AP Photo

Last week, Nepal held the world's highest Cabinet meeting, at the height of 5,250 meters at a base camp region of Mt. Everest, to send a message about the impact of global warming on the Himalayas, where glaciers are already melting at an alarming rate.

Earlier, the Maldives' Cabinet met underwater, again to send a message about the impact of climate change on the Indian Ocean archipelago, which could disappear if sea levels keep rising.

Both events were to get the world's attention ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, that begins Monday.

The conference brings together representatives of more than 180 countries, as well as thousands of participants from media and non-governmental organizations. The outcome of the climate change summit...