What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for April 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

Which Voluntary Emissions Reduction Projects Will California Tap
Next? The voluntary carbon market has been the breeding ground
for offset project types welcomed into California’s regulated
carbon market, which many say will face a shortage of offsets in
its second phase. Market participants, including an official at
one of the largest publicly-owned utilities in the United States,
say it is critical for California regulators to quickly welcome
even more voluntary project types.  Posted. 
http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/pages/dynamic/article.page.php?page_id=10294§ion=news_articles&eod=1


Sustainably Speaking: Cap and trade succeed.  In 2013, California
initiated its groundbreaking cap and trade system as one
mechanism to mitigate greenhouses gas emissions produced in the
state. Despite predictions by opponents of the cap-and-trade
system and the broader California Global Warming Act that
California’s proactive stance on climate change would create job
loss and lead to economic downturn, in its first year this system
has proven to be successful without harming the state’ economy. 
Posted. 
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20140413/NEWS04/304130042/Sustainably-Speaking-Cap-trade-succeeds?nclick_check=1
  

AIR POLLUTION

Regional air regulators step up efforts to shutter Exide's
operations in Vernon.  Pointing to numerous violations of lead
pollution standards at the Exide Technologies battery recycling
plant even while it's closed, regulators at the South Coast Air
Quality Management District are asking their independent review
board to halt maintenance work at the Vernon facility.   Posted. 
http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/04/11/43456/regional-air-regulators-step-up-efforts-to-shutter/


CLIMATE CHANGE

UN climate report balances science and politics.  After racing
against the clock in an all-night session, the U.N.'s expert
panel on climate change was putting the final touches Saturday on
a scientific guide to help governments, industries and regular
people take action to stop global warming from reaching dangerous
levels.  Posted. 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_SCIENCE_OR_POLITICS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Other related articles:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/AP%20Content/ci_25553113/UN-climate-report-balances-science-and

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/13/6320792/cost-of-fighting-warming-modest.html

http://www.insidebayarea.com/AP%20Content/ci_25558004/Cost-of-fighting-warming-modest-says


Climate Efforts Falling Short, U.N. Panel Says.  Delivering the
latest stark news about climate change on Sunday, a United
Nations panel warned that governments are not doing enough to
avert profound risks in coming decades. But the experts found a
silver lining: Not only is there still time to head off the
worst, but the political will to do so seems to be rising around
the world. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/14/science/earth/un-climate-panel-warns-speedier-action-is-needed-to-avert-disaster.html?partner=rss&emc=rss


Other related articles:
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/apr/13/climate-panel-warns-emissions-rising-blurs/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/world-must-turn-from-fossil-fuels-to-cleaner-energy-to-avoid-climate-disaster-panel-says/2014/04/13/21bd2144-c273-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/U-N-climate-change-panel-issues-dire-warning-5399739.php

U.N. Climate Change Report Says Worst Scenarios Can Still Be
Avoided. A United Nations report suggests that governments can
still avert the more serious consequences of climate change
provided they act quickly and aggressively to cut the
accelerating pace of greenhouse-gas emissions. According to the
report, global greenhouse-gas emissions have risen more rapidly
between 2000 and 2010 than in each of the three previous decades.
The global economic crisis of 2007 and 2008 temporarily reduced
emissions but didn't change the trend, the report says. Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303663604579498721229249160?KEYWORDS=climate+change&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303663604579498721229249160.html%3FKEYWORDS%3Dclimate%2Bchange

Factbox: U.N. issues guide to slow climate change. Following are
main findings by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) in a report on Sunday saying that time is running
out to keep global warming within agreed limits. The 33-page
summary, by leading scientists, is meant to guide almost 200
governments which have promised to work out a deal by the end of
2015 to slow climate change. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/13/us-climatechange-un-factbox-idUSBREA3C06820140413

El Niño could whip up big California storms.  Raising hopes that
California’s severe drought could end with a series of soaking
storms next winter, federal scientists on Thursday announced
there is now a 2-in-3 chance of an El Niño climate pattern
developing in the Pacific Ocean by the end of this year. “We’re
seeing a pretty strong tilt toward El Niño,” said Michelle
L’Heureux, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center in College
Park, Md. Posted.
http://www.sbsun.com/environment-and-nature/20140411/el-nixf1o-could-whip-up-big-california-storms


DIESEL EMISSIONS

The diesel decision: ARB ponders whether to allow current engines
more time before tougher emissions standards set in.  Area
trucking companies and farmers may soon be given more flexibility
with regulations aimed at reducing engine emissions on their
diesel trucks and buses.  The Air Resources Board is accepting
comment through April 21 ahead of an April 24 board meeting, when
it could decide to allow diesel truck and bus owners to be able
to drive additional miles each year.  Posted. 
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/business/the-diesel-decision-arb-ponders-whether-to-allow-current-engines/article_fece55d2-c2d0-11e3-bf37-001a4bcf6878.html


DROUGHT

California looking to recycled water to ease drought concerns. 
At two treatment plants in El Dorado Hills, millions of gallons
of brown wastewater pour in every week, and millions of gallons
of clean water pour out through purple pipes that irrigate the
lawns of 4,000 homes.  Proponents call it water recycling.
Critics call it “toilet-to-tap.” But as the drought has taken
hold in California, opposition to the idea has been drying up,
and recycled water is winning acceptance.  Posted. 
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/14/6321372/california-looking-to-recycled.html#mi_rss=Our%20Region


FUELS

Natural Gas Futures Drop as Milder U.S. Weather Cuts Fuel Demand.
 Natural gas fell for a second day in New York on speculation
that stockpiling may accelerate as milder weather reduces fuel
use. Gas dropped as much as 1.8 percent as MDA Weather Services
predicted seasonal or higher temperatures for most of the lower
48 states from April 19 through April 28. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-14/natural-gas-futures-drop-as-milder-u-s-weather-cuts-fuel-demand.html

GREEN ENERGY

Renewables, Nuclear Must Triple to Save Climate, UN Says.  The
world needs to triple the energy it gets from renewables, nuclear
reactors and power plants that use emissions-capture technology
to avoid dangerous levels of global warming, United Nations
scientists said. Investments needed to keep climate change within
safe limits would shave a fraction of a percent off annual global
growth, the UN said yesterday in the third part of its most
comprehensive study on warming. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-13/renewables-nuclear-must-triple-to-save-climate-un-says.html

California electricity grid tests ‘green’ technology.  If a cloud
goes over one of the large-scale solar farms east of the
Coachella Valley — or one of the desert’s thousands of rooftop
installations — Jim Blatchford is going to know about it and have
a pretty good idea of its impact on the electric grid.  Posted. 
http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/greenenergy/2014/04/13/california-electricity-grid-tests-green-technology/7664637/


Improve now, pay later in Escondido.  Two new ways to finance
energy and water-efficient home improvement projects without
significant upfront costs are now available to Escondido
residents and business owners. Last week, the Escondido City
Council approved participation in two programs that allow
commercial and residential property owners to finance hundreds of
types of projects — such as insulation, solar panels and
high-efficiency faucets — through long-term, low-cost, financing
paid through their property tax bill. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/apr/11/energy-escondido-improvement-water-finance/

 
Energy Department seeks methane hydrate proposals.  The U.S.
Department of Energy is soliciting for another round of research
into methane hydrates, the potentially huge energy source of
"frozen gas" that could step in for shortages of other fossil
fuels.
The department is looking for research projects on the North
Slope of Alaska that could explore how to economically extract
the gas locked in ice far below the Earth's surface.
DOE is also seeking researchers to document methane hydrate
deposits in outer continental shelf waters of coastal states.
Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/apr/13/energy-department-seeks-methane-hydrate-proposals/


MISCELLANEOUS

Cordless mowers a deal in Calaveras.  Calaveras County residents
who want to replace their gasoline-powered lawn mowers with
cordless electric ones can get a $145 check for doing so. The
Calaveras Air Pollution Control District is offering the money to
anyone residing in Calaveras County with a working gasoline mower
who turns it in and replaces it with a cordless electric model.
Posted.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140414/A_NEWS/404140313/0/SEARCH


State water board official shares views about the region’s
groundwater concerns.  Turlock resident Dorene “DeeDee” D’Adamo,
one of five members of the State Water Resources Control Board,
will participate in Tuesday’s “Groundwater Challenges” forum at
California State University, Stanislaus. D’Adamo has lived in the
San Joaquin Valley for more than 20 years. Gov. Jerry Brown
appointed her to the water board last year, after she had served
14 years on the California Air Resources Board. Posted. 
http://www.modbee.com/2014/04/13/3291236/state-water-board-official-shares.html?sp=/99/1623/#storylink=cpy

BLOGS

Energy Journal: U.N. Says Climate Change Needn’t Be So Bad. 
Worried about climate change? If so, the United Nations for once
has some reasonable news. As Gautam Naik reports, a UN report
this weekend has said the worst consequences of climate change
can still be averted if governments act more quickly and in a
co-ordinated way to cut back on the pace at which greenhouse gas
emissions have been rising. The report reckons those emissions
rose faster in the first decade of the 21st century than at any
time in the previous three decades. Posted.
http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/04/14/energy-journal-u-n-says-climate-change-neednt-be-so-bad/


Nations’ Handling of New Climate Report Presages Divisions in
Treaty Effort.  Justin Gillis’s news story from Berlin on the
latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
— the one on the world’s options for limiting global warming —
tells you all you need to know about the familiar contents. The
chart of trending news in the United States above tells you all
you need to know about how much people are tuning in. Posted.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/nations-handling-of-new-climate-report-presages-divisions-in-treaty-effort/?partner=rss&emc=rss


Washington State governor signs pro-Tesla bill.  Maybe Tesla
should build its proposed gigafactory in the Evergreen State.
Last week, Washington Govermor Jay Inslee signed a bill that will
allow Tesla to keep selling its electric vehicles through its
showrooms and not have to work through third-party dealerships,
Automotive News says. That means the California-based
electric-vehicle maker can keep its showrooms in Seattle and
Bellevue open. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/04/13/washington-state-governor-signs-pro-tesla-bill/


California could put $60,000 MRSP limit on EV tax rebates.  In
California, electric vehicles have been selling so well that the
California Air Resources Board (CARB) is discussing ways to
reduce the amount spent on the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate
Program (CVRP). The program, which provides tax rebates to EV
buyers, is $30 million in debt this year, according to the
Capitol Weekly. A new discussion document that was presented at
CARB's April 3 meeting lists two main ways that the state could
save money while still supporting EV sales. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/04/11/california-could-put-60-000-mrsp-limit-on-ev-tax-rebates/


Air conditioners in EVs may not be that dirty of a secret. 
Reports that the leaking of a certain type of air-conditioning
fluid used in electric vehicles may help cause global warming may
be a bit of hot air. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is
addressing stories saying that HFC-134a, also known as R-134a,
may nullify the benefits of driving electric because of its
potential effect on the ozone. The UCS debunks those stories.
Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/04/11/air-conditioner-in-evs-may-not-be-that-dirty-of-a-secret/


Beijing’s Bad-Air Days, Finally Counted.  Thanks to the U.S.
State Department, Beijing residents finally have the answer to
one of the city’s greatest mysteries: How often is the air
polluted?  Well, a lot, a resident would say. But how many is a
lot? Heavy pollution levels can stretch for weeks, leaving locals
to grouse over hot pot about how the smog seems to last forever.
Posted. 
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/04/14/beijings-bad-air-days-finally-counted/


GM Is Serious About Electric Cars, Despite Grumbling By
Advocates.  Sometimes memories are short.  Electric-car advocates
often forget that it took seven years from the first Toyota Prius
hybrid, launched in Japan in 1997, until sales of the
second-generation Prius started to grow in global markets. 
Posted. 
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1091380_gm-is-serious-about-electric-cars-despite-grumbling-by-advocates


Tesla opposes reduced California electric car rebate.  Government
incentives have been a boon to the adoption of electric cars,
which begs the question of whether they could survive without
them.  Tesla Motors apparently doesn’t want to find out. The
Californian carmaker is lobbying against proposed changes to the
California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) program of electric-car
incentives, which would effectively end state-level incentives
for its so-far popular Model S sedan.  Posted. 
http://ecomento.com/2014/04/14/tesla-opposes-reduced-california-electric-car-rebate/


Some Thoughts on Near Roadway Air Pollution and L.A.’s Future.  I
attended a forum event yesterday, entitled “The Collision of Best
Intentions: Public Health, Smart Growth, and Land Use Planning.”
Speakers focused  on “NRAP” – an acronym I wasn’t familiar with.
NRAP stands for Near Roadway Air Pollution. It’s the study of
pollution risks near freeways and other high-volume roads. 
Posted. 
http://la.streetsblog.org/2014/04/10/some-thoughts-on-near-roadway-air-pollution-and-l-a-s-future/
 





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