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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for August 19, 2015.

Posted: 19 Aug 2015 13:29:01
ARB Newsclips for August 19, 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

Report: California cap-and-trade bills seek billions more than
available. California lawmakers have proposed spending billions
more in cap-and-trade money than is likely to be available,
according to a report compiled by an advocacy organization
critical of the climate program. Under the state’s system for
curbing greenhouse gases, businesses must buy emissions credits.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article31464677.html#storylink=cpy


Carbon auctions help finance West Sac housing project – and lots
more. Christopher Cabaldon, the mayor of West Sacramento, showed
up in style last week to help break ground on an affordable
housing project in his city: He rode his bicycle. His entrance
fit the occasion. The housing project, known as West Gateway
Place, wouldn’t be getting built without money generated by
California’s multibillion-dollar crusade against climate change.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article31480399.html#storylink=cpy


AIR POLLUTION

China’s Carbon Dioxide Emissions May Have Been Overstated by More
Than 10%. Scientists may have been overestimating China’s
emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas driving
global warming, by more than 10 percent, because of inaccurate
assumptions about the country’s coal-burning, according to a
study published on Wednesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/world/asia/china-carbon-dioxide-emissions-may-be-overstated-nature-study.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-chinas-carbon-count-could-be-overstated-by-14-percent-nature-2015-8
 

Exide cleanup: Toxic lead removal could be California's biggest
yet. The task of removing lead-contaminated soil from thousands
of homes near a closed Vernon battery recycling plant would be
the largest cleanup of its kind in California and rank among the
biggest conducted nationwide, say environmental officials and
experts in toxic remediation.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-exide-cleanup-20150817-story.html


Air freshener maker sniffs at slaughterhouse neighbor plan. The
company that invented the iconic pine tree-shaped automotive air
fresheners is turning up its nose at a proposal to open a
slaughterhouse near the firm's northern New York factory. The
Watertown Daily Times reports (http://bit.ly/1USRhuW ) a group of
local investors wants to build a meat-processing plant in
Watertown's Jefferson County Corporate Park, home to the
Car-Freshner Corp. …
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article31507034.html#storylink=cpy


Wildfires contributing to poor air quality in Kern County.
Wildfires burning in Fresno and San Luis Obispo counties have
caused unusually bad air quality and spread an acrid smoky smell
through parts of Kern County. Central Bakersfield was
experiencing particulate matter of 27 micrograms per cubic meter
Tuesday afternoon, far above what’s normal during the summer
months.
http://www.bakersfield.com/News/Breaking-News/2015/08/18/Wildfires-contributing-to-poor-air-quality-in-Kern-County.html


ENVIRONMENT: SoCal air heavy with pollution this month. Smog
combines with smoke from wildfires for the bad air blues in
Inland valleys. Headachy? Runny nose? Itchy eyes? Coughing? It
may not be the common cold. All of the above, as well as nausea
and fatigue, are among the symptoms of ozone pollution, aka
summer smog. And we have been getting a good dose of it.
http://www.pe.com/articles/air-777373-ozone-cassmassi.html 

How sunlight on dirty buildings is creating dirty air. As
sunlight hits the grime covering urban structures, smog-inducing
chemicals are released, a new study has found. A new study has
confirmed a previously held suspicion as to what helps drive up
air pollution: the sun. Scientists have found that natural
sunlight may play a key role in cities’ smog levels…
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0818/How-sunlight-on-dirty-buildings-is-creating-dirty-air

http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/29067/20150819/sunlight-causes-building-grime-change-dangerous-air-pollution.htm


Methane argument hinges on how fast emissions should be cut. The
argument about methane regulation in the oil field revolves
around whether industry has been reducing emissions quickly
enough. U.S. EPA and the Obama administration's answer to that
has been "no," judging by their proposal to expand existing
regulation to cut emissions by roughly 30 percent compared with
2005 levels.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/19/stories/1060023639 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Clinton seeks distance from Obama on climate change issues.
Hillary Rodham Clinton is voicing opposition to President Barack
Obama's authorization for oil drilling in the Alaska Arctic and
his delays on Keystone XL, in some of the clearest signs of the
Democratic front-runner distancing herself from the president.
Having agreed with him on most issues so far in her 2016 race...
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_CLINTON_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/08/19/us/ap-us-dem-2016-clinton-obama.html


AP poll: Minority of US Catholics know pope's climate views. A
new survey has found fewer than half of U.S. Roman Catholics said
they knew of Pope Francis' bombshell encyclical on curbing
climate change - and only a fraction of those heard about it from
the pulpit - in the month after he released the document with an
unprecedented call for the church to take up his message.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_REL_POPE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Climate change may have driven dog evolution. It's possible that
a shifting climate millions of years ago helped make dogs what
they are today. In a study published Tuesday in Nature
Communications, researchers report that based on the analysis of
wolf and dog remains dating back to 40 million years ago, it's
likely that the animals developed their unique approach to
hunting in response to changes in their habitat.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/08/19/climate-change-may-have-driven-the-evolution-of-dogs/

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0819/How-climate-change-drove-evolution-of-dogs


China's carbon count could be overstated by 14 pct – Nature.
International organizations could be overestimating emissions
from China, the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gas
because of problems in the way they calculate their data, said a
study published by Nature on Wednesday. With talks on a new
global climate accord set to take place in Paris in December…
http://www.trust.org/item/20150819170121-e5j08/?source=reTheWire 


4 trends driving the Oregon climate movement. It’s been a hot
year for Oregon’s climate, and not just because of the record
temperatures. From pipelines to clean fuels, “bomb trains” to
kayaktivists, the state is increasingly on the front lines of the
battle to address global climate protection. The tumultuous low
carbon fuel debates that characterized Oregon’s 2015 legislative
session may be behind us, but climate change…
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/08/4-trends-driving-the-oregon-climate-movement.html


DROUGHT

Report: Groundwater pumping in California has land sinking. Vast
areas of California's Central Valley are sinking faster than in
the past as massive amounts of groundwater are pumped during the
historic drought, NASA said in new research released Wednesday.
The research shows that in some places the ground is sinking
nearly two inches each month, putting infrastructure on the
surface at growing risk of damage.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_SINKING_LAND?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Losing Water, California Tries to Stay Atop Economic Wave.
Despite the drought, communities are pushing ahead with plans for
new housing, with advocates saying there will be enough water to
meet the demand. vert W. Palmer has a vision for this city famous
for its state prison: 10,200 new homes spread across the rolling
hills to the south, bringing in a flood of new jobs, new business
and 25,000 more people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/us/losing-water-california-tries-to-stay-atop-economic-wave.html?_r=0


Valley land sinking fast in drought, NASA study shows. Portions
of the San Joaquin Valley floor are sinking nearly two inches per
month as farmers pump ever more groundwater during California’s
extended drought, according to a NASA study released Wednesday. 
The report, generated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the
state Department of Water Resources, sheds new light on the
phenomenon known as subsidence. 
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article31527953.html#storylink=cpy


Leadership gap hinders federal drought response. The federal
response to the Western drought has been hindered by high-level
vacancies, bureaucratic caution and political calculations that
have thrown sand in the gears. Put another way: With more than 70
percent of California now classified in a state of “exceptional”
or “extreme” drought, Uncle Sam is floundering.
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/nation-world/national/article31529762.html#storylink=cpy


Study: Drought to fallow half-million acres in state in '15. SAN
FRANCISCO California's four-year drought will cost state
agriculture $1.84 billion in 2015, researchers estimated in a
study Tuesday from UC Davis. The biggest chunk of that cost will
come from the fallowing of 542,000 acres that lack water for
irrigation, the study said. That's about one-fifth more land than
drought forced out of production last year, researchers noted.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/water-334521-ocprint-state-study.html


The next target in Southern California’s drought conservation?
Renters. Southern California homeowners have been hammered by the
drought and have responded by replacing 150 million square feet
of lawn in an effort to avoid surcharges slapped onto bills. The
result amounted to a savings in water use in June of 23 percent,
just below the mandate required by the governor.
http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-nature/20150818/the-next-target-in-southern-californias-drought-conservation-renters


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Federal Agencies Hear Testimony on Strict New Big Truck Emissions
Rules. Industry leaders call for including financial incentives,
environmental groups ask for earlier deadlines. Federal
regulators are weighing how best to implement strict new truck
emissions standards to both reduce pollution and save fleets
money. It may not be easy.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-agencies-hear-testimony-on-strict-new-truck-emissions-rules-1439937356


Environmentalists, industry debate proposed new federal
clean-truck rules. Environmentalists and trucking industry
representatives clashed Tuesday at an all-day hearing in Long
Beach on the federal government’s next regulatory phase of diesel
truck emissions, which experts say account for 20 percent of
greenhouse gases. With government regulators listening intently…
http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150818/environmentalists-industry-debate-proposed-new-federal-clean-truck-rules


California Air Quality Regulators Target Nitrogen Oxide Emissions
Reduction. State air quality regulators in California said
proposed Phase 2 standards for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions
and increasing fuel efficiency for medium- and heavy-duty trucks
do not go far enough. At a public hearing Aug. 18 in Long Beach,
they called for reducing the existing standard on nitrogen oxide
emissions from medium- and heavy-duty trucks to near-zero levels…
http://ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39203

Concerns Aired at GHG Phase 2 Hearing. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration held a public hearing in Long Beach, Calif.,
Tuesday to listen to comments about their jointly proposed
greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency standards for
medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2015/08/sides-differ-on-particulars-in-ghg-phase-2-hearing.aspx


California May Be Among Top Beneficiaries to Greenhouse Gas Regs.
Diesel Technology Forum Representative Speaks to Federal
Officials. Thanks to its massive fleet of medium and heavy-duty
trucks, the state of California stands to benefit the most from
greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency regulations, according to the
Diesel Technology Forum.
http://www.trucktrend.com/news/1508-california-may-be-among-top-beneficiaries-to-greenhouse-gas-regs/#ixzz3jHZvGtyC


Are Higher Fuel Efficiency Standards For Large Trucks Good For
Business? Both fleet operators and consumers agree: it’s in
everyone’s best interest for the EPA to increase fuel efficiency
standards for large trucks. For both groups, cutting back on
carbon emissions isn’t the key factor driving this attitude. It’s
money. That is, this is what two new studies have determined.
http://www.hybridcars.com/are-higher-fuel-efficiency-standards-for-large-trucks-good-for-business/


OEMs, Cummins disagree on separate GHG engine standard. CARB
calls for technology-forcing emissions limits, focus on NOx. he
second public hearing on proposed truck fuel efficiency and
greenhouse gas emissions standards shaped up much like the first:
Trucking industry representatives expressed qualified support for
the stringency goals and implementation schedule outlined by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)…
http://fleetowner.com/regulations/oems-cummins-disagree-separate-ghg-engine-standard


Your Aug. 19 Pre-Trip: Idling alternatives can save fuel, money.
Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. The U.S. Department
of Energy has released a fact sheet that considers the effects of
long idling periods of heavy-duty trucks and offers alternatives
to idling. According to the Department of Energy, idling wastes
fuel and increases engine wear, degrades air quality, and may be
illegal.
http://fleetowner.com/fleet-management/your-aug-19-pre-trip-idling-alternatives-can-save-fuel-money


Will Big Truck MPG Rules Save Fleets Money? Companies that
operate fleets of vehicles will save money if higher US
fuel-economy requirements for medium- and heavy-trucks are put in
place, according to a report from the clean transportation
organization CALSTART. The report comes as the EPA and the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration…
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/08/18/will-big-truck-mpg-rules-save-fleets-money/#ixzz3jHbd0MgU


ARB ENFORCEMENT

[Combat truck emissions] evening news station in Los Angeles 18
08182015. In order to achieve clean air standards in California,
the California Air Resources Board for heavy-duty diesel trucks
made a number of provisions to limit the diesel emission trucks.
For the implementation of the implementation of the relevant
provisions, and today, the California Air Resources Board joint
highway patrol and other police departments in the eastern city
of Los heavy trucks in and out of the area were frequently
raided. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgiEfm3tuzo 

FUELS

U.S. crude hits six-and-a-half-year low on surprise stock build.
Oil prices fell about 4 percent on Wednesday, with U.S. crude
hitting 6-1/2 year lows and threatening to break below $40, after
a huge unexpected stockpile build in the United States reinforced
concerns about a growing global oil glut. U.S. crude inventories
rose by 2.6 million barrels last week to 456.21 million, the
government's Energy Information Administration said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/19/us-markets-oil-idUSKCN0QO01520150819?feedType=RSS&feedName=wtMostRead


Obama’s Methane Limits Seen Wiping Out the Marginal Driller. A
proposal by the Obama administration to strengthen methane
regulations threatens to wipe out marginal drillers already
teetering on the edge of closing because of low oil and natural
gas prices, according to Oppenheimer & Co. The proposed rules
from the Environmental Protection Agency target for the first
time oil wells…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NTAOHJ6NKN1B01-7JB1E5OTVDQKQCC4E4U1GFHV1A


EPA's methane plan raises questions about industry's next steps. 
At a time when global oil prices have crashed and some American
energy companies are struggling with debt, U.S. EPA proposed new
regulations yesterday that would require the sector to invest in
cleaning up its greenhouse gas pollution.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/08/19/stories/1060023642 

VEHICLES

What Cities Have Most Electric Cars In The U.S.? In the U.S.,
government entities on the Federal, state, and local levels are
pushing for greater electric-car adoption in different ways.
While different regions in the country are working towards the
same goal, the policies enacted to reach it--and the degree to
which they're implemented--can vary significantly.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099636_what-cities-have-most-electric-cars-in-the-u-s


GREEN ENERGY

EU debate on green energy targets pitches UK against Germany.
Britain and Germany will line up on opposite sides of a European
Union green energy debate starting next month on how to meet
agreed renewable fuel targets for the next decade. The 28 member
states agreed climate and energy goals last October, but to make
it easier to get a deal, the decision went only as far as a
framework.
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N10P4HL20150819


SMA Solar wins order to supply 317 inverters to California. 
Germany's largest solar company SMA Solar has won an order from
San Diego-based Swinerton Renewable Energy to supply 317
inverters for seven solar parks in California with a planned
capacity of 700 megawatt, it said on Wednesday. No order volume
was given.
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFFWN10U00Q20150819

  
EXCHANGE: Diagnostics imaging company taps sun for power. Joliet
business that offers virtual imaging technology is going green
and clean with solar power covering much of its electricity
needs. Future Diagnostics Group unveiled recently the solar panel
technology that covers most of the roof and parking lots of the
building at 254 Republic Ave. Solar modules absorb the sunlight …
http://www.sacbee.com/news/article31497419.html#storylink=cpy 

Residents with solar panels protest Michigan energy measure.
Advocates of installing solar panels on rooftops are protesting
Michigan legislation they warn would make it harder for residents
to reduce utility bills with their own renewable energy sources.
Dozens rallied Wednesday at the Capitol, holding umbrellas to
urge lawmakers not to block the sun.
http://www.modbee.com/news/business/article31497122.html#storylink=cpy


Calif. power suppliers propose special fees for solar customers.
Utilities across the country are copying a once-groundbreaking
move by Arizona regulators to impose a special charge on
residential customers with rooftop solar. On Aug. 3, Southern
California Edison Co. announced a rate structure similar to one
used by Arizona Public Service Co.: a monthly
$3-per-kilowatt-hour fee.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/08/19/stories/1060023620 

MISCELLANEOUS

Tehama County Board of Supervisors authorizes letter is support
of wood stove change out program. The Tehama County Board of
Supervisors Tuesday authorized a letter in support of a wood
stove change out concept outlined in a California Air Resources
Board plan. That program, if enacted, would bring money to Tehama
County.
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/general-news/20150819/tehama-county-board-of-supervisors-authorizes-letter-is-support-of-wood-stove-change-out-program


OPINIONS

Is California Really Winning the Drought?: Reader Q. & A. In a
Sunday Review article last weekend, “How California Is Winning
the Drought,” Charles Fishman, author of “The Big Thirst: The
Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water,” argued that despite
the severe ongoing drought conditions, California’s economy, job
market and population are finding ways to thrive. Hundreds of
readers responded, posing questions and ideas for the author on
Facebook and The Times’ site. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/opinion/is-california-really-winning-the-drought-reader-q-a.html?_r=1&assetType=opinion


Legal nitpicking over climate-change rules. To the editor: On the
one hand, policymaking must be vetted, even through the courts,
assuring that our system of checks and balances is adhered to. On
the other hand, when crisis is upon us, our leaders should apply
their collective tools to the problem while scrutinizing the
rules. ("Next step for Obama's climate rules: A court debate over
wording 'glitch,'" Aug. 5)
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-0819-wednesday-climate-change-obama-20150819-story.html


Why the absence of oversight on California's clean energy job
fund? When voters endorsed Proposition 39 in 2012, they did so
with the best of intentions. The measure closed a corporate tax
loophole that had deprived the general fund of desperately needed
cash — an estimated $1 billion a year — and had encouraged
multistate companies to locate jobs outside of California.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-prop39-20150819-story.html


Editorial, Aug. 19, 2015: Desal projects are in the future for
Monterey Peninsula. We cannot afford to repeat our past history
of failed water projects. The drought, along with a looming
state-required pumping cutback from the Carmel River, and the
opportunities offered by a recovering economy are all factors
that make it imperative that we are successful NOW in developing
a new water supply.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/20150818/editorial-aug-19-2015-desal-projects-are-in-the-future-for-monterey-peninsula


Mandate To Cut Gasoline Use Would Cripple California’s Economy.
Friends tend to make fun of my car. Granted, it is dented,
scratched and old. But in my house we tend to buy our cars, pay
them off and then drive them until they fall apart. So imagine my
surprise when I was sitting in a California State Assembly
Utilities and Commerce Committee hearing on Senate Bill 350…
http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2015/08/mandate-to-cut-gasoline-use-would-cripple-californias-economy/


BLOGS

New warning from oil lobby: Climate bill could limit your
driving. As lobbying reaches a boil in the final weeks of the
legislative session, business groups and others opposed to a
climate-change bill have a new message: It could lead to state
limits on when and how much you drive.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/morning-roundup/2015/08/new-warning-from-oil-lobby-climate-bill-could.html?ana=e_sac_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2015-08-19&u=48zidwXI73mCj+vn7gp6vA0acf0b37&t=1440004633


California's Drought Will Cost The State $2.74 Billion This Year,
Report Finds. The loss to California's agricultural industry
alone is estimated at $1.84 billion. California's ongoing drought
will cost the economy in the most populous U.S. state an
estimated $2.74 billion in 2015 and lead to the loss of 10,000
seasonal farm jobs, despite overall health in the state's
agricultural sector, researchers said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-drought-cost_55d3b8b0e4b055a6dab1f07b?kvcommref=mostpopular


A Very Early Yet Highly Accurate Guide to This Coming Winter.
There’s a silver lining to all this talk of a super mega
record-breaking Godzilla El Niño: The seasonal weather outlooks
for this fall and winter will be some of the most accurate ever
issued. Last spring I profiled what El Niño—a periodic warming of
the tropical Pacific Ocean—means for 60 places across the globe.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/08/18/winter_weather_preview_thanks_to_el_nino_we_know_what_s_coming.html?google_editors_picks=true


Can Islamic scholars change thinking on climate change?
Declaration calls on Muslims to help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Fewer than four months before politicians gather in
Paris to try to hammer out an international climate agreement,
Islamic scholars have underscored the urgency of halting climate
change.
http://www.nature.com/news/can-islamic-scholars-change-thinking-on-climate-change-1.18203


How One Company Is Building An Innovation Hub In Silicon Valley
To Address The Drought Crisis Through Mobile Tech. Every year,
Americans waste a trillion gallons of water, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency — and the way we do it is pretty
embarrassing. Most of it is through leaky faucets in our kitchens
and bathrooms, our faulty sprinkler systems, or our
malfunctioning toilets.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lyndseygilpin/2015/08/19/how-one-company-is-building-an-innovation-hub-in-silicon-valley-to-address-the-drought-crisis-through-mobile-tech/


This startup is developing an electric car battery that can
charge in minutes. Tesla’s fast chargers can add about 170 miles
worth of electricity to its cars’ batteries in about 30 minutes.
If an Israeli startup achieves its goal, electric cars could
travel hundreds of miles after only five minutes of charging. On
Wednesday three-year-old startup StoreDot, said that it’s raised
$18 million in funding…
http://fortune.com/2015/08/19/electric-car-battery-charges-minutes/




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

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