"Looking at the first decade of the 21st century in words is a sober, even sombre, event, " said Paul JJ Payack, president of The Global Language Monitor.

Solomon's report "is quite important, not alarmist, and very important for the current debates on climate policy," added Jonathan Overpeck, a climate researcher at the University of Arizona.

An interview that aired this week with CBS television news anchor Katie Couric has attracted a lot of attention because of a couple of questions Governor Palin seemed unable to answer.