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ARB Newsclips for August 11, 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

Audubon forest in SC sells carbon credits. A black water swamp in
South Carolina owned by the Audubon Society is helping companies
in California meet their carbon emission goals to ease global
warming. About 5,200 acres of the 17,000-acre Francis Beidler
Forest, Audubon Center and Sanctuary near Harleyville have been
registered with California's cap and trade program as carbon
offsets in a program that also brings dollars to preserve the
South Carolina landscape. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/10/6618316/audubon-forest-in-sc-sells-carbon.html#storylink=cpy


Is fight over cap and trade and gas prices aimed at scuttling
climate law? In the battle over whether California should extend
its key climate program to penalize pollution from gasoline and
diesel, there's a short-term fight, and increasingly what some
see as a longer-term war. Groups and individuals seeking to stop
the state's move are sending out sometimes daily email messages
and social media alerts. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060004296/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Carbon tax doesn't need to affect the poor, researchers say. The
biggest problem with a carbon tax might be deciding how to use
all the money. Researchers conclude in a new analysis that the
tax's impact on poorer Americans might be smaller than what's
often stated in policy debates. Financially vexed families don't
have to bear the brunt of emissions reductions if the revenue is
given back in refunds, says a paper by economists at Resources
for the Future. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060004288/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

AIR POLLUTION

Study: Keystone carbon pollution more than figured. The
much-debated Keystone XL pipeline could produce four times more
global warming pollution than the State Department calculated
earlier this year, a new study concludes. The U.S. estimates
didn't take into account that the added oil from the pipeline
would drop prices by about $3 a barrel, spurring consumption that
would create more pollution, the researchers said. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_KEYSTONE_PIPELINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-na-keystone-xl-greenhouse-gases-climate-obama-20140809-story.html
  
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/10/6618336/study-keystone-carbon-pollution.html
 
http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/keystone-xl-will-spike-oil-demand-and-co2-study-says_99268203
   
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/aug/11/tp-new-study-increases-keystone-pollution/

http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060004292/print  BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Determining Methane Leaks Is Key to Climate Goals. If President
Obama's Clean Power Plan is going to work, lots of things will
have to fall into place. Perhaps the most important is the
reduction in greenhouse gases that is expected from increased use
of natural gas to generate electricity. Under the plan, which
aims to reduce electricity sector emissions by 30 percent by
2030, the EPA projects that coal-fired power will drop more than
a quarter from its current 40 percent share of U.S. electricity
generation. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/step-1-in-climate-goals-determining-methane-leaks_63463584


CLIMATE CHANGE

What Climate Change Means for Your Coffee.  Cuppa Joe. Java.
Caffeine Infusion. Liquid Lightning. Morning Mud. Rocket Fuel.
Coffee - the black liquid that kick-starts the day for billions
of people each morning - is one of our most precious global
commodities. But as this video from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
explains, it's also under threat from a changing climate. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/what-climate-change-means-for-your-coffee_00435097
 

Steady Increase in Flights Will Outweigh Carbon Cuts.  The
aviation industry insists that it is making only a tiny
contribution to global warming, with just 2 percent of global
carbon dioxide emissions coming from its aircraft. The problem is
the speed at which aviation itself is growing. One aircraft
builder believes the number of planes in service in 2011 will
have doubled by 2031. Posted.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/state/steady-increase-in-flights-will-outweigh-carbon-cuts_48932263


Threat of lawsuits unlikely to sway industry in favor of climate
regulation. In 2008, the Alaskan Inupiat village of Kivalina
filed suit against Exxon Mobil Corp., along with 23 other oil-
and energy-related companies, for damages related to climate
change. For more than 50 years the village had been shrinking,
the land around it eroding under the influence of storm surges
and declining sea ice. As major extractors of fossil fuels and
emitters of greenhouse gases, Kivalina charged, the companies
were liable for damages under federal common law. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060004285/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

Climate Contrarians Are Overrepresented in Media Coverage, New
Survey Finds
Scientific survey finds media may be skewing its coverage of
climate science by seeking out views of a small minority who
questions man-made warming. There is an overwhelming consensus
among expert scientists studying climate change that man-made
pollution is the main cause of global warming. But the media may
be skewing its coverage of the issue by persistently seeking out
the views of a contrarian minority, according to a new study. In
an opinion survey of nearly 1,900 scientists…Posted.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140811/climate-contrarians-are-overrepresented-media-coverage-new-survey-finds


DROUGHT

This L.A. cop gets the drop on water offenders.  Rick Silva began
his investigation at the end of an alley, on a hot day in L.A.'s
Westlake community. Driving down a busy thoroughfare, he spied
water runoff on a sidewalk. He steered his city-owned Honda Civic
into the alley and followed the water to a small plastic pipe
adjacent to a convalescent home. Silva parked and went inside to
see the manager. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-water-cop-20140811-story.html


California lawmakers considering historic shift in groundwater
policy.  As California continues to endure a calamitous lack of
water from the sky, the state could, for the first time, start to
regulate water drawn from the ground. Groundwater regulation has
been politically poisonous since the state's founding. But
lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown's administration are hoping to
capitalize on the current parched conditions, and cautious
cooperation from once-resistant interest groups…Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-water-20140810-story.html


Construction industry preparing for climate change. There's
little question many architects and builders are convinced of the
threat of climate change and are urging clients to plan for a
future of weather extremes. Those who design and construct
buildings are required to look decades into the future and are
expected to provide owners with their best advice on how and
where they should proceed with their projects. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/05/6605765/construction-industry-preparing.html#storylink=cpy
 

California lawmakers struggle to agree on lower-cost water bond.
State lawmakers have until Monday night to revise the $11 billion
water bond that will appear on the November statewide ballot, but
have thus far been unable to agree on a lower spending amount.
Gov. Jerry Brown wants to drop the bond to $6 billion, while
state lawmakers are throwing out other amounts ranging from $7
billion to $10 billion. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-lawmakers-struggle-to-agree-on-5680419.php


Drought lessons: Water wasters attend Water School. Some
overindulged their zucchini patch. Others didn't bother with that
dripping kitchen sink. But now every Monday night in this
drought-stricken beach town, dozens of residents who violated
their strict rations take a seat at Water School, hoping to get
hundreds of thousands of dollars in distressing penalties waived.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Drought-lessons-Water-wasters-attend-Water-School-5678534.php


Drought watering regulations may leave trees high and dry. Ray
Gulliksen sees the dead branches topping his birch trees as a
signature of the drought. The trees in his Fair Oaks front lawn
are “showing quite a bit of stress,” he said. The stress comes
from watering restrictions that are turning lawns brown around
the region and could also weaken trees, arborists warn. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/04/6597274/new-state-watering-regulations.html#storylink=cpy
 

California drought: Regulations limiting groundwater pumping
under consideration by lawmakers. In what would be the most
significant water law passed in California in nearly 50 years,
lawmakers in Sacramento are working with Gov. Jerry Brown on a
landmark measure to regulate groundwater pumping for the first
time. With an Aug. 31 deadline until the end of the session and
billions of dollars at stake, negotiations among farmers,
environmentalists, cities and elected officials are reaching a
crescendo. Posted.
http://www.dailynews.com/article/20140810/NEWS/140819979 
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_26307727/california-drought-lawmakers-consider-historic-rules-limit-groundwater


In California, record heat adding to extreme drought. The first
half of 2014 was by far the hottest in California in 120 years of
record-keeping, and that heat is exacerbating one of the most
devastating droughts in state history. Posted.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/investigations/2014/08/10/california-record-heat-extreme-drought/13856149/


DIESEL EMISSIONS

Beltmann Updates Its Fleet To Meet New Diesel Emissions Rules By
California Air Resources Board. Beltmann Relocation Group, a
nationwide moving company, is pleased to announce that it is an
early adopter of new California emissions standards, ensuring
that there is no loss of service for customers. Santa Fe Springs,
CA (PRWEB) - National moving company Beltmann Relocation Group,
one of the nation's oldest and largest moving companies, has
completed updates on its…Posted.
http://www.pollutiononline.com/doc/beltmann-updates-its-fleet-diesel-emissions-rules-by-california-air-resources-board-0001


FUELS

UC Davis scientists search for ways to turn carbon dioxide into
fuel. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of fuel burned in cars,
but some UC Davis scientists are working to turn it back into
fuel. To accomplish the conversion, Shota Atsumi, a UC Davis
chemist, is experimenting with genetically modifying bacteria.
His colleague, Louise Berben, another UC Davis chemist, makes
compounds that use electricity to power chemical reactions that
produce fuel. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/08/6616116/uc-davis-scientists-search-for.html#storylink=cpy


Sacramento-area gas prices tumble for fifth consecutive week.
Sacramento-area motorists enjoyed a fifth consecutive week of
declining gasoline prices, thanks to a relatively quiet hurricane
season and crude oil prices settling below $100 a barrel.
National price tracker GasBuddy.com, which surveys more than 700
regional gas outlets daily, said the average retail price of gas
in Sacramento region fell another 3.6 cents over the past week to
$3.83 a gallon. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/11/6620423/sacramento-area-gas-prices-tumble.html#storylink=cpy


Despite White House push, biogas industry finds it hard to get
off the ground. While proposals to limit greenhouse gas emissions
often focus on targets decades ahead, one energy source that
dates back to the Iron Age still holds unrealized potential. It's
called biogas. Romans used biogas, a newfangled word for the
methane they generated from the conversion of solid organic
matter to a gas, to light their lanterns. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060004281/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

VEHICLES

Electric-vehicle charging stations sprouting all over California.
Gas pumps still rule the roadways, but electric-vehicle chargers
are moving up fast, being added by the dozens in California, the
world’s No. 1 electric-vehicle market. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/09/6614146/electric-vehicle-charging-stations.html


HIGH-SPEED RAIL

Fresno City Hall torn over study for high-speed rail station. The
place that can't get its fill of plans is dragging its heels over
whether to spend someone else's money for a study on the bullet
train station. Fresno City Hall is unsure if it should spend $1
million in grants for a consultant who would tell city officials
how downtown can maximize the benefits of high-speed rail.
Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/08/10/4064411/fresno-torn-over-study-for-rail.html#storylink=cpy


California boards to take up high-speed rail issues.  The
California High-Speed Rail Authority board will contemplate a
proposal Tuesday to use cap-and-trade money to accelerate plans
in Southern California while construction starts in the San
Joaquin Valley.  And on Wednesday, another state board could
authorize condemnation proceedings to begin on five properties in
Fresno and Madera counties…Posted. 
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/08/10/4064332/state-boards-to-take-up-rail-issues.html?sp=/99/406/263/


GREEN ENERGY

Mexican president signs landmark energy legislation into law.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto signed into law on Monday a
package of laws setting out the fine print of a landmark energy
reform that promises to lure billions of dollars in investment to
the country's ailing oil, gas and electricity sectors. Pena Nieto
has made the energy overhaul the top economic priority of his
administration, which aims to boost slumping growth in the
world's 15th biggest economy. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/11/mexico-reforms-idUSL2N0QH10U20140811


After offshore oil failure, Cuba shifts energy focus. Cuba has
shifted its focus away from offshore oil, concentrating on
renewable energy and improving output from onshore wells due to a
lack of interest by foreign companies for further deepwater
exploration, sources close to the industry say. With so much oil
readily available around the world, oil companies including those
from allies…Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/11/us-cuba-energy-idUSKBN0GB1QN20140811


In U.S. Energy Boom, Alaska Is Unlikely Loser. Former Dominant
Oil Player Losing Out to Places Like North Dakota. Since joining
the Alaskan oil rush in the early 1980s, Richard Repper has
jumped from project to project in the state, with no job more
than a three-hour flight from this town about 70 miles south of
Anchorage. But last fall, he began working in North Dakota, more
than 2,000 miles away. A construction manager for an
oil-field-services company…Posted.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/in-u-s-energy-boom-alaska-is-unlikely-loser-1407724690#printMode


Imperial County wants state to require use of more geothermal
energy.  California's poorest county wants a bigger share of the
state's $16-billion wholesale electricity market. Imperial
County, which stretches east of San Diego County to Arizona, is
seeking a special deal from the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown
that would require electric utilities, such as Southern
California Edison Co., to buy extra alternative energy from
geothermal power plants that are run by naturally occurring steam
from deep in the earth. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-capitol-business-beat-20140811-story.html?track=rss


Atwater solar project sparks controversy. The expansion of a
solar project is sparking a controversy in Atwater. The City
Council on Monday will consider an agreement to lease about an
acre of private land from a family to expand a solar facility.
The project – which installs solar panels on a water well at 380
Commerce Ave., as well as City Hall and the community center,
both on Bellevue Road – was first approved in July 2013. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2014/08/10/3481277/atwater-solar-project-sparks-controversy.html#storylink=cpy


MISCELLANEOUS

eHighway system coming to ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles. Next
summer, technology that powers today’s trolleys and streetcars
may soon power trucks traveling to and from the nation’s two
busiest seaports in a demonstration that officials hope will lead
to cleaner air. The South Coast Air Quality Management District
in July is expected to start a yearlong demonstration of an
“eHighway” system near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Posted.
http://www.presstelegram.com/general-news/20140810/ehighway-system-coming-to-ports-of-long-beach-los-angeles


Sacramento-area leaders concerned about crude-rail risks. 
Sacramento-area leaders are voicing concerns about Valero's
proposed crude-by-rail plan, accusing Benicia of paying too
little attention to potential "very serious" hazards of increased
oil train shipments through Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano and
Contra Costa counties.  In a draft comment letter on the
project…Posted. 
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/breaking_news/ci_26307765/sacramento-area-leaders-concerned-about-crude-rail-risks


OPINIONS

Swimming Against the Rising Tide.  IT never feels like summer
starts until the first time I go to the beach. To stand nearly
naked and heavy from winter on the water’s edge, wade awkwardly
into the shallows, dive under the first cold wave, taste first
salt, surface and dive again to reach the calmer waters beyond,
floating there until water and skin become the same temperature —
this is the best way I know to belong again, body and soul, to
some larger part of the planet, not just the city, not just the
job. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/opinion/sunday/secular-climate-change-activists-can-learn-from-evangelical-christians.html?_r=0
 

Opinion: California deserves tough environmental regulators. To
the editor: We pass environmental protection laws in California
to keep companies from polluting our environment and causing
costly health problems. When the agency charged with enforcing
our laws — in this case, the Department of Toxic Substances
Control — does not bother to fill out the paperwork to collect
the fines, the industries get the message that they can pollute
with impunity. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0810-sunday-toxic-subtances-20140810-story.html


Viewpoints: Gas price hike from cap and trade will hurt families
and small businesses. Californians are in for a big surprise this
January, as a new bump at the gas pump will add a projected 13 to
20 cents per gallon to the already high price we pay for gas.
Worse, voters in California have absolutely no say in the matter.
Prepare for sticker shock in January as emissions from cars and
trucks will come under the California Air Resources Board’s
little-understood cap-and-trade program. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/09/6615758/viewpoints-gas-price-hike-from.html#storylink=cpy


Viewpoints: Scientists are rising to the challenges of drought.
This week, scientists from around the world are convening in
Sacramento for the Ecological Society of America’s annual meeting
to discuss cutting-edge research for a sustainable future. The
meeting comes at a pivotal time for California, as the three-year
drought drags on. According to the latest Drought Monitor report,
more than 58 percent of the state is experiencing “exceptional
drought,” the most severe classification, characterized by
extreme water shortages and crop loss. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/11/6617698/viewpoints-scientists-are-rising.html#storylink=cpy


Viewpoints: California needs to effectively manage its
groundwater basins. If you look closely at the economic impact of
California agriculture, it’s staggering how much the nation – and
even the world – relies on our farmers and ranchers. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/10/6615664/viewpoints-california-needs-to.html


Dan Walters: As clock ticks, chances for water bond fade. With
just three weeks remaining in this year’s legislative session and
the official deadline for placing issues on the Nov. 4 ballot
long since passed, one might think that the Capitol’s politicians
would be working night and day to write a new water bond. But if
they are, it sure isn’t noticeable, even though the state is
wracked by drought and the public expects politicians to respond
with more than sympathy. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/11/6616204/dan-walters-as-clock-ticks-chances.html#mi_rss=Dan%20Walters#storylink=cpy


BLOGS

Cutting Carbon Pollution Will Help Create a Healthier Planet. In
June, President Obama and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) unveiled a proposal that would cut carbon pollution
from electrical power generators by 30 percent compared to 2005
levels. We should applaud the Administration for taking action
that would at once start to address the crisis of global warming
and more immediately leave us all with cleaner air. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lynn-r-goldman/cutting-carbon-pollution-_b_5668511.html


What Ecologists Are Most Worried About Right Now: 5 Emerging
Trends in Climate. When scientists publish an analysis of the
impacts of climate change on species, ecosystems and people, the
language used can sound terribly distant and cold. In truth, the
tone of these studies reflects the tone of science but not the
feelings of scientists. Ecologists studying the impacts of
climate change today know that change is not coming at some point
in the future; change is here, with much more to come. Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-h-matthews/climate-change-ecology_b_5659176.html


Egg-shaped, solar- and pedal-powered $5,500 ELF eco-trike on the
way.  Remember the old Flinstones cartoons where Fred and Barney
could make their cars go faster by peddling their feet on the
ground under the car? One North Carolina-based company is putting
its own spin on that concept. All for the sake of the
environment, of course. Organic Transit is selling what it calls
the ELF, which stands for Electric, Light Fun and is a
three-wheeled 150-pound vehicle (technically classified as a
bike) that can be powered by electric power, solar power or pedal
power. Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/08/10/egg-shaped-solar-pedal-powered-5500-elf-eco-trike-/


Prius out, ELR in with changing HOV landscape.  Out with the
sort-of-old, in with the new-ish. The Arizona Department of
Transportation has updated its list of vehicles that can legally
drive in the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane no matter how many
people are in the car. The changes show us how the green car
landscape is changing. Standard hybrids like the Toyota Prius and
the Honda Insight are now relegated back to the normal traffic
lanes while most any car with a plug…Posted.
http://green.autoblog.com/2014/08/08/prius-out-elr-in-with-changing-hov-landscape/
 

Californians Can Handle the Truth About Gas Prices.  A few weeks
ago, Jim blogged about the concerns that cap-and-trade will drive
up gas prices in California.   In late June, those concerns
resulted in a letter from Assemblymember Perea and 15 other
Democrats asking the California Air Resources Board to delay this
expansion of the cap-and-trade program to include transportation
fuels from January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2018.  Posted.
http://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2014/08/11/californians-can-handle-the-truth-about-gas-prices/?utm_source=Blog+August+11%2C+2014&utm_campaign=blog+re+8&utm_medium=email
 




California is in a drought emergency.
Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.