What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for October 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.

AIR POLLUTION

Volkswagen Scandal Puts Spotlight on Europe’s Dirty Air.
Disparity between lab tests and real-world driving is one reason
European cities struggle to meet air pollution targets,
environmental experts say. Alain Brakha has run a newspaper kiosk
for the past 30 years outside this city’s opulent opera house,
where he breathes some of the worst traffic pollution in Europe.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/vw-scandal-raises-scrutiny-of-emissions-tests-and-diesel-pollution-in-europe-1444728624


Singapore's Air Quality Reaches `Unhealthy' Level With Haze.
Singapore’s air quality worsened on Tuesday, reaching an
"unhealthy" level as haze from Indonesian forest fires blanketed
the city-state. The three-hourly pollution index was at 154 at 10
a.m. Singapore time, the National Environment Agency said, the
highest level since it entered the "unhealthy" range on Monday
afternoon.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-13/singapore-s-air-quality-reaches-unhealthy-level-with-haze


Why USC air pollution researchers are studying air, children’s
lungs in Africa. USC scientists are taking their landmark study
on smog and children’s lungs on the road, part of the realization
that dirty air anywhere on the planet can drift to distant lands
and contribute to global climate change.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/environment-and-nature/20151012/why-usc-air-pollution-researchers-are-studying-air-childrens-lungs-in-africa


Ozone debate between oil industry, environmentalists propels
Congress to the outer limits. Capitol Crude takes a look at the
US EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for
ground-level ozone, issued October 1, which sees the air
pollution limit lowered from 75 ppb to 70 ppb, drawing protests
from the oil and gas industry…
http://www.platts.com/podcasts-detail/crude/2015/october/capitol-crude-101215?hootpostid=8832141de9cb6f06e1bc87c9f7f15a65


CLIMATE CHANGE

AP Interview: EU climate boss says G20 countries can improve
pledges to cut emissions. Europe's climate chief has acknowledged
for the first time that climate pledges made by national
governments ahead of a major U.N. conference fall short of
meeting the international goal of keeping global warming below 2
degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EU_CLIMATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/12/ap-interview-eu-climate-boss-says-emissions-cuts-not-enough


ITF Calls for Global Rules for Ship Operators to Cut Emissions.
Group says United Nations’ maritime arm should impose a carbon
tax, set enforceable goals for maritime operators. The
International Transport Forum called Monday for global,
enforceable regulations for the maritime industry to reduce
carbon emissions by half over the next 35 years and entirely by
2080. The ITF…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/itf-calls-for-global-rules-for-ship-operators-to-cut-emissions-1444644247


This is how rising seas will reshape the face of the United
States. In a new study, a team of scientists who specialize in
studying rising seas bring the implications of their research
right to the U.S.’s doorstep — calculating just how many American
cities and municipalities are at risk of being flooded in the
future, as well as how many may already be committed to that
fate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/12/this-is-how-rising-seas-will-reshape-the-face-of-the-united-states/


Climate change could triple Amazon drought, study finds. When
thinking about greenhouse gas emissions, there are a few obvious
sources that come to mind, such as cars or coal-burning plants.
But there are also some huge natural reservoirs of carbon on
Earth, known as “carbon sinks,” which could pour huge amounts of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere if they were unleashed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/12/climate-change-could-triple-amazon-drought-study-finds/


Bringing Republicans to the Climate Change Table. The climate has
been changing forever. It will continue to change. Some
scientists believe that humans have a direct impact on it. But
trying to curb carbon emissions to slow the change could destroy
the economy, eliminate millions of jobs, and cast Americans into
poverty. This is what’s known today as the moderate Republican
position on climate change…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/business/economy/bringing-republicans-to-the-climate-change-table.html


Climate Qualms Mean Oil Will Never Be Used Up-BP. Concerns about
the climate change impact of burning the world's remaining oil
resources mean the reserves will never be fully exploited, BP
Chief Economist Spencer Dale said on Tuesday. That assumption
means the relative price of oil will not necessarily increase
over time, Dale said at an economists' conference in London on
Tuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/business/13reuters-bp-climatechange-oil.html


Global Climate Pledges Not Enough but Good Start-European
Commission. National pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions,
even if fully implemented, would cap global warming at 3 degrees
Celsius rather than the 2 degrees targeted to avoid dangerous
consequences, the European Commission said on Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/12/world/12reuters-climatechange-europe.html


Study Quantifies Liana Vines’ Threat to Forests. Woody climbing
vines called lianas are a known threat to tropical forests. They
increase tree mortality and reduce growth, ultimately hampering a
forest’s ability to store carbon in trees and battle climate
change. Now a new study quantifies the rapid effect of the vines:
Researchers who examined forests in the Barro Colorado Nature
Monument in Panama report that after three years of growth…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/science/study-quantifies-liana-vines-threat-to-forests.html


Expected Polish Election Winner Urges EU Climate Deal
Renegotiation. The likely winner of Poland's Oct. 25
parliamentary election called on Tuesday for a renegotiation of a
climate deal agreed last year by the European Union, saying the
country needed more coal-based power stations. The European Union
agreed last year, after marathon negotiations, to cut greenhouse
gases by 40 percent by 2030…
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/world/europe/13reuters-climatechange-summit-poland.html
  
 
Here's why a few degrees of global warming could be catastrophic.
There's no denying that our planet is getting warmer. Average
surface temperatures across the globe have already risen 0.8
degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1880. Meanwhile,
new climate models predict that, by the end of the 21st century,
they could further rise by between 2 C and 6 C (between 3.6 F and
10.8 F).
http://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-degrees-melting-ice-2015-10


Antarctic ice is melting so fast the whole continent may be at
risk by 2100. New research predicts a doubling of surface melting
of the ice shelves by 2050, risking their collapse by the end of
the century, say scientists. Antarctic ice is melting so fast
that the stability of the whole continent could be at risk by
2100, scientists have warned.
Widespread collapse of Antarctic ice shelves – floating
extensions of land ice projecting into the sea…
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/12/antarctic-ice-melting-so-fast-whole-continent-may-be-at-risk-by-2100


Methane release from melting permafrost could trigger dangerous
global warming. A policy briefing from the Woods Hole Research
Center concludes that the IPCC doesn’t adequately account for a
methane warming feedback.  While most attention has been given to
carbon dioxide, it isn’t the only greenhouse gas that scientists
are worried about.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/oct/13/methane-release-from-melting-permafrost-could-trigger-dangerous-global-warming

BP admits climate concern makes some oil unburnable. Oil major’s
chief economist accepts analysis that two thirds of fossil fuels
must stay in the ground to hold warming to 2C. Some of the
world’s oil will not be burned as a result of climate concerns,
BP’s chief economist said on Tuesday. Scientists have calculated
around a third of proven oil reserves need to stay in the ground
to hold global warming to 2C, the international goal.
http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/13/bp-admits-climate-concern-makes-some-oil-unburnable/


Something fishy: How climate change reaches deep into the ocean.
Researchers examined the effects of rising global temperatures on
a variety of fish. Climate change could have devastating
consequences for the world’s fish. As global temperatures rise,
the resulting ocean acidification and warming may hurt the
diversity and population of fish species across the globe, say
researchers.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1013/Something-fishy-How-climate-change-reaches-deep-into-the-ocean


25 million Americans could lose their homes to global warming:
Will you? In the US, between 20 and 31 million people's homes
will be submerged by rising oceans, if global average
temperatures rise by 6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a new
study in PNAS. Millions of Americans could lose their homes if
planet-warming emissions continue unabated through 2100…
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1012/25-million-Americans-could-lose-their-homes-to-global-warming-Will-you


Rising numbers of Americans believe climate science, poll shows.
Level of belief has increased seven percentage points in the past
six months as climate change brings weather events closer to
home. Around 70% of Americans believe in the science behind
global warming - the highest level of acceptance in the US since
2008 - according to a new survey.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/13/rising-numbers-of-american-believe-climate-science-poll-shows


PJM state officials discuss possible carbon rule coordination.
Following the lead of states throughout the Midwest and other
regions, counterparts in the Mid-Atlantic have been talking in
recent months about ways they could work together to facilitate
compliance with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/13/stories/1060026205 

Behind the scenes, most states are exploring the benefits of
carbon trading. Swaths of states are engaged in early regional
talks about how to comply with U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan and
whether to embrace carbon trading to keep costs down. These "no
regrets" discussions -- mostly coordinated by nongovernmental
organizations -- offer a safe space for state air and electric
regulators to share ideas and analyze how various paths forward
might affect their power systems and economies.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2015/10/13/stories/1060026225 

DROUGHT

Evidence Mounts for El Nino That Could Ease Calif. Drought.
Evidence is mounting that the El Nino ocean-warming phenomenon in
the Pacific will spawn a rainy winter in California, potentially
easing the state's punishing drought but also bringing the risk
of chaotic storms like those that battered the region in the late
1990s.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/12/us/ap-us-el-nino.html
http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-us--el-nino-20151012-story.html
 
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/18608420-113/evidence-mounts-for-el-nino-that-could-ease

http://www.kesq.com/news/evidence-mounts-for-el-nino-that-could-ease-calif-drought/35812878


Poll: California’s drought heavy on the mind. California’s
punishing drought has taken a firm grip on the electorate’s
conscience, with more than 3 in 4 voters describing the state’s
water shortage as extremely serious, according to a new poll. The
Field Poll, released Tuesday, follows months of mandatory water
restrictions, public relations campaigns and media focus on the
drought.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/field-polls/article38900478.html#storylink=cpy


California drought: New poll shows growing majority calls it
'extremely serious'
After four years of relentless drought, more Californians are
worried about water shortages than ever, despite El Nińo
conditions in the Pacific Ocean that are boosting hopes for a wet
winter. A new Field Poll released Tuesday showed that 76 percent
of registered California voters now call the state's water
situation…
http://www.contracostatimes.com/drought/ci_28961005/california-drought-new-poll-shows-growing-majority-calls

http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=29240 

California drought: CVWD could increase penalty fees. If you’re
still wasting water, now would be a great time to stop – maybe by
deciding not to overseed your lawn. That was the takeaway from
Tuesday’s meeting of the Coachella Valley Water District’s board
of directors, which followed the agency’s dismal conservation
performance in September.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/10/13/california-drought-cvwd-increase-penalty-fees/73878116/


TEMECULA: Drought surcharge reduced by Rancho Water. Rancho Water
reducing its drought surcharge.  The vote wasn’t unanimous but
the Rancho California Water District board recently reduced a
drought surcharge that heavily penalizes customers who exceed
their water budgets. The two-tier surcharge structure that was
put in place this summer charged ratepayers $3.40 per hundred
cubic feet of water if they were…
http://www.pe.com/articles/water-783228-percent-surcharge.html   


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

Estes Fined by EPA for Failing to Install Diesel Particulate
Filters. Estes Express Lines has been fined $100,000 for failing
to install particulate filters on 73 heavy-duty diesel trucks, a
violation of the California Truck and Bus Regulation. Estes also
will spend $290,400 on projects to educate the out-of-state
trucking industry on the regulation and for replacing old
wood-burning devices in the San Joaquin Valley…
http://ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=39691

EPA Promises More Fines For Diesel Polluters. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency expects to levy more fines
against out-of-state trucking and bus companies operating in
California. It issued the first last week. Under a rule
implemented in 2012 to combat its worst-in-the-nation air
quality, California requires trucks and buses older than 2007 to
install diesel filters.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/12/epa-promises-more-fines-for-diesel-polluters/


FUELS

WSU researcher receives $450,000 grant to improve biofuels.  A
researcher at Washington State University (WSU) has received a
three-year $450,000 (appr. €395,000) federal grant to develop
computer models for using iron to more efficiently refine
bio-oils and make better biofuels. Jean-Sabin McEwen, assistant
professor in the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and
Bioengineering…
http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/9754/wsu_researcher_receives_450000_grant_to_improve_biofuels/


VEHICLES

Toyota promises better mileage and ride with Prius hybrid. Toyota
Motor Corp. released details for its fourth-generation Prius on
Tuesday, promising that improvements in the battery, engine, wind
resistance and weight mean better mileage for the world's
top-selling hybrid car. It gets up to 40 kilometers a liter under
Japanese tests, which translates to more than 93 miles per
gallon…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_JAPAN_TOYOTA_PRIUS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Tesla Model X buyers could get $25,000 tax break. Take heart,
prospective Tesla buyers alarmed by the probable $100,000-plus
price tag for the company's new Model X: You may qualify for a
$25,000 tax break. Tesla has confirmed reports that the
falcon-winged all-electric SUV, because of its gross vehicular
weight, may qualify for a federal tax break designed for heavy
equipment.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-model-x-tax-break-20151012-story.html


The tax loophole that can save you big bucks off a Tesla Model X.
 Elon Musk and Tesla Motors, masterful at mining state and
federal tax incentives, may have lucked into a tax loophole. The
company's new $100,000-plus Model X electric SUV qualifies for a
$25,000 federal tax deduction. That's on top of a $7,500 federal
tax credit and a $2,500 California rebate given to buyers of
battery-electric vehicles.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-model-x-tax-break-20151012-story.html


VOLKSWAGEN

Scandal-Hit VW to Change Diesel Emissions Technology.
Volkswagen's flagship brand plans to change its diesel technology
in Europe and North America as well as develop new hybrid and
electric vehicles in response to its emissions scandal. The new
steps were part of a plan to confront the company's scandal over
cars that were equipped with computer software that let them
evade U.S. emissions tests. 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/13/world/europe/ap-volkswagen.html

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1014-volkswagen-diesel-change-20151013-story.html


VW fallout: Wolfsburg postpones planned training center.
Volkswagen-backed Bundesliga club Wolfsburg has postponed the
construction of a youth training center because of the German car
manufacturer's emissions-rigging scandal. Wolfsburg chief
executive Klaus Allofs tells news agency dpa that "I think it's
understandable that we at least suspend it for now," referring to
the planned 40-million euro ($45.5 million) project.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOC_WOLFSBURG_TRAINING_CENTER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/13/volkswagen-emissions-wolfsburg-soccer-idUSL3N12D4UD20151013?feedType=RSS&feedName=cyclicalConsumerGoodsSector


German investor confidence down as VW adds to worries. A survey
shows investor confidence in Germany, Europe's biggest economy,
has fallen for the seventh consecutive month as concern about the
fallout from the Volkswagen scandal adds to worries about weak
growth in emerging economies. The Center for European Economic
Research, known by its German acronym ZEW…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_ECONOMY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


VW diesel cars recalled in China, sales halted in Singapore.
Volkswagen said Monday it is recalling 1,950 diesel vehicles in
China to change engine software it has admitted cheats on
emissions tests and Singapore suspended sales of the company's
diesel cars. The German automaker admitted last month that 11
million of its vehicles worldwide were fitted with cheating
software to beat emission tests.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_ASIA_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
 

VW looks to cutbacks and electric cars to overcome scandal.
Volkswagen will cut investment plans at its biggest division by 1
billion euros ($1.1 billion) a year and step up development of
electric vehicles, it said on Tuesday, as it battles to cope with
the fallout from its cheating of diesel emissions tests. The
German company also said it would speed up cost cutting at the VW
division, its largest by revenues…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/13/us-volkswagen-emissions-investment-idUSKCN0S710020151013?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews


UPDATE 2-VW crisis hits German investor mood but officials play
down economic impact. German investor morale plunged in October
to its lowest in a year as the emissions scandal at Volkswagen
hit confidence but an industry group and minister said the crisis
would not permanently damage Europe's largest economy. The
monthly survey of German analysts and investors by think tank…
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N12D1RP20151013


Volkswagen emissions scandal headed for Hollywood. The Volkswagen
AG scandal over diesel emission tests is headed for Hollywood.
U.S. movie studio Paramount Picture and actor Leonardo DiCaprio's
production company have acquired movie rights to a book proposal
by New York Times journalist Jack Ewing about the clean diesel
scandal…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/12/us-volkswagen-emissions-movie-idUSKCN0S627020151012


Volkswagen, in Future Cars, to Adopt New System for Controlling
Diesel Emissions. Volkswagen said on Tuesday that it would revamp
the technology it uses for controlling diesel exhaust in future
models as it struggles to overcome an emissions cheating scandal
that has battered its reputation and threatened its financial
stability. The company said it would switch to what it called a
selective catalytic reduction system to decrease emissions…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/business/international/volkswagen-diesel-emissions.html


Volkswagen Says Diesel Repairs Will Vary in Europe and U.S.
Volkswagen’s top executive in Britain said Monday that the car
company was taking a different approach to fixing its vehicles in
Europe than in the United States, raising new questions about the
manufacturer’s response to its emissions testing scandal and
highlighting gaps in trans-Atlantic regulations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/business/international/volkswagen-says-diesel-repairs-will-vary-in-europe-and-us.html


Investors Ask Automakers to Explain Emissions Lobbying. Leading
European investment managers and pension funds controlling nearly
$1 trillion have joined forces to call for automakers to better
explain how they have lobbied public bodies on emissions
standards. Nineteen investors including AXA Investment Managers,
the fund arm of insurer AXA…
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/12/business/12reuters-volkswagen-emissions-funds.html

German State of Lower Saxony to Keep VW Stake-State PM. Germany's
state of Lower Saxony, Volkswagen's second-largest stakeholder,
will keep its holding in Europe's biggest automaker, state Prime
Minister Stephan Weil said. "The state has great interest in VW's
success," Weil said in a speech to the Hanover-based regional
parliament on Tuesday, referring to Lower Saxony's 20 percent
holding in VW.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/business/13reuters-volkswagen-emissions-lower-saxony.html


Got a Volkswagen? The diesel emissions scandal could affect you. 
Volkswagen Philippines received official information from
Volkswagen AG that all vehicles distributed and sold by
Volkswagen Philippines are not affected by the particular
software used in diesel engines. "Audi Australia is working as
quickly as we can, together with our head office, to analyse the
potential effect on Australian vehicles…
http://nysepost.com/got-a-volkswagen-the-diesel-emissions-scandal-could-affect-17355


VW unveils new strategy after emissions fiasco. Volkswagen said
Tuesday it would slash investment in its main passenger-car brand
by $1.1 billion a year and make changes to its diesel-engine
technology in the wake of an emissions-cheating scandal. Herbert
Diess, the Wolfsburg, Germany-based carmaker's chief executive,
said Volkswagen was announcing the changes as part of a strategic
overhaul.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/10/13/vw-unveils-new-strategy-after-emissions-fiasco/73855160/


Lawsuit seeks Volkswagen buyback of emissions-cheating diesels in
California. California owners of Volkswagen diesel cars caught up
in the emissions-test rigging scandal might have a shot at
getting the German automaker to buy back the vehicles.
A Seattle law firm filed a class action lawsuit against
Volkswagen in Los Angeles federal court Monday demanding an
immediate buyback under California emissions laws.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-volkswagen-diesel-buyback-lawsuit-20151012-story.html


VW diesel owners sue for immediate buyback of models tainted by
emissions cheating scandal. California owners of Volkswagen
diesel vehicles affected by the emissions cheating scandal are
demanding the company buy back their cars immediately, according
to a new class action lawsuit filed against the German automaker
Monday in federal district court in Santa Ana.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/diesel-687253-berman-emissions.html
 

The man who discovered the Volkswagen emissions scandal. "I'm
just a simple engineer from Michigan," says John German, the man
who helped discover the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Speaking to
Wake Up To Money on BBC Radio 5 live, Mr. German revealed he had
told VW about his findings in May 2014, but the company had
failed to fix the problem.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34519184 

GREEN ENERGY

Batteries to power O.C. office buildings. Orange County's largest
landlord is installing battery-powered energy systems at more
than a dozen office buildings as part of a state initiative to
combat global warming and rebuild capacity lost when the San
Onofre nuclear power plant was shut down. Irvine Co. plans to
install the systems — which would use batteries purchased from
Elon Musk's Tesla…
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-irvine-energy-storage-20151013-story.html


MISCELLLANEOUS

Study Shows Spread of Cigarettes in China. Chinese men now smoke
one-third of all the world’s cigarettes, and a third of all young
men in China are doomed to eventually die from the habit,
scientists in China and Britain have concluded. Their study,
published last week in The Lancet, estimated that two-thirds of
all males in China smoked, more were still taking up the habit
and more were starting as teenagers, which adds risk.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/health/study-shows-spread-of-cigarettes-in-china.html


Can State’s Business And Environmental Interests Create A
Successful And Mutually Beneficial Freight Strategy? California
is often cited as having some of the toughest environmental
regulations, not only in the nation but in the world. When new
environmental regulations have been imposed by the state on
industries and private interests, protestations have inevitably…
http://www.lbbizjournal.com/#!Can-State%E2%80%99s-Business-And-Environmental-Interests-Create-A-Successful-And-Mutually-Beneficial-Freight-Strategy/c1sbz/561bdc460cf2c3576e5993a2


OPINIONS

G.O.P. and Climate Change. Re “Stuff Happens” (column, Oct. 7):
Thomas L. Friedman rightly criticizes the “dumb-as-we-wanna-be
thinking” of most of the Republican presidential candidates on
climate change. However, several of these candidates aren’t
denying that climate change exists; they’re denying that America
can solve the problem. Denying science is no longer a tenable
position.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/opinion/gop-and-climate-change.html


The New Conservative Argument to Ignore Climate Change Is Even
Dumber Than the Old One. Over the last year, the most common
conservative rationale for supporting unlimited, free dumping of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has shifted from insisting
that carbon emissions are probably harmless to insisting that
international cooperation is impossible.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/10/new-reason-to-ignore-climate-dumber-than-old-one.html


Exxon is to Arctic climate change what big tobacco is to lung
cancer. To the editor: My parents smoked for decades; one died of
lung cancer and the other of emphysema. So it really hits home
when companies like Exxon use tactics straight from the tobacco
industry playbook to sow doubt about scientific realities with
denials and misdirection. (“What Exxon knew about warming in the
Arctic,” Oct. 11)
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1013-exxon-arctic-20151012-story.html


Dan Walters: How should state spend cap-and-trade dollars? One of
the chores the Legislature left undone when it adjourned was
spending billions of dollars from auctioning carbon dioxide
emission credits. There's no shortage of suggestions on how to
spend the "cap-and-trade" money, but state law says it's supposed
to be spent on reducing carbon emissions and thus combating
climate change.
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_28962624/dan-walters-how-should-state-spend-cap-and


Should companies be forced to disclose carbon emissions? An
industry-led Climate Disclosure Task Force to design and create a
single voluntary standard of carbon disclosure would go far in
addressing the problem.  Ask the average investor or investment
manager if they know how climate change will affect the assets in
their portfolio and you’ll likely get a blank stare in return.
http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/10/13/should-companies-be-forced-to-disclose-carbon-emissions.html


Letter: Historical drought. I feel the major drought in
California must be taken care of as soon as possible. While we
are a dry state ourselves, California has been going through a
major drought that has gone to historical records. There have
been major fires over the past two months. I feel that we and
other states could supply freshwater to California until the
drought has eased up.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865638877/Historical-drought.html


BLOGS

California Builds Near Real-Time Analytics System to Tackle
Drought’s Effects. California is building a large-scale analytics
system to provide data about the state’s drought to scientists
analyzing the problem and legislators looking for new ways to
mitigate its effects. Recent legislation related to the drought
called for state agencies to more closely monitor the use of
ground water…
http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2015/10/13/california-builds-near-real-time-analytics-system-to-tackle-droughts-effects/


How to Manage Fire to Cut Pollution and Slow Climate Change.
Here’s a “Your Dot” contribution on the many benefits of managing
fires in forests, savannah and peatlands — including slowing
global warming, protecting threatened ecosystems and reducing
noxious palls of haze.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/how-to-manage-fire-to-cut-pollution-and-slow-climate-change/?partner=rss&_r=0


Will the U.S. follow China’s cap-and-trade deal? China has made a
commitment to start a national cap and trade program in 2017 to
limit and price greenhouse gas emissions.
President Xi Jinping announced the country’s initiative during a
visit to the U.S. in September. China is the world’s largest
polluter, and contributes to 30 percent of the world’s total
greenhouse gas emissions, but the U.S. is not far behind.
http://blogs.mprnews.org/todays-question/2015/10/will-the-u-s-follow-chinas-cap-and-trade-deal/




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