1,700 UK scientists sign climate science statement

Over 1,700 scientists in the U.K. signed a statement on Thursday, stating that they agree with evidence that shows humans are responsible for climate change.

Following the media-dubbed ClimateGate scandal last month -- which saw thousands of leaked emails from scientists -- skeptics took it as proof that climate change is the result of a conspiracy by scientists and that scientists have altered the data released to the public.

We, members of the U.K. science community, have the utmost confidence in the observational evidence for global warming and the scientific basis for concluding that it is due primarily to human activities. The evidence and the science are deep and extensive, the statement posted to the Met Office Web site said.

They come from decades of painstaking and meticulous research, by many thousands of scientists across the world who adhere to the highest levels of professional integrity.