Interconnected Systems
Interconnected Physical and Socio‑Economic Systems. As new policies and technologies are developed amid climate and other global changes, they interact with environmental processes and institutions in ways that can alter the Earth’s critical life‑support systems. Fundamental mechanisms that determine many of these systems’ behaviors, including those related to interacting climate, water, food and socio‑economic systems, remain largely unknown and poorly quantified. Better understanding can help society mitigate the risks of abrupt changes and “tipping points” in these systems.
News + Media
MIT Professor/CS3 faculty affiliate John Sterman and co-author of a forthcoming book chapter find that AI’s biggest climate threat isn’t the power draw of data centers — it’s the economic growth AI unleashes (MIT Sloan School of Management) (MIT Sloan Commentary: Can AI’s climate benefits outweigh its costs?)
MIT CS3 and MITEI Principal Research Scientist describes her career path and its potential impact
Award supports distinguished faculty advancing global environmental research and education
Publications
Kim, G.J., B. O’Neill, J. Morris, M. Wise, J. Weyant and J. Lamontagne (2026)
Earth's Future, 14(8) (doi: 10.1029/2025EF007585)
Stone, K., C. Chen, S. Solomon, L.M. Western, P.B. Krummel, G. Pétron, J. Mühle and S. O’Doherty (2026)
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 26(14), 10241–10253 (doi: 10.5194/acp-26-10241-2026)
Guan, J., B.D. Santer, P. Wang, Q. Fu, R.R. Garcia, Y. Li, K. Stone, D.E. Kinnison, J. Zhang, G. Chiodo, J.-F. Lamarque and S. Solomon (2026)
PNAS, 123(28), e2608286123 (doi: 10.1073/pnas.2608286123)