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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/

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