The United Nations climate change talks in Cancun, Mexico entered their second week on Monday, with the U.N.'s climate body facing some serious obstacles.
    
Among the challenges - the fact that a growing number of Americans no longer believe in global warming and that predictions of climate disasters are being proven wrong.

According to 26-nation survey by GlobeScan, an international research consultancy, U.S. citizens are not alone in their skepticism.

Poll results show that the proportion of those who rate climate change as "very serious" dropped from 61 percent last year to 53 percent this year.

"The combined effects of economic recession, the confusing results from last year's Copenhagen climate conference, and the controversy surrounding climate science seem to have shaken the belief of people in industrialized countries that climate change is an urgent problem that needs to be addressed," Chris Coulter, the senior vice-president of GlobeScan, said.

"This makes it even less likely that governments will feel the pressure to reach a strong agreement in Cancun," he added.
    
Meanwhile, the British government has drastically reduced its prediction for rising sea levels because of climate change.

It now says the oceans may only rise half as high as previously thought - and even that prediction isn't considered likely.