4A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007
Honoring the fallen
Kevin Cox/THE DAILY NEWS
First graders Autumn Berry, Samantha Ojeda and Emily Pham, from left, stand with their classmates at Ope Elementary as the procession carrying the casket of Army Spc. Edie Tamez from Scholes International airport passes Thursday in Galveston, Texas. Tamez was killed April 27 in Fallujah when an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle. U.S. military officials said.
MOTHER EARTH
Delegates combat climate change
BY MICHAEL CASEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
BANGKOK, Thailand — International delegates reached
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an agreement early Friday on the best ways to combat climate change despite efforts by China to water down language on cutting destructive greenhouse gas emissions.
The closed-door debate over everything from nuclear power to the cost of cleaner energy ran into the early morning hours with quibbling over single words or phrases at times. But consensus was eventually reached on a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N. network of 2,000 scientists and delegates from more than 120 nations.
"It's all done," said Peter Lukey, a member of the South Africa delegation. "Everything we wanted to see was there and more. The message is: We have to do something now."
China, the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter after the United States, took a strong stance during the four-day meeting in Thailand. Along with India and other rapidly developing countries, it had pushed to raise the lowest target level of carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere over fears it would hinder their roaring economies, delegates said.
The draft proposed a cap on con
centrations of greenhouse gas levels ranging from 445 parts per million to 650 parts per million, but China wanted the lower range stricken from the report over fears it would hinder its economy, Muller said.
"The Chinese are resisting a lot, and a lot of countries are hiding behind the Chinese position," Michael Muller, Germany's viceminister for the environment, told reporters before the agreement was reached.
The report is the third segment of an overall IPCC blueprint that will shape the way the world tackles global warming.
The final version was not made available when the meeting broke around 4:30 a.m. Friday, but delegates said it largely resembled a draft version that said emissions can be cut below current levels if the world shifts away from carbon-heavy fuels like coal, embraces energy efficiency and significantly reduces deforestation.
"The strong message (from the report) is that it's possible to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at the level where severe climatic change can be avoided," said Lars Nilsson, a delegate from Sweden.
VENEZUELAN FINANCE Chavez threatens private banks with nationalization
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday threatened to nationalize the country's banks and largest steel producer, accusing them of unscrupulous practices.
"Private banks have to give priority to financing the industrial sectors of Venezuela at low cost," Chavez said. "If banks don't agree with this, it's better that they go, that they turn over the banks to me, that we nationalize them and get all the banks to work for the development of the country and
It was not clear if Chavez was only referring to Venezuelan banks like Mancantil Servicios Financieros CA and Banco Provincial SA, or if he was also aiming the threat at major international banks with subsidiaries in the country, such as Citigroup Inc. and Spanish banks Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA and Banco Santander Central Hispano SA.
Westar faces challenges
>> KANSAS ENERGY
Chavez also warned the government could take over steel producer Sidor, which is majority controlled by Luxembourg-based Ternium SA. Shares of Ternium fell 3.9 percent to $26.15 in U.S. trading after Chavez's comments.
not to speculate and produce huge profits."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOPEKA — Westar Energy Inc.'s incoming leader said the utility faces big challenges in coming years as it seeks to expand power generation capacity and develop a more sophisticated system to distribute electricity across the state.
Bill Moore, who replaces retiring Westar CEO Jim Haines Jr, on June
30, said the company can succeed — and has the disastrous 2005 ice storm to thank for it.
The state's largest electric utility took only five days to restore power to almost 211,000 customers whose houses and busi-
Combined with Haines' decisions in 2003 to sell off many of the unregulated assets bought during Wittig's tenure, the company's reaction to the ice storm helped build confidence in the company's direction, both internally and with the public.
much more of a challenge."
"It was a chance to show the state that Westar was back, still
"Right now, we can't be the leading edge on a new round of nuclear plants. We're too small."
nesses went dark in a storm that caused $42 million in damages.
BILL MOORE Westar CEO
Moore said the company needed an opportunity to show its competence and rebuild its reputation after seven years of financial problems and the scandals involving former CEO David Wittig.
"We could have really failed with the ice storm, and the result would have sent this company in the wrong direction," Moore said. "If we're not able to deliver reliable service, (Westar's future) becomes
effective and on its game," said Charlie Chandler, the company's chairman and president of Intrust Bank. "Plus, we were able to develop the confidence in some very talented people in our
organization that we have the capability and capacity to take on all the challenges before us."
That will come in handy as Westar struggles with many of the same questions of future capacity facing other U.S. utilities.
Among the things on Moore's short-term to-do list are building a new coal-fired generator, a 600-megawatt plant near Emporia and new transmission lines linking Wichita, Hutchinson and Salina. The company also must add $750 million in pollution controls at its
existing power plants.
Looking ahead, industry observers said Westar will need to make a decision on meeting future energy needs, a debate complicated by environmentalist opposition to coal-fired or nuclear plants.
"In the not-so-short term, we're going to need to build new base generation," said Kansas Corporation Commission chairman Brian Moline. "In this state, it's either coal or nuclear. Given the public's attitude toward both, that's a very difficult problem for Westar and other electric utilities around to make and then politically sell whatever their choice is."
Moore said Westar will have to wait for nuclear technology to evolve before it can consider expanding its Wolf Creek plant or build a new one.
"Right now, we can't be leading edge on a new round of nuclear plants," he said. "We're too small."
But Moline said he and others on the commission, which regulates Kansas utilities, think Westar is in a better position to find a solution than in the past.
"The state of Westar is very good," Moline said. "When Wittig left, the stock was at an all-time low; its credit rating was abysmal; their reputation with us was terrible."
"Today though, it's a strong company."
National Day of Prayer
Brat Horn/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons speaks during the National Day of Prayer ceremonies at the Capitol on Thursday in Carson City, Nev.
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