KRudd's Kyoto ratification gets a cheer in Bali ...

... but the hangover for Australia may be decidedly worse.

Newly installed PM KRudd has indicated that Australia may miss its emissions obligations under Kyoto by around 1% resulting in penalties under any new agreement to apply from 2012.

It would include a commitment to a further reduction - 60 million tonnes - in carbon emissions plus a 30 per cent penalty added to the subsequent commitment target.

So that puts Australia in the sin bin straight away in terms of negotiations.

Nothing about that during the election campaign.

Al Gore thought Australia ratifying Kyoto would be electrifying and pressure the US to follow suit.

Seems not.

Speaking on the opening day in Bali, the United States senior climate negotiator, Harlan Watson, said the US respected Australia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, which recognises binding targets on developed countries, but made it clear the Bush Administration would not follow Kevin Rudd's lead.

Meanwhile, Canada braces for its coldest winter in 15 years.

And China, which has no binding targets, is opening a new coal fired power plant at the rate of one a week ...