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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 7, 2015.
Posted: 07 May 2015 15:10:23
ARB Newsclips for May 7, 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 Greece, other EU strugglers emerge winners from carbon reforms-data. Europe's poorest nations, including heavily indebted Greece, emerge the main winners from a deal to reform the world's biggest carbon market that will raise billions for EU governments, data from Thomson Reuters Point Carbon shows. The European Union on Tuesday reached a preliminary accord to launch on Jan. 1, 2019… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-eu-ets-revenue-idUSKBN0NS16220150507?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews AIR POLLUTION Industry groups object to EPA's review of NO2. Industry organizations are quietly raising concerns that a U.S. EPA draft science review overstates the negative health impacts of exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant emitted by vehicles, power plants and other industrial operations. In public comments to the agency, organizations representing the oil and auto sectors said the draft assessment does not provide enough evidence to strengthen the associations between NO2 exposure… http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060018084/feed Ethanol refinery emissions far exceed estimates -- fed study. Ethanol refineries may emit more air pollution than commonly thought, according to a new study led by researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA team, which also included scientists from NASA and academic institutions, measured the air downwind from an ethanol plant in Illinois... http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2015/05/06/stories/1060018105 CLIMATE CHANGE UN climate chief says technology has changed carbon politics. Technological advances that have reduced prices and improved efficiency of renewable energy have helped transform the politics around climate change since 2009 when an attempt to forge a global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions failed, the U.N. climate chief said Thursday. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_CLIMATE_TALKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-california-drought-brown-idUSKBN0NR2M820150507 http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/UN-climate-chief-says-technology-has-changed-6247825.php A congressional climate change denier's disingenuous defense. As chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is one of the most eminent and influential climate change deniers in Congress. He's also mightily irked that we described his press release announcing his committee's vote on NASA's funding last week as "a model of misdirection and deceit. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-a-congressional-climate-change-deniers-20150506-column.html#page=1 UN climate chief says technological advances have changed politics since Copenhagen failure. Technological advances that have reduced prices and improved efficiency of renewable energy have helped transform the politics around climate change since 2009 when an attempt to forge a global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions crashed in Copenhagen, the United Nations climate chief said Thursday. http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/05/07/un-climate-chief-says-technology-has-changed-carbon-politics Program gets solar power to residents in struggling Fresno neighborhoods. New program uses cap-and-trade money to fund energy efficiency home upgrades. California Environmental Protection Agency ranks many Fresno neighborhoods among the riskiest places to live. Savings will put Salvador Mendoza of southeast Fresno closer to affording expensive medication. http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/06/4513005/fresno-residents-receive-solar.html#storylink=cpy Weather Forecasters Used To Be Among The Country’s Staunchest Climate Deniers. Why That’s Changing Fast. Keah Schuenemann, a meteorology professor at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, has never met an atmospheric or climate scientist who doesn’t agree that most of the planet’s warming over the last century is a result of human activity. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/07/3653307/where-have-all-the-climate-denying-weather-forecasters-gone/ As people flock to cities, Columbia University studies how they adapt to climate change. Cynthia Rosenzweig has worked at NASA for more than 20 years, but she's never seen a black hole quite like this. Something out there is sucking up all the lessons cities are learning as they try to adapt to climate change. It's swallowing whole the reams of documents that show what they tried, what worked and what didn't. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/07/stories/1060018128 DROUGHT California approves new uniform rules for seawater desalination. California water regulators on Wednesday adopted a new uniform permitting process for seawater desalination projects expected to expand in number as the drought-stricken state increasingly turns to the ocean to supplement its drinking supplies. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/06/us-usa-drought-desalination-idUSKBN0NR21J20150506?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews California water districts scramble to deal with ruling on rate tiers. During the last major drought in the early 1990s, Irvine pioneered a different approach for calculating water bills for customers. The city's water agency allocated each customer a certain amount of water and then charged higher rates to those who exceeded it. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-rates-20150507-story.html#page=1 No New Water Cuts for Now. Los Angeles Department of Water & Power customers will not be forced to reduce their water use for now since L.A. officials were able to persuade state regulators to lower the mandated water reductions from 25 percent to 16 percent, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. However, city officials are preparing for new restrictions just in case. http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2015/may/07/no-new-water-cuts-now/ California Gov. Jerry Brown says opponents of his Delta water tunnel proposal should just “shut up.” He spoke to the Association of California Water Agencies in Sacramento Wednesday. One day after the State Water Resources Control Board set mandatory reduction requirements for every local water agency, Brown thanked the agencies for helping California through the drought. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/06/brown-defends-delta-tunnels-project,-agriculture-industry/ http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Brown-says-critics-of-delta-tunnels-should-shut-6247261.php http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/07/stories/1060018149 DIESEL ACTIVITIES Non-automotive diesel in China to meet new quality standards in 2018. Diesel used outside the automotive sector will have meet the "National V" fuel quality standards by January 2018, a year later than automotive fuels, China's powerful central planning authority said on Thursday, as the government continues to battle rampant smog. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-china-fuel-standards-idUSKBN0NS1AN20150507?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews $13.5M in EPA clean diesel grant funding available. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $13.5 million in grant funding to help governments and nonprofit organizations switch to cleaner diesel engines. Local governments, tribal agencies and nonprofits can win grants up to $2.14 million each. Eligible applicants include regional, state, local or tribal agencies… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/05/20150507-epa.html $400k trucks? Overdrive talks to CCTA’s Joe Rajkovacz about impact of emissions regs. A recent decision by a federal court denied the California Construction Trucking Association’s appeal of the EPA’s greenhouse gas standards based on a lack of standing. The CCTA has been at the forefront of challenging EPA regulations on the trucking industry in California and nationally… http://www.overdriveonline.com/qa-cctas-joe-rajkovacz-on-epas-greenhouse-gas-regs/ FUELS The debate over Arctic drilling - what's at stake. Seattle's mayor and environmentalists have vowed to block Royal Dutch Shell PLC from parking two Arctic offshore drilling rigs on Seattle's waterfront, an effort to thwart the new frontier in oil exploration and spark a national debate about fossil fuels and climate change. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING_QA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT In Seattle, 'kayaktivists' take on Arctic oil drilling. Royal Dutch Shell wants to park two massive Arctic oil drilling rigs in Seattle's waterfront - but the petroleum giant will have to get around protesters in kayaks and a mayor determined to take on climate change. The fast-approaching battle with so-called kayaktivists is unfolding in a city well known for embracing environmental causes… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_OFFSHORE_DRILLING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Hawaii enters national debate over future of ethanol in gas. Hawaii lawmakers have put the state at the front of a national discussion over the future of ethanol in gasoline by passing a bill that puts an end to a requirement that the corn-based additive be mixed into fuel sold in the state. The move comes as Congress faces pressure to review a federal mandate that calls for ethanol and other renewables in the nation's fuel supply. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ETHANOL_MANDATE_HAWAII?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Gas prices or economy, experts disagree on what drives U.S. demand. Americans hit the road in record numbers this winter, reigniting a long debate that may determine whether global oil markets hold steady or tumble anew. But many economists and academics are split on whether prices matter when it comes to gasoline demand. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-gasoline-demand-analysis-idUSKBN0NS08B20150507 GAO: Gov't waste of natural gas costing taxpayers millions. Significant amounts of natural gas on federal lands are being wasted, costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year and adding to harmful greenhouse gas emissions, a congressional investigation has found. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office also said the Bureau of Land Management failed to conduct production inspections for hundreds of high-priority oil and gas wells… http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article20356143.html#storylink=cpy Small town evacuated after oil train derails in North Dakota. A BNSF train carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire in North Dakota on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of a nearby small town just days after the United States and Canada announced reforms to improve the safety of such shipments. About 40 residents from the tiny Wells County town of Heimdal were evacuated after 10 tank cars left the rails… http://news.yahoo.com/oil-train-derails-north-dakota-small-town-evacuated-141312163.html Lowey: Ban explosive crude from rail. Moments before U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey was preparing to talk about her latest oil train safety initiative, she received word that a 109-car oil train had derailed in North Dakota, with several of the tank cars exploding and catching fire, leading to the evacuation of a town of about 35 residents. http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2015/05/06/lowey-ban-explosive-crude-oil-trains/70893144/ The Keystone Pipeline Just Lost a Top Washington Advocate. Alberta elections usher in a new leader who says the pipeline is a U.S. domestic issue. The upset election victory by a center-left party in Alberta—the heart of Canada's oil country—may also have eliminated one of the most public faces in the lobbying effort promoting the Keystone XL pipeline. http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/keystone-pipeline-alberta-election-19691231 Is Corn Ethanol Breaking The Law? Corn ethanol may be breaking the law, according to a study from last month, “Cropland Expansion Outpaces Agricultural and Biofuel Policies in the United States.” It appears that corn was caught yellow-handed by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers in a plot with other crops like soy to replace “millions of acres of grasslands.” http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/07/3654392/corn-ethanol-illegal/ Democratic senators go to bat for biodiesel. Seven Democratic senators today plan to call on U.S. EPA to swiftly set robust targets for biodiesel through the renewable fuel standard program. Led by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), the coalition plans to highlight what it calls "extensive and undue burdens" on biodiesel producers and farmers brought on by EPA delays in setting annual targets under the program… http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060018137/feed LUMBER LIQUIDATORS Lumber Liquidators Pulls Chinese-Made Laminate Flooring Amid Safety Concerns. Flooring company also brings on former FBI director Louis Freeh’s firm to review sourcing procedures. Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. is pulling all of its Chinese-made laminate flooring and has brought on a former Federal Bureau of Investigation director to review its sourcing procedures amid widespread concern over the safety of its products. http://www.wsj.com/articles/lumber-liquidators-pulls-chinese-made-laminate-flooring-amid-safety-concerns-1430992801 http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/05/07/lumber-liquidators-suspends-sales-of-chinese-made-flooring/70938868/ VEHICLES Losses Widen at Tesla, but Company Says Production Is on Track. Tesla Motors reported a larger first-quarter loss on Wednesday, but it was still smaller than analysts forecast and the company appeared to be on track for important production milestones. Tesla, a maker of high-end electric cars based in Palo Alto, Calif., said its net losses tripled in the first quarter compared with the previous year, to $154 million. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/07/automobiles/losses-widen-at-tesla-but-company-says-production-is-on-track.html?ref=business&_r=0 Roseville Toyota among first California dealerships to get hydrogen-fueled Mirai cars. Roseville Toyota will be among eight California auto dealerships to receive the automaker’s groundbreaking hydrogen fuel cell vehicle this fall. The Roseville store overseen by longtime local dealer John L. Sullivan’s automotive group will take delivery of the Toyota Mirai in October, the Toyota’s U.S. headquarters said Wednesday. http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article20368926.html#storylink=cpy GREEN ENERGY Huffing and puffing won't blow these straw homes down. A batch of straw houses have gone on sale in the UK - and their manufacturers insist that unlike the home featured in classic nursery rhyme The Three Little Pigs, huffing and puffing will not lead the buildings to blow down. In fact, the architect of the scheme, Professor Pete Walker of the University of Bath, says that using straw in home construction isn't just viable… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/uk-straw-houses-idUSKBN0NS19F20150507 MISCELLANEOUS OPINIONS U.S. refineries run hard to absorb crude glut: Kemp. U.S. refineries are running at near-record levels to turn the glut of crude into gasoline and other refined fuels ahead of the summer driving season. U.S. refineries processed an average of 16.347 million barrels per day (bpd) last week, an increase of almost 250,000 bpd compared with the previous week. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/07/us-usa-oil-refineries-kemp-idUSKBN0NS02U20150507 Editorial: If not this California delta plan, then what? n years of average rainfall, when pumps at the south end of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta lift water to two parallel aqueducts to begin the journey to Central Valley fields and Southern California households, the suction reverses the flow of the San Joaquin River, one of the state's two main freshwater arteries. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-bay-delta-conservation-plan-20150507-story.html Letters: Retailers are stocking too many thirsty plants. I’ve wanted to write this letter for at least six weeks now as that is how long I have been steaming with incredulity regarding the gross stock of landscaping plants being peddled everywhere! Don’t these retailers know we are experiencing an historic drought? Have you seen the plants for sale at Orchard, Home Depot, Costco, at most grocery stores, etc.? http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150506/letters-retailers-are-stocking-too-many-thirsty-plants BLOGS Bank Of America Backs Away From Funding Coal Mining. Bank of America is cutting off its financing for coal extraction projects, the company announced at its shareholder meeting Wednesday. "With regard to coal, over the past several years, we have been gradually and consistently reducing our credit exposure to companies focused on coal mining," said Andrew Plepler, Bank of America's Corporate Social Responsibility executive, at the meeting. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/06/bank-of-america-coal_n_7226830.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green 10 Green Technologies That Could Help Revolutionize Our Changing Planet. In an era of drought, climate change and food shortages, environmental pioneers have joined forces to help tackle some of the world's most pressing issues through technological advancement. Here are 10 burgeoning technologies that have the potential to help revolutionize our planet of consumerism. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/07/green-technology_n_7208264.html?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=WorldPost ‘Aggressive’ New Drought Rules for California: Now Comes the Hard Part. The clock is ticking. After state regulators approved California’s first-ever statewide water restrictions on Tuesday, it’s now up to nearly 3,000 local water agencies, big and small, to make it work. Water agencies throughout California bear the burden of achieving the 25 percent reduction in water use ordered by Governor Jerry Brown on April 1. http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2015/05/06/aggressive-new-drought-rules-for-california-now-comes-the-hard-part/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.