The positive outcome of the conference was also attributable to the success of the agenda in breaking the discussions into chewable pieces. Too often policy discussions of the greenhouse effect have foundered on a perception that the enormity of the problem makes any individual response hopelessly inadequate. This belief tends to delay formulation and implementation of incremental response and adaptation strategies while discussions focus on a "magic wand" solution. This conference instead explored practical means of limiting greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously constructing strategies to adapt to and mitigate the adverse effects of the likely global warming.