PARIS (AP) — A weather forecaster for French state television has been fired after releasing and promoting a book criticizing politicians, scientists and others for what he calls an exaggerated view of climate change.

Philippe Verdier's dismissal from France-2 comes a month before Paris hosts a U.N. conference aimed at the most ambitious worldwide agreement yet to limit global warming. He announced the dismissal in an online video over the weekend, describing it as an attack on media freedom.

France Televisions, which owns France-2, wouldn't comment Monday. French media reported that the network said Verdier had violated ethical rules. Many media organizations have guidelines about journalists publicly expressing personal opinions on subjects they cover.

Most climate scientists agree that the planet is warming, largely because of human actions.