The massive white globe at Copenhagen's Bella Centre, where the world's largest climate change summit was held, may be a foreboding sign of the future. An attendee noticed that small Pacific island nations like Tuvalu and the Cook Islands, as well as Antarctica, were not included on the model of the earth. With scientists warning of rising global temperatures and melting polar icecaps leading to higher sea levels, the absence of these regions raises concerns. As island nations called for major economies like China and the United States to reach a new climate agreement during the 12-day talks, questions arose about whether this omission was a mistake by the summit organisers. The UN climate talks concluded with a minimal agreement on Saturday, as delegates acknowledged an accord reached by the United States, China, and other developing nations. This agreement fell short of the conference's original goals, leading many to view the talks as a failure. The accord, which is not as strong as a legally binding treaty or even the anticipated 'political' deal, is open to interpretation and lacks specifics on how to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius. This target is crucial in preventing dangerous climate changes such as floods, droughts, mudslides, sandstorms, and rising sea levels. The text offered the possibility of $100 billion in yearly assistance for developing countries starting in 2020, but did not specify the exact source of this funding. Important decisions like emissions reductions were postponed for later. Another climate conference is planned for November 2010 in Mexico, where negotiators aim to finalize a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, though success is not assured.