What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for June 9, 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

Feldstein on Board With Calls for Carbon Tax. The New York Times
is calling for a carbon tax and former Reagan Chief Economist
Marty Feldstein is on board. He told FBN’s Stuart Varney both a
carbon tax and income tax rate-cut would be a “great trade” and
“real plus” for the economy. “A carbon tax would have some
positive advantages in terms of the environment, congestion on
the roads, price of oil …
http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy-policy/2015/06/09/feldstein-on-board-with-calls-for-carbon-tax/


AIR POLLUTION

Stricter Ozone Standards Could Pose Challenges for Scientific
Measurements and Models.  With the EPA proposing to lower the
primary ozone standard from 75 ppb (parts per billion) to 70 or
65 ppb, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) have
created a commentary on how the new standard could make research
more difficult for air quality managers at both local and state
levels.
http://eponline.com/articles/2015/06/09/stricter-ozone-standards-could-pose-challenges-for-scientific-measurements-and-models.aspx
 

Chairman says economy is 'still job one' as panel takes up ozone
standard. A House Energy and Commerce Committee subpanel next
week will take up U.S. EPA's proposal to tighten the national
ozone standard. The Friday hearing in the Energy and Power
Subcommittee will focus on the potential costs of EPA's proposal,
subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) said Friday in a
statement. http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060019792/feed


CLIMATE CHANGE

Appeals court tosses suits challenging climate change plan. A
federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out a pair of high-profile
lawsuits challenging the Obama administration's sweeping plan to
address climate change, saying it's too early to challenge a
proposed rule that isn't yet final. The ruling from the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is a
temporary setback to opponents of the plan who…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLEAN_AIR_LAWSUITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.wsj.com/articles/appeals-court-dismisses-challenge-to-epas-climate-rule-1433861126?KEYWORDS=climate+change
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/06/09/us/politics/ap-us-clean-air-lawsuits.html

http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-us--clean-air-lawsuits-20150609-story.html

http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060019879
http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/court-rejects-effort-to-block-epa-climate-change-rules-20150609
 http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0608/G7-pledges-to-end-greenhouse-emissions-this-century-video
 

G7 climate vision requires gargantuan economic shift. When
leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy countries pledge to
"decarbonize" the global economy, they're talking about a shift
so dramatic that one analyst described it as a new Apollo
mission. Like putting a man on the moon, it would require
overcoming major hurdles related to technology and money and the
political will - so far in short supply - to make it happen.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CLIMATE_NO_FOSSIL_FUELS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


From fossil fuels to epidemics: What the G-7 decided. German
Chancellor Angela Merkel went into the Group of Seven summit in
the Bavarian Alps with a broad agenda, but combating climate
change was a top priority. At the two-day meeting with the
leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the U.S.,
the G-7's most eye-catching pledge was a commitment to move away
from using fossil fuels by the end of this century.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_G7?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


G7 leaders bid 'Auf Wiedersehen' to carbon fuels. Leaders of the
world's major industrial democracies resolved on Monday to wean
their energy-hungry economies off carbon fuels, marking a major
step in the battle against global warming that raises the chances
of a U.N. climate deal later this year. The Group of Seven's
energy pledge capped a successful summit for host Angela Merkel,
who revived her credentials as a "climate chancellor"…
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/06/08/uk-g7-summit-idUKKBN0OM0HT20150608


China's greenhouse gases could peak early, easing climate fears.
China's greenhouse gas emissions could peak by 2025, five years
earlier than indicated by Beijing, a development that could help
limit the mounting risks of global warming, a study by the London
School of Economics (LSE) showed on Monday.  The report, more
optimistic about curbing the use of fossil fuels than a Chinese
industry forecast on Monday…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/08/us-climatechange-china-idUSKBN0OO0TZ20150608


Scientists Are Coming Up With 'Last Ditch' Remedies for Climate
Change. As talks aimed at slowing global warming drag on,
researchers are pushing new ideas that some are calling
last-ditch attempts to avert the worst effects of climate change.
Some proposals are uncontroversial, such as using charcoal to
lock carbon dioxide into soil or scattering carbon-absorbing
gemstones.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-08/carbon-sucking-gems-among-last-ditch-climate-change-remedies


Repsol Signs Up to European Oil Group’s Stance on Climate Change.
Repsol SA joined its European peers in calling for governments to
agree on carbon pricing at a United Nations climate summit later
this year, expanding the group of energy companies seeking a
voice at the meeting. Repsol on Tuesday signed the letter that BP
Plc, Eni SpA, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Statoil ASA…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-09/repsol-signs-up-to-european-oil-group-s-stance-on-climate-change

Republican pours money into U.S. climate, clean energy
foundation. A Republican businessman said on Monday he is pouring
millions of dollars into a foundation that sees opportunities
where the majority of his fellow party members do not: easing
climate change and speeding the country's transition to clean
energy.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/09/usa-republican-climate-change-idUSL1N0YV02N20150609


Eco-groups: G-7 leaders should fund climate change solutions.
Advocates of a United Nations climate change treaty said the
goals laid out by world leaders missed an opportunity. They hoped
the leaders would address concerns about securing funding to help
developing nations adjust to a warming planet.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/eco-groups-g-7-leaders-should-fund-climate-change-solutions/article/2565849


G-7 set far-off goal to move away from fossil fuels. The world
should move away from using fossil fuels by the end of this
century, G-7 leaders said Monday, setting an ambitious but
distant goal ahead of a global conference on climate change this
year.
The leaders of seven wealthy democracies also warned Russia that
sanctions imposed for its actions against…
http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-eu--germany-g7-20150607-story.html
 

Republican pledges $175 million to push party on climate. A North
Carolina executive is pouring his own money into trying to sway
people in the GOP to take global warming seriously. A Republican
entrepreneur is putting a whopping $175 million behind a campaign
whose message will have some party stalwarts seeing red: The GOP
needs to deal with climate change.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/republican-climate-change-jay-faison-118755.html#ixzz3caAFzyFk


Carbon Trust: Businesses Don’t Have a Clear Vision on How to
Adapt to Climate Change.  More than 75 percent of global business
leaders see bottom line risks from the direct impact of climate
change and yet most businesses don’t appear to have a clear
vision on how to effectively manage the transition to an
environmentally sustainable future…
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/06/09/carbon-trust-businesses-dont-have-a-clear-vision-on-how-to-adapt-to-climate-change/#ixzz3caDRvJXT


Rainy May Sets Record for Soggy U.S. The numbers are in, and the
month of May broke a number of records across the U.S. Alaska had
its warmest May by a wide margin. California continued to see its
warmest year-to-date. And thanks to staggering rains that swamped
the Southern Plains, May was the wettest month on record for the
contiguous U.S.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/may-record-for-soggy-us-19083


Climate scientists sent confused messages about the global
warming 'pause' – study. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change was in a bind. The world's premier scientific body on the
climate had found, in a 2013 report, that it is extremely likely
(95 percent confidence) that human activities are responsible for
most of the observed warming of global temperatures since 1951.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/09/stories/1060019873 

DROUGHT

Drought, heat suggest West Nile virus danger in Sacramento
region. Rising temperatures and a historic drought suggest that
the Sacramento region and Central Valley will likely see high
West Nile virus activity this summer, researchers say. The
prediction comes after 31 people in California died last year
from the virus, including two in Sacramento County.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article23397396.html#storylink=cpy

Wet spring reduces wildfire risk this month in most of US. An
unusually wet May has reduced the likelihood of wildfires this
month across much of the nation, but the danger will increase
from July through September, a national outlook says. The risk is
below normal in a vast area of the central and Southern U.S. in
June, but above normal in drought-stricken California…
http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Wet-spring-reduces-wildfire-risk-in-most-of-US-6315241.php

Texas Cattle Ranchers Whipsawed Between Drought And Deluge. The
drought finally broke for Texas ranchers late last year. The
range and pasturelands on which cattle graze began to recover.
Then came the spring. In Cameron, about 140 miles northwest of
Houston, the rain began falling at the start of May — and didn't
stop all month.
http://www.npr.org/2015/06/09/412236562/texas-cattle-ranchers-whipsawed-between-drought-and-deluge?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=environment


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

China turns focus to smoky ships, boats in fight against
pollution. China is considering regulating emissions from boats
and ships, the environment ministry said on Monday, as it tries
to clamp down on pollution. Facing mounting public pressure,
leaders in Beijing have declared a war on pollution, vowing to
abandon a decades-old growth-at-all-costs economic model that has
spoiled much of China's water, skies and soil.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/08/china-environment-shipping-idUSL5N0YU1M320150608


FUELS

Canadian Oil Sands Resume Output as Wildfire Threat Recedes. Fire
had shut-in nearly 10% of Canada’s oil sands output, or about
233,000 barrels a day. Two major Canadian oil sands operators
said Monday they have resumed output at sites that had been shut
down by a more than two-week old wildfire in northern Alberta,
which exports much of its crude oil production to the U.S.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/canadian-oil-sands-resume-output-as-wildfire-threat-recedes-1433810960


Gas prices continue dropping in Southern California. The average
price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles
County dropped Monday for the 21st consecutive day and the 22nd
time in 23 days, decreasing a half-cent to $3.756. The average
price has dropped 26 cents over the past 23 days, including 1.2
cents on Sunday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price
Information Service.
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/business/20150608/gas-prices-continue-dropping-in-southern-california


Northwestern-led team develops hydrogenation catalyst selective
for carcinogen benzene; cleaner gasoline. A team from
Northwestern University, with colleagues from UOP LLC, a
Honeywell Company; Universita’ degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”;
Argonne National Laboratory; and Ames Laboratory has developed a
new hydrogenation catalyst that is highly selective for benzene,
an aromatic—and known carcinogen—that is part of conventional
gasoline.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150609-benzene.html 

Bills To Kill Renewable Fuel Law, Ban E15 Ethanol Fuel Likely
Doomed. The addition of ethanol to gasoline has now been a
political hot potato in the U.S. for more than a decade. Joined
by cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, U.S. Representative
Bob Goodlatte [R-VA] introduced two bills in February that
together would eliminate the Renewable Fuels Act passed in 2007
and ban E15 from the nation's gasoline pumps.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098604_bills-to-kill-renewable-fuel-law-ban-e15-ethanol-fuel-likely-doomed


VEHICLES

On the road to zero emissions, Bhutan hits a few electric car
bumps. With abundant supplies of clean electricity from
hydropower, this tiny Himalayan kingdom has set itself an
ambitious goal: to become a world leader in the use of electric
vehicles. Last year, Bhutan’s prime minister introduced the
country’s first two electric car models – the Nissan LEAF and
Mahindra Reva – and suspended import taxes in an effort to win
buyers.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/09/us-bhutan-climate-change-autosales-idUSKBN0OP0W720150609



Green Mountain Power highlights fast car-charging station.
Officials from Vermont's largest electric utility and a renewable
energy technology company are highlighting what they're calling
Vermont's first "Freedom Station," designed to help electric
vehicles charge up faster. Green Mountain Power and NRG announced
Tuesday that the first of 12 Vermont eVgo (ee-VEE'-go)
fast-charging stations…
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Green-Mountain-Power-to-highlight-fast-6315352.php


Incentive To Buy Used Electric Cars Added For Some California
Buyers. Plug-in electric cars can cut the per-mile cost of
driving significantly for most U.S. households. But their
purchase prices as new cars are still higher than gasoline cars
of the same size and segment. That's why Federal, state, and
local governments offer an elaborate--and often bewildering…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098643_incentive-to-buy-used-electric-cars-added-for-some-california-buyers


DOE, EEI to Boost Production, Use of Electric Vehicles.  The
Edison Electric Institute and the Department of Energy announced
a partnership that aims to boost the production and use of
electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the United
States.
DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz and EEI President Tom Kuhn signed a
memorandum of understanding Monday to take several joint actions…
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/06/09/doe-eei-to-boost-production-use-of-electric-vehicles/#ixzz3caIYQE1z


Electric Vehicle Sales Skyrocket & US Energy Dept Wants More,
More, More. While the raw numbers are still a bit on the small
side, electric vehicle sales in the US jumped 128% from 2012 to
2014, and the US Energy Department is determined to kick that
momentum into high gear. In the latest development, the agency is
calling on the nation’s electric utility industry for an assist.
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/09/electric-vehicle-sales-skyrocket-us-energy-dept-wants/


Evolute Drives seeking investors for MSYS multi-speed
transmission for hybrids and EVs. Evolute Drives, incorporated as
a separate entity by its sister company Drive System Design (DSD)
(earlier post), is seeking investors to help commercialize its
high efficiency MSYS multi-speed transmission system for hybrids
and electric vehicles.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150609-evolute.html  

A Test-Drive for the 'Prius Tax' Oregon is trying out a program
to charge motorists based on the miles they travel rather than
the gas they guzzle. Here’s why it may be a fairer way to pay for
roads. Forget millionaires and billionaires: It’s Prius owners
who aren’t paying their fair share. That’s the heart of the
argument that Oregon transportation officials are making to
residents as the state prepares to launch a new program that
charges some drivers…
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/a-test-drive-for-the-prius-tax/394940/


Tesla's Musk asks utilities: How can we take battery storage 'to
a whole new level'?  The co-founders of Tesla Motors Inc.
yesterday invited executives of the nation's dominant utilities
to partner with the Silicon Valley electric carmaker to boost
battery storage capacity across the U.S. power grid. Speaking
before the year's largest gathering of power industry executives,
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his chief technology officer…
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/06/09/stories/1060019878

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

L.A. County communities protest planned bullet train route.  A
diverse alliance of communities — including Los Angeles County's
third-largest city — is fighting California's long-planned bullet
train route into the heart of the San Fernando Valley, saying it
would bring irreparable harm. The coordinated protest by
residents and elected officials from suburban Santa Clarita, as
well as blue-collar San Fernando, Pacoima and other communities…
http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-bullet-backlash-20150609-story.html#navtype=outfit


GREEN ENERGY

INSIGHT-Private investors look but do not leap at Mexican energy
projects. Almost a year after Mexico opened its energy market to
private investors, North American firms are rushing south to
decide which pipeline or power plant to invest in. Enthusiasm is
so high that some executives from big asset managers, pension
funds and private equity firms complain of overbooked hotels in
certain parts of Mexico City and business-class airplane cabins
crowded with pitchbook-reading competitors.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/09/mexico-energy-idUSL1N0YK0D820150609


SunEdison to Invest $15 Billion in India By 2022. SunEdison,
known for solar energy, is also expanding into wind power.
SunEdison Inc.  plans to invest $15 billion in India by 2022, a
top executive said, as the renewable-energy company seeks to
deepen in its foothold in a country where power producers have
struggled to meet demand. “We believe much of the growth in
renewable energy in the next 15 years…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/sunedison-to-invest-15-billion-in-india-by-2022-1433580501


EU Energy Sector Inquiry Should Be Welcomed. Capacity problems
can best be tackled by letting prices fluctuate and making energy
providers responsible for intermittent supply. To the extent that
support schemes are used, they should be technology-neutral and
driven by market forces to ensure efficiency, argues Diego
Zuluaga…
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/06/09/eu-energy-sector-inquiry-should-be-welcomed/


Sony, Hydro-Québec JV Esstalion to begin testing large scale
stationary energy storage system. Esstalion Technologies, the
joint venture formed in 2014 by Sony Corporation and
Hydro-Québec, will soon begin testing the first prototype of a
large-capacity energy storage system. The prototype has a
capacity of 1.2 MW and can store 1.2 MWh, equivalent to the daily
consumption of 23 Québec homes.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/06/20150609-esstalion.html 
 
Residential solar installations surge to U.S. record in 1st
quarter of 2015. Residential solar installations surged 76
percent during the first quarter of 2015 over the same period in
2014, with 437 megawatts of new home-based solar systems coming
online between January and March, according to data released this
morning by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries
Association.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/06/09/stories/1060019865 

Engineers develop state-by-state plan to convert US to 100%
clean, renewable energy by 2050. One potential way to combat
ongoing climate change, eliminate air pollution mortality, create
jobs and stabilize energy prices involves converting the world's
entire energy infrastructure to run on clean, renewable energy.
This is a daunting challenge.
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-state-by-state-renewable-energy.html#jCp


MISCELLANEOUS

As mercury climbs, Californians urged to stay safe in extreme
heat. As temperatures begin to warm up throughout the Central
Valley and the rest of the state, California Department of Public
Health Director Karen Smith advises California residents to
prepare themselves for what could be a very hot, dry summer.
“Because this hot spell has come on rather suddenly, many people
may be caught off guard by the warm up,” says Ms. Smith.
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=28478 

OPINIONS

Taking climate change seriously in school. I’m in a different
country, but sometimes it feels like I’m on a different planet. I
realize that’s a cliché, but in a way it’s true. The planet comes
up in Germany a lot, and it doesn’t sound anything like the one I
live on in the United States. At home, our planet is doing more
or less okay. And if it’s not — if, instead, the climate is
slowly changing — there’s not much we can do about it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/taking-climate-change-seriously-in-school-in-germany/2015/06/08/bb43fb4c-0e00-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html


G.O.P. Assault on Environmental Laws. President Obama has
announced or will soon propose important protections for clean
water, clean air, threatened species and threatened landscapes.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, and other
Republicans in Congress are trying hard not to let that happen —
counterattacking with a legislative blitz not seen …
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/opinion/gop-assault-on-environmental-laws.html


Norway Divests From Coal. The Norwegian Parliament voted on
Friday to order the country’s huge oil fund — at $890 billion,
the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund — to pull billions of
dollars of investments out of companies that derive 30 percent or
more of their business from mining or burning coal. The move is a
major boost to the three-year-old campaign to persuade large
investors to divest their fossil fuel stocks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/opinion/norway-divests-from-coal.html


'We're sorry' isn't enough after Santa Barbara oil spill. I would
be willing to accept the apology if this were a rare incident by
a company with a good track record. However, as The Times
reported, this company has accidentally spilled nearly 2 million
gallons of this hazardous liquid over the last 11 years in the
U.S. and Canada. Armstrong's letter of apology might have been
paid for by his company's $75-million…
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0609-tuesday-oil-spill-20150609-story.html


Restore balance to state water picture by backing Brown plan.
Gov. Jerry Brown and state leaders recently announced an improved
plan to upgrade the aging statewide water distribution system
that carries water from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the
Central Valley and other parts of California, called the
California Water Fix.
http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Opinion/2015/06/08/Restore-balance-to-state-water-picture-by-backing-Brown-plan.html


BLOGS

Canadian Oil Sands Resume Output –Energy Journal. Two big
Canadian oil sands operators have resumed production at sites
shut by a more than two-week-old wildfire, boosting crude exports
to the U.S., Chester Dawson reports. Canadian Natural Resources
Ltd. said it expects to resume full production this week at its
80,000-barrel-a-day Primrose site and its 30,000-barrel-a-day
Kirby South site, in northern Alberta.
http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/06/09/canadian-oil-sands-resume-output-energy-journal/?KEYWORDS=climate+change


Fracking Associated With Smaller Babies. A new study has found an
association between hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and
smaller babies. The scientists used data on 15,451 live births in
southwest Pennsylvania from 2007 to 2010. They categorized the
mothers by how close they lived to gas wells and the
concentration of wells in the area.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/fracking-associated-with-smaller-babies/


Fixing what ain't broke II: Clean Air Act requirements survive
with limited damage.  A few weeks back, I blogged in this space
about Illinois industry efforts to dismantle a Clean Air Act
permitting system in the name of "streamlining" it. Their
expressed concern was that the program's system for citizen
challenges to air pollution permits was "inefficient," which
translated from industry-speak means way too efficient…
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aalexander/fixing_what_aint_broke_ii_clea.html


With New Law, Hawaii Will Lead the Nation in Clean Energy. Move
over, California. Tell New York the news, especially as it moves
through its Reforming the Energy Vision proceedings. In the
three-way race among states for the title of national
clean-energy champion, as of yesterday, we have a new leader.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rsalter/with_new_law_hawaii_will_lead_.html


California's Mega-Drought: Nuclear Power To The Rescue. The only
power facility in California that does not use any of the state’s
precious fresh water is the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant
near San Luis Obispo. And it can even produce additional
freshwater for the nearby community. The nuclear plant
desalinates ocean water using reverse osmosis and
ultrafiltration.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/06/09/californias-megadrought-nuclear-power-to-the-rescue/?utm_source=allactivity&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=20150609


AFC Energy -- Another Player In The Fuel Cell Arena. When most
people think of fuel cells, companies like Bloom Energy, Ballard,
or FuelCell Energy spring to mind. All three entities have been
around for quite some time, have projects in the U.S. and abroad
(Ballard and Fuel Cell also have stock listings), and have yet to
make their investors rich. But there are other players out there
as well.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2015/06/09/afc-energy-another-player-in-the-fuel-cell-arena/?ss=business


Think Detroit has it rough now? Just wait ‘til climate change
gets ahold of it. You could be forgiven for thinking Detroit’s
current situation couldn’t get much more grim: poverty,
unemployment, abandonment and vacancy, civic bankruptcy, rampant
crime and tax evasion, an inability to deliver basic services.
What other plagues could possibly hit the city? Well, brace
yourself, because things will be getting much worse. Climate
change will mean more extreme weather for Detroit…
http://grist.org/cities/think-detroit-has-it-rough-now-just-wait-til-climate-change-gets-ahold-of-it/


Artificial Grass May Save Water, But Does It Endanger People?
When Michael and Barbara Fouch first considered replacing their
grassy lawn with artificial turf, they researched the growing
array of options for the green plastic blades and the infill that
holds them in place. They wanted a product that looked nice, but
they also wanted something that wouldn't make any people or pets
sick.

"Everyone here is pretty concerned about curb appeal," said
Michael Fouch, 62, of Laguna Niguel, California. "Last summer,
with the dry and sunny weather, the grass was getting brown and
diseased."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/09/artificial-turf-drought-california_n_7523132.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living&ir=Healthy+Living



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