According to a group of small island states, more than half of the countries at the 192-nation UN climate talks in Copenhagen are in favor of stricter goals for limiting global warming compared to those supported by wealthy nations. The group, led by Dessima Williams of the alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), expressed concern that certain island states were not represented on a globe at the conference center. Williams stated that over 100 nations have now signed up to limit temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, an increase from 86 nations in August. She emphasized that a significant portion of the United Nations is advocating for ambitious and specific targets, with the least developed nations and small island states backing the 1.5 degree Celsius goal, which would necessitate wealthy nations reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 45 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. Any agreement reached in Copenhagen will require unanimous approval. The main challenges to reaching a deal in Copenhagen include determining the extent of greenhouse gas reductions by wealthy countries and the level of financial assistance provided to developing nations. The majority of developed nations and key emerging economies, such as China and India, support the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Current temperatures have already increased by 0.7 degrees Celsius and are expected to continue rising. AOSIS emphasized the urgent need for a legally binding treaty from Copenhagen, rather than a non-binding political agreement preferred by some developed countries. She stated that despite the current warming, numerous islands were experiencing substantial damage, with some sinking underwater and losing their freshwater supply. Rising temperatures were also causing damage to coral reefs. She downplayed talks of divisions within the developing nations' group over a proposal by Tuvalu for strong, legally binding agreements at Copenhagen. While AOSIS members generally supported Tuvalu's proposal, they were still figuring out a unified stance. China and India supported legally binding cuts in greenhouse gases for wealthy nations under the Kyoto Protocol, but advocated for less strict regulations for poorer nations. Barry Coates, a representative for Oxfam, compared a political declaration from Copenhagen that lacks legal binding to a toothless shark. Antonio Lima from Cape Verde, vice chair of AOSIS, likened climate change to the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii, stating that now we are aware of the impending disaster facing the poor.