The UN climate talks began in Poland with calls for immediate action to combat global warming, despite concerns about the economic slowdown. There were warnings that failure to act could lead to water shortages for half the world by 2050. US President-elect Barack Obama was praised for his ambitious climate change goals. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized the importance of environmental work regardless of economic conditions. The talks in Poznan mark the halfway point in a two-year effort to reach a new climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen emphasized the importance of not letting the financial crisis detract from addressing urgent issues like climate change. He will be hosting a meeting in Copenhagen in late 2009 to reach a UN agreement. Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the UN Climate Panel, warned of the potential for irreversible consequences if action is not taken, citing the increasing number of people facing water stress and the possibility of the Greenland icecap melting. He also highlighted the growing risk of extinction for various species of animals and plants. Yvo de Boer, leader of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, emphasized the need for increased efforts to reach a deal by the following year. He stressed that time was running out and work needed to intensify. The WWF distributed walnuts to delegates at the conference and encouraged them to solve the climate crisis. Greenpeace revealed a large sculpture depicting the planet in danger from a massive wave of wood and coal. Rasmussen commended Obama's policies following disagreements with President George W. Bush. He expressed his delight in Obama's ambitious climate and energy policies as a way to address the economic slowdown. De Boer praised Obama's plans to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, noting that current emissions are 14 percent higher than 1990 levels. In contrast, Bush's policies do not anticipate a peak in emissions until 2025. In Europe, the economic downturn has raised concerns about the expenses associated with the EU's objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. Poland, a host of UN talks, heavily reliant on coal for electricity, and Italy are pushing for compromises in a deal that is supposed to be finalized at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on December 11-12.