What's New List Serve Post Display

This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
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individual websites to view some of the following news articles.

CAP AND TRADE

Leakage study assessment delays ARB cap-and-trade amendments.
Cap-and-trade amendments will be delayed in order for the state
to properly assess an upcoming leakage study, an Air Resources
Board (ARB) official told ICIS. The ARB, the cap-and-trade
regulator, has been working to make changes to its programme to
formulate a post-2020 plan while also developing a compliance
plan for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean
Power Plan.
http://www.icis.com/resources/news/2016/05/02/9993607/leakage-study-assessment-delays-arb-cap-and-trade-amendments/


AIR POLLUTION

World Asthma Day 2016: Why We Need To Reduce Air Pollution,
Environmental Toxins More Than Ever.
Asthma rates have increased significantly in recent decades, with
the number of people diagnosed with asthma in the United States
growing 4.3 million between 2001 and 2009. In some cases, the
rise could be a result of overdiagnosis; it could also be
partially explained by what experts call the “hygiene
hypothesis,” which says today's children aren't exposed to enough
dirt or germs to condition their immune systems.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/world-asthma-day-2016-air-pollution-environmental-toxins-384342


Study: long-term exposure to PM2.5 associated with numerous types
of cancer.
Long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5, a mixture of environmental
pollutants, was associated with increased risk of mortality for
many types of cancer in an elderly Hong Kong population,
according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers
& Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer
Research. Long-term exposure to particulate matter has been
associated with mortality mainly from cardiopulmonary causes and
lung cancer, said the study’s co-lead author, Thuan Quoc Thach,
PhD, a scientific officer at the School of Public Health at the
University of Hong Kong. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160429-thach.html 

CLIMATE CHANGE

What 90,000 indigenous people have to say about climate change.
A new study attempts to inject some anecdotal heft into the
science of climate change by collecting observations from more
than 90,000 people that historically depended on nature for their
traditional way of life. Six researchers from Simon Fraser
University in British Columbia gathered over 10,000 observations
from 137 countries, primarily in places like Central Africa,
Central America, and the Himalayas where climate records are
sparse and not well documented. In doing so the study, published
in the journal Nature Climate Change, attempts to help fill gaps
in the climate record where instrumental data is not available as
well as to corroborate existing records.
http://fusion.net/story/296749/study-of-global-indigenous-climate-history/


How Climate Change Could Make Office Work Even Unhealthier.
As the world heats up around us, many people take solace in the
idea that their indoor lives may not be affected much by climate
change. But a number of experts say that hotter outdoor
temperatures and extreme weather events like drought or storms
may cause unhealthier conditions and less productivity in
offices, schools and other buildings.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-climate-change-could-make-office-work-even-unhealthier-180958815/?no-ist


DROUGHT

Almond industry growth continues despite drought.
Despite California’s drought, almond growers expanded their
orchards by an estimated 60,000 acres in 2015, marking the 12th
consecutive year of growth for the crop, which now covers more
than 1.1 million acres, or more than any other fruit, nut or
vegetable crop in the state. Why? Because almonds make money.
While recognizing the ongoing drought may constrain current and
future planting, industry experts said that almonds and other
tree nuts provided a good return for farmers, who responded by
putting more trees in the ground.
http://www.recordnet.com/article/20160501/NEWS/160509989 

VEHICLES

DOE and DOT collaborate to support smart transportation systems
and alternative fuel technologies.
The US Departments of Energy (DOE) and Transportation (DOT)
announced a collaboration to accelerate research, development,
demonstration, and deployment of innovative smart transportation
systems and alternative fuel technologies. The agencies
formalized this collaborative relationship through a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) that was unveiled at a symposium this week
calledAchieving Zero-Emission Mobility: The Role of Innovative
Electric Vehicle Companies, hosted by the University of
California Center on Economic Competitiveness in Transportation
in Berkeley, California.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/04/20160430-doedot.html 

BMW boosts battery capacity of MY2017 i3 to 33 kWh with higher
energy density Li-ion cells; up to 114 miles combined cycle
range.
BMW will offer a new model range of its i3 compact electric car,
and from the 2017 model year will be offering a new version with
more than 50% increased battery capacity. The 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah)
has a capacity of 33 kilowatt hours (kWh) due to the use of
higher energy density lithium-ion cells; the dimensions of the
pack remain unchanged while still offering a significant range
increase. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/05/20160502-i3.html 

As VW pledges more electric cars, it supports biofuels as
alternative.
Are there many different ways to reduce the carbon associated
with road vehicles? Or are electric vehicles the best and only
viable way to proceed? That's the debate at the heart of two
different reports on Volkswagen's recent actions in Europe this
week. At the company's annual meeting earlier this week, VW Group
CEO Matthias Müller reiterated the company's plans to "make
electric cars one of Volkswagen's new hallmarks."
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1103630_as-vw-pledges-more-electric-cars-it-supports-biofuels-as-alternative


Mercedes launches diesel probe after DOJ request.
Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG has launched an internal
investigation into BlueTEC diesel engines after a request from
the U.S. Department of Justice. The move comes after the EPA
formally requested information on diesel engine emissions, and
after a class action lawsuit was filed against the automaker
alleging greater-than-advertised nitrogen oxide emissions and the
presence of defeat devices in diesel models.
http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/daimler-launches-diesel-probe-after-doj-request


MISCELLANEOUS

San Diego County is divided over proposed half-cent tax for
transportation projects.
A battle is raging over one of the most fundamental aspects of
San Diego County's future: how folks get around. Will commuters
overwhelmingly continue to drive their cars to work, as they've
done for decades? Or will lawmakers fashion a public
transportation system — consisting largely of bus, trolley and
train lines — that's efficient and sexy enough to appeal to
millennials and perhaps their parents? In the latest clash, green
groups have joined Republicans to oppose a countywide, half-cent
sales tax that would provide millions of dollars for public
transit and bike lanes but also lock in money for specific
highway projects.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-california-commute-20160501-story.html


OPINIONS

Dear Congress: Burning wood is not the future of energy.
Senators patted themselves on the back last week after passing a
wide-ranging energy bill, a feat that seems amazing given the
partisanship on Capitol Hill and the deep divisions between the
parties on fossil fuels in particular. But the hype was too good
to be true: The bill has at least one glaring flaw that must be
changed before President Obama considers signing it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/burning-wood-is-not-the-future-of-energy/2016/04/28/9cd9376c-08b9-11e6-bdcb-0133da18418d_story.html


BLOGS 

Air Pollution May Shrink the Brain.
Breathing polluted air every day may change a person’s brain in
ways that end up leading to cognitive impairment, according to a
new study. In the study, researchers examined 943 healthy adults
who were at least 60 years old and lived the New England region.
The investigators used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look
at the participants’ brain structures, and compared the images
with the air pollution levels in the places where the
participants lived.
http://www.seeker.com/air-pollution-may-shrink-the-brain-1769773977.html




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