A family is dealing with an unimaginable loss after their daughter hit and killed after her car had broken down in north Houston.
By Jessica Willey
Updated 1 hr 46 mins ago
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The family of a young woman killed in a deadly hit-and-run has a message for the person responsible: "Man up."
Elizabeth Lizama, 23, was killed June 2 as she walked along Lee Road north of the Beltway. Houston police believe she had left her disabled truck to get help just before someone in a red dually pick up truck hit her and kept going.
"Just slammed into her and sped away. No care in the world to know if the person was OK," Manny Rubio, Lizama's uncle, told Eyewitness News.
"A human being? You can't mistake that. To just leave the body on the ground like that is heartless," said Lizama's stepfather, Eduardo Rodriguez.
Relatives describe the young woman as kind-hearted and generous. A memorial of balloons and flowers marks the spot where she was killed.
Lizama's family is pleading for information. Not knowing who or why adds to the grief. they also have a message for the driver who hit her.
"Man up. Own up. If it was an accident, we can live with that," said Rodriguez. "Face the consequences."
Anyone with information is urged to call the HPD Hit and Run Unit at 713-247-4065 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
Shell Gives Offshore Rights to Nature Conservancy
Narwhals
By MarEx 2016-06-08 20:04:28
Shell Canada has voluntarily contributed offshore rights to the Nature Conservancy of Canada to support the establishment of a national marine conservation area off the coast of Nunavut.
Shell has presented the Nature Conservancy of Canada with more than 860,000 hectares (8,625 km2) of offshore exploratory permits in the waters of Baffin Bay, near Lancaster Sound. This represents an area larger than Banff National Park.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has subsequently released the permits to the Government of Canada in readiness for a marine conservation initiative. Shell says expanding the proposed Lancaster Sound conservation area would positively respond to Inuit aspirations to protect their traditional territory, and support the federal government’s target of protecting at least 10 percent of Canada’s marine and coastal areas by 2020 – an international target under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
Lancaster Sound is the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage, the legendary corridor through Canada’s Arctic Archipelago. It is an area of critical ecological importance to marine mammals, including seals, narwhal, beluga and bowhead whales, as well as walrus and polar bears. It is bordered by some of the most important seabird breeding colonies in the Arctic, with populations totalling in the hundreds of thousands.
As a supporter of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s conservation program, Shell has contributed more than $6.5 million in financial resources, land and mineral rights to the organization over the past 30 years. Shell made similar gifts to Canadians when it contributed rights to the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, and the Mount Broadwood Heritage Conservation Area.
Dramatic Shift From Coal Slows Carbon Emissions
By MarEx 2016-06-08 19:46:07
The 65th edition of the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, launched this week, highlights that while natural gas and oil recorded solid growth in 2015, global demand for coal saw its largest fall on record.
Sluggish demand growth together with the shift in the energy mix away from coal meant that the growth in carbon emissions from energy consumption stalled in 2015. The year saw the slowest growth in emissions in nearly a quarter of a century (aside from immediately following the financial crisis).
The Review shows that in 2015 global demand for primary energy grew by only one percent, significantly slower than the 10-year average. This reflected continued weakness in the global economy and lower growth in Chinese energy consumption as the country shifts from an industrial to a service-driven economy.
On the supply side, technological advances have increased the range and availability of different fuels. The U.S. shale revolution has unlocked huge swathes of oil and gas resources, and rapid technology gains have supported strong growth in renewable energy.
Prices for all fossil fuel energy fell last year, prompting adjustments in the energy markets; boosting demand in some markets – most notably oil which gained market share for the first time since 1999 – and curtailing supply and shifting the fuel mix in others.
Review highlights – energy developments
Global primary energy consumption increased by just one percent in 2015, similar to growth in 2014 (+1.1 percent), but much slower than the 10-year average of 1.9 percent a year.
Oil remained the world’s leading fuel, accounting for 32.9 percent of global energy consumption, and gaining market share for the first time since 1999.
Coal remained the second largest fuel by market share (29.2 percent), but was the only fuel that lost global market share in 2015.
Natural gas market share of primary energy consumption was 23.8 percent.
Energy consumption growth was below the 10-year average for all regions except Europe and Eurasia.
Although emerging economies continued to dominate the growth in global energy consumption, growth in these countries in 2015 (at 1.6 percent) was again well below its 10-year average rate. Emerging economies now account for 58.1 percent of global energy consumption.
Energy consumption in China grew 1.5 percent in 2015, the slowest rate in almost 20 years. Despite this, China remained the world’s largest growth market for energy for a fifteenth consecutive year.
Prices for all fossil fuels fell in 2015. Crude oil prices recorded the largest annual decline on record in dollar terms, and the largest percentage decline since 1986.
Oil
Global oil consumption grew by 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd), or 1.9 percent – nearly double the recent historical average (+1 percent) and significantly stronger than the increase of 1.1 million bpd seen in 2014.
The relative strength of consumption was driven by the OECD countries, where consumption increased by 510,000 bpd (+1.1 percent), compared with an average decline of 1.1 percent over the past decade.
Growth was well above recent historical averages in the U.S. (+1.6 percent, or 290,000 bpd) and the EU (+1.5 percent, or 200,000 bpd), while Japan (-3.9 percent, or -160,000 bpd) recorded the largest decline in oil consumption.
Outside the OECD, net oil importing countries also recorded significant increases: China (+6.3 percent, or 770,000 bpd) once again accounted for the largest increment to demand, while India (+8.1 percent, or 310,000 bpd) passed Japan as the world’s third-largest oil consumer. But this growth was offset by weaker growth in oil producers, so that oil demand in non-OECD as a whole (+2.6 percent, or 1.4 million bpd) was below its recent historical average.
Global oil production increased even more rapidly than consumption for a second consecutive year, rising by 2.8 million bpd or 3.2 percent, the strongest growth since 2004.
Production in Iraq (+750,000 bpd) and Saudi Arabia (+510,000) rose to record levels, driving OPEC production up by 1.6 million bpd to 38.2 million bpd, exceeding the previous record reached in 2012.
Production outside OPEC slowed from last year’s record growth but still grew by 1.3 million bpd. The U.S. (+1 million bpd) had the world’s largest annual growth increment and remained the world’s largest oil producer. Elsewhere, production growth in Brazil (+180,000 bpd), Russia (+140,000 bpd), the U.K. and Canada (+110,000 bpd each) was partly offset by declines in Mexico (-200,000 bpd), Yemen (-100,000 bpd) and elsewhere.
Crude oil trade was lifted by growing exports from the Middle East (+550,000 bpd), while Europe and China accounted for the largest increases in imports (+770,000 and +530,000 bpd respectively).
Growth in refined products exports was again led by the U.S. (+470,000 bpd); the country’s net oil imports fell to 4.8 million bpd, the lowest since 1985.
Natural gas
World natural gas consumption grew by 1.7 percent, a significant acceleration from the very weak growth (+0.6%) seen in 2014 but still below the 10-year average of 2.3 percent. Growth was below average outside the OECD (+1.9 percent, accounting for 53.5% of global consumption) but above average in the OECD countries (+1.5 percent).
Among emerging economies, Iran (+6.2 percent) and China (+4.7 percent) recorded the largest increases in consumption, even though growth in China was weak compared with its 10-year average growth of 15.1 percent. Russia (-5 percent) recorded the largest incremental decline, followed by Ukraine (-21.8 percent).
Among OECD countries, the U.S. (+3 percent) accounted for the largest growth increment, while EU consumption (+4.6 percent) rebounded after a large decline in 2014.
Globally natural gas accounted for 23.8 percent of primary energy consumption.
Global LNG trade increased by 1.8 percent. Export growth was led by Australia (+25.3 percent) and Papua New Guinea (+104.8 percent), offsetting declines in shipments from Yemen (-77.2 percent). Higher net LNG imports for Europe (+15.9 percent) and rising Middle Eastern imports (+93.8 percent) were partly offset by declines in net imports in South Korea (-10.4 percent) and Japan (-4 percent).
Coal
Global coal consumption fell by 1.8 percent in 2015, well below the 10-year average annual growth of 2.1 percent and the largest percentage (and volumetric) decline in the data set. Coal’s share of global primary energy consumption fell to 29.2 percent, the lowest share since 2005.
The net decline in coal consumption was entirely accounted for by the U.S. (-12.7 percent, the world’s largest volumetric decline) and China (-1.5 percent), with more modest increases registered in India (+4.8 percent) and Indonesia (+15 percent).
Global coal production fell by four percent, with large declines in the U.S. (-10.4 percent), Indonesia (-14.4 percent), and China (-2 percent).
Renewables (including wind, solar, and biofuels)
Renewable energy in power generation continued to increase in 2015, reaching 2.8 percent of global energy consumption, up from 0.8 percent a decade ago.
Renewable energy used in power generation grew by 15.2 percent (or 213 Terra-watt hours), an increment which was roughly equal to all of the increase in global power generation. Renewables accounted for 6.7 percent of global power generation, up from 2.0 percent a decade ago.
China (+20.9 percent) and Germany (+23.5 percent) recorded the largest increments in renewables in power generation.
Globally, wind energy (+17.4 percent) remains the largest source of renewable electricity (52.2 percent of renewable generation), with Germany (+53.4 percent) recording the largest growth increment.
Solar power generation grew by 32.6 percent with China overtaking both Germany and the U.S. to become the world’s leading generator of solar energy.
Global biofuels production grew by 0.9 percent, well below the 10-year average of 14.3 percent.
Carbon emissions
Emissions of CO2 from energy consumption globally increased by just 0.1 percent in 2015. Other than the recession of 2009, this represented the lowest growth rate since 1992. The drop was driven by slower energy consumption growth, as well as a shift in the fuels mix.
Regionally, emissions growth was below average in every region except Europe and Eurasia.
The Review is available here.
EMSA Positive About Methanol and Ethanol
By MarEx 2016-06-08 20:22:14
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has issued a report on methanol and ethanol, saying they are good potential alternatives for reducing both the emissions and carbon footprint of ship operations.
As they are sulphur-free, use of methanol and ethanol fuels would ensure compliance with the European Commission Sulphur Directive.
Investment costs for both methanol and ethanol retrofit and new build solutions are estimated to be in the same range as costs for installing exhaust gas after treatment (scrubber and selective catalytic reduction) for use with heavy fuel oil, and below the costs of investments for LNG solutions.
A payback time analysis carried out for the study indicated that methanol is competitive with other fuels and emissions compliance strategies, but this depends on fuel price differentials. Based on historic price differentials, methanol will have shorter payback times than both LNG and ethanol solutions for meeting sulphur emission control area requirements. However, with the current low oil prices at the end of 2015, the conventional fuel oil alternatives have shorter payback times.
The flashpoints of methanol and ethanol are both below the minimum flashpoint for marine fuels specified in SOLAS. This means that a risk assessment or evaluation must be carried out for each case demonstrating fire safety equivalent to conventional fuels for marine use.
Tests conducted on Stena Germanica and a chemical tanker owned by Waterfront Shipping have demonstrated that safety considerations are not a barrier to the use of methanol fuel systems on ships, says EMSA.
The report is available here.
ReCAAP: Asian Piracy at Lowest Level in Four Years
Indonesian Navy anti-piracy drill (file image)
By MarEx 2016-06-08 21:14:37
ReCAAP had good news for maritime security in its May report released Wednesday: only eight incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia for the month, down 65 percent from May last year. For the year to date, only 38 incidents were reported – the lowest count for January to May since 2011 and down by half over the same period in 2015, when 87 total incidents were recorded.
Image courtesy ReCAAP
Only one hijacking and attempted cargo theft occurred in the region for the month, the boarding of the product tanker Hai Soon 12 – the first tanker hijacking in Southeast Asia since August – and it was quickly thwarted. Her operator's shoreside officials informed ReCAAP ISC via mobile app that the Hai Soon had deviated from her intended course and changed her AIS reporting name. ReCAAP informed Indonesian authorities, and navy vessels tracked down the Hai Soon and sent boarding teams aboard; they captured nine attackers without harm to cargo or crew. The pirates allegedly intended to sell the vessel's 50,000 gallons of MGO on the black market.
The Hai Soon hijacking was the only incident classified as Category One, the most serious type; only one other serious attack occurred, a boarding and armed robbery at an anchorage in Indonesia. Four men with knives came aboard an unnamed bulk carrier at Samarinda anchorage off East Kalimantan, tied up the crew and stole stores. The other six reported incidents were minor thefts of ship stores without violence or weaponry, all at ports and harbors.
A spate of tug crew kidnappings off Sabah, Malaysia attributed to Islamist militants appears to have tailed off in May as authorities from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia cooperated on joint maritime security measures. All tug crewmembers have since been ransomed or released.
In the Gulf of Guinea, the world's other maritime security hot spot, piracy activity continues: on Monday, the Maritime Trade Information Sharing Center-Gulf of Guinea reported a suspected pirate approach on an unnamed merchant tanker. A 180-foot mother vessel with two skiffs pursued the tanker, which initiated evasive maneuvers and defensive measures. The suspected pirates stopped the approach and departed. So far this year, multiple offshore supply vessels and tankers have been attacked off the Niger Delta, with several successful kidnappings and hijackings; analysts suggest that pirates in the region are switching to kidnapping as oil theft is becoming less profitable.