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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for December 18, 2014
Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:19:37
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. STATE OF WASHINGTON CAP-AND-TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT Washington governor proposes carbon pollution cap Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday proposed an ambitious cap-and-trade program to require the state's largest industrial polluters to pay for every ton of carbon they release. The proposal was part of a broader package that the Democrat said would help the state meet a 2008 mandate to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_INSLEE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/12/17/us/ap-us-inslee-climate-change.html?_r=3 Washington governor unveils carbon cap-and-trade plan Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Wednesday laid out a plan for a carbon cap-and-trade program aimed at fighting global warming and raising $1 billion a year for state schools and public transportation initiatives, but he will first need the support of a divided state legislature. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/washington-carbon-policy-idUSL1N0U202G20141218 Washington Governor Proposes Carbon Market, Fuel Standard Washington Governor Jay Inslee proposed a carbon market, a statewide fuel standard and $60 million dedicated to clean energy projects and technologies in an effort to help curb global warming. The carbon market, similar to ones run by California and a group of states in the eastern U.S., would generate about $1 billion annually, according to an overview of the plan posted on the governor’s website. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-17/washington-governor-proposes-carbon-market-clean-fuel-standard.html Inslee targets polluters with billion-dollar cap-and-trade plan Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday laid out an ambitious plan for cutting Washington’s carbon emissions that would vault the state to the forefront of global efforts to combat climate change. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025255218_insleeclimate1xml.html CAP AND TRADE Calif. looks at allowing first farming offsets for cap and trade Rice farmers across the country could start earning money next year by changing their practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, under a proposal California's Air Resources Board is expected to consider today. The Golden State, which has an economywide cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions, is looking at adding a rice farming protocol… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2014/12/18/stories/1060010757 AIR POLLUTION EPA punts decision on methane regs The Environmental Protection Agency is punting a decision on whether to pursue regulations on methane emissions from industrial sources until after the holidays. An EPA official told The Hill on Wednesday that the agency is holding off on its decision until after the holidays despite consistent statements by Administrator Gina McCarthy that the EPA would make a call this fall. http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/227489-epa-punts-decision-on-methane-regs Officials Stress Importance of Carbon Monoxide Detectors It's important to make sure carbon monoxide detection devices are working in homes, especially in the winter months. That's according to the California Air Resources Board, which says at this time of year, danger's especially high for carbon monoxide poisoning. "It's very important this time of year because we have many combustion sources in our homes and really any one of them can cause a problem, for example heaters can crack," said, Peggy Jenkins, manager of the Indoor Air Quality Program for the California Air Resources Board. State law requires every home with an attached garage or fossil fuel source appliance to have a functioning carbon monoxide detector or alarm installed. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/officials-stress-importance-of-carbon-monoxide-13079588/#ixzz3MH8A3CeQ Air Pollution Exposure in Pregnancy Linked to Autism in Study Women who are exposed to high levels of air pollution during their third trimester of pregnancy may be twice as likely to have an autistic child, a study found. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found the risk of autism rises in parallel with exposure to fine particulate matter… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-18/air-pollution-exposure-in-pregnancy-linked-to-autism-in-study.html?hootPostID=73e99b5ae1e1a3bb6db052bceb9858e9 http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/us-autism-idUSKBN0JW0B020141218 Bay Area Air Quality Management District approves plan to cut pollution at oil refineries Regional air pollution regulators on Wednesday approved a far-reaching blueprint to cut Bay Area oil refinery emissions by 20 percent. Under the plan, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board will consider a package of air pollution rules in 2015 to reduce emissions from five refineries. http://www.contracostatimes.com/contra-costa-times/ci_27158619/air-board-approves-plan-cut-pollution-at-oil CLIMATE CHANGE Green bonds sell big in 2014 as finance bids to help climate A "green" bond market has taken root this year, with municipalities and corporations issuing new environmentally-focused bonds and money managers jumping in to buy them. But it's too soon to tell whether all the new activity - less than a sliver of the $91 trillion worldwide bond market - will send much new money to projects like efficient buildings and better water systems. Instead, the new bonds reflect the complexities of using finance to address issues like climate change. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/us-bonds-green-junk-insight-idUSKBN0JW0CP20141218 Tropical deforestation threatens global food production – TRFN Tropical deforestation in the southern hemisphere is accelerating global warming and threatening world food production by distorting rainfall patterns across Europe, China and the U.S. Midwest, a study released on Thursday said. By 2050, deforestation could lead to a 15 percent drop in rainfall in tropical regions including the South American Amazon, Southeast Asia and Central Africa… http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/food-climatechange-forests-idUSL6N0U147220141218 Harper Says Alberta Carbon Levy Model May be Worth Broadening Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Alberta’s model for regulating greenhouse gas emissions may be worth broadening as the country seeks a “continental response” to energy rules. Harper, speaking in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, said Alberta’s model, which imposes a carbon levy of C$15 ($13.25) a metric ton on large emitters… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-12-17/harper-says-alberta-carbon-levy-model-may-be-worth-broadening.html Snow Is Down and Heat Is Up in the Arctic, Report Says The Arctic continues to warm faster than the rest of the globe, and with greater repercussions, scientists are reporting. The new findings appear in the Arctic Report Card, first published in 2006 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and updated annually. The report card catalogs the wide-ranging changes caused by the rising temperatures, in large part driven by emissions of greenhouse gases. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/science/snow-is-down-and-heat-is-up-in-the-arctic-report-says.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A10%22}&_r=0 Arctic has steep rise in warming this year, with many ripple effects -- NOAA report Rising sea surface temperatures. Snow disappearing three to four weeks earlier in locations like western Alaska. A record low for reflectivity of the Greenland ice sheet. A tundra that is 20 percent greener than it was in 1982. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010761/print 5 Awesome Things About New York That Will Be Ruined By Climate Change ...could've picked a better location. New York City is poised to bear the brunt of climate change's effects — from rising seas to shifting temperatures... http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/5-Awesome-Things-About-New-York-That-Will-Be-5963692.php DROUGHT Researchers say Calif.'s droughts are caused by absence of very large storms Researchers believe they've found a link between California's recurrent droughts and the absence of very large storms, according to a study presented here at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The linkage is apparent only in California, which has a unique and rather simple hydroclimate system compared to other states. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010756/print California Drought Continues To Concern Ranchers And Farmers Paula Getzelman says recent rain brings a deep sigh of relief. She and her husband run Tre Gatti Vineyards in Monterey County. "We were extremely nervous in 2014. The harvest was a real nail biter," saysGetzelman. Production at Tre Gatti was down twenty percent. Getzelman says she feels luckier than some of her neighbors who were down thirty percent. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/12/18/california-drought-continues-to-concern-ranchers-and-farmers/ FUELS TransCanada’s Keystone Fight Turns to Exports on Oil Glut Russ Girling’s Keystone XL saga is taking a new twist with a global glut of cheap oil. Americans, including President Barack Obama, are increasingly questioning whether the pipeline is needed or if it will just be a corridor for Canadian oil-sands crude to reach China. Girling’s answer is that the U.S. isn’t weaning itself off foreign oil anytime soon and that Gulf Coast refineries will be the buyers, not Asia. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-12-18/transcanada-s-keystone-fight-turns-to-exports-on-oil-glut.html Exxon Mobil Shows Why U.S. Oil Output Rises as Prices Plunge Crude oil production from U.S. wells is poised to approach a 42-year record next year as drillers ignore the recent decline in price pointing them in the opposite direction. U.S. energy producers plan to pump more crude in 2015 as declining equipment costs and enhanced drilling techniques more than offset the collapse in oil markets… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-18/exxon-mobil-shows-why-u-s-oil-output-rises-as-prices-plummet.html Enbridge Shuts Oil Pipeline to U.S. After Spill in Canada Canadian oil supplies to the U.S. Midwest were disrupted after Enbridge Inc. (ENB) shut a pipeline because of a leak. The company isolated its Line 4 pipe at the Regina terminal in Saskatchewan yesterday after about 1,350 barrels of oil were released within an on-site pumping station, according to a statement. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-12-18/enbridge-shuts-oil-pipeline-to-u-s-after-spill-in-canada.html VEHICLES California adds new electric-vehicle perk California’s plug-in electric vehicle drivers are about to get new financial perks. Members of the California Public Utilities Commission are scheduled to sign off today on guidelines for an annual credit against utility bills or a one-time vehicle rebate. The commission will let individual utilities decide which incentive to offer. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/dec/18/electric-vehicles-get-new-perk/ Honda's hydrogen fuel car to make U.S. debut at Detroit auto show Joining an increasingly crowded field of automakers producing zero-emissions alternative fuel vehicles, Honda's FCV hydrogen-powered concept car is to make its U.S. debut at the January North American International Auto Show in Detroit. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-honda-fuel-cell-car-detroit-20141217-story.html GREEN ENERGY Japan Toughens Rules for Renewable Energy Incentive Payments Japan’s trade ministry is setting stricter rules for production and sales of renewable energy in what it says is a drive to speed up development of projects and ensure stable power supply. Japan introduced a renewable energy incentive program in July 2012 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, offering some of the highest rates for solar-produced electricity in the world. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-12-18/japan-toughens-rules-for-renewable-energy-incentive-payments.html http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/japan-renewables-power-idUSL3N0U22K520141218 Solar Paired With Batteries to Reach $1 Billion in U.S. by 2018 Demand for rooftop solar paired with energy storage systems will reach $1 billion in the U.S. within four years, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. About 318 megawatts of solar-storage capacity will be in operation in the U.S. by 2018, the Washington-based industry group said today in a report produced with GTM Research. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-12-18/solar-paired-with-batteries-to-reach-1-billion-in-u-s-by-2018.html Calif. releases handbook to speed rooftop solar installations California is trying to reduce the installation costs of residential solar with the release of a guidebook that aims to streamline local government permits. The guidelines target a longtime bugaboo of residential solar: the "soft costs" of installations, both for photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010759/print Falling Oil Prices Don’t Give Clean-Energy Stocks the All-Clear These are dark days for investors in Big Oil. That doesn’t mean clear skies for investors in clean energy. The sharp plunge in oil prices has dragged down the share prices of many global energy giants. But a number of companies that provide alternatives to fossil fuel have taken a similar hit. U.S. oil prices have fallen 15% this month through Wednesday, and the $10.6 billion Vanguard Energy Fund, a mutual fund that holds shares in large oil and gas producers, has fallen 4.9%. In the same period, the New Alternatives Fund, one of the largest mutual funds focused on alternative energy, is down 6.2%. http://www.wsj.com/articles/falling-oil-prices-dont-give-clean-energy-stocks-the-all-clear-1418925990?KEYWORDS=green+energy OPINIONS A truly global summit on climate change Regarding the Dec. 15 news article, “After 11 days of talks, a climate agreement”: Delegates from more than 190 countries worked for two weeks in Lima, Peru, to produce the framework of a climate-change accord to be signed by world leaders in Paris next year. Regrettably, Taiwan was excluded from this discussion and related mechanisms… http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-truly-global-summit-on-climate-change/2014/12/17/e10960b6-84ac-11e4-abcf-5a3d7b3b20b8_story.html Global-warming true believers are in denial I have a theory as to why Americans don’t worry all that much about global warming: High-profile purveyors of climate change don’t push for reductions in greenhouse gases so much as focus on berating people who do not agree with their opinions. They call themselves champions of “the science” — yet focus on ideology more than tangible results.Their language is downright evangelical. http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/saunders/article/Global-warming-true-believers-are-in-denial-5964057.php Fracking undercuts climate change, water advances Gov. Jerry Brown and the other West Coast leaders – Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier Christy Clark – who have pledged to solve global warming deserve a heartfelt “thank you” from the people of California and around the world, especially as Congress stalls on climate change. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article4530609.html Earley: Think bigger on electric vehicles Of all history’s surprises in recent years, few have been as unexpected — or as uplifting — as the incredible about-face in our country’s energy outlook. In just the last decade, breakthroughs in areas from natural gas extraction to renewable power have suddenly put the U.S. in the driver’s seat when it comes to building a cleaner, more secure energy future for our kids and grandkids. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2014/12/17/tony-earley-electric-vehicles/20499145/ BLOGS LED Lights The simple lightbulb is likely to play as big a role in fighting global warming as windmills, solar panels or electric cars. The light-emitting diode or LED light has created an energy revolution, producing a crisp white glow with up to 80 percent less power than traditional incandescent lamps. The inventors of the LED were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in October for creating the blue light needed to complete the color spectrum, which spawned a new industry in 1997. http://www.bloombergview.com/quicktake/led-lights New cooking method turns manure, corn husks into biofuels Cooking farm waste - especially 'wet' waste such as corn husks, tomato vines and manure - can turn it into biofuels to produce energy, researchers led by an Indian-origin scientist have found. Dry farm waste, such as wood chips or sawdust, is easier to use for generating power. Scientists have struggled to find uses for wet and green waste. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/news/auto-technology/new-cooking-method-turns-manure-corn-husks-into-biofuels/articleshow/45561658.cms Mercedes B-Class Electric Car Cuts Lifetime Carbon Emissions Up To 64 Percent The environmental impact of plug-in electric cars continues to be the subject of significant discussion and debate among those less familiar with the technology and its impacts. Virtually all studies conclude that they use less energy on a well-to-wheels basis than internal-combustion vehicles--especially when recharged from low-carbon or renewable sources. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095968_mercedes-b-class-electric-car-cuts-lifetime-carbon-emissions-up-to-64-percent Electric Cars Get Cleaner, 2016 Chevy Volt On-Demand Regen, 2015 Audi A3 TDI Driven: Today's Car News In just one year, electric cars have gotten cleaner. Here's how they did that. The 2016 Chevrolet Volt will add on-demand regenerative braking, allowing the driver to change the degree of regeneration in different conditions. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095977_electric-cars-get-cleaner-2016-chevy-volt-on-demand-regen-2015-audi-a3-tdi-driven-todays-car-news California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.