Weekly Green: August 31, 2012

Hello and good afternoon. In this week’s news:

• California could lead the nation in reducing plastic bag use;
• California legislature saturated with deals late in the session;
• State bill uses previously hidden funds to keep parks open;
• And much more.

Top of the Ticket: Trashing Plastic

California Can Lead the Nation in Fighting Plastic Bags
Nearly one third of the state’s population of almost 38 million people live in jurisdictions that have passed or are working to pass laws to tackle plastic bag waste.  Now, California can lead the nation in reducing plastic bag waste throughout the state.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leila-monroe/plastic-bag-ban-california_b_1841003.html
Editor’s Note: Today (Friday, August 31) is the last day to make your voice heard on a bill to ban single use plastic bags in California:
http://ecovote.org/ban
L.A. Unified replaces plastic foam cafeteria trays with paper ones
The district-wide switch to recyclable paper trays was sparked by students at one middle school who were studying the effects of trash on the environment.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-plastic-foam-20120824,0,1467040.story
UC Davis students work to engineer plastic-degrading bacteria
Every weekday this summer, 10 students from different departments at UC Davis have come together in the university's Genome Center to work on what they hope will one day be the answer to cleaning up the world's landfills.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/28/4762546/uc-davis-students-work-to-engineer.html

CA Environmental News

California Legislature saturated with deals
A late-blooming, business-backed drive to significantly alter the 42-year-old California Environmental Quality Act died late last week when it crashed into a wall of opposition from influential environmental groups.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/29/4766438/dan-walters-california-legislature.html
Bill devotes $20M in hidden funds to state parks
California would use $20 million found hidden in a state Department of Parks and Recreation special fund to keep all parks open under a bill approved Thursday by the state Senate.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/30/4772948/bill-devotes-20m-in-hidden-funds.html
California gives carbon auction a trial run
The state ran a test of its controversial greenhouse-gas market Thursday, even as it wrestles with ongoing complaints that the price of carbon could prove too costly for businesses.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/31/4774395/california-gives-carbon-auction.html
California Air Board Relents on College Carbon Credits
California universities appear to be in line for some relief from the state’s imminent carbon pollution fees. Implementation of California’s controversial cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases is only four months away, meaning it’s crunch time for the state’s Air Resources Board.
http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2012/08/29/california-air-board-relents-on-college-carbon-credits/
Yosemite Grapples with Hantavirus Outbreak
The National Park Service may expand its warning about a recent outbreak of hantavirus at Yosemite.
http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201208300850/b
Dan Borenstein: Air district's failures on Chevron fire show need for independent inquiry
In the aftermath of the Chevron refinery fire nearly three weeks ago, state and federal investigators are trying to determine the cause of the original fuel leak and evaluate whether the response inside the refinery was appropriate.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_21393858/dan-borenstein-air-districts-failures-chevron-fire-show
Oil refineries a risky business
A crusading oil patch lawyer calls the American refinery industry an "under-regulated cesspool." A member of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board is more polite, describing a mismatch between well-heeled oil companies and under-qualified government regulators… In fact, a Chronicle investigation launched after the Aug. 6 fire that destroyed part of Chevron's Richmond plant and sent thousands of residents to hospital emergency rooms found that refinery oversight is riddled with gaps.
http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Oil-refineries-a-risky-business-3815770.php#photo-3329062
New ashcans aim to kick butts off beaches
The nonprofit groups are targeting cigarette litter because it is among the most persistent and widespread pollution problems in the region. Surfrider found that cigarette butts accounted for 38 percent of the items removed from local beaches during its 2011 coastal cleanups, similar to statewide figures.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/aug/30/ashcans-designed-kick-butts-university-ave/
New website highlights issues affecting Delta, its residents
Sacramento County has unveiled a new website to highlight issues affecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its residents.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/28/4764324/new-website-highlights-issues.html
TJ sewage spill fouls coast near border
A spill of more than 1.5 million gallons of raw sewage in Playas de Tijuana prompted the Tuesday closure of beaches on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/aug/28/tj-sewage-spill-fouls-coast-near-border/
Second company accused of California electricity shenanigans
Once again, a power supplier has been accused of gaming California's electricity market.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/31/4774398/second-company-accused-of-california.html
Lead ammunition still hampers condor recovery
A program aimed at restoring the endangered California condor to much of its historic range across the Southwest remains hampered by lead poisonings, shootings and predation but is making marked improvements in other areas, wildlife officials say.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/28/4766005/lead-ammunition-still-hampers.html
Fresno Co. supervisors nix Jesse Morrow mine plan
The decade-old push to mine Jesse Morrow Mountain came to an end Tuesday night when the Fresno County Board of Supervisors shot down a proposed quarry on the prominent Sierra foothill.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/08/28/2968424/fresno-county-supervisors-nix.html
Carbon Tax Funds: S.F. Monies Are Sitting Around Unused
Mayor Gavin Newsom made history in late 2007 when he triumphantly declared that his city's departments would be the first in the nation to pay a local carbon tax for all official air travel.
http://www.sfweekly.com/2012-08-29/news/carbon-tax-gavin-newsom-sustainability-greenhouse-gas-emissions-carbon-offsets-money/
High-Speed Rail Is Definitely Green
A recent UC Berkeley study shows that an efficient high-speed rail network in California will reduce pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions.
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/high-speed-rail-is-definitely-green/Content?oid=3324388
U.S. helicopter flying over Bay Area scanning for radiation
A helicopter will be flying low over San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Pacifica through Saturday to record natural radiation levels, federal authorities said Monday.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_21409329/feds-fly-helicopters-over-oakland-san-francisco-pacifica
Navy sought to stifle radiation concerns about Treasure Island
As U.S. Navy officials readied a report this summer acknowledging a broader history of radioactive contamination at Treasure Island, they also sought to prevent California health officials from adding to the written record their concerns that the cleanup had been mishandled, according to internal emails.
http://www.baycitizen.org/environment/story/navy-sought-stifle-radiation-concerns/
High Hopes for Sequoia National Monument Plan
Sequoia National Monument is home to roughly half of the giant sequoia trees left in the world. There's widespread agreement the ancient groves northeast of Bakersfield need help, but the question is what kind, exactly.
http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201208290850/b
Truckers at Oakland's port undergo pollution inspections
The inspections, which began Tuesday and will be conducted at the port through Thursday, are part of a monthlong statewide effort meant to ensure owners of trucks using state roadways are in compliance with air pollution regulations designed to reduce the amount of cancer-causing emissions that spew from big rigs.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_21429199/truckers-at-oaklands-port-undergo-pollution-inspections

National News

Romney treats climate as a punchline
What Romney argues is a classic false choice: the idea that we must either choose to save the environment or put people to work. It’s the sort of argument that lets polluters squat in poor communities, insisting that they be allowed to do as they wish or they’ll take their jobs elsewhere. It’s a choice that need not be made, as demonstrated by green jobs and the burgeoning industries built around renewables and efficiency and sustainability.
http://grist.org/news/romney-uses-the-bully-pulpit-to-mock-climate-change/
Obama calls for cars to get almost 55 mpg
The Obama administration says automakers must almost double the average mileage by 2025, part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, oil consumption and dependence on foreign sources.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fuel-standards-20120829,0,6043250.story
Editor’s Note: Thanks to California’s leadership on fuel efficiency standards, and State Senator Fran Pavley: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151003374761245&set=a.356614771244.161730.60158871244&type=1&theater

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