Friday's Roundup of News from Bali

Here's a look at some of the news out of Bali today:

• It will cost the world $200 billion annually by 2020 to adequately deal with global warming, according to Yvo de Boer, general secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, as quoted in Deutsche Presse-Agentur. That sounds like a lot, but will amount to no more than half a percent of world GDP by 2030, he said. Given the stakes, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called the next climate treaty "one of the most complex multilateral treaties ever undertaken," according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

• Russia indicated it would support the U.N. greenhouse gas reduction goals, but only if it didn't hinder the Russian economy, according to Russia & CIS Energy Newswire. But that condition is unlikely to be met for the resurgent oil giant. Russia is one of the world's top polluters, though its carbon emissions have decreased from 1990 levels, only because of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

• China announced that its new energy policy would include major provisions for developing clean and renewable energy sources, according to state-run media.

• Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd tamped down expectations, slightly, about the climate crusading juggernaut, according to Asia Pulse. After signing the Kyoto Protocol and indicating support for a 25-40% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020, Rudd stepped back and said the decision to accept such a steep reduction would have to wait on scientific analysis. Australia's sudden embracing of climate change action has left the United States alone in its reluctance to agree to binding greenhouse gas reduction targets, though Canada, Japan and developing nations have migrated toward the U.S. position even as its old ally down under has joined the world in its consensus. Rudd is concerned, however, about a new report predicting that Australia will see agricultural yields decline 10% by 2025 due to global warming.

• The Greenpeace ship SV Rainbow Warrior sailed into Bali to rally people to the cause of the Global Day of Action Saturday, according to Chinese state-run media, which is meant to demonstrate the desire of citizens around the world to see their delegates take action on global warming.

• Sweden and Germany, according to an analysis by a German environmental group, do more than any other nation to combat global warming, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur. The least? You guessed it: The United States, along with our oil-rich friends over in Saudi Arabia.

• Even as the world looks to a post-2012 emissions reduction scheme, Ireland is among the nations that doubts it will meet it current obligation under the Kyoto Protocol by 2012, according to the Irish Times. That is, if the Emerald Isle doesn't impost a carbon tax. The Polish News Bulletin reported about similar concerns in Poland, where it's time for the government to allocate pollution permits. In other words, it's sacrifice time, and nations are being put to the test.

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