William Gray, Emeritus Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University (CSU), says "I think the whole human-induced greenhouse gas thing is a red herring," reports Jeff Franks, a Reuters reporter who is attending the National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans.

He "dismissed the work of scientific colleagues who have linked global warming and increased hurricane activity, saying they were simply seeking grant money".

"You've heard a lot of foolishness over the last few years," he said.