NUCLEAR POWER – NOT IN MY BACKYARD, THANK YOU

I attended an excellent presentation at the University of Florida law school last month by a recent LLM graduate in environmental law. He’s now working for the Army Corps of Engineers, and his views are his own.

His presentation was truly scary – due to global warming, Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Creek Nuclear powerplant, bordering our Everglades National Park – could be an island, or perhaps even underwater, in a few years.

FPL proposes expanding Turkey Point and building more reactors (see Wikipedia article, below).

St. Augustine residents are paying for it. Our City of St. Augustine unwisely granted FPL a 30 year franchise extension while WILLIAM B. HARRISS was our City Manager. We will live to rue the day we did so -- and that day may not be far away.

From City Hall to the White House, there is little logic in U.S. nuclear policy. Essentially, the U.S. commercialized nuclear power before it was ready and allowed profit-making oligopolists (General Electric and Westinghouse) and monopolists (who sell us electrons) to make gazillions off the notion that nuclear power would be “too cheap to meter.”

Puffery, flummery and dupery was the order of the day when 101 nuclear powerplants were built in the U.S.

Former Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA_ Chairman Aubrey J. “Red” Wagner was once asked by a Tennessee nuclear activist about the probability of a nuclear accident. He responded, “probability, get real!”

Since that time we’ve seen a massive fire at a TVA nuclear powerplant where they used a candle to look for air leaks.

We’ve seen Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and the Japanese nuclear disaster.

We’ll see more disasters until we regulate the oligopolists and monopolists and care more about protecting people than profits for the Wall Street oligarchy of atomic blunderers.

The U.S. nuclear industry is run by satraps who harass, intimidate and coerce ethical employees (whistleblowers or ethical resisters). The reason I know this is that I proudly represented whistleblowers across this nation, including employees of the Tennessee Valley Authority and Southern California Edison Company,

The nuclear industry does not deserve Congress’s or President Obama’s trust or confidence.

The nuclear industry does not deserve any more Corporate Socialism and government bailouts. It is contrary to the genius of a free people that this potentially fatal technology is subsidized by the American people.

We should repeal the Price-Anderson Act, which limits liability in the event of a nuclear accident.

We should repeal the special interest legislation that provides for tens of billions of dollars in new loan guarantees.

We should repeal state laws that allow nuclear utilities to steal from senior citizens, putting the cost of nuclear construction in today’s electric bills (CWIP or “Cost of Work in Progress).

We should end the days of lax, ineffective, faux “regulation” by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is as lugubrious a bunch of goobers as ever made a chair squeak, unadorned by fairness or intelligent, science-based decisionmaking.

The nuclear industry does not deserve our respect, or our support.

It deserves science-based policymaking protecting the public interest without fear or favor.

After the Japanese nuclear debacle, it is time to just say “whoa” to what former TVA Chairman S. David Freeman would call “technological turkeys.”

Wikipedia re: FPL Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant

Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station

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Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station
Location of Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station
Country	United States
Locale	Homestead, Florida
Coordinates	25°26′3″N 80°19′50″W / 25.43417°N 80.33056°W / 25.43417; -80.33056Coordinates: 25°26′3″N 80°19′50″W / 25.43417°N 80.33056°W / 25.43417; -80.33056
Status	Operational
Commission date	Unit 3: December 14, 1972 Unit 4: September 7, 1973
Licence expiration	Unit 3: July 19, 2032 Unit 4: April 10, 2033
Operator(s)	Florida Power & Light
Architect(s)	Bechtel
Reactor information
Reactors operational	2 x 693 MW
Reactors planned	2 x 1117 MW
Reactor type(s)	pressurized water reactor
Reactor supplier(s)	Westinghouse
Power station information
Generation units	Westinghouse
Power generation information
Annual generation	11,227 GW·h
As of 2008-11-16

Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station is a twin reactor nuclear power station located on a 3,300-acre (13 km²) site 2 miles east of Homestead, Florida, United States, next to Biscayne National Park located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Miami, Florida near the southernmost edge of Miami-Dade County. It is home to a wildlife preserve, helping the population of the American crocodile.^[1] Turkey Point has been a contributing force to the reclassification of the American Crocodile from endangered to the less serious category of threatened.^[2]

Turkey Point is owned by Florida Power & Light.

Contents [hide] 1 Expansion 2 Incident history 3 2008 Florida electricity blackout 4 In popular culture 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Including the two nuclear plants, Turkey Point operates five power-generating units. It comprises two 400-megawatt oil/natural gas-fired generation units (Units 1 and 2) and two nuclear Westinghouse pressurized water reactors (Units 3 and 4), each supplying steam to one high pressure and two low-pressure turbines with a power output rated at 693 MWe for each unit. In 2007, it added the 1,150 MW combined-cycle gas-fired Unit 5.^[3] It serves the entire southern portion of Florida. With a combined capacity of 3330 MW, the site is the largest generating station in Florida and is the sixth largest power plant in the United States.^[4]

[edit] Expansion

In 2002, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) extended the operating licenses for both nuclear reactors from forty years to sixty. In 2006, FPL informed the NRC that they planned to apply for new units to be built at Turkey Point. FPL filed an initial proposal for increased capacity with the Florida Public Service Commission in October 2007.^[5] The proposal was approved by the PSC in March 2008.^[6]

FPL also plans to spend about $1.5 billion to increase the capacity of its existing four reactors at Turkey Point and the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant by a total of about 400 MW by 2012.^[7]

On June 30, 2009, FPL submitted a Combined Construction and Operating License (COL) application for two 1,117-MWe Westinghouse AP1000 reactors (Units 6 and 7).^[8] FPL had considered building two 1,550-MWe GE ESBWR reactors.^[3] Construction is expected to begin in 2012, with the new units going online in 2017 and 2019. FPL estimates the total overnight costs of the power plants, including first fuel load, at $6.8–$9.9 billion, and the total project cost at $12.1–$17.8 billion.^[9]

[edit] Incident history

On May 8, 1974 a test was performed on all three of the Emergency Feedwater (EFW) pumps serving Unit 3 while the reactor was operating at power. Two of the pumps failed to start as a result of over-tightened packing. The third pump failed to start because of a malfunction in the turbine regulating valve pneumatic controller. (ref NRC LER 250/74-LTR) In an on-going study (ref NRC Commission Document SECY-05-0192 Attachment 2 NRC.gov) of precursors that could lead to a nuclear accident if additional failures were to have occurred, the NRC concluded (as of 24-Oct-2005) that this event at Turkey Point Unit 3 was the fifth highest ranked occurrence.

In 1992, Turkey Point was directly hit by Hurricane Andrew, causing damage to a water tank and to a smokestack of one of the site's fossil-fueled units. No damage was done to the plant's containment buildings.^[10][11] The plant was built to withstand winds of up to 235 mph (380 km/h), greatly exceeding the maximum winds recorded by category 5 hurricanes.

[edit] 2008 Florida electricity blackout

On February 26, 2008, both reactors were shut down due to the loss of off-site power during a widespread power outage in South Florida, affecting 700,000 customers.^[12]

At least 2.5 million people were without power. The blackout was initially caused by an overheated voltage switch that soon caught fire in a power substation in Miami, nowhere near the plant. The fire occurred at 1:08 pm which caused an automatic shutdown of the power plant. This led to a domino effect that caused outages as far north as Daytona Beach and Tampa. Power was restored by 4:30 pm. The reason this malfunction caused such widespread outages is still under investigation.^[12]

Walt Disney World, Orlando International Airport, and Miami International Airport were among the places affected by the outage.^[13]

David Hoffman, a nuclear supervisor at Turkey Point, resigned over the incident and was subsequently sued for by Florida Power and Light for return of a bonus. Hoffman countersued, claiming he was pressured to restart the reactors while they were in a condition which in his judgement made it unsafe to do so. Upper management wanted the reactors restarted during xenon dead time, which would have caused the operators at the controls to continuously step control rods to safely manage reactor output.

Florida Power and Light responded to the allegation, claiming Hoffman's suit was "self motivated".^[14][15]

[edit] In popular culture

• In the CSI: Miami Episode "Going, Going, Gone." A man (under duress) funds a terrorist cell that aims to detonate 10,000 lbs of Plastic explosive at Turkey Point.
• The band Against All Authority reference Turkey Point in the song "The Source of Strontium 90".
• In the 2010 film Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus, Turkey Point fires an arc flash over Orlando to ward off the giant crocodile.
• In the 2011 film Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, Terry (Tiffany) drives a car filled with reptile pheromones to lure the giant pythons and alligators away from Turkey Point.

[edit] See also

• List of power stations in Florida

[edit] References

1. ^ "About Turkey Point". FPL.com. Florida Power & Light. http://www.fpl.com/environment/nuclear/about_turkey_point.shtml. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
2. ^ CBS News. Endangered Crocs Make A Comeback.
3. ^ ^{a b} DiSavino, Scott (October 13, 2008). "FPL Fla. Turkey Point 4 reactor shut". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssUtilitiesElectric/idUSN1344614220081013. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
4. ^ [U.S. Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/rankings/plantsbycapacity.htm]
5. ^ "FPL moves to add nuclear plants in S. Dade". Miami Herald. October 17, 2007. http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/274048.html. Retrieved October 23, 2007. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ John Dorschner; Curtis Morgan (March 19, 2008). "FPL reactor proposal advances". The Miami Herald. http://www.miamiherald.com/982/story/492423.html. Retrieved July 15, 2008. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ DiSavino, Scott (June 1, 2009). "FPL Fla. Turkey Point 4 reactor back at full power". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssUtilitiesElectric/idUSN0144937320090601?dbi=1. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
8. ^ "Turkey Point, Units 6 and 7 Application". Combined License Applications for New Reactors. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). July 2, 2009. http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col/turkey-point.html. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
9. ^ "Application for Florida reactors". World Nuclear News. July 23, 2009. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_Application_for_Florida_reactors_2307092.html. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
10. ^ "NRC Information Notice 93-53: Effect of Hurricane Andrew on Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station and Lessons Learned". NRC.gov. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. July 20, 1993. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/info-notices/1993/in93053.html. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
11. ^ "NRC Information Notice 93-53, Supplement 1: Effect of Hurricane Andrew on Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station and Lessons Learned". NRC.gov. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. April 29, 1994. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/info-notices/1993/in93053s1.html. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
12. ^ ^{a b} DiSavino, Scott (February 26, 2008). "FPL Fla, Turkey Pt reactors shut due to power outage". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSN2635797520080226. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
13. ^ Reasons For Blackout In Central, Southern Florida Remain A Mystery - News Story - WFTV Orlando
14. ^ "Court papers reveal nuclear feud at Turkey Point". The Miami Herald. March 12, 2009. http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/945615.html. Retrieved March 18, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
15. ^ "Court papers: Nuclear feud at Fla. plant". UPI.com. March 12, 2009. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/12/Court_papers_Nuclear_feud_at_Fla_plant/UPI-18051236894387/. Retrieved March 18, 2009.

[edit] External links

• "Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, Florida". U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). August 22, 2008. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/turkeypoint.html. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
• "Turkey Point 3 Pressurized Water Reactor". Operating Nuclear Power Reactors. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). February 14, 2008. http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/tp3.html. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
• "Turkey Point 4 Pressurized Water Reactor". Operating Nuclear Power Reactors. NRC. February 14, 2008. http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/tp4.html. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
• FP&L might be fined over nuclear plant security

St. Augustine Record re: Saturday's "supermoon"

'Supermoon' should offer crop of unique experiences for those willing

By BEN WILLIAMS

Created 03/17/2011 - 12:05am

Summary:

When this old fisherman saw a news story about Saturday's "Supermoon" my first thought was of an inshore scouting tactic I was introduced to more than 35 years ago.

Special to The Record

When this old fisherman saw a news story about Saturday's "Supermoon" my first thought was of an inshore scouting tactic I was introduced to more than 35 years ago.

Back then, when even the best depth finders were primitive by today's standards, it was understood that going for a ride during a very low tide was a good way to scout a new inshore area.

My second thought was related to the first but in the form of a question. How much lower will the tide actually be, and what the heck is a "Supermoon?"

A look at the tide charts revealed that the lowest tide on Saturday will be -.9 feet. For reference purposes the lowest tide today will be -.3 feet.

This, of course, indicates more than a half-foot difference between the two. And that half-foot corresponds to quite a bit of bottom to be looked at.

Or if you're not careful a greater chance of getting stuck.

As for the "Supermoon?" It's what astronomers call a Lunar Perigee-syzygy.

Which in layman's terms means that on Saturday the moon will be closer to the earth than it has been sense 1983, a mere 356,577 miles away.

And it will be a full moon -- the "brightest of the year" according to a NASA spokesman.

Now if the weather forecast holds, this "brightest" moon of the year could provide a good reason to be outside a little longer on Saturday.

If you're in the woods trying to roost a turkey for Sunday morning (did I mention that Saturday was the first day of turkey season?), or if you're taking advantage of the lower than usual tide to look about the Intracoastal, or even if you're over here on the river poking about the grass beds during what should be a peak in bass bedding activity (that usually happens during a March full moon), it might be a chance for you to stay out a little longer than usual and enjoy the "Supermoon" as it rises.

It should be spectacular.

St. Augustine Record editorial denounces Sen. Thrasher's "bad" "ill-timed and now, withdrawn bill on building gof courses in state parks"

Our view: State needs economic boost but not from state park golf courses

Created 03/16/2011 - 12:00am

When state Sen. John Thrasher visited The Record's editorial board last fall, he said the Legislature needed big ideas and he hadn't seen any emerging. He offered none himself that day but said he would if reelected.

We hope his ill-timed and now withdrawn bill on building golf courses in state parks was not one of his big ideas. When we heard about it, our first response was, "What are you thinking, senator?"

The bill came and went quickly last week as did a similar one in the Florida House by Rep. Patrick Rooney, R-West Palm Beach. Thrasher said, in a statement published in The Florida Times-Union after he withdrew his bill, that it "was intended to stimulate tourism and find unique ways to explore economic development." But, after conversations with some constituents and city leaders, "this is not an avenue they are interested in pursuing."

We can think of a lot more ways to boost Florida's sagging economy than putting golf courses in state parks and especially courses that would be built by a single operator on a non-bid contract, another questionable practice. The proposal called for a Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail built by Nicklaus' company. The back story is that Nicklaus pitched an idea to Gov. Rick Scott recently for boosting economic development and this was it. Other states have public golf courses within state parks in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Kentucky, for example. What we have heard is that none are money makers.

Florida doesn't need any more golf courses anyway. Golflink.com says the state has 1,481.

The National Golf Foundation says 600 courses nationally have closed in the past five years. The foundation predicts that at least 500 more will close nationally through 2015. Likely Florida courses are on the first and the second lists. Declining patronage is blamed for most of the shutdowns.

While none of the courses in St. Johns County are closing, the county is covering over nine of its 27 holes at its public golf course because rounds of play are declining.

At a time when Gov. Rick Scott is pronouncing "cut,cut,cut" and state economists forecast a $3.6 billion revenue shortfall for the 2012 fiscal year, a better economic strategy would be for the Legislature to go after uncollected tax revenues. These taxes are on Internet sales inside Florida by online retailers and on the full rate of hotel rooms sold at a discounted rate online. They amount to millions of dollars in lost revenue annually.

The Thrasher-Rooney proposals were bad ideas. Collecting lost sales tax revenues is a great idea.

St. Augustine Record column on State Senator John Thrasher's curious golf bill that would have trashed state parks with golf courses

Guest column: Public deserves to know why Thrasher filed golf bill

By BETSY LAREY

Created 03/18/2011 - 12:08am

Summary:

Regarding the headline of Friday, March 11, "Thrasher's golf bill draws fire," I understand that the bill in question has been withdrawn. That being said, I think the residents of St Augustine (and the entire state of Florida) deserve an explanation from Sen. John Thrasher and Rep. Patrick Rooney as to what they were thinking when they proposed this legislation in the first place.

St. Augustine & St. Paul, Minn.

Regarding the headline of Friday, March 11, "Thrasher's golf bill draws fire," I understand that the bill in question has been withdrawn. That being said, I think the residents of St Augustine (and the entire state of Florida) deserve an explanation from Sen. John Thrasher and Rep. Patrick Rooney as to what they were thinking when they proposed this legislation in the first place.

In this era of austerity, when local school districts are planning to eliminate all athletic programs, and thousands of state workers are being laid off, one wonders what they were thinking when they proposed spending in the neighborhood of $25 million to build high-end golf courses (in state parks). Shockingly, this was also endorsed by our esteemed governor, who claims to be the king of fiscal responsibility.

I contacted Thrasher's office on Friday [March 11] to inquire if the senator played golf. His assistant who I spoke with assured me that he did. I don't know where he plays, but I guarantee you that his golf course is in the same situation as every other course in the state of Florida (or the rest of the country for that matter).

Since the early 2000s, more golf courses have closed than opened in the United States. Golf participation has continued to decline every year. As a golf professional in two states (Florida and Minnesota), I can attest to the fact that almost every course, public or private, is now starting to compete on price. In St. Johns County, you can now play at some of the better high-end public facilities for a mere $39. These courses were built on a business model that reflected greens fees of up to $100. The St. Johns Golf Club, which is owned and operated by St. Johns County, is closing nine of its 27 holes in May.

The cost to build a signature golf course is approximately $5 million. The yearly operating costs for such a facility would be close to $1 million per year. You need greens fees of $100 to $125 to break even, and the course needs to be booked solid. Since that business model no longer exists, legislators and the public need to understand that this type of facility will lose money every single year.

I have never understood why the public sector feels the need to compete directly with the private sector in the recreation industry. As a former owner of athletic clubs in the Twin Cities, I am very familiar with direct competition from government-owned community centers. Privately owned clubs, be it golf or athletic, pay exorbitant property taxes. Since the majority of public facilities are unable to pay their bills from user fees (greens fees), the debt burden falls directly on county residents. Nowhere in the article does it state that this project would make enough money to make the revenue bond payments.

In addition, they proposed building hotels on site (to compete with the thousands of tax- paying hotels we already have) that would be exempt from all city and county regulations.

It sounds to me like this is a carbon copy of the Robert Trent Jones Alabama Golf Trail, which was originally built by the state of Alabama's public pension fund. No surprise here, they've never made a profit. Why would anyone think the government (at any level) could run a business for a profit? And if it's not profitable, the same taxpaying entities that are competing directly against it will be contributing to their operating costs.

The public deserves a response as to why this idea was even proposed in the first place.

*

Betsy Larey, an LPGA teaching professional, is director of instruction at Sawmill/Loggers Trail Golf Clubs in St. Paul, Minn., and a weekly golf columnist for the Stillwater Gazette in suburban St Paul. She is a former head coach at Flagler College and former owner of River Valley Athletic Clubs. She divides her time between St. Augustine and St. Paul.

My first butterfly sighting of 2011 here in St. Augustine, Florida

Earlier this afternoon, I saw the first butterfly I've seen in 2011.

Can Spring be far behind?

Here's what a website on animal symbolism has to say about butterflies:

Butterfly Animal Symbolism

Overwhelmingly, cultural myth and lore honor the butterfly as a symbol of transformation because of its impressive process of metamorphosis.

From egg, to larvae (caterpillar), to pupa (the chrysalis or cocoon) and from the cocoon the butterfly emerges in her unfurling glory.

What a massive amount of transition this tiny creature undergoes. Consider for a moment the kind of energy this expends. I daresay if a human were to go through this kind of change we’d freak out!

Imagine the whole of your life changing to such an extreme you are unrecognizable at the end of the transformation. Mind you, this change takes place in a short span of about a month too (that’s how long the butterfly life cycle is).

Herein lies the deepest symbolic lesson of the butterfly. She asks us to accept the changes in our lives as casually as she does. The butterfly unquestioningly embraces the chances of her environment and her body.

This unwavering acceptance of her metamorphosis is also symbolic of faith. Here the butterfly beckons us to keep our faith as we undergo transitions in our lives. She understands that our toiling, fretting and anger are useless against the turning tides of nature – she asks us to recognize the same.

A quick-list of Butterfly animal symbolism:

• Resurrection
• Transition
• Celebration
• Lightness
• Time
• Soul

Interestingly, in many cultures the butterfly is associated with the soul – further linking our animal symbolism of faith with the butterfly.

In Greek myth, Psyche (which literally translates to mean “soul”) is represented in the form of a butterfly. Befittingly, Psyche is forever linked with love as she and Eros (the Greek god of love, also known in Roman myth as Cupid) shared an endlessly passionate bond together – both hopelessly in love with the other.

Greece doesn’t corner the market on associating the butterfly with the soul. Here are a few other ancient cultures that associated this elegant creature with the soul:

• Asian (central)
• Mexican – Aztec
• New Zealand
• Zaire

Even Christianity considers the butterfly a soulful symbol. To wit, the butterfly is depicted on ancient Christian tombs, as Christ has been illustrated holding a butterfly in Christian art.

It’s connection with the soul is rather fitting. We are all on a long journey of the soul. On this journey we encounter endless turns, shifts, and conditions that cause us to morph into ever-finer beings. At our soul-journey’s end we are inevitably changed – not at all the same as when we started on the path.

To take this analogy a step further, we can look again to the grace and eloquence of the butterfly and realize that our journey is our only guarantee. Our responsibility to make our way in faith, accept the change that comes, and emerge from our transitions as brilliantly as the butterfly.

I've written some thoughts on animal symbolism of butterflies in dreams here.

Back to Insect Animal Totems List

St. Augustine’s Liberal Lions Return, Symbols of Protection and Hope

Photo credit: City of St. Augustine

Named “Firm” and “Faithful,” our liberal lions have been around since 1927, guarding our Bridge of Lions.

From 2005-1011, our liberal lions were out of sight, restored, preserved and protected, then awaiting completion of the new Bridge ($85 million paid to SKANSKA by Florida DOT).

Yesterday St. Augustine’s two liberal lions were restored to their rightful place of honor.

In heraldry, lions symbolize strength and protection. Their return is symbolic, as we work to preserve and protect the history of St. Augustine with a St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway).

Wikipedia reports about lion imagery through the ages:

Long history of lion imagery

Cave lions, Chamber of Felines, Lascaux caves

Lions have been represented figuratively since the Stone Age. Ice age hunters depicted the lion this way in the cultural stage of the Aurignacian more than 30,000 years ago by showing the lionesses of a pride hunting in the same manner as contemporary lions. After that it frequently was the lioness who was represented as the protector and chief warrior of a culture. An early Naqada tomb painting that predates Egyptian culture in northern Africa shows two rampant lions flanking a figure that may be interpreted as a deity.

Sphinx of Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut - with unusual rounded ears and ruff that extend strong leonine features to the head of the statue, 1503-1482 BC

Lions also play a role in numerous later ancient cultures. In Ancient Egypt the pharaoh sometimes was represented as the sphinx, a lioness with a human head. The best known representation of this type is the Great Sphinx of Giza. From the earliest written human records, the lioness was recognized as the fierce hunter of the formidable species in Ancient Egyptian and African cultures and was dominant in the pantheons of these ancient cultures as representing warriors and protectors of the country. Egyptian mythology featured images of lionesses such as Bast and Sekhmet from their pantheon. Male rulers might be associated with the son of the goddess, such as Maahes. While the Egyptians ruled over Nubia they documented the worship of Dedun as a god of wealth and prosperity, who was said to be the son of the Nubian lioness deity, although they did not incorporate that deity into their own pantheon. The ancient Egyptians also created naturalistic portrayals of lions as symbols of protection and royal power in addition to the images of mythical sphinxes.

In the near east a long line of cultures used the motif of Lions as both a symbol of primal and royal power. The earliest examples come from Mesopotamia. This usage continued throughout the later cultures of the Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and early Islamic cultures like the Umayyads and Abbassids.

• 

  Sumerian depiction of lions on Stela of dudu

• 

  Depiction of Lions at Persepolis

• 

  Umayyad Andalusian Ivory with Lions

• 

  Khaldi standing astride a lion from Urartu

• 

  Ancient Egyptian reclining lion statue created during reign of Amenhotep III

In ancient Indian civilizations, lions were adopted as symbols of many dynasties, the famous one being the Lion Capital of Ashoka. This is a sculpture of four "Indian lions" standing back to back. This was used during the reign of Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled a large part of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. A varient of this was later adopted as the National Emblem of India.

Famous original sandstone sculpted Lion Capital of Ashoka preserved in India, which was originally erected around 250 BCE atop an Ashoka Pillar. In the circular base, a Bull and horse is sculpted on the right and left of a wheel(Ashoka Chakra). On the far side there is an Elephant and a Lion instead.

In antiquity, lions were common along the southern coast of the Mediterranean, as well as in Greece and the Middle East. In Greek mythology a lion appears in a variety of functions. The Lion Gate of Mycenae features two rampant lionesses who flank a central column representing the major deity of this early Greek culture that dates to the second millennium BC. In later classical Greek mythology, the Nemean Lion was portrayed as a people-eating beast; killing it was one of the twelve tasks assigned to Heracles. In the story of Androcles, one of Aesop's fables, the hero, a runaway slave, pulls a thorn from a lion's paw; when he is later thrown to the lions as punishment for escaping, the lion recognizes him once again and refuses to kill the man. According to the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, the Israelite Tribe of Judah had the Lion of Judah as its symbol.

The characteristic of the lion as the "king of the jungle" goes back to the influence of The Physiologus, an early Christian book about animal symbolism which spread into many cultures and generally had great influence in Western culture. First written in Greek in the second century AD, the book was translated into Latin in about 400 AD, next into Ethiopic and Syriac, then into many European and Middle-Eastern languages. Many illuminated manuscript copies such as the Bern Physiologus survive. It retained its influence over ideas of the "meaning" of animals in Europe for over a thousand years. It was a predecessor of bestiaries (books of beasts). Medieval poetical literature is full of allusions that can be traced to the Physiologus tradition; the text also exerted great influence on the symbolism of medieval ecclesiastical art.

The winged lion of Mark the Evangelist is the national emblem and landmark of Venice (detail from a painting by Vittore Carpaccio, 1516)

The royal symbolism of the lion was taken up repeatedly in later history, in order to claim power, for example by Henry the Lion. The ongoing fascination is apparent today by the diversity of coats of arms on which lions are shown in various colours and forms.

Many images from ancient times depict lionesses as the fierce warrior protecting their culture. Since in certain views lionesses seem to have a ruff, often the only clue to this difference between the genders is the lack of a massive mane. When no mane is apparent, the image often is described as a panther or leopard among cultures without familiarity with the nature of lion social organization and hunting strategies for prides. In literary and historical references, note of a figure or an image as depicting a lion may relate to either gender without being specific, and be easily misunderstood, thereby then being drawn with a mane since it is so distinctive.

Images of lions appears on many flags, coats of arms, and emblems. For example, it symbolises the Sinhalese people (Sinhalese Singha = Lion). Local folklore tells of Prince Vijaya, the first of the Sinhalese kings, as being the son of Sinhabahu, who was fathered by a lion. See history of Sri Lanka. Lions are recurring symbols in the coat of arms of royalty and chivalry, particularly in the UK, where the lion is also a national symbol of the British people, and in Ethiopia, where it is a symbol of the Monarchy.