Let me ask you two questions.
1) When compared with pre-1800s levels, do you think that mean global temperatures have generally risen, fallen, or remained relatively constant?
2) Do you think human activity is a significant contributing factor in changing mean global temperatures?
I can see what you’re thinking. “Oh my god! What is Edo doing now?!”
So what is this? Well, these are the two questions that the “97% of all (climate)scientists” meme comes from in regards to AGW. This is the scientific basis for the claim.
And I feel dirty for calling it “scientific basis”.
This questionnaire was sent to 10,256 academics. I’m not saying “scientists” because not all of them were scientists. There were plenty of scholars among them.
How many do you think sent it back?
3,146
Yes, that’s a bit meager. But given the nature of the questions I’m not surprised. If I had gotten the email with those questions I would likely have added the sender to my spam list. Because, seriously, WHAT THE MONKEY F***!
But wait, there’s more!
How many of these were “active climate researchers”?
77.
And of those 77 some 75 said “yes” to question 2. So yeah, it’s 97%, of 77. From an original list of more than ten thousand, where only a meager 30% even bothered to reply.
I think this sums it up pretty well:
Statistics. You can “prove” anything with them.
((you can find it all, and more, over at http://wattsupwiththat.com/))
World's Only Rational Man 
Watt’s also just posted current info on the coming Ice Age. Well, the Slush Age, anyway. Thanks for the post and link.
I’m curious to learn whether global precipitation has been rising the past few years. Since CO2 is steadily increasing, and since temperature isn’t, I’m guessing the heat is going into more water vapor, for more clouds, which levels out the temperature. But that would also increase rain and such, wouldn’t it?
I’m pretty sure we can make a statistic for it.