Sayed Talat Kamal reported from Durban, South Africa that developing countries are expressing concerns about the lack of seriousness shown by rich countries in addressing climate change. Specifically, the US has been criticized for being slow to act on important climate change issues. Delegates from Europe and the African bloc at the UN Climate Summit in Durban have spoken out against the US stance. Mali delegate Seyni Nafo stated that developed countries do not seem to be taking climate change seriously as a global issue, and called for the US to show leadership in tackling the crisis. The EU's chief negotiator, Arthur Runge-Metzger, expressed concerns about the US delegation being hindered by the current US political climate, where climate change is seen as a controversial issue. He mentioned that the Obama administration faces challenges in advancing climate change initiatives due to resistance in Congress. The US is seen as delaying progress in negotiations by pushing for conditions in the agreement that would legally require all countries to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. This has also stalled discussions on how to allocate US$100 billion to help developing countries transition to low-carbon economies and address the impacts of global warming. Climate change is caused by greenhouse gases trapping heat in the atmosphere, resulting in rising global temperatures and extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, sea level rise, droughts, erosion, and increased salinity. It is widely agreed that a temperature increase of over 2 degrees Celsius would lead to irreversible climate change. Global studies supported by the United Nations and the scientific community suggest that in order to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, global emissions need to be reduced to 40 percent of 1990 levels by 2020 and to 95 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. It is also crucial that emissions do not peak after 2015. The United States has expressed a preference for voluntary pledges by countries to control emissions, rather than binding targets. The US has committed to reducing its emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, a pledge that is unlikely to change in the near future according to US delegation chief Jonathan Pershing. However, Runge-Metzger argues that even if all countries fulfill their voluntary pledges, it would only amount to about half of what is necessary to prevent a potential climate crisis. Rene Orellana, the leader of the Bolivian delegation, strongly rejected the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (Redd) initiative in Bolivia's first official statement. Orellana emphasized that forests play a crucial role in providing food security, water resources, and biodiversity for indigenous populations, rather than just serving as carbon stocks for emissions offsetting schemes. Redd stated that the forest's function has been reduced to just carbon stocks. Orellana criticized certain aspects of the Green Climate Fund, specifically the payments based on results of green initiatives. Despite recent political instability, Bolivia has remained steadfast in its environmental stance at the 17th conference of parties to the UN climate change convention. This year, the country passed groundbreaking laws giving nature equal rights to humans. Scientists predict that heat waves, which currently occur once every 20 years, will start happening annually due to rising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Coastal regions and islands are at risk of being flooded due to global warming, and within ten years, an additional 250 million people could be affected by water shortages. Advocates for climate action believe that stabilizing carbon concentrations in the atmosphere would only slightly slow economic growth, but the benefits of improved health, increased energy security, and more reliable food sources would outweigh the costs.