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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 28, 2015.
Posted: 28 May 2015 11:54:45
ARB Newsclips for May 28, 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. CAR CRUSH EVENT Old truck gets crushed in California's battle against climate change. In a heavy metal display of its effort to get dirty cars off the road, state officials crushed a 31-year-old pickup truck outside the Capitol on Wednesday morning. The Stockton family that turned in the truck left the event with a 2-year-old Toyota Prius, courtesy of a state program that provides rebates to help low-income families buy cleaner cars. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-crush-car-capitol-climate-change-20150527-story.html Clean car trade-in program launches with Capitol truck demolition. Before driving off in a new plug-in hybrid, Jose Mendoza watched with mixed feelings as his old pickup truck was crushed Wednesday morning on the west lawn of the Capitol. “You never want to get rid of those old cars that helped you through the hard times,” he said. “I didn’t realize it was going to get emotional.” Mendoza, a father of six from Stockton… http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article22454883.html#storylink=cpy State Offering Incentives To Get Dirty Cars Off Road. When Jose Mendoza took his 1984 pickup truck to a smog check event in Stockton last February, he heard about a new pilot program. If he scrapped his truck, he could get state money to help him buy a new hybrid. "She told me you can get this car, we’ll take that car. I said, here’s the keys!” Mendoza became the first client for the $5 million pilot program. He and his family took part in the press conference announcing it. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/05/27/state-offering-incentives-to-get-dirty-cars-off-road/ Going clean. Here’s one advantage to being “disadvantaged”: Millions of dollars have been set aside to help San Joaquin Valley communities dispose of older, polluting vehicles in favor of newer, cleaner ones. The pilot program, launched by state officials on Wednesday, awards the largest incentives to the poorest residents in the most polluted neighborhoods… http://www.recordnet.com/article/20150527/NEWS/150529712 Calif. gives money to swap clunkers for electric vehicles and other clean cars. California is giving money to residents who get rid of polluting cars and buy ones that use less gasoline or no gasoline at all. The Golden State yesterday launched a pilot program advancing the effort. It's funded by $4.8 million in proceeds from California's cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/28/stories/1060019218 AIR POLLUTION 3-hour debate on Oceano Dunes dust rule fails to produce agreement. A deeply divided San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District board spent three hours Wednesday trying and failing to reach consensus on how to proceed with the air district’s controversial rule to curtail dust blowing off the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/05/27/3653212/air-pollution-district-board-dust.html Waste-to-Energy Facility Cuts Emissions 53% with Covanta Technology. Emissions at the Metro Vancouver waste-to-energy facility have been reduced by 53 percent since the beginning of the year due to an updated emission control system. Covanta developed the technology as a retrofit for existing facilities like Metro Vancouver’s, and says it results in an improved combustion process… http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/05/28/waste-to-energy-facility-cuts-emissions-53-with-covanta-technology/#ixzz3bS30w1Sf CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Will Inform Alberta Energy Policy, Premier Says. Global discussions about climate change will play a role in a revamped policy in Alberta, home to the Canadian oil sands industry, said Premier Rachel Notley. “There’s uncertainty created by the climate change issues” for the oil and gas industry, she said in a briefing in Calgary on Wednesday. “It’s not responsible” to not consider changes to regulation given the “worldwide conversation around climate change,” she said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-27/climate-change-will-inform-alberta-energy-policy-premier-says Scientists Warn to Expect More Weather Extremes. Torrential rains and widespread flooding in Texas have brought relief from a yearslong drought to many parts of the state. Such unpredictable and heavy rains are a big part of what climate scientists say that many Texans can expect in years to come. The relief has come at a great cost. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/us/scientists-warn-to-expect-more-weather-extremes.html Across U.S., Heaviest Downpours On The Rise. Record-breaking rain across Texas and Oklahoma this week caused widespread flooding, the likes of which the region has rarely, if ever, seen. For seven locations there, May 2015 has seen the most rain of any month ever recorded, with five days to go and the rain still coming. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/across-u.s.-heaviest-downpours-on-the-rise-18989 Canada must deal with tar sands emissions, says Clinton campaign chief. Canada faces a widening rift with America over climate change unless it deals with “excessive emissions” from the Alberta tar sands, according to a trusted adviser to both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. John Podesta told the Guardian that Canada must do more to compensate for its exploitation of the carbon intensive tar sands… http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/28/canada-must-deal-with-tar-sands-emissions-says-clinton-campaign-chief Fixing climate change 'will create a new set of problems,' author says. For thousands of years, humans have relied on innovation to overcome obstacles, especially ones that affect our access to food. It started with the domestication of plants 10,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, followed shortly by the domestication of animals. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/28/stories/1060019216 DROUGHT How California's Drought Is Reshaping Small Businesses. As the drought in California enters its fourth year, businesses up and down the state are increasingly feeling the impact. As the drought in California enters its fourth year, businesses up and down the state are increasingly feeling the impact; from family-owned almond farms in the Central Valley to private hydroelectric power operators in the high Sierras… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-05-27/how-california-s-drought-is-reshaping-small-businesses Hopes rise for a strong El Nińo to ease California drought. In Texas, Oklahoma and Mexico, destructive storms flooded communities and unleashed a tornado, leaving more than two dozen dead. Across Southern California, this month has been decidedly cooler and wetter. San Diego had its wettest May in 94 years, and Los Angeles saw nearly four times its average rainfall. This month, the San Diego Padres were forced to call a rain delay… http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-el-nino-returns-20150528-story.html Drought puts out Cupertino fireworks display. The Cupertino sky will be free of July 4 fireworks this year. The San Jose Mercury News reports (http://bayareane.ws/1LLGRbz) fireworks will not be launching from the Fremont Union High School District football field as drought conditions make it too expensive to spray the 100,000 gallons of water needed to protect the turf. http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article22515021.html#storylink=cpy California drought effect on peaches and nectarines. The boys of summer may be on the baseball fields, but the joys of summer -- and late spring -- are in California's peach and nectarine orchards. I have been amazed at the flavor of this season's early fruit coming from the Coachella Valley, Tulare County and Fresno. But the California drought will have an increasingly larger impact on the supply, quality and price of fruit throughout the state. http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28162613/california-drought-effect-peaches-and-nectarines Wildfires threaten Yolo County as California drought continues. Although there have been reports that drought conditions continue to significantly elevate California’s fire danger, Lt. Gary Fredericksen, who is in charge of all fires in Yolo County, says there is nothing to worry about. “This year was no different from last as the drought continues,” he said. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/environment-and-nature/20150527/wildfires-threaten-yolo-county-as-california-drought-continues San Jose Water Company to allow extra drought allocations for larger families. Silicon Valley's largest water company is changing how it will roll out some of the state's strictest water conservation rules to address complaints that the new per-household allocations unfairly penalize large families. The San Jose Water Company will still assign monthly water budgets to the 1 million people it serves in San Jose… http://www.contracostatimes.com/drought/ci_28199043/california-drought-san-jose-water-company-allow-extra Southern California immigrants face the drought with conservation habits learned long ago. It doesn't take much water to wash dishes — not in Jess Cullen's kitchen, at least. The 28-year-old Australian arrived in Southern California last year, just ahead of the drought and the state's new mandatory water restrictions. But she was ready: Cullen grew up on a cattle farm in Queensland during Australia's historic drought… http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/05/28/52018/southern-california-immigrants-bring-their-own-wat/ West Coast drought: Why California water is so cheap. In California, water may be increasingly difficult to come by, but it hasn't gotten harder to pay for. Californians are being forced to slash their water use as some predict that yet another year of drought could empty the state's reservoirs. The massive Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), serving nearly 19 million customers… http://www.cnbc.com/id/102714268 What can a big Australian city teach Calif. about surviving a drought? From 1997 to 2009, Australia faced the worst drought in the country's recorded history. In Melbourne, a city of 4.3 million people located in southeastern Australia, water levels dropped to an all-time low capacity of 25.6 percent before the drought eased. Despite the dire situation, the city reduced water demand per capita by almost 50 percent by implementing a slew of policies and programs. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/28/stories/1060019222 FUELS Norway oil fund to slash coal investments. Norway has made a big move toward dropping investments in coal companies by its massive $900 billion sovereign wealth fund because of their impact on climate change. Under new rules to be presented by Parliament's finance committee on Thursday, the fund - also known as the oil fund - would exclude companies that get at least 30 percent of their revenue from mining coal or burning it. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_NORWAY_COAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.wsj.com/articles/norway-oil-fund-to-exit-coal-exposed-utilities-1432759583 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/28/business/ap-eu-norway-coal.html Obama to get hurricane briefing, warn about climate change. President Barack Obama is using his annual hurricane briefing to warn that climate change will make these storms more intense and damaging. Obama is getting the briefing on the hurricane season during a visit Thursday to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Low oil prices are driving up gasoline consumption in the US. Gasoline consumption is up this year, likely thanks to low oil prices. Reuters' John Kemp reports that it's above the 10-year seasonal average and continues to climb. Notably, this chart also shows that consumption was substantially below the seasonal average last year when oil prices were high, until about November, when prices began to plummet. http://www.businessinsider.com/low-oil-prices-are-driving-up-gasoline-consumption-in-the-us-2015-5#ixzz3bSQ6t38h SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL Feds order pipeline company to clean up Santa Barbara coastline. Federal authorities Wednesday issued a cleanup order to the company whose underground pipeline spilled thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific last week, marring several miles of Santa Barbara County coastline. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-feds-order-cleanup-20150527-story.html VEHICLES UPDATE 2-Ford to offer access to electrified-vehicle patents for a fee. Ford Motor Co said it would give other automakers access to its electrified vehicle technologies for a fee to accelerate research and development of such vehicles. Ford's offer comes nearly a year after a move by Tesla Motors Inc, the California electric car maker, to share its patents with other companies, though at no charge. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/28/ford-motor-patents-idUSL3N0YJ3WT20150528?virtualBrandChannel=11563 Ford joins Tesla in opening up electric car patents. Ford Motor's executive chairman is announcing that he's opening up Ford's electric vehicle patents to competitors to try to foster the technology. Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, made a similar move nearly a year ago. But while Tesla makes only electric cars, Ford's electric car portfolio is relatively tiny compared to all the gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles it makes. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/05/28/ford-tesla-patents-electric-cars/28056369/ http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2015/05/28/ford-opens-electric-car-patents/28065389/ Village gets amped at electric car show. It does 0 to 60 in 7.2 seconds, it’s quiet and it takes curves like a dream. It’s the 2014 Chevy Spark, one of several all-electric and hybrid vehicles on display in the Clubhouse Three parking lot last week. About 70 residents turned out for the May 21 event, sponsored by the Energy Club to raise awareness about electric cars. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/electric-663224-vehicles-battery.html Used Electric Cars: About To Get Big, What You Need To Know. Think electric-car ownership is priced out of your league? It’s simply not. Even if leasing isn’t for you, or you don’t have the stellar credit required to get some of those deals, prices are plummeting on used electric vehicles—and that makes it a buyers’ market, especially for some of the more popular EVs like the Nissan Leaf. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098496_used-electric-cars-about-to-get-big-what-you-need-to-know Google’s Self-Driving Electric Car Fleet Is Expanding. Goggle is now planning to expand its fleet of autonomous electric cars currently in use in the area around the company’s Mountain View, California, base of operations. As it stands, these autonomous cars have been getting around 10,000 miles a week in driving — so you can see why the company thinks expanding its fleet is a good idea. http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/28/googles-self-driving-electric-car-fleet-is-expanding/ Used Electric Cars Also Get Colorado’s EV Rebate. While President George W. Bush passed a $7,500 federal tax rebate for plug-in cars during the waning days of his presidency, only a handful of US states have followed suit. Colorado has a mixed history with EV incentives, currently offering as much as $6,000 off the price of an applicable plug-in vehicle… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/28/used-electric-cars-also-get-colorados-ev-rebate/ Here's everything we know about the electric car everyone thinks Apple is building. Yesterday, we got our clearest sign yet that Apple is secretly developing an electric car, possibly at a facility in Ireland. Speaking at the Re/code tech conference, Apple executive Jeff Williams said that "the car is the ultimate mobile device"… http://www.businessinsider.com/project-titan-the-apple-electric-car-project-2015-5#ixzz3bS7UtmBf One Man's Fiat 500e Electric Car Might Get Him To Sell His BMW. It's been said before, but the only way to understand why electric cars are a better way to drive is to drive one. The shorthand for that rule is "getting butts in seats." That's the process of putting inexperienced drivers behind the wheel of modern plug-in vehicles to let them experience the smooth, quiet power and the torquey acceleration from rest. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098486_one-mans-fiat-500e-electric-car-might-get-him-to-sell-his-bmw Top 5 Best Selling Electric Cars. There are an even dozen electric vehicles (EVs) offered in the U.S. and their sales range from quite respectable to so little as to give fodder to critics. As a type of vehicle, EVs are a slim minority of the U.S. sales total at 0.40 percent but they have an outsized reputation and more EVs are pending, including the next generation of higher-range-for-the-buck models in a couple years. http://www.hybridcars.com/top-5-best-selling-electric-cars/ GREEN ENERGY Mexico Could More Than Quadruple Renewable Energy By 2030. A new report shows that Mexico could increase the use of renewable energy in its energy mix to 21% by 2030, and save billions in the process. A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), prepared in collaboration with the Mexican Energy Secretariat (SENER), finds that not only can Mexico increase its share of renewable energy… http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/28/mexico-quadruple-renewable-energy-2030/ U.S. wood pellets can provide 'viable GHG reduction strategy' for E.U., Duke study finds. A new analysis concludes that the use of wood pellets manufactured in the U.S. Southeast to fuel energy production in the European Union "could represent a viable [greenhouse gas] reduction strategy" for the bloc if recommended sustainability guidelines are followed. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/05/28/stories/1060019217 OPINIONS It’s not just a ‘California drought’ In a somber opening to wildfire season this month, federal and state officials meeting in Nevada warned that kindling-dry forests and a rainless forecast could lead multiple states in the Great Basin to erupt in flames at once, stretching firefighters and equipment thin across the region. For the last four years, vast swaths of four Great Basin states — Nevada, California, Oregon and Utah… http://azdailysun.com/news/opinion/columnists/it-s-not-just-a-california-drought/article_c7a7f56a-1aff-53b7-b35c-0297df812155.html Editorial: Windfall: Are carbon fees actually a tax? When is a government fee actually a tax? California taxpayers, already beleaguered under a variety of local and state levies, may soon find out. The answer should come when the 3rd District Court of Appeals rules in a lawsuit filed by the California Chamber of Commerce. The suit maintains that California’s “cap-and-trade” fees that are supposed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are actually taxes in environmentalist clothing. http://www.montereyherald.com/opinion/20150527/editorial-windfall-are-carbon-fees-actually-a-tax Plastic bag ban is prudent public policy. Out-of-state plastic corporations spent $3.2 million on a referendum to delay and attempt to repeal a statewide ban on plastic checkout grocery bags. Their motivation is simple: They want to make millions in profits from the 15 billion plastic bags that will be dumped into California’s oceans, landscapes and landfills until the November 2016 election. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/may/27/plastic-bag-ban-is-prudent-public-policy/ Crude Oil Prices, Climate Change, and Global Welfare. A few weeks ago, I participated in a panel session titled, “The Remarkable Transformation of the Energy Sector: Does it Also Transform Our World.” The motivating question was: “Is the dramatic decline in oil prices a complete gift to the West because of the enormous funds being saved… http://theenergycollective.com/robertstavins/2232981/crude-oil-prices-climate-change-and-global-welfare BLOGS How drones and motorcycle helmets can tell important stories about air pollution. Sure, Ben Kreimer holds a bachelor’s degree from Nebraska’s journalist school. But he doesn’t see himself as a journalist. “I call myself a journalism technologist,” Kreimer told me. “I’m interested in experimenting with technology to see how it can be used to tell stories.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/05/28/how-drones-and-motorcycle-helmets-can-tell-important-stories-about-air-pollution/ Catalyzing Major Climate Actions by All Key Players around the World this Year. Progress on climate change can seem depressingly slow--especially to young people full of energy and expectation. But look closer, resist the tug of hopelessness, and you can see progress everywhere. Clean energy is both technically and economically viable, and it's challenging dirty energy around the world. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jschmidt/catalyzing_major_climate_action_2015.html Obama Saying So Long to Green Biofuels? In the seventh year of his presidency, Barack Obama is being forced to defend himself against the unusual charge that he's not progressive -- or at least not progressive enough. Forget that in the past critics have called him a socialist. His advocacy of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a secret 12-nation trade deal… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-alexander/obama-saying-so-long-to-g_b_7451408.html Carbon pricing winning favour with tiger economies. As China readies nationwide carbon trading market, the likes of South Africa and Kazakhstan are developing carbon pricing. More leading emerging nations are mulling making the polluter pay than ever before. China plans to launch the world’s largest emissions trading scheme (ETS) – eclipsing the EU’s seminal practice – next year. http://www.rtcc.org/2015/05/27/carbon-pricing-winning-favour-with-tiger-economies/#sthash.vUIFTkdl.dpuf Ending the Education Drought in California. 'Tis the season when tassels are turned, mortarboards fly and newly minted graduates receive their hard-earned diplomas. About 3.7 million students will graduate with college degrees in this country. More people are engaged in higher education than ever before. The educational pipeline is brimming with students who seek to learn more and pursue their dreams. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-e-kobara/ending-the-education-drou_b_7451976.html California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.