Man-made climate change is a myth and all efforts to prove its existence have failed, according to Weather Channel founder John Coleman. The award winning weatherman, whose career spans over sixty years, drew on the support of over 9,000 Ph.D. scientists to claim that “the science [purportedly proving man made global warming] is not valid”.

His remarks were made in an open letter to the Hammer Forum, which hosts a series of discussion panels at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Yesterday the forum played host to Michael Mann, creator of the infamous and widely debunked ‘hockey stick graph’ which claimed that global temperature was on a rapid upward trajectory, and Brenda Ekwurzel, who has lobbied for stronger climate legislation in the States. The letter was published in full on climate blog Watts Up With That.

“At your October 23 Hammer Forum on Climate Change you have scheduled as your only speakers two people who continue to present the failed science as though it is the final and complete story on global warming/climate change. This is major mistake,” Coleman wrote.

“It is important to have those who attend know that there is no climate crisis. The ocean is not rising significantly. The polar ice is increasing, not melting away. Polar Bears are increasing in number. Heat waves have actually diminished, not increased.

“There is not an uptick in the number or strength of storms (in fact storms are diminishing). I have studied this topic seriously for years. It has become a political and environment agenda item, but the science is not valid.”

The letter also names four Ph.D. scientists and a further “9,000 other Ph.D. scientists” who “all agree” that “There is no significant man-made global warming at this time, there has been none in the past and there is no reason to fear any in the future,” and that “Efforts to prove the theory that carbon dioxide is a significant “greenhouse” gas and pollutant causing significant warming or weather effects have failed. There has been no warming over 18 years.”

Dr William Happer, a climate expert from Princeton University and one of the scientists Mr Coleman references by name told The Express that he agreed with Mr Coleman, adding: “No chemical compound in the atmosphere has a worse reputation than CO2, thanks to the single-minded demonisation of this natural and essential atmospheric gas by advocates of government control and energy production.

“The incredible list of supposed horrors that increasing carbon dioxide will bring the world is pure belief disguised as science.”

This morning EU leaders agreed to cut carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, and increase renewables to 27 percent of the energy mix. Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs the European Council took to Twitter to exclaim “Deal! At least 40 percent emissions cut by 2030. World’s most ambitious, cost-effective, fair #EU2030 climate energy policy agreed,” and said the deal was “Good news for climate, citizens health, international climate, sustainable jobs, energy security and competitiveness.”

The Brussels-based think tank Open Europe warned that the new agreement will add another £150 a year onto household energy bills, on top of the £59 a year that EU energy policy already costs British citizens. Commenting on the figures, Open Europe’s Head of Economic Research, Raoul Ruparel said: “Despite admirable goals the EU’s green policies have imposed huge costs but delivered limited benefit and are marred by conflicting objectives.

With people in the UK concerned about the cost of living, business still struggling to balance their books and Europe needing a more flexible energy supply to wean itself off dependence on Russian gas, a radical re-think of the EU’s energy policy is now vital. Neither the EU nor the UK can afford to waste more time on a costly and failing policy.”