Two University of Florida faculty members have been named to the National Academy of Sciences, bringing the total number of current and retired National Academy of Sciences members at UF to 16.
Art Hebard, a distinguished professor of physics, and Doug Soltis, a plant biologist and distinguished professor and curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History at UF, are among the 84 new members and 21 foreign associates announced this morning.
Soltis’s honor comes a year after his wife, Pam, also a plant biologist and distinguished professor and curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, was named to the National Academy of Sciences and just three weeks after the couple were named to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
“To have not one but two of our faculty members recognized with such a significant honor at the same time is remarkable. I am so pleased for UF and proud for them,” UF President Kent Fuchs said.
Hebard is known for his research on magnetism, superconductivity, and capacitance in a wide variety of new materials including thin films, graphene, fullerenes, and dilute magnetic semiconductors. He joined UF from AT&T Bell Labs in 1995 and became distinguished professor in 2007. In recent years, he has received two major awards from the American Physical Society: the 2008 James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials (for the discovery of superconductivity in potassium-doped C60) and the 2015 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize (for discovery of the superconductor-insulator transition in thin films).
Soltis studies plant evolution using modern DNA approaches, including next generation sequencing methods and the use of big data sets that require challenging computational analyses. His specific interests include plant phylogeny, genome doubling (polyploidy), floral evolution, angiosperm diversification and phylogeography.
Those elected today bring the total number of active members to 2,290 and the total number of foreign associates to 475. Foreign associates are nonvoting members of the Academy, with citizenship outside the United States.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and — with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine — provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.
Federal Licensing Board Hearing to Discuss Threats from FPL's Proposed Nuclear Expansion
Federal Licensing Board Hearing to Discuss Threats from Florida Power
and Light’s Proposed Nuclear Expansion at Turkey Point in Biscayne Bay
Local groups and concerned citizens continue to challenge federal licensing
with future of nearby national parks and region’s drinking water supply at risk
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Atomic Safety Licensing Board, will hear arguments today from the parties challenging Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) request for a federal license to build two additional nuclear reactors at their existing Turkey Point facility in Miami-Dade County. After seven years of legal engagement, today’s hearing considers concerns on whether FPL’s plan to dispose the proposed Turkey Point nuclear reactors’ wastewater underground could contaminate the Upper Floridan Aquifer, putting the region’s drinking water supply and Biscayne and Everglades National Parks at risk. The hearing will not be webcast, but the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s Facebook feed will livestream opening statements here if filming is permitted.
“We are arguing that the National Environmental Policy Act requires that the NRC take a hard look at the impacts to human health and the environment of injecting wastewater underground,” said Jason Totoiu, executive director of the Everglades Law Center. “We hope the licensing board agrees that a comprehensive study needs to be done before a license can be issued.”
Together, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) and local residents Captain Dan Kipnis and Mark Oncavage legally intervened in the federal licensing proceedings for the proposed nuclear expansion. The Everglades Law Center and Emory University School of Law’s Turner Environmental Law Clinic have provided extensive legal counsel to the groups.
FPL has proposed using millions of gallons of reclaimed wastewater as the primary source of cooling water for the new reactors. After use, FPL plans to discharge the polluted wastewater into the groundwater. Although the wastewater will be treated before it is injected underground, measurements of some toxic contaminants exceed federal limits and advisory guidelines.
FPL bases its plan to inject water into the Boulder Zone on the assumption that it is completely isolated from the overlying Upper Floridan Aquifer. But the groups contend that in some parts of Southern Florida, municipal wastewater injected into the Boulder Zone has migrated upward into overlying layers and in some cases, into federally designated Underground Sources of Drinking Water.
“We are concerned that FPL and the NRC have not exercised due diligence to support their position that migration of contaminants into the potential drinking water supply is virtually impossible,” said Mindy Goldstein, director of Emory School of Law’s Turner Environmental Law Clinic. “At the very least, they should have investigated the hydrogeology of the site using seismic-reflection technology, which has been used successfully by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department to identify faults and other geologic features that could carry contaminants into the designated drinking water supply.”
According to NRC’s own guidelines, locating a nuclear power plant next to public lands that are designed to protect valuable wildlife and habitat can have unacceptable impacts. In addition to Biscayne and Everglades National Parks, nearby is a state-managed aquatic preserve, an expansive wetland habitat preserve, a national wildlife refuge, and a national marine sanctuary in close proximity to the proposed site.
“This proposal threatens our national parks, endangered wildlife, ongoing Everglades restoration efforts and our drinking water supply,” said Caroline McLaughlin, Biscayne program manager for National Parks Conservation Association. “The amount of water required to operate an additional two nuclear towers, compounded with current water quality and quantity concerns, puts Biscayne National Park in jeopardy, along with its visitors and the billion dollar tourist economy the park helps support. The border of the nation’s largest marine national park is no place to expand nuclear activities.”
FPL’s highly speculative project has become even more so given the recent financial meltdown and now bankruptcy of the designer/builder for the AP1000 nuclear reactor, Toshiba’s Westinghouse – due to the extremely over budget and delayed AP1000 reactor construction projects in nearby Georgia and South Carolina. In fact, Westinghouse is now out of the nuclear construction business altogether – leaving FPL without a builder. Over $280 million has already been charged to customers in advance for FPL’s proposed Turkey Point expansion due to anti-consumer state legislation passed over a decade ago known as the “early cost recovery” law or Florida’s “nuclear tax.”
“FPL’s proposed project has been delayed multiple times to 2028 at the earliest, twenty years after the original need determination by the Florida Public Service Commission and cost estimates are over $20 billion – and none of this considers the latest financial meltdown of Westinghouse,” said Sara Barczak, high risk energy choices program director with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. “The project poses dire financial consequences for FPL’s customers. Regulators and elected officials need to recognize that there are safe, affordable, less destructive ways for FPL to meet energy demand while protecting the environment and addressing global climate change.”
If the expansion is approved, FPL’s Turkey Point facility would become the largest nuclear power plant in the country. The NRC is the lead federal agency determining if FPL will receive federal licensing approval that is required for them to move forward with the Turkey Point expansion. The process has been delayed several years; the final environmental impact statement (EIS) was not issued until October 2016.
“I have long criticized FPL’s proposal to build more nuclear reactors in this location, which is ground zero for the impacts from climate change, particularly sea level rise. Investing tens of billions of dollars on a power plant that will be underwater one day, along with the highly radioactive waste it will produce, makes no sense,” said Captain Dan Kipnis, a local resident and fishing captain. “The evidence we’ve provided cries out for a halt to approving the federal licensing of these proposed reactors and a return to the drawing board regarding the safety, or lack thereof, of our precious drinking water.”
Additional Information:
The intervening organizations held a media conference call on April 25, 2017. Find the audio recording and participant statements here.
The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Order for today’s hearing can be found here, which includes instructions on how concerned parties can submit written comments in the form of “Limited Appearance Statement.” The contention 2.1 being discussed at today’s hearing, which has been modified several times, most recently by the ASLB in April 2016, reads:
“The DEIS is deficient in concluding that the environmental impacts from FPL’s proposed deep injection wells will be “small.” The chemicals ethylbenzene, heptachlor, tetrachloroethylene, and toluene in the wastewater injections at concentrations listed in DEIS Table 3-5 may adversely impact the groundwater should they migrate from the Boulder Zone to the Upper Floridan Aquifer.”
Key filings from the Joint Intervenors can be found here: Initial Position Statement, Responsive Position Statement, Expert Quarles Opening Testimony, Expert Quarles Rebuttal Testimony.
The hearing will not be webcast, but the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s Facebook feed will livestream opening statements here if filming is permitted.
Next steps: After today’s evidential hearing, legal briefs and other legal correspondence will follow. There is no requirement on the timing of the ASLB’s decision but the groups anticipate a decision within the next several months. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will likely rely on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the issuance of a 404 permit. A Record of Decision will be issued based on the Final EIS and the completion of the Corps’ analysis under the Clean Water Act. A final Safety Report will also be issued soon. After all of these steps are completed, the NRC can issue a Combined Operating License (COL), which may happen in late 2017.
Find more information on the proposed new Turkey Point reactors here.
Governor Scott to Kick Off “Fighting For Florida’s Future” Tour
Governor Rick Scott today announced the “Fighting for Florida’s Future” tour where he will visit 10 cities to encourage Floridians to contact members of the Florida Legislature and urge them to invest in key priorities for Florida’s future. The Florida Legislature is in their final days of the 2017 legislative session, and at this time, budget proposals from the Legislature include:
- Kills funding for Enterprise Florida which helps to diversify the economy and create thousands of high wage jobs;
- Cuts funding for VISIT FLORIDA by 67%. VISIT FLORIDA is responsible for marketing the state and encourages people from across the world to visit the Sunshine State. Every 76 tourists to Florida equals one job and Florida’s tourism industry currently supports 1.4 million jobs; and
- Fails to include $200 million to help fix the Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee. Last summer, green algae plagued Florida’s waterways in South Florida and fixing the dike will help curb problems like this and protect Florida’s waterways and environment for Florida’s future generations. President Trump has committed funding to fix this federal project and the state funding Governor Scott is calling for will help jump start the process.
Governor Rick Scott said, “The 60 day legislative session is wrapping up this week and I have been fighting the politicians in Tallahassee for three things to help Florida families – funding for tourism marketing so we can continue to bring record visitors to Florida; funding for proven economic development programs so we can continue to diversify our economy and bring more jobs to Florida; and $200 million to help fix the Dike at Lake Okeechobee so we can protect our environment for future generations. All three of these issues are tied to jobs, but unfortunately the politicians in Tallahassee still haven’t committed to funding these important priorities.
“There are still a few days left of the regular session which means that there is still time for the politicians to do the right thing and fund priorities to protect our environment and keep our economy growing. Let’s remember, the total state budget is around $83 billion and all three of these priorities I am fighting for make up less than 1 percent. However, not funding these priorities will have severe repercussions across our state and Florida could lose hundreds of thousands of jobs. Our economy is on a roll and now is not the time to take our foot off the gas. I look forward to traveling the state this week to urge Floridians to contact their legislators and tell them to fund these priorities that are critical for the future of our great state.”
The Governor will make stops Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the following cities. Details on times and locations will be announced later today.
- Tampa
- Orlando
- Palm Beach
- Miami
- Pensacola
- Panama City
- Naples
- Sarasota
- Jacksonville
- Space Coast
CFO Jeff Atwater Pens Farewell Letter to Floridians
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today released an open farewell letter to Floridians, recounting achievements during his time as one of Florida’s four statewide officials and thanking residents for their confidence in his years of public service. CFO Atwater previously announced that following the 2017 Legislative Session, he will be accepting the position of Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and CFO at Florida Atlantic University.
“For five generations, my family has called Florida home and there is no place in these United States where I would rather live, work and raise a family. In addition to enjoying our great state’s rich natural history and unmatched landscapes, I have had the honor of getting to know many of you personally. From Pensacola to Key West, and all stops in between, I have had the unique privilege of meeting your families, hearing your stories and answering your calls,” said CFO Atwater in the letter.
To read the letter, click HERE.
Male jumping spiders court whomever, whenever
Females decide who lives, dies
Male jumping spiders will try to mate with any female, but that lack of discretion could cost them their lives, says a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher.
In a newly published study, UF/IFAS entomologist Lisa Taylor and her team documented the courting techniques of jumping spiders. They found that male spiders spend much time and energy — including singing and dancing — trying to mate with potential females, even when these females are the wrong species.
“We think that one reason these displays have evolved in male jumping spiders is to compensate for the fact that they can’t tell females of closely related species apart,” Taylor said. “Males run around courting everything that looks remotely like a female, and they place themselves at a very high risk of cannibalism from hungry females of the wrong species who have no interest in mating with them.”
Photo by Colin Hutton
For the study, scientists searched for spiders along the shores of a river in Phoenix, Arizona. When they found one, they watched and recorded everything it did, using a voice recorder. If it was a male, they monitored how many other females he encountered, which species and whether or not he tried to court them. If it was a female, they recorded how many males and which species tried to court her.
They also documented whether males were attacked or eaten by females.
Taylor thinks that a male’s colorful courtship dance allows him to identify himself to a female from a safe distance. These displays likely allow females to tell the males of different species apart. Then females can decide what action to take while the male is still a safe distance away.
“This study provides some new insight into the age-old question of why males go to such ridiculous lengths to impress females,” Taylor said.
In jumping spiders, the answer might be that these colorful displays let males identify themselves to females without being eaten, she said.
The females of many species look a lot alike, and males don’t seem to have a good way to tell them apart. But the males of most jumping spider species look different from one another, so females make the decisions. The male strategy seems to be to court anything that looks remotely like a female and hope for the best, Taylor said.
Jumping spiders are commonly found in residential backyards, and most people don’t even know they’re there, Taylor said, much less that the male spiders are singing and dancing.
“People might be interested to know that their yard is teeming with confused, but adorable, male jumping spiders that are running around singing and dancing for every female in sight and that these males spiders are pretty clueless about how to find the right species of female,” she said.
The study is published in the online journal PLOS ONE.
ICYMI: Florida Politics: Proposed Nursing Home Payment System Raises Serious Concern
Proposed Nursing Home Payment System Raises Serious Concern
By Brian Robare
I wanted to take a moment to alert Floridians to The Estates’, a Lakeland-based nursing home, significant concerns with the Florida Health Care Association’s (FHCA) plan, which would change the way nursing homes are paid, under consideration in the Florida Legislature.
The FHCA is asserting that this prospective payment system (PPS) plan will incentivize nursing homes to make renovations and improvements that will improve and enhance the resident’s quality of life. As a longtime member of FHCA, we are disappointed that they would place a higher priority on the building than on resident care.
At the Estates, we have long prided ourselves on our high staffing ratios, and with the care provided to the residents and families, we are privileged to serve. A “modernized dining room” does not improve that quality of care, and I consider it shameful that they would propose the redistribution of money from communities that have continually invested the money needed to make renovations and improvements to communities that have shirked this responsibility.
If passed, this plan will financially hurt our nursing home and Florida Presbyterian Homes.
To illustrate, our nursing home stands to lose $166,000 under this proposed plan. Frankly, I am stunned that the Florida House or Senate would even consider a plan that provides an additional $26 million to a nursing home chain that just had a $374 million judgment for Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Consulate Healthcare’s 79 nursing homes in the state have an average star rating of 2.3 out of 5, and yet the plan is to reward their efforts with an additional $26 million to modernize dining rooms and improve the look of their buildings.
It’s imperative that any changes to the payment model for nursing homes are accomplished when all of the stakeholders are offered a seat at the table to develop a plan that advances the goal of providing quality care. At The Estates, we believe in the adage of slow and right versus fast and wrong.
This plan is the epitome of fast, and wrong.
On behalf of residents, families and staff at The Estates, I am asking that lawmakers reject the plan proposed by the FHCA and remain resolute that any PPS plan for nursing homes must include an open discussion by all of the stakeholders and must require that any additional funds to go improving the quality of care for the residents.
Finally, we ask that lawmakers advocate for slow and right versus fast and wrong and insist that any additional money advances the quality of care and does not further inflate the bottom line of companies that seem to focus on what is best for them and not on what is best for the residents and families they serve.
Brian L. Robare is CEO and Executive Director at the Estates at Carpenters, located in Lakeland.
Florida consumer sentiment in April drops from record high
Consumer sentiment among Floridians in April dropped 3.5 points to 95.7 from a record-high reading of 99.2 in March, according to the latest University of Florida consumer survey.
Despite the ups and downs in the index during the first four months of 2017, consumers are overall more optimistic compared with those same months in 2016.
Among the five components that make up the index, one increased and four decreased.
Perceptions of one’s personal financial situation now compared with a year ago rose 2.2 points, from 88.7 to 90.9. This is the highest reading for this component since February 2005.
Opinions as to whether now is a good time to buy a major household item such as an appliance dropped 1.9 points, from 103.4 to 101.5.
Taken together, these two components represent Floridians’ perceptions about current economic conditions.
“Despite the decrease in one of the two components that address present conditions, current perceptions have remained stable in recent months, reflecting the favorable economic conditions that have prevailed in the state,” said Hector H. Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
The three components that measure expectations of future economic conditions all shifted downward between March and April.
Expectations of personal finances a year from now declined 2.3 points, from 107.5 to 105.2. Anticipated U.S. economic conditions over the next year decreased 6.8 points, from 99.3 to 92.5. Finally, expectations of U.S. economic conditions over the next five years showed the greatest decline, from 96.8 to 88.2, an 8.6 points change.
“Most of the pessimism in this month’s index figure comes from the unfavorable expectations about the future state of the economy. Notably, these perceptions are shared by all Floridians with the sole exception of those with an income level over $50,000,” Sandoval said.
“It is worth noting that those with incomes of $50,000 and over display favorable perceptions in all five components of the index. In particular, they have a very strong positive expectation about their personal financial situation one year from now. This might be a result of the proposed tax reform announced by the federal government, which is expected to slash the tax rates on corporations and high-income individuals,” Sandoval said.
Economic data in Florida continue to be generally positive. In particular, Florida’s labor market continued to expand in March. Over the last year, 246,100 jobs have been added in Florida, a 3 percent increase. The industry sector gaining most jobs was education and health services, followed by professional and business services. There were also increases in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, as well as the construction industry.
A particular bright spot: Florida’s unemployment rate in March dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.8 percent, which is the lowest rate since December 2007, right at the beginning of the Great Recession.
Conducted April 1-27, the UF study reflects the responses of 568 individuals who were reached on cellphones, representing a demographic cross section of Florida.
The index used by UF researchers is benchmarked to 1966, which means a value of 100 represents the same level of confidence for that year. The lowest index possible is a 2, the highest is 150.
Details of this month’s survey can be found at http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/csi-data.
Writer: Colleen Porter, [email protected]
PSC to Consider Gulf Rates from Approved Settlement Agreement
Commission Conference to be Held on Thursday
On Thursday, May 4, 2017, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a Special Commission Conference to consider Gulf Power Company’s (Gulf) rates, concluding all issues in the Settlement Agreement approved on April 4, 2017.
Following the Special Commission Conference, the PSC will hold its monthly Commission Conference. Items scheduled for consideration can be found here. Public comment may be taken on any item noticed for public participation.
The Special Commission Conference is scheduled for the following time and location:
Thursday, May 4, 2017
9:00 a.m.
Betty Easley Conference Center
Joseph P. Cresse Hearing Room (Room 148)
4075 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida
The PSC’s monthly Commission Conference will begin following the Gulf decision.
Both Commission Conferences will be broadcast on the Florida Channel (check your local listing) and is available online www.floridapsc.com (look for the “Watch Live Broadcast” icon on the left side of the webpage).
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.
Flagler President Abare receives Council of Independent Colleges award for leadership
Flagler College President William T. Abare Jr. has been awarded the Council of Independent Colleges’ 2017 Charles W.L. Foreman Award, the highest honor given by the organization’s State Councils.
The award is presented annually to someone who has “demonstrated truly exceptional commitment and leadership.” CIC President Richard Elkman said Abare was selected because of his work over the years with the Florida Independent College Fund. The Fund works closely with the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida to provide expanded access to higher education for students from all backgrounds.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for your work, and it is particularly meaningful when that recognition comes from a highly-respected organization,” Abare said. “It is also gratifying to know that the award recognizes leadership and service to an organization that advances independent institutions of higher education.”
The award is named in honor of Foreman, who served as president of the UPS Foundation and board chair of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education, which merged with CIC in 2010.
Abare has been president of Flagler College since 2001, and has worked at Flagler College since 1971 when he was hired as director and dean of Admissions. Prior to serving as president, Abare was executive vice president and dean of Academic Affairs at Flagler for 12 years. He served as chair of the Council of Presidents of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) and previously served as chairman of the ICUF Legislative Committee for seven years.
Abare will retire as president this summer after serving in the position for 16 years.
Port St. Lucie man wins top prize in $2,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game
John Dolas poses with his oversized check after claiming a top prize
in the $2,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game.
The Florida Lottery announces that John Dolas, 48, of Port St. Lucie, claimed a top prize in the $2,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,600,000.00.
Dolas purchased his winning ticket from the Circle K Gas Station, located at 2902 Southwest Port St. Lucie Boulevard in Port St. Lucie. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $10 Scratch-Off game, $2,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER, launched in January, and features more than $206.5 million in prizes and more than 8.2 million winning tickets. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.41.
Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 65 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $734 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2015-16.
