What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for March 1, 2016. 

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

Business group hints at fights ahead on carbon trading. A host of
tricky political questions face states looking to cap carbon
emissions from power plants and use trading markets to meet U.S.
EPA's standards. Chief among them is how to divide up the overall
pot of allowances, which represent the amount of carbon a state
can continue to emit in the coming decades under the Clean Power
Plan.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/01/stories/1060033198 

Al Gore's green investment firm announces carbon pricing research
push. Environmental consultancy Ecofys is to pair up with the
advocacy branch of Al Gore's sustainable investment firm
Generation Investment Management to investigate how carbon
pricing can facilitate sustainable global economic growth, the
two companies announced today.
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2449058/al-gores-green-investment-firm-announces-carbon-pricing-research-push?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=10ed181dfe-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-10ed181dfe-327747457


AIR POLLUTION

Report: Cheap natural gas leads to more plants and pollution. The
nation's boom in cheap natural gas - often viewed as a clean
energy source - is spawning a wave of petrochemical plants that,
if built, will emit massive amounts of greenhouse gases, an
environmental watchdog group warned in a report Monday. The
Washington-based Environmental Integrity Project said hydraulic
fracturing of shale rock formations and other advances…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHEAP_GAS_NEW_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT



EPA Asks Mercedes for Information on Diesel Emissions. U.S.
environmental regulators have requested emissions information on
diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz luxury vehicles after a lawsuit
alleged the cars illegally turn off pollution controls in cooler
weather. The Environmental Protection Agency requested the
information from Mercedes parent Daimler AG on the heels of the
lawsuit, an agency spokeswoman said.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-asks-mercedes-for-information-on-diesel-emissions-1456769317


Texas wants appeal of EPA haze plan to be heard in regional
court. Texas' top lawyer has sued U.S. EPA over the agency's plan
to reduce haze from power plant emissions and is asking to keep
the case out of Washington. The suit caps years of conflict over
how best to cope with the emissions, which are blamed for
reducing visibility in national parks.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2016/03/01/stories/1060033213 

CLIMATE CHANGE

Appeals court upholds designation of polar bear habitat. The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service followed the law when it designated
more than 187,000 square miles - an area larger than California -
as critical habitat for threatened polar bears in Alaska marine
waters and its northern coast, an appeals court ruled Monday.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLAR_BEAR_HABITAT_LAWSUIT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Trudeau, Canadian provinces set for tough climate change talks.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a challenging day of
climate change talks on Thursday with leaders of the country's 10
provinces, one of whom opposes a key part of Ottawa's plan to cut
greenhouse gas emissions. Trudeau, whose Liberals won power last
year on the back of a promise to do more to fight global warming…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-climatechange-idUSKCN0W22J9?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=10ed181dfe-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-10ed181dfe-327747457


EU not seen increasing emissions targets despite Paris deal
–draft. EU regulators will say this week the European Union does
not need a more ambitious greenhouse gas target until the next
decade, a text seen by Reuters shows, even though the Paris
climate deal stipulates goals should be reviewed in 2018. Such a
decision would please member state Poland, whose economy relies
heavily on coal…
http://www.reuters.com/article/climatechange-eu-idUSL8N16836O 

Factbox: Which mega-cities offer best protection from climate
change? The world's wealthy cities received a large part of the
$323 billion governments spent on measures to adapt to climate
change last year, but vulnerable cities in the developing world
are falling behind, said a study published on Monday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-cities-idUSKCN0W22O1


Arctic warming makes Northeastern storms, study finds. What does
loss of Arctic sea ice have to do with snowfall and rain in New
England? Plenty, according to chemical evidence amassed by a team
of scientists and described in a soon-to-be published study. A
research project analyzing precipitation in New Hampshire, part
of the general U.S. Northeast region…
http://www.latimes.com/nation/sns-tns-bc-env-arctic-climate-20160301-story.html


Are climate-change adaptations tied to protecting property or
people? Study follows the money. As climate change continues,
scientists have observed a disturbing trend: The money that
megacities spend to adapt to climate change seems to be linked
more to protecting valuable capital, and less to protecting
vulnerable people. The study, published in the journal Nature
Climate Change, reveals that cities in developing nations may be
even less equipped to protect residents…
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-climate-change-cities-gdp-20160229-story.html


Instead of record rains, L.A. gets the hottest February on
record. It was supposed to be one of the wettest Februaries on
record. Instead, by one measure at least, it became the hottest.
At an average high temperature of 77.5, this February sailed
almost two degrees above the previous record set in 1954…
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-la-recorded-its-hottest-february-on-record-20160229-story.html


Ship owners now calling for CO2 pledge, citing Paris agreement.
Ship owners and operators have asked a U.N. body to set the
first-ever carbon emissions reduction target for the
international shipping industry. December's U.N. deal in Paris
among nearly 200 countries to keep global warming at safe levels
did not include limits on shipping emissions…
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/01/stories/1060033201 

DROUGHT

Drought hasn't been all bad—we've learned some things too,
California water chief says. It was the final Wednesday of a
warm, dry February, and here as in much of California it seemed
that spring had made an early arrival. The sky was blue,
temperatures mild. Almond and fruit trees were ablaze with
blossoms. Along the highways, poppies were in full flower,
competing for attention with ubiquitous…
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-drought-marcus-20160301-story.html


DIESEL ACTIVITIES

DOE announces 2nd stage of truck efficiency program. In a bid to
further improve the energy efficiency of long-haul
tractor-trailers, the Department of Energy has announced a second
phase of its SuperTruck program. Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Transportation Reuben Sarkar announced the SuperTruck II program,
along with an $80 million funding opportunity…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/03/01/stories/1060033240
 
FUELS

Russia says global deal to cap oil output is close. Russia says
it is close to an international deal with OPEC countries to cap
oil production, and that a final decision will be made at a
meeting this month. Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar
floated an output cap last month with the aim of boosting oil
prices, but it was conditional on other producers joining in.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_OIL_MARKET?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


U.S. Shale Producers Face Reality, Cut Output.  Cuts stand in
contrast to past year, when U.S. drillers kept pumping as prices
plunged. Some of America’s biggest shale producers are beginning
to ratchet back oil and gas production for the first time in
years, bending to the reality that a global glut will keep prices
depressed. The production cuts, announced as shale companies
reported dismal earnings in recent days…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-shale-producers-cut-back-production-amid-global-oil-glut-1456795120?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f&utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=10ed181dfe-Today_s_Climate12_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-10ed181dfe-327747457


VEHICLES

German Electric-Car Rebates Seen as Game Changer for Slow Sales. 
Automotive executives are counting on financial backing from
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to kickstart
sluggish electric-car demand in Europe’s biggest economy as
consumers shun the vehicles in part because of their higher price
tag. “We need government support to boost sales…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-O3CXIP6S972C01-0L568PCFU64P4DHATAFFJSSTE6


How much does electric-car range cost per mile? When it comes to
electric cars, range is a commodity. But how much are buyers
paying to increase the amount of driving they can do between
charges? We looked at every electric car currently on sale, as
well as the upcoming 200-mile 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV and Tesla
Model 3, and some of the longer-range plug-in hybrids.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102607_how-much-does-electric-car-range-cost-per-mile


Germany Considering €5,000 Electric Car Subsidy, With Automakers
Contributing 40%. In order to achieve its goal of at least 1
million electric cars on the country’s roads by 2020, the
government of Germany is apparently likely to approve new
incentives, according to recent reports. Interestingly, the new
incentives would see the auto manufacturers in the country
provide roughly 40% of the costs of the incentives...
http://cleantechnica.com/2016/03/01/germany-implementing-e5000-electric-car-subsidy-with-automakers-contributing-40/


GREEN ENERGY

China's Electricity Mix: Changing so Fast that CO2 Emissions May
Have Peaked. China installed a world record of 32.5 gigawatts
(GW) of wind power last year, and a world record 18.3 GW of solar
power, according to official figures from the National Bureau of
Statistics of China on 29 February. Coal consumption fell 3.7%,
nuclear power grew 30% and natural gas 3.3%.
http://theenergycollective.com/energy-post/2323198/chinas-electricity-mix-changing-so-fast-co2-emissions-may-have-peaked


U.S. leads global wind generation, barely. With China nipping at
its heels, the United States led the world in wind energy
generation for 2015, according to the American Wind Energy
Association. U.S. wind farms delivered more than 190 million
megawatt-hours of power to the grid, enough to power 17.5 million
typical American homes.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2016/03/01/stories/1060033197 

MISCELLANEOUS

Quebec Seeks Injunction on TransCanada’s Energy East Project.
Province wants to ensure the proposed project meets provincial
environmental guidelines. The Canadian province of Quebec said
Tuesday that it would seek an injunction against TransCanada
Corp.’s Energy East pipeline to ensure the proposed project meets
provincial environmental guidelines.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/quebec-seeks-injunction-on-transcanadas-energy-east-project-1456853209


BLOGS

GHG emissions and BC's carbon tax. As part of the ongoing debate
over the impacts of carbon taxation in British Columbia,
Christopher Ragan, an associate professor of economics at McGill
University, has written an opinion piece in one of Canada's
national newspapers, the Globe and Mail, wherein he discusses the
benefits of a uniform commitment to carbon pricing across the
nation…
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/03/per_capita_ghg_emissions_were_declining_far_more_rapidly_before_bcs_carbon_tax.html


Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade: What’s a Better Policy to Cut
Emissions? Experts often debate the pros and cons of a carbon tax
versus a cap-and-trade system in the United States, and they will
do so again at an event in Washington DC tomorrow.  A carbon tax
directly establishes a price on greenhouse gas emissions…
http://www.wri.org/blog/2016/03/carbon-tax-vs-cap-and-trade-what%E2%80%99s-better-policy-cut-emissions


Beverly Hills High Oil Well Cleanup Plan in Big Trouble. The
infamous Beverly Hills High oil well stops pumping at the end of
this year, but will it ever get cleaned up? Ritzy Beverly Hills's
famous oil well, which sits on the grounds of their high school
and is bedecked in flowery art, has long been scheduled to stop
extracting oil at the end of this year, with cleanup of the site
supposed to begin as soon as possible…
http://la.curbed.com/2016/2/29/11135272/beverly-hills-high-school-oil-derrick-cleanup-venoco




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