnerable House Democrats to stand by their controversial vote
last year on climate legislation amid heavy campaign attacks. The
group points to a series of new polls that show there would be
strong support for renewable energy platforms put forward by
hypothetical candidates. The Natural Resources Defense Council
surveyed likely voters in 23 congressional districts where
Democratic incumbents are locked in tight races that might
determine control of Congress next year. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/2

Alaska Faces Major Shifts From Climate Change – Study. A majority
of Alaska's ecosystems and natural habitats will be dramatically
altered by climate change by the end of the century, a University
of Alaska study has found. More than half the coast of western
Alaska could change from tundra into the more moderate climate of
western British Columbia, according to the study. The Alaska
marmot could be wiped out, and reed canary grass could take over
much of the state. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/8

Vegetation, Climate Change Slowing Winds In Northern Hemisphere –
Study. Increasing amounts of plant life, climate change and urban
development are among the reasons wind speed is slowing an
average of 10 percent in the Northern Hemisphere, according to a
study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Whether the
slowdown will hurt wind turbines is unclear, since the
measurements were made close to the ground, not at 50 to 100
meters up, where wind turbines operate. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/9

CARB Adopts Aggressive Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reduction Targets. The California Air Resources Board (CARB)
voted unanimously to adopt stringent regional greenhouse gas
emissions (GHGs) reduction targets ("Targets") on September 23,
2010. CARB adopted the Targets as part of the implementation of
SB 375, the California statute that ties greenhouse gas emissions
reductions to coordinated transportation and land use planning.
CARB issued a Staff Report and Functional Equivalent Document
(FED) in August 2010.1 Posted.
http://www.forconstructionpros.com/online/CARB-Adopts-Aggressive-Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions-Reduction-Targets/25FCP18219

Americans’ Knowledge of Climate Change. Americans’ Knowledge of
Climate Change reports results from a national study of what
Americans understand about how the climate system works, and the
causes, impacts, and potential solutions to global warming. Among
other findings, the study identifies a number of important gaps
in public knowledge and common misconceptions about climate
change. Overall, we found that 63 percent of Americans believe
that global warming is happening, but many do not understand why.
Posted.
http://environment.yale.edu/climate/news/knowledge-of-climate-change/

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Truck Makers Confident They Can Meet Pending EPA Rules. Complying
with the nation's first fuel economy rule for heavy-duty vehicles
is not something truck manufacturers are losing sleep over,
industry officials said yesterday. A draft rule setting
greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and
heavy-duty trucks starting for model year 2014 trucks is slated
to be rolled out this month, according to a federal website that
tracks rulemaking. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/5

EPA, Truck Makers Tout 'Clean Diesel' As GHG Standards Loom. With
the Obama administration preparing to propose new greenhouse gas
efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks, the success of U.S.
EPA's initiative to reduce conventional diesel pollution suggests
that truck makers are up to the new challenge, industry and
agency officials said today. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2010/10/19/23

FUELS

Pacific Ethanol To Reopen Stockton Plant Within 60 Days.
Sacramento's Pacific Ethanol said it will restart its Stockton
plant in the next 60 days as the energy company tries to engineer
a comeback. Officials say the Stockton plant, which can produce
as much as 60 million gallons of the grain-based fuel additive
per year, will begin producing ethanol by December. The company
has additional plans to restart its 40 million- gallon facility
in Madera once market conditions improve. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/19/3114130/pacific-ethanol-to-reopen-stockton.html

GREEN ENERGY

$33 Million In Energy Funds Put In Jeopardy. A court action by a
Riverside County regional government group threatens to deprive
all California counties of $33 million in federal stimulus funds
for home energy efficiency upgrades. The Western Riverside
Council of Governments has obtained a temporary restraining order
against the California Energy Commission to stop it from
allocating the federal funds for a program that would help
homeowners across California - including Riverside County -
identify funding, contractors and loans for green upgrades.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/19/BU9S1FUFR6.DTL&type=printable

Venture Capitalists Set Sights on Hollywood. Los Angeles -
Silicon Valley financiers got the Hollywood treatment in "Social
Network," the new film about Facebook, but the courtship between
the technology and entertainment hubs has heated up with venture
capital deal values in Los Angeles nearly doubling this year.
Digital and social media, video games and clean technology were
the biggest attractions for venture capital activity, said Emily
Mendell, vice president of strategic affairs, National Venture
Capital Association (NVCA). Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/10/18/technology/tech-us-venturecapital.html?%2334;Silicon%20Valley=&_r=2&sq=+&st=nyt&%2334;=&scp=1&pagewanted=print

(Bio)Mass Confusion. High costs and environmental concerns have
pushed biomass power to the sidelines in the U.S. CARSON CITY,
Nev. - With all the plants and trees in the world, biomass energy
would appear to have boundless potential. Yet in the U.S.,
biomass power—generated mainly by burning wood and other plant
debris—has run into roadblocks that have stymied its growth. Here
at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, officials in 2007
built a $7.7 million biomass plant to meet all the power needs of
the medium-security prison. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704116004575521713188253290.html

China's Anti-Carbon Efforts Rank 2nd In The World – Study. China
already is pricing carbon -- both directly and indirectly -- at
nearly three times the level the United States does, a new study
from a prominent Australian think tank finds. The report from the
Melbourne-based Climate Institute finds the United Kingdom has
put the highest price tag on carbon emissions -- $29.30 per ton
-- based both on its involvement in the European Union's Emission
Trading System and its clean energy investments. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/4

Beijing Eyes Strict Energy Goals In New 5-Year Plan. Chinese
leaders are expected to introduce tough targets for energy
efficiency and carbon emissions as part of an upcoming five-year
plan for the country's economic future. The Central Committee of
the Communist Party will end its plenum today by submitting the
plan for approval by the National People's Congress. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2010/10/19/10

Arnold Schwarzenegger Goes For A Spin In His Green, Mean (And
Surprisingly Clean) Machine. With it's enormous wheels, tank-like
shape and immense width, it doesn't look like a car with the
right green credentials for the Governor of California. But
having converted his favourite Hummer to run as a hybrid, Arnold
Schwarzenegger doesn't need to worry about being seen in the
powerful car. Posted.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1321604/Arnold-Schwarzenegger-goes-spin-green-mean-surprisingly-clean-machine.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#

MISCELLANEOUS

CARB Proposing Extension Of Ship Low-Sulfur Zones Beyond Channel
Islands, But Promises To Trim Back Zone Near Point Conception.
California Air Resources Board staffers last week outlined their
proposed plan for getting ships to stop traveling outside the
Channel Islands off Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in order
to avoid having to use the more expensive, low-sulfur fuel
required by CARB within 24 nautical miles of the mainland. The
outer route takes the ships through the Navy Missile Sea Range,
which threatens to disrupt the testing of weapons in the area.
Posted. http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1367
http://www.cunninghamreport.com/news_item.php?id=1366

OPINION

California's Cap-and-Trade War. The battle to repeal a
self-destructive climate change law. What happens when
environmental fashion collides with a state's desperate need for
jobs and economic growth? That question will be put to the test
when Californians vote November 2 on a ballot measure that would
suspend the Golden State's cap-and-trade law until its
unemployment rate falls below 5.5%. Today the rate is 12.4%.
Proposition 23 is the number one national target of the green
movement this election year. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703735804575535841904660332.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Prop, 23 Unrealistic, Dangerous. Dear editor, Proposition 23 is a
measure that would virtually kill the landmark Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32). It would suspend the
implementation of A.B. 32 until the state unemployment rate is
5.5 percent or lower for a full year. That has happened only
three times in the last four decades! This dangerous proposition
would effectively repeal clean energy and air pollution standards
indefinitely …Posted.
http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_f1341ebc-db3d-11df-a9c3-001cc4c03286.html

AB32 A Bad Idea. The more I read about AB32, the more I am
convinced that we need to vote yes on Prop 23. Everyone wants
clean energy to put an end to pollution, greenhouse gases and
dependence on foreign oil, so what’s the holdup? Alternative
energy companies have been working on green energy systems since
the 1973 oil embargo. So why aren’t we using them? The reason is
that these green energy solutions cost 50 to 300 percent more
than traditional fuels. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/oct/19/ab32-bad-idea/?print=1

BLOGS

GM Partners With Envision Solar For Chevy Volt Recharging. "Every
electric vehicle is the equivalent of one or two single-family
residences in terms of impact on the electric grid," said Desmond
Wheatley, president of Envision Solar in San Diego. To help
offset that impact, Envision has partnered with General Motors to
provide solar-powered charging "trees" to GM dealers selling its
soon-to-be released Chevy Volt. The Volt is a plug-in electric
vehicle that runs on a 16-kilowatt lithium ion battery and a
range-extending gas engine. " Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/chevy-volt-solar-charger.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

Brammo Enertia Plus Doubles The Range But Not The Price Tag.
Brammo, the Oregon-based manufacturer of electric motorcycles,
announced its new Enertia Plus today -- a plug-in electric
motorcycle capable of traveling twice as far per charge as the
bike it introduced a year ago. The Enertia Plus can travel 80
miles per charge with its 6-kilowatt lithium-ion battery pack --
a feat Brammo has managed with no increase to the vehicle's
weight and a $1,000 increase in retail pricing. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/10/brammo-enertia-plus.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29