News stories touting the UN “report” on global warming have been
misleading at best. The actual report has not been completed and is not
scheduled for release until May. The UN released “The Summary for Policy Makers,”
that is, a summary of a report that is not yet written. Furthermore
?the world?s leading climate scientists? did not author this summary as
the headline blared in today’s News and Observer. It was instead written by a handful of scientist and representatives from over 100
governments, each with their own interests.  In the past, the
report containing all the science was released simultaneously with the
Summary. Consequently, independent scientists and journalists could
examine the actual language of the report and compare it with the
politically charged Summary. During this process major inconsistencies
between the two have always been exposed, with the actual report being
much more nuanced and qualified in its conclusions. By delaying the
release of the full report the alarmists at the United Nations get
maximum headline value from the release without the risk that some
pesky reporter or op ed writer might be looking at what the report
actually says.

But even the Summary has its hedge phrases generally glossed over by the press. How about this?

“Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century
is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.”

Most? 51%? So maybe we’re 90% certain that 51% of the warming of the
last 50 years was anthropogenic? The UN is reminiscent of Yogi Berra
when referring to the game of baseball–“90 percent of this game is
half mental.”