Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
newsclips -- Newsclips for June 22, 2011. Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:51:03
California Air Resources Board News Clips for June 22, 2011. 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 Railroads Threatened With Lawsuit. Los Angeles (AP) — An environmental group threatened to sue two of the nation's biggest rail owners Tuesday under a novel legal theory that would classify diesel exhaust as hazardous waste. The Natural Resources Defense Council sent letters to Union Pacific Corp. and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, saying it will file a lawsuit within 90 days under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which regulates hazardous solid waste disposal. Posted. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jCbK7oMF67z4dECNP4pVKujAYVFg?docId=a4b47c3c2592496baf3ad5d2179e9a05 http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/environmental-group-threatens-2-us-rail-companies-with-lawsuit-over-particulate-air-pollution/2011/06/21/AGreGUeH_story.html http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9O0C2QO0.htm http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/06/21/2435498/nrdc-threatens-us-railroads-with.html#storylink=misearch http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/21/1742100/nrdc-threatens-us-railroads-with.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_18322255 http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_18322255 http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18322255?nclick_check=1 Study Will Track Valley Air Pollution Coming From Asia. From a wind-blasted ridge high above the Pacific Ocean, scientists will begin learning how much of the San Joaquin Valley's air pollution can be blamed on coal power plants and ferocious dust storms in rapidly developing Asian nations. As United States air quality standards get even stricter, the amount of pollution blowing in from overseas becomes a more significant hindrance to meeting those standards. And failure to meet them endangers our health and costs us money. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110622/A_NEWS14/106220329&template=printart Take Precautions, Valley Air District Officials Say. Quality expected to decline over next few days. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District said a prediction of deteriorating air quality Valley-wide for the next few days prompted air officials to remind the public to take appropriate precautionary measures as conditions dictate. "It's important to learn how to protect yourself from high ozone, and also to reduce emissions that cause it," said Samir Sheikh, director of the air district's strategies and incentives department, which includes air quality analysis. Posted. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/06/22/1940994/take-precautions-valley-air-district.html Air Quality Concerns Threaten Natural Gas's Image. Massive stores of natural gas that lie underneath big portions of the United States offer a cleaner source of electricity to a country that relies heavily on coal, but producing all that gas also can pump lots of pollution into the air. Gas production already has caused unhealthy air in Wyoming's Sublette County and Utah's Uintah Basin. Posted. http://www.npr.org/2011/06/21/137197991/air-quality-concerns-threaten-natural-gas-image Pollution And Climate Change Accelerate Ocean Degradation – Report. United Nations -- A scientific panel issued a report to U.N. member states yesterday indicating that the health of the globe's oceans may be in much worse shape than is widely appreciated. A combination of factors are threatening a new mass extinction event in the oceans similar to earlier extinctions recorded in the paleontological data, warns a group of marine biologists and climatologists who met recently at Oxford University to share research. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/06/22/4 CLIMATE CHANGE Gore Criticizes Obama on Climate. Washington — Former Vice President Al Gore harshly criticizes President Obama for lack of leadership on climate change in a magazine essay published online Wednesday, saying that he had barely moved American policy on global warming since assuming the presidency from George W. Bush. In the 7,000-word article in Rolling Stone, Mr. Gore says that Mr. Obama clearly understands the threat to the planet posed by global warming and that he has appointed a number of qualified and committed advocates to key positions. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/science/earth/23gore.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/22/al-gore-obama-lacks-bold-action-on-global-warming/ http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/06/gore-blasts-obama-for-lack-of-action-on-global-warming/1 http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/22/1743454/gore-faults-obama-on-global-warming.html Impact of Supreme Court's Greenhouse Gas Ruling Likely to Be Felt in Other Cases. The Supreme Court's ruling yesterday finding that states cannot invoke federal common law in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions has left several key legal questions unanswered. Lawyers say the remaining issues are likely to be litigated in short order. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/06/21/21greenwire-impact-of-supreme-courts-greenhouse-gas-ruling-41463.html?pagewanted=print Justices Rebuff States on Utilities’ Gas Emissions. Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously rejected a lawsuit that had sought to force major electric utilities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions without waiting for federal regulators to act. The suit was brought by six states, New York City and several land trusts. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/science/earth/21warming.html?pagewanted=print Road Map Identifies Immediate Measures To Address Climate Change. The United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization reported June 14 that widespread implementation of just 16 measures to reduce emissions of black carbon and ozone (principally the precursors methane and carbon dioxide) can give the world a fighting chance of limiting global temperature rise to 2 degrees or less. Posted. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/22/2278647/road-map-identifies-immediate.html A Region With Big Climate Vulnerability And Bigger Distractions. The third in a series. Click here to read the first story and here for the second in the series. Climate change may be the last thing that leaders of revolution-riddled countries in the Middle East want to deal with now. But before long, experts say, the problems caused by rising global temperatures could disfigure the land they are fighting over. From disappearing snow in Lebanon to rising seas threatening Bahrain to flooding in Tunisia and Egypt, climate change already is giving the Middle East and North Africa a good deal to worry about. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/06/22/1 Lab-Grown Meat Could Cut GHG Emissions By More Than 95%. New research suggests that artificial meat grown in a lab could be an environmentally friendly way to cut greenhouse gas emissions without forcing meat eaters to sacrifice their favorite foods. The study, produced jointly by researchers from Oxford University and Amsterdam University, found that meat cultured in a lab reduced greenhouse gas emissions by up to 96 percent compared to conventional livestock methods. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/06/22/8 FUELS Dutch Airline KLM To Use Old Cooking Oil As Biofuel To Fuel KLM Flights To And From Paris. Amsterdam—Dutch airline KLM plans to use recycled cooking oil as biofuel to power flights to and from France in a move aimed at cutting carbon emissions. Starting in September, KLM will begin more than 200 flights between Paris and Amsterdam using biofuel made from used cooking oil, the company said Wednesday. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/used-cooking-oil-to-be-used-as-biofuel-to-fuel-klm-flights-to-and-from-paris/2011/06/22/AGfpLVfH_story.html http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/22/klm-to-turn-used-cooking-oil-into-aviation-biofuel/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/06/22/2436639/klm-to-turn-used-cooking-oil-into.html#storylink=misearch http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/22/1743466/klm-to-turn-used-cooking-oil-into.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_18328627 http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_18328627?nclick_check=1 http://www.nctimes.com/news/world/article_36ab20e1-ee58-55fe-a5f8-41398e2e86b1.html VEHICLES Sales Of Electric Vehicles Are Set To Take Off Soon, Panelists Say. Novi, Mich. -- While initial sales of the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan LEAF were lower than expected, those figures are expected to rise at a very fast pace. High gas prices and the choice to "go green" will drive consumers to take home EVs very soon. Experts discussed that very topic at the Automotive News Green Car Conference on Tuesday at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich. Posted. http://americajr.com/news/EVsalesup0617.html Battery Update - Emerging Technologies. University of Texas' Dr. John Goodenough, holder of the patent for the LiFePO4 design, tested LiFePO4 batteries and concluded lithium-iron batteries maintain energy availability until 2,000 cycles. A durability assessment performed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology places batteries as able to perform 6,000 deep cycles for a Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle. Posted. http://www.cars21.com/content/articles/60920110622.php GREEN ENERGY China's 'Solar City' Rushes To Catch Power Boom. Baoding, China—Solar panels jut out of streetlights in China's self-proclaimed Clean Energy City. Tiny wind turbines twirl atop public buildings. Schools are due to teach students about "green living." In the scramble to profit from demand for clean energy, this city southwest of Beijing is promoting itself as a manufacturing center for solar, wind and other gear by transforming into a living showcase of environmental technology. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/06/21/2436424/chinas-solar-city-rushes-to-catch.html#storylink=misearch http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/21/1743183/chinas-solar-city-rushes-to-catch.html http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_18328445 http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_18327386 New Company Hopes To Help Solar Plants With Capital. CleanPath, a new green energy company, is looking to fund 1,000 megawatts of solar power over the next five years, but rather than hanging around once the projects are completed, CleanPath CEO Matt Cheney says his company will sell its stake and reinvest in new solar ventures. The new company, Cheney said, will provide another option for solar projects that could run into financial trouble in the coming years as the number of federal tax incentives for solar energy declines. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2011/06/22/9 Southern Calif. Energy Hub Eyed For Clues To U.S. Green Economy. San Diego -- A small company that developed a $1 billion wind farm works out of a pink-hued building near the Pacific Ocean here. Down the hill, an investment firm decides how to spend $6.5 billion on energy ventures. Two traffic lights away sits a company that is building one of the world's largest wind projects. Renewable power developers, biofuel researchers and clean technology entrepreneurs have flocked to this coastal city, making it a growing hub of energy-sector interests. Posted. http://eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2011/06/22/1 MISCELLANEOUS Scientists Discover Toxic Dishwasher Fungus. Once rarely found in nature, the potentially deadly black yeast fungi have begun to expand their territory. And the new frontier could be your kitchen. A team of European scientists sampled nearly 190 dishwashers in family homes around the world. They found black yeasts living on 62 percent of the rubber seals surrounding the dishwasher door. The study appears in the journal Fungal Biology. Posted. http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/scientists-discover-toxic-dishwasher-fungus-11004 OPINION . . . And the Climate Tort Cashiered. Justice Ginsburg's finest hour. Yesterday's other important Supreme Court decision (see above) came in a case that joined the green lobby and the trial bar, if that isn't redundant. The Court unanimously struck down one of the legal left's most destructive theories, and not a moment too soon. In American Electric Power v. Connecticut, eight states and various other environmental activists sued a group of utilities, claiming that their carbon emissions were a "nuisance" under federal common law and that therefore the courts should set U.S. global warming policy. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303936704576397673915105838.html?mod=googlenews_wsj The Carbon Ruling. The Supreme Court’s decision on greenhouse gases on Monday is a disappointment to the states and environmental groups that had hoped to use federal common law to curb carbon dioxide pollution from power plants. It would also appear to be a setback in the fight against global warming. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/opinion/22wed2.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=air%20pollution&st=cse Gore: Obama Lacks `Bold Action' On Global Warming. Former Vice President Al Gore is doing what few environmentalists and fellow Democrats have done before, criticizing President Barack Obama's record on global warming. In a 7,000-word essay for Rolling Stone magazine that was posted online Wednesday, Gore says Obama has failed to stand up for "bold action." Gore contends that Obama has made little progress on the problem since Republican President George W. Bush. Posted. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/22/al-gore-obama-lacks-bold-action-on-global-warming/ http://www.nctimes.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/article_f9679495-c3dd-5050-b393-db632bd4a8d5.html OUR VIEW: Justices Curb States' Global Warming Power Grab. The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a sensible ruling concerning the regulation of pollution and the supposed threat of global warming. The ruling directly affects California, which was one of eight states that sued four electric power companies, the main one being American Electric Power Co. of Ohio, for causing global warming. The court's summary of Monday's 8-0 decision, written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, says the plaintiff "alleged that public lands, infrastructure and health were at risk from climate change." Posted. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/power-107772-warming-global.html Editorial: Senate Regains Sanity On Ethanol Subsidies. Corn ethanol not so long ago was the darling of the green movement, and Congress responded by lavishing on growers and blenders of the alternative fuel lucrative tax credits and favored tariff protections. So much for the free market. But that was then. Now, by a huge bipartisan margin, the U.S. Senate has voted to end the tax credits. It's likely that tariff protections are at risk, too. Is this a free market revival? " Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/ethanol-305361-tax-government.html We Can Definitely Change The Future. Lately I have heard about global warming and how this affects the weather and the air we breathe. I have heard adults talk about how the weather is changing, and how global warming and climate changes are related. It seems that the climate is changing and that the earth is warming up. The warming of the earth causes increases in temperatures and decreases the natural habitat of many species. In fact, many species are losing their ability to adapt to the changes in temperatures and we are losing a number of ecosystems. Posted. http://www.lodinews.com/learning_link/article_c7cc20e0-9cd7-11e0-ad9b-001cc4c002e0.html BLOGS Shrugs Over High Court Decision. Immediate impact of greenhouse gas ruling on California seems minimal. The silence is deafening since the US Supreme Court ruled this week that states can't take utilities to court over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on their own. NPR's reporting of the decision calls it "the court's most important environmental ruling in years." Posted. http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2011/06/21/shrugs-over-high-court-decision/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FClimateWatchBlog+%28KQED%27s+Climate+Watch+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader The House Passes Bill to Cut 40% of Energy Efficiency Programs Budget. The House Appropriations Committee just passed their appropriations bill for next year’s Department of Energy that slashes $1 billion from current spending for the department putting them at a cash equivalent of what they were allotted in 2006. The bill was passed out of committee with a 26-20 vote — with just one Republican voting against — and totals a whopping $5.9 billion less than what President Obama had requested for the DOE earlier this year. Posted. http://inhabitat.com/the-house-passes-bill-to-cut-40-of-energy-efficiency-programs-budget/ Life Cycle Assessment of EVs Reveals Startling Results. A number of articles and blogs published this week paint a negative picture of electric cars based on a British study published earlier this month. The study attempts a comparative life-cycle assessment (LCA) of conventional, hybrid and electric cars and prompted “downer” headlines such as, “Electric Cars May Not Be So Green After All” and “More Bad News For The Chevy Volt”. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/06/full-life-cycle-assesment-electric-cars-compares-co2-impact-conventional-cars/ American Airlines To Be Launch Customer For Boeing Ecodemonstrator Program; Flight Testing A Range Of New Technologies To Reduce Fuel Consumption, Emissions And Noise. American Airlines will be the launch customer for Boeing’s evolutionary ecoDemonstrator Program, in which a Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft will be used to flight test and accelerate the market readiness of emerging technologies to help reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and community noise. Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/06/aa-20110622.html