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ARB Newsclips for August 11, 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.

AIR POLLUTION

Clean Power Plan Extensions Have a Catch: Outreach. States
seeking additional time to develop compliance strategies for the
Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan must first
show that they have engaged with minority and at-risk
populations. The Clean Power Plan (RIN 2060-AR33), issued Aug. 3,
establishes three criteria for states seeking an additional two
years to develop their compliance plans…
http://www.bna.com/clean-power-plan-n17179934553/

Cruise lines cited for violating air regulations. Several cruise
lines have been found to be in violation of Alaska air pollution
regulations. The violations were revealed Friday in Norwegian
Cruise Line's quarterly Security and Exchange Commission filing.
SEC filings filed July 31 also indicate that the Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation cited Royal Caribbean
International and Celebrity Cruises for similar alleged
violations…
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Cruise-lines-cited-for-violating-air-regulations-6435715.php


Air pollution from China undermining gains in California, Western
states. Aside from smartphones, toys and computers, China exports
a different kind of product into the western United States — air
pollution. A study released Monday by the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory and NASA found that smog-forming chemicals making
their way across the Pacific Ocean from…
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/environment-and-nature/20150810/air-pollution-from-china-undermining-gains-in-california-western-states
http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20150810/air-pollution-from-china-undermining-gains-in-california-western-states

http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=22298 

City to study how Uber affects traffic, pollution. The city
council on Monday morning signed into a law a plan to study how
for-hire cars like Uber affect traffic and air pollution around
the city. The study will take a close look at how the growing
number of Internet-based car service vehicles affect the city’s
air quality and increasingly congested streets…
http://nypost.com/2015/08/10/city-to-study-how-uber-affects-traffic-pollution/


EPA plots 'ambitious' timeline to address mercury rule costs.
U.S. EPA yesterday laid out what it called an "ambitious"
schedule to address the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the
Obama administration's landmark mercury and air toxics standards
for power plants. In a court document, EPA said it plans to ask
federal appeals court judges to keep the rule in place while it
addresses the costs.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/11/stories/1060023275 

EPA moves to fix air pollution rule after Supreme Court loss. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to fix by this
spring the problem that caused the Supreme Court to rule against
its major air pollution regulation in July. The EPA told a lower
court on Monday that it is formulating a plan to conduct
cost-benefit analysis as part of a revision of its finding that
the mercury rule is “appropriate and necessary.”
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250779-epa-moves-to-fix-air-pollution-rule-after-supreme-court-loss

CLIMATE CHANGE

Australia criticized over greenhouse-gas reduction target.
Australia has been criticized over its new greenhouse-gas
reduction target which lags behind the ambitions of most wealthy
countries. Lawmakers in Prime Minister Tony Abbott's conservative
government on Tuesday agreed on a target of curbing carbon gas
emissions to at least 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The
target could go as high as 28 percent, Abbott said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/250803-australia-pledges-26-28-percent-emissions-cut

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/11/abbott-governments-2030-emissions-target-dubbed-pathetically-inadequate


Ex Machina: No Techno-Fix For Irreversible Ocean Collapse From
Carbon Pollution. A new study finds there is no “deus ex machina”
way to prevent a catastrophic collapse of ocean life for
centuries if not millennia — if we don’t start slashing carbon
pollution ASAP. The Nature Climate Change study examined what
would happen if we continue current CO2 emissions trends through
2050…
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/11/3689803/ex-machina-irreversible-ocean-collapse-carbon/


Is the West Coast's massive toxic algal bloom a sign of climate
changes to come? The water began turning a barely perceptible
brownish-green in early May, a sign that algae were present and
growing in the waters of Monterey Bay. By the end of month,
Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean sciences at the University
of California, Santa Cruz, and his team, who run a regional algae
monitoring project…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/11/stories/1060023263 

Forest mortality may rise with a warming climate – study. The
fate of forests in a rapidly changing climate is highly
uncertain, but now a new study in Ecosphere has concluded that
the risk to forests is much greater than what some scientists
previously believed. "There is a whole bunch of tree die-offs
that are happening right now across the U.S., especially in
California…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/11/stories/1060023266 

Arctic becoming warmer and wetter as ice melts. The Arctic has
become wetter and warmer throughout the 21st century partly
because of sea ice loss, according to new research. The
researchers were the first to analyze data from a relatively new
NASA weather-monitoring system, called the Atmospheric Infrared
Sounder, that is attached to a satellite.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/11/stories/1060023248 

DROUGHT

Water and Power: What can stop El Niño? Will El Niño save
California from the drought this winter? Not if the Blob has
anything to do with it.  Fighting fires: Thanks to the drought,
California can expect bigger and more expensive wildfires. The
U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half its budget on
suppressing fires, up from 16% of the budget in 1996.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-power-html-20150811-htmlstory.html


Sacramento planning commission to consider allowing artificial
turf in front yards. The Sacramento Planning and Design
Commission will consider a proposal Thursday that would allow
residents and businesses to install currently off-limits
artificial turf in front and side yards, part of the city’s
efforts to cut water use by 28 percent.  A city ordinance in
place for three decades requires living vegetation in front and
side…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article30667023.html#storylink=cpy


How the West’s Drought Is Affecting Lung Health. What residents
of California and other areas under siege can do to reduce their
risk. In explaining how the sustained drought in California and
other parts of the West might be affecting people living through
it, experts point not only to parched ground but to the hazy
skies.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/08/11/how-the-wests-drought-is-affecting-lung-health


FUELS

Cheaper oil forces South Africa to rework biofuels subsidy. South
Africa's biofuels funding incentive is being revamped over
concerns that it is unaffordable after a halving of global crude
oil prices over the past year, officials said on Tuesday. A net
importer of crude, Africa’s most advanced economy wants biofuels
initially to meet 2 percent…
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0QG0RJ20150811 

TransCanada quietly plots response as Keystone XL rejection seems
imminent. Alberta company consulting lawyers on possibly suing
U.S. under NAFTA. The Canadian company involved in the
controversy-plagued Keystone XL project has begun planning its
response as indications mount the proposed oil pipeline will be
rejected by U.S. President Barack Obama.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/transcanada-quietly-plots-response-as-keystone-xl-rejection-seems-imminent-1.3185105

VEHICLES

Hyundai, Kia Do It All: Electrics, Hybrids, Prius Fighters,
Hydrogen, Even Diesel. When it comes to advanced automotive
technology, most global carmakers are placing their bets with
care. Toyota is all-in for hydrogen fuel cells, while Nissan is
betting on battery-electric vehicles for its future. GM too is on
the plug-in side of the ledger, while other makers hang back more
cautiously.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099523_hyundai-kia-do-it-all-electrics-hybrids-prius-fighters-hydrogen-even-diesel


Electric Car Drivers Tell Ford: We'll Never Go Back To Gasoline.
Fully nine out of 10 electric-car drivers say they won't go back
to cars with internal-combustion engines, according to a new Ford
survey. The results included responses from 10,000 drivers of
both battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids. It found that 92
percent of battery-electric drivers…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099531_electric-car-drivers-tell-ford-well-never-go-back-to-gasoline


GREEN ENERGY

China Advised to Double Solar Goal to Fill Nuclear, Hydro Gap.
China is being encouraged by three industry groups to double the
nation’s solar-power goal for 2020 to fill a gap forecast to
emerge because nuclear and hydropower are due to fall short of
targets. The world’s biggest solar market needs 200 gigawatts of
such capacity by then, according to a document seen by Bloomberg.
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NSWYA06JTSE801-72A3D6P162K6L4AOOJUJJUVEAQ


Solar Power Capacity in India to Reach 75GW by 2022, Report Says.
Solar will account for more than a fifth of India’s increase in
electricity demand by 2022 as installed capacity reaches 75
gigawatts, according to a research report. Helped by a $50
billion grid upgrade and new installations, India’s solar
capacity will be capable of delivering 110 terawatt-hours, or 22
percent…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NSWNJO6JTSEB01-2I3FEOQN8A1A23O2MU91PNV27S


USDA invests $63M in 264 renewable energy, efficiency projects.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $63 million in loans
and grants this month for 264 renewable energy and energy
efficiency projects nationwide that USDA is supporting through
its Rural Energy for America Program. “This funding will have
far-reaching economic and environmental impacts nationwide…
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/474687/usda-invests-63m-in-264-renewable-energy-efficiency-projects


Energy Department Reports Highlight Trends of Growing U.S. Wind
Energy Industry. According to two reports released today by the
Energy Department, the U.S. wind energy industry continued
growing at an impressive rate in 2014, further solidifying
America’s position as a global leader in wind energy. Wind power
is a key component of the President’s all-of-the-above energy
strategy and Clean Power Plan…
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/national-news/4731-energy-department-reports-highlight-trends-of-growing-u-s-wind-energy-industry.html


China To Spend Trillions On 'Green Tech' The Chinese government
will spend upwards up $2.5 trillion over the next 15 years on
clean energy projects designed to provide a lift-off to its most
promising alternative energy firms. Rae Kwon Chung, principal
advisor on climate change of the United Nations
Secretary-General, came up with the figures during the China
Summit…
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2015/08/11/china-to-spend-trillions-on-green-tech/


MISCELLANEOUS

State consumer advocate to pull out of San Onofre nuclear plant
settlement. A multibillion-dollar settlement over the closed San
Onofre nuclear power plant took another blow Monday as the state
consumer advocate said that he was withdrawing from the deal and
would urge regulators to reopen the case.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-consumer-advocate-settlement-20150810-story.html


No mileage tracking in California road tax plan. Higher gas and
diesel taxes, revenue from the state’s cap-and-trade program, and
increased vehicle license and registration fees are among the
possible sources of new revenue included in a
transportation-funding package of principles put forward Monday
by a coalition of local government, business and labor groups.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article30633093.html#storylink=cpy


Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since Fukushima disaster.
Japan has restarted its first nuclear reactor since the Fukushima
disaster in March, 2011. Kyushu Electric Power Company told CNN
Tuesday that it had reactivated No. 1 reactor at its Sendai
nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, on the southern
island of Kyushu.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/11/asia/japan-nuclear-reactor/ 

OPINIONS

The Reality of Taiwan’s Energy Situation. Sherry Chen responds to
Joseph Wu’s July 29 letter, “Renewable Energy Is Not Dangerous
for Taiwan.”In his letter to the editor (“Renewable Energy Is Not
Dangerous for Taiwan,” July 29), Joseph Wu states that the
Democratic Progressive Party seeks to generate 20% of overall
energy production from renewable sources by 2025.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-reality-of-taiwans-energy-situation-1439313681


State of the Drought: Something is burning. It was like the hint
of a first snow. At first, you aren't sure if you see it fall,
but then you catch a flake on your arm and you examine it as it
shimmers and slowly melts. But this time there's heat that holds
you, and the flakes are not only white, they are also black and
gray as they rain softly down.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/thetake/article/State-of-the-Drought-Ashes-like-snow-6436466.php?t=e14beda632


'The Water Knife' Previews A Future Drought Scenario.  As I write
this, California remains deep in its fourth year of drought. One
hundred percent of the state of Nevada in drought — with 40
percent in the extreme drought category. Over to the southeast,
93 percent of Arizona's territory is in some form of drought.
Even Washington state, far to the north, finds all of its
territory in drought and 32 percent of its land in extreme doubt.
http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=431522774 

Editorial, Aug. 11, 2015 Acting nationally is right way to fight
global climate change. On issues from Iran to health care to gay
rights, Barack Obama could be said to be feeling his progressive
oats as he enters the final two years of his presidency.  Facing
no more electoral pressures, the last quarter of the time
allotted to a nation’s leader who has been re-elected to a second
term has traditionally been a period…
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20150810/editorial-aug-11-2015-acting-nationally-is-right-way-to-fight-global-climate-change


Lee-Ashley: Federal policies still favor coal. With the release
of the Clean Power Plan last week, the U.S. took a landmark step
toward leveling the playing field among renewable and fossil fuel
energy sources that will be powering our homes and businesses for
decades to come. Wind and solar energy, for example, will now be
allowed to compete more fairly with coal, whose high external
costs…
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/08/11/fed-policies-still-favor-coal/31423279/


Wash. state can lead on global warming and clean energy. THE dust
has settled on a frustrating legislative session. Time and again,
oil interests blocked broadly supported steps to encourage the
transition to clean energy and cut global-warming pollution.
There is a lot of individual blame to go around, but we see this
as a broad failure of our state’s political institutions.
http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/wash-state-can-lead-on-global-warming-and-clean-energy/


Gran/My Turn: No pause in global warming. An article in Science
News June 27, “Global warming ‘hiatus’” an artifact states: “One
of the biggest mysteries of modern climate science may have never
really existed …” This refers to a paper published June 4, by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the
journal Science, which concluded there has been no “pause” in
global warming.
http://www.recorder.com/home/18128126-95/granmy-turn-no-pause-in-warming


BLOGS

Grasslands protocol opens another carbon market for farmers.
GrasslandsGrowers with grasslands on their property have a new
reason to leave that land untouched. On July 22, the Climate
Action Reserve, a non-profit organization that creates offset
standards and serves as one of the offset registries for
California’s cap-and-trade program…
http://blogs.edf.org/growingreturns/2015/08/10/grasslands-protocol-opens-another-carbon-market-for-farmers/


China is exporting ozone pollution to the U.S. — which is only
fair. It’s no secret that the U.S. imports a lot from China, and
according to a new study in Nature Geoscience, now we can add
ozone pollution — our old pal smog — to the list. “The dominant
westerly winds blew this air pollution straight across to the
United States…
http://grist.org/news/china-is-exporting-ozone-pollution-to-the-u-s-which-is-only-fair/


To protect the climate, repeal the biofuel mandate. Ten years
ago, the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was signed into
law with the promise that biofuels – corn ethanol in particular –
would set the country on a cleaner, greener and more energy
secure path. Has the policy, ten years into its tenure, delivered
on its promises? Has it helped the environment?
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/250620-to-protect-the-climate-repeal-the-biofuel-mandate


The third fossil fuel in the climate conversation.  President
Obama’s Clean Power Plan is a significant step in the right
direction to combat climate change. The coal and natural gas
fueling the nation’s electricity grid have vastly different
implications for a warming world than do renewables. Addressing
these two fossil fuels climate footprints is an imperative.
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/250601-the-third-fossil-fuel-in-the-climate-conversation


Farmers Are Generating Renewable Energy And Making Money --
Thanks To Cow Poop. Why "cow power" could be the next big
renewable energy source. ho knew cow manure could turn out to be
so valuable?  According to an Agence France-Presse story
published this month, a family-run dairy farm in northern Indiana
is finding a revenue-generating and earth-friendly use for the
70,000 gallons of manure and urine produced daily by its 3,400
cows.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cow-manure-renewable-energy-anaerobic-digesters_55c8f450e4b0f1cbf1e5d38c


First as tragedy, then as farce: FEMA still to adapt to climate
change. During tropical storm Irene in 2011, small streams roared
like gigantic fire hoses, washing away or severely damaging
hundreds of bridges and culverts across Vermont, including Fay
Brook Bridge, which had stood for more than 80 years in a narrow
valley outside this tiny village. “Mother Nature is powerful,”
says David Indenbaum…
http://necir.org/2015/08/11/fema-tragedy-and-farce/ 



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