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UN CLIMATE TALKS: LIMA

Typhoon Adds Urgency for UN Climate Talks as Rift Opens.  A
typhoon that forced at least 900,000 people to evacuate their
homes in the Philippines highlighted the stakes for envoys at
United Nations climate talks as a rift opened over how to fight
global warming. The storm named Hagupit was the third of its kind
to strike the island nation in as many years during the annual
round of UN talks aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
Last year’s Typhoon Haiyan killed 6,300 people. 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-08/typhoon-adds-urgency-for-un-climate-talks-as-rift-opens.html
  

China, U.S., EU emissions pledges to curb warming –study. Recent
pledges by China, the United States and the European Union to
limit greenhouse gas emissions will slow the rate of global
warming this century, a study by climate scientists showed on
Monday. But the study, released during U.N. talks on a climate
deal in Lima, said temperatures were still on track to breach a
promise by almost 200 nations to limit global warming to 2
degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) to avert more heat waves, floods
and rising sea levels. 
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL6N0TS3CU20141208
 

Latam countries launch plan to store carbon, fight global
warming. Eight Latin American countries on Sunday announced an
initiative to restore 20 million hectares of degraded forest and
farmland, seeking to use this land to store carbon in natural
vegetation and cut emissions that cause global warming.
Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala,
Mexico and Peru and two regional conservationist programs joined
the 20x20 Initiative that aims to have all the planned work in
this huge area well under way by 2020. 
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/07/climatechange-lima-restoration-idUSL6N0TR0KB20141207?feedType=RSS&virtualBrandChannel=11563
 

Peru climate change talks slowed by clashes of rich and poor
nations.	...their final week, with few hints of whether a
newfound optimism that marked the start of negotiations will
translate into an agreement that would rein in climate change.   
 Convened by the United Nations, the talks aim to craft the
framework for an international accord to curtail
heat-trapping...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19783835089&p=19f&v=1&x=KxqftLv7ULTvr_X17zcceg

Lima climate talks split on role of adaptation, finance in new
deal.	...finance and adaptation commitments in the national
offers of action they are due to put forward early next year as
the building blocks of a new global climate change deal.    Some
developing countries, including the poorest ones, want adaptation
efforts to be part of their contributions, arguing...	
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/06/us-climatechange-lima-idUSKCN0JK00F20141206

China Blocks Carbon Review Sought by U.S. at UN
Talks.	...scrutiny of efforts to limit carbon emissions, a key
tool that the U.S. says is necessary as more than 190 countries
work to devise a new deal to fight climate change.    Chinese
negotiators sought yesterday at a climate conference in Lima,
Peru to delete provisions in a draft text that would...	
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-12-06/china-blocks-review-of-carbon-pledges-sought-by-u-dot-s-dot-at-un-talks

Small countries take the lead on climate change.	...Negotiators
from more than 190 nations are meeting now in Peru to prepare for
real commitments.    It is so important that our people
understand that climate change is real and only reversible if we
act immediately.    
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1207-sunday-climate-change-20141207-story.html

Climate change summit.	...Pressphoto Agency    United Nations
Environment Program Deputy Executive Director Ibrahim Thiaw,
second from right, and colleagues present a study at the Climate
Change Summit in Lima, Peru.    United Nations Environment
Program Deputy Executive Director Ibrahim Thiaw, second from
right, and colleagues...	
http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-epa-peru-climate-change-jpg-20141206-photo.html?track=rss

What Will It Take to Get a Climate Accord in Paris?	...creep
forward.    It is "very clear" that countries' pledges on carbon
emissions won't be ambitious enough to tip the world into a rapid
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, said Christiana Figueres,
the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change....	
http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/20141208/what-will-it-take-get-climate-accord-paris



AIR POLLUTION

Paris mayor wants to ban diesel cars by 2020 to fight pollution.
The mayor of Paris called for diesel cars to be banned from the
French capital by 2020 and said pedestrian-only neighborhoods
should be created in the city center as part of a plan to fight
pollution. Anne Hidalgo told the Journal de Dimanche in an
interview published on Sunday that her anti-pollution plan would
be discussed at a city council meeting on December 9. "I want to
see the end of diesel in Paris by 2020," she said, adding that
there exceptions could be made for low-income car owners to allow
them to use old vehicles only occasionally. 
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/07/us-paris-pollution-idUSKBN0JL0FO20141207?feedType=RSS
 

U.S. Emissions Plan Should Empower States: Ex-EPA Official on
Platts Energy Week. In finalizing its proposed Clean Power Plan,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be open to
input from state officials about the best ways to cut carbon
emissions from existing power plants, a former agency official
said Sunday on Platts Energy Week. EPA received about 2 million
public comments on the proposal, which is expected to be released
as a final regulation in June. It proposes to cut greenhouse-gas
emissions from existing power plants to 30% below 2005 levels by
2030. Regulatory officials in some states, such as California and
New York, have previously said they already have programs
underway to curb emissions from the generation sector. 
http://www.platts.com/pressreleases/2014/120814b/no 

Narendra Modi, Favoring Growth in India, Pares Back Environmental
Rules
Factory owners in this city on the western coast of India have
been fuming, railing, and arguing for years against a single
troublesome number: the pollution index used by the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, which identified Vapi as an area so
badly contaminated that any further industrial growth there was
banned.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/world/indian-leader-favoring-growth-sweeps-away-environmental-rules.html


China’s Polluted Soil Is Tainting the Country's Food Supply. 
China’s air and water pollution is more visible than its soil
pollution and more often makes headlines. But recent government
studies underscore the worrying extent of heavy-metal pollution
tainting China’s agricultural lands—and its food supply.  A new
study from the China National Environmental Monitoring Center
examines the results of nearly 5,000 soil samples from vegetable
plots across China. 
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-08/china-s-polluted-soil-is-tainting-the-countrys-food-supply


Camera system promotes clear view of air pollution.
Want to track how many times the Shenango Coke Works on Neville
Island quenches a load of hot coke today? Or see what a
pollution-trapping air inversion looks like in the Mon Valley and
get an ozone level reading? Maybe you want to chart pollutant
levels around a particular industrial source, and start a social
media conversation about what you’ve seen.
http://eaglefordtexas.com/news/id/141539/camera-system-promotes-clear-view-air-pollution/


No-Burn Alert Takes Effect Monday For Parts Of SoCal.
Officials are issuing a no-burn alert Monday for residents in
greater Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire. The
alert for the South Coast Basin prohibits residents from burning
wood due to the anticipated high concentration of fine particle
air pollution.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/12/07/no-burn-alert-takes-effect-monday-for-parts-of-socal/

Southern California weather conditions prompt wood-burning ban.	_
DIAMOND BAR (CNS) - Weather conditions will cause air pollution
to stagnate over the South Coast Air Basin, and have prompted
orders today banning the use of wood-burning fireplaces by...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19786313413&p=19f&v=1&x=InOtOMc5_cvBCrq74nFC5A

Riverside County burn ban lifted.	...Monday, and affects
unincorporated Riverside County and incorporated cities that
contract with the county for fire protection. However, an order
by regional air quality officials means burning of wood material
in much of the Inland Empire will have to wait until at least
Tuesday. Weather conditions...	
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2014/12/07/riverside-county-burn-ban-lifted/20063263/

Tax toxic pollutants. The toxic nature of the various pollutants
in Valley air are without equal in quantity and diversity
anywhere in the nation. Soot, ozone, ammonium nitrate and
hydrocarbons may greet our lungs with every breath. This is in
addition to the climate disruption going on throughout...	
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/12/07/4272028/tax-toxic-pollutants.html?sp=%2f99%2f274%2f277%2f	

Kentucky, fearing impact of carbon power rule, urges EPA to
rethink proposal.	...scrubber at a coal-fired plant    WASHINGTON
— Officials with the state of Kentucky say the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency needs to rethink a carbon-pollution rule
announced earlier this year that could have the “most significant
and far-reaching impact to environmental and energy policy that
we...	
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/12/05/3383785/kentucky-fearing-impact-of-carbon.html?sp=%2f99%2f102%2f

Nearly 11,000 comments filed over Phillips 66 rail project in
Nipomo. ...oil train, the outpouring of opposition to this
project is unsurprising,” he wrote.    Nipomo resident Laurance
Shinderman said some comments addressed air pollution concerns,
contended the EIR does not adequately assess the risks of a
spill, or challenged statements in the EIR that the county...	
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/12/06/3384234/nearly-11000-comments-received.html?ihp=1&sp=%2f99%2f100%2f
 
Utah regulators to test waters on wood burning ban.	SALT LAKE
CITY (AP) — State air quality regulators will soon test the
waters about a proposal to ban wood burning during the inversion
season along Utah's Wasatch Front....	
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Utah-regulators-to-test-waters-on-wood-burning-ban-5941853.php



CLIMATE CHANGE

Global Warming Forecast Cut on Plans of Biggest Polluters.
Climate researchers lowered their forecast for global warming for
the first time since 2009 after the greenhouse gas polluters
agreed to limit their emissions over the next 15 years, a group
of European academics said. Efforts by the U.S., European Union
and China will cut the outlook for global temperatures this
century by as much as 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.7 degrees
Fahrenheit), according to the Climate Action Tracker, a joint
project by four European institutions. 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-08/global-warming-forecast-cut-on-plans-of-biggest-polluters.html
 

Jobs Trump Climate in Bromance of Canada and Australia. When the
U.S. and China agreed to a joint climate change initiative four
weeks ago, it left the leaders of two of their major trading
partners in an awkward position.  For Australia, its strong
growth of recent years has depended on China’s voracious appetite
for coal and other resources. For Canada, the U.S. is its largest
energy market, and it has sought to keep its climate policies in
close alignment. 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-07/jobs-trump-climate-as-bromance-ties-canada-australia-carbon-view.html
 

Global Environment Fund wants to coordinate green supply chains.
The Global Environment Facility, which has provided $13.5 billion
in grants to developing nations since 1991, wants a wider role in
protecting nature by tightening commodity supply chains from
farmers to consumers. Naoko Ishii, chief executive officer of the
183-nation GEF, told Reuters that efforts to safeguard tropical
forests from land clearance to make way, for instance, for palm
oil plantations were hampered by a lack of oversight. 

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/climatechange-lima-fund-idINL6N0TS2VT20141208
 

Global Warming to Make European Heat Waves ‘Commonplace’ by
2040s, Study Finds.  In June 2003, a high-pressure weather system
took hold over Western Europe and hovered there for weeks,
bringing warm tropical air to the region and making that summer
the hottest since at least 1540, the year King Henry VIII
discarded his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Temperatures were
about 2.3 degrees Celsius, or 4.1 degrees Fahrenheit, above
average that summer, contributing to perhaps 70,000 additional
deaths and hitting the elderly particularly hard. The heat was a
factor in the outbreak of forest fires and in lower than usual
crop yields. It caused Alpine glaciers to shrink at a rate double
that seen in the previous record summer five years earlier. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/world/europe/global-warming-to-make-european-heat-waves-commonplace-by-2040s-study-finds.html


Free shuttle service between Mountain View's biggest companies
set to launch next month.	...potential to reduce vehicular trips
and associated congestion, which could ultimately result in
improved traffic flows, better quality of life and reduced
greenhouse gas emissions."    Pinkston estimated that about
$335,000 has been spent on start-up costs, plus about $200,000
worth of in-kind...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19775874242&p=19f&v=1&x=ixQfdVpvl0OeI7e6lyzgSg


Sea level rise threatening Kennedy Space Center in
Florida.	ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - Rising seas and pounding waves
driven by climate change are chipping away at the coast near the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida, threatening launch pads and
future operations, scientists...	
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/05/us-usa-florida-spacecenter-idUSKCN0JJ25K20141205

Sky Island.	...island in the sky, surrounded by a desert sea. In
"Sky Island," filmmaker John Grabowska profiles this enchanting
landscape and our place within it, with climate change effects
already dramatically altering the desert and alpine ecosystems.
The film features narration by Pulitzer Prize winner...	
http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/index.jsp?pgmid=20042

Sticky issues re-emerge at UN climate talks.	LIMA, Peru — The
momentum from a historic U.S.-China pact to resist global warming
is showing signs of fading at U.N. climate talks as the familiar
rich-poor conflict persists over who should do what to keep...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19784247535&p=19f&v=1&x=legR2LMz_GevW8wRjV7D-g

Cost of Adapting to Climate Change Much Higher Than
Thought.	Green Climate Fund is meant to be investing $100B a year
by 2020 on climate change, but if a new study proves correct, a
lot more will be needed.    One of the thorniest issues dividing
nations at the Lima climate...	
http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/20141207/cost-adapting-climate-change-much-higher-thought

Exclusive First Look At Sir Richard Branson's Exotic Moskito
Island. 	...islands. The island will become a working model for
how other islands can cut expensive diesel imports . “We know
that islands will suffer the most from climate change and sea
level rise” Branson says, “Reefs will be devastated and wildlife
decimated. It's realistic to think...	
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2014/12/07/exclusive-first-look-at-sir-richard-bransons-exotic-moskito-island/

Seminar will discuss climate change and California water
supplies.	The public has a unique opportunity Tuesday to learn
about how climate change may alter the availability of water in
California and to offer ideas on adapting to those changes.   
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation...	
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article4330128.html

Canada Takes Big Step in Growing Green Bonds Market.	Green
bonds—which raise money for projects that help mitigate climate
change—have grown from a niche market to a substantial portion of
the fixed income market, a new report says. And Canada is
emerging...	
http://insideclimatenews.org/content/canada-takes-big-step-growing-green-bonds-market

Canada Sticks to Its Line on the Tar Sands at Climate
Talks.	...Aglukkaq heads to the United Nations climate summit
this weekend with no new targets and no commitment to action on
Canada's fastest growing source of greenhouse gases in the oil
sands, but with a pledge to crack down on a little-known chemical
that represents a tiny portion of this country's...	
http://insideclimatenews.org/breaking-news/20141206/canada-sticks-its-line-tar-sands-climate-talks	


Green Climate Fund - who's pledged and who
hasn't.	...achievements of the U.N. climate talks, the Green
Climate Fund is intended to become a key channel of money to help
poor countries take action to fight climate change and deal with
its impacts.    With Norway's pledge of $258 million on Friday,
the fund has received promises of $10 billion,...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19775365836&p=19f&v=1&x=u5ACFJVoUjcz9UDpfKuoDg

Dirty deeds: Soil degradation costs African farmers $68bn
yearly-TRFN.	...prevent degradation or improve their soils,"
Conway said. "If they don't have land tenure, there is no
incentive to invest in improving their farms."    Climate change,
the depletion of mineral nutrients, desertification, improper use
of fertilizer and a lack of infrastructure are compounding...	
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/04/food-africa-soil-idUSL6N0TO4BS20141204

DROUGHT
	
California drought the worst in 1,200 years.	_ The last three
years of drought were the most severe that California has
experienced in at least 1,200 years, according to a published
Thursday.    The study provides...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19786313973&p=19f&v=1&x=t6X5aCZ0rI93aIVdLBvtsQ	

UPDATE 1-Typhoon howls through Philippines, more than 1 million
flee.	...Wilton Co, mayor of Cataingan town, told a radio
interview. "I asked everyone to stay indoors and move inland to
higher ground, hoping that we will have zero casualties."    The
typhoon was moving west northwest at 15 kph (9 mph), with
sustained winds of 140 kph (86 mph) and gusts of up to 170
kph...	
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/07/philippines-typhoon-pictures-tv-graphics-idUSL3N0TR01P20141207

Drought dries rural wells, residents carry water in
buckets.	...few dogs and a small flock of chickens for 38 years.
"You always think it's not going to happen to you.    "It's like
living in the Dust Bowl."    As California struggles through the
drought, the first to suffer are rural residents with shallow
private wells and limited incomes. They live...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19777046733&p=19f&v=1&x=OSNKuaTtCIKkYZxVCY28lA
	
California Christmas tree farms doing well in spite of drought.	_
Kim Bouye calls them her “babies,” tiny pine tree seedlings that
in about four years will grow into mature Christmas trees.   
That is, if the drought doesn't sap their strength.    Bouye owns
Greenspot Farms in Mentone in eastern San Bernardino County, a
longtime Christmas and avocado tree...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19779134260&p=19f&v=1&x=e35761BIcjInLgzzZeKOwg

Rain drenches or dampens county, depending on where you
look.	...southerly winds helped to generate a strong (1.5 mph)
northerly flowing ocean current that has brought an abnormally
warm body of seawater from the Southern California Bight to the
coastline of San Luis Obispo County.    In fact, seawater
temperatures in the month of December usually averaged 56
degrees...	
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/12/06/3385880/rain-drenches-or-dampens-county.html?sp=%2f99%2f177%2f183%2f
	
Storm expected to pound Santa Cruz County for two
days.	...Service    SANTA CRUZ >> A storm expected to arrive
Tuesday is predicted to bring two days of significant rain that
will nudge Santa Cruz closer to toward drought recovery.    The
Santa Cruz Water Department reported Monday there have been 6.68
inches of rain in the watershed since Oct. 1, which is the...	
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20141201/storm-expected-to-pound-santa-cruz-county-for-two-days?source=most_viewed

Obama poised to veto California drought bill.	Says it would see
government meddling too much     • “It fails to equitably address
critical elements of California's complex water challenges”
President Barack Obama is likely to veto a “drought relief” bill
being pushed by Republicans and a Fresno...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19787628314&p=19f&v=1&x=i1dCK1TrXanbSKcDDqeQ8A


FUELS

Fossil-fuel lobbyists, bolstered by GOP wins, work to curb
environmental rules. Oil, gas and coal interests that spent
millions to help elect Republicans this year are moving to take
advantage of expanded GOP power in Washington and state capitals
to thwart Obama administration environmental rules. Industry
lobbyists made their pitch in private meetings last week with
dozens of state legislators at a summit of the American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an industry-financed
conservative state policy group. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fossil-fuel-lobbyists-bolstered-by-gop-wins-work-to-curb-environmental-rules/2014/12/07/3ef05bc0-79b9-11e4-9a27-6fdbc612bff8_story.html
 

Renewable Natural Gas Helps Reduce Emissions, Policy Support
Needed. Natural gas use is growing throughout the world as new
drilling techniques open up vast shale and other tight resources.
The result is low-cost gas flooding the market. The environmental
advantages of natural gas over other fossil fuels have put it in
a favored position as emissions regulations continue to tighten
around the world. But conventional natural gas is still a fossil
fuel with significant carbon emissions that need to be contained.

http://theenergycollective.com/ed-dodge/2168041/renewable-natural-gas-helps-reduce-emissions-policy-support-needed


Fuel to the fire? Fuel exports soar under Obama.	...panels
glisten from every thatched hut on this crowded island, one of
the largest in this remote chain off the Panamanian coast. But
the tiny emblems of green energy offer no hope against climate
change.    They have helped the island's Guna people reduce what
was already a
minuscule...	http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Fuel-to-the-fire-Fuel-exports-soar-under-Obama-5942212.php

Gas prices might drop below $3 a gallon by next week	. ...photo,
drivers fill up their cars at the AM/PM in Desert Hot
Springs.(Photo: Desert Sun file photo) The average price of a
gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in the Inland Empire
dropped 1 cent Friday to $3.015, its lowest amount since Oct. 7,
2010. The average price in Riverside and San Bernardino...	
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/traffic/2014/12/05/gas-prices-inland-empire/19988459/

The Tax That Dare Not Be Hiked. 	...congressman best known for
his close friendship with his fellow Ohioan, Speaker John
Boehner. "I see no political will to get this done."        
Taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel have financed the Highway Trust
Fund since its inception under President Eisenhower in 1956.
Congress periodically...	
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/the-tax-that-dare-not-be-hiked/383428/

Survey: US gas prices fall 12 cents per gallon. 	A national
survey reveals the average price of regular gasoline has plunged
another 12 cents a gallon over the past two weeks, to $2.72. 
Click to Continue »	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19784712793&p=19f&v=1&x=haniedWur7pphqHY_VmcsQ


Diesel Prices Continue Decline as Oil Sinks.	...Rocky Mountain
region to low of $3.429 in the Lower Atlantic states. Prices in
these and all other parts of the country are down over the past
week.    Gasoline is also continuing to follow in the same
footsteps with the national average cost of the regular grade
fuel giving up 4.3 cents over the...	
http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fuel-smarts/news/story/2014/12/diesel-prices-continue-decline-as-oil-sinks.aspx

Diesel, Gasoline Continue to Fall As Oil Plunges to Five-Year
Low.	...decision by the OPEC oil cartel to maintain its
production levels sent crude oil prices plummeting to five-year
lows, which sent U.S. retail diesel and gasoline average prices
tumbling, too....    Only Transport Topics subscribers have
exclusive access to this content.    Subscriber Log-In   
E-mail...	
http://www.ttnews.com/gateclient/premiumstorylogin.aspx?storyid=36766&t=Diesel-Gasoline-Continue-to-Fall-As-Oil-Plunges-to-Five-Year-Low


Tracking miles as gas tax alternative raises fairness, privacy
concerns.	...hulking GMC Yukon.    She was nevertheless cool to
the idea that the state might start raising money for highway
repairs by replacing the traditional gasoline tax with a fee
based on how far people drive. Penalizing owners of hybrids and
electric cars doesn't feel right, Gutierrez
said....	http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-mileage-fee-20141207-story.html


VEHICLES

BMW’s Electric Car Circles Berlin in Search of an Outlet. BMW’s
little electric hatchback is still rare enough to turn heads even
in the most gentrified corners of Berlin. That comes at a price
when you’re looking for a place to charge it.  In a four-day test
drive a year after the i3’s German debut, the car got kids and
adults excited, managed distances only hard-core cyclists would
tackle and had the space to transport four people comfortably.
About 200 kilometers (125 miles) of driving also proved that even
in Berlin… 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-07/bmw-s-electric-car-circles-berlin-in-search-of-an-outlet.html
   

50 Big Ideas Shaping The Future of Electric Mobility. Some good
people at Urban Foresight, the International Energy Agency, the
Electric Vehicles Initiative, and Clean Energy Ministerial have
put together an “EV City Casebook” that I highly recommend
checking out (it’s free). The focus of the casebook is a summary
of “50 big ideas shaping the future of electric mobility.” We’ll
be focusing on some (or many) of the 50 specific topics in the
coming weeks, but I first wanted to share the casebook with you
as well as some electric vehicle (EV) history and context. 
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/08/50-big-ideas-shaping-future-electric-mobility/


Electric cars gain a toehold in Atlanta. It's fall, and the Leafs
are turning left and right. The handful of plug-in electric car
models available here, led by the Nissan Leaf, has come as a bit
of a shock to the Atlanta market. They aren't underpowered golf
cart-like vehicles, for one thing. The coolest and most expensive
plug-in, the Tesla Model S, goes from zero to 60 in, well, it was
there before you finished reading this. (For the record: 3.2
seconds.)
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/12/06/4272457/electric-cars-gain-a-toehold-in.html#storylink=rss



GREEN ENERGY

Invenergy Gets PNC Financing for Concentrating Solar Power Plant.
Invenergy LLC, a closely held U.S. renewable-power developer,
received funding from PNC Financial Services Group Inc. for a
solar farm that began operation in Southern California. The
6.3-megawatt Desert Green Solar Farm in Borrego Springs 90 miles
(145 kilometers) northeast of San Diego received the financing
from PNC’s Energy Capital unit, Chicago-based Invenergy said
today in a statement. Terms weren’t disclosed. The project is
selling power under a long-term contract to Sempra Energy (SRE)’s
San Diego Gas & Electric utility. 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-08/invenergy-gets-pnc-financing-for-concentrating-solar-power-plant.html
  

Sharp says considering selling U.S. solar unit.  Japan's Sharp
Corp said on Monday it was considering selling its U.S.-based
solar energy development unit Recurrent Energy, but had yet to
make a final decision on any deal. On Sunday, the Nikkei business
daily reported Sharp had agreed to sell Recurrent for about 30
billion yen ($247 million), and that the deal could be completed
early next year. In a statement concerning Recurrent, Sharp said
it was "considering various possibilities including the sale of
the company but there are no final decisions at this point." 
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL1N0TS14Q20141208
 

Power-to-Gas Enables Massive Energy Storage. Power-to-Gas (PtG)
enables the natural gas pipeline network to be used for energy
storage, resolving many of the integration issues that plague
intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. It
is well known that finding a solution for scalable energy storage
is critical in the pursuit of achieving a renewable energy
future. While batteries, pumped-hydro, flywheels and other
technologies have their merits, none are able to offer seasonal
deep storage at the terawatt scale. Power-to-Gas is an elegant
innovation that simply takes excess renewable electricity to
create renewable hydrogen and methane for injection into natural
gas pipelines or use in transportation. 
http://theenergycollective.com/ed-dodge/2166976/power-gas-enables-massive-energy-storage


Power Savings of Smart Meters Prove Slow to Materialize. The end
is in sight for the meter reader, who each month faithfully
tramps through the flower beds or into the basement, flashlight
and clipboard in hand, to record electricity use. They are being
phased out because tens of millions of new meters talk directly
to the electric company. The meters can record use by the hour,
changing the price as the market changes and telling the customer
— or maybe even the appliances themselves — the best time to buy
energy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/06/business/energy-environment/power-savings-of-smart-meters-prove-slow-to-materialize.html?_r=0


California could boost renewable energy mandate. Few challenges
facing state policymakers are more complex than dramatically
reducing California's greenhouse gas emissions. But regulators
will soon consider one of the more straightforward solutions:
increasing the state's renewable energy mandate.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2014/12/05/california-boost-renewable-energy-mandate/19952681/


Why Elon Musk's Batteries Scare the Hell Out of the Electric
Company. Here’s why something as basic as a battery both thrills
and terrifies the U.S. utility industry. At a sagebrush-strewn
industrial park outside of Reno, Nevada, bulldozers are clearing
dirt for Tesla Motors Inc.’s battery factory, projected to be the
world’s largest. 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-05/musk-battery-works-fill-utilities-with-fear-and-promise.html


Petition calls for overhaul of renewable energy plan.	Secretary
of the Interior Sally Jewell announces the preliminary version of
the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) at a wind
farm in Palm Springs on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014.(Photo: Jay
Calderon/The Desert Sun) Hundreds...	
http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech/science/energy/2014/12/07/desert-renewable-energy-conservation-plan/19978425/

Will California Boost Its Renewable Energy Mandate? (The Desert
Sun)	Will California Boost Its Renewable Energy Mandate?    Few
challenges facing state policymakers are more complex than
dramatically reducing California's greenhouse...	
http://insideclimatenews.org/content/will-california-boost-its-renewable-energy-mandate

Lawmakers at odds over redefining clean energy.	Lawmakers are at
odds over a bill that would change Michigan's definition of
renewable energy to count electricity generated by burning tires,
used oil and industrial waste.  Click to Continue »
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19780698234&p=19f&v=1&x=YGUuLzH_u3ak78ETxI3o-w

Local voices need to protect the desert.	The state and the
federal government are working to define the future of our desert
communities through the 22 million-acre Desert Renewable Energy
Conservation Plan (DRECP). The DRECP is in its draft stage and
public comment ends on Feb. 23. This plan is for both public...	
http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/2014/12/06/local-voices-need-protect-desert/20034279/

Sharp says considering selling U.S. solar unit to Canadian
Solar.	(Recasts with Sharp statement)    TOKYO Dec 8 (Reuters) -
Japan's Sharp Corp said on Monday it was considering selling its
U.S.-based solar energy development unit Recurrent Energy to
Canadian Solar Inc , but had yet to make a final decision on any
deal.    On Sunday, the Nikkei...	
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/sharp-solar-canadian-solar-idUSL3N0TS1C420141208

BC Transit's Hydrogen Bus Fleet Up for Sale. BC Transit is trying
to sell off its much-hyped fleet of 20 hydrogen fuel cell buses. 
  The buses were brought in to Whistler as part of an $89-million
demonstration program during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Whistler...	
http://insideclimatenews.org/content/bc-transits-hydrogen-bus-fleet-sale

EU draws up 1.3 trillion-euro wish list to revive
economy.	...billion euro fast rail connection between Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.    Other job-creating schemes
involve refueling stations for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in
Germany, expanding high-speed broadband networks in Spain and
making France public buildings use less energy.    Almost...	
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/us-eu-investments-idUSKBN0JM14720141208


MISCELLANEOUS

California’s “Coolest” Cities Announced. Energy Upgrade
California® has joined with the California Air Resources Board
(CARB) to announce the winners of the CoolCalifornia City
Challenge, a competition among 10 cities in the state to reduce
their carbon footprint and better manage energy use.
EnergyUpgradeCA.org uses the state Grizzly to "come down from the
flag to talk to Californians about helping the Golden State stay
that way by managing energy use."  In a hard-fought battle, the
city of Riverside edged out second-place Claremont to be crowned
the state’s “Coolest California City.” 
http://businessfacilities.com/californias-coolest-citiesannounced/#sthash.fD6B13SG.dpuf
         

A billboard that acts like 1,200 trees. Peru's University of
Technology and Engineering (UTEC) believes that engineers can
change the world. As proof, it has transformed billboards —
fixtures so commonplace that most of us barely notice them — into
sources of clean air and water for the local community.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/05/ozy-billboard-cleans-air/19943725/



OPINIONS

Con: Wind energy should live or die on its own. With Election Day
behind us, Congress must now turn its attention to the raft of
issues that legislators have ignored over the past year. Chief
among them: Whether to revive the Production Tax Credit (PTC), a
massive, taxpayer-funded handout that in 2012 gouged California
taxpayers for $330 million. That fact alone should be enough for
Congress to kill the PTC. But there’s another reason that
Californians should want it dead: It’s a central component for
President Obama’s destructive climate agenda. 
http://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/12/06/wind-energy-live-die/20033141/
  

Lessons from the Australian drought.	 ...and much of our state.
By capturing the rainwater from our rooftops and the torrent
running down our urban storm drains, we could lessen the impact
of California's drought. It might sound impractical to accomplish
this on the massive scale required, but it's happening in
Australia right now....	
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article4284600.html


Breakthroughs from 2014: Pollution Controls for Oil/Gas, EPA’s
Plan to Cut Carbon. As the year draws to a close, I’m grateful
for three climate breakthroughs from 2014 that give me hope that
we can still turn the corner toward a stable climate before it’s
too late. And I’m thankful to my colleagues at Environmental
Defense Fund who crunched the numbers and determined how we can
actually see global greenhouse emissions peak, level off and
begin to decline in the next five years. it will take concerted
action by allies and stakeholders around the world – and it won’t
be easy. But we can do it. 
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/12/08/breakthroughs-from-2014-pollution-controls-for-oilgas-epas-plan-to-cut-carbon/#ixzz3LKW16LQQ


Taking temperature on land, sea to forecast winter weather.	The
wet start to this winter in the Bay Area and Northern California
is no accident and a lot more precipitation is on the way — at
least, that's my prediction.    Guess how you, too, can predict
the long-ranger...	
http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Taking-temperature-on-land-sea-to-forecast-5941828.php

High Speed Rail Strategy – START to Build it and They Will Come!
The High Speed Rail project found its way into three of the five
panels in the Public Policy Institute’s all-day State of Change
conference Wednesday. At the end of the day, you understood the
High Speed Rail authority’s strategy to gain support  for the
project – START to build it and they will come!
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2014/12/high-speed-rail-strategy-start-build-will-come/


OP-ED: How would life be without leaf blowers?
Leaf blowers are a relatively recent invention, with the first
blowers starting to be used in the 1950s. As with many
innovations, there are plusses and minuses in the eyes of users
and the affected public. Users such as gardeners view them as a
positive innovation, while many others may view them as a noisy,
air-polluting nuisance. Why should you care?
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/opinions/2014-12-06/op-ed-how-would-life-be-without-leaf-blowers/1776425134552.html



EDITORIAL: Facts support passage of drought relief
legislation.	...when the facts are on your side, you cite the
facts; when the facts aren't on your side, you pound the table.  
 Over the last few days, opponents of The California Emergency
Drought Relief Act, which was introduced in the House of
Representatives on Tuesday, have been yelling about water
grabs,...	
http://news.vocus.com/?a=19778291043&p=19f&v=1&x=4WO9GjWLgNHA1gPYdFMrWQ


BLOGS

Warming Trend and Variations on a Greenhouse-Heated Planet. talks
over a new international climate agreement beginning in Lima,
Peru, it’s worth reviewing some basic points about climate change
driven by the buildup of human-generated greenhouse gases. One,
of course, is that the growing human influence on the system
remains mixed in with a lot of natural variability in conditions.

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/08/warming-trend-and-variations-on-a-greenhouse-heated-planet/?partner=rss&_r=0
 

BMW Launches Flexible Mobility Program For i3 Electric Car.
Electric Car. It's not a new idea, but it's one that carries a
certain allure: Let the buyers of an electric car borrow a
different vehicle for those few times a year when they need to
travel long distances. Loaner programs have been offered by a
number of electric-car makers, including Fiat for its 500e car in
California. But the details are challenging to work out, which is
why BMW took six months to launch its Flexible Mobility program
for BMW i3 buyers. 
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095812_bmw-launches-flexible-mobility-program-for-i3-electric-car
 

Why the Sierra Club Can't Be Silent.	...why these issues are so
important to address. I'll share more later this week.    The
Sierra Club believes that all people deserve a healthy planet
with clean air and water and a stable climate. All people also
deserve equal protection under the law and the right to live
their lives free of discrimination...	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-brune/why-the-sierra-club-cant_b_6282530.html

Energy Firms In Secretive Alliance With Attorneys
General.	...Protection Agency from Attorney General Scott Pruitt
of Oklahoma carried a blunt accusation: Federal regulators were
grossly overestimating the amount of air pollution caused by
energy companies drilling new natural gas wells in his state.   
Read the whole story at The New York Times	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/06/energy-firms-in-secretive_n_6282566.html?ir=Politics&utm_hp_ref=politics


The Connection Between Air Pollution and Cell Phones You've Never
Heard About.	
...Organization showed that residents in seven out of the world's
10 most polluted cities were in China where citizens were
breathing dangerously polluted air. In 2013, a small girl in one
industrialized zone bore the price of growing up breathing the
equivalent of two packs of cigarette smoke a day....	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/devra-davis-phd/show-me-the-bodies-a-monu_b_6165400.html

Climate Change This Week: The Munchkin Dilemma, Solar Cash Crop
and More!	...got a little hotter, and a little more crowded.   
And They're All the Same Age! Not. But a new study indicates that
El Nino, which is exacerbated by climate change, can stunt kids'
growth. The grandmother of these kids, though, wonders what
future awaits them in a climate change...	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-ellen-harte/climate-change-this-week_b_6285126.html?utm_hp_ref=england	

The Soft Path to a Climate Agreement, From Lima to Paris.
Needless to say, there’s been a big and promising shift in tone
and some substance in global warming diplomacy of late — led by
the paired pledges of China and the United States to intensify
efforts to curtail heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions. Other
countries, including gas-rich Malaysia, have promised to act on
climate.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/the-soft-path-to-a-climate-agreement-from-lima-to-paris/


Experts: Better Policy, Finance Needed To Balance Forests And
Farming. 	...for forests and other natural resources with the
interests of farmers need more political and financial support if
they are to advance the fight against climate change, experts
said on Saturday.    A "landscapes approach" that aims to help
people think more broadly about how they use ecosystems...	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/07/experts-better-policy-fin_n_6283604.html

Tesla Teaches Dealers, 2016 Volt Update, Gas Prices Fall: The
Week In Reverse. (Video)	...electric-car maker in court and in
statehouses. Wednesday, we covered some encouraging news from the
Department of Energy on the spread of workplace charging for
electric cars. Turns out that if you have charging at work, you
may be up to 20 times more likely to buy a plug-in car than if
you don't. Moreover,...	
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095784_tesla-teaches-dealers-2016-volt-update-gas-prices-fall-the-week-in-reverse-video

Typhoon Churns Across Philippines, 1 Million
Evacuated.	...barrelled in from the Pacific, power was cut across
most of the eastern island of Samar and nearby Leyte province,
including Tacloban City, considered ground zero of the
devastating super typhoon Haiyan last year.    "I can't penetrate
the areas, I can't go north or south because of fallen trees and
power...	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/06/typhoon-philippines-million-evacuated_n_6282244.html

Martin O'Malley, long-shot presidential hopeful, is a real
climate hawk.	...his forearms — to the annual ClimateStat meeting
at the Maryland State House in late October, where agency heads
report on their progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he
amps up the dry proceedings with rapid-fire questions and his
enthusiasm for the nitty-gritty of policy. “That's...	
http://grist.org/politics/martin-omalley-long-shot-presidential-hopeful-is-a-real-climate-hawk/


We can feed the world without chopping down more forests.	...All
this “would cause unprecedented ecosystem simplification, loss of
ecosystem services, and species extinctions.” When you add, on
top of that, major greenhouse gas emissions, it makes a lot of
sense to do all we can to limit farmland expansion. We'd need to
do this while feeding more people...	
http://grist.org/food/we-can-feed-the-world-without-chopping-down-more-forests/

An Election's Consequences: People Will Die.	...in the
atmosphere. We do not know, however, what critical tipping points
we are on the verge of -- whether or when there will be a massive
release of methane from the tundra, the outgassing of clathrates,
the loss of biological supports critical to human survival due to
the extinction of some organism...	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ken-allen/an-elections-consequences_b_6282580.html

Indian Ambassador In U.S.: 'Growing Convergence Of Our Interests'
Shifted Relationship. 	...business climate, as much for our own
business as for foreign investors.    What more can our two
countries do together to deal with the challenge of climate
change?    We are focusing on renewables and trying to get
nuclear power cooperation restarted.    The Indian-American
community is...	
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-fineman/post_8703_b_6284572.html?ir=Media&utm_hp_ref=media

How California's Water Rights Make It Tough to Manage
Drought.	Water moves long distances in California, all based on a
complex system of water rights that some say is outdated and
unfair. (Josh Viers/UC Merced)    After three years of
historically...	
http://blogs.kqed.org/feeds/2014/12/08/how-californias-water-rights-make-it-tough-to-manage-drought/

USDA awards $5.6M to 220 biofuel producers.	...Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is making $5.6 million in grants to 220
producers (awards of less than $500 not listed) to support the
production of advanced biofuels, and is awarding more than $4
million in additional grants that will advance the bioeconomy.
These awards include:          The National...	
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/12/20141206-usda.html

The Freedom Tower Was Supposed To Be the Greenest Building in
America. So What Went Wrong?	...prize for sustainable building
design. One World Trade Center features lighting that reacts to
sunshine, rain harvesting, and a state-of-the-art onsite fuel
cell installation, one of the largest of its kind in the world.
In 2008, then-New York Gov. David A. Paterson praised this
"space-age energy...	
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/freedom-tower-world-trade-center-green-sustainable-plan-sandy

Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle News From Los Angeles Auto Show.	The
biggest news in zero-emission vehicles at last month's Los
Angeles Auto Show was the formal introduction of the 2016 Toyota
Mirai. But several other companies made...	
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095804_hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicle-news-from-los-angeles-auto-show





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