What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for November 24, 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

Five U.S. states, D.C. seek joint plan to cut auto sector
emissions.  Five states and the District of Columbia will develop
a joint market-based approach to try to cut greenhouse gas
emissions from vehicles across a large area of the Northeastern
United States, their governors and mayor announced on Tuesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/climatechange-summit-autos-idUSL1N13J1FT20151124#lSmKeQg0llM3FjlS.99


Porter Ranch gas leak increasing California's greenhouse gas
output by 25 percent. Natural gas has been spewing from a
ruptured well near Porter Ranch for a month, and the state Air
Resources Board estimates the leak is so large that it's
increasing California's atmospheric load of methane — the primary
component of natural gas — by 25 percent.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/11/23/55836/porter-ranch-methane-leak-increasing-california-s/


CLIMATE CHANGE

World Bank sets out plan to bolster Africa against climate
change. The World Bank aims to drive more funding into efforts to
help African countries withstand climate change impacts and boost
their clean energy production through a $16 billion plan revealed
on Tuesday. The "Africa Climate Business Plan" lays out
investments to make the continent's people, land, water and
cities more resilient to droughts…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/africa-climatechange-investment-idUSL8N13J2RU20151124#Vr6mLHwR3ilzIsw4.99

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-24/world-bank-sets-16-billion-plan-for-african-climate-campaign


Climate change sends Chile's wine industry southward.  Well into
their drive to make Chile's wines less about bang-for-your-buck
and more about premium vino, vintners in the world's fourth
largest wine exporter are watching some of their promising vines
wither with climate change. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean to
the west and the Andes mountain range on the east…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-chile-wine-idUSKBN0TC18W20151124#y9TsHCxclw4fcF4s.97


Canada to tell world it's serious about climate change, says PM.
Canada will tell a green summit next week that it is finally
ready to tackle climate change, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
said on Monday after a meeting with the country's provinces to
work out a national strategy. Trudeau's Liberals won an election
last month promising radical change on the environment from the
previous Conservative administration, which was widely criticized
for not doing enough to combat global warming during its near
decade in power.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-canada-idUSKBN0TC2I320151124#2uyiITxEE4gLPgEq.99


U.S. government agencies to slash greenhouse gas emissions 41.8
percent. U.S. federal agencies will reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from their operations to 41.8 percent below 2008 levels
by 2025, the White House announced on Monday. The announcement
comes one week before nearly 200 countries meet in Paris to
negotiate a United Nations climate change pact…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/us-usa-climatechange-agencies-idUSKBN0TC2BH20151123#Rq8rUGZQIsURPx6Z.99
 

Alliance of 78 big firms urges carbon pricing to slow warming.
Leaders of 78 major companies urged governments on Monday to
include the pricing of carbon emissions as part of policies to
curb global warming, as world leaders prepare for a summit on
climate change in Paris next week. Chief executives of the
companies, with combined annual turnover of $2.1 trillion…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/climatechange-summit-companies-idUSL8N13I44Z20151123#L5UTFDRhYH0RF3kg.99


Factbox: Many hurdles to Paris deal on climate change. Almost 200
nations will meet in Paris from Nov. 30-Dec. 11 for a summit on
climate change, seeking a turning point away from an increasing
reliance on fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution.    
Following are among the hurdles to a United Nations accord that
will map out action by rich and poor nations beyond 2020 to curb
greenhouse…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/us-climatechange-summit-factbox-idUSKBN0TC00320151123#V2IrQL8bo2FGiS5U.99


Japan says advanced coal technology can help global CO2 cut.
Japanese exports of advanced technology for coal-fired power
plants will help fight global warming, the environment minister
said on Tuesday, even though the world's richest nations had
decided to restrict subsidies on such exports. Many developing
countries will continue to look to coal-fired power plants to
meet their energy requirements…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-japan-environment-minister-idUSKBN0TD1AA20151124#pMHOmb2P5UQK7s3o.99


Obama to meet China's Xi, India's Modi at Paris climate talks:
White House. U.S. President Barack Obama will meet China's
president and India's prime minister on the first day of Paris
climate talks on Nov. 30 to give momentum to the two-week U.N.
negotiations, White House officials said. Obama's meetings with
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi at the start of the two-week climate summit…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-obama-idUSKBN0TD2NB20151124#7Yyt4ADddZB83ite.99


Weather disasters occur almost daily, becoming more frequent -
U.N. Weather-related disasters such as floods and heatwaves have
occurred almost daily in the past decade, almost twice as often
as two decades ago, with Asia being the hardest hit region, a
U.N. report said on Monday. While the report authors could not
pin the increase wholly on climate change…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/climatechange-disasters-idUSKBN0TC1EU20151123#7cAhRyMHKrUM9AM2.99


Poor nations need support to cut emissions from farming –
experts. Developing countries can boost food production while
reducing planet-warming emissions from agriculture, given the
right technologies and financial support to put them into
practice, researchers said on Monday. Wealthy governments and
other donors need to invest more to reduce carbon emissions
stemming from agriculture…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/climatechange-summit-agriculture-idUSKBN0TC0Y420151123#7M5SSpW4UA8t4qBJ.99


China says keeping leaders away is key to climate talk success.
Keeping state leaders away from the negotiations will play a
major role in ensuring that crucial talks on a new global climate
deal in Paris next week proceed smoothly, China's top climate
change negotiator said in an interview on Monday. 
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/23/us-climatechange-china-idUSKBN0TC0Z820151123#gVzdVwQqMLscbCz7.99


California, An Environmental Leader, Eyes A Key Role In Climate
Talks. World leaders are scheduled to meet in Paris soon, trying
to draft an agreement on how to combat climate change. Among the
heads of state, you'll also see California Gov. Jerry Brown, who
is spearheading his own international climate movement. Brown has
been on an international diplomatic tour the last few months —
all about climate change.
http://www.npr.org/2015/11/24/456650555/california-an-environmental-leader-eyes-a-key-role-in-climate-talks


US agencies look to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Obama
administration is pushing federal agencies to cut their
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 40 percent by 2025.
The White House announced the 41.8 percent reduction target on
Monday, pushing government agencies to cut emissions from their
buildings and vehicle fleets around the country. 
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/261182-us-agencies-look-to-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions


California at forefront of US battle on climate change. Tim
Krantz still remembers a time when the pollution in Los Angeles
was so bad it turned the sky yellow, making it hard to breathe
and irritating the eyes. Today, the skies over the city are clear
enough to see the Pacific Ocean from the Hollywood hills or the
San Gabriel Mountains to the north.
http://news.yahoo.com/california-forefront-us-battle-climate-change-033349277.html


DROUGHT

El Niño to Last Into Middle of 2016. The weather phenomenon
appears to be reaching its peak, but its effects on weather and
agriculture are expected to continue. he El Niño weather pattern
in place over the Pacific Ocean could last into the middle of
2016, as farmers and growers across the globe continue to
struggle with the unseasonable weather conditions associated with
it.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/el-nino-to-last-into-middle-of-2016-1448358886


FUELS

India opposes deal to phase out fossil fuels by 2100 at climate
summit. India would reject a deal to combat climate change that
includes a pledge for the world to wean itself off fossil fuels
this century, a senior official said, underlying the difficulties
countries face in agreeing how to slow global warming. Almost 200
nations will meet in the French capital on Nov. 30 to try and
seal a deal to prevent the planet from warming…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-climatechange-summit-india-idUSKBN0TD1I220151124#2IyYKRqOWIdWUQ2C.99


VEHICLES

Renault Espace Exceeds Pollution Limits, German Environmental
Group Says. A German environmental group said on Tuesday that a
diesel passenger van made by Renault produces up to 25 times as
much pollution as allowed, a further indication that Volkswagen
may not be the only company that has flouted emissions rules. The
group, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, did not accuse Renault of using
software…
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/business/international/renault-van-pollution-limits.html?_r=0


VW RECALL

VW Faces Fresh Probe Over Tax Violation Claims in Germany.
Volkswagen AG is facing a new criminal investigation after
publishing incorrect emissions data that gave some drivers tax
breaks that may have been unjustified. Prosecutors in
Braunschweig, already looking into Volkswagen diesels, are now
formally examining tax issues linked to faulty carbon-dioxide
readings as well…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-24/german-prosecutors-open-new-vw-probe-into-tax-violation-claims
http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-faces-tax-evasion-investigation-in-germany-1448376783
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2015/nov/24/volkswagen-now-under-investigation-tax-evasion/337375/
 

VW wins approval to fix diesel engines in Europe.  Volkswagen AG
said it has approval to repair most of its rigged European diesel
engines and made a deal with U.S. regulators to resubmit
questionable software for review in 85,000 other vehicles, signs
of progress in its effort to overcome the two-month-old emissions
crisis.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/24/business/vw-wins-approval-fix-diesel-engines-europe/#.VlTMdU3luUn


Software To Be Updated In All 2009-2016 VW, Audi V-6 Diesels. It
was only three weeks ago that Volkswagen headquarters in Germany
came out swinging against the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. The EPA had issued a complaint in which it accused VW of
incorporating emission-cheating software into its 3.0-liter V-6
TDI diesels, used by Audi and Porsche as well. But it appears the
company's tone has changed since then.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101129_software-to-be-updated-in-all-2009-2016-vw-audi-v-6-diesels


GREEN ENERGY

Gov. Cuomo May Order 50% Renewable Energy In NY By 2030. Governor
Andrew Cuomo is reportedly planning to order state regulators to
mandate that 50% of all electricity in New York come from
renewable sources. Two nuclear power plants will probably be shut
down at some point, so the electricity they generate will need to
be placed, and it only seems sensible to replace it with clean,
renewable electricity…
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/11/24/gov-cuomo-may-order-50-renewable-energy-ny-2030/
 

To ease trade problems, Chinese solar companies move production
abroad. With the dominating role of Chinese factories in the
global solar supply chain, the label "Made in China" has adorned
the majority of solar panels installed in the world. But now,
some Chinese solar manufacturers are out to get a different
label. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060028474

OPINIONS

Exxon’s Research on Climate Is Transparent. Beginning in the
1970s, company scientists began examining the question of
anthropogenic contributions to climate change. Fred Krupp of the
Environmental Defense Fund defends his call for government probes
into Exxon Mobile ’s climate research based on inaccurate
reporting in InsideClimate News and the Los Angeles Times…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/exxons-research-on-climate-is-transparent-1448302103


Opinion: World at tipping point for renewable energy. Adnan Z.
Amin is director-general of the International Renewable Energy
Agency. Fatih Birol is executive director of the International
Energy Agency. The opinions expressed in this commentary are
those of the authors. The world has reached a tipping point:
Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies are now the
solutions of choice…
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20151124/NEWS02/311249974/opinion-world-at-tipping-point-for-renewable-energy


Ethanol mandate results in pollution.  I respond to the Thursday
letter “Big Oil likes to spread lies about ethanol” from Fred
Yoder. I think he has been reading too many farm magazines. I
also am a farmer, and I read the agriculture publications and
have discovered their position on ethanol is more than a bit
one-sided. Ethanol does offer slightly less air pollution when
burned in an automobile…
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2015/11/24/1-ethanol-mandate-results-in-pollution.html


BLOGS

Volkswagen's Fix For European Diesels Gets The Green Light (But
Will Owners Get The Shaft?). It's been more than two months since
news of Volkswagen's emissions-test cheating software first began
to make headlines, and we still have no concrete details about
how the company plans to fix more than 11 million vehicles
affected by the Dieselgate scandal. That could soon change -- at
least in Europe, where Volkswagen's proposed fix has been
approved for 90 percent of its illegally rigged, smaller diesels.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1101130_volkswagens-fix-for-european-diesels-gets-the-green-light-but-will-owners-get-the-shaft






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