The U.N.’s climate talks in Cancún moved into their second week on Monday. The agenda is dominated by future cuts in carbon emissions and keeping countries honest about their actions to control global warming. Expectations, however, remain low following last year’s talks in Copenhagen, which resulted in no binding agreement to manage the world’s carbon emissions.

To learn why many climate policy watchers are skeptical of any tangible progress, we speak with David Biello, associate editor of environment and energy at Scientific American Online, and Majora Carter, host of American Public Media’s ?The Promised Land? and environmental strategist for the Majora Carter Group.