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California Air Resources Board News Clips for November 9, 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

Leaking oil spreads stench over Concord. CONCORD -- A crude-oil
leak sent heavy-diesel and sulfur fumes over a Concord
neighborhood, and authorities say the smell could linger through
the day. The leak from a 7-mile-long ConocoPhillips pipeline that
runs under the former Concord Naval Weapons Station began Monday,
and the smell is still hanging over the area of Holly Drive,
Creek Place and Myrtle Drive, said Steve Morioka, assistant
director of Contra Costa County Health Services' hazardous
materials program. The agency received reports of "a heavy
refinery odor" Monday morning, Morioka said. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/09/BA1C1LS2F3.DTL&type=printable

CLIMATE CHANGE

Pew Center Turns to Industry Funding for Climate Change Research.
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change, which seeks market-based
solutions to global warming, is turning to corporate sponsors
after losing $3.5 million a year in support from a charitable
trust. The center will announce the change and its new name, the
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, at a press briefing
today, said Eileen Claussen, founder and president of the group.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) and
Entergy Corp. (ETR) are stepping in with long-term funding for
the group, Claussen said. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-09/pew-center-turns-to-industry-funding-for-climate-change-research.html

IEA: Time running out to limit earth's warming.  The
International Energy Agency warned Wednesday that the world is
hurtling toward irreversible climate change and will lose the
chance to limit warming if it doesn't take bold action in the
next five years.  In its annual World Energy Outlook, the agency
spelled out the consequences if those steps aren't taken and what
needs to be done to cap global temperature increases at 2 degrees
Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.
That's the threshold beyond which some scientists have said
catastrophic changes could be triggered.  Posted. 
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/9/iea-time-running-out-to-limit-earths-warming/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/iea-economist-warns-that-world-must-take-action-to-greatly-reduce-emissions-by-2017-_-or-else/2011/11/09/gIQAhi4Z4M_story.html
http://www.modbee.com/2011/11/09/1939622/iea-time-running-out-to-limit.html
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_19296295?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/nov/09/iea-time-running-out-to-limit-earths-warming/
VEHICLES

New Hybrids Will Pump it Up.  In the future, some hybrids won’t
use batteries and won’t look like almonds.  Several companies are
developing hydraulic hybrid drivetrains that bring the benefits
of hybrids to heavy-duty vehicles like buses. The technology,
which uses pressurized fluid instead of electricity to turn the
wheels, promises significant fuel savings at lower cost than
traditional hybrids.  Posted. 
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/11/hydraulic-hybrids/

Irish electricity distributor goes ‘car’ electric.  ESB Networks,
the licensed electricity distributor in the Republic of Ireland,
has just been delivered with Electric Smith Edison vans supplied
by Electric Vehicles Ireland, the Irish importer of Smith
Electric Vehicles. The order, including 10 electric vans and
trucks, was the single largest order of electric vehicles ever
placed in Ireland.  Two weeks ago, ESB Networks Ltd. was
delivered part of the single largest order of electric vehicles
ever placed in Ireland. Posted. 
http://www.cars21.com/content/articles/68920111109.php

GREEN ENERGY

State's solar energy output reaches milestone. California has
installed enough rooftop solar panels to generate more than 1
gigawatt of electricity, a milestone only five countries
worldwide have reached. And California has the potential to add
perhaps 79 gigawatts more, according to a report to be released
today by an environmental group. That's more than twice as much
electricity as the state used Tuesday afternoon when demand
reached its daily peak. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/09/BU6D1LS4E6.DTL&type=printable
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/09/v-print/4040698/states-solar-energy-doubled-in.html

OPINIONS

World has five years to combat irreversible global warming:
report Without rapid action, International Energy Agency warns
'door will close' to fight rapid climate change in five years.
Time is running out to reverse the effects of global warming,
according to a new report. In a sobering analysis of the planet's
energy future, the International Energy Agency said that
governments around the world have five years to reverse the
course of climate change before it's too late. "The door is
closing," Fatih Birol, the IEA's chief economist, told the
Guardian. Posted.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/world-years-combat-irreversible-global-warming-report-article-1.975007

Editorial: School retrofits make megawatts of good sense. The
six-county Sacramento region has 60 million square feet of school
facilities. The region's older schools are ripe for upgrades that
would reduce energy and water bills – money that could be spent
on classroom learning. Aging school infrastructure is a
challenge, but also a great opportunity. Done right, it could
reduce operating costs to school districts, create local jobs and
get students, teachers and parents engaged in science learning.
Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/09/4040386/school-retrofits-make-megawatts.html

Think before lighting the fireplace. With the first storms of the
season and the cooler, sometimes foggy nights also comes the urge
to light up the fireplace for some ambience and warmth. There's
nothing like a crackling fire, inefficient though a fireplace
might be as an actual home heating source. Still, thousands of us
will do it, and because we do, we also are helping degrade the
air. That's why it's important to burn only when weather
conditions permit. Posted. 
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111109/A_OPINION01/111090306&cid=sitesearch

BLOGS

The Developing World, Leading on Climate Change? In what may turn
out to be one of the abiding ironies of global geopolitics,
leadership on climate change seems to have suddenly passed from
the developed to the developing world, as has public anxiety
about the damaging effects of a changing climate. As recently as
the Copenhagen summit in late 2009, the West blamed large
developing countries such as China and India for scuppering the
chances of a “grand agreement” to curb the emission of greenhouse
gases. Posted.
http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/the-developing-world-leading-on-climate-change/

Hewlett-Packard tops Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics.
Hewlett-Packard Co. has claimed the No. 1 spot on the Greenpeace
Guide to Greener Electronics released Wednesday. The Palo
Alto-based manufacturer of printers, computers and other consumer
electronics scored 5.9 out of a possible 10 points on the 17th
iteration of the guide from the international environmental
organization. Hewlett-Packard took the No. 1 position due largely
to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations
as well as its suppliers, and a procurement policy that excludes
paper from companies linked with illegal logging and
deforestation. Posted.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/11/greenpeace-guide-to-greener-electronics.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

DoD report concludes use of renewable fuels contributes to
national security interests, but at a price penalty.  Increased
use of renewable fuels by the US Department of Defense (DoD)
contributes to US national security interests, achieves Service
energy security goals, and offers some limited military utility,
according to a new report released by DoD.  However, the report
also finds that the projected supply of drop-in renewable fuels
will not be sufficient to meet anticipated DoD demand for
renewable jet fuel products, and that price premiums for drop-in
renewable fuels and the budgetary implications associated with
meeting renewable fuel goals may be considerable.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/11/dod-20111108.html

Stop pretending it’s not climate change. 2011 is further proof
that a new era of extreme weather is dawning -- and it's about to
get much, much worse. “All I know is this didn’t happen when we
were kids.” That’s how Brian Williams tagged a recent NBC Nightly
News report on this year’s extreme weather. Floods, droughts,
wildfires and tornadoes dominated the news many nights in 2011.
Posted.
http://www.salon.com/2011/11/09/stop_pretending_its_not_climate_change/singleton/

Panasonic Bets the House on Solar and Fuel Cells. As consumers
become more aware about electronic waste, conflict minerals and
the overall depletion of natural resources, they will start to
focus more attention on electronic gadgets and appliances the way
they express concerns over their food and clothing. To that end,
Panasonic is shifting its strategy as it moves closer to its
100th anniversary in 2018. Panasonic is now determined to become
the number one green innovation company in the electronics
industry. Posted. 
http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/11/panasonic-eco-ideas-house/

Toyota's 2015 hydrogen vehicle still estimated to cost $50,000,
not $138,000. Stop the Internet presses! Toyota's fuel cell car
is going to be really expensive! That's the meme going around
after Toyota Europe vice president for product planning and
marketing, Alain Uyttenhoven, recently told Automotive News that,
"We could expect a fuel cell vehicle to retail at about 100,000
euros ($138,000) in Europe." Posted. 
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/11/09/toyotas-2015-hydrogen-vehicle-still-estimated-to-cost-50-000/