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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 14, 2015.

Posted: 14 Oct 2015 16:11:54
ARB Newsclips for October 14, 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

Calif. carbon offsets face slowdown in market development.
California's market for carbon offsets is limping along as a
result of uncertain policies, project developers and customers
said last week. The market is intended to provide emitters with a
lower-cost option than the state-issued carbon allowances, which
have been sold at quarterly auctions since November 2012.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026292 

Norwegian Prime Minister demands global carbon price and end to
fossil fuel subsidies. Erna Solberg says governments must create
predictable framework and a clear direction for low carbon
investment. Erna Solberg, the Norwegian Prime Minister, has
called on the world to immediately set a global carbon price and
phase out fossil fuel subsidies in order to better drive
investment in low carbon technologies.
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2430358/norwegian-prime-minister-demands-global-carbon-price-and-end-to-fossil-fuel-subsidies


AIR POLLUTION

Environmental groups sue for soot cleanup plan 9 years after law.
Environmental groups are suing the federal government to enforce
nine-year-old pollution control standards in five Western states
with excessive levels of toxic soot in the air, in one of a
series of similar lawsuits across the nation.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/13/environment-soot-idUSL1N12D0GA20151013


Port of Los Angeles has failed to meet pollution-cutting
measures. The Port of Los Angeles has failed to carry out vital
pollution-reduction measures it agreed to make after a legal
settlement more than a decade ago, according to a document
released by the port. In an environmental notice, the port
revealed it has not completed 11 of 52 measures it agreed to
impose to reduce air pollution, noise and traffic…
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1014-port-pollution-20151014-story.html

http://lbpost.com/business/trade-transportation/2000007289-port-of-long-beach-surpasses-air-pollution-reduction-milestones-set-for-2014


Cutting ozone will require radical transformation of California's
transit sector. At a laboratory in downtown Los Angeles, a big
rig spins its wheels on massive rollers as a metal tube funnels
its exhaust into an array of air quality sensors. Engineers track
the roaring truck's emissions from a bank of computer screens.
The brand-new diesel truck is among the cleanest on the road, the
engineers at the California Air Resources Board testing lab say.
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article39038067.html#storylink=cpy


Program to improve air quality with emission-reducing tech. In an
effort to help the San Joaquin Valley reduce emissions and meet
critical air quality standards, the San Joaquin Valley Air
Pollution Control District will provide funding for businesses
and individuals to develop new emission-reducing technology
through its Technology Advancement Program.
http://www.turlockjournal.com/section/12/article/30408/ 

Port of Long Beach Surpasses Air Pollution Reduction Milestones
Set for 2014. An annual study of port-related air pollution
emissions found that the Port of Long Beach (POLB) surpassed each
and every air pollution reduction standard set for 2014 by the
San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). Specifically,
the port announced today, the study found that the POLB cut
diesel particulates by 85 percent…
http://lbpost.com/business/trade-transportation/2000007289-port-of-long-beach-surpasses-air-pollution-reduction-milestones-set-for-2014


EPA rolls out new standards for aluminum producers.  Aluminum
production facilities will be subject to new standards for
several air pollutants, as well as face new work practice and
monitoring requirements under a new rule that will be published
tomorrow. The rule represents an update to 1997 standards for
primary aluminum production facilities.
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026313 

CLIMATE CHANGE

With Market on Their Side, Electric Utilities Skip Fight Against
Carbon Rule. Cheap natural gas, falling costs for wind, solar
already have power companies on low-carbon path. U.S. coal
companies and at least 16 state governments are working on
challenges to the Obama administration’s new rule limiting carbon
emissions from power plants. Most electric utilities have a
different strategy: They are embracing it.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/with-market-on-their-side-electric-utilities-skip-fight-against-carbon-rule-1444606397


What Exxon knew about global warming's impact on the Arctic. Back
in 1990, as the debate over climate change was heating up, a
dissident shareholder petitioned the board of Exxon, one of the
world's largest oil companies, imploring it to develop a plan to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its production plants and
facilities. The board's response: Exxon had studied the science
of global warming and concluded it was too…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article39038058.html#storylink=cpy


Can climate pledges forestall ocean ecosystem collapse? Nearly
150 countries have pledged to cut down on carbon emissions as
scientists warn that current emission levels severely threaten
the diversity and abundance of marine life. Europe’s climate
change commissioner is smiling, but some scientists have worry
lines. As nations prepare for a global conference on climate
change…
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1014/Can-climate-pledges-forestall-ocean-ecosystem-collapse


Democratic rivals put climate change firmly on the agenda. Four
of the five contenders call for action on the issue despite its
relegation to a single question in the final part of the CNN
event. Democratic contenders promised repeatedly to take forceful
action against climate change in their first presidential debate
on Tuesday night – even before they were asked.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/14/democratic-rivals-climate-change-agenda-despite-cnn


150 countries pledge to curb carbon emissions. Countries
represent 90% of global carbon emissions, leading to hopes for
deal at Paris climate summit. Some 150 countries representing
around 90% of the world’s carbon emissions have now filed pledges
to curb them, dramatically increasing the chances of a deal at
the Paris climate summit in December.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/13/150-countries-pledge-to-curb-carbon-emissions


Climate skeptics more likely to prepare for wildfires – study. 
Believing in climate change and its capacity to increase both the
number and severity of catastrophic wildfires does not make a
person more likely to take actions to protect their homes and
property, not at least in two fire-prone counties in Colorado,
according to research published this month in the journal
Environmental Hazards.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026294 

DROUGHT

Nestle drawing millions of gallons of California water on expired
permit, suit claims. nvironmental groups sued the U.S. Forest
Service on Tuesday, alleging that the agency has allowed Nestle
Waters to draw water from a creek in the San Bernardino Mountains
under a permit that expired more than 25 years ago. The company,
owner of the Arrowhead bottled water brand, has drawn millions of
gallons from the west fork of Strawberry Creek under a permit it
apparently acquired in 2002.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nestle-water-lawsuit-20151013-story.html


Paper plates and plastic forks? Drought restriction rankles
restaurants and diners. Four years of drought have forced most
Californians to shoulder some inconvenience. Homeowners have had
to watch their lawns go brown, city halls have turned off their
ornamental fountains and hotels have had to implore their guests
to use their towels twice.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fort-bragg-paper-plates-20151013-story.html


FUELS

New palm oil council would drop "no deforestation" pledge –
Indonesia.  A new palm oil producer grouping being set up by
Indonesia and Malaysia would replace "no deforestation" pledges
made by major palm companies in favour of a joint set of
standards proposed by the two countries, an Indonesian minister
said late Tuesday.
Indonesia wants big palm oil companies to row back on the
historic pledges made at a climate change summit last year…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/indonesia-palm-ipop-idUSL3N12E22820151014


Oil Sands Boom Dries Up in Alberta, Taking Thousands of Jobs With
it. At a camp for oil workers here, a collection of 16
three-story buildings that once housed 2,000 workers sits empty.
A parking lot at a neighboring camp is now dotted with abandoned
cars. With oil prices falling precipitously, capital-intensive
projects rooted in the heavy crude mined from Alberta’s oil sands
are losing money…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/business/international/oil-sands-boom-dries-up-in-alberta-taking-thousands-of-jobs-with-it.html?ref=energy-environment&_r=0


Refiners and industry group refuse to meet about California gas
prices.  An advisory committee to the California Energy
Commission wanted to discuss the causes of the high gasoline
prices in the state this summer during a workshop Tuesday -- only
the oil refiners and their association refused to show.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-oil-refiners-gas-prices-20151013-story.html


L.A. officials set oil drilling terms but fail to enforce them.
When oil companies wanted to drill wells at a South Los Angeles
site decades ago, city planners set out a long list of
requirements intended to ensure that oil production was "strictly
controlled to eliminate any possible odor, noise" and other
hazards. Nearly a half-century later, neighbors complained about
a foul stench, headaches and nosebleeds.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-allenco-conditions-20151014-story.html


Natural gas overreliance could cost customers, advocacy group
warns. States shifting from coal-fired power and relying too much
on natural gas to meet regulatory goals may expose consumers to
price fluctuations, the Union of Concerned Scientists argues in a
report released yesterday. John Rogers, report co-author and
senior energy analyst for UCS, said states should especially pay
attention…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026286 

VEHICLES

Toyota aims to nearly eliminate gasoline cars by 2050. Toyota,
under ambitious environmental targets, is aiming to sell hardly
any regular gasoline vehicles by 2050, only hybrids and fuel
cells, to radically reduce emissions.  The automaker promised to
involve governments, affiliated companies and other
"stakeholders" in its push to reduce average emissions from
Toyota cars by 90 percent by about 2050, compared with 2010
levels.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/14/world/asia/ap-as-japan-toyota.html

http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NW6Y2C6JTSEQ01-14HMG2SCHPMU5IA076B9ML3IO9

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-1014-toyota-gasoline-20151014-story.html

http://www.ibtimes.com/toyota-announces-environmental-targets-plans-sell-30k-fuel-cell-cars-eliminate-co2-2140803


Carmakers Lobby To Keep Software Secret, Despite VW Emission
Scandal. The software that allowed Volkswagen diesel cars to
cheat on emissions tests was not found by government regulators.
Instead, its effects were discovered by researchers at West
Virginia University, working with the International Council on
Clean Transportation. Confronted with on-road emission levels far
higher than its test results…
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100457_carmakers-lobby-to-keep-software-secret-despite-vw-emission-scandal


VW RECALL

Volkswagen Italy sees no major impact on Oct orders after
scandal. Volkswagen Italy has not seen a "worrying fall" in
orders so far in October following the carmaker's emissions
cheating scandal, a senior executive said on Wednesday, adding
that the company's namesake brand has seen the biggest impact. 
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/volkswagen-italy-sales-idUSR1N11H01520151014

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/14/business/14reuters-volkswagen-italy-investments.html


Bosch sees diesel market so far unharmed by Volkswagen scandal.
German automotive supplier Robert Bosch [ROBG.UL] has not seen
any change so far in the diesel car market as a result of an
emissions scandal that has rocked Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), its
chief executive said on Wednesday. "It will depend, though, on an
active campaign for diesel to quickly dispel the current…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/us-volkswagen-emissions-bosch-idUSKCN0S81E720151014
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/14/business/14reuters-volkswagen-emissions-bosch.html


German minister calls for tougher emissions limits due to VW
scandal-paper. German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks is
calling for tougher emissions regulations and tests due to the
diesel emissions scandal at German carmaker Volkswagen, newspaper
Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Wednesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/14/volkswagen-emissions-germany-environment-idUSL8N12E14320151014


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?mod=fox_australian


2016 VW Diesels Have New Software Affecting Emissions Tests.
Volkswagen has disclosed to U.S. regulators that there is
additional suspect software in its 2016 diesel models that would
potentially help their exhaust systems run cleaner during
government tests. Volkswagen confirmed to The Associated Press
that the "auxiliary emissions control device" at issue operates
differently from the "defeat" device…
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/14/us/politics/ap-us-volkswagen-suspect-software.html
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article39045468.html  

VW Denies Report Saying Over 30 Managers Involved in Emissions
Rigging. Volkswagen denied a report by German magazine Der
Spiegel on Wednesday that had said at least 30 managers at the
carmaker were involved in rigging diesel emission test results.
"This number is completely unfounded," a spokesman at VW's
headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany said.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/14/business/14reuters-volkswagen-emissions.html


At Least 30 Involved in VW Diesel Cheat: Spiegel. At least 30
managers were involved in Volkswagen's emissions test cheating,
German magazine Spiegel reported on Wednesday, citing internal
and external investigations. VW's U.S. Chief Executive Michael
Horn last week blamed "a couple of software engineers" for
installing the software that defeated emissions tests and said it
was not a corporate decision.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/14/business/14reuters-volkswagen-emissions-investigation.html


Recently Named Head of VW North America Will Not Take Post. The
recently named head of Volkswagen's North American business won't
be taking up his new job - and has left the company. The
announcement comes as Volkswagen faces a scandal over rigging the
results of emissions testing of its diesel vehicles in the U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/14/world/europe/ap-volkswagen.html
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-volkswagen-test-cheating-resignation-20151014-story.html


EPA Hasn't Decided if New Software on 2016 VW Diesels Is Legal.
U.S. regulators haven't determined the legality of a new
emission-control device on Volkswagen's 2016 diesel models, a top
official said on Tuesday. Those models still have not been
certified for sale by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The existence of the new software was made public last week by
VW's top U.S. executive…
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/business/13reuters-volkswagen-emissions-epa.html

VW may be sorry, but 'rolling coal' diesel polluters make no
apologies. While Volkswagen executives turn on a spit,
apologizing for their role in the ongoing diesel emissions
cheating scandal, another group of polluters isn't sorry at all.
They're the "rolling coal" guys, who use aftermarket software
programs and other devices to turn their EPA-approved diesel
pickup trucks into smoke-spewing monsters.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-vw-diesel-polluters-rolling-coal-20151013-story.html


GREEN ENERGY

Poland's PGE launches first solar power plant. Poland's biggest
power producer PGE has started operating its first solar power
plant as part of a plan to generate more electricity from
renewable sources, the company said on Wednesday. The 0.6
megawatt 2.8 million zloty ($754,000) plant in southern Poland
marks a turning point for PGE, which owns one of the most
polluting lignite-fueled power plants in Europe.
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL8N12E2EU20151014

  
China Agricultural Bank Sells $1 Billion Debut 'Green Bond' in
London. Agricultural Bank of China, the country's third-largest
listed lender, completed its debut sale of $1 billion dual
currency bonds late on Tuesday in London - the first "green bond"
from a Chinese bank. Green bonds are issued to fund
environment-friendly projects. This category of fixed-income
instrument is growing fast as countries tackle climate change and
pollution…
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/10/13/business/13reuters-china-bonds-offshore.html


High court seems troubled over energy pricing rule. The Supreme
Court on Wednesday seemed troubled by a federal regulation backed
by environmental groups that requires utilities to pay big
electric customers who save energy during times of peak demand.
The Obama administration and other supporters say the rule has
helped consumers save billions in energy costs, improved
reliability of the power grid…
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article39083022.html#storylink=cpy


Contra Costa explores its own renewable energy program. Contra
Costa County moved a step closer Tuesday to creating or joining a
partnership that would provide residents with a choice for clean
energy. Supervisors voted to begin an outreach program with
cities in the county to gauge interest in creating a renewable
energy collaboration that would compete with Pacific Gas &
Electric.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28962832/does-contra-costa-want-create-its-own-renewable


Solar combined with battery storage can help low-income housing.
Residents and owners of multifamily residential buildings can
reap sizeable benefits by adopting solar-plus-storage technology
that allows energy from the sun to be harnessed and held for use
during emergencies or for grid stabilization, according to a new
analysis from the Clean Energy Group.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026295 

Moniz touts rules, smart grid as boon to U.S. climate goals.
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz pledged today that his department
will spend the next 15 months doing everything it can to improve
U.S. energy efficiency, both by promulgating rules and by
modernizing the power grid. "We are scheduled to roll out more
than 200 additional efficiency rules in the remainder of this
administration…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/10/14/stories/1060026315 

MISCELLANEOUS

SCAQMD launches US’ largest zero-emission commercial lawn mower
demonstration program in San Bernardino.  The California South
Coast Air Quality Management District delivered a dozen new,
battery-electric commercial lawn mowers to agencies in San
Bernardino County as part of a long-term demonstration program to
promote the zero-emission equipment. SCAQMD is the air pollution
control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los
Angeles…
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/10/20151014-scaqmd.html 

OPINIONS

There's no such thing as a bad idea when it comes to solving
California's drought. To the editor: New, creative,
out-of-the-box solutions are desperately needed regarding our
drought, yet The Times' editorial ridiculed a sincere suggestion
put forth by Rep. Janice Hahn while supplying nothing of its own.
(“North to Alaska for water?” Editorials, Oct. 9)…
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-le-1014-alaska-water-drought-california20151013-story.html


Drought posse searching for Bel Air's biggest water waster. The
water-hogging champ of California, a Bel-Air resident who has
managed to suck 1,300 gallons of H2O an hour from the state's
scant drought-limited supply, may soon find that there's no ice
bucket for the champagne, no green in the polo turf and nothing
but dust in the Versailles fountain.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1011-lopez-belair-20151011-column.html

In Bel-Air, someone is using 1,300 gallons of water — per hour. 
This much we know: California's champion water hog lives
somewhere in Bel-Air, guzzling more gallons per year — 11.8
million — than any other homeowner in the state. Who is the
culprit? This we do not know.  A June 1 story by the Center for
Investigative Reporting did not reveal the name or address…
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1007-lopez-water-glutton-20151007-column.html


State's green energy is a tax on the poor. When ex-Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger and former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made
their way onto a hot, dry alkali flat just west of the Interstate
15 freeway between Barstow and Las Vegas in late 2010, all anyone
knew for sure was that they were opening an era of giantism in
solar electricity in California.
http://hanfordsentinel.com/news/opinion/columnns/state-s-green-energy-is-a-tax-on-the-poor/article_9a6ee59a-f148-53c6-9050-70d684b74d3c.html


Amid drought, rise in roadkill in Sonoma County. California’s
record-breaking drought is responsible for low reservoirs,
dried-up creeks and parched, brown hillsides. But the most grisly
toll can be seen on Sonoma County’s busiest roads: dead animals.
A growing number of animals are being struck by cars on roads in
Sonoma County and other parts of California…
http://www.petaluma360.com/news/4614826-181/amid-drought-rise-in-roadkill


Walsh: How’s the air up there? The recent experience of spending
an inordinate amount of time at 37,000-plus feet, cruising at 450
mph to and from Europe, begged this question: To what extent do
thousands of high-altitude airline flights contribute each day to
the devil’s brew of “greenhouse” gases that exacerbate global
warming and impact climate change? Seems like the huge volume of
aviation traffic — passenger…
http://www.timesargus.com/article/20151014/OPINION02/151019749/0/TODAYFRONT


BLOGS

California Leads the Way on Climate Change. On the whole, state
governments, especially those with Republican-dominated
legislatures, have been remarkably passive and uninventive in
recent years on the matter of climate change. Indeed, at least a
dozen states have challenged the Obama administration’s new rule
regulating carbon dioxide emissions from power…
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/california-leads-the-way-on-climate-change/?_r=0
 

An Inconvenient Truth About Clean Diesel. The recent Volkswagen
emissions scandal is not only about how emissions testing can be
avoided by computer programs instead of physical technology that
prevents emission. It brings into question the very core of
climate policy on light duty vehicles. Around the world we
developed emission standards for CO2 emissions, typically in
grams of CO2/km…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcelo-mena/an-inconvenient-truth-about-clean-diesel_b_8281420.html
 

Climate Change Gets Its Due In The Democratic Debate. "The future
of the planet is at stake." The Democratic presidential
front-runners attempted to differentiate themselves on climate
change Tuesday night. Former Maryland Gov. Martin staked his
claim with a pledge to get to 100 percent renewable energy by
2050, a goal he'd previously set out.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-democratic-debate_561da270e4b028dd7ea5abe0


With the threat of coal exports, Oakland piles more pollution on
a polluted community. For Margaret Gordon, West Oakland is home.
So when she learned that a new shipping terminal would be
bringing coal right through the heart of it, Gordon was angry.
They’d been promised this wouldn’t happen. She joined the
hundreds of residents who showed up at City Council to voice
their concerns.
http://grist.org/cities/with-the-threat-of-coal-exports-oakland-piles-more-pollution-on-a-polluted-community/


This Devastating Chart Shows Why Even a Powerful El Niño Won’t
Fix the Drought. In California, news of a historically powerful
El Niño oceanic warming event is stoking hopes that winter rains
will ease the state's brutal drought. But for farmers in the
Central Valley, one of the globe's most productive agricultural
regions, water troubles go much deeper—literally—than the current
lack of precipitation.
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/10/el-nino-drought-farms-california


Air Pollution: Haze Particles Hard Enough To Cause Abrasive
Damage On Industrial Alloys. Particular air pollution (haze) has
a major impact on the rapid economic growth and urbanization in
developing countries, thus researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong
University investigated the mechanical properties of haze
particles.  The presence of haze has raised concerns worldwide
since due to its impact on human health…
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/31234/20151013/air-pollution-haze-particles-hard-enough-cause-abrasive-damage-industrial.htm




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

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