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California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 7, 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

Environmental Groups Contend Villages Of Lakeview Development
Would Be Harmful. Four environmental groups and the city of
Riverside have fired a new salvo against Riverside County over
its approval of one of the area's largest housing developments.
In an opening legal brief filed Friday, the groups said the
proposed Villages of Lakeview development will "inflict
significant and irreversible harm on the environment and
exacerbate already severe hazards to public health." Posted. 
http://www.pe.com/localnews/politics/stories/PE_News_Local_D_lakeview07.3b746e6.html

Avoid Indoor Air Pollution. Imperial, California (NAPSI) - Many
Americans may be breathing easier once they learn how simple it
can be to keep their homes cleaner and more comfortable. Airborne
contaminants such as mold can be a big headache for homeowners.
Research published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
suggests that cleaning air ducts can go a long way toward
reducing them. Posted.
http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10520&Itemid=23

CLIMATE CHANGE

Island States Hint At Climate Talks Compromise. Bonn, Germany
(Reuters) - Small island states, at risk from rising seas due to
climate change, hinted on Tuesday at a compromise in order to
kick-start U.N. talks on reaching a binding deal to curb global
warming. The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), which
represents 43 countries, said it could consider pledges on
emissions cuts made voluntarily by rich nations if they were made
into legally-binding targets. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USTRE75525E20110607

Free Carbon Permits, Aid Will Protect EU Industry, Envoy Says.
Free carbon allowances and state aid to steelmakers and big
electricity users will protect European Union companies from
competitors without emission caps, the European Commission’s
climate envoy said. The 27-nation EU is looking at the
possibility of a law to allow state aid to companies that would
kick in once electricity prices reach a certain level, the envoy,
Artur Runge-Metzger, said today in an interview in Bonn. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-06-07/free-carbon-permits-aid-will-protect-eu-industry-envoy-says.html

Massive Wallow Blaze Incinerates Ariz. Forests, but Climate
Change Link Remains Unknown. Arizona's third-largest forest fire
in history was fostered by drought conditions tied to La Niña,
strong winds and parched soils and vegetation. But experts say
its role as an example of the consequences of climate change is
tenuous. The Wallow fire in Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National
Forest has spread throughout the south and west of Alpine, Ariz.,
incinerating close to 250,000 acres. It began on May 29, and
authorities believe it was ignited by human activity. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/06/07/07climatewire-massive-wallow-blaze-incinerates-ariz-forest-23395.html?pagewanted=print

Calif. Appeals Court Lifts Injunction On State Warming Law -- For
Now. A California appeals court has temporarily reversed an
injunction that had effectively frozen implementation of the
state's climate change law. In a terse, three-sentence decision
issued Friday; the 1st Appellate District of the California Court
of Appeal stayed a lower court's ruling that found the climate
law, known as A.B. 32, needed a more thorough environmental
review before proceeding. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/06/07/2

Density Of Woods Helps Offset Climate Change From Deforestation –
Study. Increasing forest density across the globe is helping
mitigate climate change caused by deforestation in Indonesia and
the Amazon, according to a recent report. The report found that
it is not just the amount of space a forest covers, but how large
the trees within it are, that determines how much carbon the
forest can absorb. "Higher density means world forests are
capturing more carbon," says the research, conducted by experts
in Finland and the United States. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/06/07/9

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Trucks in Europe Will Face EU Toll Charges for Air Pollution,
Noise. The European Union decided to let governments charge
trucks for air pollution and noise, a step that may shift some
cargo from roads to railways. The European Parliament approved a
law allowing environmental costs to be included in truck tolls,
which may rise 12 percent to 27 percent as a result. Current EU
rules prohibit environmental surcharges on the fleets of
companies such as Deutsche Post AG (DPW) except in mountain
regions such as the Alps to avoid fragmenting the European
market. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-07/trucks-in-europe-will-face-eu-toll-charges-for-air-pollution-noise.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/07/us-eu-environment-trucks-idUSTRE75640Z20110607

VEHICLES

Advanced Battery Technologies Inks Deal In China. Advanced
Battery Technologies Inc. signed a $14.7 million deal to supply
batteries to a Chinese electric vehicle maker. The company said
Monday that it signed the contract through its Chinese
subsidiary, Wuxi Zhongqiang Autocycle Co. The deal calls for
Advanced Battery Technologies to provide batteries for 24,000
electric vehicles, including bikes and scooters, to Wuxi Hao Jie
Vehicle Co. Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/07/advanced-battery-technologies-inks-deal-in-china/

Ford, GM, Honda See Mixed China Sales In May. Foreign automakers
are seeing mixed sales trends in China as the world's biggest
market for new vehicles cools after years of torrid growth.
General Motors Co. said Tuesday that its total sales in China
fell 3 percent in May from a year earlier to 190,674 vehicles.
Its sales in the first five months of the year edged up nearly 5
percent to 1.08 million. GM's flagship joint venture with
Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp. fared well. Its sales
climbed 11 percent to 92,519 on robust demand both for
fuel-efficient Chevrolet models and for pricier Buicks and
Cadillacs. Posted. 
http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_1dd18005-51be-5440-b65e-19617e2007b7.html

Ford Says Its Global Sales Will Increase 50% By 2015. Ford Motor
Co. said global sales will rise 50 percent by 2015 to 8 million
annually, driven by expansion in Asia and growing demand for
small cars. The automaker expects that by 2020, 55 percent of
vehicle sales will be small cars and a third of sales will be in
Asia, spokesman John Stoll said in an e-mail. Ford CEO Alan
Mulally confirmed the target during an interview with CNBC this
morning. Posted. 
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110607/RETAIL01/110609907/1254

GREEN ENERGY

Ethanol Company Completes Grain Elevator Purchase. Green Plains
Renewable Energy has purchased a grain elevator in Missouri with
the capacity to store 2 million bushels of grain. The purchase of
Horizon Grain of Hopkins, Mo., was announced Monday. Terms of the
deal were not disclosed. Green Plains President and CEO Todd
Becker says the deal makes sense because Horizon Grain is 45
miles from one of the company's ethanol plants in Shenandoah,
Iowa. Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/07/ethanol-company-completes-grain-elevator/

Santa Barbara County Looks At Fracking For Oil. Los Alamos,
Calif.—The petroleum industry claims a controversial drilling
technique used in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country has
been safely used for decades. But critics worry it can
contaminate groundwater, cause air pollution and trigger small
earthquakes. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors wants
to learn more about fracking, or hydraulic fracturing—a method of
extracting hard-to-reach gas and oil by pummeling rocks deep
underground with high-pressure water, sand and chemicals. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_18221203
http://www.nctimes.com/news/national/article_4d23db77-d5aa-5b25-9c39-2267264ff1de.html
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/07/santa-barbara-county-looks-at-fracking-for-oil/

A 'Sludge' Battery Could Propel Future Electric Cars. Researchers
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a
revolutionary electric car battery that could slice half the size
and cost off current models. Professor Yet-Ming Chiang knows
plenty about those current models -- he helped invent them. His
work in materials science helped spin off A123 Systems Inc., now
one of the most powerful firms in lithium-ion batteries. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/06/07/4

Planning To Shut Down Nuclear Energy, Germany Also Creates Clouds
For Solar. Munich -- The German solar industry was left to lick
its wounds yesterday after the country's new government-proposed
energy legislation emerged. It favors wind in the race to replace
the power generation capacity that will be lost by the shutdown
of all German nuclear reactors. The 39-point update of the German
Renewable Energy Act envisions accelerated cuts in preferential
tariffs for solar power that increase with capacity installed,
while subsidies for wind energy were cut by less than expected.
Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/06/07/5

Dubai Looks To Create Emissions Credits. Dubai, United Arab
Emirates, is looking to create tradable emissions credits, part
of an effort to rely more on solar power for the city's energy
needs, as well as to increase energy efficiency. Dubai's
government-run utility Dubai Electricity & Water Authority is one
of the companies looking to receive credits, which could reach an
estimated $211 million in value over the next decade, according
to Waleed Salman, chairman of the Dubai Centre for Carbon
Excellence. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/06/07/10

MISCELLANEOUS

GE and Partners Secure Financing For 800 MW Thermal Plant in
Riverside County. GE Energy Financial Services, Competitive Power
Ventures, Inc. (CPV) and Diamond Generation Corporation (DGC)
announced that they secured financing for an 800 megawatt (MW)
thermal power plant in Riverside County, California. The three
companies are co-owners of the Sentinel Facility, a $2 billion
project which will produce enough power for 239,000 homes when
completed. CPV owns 25 percent, DGC owns 50 percent and GE 25
percent. Posted. 
http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/06/ge-cpv-dgc-secure-financing-thermal-power-plant-riverside-county/

Proposal Filed To Put Speed Limits On Big Ships In Channel. A
coalition of environmental groups filed a petition asking that a
mandatory speed limit be imposed on ships passing through the
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary in an effort to curb
the number of whales hit by ships. The petition, filed Monday by
the Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental Defense
Center, Pacific Environment and Friends of the Earth, demands
that ships slow their speed to 10 knots when passing through any
of California's four National Marine Sanctuaries. Posted. 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/06/proposal-filed-to-put-speed-limits-on-big-ships/

Green Burials Are Gaining Traction In The Washington Area.  Live
eco-conscious, die eco-conscious. People who drive hybrid cars,
recycle, compost and eat vegetarian are showing increased
interest in leaving this world in an equally Earth-friendly way:
a green burial.  “Baby boomers who define themselves as
environmentalists don’t want to go out with a final act of
pollution,” says Joe Sehee, executive director of the Green
Burial Council, headquartered in Santa Fe, N.M. “A lot of people
find solace in returning to the earth naturally.”  Posted. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/environment/green-burials-are-gaining-traction-in-the-washington-area/2011/04/26/AGLfhZKH_story.html

OPINION

Viewpoints: Case For High-Speed Rail Grows Only Stronger. The
last time many Californians thought about high-speed rail was in
the voting booth. On that day, Nov. 4, 2008, more than 6 million
of us voted to tell the state to get going, to build high-speed
rail in California. Now, 2 1/2 years later, the second guessing
is in full swing. In recent weeks some have suggested that we
should put the project on hold. We couldn't disagree more.
California will need high-speed rail in the coming years to do
something about the gridlock on our roads and at our airports.
Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/07/v-print/3681606/case-for-high-speed-rail-grows.html

BLOGS

Oil Drilling Off Cuba Raises Specter of What-If. Florida voters
have long opposed offshore oil drilling along their coasts, and
given that Florida is a swing state in presidential elections,
they have gotten their way. But it looks as if drilling is coming
to nearby Cuban waters as early as the fall when the Spanish oil
company Repsol is due to drill an exploratory well. Posted. 
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/oil-drilling-off-cuba-raises-specter-of-what-if/?scp=7&sq=green%20energy&st=cse

Ethanol Subsidies: Dumping Corn In The Ocean Would Be A Better
Idea. Imagine if the U.S. Congress were to mandate subsidies for
the dumping of 40% of the U.S. corn crop into the ocean every
year. That would certainly boost prices, which would be a boon
for corn farmers and a menace to everyone else. Such a program
would lead to widespread inflation, more hunger and political
instability in poor countries around the world, and slower global
economic growth. Posted.
http://blogs.forbes.com/henrymiller/2011/06/07/ethanol-subsidies-dumping-corn-in-the-ocean-would-be-a-better-idea/

Germany -Stepping Away From Nuclear into a Leadership Role on
Renewables? In announcing that it intends to close all nuclear
power plants by 2022, the German Government now faces a major
challenge to find the energy to replace nuclear and meet its
ambitious carbon emission targets at the same time. But Angela
Merkel has been one of the rocks of European politics in the last
6 years. As Germany's first female Chancellor she has steered the
country through interesting times. Posted. 
http://www.celsias.com/article/germany-stepping-away-nuclear-leadership-role-rene/

Three Energy Developments That Are Changing Your Life—And Not In
A Good Way.  Here's the good news about energy: Thanks to rising
oil prices and deteriorating economic conditions worldwide, the
International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that global oil demand
will not grow this year as much as once assumed, which may
provide some temporary price relief at the gas pump. In its May
"Oil Market Report," the IEA reduced its 2011 estimate for global
oil consumption by 190,000 barrels per day, pegging it at 89.2
million barrels daily.  Posted. 
http://www.grist.org/climate-energy/2011-06-07-three-energy-developments-changing-your-life-not-in-a-good-way

Carbon Sciences To Produce First Samples Of Diesel Fuel From
Methane And CO2 Using Catalytic Dry Reforming Process.  Carbon
Sciences, Inc., a technology developer focusing on the conversion
of carbon dioxide and methane to fuels, plans to produce samples
of diesel fuel in an end-to-end process demonstration.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/06/csi-20110606.html