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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017
@thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
Volume 118, Issue 46 WORLD
SYSTEM
US set to pull out of UNESCO, cites antiIsrael bias By Chase Karacostas Senior News Reporter
anthony mireles| daily texan staff
Government freshman Emily Clark endorses her support for banning the lease of UT land in West Texas to oil companies for use in fracking operations, which emit a large amount of methane gas.
Petition calls for cleaner drilling By Maria Mendez Senior News Reporter
Campaign demands McRaven address methane from fracking Tabling on the West Mall on Tuesday, UT students and advocacy group Environment Texas reignited a campaign to reduce methane emissions from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on UT System-controlled land.
The new push for petition signatures comes almost a year after Environment Texas sent a letter to UT System Chancellor William McRaven raising concerns about emissions. McRaven and University Lands, the entity managing the UT System’s 2.1 million acres, have been slow to implement change since then, said Kari Ross, Environment Texas campaign coordinator. “(Chancellor McRaven) has
been very vocal about environmental problems in the past,” Ross said. “We think he’s environmentally minded, and he’s with us on this issue — it’s just a very political issue, especially because of the funding the UT System gets from fracking.” University Lands leases land to oil and natural gas companies, generating revenue for Texas’ Permanent University Fund, which provides income
for UT and Texas A&M system universities. Oil and natural gas production normally releases the greenhouse gas methane, but Environment Texas worries University Lands is not regulating oil and natural gas companies enough to reduce methane leaks on its land. Ultimately, Environment Texas would like University Lands
METHANE page 2
Citing anti-Israel bias, the Trump administration announced last week its decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at the end of 2018. Art history associate professor Stephennie Mulder said regardless of its issues, such as sometimes being overly political, the work UNESCO does is too important to abandon. “Despite some of the problems of UNESCO, it’s an organization that does really important work,” Mulder said. “It’s really the only (organization) that can coordinate international work to preserve cultural heritage sites around the world.” UNESCO was first established in the 1940s to promote and preserve international education, communication and culture. The organization came under fire recently for criticizing Israeli occupation of the West Bank, a hotly contested area being fought over by Palestinians and the Israeli government. One role of UNESCO is designating World Heritage Sites — important cultural or historical areas. Within the West Bank, there is one World Heritage Site called Hebron that houses shrines to the biblical figure Abraham and his wife. Mulder said Hebron is revered by all three major monotheistic
UNESCO page 3 CITY
CAMPUS
West Nile Virus discovered in Austin, UHS urges caution against mosquitos
Lecture examines social media, rise in fake news
By Jenan Taha
department announced the discovery of mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus in Senior News Reporter the 78746 zip code last Thursday. No casAfter Austin Public Health found es of West Nile virus have been reportWest Nile virus in the city’s mosquito ed in Travis County this year, however, population, the city health department according to the department. Spencer Fox, a doctoral student in and University Health Services are advising Austinites to take extra precaution integrative biology who studies mosquito-borne illnesses, said although most against mosquitoes. The health infected with the virus show no symptoms, Texas sees hundreds of cases of the illness each year. “Texas is one of the most at-risk states for mosquito-borne illnesses because it’s in the South, and it has the right kind of environment,” Fox said. “West Nile virus is a continued threat for Texas.” The health department reported 107 cases in Texas this year, including three deaths. The illustration by sian rips virus is spread by mosquitoes | daily texan staff who have most likely bitten West
Nile-infected birds in the area, Fox said. Carole Barasch, Austin Public Health’s communications manager, said in an email that the mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus are endemic to the area. “It’s not unexpected that we would identify mosquitoes that test positive for West Nile,” Barasch said. “We want the public to be aware so they can take actions to protect themselves and others by draining excess water that accumulates in and around their property, wear long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors and use an EPA-recommended repellent.” Symptoms of the virus include high fever, nausea and headaches. UHS medical director David Vander Straten said since it can be difficult for a student to tell whether they have the virus or another illness like the flu, students should take precautions such as avoiding standing water and using insect repellent. “We always want folks to try to think of preventative measures when we’re in the warmer months,” Vander Straten said.
VIRUS page 3
By Sara Schleede
in an Era of Fake News.” He said the current environment has created “a perfect storm In 1844, the Whig Party of misinformation.” Holland said that in the released a news story falsely accusing a Democratic pres- past, journalists depended idential candidate of selling on fact-checking and multiple perspechis slaves to rogue tives to verify slave-traders. In their credibility, 2016, history rebut now, both peated itself when a group of teenA lot of the stuff sides are not fairly presented. agers in Macedothat we saw in “(Fact-checknia hosted over ing) has been 100 fake news 2016 isn’t new. the answer for websites centered around American Disinformation neutral, professional mepolitics. is not new. dia for as long “A lot of the as I rememstuff that we saw ber, and that in 2016 isn’t new,” —Joshua Holland, hasn’t helped,” journalist JoshJournalist Holland said. ua Holland said. “There have been serious “Disinformation is not new.” On Tuesday, Holland, a media failures.” Government freshman contributor to The Nation and Rolling Stone, led a discussion Jackson Freeman said he noon today’s media landscape in ticed carelessness among the a Future of Public Policy seminar titled “Political Journalism MEDIA page 2 News Reporter
NEWS
OPINION
LIFE&ARTS
SPORTS
UT club provides transfer students with resources. PAGE 3
Thoughts on Boy Scout reform and colleges catering to students. PAGE 4
Ex-Girl Scout and UT student brings sanitary pads to rural India. PAGE 8
A few plays have been the difference from Texas being 5-1. PAGE 6
6348/UT Athletics; Process color
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