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newsclips -- Newsclips for September 11, 2012
Posted: 11 Sep 2012 11:52:14
ARB Newsclips for September 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 Officials: Mistakes made in warning public of fire. Mistakes were made by air quality officials in notifying the public about potentially dangerous pollution created by a huge fire at a Chevron Corp. refinery last month, regulators said Monday. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District held a public meeting in San Francisco to discuss its response and the myriad investigations into the Aug. 6 fire that started after a leak in an old pipe at the Richmond facility. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hbKQyoRBw8m4w16M2CsFSMA3YF0A?docId=35734cd5155841e6a6c8d30e7284cbd0 Other related articles: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/calif-air-regulators-look-to-improve-response-after-missteps-during-chevron-refinery-fire/2012/09/10/94347550-fb83-11e1-98c6-ec0a0a93f8eb_story.html http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Officials-Mistakes-made-in-warning-public-of-fire-3853963.php http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/sep/10/air-district-to-improve-refinery-fire-response/ http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/09/10/2986266/calif-district-to-improve-refinery.html#storylink=misearch Chevron refinery fire aftermath: More air monitors to be added. The Bay Area air pollution board said Monday it will expand its system of air monitors near oil refineries to detect smoke and fumes that were largely missed in the Aug. 6 Chevron refinery fire in Richmond. "People have a right to know what's in the air they breathe," said John Gioia, a Contra Costa County supervisor and chairman of the nine-county air board. The extra monitors should be able to pick up routine long-term pollution as well as toxic releases during emergencies, or during accidental releases, members of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board said. Posted. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_21509545/chevron-refinery-fire-aftermath-more-monitors-be-added?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_21509549/chevron-refinery-fire-aftermath-more-monitors-be-added?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_21509549/chevron-refinery-fire-aftermath-more-monitors-be-added?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com Air Quailty District hosts informative session on refinery fire. A dozen Richmond residents, most donning shirts that read ‘Clean Air for All,’ rode a bus to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District office this morning to hear from the various agencies investigating the Aug. 6 Chevron refinery fire. Spectators filled the chairs and lined the wall of the quiet, wood-paneled room as each organization — including representatives from BAAQMD, the Environmental Protection Agency, Contra Costa Health Services, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, and California Air Resources Board — tried to define its role in the emergency refinery incident. The agencies also acknowledged shortcomings, especially lack of communication, both with residents and within the various agencies, and difficulties in monitoring air pollutants. Posted. http://richmondconfidential.org/2012/09/11/air-quailty-district-hosts-informative-session-on-refinery-fire/ Air district to improve refinery fire response. Air regulators say mistakes were made in communicating with the public during a fire at Chevron Corp.'s Richmond refinery, and are working to improve pollution monitoring during emergencies. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Monday held a public meeting to discuss its response and the myriad investigations into the Aug. 6 fire that started after a leak in an old pipe. Jack Broadbent, the district's executive officer, said the initial, incorrect assertion that all air quality samples taken near the refinery fire were safe "clearly fell short" since thousands sought medical attention after the fire. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_21509271/air-district-improve-refinery-fire-response?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com CLIMATE CHANGE UN panel warns of climate credit market collapse. A U.N.-appointed expert panel says international efforts to encourage investment in green technologies could collapse if countries don't boost the market for 'climate credits.' The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change says governments need to restore investors' faith in so-called carbon markets, including the U.N.'s Clean Development Mechanism. The CDM allows developing countries to earn credits from measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They can then sell the credits to rich nations seeking to meet emissions reduction targets. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilGZglaNvOra_qkm50tTwamWtGVg?docId=13d8b79d01ef499ea0c35afb3cc23bb8 Other related articles: http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/09/10/2986170/un-panel-warns-of-climate-credit.html#storylink=misearch UN climate talks should stick with 2 degree goal: EU negotiator. United Nations' climate talks should continue pushing for more ambitious action to ensure global warming is kept under 2 degrees, an EU climate negotiator said on Tuesday, a month after the United States was accused of backtracking on the goal. Almost 200 nations agreed in 2010 to limit rising temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial times to avoid dangerous impacts from climate change like floods, droughts and rising sea levels. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/us-un-climate-idUSBRE88A0Z720120911 Airbus ministers seek suspension of EU emissions plan. Aerospace officials of the European countries where Airbus makes its planes will push for a suspension of the European Union's Emission Trading System (ETS) for airlines to avert retaliation from China, officials said on Tuesday. "Airbus has left us with no doubt that the threat of retaliatory action is a clear and present danger to its order list," Michael Fallon, new business minister in Britain, said at the ILA Berlin Air Show on Tuesday. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/us-germany-airshow-emissions-idUSBRE88A12120120911 U.S. carbon emissions fell in three of last four years. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted from energy production declined in the U.S. in 2011 -- the third time in four years and the fourth time in the last six years that has happened, the Energy Department said Tuesday. As has been the case in previous years, there wasn't necessarily a lot of good economic news behind the positive result of reduced emissions. The Energy Department, for example, cited slower economic growth as one factor in the 2.4% drop in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions last year. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-carbon-emissions-20120911,0,3568947.story Only one-third of Americans think limiting climate change is a very important goal. Eleven years after 9/11 — if you can believe it has been that long — the Chicago Council on Global Affairs decided to gauge how Americans’ views on global security have evolved. First and foremost, concern over global terrorism has dropped precipitously, with more significant declines evident among younger populations. But we’re here to talk about the changing climate. How do Americans feel climate change ranks as an important foreign policy goal? Posted. http://grist.org/news/only-one-third-of-americans-think-limiting-climate-change-is-a-very-important-goal/ A simple, useful guide to communicating climate change. There seems to be a subtle shift underway in the cultural valence of climate change. If the pendulum swung toward hyper-polarization and looney-tunery in 2009-2011, it seems to have reached its apogee and begun swinging back. It’s not just that a few politicians, including Obama, are daring to say the word, but that the public seems to have grown impatient with the squabbling and delay. A recent survey from Yale [PDF] found that “a large majority of registered voters (88%) support action to reduce global warming, even if it has economic costs.” Big Democratic donors are pressuring Obama to do more. There are even Republicans sticking up their heads here and there. Posted. http://grist.org/climate-energy/a-simple-useful-guide-to-communicating-climate-change/ West Nile virus may get worse as climate gets hotter, experts say. West Nile virus has caused symptoms in at least 1,993 Americans and killed 87 so far this year. And it’s unlikely that this virus, which humans contract from infected mosquitoes, will be getting any less dangerous in the near future. Though the CDC believes that this year’s caseload has probably peaked, a group of public health officials writing in the new edition of Annals of Internal Medicine explains why West Nile has been so deadly this year. West Nile virus made its first appearance in the United States in 1999, when the virus, which had previously affected people in Uganda, Algeria and Romania, arrived in New York City. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-west-nile-virus-outbreaks-may-get-worse-as-planet-gets-hotter-20120910,0,4629323.story White roofs and unintended consequences. Obama’s Energy Secretary Steven Chu once pitched painting roofs white as a solution to global warming. Maybe, but new research finds that there are unintended consequences: reduction of rainfall in the Southwest U.S. Researchers from Arizona State University have found that “warming resulting from megapolitan expansion is seasonally dependent, with greatest warming occurring during summer and least during winter. Among the most practical ways to combat urbanization-induced warming – the painting of buildings’ roofs white – was found to disrupt regional hydroclimate, highlighting the need for evaluation of tradeoffs associated with combating urban heat islands (UHI).” Posted. http://tucsoncitizen.com/wryheat/2012/09/11/white-roofs-and-unintended-consequences/ FUELS Exclusive: EU to limit use of crop-based biofuels - draft law. The European Union will impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate-friendly than initially thought and compete with food production, draft EU legislation seen by Reuters showed. The draft rules, which will need the approval of EU governments and lawmakers, represent a major shift in Europe's much-criticized biofuel policy and a tacit admission by policymakers that the EU's 2020 biofuel target was flawed from the outset. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/10/us-eu-biofuels-idUSBRE8890SJ20120910 Ky. company aims to build fuel plant near Corbin. A biofuel company is planning to build a new plant in southern Kentucky that would convert sugar beets into fuel over the next two years if it can get approval from the state. Patriot Bioenergy Corp., which has an office in Williamsburg, wants to locate the facility in Whitley County if the infrastructure is built and the Kentucky Economic Development or Energy Incentives boards approve of the project. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/sep/10/ky-company-aims-to-build-fuel-plant-near-corbin/ Oil prices below $97 as traders await key events. Oil prices traded virtually flat below $97 a barrel Tuesday as traders awaited a raft of news in Europe and the U.S. over the rest of the week that could have a big bearing in financial markets. As well as a raft of scheduled events this week related to Europe's debt crisis, traders are waiting to see if the Federal Reserve will back another monetary stimulus on Thursday following a two-day policy meeting. Speculation that the Obama administration was preparing for a release of strategic oil reserves also kept the buying in check. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/sep/11/oil-hovers-above-96-in-asia/ VEHICLES UCLA/UC Berkeley law schools release policy paper on actions required to stimulate long-term, mass-adoption of electric vehicles; leveraging California. The environmental law centers at UCLA and UC Berkeley Schools of Law today released a new policy paper on industry actions and federal, state, and local policies needed to ensure that California catalyzes mass adoption of electric vehicles by 2025, with the goal of building a long-term market in the US. At stake, the paper argues, is the future of the electric vehicle market. Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/09/ucla-20120910.html EV market projections: Part II – Governments announcements. OEMs announced production capacities for PHEV/EVs, but market projections are also made by governments that are including PHEV/EV plans in their political campaigns. This second article summarises government announcements for 2015, 2020, 2025, 2030 that are linked to investments of billions of euros in supporting the industry and implementing temporary financial incentives for consumers. Posted. http://cars21.com/news/view/4922 Prototype drive: Audi's A3 e-tron electric car. A small slice of Audi's future recently began testing on U.S. roads around the country, but if you look too hard for these prototypes, they'll probably drive right under your nose. That's because rather than spend precious development dollars on a uniquely-designed body that's more science experiment than it is a practical application, Audi went and hid an all-electric drivetrain under the skin of its well-known A3 hatchback. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-autos-audi-etron-a3-drive-20120911,0,6659300.story HIGH-SPEED RAIL Approved Construction Of The California High Speed Rail Paused. Construction on the first 25 miles of California's so-called California High Speed Rail project has already been approved. But its not a done deal. Phil Shuman is in the newsroom with the latest details on the project... And the opposition to it. The feds have yet to O.K. their own environmental impact report and that could hold everything up...the eventual plan is to link San Francsco and LA with high speed trains that travel 220 mph but the train, as they say is a long way from leaving the station. Posted. http://www.myfoxla.com/story/19512606/approved-construction-of-the-california-high-speed-rail-paused GREEN ENERGY Wind energy advocates push Senate for tax credit vote this week. Wind energy advocates call this week “Wind Week” as they push to get the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy extended before Congress takes another undeserved vacation before the election. Wind Week shows the urgency with the upcoming expiration of the PTC at year’s end. Bob Keefe, a spokesman with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said in an interview with “The Hill” Monday that there is an eight-day window to get the incentive through the Senate. If the Senate does not act before Congress departs in 8 days, another wave of job losses might occur. Posted. http://www.examiner.com/article/wind-energy-advocates-push-senate-for-tax-credit-vote-this-week BLOGS The Growing Might of Solar Power. From California to New Jersey, the summer sun was hot this year — and so was the solar industry. While the business of solar energy is still small enough and young enough to record firsts at the fearsome pace that a toddler does, the milestones are getting more substantial. For instance, in mid-August California’s utility-scale solar generating stations combined to put out the same amount of energy — one gigawatt — as a substantial nuclear or coal-fired power plant. That moment occurred between 5 and 6 p.m., coinciding with peak demand, associated with the need to cool indoor air. Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/the-growing-might-of-solar-power/?src=twr Climate Change On 'The Point' By The Young Turks. As the Senior Science Correspondent for The Huffington Post, I'm occasionally asked to appear on internet and television shows representing a scientific point of view. This past week, I was invited to host a special episode of "The Point," presented by "The Young Turks." The focus of the episode was global climate change, and we wanted to do something neither major political party seems willing or able to do during this heated election season: talk frankly about the science behind Earth's changing climate. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/climate-change-on-the-point_n_1873066.html?utm_hp_ref=green Need proof of September dirty air? Look in vacationland. After a long, smoggy summer, dirty air doesn't take a holiday in September. Look no further than vacationland to see that trend. The Ash Mountain entrance station at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is leading this region in ozone violations this summer with 70. And it already has five this month. It's all about dirty air drifting up the hills and baking into ozone. Truth is, you would find cleaner air for a hike at Los Angeles International Airport, where there hasn't been an ozone violation for seven years. In Southern California, the dirty air goes to a vacation spot called Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountain. Crestline leads the nation in ozone violations with 84 this year. And counting in September. Posted. http://fresnobeehive.com/news/2012/09/need_proof_of_september_dirty.html#storylink=misearch