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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.