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newsclips -- Newsclips for May 10, 2011.
Posted: 10 May 2011 13:06:02
California Air Resources Board News Clips for May 10, 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. AIR POLLUTION Alcoa Says New Aluminum Building Coating Fights Smog. Alcoa Inc. (AA.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said it will start selling an aluminum building panel that removes smog from the air using a chemical commonly found in automobile paint. Using a proprietary process developed with Japan's Toto (5332.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Alcoa said it turns fine grounds of titanium dioxide into a clear paste then applies it the surface of aluminum. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/09/alcoa-idUSN0927642020110509 http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/consumer&id=8121875&pt=print http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/05/10/metals-firms-unveil-smog-eating-buildings-recycling-goals/ Obama's Challenge: Unite Groups On Emissions Targets For 2017-25. Washington -- The Obama administration faces a challenge in uniting disparate groups behind a single national program of fuel economy and tailpipe-emission standards for 2017-25 models -- especially in light of recent conflict between automakers and California state regulators. Posted. http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110509/OEM06/305099960/1143 EPA Halts Hazardous Waste Shipments To Mecca Plant. A soil recycling plant in Mecca must stop accepting gasoline-contaminated earth and other hazardous materials that residents say have been making them ill, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered Monday. Operations at Western Environmental Inc. may present a danger to human health, the EPA order said. It requires the company to cover existing piles of contaminated soil, some as high as 40 feet, within 15 days. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_mecca10.3df9dda.html http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110509/NEWS07/110509013/Hazardous-waste-trucks-greeted-surprise-checkpoint-outside-Mecca-plant?odyssey=nav|head http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110510/NEWS01/105100315/Feds-crack-down-Mecca-stink?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage Hoax Website Skewers Coal-Fired Power Plants. A hoax website purporting to be sponsored by coal company Peabody Energy announced the launch today of a new community service campaign by the company to distribute free inhalers to all children living within 200 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Called "Coal Cares," the phony initiative wouldn't seek simply to end childhood asthma…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/05/10/5 CLIMATE CHANGE Vatican-Appointed Panel Warns Of Climate Change. A Vatican-appointed panel of scientists has reported what climate change experts have been warning for years: the Earth is getting warmer, glaciers are melting, and urgent measures are necessary to stem the damage. The scientists called for urgent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and reductions in methane and other pollutants that warm the air, and for improved observation of mountain glaciers to better track their changes. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g10NglmvY5S--196nMSfug79L3BQ?docId=e80362e575554118aa3fabbc3f725c8e http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/05/10/international/i091816D85.DTL&type=printable Physicist Group’s Study Raises Doubts on Capturing Carbon Dioxide From Air. Over the last few years, some of world’s brightest minds have become fascinated with a seemingly simple idea: easing the threat of climate change by pulling carbon dioxide out of the air. The concept is entirely different from capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide from power plants and other big polluters before it enters the air. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/science/earth/10carbon.html?ref=earth Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/05/10/15 Group Urges 'Climate Justice' About 70 people calling for "climate justice" gathered at Cesar Chavez Plaza in Sacramento on Sunday as part of an international "iMatter March" to publicize the campaign to halt global warning. The brief gathering was marked by a short march to the west steps of the state Capitol, with loud chants and placards. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/09/v-print/3611845/group-urges-climate-justice.html U.N. Climate-Change Panel: Renewable Energy Use Up. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -- Renewable sources such as solar and wind could supply up to 80 percent of the world's energy needs by 2050 and play a significant role in fighting global warming, a top climate panel concluded Monday. But the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that to achieve that level, governments would have to spend significantly more money and introduce policies that integrate renewables…Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/10/MN9Q1JDQDO.DTL&type=printable Climate Change May Disrupt Wi-Fi Access, U.K. Report Says. Rising sea levels, overheated polar bears and melting ice caps are some of the consequences commonly identified with global warming. But a new U.K. government report identifies a new victim of rising temperatures: Wi-Fi Internet access. Higher temperatures can reduce the range of wireless communications, rainstorms can alter the reliability of the signal, and drier summers and wetter winters could damage masts and underground cables…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/05/10/11 FUELS Celanese Says Ethanol-From-Coal Process Is a ‘Game-Changer’ Celanese Corp. (CE) said its technology to make ethanol from coal is more profitable than producing the gasoline additive from plants, and is a “game-changer” for the U.S. chemicals company. Celanese’s so-called TCX technology can convert coal, petroleum coke or natural gas to ethanol for 25 percent to 35 percent less than alternative processes, it said today in presentation slides posted on its website. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-05-10/celanese-says-ethanol-from-coal-process-is-a-game-changer-1-.html Study Finds Methane Contamination Rises Near Shale Gas Wells. Researchers at Duke University have issued a study showing a link between methane contamination of drinking water wells and their proximity to shale gas drilling sites. The study (pdf) would suggest potential for widespread contamination of rural drinking water from drilling in the Marcellus Shale under Pennsylvania, New York and other states. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/09/09greenwire-study-finds-methane-contamination-rises-near-s-87464.html?pagewanted=print Japan To Scrap Plan To Boost Nuke Energy To 50 Pct. Japan will scrap a plan to obtain half of its electricity from nuclear power and will instead promote renewable energy and conservation as a result of its ongoing nuclear crisis, the prime minister said Tuesday. Naoto Kan said Japan needs to "start from scratch" on its long-term energy policy after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant was heavily damaged by a March 11 earthquake and tsunami and began leaking radiation. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/may/10/japan-to-scrap-plan-to-boost-nuke-energy-to-50/ http://www.nctimes.com/news/national/article_61bf9e1b-6f1a-59ac-9d15-6d8a2d6a8c1b.html New Biofuel To Spar With Ethanol. Washington, D.C. -- Imagine filling up the car on a fuel that isn't made from oil but doesn't have the drawbacks of corn ethanol, including its lower energy content and ability to damage older cars or gas pumps. Such fuels could be made from the same sources as ethanol, including corn and corncobs as well as straw, trees and other abundant types of biomass. But these fuels would be synthetic versions of today's gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Posted. http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/article/20110510/OPINION02/105100315/New-biofuel-spar-ethanol Camelina Offers Hope As California Biofuel Crop. California’s 20 billion-gallon gasoline and diesel habit makes it ground zero for low-carbon and renewable fuel development, since there is a state objective that calls for 20 percent of the fuel for California engines be grown in state by 2020. Camelina may be a better crop fit than grain because it will produce 1,500 to 1,600 pounds of Camelina per acre on 4-6 inches of winter rainfall. Posted. http://westernfarmpress.com/print/markets/camelina-offers-hope-california-biofuel-crop VEHICLES SF To Install 80 Electric Car Charging Stations. San Francisco will install more than 80 free charging stations for electric vehicles by the end of the year, as part of City Hall's eco-friendly resolve to reduce air pollution. Monday's announcement by Mayor Ed Lee came as the average price for a gallon of gas in San Francisco hit the $4.32 mark - $1.09 higher than a year ago, according to data tracked by the AAA auto club. That's a dramatic price escalation expected to drive the public's appetite for more fuel-efficient cars. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/10/BAJM1JE0CJ.DTL&type=printable Appetite For 'Clean' Is Driving Vehicle Technology: Daimler CEO. Long Beach, Calif. -- The president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) says the market for ultra-clean, energy-efficient trucks is driving technological advancements in the natural gas and hybrid fields. “We see tremendous growth opportunities for our line-up of ultra-efficient products, and are extremely excited about the market potential here,” Martin Daum told delegates at the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2011 in Long Beach, Calif., yesterday. Posted. http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=26312 China Plans Big Investment In Electric Vehicles. When China got into the automaking business, it was reeling with smog-filled cities and disappearing global oil reserves. As Chinese automakers geared up, planners in Beijing started to develop an electric car industry that wouldn't rely on oil. That once seemed futuristic, but auto executives in the United States, Europe and Japan are now taking China's efforts seriously as it sets production targets and plans to provide $15 billion for it between now and 2020. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/05/10/8 GREEN ENERGY U.K. Submits 12 Applications to Tap $6.5 Billion in EU Clean Energy Funds. The U.K. government is seeking funds from the European Union for 12 projects under a 4.5 billion-euro ($6.5 billion) program to promote low-carbon energy. The projects will compete for funds generated by the sale of 300 million allowances to emit carbon dioxide under the EU’s New Entrants’ Reserve initiative, the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change said today in a statement. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-05-10/u-k-submits-12-applications-to-tap-6-5-billion-in-eu-clean-energy-funds.html Scientists Surprised By Genesis Mission's Solar Wind Data. Solar wind particles from NASA's Genesis mission suggest unexpected differences in the composition of the sun and inner planets. The 2004 crash-landing of a returning NASA space capsule in the deserts of Utah had scientists fearing for a while that samples collected by the Genesis mission, sent to capture particles from the sun's solar wind, were lost. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-genesis-solar-wind-20110510,0,7444851,print.story IPCC Sees Swiftly Expanding Alternative Energy Defines Cookstoves As 'Renewable' And Omits Nuclear. United Nations -- The world's leading climate change research organization issued a report yesterday that has renewable energy boosters cheering, as it foresees substantial growth in alternative energy sources over the next 40 years. But the conclusions reached by that report's authors are colored with multiple caveats and uncertainties not captured by initial media coverage. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/05/10/5 Clean-Tech Sector On Growth Trajectory – Report. Companies dipping their toes into clean energy technology today will invest more in the next five years to develop clean-tech products that can pay off in the form of profits, according to an Ernst & Young survey. "During the financial downturn, businesses looked to cleantech for cost savings and efficiency improvements," it says. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/05/10/6 Progress Energy CEO Sees Clean Energy As Incremental Policy That Includes Nuclear. If electric utility Duke Energy successfully acquires Progress Energy later this year, current Progress CEO Bill Johnson will become the CEO of the nation's biggest electric utility. That means he will be responsible for one of the biggest sources of pollution in the country and will be an important player in the energy and emissions debates heating up Congress. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/05/10/10 MISCELLANEOUS Bike To Work Day Organizers Seek Two-Wheeled Commuters For May 20 Event. Washington — May is Bike Month and Bike to Work Day organizers want you to take two wheels to work on May 20. Organizers of the Washington event say they hope to register more than 10,000 riders. This year’s event features 50 regional pit stops throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia where participants can get a free T-shirt, snacks and drinks and meet other bike commuters. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/bike-to-work-day-organizers-seek-two-wheeled-commuters-for-may-20-event/2011/05/10/AFTTIFeG_story.html New $300 Million High-Speed Rail Grant Won't Help Bakersfield. California's high-speed rail project got word Monday that it will receive $300 million of the roughly $2 billion in bullet train money turned down this year by Florida -- far less than the Golden State requested but enough to extend its initial 110-mile Central Valley segment an extra 20 miles northward and ending at a Y that allows the authority to later build north to Merced or westward to San Jose. Posted. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x43485785/New-300-million-high-speed-rail-grant-wont-help-Bakersfield-specifically OPINION Climate Change And The Flood This Time. Midwest flooding is a taste of climate change in its early stages. We've got to fight back, and fast. Last week, at a place called Bird's Point, just below the confluence of the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers, the Army Corps of Engineers was busy mining a huge levee with explosives. The work was made dangerous by outbreaks of lightning, but eventually the charges were in place and corps Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh gave the order: Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-0508-mckibben-levee-20110510,0,4588539.story Opinion: Biking To Work Once A Week Can Significantly Help The Environment. With the passage of California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, cities and counties are required to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One of the great problems is this: Nearly 40 percent of our greenhouse gases come from transportation. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_18027903 http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_18027903?nclick_check=1 Ethanol Nonsense. Burning the nation's food as a fuel supply is dubious energy policy. Charging taxpayers a premium for such a scheme is fiscally irresponsible. Congress should end the costly federal subsidy for corn ethanol production, and dump a tariff that protects the U.S. ethanol industry from cheaper imported ethanol. Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., last week introduced a bill to revamp the nation's wasteful ethanol policies. Posted. http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_10_ed_ethanol.30d20ee.html BLOGS This Energy Bill Is Not So Green. Shrinking the state is no way to deliver the 'greenest government ever'. Cameron's energy bill is light on detail and lacks ambition. This is a critical year for energy and climate change policy. Key government decisions are due in the coming months on flagship initiatives designed to reform the electricity market, drive investment in renewables, improve energy efficiency and set Whitehall emission targets. Posted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/10/energy-bill-greenest-government-ever/print Online Auction Mechanism for EV Charging Developed. With the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the energy impact on the grid is less about the overall availability of energy to charge vehicles than it is about the ability to meet demand at the local level – where clustering of EVs could overstress local transformers. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/online-auction-mechanism-ev-charging-developed/ U.S. Finally Catching Up To Rest Of World On Solar. In the U.S., solar photovoltaic panels are, somewhat unexpectedly, suddenly the belle of the renewable energy ball -- and their dance card is wide open. There is now more solar PV capacity planned for the immediate future than any other renewable you can name. Wind, solar thermal, geothermal…Posted. http://www.grist.org/list/2011-05-10-u.s.-finally-catching-up-to-rest-of-world-on-solar Want local communities to support wind? Put them in charge. Last month, Grist's Jess Zimmerman noted sarcastically that "Money is a miracle cure for 'wind turbine syndrome'." It is. And environmental advocates frustrated by the (spurious?) health and aesthetic complaints raised by not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) actors would do well to consider why. Posted. http://www.grist.org/wind-power/2011-05-09-ownership-money-and-policy-offer-a-cure-for-nimby Report For IPCC Finds Renewables Could Supply Up To 77% Of Global Energy By 2050. under most optimistic scenario; need for enabling public policies and investments. Up to 77% of the world’s energy supply could be met by six key renewables by mid-century under the most optimistic scenario if backed by the right enabling public policies, according to a new report by more than 120 researchers working with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/05/srren-20110510.html#more Washington State Closes the Door on Coal. As the old saw goes, when one door closes another one opens. That is about to tested on a grand scale in the State of Washington, which recently announced an agreement to shut down its only coal fired power plant. The plant is owned by the power company TransAlta. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/washington-state-closes-door-coal-opens-new-opportunities/ Geothermal Energy Provides Key to Airport Expansion. A new geothermal project for the Portland International Jetport in Maine provides a hint of the potential for U.S. businesses to expand their operations without being hobbled by the high price of fossil fuels, or by local concerns over fossil fuel emissions. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/geothermal-energy-key-airport-expansion/