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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 23, 2015.
Posted: 23 Sep 2015 16:35:14
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 California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.