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newsclips -- Newsclips for March 14, 2014
Posted: 14 Mar 2014 16:22:44
ARB Newsclips for March 14, 2014. 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 RGGI Completes First Cap-and-Trade Auction Since Reducing CO2 Cap by 45 Percent. Extreme, atypical weather continues to take an unusually heavy toll on the U.S. economy and society this winter, patterns consistent with forecasts made by the world’s leading climate scientists. Those same scientists have been urging world leaders to take action and proactively invest in climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives for at least two decades. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2014/03/rggi-completes-first-cap-trade-auction-since-reducing-co2-cap-45-percent/ AIR POLLUTION Free ride: To combat pollution, France and Belgium make public transportation free. Air pollution that has turned Paris skies a murky yellow and shrouded much of Belgium in smog for days forced drivers to slow down and gave a free ride Friday to millions in both countries who use public transportation. The belt of pollution stretched from France's Atlantic coast hundreds of miles into Belgium and well into Germany. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_POLLUTION?SITE=WIJAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/no-fare-pollution-french-public-transport-free/2014/03/14/db1d5e72-ab5a-11e3-b8ca-197ef3568958_story.html http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/15/world/europe/paris-suffers-a-spring-smog-attack.html?_r=0 CLIMATE CHANGE 'Cost of Carbon' Doesn't Include Some Climate Risks. The federal government's revised social cost of carbon figure is too low to adequately capture several social and economic harms posed by climate change, environmental groups said in a report released March 13. The $37 per metric ton figure that federal agencies use to calculate the impact of climate change in their regulations is either missing or improperly quantifying the threats posed by increased risk of high-ozone days…Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-03-14/-cost-of-carbon-doesn-t-include-some-climate-risks.html Poll: Global warming no big threat to USA life. Though two-thirds of Americans believe global warming is happening or will happen during their lifetimes, only about one-third see it as a serious threat to their way of life, a new Gallup Poll reports. The wide perceptual gap has existed since Gallup first asked the question 17 years ago, but it has narrowed slightly. Today, 36% believe that global warming will seriously affect how they live, up from 25% in 1997. At the same time, the percentage of people who do not see global warming hampering their lives has doubled since Gallup's first survey — from 9% to 18% in the poll taken March 6 through Sunday. Posted. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/13/gallup-poll-global-warming/6388689/ Climate change poses a busy, difficult future for U.S. military. Climate change poses a top risk to U.S. national security because it may increase instability around the world, threaten coastal U.S. military installations and lead to more conflicts stemming from fights over natural resources, beginning with water. That's according to expert panelists and two members of Congress speaking at an event on Capitol Hill yesterday who warned that continuing to ignore climate change could also jeopardize America's standing and leadership in the world. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059996137/print BU SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DIESEL EMISSIONS Future fuel efficiency efforts come into focus. More integration between tractor and trailer, more focused trainer on driver skills, and increased adoption of a wide variety of aerodynamic devices will most likely be the main areas of focus as new fuel efficiency rules begin to take hold of the trucking industry by 2017 and beyond. Posted. http://fleetowner.com/regulations/future-fuel-efficiency-efforts-come-focus FUELS $4-a-gallon gas lands in California. The steady, month-long climb in gasoline prices passed a milestone in California this week as Los Angeles became the first major metro area in the continental United States to see its average retail gasoline price hit $4 a gallon in 2014. “We’re not surprised that California is the first to break the $4 gasoline threshold,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for national gas price tracker GasBuddy.com. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/13/6234362/4-a-gallon-gas-lands-in-california.html#mi_rss=Business#storylink=cpy New power sources planned to replace nuclear plant. California regulators Thursday approved a plan for two utilities to develop replacement power to help fill the void left by the closure of the San Onofre nuclear power plant, but environmentalists warned it could open the way for more dirty energy. The nuclear plant between San Diego and Los Angeles, which stopped producing power in January 2012, once generated enough electricity for 1.4 million homes. Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/New-power-sources-planned-to-replace-nuclear-plant-5313148.php Senate debates pros and cons of Keystone XL pipeline. The fight over Keystone XL pipeline moved to the Senate on Thursday, as fans and foes of the pipeline battled over its link to climate change, the economy and U.S. security. But little was resolved during a two-hour Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the issue that only served to underscore the sharp divisions over TransCanada Corp.'s $5.4 billion project. University of Alberta energy policy professor Andrew Leach described it as a "largely fact-free debate." "Both sides (are) peddling complete falsehoods," Leach observed, even as they are "calling for people to base their decisions on the facts." Posted. http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Senate-debates-pros-and-cons-of-Keystone-XL-5316072.php Scientists present cheaper way to turn natural gas into other fuels. America has more natural gas than it knows what to do with, so the industry is scrambling to find new ways to use the fuel as its prices scrape record lows. Though methane, the major component of natural gas, burns cleaner than coal and oil and produces less greenhouse gases, most cars, buses and generators are not set up to use it. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059996158/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY 'Rebound' effect could dampen benefits of GHG standards – study. Requiring coal-fired power plants to invest in energy-efficient retrofits may not be the most cost-effective way for U.S. EPA to reduce carbon emissions, a study has found. When coal plant operators invest in technology to be more efficient, the marginal cost of generating electricity goes down. This encourages operators to generate and sell more electricity from coal, and ultimately, release more carbon emissions. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059996156/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Paper questions EPA's reading of methane emissions from oil wells. How much methane do oil wells emit during drilling and hydraulic fracturing? U.S. EPA's estimate of this number is at least 100 times lower than what it should be, according to a white paper released yesterday by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The white paper reviewed a series of recent studies that have tried to quantify methane emissions from wells that produce both natural gas and oil. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is known to leak from oil and gas operations during the production phase…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059996162/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Senate panel sees clash over climate science and public cost of Keystone XL. Lawmakers, environmentalists and business advocates sparred over the various costs associated with building the Keystone XL oil pipeline yesterday at a charged hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Veteran climatologist and former NASA scientist James Hansen testified that while the pipeline may appear to have economic benefits, facilitating the development of fossil fuels would ultimately stick Americans with a hefty bill. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059996154/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY GREEN ENERGY Living Smart: Are used appliances 'greener'? What's the better deal for your pocketbook and the environment: a new major appliance or a refurbished one? Several consumers who recently replaced washers and dryers told our research team that they bought used because those models might last just as long as new ones and that reusing is a good "green" practice. One couple said that when their 20-year-old washing machine finally died, they were disappointed when the brand-new replacement lasted only five years. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/13/6233213/living-smart-are-used-appliances.html#storylink=cpy Biomass appeal: Stockton plant focused on clean way to turn wood waste into power. The first thing John Reis does, as he turns a corner and his new power plant comes into view, is clear up any misunderstanding about the great clouds of gas billowing from its 75-foot stack. It's steam. Indeed, as you gaze up toward the plume, tiny drops of water wet your face on this otherwise clear, 77-degree day. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140314/A_NEWS/403140332/0/SEARCH Bigger, more efficient wind turbines boost industry capacity. The deployment of larger and more technologically advanced equipment has helped the wind energy industry boost generation rates on a per-turbine basis since 2008, resulting in greater operational efficiencies and lower costs for consumers, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The data, culled from AWEA's 2013 annual report, show that while U.S. wind energy capacity grew 140 percent…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059996138/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY MISCELLANEOUS Californians grow less reliant on cars, survey finds. Caltrans study shows walking, biking and transit use are up as auto trips fall. More young people don't have driver's licenses. Californians aren't depending quite as heavily on cars for commutes and errands as they did a decade ago, according to a new survey by Caltrans. Although driving is still by far the most dominant mode of transportation across the state, accounting for about three-quarters of daily trips…Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-caltrans-study-20140314,0,4819684.story#ixzz2vxYX0p29 Metal-plating firm Electro-Forming charged in hazardous waste case. Electro-Forming, a Richmond company with a long history of problems, faces felony and misdemeanor charges involving hazardous waste. Northern California metal-plating business and its owner were charged Thursday with felony violations of state hazardous waste laws, including storing cyanide near acid in a way that could have triggered a deadly accident. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/local/me-hazardous-waste-richmond-20140314,0,3232077.story#ixzz2vxTallxX Toxic material in infant mats on new state list targeting hazardous materials. Infant napping pads, varnish strippers and certain foam sealants made California’s first-ever list of hazardous products on Thursday, putting manufacturers on notice that they’ll eventually need to find cleaner ingredients to make those items or face government regulation. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/14/6235803/toxic-material-in-infant-mats.html#storylink=cpy OPINIONS We need common ground on climate change economics. Re "Skeptical of climate 'religion' " (Letters, March 12): The writer calling climate change "the new religion of environmental fanatics" does not help us work together on a problem that involves all of us. Global warming from increased carbon dioxide is continuing with the ocean absorbing much of the heat. The writer states that carbon-based fuels have provided a "standard of living never seen before." Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/13/6232412/climate-change-economics.html#storylink=cpy Editorial: Baby nap mats and paint thinner make California’s most-unwanted toxic chemicals list. They are not necessarily the worst chemicals found in consumer products. The three chemicals targeted in the first crackdown of the state’s Safer Consumer Products program aren’t even the most ubiquitous. They made the most unwanted list because they are contained in commonly used consumer products – infant sleep mats and two home-improvement products – and pose a serious health threat to users. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/14/6235634/editorial-baby-nap-mats-and-paint.html#storylink=cpy Can One Judge Stop California From Being Railroaded? Does the Rule of Law matter or is it an antiquated concept in this day and age? After all, our President regularly violates the separation of powers by unilaterally rewriting laws. So it comes with some surprise when a judge stands up to California’s executive branch and puts the brakes on California’s High Speed Rail project by, of all things, requiring government to follow the Rule of Law. Posted. http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2014/03/can-one-judge-stop-california-railroaded/ BLOGS What I'll Talk About When I Talk About Global Warming. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I'll tell my four-year-old daughter about global warming. I'm a betting person and my money says our children are going to view environmental destruction as our generation's defining failure. If that prediction bears out, she's going to want an accounting of what went wrong. Truth is, I bear some responsibility. I'm not Ed Begley Jr. I don't drive an electric car or compost and you won't find solar panels atop our roof. I have defenses: composting bins are smelly and electric cars are expensive. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evan-mandery/what-ill-talk-about-when-_b_4959967.html?view=print&comm_ref=false 5 key issues in the fight for better fuel. To address climate change, we need more creative collaboration on transportation fuel. This was underscored in a discussion hosted by BSR Senior Vice President Eric Olson at the recent Climate Leadership Conference in San Diego, where a panel of practitioners discussed an agenda for addressing climate change through modern mobility. The panelists raised five key ideas that need more attention from commercial fleet operators, their value chain partners and policymakers: Posted. http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/03/14/5-key-issues-fight-better-fuel California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.