HE MAY NOT BE CAPABLE OF HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE

In a letter to President Bush today, European Union leaders write that progress on the Kyoto treaty on climate change is crucial to strong U.S.-European relations and that the president must find the "political courage" to move forward with treaty negotiations. The letter, signed by Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson, whose country holds the E.U. presidency, and European Commission President Romano Prodi, asks Bush to agree to a high-level dialogue on Kyoto with the E.U. before the next round of international climate talks scheduled for July. The E.U. has grown increasingly concerned that Bush will try to kill the Kyoto deal. Last week, Bush broke a campaign promise and said he would not seek to limit power plants' emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.

straight to the source:
Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Robin Pomeroy, 23 Mar 2001
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environ/20010323/tCB00a8841.html THE TOM TOM CLUB Senate Democrats went on the attack yesterday, releasing an energy bill that focuses on conserving energy and boosting renewable fuels, rather than on drilling for more oil and natural gas. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said the U.S. "cannot drill our way out of this problem" and accused President Bush of using the country's energy problems to justify "an all-out assault on the environment." Like the GOP energy package introduced last month, the Democratic alternative would expand domestic energy production. But tax incentives to promote energy efficiency and wind and solar power lie at the heart of the Democratic bill, which also includes a provision to force the auto industry to develop more fuel-efficient light trucks and SUVs by 2008. straight to the source: New York Times, Lizette Alvarez, 23 Mar 2001 <