TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Nuclear Energy Fuels Lecture

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - The former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will discuss the future of nuclear energy on Tuesday.

Nils J. Diaz's free talk - part of the Energy and Environment community discussions - is at 7 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center on the Pasco-Hernando Community College West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road.

A strong advocate of making sound regulatory decisions and of communicating them to the American people, Diaz has promoted nuclear safety and timelier decision-making in such matters as power reactor license renewals and new reactor licensing, according to a news release.

"Our hope is that these discussions on energy and the environment will elevate the dialogue on the challenges we collectively face in meeting Florida's growing energy needs," Jeff Lyash said in a news release. He is president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Florida, co-host, with USF St. Petersburg, of Diaz's appearance.

"We are continually seeking newer, cleaner ways to produce energy and look forward to participating in this series," Lyash said.

Diaz became NRC chairman in April 2003 during his second five-year term on the panel, on which he served from 1996 to 2006. As chairman, he was the principal executive officer of and the official spokesman for the NRC.

He was responsible for administrative, organizational, long-range planning, budgetary and certain personnel functions. He had ultimate authority in all agency efforts in an emergency involving an NRC license.

Diaz received his doctorate in nuclear engineering from the University of Florida in 1969 and was professor of nuclear engineering sciences. He also directed the Innovative Nuclear Space Power Institute, a national consortium of industries, universities and laboratories, and was president and principal engineer at Florida Nuclear Associates Inc. For more on Diaz, go online to eng.ufl.edu/alumni/stories and click on the last item on that page.

The Energy and Environment series lectures and presentations are followed by discussion groups to encourage conversations about public policy, scientific challenges and solutions to problems.

"The 21st century will be dominated by issues related to environment and energy, and this lecture series aims to foster well-informed discourse on these topics," Christopher Di'Elia, regional vice chancellor for academic affairs and a professor at the University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus, said in the release.

"Our speakers bring us extensive experience and expertise and will provide our students and the community invaluable insight in understanding complex policy decisions that affect every citizen."

Here are other speakers in the series:

•Robert Bazell, chief science and health correspondent for NBC News. He will discuss science reporting and the public's understanding of science Feb. 5 at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts' Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. Bazell's reports have appeared on "NBC Nightly News," "Today" and "Dateline NBC." His honors include the George Foster Peabody Award for distinguished achievement and meritorious service in broadcasting, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, the Maggie Award from the Planned Parenthood Federation, and two Emmys.

•Paul R. Ehrlich, professor of population studies at Stanford University. He will talk about human population growth, natural resource use, and environmental degradation March 25 at the Mahaffey Theater. He is the author of "Betrayal of Science and Reason: How Anti-Environment Rhetoric Threatens Our Future" (written with his wife, Anne) and "The Population Bomb" (1968), which led to appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. Ehrlich's honorary degrees, awards and prizes include the John Muir Award of the Sierra Club, the Gold Medal Award of the World Wildlife Fund International, a MacArthur Prize Fellowship, the Crafoord Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Volvo Environmental Prize, the United Nations' Sasakawa Environment Prize, the Heinz Award for the Environment, and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT