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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for January 15, 2015.
Posted: 15 Jan 2015 12:21:05
ARB Newsclips for January 15, 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 Ontario carbon pricing in the works, finally. After a seven-year delay, the Ontario government is drafting a plan to charge for carbon. The Canadian province committed to carbon pricing in 2008, when it signed the Western Climate Initiative with California, British Columbia and Quebec. The other partners have all implemented either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011705/print Imposing carbon price would spur bioenergy, slash emissions -- MIT study. Bioenergy production would boom and spur steep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions if a global price is slapped on carbon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say in a report released today. Examining bioenergy production under a $15-per-metric-ton carbon price… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060011746/print CLIMATE CHANGE Study: Sea level rise accelerating more than once thought. The world's oceans are now rising far faster than they did in the past, a new study says. The study found that for much of the 20th century - until about 1990 - sea level was about 30 percent less than earlier research had figured. But that's not good news, scientists say, because about 25 years ago the seas started rising faster and the acceleration in 1990… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCI_SEA_LEVEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/science/earth/new-research-may-solve-a-puzzle-in-sea-levels-rise.html Pope on climate change: Man has 'slapped nature in the face'. Pope Francis said Thursday he is convinced that global warming is "mostly" man-made and that he hopes his upcoming encyclical on the environment will encourage negotiators at a climate change meeting in Paris to make "courageous" decisions to protect God's creation. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_REL_POPE_ASIA_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Warm Weather Sinking EU Emissions-Market Plans. Europe’s attempt to revive its carbon market is being thwarted by a lack of pollution. The region’s warmest year in three decades has cut demand for heating, while utilities are generating a record amount of power from renewables and the ailing economy is crimping manufacturing. Electricity producers will need only about a third of the extra carbon permits being sold in 2015… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-14/warm-weather-sinking-eu-emissions-market-plans.html U.K.’s Miliband to Push for Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. U.K. opposition leader Ed Miliband said he’ll push world leaders to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2050 if elected this year. The target proposed by the Labour Party leader means fossil fuels would have to be phased out completely unless technology to trap emissions and pump them permanently underground -- known as carbon capture and storage -- is deployed at sufficient scale. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/u-k-s-miliband-to-push-for-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2050.html Texas, South May Be Cooler Through April While West Warms. Texas and parts of the U.S. South will probably have below-normal temperatures through April, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said in its latest three-month forecast. The western U.S. and Alaska may be warmer than normal, while forecasters cannot get a clear indication of what will happen in the East, the center said today. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/texas-south-may-be-cooler-through-april-while-west-warms.html West Virginia Withdraws Altered Climate Curriculum. West Virginia education officials on Wednesday retreated from an earlier curriculum decision that expressed doubts about widely held views of climate change. The State Board of Education voted 6-to-2 to withdraw its altered version of the Next Generation Science Standards, which were developed by 26 states, including West Virginia. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/us/west-virginia-withdraws-altered-climate-curriculum.html Center for Urban Resilience sees L.A. as laboratory for green solutions. The recent dousings of rain in Los Angeles make it easy to forget that the entire state is still in the grips of a historic drought. But our dwindling water supply is only one of many formidable ecological and social challenges facing California in general and the L.A. region specifically, with its booming population, rising sea levels and ever-hotter temperatures caused by global warming. http://www.latimes.com/brandpublishing/localplus/lmu/la-ss-lmu2015-cures-dto-story.html U.S. cities lag behind others in the world in meeting the challenge of sea-level rise. In December, residents in Marin, a county in the northern part of the San Francisco Bay Area nestled across from the Golden Gate Bridge, woke up to find that some of their roadways, docks and parking lots were underwater. Unlike in past years, when the king tides… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011703/print DROUGHT California Drought Outlook Extends at Least Into April. Most of California will still be in drought in April even though conditions will probably improve across the southern part of the state, according to the latest forecast from the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. Seasonal rains and the potential for a weak El Nino forming in the equatorial Pacific have increased the chances for the drought to ease in southern California as it persists or gets worse in the central and northern areas… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/california-drought-outlook-extends-at-least-into-april.html FUELS 5 things to know about Obama's next climate move: methane. The Obama administration on Wednesday announced its latest move to combat global warming, this time trying to rein in heat-trapping methane gas that escapes from oil and gas fields. The plan relies on voluntary steps and new rules to reduce leaks from oil and gas production by 40 percent to 45 percent over the next decade. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_METHANE_5_THINGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/14/us/politics/ap-us-obama-methane-5-things.html?_r=0 Wholesale Prices in U.S. Fall by Most in Three Years on Fuel. Wholesale prices in the U.S. declined in December by the most in three years, showing little sign that inflation’s bubbling up amid plunging energy costs. The 0.3 percent decrease in the producer-price index was the biggest since October 2011 and followed a 0.2 percent drop the prior month, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/wholesale-prices-in-u-s-fall-by-most-in-three-years-on-fuel.html Obama's move to cut methane emissions may hinge on the economy. Obama administration plans to slash methane emissions to combat global warming Energy industry objects, but environmental activist says Obama isn't doing enough. As President Obama tries to build an enduring legacy on climate change… http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-methane-rules-20150113-story.html California fracking hasn’t unearthed an oil boom. About 20 percent of California’s oil and natural-gas production uses hydraulic fracturing — with almost all of it happening in one corner of the San Joaquin Valley — according to the most authoritative survey yet released of fracking in the Golden State. Oil companies frack 125 to 175 of the roughly 300 wells drilled in California each month… http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/20-of-California-s-oil-natural-gas-comes-from-6016176.php Enzyme Could Create Biofuels 14 Times Faster than Current Methods. Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed an enzyme that could change the economics of biofuel conversion by converting biomass to sugars up to 14 times faster and much cheaper than competing catalysts in enzyme cocktails today. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2015/01/enzyme-could-create-bioenergy-14-times-faster-than-current-methods New methane rules fuel oil and gas split over existing infrastructure. The Obama administration's decision yesterday to regulate methane emissions from oil and gas wells revealed a split within the industry as four production companies broke ranks from the American Petroleum Institute and supported the regulations. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011721/print Fracking can be done safely, report says; green groups howl. Hydraulic fracturing in California can be done safely, the state said yesterday as it released a draft environmental study on unconventional drilling. The California Department of Conservation issued its preliminary environmental impact report required under S.B. 4, the state's law that mandated the first-ever rules for unconventional drilling. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060011725/print VEHICLES Electric-car Rivals Like the ‘Tesla Killer’ Are Exactly What Elon Musk Wants. Tesla Motors' billionaire chief executive Elon Musk walked into the enemy territory of Detroit this week with the electric-car maker quickly losing charge. Chevrolet's all-electric Bolt, which some called a "Tesla killer," promised a mass-market rollout matching what Tesla's future cars would offer and cost. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-14/electric-car-rivals-like-the-tesla-killer-are-exactly-what-elon-musk-wants.html GREEN ENERGY US pushes Bulgaria on energy dependence, corruption. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Bulgaria on Thursday to wean itself from its near-total dependence on Russia for energy and calling for the NATO member to boost anti-corruption efforts. In meetings with Bulgaria's president, prime minister and foreign minister on Thursday in Sofia, Kerry said he had spent a "significant amount of time" discussing ideas for diversifying their energy supply. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UNITED_STATES_BULGARIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/kerry-pressing-bulgaria-to-end-its-dependence-on-russian-energy.html http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/15/world/europe/ap-eu-united-states-bulgaria.html Pemex Alumni Ready to Profit From Oil Opening: Corporate Mexico. For former executives of Petroleos Mexicanos, the opening of Mexico’s state-controlled energy industry is an invitation to profits. “Our role is to support national or foreign companies to help them in their process of growth for energy projects,” Jesus Reyes Heroles, Pemex’s former chief executive officer who now oversees energy development company EnergeA… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/pemex-alumni-ready-to-profit-from-oil-opening-corporate-mexico.html Dubai Doubles Power-Plant Size to Make Cheapest Solar Energy. Dubai’s government-owned utility plans to double the size of a solar power project that it expects will produce some of the world’s cheapest electricity. Dubai Electricity & Water Authority awarded a contract to build the 200-megawatt plant to a group led by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power International. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-15/dubai-doubles-size-of-solar-plant-to-make-world-s-cheapest-power.html Brooklyn Waterfront Is Fertile Ground for City’s First Large-Scale Wind Turbine. Modern-day Don Quixotes looking to tilt at wind turbines can see their latest fearsome foe from far and wide: Lower Manhattan; Red Hook, Brooklyn; or the Gowanus Expressway. In less than a month of operation, the first large-scale wind turbine to be installed in New York City, standing more than 160 feet tall, has produced enough energy to power two homes for over a year… http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/nyregion/brooklyn-waterfront-is-fertile-ground-for-citys-first-large-scale-wind-turbine.html Merkel Dashes Loss-Making Power Plants' Aid Hopes. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she did not support proposed payments to loss-making coal and gas-fired power stations in Germany, dashing ailing conventional power generators' hopes of receiving cash. Utilities such as RWE and E.ON desperately want government help through the creation of a "capacity market" to fund their otherwise unprofitable gas and coal-fired plants… http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/01/15/business/15reuters-germany-power-merkel.html Homes with rooftop solar sell at a premium, study finds. Homes equipped with rooftop solar panels are often worth thousands of dollars more in resale than similar properties without solar, according to new Energy Department research. The study, led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories alongside experts from academia and the real estate industry… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060011710/print U.S. now employs more solar installers than coal miners – study. A survey released today claims that the solar industry's galloping growth is having a significant impact on employment, representing almost 1.3 percent of all new U.S. jobs created last year. The study by the Solar Foundation triumphantly notes that the United States now employs more people installing solar systems (97,031) than it does mining coal (93,185). http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060011711/print OPINIONS We burn 2.7 million gallons a minute, so why's oil so cheap? The world burns enough oil-derived fuels to drain an Olympic-sized swimming pool four times every minute. Global consumption has never been higher - and is rising. Yet the price of a barrel of oil has fallen by more than half over the past six months because the globe, experts say, is awash in oil. So, where did all this oil come from? http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WHERE_DID_ALL_THIS_OIL_COME_FROM?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Obama targets methane. What is it? Why does it matter? To combat climate change, the Obama administration is targeting methane – a greenhouse gas that's less prevalent but more potent than carbon dioxide. The oil and gas industry is already trying to stop leaks, though, and argues more regulation would be cumbersome. Add methane reduction to President Obama’s expanding portfolio of climate change initiatives. http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0114/Obama-targets-methane.-What-is-it-Why-does-it-matter Obama targets oil and gas industry, demands massive reduction in methane emissions. Once again placing himself firmly on the side of environmentalists and opposite the oil and gas industry, President Obama on Wednesday rolled out long-awaited regulations to dramatically cut methane emissions over the next decade. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/14/obama-hits-oil-and-gas-industry-demands-massive-re/#ixzz3OucrzQMb BLOGS Behind Obama’s greenhouse emissions math. When you’re setting goals for combatting climate change, a lot depends on when you start. The White House announced Wednesday new rules on methane, the primary component in the massive amounts of natural gas that the country produces. The administration’s goal is to cut methane emissions by 45 percent by 2025, based on the emissions level in 2012. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/01/15/behind-obamas-greenhouse-emissions-math/ Report: CA Cap-and-Trade Program Is Up to Snuff. The Environmental Defense Fund released a report this morning that says the second year of California’s cap-and-trade program is a success on several fronts. The report, “Carbon Market California Year Two” [PDF], follows up on its first-year report by analyzing results from the 2013-14 cap-and-trade program. http://la.streetsblog.org/2015/01/14/report-ca-cap-and-trade-program-is-up-to-snuff/ California’s Cap and Trade is Succeeding after Two Years, Report Says. These days, everyone seems to have an opinion about everything. The ubiquity of social media channels has saturated public discourse with so many viewpoints that it can be nearly impossible to distinguish facts from fiction. But facts still matter. http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/2015/01/14/californias-cap-and-trade-is-succeeding-after-two-years-report-says/ Almost All of Canada Will Soon Price Carbon. Believe it or not, more than 80% of Canada's economy will soon have a price on carbon. That's because Ontario announced it will price carbon, joining Quebec and British Columbia. Ontario, where 40% of Canada's population lives, will release a strategy later this year, says its Energy Minister. Even Alberta, land of tar sands, has a small carbon tax of C$1.80 per ton (BC's is C$30 a ton). http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26098 New South Korea Cap-And-Trade Market Becomes World’s Second-Largest. On Monday (January 12, 2015), a new South Korea cap-and-trade market opened on the Korea Exchange. This carbon trading scheme is now the second biggest in the world, behind only the European Union’s, until China’s national market revs up in 2020. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/01/14/new-south-korea-cap-and-trade-market/ Higher gasoline taxes? Think again. Americans pay an average motor-fuel tax around $0.50 per gallon. Of this, $0.184 goes to Washington, D.C., with the balance going to states and localities. One would think that a 25 percent retail gas tax is stiff enough, particularly considering that six months ago the levy was half as much, percentage-wise. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/229395-higher-gasoline-taxes-think-again EPA actually asking if we want stronger smog health standards. Smog: It hovers over our cities and communities, putting our health at risk. It is linked to heart attacks, asthma attacks, and premature death – and more than one out of three Americans is at increased risk just because of the air their breathing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a proposal to update these standards, and by 2025, it would prevent up to: http://www.examiner.com/article/epa-actually-asking-if-we-want-stronger-smog-health-standards $36.6B In Green Bonds Issued Last Year. Growth in the green bond market is on an upward spiral. That’s according to a report from Climate Bonds Initiative, a London-based nonprofit. Specifically, 35 organizations in 2014 issued $36.6 billion in green bonds, more than triple the amount in 2013. That brings the total amount of outstanding green bonds to $53.2 billion. http://www.forbes.com/sites/annefield/2015/01/15/36-6b-in-green-bonds-issued-last-year/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.