SPORTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CONCERT
Senior forward Te’onna Campbell grabs her inspiration to play basketball at a high level from those closest to her. The family that helped raise her pushes Campbell to succeed in a competitive industry.
Award-winning singer John Legend will bring his tour to UH.
A family concept
SEE PAGE 5
UH to welcome a Legend SEE PAGE 7
FEBRUARY
CALENDAR CHECK: 12
Creative Writing. Faculty members will read their own work in the Honors College.
THE DAILY COUGAR
T H E
O F F I C I A L
S T U D E N T
N E W S PA P E R
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U N I V E R S I T Y
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Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Issue 71, Volume 79
H O U S T O N
S I N C E
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ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
Q&A
UH advocate tries for seat on Humble City Council Channler K. Hill Editor in chief
The White House is already in action. According to the Executive Office of the President, the Obama administration is implementing a climate action plan that consists of a large amount of executive actions. The three key pillars of this plan are to cut carbon pollution in America,
Norman Funderburk studied mechanical engineering at the University in the early 1970s. Since then, he has gone on to gain 40 years’ worth of experience in engineering and construction, and he has been working for Koch Specialty Plant Services since 1987. He serves as the president of the Northeast Hospital Foundation and said he believes that his track record in the community speaks to his pride and dedication to serve the city of Humble in the Funderburk City Council seat. The Daily Cougar: What made you decide to file for the City Council seat? Norman Funderburk: I’ve aspired to serve on our City Council for some time, and the position came to be open after Councilman Allan Lee’s passing in December. The city of Humble has been fortunate to have had excellent leadership over the years, and I’d like to continue that tradition if fortunate enough to be elected. Councilman Lee, having faithfully served the city for 19 years, is a great example of the stability that we’ve had in City Council. TDC: What do you hope to potentially accomplish with the position? NF: Because of the tremendous growth in the area, I want the city of Humble to also grow progressively. I want our community to be a location where families want to live and a place that anyone would want to visit and spend time. I want to ensure
ENERGY continues on page 3
HUMBLE continues on page 3
The Houston Ship Channel is one of the United States’ biggest seaports and sees daily transportation of major products, including a variety of petrochemicals. The energy industry will soon have to deal with new policies regarding the transportation, production and storage of certain products as the debate about global warming heats up the international stage. Today’s installation of the four-part 2013-2014 Energy Symposium Series will discuss the impact of climate changes and resulting economic changes. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
ENERGY
Questioning climate change claims Third segment in this year’s Energy Symposium Series tackles effects of rising temperatures Amanda Hilow News editor
The state climatologist, the climate change adviser for Royal Dutch Shell and a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will gather today at UH for “Climate Change: Is it a Real Threat?” — part of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics’ 2013-2014 Energy Symposium Series — to discuss and assess the challenges raised by climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the planet’s average temperature has risen by
1.4 degrees in the last century, projecting that it will rise another 2 to 11.5 degrees during the next hundred years, and energy experts are debating how this will affect the globe’s future. “Regardless of your political views, this is something that’s going to impact everybody,” said associate professor of atmospheric science and atmospheric chemistry Barry Lefer, moderator of the discussion, in a statement about the symposium’s topic. “I want to focus on what scientists are concerned about — what the threats are.” Research by the Nature Conservancy claims that if the Earth continues to see temperatures rise at such a rapid rate, one-fourth of the planet’s species could face
extinction by 2050. The conservation organization also cites threats such as changing landscapes, rising seas, stronger storms, heat-related illnesses and diseases, economic losses and increased risk of drought, fire or floods. “But people need a better understanding of the science that is driving our understanding of it,” said interim NSM dean Dan Wells in a UH release. “The speakers (at the symposium) may not agree on all of the details of that science, but the audience is sure to leave much betterinformed about what’s true and what is not in the ongoing debates about climate change and the impacts those debates will have on our country’s energy policy.”
EVENT “Climate Change: Is it a Real Threat?” What: The third discussion in the four-part 2013-2014 Energy Symposium Series When: 6:30 p.m. tonight Where: The Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom of the UH Hilton