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ARB Newsclips for April 3, 2013. ARB Newsclips for April 3, 2013

This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
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individual websites to view some of the following news articles.

AIR POLLUTION

Oregon: Groups Give Notice of Suit Over Coal Dust. An
environmental coalition on Monday charged that coal and coal dust
spilled from railroad hoppers is polluting the scenic Columbia
River Gorge, and pledged to sue mining companies and the
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad if they do not halt the
spills. Representatives of the Sierra Club and other conservation
groups said they were invoking a clause in the Clean Water Act
that permits lawsuits if those accused of polluting do not remedy
environmental problems within 60 days. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/science/earth/oregon-groups-give-notice-of-suit-over-coal-dust.html?src=recg

 Two Major Air Pollutants Increase in China. In the first three
months of this year, two major air pollutants increased by almost
30 percent here in Beijing, the Chinese capital, over the same
period in 2012, according to a report Wednesday by a Chinese news
organization. Levels of the pollutants — nitrous dioxide and
particulate matter that is between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in
diameter, called PM 10 —… Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/world/asia/two-major-air-pollutants-increase-in-china.html


CLIMATE CHANGE

Wash. state climate change bill signed into law.  Gov. Jay Inslee
signed into law Tuesday a bill he championed that would study the
best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under the measure,
an independent consultant would review efforts to cut carbon
emissions in Washington state and elsewhere. A newly created work
group of legislators and other leaders would use that evaluation
to recommend actions to reduce pollution associated with climate
change. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WA_XGR_CLIMATE_CHANGE_WAOL-?SITE=ILROR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Wash-state-climate-change-bill-signed-into-law-4404021.php#ixzz2PPzgUv3d


FUELS

Analysis: Spills flame Canadian oil debate, but won't curb flows
to U.S. Two high-profile oil spills won't stem the now-record
flow of Canadian oil into the United States, despite the frenzy
that the spills triggered among friends and foes of the Keystone
XL pipeline to the main U.S. refineries. The fate of Keystone
remains undecided, yet Canadian crude will become an increasing
part of the U.S. energy mix, despite growing competition from new
U.S. production. U.S. thirst for Canadian crude has shot up
nearly 30 percent over the past five years as refiners opt to buy
from the north instead of bringing in more expensive OPEC oil,
thanks to a boom in production from the vast Alberta oil sands.
Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/02/us-exxon-pipeline-spill-canada-idUSBRE9310WZ20130402


Emissions Rules Put Alternative-Fuel Vehicles in a Bind. THE
Environmental Protection Agency’s latest proposed tightening of
limits on sulfur in gasoline, and its previous rules, will most
likely have the perverse consequence of retarding the development
of cars running on batteries, advanced biofuels or hydrogen — all
promising but expensive technologies that have not become
mass-market products. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/business/energy-environment/emissions-rules-put-alternative-fuel-vehicles-in-a-bind.html?ref=science&_r=0
 

Groups seek probe into low-grade crude shipments to L.A.
refineries. A coalition of environmental groups wants air-quality
officials to determine if the refining of heavy Canadian crude
has an effect on local health and safety. A coalition of
environmental groups says it has discovered that large-scale
shipments of low-quality heavy crude oil from Canada's tar sands
are being delivered by rail for processing by Southern California
refineries. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0403-dirty-oil-20130403,0,3618334,print.story


Financial troubles cut work at Ore. biofuels plant.  A few weeks
after announcing that it made ethanol from sawdust at a
demonstration plant in Eastern Oregon, a Colorado company has
curtailed work while it tries to raise capital for a project that
already has big federal dollars behind it. ZeaChem Inc., of
Lakewood, Colo., is trying to build a $400 million refinery to
create biofuels in Boardman, along the Columbia River. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Financial-troubles-cut-work-at-Ore-biofuels-plant-4404035.php#ixzz2PQC74h00

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/apr/02/financial-troubles-cut-work-at-ore-biofuels/#ixzz2PPriwrEz


Last partner drops out of Coos Bay coal port. The last partner
has dropped out of a proposal to ship coal from Montana and
Wyoming to Asia through Oregon's Port of Coos Bay, port officials
announced Monday. Metropolitan Stevedore Company of Wilmington,
Calif., known as Metro Ports, did not renew the exclusive
negotiating agreement that expired Sunday, the port said. Two
other partners dropped out earlier. Port CEO David Koch said the
port was continuing to develop new shipping facilities, but did
not say if that would include coal. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Last-partner-drops-out-of-Coos-Bay-coal-port-4401299.php#ixzz2PQ0fKn8e


VEHICLES

UPDATE 1-Tesla launches financing product for electric sedan.
Tesla Motors Inc on Tuesday said it was partnering with Wells
Fargo & Co and U.S. Bank on a financing product that it says will
make its pricey electric sedan accessible to more people. Tesla,
producer of the first fully electric sports car, said earlier
this week it had its first profitable quarter ever in the first
quarter thanks to stronger-than-expected sales of its Model S
sedan, its second car model which is substantially cheaper than
the first. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/02/tesla-financing-idUSL2N0CP1VN20130402

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-autos-tesla-profit-20130402,0,1962678.story

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-purchase-deal-20130402,0,1033702.story?track=rss


HIGH-SPEED RAIL

California high-speed rail costs soar again -- this time just for
planning. While much of the squabbling over California's
high-speed rail project has focused on its huge construction
price tag, the cost to taxpayers just to plan the bullet train is
also soaring. California rail leaders said Tuesday it will cost
an extra $97 million in office and field work to design the rail
line, which has famously seen its construction cost double to $69
billion since voters approved it five years ago. Posted.
http://www.mercurynews.com/california-high-speed-rail/ci_22929875/california-high-speed-rail-costs-soar-again-this?source=rss


GREEN ENERGY

JinkoSolar to supply 115 MW of panels to South Africa. Chinese
solar company JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd said it would supply 115
megawatts (MW) of solar panels to two projects in South Africa as
it makes inroads into emerging solar markets like many of its
peers amid overcapacity and waning demand. JinkoSolar, which
sells panels that convert sunlight into electricity, said it
would supply 75 MW to the first project and 40 MW to the second.
The company supplied 81 MW of equipment to South Africa in
December. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/03/jinkosolar-supply-idUSL3N0CQ3QT20130403


BP exits U.S. wind business. Oil and gas giant BP PLC has put its
wind power operations in the United States up for sale,
abandoning most of its renewable energy efforts. The company is
one of the largest to generate wind power in the country,
operating facilities that can produce 2,600 megawatts. BP was the
only large fossil fuel company with a wind operation, but now it
will focus on oil and gas. When the company first got involved in
wind power…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2013/04/03/24 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Calif. may label BPA as 'toxicant'. California may soon require
the widely used chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, to carry a label
calling it a "toxicant" and impose restrictions on it. "There's a
ton of new science that has come out that further supports BPA's
being a reproductive and developmental toxicant," said Sarah
Janssen, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense
Council. The group petitioned California's Environmental
Protection Agency to include BPA on Proposition 65, which is the
state's annual list of toxic and suspect chemicals. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2013/04/03/29 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

NASCAR launches initiatives to impact environment. NASCAR is
launching a month-long green initiative leading up to Earth Day
and Arbor Day designed to drive more sustainable behavior within
the sport. The "NASCAR Race to Green" program is designed to
galvanize teams, tracks, drivers, official NASCAR partners, and
fans, around the theme of protecting and preserving our
environment. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/apr/02/nascar-launches-initiatives-to-impact-environment/


Top 10 College Women 2013: Otana Jakpor. Her mission: to help 38
million people breathe easier. Otana Jakpor, 19 University of
Southern California, Los Angeles; global health and biological
sciences double major. As a kid, Jakpor watched her mom suffer
from asthma so severe it required frequent hospitalizations. So
when Jakpor learned that her hometown of Riverside, California,
had some of the nastiest pollution in the country, she took
action, testifying at the California Air Resources Board and
conducting her own air-quality experiments. Posted.
http://www.glamour.com/inspired/2013/04/otana-jakpor-top-10-college-women-2013


OPINIONS

Invitation to a Dialogue: Action on the Climate. President Obama
has put climate change back on the national agenda, but actually
doing something about it is famously difficult. This time will be
no different if policy makers let the best become the enemy of
the good. Hoping for the best gets us in trouble in two ways.
First, while science can make a strong case for starting now to
control carbon dioxide and other gases that lead to climate
change, it can’t yet say exactly how much to do when. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/opinion/invitation-to-a-dialogue-action-on-the-climate.html


Letters: Worry vs. action on global warming. Re "Most in U.S.
worried about sea level rise," March 30. Building sea walls and
other measures to protect coastal developments address the
symptoms of climate change, not the cause. We need to support
legislation to counteract global warming, such as Sen. Bernie
Sanders' (I-Vt.) Climate Protection Act of 2013. Insurance
companies should think twice about offering storm insurance for
coastal areas; or if they do…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-0403-wednesday-climate-change-20130403,0,7711151,print.story

EarthTalk: How climate change is impacting health of rivers. Dear
EarthTalk: How is it that climate change is negatively affecting
the health of rivers and, by extension, the quality and
availability of fresh water? - Robert Elman, St. Louis, Mo.
Global warming is no doubt going to cause many kinds of problems
(and, indeed, already is), and rivers may well be some of the
hardest hit geographical features, given the likelihood of
increased droughts, floods and the associated spread of
waterborne diseases. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/02/5310930/earthtalk-how-climate-change-is.html#storylink=misearch


The new deniers on climate change.  There are few things sadder
than the “climate denier.” He ignores the data and neglects the
latest science. His rhetoric and policy proposals are dangerously
disconnected from reality. He can’t recalibrate to take account
of the latest evidence because, well, he’s a denier. The new
climate deniers are the liberals who, despite their obsession
with climate change, have managed to miss the biggest story in
climate science, which is that there hasn’t been any global
warming for about a decade and a half. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/apr/03/tp-the-new-deniers-on-climate-change/

Global warming mystery: Are North and South really polar
opposites? Two studies, one about plants covering previously
frozen landscapes in the Arctic, the other about expanding winter
sea ice in Antarctica, appear to say different things about
global warming. The amount of land in the high Arctic covered by
trees and upright shrubs could increase by as much as 52 percent
by midcentury, warming the region to levels climate scientists
had previously not expected to see there until 2100. Posted.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0401/Global-warming-mystery-Are-North-and-South-really-polar-opposites


Global Warming: Was It Just A Beautiful Dream After All? Like
most of you, I yearn for shorter winters, more shirt-sleeve
weather, less lashing from frigid winds. As a confirmed New
Yorker, I’m not willing to do what millions have done: move to
the sunbelt. I want warmer weather here in the Big City. But I’ve
grown old waiting for the promised global warming. I was 35 when
predictions of a looming ice age were supplanted by
warmmongering. Now I’m 68, and there’s still no sign of warmer
weather. It’s enough to make one doubt the “settled science” of
the government-funded doom-sayers. Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrybinswanger/2013/04/03/global-warming-was-it-just-a-beautiful-dream-after-all/


Tailpipe Politics: The Lessons (So Far) of 2013. The EPA unveiled
its new anti-smog rules on Friday, prompting the usual Republican
complaints about President Obama’s war on free enterprise, along
with the usual dire warnings of higher prices at the pump. The
rules will raise gas prices, but less than a cent a gallon.
Meanwhile, by 2030, they’ll avoid an estimated 2,400 annual
premature deaths, prevent 23,000 respiratory illnesses in
children, and reduce tailpipe emissions by the equivalent of
taking 33 million cars off the road. Posted.
http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/02/obama-clears-away-smog-advances-climate-agenda/#ixzz2PQ7T1KXF

California Focus: Fracking - Potential miracle and big challenge.
Starting with the day in January 1848 when gold flakes and
nuggets first turned up at Sutter’s Mill northeast of Sacramento,
California has seen plenty of economic miracles, each focused in
a different part of the state. The Gold Rush brought more than
300,000 people to the state, previously a sleepy outpost. The
movie industry was the next big miracle, bringing international
attention to Southern California for the first time. The dot.com
phenomenon of the 1990s put the spotlight on Silicon Valley south
of San Francisco. Posted.
http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/news/opinion/todays_opinions/california-focus-fracking---potential-miracle-and-big-challenge/article_c90b2c32-9bca-11e2-b26e-001a4bcf887a.html


Letters: Global warming reality.  I share Tom Harris' sadness
over the death of coal miner Elam Jones, but I am dismayed that
he used Jones' death to advance his propaganda about the cause of
climate change ("Coal is crucial," March 28). He asserted that
carbon dioxide emissions from coal are not a major contributor to
dangerous climate change. This statement could not be further
from the truth. Former college president and National Science
Board member James Powell recently completed a study of
peer-reviewed publications on global warming. Posted.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765625951/Global-warming-reality.html?pg=all


BLOGS

The public’s interest in climate change is waning. The global
warming conundrum has been on full display over the past 24
hours. Even as one of the nation’s most prominent climate
scientists has decided to retire in order to become a full-time
activist, a new Pew Research poll suggests public interest and
intensity with the issue is waning. James E. Hansen, who directs
the Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York City, has been
warning policymakers about the threat of climate change since
1988. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/02/polls-suggest-publics-interest-in-climate-change-is-waning/
 

President Obama should talk about climate change. A lot. Media
Matters has noticed something important: Climate was almost
completely absent on the national broadcast network news last
year. Only twelve stories, combined, on the CBS, ABC, and NBC
news shows, were devoted to the topic — which certainly has a
legitimate claim as the single most important policy problem
facing the United States right now. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/04/02/president-obama-should-talk-about-climate-change-a-lot/
 

Has Tesla made electric cars affordable? Not exactly. On Tuesday,
Tesla Motors unveiled what it called a “revolutionary new finance
product” that, the company said, would allow people to get a
mid-range Model S electric car for less than $500 per month. So
does that mean Tesla has found a way to make its pricey electric
cars affordable? Well, not exactly. A closer look at the fine
print suggests that mid-range Model S will more realistically
cost around $1,000 per month — not nearly as cheap. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/03/has-tesla-made-electric-cars-affordable-not-exactly/
 

The Keystone XL Pipeline and its politics, explained. With the
controversy over the Keystone XL pipeline extension surfacing yet
again — opponents will hold a rally Wednesday night in San
Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood, outside a fundraiser
President Obama is headlining–we thought we’d clarify a few
points about the contentious project. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/the-keystone-xl-pipeline-and-its-politics-explained/


Survey Finds Most Republicans Seek Action on Climate Change. It’s
time for that national “listening tour” on energy and climate,
President Obama. Some evidence comes in a new survey from the
Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason
University (seen via Tom Yulsman on Facebook). Here’s an excerpt
from the news release: In a recent survey of Republicans and
Republican-leaning Independents conducted by the Center for
Climate Change Communication (4C) at George Mason
University…Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/survey-finds-most-republicans-seek-action-on-climate-change/?src=twrhp


How to get a Tesla without spending $70k. Tesla Motors unveiled
its long-awaited leasing program Tuesday, although it’s not quite
a lease. Rather, it’s a way to get an all-electric Model S sedan
for 10 percent down and five-year financing from Wells Fargo and
US Bank. And after three years, you can sell the car back to
Tesla for about the same amount of money you’d get for a Mercedes
S Class sedan of comparable age. That’s about $45,000. Posted.
http://blog.sfgate.com/energy/2013/04/03/how-to-buy-a-tesla-without-spending-70k/


If You Can't Stand the Heat: Why Washington Is Stuck on Climate
Change (Part 1). There is no point in being coy about this: The
issue of climate change is polarized along partisan and
ideological lines. Democrats and progressives think it is a
dangerous threat to the world. Most Republicans and conservatives
think the threat is exaggerated, or doesn't exist at all. The
divide among politicians is even more striking -- less than a
third of Republicans in Congress responding to a 2011 National
Journal survey said climate change is causing the Earth to warm.
Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-gaby/washington-climate-change_b_2975044.html


This town was almost blown off the map — now it’s back, and super
green. If I were to tell you this is a story about a tornado in
Kansas, it would probably bring to mind a certain doe-eyed girl
and her little dog. Well, sometimes tornadoes transport girls and
their adorable pets to magical lands. Other times they level
entire towns. That is what happened the night of May 4, 2007,
when an EF-5 tornado (for non-Kansans, that’s a really freaking
big — the biggest, in fact) nearly two miles wide hit the town of
Greensburg, a farming community in south-central Kansas. Posted.
http://grist.org/cities/this-town-was-almost-blown-off-the-map-now-its-back-and-super-green/
 

Americans want more renewable energy and more climate-change
prep. This is how the typical American thinks in 2013, according
to a couple of new polls: “More solar power, please. No more
nuclear, thanks though. And let’s get ready for this crazy
climate-change thing.” A Gallup poll of 1,022 people revealed
that a whopping 76 percent of Americans think the U.S. should put
more emphasis on developing solar power. Even Republicans are
into it, with 68 percent of them calling for more solar. Wind is
also popular. Posted.
http://grist.org/news/americans-want-more-renewable-energy-and-more-climate-change-prep/
  

Porsche introducing first plug-in hybrid with second generation
of the Panamera. Porsche is introducing its first plug-in hybrid
and two new extended wheelbase variants with the second
generation of the Panamera. The new Panamera S E-Hybrid produces
416 total system horsepower (310 kW) and is joined by Panamera 4S
Executive and Panamera Turbo Executive models in the revised
Panamera lineup. Posted.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/04/panamera-20130403.html  

Monthly EV sales reach all-time high in the US. Starting in March
2013, cars21.com will publish a monthly report about EV sales in
the US that includes information provided by InsideEVs. In March
2013, more than 7,000 EVs were sold in the US market, twice as
many as in March 2012, for a total market share of 0,5% of new
light vehicles sales.  The sales information currently includes
sales of 11 car models. Posted.
http://www.cars21.com/news/view/5324