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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 5, 2014
Posted: 05 Nov 2014 13:12:25
ARB Newsclips for November 5, 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. AIR POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION: Auto experts question ethanol emissions modeling.Auto experts question ethanol emissions modeling. Technical experts from the auto and engine industries are calling into question part of a new model developed by U.S. EPA to measure the transportation sector's air emissions. In a new study, experts from Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and AVL Powertrain Engineering Inc. take issue with the agency's method for determining the air pollution impact of adding ethanol to gasoline. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060008350/feed Smog-Heavy China Tops Clean-Tech Investment Rankings. The best developing country in which to invest in clean-tech? It's China, according to a new analysis by Climatescope, a collaborative research project whose partners include Bloomberg New Energy Finance and the U.K. Department for International Development. http://insideclimatenews.org/content/smog-heavy-china-tops-clean-tech-investment-rankings China's APEC summit measures leave Beijing with cleaner air. ...dust, have been shut down. Municipal officials have instituted traffic restrictions lasting 10 days, allowing personal cars on the road only every other day, based on whether the license plate ends in an odd or even number. To further reduce traffic and pollution, authorities have given six-day vacations to tens of thousands of civil servants and employees at state-owned enterprises as well as to teachers. Government workers as far away as Langfang (31 miles southeast) and Baoding (87 miles southwest)... http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-pollution-apec-20141104-story.html Air pollution levels dip at Los Angeles port. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Harbor officials say efforts to reduce air pollution at the Port of Los Angeles are working. Authorities on Monday say diesel particulate levels dropped 7 percent last year compared to 2012 — an 80 percent reduction since 2005. Nitrogen oxide levels also dipped 7 percent — a 57-percent... http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Air-pollution-levels-dip-at-Los-Angeles-port-5868177.php Hyundai and Kia Could Pay Record $350 Million Climate-Related Penalty. ... Hyundai and Kia motor companies will pay as much as $350 million for overstating the fuel efficiency of their cars, as the Obama administration struck the biggest blow yet in its effort to enforce the regulations central to its strategy for combatting climate change. The Justice Department and the EPA on Monday announced that the two Korean automakers—both part of the Hyundai Motor Group—had agreed to pay a $100 million fine and forfeit another $200 million in emissions credits in the largest... http://insideclimatenews.org/breaking-news/20141104/hyundai-and-kia-could-pay-record-350-million-climate-related-penalty HIGH SPEED RAIL High Speed Rail Thinking About Bikes. Wednesday, November 05, 2014 | Sacramento, CA | Permalink Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. A rendering of California's high speed train. California High-Speed Rail High Speed Rail is slowly moving forward in California and the state is now studying how bicycles can be incorporated into the mix. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/11/05/high-speed-rail-thinking-about-bikes/ CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE: Coal company's suit 'one volley in a barrage of premature litigation.' -- EPA U.S. EPA urged a federal appeals court yesterday to reject a coal company's bid to prevent the agency from finalizing its high-profile greenhouse gas standards for power plants. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060008355/feed Can you be an environmentalist and a dog owner? Who are you people? I never see you, though you must exist, because I witness daily what you leave behind: fetid brown piles of feces, which I hope issued from your dog and not from you (I live in Venice Beach; you never know). What, were you staring at your iPhone, dragging the dog behind? Daydreaming? Or are you with Sydney, Jason Segel's character in "I Love You, Man," thinking that dog doo actually benefits the environment. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article3577831.html Kerry urges US-China cooperation on climate change. Secretary of State John Kerry says the United States and China must work together to stave off a global catastrophe from climate change. He appealed for greater cooperation between the… Click to Continue » http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/11/04/3331079_kerry-urges-us-china-cooperation.html?rh=1 Severe Drought Hastens Hydropower's Slow Decline. ...curtailments, the rising adoption of distributed generation, and emerging price parity for solar PV and wind – the dynamic changes impacting electricity grids worldwide are many. Now, with prolonged droughts affecting leading global economies, like Brazil and California (the world's seventh and eighth largest economies by gross domestic product [GDP], respectively), a slow decline in the prominence of hydropower is in the mix. Historically, hydropower has been the primary source of clean and... http://www.forbes.com/sites/pikeresearch/2014/11/04/severe-drought-hastens-hydropowers-slow-decline/ DROUGHT DECISION 2014: Prop. 1, $7.5 million water bond, approved. LOS ANGELES (AP) — California voters on Tuesday approved spending $7.5 billion to improve the state's outdated and undersized water storage and delivery system amid a historic drought. Proposition 1 calls for building two new reservoirs, investing in conservation... http://www.pe.com/articles/bond-753488-decision-million.html Voters Approve $7.5 Billion Water Bond Wednesday, November 05, 2014. | Sacramento, CA | Permalink Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Photo / California Department of Water Resources The biggest cheerleader for Proposition One was California Governor Jerry Brown. Rather than campaigning for re-election, he spent his time and money advocating for the bond's passage. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/11/05/voters-approve-$75-billion-water-bond/ California exports grow despite sluggish global economies. • Up 4.6 percent in September, year over year • ?September was a very mixed bag for California exporters? One of the big engines of the California economy ? exports of goods ranging from computers to almonds ? is purring right along, despite increasingly adverse economic circumstances and geopolitical turmoil, according to a... http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27075 Coastal California residents using far less water than their inland counterparts. Fenit Nirappil, Associated Press 8:45 p.m. PST November 4, 2014 TThe State Water Resources Control Board is collecting per-capita data to better target conservation efforts as farms go fallow and reservoirs dry up. Gov. Jerry Brown called on Californians to reduce water use by 20 percent when he declared a drought emergency in January. Californians are being asked to let their lawns go brown and take shorter showers as the likelihood of drought conditions worsening rises. The data released Tuesday shows big disparities in water habits. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2014/11/04/california-drought-water-use/18512243/ Rapid warming, blustery winds to create fire danger across Southland. A combination of heat, strong Santa Ana winds and extremely dry air will create “critical” fire danger Wednesday across Southern California, forecasters warned. A red-flag warning is in effect through 9 p.m. Wednesday from Ventura County's valleys to the Santa Monica Mountains, where winds could gust up to 50 mph as temperatures climb into the upper 80s or low 90s, according... http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-red-flag-drought-heat-winds-20141105-story.html S.F. residents praised for using least water in state. San Francisco consumes less water per person than any community in California, a new state survey shows — a behavior that stands up as exemplary during the prolonged and damaging drought, water experts say. The city, where residential customers used an average of 45.7 gallons of water per day in September, when... http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-residents-praised-for-using-least-water-in-5870159.php California to release per-capita water use numbers. By FENIT NIRAPPIL, Associated Press SACRAMENTO -- Data to be released Tuesday will show per-capita water use in communities across California that are facing pressure, including the threat of fines, to cut back during the third year of a drought. The state agency tasked with monitoring conservation efforts will release per-person, per-day water use. http://www.insidebayarea.com/drought/ci_26862781/california-release-per-capita-water-use-numbers FUELS BIOFUELS: Scientists find new way to break down woody wastes. Scientists have announced the discovery of new way to break down the woody waste left after the manufacture of plant-based fuels, opening the door for potential new products that could make biorefineries more profitable. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060008352/feed CARBON CAPTURE: Startup trumpets technology that turns CO2 into fish oil. An advanced biofuels startup announced yesterday that it's learned to produce omega-3 oils from recycled carbon dioxide, a breakthrough it claims might capture and recycle waste gases from industrial facilities. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060008349/feed Natural Gas' Early Adopters See Few Hiccups During Startup. ...to differentiate yourself from the competition," he noted. "We saw an opportunity to save money, but the distinction was the most important factor." When asked what would spur any of the panelists' fleets into 100% adoption of CNG, the answer was $4.50 diesel fuel. "When we began, diesel prices were higher than today and very unstable," said Fasnacht. "That's changed slightly today, with diesel trending downward and stabilizing. Natural gas has increased, but remained fairly stable relative... http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/natural-gas/news/story/2014/10/natural-gas-early-adopters-see-few-hiccups-during-start-up.aspx VEHICLES How Many Electric Cars Can We Expect to Be Built in 2020? Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- On “BWest Byte,” Bloomberg's Matt Miller examines the number of electric vehicles to be produced globally by 2020. He speaks on “Bloomberg West.” (Source: Bloomberg) http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2014-11-04/how-many-electric-cars-can-we-expect-to-be-built-in-2020 GREEN ENERGY How the Governor's Race Could Unleash Solar Power in Florida. (Think Progress) How the Governor's Race Could Unleash Solar Power in Florida Florida, a state whose miles of low-lying coastline make it acutely vulnerable to rising seas, has been called "ground zero" for climate change in the U.S. It's a term that's stuck, becoming ingrained... http://insideclimatenews.org/content/how-governors-race-could-unleash-solar-power-florida Abegnoa Solar to pursue Palen solar project solo. Sammy Roth, The Desert Sun 12:18 p.m. PST November 4, 2014 This photo illustration depicts what BrightSource Energy's Palen solar project would look like from Interstate 10.(Photo: Submitted photo) Abengoa Solar says it will pursue the controversial Palen solar project, the latest twist in a saga that has seen the project rejected, approved and dropped by its developers in the last year. http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2014/11/04/palen-solar-project-abegnoa/18473949/ Compromise reached on San Francisco's chain store limits. ...represents commercial property owners, told a supervisors committee last week that changes were unnecessary. “The current restrictions are working,” Cleaveland said. “Why do we need to make them even more restrictive?” Supporters of the changes, such as affordable-housing advocates, agree that the current law is working — and say the changes will further strengthen protections for small businesses. Peter Cohen, co-director of the Council of Community Housing Organizations, called the city's... http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Compromise-reached-on-San-Francisco-s-chain-5870444.php SMUD looking for biomass gasification developer. SACRAMENTO November 4, 2014 12:10pm • Project would generate both heat and power • Could generate 3 megawatts, perhaps more The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is looking for a developer for its proposed biomass gasification project for combined heat and power in Sacramento. The experienced project developer would have commercial technology that has a track record of successful implementation and operation, SMUD says. SMUD is targeting at least a 3-megawatt (MW) project size, using roughly 70 tons per day (about 24,000 tons per year) of clean wood waste. Larger projects may be possible, it says. Project size is contingent on site size constraints, feedstock availability and long-term supply, truck traffic impact, agreement with site host, and other limitations. SMUD says it has identified a potential host willing to provide the site for the project and potentially use the waste heat, dairy products maker HP Hood LLC, located in the city of Sacramento. Also, SMUD's feedstock availability assessment shows there's plenty of wood waste to sustain at least a 3-MW project. The site is strategically located in an area where the feedstock is abundant and accessible. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27071 The Hidden Cost Of Hydroelectric Power. ...to another country's fossil fuel supplies. Over six hundred hydroelectric dams are presently under construction and over 3,000 are planned for the near-future. Most of these sites are in Asia and Latin America (Vox.com). This would double the amount of hydropower in the world (see figure below). This amount of hydro will require about $3 trillion in investment and produce about 60 trillion kWhs of electricity by mid-century. It would provide irrigation water and sufficient power to raise almost a... http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2014/11/04/the-hidden-cost-of-hydroelectric-power/?ss=business Fremont seeking applicants for Citizens Advisory Committee. FREMONT -- The city committee that manages funds for affordable housing and other low-income programs is seeking applicants to fill an open seat. The Fremont Citizens Advisory Committee advises city staffers on the use of about $900,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds, which provide...http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_26864394/fremont-seeking-applicants-citizens-advisory-committee OPINION Heed the UN's climate alarm. The following editorial appeared in the Raleigh News & Observer on Tuesday, Nov. 4: On the eve of a midterm election that has focused on little of substance, a United Nations panel issued another grim warning about what matters most of all: climate change. The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released Sunday said the burning of fossil fuels is causing atmospheric changes that will bring droughts, floods, rising seas and intense heat. That in turn will lead to the extinction of wildlife, loss of crops and social upheavals caused by shortages of food and rising numbers of refugees. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article3577790.html Environmental Issues Are Businesses Responsibility. Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) – Kering's Chief Sustainability Officer Marie-Claire Davue, talks about the importance of putting sustainability at the core of luxury brands. She speaks with Guy Johnson on Bloomberg Television's "The Pulse" stating that Kering's clients are conscious citizens.... http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2014-11-05/environmental-issues-are-businesses-responsibility BLOG The Number One Reason for Latinos to Vote. ...strictly to protect recreational space. The mountains provide one-third of Los Angeles County's clean drinking water, a county where 48.3 percent of residents are Latino, and are still having to cut down on water use due to drought conditions resulting from climate change. Latinos are standing up and speaking out, and it's happening here in Colorado too. I currently work with Conservation Colorado directing an effort called Protégete: Nuestro Aire, Nuestra Salud. I work with organizers and community... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dulce-saenz/making-our-voices-heard-n_b_6094384.html Fracking And Toxic Air. A new study, published this week in the journal Environmental Health, identifies potentially hazardous concentrations of air pollutants near some oil and gas operations in five states. The research shines a light on what some communities face as US oil and gas development accelerates. The United States is now the leading natural gas producer in the world. The number... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-rauch/fracking-and-toxic-air_b_6083488.html?utm_hp_ref=green CA Smog Plan Approved By State & EPA Isn't Tough Enough: Lawsuit. Despite undeniable progress after decades of smog-abatement measures, the air quality in the Los Angeles Basin continues to be among the worst in the U.S. A new plan to clean the region's air still further was adopted by the local South Coast Air Quality Management District... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095287_ca-smog-plan-approved-by-state-epa-isnt-tough-enough-lawsuit Navigant forecasts modest global annual sales growth of e-bicycles, reaching 40.3M units in 2023. ...considered them in the past; Increasing quality and affordability of lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries; Continuing government support for sustainable transportation in key markets; Overall long-term increase of liquid fuel prices and air pollution concerns; and Rebounding economy in North America and, to a lesser degree, Europe. Demographically, e-bicycle riders have been shifting toward younger populations, the report says. While the e-bicycle was previously... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/11/20141105-navigant.html Which plants will survive climate change? This greenhouse could have the answers. In Durham, N.C., there's a biotechnology lab where scientists are figuring out who will win, and who will lose, in this climate change game — in the plant kingdom, that is. They do it by tightly controlling the climate inside each room of a high-tech greenhouse — we imagine this involves giant red buttons, levers shaped like lightning bolts, and maniacal laughter — and observing how different strains of various crops fare. http://grist.org/business-technology/which-plants-will-survive-climate-change-this-greenhouse-could-have-the-answers/ Muradel testing green crude production in South Australia. ...green environmentally, but black in color like its fossil crude equivalent.) Green2Black is an efficient closed-loop process that recycles its waste products. Muradel algae pond. Click to enlarge. Using microalgae produced on site, plant biomass and organic waste, Muradel's energy-efficient subcritical water reactor converts them in minutes to a crude oil that is functionally equivalent to fossil crude. The green crude is then refined in the same way as crude oil into gasoline,... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/11/20141105-muradel.html Ford F-150 Vs Chevy Volt Vs Tesla Model S: Which Is Most Important Vehicle Of The Decade? 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2013 Tesla Model S [photo: David Noland] Enlarge Photo Now that the 2015 model year is fully upon us, the decade is half-over. And those kinds of milestones always lead writers to look back and assess how far we've come. In the case of automobiles, we see three different vehicles launched over the last five model years that have radically changed the landscape. Two are new models, one is a radically re-engineered continuation of tradition. Each has its own pros and cons, so we're going to list them alphabetically. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095266_ford-f-150-vs-chevy-volt-vs-tesla-model-s-which-is-most-important-vehicle-of-the-decade Hybrid Ownership Costs, CCS Fast Charging, 2015 VW Golf: you head off to the polls today, we've got a wide variety of stories on hybrids that cost less to own than gasoline cars, CCS fast-charging implementation, and the fifth and final nominee for our 2015 Best Car To Buy award, the 2015 Volkswagen Golf range. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We've got the latest sales numbers in our regularly-updated October plug-in electric car sales report. The first 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf electric car in the U.S. will be delivered this Friday. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095279_hybrid-ownership-costs-ccs-fast-charging-2015-vw-golf-todays-car-news Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan 'Featured' At Rally Course. In Japan The Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan doesn't go on sale until next year, but it's already made its motorsport debut. Sort of. DON'T MISS: Will The Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan Target The Tesla Model S? The hydrogen fuel-cell car was "featured" in the... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095253_toyota-fuel-cell-sedan-featured-at-rally-course-in-japan Why Green Teams Matter. As a sustainability coordinator, it's my job to inspire, engage and support salesforce.com employees who are passionate about environmental issues. I manage a program called earthforce, a group of volunteer employee champions dedicated to promoting and celebrating... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sunya-ojure/why-green-teams-matter_b_6096922.html?ir=Business&utm_hp_ref=business Researchers develop JP-8 enzymatic biofuel cell; electricity from alkanes under mild conditions. ...describe the use of a two-enzyme cascade in an enzymatic biofuel cell to oxidize hexane, octane and then JP-8, a jet fuel (C6-C16) comprising a mixture of alkanes. An enzymatic biofuel cell contains many of the same components as a hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell—i.e., anode, cathode, and separator. However, instead of metallic electrocatalysts at the anode and the cathode, the enzymatic biofuel cell uses enzymes as the catalysts. The enzyme cascade reported in this new work is efficient, sulfur-tolerant,... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/11/20141105-jp8.html Andromeda Interfaces introduces Electric Vehicle Interface Controller. Andromeda Interfaces has introduced its Electric Vehicle Interface Controller (EVIC), a fully integrated display device to monitor the operation and safety of electric vehicle major sub-systems. The display device connects to the CAN network and retrieves the following... http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/11/20141105-ai.html Mercedes CEO: No One Will Make Money On Electric Cars In 'Reasonable Time.' With the first Mercedes-Benz electric car now on sale, its parent company Daimler joins the expanding ranks of global automakers offering plug-in electric vehicles in the U.S. But CEO Dieter Zetsche doesn't seem any too happy about it. DON'T MISS: 2014 Mercedes-Benz... http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095285_mercedes-ceo-no-one-will-make-money-on-electric-cars-in-reasonable-time California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.