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ARB Newsclips for September 23, 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

Car emissions rigging may have added to dirty air death toll.
Volkswagen's admission that it rigged car emission tests has
prompted environmental and health experts to ask whether such
deception is to blame for a lack of progress in reducing death
and disease from air pollution. Air choked with tiny particles,
ozone and other pollutants kills some 3.7 million people a year…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/us-volkswagen-health-idUSKCN0RN1PL20150923


Pollution controls cut toxic chemical concentrations in
California. The concentration of seven toxic chemicals
responsible for most of the known cancer risk from airborne
contaminants in California dropped between 1990 and 2012, a study
by the California Air Resources Board has found. Published this
month in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the
study found steep reductions in chemicals such as benzene and
perchloroethylene, which is used in dry cleaning.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article36234879.html#storylink=cpy


EPA hears widely different views on methane emission threat. An
energy industry representative says over-regulating methane
emissions could discourage the use of environment-friendly
natural gas, but a former Colorado air quality official says
cutting methane is a cost-effective way to fight climate change.
The Environmental Protection Agency heard radically different
views Wednesday as it…
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article36257871.html#storylink=cpy


CLIMATE CHANGE

On White House lawn, Pope calls on U.S. to fight climate change.
Pope Francis on Wednesday urged the United States to help tackle
climate change and called on Americans to build a truly tolerant
and inclusive society, as he struck a political tone on his first
visit to the world's richest nation. In a speech on the White
House South Lawn, the Argentine.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/us-pope-usa-idUSKCN0RN1KZ20150923


Obama praises pope for helping poor, fighting climate change.
U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis to the White
House on Wednesday with warm praise for the popular pontiff's
work to lift up the poor and his commitment to fight climate
change. Obama thanked the pope for his help in thawing relations
between the United States and Cuba and called his message of
"mercy" one that highlights…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/pope-usa-obama-idUSL1N11T0N520150923


Obama says Paris climate talks bound to 'fall short' on carbon
curbs. President Barack Obama said he hopes major countries agree
to "aggressive enough targets" to cut carbon emissions at climate
talks in Paris later this year, but he said any deal will fall
short of what is needed to slow global warming. "I'm less
concerned about the precise number, because let's stipulate right
now, whatever various country targets are…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/usa-obama-climatechange-idUSL1N11T0P320150923


Russia rejects criticism of greenhouse gas plan, will not amend -
top Putin adviser. Russia has rebuffed calls for a more ambitious
plan to cut its carbon dioxide emissions after environmentalists
branded its current pledge inadequate and backward-looking. The
world's fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, Russia
pledged in March to keep its emissions at 25-30 percent below the
level it generated in 1990…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/russia-climatechange-idUSL5N11S3IE20150923


Papa! DC crowds cheer pope; he calls for climate action. Plunging
headlong into the issues of the day, Pope Francis opened his
visit to the United States with a strong call for action to
combat climate change, calling it a problem that "can no longer
be left to a future generation." President Barack Obama, in turn,
hailed the pontiff as a moral force who is "shaking us out of our
complacency"…
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Pope-president-to-seek-common-ground-in-Oval-6523470.php


Clinton wants North American climate agreement. Democratic
president candidate Hillary Clinton today called for a North
American "climate compact" to help the continent reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and expand the use of low-carbon
energy sources. Clinton said that as president she would
"immediately launch negotiations" with the leaders of Canada and
Mexico to create a climate compact that includes ambitious
national GHG reduction targets, coordinated policy approaches and
"strong accountability measures."
http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1108264 

Man sought climate refugee status, but New Zealand is saying
'no'. A Pacific Islander whose bid to become the world’s first
climate-change refugee drew attention to the plight of tiny
nations at the front lines of global warming is to be deported
from New Zealand.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/new-684126-zealand-pacific.html


DROUGHT

Caribbean braces for worsening drought as dry season nears. The
most severe drought to hit the Caribbean in recent years is
expected to worsen despite rains from tropical storms that have
replenished some reservoirs. Forecasters say El Nino phenomenon
is gathering strength and will continue to warm the tropical
Pacific until early next year, which translates into sparse
rainfall for this largely parched region as the dry season
approaches.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Caribbean-braces-for-worsening-drought-as-dry-6522529.php


CA Drought Continues To Affect Farmers. There has been a lot of
talk about the effect California's drought has had on the
agriculture industry. One farmer says it has affected his workers
and the community they share. Joe DelBosque's farm near Firebaugh
employs hundreds of workers, but he has had to let 30 percent of
them go because so much of his land is unplanted.
http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/ca-drought-continues-to-affect-farmers-13971615#ixzz3matIrpZt


Reno-Sparks won't have to tap largest drought reserve reservoir.
Truckee Meadows residents have saved enough water over this
summer of drought that the area’s primary water provider will not
be forced to tap its most important reservoir for drought
reserves as originally expected. Water stored at the Sierra’s
Independence Lake will not be needed to meet water demand as the
summer winds to a close…
http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2015/09/22/reno-sparks-wont-have-tap-largest-drought-reserve-reservoir/72642770/


Craft beers are in trouble as drought and fire savage the Pacific
Northwest. Higher prices? Fewer IPAs? Drought and extreme
temperatures are forcing farmers and brewers to change the way
they think about hops – and your brew. By the end of June,
temperatures in Washington’s Yakima Valley had hovered around
100F (37.7C) for weeks. Hops – the flowering cones that give beer
its bitterness – began to brown on trellises, making beer makers
nervous.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/23/craft-beer-wildfires-northwest-drought-hops-artisinal


FUELS

Exxon Mobil scraps plans for temporary fix to damaged Torrance
refinery.  Just when Southern California motorists were expecting
to see some relief from high gasoline prices in the next few
weeks, they now may have to wait well into next winter — at
least. Exxon Mobil Corp., still at loggerheads with air quality
regulators over a short-term fix for the company's damaged
Torrance refinery, appears poised to build a new
pollution-control system…
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exxon-refinery-plans-20150923-story.html


COLUMN-U.S. gasoline sales surge at fastest for over a decade:
Kemp. Gasoline sales to U.S. motorists rose by more than 5
percent in July compared with the same month a year before,
according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). 
Gasoline sales are rising at the fastest year-over-year rates for
more than 14 years as demand surges.
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N11T2DZ20150923

  
VEHICLES

European lawmakers vote to speed tougher car emissions regime.
European politicians on Wednesday voted to speed up rules to
tighten compliance with pollution limits on cars, adding to
pressure for reform after U.S. regulators caught Volkswagen AG
rigging the performance of vehicles in tests. The European Union
executive, working for years to close loopholes in testing
procedures for new vehicles…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/usa-volkswagen-europe-tests-idUSL5N11S4CI20150923


Exposing vehicle emissions problems not new for university.  A
West Virginia University research unit that helped expose
Volkswagen AG's smog-test scandal had been involved in another
emissions test two decades ago involving polluting trucks that
had similar results. In October 1998, the WVU Center for
Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions…
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_28862848/exposing-vehicle-emissions-problems-not-new-university


Electric Cars Cut Greenhouse Gases, Energy Use: New EPRI-NRDC
Study. Electric cars charged on the grid generally have a lower
carbon footprint than internal-combustion vehicles--and their
wells-to-wheels carbon emissions only shrink as more renewable
energy comes online. That's the conclusion of a new study on the
environmental effects of future transportation electrification…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100156_electric-cars-cut-greenhouse-gases-energy-use-new-epri-nrdc-study


EPA Expands VW Diesel Probe To Audi, Porsche V-6s; All Diesels To
Be Tested. Amidst a growing list of probes into Volkswagen's
diesel-emission cheating scandal, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency is expanding its investigation to cover
additional diesel engines used in VW Group vehicles. The original
admission by the company that it used a software "defeat device"
to circumvent emission controls…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100167_epa-expands-vw-diesel-probe-to-audi-porsche-v-6s-all-diesels-to-be-tested


VW RECALL

Volkswagen boss quits over diesel scandal. Volkswagen CEO Martin
Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday, taking responsibility for the
German carmaker's rigging of U.S. emissions tests in the biggest
scandal in its 78-year history. "Volkswagen needs a fresh start -
also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh
start with my resignation," Winterkorn said in a statement.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/us-usa-volkswagen-idUSKCN0RL0II20150923
 http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-ceo-winterkorn-resigns-1443007423?mod=trending_now_3

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2015/09/23/vw-winterkorn/72674020/
http://www.usatoday.com/videos/money/markets/2015/09/23/72679270/

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/volkswagen-ceo-winterkorn-steps-down-over-emissions-scandal/ar-AAeGIU5?ocid=ansmsnmoney11


NEWSMAKER-Details catch up with VW's micromanaging CEO.
Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn, ousted on Wednesday
after the company admitted deliberately falsifying U.S. diesel
emissions tests, is perhaps best known for his near-obsessive
attention to detail. It is not yet clear how high up the company
knowledge of the cheating went, but Winterkorn's reputation as a
micromanager…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/usa-volkswagen-winterkorn-idUSL5N11T3NI20150923


Volkswagen emissions scandal dims outlook for diesel. The scandal
over Volkswagen's falsification of car emissions in the United
States further dims the outlook for what was once seen as the
fuel of the future. Unforeseen changes in fuel consumption in the
world's fastest growing economies such as China…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/us-usa-volkswagen-diesel-idUSKCN0RN1VX20150923


Czech ministry launches probe into VW emissions problem. The
Czech Transport Ministry has launched an investigation together
with car maker Volkswagen to find out how many VW group cars in
the country could be affected by a scandal involving falsified
emissions tests, the ministry said on Tuesday. Minister Dan Tok
said the ministry would be in contact with authorities…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/23/usa-volkswagen-czech-idUSL5N11T2L020150923


Volkswagen Emissions Problem Exposed by Routine University
Research. ‘When we first saw the numbers, they were higher than
we anticipated’.  The research that prompted U.S. regulatory
scrutiny of Volkswagen AG ’s diesel-car emissions levels started
as a routine research request. West Virginia University’s Center
for Alternative Fuels Engines and Emissions…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-emissions-problem-exposed-by-routine-university-research-1443023854


VW lawyers up with firm that defended BP. The string of bad news
for Volkswagen shows no sign of slowing yet, especially with the
recent resignation of CEO Martin Winterkorn. For aid in its legal
defense in the US over its ongoing diesel emissions scandal, the
automaker has now employed Kirkland & Ellis LLP, which was the
same law firm BP used for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill…
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/09/23/volkswagen-hires-law-firm-diesel-emissions-scandal/


What's Behind VW's Downfall and Secretive Emissions Deals. The
German carmaker’s emissions-testing cheat reveals how car
companies and regulators negotiate tradeoff between fuel
efficiency and performance. Volkswagen AG admitted on Tuesday
that 11 million of its diesel vehicles worldwide use the software
that helped the carmaker cheat on U.S. federal emissions tests.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-s-behind-vw-s-downfall-and-secretive-emissions-deals/


How this clean air NGO caught Volkswagen cheating emissions
tests. Although the Volkswagen emissions scandal has caught many
by surprise, in fact it has been brewing for a while. Volkswagen
has set aside €6.5 billion to cover the costs of the growing
scandal over cheating on emissions tests in the US. Putting a
number on the cost further down line will be far harder, however,
as it is a crisis…
http://fortune.com/2015/09/23/volkswagen-carbon-emissions-scandal/


VW CEO: ‘Endlessly sorry'. Volkswagen's smog-test scandal
escalated Tuesday as the company acknowledged putting stealth
software in millions of vehicles worldwide. The crisis has
already cost VW more than $26 billion in market value. The
world's top-selling automaker now admits that 1 1 million
of its diesel vehicles contain software that evades emissions
controls…
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/volkswagen-340789-ocprint-tuesday-trust.html


VW: Euro regulators didn't act on diesel emissions report.
European regulators didn't act after real-world emissions results
were published last year showing a dozen diesel car models were
an average of seven times dirtier than the standards were
supposed to allow. So tests were conducted on three models in the
U.S. -- two Volkswagens and a BMW…
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/09/23/volkswagen-diesel-emissions/72664902/

VW scandal caused nearly 1m tonnes of extra pollution, analysis
shows. Volkswagen’s rigging of emissions tests for 11m cars means
they may be responsible for nearly 1m tonnes of air pollution
every year, roughly the same as the UK’s combined emissions for
all power stations, vehicles, industry and agriculture, a
Guardian analysis suggests.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/22/vw-scandal-caused-nearly-1m-tonnes-of-extra-pollution-analysis-shows


GREEN ENERGY

Risks Dissipating for Renewable Energy in Europe, Moody’s Says.
Europe’s renewable energy industry is becoming less risky because
investor appetite for the assets is rising and more projects are
able to refinance at attractive rates, a report by Moody’s said.
Solar and wind farms are drawing in capital from infrastructure
debt funds and pension fund managers lured by returns at a time…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NV4MP96KLVRL01-285ULN5VQ0UFF7FA26VSBVRLC3


Clean tech in spotlight on first day of Chinese president's U.S.
trip. Leaders from Michigan to Beijing attended meetings Tuesday
with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the U.S. and signed an
agreement aimed at pushing cooperation on the use of clean tech
businesses to combat climate change. The meetings with governors
from five U.S. states and local Chinese officials came on the
first day of Xi's visit to the U.S.…
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/china-340777-ocprint-energy-clean.html


What clean-energy innovators can learn from Apple. Bringing
cheap, low-carbon energy to the developing world means rethinking
how we finance technology. We noted in an earlier piece that Bill
Gates’s “moonshot” investments to stop climate change, while well
intentioned, are misdirected. We do need an Apollo Project for
clean energy but it should be an effort…
http://fortune.com/2015/09/23/bill-gates-clean-energy-innovations-apple/
 

Equinix and its California data centers go solar. The data center
operator embraces solar partly because it’s a request from its
Internet customers. Equinix, which operates more than 105 data
centers around the world, has agreed to buy solar energy to power
its operations in California. The move, announced on Wednesday,
shows how the world’s largest Internet companies—many of which
buy data center services
http://fortune.com/2015/09/23/equinix-data-centers-solar/ 

Starbucks, Nike and Walmart commit to sourcing 100% renewable
electricity. Nine leading companies join the likes of Ikea and
M&S as part of RE100 global campaign for low-carbon business,
reports BusinessGreen. Some of the world’s largest businesses
have today announced plans to fully transition to using renewable
electricity, providing a further boost to the global renewables
market.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/23/starbucks-nike-walmart-commit-sourcing-100-renewable-electricity


OPINIONS

Timm Herdt: How the California Air Resources Board caught
Volkswagen. To the names Bernie Madoff, Kenneth Lay and Lance
Armstrong, we can now add Volkswagen. World-class cheaters. We
know this in large part because of the detective work of
scientists at the California Air Resources Board, an agency with
an international reputation for its technical and scientific
expertise on all matters relating to air quality.
http://www.vcstar.com/opinion/columnists/timm-herdt/timm-herdt-how-the-california-air-resources-board-caught-volkswagen_01503757


California should stick with clean-fuel rule. Though state
lawmakers caved to the oil industry by spiking a plan to sharply
reduce gasoline use, there's another option for Sacramento in
reducing climate change and promoting alternative sources to fill
gas tanks. State regulators are close to extending a measure that
cuts carbon levels in everyday driving fuel.
https://app.meltwater.com/report/5602b0805afd6e8484837511/inbox/160613/open/documents/vcE1IgX4uGtw1KraaUKI2dF1pMw?type=search&s=mail-digest&name=CA%20ARB%20News


On climate change, listen to Pope Francis.  As we await Pope
Francis’ historic address to Congress on Thursday, one of the
most anticipated themes will be the need to act on climate
change.  And we hope our nation’s leaders listen. As a Catholic
priest and theology professor and a scientist, we concur with
NASA, NOAA and the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff…
http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/09/23/climate-change-listen-pope-francis/72661722/


Here's why VW's 'Dieselgate' won't hurt Detroit. The Volkswagen
emissions scandal is clearly bad news for VW. And perhaps for
other European automakers that sell a lot of vehicles running on
diesel. But will it be a huge problem for the entire industry?
Some have suggested that VW's cheating on diesel emissions tests
in the United States could be a more widespread practice…
http://www.kspr.com/life/money/heres-why-vws-dieselgate-wont-hurt-detroit/21052342_35435740

BLOGS

Congress should look to American wind power for climate
solutions. World leaders and U.S. policymakers are increasingly
in the market for climate solutions. A recent example is the 11
House Republicans who introduced a resolution last week calling
for “improved environmental stewardship” and for conservatives to
take the lead on “bringing our energy sector into the next
generation.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/254532-congress-should-look-to-american-wind-power-for


This Map Will Tell You If Your City's Pollution Could Affect Your
Health. The new map launches as international researchers sound
louder alarms about air pollution's profound health effects in
China. Ever wondered about how your town or travel destination's
air quality might affect your health? Here's your chance to find
out.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/air-pollution-interactive-map_56015ef8e4b00310edf87d0b


Obama Outlines What Success At Paris Climate Conference Would
Look Like. 
"If we get the structure right, then we can turn the dials as
there's additional public education." President Barack Obama is
"cautiously optimistic" about the prospect of a global climate
agreement emerging from negotiations in Paris at the end of this
year.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-paris-climate_5602dc70e4b0fde8b0d0d31a




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