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CAP AND TRADE

Air Resources Board holds 11th cap-and-trade carbon auction.  The
California Air Resources Board held its second quarterly carbon
auction related to its cap-and-trade program Thursday, and the
eleventh auction since the program began in late 2012.  The
governments of California and Quebec jointly held the auction,
which relinquished about 77 million carbon credits for private
buyers. Each credit is worth 1 metric ton of allowable carbon
dioxide.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/energy-inc/2015/05/air-resources-board-holds-11th-cap-and-trade.html


UN CLIMATE TALKS

Total hosts climate talks with big oil companies.  French oil
major Total is hosting a meeting of the world's biggest oil
companies over the sector's action plan ahead of U.N. climate
talks in Paris at the end of the year. Officials from Royal Dutch
Shell, Saudi Aramco, Norway's Statoil, BG Group and Italy's Eni
are in Paris to "work on an initiative" highlighting the oil &
gas sector's position in the global debate on climate change,
several company and industry sources said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/us-total-climate-idUSKBN0O71BS20150522


AIR POLLUTION

Beijing promises coal-free power by 2017 to fight pollution. 
Beijing will build four gas-fired power and heating plants by
next year and shut the last of its coal-fired generators by 2017
as part of its campaign against hazardous air pollution,
officials said. However, while progress has been made in cutting
major pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, China's sprawling
capital will still need many years to bring smog down to
acceptable levels as the authorities struggle to find alternative
energy supplies.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/us-china-pollution-beijing-idUSKBN0O70V920150522


Study Finds Possible Association Between Autism and Air
Pollution.  Research suggests that early exposure to air
pollution may have wide-ranging negative effects.  A new study
from the University of Pittsburgh suggests that exposure to fine
particulate air pollution from pregnancy up and through the first
two years of childhood may be linked with developing autism
spectrum disorder (ASD).
http://time.com/3893669/air-pollution-autism-research-health/ 

BVRLA welcomes agreement on ‘real world’ air pollution test. The
European Union has come a step closer to introducing ‘real world’
air pollution tests for cars and vans  after agreeing a more
accurate procedure for measuring driving emissions. The BVRLA has
welcomed the agreement and looks forward to the new ‘on the road’
tests for NOx emissions being introduced in 2017 alongside a more
accurate CO2 emission test cycle.
http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/manufacturer-news/2015/05/22/bvrla-welcomes-agreement-on-real-world-air-pollution-test
 

Fireplaces targeted for air pollution concerns. To combat air
pollution from wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, the Bay Area
Air Quality Management District is proposing a rule that would
legislate fireplaces and strengthen existing ordinances in order
to phase out wood burning for heat in the Bay Area. Designed to
eliminate every wood-burning fireplace within 30 years, the
proposal, which will be submitted for vote early June, would have
exemptions for households that only have wood as a heat source. 
http://www.petaluma360.com/news/3920399-181/fireplaces-targeted-for-air-pollution


Biomass fire may burn thru Saturday.  Efforts to extinguish the
biomass fire in Tracy that is making air quality poor in Lathrop,
Manteca and Ripon are continuing with officials hoping to have it
out by Saturday. Tracy Fire Department on Sunday responded to a
fire at Agra Marketing, LLC located the corner of South Tracy
Boulevard and Sugar Road.
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/140/article/124212/ 

CLIMATE CHANGE

UN climate fund gears up to deploy cash after Japan inks pledge.
The U.N.'s Green Climate Fund can start deciding where to deploy
its cash following the signing of an agreement with the Japanese
government that means it will have enough money to begin
operating. The new fund for international climate finance needed
to convert half of the $9.35 billion pledges made for its first
pledging conference last November into firm contribution
agreements to become effective.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/climate-change-finance-idUKL5N0YC40220150521?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews

Kerry Says Energy Industry Will Decide Climate Battle.  The
energy industry will determine whether the climate can be fixed,
according to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Energy and
related companies can create jobs, wealth and improved health and
security for people by meeting their environmental
responsibilities, Kerry said in a video message for executives at
a climate and business conference in Paris.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-21/kerry-says-energy-industry-will-decide-climate-battle


More than 2,000 companies call for lowering emissions using a
price on CO2. International business leaders meeting at a two-day
summit here have called on governments to sign a global climate
deal that leads to net-zero emissions. Their statement was signed
by more than 2,000 companies. Leading with science-based targets,
the U.N.-backed initiative, bringing together major companies
from around the world and from all sectors, sought to chart a
low-carbon pathway. It would be built on the belief that a
sufficiently high carbon price -- imposed either through trading
systems or taxes -- can tap the innovation of industry and the
capital of banks to focus on climate change solutions.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/22/stories/1060018992 

Shareholder Pressure Increasing Over Climate Change Risks. 
Energy companies are facing increased scrutiny over their carbon
emissions as pension funds worth billions grow anxious about the
risks posed by climate change. Philippe Desfosses, chief
executive officer of ERAFP, a pension fund for French civil
servants, warned of the risks posed by rising sea levels and
warming temperatures at a business and climate conference in
Paris that finishes Friday.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-21/shareholders-pressure-increasing-over-climate-change-risks


DROUGHT

Mandatory usage cuts loom even for those with senior water
rights. In the 1976-77 drought, the state ordered growers with
some of the oldest water rights in California to stop pumping
from many rivers and streams. Now, in a sign of the spreading
pain of another punishing drought, regulators are preparing to do
the same thing. The State Water Resources Control Board halted
diversions last summer by many so-called junior rights holders…
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-water-rights-20150522-story.html


Texas, Oklahoma Drought ‘All But Over’. While the Western drought
has its claws firmly dug in, the nearly five-year drought that
has gripped Oklahoma and Texas is on its last legs, thanks to
recent torrents of rain, government climate scientists said
Thursday. “I think the Texas drought is pretty much all but
over,” Victor Murphy, climate services program manager for the
National Weather Service’s Southern Region, said during a press
teleconference.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/texas-oklahoma-drought-over-19017

 
SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL

Oil Again Fouling California Coast Near Site of Historic Spill. 
Refugio State Beach is one of the treasures of the California
coast, a little-known curve of beach in the hills that on
weekends like this one — Memorial Day — would be sprinkled with
people who made their way up from Santa Barbara, about 20 miles
down the Pacific Coast. But not on Thursday. Refugio was filled
not with vacationers, but with teams of workers in white
coveralls and masks, scooping up sand fouled with oil that had
washed in after a pipeline broke earlier this week. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/us/workers-race-to-clean-up-oil-spill-on-california-coast.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=1


Finding Cause of California Oil Spill Could Take Months.  The
operator of an oil pipeline that broke and spilled thousands of
gallons of crude across a scenic California shoreline says it
could take weeks or even months before investigators find what
caused the disaster. Bad weather slowed cleanup efforts early
Friday at the spill site in Santa Barbara County, where gusty
winds whipped up waves as high as 4 feet, the National Weather
Service said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_OIL_SPILL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Related stories:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/22/us/ap-us-california-oil-spill.html


VEHICLES

Schools Turn to Propane Buses as Stricter Emissions Standards
Loom.  For many Americans, propane is that stuff from the home
improvement store that fuels backyard barbecues and patio
dinners. But in a growing number of cities across the country, it
is what gets children to school. Of the top 25 school bus
markets, 19 have propane-fueled vehicles in their fleets,
including New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
Philadelphia and Phoenix. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/automobiles/wheels/schools-turn-to-propane-buses-as-stricter-emissions-standards-loom.html?ref=energy-environment


GREEN ENERGY

Senate panel advances energy and water spending bill. The Senate
Appropriations Committee advanced a $35.4 billion spending bill
that covers the Energy Department, Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies Thursday without any
obvious partisan riders. Both Democrats and Republicans held back
potentially controversial amendments that would have endangered
passage by the full Senate.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/senate-panel-advances-energy-and-water-spending-bill/article/2564835?custom_click=rss


Boston was just named the top city in the country for saving
energy. Here’s why.  It’s report card season — and not just for
grade-school students. The American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) published the 2015 edition of
its biennial City Energy Efficiency Scorecard today, ranking U.S.
cities based on their local energy policies and initiatives. And
for the second time in a row, Boston is top of the class.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/05/20/why-boston-is-leading-u-s-cities-when-it-comes-to-saving-energy/


PUC approves plan to replace San Diego County natural gas power
plant.  State regulators approved a plan to replace a 1950s
natural gas power plant in northern San Diego County with a new
version, sparking complaints from environmentalists that
renewable energy options were being overlooked. The California
Public Utilities Commission voted 4 to 1 on Thursday to allow San
Diego Gas & Electric Co. to purchase power from the proposed
Carlsbad Energy Center. Commissioner Catherine J.K. Sandoval cast
the dissenting vote.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-puc-san-diego-power-20150522-story.html


New record efficiency for black silicon solar cells.  Researchers
at the University of Aalto, Finland have broken the efficiency
record for black silicon solar cells – a type of cell that can
gather sunlight even from tight angles – by almost four percent.
Black silicon can be manufactured simply by adding a dense
network of nanoscale needles on top of a standard piece of
silicon.
http://www.gizmag.com/black-silicon-solar-cell-efficiency-record/37579/


MISCELLANEOUS

New Maps Reveal California’s Sensational Seafloor Geography.  An
unprecedented effort to map the seafloor bordering California’s
coastline has produced some of the most detailed, beautiful and
useful maps of an underwater landscape ever made. No fewer than
18 state and federal agencies and institutions led by the US
Geological Survey banded together to make these maps. A
staggering amount of work went into the California Seafloor
Mapping Program, and the results are impressive.
http://www.wired.com/2015/05/new-california-seafloor-maps/ 

Delta College Dedicates Shima Heavy Equipment Expansion Project. 
With campus officials, industry leaders and the public present,
San Joaquin Delta College dedicated the Shima Heavy Equipment
Expansion Project on Tuesday, May 19, at 3 p.m. In celebration of
the ribbon cutting, the college received two checks totaling over
$182,000 to support Delta's heavy duty diesel equipment program,
including specialized diesel emissions reduction training.
http://www.caravannews.com/News/TabId/92/ArtMID/510/ArticleID/3423/Delta-College-Dedicates-Shima-Heavy-Equipment-Expansion-Project.aspx


Low carbon experts mull iconic buildings for green makeovers. 
“The words ‘energy efficiency’ are very boring to most people –
they fall asleep by the third syllable.” That, for Farhana Yamin,
is one of the main reasons green building initiatives have yet to
take off in a big way. She wants to see iconic buildings get a
low carbon makeover, to capture the public imagination: “In
emissions terms they may not be so significant, but in
communications terms they are very big.”
http://www.rtcc.org/2015/05/22/low-carbon-experts-mull-iconic-buildings-for-green-makeovers/


Sierra Club Wants Action on SoCal Air.  The Environmental
Protection Agency endangers public health by sitting on a plan to
reduce particulate matter in California's South Coast Air Basin,
the Sierra Club claims in court. The Sierra Club and Physicians
for Social Responsibility sued the EPA in Federal Court on
Wednesday, under the Clean Air Act.  "The big issue is that the
EPA hasn't processed the paperwork for the plan, which many
people think is itself inadequate," plaintiffs' attorney Adriano
L. Martinez told Courthouse News.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/05/22/sierra-club-wants-action-on-socal-air.htm


OPINIONS

Restore forests to slow climate change. This week, leaders from
the United States and around the world gathered in Sacramento to
sign an agreement to significantly reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by the year 2050. While it may seem far removed from
the rainforests of California’s Klamath River basin, where I
live, global warming hits very close to home. The new partnership
includes tropical rainforest states such as Jalisco in Mexico and
Acre in Brazil. Much like Northern California’s redwood region
was prior to… 
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article21604359.html#storylink=cpy


JOSEPH PERKINS: Climate zealots blinded by confirmation bias.
President Obama delivered the commencement address this week at
the Coast Guard Academy, in New London, Conn. He told the
graduating cadets that they faced a challenge before them that,
“perhaps more than any other, would shape their entire careers.”
Was it to protect the homeland from what the president aptly
characterized as “the grave threat of terrorism”?
http://www.pe.com/articles/change-767849-climate-know.html 

Lesson of Santa Barbara oil spill: Leave petroleum in the ground.
 Memorial Day marks the beginning of high beach season, but there
are miles of coastline near Santa Barbara that will be out of
commission this weekend thanks to a pipeline oil spill. This is
how most offshore oil works: You drill miles off the coast, pump
the oil onshore to be processed and pipe it along the coast. On
Tuesday, an underground pipeline that runs between Gaviota and
Refugio State Beach ruptured, and the oil followed gravity into a
culvert and back out to sea.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-helvarg-santa-barbara-oil-spill-20150522-story.html


Companies cannot keep shying away from setting tough climate
targets.  Today the low carbon economy is worth over £3tn. This
fact is just one of many showing how far the business case for
addressing climate change has come, with smart businesses
broadening their strategy beyond risk management to value
creation. Business leaders who shared their vision of a
low-carbon future in Paris this week echoed this sentiment,
calling on governments to lock in the right frameworks and
targets to help deliver this goal.
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/may/22/companies-cannot-keep-shying-away-from-setting-tough-climate-targets
 

BLOGS

Beijing’s air is getting slightly better — here’s how and why. 
As decision day looms for host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics,
officials in the Chinese capital boasted this week that they were
finally making progress in cleaning up their city's notoriously
polluted air. Several months of slightly lower pollution levels
have been capped by two weeks of clear blue skies, leaving many
of Beijing’s residents smiling.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/05/22/beijings-air-is-getting-slightly-better-heres-how-and-why/


California Environmental Quality Act, Greenhouse Gas Regulation
and Climate Change. California has adopted the most significant
climate change policies in the United States, including landmark
legislation (AB 32)2 to lower state green- house gas (GHG)
emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Proposed new laws, and recent
judicial decisions concerning the analysis of GHG impacts under
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), may soon
increase the state’s legally mandat- ed GHG reduction target to
80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/05/california-environmental-quality-act-greenhouse-gas-regulation-and-climate-change/

Holy Carbon: Does the Pope’s view matter in the fight against
climate change?  Pope Francis is set to weigh in on the climate
change debate in what has already caused a considerable buzz in
the media, by equal measure prompting cheers from the green lobby
and irritation among climate skeptics, even before the message
has been released.
http://blogs.platts.com/2015/05/22/holy-carbon-pope-view-cilmate-change/


Cash on the Hood of an Electric Car.  You've probably heard of
that psychology study that found that children are more likely to
go for one marshmallow now than the promise of two marshmallows
later. Researchers at UC Davis have found that car buyers are no
different and are more likely to buy the car that comes with an
offer of an immediate discount -- like a rebate accessible within
several weeks -- than one that comes with a tax credit available
several months later, even if the longer-term reward is of higher
value.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-coplonnewfield/cash-on-the-hood-of-an-el_b_7386312.html




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