The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 7, 1989-- Pag* 3 , Sunspots cause worry for NASA scientists BY NOELLE SHADWICK Sunspot activity is increasing at what could be its fastest rate in history and is causing some scientists to worry that satellite launchings may be delayed or their missions cut short. "The size of the current cycle is equal to the average of the last 20 cycles and it's still going up," said David Bohlin, chief of solar physics at NASA head- quarters. "It looks like a real barn burner." Sunspots - active sites on the sun that produce ultraviolet light - are responsible for the expanding of the Earth's outer atmosphere. The energy released by the sunspots heats up the atmosphere and causes it to expand, said University Engineering Prof. Andrew Nagy. The greater density of the expanded atmospheric layer increases wind resistance and causes satellites to fall back into orbit, he said. Some NASA scientists are concerned that putting satellites into orbit during sunspot activity may cause some missions to be shortened. "It's something we're watching, but we're not sure if there will be a major impact yet [on satellite launchings]," said Sam Keller, deputy associative ad- ministrator for Space Science and Application at NASA. TheHubble Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in December 1989, has worried scientists who fear it could fall back to earth if it does not overcome the in- creased wind resistance caused by the sunspots. Sunspot activity normally fluctuates on an eleven- year cycle, running through a number of peaks and falls. The cycle usually peaks in the eleventh year. The current cycle will peak in early 1990, said Norm Cohen, solar forecaster at the Space Environ- ment Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. The cycle is currently rising at a rate equal to the most active cycle in history and may soon surpass it. Sunspot activity is also responsible for the dancing Northern lights often seen in Alaska. "There is a good possibility that the Northern lights will be seen in Michigan [by] 1991," said University Engineering Prof. Timothy Killeen. State maya face wastej problems Opposition groups plan Lansing protest. LANSING (AP) - Gov. James Blanchard said yesterday the governor of Washington has assured him that that state will continue accepting low-level ra- dioactive waste from Michigan. However, Blanchard said, if Michigan withdraws; from a Midwest group that chose Michigan for a re- gional disposal site, Washington then will refuse to * accept any more waste. Blanchard made his comments as opponents of , storing nuclear waste in Michigan announced a rally for tonight, to precede Blanchard's State of the Stag address. "We have organized this rally because we are con cerned about the state of our state, about the state of our water, our air and the life this land supports," said Ellen Beal, an Ingham County commissioner and co- chair of Don't Waste Michigan, an opposition group. The seven-state Midwest Interstate Low-Level Ra- dioactive Waste Commission chose Michigan in July 1987 to provide a disposal site for radioactive waste, from nuclear power plants, laboratories, industry, and hospitals. Michigan was within a few weeks of spelling out where a disposal facility was possible in Michigan when Blanchard last week halted the process ands threatened to withdraw from the commission unless certain federal laws were changed. Among other things, he said, federal law calls for far too many disposal sites nationally, and will transfer. waste management liability to the state. He said if that. isn't changed by July 1, Michigan will withdraw from. the Midwest compact. "Hopefully, we'll convey the message to the other states that what we're doing is constructive and nott>,: harmful to them," Blanchard said. "I'm optimistic we, ': can deal with it." Blanchard said he'll meet with Great Lakes govere' nors later this month and that he's hoping he'll get - their support for federal law changes. k} Heinz Grassel displays how University's Space Research the High program, Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI), designed in the will take measurements of atmospheric winds. NASA satellite to carry instrument invented at 'U' BY NOELLE SHADWICK A NASA satellite that will study responses of the upper atmosphere to pollution and natural weather condi- tions is scheduled to carry an in- strument designed by University re- searchers to measure the characteris- tics of atmospheric winds. The one-of-a-kind High-Resolu- tion Doppler Imager (HRDI) is one of nine instruments of NASA's Up- per Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS), which is scheduled to be launched in 1991. HRDI will be the first instrument to make comprehensive measure- ments of stratospheric and metas- pheric winds. The satellite should provide a better view of the upper atmosphere, said University Prof. Paul Hayes, director of the HRDI project. "Right now we have a picture we imagine is true. We're going to ex- amine this view more clearly. Every time we've done this [examined ex- isting theories] we've discovered the world's working in a vastly different way than we thought," he said. One aspect of the atmosphere HRDI will study is the effect of storms such as tornadoes or thunder- storms on the upper atmosphere winds. Storms cause a "froth" in the up- per atmosphere similar to rip cur- rents in an ocean, Hayes said. No one is quite sure why or how, he said. HRDI should be launched in 1991 if no further delays occur. HRDI and UARS were originally scheduled to be in flight this year, but space shuttle Challenger's explosion in 1986 caused NASA to delay the launch of UARS. The delay caused considerable in- creases in the price of HRDI. I PIRGIM makes cleanup act number one priority, BY NOELLE SHAD WICK The establishment of a Compre- hensive Cleanup Act (CCA) by the Michigan legislature will be the main goal of the Public Interest Re- search Group in Michigan (PIRGIM) for the next legislative session. PIRGIM decided to make the cleanup act a top priority following the release of their investigative re- port which gave the state an "F" on Michigan's environmental waste dump laws. A cleanup act should include standards and timetables for cleaning up toxic sites as well as cost recov- ery from polluters, said PIRGIM Chair Jason Feingold. As Michigan law exists now, whoever creates a toxic waste site owns it. There are no effective laws to make polluters clean up their dumps, Feingold said. The Department of Natural Re- sources has little power to stop pol- luters from polluting, so the responsibilty for cleanup has fallen to the taxpayers, Feingold said. "The DNR can't walk up to a site and tell someone to clean up a site and then make them clean up," Feingold said. It is not fair to make the taxpayers foot the bill, he added. Both the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and chemical companies responsible for pollution oppose the comprehensive cleanup bill, said PIRGIM lawyer Andrew Buchs- baum. PIRGIM believes that Governor James Blanchard will make reference to a cleanup Superfund in his state of the state address this evening, Buchsbaum said. If PIRGIM can make a priority item out of the CCA, Governor Blan- chard will support it wholeheartedly.' Jason Feingold, chair of PIRGIM PIRGIM hopes that by making a grassroots effort to gain support for a comprehensive cleanup act, they will receive support from the gover- nor and legislature. "If PIRGIM can make a priority item out of the CCA, Governor Blanchard will support it whole- heartedly," Feingold said. MassIV Monday, Fe bruai At its meeting PIRGIM also agreed to support an amendment toi the Bottle Bill of 1976 which would i give refunds from unclaimed bottle! deposits to a recycling program in- stead of to distributors. Bottle distributors claim that the deposits cover the cost of tranporting bottles. PIRGIM will undertake a research project for the Michigan United Conservation Clubs to examine4 pricing of recyclable beverage bottles to see if the money reclaimed is re. ally needed by bottle distributors to. cover transportation of the bever- ages. Finally, PIRGIM adopted a pos; r tion on the low-level radioactive waste siting and compact disposal program, recommending that Michi- gan withdraw from the Midwest Compact, barring the adoption of- certain safety standards. " an Daily leeting ry 13th, 7:900 pm Year of the Snake Residents of New York's Chinatown celebrate yesterday for of the Snake. AssociaOte Press the Chinese New Year, the Year J THE LIST What's happening in Ann Arbor today Speakers "Hellenism in Late Antiq- uity: Paganism and Greek Culture" - Glen W. Bowersock, Princeton University, Rackham Graduate School Amphitheatre, 4 pm. Reception immediately fol- lowing in Rackham Graduate W. Conference Rm. "Traditions of Classicism in Architecture" - J. Whiteman, Rackham Amphitheatre, 7:30 pm. "Parallel Logic Program- ming" - D. Sherlekar, 1311 EECS, 4 pm. "Embodying the Great Spirit: Telling the Cosmic Story" - Chris and Donna Jor- gensen, Michigan League,a3 rd Floor, Rm. D, 7:30 pm. "Blooming the Desert in Is- rael" - Kahana Pinchas, 603 E. Madison, 12 noon. "Was There a *Big Bang at the VT lndafrIv?" - Gerta Stage An Insurrection" - Revolutionary History Series, B118 MLB, 7 pm. "My Journey to Judaism" - Hill Street Forum, Julius Lester, Hillel, 8 pm. Meetings Lesbian and Gay Rights Organizing Committee - 3100 Michigan Union, 8 pm. Iranian Student Cultural Club - Michigan League, Rm. C, 7:30 pm. TARDAA Meeting - 296 Dennison, 8 pm. Furthermore Pre-Interviews - General Dynamics, 1013 Dow, 3:30-5 pm; Inland Steel, 1200 EECS, 6:30- 8:30 pm. Writing Your CIF - Career Ruling may close gas stations BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS More than half of Michigan's gas stations could be forced to close be- cause of costly federal regulations to prevent underground gas-storage tanks from leaking, industry groups contend. Environmental Protection Agency rules call for using new and safer underground storage tanks, which cost $65,000, and require stations to carry $1 million in insurance against accidental spillage. The regulations are being phased in gradually though 1998. "There's really no choice here." NEWS OPINION ARTS SPORTS GRAPHICS The Daily is seeking new staff members. 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