function sendEmailVerification($email = '')
 {
     // to do - code duplicated in ajax, move to account class, verify global init
     global $init;
     // ask NewsCloud to send an email verification request
     require_once PATH_CORE . '/classes/systemStatus.class.php';
     $ssObj = new systemStatus($this->db);
     $partnerid = $ssObj->getState('partnerid');
     $this->db->log('partnerid ' . $partnerid);
     if ($partnerid == 0) {
         $this->db->log('ERROR: The site administrator hasn\'t properly configured this site with NewsCloud - missing partner registration.');
     } else {
         require_once PATH_CORE . '/classes/apiCloud.class.php';
         $apiObj = new apiCloud($this->db, $init[apiKey]);
         //$this->db->log($email);
         $resp = $apiObj->sendVerifyEmailRequest(SITE_CLOUDID, $email, $partnerid);
         //$this->db->log(print_r($resp,true));
     }
 }