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ARB Newsclips for August 30, 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.

AIR POLLUTION

Global Climate Pact May Cover Most Plane Emissions, U.S. Says. A
proposed climate accord for airlines is likely to attract support
from enough nations to cover about 80 percent of global emissions
from international flights, a senior U.S. State Department
official said in an interview. The draft agreement adopted Friday
by the governing council of the United Nations’s aviation agency
would…
http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-OCJ7A46KLVRF01-481MT4MKQ4R7E2BMAKJTLI87NJ


San Ysidro Port of Entry to Track Air Pollution With 13 Monitors.
The first in a network of low-cost air-quality monitors to study
cross-border air pollution impacts was unveiled Saturday at the
nation’s busiest border crossing in San Diego. More than 50,000
vehicles pass through the San Ysidro’s port of entry each day and
now the border crossing will have the first of 13 air monitors…
https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2016/08/27/san-ysidro-port-of-entry-to-track-air-pollution-with-13-monitors/


UK air quality shows little improvement over past 20 years, says
study. Academics say planners are concentrating on reducing road
deaths and promoting growth at expense of environment. There has
been little improvement in air quality over the past 20 years as
transport planners focus on preventing road deaths, according to
a study.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/30/uk-air-quality-shows-little-improvement-past-20-years-says-study


Air pollution 'neglected for road safety', researchers claim. Air
pollution in UK cities has failed to improve because politicians
prioritize road safety and economic growth instead, research
suggests. The research, to be presented to the Royal Geographical
Society, says the issue of traffic pollution falls between the
transport and environment departments, but is neglected by both.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37213786 

Wildfires still affect Valley air. Wildfires in Tulare, Kern, San
Luis Obispo and Monterey counties are still affecting air quality
conditions here in the Central Valley. On Sunday, the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District deemed air conditions to be
unhealthy for sensitive groups in Kings County. As of Monday
afternoon, the Air District forecasted air conditions to be
moderate in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.
http://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/wildfires-still-affect-valley-air/article_cc9abdfe-44ae-53e8-be55-f6b19d4a7c41.html


Clean Air Act upgrade spurred strip mining — study. Air pollution
regulations have likely played a role in elevated mortality rates
near mountaintop-removal coal mining in Appalachia, said a new
study by a well-known public health researcher. Michael Hendryx
and fellow Indiana University professor Benjamin Holland make the
case for more holistic fossil fuels regulations…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/08/30/stories/1060042181 

EPA can revise provisions of ozone rule — court. A federal
appellate court has given U.S. EPA a do-over on parts of a rule
setting requirements for states to meet the 2008 air quality
standard for ozone. The rule, put in place early last year, is
being challenged by the Sierra Club and other environmental
groups in part on the grounds that it gives states too much
leeway in meeting the 2008 limit (Greenwire, May 13, 2015).
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/08/30/stories/1060042201

Court allows greens, power companies to back EPA rule. The U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today
allowed several environmental groups and power companies to
defend U.S. EPA in the latest legal challenge to its climate rule
for new power plants. At issue is EPA's denial earlier this year
of five petitions…
http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2016/08/30/stories/1060042199 

CLIMATE CHANGE

France's Hollande says Paris climate agreement far from
implemented. An international agreement on climate change struck
in Paris last year is still far from being implemented, French
President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday, and he urged
countries to ensure it was ratified by year-end. The agreement
obligates states to take concrete measures to curb emissions that
contribute to climate change.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-france-hollande-idUSKCN11514V


Scientists have identified a key way the Amazon’s forests may
adapt to climate change. The Amazon is famous for being one of
the most diverse places on Earth — its forests are home to tens
of thousands of plant species alone. And now, scientists are
claiming that all of these different plants may be key to the
Amazon’s survival during future climate change. 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/08/29/scientists-have-identified-a-key-way-the-amazons-forests-may-adapt-to-climate-change/?utm_term=.be4f51bb17db


Nasa: Earth is warming at a pace 'unprecedented in 1,000 years'
Records of temperature that go back far further than 1800s
suggest warming of recent decades is out of step with any period
over the past millennium. The planet is warming at a pace not
experienced within the past 1,000 years, at least, making it
“very unlikely” that the world will stay within a crucial
temperature limit…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/30/nasa-climate-change-warning-earth-temperature-warming

Shifts in How Plants Use Water Could Halve Extent of Climate
Change-Induced Droughts.  As humans pump carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere and global temperatures rise, many questions loom. One
major issue is how much fresh water will be available for people,
forests and agriculture. A study led by the University of
Washington shows that popular long-term drought estimates have a
major flaw… http://www.azocleantech.com/news.aspx?newsID=23613 

Global Warming Rate 'Unprecedented': NASA Scientist Warns
Temperature Change Unlike Anything In Last 1,000 Years. Global
average temperatures this year have been scorching. The world has
already experienced a peak temperature that is dangerously close
to the 1.5 degree Celsius limit the international community
agreed to in last year’s landmark Paris climate accord.
http://www.ibtimes.com/global-warming-rate-unprecedented-nasa-scientist-warns-temperature-change-unlike-2409191


The End Of Coffee? Climate Change Poses Threat To Starbucks,
Other Major Producer. Extreme global temperatures, which have led
to unusually large amounts rain in high-altitude areas, are
causing waves of pests and disease that are decimating coffee
crops around the world, especially in Central America. Coffee
producers have already felt the effects: Production in Tanzania,
where 2.4 million people's jobs are in the coffee industry...
http://www.ibtimes.com/end-coffee-climate-change-poses-threat-starbucks-other-major-producers-2409422


Shocking images show how global warming is causing Europe's
glaciers to retreat by hundreds of feet a year. It is the longest
glacier in the Eastern Alps, weaving through the scoured valley
beneath Austria's highest mountain. But the Pasterze glacier,
near Heiligenblut at the Grossglockner in Austria's High Tauern
mountain range, is a shadow of its former self, having diminished
by half in the past 150 years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3765074/Shocking-images-global-warming-causing-Europe-s-glaciers-retreat-hundreds-feet-year.html#ixzz4IqU7i8xU


DROUGHT

In drought, drones help California farmers save every drop. A
drone whirred to life in a cloud of dust, then shot hundreds of
feet skyward for a bird's-eye view of a vast tomato field in
California's Central Valley, the nation's most productive farming
region. Equipped with a state-of-the-art thermal camera, the
drone crisscrossed the field, scanning it for cool…
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/drought-drones-help-california-farmers-save-every-drop-135837822--finance.html;_ylt=A86.J7rCrMRXmFoA.tcnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTEyYTJucDRlBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjE4NjFfMQRzZWMDc2M-


Drought is reducing beach bacteria in Southern California, data
shows. California’s record-setting drought might be making area
waters less prone to bacteria, according to government data. The
Environmental Protection Agency monitors the nation’s beaches for
various indicators for contamination. In 2015, there were 762
beach advisories for San Diego County’s 46 beaches.
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article98224037.html


East Porterville residents, tired of drought, say end is in
sight. Juana Garcia takes a shower every night to cool off from
the day’s heat before getting in bed, then does something else
she previously couldn’t – she sleeps until morning. Tulare County
installed a 2,500-gallon water tank outside Garcia’s home in
October, which is refilled weekly. For almost a year before that,
she and her three children lived without running water.
http://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article98224037.html#storylink=cpy


FUELS

Natural Gas Emissions to Surpass Those of Coal in 2016. The U.S.
is expected to reach a major carbon emissions milestone this
year: For the first time, carbon dioxide emissions from burning
natural gas for electricity in the U.S. are set to surpass those
from burning coal — the globe’s chief climate polluter. Emissions
from burning natural gas are expected to be 10 percent greater
than those from coal in 2016…
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/natural-gas-emissions-surpass-coal-2016-20650


Cows in glass tanks help to reduce methane emissions. In the
future, the breeding of the climate-friendly cow can be speeded
up by using genetic information. A recent study identifies areas
in the cow's genotype which are linked to the amount of methane
it produces. Cows subjected to study did not unnecessarily chew
their cuds when being placed in glass cases.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160830084325.htm 

VEHICLES

Emissions from new diesel cars are still far higher than official
limit. Several manufacturers have launched models that produce
more pollutants when driven in real-world conditions. New diesel
cars are still emitting many times the official limit for
polluting nitrogen oxides when driven on the road, almost a year
after the Volkswagen emissions scandal broke.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/30/emissions-new-diesel-cars-far-higher-than-official-limit


Volkswagen Again Ahead Of Toyota In Race For World's Largest
Automaker. As the months tick by, it becomes increasingly
probable that Volkswagen will end the year as World’s Largest
Automaker, and that stories of the company’s dieselgate-delivered
demise, told by scores of armchair analysts, were simply silly.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/bertelschmitt/2016/08/30/volkswagen-again-ahead-of-toyota-in-race-for-worlds-largest-automaker/#18942ab8721e


VW RECALL

Over 40 pct. of VW owners seek emissions cheating settlement.
About 210,000 owners of Volkswagens with 2-liter diesel engines
that cheat on emissions tests have registered to settle with the
company under the terms of a June court agreement. The figure was
revealed in a federal court motion by class action attorneys
seeking final approval of the settlement involving 475,000
owners.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_VOLKSWAGEN_EMISSIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Volkswagen decides not to sue South Korea over sales ban.
Volkswagen decided against suing South Korea which last month
suspended sales of most of its models and slapped a fine of 17.8
billion won ($15.93 million) on the German carmaker. Instead,
Volkswagen will try to achieve certification for the affected
models and resume sales quickly rather than taking on a lengthy
legal process…
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-volkswagen-decides-not-to-sue-south-korea-over-sales-ban-2016-8


GREEN ENERGY

Offshore wind sails forward, but a different story on land. Even
as Rhode Island makes history as the first U.S. state with an
offshore wind farm, its people are not so fond of wind turbines
sprouting up on land near where they live. Dreams of a
wind-powered nation sparked by the pioneering Atlantic Ocean
project are running aground back on shore…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TILTING_AT_WIND_TURBINES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


SunEdison to Sell Some Assets to GCL-Poly Energy. The sale of
SunEdison’s solar materials business is the latest in a series of
deals designed to raise money for creditors. GCL-Poly Energy
Holdings Ltd. , one of China’s largest makers of solar equipment,
on Sunday said it agreed to buy the solar materials assets of
bankrupt U.S. renewable energy company SunEdison Inc. for $150
million.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/sunedison-to-sell-some-assets-to-gcl-poly-energy-1472463269


Even after reforms, the state's energy regulator can still have
private meetings with utility companies. For years, state
lawmakers have been trying to crack down on private meetings
between utility companies and members of the California Public
Utilities Commission after revelations that top officials and
industry executives had frequent dinner dates…
http://www.latimes.com/politics/    

MISCELLANEOUS

Bay Area fireplace replacement rebates snapped up in a day. Bay
Area homeowners took only hours Friday to snap up $3 million in
rebates to replace wood burning fireplaces with cleaner heating
devices. The region's air pollution agency starting taking
applications for the rebates at 10 a.m. Friday, and all the money
was spoken for by the end of the day as more than 2,000 people
applied.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_30303965/fireplace-replacement-rebates-snapped-up-day


ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Does California's environmental protection law impede
development? Five things to know about CEQA. A North Tustin
senior housing project got derailed. Affordable housing for
low-income residents in Orange was waylaid for several months. A
water pipeline for south Orange County has been held up for four
years. And a Santa Ana homeless shelter ended up going elsewhere.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ceqa-727151-projects-environmental.html
  

OPINIONS

There's a big, stupid reason the US will probably break its
climate change promise. The United States will cut emissions 80%
by 2050. We promise. We really really mean it this time. Sure,
we've known for decades that the gases we pump into the
atmosphere are heating the planet. And yeah, it's too late now to
prevent a major shock to our climate. But it's not just us
spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And we're going to
change. Really.
http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/There-s-a-big-stupid-reason-the-US-will-probably-9193404.php


We've Been Arguing About Climate Change For Centuries. While a
scientific consensus has emerged around the reality of climate
change, the argument continues online and even in the current
U.S. campaign for president, where Republican nominee Donald
Trump calls it a “total hoax.” Recently, a scientific study found
that human-induced climate change...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2016/08/29/weve-been-arguing-about-climate-change-for-centuries/#11f5587a2fb0


Bill McKibben: Why We Need A World War III Approach To Energy And
Climate Change. This month, the American Meteorological Society
released its 240+ page State of the Climate in 2015 report. The
information is not pretty. The report’s introduction notes that,
In 2015, the dominant greenhouse gases released into Earth’s
atmosphere—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide – all
continued to reach new high levels.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2016/08/30/bill-mckibben-why-we-need-a-world-war-iii-approach-to-energy-and-climate-change/#7c48222e7415
 




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