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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for October 29, 2015.
Posted: 29 Oct 2015 11:38:15
ARB Newsclips for October 29, 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 Governments to raise $22 billion from carbon pricing in 2015: report. Governments around the world will this year raise around $22 billion from schemes putting a price on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions such as taxes or emissions trading systems, a report on Wednesday showed. The role of carbon pricing, in efforts to curb rising emissions blamed for global warming… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/us-global-carbonpricing-revenues-idUSKCN0SM1IG20151028 Air Resources Board looks to tropical deforestation for cap-and-trade offsets. California environmental regulators zeroed in on tropical deforestation Wednesday as a top cause of global climate change and looked for ways to halt the destruction of distant forests through the state’s pioneering carbon cap-and-trade program. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article41761962.html#storylink=cpy http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2015/10/29/stories/1060027124 Massachusetts Mulls an Economy-Wide Price on Carbon. One of six states considering carbon pricing to combat climate change, Massachusetts weighs two bills that could make the state a trendsetter. "We have to step up our fight against climate change," Massachusetts state Sen. Michael Barrett told a packed committee hearing in Boston on Tuesday. Barrett's solution: put a price on carbon. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/29102015/massachusetts-mulls-economy-wide-price-carbon-michael-barrett AIR POLLUTION China warns of severe winter smog, worsened by El Nino. China could face another bout of severe air pollution this winter with unfavorable weather expected to aggravate the problem, the environment ministry said on Thursday. Smog has emerged as a major problem for the government, which has relied on coal and highly polluting heavy… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/us-china-environment-smog-idUSKCN0SN16A20151029?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews European politicians back new law to reduce air pollution. The European Parliament on Wednesday backed a new draft law to cut toxins in the air and halve the number of premature deaths caused by pollution. Environment campaigners, however, said the plans are too conservative and the proposed limits for emissions are above safe levels… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/environment-air-eu-idUSL8N12O0JH20151028 CLIMATE CHANGE UN weather body: Antarctic ozone hole expands due to cold. The Antarctic ozone hole has swelled this month to one of its biggest sizes on record, U.N. and U.S. scientists say, insisting that the Earth-shielding ozone layer remains on track to long-term recovery but residents of the southern hemisphere should be on watch for high UV levels in the weeks ahead. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UNITED_NATIONS_OZONE_LAYER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER RELATED STORIES http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N12T41M20151029 http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-bc-eu--united-nations-ozone-layer-20151029-story.html British foreign minister discusses climate change in Gulf. Speaking from a Gulf nation whose skyscrapers rose on oil wealth, Britain's foreign secretary called Thursday on the rest of the wealthy Arab world to put their money toward renewable and clean energy ahead of the landmark climate change conference in Paris later this year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_EMIRATES_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Malawi's hydropower dries up as river runs low, menacing forests. Dwindling water levels are hobbling Malawi's hydroelectric power supply and putting more pressure on the country's already stressed forests, officials say. The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), a public utility, says the amount of power it generates through three plants on the Shire River has fallen by 66 percent… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/malawi-energy-hydropower-idUSL8N12S4O920151029 What El Niño could mean for California: 5 takeaways. A Wednesday state Senate hearing dove into a topic on the mind of many Californians, examining how an anticipated El Niño surge of wetness could affect residents and force a pivot from drought preparedness to flood response. http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article41705805.html#storylink=cpy What is California’s Climate Change Plan? For decades, California has been a leader on environmental and climate change policies, including the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in 1990 and a “Clean Car” bill in 2002 that became a model for the National Fuel Efficiency Standards that President Obama announced in 2012. http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan What is the California Global Warming Solutions Act and is it working? The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 established a comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The legislation was signed into law on September 27, 2006 by former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_california_global_warming_solutions_act_and_is_it_working? DROUGHT China's answer for drought-plagued area: Move residents out. Village elder Yang Zhenjun isn't ready to move out from the valley where his people have herded sheep and tended crops for generations amid arid, drought-prone mountains of China's northwest. Still, he acknowledges that life as he has known it is all but over. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_DISPLACED_BY_DROUGHT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Lingering drought heightens worries of extinction for salmon. Another deadly summer of drought has heightened fears of extinction in the wild for an iconic California salmon, federal officials said Wednesday. Officials with the National Marine Fisheries Service said preliminary counts indicate that hot, shallow waters caused by the drought killed most of this year's juvenile winter-run… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CALIFORNIA_DROUGHT_ENDANGERED_SALMON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Drought, other factors contribute to larger Texas wildfires. Larger, more threatening wildfires are occurring at greater rates as Texas faces lingering drought, consistent development - driven by millions of new residents and the spread of outlying suburbs - and changes in how the state's land is used. Texas had 157,000 wildfires over a nine-year period ending in 2014… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TEXAS_WILDFIRES_GROWING_THREAT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT River god, drought blamed for power shortages in Africa. With the rains not having fallen as they normally do, water levels have dropped in a dam that supplies electricity to Zambia and Zimbabwe, causing power blackouts, business closures and consternation. Some traditional chiefs are blaming an angry river god. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_ZIMBABWE_ZAMBIA_POWER_SHORTAGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT California officials outline preparations for El Nino flooding. As California braces for torrential downpours this winter from El Nino, authorities have stockpiled extra sandbags across the state while putting hundreds of personnel through flood-control training, officials told state lawmakers on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/california-elnino-idUSL1N12S2MI20151028 UPDATE 1-Beyond haze, El Nino drought poses poverty challenge for Indonesia. On a dry and dusty sports field in central Java, Indonesian men dressed as traditional warriors take turns to battle with wooden staves, while village women crowd around, chanting: "All farmers let us pray that rain comes and washes our sorrow away." http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/indonesia-elnino-idUSL3N12T46M20151029 These water districts are way short of their conservation targets. Over the last four months, the residents and businesses of the Indian Wells Valley Water District have cut their water consumption by about 25%, and General Manager Don Zdeba thinks that's "pretty darn good." The problem for Zdeba and his Kern County customers is that the state expects the district to slash its water usage by even more — 36% as compared with 2013. http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-water-conservation-20151029-story.html Dry Times Continue In California, Nevada. The U.S. Drought Monitor released October 29 shows no change in the drought depiction for California or Nevada. "A mostly dry week led to status quo conditions in the hardest-hit drought areas of the Far West, including California," according to the weekly report. "On October 25, California led the nation in topsoil and subsoil moisture rated very short to short (both 90%). http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/10/29/dry-times-continue-in-california,-nevada/ California drought: Agencies not fining water wasters. The Coachella Valley has fallen far short of its state-mandated water conservation targets, but local agencies have largely declined to fine homes and businesses for violating water rules. When Gov. Jerry Brown ordered cities to slash consumption by as much as 36 percent earlier this year, local agencies dramatically restricted water use… http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2015/10/28/california-drought-agencies-not-fining-water-wasters/74757454/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin= FUELS What is the Low Carbon Fuel Standard? The LCFS was adopted in 2009 as the California Air Resources Board sought to achieve AB 32’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Transportation accounts for 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in California. The LCFS regulation, which became effective in 2011 and was updated in 2015… http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_low_carbon_fuel_standard? How can the state cut fuel use in half by 2030? Although the goal of cutting fuel use in half by 2030 was rejected by the state Assembly in 2015, Governor Brown said he still plans to achieve it through regulations and executive orders. Many policies already in place are expected to substantially reduce the state’s use of gasoline and diesel, perhaps approaching the governor’s goal. http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#how_can_the_state_cut_fuel_use_in_half_by_2030? VEHICLES BMW plans to market sedan fuel cell vehicle after 2020. BMW AG on Wednesday said its first fuel cell vehicle would likely be a larger-sized sedan which would put on the market after 2020, when a hydrogen development partnership ends between the German luxury automaker and Toyota Motor Corp. Under its partnership with Toyota, BMW is developing a way to compress hydrogen at ultra-low… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/autoshow-japan-bmw-idUSL3N12T3TN20151029?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews Tokyo Motor Show Green Cars: Concepts & Production Models. Auto-show season continues with the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, which featured a number of notable green-car debuts. Tokyo usually boasts a few significant world launches from the local carmakers, mixed with more esoteric models designed primarily with Japan in mind. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100679_tokyo-motor-show-green-cars-concepts-production-models VW RECALL VW affirms commitment to Chattanooga plant despite scandal. Volkswagen is sticking with planned investments at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee - including production of a new SUV there next year - despite the uncertainty caused by its emissions scandal. Volkswagen said Thursday it is reviewing investment spending worldwide as it faces huge costs to deal with its scandal… http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VOLKSWAGEN_TENNESSEE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Switzerland: 600 criminal complaints filed in VW scandal. Swiss prosecutors say that they have received some 600 criminal complaints related to the Volkswagen emissions-rigging scandal. The federal prosecutor's office said Thursday that it has agreed with its state-level counterparts to handle all the complaints from private citizens itself rather than leaving them to local authorities to evaluate individually. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_SWITZERLAND_VOLKSWAGEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Tennessee lawmakers to hear from Volkswagen on Thursday. Volkswagen is reaffirming its commitment to its lone U.S. plant in Tennessee after a diesel emissions cheating scandal rocked the German automaker. The Chattanooga plant's CEO, Christian Koch, said in a statement that the company must "deepen our commitment to America." http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_TENNESSEE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Hybrid technology to fill autos gap as diesel damaged by VW scandal. The Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) diesel emissions test rigging scandal could accelerate a shift toward gasoline-electric hybrid cars and plug-in electric hybrids - even as cheaper gasoline, for now, saps demand for green cars. The fallout from VW - where the cost of the scandal pushed the German automaker… http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/28/us-autoshow-japan-volkswagen-fallout-idUSKCN0SM2SU20151028 Volkswagen CEO looks to restructure in wake of 'Dieselgate' scandal. In the wake of Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, the company's chief executive plans on decentralizing Europe's top automobile manufacturer and allowing its various brands to operate independently to prevent similar issues from arising in the future. http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/ceo-volkswagen-restructure-wake-emissions-scandal-article-1.2415093 A new study estimates that the VW emissions cheat will cause 59 premature deaths in the US. Nearly 60 people will die prematurely from the excess air pollution caused by Volkswagen cheating emissions tests in the US, according to a new study. The first peer-reviewed estimate of the public health impacts of VW’s rigging of tests for 482,000 diesel cars in the US found that if the company recalls all the affected cars… http://www.businessinsider.com/vw-emission-cheat-estimated-to-cause-59-premature-deaths-in-the-us-2015-10 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/29/vw-emissions-estimated-to-cause-59-premature-us-deaths GREEN ENERGY Thai developer Sena aims to boost solar energy capacity. Thai property developer Sena Development Pcl said on Thursday it aimed to boost solar power capacity to 100 megawatts (MW) over the next three years to lift revenue and profits from renewable energy. Sena is among several Thai companies diversifying into solar energy, with the government aiming to raise solar power capacity to 6,000 MW by 2036 from 1,570 in 2014. http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N12T3RX20151029 Republicans Embrace Obama on Energy. One line seemed awfully familiar during the third Republican debate, held Wednesday night. Candidates Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Lindsey Graham and George Pataki declared their support for an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy – effectively embracing the marquee stance of GOP Public Enemy No. 1, President Barack Obama. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/10/29/republicans-embrace-obama-on-energy What is the state renewable energy policy? In 2015, Governor Brown signed a bill (SB 350) that says California will get half of its electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind power by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal, but it continues an increasingly aggressive policy that started back in 2002 when the state said it would get 20 percent… http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#what_is_the_state_renewable_energy_policy? How will the state increase energy efficiency in homes, businesses and factories? Senate Bill 350, signed by the governor in September 2015, included a major provision that requires buildings, homes and factories to double their energy efficiency by 2030. As the Natural Resources Defense Council reported, that will save enough electricity for 5 trillion cups of coffee per year and enough natural gas for 13 billion showers. http://calmatters.org/atom/on-ramp-californias-climate-change-plan#how_will_the_state_increase_energy_efficiency_in_homes,_businesses_and_factories? MISCELLANEOUS Your Place: Some professional tips for clearing the air. October is National Indoor Air Quality Month, so I thought I would share a few thoughts from Broan Nu-Tone, a manufacturer of home-ventilation products. Of course, it's a good idea to spend the entire year in a clean-air environment. For those with allergies, that's especially true… http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/home-garden/article41786181.html#storylink=cpy OPINIONS 'Desperate environmentalism' won't save the environment. When I started teaching environmental law and policy, I thought I would work with the next generation of extraordinary environmentalists. I don't. My students are extraordinary, but many see themselves as "corporate social responsibility consultants," "ecosystem service managers," "sustainability leaders," "industrial efficiency experts," maybe "clean energy entrepreneurs" http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-galperin-environmental-desperation-20151029-story.html Buy Coal Now! It’s the best way for climate-concerned billionaires to fight global warming. The idea is simple. People burn fossil fuels. The fuels emit carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere. If that carbon lingers in the air, it causes greenhousing and contributes to global warming; if it gets absorbed by the ocean, it acidifies the water and wrecks the marine food chain. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/10/every-climate-concerned-billionaire-should-do-this-to-save-the-world/413020/ BLOGS Indian villagers desperate for water as wells and pumps run dry. Raj Kumar Jaiswal begins his day irritated. He needs water from the pump that stands in the courtyard of his home. Working the handle is a struggle; it often yields little water, or none at all. http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2015/10/29/indian-villagers-desperate-for-water-as-wells-and-pumps-run-dry/ EVs Need Equity: California is Ditching Big Oil to Charge Ahead with Clean Cars for All. Big Oil is a big loser in California. The Golden State is trailblazing a clean transportation future by setting the ambitious goals of getting 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on the road by 2025, cutting California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.