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{{Short description|Climatological research organizations}}
'''Novim''' is a non-profit group at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] that organizes teams for objective scientific study of global issues and identification options for addressing the concerns, based upon a collaborative problem-solving approach used in the field of physics.
== Overview ==
The group was formed at the University of California campus in Santa Barbara to create a collaborative problem-solving approach to address widespread and complicated problems, modeled after approaches at the [[Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics]] (KITP). Novim organizes study teams of scientists, researchers, and area experts to evaluate issues like [[climate engineering]], [[global surface temperature]]s, and [[methane leakage]]s in [[natural gas]] production. Their criteria for issue selection is that it must be "highly complex, controversial and global." They partner with governmental organizations, like the [[United States Department of Energy|Department of Energy]] and [[Office of Science]], to engage them in the process, share findings and discuss potential actions.<ref name=Cooper>{{Cite news|url=http://www.noozhawk.com/article/011410_undersecretary_of_science_talks_sustainability_at_ucsb/|title= Undersecretary for Science Talks Sustainability at UCSB|date=2010-01-14|accessdate=2010-01-14}}</ref><ref name=Fernandez>{{Cite news|url=http://www.noozhawk.com/article/090609_novim_global_issues/|title= Novim Aims to Close Information Gap on Pressing Global Issues|date=2009-09-06|accessdate=2009-09-06}}</ref>
Jim Knight is Novim's executive vice president and Michael Ditmore is its executive director, both of whom are Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) Director's Council members.<ref name=Fernandez />
== Advisory board ==
*[[Aristides Patrinos]], Chief Scientist, Director of Research and Chair of the Science Advisory Board, Novim
*Henry Abarbanel, Research Director Science and Security at IGCC
*Elbert Branscomb, Department of Physics, University of Illinois Biocomplexity research theme member, Institute for Genomic Biology
*Michelle Broido, Associate Vice Chancellor for Biomedical Research, Office of Research, Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
*[[Juan Enriquez]], Managing Director, Excel Venture Management, bestselling author, Co-Founder, Synthetic Genomics and multiple start-ups
*Jack Fellows, Director Emeritus, Climate Change Science Institute, [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory]]
*David J. Galas, Principal Scientist, Pacific Northwest Research Institute
*[[Steven E. Koonin]], Founding Director of the NYU Center for Urban Science & Progress, Brooklyn, NY
*Greg Mitchell, Professor Emeritus, Integrative Oceanography Division, [[Scripps Institution of Oceanography]], San Diego CA
*[[Venkatesh Narayanamurti]], Former Dean, Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Science
*Edward Schulak, Philanthropist, architect, entrepreneur, inventor, international business leader as well as the founder, financier and director of nine life science companies
*Gerry Stokes, Research Professor Stony Brook University
== Projects ==
===Geoengineering Study===
They first studied the changes in the Earth's average surface temperature and published their findings in 2009 in the ''Climate Engineering Study Group'' report.{{#tag:ref|The [[International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis| International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)]] announced Novim's first report in August 2009.<ref name="IIASA" />|group="nb"}} They found that there was a need to use [[climate engineering|geoengineering]] to lower the Earth's average temperature and suggested adopting the principles of short wave climate engineering (SWCE) to introduce aerosols into the stratosphere. Much like the sulfur particles released by large volcanic eruptions, the aerosols would reflect shortwave solar radiation back into space to cool the air and land below.<ref name="IIASA">[http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/INF/PR/2009/2009-08-03.html Climate intervention: what we need to know to respond to a climate emergency]</ref> Although SWCE may help reverse global warming, the technique remains untested and potential adverse effects are unknown, and therefore could not be mitigated.<ref>Jonathan Tirone, [https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=ah33HPW4.Jr8 "Geo-Engineering Risks Weigh on Hopes to Reverse Global Warming"], [https://www.bloomberg.com/ ''Bloomberg''], Published 3 August 2009, Retrieved 14 October 2012.</ref> Opponents have stated that the core causes are not addressed, only the symptoms, and that SWCE would damage the ozone.<ref>Hands Off Mother Earth, [http://www.handsoffmotherearth.org/learn-more/what-is-geoengineering/sulphate-aerosols-artificial-volcanoes/ "Sulphate Aerosols & Artificial volcanoes"]</ref>
Novim collected an international team of scientists to work together on the study,<ref>CIGI Online, [http://www.cigionline.org/articles/2009/08/cigi-fellow-studies-geoengineering "CIGI Fellow Studies Geoengineering"], [http://www.cigionline.org/ ''Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)''], Published 5 August 2009, Retrieved 14 October 2012.</ref> which was performed on a small scale to make options available as soon as reasonably possible.<ref name="Tierney" />{{#tag:ref|Dr. Ken Caldeira advocates for small scale testing to be performed soon so that a working system could, at the very least, be designed and ready in event of a large-scale climate crisis<ref name="Tierney">John Tierney, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/science/11tier.html "Is the Earth Warming? Adjust the Thermostat"], The New York Times: 10 August 2009.</ref> which requires rapid global action.<ref>Joe Romm, [http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2009/08/29/204567/science-risks-of-climate-geo-engineering-hegerl-susan-solomon/ "Science on the Risks of Climate Engineering: 'Optimism about a geoengineered ‘easy way out’ should be tempered by examination of currently observed climate changes'"], ThinkProgress, published 29 August 2009</ref>|group="nb"}} They determined that the cost to deploying the methods described in the study would be about US$8 billion per year if delivered by aircraft.<ref>Tom McNichol, [http://www.good.is/post/engineering-a-better-climate/ "Engineering a Better Climate"], GOOD, published 11 January 2010</ref>
{{#tag:ref|
The paper was submitted to peer review in 2009 at the IOP Conference Series<ref>[http://iopscience.iop.org/1755-1315/6/45/452015 D Battisti et al], 2009 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 6 452015 doi:10.1088/1755-1307/6/45/452015</ref> and the IIASA GGI Seminar.<ref>Jason Blackstock, [http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/GGI/ "Developing Climate Engineering Responses to Climate Emergencies: Scientific Assessments and Policy Implications of Geoengineering Research"], International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Greenhouse Gas Initiative Seminar: July 2009.</ref> Novim has also made the paper available for free online at [[Arxiv.org]].<ref>[https://arxiv.org/abs/0907.5140 Climate Engineering Responses to Climate Emergencies] .</ref> Since its release, Novim's Geoengineering Study has become a common reference in peer academic studies on the subject, including a [[United States House of Representatives]] Report,<ref>Chairman Bart Gordon, Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/pdfs/Geongineeringreport.pdf "Engineering the Climate: Research Needs and Strategies for International Coordination Report"], 111th Congress 2nd Session: October 2010.</ref> an article in [[Science (journal)|Science]],<ref>Gabriele C. Heger and Susan Solomon, [https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1178530 "Climate Change: Risks of Climate Engineering"], Science Magazine, Issue 21, August 2009: Vol. 325 no. 5493 pp. 955-956, DOI: 10.1126/science.1178530</ref> the Journal of Geophysical Research,<ref>Caspar M. Ammann, et al., [http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/assets/osgc/OSGC-000-000-000-884.pdf "Climate Engineering through artificial enhancement of natural forcings: Magnitudes and implied consequences"], Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 115, D22109, 2010.</ref> and the International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies.<ref>A. Zichichi (Series Editor and Chairman), [https://books.google.com/books?id=E3PfuJmNuOcC International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies 42nd Session], "E. Majorana" Centre for Scientific Culter, Erice, Italy: 19–24 August 2009.</ref> The study has also appeared on the suggested reading lists at the Trottier Symposium,<ref>Suggested Reading List, [https://www.mcgill.ca/science/events/trottier-symposium/2009/readings Trottier Symposium], McGill University, Montreal, Canada: 2009.</ref> the Denver Climate Study Group,<ref>Associated background, Denver Climate Study Group: [http://www.denverclimatestudygroup.com/20-19TH_Meeting20091110_GEOENGINEERING_SOL-SHAPIRO/index.htm "Geoengineering - Why? and the next steps"], Denver, CO: 10 November 2009</ref> and the International Risk Governance Council meeting on geoengineering.<ref>[http://people.ucalgary.ca/~keith/Bibliography2.html Annotated Bibliography on Climate Engineering], International Risk Governance Council meeting on geoengineering, Lisbon: April 2009.</ref>|group="nb"|name=""}}
===Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature (BEST) Study===
Novim's second study was the [[Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature]] Study (BEST), released 29 July 2012.<ref>Lauren Morello, [https://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/04/01/01climatewire-experts-heat-up-over-berkeley-lab-scientists-q-490.html "Experts Heat Up Over Berkeley Lab Scientist's Quest to 'Calm' Climate Change Debate"], ''The New York Times'', Published 1 April 2011, Retrieved 14 October 20121.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Muller|first=Elizabeth|title=250 Years of Global Warming|url=http://berkeleyearth.org/pdf/berkeley-earth-press-release-july-29.pdf|publisher=Berkeley Earth|accessdate=25 December 2012|date=29 July 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021061031/http://berkeleyearth.org/pdf/berkeley-earth-press-release-july-29.pdf|archivedate=21 October 2012}}</ref>  The study reanalyzes the world's land temperature data following the [[Climatic Research Unit email controversy]].<ref>Ian Sample, [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/oct/20/global-warming-study-climate-sceptics "Global warming study finds no grounds for climate sceptics' concerns"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', Published 20 October 2011, Retrieved 14 October 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Summary of Results|url=http://berkeleyearth.org/results-summary/|publisher=Berkeley Earth|accessdate=25 December 2012}}</ref> Professor [[Richard A. Muller]] led the study team that included 2011 [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] winner [[Saul Perlmutter]].<ref>[http://www.economist.com/node/21533360?fsrc=rss%7Csct "The heat is on"], ''The Economist'', From the print edition 22 October 2011, Retrieved 14 October 2012.</ref><ref>Richard A. Muller, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204422404576594872796327348 "The Case Against Global-Warming Skepticism"], ''The Wall Street Journal'', 21 October 2011.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Results are available via the BEST website,<ref>{{cite web|title=Dataset Summary|url=http://berkeleyearth.org/dataset/|publisher=Berkeley Earth|accessdate=25 December 2012}}</ref> as well as through the [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/just-science/id480905653?mt=8 "Just Science" iOS app].|group="nb"}}
=== Methane Leakage ===
Methane Leakage - Novim has assembled a team of scientific and technical experts to analyze existing studies of the emissions profile of natural gas during the production and distribution phases, with a focus on determining a range of actual methane leakage rates. Probable causes for the leakage will be included, and proposed solutions will be examined, along with associated costs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Phase I Meta Study of Methane Leakage|url=http://www.novim.org/projects/natural-gas|publisher=Novim|accessdate=25 December 2012}}</ref>
== See also ==
{{Portal|Global warming}}
*[[Global warming controversy]]
== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group="nb"}}
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
== External links ==
*[http://www.novim.org Novim homepage].
[[Category:Climatological research organizations]]