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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for November 19, 2014.
Posted: 20 Nov 2014 10:44:00
ARB Newsclips for November 19, 2014. **My apologies for posting clips late** 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 A Carbon Tax Could Bolster Green Energy. A couple of years ago, the smart money was on wind. In 2012, 13 gigawatts worth of wind-powered electricity generation capacity was installed in the United States, enough to meet the needs of roughly three million homes. That was some 40 percent of all the capacity added to the nation’s power grid that year, up from seven gigawatts added in 2011 and just over five in 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/business/economy/a-carbon-tax-could-bolster-wobbly-progress-in-renewable-energy.html?_r=0 Cap-and-Trade Market Quakes the First Time California Enforces Rules. Stakeholders in California’s cap-and-trade program, which compels local companies that pollute the air to invest in enterprises worldwide that reduce pollution, expressed distress and fretted about the future of the innovative marketplace after state officials voided some carbon offset credits for the first time. http://www.allgov.com/usa/ca/news/california-and-the-nation/cap-and-trade-market-quakes-the-first-time-california-enforces-rules-141118?news=854850 Carbon tax? Or cap-and-trade? State report gives advantages to both. A panel convened by Gov. Jay Inslee to study how to put a price on carbon pollution says there are advantages to two approaches - a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program - but did not recommend a specific approach in a report presented to the governor on Monday. Inslee has been exploring a market-based system to limit heat-trapping greenhouse gases that are blamed for warming the planet… http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Carbon-cap-report-to-Inslee-may-spur-action-282982641.html Carbon Cap Report to Washington Governor May Spur Action. A panel convened by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to study how to put a price on carbon pollution says there are advantages to two approaches – a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program – but did not recommend a specific approach in a report presented to the governor on Monday. Inslee has been exploring a market-based system to limit heat-trapping greenhouse gases that are blamed for warming the planet… http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2014/11/19/347522.htm PG&E CEO presses EPA to harmonize carbon rule with Calif. cap-and-trade program. The largest electric utility in Northern California is pressing U.S. EPA to harmonize its proposed power plant rule for curbing carbon emission with the state's cap-and-trade program, the top executive of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said in an interview yesterday. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060009171/print AIR POLLUTION Air Resources Board Conducts Surprise Inspections on Big Rigs. Inspectors with the Cal EPA and the Air Resources Board checked heavy duty trucks for compliance on clean air regulations Tuesday. The surprise inspection check point was set up off Highway 99 at North and Cedars Avenue. Inspectors checked 58 big rigs trucks and issued 9 citations. http://www.yourcentralvalley.com/story/d/story/air-resources-board-conducts-surprise-inspections/29995/oZnkRi2AoEC273TsQh1V2g http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/11/18/4242140_air-resource-board-truck-inspection.html?rh=1 http://www.kmjnow.com/common/page.php?pt=Surprise+Inspection+for+Dirty+Big+Rigs+in+Fresno&id=25112&is_corp=0 http://abc30.com/news/keeping-the-valley-air-clear-of-toxic-fumes/401483/ CLIMATE CHANGE UN: World not close to avoiding dangerous warming. The world still isn't close to preventing what leaders call a dangerous level of man-made warming, a new United Nations report says. That's despite some nations' recent pledges to cut back on carbon dioxide emissions. The report looks at the gap between what countries promise to do about carbon pollution and what scientists say needs to be done to prevent… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_CLIMATE_EMISSIONS_GAP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT French and Australian leaders discuss climate. The French president told Australia's prime minister Wednesday that countries should make their own decisions on how to achieve any binding greenhouse gas reduction targets that emerge from a United Nations climate change conference in Paris next year. The Australian government has been widely criticized by green groups for repealing in July a two-year-old carbon tax levied on… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_FRANCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT We Have Six Decades to Eliminate All CO2 Emissions: UN. The world must halt fossil-fuel emissions within the next six decades to stave off irreversible impacts that may stem from a warming planet, the United Nations said. Sometime between 2055 and 2070, any carbon dioxide produced as the result of burning oil, coal and natural gas should be compensated with measures that suck the gas out of the atmosphere…http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-11-19/un-urges-carbon-neutrality-to-stave-off-climate-impa.html Brazil carbon emissions rise for the first time since 2004 –report. Brazil's annual greenhouse gas emissions increased last year for the first time since 2004 after years of reductions as deforestation and the use of thermal power plants rose, a new study found. Latin America's largest economy generated 1.56 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2013, a 7.8 percent jump over the previous year, according to a report released Wednesday by the Climate Observatory, a network of civil society organizations. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/19/brazil-carbon-rising-idUSL6N0T93SL20141119 Australia stands firm against G20 pack on climate change. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday warned that next year's landmark climate change summit in Paris will fail if world leaders decide to put cutting carbon emissions ahead of economic growth. Just days after host Australia was embarrassed into addressing climate change at the Group of 20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane… http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/19/us-australia-france-climatechange-idUSKCN0J307K20141119?feedType=RSS&virtualBrandChannel=11563 U.S Commits $3 Billion to Green Climate Fund. Last week signaled two potentially significant advances in the international effort to deal with climate change. On Wednesday China and the United States, the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters, announced a “historic” agreement to limit emissions. Then on Friday sources revealed the Obama administration’s intention to pledge $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) as a “call to arms” focusing attention on climate change… http://theenergycollective.com/globalwarmingisreal/2158731/us-commits-3-billion-green-climate-fund Consumer group urges states to look for less expensive carbon cuts than EPA suggests. A new report commissioned by a national group of consumer advocates stresses that states looking at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector should consider compliance options beyond the rules U.S. EPA laid out in its draft rule in order to keep electric costs down. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/11/19/stories/1060009185 Efforts to save forests could doom other carbon-rich landscapes – study. Policies to save the world's tropical forests could come at the cost of carbon held in other land types like savannahs or wetlands, argues a study published this week in Nature Climate Change. It is estimated that deforestation accounts for about 10 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/11/19/stories/1060009166 DROUGHT Talks on drought bill underway on Capitol Hill. California’s water future is boiling below the surface this week. Only the chosen few have a clue about details. Bill documents, currently about 50 pages, are stamped “confidential draft language, do not distribute.” Capitol Hill doors are shut, congressional timetables are opaque and negotiators are strictly mum. http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/11/19/4242760_talks-on-drought-bill-underway.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Dry San Diego to look to sewers as water source. Acknowledging California's parched new reality, the city of San Diego has embraced a once-toxic idea: turning sewer water into drinking water. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to advance a $2.5-billion plan to recycle wastewater, the latest example of how California cities are looking for new supplies amid a severe drought. http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_26967357/dry-san-diego-look-sewers-water-source Humboldt County, tribes receive 2,400 donated drought kits for low-income households. In an effort to address the drought on the household level, California has teamed up with The Home Depot to distribute kits to low-income residents, with about 2,000 being given to North Coast tribes last month and now 400 more for drought-stricken communities in Humboldt County. http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_26966986/humboldt-county-tribes-receive-2-400-donated-drought FUELS Republicans: Keystone pipeline down, but not out. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is promising the new Republican majority will quickly resurrect Keystone XL pipeline legislation killed by Democrats, potentially setting up an early 2015 veto confrontation with President Barack Obama. "I look forward to the new Republican majority taking up and passing the Keystone jobs bill early in the new year," the Kentucky Republican said Tuesday… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California cities consider gas-pump warning labels. Known for its liberal politics, Berkeley has racked up a long line of firsts over the years, from taxing sugary drinks to ditching Styrofoam takeout containers. City officials are now considering another novel plan: putting stickers on gas pumps citywide to warn consumers that burning fuel contributes to global warming. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GAS_PUMPS_CLIMATE_CHANGE_LABELS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-cities-consider-gas-pump-warning-labels-5903039.php http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article3994444.html http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/11/19/3356766/california-cities-consider-gas.html?sp=/99/102// http://www.insidebayarea.com/california/ci_26967491/california-cities-consider-gas-pump-warning-labels http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20141119/california-cities-consider-gas-pump-warning-labels One source of Calif.'s fuel of the future will be sewage. The contents of your toilet could soon be powering your car and helping to cut down greenhouse gas emissions. In this suburb of Los Angeles, FuelCell Energy Inc. is operating the world's first "tri-generation" plant that converts sewage into electrical power for an industrial facility and renewable hydrogen for transportation fuel. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060009156/print What are Canada's remaining options to export oil? Keystone XL has become the battleground for a gathering array of stakeholders, including oil companies, politicians, activist groups and others. The debate has raged over everything from pipeline safety and the possibility of regional spills to the larger effect it may or may not have on global carbon emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060009184/print FRACKING Some fracking to be permitted in national forest. Environmentalists and energy boosters alike welcomed a federal compromise announced Tuesday that will allow fracking in the largest national forest in the eastern United States, but make most of its woods off-limits to drilling. http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Some-fracking-to-be-permitted-in-national-forest-5901895.php VEHICLES A Road Test of Alternative Fuel Visions. Remember the hydrogen car? A decade ago, President George W. Bush espoused the environmental promise of cars running on hydrogen, the universe’s most abundant element. “The first car driven by a child born today,” he said in his 2003 State of the Union speech, “could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/science/earth/hydrogen-cars-join-electric-models-in-showrooms.html?mwrsm=Email 2016 Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle first drive. The future is going to be mighty futuristic, starting right now. What Is It? Having pioneered and legitimized the hybrid electric car with the Prius 20 years ago, Toyota is aiming to do the same with hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles as it launches the 2016 Mirai (the word means “future” in Japanese). http://autoweek.com/article/green-cars/2016-toyota-mirai-fuel-cell-electric-vehicle-first-drive LA AUTO SHOW 10 must-see cars and trucks at the 2014 L.A. Auto Show! From the Ford Mustang GT350 to the ultra-luxurious Bentley Grand Convertible, there has never been a busier and more dazzling edition of the annual L.A. Auto Show. Amongst all the heavy-hitters in the horsepower wars are smaller, more frugal standouts like the VW Golf R Variant and hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai. Consider these 10 vehicles the automotive A-list celebrities of Los Angeles. http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/auto-shows/auto-show-10-must-see-cars-trucks-los-angeles-article-1.2015963 Electric Coda Sedan to phoenix at LA Auto Show as Mullen 700e. History sure likes to repeat itself. Case in point: the car formerly known as the Coda Sedan – and previously, the Miles Javlon XS 500, and before that, the XS 200 – was originally going to be announced at the 2007 LA Auto Show. Now, seven years later, it is set to "debut" at that same spectacle as the Mullen 700e. This time, for real. http://green.autoblog.com/2014/11/18/coda-sedan-ev-returns-la-auto-show-as-mullen-700e/ GREEN ENERGY China's energy plan reduces reliance on coal. Chinese officials announced limits Wednesday on growth in energy consumption aimed at making the country less dependent on coal. Under a development plan issued by China's Cabinet, energy consumption by 2020 must be no more than 28 percent higher than the 2013 level. For coal specifically, the increase would be limited to 16 percent. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_ENERGY_CAP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article4010748.html http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_26967570/chinas-energy-plan-reduces-reliance-coal SOLAR ENERGY: Ivanpah plant falls short on sunshine. The technology used at Ivanpah is different from the familiar photovoltaic panels commonly used for rooftop solar installations. The plant's solar-thermal system – sometimes called concentrated-solar thermal – relies on nearly 350,000 computer-controlled mirrors at the site, each the size of a garage door. http://www.pe.com/articles/plant-754452-energy-gas.html Ikea buys second wind farm in U.S. The Ikea Group announced this week that it bought a second wind farm in the United States. The company purchased the 165-megawatt facility in Cameron County, Texas, as part of Ikea's goal to completely offset its energy use with renewables such as wind and solar power by 2020, according to Ikea U.S. acting President Rob Olson. The wind farm will produce enough electricity for 90,000 average homes in the United States. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060009165/print State regulators, electric power and gas industry officials voice concerns about a rapid shift to natural gas. A ramp-up of natural gas under U.S. EPA's plans for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the electric sector is causing concerns over how using more of the fuel would interplay with coal power and renewable energy and whether states can build new pipelines fast enough to accommodate the growth. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060009186/print MISCELLANEOUS Push underway for L.A. to tax itself again for a 'car light' future. The advocacy group that helped persuade Los Angeles County residents to tax themselves in order to fund new transit lines is launching a push for a sequel. It would bankroll additional "car-free" options. Move LA, a coalition of business, labor and environmental groups, is talking about "Measure R2." It would build on the success of Measure R, the half-cent sales tax that passed in 2008. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060009189/print OPINIONS column-Bottom line on climate change: It's costing you money. (This is the latest installment of Steven Brill's weekly column, "Stories I'd Like to See.") A recent Martin Wolf column in the "Financial Times," "An unethical bet in the climate casino," is a story I'm glad I saw. It prompted me to think about how to make reporting on a subject I usually find boring a lot more compelling. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/11/18/brill-climatechange-idUKL2N0T82Z920141118 The moral issue of climate change. The politics of selfishness was embraced enthusiastically last week by Sen. Mitch McConnell. In dismissing President Obama’s deal with China to reduce carbon emissions, the incoming Senate majority leader said “carbon emission regulations are creating havoc in my state and other states around the country” by undermining economic interests. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-the-moral-issue-of-climate-change/2014/11/18/e660e61c-6f74-11e4-ad12-3734c461eab6_story.html?wpisrc=nl_opin&wpmm=1 Congress can lead green wave. Mitch McConnell is no defender of the coal miner or the coal miner's daughter ("McConnell signals a fight over US-China greenhouse gas pact," Nov. 13). He is standing up for mine owners, not the workers. It is true that Kentucky's economy will have to adjust to the coming carbon-free world, but this adjustment is good news for Kentuckians unless they own the mines. Miners can move from coal jobs to green ones. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/letters/x15404949/Congress-can-lead-green-wave?utm_source=widget_254&utm_medium=synapse US-China deal is historic. The agreement between China and the U.S. marks the beginning of international cooperation on reining in heat-trapping gases that are leading to global climate disruption. The U.S. has agreed to cut net greenhouse gas emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. China "agreed" to stabilize emissions by 2030, possibly earlier, and increase the non-fossil fuel share of all energy to 20 percent by 2030. http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/letters/x15404941/US-China-deal-is-historic BLOGS WATCH: How Carbon Dioxide Travels Around The Globe. We're a few days late on this, but it's too cool not to share. Here's a NASA video made from a new model that shows how carbon dioxide moves throughout Earth: NASA explains what you just watched: "Plumes of carbon dioxide in the simulation swirl and shift as winds disperse the greenhouse gas away from its sources. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/19/365197982/watch-how-carbon-dioxide-travels-around-the-globe Incentives For Buying and Owning Electric Cars In Every State. Buying an electric car is not as scary as it might seem. Between the charging stations that are popping up across America and government incentives and perks, the benefits are pretty clear. Check out the infographic below, created in partnership with Nissan LEAF, to learn more about state-by-state incentives. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/19/ev-incentives-states_n_5696133.html#sthash.pYPPK7dx.dpuf The Emissions Gap Roadmap. Momentum on climate action is building: the major joint announcement from the United States and China last week, nearly $7.5 billion in pledges to the Green Climate Fund and commitments made at the UN Climate Summit in September in New York City, where more than 70 countries and 1,000 companies supported putting a price on carbon to encourage investment in a low-carbon future. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-andrew-steer/the-emissions-gap-roadmap_b_6182142.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics Fossil-Fueled Republicanism. The Grand Oil Party Takes Washington by Storm. Pop the Champagne corks in Washington! It’s party time for Big Energy. In the wake of the midterm elections, Republican energy hawks are ascendant, having taken the Senate and House by storm. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-t-klare/fossil-fueled-republicanism_b_6177694.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics Electric Vehicles Help Drive Climate Action. Yesterday at the White House, Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz and I got to see American innovation in action, as Pacific Gas & Electric demonstrated their new plug-in hybrid bucket truck — a utility vehicle with emissions nearly 80% lower than a conventional truck. Not only does PG&E’s plug-in hybrid utility vehicle run cleaner… http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/11/19/electric-vehicles-help-drive-climate-action MINI Hardtop 4-Door Appears At Los Angeles Auto Show. First shown over the summer, the new MINI five-door model will make its North American debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Even though it's a five-door hatchback, this model will be known in the U.S. as the MINI Hardtop 4 Door when it goes on sale early next year. Based on the recently-redesigned MINI Cooper platform… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095548_mini-hardtop-4-door-appears-at-los-angeles-auto-show California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.