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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 13, 2015.
Posted: 13 Aug 2015 12:39:32
ARB Newsclips for August 13, 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 Deutsche Bank employees charged in emissions trading case. German prosecutors have filed tax evasion charges against eight current and former Deutsche Bank employees over their alleged participation in a value-added tax fraud scheme involving carbon dioxide emissions certificates. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_DEUTSCHE_BANK_INVESTIGATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/13/deutsche-bank-carbon-idUSL5N10O0SV20150813 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-13/frankfurt-prosecutors-charge-eight-bankers-in-carbon-tax-fraud http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NT0BVR6JTSEE01-2OQCHNKVCU3A0LI6M7USMORQE9 http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/08/13/deutsche-bank-employees-charged-in-emissions-trading-case Emissions reduction fund: Shorten says Labor government would scrap scheme. Labor leader promises to dismantle Coalition scheme that he says gives ‘great wads of taxpayer cash to big polluters to keep polluting’. Bill Shorten will “axe” Tony Abbott’s emissions reduction fund if he wins next year’s federal election, gaining budget savings of up to $4.3bn over a decade. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/13/emissions-reduction-fund-shorten-says-labor-government-would-scrap-scheme AIR POLLUTION China Air Pollution Kills 4,000 People a Day: Researchers. Air pollution is killing an average of 4,000 people a day in China, according to researchers who cited coal-burning as the likely principal cause. Deaths related to the main pollutant, tiny particles known as PM2.5s that can trigger heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and asthma, total 1.6 million a year, or 17 percent of China’s mortality level… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-13/china-air-pollution-kills-4-000-people-a-day-researchers San Dimas told about air quality risks, concerns, funds. Excellent strides have been made in improving Southern California’s air quality, but the South Coast Air Quality Management District, municipalities and citizens still face challenges and risks relating to poor air quality. Michael Cacciotti, a board member of the air quality management district serving four counties… http://www.dailybulletin.com/environment-and-nature/20150812/san-dimas-told-about-air-quality-risks-concerns-funds Understanding the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan announced by President Obama on August 3 sets the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants, the nation’s largest source of the pollution driving dangerous climate change. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change in extreme weather, drought, wildfires, floods and many other disruptions to the world we depend on. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/08/13/understanding-the-epas-clean-power-plan/#ixzz3iiFBcCjm CLIMATE CHANGE 1st presidential visit to Arctic to focus on global warming. President Barack Obama says he'll use his upcoming trip to the Arctic region to press world leaders to do more to fight climate change. Obama plans to travel to Alaska in late August. He'll speak to a global Arctic leadership summit in Anchorage and also travel north to the Arctic. The White House says it's the first visit by a sitting president to the Alaskan Arctic. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ALASKA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-08-13/melting-alaskan-arctic-makes-for-prop-in-obama-climate-campaign http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-to-visit-arctic-later-this-month-1439478165 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/13/us/ap-us-obama-alaska.html?_r=0 http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-alaska-20150813-story.html http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/08/13/1st-presidential-visit-to-arctic-to-focus-on-global-warming Tree loophole casts shadow over EU carbon action. European environment law provides more financial incentives to fell a tree than to plant one, campaigners say. They warn that EU claims it leads the fight against climate change are based on false data and the United States must not follow suit. For many nations, wood burning, or biomass, provided a fast, affordable way to meet… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/13/eu-biomass-idUSL5N10N2B120150813 Pacific island nation calls for moratorium on new coal mines. The president of the low-lying Pacific island nation of Kiribati called on Thursday for a global moratorium on new coal mines to slow global warming and a creeping rise in world sea levels. Kiribati's 100,000 people live on 32 atolls in the central Pacific, most of which are less than six meters above sea level and are suffering coastal erosion as the world's ice caps melt. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/13/us-climatechange-summit-coal-idUSKCN0QI1AD20150813?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews Muslim Scholars Prepare Call for Action on Climate Change. Islamic scholars and religious leaders are preparing a call for action on climate change that will say it’s the religious duty of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims to fight global warming. The declaration will be made in Istanbul next Tuesday during a two-day meeting in the Turkish city coordinated by three religious-environmental groups… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-12/muslim-scholars-prepare-call-for-action-on-climate-change President of ‘Submerging’ Kiribati Calls for End to Coal Mining. The world should stop developing new coal mines to step up the fight against climate change, according to Anote Tong, president of the Pacific island-nation of Kiribati that’s slowly being swamped by rising seawater. With envoys working to devise a new deal to fight global warming at a December meeting… http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NT0K8L6JTSE801-7G1RC8MVAA3954BSKQSEQIVD3T If global warming really did pause, the planet seems to have pressed ‘play’ again. In June, in a bombshell study in Science, federal researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) took away climate skeptics’ number one favorite argument — the notion that in recent years, global warming had slowed down or hit a “pause.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/13/if-global-warming-really-did-pause-the-planet-seems-to-have-pressed-play-again/ Walruses in the Arctic are running out of sea ice this year — again. Last September, the remote community of Point Lay on Alaska’s North Slope became the focus of headline news when a staggering 35,000 walruses crowded onto the shore nearby. And now, some scientists are saying a similar event could happen this summer — in fact, any time now. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/12/walruses-in-the-arctic-could-be-in-trouble-again/ Lawmaker Defends California Climate Change Bill. Debate over an ambitious climate change bill continues to sizzle in the California Legislature as its final vote nears. Senate leader Kevin de León responded Wednesday to what he said are fears about his measure stoked by the oil industry. His bill, SB 350, would require a cleaner blend of fuels, but won’t ban gasoline or force limits on driving, the senator said. http://www.capradio.org/55176 Powering the Planet to Half a Degree Temperature Rise this Century. The ultimate objective of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. http://www.theenergycollective.com/jim-baird/2259464/powering-planet-half-degree-temperature-rise Calif. sets guidelines to help communities brace for a 4-foot sea-level rise by 2100. California's coastal governing board yesterday adopted guidelines aimed at helping local governments and development entities deal with projected rising sea levels. In a unanimous decision, the California Coastal Commission accepted the "Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance." http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/13/stories/1060023405 Melting Antarctic glaciers creates iron hot spots, study finds. Kevin Arrigo, a biological oceanographer at Stanford University, has spent nearly two decades studying remote sites in Antarctica that experts like to call an "oasis in a desert of ice." They are so inaccessible that even scientists who study them may not have laid eyes on them. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/13/stories/1060023401 DROUGHT Latest forecast suggests 'Godzilla El Niño' may be coming to California. The strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean has the potential to become one of the most powerful on record, as warming ocean waters surge toward the Americas, setting up a pattern that could bring once-in-a-generation storms this winter to drought-parched California. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-20150813-htmlstory.html http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article31010073.html#storylink=cpy Forecasters ‘unanimously’ expect strong El Niño, giving hope to parched California. El Niño occurs when water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean rise by at least half a degree Celsius above normal for three consecutive months. The National Weather Service said Thursday that “forecaster consensus unanimously favors a strong El Niño” with ocean waters at least 1.5 degrees Celsius above normal. http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article31002855.html#storylink=cpy http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-el-nino-california-drought-20150812-story.html http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28633770/california-drought-el-nino-keeps-growing-new-report http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california/El-Nino-Forecast-Drought-California-Weather-Winter-Rain-321756032.html California OKs strict water standards for showerheads. California officials launched two initiatives Wednesday to boost residential water conservation: The nation's toughest water efficiency standards for showerheads and a $30 million rebate program to rip out grass lawns and replace old toilets. The California Energy Commission voted to require showerheads sold at stores in the state to spray less water… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_WATER_EFFICIENCY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-shower-heads-20150812-story.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/08/12/l-fighting-drought-millions-black-plastic-balls/31526267/ Los Angeles covers reservoir waters with 'shade ball’. Los Angeles has been blackballed. The city has completed a program of covering open-air reservoirs with floating "shade balls" to protect water quality. City officials this week dumped the last 20,000 of 96 million black balls into the Los Angeles Reservoir in Sylmar, 25 miles northwest of downtown. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RESERVOIR_SHADE_BALLS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT As Washington's peculiar drought continues, Puget Sound cities asked to cut water use 10%. Three months after Gov. Jay Inslee declared a drought emergency in Washington State, three of the biggest cities in the Puget Sound region are asking residents to cut their water use by 10%. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-seattle-washington-drought-water-reduction-20150812-story.html State funds drought rebates, tightens faucet standards. California officials launched two initiatives Wednesday to boost residential water conservation: the nation's toughest water efficiency standards for shower heads and a $30 million rebate program to rip out grass lawns and replace old toilets. The California Energy Commission voted to require shower heads sold at stores… http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-333553-ocprint-standards-gallons.html RANCHO WATER: Candidates debating drought, Vail Lake. There’s no shortage of storylines in this year’s Rancho California Water District election, which finds five candidates competing for three available seats on the seven-person board. Earlier this year, the board approved a new rate structure that heavily penalizes those who exceed their water budgets, a response to the state’s water-use reduction mandate. http://www.pe.com/articles/water-776745-district-board.html FUELS Keystone XL: US review taking 5 times longer than average. The federal review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas has dragged on for nearly seven years, more than five times the average for such applications. The White House insists it's simply following a standard and well-established process. In the 6 1/2 years since TransCanada Corp. first applied for a permit… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_KEYSTONE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Diesel drivers, meet HPR: Low-carbon fuel arrives in Fullerton, and it's cheaper than regular diesel. Starting Wednesday, residents in north Orange County will have a new option when they fill up their gas tank: Diesel HPR. Diesel HPR is a low-carbon, renewable fuel for diesel engines. The biofuel was created by Sacramento-based Propel Fuels Inc. and is manufactured almost entirely from various plant- and animal-based wastes. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/diesel-677248-hpr-propel.html VEHICLES Tesla to raise around $500 million in public offering. Electric car maker Tesla Motors said Thursday it hopes to raise around $500 million in a stock offering that comes as it prepares to roll out its highly anticipated new SUV. Tesla will offer 2.1 million shares and expects net proceeds of $492.6 million. Tesla could make up to $566.5 million if the underwriters exercise their option to buy additional shares. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TESLA_OFFERING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-13/tesla-files-to-sell-2-1-million-shares-to-raise-500-million The UK Will Be Trialling Roads That Wirelessly Recharge Your Electric Car While You Drive. Pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell electric vehicles, are already playing an increasing role in the way we travel. But electric vehicles face a significant challenge: “range anxiety”, meaning that potential owners worry about the lack of sufficient power… http://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2015/08/13/the-uk-will-be-trialling-roads-that-wirelessly-recharge-your-electric-car-while-you-drive/?ss=logistics-transport Japanese Hot Springs Maintain Serenity With Nissan Leaf Electric Cars. The Nissan Leaf electric car has become part of a novel tourism promotion in its home market of Japan. A car-sharing service is being set up in rural Japan to help tourists better explore the onsen--hot springs--and other natural features. The near-silent electric cars… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099563_japanese-hot-springs-maintain-serenity-with-nissan-leaf-electric-cars Audi Electric SUV To Target Tesla With LG Chem, Samsung Cells. This much we know: a concept for the future Audi Q6 "coupe" SUV will be shown at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. We also know an all-electric Q6 e-tron version will target the Tesla Model X, though more conventional Q6 versions with gasoline, diesel… http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099567_audi-electric-suv-to-target-tesla-with-lg-chem-samsung-cells Cal Energy Commission grants $2.4M for Class 8 fuel cell hybrid trucks at ports; $1.2M for PEV fleet and V2G software upgrade. The California Energy Commission approved a grant of $2.4 million to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) under the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program to build and to test seven hybrid fuel-cell, Class 8 trucks to transport cargo… http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/08/20150813-calenergy.html GREEN ENERGY It’s Not A Pipe Dream: Clean Energy From Water Pipes Comes To Portland. It’s a renewable energy source, but hydropower has its pitfalls. Its dams can kill fish and other marine life and majorly disrupt habitat, and they can also end up emitting significant amounts of greenhouse gases — a side effect that many of hydro’s fellow renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, don’t share. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/13/3661575/portland-water-pipes-energy/ Can Market Fixes Overcome the Declining Value of Wind and Solar at High Market Shares? Back in May, Alex Trembath and I explained why the value of wind and solar energy in electricity systems declines as these variable renewable resources reach higher market shares. http://www.theenergycollective.com/jessejenkins/2259541/can-market-fixes-overcome-declining-value-wind-and-solar-high-market-shares Energy storage reaching a 'tiny fraction' of its U.S. potential – report. Energy storage technologies and applications are experiencing strong growth in places where electricity costs are high and utilities use pricing structures that require customers to pay more for power at certain times of the day. But storage systems are not being adopted broadly across the United States, according to a new analysis… http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/13/stories/1060023404 D.C. doubles down on clean energy. For the last two weeks, more than one-third of the electricity used by Washington, D.C.'s municipal government has come from a southwestern Pennsylvania wind farm. That arrangement, which will continue for the next 20 years, is the result of what D.C. officials are calling the largest-ever municipal power purchase agreement for renewable energy. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/13/stories/1060023400 MISCELLANEOUS CalPERS, CalSTRS took big losses on energy investments, report says. California's two biggest public pension funds lost more than $5 billion on energy-related investments for the year ended June 30, according to a new report. The California Public Employees' Retirement System posted losses of just over $3 billion, a 28% decline, on its largest oil and gas investments… http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-calpers-calstrs-energy-losses-20150813-story.html PERRIS: Museum to feature Native American perspectives on climate change. An exhibit that explores Native American perspectives on climate change opens Saturday at the Ya’i Heki’ Regional Indian Museum. The Lake Perris State Recreation Area will be showcasing the Smithsonian Institution’s “Indigenous Voices on Climate Change” exhibit at the Ya’i Heki’ Regional Indian Museum starting Saturday. http://www.pe.com/articles/museum-776678-change-perris.html OPINIONS L.A.'s air is clearer, but it remains dangerous for too many people. To the editor: I was surprised to hear President Obama label the ozone problem in Los Angeles solved, because I still see patients with asthma who struggle to breathe our polluted air. ("How bad was L.A.'s smog when Barack Obama went to college here?," Aug. 3) While there has indeed been progress, much more remains to be done. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0812-wednesday-smog-obama-20150813-story.html Dan Walters: Tom Steyer's attack on gas prices. Tom Steyer is obviously an intelligent and rational man, given his demonstrated ability to amass great wealth through capitalistic investments. But since it's difficult to rationally grasp his periodic rants about California's gasoline prices, they only make sense in a purely political -- i.e., illogical -- context. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28626860/dan-walters-tom-steyers-attack-gas-prices Letter: Cap-and-trade pain. President Obama, who has made statements in the past as “I will bankrupt the coal industry” and “Your electricity rates would necessary skyrocket,” cannot wait to implement his cap-and-trade system he presented. I mean, hasn’t he inflicted enough pain on the people of this country? What other U.S. president has ever wanted to bankrupt companies? http://www.recorder.com/home/18153960-95/letter-cap-and-trade-pain Obama’s new ozone rules will cost Michigan jobs. As the Environmental Protection Agency rushes to complete its new rule on ozone emissions, there’s been a lot of discussion about the burdens on businesses and local governments. Yet there’s been little mention of how this regulation could harm individual Americans. For some, the effects will be all too clear. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/08/13/swearingen-epa-rules-cost-jobs/31549037/ BLOGS Pope Francis’s climate push at odds with U.S. Catholic oil investments. Pope Francis heartened environmentalists around the world in June when he urged immediate action to save the planet from the effects of climate change, declaring that the use of “highly polluting fossil fuels needs to be progressively replaced without delay.” But some of the largest American Catholic organizations have millions of dollars invested in energy companies… http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/08/13/pope-franciss-climate-push-at-odds-with-u-s-catholic-oil-investments/ Dan Morain: Can California turn the West green? California’s leaders quickly saluted last week when President Barack Obama released his Clean Power Plan, a 1,500-page proposal that would dramatically reduce the nation’s dependence on coal. We’re already there, or at least we think we are. At the Legislature’s urging, California’s private utilities have weaned themselves from coal… http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dan-morain/article30956595.html#storylink=cpy Manure for Some, Dollars for Others. Not far from the Amish farms of Central Pennsylvania, in the rolling hills southwest of coal mining country, Dennis Brubaker raises 30,000 pigs a year for slaughter. In four enclosed barns, the hogs gain 2 pounds a day away from predators. http://sfpublicpress.org/news-notes/2015-08/manure-for-some-dollars-for-others#sthash.xh5pZnXW.dpuf Don’t let Obama’s power plan overshadow Arctic drilling. With the release of President Obama’s plan to reduce carbon pollution from power plants, it is clear he sees climate change as a critical part of his presidential legacy. Yet, in the shadow of this historic announcement, we cannot ignore that Royal Dutch Shell may only be days away from beginning drilling in the Arctic Ocean… http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/250879-dont-let-obamas-power-plan-overshadow-arctic-drilling Sharing Our Stories to Solve Climate Change. Throughout human history storytelling has been a powerful way to connect, comfort each other, explore our dreams, and share the human experience. Our stories personalize us and bring heart and meaning to issues that often seem impersonal and distant from our lives and build unity among people from different backgrounds. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aquintero/sharing_our_stories_to_solve_c.html On the Youth Assembly at the United Nations. Delegates poured in from around the world into the iconic General Assembly Hall at the United Nations. There was a palpable sense of excitement in the air. On the agenda was climate change, health care, gender equality and all of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, which were approved by world leaders in these very seats just a fortnight prior. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ayyan-zubair/youth-assembly-united-nations_b_7977684.html Why Green Energy Execs Don't Fear Falling Oil Prices. Wind and solar aren't really competing against oil. Investors are sweating over falling oil prices. Renewable energy executives, somewhat counterintuitively, are keeping their cool. West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell to a six-year low of $43 per barrel on Tuesday. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oil-prices-green-energy_55cb6637e4b0923c12bece98 Heat-Driven Surge In 'Danger Days' Just Around the Corner. Chances are you’ve never heard the phrase “danger day” when it comes to weather. That’s because they’re rare. You’ll want to get to know it, though, because climate change is about to make them a lot more common over the next 15 years. http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/heat-driven-surge-in-danger-days-just-around-the-corner-150812.htm Folks in these U.S. states don’t believe in global warming. In June, Pope Francis, in his encyclical on the environment, called upon humanity to take responsibility for the planet, including climate change. Yet millions of Americans just don’t trust scientists warning of a “95% certainty” humans cause global warming. Responding to the climate threat will take an all-hands-on-deck approach that combines policies… http://www.marketwatch.com/story/folks-in-these-us-states-dont-believe-in-global-warming-2015-08-13?page=1 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.