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11:09 PM CST on Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Dallas County Judge Jim Foster on Tuesday proposed forming a Clean Air Emissions Advisory Board to bring various agencies together to fight air pollution in Dallas County.
The board members will include Mr. Foster; District Attorney Craig Watkins; Sheriff Lupe Valdez; a constable; and representatives from the Department of Public Safety, the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the county budget office.
The Commissioners Court is expected to approve the board’s proposed bylaws on Jan. 8.
Dallas County receives more than $1 million in state money for local air-quality initiatives. Mr. Foster said the advisory board will prepare recommendations on how best to use that money.
“We want to improve air quality for everyone,” Mr. Foster said.
One problem the advisory board will tackle immediately is polluting vehicles that have fraudulent inspection stickers.
County officials want to target vehicle inspectors who issue the bogus stickers, as well as those who sell stolen and fake stickers.
A pilot program that began last year in the Precinct 4 constable office did just that. More than 1,000 polluting vehicles were impounded over 14 months.
The new advisory board will expand on that work.
The council of governments estimates that about 20 percent of the nearly 1.5 million vehicle inspections done in Dallas County each year are fraudulent, nonexistent or improperly done.
In other action Tuesday, commissioners:
• Approved an agreement with the city of Dallas to allow the Sheriff’s Department to patrol and work vehicle crashes and incidents on freeways in southern Dallas County.
• Added eight deputy positions and four sergeant positions to help staff the expanded freeway program, costing $975,000 annually plus $264,550 for equipment.
• Approved 54 additional jail guard positions for medical escort operations at an annual cost of $2.7 million.
• Approved a request from D Magazine to install a Webcam on the Lew Sterrett Justice Center building and connect into the county’s network to capture images of the construction of three bridges across the Trinity River. The bridges, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, are part of the extensive Trinity River project and will span the river at Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Interstate 30 and Interstate 35E.
• Approved a request from the Sheriff’s Department to trade in eight World War II-era Reising submachine guns acquired in 1947 for two .308-caliber precision rifles and 19 Taser guns.
Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/121907dnmetdalcounty.27f4af6.html
Japan’s industrial sector welcomed the agreement reached at the U.N. climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia, as it did not specify numerical targets for industrialized nations.
The European Union still wants to impose clear and specific targets for developed countries, but Japanese companies are wary of this idea gaining ground in the run-up to the summit meeting of the Group of Eight major countries set for July at the Lake Toya hot-spring resort in Hokkaido.
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Striking a balance
The Japanese industrial sector has been unhappy with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which obliged the country–despite its energy-saving efforts–to massively cut its greenhouse gas emissions. Since the oil crisis in the 1970s, domestic industries have been making vigorous efforts to conserve energy, and their energy-saving technologies are among the best in the world.
Accordingly, most Japanese business leaders were pleased the Bali meeting did not mention any post-Kyoto numerical goals in the so-called Bali Roadmap.
“We think it’s a very good document as it takes into account the importance of balancing the environment with the economy,” said Teruaki Masumoto, executive adviser of Tokyo Electric Power Co.
“The agreement was very significant in that countries that weren’t covered by the Kyoto Protocol, such as the United States and China, took part in the discussion process,” said Ryuichi Tomizawa, chairman of the Japan Chemical Industry Association. Tomizawa also is chairman of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized countries are obliged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2 percent between 2008 and 2012. Japan has been asked to reduce emissions by 6 percent, and the European Union 8 percent from the 1990 levels. The United States refused to ratify the accord, and developing countries are not subject to any requirements.
The EU apparently is at an advantage due to eastern European nations: As the region has numerous obsolete power plants and manufacturing plants, it was thought it would be relatively easy for the EU to significantly cut its greenhouse gas emissions by upgrading such facilities.
On the other hand, for Japan–where energy-saving measures have long been a priority–the cuts are far more serious. An individual from the business sector described the effort as “trying to squeeze water from a dry towel.”
Japan’s efficient use of energy in generating a certain level of gross domestic product is already among the best in the world, exceeding Britain, France and Germany.
Before the Bali agreement was announced, Japanese business leaders had expressed concerns over any new obligations to reduce greenhouse gas.
“If unreasonable regulations are established, as in the Kyoto Protocol, the economy would inevitably weaken [as plants would be forced to relocate overseas],” said Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren).
While opposing the imposition of specific goals for individual nations, Nippon Keidanren proposes a “sectoral approach,” under which companies from various countries unite to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in individual sectors, such as steel and electric power.
This method will make it easier for Japanese companies to offer technological assistance to their counterparts in developing countries. At the same time, the system is expected to help Japanese firms expand their businesses in relation to energy-saving technologies, according to the federation.
The Bali accord stipulates that countries should examine the possibility of making use of this approach in the future. A Nippon Keidanren official in Bali to advertise the group’s proposal looked satisfied, saying, “People have become fairly aware of this method’s importance.”
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Ministerial spat
Opinion is divided within the government over whether clear numerical targets should be established for Japan, the United States, EU countries and other industrialized nations.
The Environment Ministry favors introducing a system of emissions trading, in which businesses in various countries trade greenhouse gas emission quotas in the market, calling the system an “extremely effective approach.”
This view is similar to that held by the EU, which insists that unless industrialized nations accept strict numerical targets, they will be unable to show the way to developing countries to help them cut emissions. It also would mean the emissions trading market could not expand.
The Financial System Council, an advisory panel to the prime minister, called for lifting a ban on emissions trading on stock markets in Japan, as such markets are expanding in the United States and Europe. Japanese banks and brokerage firms view emissions trading as a new business opportunity.
However, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry strongly opposed the proposal by the Environment Ministry and the Financial System Council, in line with the sectoral approach proposed by Nippon Keidanren.
“If companies only trade emission quotas, it won’t help further reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” a METI official said. “Also, it’ll dampen corporate efforts to cut emissions.”
Although the U.N. meeting decided not to set numerical goals at this stage, the EU likely will demand clear goals in future negotiations, according to observers.
Attention also will be focused on how to unify opinions within the government, the observers said.
(Dec. 19, 2007)
Sat, Nov 17 2007, 21:43 GMT
http://www.afxnews.com
(Updates to wrap up opening ceremony)
RIYADH (Thomson Financial) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tonight kicked off the Third OPEC Summit with a stark warning about the price of oil in times of conflict.
In his opening address to leaders and delegates of the powerful 13-member group, Chavez ominously warned that oil — currently camped out just below 100 usd a barrel — could hit 200 usd if the US continues with its aggressive stance against either Iran or Venezuela.
“If the United States was mad enough to attack Iran or threaten Venezuela again the price of a barrel of oil could reach 150 usd or even 200 usd,” Chavez said, describing 100 usd as a “just” and “fair” price.
Referring to the US, Chavez also suggested OPEC should “ask the most powerful nation in the world to stop threatening OPEC”. Oil was the basis of all aggression, he said, referring to the war in Iraq and US threats against Iran.
Chavez also called for OPEC to take on a more political role in the world, in order to safeguard member states’ security and economic interests.
Chavez’s stern words follow a pre-summit OPEC ministerial meeting that saw Venezuela and Iran yesterday take a tilt at the weak US dollar — it has fallen 15 pct in the past 12 months — and call for OPEC to address the issue in its end-of-summit declaration.
They called on OPEC, which produces about 40 pct of the world’s oil, to formally state their concerns over the soft dollar, a possible step towards pricing oil in different currencies.
Other members — who also voiced concern about the the currency’s slide — saw such a move as too risky given the current nervous economic climate and voted overwhelmingly — sources put the vote at 10-2 — against it.
OPEC Secretary General Abdallah salam el-Badri said of dollar weakness after Friday’s closed-door meeting: “It is our concern, but it will not be in the final (summit) declaration.”
He added: “We discussed it in the Members’ Secretariat but it is (individual) member country policy.”
Sources are now saying the differing views within OPEC about the dollar will likely be sorted out via diplomatic channels over coming months. OPEC is largely dominated by pro-Western Gulf states.
Speaking shortly after Chavez tonight, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah took a more moderate approach.
“Oil is an energy for construction and must not become an instrument for conflict,” King Abdullah said, arguing OPEC had always been a fair organisation.
“If we were to factor in fluctuation and inflation it would not have reached its actual price of the 1980s,” King Abdullah said of current oil prices.
The King also said Saudi Arabia is to put aside 300 mln usd to fund research into climate change research.
Meanwhile, Chavez tonight added that “OPEC must change and become a much stronger player in the geopolitical and geo-economic domains”.
“In the years ahead OPEC should set itself up as an active political agent,” he said, adding that “we need to know the world powers do not expect us to guarantee regular supply and stability of prices without anything in return”.
d.sheppard@thomson.com, jan.harvey@thomson.com
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Source: http://www.fxstreet.com/news/forex-news/article.aspx?StoryId=dcc9c8e3-d15f-4718-8528-81c97e81822f
Gasoline, heating-oil prices to rise
By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch
Last update: 12:57 p.m. EST Dec. 11, 2007
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Oil prices will continue retreating from their record high of $99.16 a barrel last month, but average prices will still remain above $80 a barrel over the next year, the Energy Information Administration said Tuesday.
The sustained, high oil prices will seep into other energy products, the EIA added.
Residential heating-oil prices are projected to average $3.23 per gallon this heating season, a 30% increase.
Both motor gasoline and diesel prices are projected to average well above $3 per gallon in 2008, with gasoline prices peaking at more than $3.40 per gallon next spring.
“Global oil markets will likely remain tight,” said the EIA, which projects that world oil demand will grow much faster than oil supply outside of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries — leaving OPEC and inventories to offset the resultant upward pressure on prices.
OPEC’s decision last week to maintain existing production targets signals that for now, the global oil market continues to be well supplied, according to the EIA.
Additional factors contributing to expectations that prices will remain high and volatile through 2008 include ongoing geopolitical risks and worldwide refining bottlenecks, among other factors.
Eric Bolling, an independent energy trader at the Nymex, said that the EIA report contained no major surprises. “All they’re saying is the price of gasoline will catch up to oil. If crude stays at $90 a barrel or higher, gasoline could be $4 at the pump by the summer.”
Gasoline prices have been kept low during oil’s record run because of “massive” imports of the fuel that have boosted supply, he added.
Working natural gas in storage reached 3.44 trillion cubic feet as of Nov. 30.
“This high level of storage going into the heart of the winter, combined with limited remaining fuel-switching capability, has insulated the natural-gas market from the impact of the recent price increases in petroleum markets to some extent,” the EIA said.
“Consequently, while petroleum-product prices are expected to increase and remain historically high, only moderate gains are expected for natural-gas prices through 2008.”
Downside risk to oil prices remains the possibility of a sharper economic slowdown than expected, brought on by fallout from unsettled financial markets that would dampen oil demand and ease oil-price pressures.
Projected growth of production capacity “is very sensitive” to the progress of several large-scale projects, including the already delayed Sakhalin II project in Russia, the Marlim field in Brazil and the ACG project in Azerbaijan. 
Steve Gelsi is a reporter for MarketWatch in New York.
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