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newsclips -- Newsclips for July 26, 2011.
Posted: 26 Jul 2011 11:47:57
California Air Resources Board News Clips for July 26, 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 Tesoro Fined For Violations At Martinez Refinery. Oil giant Tesoro Corp. has agreed to pay $500,000 in fines for dozens of air pollution violations at its refinery in Martinez. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced the settlement with the San Antonio-based company on Monday. District officials say emissions from the Golden Eagle refinery often exceeded air-quality standards for carbon monoxide, soot and other pollutants between 2006 and 2009. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_18550846 http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_18550846 CARB Honors Cleaire President With Haagen-Smit Award. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has awarded Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Brad Edgar with its Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award in the category of Science and Technology. Since 2001, CARB has annually recognized and honored individuals who have made significant contributions toward improving air quality through their commitment, Posted. http://www.dieselprogress.com/emissionstechnologyforum/index_news_detail.asp?pick=438&fm=N Ozone Decision Waits As Senators, Businesses Pressure EPA. Controversial new U.S. EPA standards for smog won't be ready this week, the agency said today, as business groups and other critics on Capitol Hill pushed the White House to declaw the rules that were submitted for final review earlier this month. Administrator Lisa Jackson is getting ready to finalize new air quality standards for ozone, the main ingredient in the smog that can blanket big cities on hot summer days. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/07/26/1 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE Melting Ice Forces Polar Bears To Swim Farther, Study Finds. Polar bears are swimming longer distances because of melting sea ice, according to a new study conducted with satellite tracking devices. The research, presented July 19 by U.S. Geological Survey biologist Anthony Pagano at the International Bear Association Conference, identified 50 long-distance swims by adult female polar bears between 2004 and 2009 in the southern Beaufort and Chukchi seas. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/melting-ice-forces-polar-bears-to-swim-farther-study-finds/2011/07/19/gIQAq9Q5YI_story.html Fight Brews Over Offsets in Calif. Climate Law. If a tree falls in the forest and it was supposed to have canceled out a company's carbon emissions, who bears responsibility? It's among many dilemmas California faces as it rolls out its landmark climate law. The state's Air Resources Board (ARB) soon is expected to unveil its proposed rules for enforcing A.B. 32, the law ordering reductions in heat-trapping gases blamed for climate change. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/07/25/25greenwire-fight-brews-over-offsets-in-calif-climate-law-6837.html?pagewanted=print Climate Change Could Release Toxins Trapped In Arctic Ice. Despite a global decrease in the production of certain toxic chemicals, we may be in for an onslaught. That’s because rising global temperatures are causing the release of persistent organic pollutants, such as DDT and PCBs, which have been locked in arctic ice for more than half a century. Although the chemicals were created to provide societal benefits, such as killing mosquitoes and protecting crops…Posted. http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/climate-change-could-release-toxins-trapped-arctic-ice-11711 Time Running Out To Change Cap-And-Trade. Time is running out for businesses to get changes made to the state’s cap-and-trade program. Rules for California’s cap-and-trade program – part of the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act that aims to reduce pollution below 1990s levels by 2020 — will be finalized in October. But in August the California Air Resources Board, which oversees the implementation of the program, will vote on draft rules to be followed by a 15-day public comment period. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2011/07/25/time-running-out-to-change-cap-and-trade.html?s=print California Releases Updated Cap-Trade Regulations. California regulators released an updated version of their cap-and-trade regulations for greenhouse gases yesterday, one of the last steps before voting to make the program official. Covered polluters -- those businesses that emit more than 25,000 metric tons per year of carbon dioxide equivalent -- will begin official trading in 2013, after a year of fine-tuning and practice trading that begins next year. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/07/26/6 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Companies Write To Defend Cap-And-Trade Program. Businesses are writing letters to governors across 10 states in the Northeast in support of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the first regional carbon cap-and-trade program in the United States. The three-year-old initiative, backed by green companies and environmental groups, is facing challenges from conservative activists. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/07/26/8 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Technologies Multiply To Put CO2 To Work -- And Make Money. One man's pollution is another man's raw material. In this case, it's carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the most notorious greenhouse gases. Government regulators, researchers and private companies have now found ways to sequester waste CO2 and put it to work in making paints, plastics and fuels. In doing so, they seek to find a way to simultaneously reduce emissions, produce low-cost materials and even make some money. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/07/26/3 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Reanalyses ‘R’ Us. There is an interesting new wiki site, Reanalyses.org, that has been developed by a number of groups dedicated to documenting the various reanalysis products for atmosphere and ocean that are increasingly being made available. For those that don’t know, a ‘reanalysis’ is a climate or weather model simulation of the past that includes data assimilation of historical observations. Posted. http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2011/07/reanalyses-r-us/ FUELS As White House Decision on New Fuel Efficiency Standards Nears, Go60MPG Launches Radio ad Push in D.C. With Radio Ads, Go60MPG Highlights How Strong Fuel Efficiency Standards Would Create Jobs, Save Consumers at the Gas Pump, Reduce Dependence on Foreign Oil. With a decision imminent from the Obama Administration on new fuel efficiency and emissions standards for 2017-2025 vehicles, Go60MPG …Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/25/3792858/as-white-house-decision-on-new.html ARB Approves "OGV Clean Fuel Regulations" At a public hearing on June 23, 2011, the Air Resources Board (ARB) approved amendments to the regulations “Fuel Sulfur and Other Operational Requirements for Ocean-Going Vessels within California Waters and 24 Nautical Miles of the California Baseline” (title 13, California Code of Regulations [CCR], section 2299.2, and title 17 California Code of Regulations, section 93118.2). Posted. http://www.marinelink.com/news/regulations-approves339670.aspx VEHICLES California Dials Back Its Electric Car Credits. So far, electric cars have been more popular in California than in most of the rest of the country. In large part, EV appeal was greater in California due to a $5,000 state rebate that came on top of the $7,500 federal tax credit. With the tax credits, the price of an all-electric Nissan Leaf could be as low as $21,000, making it cheaper than a Toyota Prius and putting it on par with other small cars. (The Chevrolet Volt was not eligible for the state credit, although it does receive the $7,500 federal tax credit.) Posted. http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/07/california-dials-back-its-electric-car-credits.html Cars Now Getting Better Climate Grades. We're making progress in reducing greenhouse emissions from new cars in the U.S. Is a 14 percent gain since October of 2007 impressive? You bet it is, considering that population continues to grow, and we're not making significant progress in cutting our miles on the road. Or enacting any climate legislation, for that matter. The 14 percent reduction is enshrined in the latest monthly Eco-Driving Index from the University of Michigan. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/25/v-print/3792029/cars-now-getting-better-climate.html California: Zero-Cost Ways To Support EV Introduction. On 1 July 2011, California decided to ban hybrids from carpool lanes, giving this privilege to PHEVs and full EVs. In the same month, on 21 July 2011, California’s Air Resources Board voted to cut the rebate EV buyers can collect by half, to now $2500. But with more than $26 billion budget deficit for 2011, California is moving towards non-financial ways to promote electric vehicles. Posted. http://www.cars21.com/content/articles/62720110726.php GREEN ENERGY TRPA Rejects Biomass Power Plant At Tahoe. Kings Beach -- Lake Tahoe's land use regulatory agency has rejected plans for a biomass power plant on the lake's north shore. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Executive Director Joanne Marchetta says her staff concluded the Kings Beach site is "unworkable." Placer County Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery says the plan generated widespread citizen complaints. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_18544571 Painting Roofs White Could Save A Year’s Worth Of Emissions. The White Roof Project has a simple mission: Paint black roofs white. Here's what that tiny effort gets you, according to the organization (click the picture for a more extensive infographic): A 24 billion metric ton reduction in CO2 emissions, if every roof is painted white by 2030. That's a year's worth of CO2. $5 billion in energy cost savings for the United States Posted. http://www.grist.org/list/2011-07-25-painting-roofs-white-could-save-a-years-worth-of-emissions Is This The Greenest College Campus Ever? California's Butte College has a 928-acre wildlife refuge. It promotes ride shares. It uses goats for landscaping, and worms for composting. It has LEED-certifiable buildings. And now it's going off the grid -- the first college in the country, the school claims, to be energy independent. Posted. http://www.grist.org/list/2011-07-25-is-this-the-greenest-college-campus-ever MISCELLANEOUS EPA’s Funding Facing Rollback. House Republicans are attempting to slash funding for climate-change programs and reduce the power of regulatory agencies in a spending bill for next year that Democrats call an assault on the environment. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/25/epa-s-funding-facing-rollback/ OPINIONS Letter To The Editor: EPA Should Be State Agency. There is no authorization for the Environmental Protection Agency in the Constitution. It is clearly missing from Article 1, Section 8, which establishes all powers of Congress. Therefore, under the 10th Amendment, environmental protections should be a responsibility of the states. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/25/epa-should-be-state-agency/] Outdated Environmental Info. Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, has taken upon itself to file a lawsuit in federal court to force the EPA to enforce compliance within five years of a decision on whether the region fails to meet the national standards on Ozone depletion. The study by the EPA was done some 30 years ago! Many things have changed over the years, including the requirement of Bay Area cars to be smog tested which affected pollution in the valley. Posted. (Paid subscription only) http://www.modbee.com/2011/07/25/1790039/outdated-environmental-info.html BLOGS Democrats Turn Up The Heat On Enviro Cuts. House Democrats invoked the record-breaking weekend temperatures as they railed against a Republican bill up for floor discussion this week that cuts funding and trims the regulatory power of federal environmental agencies. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2011/jul/25/democrats-turn-heat-environmental-cuts/ Volleys Fly in House Debate on E.P.A. and Interior. The House of Representatives began heated debate on Monday on an appropriations bill for the Department of Interior and Environmental Protection Agency that pits Republican critics of environmental regulation against Democrats who fear that landmark protections could be gutted. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/25/volleys-fly-in-house-debate-on-e-p-a-and-interior/?ref=earth Obama's Fuel Economy Standards Threaten the Economy. Remember when, in the State of the Union address, President Barack Obama promised to launch an assault on needless, duplicative, wasteful federal agencies and regulations? Neither does he. Thanks to Obama, the U.S. government now has three agencies--the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Air Resources Board--involved in the effort to improve through mandates the fuel economy of U.S. passenger vehicles. Posted. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/peter-roff/2011/07/26/obamas-fuel-economy-standards-threaten-the-economy_print.html Gov. Brown Pushes Renewable Energy Goal At UCLA Conference. Gov. Jerry Brown wants a major chunk of California’s renewable energy to come from urban rooftops and backyards, rather than just the massive solar and wind installations scattered around the outskirts of the state. How that’ll come to pass, though, is still up in the air. So Brown called a conference to figure out how to execute his plan, which calls for rooftop solar panels, small wind turbines…Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/07/gov-brown-pushes-12-gigawatt-renewable-energy-goal-at-ucla-conference.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MoneyCompany+%28Money+%26+Company%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Urban Power Like Rooftop Solar Dominates Brown's Energy Confab may not be quite the renewable energy powerhouse that Germany and China are, but California will be well on its way once it speeds up installations of smaller, urban projects, Gov. Jerry Brown said Monday. At a UCLA conference called to help figure how to achieve Brown’s goal of 12 gigawatts of localized clean power production, he and executives from SolarCity, Google and NRG talked about the state’s energy future. Posted. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/07/rooftop-solar-and-distributed-generation-dominate-browns-ucla-energy-confab.html Roofing It: Brown Stumps for Distributed Solar. Governor Brown moves forward with plans to encourage more local solar generation in the state. California has been on something of a solar frenzy recently, approving permits for more than 4,000 megawatts of new solar power in 2010 alone. Most of that is in the form of large, industrial-scale installations, which will provide lots of power, but also will require transmission infrastructure to get the clean energy from the desert sun to where its needed, primarily, the coastal cities. Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2011/07/25/roofing-it-brown-stumps-for-distributed-solar/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader The Solar Scheme: How Banks Overvalue Solar Projects for Financial Gain. First, there were solar systems with a hefty up-front price that not many households and companies could afford. Then came the solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) and solar leasing that transformed solar systems from a product into an affordable service. One of the cornerstones of the new model is a 30 percent federal tax credit on the solar systems…Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/07/solar-scheme-banks-overvaluing-solar-projects-taxpayers-money/ Climate Change-Pollutants From the Past. Climate change is remobilizing toxic pollutants from long-term sinks such as ice and sea water in the Arctic reports a paper published online in Nature Climate Change this week. The finding suggests that this could potentially undermine efforts to reduce exposure to these toxic compounds. Posted. http://www.celsias.com/article/climate-change-pollutants-past/ Toyota Says Prius Plug-In Is "27 Percent Better Than An Equivalent Diesel." With the Toyota Prius Plug-in set to launch in early 2012, now's the perfect time to dive into the interim results from the cars' trials in London. Here are some details straight from Toyota: Average journey distance has been 7.3 miles, with 59 percent of all journeys covering between 3.1 and 12.4 miles. Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/ Republicans Target EPA Regulations of Big Polluters in Debt Talks. If Congress can’t reach a deal on the debt ceiling, we have a single week before the United States defaults on its debts, but the Republicans are still calling for some outrageous budget cuts to try to win the battle. The right’s latest targets are the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. Posted. http://inhabitat.com/republicans-target-epa-regulations-of-big-polluters-in-debt-talks/ Trucks Get ‘Winglets’ To Make Them More Fuel Efficient. In order to make them more fuel efficient and aerodynamic, airplanes have winglets (curved structures) at the wing tips to reduce drag. ATDynamics are hoping that this same engineering trick will also work on the ground. The company has outfitted trucks with a TrailerTail to do exactly that. Posted. http://inhabitat.com/trucks-get-winglets-to-make-them-more-fuel-efficient/