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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 7, 2013.
Posted: 07 May 2013 12:30:35
ARB Newsclips for May 7, 2013. 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. CAP AND TRADE Europe’s Carbon Market Fix Set for July Second-Chance Vote. The European Parliament will hold a second plenary vote in early July on a stopgap plan to bolster prices in the world’s biggest carbon market after it rejected the draft measure last month. Representatives of political groups in the Parliament’s environment committee agreed today that the panel will give its verdict on the proposal on June 19, before a vote by the full assembly during the July 1-4 session, lawmaker Matthias Groote said. The plan to curb the oversupply of carbon permits…Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/europe-s-carbon-market-fix-to-be-voted-in-parliament-in-july.html http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-05-07/europe-s-carbon-market-fix-to-be-voted-in-parliament-in-july AIR POLLUTION Rail yard project heads to Los Angeles City Council; health official expresses pollution concerns. Los Angeles city leaders this week will tackle a controversial $500 million rail yard project proposed by BNSF Railway near West Long Beach and Wilmington neighborhoods. The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday will decide whether to uphold the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners' endorsement of the project's environmental impact report. Posted. http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_23183703/rail-yard-project-heads-los-angeles-city-council Hot Weather Impacts Air Quality. State and Federal Air Quality Standards Were Exceeded in Santa Barbara County. Concentrations of ground-level ozone, a principal component of smog, recorded Friday at stations in Carpinteria and Lompoc exceeded both the federal eight-hour ozone standard and the state eight-hour ozone standard, and ozone concentrations at the Las Flores Canyon (Gaviota coast), Paradise Road, Santa Ynez, and Vandenberg Air Force Base stations exceeded the state ozone standard. Posted. http://www.independent.com/news/2013/may/06/hot-weather-impacts-air-quality/ CLIMATE CHANGE Germany Says Climate Talks Move Beyond Blame Game Before Warsaw. Climate talks that ended today in Berlin moved beyond a “blame game,” said Germany’s Environment Minister Peter Altmaier, after recent disagreements. Representatives from 35 nations met in the city before United Nations-mandated discussions on tackling climate change due this year in Warsaw. Delegates from more than 190 states aim to reach a deal in 2015 to curb greenhouse gas emissions from 2020. They plan to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997 and limits pollution from industrial nations. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/germany-says-climate-talks-move-beyond-blame-game-before-warsaw.html Surge in valley fever blamed on climate change. California and federal public health officials say that valley fever, a potentially lethal but often misdiagnosed disease infecting more and more people across the nation, has been on the rise as a warming climate and drought have kicked up the dust that spreads it. The fever has hit California’s agricultural heartland particularly hard in recent years, with the incidence dramatically increasing in 2010 and 2011. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/surge-in-valley-fever-blamed-on-climate-change/2013/05/05/79668cca-b5cf-11e2-b94c-b684dda07add_story.html Judges skeptical of states challenging EPA regulatory authority. Federal judges wrestled today with whether U.S. EPA ran afoul of the law in directing states to implement regulations to address climate change. At issue before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit are two cases that challenge EPA's interactions with states after the agency finalized landmark greenhouse gas rules in 2010. EPA had sought to make sure states that had Clean Air Act permitting authority for new major facilities were able to adequately take into account greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2013/05/07/1 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DIESEL EMISSIONS In Calif, some ships plug in to power up. In less than a year, many of the towering cargo ships loading and unloading goods at California ports won't just tie up at dock—they'll also plug in. In January, the state will become the first government body in the world to require container fleets docking at its major ports to shut off their diesel engines and use electricity for 50 percent of their visits—or face crippling fines. The requirements also include slashing fleet emissions by half, and those requirements rise to 80 percent in 2020. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/in-california-cargo-ships-must-soon-plug-in-to-power-up-to-reduce-emissions-starting-in-2014/2013/05/06/a76b09ba-b698-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/In-Calif-some-ships-plug-in-to-power-up-4492910.php http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130507/WIRE/130509658/1033/news http://www.eveningsun.com/nationworldnews/ci_23183879/at-california-port-some-ships-plug-power-up http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130506/A_NEWS/130509905&cid=sitesearch Residents near U.S. ports say expansions taking heavy toll. The big trucks roar out of Port Newark like a beastly herd, snorting, grinding gears and belching exhaust as they rush through the predominantly black South Ward neighborhood. “In one hour, no matter when we count, we have about 400 trucks come through,” Kim Gaddy said. The diesel trucks help move $1 billion worth of cargo annually in and out of Port Newark, a cornerstone of the nation’s third-largest port system — the Port of New York and New Jersey — and the source of tens of thousands of jobs. But the pollution exacts a heavy toll on residents, environmental advocates say. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/residents-near-us-ports-say-expansions-taking-heavy-toll/2013/05/05/78842a82-a77f-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_print.html FUELS Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel Futures Advance as Gasoil Strengthens. Ultra-low-sulfur diesel futures jumped to a three-week high as gasoil in Europe strengthened. Crack spreads widened. Futures rose as much as 0.9 percent. Gasoil jumped on the ICE Futures Europe exchange, indicating greater demand need for distillate exports from the U.S. ULSD’s crack spread versus West Texas Intermediate crude widened $1.38 to $27.87 a barrel. The premium over Brent increased 82 cents to $18.01. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/ultra-low-sulfur-diesel-futures-advance-as-gasoil-strengthens.html Ethanol Rises Versus Gasoline on Signs of Higher Export Demand. Ethanol advanced against gasoline on speculation higher export demand is tightening supply along the U.S. East Coast. The spread, or price difference, widened 3.8 cents to 30.67 cents a gallon at 11:24 a.m. New York time as stockpiles of the fuel in New York Harbor in the week ended April 26 dropped to a record low 5.6 million barrels, data from the Energy Information Administration show, even as overall gasoline demand trails year-ago levels. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/ethanol-rises-versus-gasoline-on-signs-of-higher-export-demand.html Gas prices steady – but could go up. Area gasoline prices, which have been slowly falling in recent weeks, stayed locked in place last week. The average retail price of gasoline in the Sacramento area was unchanged from the previous week, coming in at $3.80 a gallon, according to national price tracker GasBuddy.com, which surveys 720 stations in the area. Sacramento prices are now 29.5 cents lower than they were a year ago and 7.6 cents lower than a month ago. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/07/5400098/gas-prices-steady-but-could-go.html#storylink=cpy VEHICLES China's struggling automakers jump on SUV boom. BYD is known for electric cars but this year's flagship model is the S7, a gasoline-powered SUV. It comes with an air purifier, radar to help with backing and digital TV. An onboard hard drive can hold 1,000 films. This is China's Year of the SUV. Whatever their specialties used to be, automakers ranging from global brands to China's ambitious rookies are scrambling to cash in on the explosive popularity of sport utility vehicles. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/China-s-struggling-automakers-jump-on-SUV-boom-4493867.php#ixzz2Scrg6Rdx Electric-car enthusiasts eye world records in cross-country trip. In the Ride The Future Tour, a collection of electric vehicle enthusiasts aim to travel almost 3,000 miles east to west across the US, Ingram writes. Several Guinness World Records are up for the taking, including "longest journey on an electric scooter," "longest journey on an electric motorcycle," and "longest journey in an electric car." Posted. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2013/0507/Electric-car-enthusiasts-eye-world-records-in-cross-country-trip Tesla talking to Google about driverless electric cars. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is talking to Google about adding driverless technology to its electric cars, Bloomberg News reports. If the two were ever to collaborate, it could give Tesla a key technical advantage over other luxury car makers beyond its unique electric powerplant, which gives its the longest range of any electric cars. It is EPA rated at 265 miles a charge. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/05/07/tesla-elon-musk-google-driverless-cars/2140991/ GREEN ENERGY GE says tax changes fuel 1 gigawatt of new wind orders. General Electric Co (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Monday the renewal of the U.S. production tax credit has helped it sell wind turbines with 1 gigawatt of generating power since January. The credit, a key lifeline for the nascent wind power industry, was caught up in fiscal cliff negotiations in the U.S. Congress at the end of last year, and for a time it was unclear whether it would be renewed. Congress renewed it shortly after the new year began. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/06/us-ge-wind-idUSBRE9450GS20130506 Imperial Irrigation District mulls more solar rebates. Nonprofit groups in the Coachella Valley and Imperial County may have a second chance to get thousands of dollars in solar rebates from the Imperial Irrigation District. IID’s Energy Consumers Advisory Committee on Monday night debated what to do with $552,422 in solar rebates the utility had originally earmarked for nonprofit and government projects as part of its Solar Solutions Program. Posted. http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013305060017&nclick_check=1 Wind power industry is urged to become more aggressive in competing with fossil fuels. Coming off one of the most tumultuous years in its recent history, the U.S. wind power industry has emerged stronger and more confident of its future, industry leaders gathered here for the American Wind Energy Association's national conference said yesterday. But for wind power to solidify its standing in a highly competitive energy market…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2013/05/07/6 BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY MISCELLANEOUS Energy officials brace for another summer without San Onofre. Energy officials expect to get through another summer without blackouts even if the San Onofre nuclear plant remains shuttered -- but damaging fires in the months ahead could undermine that prediction. An assessment released Monday by the California Independent System Operator, which oversees most of the state's power grid, projected that power supply will be slightly tighter this summer than last in Southern California. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-onofre-summer-20130506,0,2463971.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lanowblog+%28L.A.+Now%29 http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/05/06/37150/without-the-san-onofre-nuclear-plant-a-potentially/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+893KpccSouthernCaliforniaNews+%28KPCC%3A+News%29 http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/06/regulator-target-nuclear-investigation/?utm_source=feedly Inside Lawrence Berkeley Lab; $40B industry sparks battery technology race. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is making California tech companies and startups a unique offer: cut rate access to its cache of pricey, one-of-a-kind battery equipment. The goal? Accelerating commercialization of emerging technology in the estimated $40 billion energy storage industry. In a new public-private partnership known as CalCharge, the federal laboratory is joining forces with cleantech advocacy group CalCEF…Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2013/05/03/40b-energy-storage-industry-sparks.html?s=print OPINIONS A Carbon Trading System Worth Saving. The European Union became a pioneer in tackling climate change by starting the first major cap-and-trade system designed to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by putting a price on them. But analysts are increasingly worried that technical mistakes, Europe’s prolonged recession and the failure of policy makers to strengthen the system is undermining its effectiveness. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/opinion/europes-carbon-trading-system.html Fracking won't improve our lives. Re "Oil, gas firms winning race to conquer energy technology" (Business, May 4): Recent articles prompt me to wonder how much of our precious water is being consumed by fossil fuel extraction in the south state, and how much such use is anticipated in the future. Can that water ever be returned to nature's water cycle to sustain us all? I'm afraid all this winning is ultimately losses for the quality of our air, water, and lives. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/06/5399417/concern-about-water-use-and-fracking.html#storylink=cpy Editorial: Rev up the rules to cut pollution. Fed up — and rightly so — with congressional inaction, the Obama administration is instituting new air-pollution rules that will definitely help reduce smog and improve the environment over time. The rules require cleaner gasoline and lower-pollution vehicles, with the idea of eventually reducing vehicle emissions up to 40 percent across the country. Specifically, oil refiners will have to reduce the amount of sulfur in U.S. gasoline by two-thirds. Posted. http://www.lohud.com/article/BK/20130507/OPINION01/305070011/Editorial-Rev-up-rules-cut-pollution BLOGS Tornado doom then tornado drought: Both linked to climate change? We are living through the most anemic one-year period for tornadoes in the modern record – a cause for celebration if you dislike human suffering and destruction. The present lull in these violent storms stands in sharp contrast to 2011, one of the most active years for twisters, with devastating consequences for life and property. What does this tornado pendulum signify about the effect of climate change on twisters? Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/05/06/tornado-doom-then-tornado-drought-both-linked-to-climate-change/ POLLUTION: Stricter fireplace smog rules set. Air quality officials have committed $500,000 in incentives to help residents in the pollution-plagued JurupaValley convert from wood-burning fireplaces to cleaner alternatives. The move is part of an effort by the South Coast Air Quality Management District to reduce fine-particle pollution, known as PM2.5. The district’s board also voted Friday, May 3, to impose tougher limits on when residents can light their wood fireplaces. Posted. http://blog.pe.com/environment/2013/05/06/pollution-stricter-fireplace-smog-rules-set/ 5 Worst Orange County Places Based on State Pollution and Demographic Data. Daniel Weintraub, editor of the California Health Report, compared the census zip codes 92707 (Santa Ana) and 92657 (Newport Beach) on the online state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment tool and found stark contrasts. Despite those places being relatively close to each other, one is among the cleanest in California, the other is one of the dirtiest. Can you guess which is which? Posted. http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2013/05/orange_county_ca_pollution_wor.php Majority Of Carbon Clusters Underneath Earth's Surface In Hot Mantle Rocks, New Research Shows. Most of Earth's carbon clusters deep beneath the surface, in hot mantle rocks that churn below the planet's thin crust. "Most people probably don't recognize that the vast majority of carbon — the backbone of all life — is located in the deep Earth, below the surface — maybe even 90 percent of it," Elizabeth Cottrell, a geologist at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, said in a statement. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/carbon-clusters-subterranean_n_3230785.html Should America export its fracked gas? Why greens say no. Frackers already contaminate America's groundwater, make people sick, produce radioactive waste, and contribute to earthquakes. Processing and moving the natural gas that they produce leads to nasty spills and deadly explosions. And cheap natural gas makes it harder for renewable energy to compete. But, hey, at least almost all of that cheap fuel is being used by Americans in America, right? Posted. http://grist.org/news/should-america-export-its-fracked-gas/ Public Charging Stations For Electric Cars: Who Leads The Way? For the majority of the general public to consider purchasing a fully electric car, they first want accessible public charge points located at or near places they frequent in their daily life. It's also clear that most people won't end up using them nearly as much as they think they will. However, having them in place and available is necessary to ease the concern that charging has to be there when it may be needed. Posted. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1083897_public-charging-stations-for-electric-cars-who-leads-the-way