Weather Channel founder John Coleman (Screenshot: CNN)

(CNSNews.com) – On the same day that the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a major new global warming report, John Coleman, a founder of the Weather Channel, appeared on CNN Sunday to reiterate his stance that “climate change is not happening.”

Describing himself as a “skeptic,” not a denier – “that is a word meant to put me down” – the veteran weather forecaster told CNN’s “Reliable Sources” that the news network was promoting an inaccurate view on the issue.

“CNN has taken a very strong position on global warming, that it is a consensus,” he said. “Well, there is no consensus in science. Science isn’t a vote, science is about facts.”

“And if you get down to the hard, cold facts, there’s no question about it: Climate change is not happening, there is no significant, man-made global warming now, there hasn’t been any in the past, and there’s no reason to expect any in the future. There’s a whole lot of baloney.”

Coleman said climate change has become part of the Democratic Party platform, adding that he regretted that the issue has become “political instead of scientific.”

“But the science is on my side,” he declared.

Challenged on the assertion that “97 percent of climate scientists” are in agreement on the issue, Coleman charged that the figure was “manipulated.”

Since the government only funds scientists who put out results “supporting the global warming hypothesis,” he claimed, “they don’t have any choice.”

“If you’re going to get the money, you’ve got to support their position. Therefore 97 percent of the scientific reports published support global warming. Why? Because those are the ones the government pays for and that’s where the money is.”

Weather Channel CEO David Kenny also appeared on the show, and distanced himself from Coleman’s views.

“We’re grateful that he got it [the channel] started 32 years ago, but he hasn’t been with us in 31 years, so he’s not really speaking for the Weather Channel in any way today,” he said.

“Our position is really clear, it’s scientifically-based and we’ve been unwavering on it for quite some time now.”

Last week the Weather Channel reissued a 2007 statement giving its position on climate change.

“More than a century’s worth of detailed climate observations shows a sharp increase in both carbon dioxide and temperature,” the statement says.

“These observations, together with computer model simulations and historical climate reconstructions from ice cores, ocean sediments and tree rings all provide strong evidence that the majority of the warming over the past century is a result of human activities. This is also the conclusion drawn, nearly unanimously, by climate scientists.”