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newsclips -- REVISED Newsclips for April 19, 2011.
Posted: 19 Apr 2011 12:19:09
REVISED California Air Resources Board News Clips for April 19, 2011. 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 Obama Joins American Electric to Fight Lawsuits With Environment Agency. In 2004, eight states decided they wouldn’t wait for President George W. Bush to take steps against climate change. They sued to force five power companies to cut plant emissions. The Obama administration today will urge the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the suit, arguing alongside American Electric Power Co., Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL), Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) and Southern Co. (SO) The administration contends the Environmental Protection Agency is already taking steps against climate change. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-19/white-house-joins-aep-to-fight-climate-lawsuits-with-epa-off-its-duff-.html Court Hears Arguments In New Global Warming Case. Washington—The Obama administration and leading power companies are going before the Supreme Court in an effort to block a global warming lawsuit aimed at forcing cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday in the court's second climate change case in four years. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2011/04/19/1651449/court-hears-arguments-in-new-global.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/04/19/2355844/court-hears-arguments-in-new-global.html#storylink=misearch http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_17878807 http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/apr/19/court-hears-arguments-in-new-global-warming-case/ States' 'Nuisance' Argument Seems To Fall On Deaf Ears In Supreme Court. Taking up a high-stakes case on climate change, a majority of Supreme Court justices appeared hostile today as to whether states can regulate greenhouse gases as a public nuisance under federal common law. Even the court's more liberal members gave little hope to the plaintiffs, six states, New York City and several land trusts, which want utilities that operate fossil fuel-fired electric power plants to reduce emissions by invoking federal "public nuisance" common law. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/04/19/1 States, Utilities Ask EPA To Boost Regional Cap-And-Trade Plans. The states of California, New York and Minnesota, as well as about a dozen power companies and influential advocacy groups, have joined forces to persuade U.S. EPA to let states meet new federal climate change rules by crafting their own programs, such as the cap-and-trade plans that have been adopted by California and a handful of Northeastern states. Under a settlement that staved off lawsuits from environmentalists, EPA must set new limits on greenhouse gas emissions from the utility sector this year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/04/19/3 Study Of Cap-And-Trade Lobbying Draws Angry Rebuke From Left. The liberal Center for American Progress has launched a pre-emptive strike against a report by an American University professor that suggests environmentalists and their corporate allies spent more on lobbying and advertising then their adversaries during the debate on cap-and-trade legislation last Congress. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/04/19/5 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop In Short Term, Rise In Long Term. The year 2009 marked a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States from the year before, according to an annual inventory from U.S. EPA released yesterday. A decline in electricity and fuel use led to the decrease in overall emissions, which dropped by 6.1 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to the inventory. A consumer shift to low-carbon fuels played another role as prices for coal went up and prices for natural gas went down, according to the inventory. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/04/19/8 In Mass., Belief In Climate Change Is Stronger Than Action To Prevent It. Promoting the economic benefits of lowering carbon emissions could cause "fatigue around global warming" if green jobs are oversold, says a new study on the attitudes of Massachusetts residents. The research, which finds that 59 percent of state residents believe humans are contributing to climate change, urges officials to focus on the environmental impacts of warming as the state seeks to reach its ambitious climate goals. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/04/19/2 Germany Squanders Chance to Pioneer CO2 Capture Technology. It's an unusual drilling facility that stands on the outskirts of Ketzin, a town in the eastern German state of Brandenburg. Instead of pumping something out of the ground, it is forcing something into the earth. That something is carbon dioxide. The scientists with the Potsdam-based German Research Center for Geosciences are injecting the gas into porous sandstone 650 meters (2,100 feet) beneath the surface. Posted. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,757651,00.html FUELS Ethanol Rebounds From Two-Week Low as Corn Prices Go Higher. Ethanol futures rebounded from a two-week low on concern that bad weather will hurt corn crops and boost production costs. The alternative fuel gained the most since April 8 as corn rose amid cold, wet Midwestern weather that could delay planting and reduce crop yields. Ethanol in the U.S. is distilled from the grain. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-18/ethanol-rebounds-from-two-week-low-as-corn-prices-go-higher.html New Fast-Fill Station For Compressed Natural Gas. The city of Elk Grove has opened a fast-fill compressed natural gas station, the first of its kind in south Sacramento County. The station, at 9050 Elkmont Drive near the city's corporation yard, is used to fuel the city's fleet of 43 CNG e-tran buses and is now open to other transit agencies and the general public 24 hours a day. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2011/04/19/1651380/new-fast-fill-station-for-compressed.html VEHICLES Automakers Unveil Ambitious China Expansion Plans. Global automakers unveiled ambitious expansion plans for China on Tuesday, targeting the country's newly prosperous drivers as the industry struggles to recover from Japan's tsunami. Nissan Motor Co. plans to raise sales by about 15 percent to 1.15 million vehicles this year, said CEO Carlos Ghosn. He spoke as the company unveiled the new Tiida sedan, one of a series of world premieres at Shanghai's auto show by automakers that reflect China's critical importance to their sales. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/apr/19/automakers-unveil-ambitious-china-expansion/ http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_905e1eec-db14-5a64-a48f-3e9fd314ebe1.html DOE Allots $5M To Encourage Electric Vehicle Deployment. The Department of Energy will open up $5 million for community and local projects designed to facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles in the next few years, Secretary Steven Chu said today. Speaking at the opening of the Electric Drive Transportation Association conference in Washington, D.C., Chu also announced that the administration was launching a partnership with Google Inc. and more than 80 EV companies to create a national charging station map. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/04/19/18 GREEN ENERGY San Joaquin Air Board Help On Electric Mowers. Air quality officials have trimmed the cost of switching from gasoline- powered lawn mowers to cleaner electric models. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is offering a limited number of vouchers that enable residents to pay $50 for a cordless electric mower with a 14-inch blade or $100 for a 19-inch version. The Clean, Green Yard Machine program will continue while funding lasts. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2011/04/18/1651211/san-joaquin-air-board-help-on.html Solar Power: Breakthrough Could Herald Big Drop In Costs. Scientists at the University of Michigan have discovered a new effect from an old property of light, which they say could lead to an "optical battery" that converts sunlight to electricity at a fraction of the cost of today's photovoltaic cells. Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2011/0415/Solar-power-breakthrough-could-herald-big-drop-in-costs?cmpid=ema:nws:Weekend%20Weekly%2004162011&cmpid=ema:nws:NTI5OTY0ODM3NQS2 Environmental Groups Object To Army Corps' Proposed Clean Energy Permits. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on the verge of approving two new nationwide permits that would allow renewable energy developments on wetlands, streams and ocean floors. But yesterday, just before the period for public comments closed, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and others filed a complaint criticizing the potential environmental impact that the permits could allow. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/04/19/7 MISCELLANEOUS EPA's 10 'Greenest' Companies Include Intel, Cisco. A few days before Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the country's top corporate buyers of "green" power — solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and small-scale hydroelectric. Many of the companies have a strong presence in the four-county region. Topping the list was Intel Corp., followed by Kohl's Corp. and Whole Foods Market. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2011/04/19/epa-names-10-greenest-companies.html BPA Substitutes May Be More Harmful. As companies have been touting BPA-free products, a new study indicates that alternative chemicals used in such products might not be much safer. BPA, short for bisphenol A, is a synthetic estrogen used to harden plastic. Evidence remains inconclusive, but a growing body of science suggests that even at low doses, BPA binds to estrogen receptors in the human body and may be linked to health problems including infertility, birth defects, early puberty, autism, obesity, diabetes and hormone-related cancers. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/04/19/23 OPINION The Court and Global Warming. The case about global warming scheduled to be argued on Tuesday before the Supreme Court is a blockbuster. Eight states — from California to New York, plus New York City — sued six corporations responsible for one-fourth of the American electric power industry’s emissions of carbon dioxide. Rather than seeking money or punishment for the defendants, they seek what everyone should agree is the polluters’ responsibility: abatement of their huge, harmful part in causing climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/opinion/19tue1.html?_r=2&pagewanted=print Climate Change Policy Is EPA’s Job, Not Courts’. THE DEMOCRATS’ global warming bill died in the Senate last year. The new Republican majority in the House wants to gut carbon regulations at the Environmental Protection Agency. President Obama is reluctant even to discuss global warming publicly. So some environmentalists believe that a case being argued before the Supreme Court Tuesday represents the last, best hope to reduce greenhouse emissions. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/climate-change-policy-is-epas-job-not-courts/2011/04/18/AFjsug1D_print.html Protect The Air To Protect Our Lives. I was glad to see Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, stand in support of clean air and public health. On April 7, he voted "no" on H.R.910, a bill that undermines the Clean Air Act. Among the actions that the bill would repeal is the provision that allows California to set clean vehicle standards to reduce smog forming pollution and carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2011/04/18/1650927/protect-the-air-to-protect-our.html Solar Panels, Not Merely Subsidized And Costly… A reader who saw my column Your money’s gone with the wind (and solar) on Sunday sent this photo of the solar panels he has. There are “a few other bothersome facts,” wrote Ben Alegra. ” It takes work to keep solar going. AND the current life expectancy is about 25 yrs. for the panels. “The snow below did not shed by itself.” Snow isn’t a problem for Southern California, you say? How about dirt? Bird droppings? Soot? Do you like roof climbing? Posted. http://orangepunch.ocregister.com/2011/04/18/solar-panels-not-merely-subsidized-and-costly/43815/ BLOGS California's Carbon Market: Will Cap-And-Trade Work? Nine months before California is set to finalize a trading system aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, participants have the jitters. Litigation threatens to delay the start of the multibillion-dollar program, and industry executives worry that its regulations will fall short of guaranteeing a smoothly operating market. Fear is growing that it could be susceptible to the fraud that has plagued a similar European system. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/04/california-cap-and-trade-carbon-trading.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Riverside County Solar Project Gets $2.1-Billion Federal Guarantee. Yet another California renewable energy project will get financial support from the federal government, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Gov. Jerry Brown said Monday. The first two parts of the Blythe Solar Power Project in Riverside County were awarded a conditional commitment for a $2.1-billion loan guarantee from the Department of Energy -– the controversial program’s largest offering to a solar project. So far, 22 clean-energy projects –- including wind, geothermal and biofuels, in 14 states have been handed $21 billion in conditional commitments. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/04/blythe-solar-project-gets-conditional-21-billion-federal-loan-guarantee.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29 Why The Supreme Court Should Let States Sue The Country’s Biggest Carbon Polluters. Today, the Supreme Court hears oral argument in American Electric Power vs. Connecticut -- a case in which six states and other plaintiffs are trying to put emissions limits on America's five largest greenhouse-gas polluters. The states are invoking their right, recognized by the Supreme Court more than a century ago, to seek relief in federal court when polluters in other jurisdictions send dangerous air or water pollution across state lines. Posted. http://www.grist.org/clean-air/2011-04-19-why-the-supreme-court-should-let-states-sue-the-countrys-biggest American Teens Smarter About Climate Change Than Adults, Despite Knowing Less. More American teens than adults believe climate change is caused by humans, 57 percent versus 50 percent, says a new survey from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. Yet American teens also tend to know slightly less than adults on the subject of climate science, says the same survey. Posted. http://www.grist.org/list/2011-04-19-american-teens-smarter-about-climate-change-than-adults-despite- Surprise! Developed World Uses Less Energy Per Person Than It Did 20 Years Ago. If you're the sort who wakes up every morning to a media diet that can only be delivered via a Wolf Blitzer situation room-style array of glowing screens and buzzing whatsits, you probably suspect that you're using more energy than the mid-90's you, the one who warmed herself over a kerosene lamp and ate hardtack straight out of the barrel. Posted. http://www.grist.org/list/2011-04-19-surprise-world-uses-less-energy-per-person-than-it-did-20-years- Rough Seas for Shipping Industry Emissions Agreement. Depending on how it’s spun, recent shipping industry meetings on controlling greenhouse gas emissions through market-based trading schemes either made “steady progress” or no progress at all. The International Maritime Organization characterized the meetings of the third inter-sessional meeting of the Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions that ended early this month in London as making steady progress. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/04/shipping-industry-emissions-agreement/