According to the IPCC Greenland was green and settled by the Vikings, the UK and Europe was warm in the MWP but this was only a 'local' warming. In other words 1/4 of the planet warmed 2-4 degrees for hundreds of years while the rest did not.
Is this assertion even possible? The answer is no.
Only manipulated tree rings have been used as 'proof' that the world has never warmed or cooled before.
The IPCC hides behind the credentials of scientists that may or may not support the reports they present, they call for a discussion and then present the fact they have the feedback of 1000's of scientists that apparently 'support' whatever they end up writing. This is blatantly untrue as many of these scientist vehemently disagree with the reports as presented.
There are many studies that demonstrate the MWP was a world wide event, here are a few (someone tell the IPCC)...
Cioccale M., "Climatic Fluctuations in the Central Region of Argentina in the last 1000 Years", Quaternary International 62, p.35-37, 1999
Peru ice core http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/ice/lec19/fig19d.htm
"A 1000-year Record of Temperature and Precipitation in the Sierra Nevada", Quaternary Research, v.39, p.249-255, 1993.
Tagami, Y. Reconstruction of Climate in the Medieval Warm Period http://edcgeo.edu.toyama-u.ac.jp/Geohome/IntN/Abs.htm
Tyson, P.D. et al., "The Little Ice Age and Medieval Warming in South Africa". South African Journal of Science, v96. p.121-126, 2000
van de Plassche & van der Borg, "Sea level-climate correlation during the past 1400 yr", Free University Amsterdam & Utrecht University, http://www.fys.ruu.nl/~adejong/radiocarbon_dating/Sea-level/sea_level-climate_correlation.htm
Verschuren D., "Rainfall and Drought in Equatorial East Africa during the past 1,100 Years", Nature v.403(6768) pp.410-414, 27 Jan 2000
Villalba, R., "Tree-ring and Glacial Evidence for the Medieval Warm Epoch and the Little Ice Age in Southern South America". Climate Change, 26: 183-197, 1994
Wang Wen & Xie Zhiren, "Historical Sea Level Fluctuations in China: Tidal Disaster Intensity and Sea Level Change", Nanjing University, http://www.chinainfo.gov.cn/periodical/hhdxxb/hhdx99/hhdx9905/990509.htm
Winter et al. "Caribbean Sea Surface Temperatures: Two-to-Three Degrees Cooler than Present During the Little Ice Age", Geophysical Research Letters, v.27, 20, p.3365, Oct 15 2000
Magnuson J. et al., "Historical Trends in Lake and River Ice Cover in the Northern Hemisphere", Science, v.289, p.1743, 8 Sept 2000
deMenocal P. et al. "Coherent High- and Low-Latitude Climate Variability During the Holocene Warm Period", Science, v.288, p.2198-2202, Jun 23 2000
Dullo, W. et al., "Stable Isotope Record from Holocene Reef Corals, Western Indian Ocean", Journal of Conference Abstracts v.4 no.1, Symposium B02, http://www.campublic.co.uk/science/publications/JConfAbs/4/164.html
Hong Y. et al., "Response of Climate to Solar Forcing Recorded in a 6000-year delta18O Time-Series of Chines Peat Cellulose", The Holocene, v.10, p.1-7, 2000
