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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 11, 2012
Posted: 11 Jun 2012 16:00:45
ARB Newsclips for June 11, 2012. 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 Water war reignites as L.A. resists fixing some Owens Lake dust. The L.A. DWP, which agreed in 1997 to fight dust pollution from part of the dry Owens Lake bed, wants to rework the deal and balks at an order to take responsibility for more territory. LONE PINE, Calif. — Los Angeles and the Owens Valley are at war over water again, with the city trying to rework a historic agreement aimed at stopping massive dust storms that have besieged the eastern Sierra Nevada since L.A. opened an aqueduct 99 years ago that drained Owens Lake. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-owens-dust-20120610,0,6961679.story http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_20826949/la-utility-fights-owens-lake-dust-control-order http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_20826949/la-utility-fights-owens-lake-dust-control-order?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_20826949/la-utility-fights-owens-lake-dust-control-order?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/06/10/2868377/la-utility-fights-owens-lake-dust.html#storylink=misearch http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jun/10/la-utility-fights-owens-lake-dust-control-order/#ixzz1xV5Vbm56 http://www.nctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/la-utility-fights-owens-lake-dust-control-order/article_95079fbd-e5c1-571d-bf97-ee67d0f9776f.html http://www.modbee.com/2012/06/10/2235907/la-utility-fights-owens-lake-dust.html Group says Calif. air regulations discriminate. Fresno, Calif. - A coalition of environmental groups is alleging that California's Cap and Trade program violates the 1964 Civil Rights act. The groups filed a complaint Friday against the California Air Resources Board charging that minority groups will be disproportionately harmed by the program that allows polluters to discharge more emissions by buying credits from other less-polluting industries. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/10/4551905/group-says-calif-air-regulations.html http://www.cnbc.com/id/47765409/Group_says_Calif_air_regulations_discriminate http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_20827320/group-says-calif-air-regulations-discriminate http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_20827320/group-says-calif-air-regulations-discriminate?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_20827320/group-says-calif-air-regulations-discriminate?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/06/10/2868449/group-says-calif-air-regulations.html#storylink=misearch http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jun/10/group-says-calif-air-regulations-discriminate/#ixzz1xV5o258h http://www.modbee.com/2012/06/10/2236011/group-says-calif-air-regulations.html Aging power plants in Ohio face uncertain futures. Eight aging electric generating plants powered by coal in Ohio are facing uncertain futures. They could be demolished or sold as utilities try to meet clear air standards. The coal-fired generators lacking sufficient pollution equipment are run by American Electric Power, Duke Energy and FirstEnergy. There are 22 coal-fired power plants in Ohio, including the eight headed for retirement. According to The Columbus Dispatch (bit.ly/LqcWrs) the shutdowns will eliminate toxic compounds, including mercury, along with pollutants that cause smog and soot. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jun/10/aging-power-plants-in-ohio-face-uncertain/#ixzz1xV5D0lHQ CLIMATE CHANGE China’s Top Planner Sets Up Climate-Change Center, Xinhua Says. The National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning agency, will set up a research center aimed at facilitating efforts to cope with climate change, Xinhua News Agency reported. The National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation will research strategic planning, laws and regulations, international policy, carbon markets and informating consulting, Xinhua said, citing Xie Zhenhua, deputy director of the NDRC. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-11/china-s-top-planner-sets-up-climate-change-center-xinhua-says.html green energy uk Applauds Efforts of Alternative Energy Awareness Days. London, England — green energy uk, a leading provider of eco-friendly electricity, has highlighted the importance of awareness campaigns to educate people about cleaner, greener energy - coinciding with Global Wind Day. Taking place on 15th June, Global Wind Day is an annual event worldwide that raises the profile of wind power and the possibilities it has to change the world. The campaign, says green energy uk, is an effective way to educate people about alternative ways of creating sustainable energy, and the pioneering work in this arena. Posted. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47767524 Group: Europe airlines could lose $1.1B this year. The global aviation trade group nearly doubled its forecast of European airlines' losses this year to $1.1 billion and said Monday the worldwide industry will scrape by with wafer thin profit margins due to high fuel prices. U.S. and Asian carriers should make money this year, but more airlines in Europe might follow Hungary's Malev into bankruptcy if the European financial crisis worsens, the International Air Transport Association said. The group called for governments to resolve a dispute over European carbon charges on airlines and to avoid tax and regulatory changes it said might hamper industry growth. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2012/06/10/2236318/group-global-airline-profits-thin.html SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Santa Rosa adopts compromise greenhouse gas emission plan. The Santa Rosa City Council has adopted a sweeping plan that tries to strike a balance between meeting aggressive greenhouse gas emission goals and minimizing the burdens on local businesses. The Climate Action Plan, a dense 231-page document, is meant to serve as a road map for how the city can meet its state-mandated goals and local emission reduction targets by 2020 and beyond. Posted. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120608/ARTICLES/120609497 Medical issues given short shrift in climate talks, say researchers. Aside from its impact on sea levels, weather and the economy, researchers say climate change is also an urgent public health concern, a matter that has been largely left out of the global climate conversation until recently. Rising average temperatures and more frequent weather extremes place a tremendous burden on human health, a fact officials need to include in developing a climate policy at regional and international scales. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2012/06/11/4 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY FUELS Ethanol won’t hurt your car engine. No, it will not. Today’s passenger vehicle engines are developed around fuel that contain ethanol. However, there is no question the federal requirement that gasoline sold in Canada contain 5 per cent ethanol has caused difficulties for small engines such as those used in lawn mowers, weed whackers, etc. The Canadian requirement is lower than the 10 per cent in the U.S., which is moving to 15 per cent. At the 5 per cent level I doubt it is creating the problems your neighbour reports, but at 15 per cent there might be issues, particularly with engines left unused for lengthy periods of time since ethanol contains more moisture…Posted. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-tips/ethanol-wont-hurt-your-car-engine/article4237046/ China team optimizes catalytic hydrogenation process to convert coal tar to gasoline and diesel. Researchers in China report the production of gasoline and diesel from coal tar via an optimized catalytic hydrogenation using two serial fixed beds, the first with a hydrofining catalyst of MoNi/γ-Al2O3 and the second with a hydrocracking catalyst of WNiP/γ-Al2O3-USY. Their paper was published in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels. Coal tars—highly viscous liquids—are byproduct of the carbonization of coal to produce metallurgical coke and/or natural gas. Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/06/kan-20120609.html VEHICLES Can gas savings make up for a hybrid's higher sticker price? When deciding between a hybrid such as the Toyota Prius and a gas-only vehicle, how much city driving you do and how long you plan to keep the vehicle are just two of the factors to consider. Once a rarity in the showroom, fuel-sipping hybrids are becoming an increasingly common option at dealerships. Need a big luxury sedan with all the bells and whistles that still gets 29 miles to the gallon in everyday driving? Check out the Buick LaCrosse with the eAssist mileage boosting system. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-autos-hybrid-20120610,0,5062460.story Are hybrids worth it? (VIDEO) Autos reporter Jerry Hirsch compares the Toyota Prius V and Volkswagen Jetta diesel wagons. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/videogallery/70362924/Business/Are-hybrids-worth-it Mileage increased in gasoline-powered vehicles, pollution reduced in diesel vehicles, startup says. Hydrogen Power Systems, a startup developing a mileage-raising and pollution-lowering device, says recent preliminary tests have demonstrated up to a 30 percent increase in mileage in gas-powered vehicles with its hydrogen injection system. The findings follow those of last fall, when the privately held company said its tests indicated the device can reduce tailpipe emissions from an 11-year-old diesel truck by more than 50 percent. Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/business/mileage-increased-in-gasoline-powered-vehicles-pollution-reduced-in-diesel/article_05951e6a-416e-54ab-aab6-dbb23188462e.html Green-Car Credits: Automakers' New Way to Cash In. As the market for electric cars heats up—in 2011, about 18,000 electric vehicles were sold in the U.S., up from just under 500 in 2010—a new opportunity is emerging for carmakers: selling “credits” required to meet clean-air rules. This year, California begins stepping up the number of zero-emission vehicles, such as electric and hydrogen-powered cars, automakers must sell in the state. Companies that can’t meet their quotas can buy credits from rivals that exceed their targets. Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-07/green-car-credits-automakers-new-way-to-cash-in Nissan establishes Zero Emission Fund; CO2 offset credits for LEAF owners in Japan. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. launched the Nissan Zero Emission Fund, a new fund for individual Nissan electric vehicle (EV) owners in Japan which converts the amount of CO2 emissions that are offset by driving the 100% electric Nissan LEAF to generate credits. Through participation in this fund program, Nissan LEAF owners will be able to generate CO2 emissions credits certified by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and sold to the Green Investment Promotion Organization, an organization that promotes investment in low carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/06/nissan-20120611.html HIGH-SPEED RAIL Environmental objections in path of bullet train. Rail construction could create more emissions in an area that already has dirty air and high asthma rates. Resolving the issues could delay the project and boost costs. The California bullet train is promoted as an important environmental investment for the future, but over the next decade the heavy construction project would potentially harm air quality, aquatic life and endangered species across the Central Valley. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bullet-green-20120611,0,7566489.story GREEN ENERGY $257 billion invested in renewable energy in 2011. Global investment in renewable energy reached a record of $257 billion last year, with solar attracting more than half the total spending, according to a U.N. report released Monday. Investment in solar energy surged to $147 billion in 2011, a year-on-year increase of 52 percent thanks to strong demand for rooftop photovoltaic installations in Germany, Italy, China and Britain. Large-scale solar thermal installations in Spain and the United States also contributed to growth during a fiercely competitive year for the solar industry. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jIMbjPsDJxU3W6hUUoGJQdKqd9cA?docId=dd8345923fba443da263dcfa164a33f1 AP Newsbreak: http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_20830871/record-investment-renewable-energy-2011?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_20830871/record-investment-renewable-energy-2011?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com Mandates keep green power growing through economic downturns – report. United Nations -- Renewable energy is inching ahead worldwide, despite head winds from the economy and governments mulling big budget cuts, new research says. Renewables accounted for almost half of the new power capacity added in 2011, led by wind and solar sources, according to a report issued today by REN21, an international group of researchers sponsored by the United Nations. The researchers estimated that modern renewable energy sources accounted for 8.2 percent of final energy consumption worldwide. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2012/06/11/14 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY MISCELLANEOUS New Wyoming supercomputer expected to boost atmospheric science. The National Center for Atmospheric Research's machine is one of the fastest computers ever built, its sheer speed designed to burst through the limits of chaos theory. Cheyenne, Wyo. — Here in the shortgrass prairie, where being stuck in the ways of the Old West is a point of civic pride, scientists are building a machine that will, in effect, look into the future. This month, on a barren Wyoming landscape dotted with gopher holes and hay bales, the federal government is assembling a supercomputer 10 years in the making, one of the fastest computers ever built and the largest ever devoted to the study of atmospheric science. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-supercomputer-wyoming-20120610,0,2368639.story For rocket fans, JPL's open house is the right space. An estimated 20,000 people swarm the leafy campus in La Cañada Flintridge, descending on the exhibits and activities as if they were amusement park rides. The Westminster man took four months off his warehouse job last year to visit every NASA site in the United States. On Saturday, he joined an estimated 20,000 people who swarmed the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's leafy campus for its annual open house weekend. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jpl-open-house-20120610,0,2460466.story OPINIONS America’s New Energy Reality. AMERICA needs a new political discourse on energy. This would recognize the emerging reality that the United States has turned around as an energy producer and is on a major upswing. And the impact will be measured not just in energy security and the balance of payments. Energy development also turns out to be an engine for job creation and economic growth — something that would hardly have been considered the last time we were electing a president. In 2008, the rise in oil prices was accompanied — and partly fueled — by a belief that an era of permanent scarcity was at hand. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/opinion/sunday/the-new-politics-of-energy.html?_r=1&src=recg Daniel Borenstein: In his quest to be like his father, Gov. Brown risks his own legacy on high-speed rail. As Gov. Jerry Brown barrels ahead with high-speed trains, he could find that his quest for a legacy derails the November tax measure he desperately needs to repair the state budget. For his entire political career, Brown has lived in the shadows of his visionary father, Pat, the governor from 1959-67 who brought us the State Water Project and the master plan for California higher education. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_20817309/daniel-borenstein-his-quest-be-like-his-father http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_20816288/oped-governors-high-risk-high-speed-rail-gambit http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_20822902/editorial-despite-warning-signs-high-speed-rail-project ELIAS: Commission pulls plugs on dubious hydrogen grant policy. Less than two weeks after this column exposed a situation where tens of millions of state tax dollars were given to billion-dollar corporations ---- but only with approval from other billion-dollar corporations ---- the California Energy Commission suddenly ended that practice. In a message sent late May 25, the commission said it "is canceling its grant solicitation for hydrogen fueling stations in order to revise solicitation protocols. The commission will issue a new solicitation at a future date.” Posted. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/elias/elias-commission-pulls-plugs-on-dubious-hydrogen-grant-policy/article_01d4a19b-cd1d-5044-81ce-7a57168bd740.html The Choice Is Ours. The "Future We Want" is the title of the negotiating text we have come here to complete. Since it was first made public in January, the draft has swollen to over 200 pages. Challenges to be considered have been identified: over a billion people live in poverty, food and water are becoming increasingly scarce, and two-thirds of the earth's ecosystems are in decline, to name a few. Governments, civil society, and other stakeholders have weighed in. Text has been proposed, debated, amended, accepted, and struck. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ambassador-marlene-moses/the-choice-is-ours_b_1586540.html?ref=climate-change 'Cap and Trade' For CO2 Needs a Stake through the Heart. Cap and trade (C&T) is in the news again: Global Carbon Market trading (practically all EU) climbed to $176 billion in 2011 according to the The World Bank, which has just released its annual State and Trends of The Carbon Market in 2012. That makes it about the same value as total global wheat production -- which supplies about 20% of the calories consumed by the 7 billion people on planet Earth. Meanwhile in Sacramento, CA, passage of Assembly Bill 1532 on May 29, signals a shift from regulation of air pollution to an outright war on business and industry in California. Posted. http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/../2012/06/cap_and_trade_for_co2_needs_a_stake_through_the_heart.html BLOGS On Not Reaching Carbon Goals. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions by enough to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is “still within reach,’’ the International Energy Agency reported Monday, but at the moment, trends in energy usage are running in the wrong direction. In the latest version of Energy Technology Perspectives, a report issued biennially by the agency, it said the technology to achieve that goal is available. But as Maria van der Hoeven, executive director of the agency, put it, “we’re not using it.’’ Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/on-not-reaching-carbon-goals/ Q. and A.: A Panoramic View of Energy Innovation. It’s been a busy two and a half years for Arun Majumdar, who is stepping down from his post as director of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy. As the founding director, voice and face of the agency, better known as ARPA-E, Dr. Majumdar has been on the front lines of the Obama administration’s investments in experimental energy projects, many of which focus on improving efficiency, reducing pollution or devising plant-based alternatives to fossil fuels. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/q-and-a-a-panoramic-view-of-energy-innovation/?smid=tw-nytimesgreen&seid=auto Hey America, here's how to use 'half the oil' by 2035. It's going to take a concerted effort to make a big dent in the oil use in the U.S. Everyone's pretty much in agreement about that. But how big and how do we get there? The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has an idea on how to make the dent as big as half of all the oil we use. It'll take a while, but it's a target to shoot for. Called "Half The Oil: A realistic plan to cut the United States' projected oil use in half over 20 years" (PDF), the UCS says there is a way to save a total of nearly eight million barrels per day by 2035 using efficiency strategies and another four million through innovation. Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2012/06/11/hey-america-heres-how-to-use-half-the-oil-by-2035/