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

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.

Could Cleaner Air Actually Intensify Global Warming?

NPR:  Is the solution to global warning more pollution?

April 25, 2010

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

The entire article  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126226938&f=1002&sc=igg2

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

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.

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.

Midweek Red Tide Update, 04/13/2010

No water samples have been received this week from northwest Florida.

On the east coast of Florida, Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in a water sample collected this week alongshore of Brevard County.

In southwest Florida, Karenia brevis was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Sarasota, Manatee and Collier counties. Additional samples collected south of Marathon in the Florida Keys (Monroe County) also contained no K. brevis.

Sampling will continue this week, and complete results will be available in the next scheduled status report on Friday, April 16.

EPA PUTS OFF NEW PROTECTIONS FOR FLORIDA'S COASTAL WATERS

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 14, 2010


Contact: Jerry Phillips (850) 877-8097; Kirsten Stade (202) 265-7337









EPA PUTS OFF NEW PROTECTIONS FOR FLORIDA'S COASTAL WATERS

New Scientific Peer Review Defers Estuarine and Coastal Standards until 2011



Tallahassee - Long-awaited federal standards to stop excess nutrients from fouling Florida's coastal waters will not be ready this year, according to correspondence released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Instead, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will proceed with standards for springs, lakes and streams this year but standards for estuaries and coastal waters will undergo a new "third party review of the scientific basis" - a process that will last until 2011.



This action means that relief for Florida's most polluted waters will not be forthcoming anytime soon. EPA will only propose new standards for estuaries and coastal waters in 2011, beginning a long public comment and rulemaking process that will likely extend well into 2012, a presidential election year.



The March 17, 2010 letter from Peter Silva, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water programs, to Michael Sole, Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) states:





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"First, the Agency has decided to delay finalizing promulgation of the 'downstream protection value,' or DPVs with respect to downstream estuary protection and to address this issue in the 2011 estuary and coastal rulemaking….Second, EPA will seek additional third party review of the scientific basis for water quality standards to protect downstream estuarine and coastal waters. We commit to consult with FDEP on the scope of third party review and will announce in early April the specific plans for that review."







EPA is proposing to create objective or numeric standards for Florida waters as a result of settling an environmental lawsuit charging the agency with failure to enforce the Clean Water Act. The EPA numeric standards would replace state narrative criteria, which have been widely criticized as ineffective.



"This appears to be more foot dragging by EPA, which has spent years avoiding doing its job for Florida's waters," stated Florida PEER Director Jerry Phillips, a former water enforcement attorney with FDEP. PEER has criticized EPA's proposed standards as too weak as a result of political compromises. "If the estuarine standards need scientific peer review, why don't the standards for springs and streams also need scientific review?"



Despite the current controversy, numeric water quality criteria are not new in Florida. A numeric phosphorus criterion for the Everglades was established more than a decade ago and yet the Everglades still receives an excess of 100 tons of phosphorus per year, based on EPA's own studies. This month, U.S. District Court Judge Alan Gold is holding a hearing to consider holding EPA in contempt of court for failing to abide by his 2008 decision ordering enforcement of the Everglades' standards.



"If EPA has not protected the Everglades, with its already established numeric phosphorus limits, why should we expect anything different even if EPA does establish numeric nutrient criteria for the other water bodies in the state?" asked Phillips, noting that EPA has yet to appoint a Regional Administrator for Florida and the other Southeastern states. "The Obama administration promised change but all we have seen so far is more of the same. Real change is needed and the EPA Southeastern Regional Office is as good a place as any to begin."

U.S. JUDGE THREATENS EPA WITH CONTEMPT ON EVERGLADES

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 15, 2010


Contact: Kate Hornyan (202) 265-7337



U.S. JUDGE THREATENS EPA WITH CONTEMPT ON EVERGLADES

EPA Administrator Jackson Personally Summoned to Detail Pollution Compliance



Washington, DC - A frustrated federal judge stopped just short of a formal contempt of court finding against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its failure to stem mounting pollution in the Florida Everglades. The court did suspend the State of Florida's authority to issue water pollution permits and ordered EPA to immediately undertake dramatic remedial action to reduce Everglades pollution levels.



The April 14, 2010 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Alan Gold followed a contempt hearing into repeated violations by EPA and Florida's of a 2008 ruling by Judge Gold directing the agencies to comply with phosphorous limits for sensitive Everglades waters. In withering language, Judge Gold found EPA guilty of "dereliction of duty…contrary to the Clean Water Act" and -



Ordered EPA to formally notify Florida that it is in violation of federal law and "establish specific milestones to ensure that the State of Florida does not continue to ignore, and improperly extend the compliance deadline for meeting the phosphorous…criterion in the Everglades Protection Area" (Emphasis in original);

Suspended the power of Florida to issue any new water pollution discharge permits affecting the Everglades until EPA certifies the state is in compliance with the judge's order; and

Required EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to "personally appear before this Court on Thursday October 7, 2010 at 9:00 am to report to the Court on compliance with the order."(Emphasis in original)

Judge Gold is still holding in reserve whether to make a formal contempt finding, carrying civil or criminal penalties, against EPA and Florida.



This severe court action underlines the profound breakdown of EPA's clean water program in Florida, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). "In Florida, EPA's clean water program is an utter basket case," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that this is only the latest in a long string of adverse court rulings suffered by the agency. "While this case has long roots, today Judge Gold takes EPA to task for decisions and evasions entirely within the Obama administration."



EPA still has yet to even name a Regional Administrator to oversee its programs in Florida and other southeastern states, several months after the agency named "RAs" for most of the other regions. Ironically, today Administrator Lisa Jackson is delivering an address at the "Coming Together for Clean Water" conference on healthy watersheds.



At the same time, EPA has been forced by other court rulings to directly set water quality standards for all Florida waters but that effort is beset by many of the same deficiencies found in its handling of the Everglades. PEER and the Council of Civic Associations (CCA), a citizens group for government accountability, have severely critiqued EPA oversight and have repeatedly called for a house cleaning in the EPA Southeastern regional office.





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Read Judge Gold's latest ruling



See the 2008 court decision with which EPA has yet to comply



View the call by PEER and CCA for changes in EPA Florida operations



Look at the weak EPA effort to address worsening pollution in Florida's waters



Examine the CCA testimony this week on proposed water standards