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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 12, 2015
Posted: 12 Jan 2015 12:23:10
ARB Newsclips for January 12, 2015. 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 South Korea Launches World’s Second-Largest Carbon Trading Market. South Korea launched its cap-and-trade system Monday, an act that makes the country home to the world’s second-largest carbon trading market. The cap-and-trade system, which was approved by the country’s National Assembly in 2012, will cap the emissions of 525 of the biggest companies in the country. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/12/3610553/south-korea-cap-and-trade/ Cap-and-trade fund grows to $1B; groups say it could reach $2B. California will spend $1 billion to combat climate change under a new budget proposal from Gov. Jerry Brown. But some argue it will reach $2 billion. The money in the Democrat's draft fiscal 2015-16 budget comes from the state's cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions, which requires some businesses to account for their greenhouse gas pollution. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011472/print AIR POLLUTION EU should curb mercury emissions from cremations, campaigners say. Environment campaigners are calling for curbs on mercury emissions from human cremations as part of pollution controls that EU authorities will debate this month. Increased cremation as shortage of land makes burial expensive has coincided with a rise in emissions of the toxic metal from fillings in teeth. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/us-eu-air-cremation-idUSKBN0KL0YH20150112 CLIMATE CHANGE Oil Plunge Seen Eroding Emissions Ambition: Carbon & Climate. While the falling price of crude oil is giving consumers cheaper energy, it’s threatening long-term global pollution-control efforts. Reduced national income from energy taxes and “a low-growth economic environment” might spur countries to curtail their emissions-curbing pledges for after 2020, leading to more emissions of carbon for a longer time… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-08/oil-plunge-seen-eroding-emissions-ambition-carbon-climate.html NASA’s year of climate change research kicks off, with a little help from Washington companies. NASA has its head in the clouds this year. Literally. The space agency is kicking off five global projects designed to study how the earth’s atmosphere influences climate change. One of those projects is a study of greenhouse gases over the eastern part of the United States, with a little help from Washington-area contractors. Scientists think they understand what causes the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane… http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/nasas-year-of-climate-change-research-kicks-off-with-a-little-help-from-washington-companies/2015/01/09/a31d54b0-95c3-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html Climate Change Messing with Mother Nature’s Timetable. In nature, timing is everything. From the mass migration of monarch butterflies to the simultaneous seminal release of corals to the collective deaths of salmon and cicadas, many species stick to schedules so strict, their habits could be used to mark the seasons. Unfortunately, more and more evidence suggests that climate change has already begun to cuss up these timetables. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-nature-schedule-18525 Arctic's 'Penguins of the North' Find Workaround to Climate Change. New study finds that little auks are adjusting their food supply, raising questions of adaptation. What's New: The latest research on little auks, sometimes called "penguins of the north," reveals a surprising response to a rapidly warming Arctic: The birds make up for food lost to the effects of climate change by catching prey… http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150112-little-auks-global-warming-climate-change-environment/ Could forests help states offset coal plant emissions under EPA rule? Probably not. A funny thing happens when states are told to cut greenhouse gas emissions or shut down their coal plants: They start looking for solutions in unexpected places, like forests. U.S. EPA's draft rule to cut power sector carbon emissions suggests states could reach their targets by making coal plants more efficient, using more natural gas and renewable energy, and reducing power consumption. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011462/print Growing competition, tougher rules haunt U.S. coal market – study. The new year will bring continued difficulties for coal-fired electric utilities as new regulations targeting power plant emissions squeeze existing facilities and economics continue to favor inexpensive natural gas over coal for new fossil power generation. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011455/print U.S. lab scientists find small volcanoes have slowed recent global warming. Small volcanoes spewing climate-cooling aerosol particles into the atmosphere could have partly contributed to the slowed global temperature rise since 1998, according to a study published this week in Geophysical Research Letters. The study reinforces the findings of an earlier study that also pointed to small volcanic eruptions in the 2000s as one of the triggers of the "hiatus" in global warming … http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/12/stories/1060011458 Methane blueprint expected this week, ahead of State of the Union. The White House is likely to roll out its strategy to curb methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector this week ahead of next week's State of the Union address, and environmentalists are watching to see if it includes U.S. EPA's commitment to regulate new and existing sources of the potent greenhouse gas. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/01/12/stories/1060011506 Spreading awareness on climate change. Climate change comprises one of the 21st century’s main obstacles to the development around the world. In the current scenario, global warming and climate change have become issues of global significance. It is evidenced by the plethora of campaigns, conferences, researches and reports on the subject matter. http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/general-news/216659-spreading-awareness-on-climate-change.html DROUGHT Businesses get fat rebate checks for water-saving turf replacement. A tractor rumbled over 2 acres of green turf last month at the MillerCoors brewery, its mechanical rake leaving wide swaths of thirsty grass chomped up in its wake. The once-lush knoll, by springtime, will feature a pathway of decomposed granite, a bed of river rocks and a sign encouraging water conservation. For its water-saving efforts, the beer company is scheduled to receive a check for about $187,000 from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through the agency's turf replacement rebate program. DIESEL ACTIVITIES Diesel exhaust and other pollutants heat up planet with darker snow – study. Agriculture is playing a significant role in darkening swaths of northwest American snow, which in turn can speed up its melt, according to a new study funded by U.S. EPA. In what is termed the first large-scale survey of North American snow impurities, researchers from the University of Washington set out to find out what was happening in areas… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/01/12/stories/1060011471 FUELS Is Keystone still necessary as oil, gasoline prices dip? A 50-percent plunge in the price of crude oil, resulting from abundant global oil supplies and cheaper gasoline at the pump, raise critical questions about whether the Keystone XL oil pipeline is still needed or even makes financial sense. Oil prices always have been volatile, and both the pipeline company and the oil refiners… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KEYSTONE_STILL_NEEDED_QA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Oil could drive down ethanol profits, but industry shielded. Roughly 100 grain trucks a day filled with corn continued to flow into the Green Plains ethanol plant in southwest Iowa this week - even as crude oil prices continued to collapse. Oil prices may have dipped below $50 a barrel for the first time since April 2009, but ethanol plants across… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FOOD_AND_FARM_OIL_COLLAPSE_ETHANOL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT U.S. Drivers Start 2015 With Cheapest Gas in Six Years. Bloomberg’s Isaac Arnsdorf and Scarlet Fu examine the oil price projection from Goldman Sachs. They speak in "On The Markets" on "In The Loop.” Drivers paid an average of $2.2021 a gallon for regular gasoline at U.S. pumps last week, the lowest level for this time of year since 2009, according to Lundberg Survey Inc. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-11/u-s-gasoline-plunges-to-2-2021-a-gallon-in-lundberg-survey.html TransCanada Swaps Show Keystone Serves as Oil Drop Buffer. Bonds of TransCanada Corp. are outperforming those of larger rival Enbridge Inc. (ENB) as a court decision boosts speculation it will succeed in building the controversial Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta’s oil sands to the Gulf Coast. Nebraska’s highest court cleared Keystone’s path through the state last week, sending the matter back to the U.S. State Department… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2015-01-12/transcanada-swaps-show-keystone-buffers-oil-drop-canada-credit.html Oil Prices Tumble to Fresh Lows on Oversupply Fears. Major Banks Cut Oil Price Forecasts Further. Oil prices tumbled to fresh lows as major banks continued to slash their forecasts for this year, saying lower prices are needed to reduce global supplies. U.S. oil for February delivery traded down $1.92, or 4%, at $46.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent, the global benchmark, dropped $2.37, or 4.7%, to $47.74 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe. http://www.wsj.com/articles/brent-crude-falls-below-50-in-asian-trading-1421039495?autologin=y New French biodiesel limit could split EU fuels market: oil, car lobbies. France's increased limit on food-based biofuels in transport fuel could raise logistic and supply costs as it threatens to split the European single market for fuels, lobby groups for the car and oil industries said on Monday. The French energy ministry issued a decree on Dec. 31 that raised the maximum level of biofuels in diesel sold at services stations… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/us-france-biodiesel-idUSKBN0KL1P720150112 Pacific Ethanol’s Stockton plant to install cogeneration technology. A 3.5-megawatt cogeneration system is to be added to the Stockton ethanol manufacturing plant owned by Pacific Ethanol Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX) of Sacramento. The $12 million cogeneration system will displace purchased electricity by using Ener-Core Inc.'s (OTCBB: ENCR) gradual oxidizer technology to convert waste gas from ethanol production and natural gas into electricity and steam. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=27524 USDA trims corn crop size in WASDE report, though still a record. USDA lowers its estimation for corn yield in the January supply/demand report by 2.4 bushels per acre, for a national average of 171.0 bushels per acre. A slight increase in harvested acres gains some of that back, but total corn production was dialed back by 191 million bushels – still a record at 14.216 billion bushels from 90.6 million planted acres. http://ethanolproducer.com/articles/11820/usda-trims-corn-crop-size-in-wasde-report-though-still-a-record VEHICLES Volvo to sell Chinese-made cars in US. Volvo Cars, the Chinese-owned Swedish automaker, said Monday it will export cars made in China to the United States, a step forward for Beijing's ambitions to extend the global reach of its auto manufacturing industry. The cars would be exported from Volvo's factories in China, said a Volvo public relations manager, Chen Yu. She said she had no details on when shipments would start or a sales target. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_US_VOLVO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Nissan introduces new Titan pickup with diesel engine. Over the last two years, all three of the nation's best-selling full-size pickups - the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500 - have gotten big redesigns. Now it's the Nissan Titan's turn. The Titan is a tiny player in this space. Last year, Nissan sold 12,527 Titans in the U.S. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AUTO_SHOW_HOT_WHEELS_NISSAN_TITAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT AP Source: GM plans affordable 200-mile electric car in 2017. General Motors plans to start selling an affordable electric car in 2017 that will be able to go 200 miles on a single charge. A person briefed on the matter told The Associated Press that GM plans to start selling a $30,000 battery powered family car called the Chevrolet Bolt sometime in 2017. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GENERAL_MOTORS_ELECTRIC_CAR?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Lake Charles gets new station for electric cars. Electric car company Tesla Motors has opened a new station in western Louisiana where its clients can charge up their vehicles. WWNO radio reports (http://bit.ly/1I8P6ND ) that the company says its new location in Lake Charles will enable drivers of its Model S vehicles to replenish a half charge in 20 minutes. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/10/4323630_lake-charles-gets-new-station.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY UPDATE 1-Debt-laden RWE cuts spend on renewable business. Germany's No.2 utility RWE is cutting back investments in its renewable energy business, under pressure from a crisis in the power sector that has swelled its debt pile to 31 billion euros ($36.7 billion). Having spent 1 billion euros annually on RWE Innogy between 2008 and 2014, RWE said it would invest just 1 billion euros over 2015-2017. http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/rwe-renewables-idINL6N0UR2O320150112 Why 2015 is the Year for Clean Energy in the U.S. and China. With a new year comes new promises and new opportunities – and that also goes for the United States and China, the world’s biggest climate polluters. The good news is both nations appear ready to embrace solar and other renewables, investments that will cement their recent, bilateral agreement to tackle climate change. http://theenergycollective.com/edfenergyex/2179576/why-2015-year-clean-energy-us-and-china MISCELLANEOUS California governor plans big budget with downturn in mind. Ever mindful that the next economic downturn could be right around the corner, Gov. Jerry Brown released a record $113 billion California spending plan on Friday that resists calls for expanding social services and instead dedicates billions for paying down debt and saving for a rainy day. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_BUDGET?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California Arts Council holds drought awareness contest. The California Arts Council is inviting all fourth and fifth grade students in California to participate in a contest that aims to raise awareness of water conservation practices and educate students about the issue of California's drought. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/10/4324324/california-arts-council-holds.html##storylink=cpy OPINIONS America's Going to Lose the Oil Price War. The financial debacle that has befallen Russia as the price of Brent crude dropped 50 percent in the last four months has overshadowed the one that potentially awaits the U.S. shale industry in 2015. It's time to heed it, because Saudi Arabia and other major Middle Eastern oil producers are unlikely to blink and cut output, and the price is now approaching a level where U.S. production will begin shutting down. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-01-12/americas-going-to-lose-the-oil-price-war Will take a lot to divert SLV from burning wood. The San Lorenzo Valley has the worst air in the state? Seriously? Worse than the Central Valley? Improving the air quality in the San Lorenzo Valley is going to take much more than simple legal edicts from bureaucrats residing 90 miles away; many homes in SLV were either built when electricity was inexpensive or outside the natural gas delivery infrastructure. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/20150110/LOCAL1/150119993 BLOGS Linking Carbon Markets To Climate Change. By the end of the century 1,400 cities and towns could be submerged due to rising sea levels caused by climate change, according to a recent study. The impact of climate change is becoming more severe: ice caps are melting, water is becoming scarce in some places, many fish and animal species face extinction, and heat waves are becoming the norm. http://www.forbes.com/sites/statoil/2015/01/12/linking-carbon-markets-to-climate-change/ BREAKING: Chevrolet 'Bolt' Concept 200-Mile Electric Car To Target Tesla: UPDATED. On Monday, General Motors will unveil a concept version of a $30,000 battery-electric vehicle with 200 miles of electric range that will arrive on the market before the planned Tesla Model 3, according to reports. Called the Chevrolet Bolt, the concept is a compact five-door hatchback that uses lithium-ion cells from LG Chem, GM's established battery partner. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096226_breaking-chevrolet-bolt-concept-200-mile-electric-car-to-target-tesla-reports California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.