What's New List Serve Post Display

What's New List Serve Post Display

Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for June 27, 2013.

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 12:26:16
ARB Newsclips for June 27, 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.

AIR POLLUTION

L.A., Owens Valley settle dispute over dust control. The DWP's
actions will include fast-tracking mitigation measures that do
not use water. Also, a Native American massacre site will be left
undisturbed. Los Angeles and the Owens Valley have reached a
settlement in their dispute over new measures to control dust
storms that have blown across the eastern Sierra Nevada since
L.A. opened an aqueduct a century ago that drained Owens Lake.
Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dwp-pollution-20130627,0,3310175.story


CLIMATE CHANGE

Idaho's Simpson to fight Obama over emission regs. The head of a
House panel that helps set the Environmental Protection Agency's
budget plans to do everything in his power to thwart President
Barack Obama's proposed new regulations on greenhouse gas
emissions. U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, an Idaho Republican, is
chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and
the Environment. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Idaho-s-Simpson-to-fight-Obama-over-emission-regs-4625920.php


Gov. Mead emphasizes coal's importance. Responding to President
Barack Obama's pledge to regulate carbon emissions from power
plants, the governor of the nation's leading coal-producing state
emphasized Wednesday that coal plays a critical role in the
nation's energy production. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead said any
future federal regulations must still allow the construction and
operation of state-of-the-art coal-fired plants. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Gov-Mead-emphasizes-coal-s-importance-4624132.php


White House on HFCs could achieve climate results, advocates say.
President Obama's reference to a super-greenhouse gas in his
climate speech this week signals a growing realization within the
administration of the importance of thinking beyond carbon for
global warming solutions, analysts say. Speaking at Georgetown
University, Obama mentioned a recent agreement with Chinese
President Xi Jinping to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a
class of greenhouse gases up to thousands of times more powerful
than carbon dioxide. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059983569/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Schwarzenegger spruces up his public image, with climate change
as the centerpiece. Action movie hero and former Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger may have fallen out of California's political
spotlight -- and movie circuit -- but some believe his work on
climate change could hold the key for a comeback.
Schwarzenegger's supporters say he set the standard for state and
local governments to act when national leaders refuse. Last year,
a group of U.N. correspondents named him "global advocate of the
year." Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059983536/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

U.K. lags in reaching emissions reduction targets. The United
Kingdom's Committee on Climate Change announced in a report that
the nation's carbon emissions went up by 3.5 percent in 2012,
casting doubt on whether its climate targets will be met. Even
adjusting for exceptionally cold weather and the greater need for
coal-powered electricity, emissions fell by only 1 percent
instead of the 3 percent the government had aimed for. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059983532/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

FUELS

Obama's climate plan takes aim at coal plants. America is slowly
moving toward cleaner sources of energy and using less of it
overall. President Barack Obama's plan to fight climate change
will accelerate those trends. The plan aims to reduce power-plant
emissions of carbon dioxide, increase America's reliance on
natural gas and renewables and make trucks, homes and businesses
more efficient. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CLIMATE_CHANGE_IMPACT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Coal at Risk as Obama Seeks to Revive Emissions Progress. In his
first presidential term, President Barack Obama presided over a
sharp decline in U.S. carbon pollution. 
With the economy depressed, Americans drove less. Low natural gas
prices prompted utilities to shutter carbon-heavy coal plants,
and burn more gas for electricity. Solar and wind installations
soared. This year, coal use and carbon emissions are up…Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-06-26/coal-at-risk-as-obama-seeks-to-revive-emissions-progress.html


Obama speech praises natural gas fracking boom. This week,
President Barack Obama praised renewable energy, conservation —
and fracking for natural gas. His support for fracking is
upsetting some environmental groups that otherwise support his
climate plan. Deb Nardone, the head of the Sierra Club's Beyond
Natural Gas program, says Obama "is taking the wrong path" on
natural gas. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Obama-speech-praises-natural-gas-fracking-boom-4625487.php


The Future Looks Bleak for Keystone XL. Less than a month after
the British Columbia government rejected an Enbridge pipeline
proposal, TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline hopes also appear
squashed. On June 25, President Barack Obama said the pipeline
would only extend from Alberta to Texas if it "doesn't
significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution." That
casts serious doubts on TransCanada's ability to extend the major
project from Canada to southern United States. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/The-Future-Looks-Bleak-for-Keystone-XL-4625525.php


In Canada, Pipeline Remarks Stir Analysis. Perhaps it was his
choice of words, but a small portion of President Obama’s speech
about climate change on Tuesday has attracted a disproportionate
amount of attention in Canada. At issue are his remarks about the
proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would send bitumen from
Alberta’s oil sands to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. The
pipeline requires presidential approval and, for Canadians at
least, has become a dominant political issue. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/business/energy-environment/in-canada-pipeline-remarks-stir-analysis.html?ref=world&pagewanted=print


Obama's climate plan silent on exports but pledges support for
global gas markets. President Obama doubled down this week on
using natural gas in place of dirtier fossil fuels like coal,
alluding to natural gas exports in a discussion of how the U.S.
can help address global greenhouse gas emissions, even as a study
published yesterday said renewables are poised to surpass natural
gas globally within three years. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059983575/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

EPA aiming to finalize 2013 renewable fuel targets this summer.
U.S. EPA plans to finalize its 2013 renewable fuel standard
levels by the end of this summer, a senior agency official said
yesterday. The agency is about seven months behind schedule in
setting final targets under the standard for conventional ethanol
and advanced biofuel production. It released proposed targets in
late January and has since been collecting public comments and
meeting with stakeholders. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059983590/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Advocates push role of natural gas in climate mitigation.
Abundant and cheap, natural gas will be a key ingredient in
America's energy mix for years to come, and systems that harness
both the heat and electricity from burning this fuel can tackle
climate change from several angles, according to researchers. The
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) released a report
earlier this month outlining various paths for natural gas to
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059983570/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Secrecy surrounding Exxon's Pegasus probe fuels questions over
Keystone XL plans. Exxon Mobil Corp.'s bid to shield from public
view its inspection results for a shuttered pipeline that leaked
at least 5,000 barrels of heavy Canadian oil sands crude in
Arkansas this spring is galvanizing a debate over transparency
and spill readiness that could affect the future of Keystone XL.
Federal regulators at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration are set to decide as soon as this week…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059983546/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Tar sands or oil sands? Obama's comments stoke debate. In the
polarized world of pipeline politics, activists see a clear
difference between "tar sands" and "oil sands," although both
refer to the mix of bitumen and sand that is processed into heavy
Canadian crude. President Obama has used both terms in recent
years but chose "tar sands" Tuesday while laying out his plan to
curb greenhouse gas emissions in the United States (ClimateWire,
June 26). Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059983535/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

German lobbying delays EU car emissions deal. Forceful German
lobbying has halted a compromise deal to enforce stricter rules
on carbon dioxide emissions for all new cars in the European
Union from 2020, EU sources said on Thursday. The deal was
hammered out late on Monday to enforce a limit of 95 grams per
kilometre (g/km) as an average across the EU fleet by 2020.
Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/27/eu-cars-idUSL5N0F32PW20130627
 

Electric car industry reps cheered by market growth. The electric
vehicle network is expanding in both technological advances and
new markets, according to representatives from the auto industry
and energy community. During a press call Tuesday, Nissan North
America and Bosch Automotive Service Solutions highlighted rising
sales for electric cars and 240-volt charging stations. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-electric-car-growth-20130625,0,1890296.story


Memphis auto exhaust testing ends Friday. Memphis city government
has cautioned residents whose auto registration expires in June
to get exhaust testing done quickly.
The city earlier voted to shut down the emissions testing
stations and that will be done permanently at 3 p.m. Friday. A
statement from Mayor A C Wharton's office Thursday said that,
beginning with July registrations, Shelby County Clerk Wayne
Mashburn will renew vehicle registration without the requirement
of motor vehicle inspection. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Memphis-auto-exhaust-testing-ends-Friday-4625822.php


Are electric cars really cheaper than gas cars? A new website
from the US Department of Energy compares the energy costs of
driving an electric car relative to gasoline prices. The tool
might prove useful, Styles writes, but only as long as it is
grounded in the best information we have about the vehicle
choices that potential electric car buyers are actually
considering. Posted.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/0627/Are-electric-cars-really-cheaper-than-gas-cars


Fiat 500e electric car 'sold out' in California. The market for
electric cars in California is doing well, according to Fiat's US
chief, who said the Fiat 500e electric car has sold out in
California. Fiat has never hidden the fact that its 500e electric
car had been developed primarily for compliance reasons, thus
there was little surprise when it was announced that sales would
be limited to the state of California, at least, initially.
Posted.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2013/0627/Fiat-500e-electric-car-sold-out-in-California


Rough road for Obama's heavy-duty vehicle standards. New
regulations to reduce carbon emissions from large trucks are
central to achieving the United States' climate goals, but
meeting the ambitious new vehicle standards won't be easy,
administration officials said yesterday at the Alternative Clean
Transportation (ACT) Expo in Washington, D.C. Christopher
Grundler, director of the Office of Transportation and Air
Quality for U.S. EPA…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059983568/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

GREEN ENERGY

Buying Green Is All About Saving Money, Not the Earth. Is anyone
really surprised  the results of a Yale University survey showed
most "green" behavior is more about saving money than the
environment? What does it mean to go "green"? The survey showed
half of Americans deliberately bought an energy efficient kitchen
appliance with 75% intending to do so with their next purchase.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Buying-Green-Is-All-About-Saving-Money-Not-the-4489677.php

Adopting 'smart cities' a tough sell. On the flat-screen monitor
on the wall, a simulated college campus operates in seamless
efficiency. Sensors pick up minor changes in temperature or
humidity that could signal an air-conditioning unit
malfunctioning. Motion sensors act as power switches. Building
managers use their iPads to see if the lights were mistakenly
left on in a lecture hall. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Adopting-smart-cities-a-tough-sell-4625847.php


Utility Companies Going Solar. Utility companies are buying into
solar power and this is a triple play for these outfits, their
customers and investors. Several of the largest U.S. utility
companies are moving into the solar power business. While utility
companies still lean heavily on coal and natural gas as power
sources, the transition into solar and other green technologies
is underway. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Utility-Companies-Going-Solar-4625413.php


Analysts say 'baggage' may hold back progress despite White House
boost. President Obama's new climate plan may not provide a
significant boost to carbon capture and sequestration projects on
coal-fired power plants, experts said yesterday. Gas prices are
too low and the cost of the technology to "clean" coal in the
power sector too high for the plan in its current form to do more
than incentivize a few large-scale projects, they said. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059983567/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Growth of clean power a 'bright spot' in otherwise bleak global
energy trends. Within the next three years, renewable power could
surpass natural gas as the second most prevalent source of
electricity generation globally, behind only coal, according to a
new forecast by the International Energy Agency. Hydropower
accounts for about four-fifths of renewable generation and will
continue to dominate the world's renewable portfolio into the
foreseeable future, according to the IEA's "Medium-Term Renewable
Energy Market Report" for 2013. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059983539/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Davis takes ‘CoolCalifornia’ prize as cities rally to cut carbon
emissions. The City of Davis today (Thursday, June 27) was
officially named the “Coolest California City,” outscoring seven
other cities who lowered their greenhouse gas emissions in a
statewide competition run by the University of California,
Berkeley, for the California Air Resources Board. Cities
competing in the CoolCalifornia Challenge spread the word at
community meetings and fairs, where this young energy-saver
picked up a reusable shopping bag with the competition’s logo.
Posted.
http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2013/06/27/davis-takes-coolcalifornia-prize-for-cutting-carbon-emissions/


L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signs plastic bag ban, finishes
term with a flourish. With only a few days left in his term,
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is continuing with a flurry of
activity, signing the city's plastic bags ban on Wednesday,
pushing to wrap up other major initiatives and planning a
whirlwind citywide tour on Friday. From 6 a.m. Friday through 6
a.m. Saturday, Villaraigosa said he will travel throughout the
city to thank residents for the opportunity he was given to serve
as mayor. Posted.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_23547477/l-mayor-antonio-villaraigosa-signs-plastic-bag-ban?source=rss

Edison to lay off 600 from San Onofre. Around 600 non-union
workers will be laid off from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating
Station over the next two months, Southern California Edison
announced Wednesday.  The move is the latest in the utility's
efforts to reduce its workforce from 1,500 to 400 by next year as
it decommissions the nuclear power plant. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jun/26/san-onofre-edison-layoff-jobs/

 
Solano transit meeting on reducing air pollution changes
location. Today's Solano Regional Climate Action Planning
community workshop will be in a new location. The 6-8 p.m.
workshop will be held at the Solano County Events Center, 601
Texas St., at Texas Street and Union Avenue in Fairfield. The
Solano Transportation Authority is asking Fairfield, Vacaville
and other residents in northern Solano County to come with ideas
on ways to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas
emissions. Posted.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_23551048/solano-transit-meeting-reducing-air-pollution-changes-location

OPINIONS

Climate target No. 1: coal.  The nation cannot allow the carbon
output of its worst greenhouse gas emitters to continue
unchecked. President Obama's omnibus proposal to combat global
warming addresses the issue in all its many facets — truck
emissions, high-level diplomacy, more federal land for solar and
wind projects. Think of it as a target covered with water
balloons. The president won't be able to keep all of them from
bursting as his opponents in Congress and industry start throwing
darts. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-change-obama-20130626,0,3767714.story


BLOGS

Kerry Proposes U.S.-India Push on Carbon and Climate. Shortly
after prodding India in a New Delhi speech to find ways to cut
greenhouse gas emissions, Secretary of State John Kerry sent a
“Your Dot” piece emphasizing that he sees this as a partnership
between two dynamic, innovative democracies. Here’s Kerry’s fresh
pitch, followed by my initial reaction: I was in India this week
for the fourth U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue…Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/kerry-proposes-u-s-india-push-on-carbon-and-climate/?_r=0&pagewanted=print




ARB What's New

preload