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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 24, 2013.
Posted: 24 May 2013 12:04:27
ARB Newsclips for May 24, 2013. ARB Newsclips for May 24, 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 U.S. carbon tax could boost revenue, curb climate change – report. A tax on carbon dioxide emissions could help the United States mitigate climate change while significantly increasing government revenue, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said this week. President Barack Obama supports plans to price carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, tailpipes and factories that have been blamed for worsening climate change. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/usa-carbon-tax-idUSL2N0E323B20130523 California’s Third Cap And Trade Auction Sells Out, At Record Price. Seems like someone forgot to tell California that cap and trade was dying an untimely death. The state’s third carbon allowance auction was held last week, and businesses snapped up all available 2013 permits, setting a record price level in the process. In addition to the 2013 permits, over three-quarters of advance allowances for 2016 were sold to businesses. With just over six months left until California links up to Quebec’s cap and trade market through the Western Climate Initiative…Posted. http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/24/californias-cap-and-trade-system-keeps-getting-stronger/#OT37RWjXzqTkS223.99 Quebec environment minister Blanchet previews carbon auction with California. As California moves forward with a Jan. 1 linkage date to the Quebec carbon market, what hurdles still exist as they prepare for the first joint auction? During today's OnPoint, Yves-François Blanchet, Quebec's minster for sustainable development and the environment, discusses the impact linking systems will have on broader efforts to expand the use of market-based mechanisms to address climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/tv/videos/1691/transcript BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY E.U. needs higher CO2 price and climate targets for 2030, officials say. The European Union needs to come up with a fix for the low price of carbon permits if it wants to meet its climate targets and encourage investments in green energy, energy industry executives and politicians said at a conference in Denmark. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059981746/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change: Environmentalists question whether Gov. Jerry Brown's actions match his rhetoric. The world is fast approaching a tipping point after which the damage caused by climate change can't be undone, Gov. Jerry Brown told a technology summit Thursday. "Five years from now, it's over," unless we change our ways sooner, he said. Some environmentalists, however, say Brown's actions don't match his rhetoric -- particularly his recent decision to divert $500 million in cap-and-trade fee revenues…Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_23309305/enviromentalists-question-whether-gov-jerry-browns-actions-match?source=rss&utm_source=feedly http://www.contracostatimes.com/california-budget/ci_23309303/enviromentalists-question-whether-gov-jerry-browns-actions-match?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com DIESEL EMISSIONS California port cargo terminals will deliver shore power to ships. PierPass Inc announced that all 13 international cargo terminals at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach CA will be ready to deliver shore power to ships at berth by the end of 2013. This investment will significantly reduce air pollution in and around the ports. Infrastructure to supply shore power—also known as cold ironing or Alternative Marine Power (AMP)—is being installed in support of clean air initiatives led by the two ports and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Posted. http://refrigeratedtrans.com/2010-emissions/california_port_cargo_terminals_will_deliver_shore_power_0524/ FUELS Ethanol’s Discount to Gasoline Narrows as Inventories Stay Low. Ethanol’s discount to gasoline narrowed as the highest output rate in 11 months failed to replenish stockpiles of the biofuel. The spread, or price difference, contracted 0.14 cents to 19.97 cents a gallon at 10:57 a.m. New York time. A May 22 Energy Information Administration report showed stockpiles have fallen in 15 of the 20 weeks of this year. osted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-05-24/ethanol-s-discount-to-gasoline-narrows-as-inventories-stay-low.html http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-05-22/ethanol-s-discount-to-gasoline-narrows-on-stockpile-withdrawals State Department Releases Keystone Pipeline Comments. The U.S. State Department released about 100,000 public comments it has received on TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the first batch of more than 1.2 million submitted to the agency on the project. The comments on a draft environmental impact study were posted yesterday on a government website a month after the State Department reversed an earlier decision not to release them. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-24/state-department-releases-keystone-pipeline-comments.html FracFocus Drillers’ Registry to Create Chemicals Database. FracFocus, the website drillers use to disclose chemicals in hydraulic fracturing, is revamping its system next week to let regulators for the first time search and aggregate the information. The industry-backed system, which is used by drillers such as Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (APC), is resolving a criticism from environmental groups by converting the online information into a database of chemicals used in individual wells that can be analyzed…Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-05-23/fracfocus-drillers-registry-to-create-chemicals-database.html Oil leasing dispute heads to federal court. A dispute over greenhouse gases from oil and gas drilling will head to federal court in Montana as attorneys for the government and the industry face off against environmentalists who say too little is being done to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. The legal quarrel was scheduled to land in court on Friday, amid increasing efforts by environmentalists to target emissions from burning fossil fuels and …Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Oil-leasing-dispute-heads-to-federal-court-4542886.php#ixzz2UE9erR4h Gas boom called hype. A natural gas drilling boom unleashed by hydrofracking will begin to recede before the end of the decade, and prices will climb as producers push for exports to shore up profits against lower prices caused by a temporary domestic glut, two energy experts said Thursday. Dreams that natural gas from hydrofracking — a process that injects water and chemicals deep underground to break up gas-bearing shale rock formations…Posted. http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Gas-boom-called-hype-4544302.php#ixzz2UE94c3cq Americans having their say on divisive Keystone pipeline plan. Jobs, say hundreds of thousands of people. Pollution, say hundreds of thousands of others. They say that's what a proposed oil pipeline would bring into the country, as it transports crude from massive deposits in Canadian tar sands to refineries and ports in the United States. The Keystone XL pipeline has triggered a gush of comments from Americans for and against its construction. Posted. http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/24/politics/keystone-pipeline-comments/index.html Nation's biggest coal-producing state gets new gas-fired power. A utility in Wyoming, the country's No. 1 producer of steam coal for power plants, is betting against coal as a fuel for future electricity generation. Black Hills Corp. said this week it had broken ground on a new 132-megawatt gas-fired plant that will supply electricity to roughly 110,000 customers in Wyoming's capital city and 20 smaller communities in Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059981745/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Fossil fuel divestment campaign grows, but will it work? Fossil Free, a student-driven campaign to divest from fossil fuels, has grown to more than 200 colleges, including Harvard, Stanford and Yale, but many doubt it will have an impact on the industry. Unlike apartheid, which was targeted in earlier divestment campaigns, ready alternatives to fossil fuels are not as accessible. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059981751/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY New rules to address fracking on Indian lands. H Hydraulic fracturing on Indian land may become more difficult under new rules proposed by the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management. The Interior Department on May 16 issued new draft rules for hydraulic fracturing on public and Indian lands. Fracturing, or "fracking," is the process of drilling and injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to crack shale formations and unlock oil and gas. Posted. http://www.navajotimes.com/politics/2013/0513/052313fra.php VEHICLES Prius leads 2013 California car sales; domestic brands make gains. The Toyota Prius hybrid was the bestselling vehicle in California during the first quarter of this year, narrowly outpacing Honda’s redesigned Accord sedan. Toyota posted sales of 15,661 of the hybrids, leading the Accord’s sales of 15,369 cars. The Honda Civic was third with sales of 14,918, according to data compiled for the California New Car Dealer’s Assn. by auto research firm R.L. Polk & Co. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-prius-leads-california-car-sales-20130523,0,4417256.story Chevrolet's hottest Cruze sedan is the diesel. Chevrolet says not only will the Cruze diesel be the most fuel-efficient version of the compact sedan, it's also the quickest -- something not normally associated with diesels. It will accelerate from standstill to 60 miles per hour in 8.6 seconds, says Gary Altman, chief engineer of the car. Gasoline models take longer, the slowest being the Cruze Eco, which burns up 10 seconds reaching 60 mph. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/05/23/chevrolet-cruze-diesel-vw-jetta/2356221/ Gasoline, Diesel, Hybrids And Plug-Ins: The Efficiency Leaders. It's official: Cars really are getting more efficient. Not that there isn't a long way still to go, but virtually every month statistics emerge to suggest the average fuel efficiency of vehicles in the U.S. has gone up another few fractions of a percent. There are still winners and losers though, so we decided to think positive and look at the winners--just what are the most efficient gasoline, diesel, hybrid and plug-in vehicles available right now? Posted. http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/05/24/gasoline-diesel-hybrids-and-plug-ins-efficiency-leaders/#ixzz2UEHkV5z0 Camarillo to install 2 electric vehicle charging stations. Camarillo will install two charging stations for electric vehicles at the Metrolink station starting next month. The stations will be financed through a $10,000 grant from the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District and $5,000 from Reconnect California, funded by the California Energy Commission and Clipper Creek Inc. The city will have to maintain and operate the charging stations for at least five years. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/may/23/camarillo-to-install-2-electric-vehicle-charging/ GREEN ENERGY Solar plane completes second leg of cross-country flight in Texas. A solar airplane that developers hope to eventually pilot around the globe landed safely on Thursday in Texas, completing the second and longest leg of an attempt to fly across the United States powered only by the sun. The spindly experimental aircraft, dubbed Solar Impulse, touched down at Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport shortly after 1 a.m. local time, logging 18 hours and 21 minutes in the air to cover 823 nautical miles from Arizona. Posted. http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USBRE94M0XX20130523 Germany Told to Spread Green Energy Costs More Fairly. Resentment at rising energy costs resulting from Germany's drive into renewables has already become an issue in the run-up to federal elections. But now Chancellor Angela Merkel is also fielding international criticism as the International Energy Agency warned Friday that rising power prices threaten to erode public support for green energy. "Recent increases in electricity costs have put low-income households, in particular, under pressure, while large consumers have been shielded from the surcharge…Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324659404578503071449008336.html#printMode US Senate energy panel chairman reintroduces electricity storage bill. The chairman of the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has reintroduced a bill aimed at boosting the development of variable renewable power sources, including solar and wind, through new tax incentives for storage technologies. Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, reintroduced Thursday the Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy Act (S. 1030) along with Susan Collins...Posted. http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/21071684 Urban policies may be the key to adaptation. Economists say there is still no definitive link showing that "greening" cities spurs economic growth. But a study out yesterday finds certain policies -- like energy efficiency retrofits and a well-run public transit system -- are more likely to increase jobs and local production and attract skilled workers. The report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) finds that national policy guidelines…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059981747/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Recurring GOP bill updated to include wind tax credit phaseout. A House Republican has updated his recurring energy bill this year to include a phaseout of a key renewable energy tax credit, marking the first inclusion in formal legislation of an idea the wind industry floated last year. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) introduces his "no more excuses" energy bill every Congress, outlining a lengthy wish list of policies for oil, natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy, including calls to allow expanded oil drilling on federal lands and waters and to extend targeted renewable electricity and alternative fuel tax credits. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059981798/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY OPINIONS Wind energy is cost-effective job creator. The recent letter "The true cost of biofuels" (May 21) misstates the facts on the economics of renewable energy, particularly the wind industry. A wise investment is one that delivers solid growth and is strategically positioned for the future. Wind energy succeeds on both counts. The American wind industry has experienced 30 percent average annual growth over the past five years, bringing jobs and economic development to our nation's rural areas. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/24/wind-energy-is-cost-effective-job-creator/#ixzz2UETv6iXZ Letters: Politics and climate catastrophe. Re "Oklahoma twister 'was a monster,'" May 21 It is heartbreaking to read of homes destroyed, lives upended, children killed and hundreds left homeless. We know that, without effective action to combat climate change, these events will become more frequent. And yet the political leaders of Oklahoma are right-wing ideologues who either reject the idea of global warming or question its effects on weather catastrophes. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-0523-thursday-tornado-20130523,0,1454446,print.story Obama can't wait for Congress to see reality of climate change. President Barack Obama should spend his remaining years in office making the United States part of the solution to climate change, not part of the problem. If Congress sticks to its policy of obstruction and willful ignorance, Obama should use his executive powers to the fullest extent. We are out of time. With each breath, every person alive today experiences something unique in human history: an atmosphere containing more than 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-obamas-mission-on-climate-change/2013/05/23/fee2f5a2-c3e7-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7_story.html http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/24/5444640/obama-cant-wait-for-congress-to.html#storylink=cpy Vote against fracking, a costly source of energy. Re "Bid to halt fracking in state builds momentum" (Forum, May 12): Our "environmentalist" Gov. Jerry Brown sees a "great opportunity" in fracking for oil three miles down, much of it along our coast. The proposed regulations have been quickly slapped together by some legislators who are just learning about this process (from whom?) and by the state agency under fire from the EPA for "overlooking" fracking entirely. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/24/5442921/fracking-bills-in-appropriations.html#storylink=cpy What It's Really All About: Solar For The 99%. Though rooftop solar is starting to make inroads into California's less-affluent communities, most of the state's millions of low- and moderate-income residents still have to pay their utility bills without much help from the sun. But a non-profit solar installer is trying to change that a little bit at a time. Last week, that "little bit" was two struggling households in Palmdale. Posted. http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/commentary/solar-for-the-people-in-palmdale.html?utm_source=feedly BLM approves major project that critics say threatens Calif. Condors. The Obama administration announced today it has granted final approval of the Alta East Wind Project in Southern California that includes a first-ever authorization allowing the project proponent to injure or kill an endangered condor during the 30-year life of the project. The Bureau of Land Management's announcement that it has approved a record of decision (ROD) and plans to issue a right of way grant authorizing the 153-megawatt project touched off a wave of concern among environmental groups. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059981817/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY BLOGS Energy Journal: The Troubled Nightmare of Keystone’s Pipe Dreams. It’s hard to tell what’s longer: the Keystone XL pipeline or the battle to build the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipe would connect Alberta’s oil-sands region with refineries and ports along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The back-and-forth on whether to approve it has been going on for more than five years. In that time, the pipe has become more than just a pipe. It has become a symbol both of the new North American energy boom and of a burgeoning environmental movement. Posted. http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/05/24/energy-journal-the-troubled-nightmare-of-keystones-pipe-dreams/tab/print/ Sac City students show energy-saving creativity to save money. Student teams from 13 schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District will offer their proposals for making their campuses more environmentally sustainable as part of Project Green Showcase on Thursday. Projects deemed viable will be in line for $1 million in Measure Q bond money set aside for green school initiatives. Posted. http://blogs.sacbee.com/report-card/2013/05/sac-city-students-show-energy-saving-creativity-to-save.html#storylink=cpy Kaiser goes for the gold: LEED certification for all major projects. Kaiser Permanente, the Oakland-based healthcare giant, plans to score LEED gold certification for all its new major projects going forward — a move signaling that the green building movement is gaining traction outside of the hot spots like the Bay Area. In San Francisco, achieving LEED certification is about as impressive as getting a driver’s license when you turn 16: everybody does it. Posted. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/real-estate/2013/05/kaiser-goes-for-the-gold-leed.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_sanfrancisco+(San+Francisco+Business+Times) China's Air Pollution: Is The Government Willing To Act? Denise Mauzerall arrived in Beijing this year at a time that was both horrifying and illuminating. The capital was facing some of its worst pollution in recent memory, and Mauzerall, a Princeton environmental engineering professor, was passing through on her way to a university forum on the future of cities. "I took the fast train from Beijing to Shanghai, and looking out the window for large sections of that trip, you couldn't see more than 20 feet," Mauzerall recalled. Posted. http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/24/186246634/chinas-air-pollution-is-the-government-willing-to-act Support for climate action is the new normal in U.S. Pick 100 Americans at random and line them up. Ask those who think the country shouldn’t do a damned thing to rein its greenhouse emissions to please step forward. Guess how many would do so? Six. Just six out of every 100 Americans believe there is absolutely no need for the U.S. to take action to reduce its emissions to help combat climate change. That’s according to the latest survey result from an ongoing project that tracks public attitudes towards climate change. Posted. http://grist.org/news/support-for-climate-action-is-the-new-normal-in-u-s/ Climate change will be slower than thought, study shows – or does it? For anyone who loves to eat chocolate, drink lots of lovely espresso coffee or quaff plentiful amounts of red wine, there's much comfort to be sought from scientific studies. You can pick the studies saying you'll live long and prosper from your chosen potions and ignore the caveats or contradictory warnings. You might also forget to check back to see if any follow-up studies were done that might spoil your fun. Essentially, you fall foul of what's known as "single-study syndrome" …Posted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/planet-oz/2013/may/24/study-climate-change Big New Investments in Wind Energy Across the Country and Around the World. After spending last weekend at the Heartland Coalfield Alliance's retreat in the Illinois coal basin region, I'm more inspired than ever. Listening to such amazing, committed people talk about their tireless work to move beyond coal was really exciting. These activists know the potential for clean energy in their region -- especially wind power. And there has been some blockbuster news about wind in recent days. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/big-new-investments-in-wi_b_3326344.html?view=print&comm_ref=false