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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 of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with 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.