Monday, July 5, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Levy nuclear plant pushed back
The Progress Energy plant won't be online until at least 2021 now.
Published: Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 11:22 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 11:22 p.m.
Progress Energy Florida is asking Florida regulators for permission to cut its customers' nuclear recovery costs next year by 21 percent, reducing the average nuclear cost of $6.99 per month on customer monthly bills down to $5.53. The reduction is part of Progress Energy's decision to postpone major construction on its proposed Levy County nuclear plant.
Company spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said the company predicts the project, once slated to be online by 2016 and cost about $17 billion, will now be operational no sooner than 2021 at a cost ranging between $17.2 billion to $22.5 billion...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Coast Guard: Fishing case shows the need for safety equipment
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100430/ARTICLES/4301016/1105/NEWS?Title=Coast-Guard-Fishing-case-shows-the-need-for-safety-equipment
By Karen Voyles
Staff writer
By Karen Voyles
Staff writer
The U.S. Coast Guard said a predawn medical emergency on a fishing boat is a prime example of the importance of having safety equipment on board that is operating correctly.
At about 1:45 a.m. Thursday, a Coast Guard aircraft crew received a distress call over a VHF-FM radio. The crew of the fishing boat Scamp told officers they were in the Gulf of Mexico and a 44-year-old man on board was suffering stomach pains.
The aircraft crew relayed the information to the Coast Guard command center in St. Petersburg. Officials said that as a result of a consultation with a flight surgeon the decision was made to launch a 27-foot response boat crew from Yankeetown at 2:17 a.m.
The man was medically evacuated from the fishing boat at about 3:45 a.m. while the boat was about 15 miles west of Crystal River. The man was taken to the Halfway Boat Ramp in Crystal River, where an ambulance crew was waiting to take him to an area hospital. Details on his condition were unavailable later Thursday.
In a news release about the incident, Coast Guard officials said the "rescue illustrates the vital importance of safety equipment for all seasoned and recreational boaters. The Coast Guard reminds boaters that cell phones are not a reliable means of communication on the water, and recommends the use of a registered EPIRB, PPIRB, fully functioning marine band radio and proper use of life jackets."
More information on mandatory and recommended lifesaving equipment is available from the Coast Guard's Boating Safety website at www.uscgboating.org.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Could Cleaner Air Actually Intensify Global Warming?
NPR: Is the solution to global warning more pollution?
As much of the world marked Earth Day this past week, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that air pollution has declined dramatically over the past 20 years. It sounds like good news, but science writer Eli Kintisch argues that there's a surprising downside: Cleaner air might actually intensify global warming.
"If we continue to cut back on smoke pouring forth from industrial smokestacks, the increase in global warming could be profound," Kintisch writes in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times.
Kintisch isn't talking about greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide; he's talking about another kind of pollutant we put in the sky -- "like aerosols from a spray can," he tells NPR's Guy Raz. "It turns out that those particles have a profound effect on maintaining the planet's temperature."
Greenhouse gases and aerosol pollutants work in opposing ways on the Earth's climate, Kintisch explains. "The greenhouse gases warm the planet when they're emitted, because they absorb heat reflected up from the ground -- the greenhouse effect. These aerosols, though, do the opposite. They block sunlight, they make clouds more reflective -- and by doing that, they actually cool the planet.
"The problem is that we're cutting the cooling pollution as we make our air cleaner," he says.
The Scope Of The Problem: Still A Mystery
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Week is a sham
The fact remains that the Earth is just not that into us anymore. We had our shot with her, but we blew it and no amount of sweet-talking from Ed Begley, Jr. or Al Gore is going to change that.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100422/COLUMNISTS/4221011?p=1&tc=pg
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100422/COLUMNISTS/4221011?p=1&tc=pg
Thursday, April 15, 2010
FWRI Florida Manatee GIS Research Internship - Summer 2010
Subject: [MARMAM] FWRI Florida Manatee GIS Research Internship - Summer 2010
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Manatee Geographic Information System (GIS) section is looking for a detail-oriented intern or volunteer to work in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The intern’s primary responsibilities will involve assisting staff members in GIS tasks such as digitization; creation and modification of shapefiles and geodatabases; database management and development; and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) of spatial data. Other responsibilities may include data entry and special projects.
Qualifications:
Working knowledge of ArcGIS 8.x or 9.x
Knowledge of GIS theories and methods, as demonstrated by coursework or training
Basic database knowledge; Microsoft Access literacy preferred
Ability to work independently and as part of a group
Application Process:
We are currently accepting applications for the summer of 2010 (May – August). Internships require a minimum two-month commitment. Starting and ending dates are flexible; hours are also somewhat flexible. Please indicate in your cover letter the position for which you are applying. Send a hard copy of your resumé with your cover letter, college transcripts (unofficial copies are sufficient if not applying for internship credit), a list of three references, and contact information to the following address:
Robin Allen
Internship Coordinator
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020
Applications may also be submitted as an e-mail attachment to: Interns@MyFWC.com
This intern position is open until filled.
All positions are unpaid. Housing and transportation are NOT provided.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Manatee Geographic Information System (GIS) section is looking for a detail-oriented intern or volunteer to work in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The intern’s primary responsibilities will involve assisting staff members in GIS tasks such as digitization; creation and modification of shapefiles and geodatabases; database management and development; and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) of spatial data. Other responsibilities may include data entry and special projects.
Qualifications:
Working knowledge of ArcGIS 8.x or 9.x
Knowledge of GIS theories and methods, as demonstrated by coursework or training
Basic database knowledge; Microsoft Access literacy preferred
Ability to work independently and as part of a group
Application Process:
We are currently accepting applications for the summer of 2010 (May – August). Internships require a minimum two-month commitment. Starting and ending dates are flexible; hours are also somewhat flexible. Please indicate in your cover letter the position for which you are applying. Send a hard copy of your resumé with your cover letter, college transcripts (unofficial copies are sufficient if not applying for internship credit), a list of three references, and contact information to the following address:
Robin Allen
Internship Coordinator
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020
Applications may also be submitted as an e-mail attachment to: Interns@MyFWC.com
This intern position is open until filled.
All positions are unpaid. Housing and transportation are NOT provided.
Experience science firsthand at MarineQuest 2010
http://research.MyFWC.com/mqpresskit.
http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/10/southwest/News_10_SW_MarineQuest2.htm.
Experience science firsthand at MarineQuest 2010
Visitors of all ages can explore the world of science at the 16th annual MarineQuest at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). The free open house takes place Saturday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the FWRI headquarters, 100 8th Ave. S.E., in downtown St. Petersburg.
Last year, thousands flocked to the FWRI open house for a hands-on learning experience. The event features more than 60 exhibits with interactive displays and live animals. Participants can learn about cutting-edge research and join FWRI biologists as they demonstrate how they rescue distressed manatees, tag fish and monitor red tide. Live critters in touch tanks will be on display, as well as other live animals, including alligators, sharks, rays and hatchery-reared redfish. Visitors also can talk one-on-one with some of Florida’s top scientists and law enforcement officers and or attend presentations on shark attacks, spiny lobsters, panthers and more.
Special activities for children include wildlife origami, face-painting, the Japanese art of “gyotaku” fish painting, and “reel” fishing for redfish.
More than 30 organizations, including government agencies and conservation groups, also will have displays at the event.
Free parking for the Saturday open house is available at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg parking garage.
Sponsors include the St. Petersburg Times, the City of St. Petersburg and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
http://myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/10/southwest/News_10_SW_MarineQuest2.htm.
Experience science firsthand at MarineQuest 2010
Visitors of all ages can explore the world of science at the 16th annual MarineQuest at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). The free open house takes place Saturday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the FWRI headquarters, 100 8th Ave. S.E., in downtown St. Petersburg.
Last year, thousands flocked to the FWRI open house for a hands-on learning experience. The event features more than 60 exhibits with interactive displays and live animals. Participants can learn about cutting-edge research and join FWRI biologists as they demonstrate how they rescue distressed manatees, tag fish and monitor red tide. Live critters in touch tanks will be on display, as well as other live animals, including alligators, sharks, rays and hatchery-reared redfish. Visitors also can talk one-on-one with some of Florida’s top scientists and law enforcement officers and or attend presentations on shark attacks, spiny lobsters, panthers and more.
Special activities for children include wildlife origami, face-painting, the Japanese art of “gyotaku” fish painting, and “reel” fishing for redfish.
More than 30 organizations, including government agencies and conservation groups, also will have displays at the event.
Free parking for the Saturday open house is available at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg parking garage.
Sponsors include the St. Petersburg Times, the City of St. Petersburg and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
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