The Michigan Daily -- michigandaily.com Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - 3 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - 3 NEWS BRIEFS DETROIT Government steps up Jeep Liberty air bag investigation Federal safety regulators have stepped up their investigation into the Jeep Liberty SUV after 50 people reported they were hurt when the air bags inflated even though the vehicle wasn't involved in a crash. The National Highway Traf- fic Safety Administration started investigating Liberty SUVs made by Chrysler Group LLC from the 2002 and 2003 model years in September. The investigation was upgraded to a full engineering analysis last week. Documents on the agency web- site say Chrysler and regulators have gotten 87 complaints of air bags going off by surprise. Nearly 387,000 vehicles are under inves- tigation. JUNEAU, Alaska Alaska rep. urges federal takeover of Central Park When Alaska state Rep. Kyle Johansen penned a resolution to urge the federal government to take over New York's Central Park, he may not have expected* a hearing on the issue let alone a mention in The New York Times. But he's got both. The resolution from Johan- sen, a Ketchikan Republican, first reported by The Associated Press, was highlighted in the Times' City Room blog last week. And the House Resources Committee planned yesterday afternoon to discuss HJR 31, which argues the federal government's hold on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is akin to labeling Central Park a wilderness area and halting future improvements or develop- ment there. Public attention is all the reso- lution will generate for now. One of the bill's co-sponsors, Rep. Eric Feige af Chickaloon, co-chair of the Resources Committee, decid- ed to hold the bill yesterday in committee pending further dis- cussion. OSLO, Norway Two found guilty of plotting attack against newspaper Two men were found guilty yesterday of involvement in an al-Qaida plot to attack a Danish newspaper that caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, the first convictions under Norway's anti- terror laws. A third defendant was acquit- ted of terror charges but convict- ed of helping the others acquire explosives. Investigators say the plot was linked to the same al-Qaida plan- ners behind thwarted attacks against the New York subway system and a shopping mall in Manchester, England, in 2009. TEHRAN, Iran Iran: Nuclear 0 inspectors can extend their visit Iran's official news agency reports that the country's foreign minister has said that inspectors from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog can extend an ongoing visit to the Islamic Republic. Yesterday's report by IRNA says All Akbar Salehi told Turk- ish TRT TV in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the three-day visit by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors that started Sunday can be extended "if they The remarks appear to be part of a show of flexibility and transparency by Tehran dur- ing the IAEA inspection tour, which could greatly influence the direction and urgency of U.S.-led efforts to rein in Iran's ability to enrich uranium. -Compiled from Daily wire reports SUSTAINABLE From Page 1 family of businesses previously kept its practices "just above" the laws mandating environ- mental protection standards. However, it wasn't until last October that Henry per- suaded the managing partners of Zingerman's to sign a vision that dictated the future of the company's environmental sus- tainability. She said educating employees and management about sustainability composed a major part of her work. To spur the organization's sustainable efforts, Zinger- man's began to examine its operating standards and how to best improve them., Henry said the company also consult- ed with individual workers for guidance on how to make Zing- erman's more environmentally friendly. "The only way to do efficien- cy studies is not to have some- one from the outside looking at it, but have every single person on the floor looking at how can I do my job better," Henry said. Zingerman's first environ- mental effort was composting. According to Henry, each of Zingerman's businesses has its own composting operations and the goal of the program at Zing- erman's is to start composting meat scraps instead of throwing them out. The company also started using more green cleaning products, and now buys con- centrated products with less packaging - saving upward of $30,000, Henry said. Henry added that ensur- ing cost effectiveness while embarking on a "green" path is crucial to maintaining the suc- cess of the business. "You can't do a sustainable business plan that doesn't allow the business to keep going," she said. "You have to have a return on investment that is positive. It is not because we are profit mongers at all. The business runs on a 3 to 5-percent profit margin ... it is just about having enough profit to keep going." Once the company saw mon- ey-saving changes from making the switch to environmentally friendly cleaning products, management started looking for additional ways to reduce waste. Zingerman's is working on improving heat insulation at Zingerman's Bakehouse, the company's bakery business, which is undergoing a full-scale energy audit. Henry said the saved energy could be used to provide air conditioning in the summer, but this is still in the works because of engineering and funding complexities. She noted that the heat recapture project is emblematic of Zingerman's environmental goals as they are in the process of fulfilling their vision they set in October. ORGANIC FOOD A MAINSTAY AT CO-OP Since 1971, the People's Food Co-op - a small grocery store located in Kerrytown -has placed a major emphasis on environmental sustainability The co-op used to consist of two stores, one on Packard Street and one in Kerrytown, before eventually merging into a single store in the 1990s. Kevin Sharp, interim general manager, said the loss was tough but nec- essary, as it enabled the owners to better provide environmen- tally sustainable products for the community. "It is just an inherent part of what we do," Sharp said. "Forus, to not do it is not an option." Over the years, the co-op has faced competition from other grocery stores, but it never par- ticularly worries Sharp. "We are never going to com- pete with the other stores," Sharp said. "We keep trying to do what we do the best we can ... the real difference between us and another store is that we are a co-op, and people get to have some say and ownership in their food source." Sharp said this sense of own- ership and the products provid- ed at the store gives the co-op a unique market niche. TheAnnArborFarmer's Mar- ket also plays into building the co-op's place in the community. Sharp said many people view it as a Saturday morning ritual to first visit the Farmer's Market and then pick up the rest of their groceries at the co-op. The co-op strives to be as, sustainable as possible in its product choice, as it stocks about 3,000 certified organic productions. Additionally, it works with a network of about 18 to 20 local farmers - some of whom the company has worked with since its formation - sup- porting the farming community with over half a million dollars in purchases. With its mission to provide environmentally sustainable and natural foods, the People's Food Co-op often incurs slightly high- er costs. However, Sharp con- tended that the co-op's prices are competitive with other markets. "We fully acknowledge that natural foods are expensive," he said. "But our prices are com- petitive." Sharp hopes that the co-op educates people allout sustain- ability and encourages them to do live a mor environmentally- friendly lifestyle. "The idea is to do more," he said. "(Because) we are not all going to be experts in sustain- ability." REPORT From Page 1 reported to the University in May, but was dismissed by the UMHS Office of the General Counsel due to lack of evidence. Fitzgerald said the case was then reopened and fully investi- gated in November. "Once these allegations were reported properly in Novem- ber to the Department of Public Safety, they were immediately investigated, and the prosecu- tor authorized criminal charges against the resident who was involved," Fitzgerald said. The internal report, obtained by The Michigan Daily, revealed that the investigation was stalled due to a number of issues involving the line of responsibil- ity and communication between authorities. "DPS and hospital security have strong policies and pro- cedures for their individual departments, but weak commu- nication protocols between the two departments," the report stated. In a blog post yesterday, Ora Pescovitz, the University's exec- utive vice president for medical affairs, called the incident "a painful moment in our history," and she wrote that an investiga- tion is being conducted to deter- mine faults in the University's reporting systems to ensure a similar incident doesn't occur again. PRESIDENT From Page 1 tuition could be lowered, and I think a lot of students can relate to that." According to plan, Beckman was to leave the stage after introducing Obama, but the president surprised her with a handshake and a kiss on the cheek before her exit. "(The kiss on the cheek) was incredible," Beckman said. "I wasn't expecting that, but it was great, obviously ... I think for- ever, that will be my good side." Before taking the stage, Beck- man also had the opportunity to meet the president. She said Obama joked about not wear- ing maize and blue and gave her words of encouragement. "He pulled me aside to ask me about what I was studying... and how I liked school and how it's going," Beckman said. "He was very down to earth ... and he told me that he could tell I was going to do agood job, and then he told me, 'I'll see you up there."' Central Student Government President DeAndree Watson spoke before Beckman on Friday and described the experience as an "honor." In his speech, Wat- son discussed the importance of "The creation, use and dis- tribution of child pornography is appalling on every level, and in situations like this when there are mistakes in how such a situation was handled, human nature makes us want to quickly identify and resolve the prob- lem," Pescovitz wrote. "Howev- er, jumping to quick conclusions and making assumptions with partial information isn't the answer. That's why the Uni- versity is engaged in a compre- hensive review into what went wrong in this particular case." Pescovitz wrote that the review was a priority for her and the University and it would allow UMHS to reform its pro- tocols. Pescovitz specifically noted that UMHS remains dedicated to protecting its "most vulnerable" patients. She encouraged UMHS employees to promptly report "inappropri- ate" incidents. "It is our collective respon- sibility to be diligent in report- ing behaviors and actions that are inappropriate, and that we applaud and support those who have the courage to do so," Pescovitz wrote. "It isn't always easy to speak up, but it is always the right thing to do. And it is my and all leadership's respon- sibility to thoroughly and timely investigate reported concerns." Jensen's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb.16, and he is being charged with four counts of possessing child sexually abusive material. government aid in helping fund higher education, sharing his experience as a student in the Detroit Public School system dreaming of attending the Uni- versity. "I really appreciated the opportunity, and I was glad I could do it," Watson said. Watson said the central mes- sage of Obama's speech was his commitment to encouraging the state to make higher education a greater priority, something he said CSG will help students aim to do as well. He added that Uni- versity Provost Philip Hanlon plans to meet with CSG in the future to discuss the construc- tion of the University's budget and the effect state and federal funding have on tuition costs. "I'm really excited to see that (Obama's) committed to ... push- ing the state to make higher education a priority," Watson said. "We really need to push the state legislature to provide more funding for education, so what (CSG is) going to do is provide the information that students need ... to start contacting their state legislatures." Watson added: "All of those things are going to happen soon because we think it's really important for students to have their voices heard as well." DELAYS From Page 1 uncertain, but may be tied to dif- ficulties of working outdoors. According to a Jan. 24 annar-. bor.com article, Susan Pollay, executive director of the DDA, said the remaining work at the site is dependent on the weather and moisture in the area, which may hinder development. Pollay did not respond to multiple interview requests from the Daily. Regardless of the circum- stances, Ramlawi said he is disappointed in how the city is handling the prolonged delay and how the construction has continued to negatively impact businesses in the area. City Council member Ste- phen Kunselman (D-Ward 3) said he understands the frus- tration from business owners who have seen a decrease in sales because of the project. "The fact that it is delayed is unfortunate because we know it's been very difficult for some of the local businesses ... as a council member, I am very concerned about our local busi- nesses," Kunselman said. He added he hopes the proj- ect will be completed before the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, which are scheduled for mid-July. If the construction is not finished by that time, Kunselman said it could be "very concerning" to both business owners and the community at large. "All I can hope is that every- one involved is working expe- diently to get the road open as timely as they can," he added. LSA freshman Caroline Rourke said the construction hasn't personally affected her as a consumer, but is concerned about its negative impact on local businesses. "Personally, it hasn't really bothered me ... (but) it's not okay that this is their third deadline missed," Rourke said. "They definitely need to take action." At this point, it is unclear when Fifth Avenue will reopen to traffic. For now, Ramlawi said businesses like his are just "weathering the storm." TECHNOLOGY From Page 1 plex mathematical algorithms, it can process the same amount of data as a conventional scan- ner using less X-ray intensity, therefore allowing the machine to emit lower doses of radiation. "We're doing an incred- ible amount of processing of the data to make an excellent quality image out of data with a lower X-ray dose," Fessler stated. Radiology Prof. Ella Kazer- ooni has used Veo on patients at the University hospital since it was first installed in November, and said it has been greatly suc- cessful thus far. "We're seeing similar image quality at considerably lower radiation doses," Kazerooni said. "We really believe what is behind this technology." Patients experience no dif- ference between Veo and the conventional scanner when undergoing the scan itself, but Kazerooni said it takes Veo 50 to 60 minutes to process the information and construct an image. The conventional scan- ner, however, can generate the image almost immediately. Because it takes longer to produce an image using Veo, Kazerooni said it is only being used in routine outpatient procedures when the patient can afford to wait. For ICU and emergency room patients, Kazerooni said a conventional scanner must be used in order to generate an image quickly. Kazerooni stressed .that the dose of radiation a patient receives depends on many fac- tors, including the body part being examined, the patient's weight and the clinical question being investigated. For exam- ple, body parts like the skull and pelvis are thick bones that require more X-rays, and there- fore higher doses of radiation, to penetrate the bone.. She added that children and young adults are at the highest risk from radiation, while the risk is less in adults and mini- mal in older adults aged 30 to 40. "Those with the highest risk for any potential downstream cancer tend to be very young," Kazerooni said. "Our efforts here in our children's and women's hospital have been very rigorous in the last seven years to mini- mize the radiation from the CTs to children in particular." Kazerooni said UMHS plans to add Veo computers to all of its CT scanners and has requested these units from General Elec- tric. Looking forward, Fes- sler said he plans to continue working on Veo technology to improve its speed in generating images so that it can be used on all patients in the future. "We're continuingtowork on faster algorithms, and we hope the next generation of this tech- nology will be fast enough that it will only take as long as the scan itself - maybe a minute or two - and then it could be used on every patient for every scan." FOLLOW THE DAILY ON TWITTER @MICH IGANDAILY [HUHR2U LIKE COOKIES? LIKE COLORS? JOIN DAILY DESIGN E-MAIL MAHANTI@MICHIGANDAILY.COM 1 4 i