Sayed Talat Kamal, reporting from Durban, South Africa, states that developing countries are expressing concerns that they are more committed to addressing climate change as a serious global crisis compared to wealthy nations. The US, in particular, is criticized for being slow to act on important climate issues. Delegates from Europe and the African bloc at the UN Climate Summit in Durban have criticized the US stance. Seyni Nafo, a delegate from Mali, remarked that developed countries, especially the US, are not prioritizing climate change as a global issue. Nafo emphasized the need for the US to demonstrate the same leadership in addressing climate change as it does in promoting democracy, human rights, and market access. The EU's chief negotiator, Arthur Runge-Metzger, expressed concerns about the US delegation being hindered by the current US domestic situation, where climate change is seen as unpopular. He acknowledged that the Obama administration is facing difficulties moving forward on climate change due to Congress. The US is seen as delaying negotiations by pushing for conditions in the deal that would legally bind all countries to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, which is holding up discussions on how to raise the US$100 billion allocated for developing low-carbon economies in poor countries and addressing the impacts of global warming. Climate change is caused by greenhouse gases trapping heat from the sun in the earth's atmosphere, leading to rising global temperatures and resulting in extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, sea level rise, droughts, erosion, and higher salinity levels. It is widely recognized that a temperature increase of over 2 degrees Celsius would result in irreversible climate change. According to global studies supported by the UN and the scientific community, reducing global emissions to 40 percent of 1990 levels by 2020 and to 95 percent by 2050 is necessary to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. The US prefers voluntary pledges from countries to control emissions, rather than a binding target. The US has committed to a 17 percent reduction in emissions from 2005 levels by 2020. Some experts believe that these voluntary pledges, when combined, will only achieve half of what is needed to prevent a climate crisis. Rene Orellana, leader of the Bolivian delegation, has firmly rejected the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (Redd) initiative in Bolivia's initial statement. Orellana stated that forests are not meant for storing carbon and emphasized the importance of forests for food security, water resources, and biodiversity for indigenous people in Bolivia. Redd stated that the forest's only function is as a carbon stock, according to Orellana. He also criticized certain aspects of the Green Climate Fund, specifically payments tied to the results of green initiatives. Despite recent political instability in Bolivia, the country has remained steadfast in its environmental stance at the 17th meeting of the UN climate change convention. For instance, Bolivia recently passed groundbreaking legislation granting nature equal rights to humans. Scientists are forecasting that heat waves, which currently occur every 20 years, will become an annual occurrence due to rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Furthermore, coastal regions and islands are at risk of flooding due to the effects of global warming, potentially affecting up to 250 million more people with water scarcity within the next ten years. Supporters of climate action maintain that limiting carbon emissions in the atmosphere would only slightly impede economic growth by 0.12 percent annually. They also argue that the benefits, including improved health, increased energy security, and more reliable food sources, would outweigh the costs.