To the Point

Looking Beyond Kyoto

The Kyoto Protocol on Global Warming goes into effect today in 141 nations around the world. They include Russia, Japan, China and most of Europe--but not the US, even though it's responsible for one-fourth of the world's emissions of greenhouse gasses, produced by the fossil fuels that power the world's economies. President Bush is taking the heat for pulling out of the agreement, but Bill Clinton never presented Kyoto to Congress. We look at what both state and federal officials as well as private industry are doing to confront global warming with experts from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, California Environmental Protection Agency, Cato Institute, Stanford, and environmental advisors to the Bush and Clinton Administrations. Making News: Secretary Rice Talks Tough, Recalls Syrian Ambassador There's no evidence that Syria was behind this week's in murder of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a Senate Committee the heat is still on Damascus. Michael Hirsh, Senior Editor at Newsweek magazine, says the Bush administration will use this incident to continue to pressure Syrian President Bashar Assad. Reporter's Notebook: National Hockey League Cancels 2004-05 Season For the first time since 1919, the Stanley Cup for the championship of professional hockey won't be awarded this year because there won't be a season. A dispute that began in October has not been resolved, and all games have been cancelled, despite NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's last-ditch $2.5 million effort to save the season. Ron Rapoport, sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times looks at what's been lost and what the future might hold.