IPCC Report Projections Well Behind Current Scientific Reports, Say Some Of Its Authors - CSM

When Rep. Bart Gordon gavels the House Science and Technology Committee to order Thursday morning, it will mark Congress's first hearings on the latest United Nations-sponsored report on global warming. But even before several authors of the prestigious report discuss its findings, other authors say the process is too slow.

The problem: Climate science is moving too quickly for the ponderous reporting system to keep up, they argue. Besides receiving a written consensus once every six years, policymakers need some form of interim report to keep abreast of the science of global warming and make important decisions, they add.

"Some of us believe that going to some updates, especially as the science is changing very rapidly, might be a very good tack to take," says Linda Mearns, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., and one of 15 lead authors on the chapter dealing with projections of global warming's regional effects.

Updates could come from the UN-affiliated group itself, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), or some other organization, such as the World Climate Research Program.

EDIT

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0207/p03s02-sten.html

The report itself takes 2 years to put together. The contributors volunteer their time. A 2-year cycle would inhibit participation and would reduce the quality of the product.