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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 6, 2015.

Posted: 06 May 2015 14:01:40
ARB Newsclips for May 6, 2015. 

This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
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individual websites to view some of the following news articles.

CAP AND TRADE

EU Agrees to Overhaul Carbon-Trading System.  Bloc to create
market-stability reserve in effort to stabilize price of emitting
carbon dioxide. The European Union agreed Tuesday to create a
stabilization mechanism for its emissions-trading system in an
effort to push up the cost of releasing carbon dioxide into the
air and encourage investment in low-carbon technologies.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-agrees-to-overhaul-carbon-trading-system-1430847318?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION


European companies close to exhausting cheap U.N. carbon credits.
European companies have used almost all of their quotas of cheap
U.N. carbon credits to reduce emissions costs under the EU
Emissions Trading System (ETS), which is likely to push up their
compliance costs in later years, analysts said on Tuesday. The
ETS is the bloc's flagship policy to cut greenhouse gas
emissions…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/05/europe-carbontrading-offsets-idUSL5N0XW4CK20150505


AIR POLLUTION

Capitol Readies Senate Legislation to Block Proposed Clean Power
Plan Implementation.  Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) plans
to introduce a bill the week of May 11 to block implementation of
the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Clean Power Plan.
“Next week I will be introducing greenhouse gas legislation with
my colleagues that will preserve the proper balance of state and
federal authority, help ensure reliable and affordable
electricity and protect jobs…
http://www.bna.com/capito-readies-senate-n17179926174/ 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy-producing states blast Obama climate change plan. The
Obama administration's far-reaching plan to address climate
change would cause job losses and lead to higher electricity
prices and even power outages, attorneys general from two
energy-producing states said Tuesday.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_EPA_COAL_RULES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

IEA Says Developing Countries Will Bear Brunt of Energy-Related
Greenhouse Gas Cuts. Three-quarters of the energy-related
greenhouse gas emissions cuts needed by mid-century to avoid a
worst-case-scenario spike in global temperatures must come from
the world's emerging economies, the International Energy Agency
reports. But advanced countries must help developing nations
create and deploy energy technologies as part of a “concerted
global push” to cut…
http://www.bna.com/iea-says-developing-n17179926173/ 

Transportation, Buildings Hold Key to Calif. Climate Goals.
California has adopted a new climate target that aims to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions,  partly by expanding the use of wind,
solar and other renewables.  But the expansion of clean energy in
California isn’t meaningful without an emphasis on the energy
efficiency of homes and other buildings, electrifying vehicles
across much of the transportation system…
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/cars-buildings-key-to-california-climate-goals-18961


 A Global Milestone: CO2 Passes 400 PPM.  Another month, another
carbon dioxide record. This time the record extends beyond the
rocky slopes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, home to the most storied
carbon dioxide record, and includes 39 other sites around the
globe to paint a troubling picture of a greenhouse gas rise with
no signs of slowing down.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/co2-400-ppm-global-record-18965

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/politics-government/article20348169.html#storylink=cpy


Pollen's surprising effect on clouds could influence climate
models – study. Spring and summer surges of pollen may have
consequences for clouds, and thereby climate, researchers have
found. The grains of genetic material that plants use to
reproduce can seed clouds as they fracture, adding another
confounding variable to global climate models.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/06/stories/1060018056 

DROUGHT

Nowhere Is Safe From California Drought—Not Even Beverly Hills.
City is one of many ordered to cut its water consumption by 36%.
This enclave of movie-star glamour, famous for its tree-lined
boulevards and manicured yards, is starting to turn heads for
another reason: dying grass and ripped-out lawns. Beverly Hills
has been identified by state officials as one of California’s
biggest urban water guzzlers and…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/nowhere-is-safe-from-california-droughtnot-even-beverly-hills-1430839422


Animals in the wild are dying for a drink in the drought-stricken
West. For the giant kangaroo rat, death by nature is normally
swift and dramatic: a hopeless dash for safety followed by a
blood-curdling squeak as their bellies are torn open by eagles,
foxes, bobcats and owls. They’re not supposed to die the way they
are today — emaciated and starved…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/animals-in-the-wild-are-dying-for-a-drink-in-the-drought-stricken-west/2015/05/06/260312aa-eac6-11e4-9767-6276fc9b0ada_story.html


Drought kills 12 million trees in California's national forests.
Rangers in the San Bernardino National Forest call them “red
trees.” Instead of the typical deep green color, large swaths of
pine trees now don hues of death, their dehydrated needles
turning brown and burnt-red because of the state’s worsening
drought.“ Unlike back East, where you have fall colors, here it’s
because the trees are dying…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-trees-dying-california-drought-20150505-story.html


Emergency 25% cut in California cities' water use approved. State
data released Tuesday painted a stark portrait of the uphill
struggle Californians face in achieving a mandated 25% reduction
in urban water use, with one official joking grimly that dealing
with severe drought was similar to grappling with the five stages
of grief. Cumulative water savings since last summer totaled only
8.6%, according to the State Water Resources Control Board…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-regulations-20150504-story.html#page=1
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article20277303.html
 
http://www.pe.com/articles/water-766541-conservation-percent.html

http://www.kfdm.com/shared/news/top-stories/stories/kfdm_vid_15844.shtml

http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/california-adopts-unprecedented-water-restrictions-to-cope-with-drought-1.10393306

http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/05/california-water-regulators-set-to-adopt-new-conservation-rules/


Drought: For these entrepreneurs, the drier it gets the more
their businesses thrive. As state and local leaders work to meet
Gov. Jerry Brown's mandated 25 percent cut in urban water use,
they've told California residents to, first and foremost, cut
back on watering the yard. Most local water districts, including
L.A.'s Department of Water and Power, have, so far, limited their
restrictions to outdoor water use.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/06/51461/drought-for-these-entrepreneurs-the-drier-it-gets/


Despite drought, Twain Harte Lake is being partially filled. Some
residents angered, asked to reduce water usage.  Last year, a
crack in a dam forced the Twain Harte Lake Association to drain
the lake to repair the damage. The fix took place, but the
drought has made it difficult to get any water from the normal
sources that fill the lake, including run-off from other lakes or
drain water from storms.
http://www.kcra.com/news/despite-drought-twain-harte-lake-is-being-partially-filled/32833516


FUELS

Carbon-Capture Technology to Make Fossil Fuels Cleaner Faces
Uncertain Future. As projects begin operating, high costs and
fading government support may limit how far the process spreads.
After years of wrestling with technical challenges, a process
that makes fossil-fuel power a lot cleaner is finally getting a
rollout on a large scale. But does it have a future? The
technology—carbon capture and storage…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/carbon-capture-technology-to-make-fossil-fuels-cleaner-faces-uncertain-future-1430881491?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE


Ventless Fireplaces Burn Alternative Fuels: Bio-Ethanol,
Isopropyl Alcohol. Bans on wood-burning fireplaces spark growing
interest in smoke-free alternatives. At 52 Lispenard Street, a
new development in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, buyers
paying anywhere from $6.65 million to $11 million for a condo can
expect a gourmet kitchen, heated floors in the master bath and a
walk-in dressing room.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/ventless-fireplaces-burn-alternative-fuels-bio-ethanol-isopropyl-alcohol-1430841055?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION
 

Safety Rules Give Eight Years for Ethanol Tank Car Upgrades. U.S.
regulation extends timetable from three years in earlier proposal
after questions raised on capacity for retrofits. The decade-long
schedule devised by government regulators to improve the
crashworthiness of railroad tank cars allows the ethanol industry
eight years to upgrade its car fleet.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/safety-rules-give-eight-years-for-ethanol-tank-car-upgrades-1430928629?KEYWORDS=ETHANOL


Left-Leaning Party Sweeps to Power in Canada’s Oil-Rich Alberta.
Alberta New Democratic Party wants to raise corporate taxes,
increase oil and gas royalties. The longtime ruling party of
Canada’s energy-rich Alberta province lost its four-decade hold
on power on Tuesday, ushering in a left-leaning government that
has pledged to raise corporate taxes and increase oil and gas
royalties.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/left-leaning-party-sweeps-to-power-in-canadas-oil-rich-alberta-1430883613


Energy rich US states move to quash local limits on drilling.
Lawmakers in Texas and energy producing states across the nation
are rushing to stop local communities from imposing limits on oil
and gas drilling despite growing public concern about the health
and environmental toll of such activities in urban areas. The
slump in oil prices that has led to job losses in the oil patch…
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/energy-rich-us-states-move-to-quash-local-limits-on-drilling/ar-BBjesXe


Flawed methane monitor underestimates leaks at oil and gas sites.
A popular scientific instrument used to measure methane leaks
from oil and gas operations severely underestimates emissions
under certain conditions, a preliminary study found. The results
could have major implications for federal policies as the Obama
administration moves to regulate methane from the natural gas
industry.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article20327256.html#storylink=cpy


VEHICLES

Toyota’s fuel-cell Mirai to hit 3 Bay Area dealerships this fall.
California has become the epicenter of electric-car culture in
the United States. Now, Toyota is betting that the state’s
eco-conscious drivers will embrace cars running on hydrogen. The
Japanese automaker will announce Wednesday that eight of its
California dealerships — including three in the Bay Area — will
be the nation’s first to offer the Mirai fuel-cell vehicle.
Deliveries are expected to begin in October.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Toyota-s-fuel-cell-Mirai-to-hit-3-Bay-Area-6246046.php

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150506-mirai.html 

Fuel cells or 'fools' cells'? The question becomes a serious
issue for automakers. In their efforts to expand a market of
clean cars that use inexpensive fuels, auto industry leaders have
been blunt about rival technologies. The volleys between the
electric and fuel-cell wings of the industry, both muscling for
territory in a competitive space, have been particularly bitter.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/06/stories/1060018060 

GREEN ENERGY

Environmentalists sue over theme park's solar farm plans.
Environmental groups have filed suit over a New Jersey theme
park's plans to cut nearly 19,000 trees to build a 90-acre solar
farm. The groups claim Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson is
violating the state's municipal land use law. They say the plan
would be harmful to the Barnegat Bay watershed.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_THEME_PARK_SOLAR_LAWSUIT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Tesla's New Battery Doesn't Work That Well With Solar. Even Elon
Musk's SolarCity, the biggest supplier in the U.S., isn't ready
to install Tesla's home battery for daily users. Tesla Chief
Executive Elon Musk introduced a new family of batteries designed
to stretch the solar-power revolution into its next phase.
There's just one problem: Tesla's new battery doesn't work well
with rooftop solar—at least not yet.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-06/tesla-s-new-battery-doesn-t-work-that-well-with-solar


The Path From Coal to Renewable Energy Can Be Difficult. On a
Navajo reservation, the effort to replace lost coal jobs proves
daunting. For the past decade, the Navajo reservation here has
struggled to navigate the change from coal to green power. It’s
still struggling. The effort began when environmental activists
filed a federal lawsuit that helped result in the closure of a
nearby coal plant, which ended up costing many Navajos their
jobs.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-path-from-coal-to-renewable-energy-can-be-difficult-1430881487?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION


IPOs Bring Fresh Wind for Green Investing. Dividends and
inexpensive capital are the appeal in renewable-energy spinoffs.
Companies that build wind and solar farms are spinning off some
of their renewable-power projects into stand-alone companies,
creating a new avenue for green investing. Renewable-energy
developers such as NextEra Energy Inc., SunEdison Inc…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/ipos-bring-fresh-wind-for-green-investing-1430881499?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE


MIT experts say 'any serious plan' to curb climate change
requires 'massive expansion' of solar energy by 2050. Solar
energy provides the best path to producing low-carbon energy at a
global scale, but its growth is strongly linked to society's
ability to drive down costs and improve deployment of solar
technologies to make the energy source a "compelling economic
option."
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/06/stories/1060018042 

World's largest fuel cell park proposed for Beacon Falls. A
Connecticut energy company wants to build the world's largest
fuel cell park in Beacon Falls. CT Energy & Technology, a
subsidiary of O&G Industries, is seeking approval for a
66.3-megawatt fuel cell facility on the site of a 24-acre gravel
pit owned by O&G.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/06/4511977_worlds-largest-fuel-cell-park.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy


MISCELLANEOUS

Reality Check: Are California's Carbon Emissions Goals
Attainable? California Governor Jerry Brown announced last week a
new plan for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. The
executive order calls on the Golden State to decrease carbon
emission rates by 40 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2030.
“http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Reality-Check-Are-Californias-Carbon-Emissions-Goals-Attainable-302508541.html


Move to slash budgets for clean air, clean energy and climate
change planning called 'totally backwards' by critics.  American
lawmakers passed a bill last week that slashes funding for
renewable energy, limits the federal government's ability to
protect clean water, and prohibits agencies from planning for
future climate impacts on infrastructure and military facilities.
But it may prove only symbolic.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/06052015/pollute-will-bill-enjoys-widespread-support-house-republicans


OPINIONS

Why the World’s Appetite for Oil Will Peak Soon. The conventional
wisdom about steadily rising demand is wrong. Within two decades,
global oil use will start to fall. When it comes to oil demand,
the conventional wisdom is clear: Population growth and a rising
global middle class guarantee that demand—and prices—will rise
over the coming decades.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-worlds-appetite-for-oil-will-peak-soon-1430881507?KEYWORDS=AIR+POLLUTION


Legislation would provide relief. Re “Don’t let special interests
dictate state water policy” (Viewpoints, May 1): Peter Gleick is
wrong about the efforts to develop legislation to provide relief
for Californians suffering from this historic drought. Since the
beginning of the year, my staff and I have held meetings and
numerous discussions with fishermen, environmental groups, state
and federal regulatory agencies, farmers, water districts…
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article20286555.html#storylink=cpy


On World Asthma Day, the air is the problem: Guest commentary.
For months now, my 3-year-old niece has struggled to play without
weariness of breath, and her doctor is now monitoring her for
asthma. I can’t help but wonder if her life would be different if
she didn’t live in the Inland Empire, which has been identified
as having some of the worst air quality in the nation.
http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150505/on-world-asthma-day-the-air-is-the-problem-guest-commentary


Improved cookstoves offer more than reduced carbon emissions. It
is 10.30 am on a sunny Thursday and our one hour journey from
Kenya’s capital Nairobi to Thika brings us to the backyard of a
technical training institution where Kenneth Ndua, the founder of
Stamp Investments is having tea with his nine employees – two
women and seven men. The team has been trained to assemble
cookstoves that are fuel efficient and that reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, particularly black carbon.
http://www.trust.org/item/20150506161442-fr0ci/?source=search 

Thomas L. Friedman: Germany, the green superpower. A week at the
American Academy in Berlin leaves me with two contradictory
feelings: One is that Germany today deserves a Nobel Peace Prize,
and the other is that Germany tomorrow will have to overcome its
deeply ingrained post-World War II pacifism and become a more
serious, activist global power. And I say both as a compliment.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article20341989.html#storylink=cpy


EDITORIAL: Show no mercy to 'coal-rolling' scofflaws. Whatever
happened to bumper stickers as a form of in-your-face political
protest? Owners of modified diesel pickup trucks known as "coal
rollers" have elevated this form of expression by belching black,
sooty smoke -- on demand, a neat trick -- at anyone who shows up
on their radar as a clean-air nerd. Drivers of hybrid cars,
bicyclists and pedestrians…
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/05/editorial_show_no_mercy_to_coa.html

Don't ignore climate change. Jay Ambrose is dismissive of climate
science and has no place in a discussion of drought and climate
change ("Extreme environmentalism is to blame in state's
drought," April 23). Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists
are convinced, based on the evidence, that human-caused global
warming is happening. There is no legitimate question about the
extent of the warming danger.
http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/letters/x510438477/Dont-ignore-climate-change


BLOGS

How Climate Change Will Affect Infrastructure Needs. KATE GORDON:
Here’s one issue that’s sure to be part of every 2016 candidate’s
policy agenda: infrastructure. With an estimated $3.6 trillion
needed to fix America’s ailing roads, transit systems, waterways,
and sewage plants—and with everyone from big business to labor to
community activists supporting some kind of infrastructure plan…
http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/05/06/how-climate-change-will-affect-infrastructure-needs/?KEYWORDS=CLIMATE+CHANGE


Let’s Embrace Natural Gas as a Transition Fuel. TODD MYERS: The
Obama administration’s energy policy goal has been to leap from a
high-carbon economy to a low-carbon economy. To that end, it
adopted rules that virtually rule out new coal energy generation
and discourage natural-gas production, such as the president’s
opposition to the Keystone pipeline.
http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/05/06/lets-embrace-natural-gas-as-a-transition-fuel/?KEYWORDS=EMISSIONS


Air pollution from cars and trucks could be spreading 3x farther
than previously thought. Air pollution is a big deal. It kills
more people globally than AIDS and malaria combined, it affects
how your kids' lungs develop permanently, and urban air is
getting so dirty, 7 out of 8 people breathe air that fails to
meet WHO safe levels. The more we learn, the more problems we
find.
http://www.treehugger.com/health/air-pollution-cars-and-trucks-could-be-spreading-3x-farther-previously-thought.html


Fighting for the Right to Breathe in Detroit and Beyond. The
following guest post is an open letter to Detroit-based utility
company DTE Energy, which is having its annual shareholder
meeting this week. The letter was authored by Alicia Winters, a
mother and community leader in River Rouge, Michigan, home to one
of the DTE coal plants that contribute 85 percent of the sulfur
dioxide pollution in Wayne County…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/fighting-for-the-right-to_b_7223384.html


'Climate Anger:' Last Refuge Of The Alarmists. For purveyors of
climate alarm, emotional displays of intolerance are increasingly
crowding out reasoned argument. But such narrow-mindedness toward
the loyal opposition — and its dedication to improving the state
of the world — is a recipe for further marginalization and
frustration. Remember the adage: “Hate hurts the hater more than
the hated.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertbradley/2015/05/06/climate-anger-last-refuge-of-the-alarmists/


The Companies With The Most Climate-Altering Carbon In Their
Business Plans. Big surprise: the world's biggest coal, oil, and
gas companies could singlehandedly put us five times over the
limit of safe CO2 emissions. For the world to stay within
relatively safe limits of climate change, we need to keep
temperature increases at no more than two degrees centigrade
above pre-industrial levels.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3045310/the-companies-with-the-most-climate-altering-carbon-in-their-business-plans


Is Audi's Carbon-Neutral Diesel a Game-Changer? Occasionally I am
deluged with inquiries about a particular news story. That
happened this week. As the inquiries mounted, I decided I better
address the story. After I saw one more gushing, uncritical
report on CNN, I knew a reality check was in order. Recently
German car manufacturer Audi announced they can economically
produce carbon-neutral automotive fuel from ingredients found in
the atmosphere:
http://theenergycollective.com/robertrapier/2223441/audi-s-carbon-neutral-diesel-game-changer




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

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