Trump administration warns that climate change will harm all of U.S. Did Trump read the report?

More bad news from Trump's own administration - too bad he apparently can't read...

Climate change will harm the entire nation if the U.S. doesn’t act now, federal report warns

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Trump's own people admit his deregulation actions will hurt more people as a result of those very actions

Guess who says that Trump's deregulation efforts will hurt people? The Trump administration itself says so!

Trump administration’s own analyses indicate many of its new regulations will hurt vulnerable Americans

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CARB to study impact of Big Oil production on nearby communities in L.A. and Kern Counties

Yesterday the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced that it will be conducting extensive air quality monitoring on several communities most impacted by air pollution from nearby oil and gas production facilities.

Photo: CARB

The communities chosen are located in historic oil production areas in the South San Joaquin Valley and Los Angeles County and include:

• Lost Hills, Lost Hills Oil Field, Kern County
•  McKittrick and Derby Acres, McKittrick Oil Field and Midway-Sunset Oil Field, Kern County
• Baldwin Hills, Inglewood Oil Field, Los Angeles County
• South Los Angeles, Las Cienegas Oil Field, Los Angeles County

Part of the Study of Neighborhood Air near Petroleum Sources (SNAPS), CARB hopes to use the data to better understand how oil and gas production facilities affect neighboring communities. 

Mobile air monitoring units will be installed and operated for 3 - 4 months. The program also calls for community meetings to gather feedback and to discuss the results.

“Many Californians live in communities near oil and gas facilities – but we know very little about the impact of these facilities on their neighbors’ health,” said Chair Mary D. Nichols. “We need up-to-date information to assess whether existing standards and regulations are effective, and to lay the groundwork for any needed improvements.”

“CARB recently adopted more stringent regulations requiring enhanced inspection of oil and gas operations including pump jacks. The rules require the use of technologies including chemical sniffers to better pinpoint and repair any leaks that are identified,” said Executive Officer Richard W. Corey. “The SNAPS program will complement the regulation to better ensure oil and gas operations that impact nearby communities are identified and addressed.”

California's GHG emissions now below 1990 levels

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced today that statewide emissions of greenhouse gasses have fallen below 1990 levels for the first time since 2004.

The emission reductions are roughly equal to taking 12 million cars off of the road or saving 6 billion gallons of gasoline.

In 2006 California passed its landmark climate change law, AB 32, which requires the state to reduce its emissions to 1990 levels - 431 million metric tons) by 2020.  According to the state's 2016 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory published today, California's emissions were 429 million metric tonnes.

Governor Jerry Brown made note of the achievement, saying, "California set the toughest emissions targets in the nation, tracked progress, and delivered results."

Added CARB Chair Mary Nichols, "This is great news for the health of Californians, the state's environment and its economy, even as we face the failure of our national leadership to address climate change.

Highlights from the inventory published today include:

• Carbon pollution dropped 13 percent statewide since a 2004 peak; meanwhile the economy grew 26 percent.
• Per capita emissions continue to be among the lowest in the country. They fell 23 percent from a peak of 14 metric tons per person (roughly equal to driving 34,000 miles) in 2001 to 10.8 metric tons per person in 2016 (roughly equal to driving 26,000 miles). That is approximately half as much as the national average.
• Carbon pollution dropped 3 percent between 2015 and 2016—roughly equal to taking 2.4 million cars off the road or saving 1.5 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel.
• The “carbon intensity” of California’s economy – the amount of carbon pollution emitted per $1 million of gross state product – dropped 38 percent since the 2001 peak and is now one-half the national average.
• California now produces twice as many goods and services for the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as the rest of the nation.

Electricity generation had the largest decline among the sectors. Emissions from this sector declined 18 percent in 2016, reflecting continued growth in renewable energy – such as solar, wind and geothermal – as a result of the state’s Renewables Portfolio Standard, and a corresponding drop in natural gas generation. Solar electricity in all forms, including rooftop generation, grew 33 percent, while natural gas fell more than 15 percent.