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Theory-first work by the lab's CIU — building abstract models in a quest for high-level insights into the behavior of important and complex systems.
Papers
12
Citations
1,341
Last 3 yrs · papers
5
Last 3 yrs · cites
631
Conceptual papers by year
Bridging geophysical sciences and economics, stylized and abstract analyses of how to allocate finite resources aimed at improving human welfare and protecting the environment. How should we balance the tradeoffs of investing in education versus climate? Emissions reductions versus adaptation? Vaccines versus technology innovation?
Environmental Research: Energy · 2026 · ENERGY · MITIGATION
Alicia Wongel, Jacqueline A. Dowling, Gerhard Weinrebe, Steven J. Davis, Ken Caldeira
FEATURED · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2026 · FOOD · ENERGY · MITIGATION
Shi Chen, Xi Lu, Jiming Hao, Edgar Virgüez, Ken Caldeira, Steven J. Davis
Rising land costs in China make fixed-tilt solar systems cheaper than tracking systems, despite tracking's higher efficiency.
FEATURED · Environmental Research Letters · 2025 · HEALTH · IMPACTS
Alicia Wongel, Lyssa M. Freese, Edgar Virgüez, Steven J. Davis, Ken Caldeira
Lower-income countries face the largest gap between extreme heat exposure and air conditioning access, widening as temperatures rise.
Advances in Applied Energy · 2024 · ENERGY · MITIGATION
Tyler H. Ruggles, Edgar Virgüez, Natasha Reich, Jacqueline Dowling, Hannah Bloomfield, Enrico G. Antonini, Steven J. Davis, Nathan S. Lewis, Ken Caldeira
Environmental Research: Energy · 2024 · ENERGY · MITIGATION
Jacqueline A. Dowling, Tyler H. Ruggles, Edgar A. Virgüez, Natasha D. Reich, Zachary P. Ifkovits, Steven J. Davis, Anna X. Li, Kathleen M. Kennedy, Katherine Z. Rinaldi, Lei Duan, Ken Caldeira, Nathan S. Lewis
FEATURED · Nature Sustainability · 2023 · FOOD · MITIGATION
Steven J. Davis, Kathleen Alexander, Juan Moreno-Cruz, Chaopeng Hong, Matthew Shaner, Ken Caldeira, Ian McKay
Synthesizing dietary fats chemically could cut greenhouse gas emissions by over half compared to conventional palm oil production.
Applied Energy · 2020 · ENERGY · MITIGATION
Mengyao Yuan, Lei Duan, Jacqueline A. Dowling, Steven J. Davis, Nathan S. Lewis, Ken Caldeira
Environmental Research Letters · 2020 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS
Yixuan Zheng, Qiang Zhang, Dan Tong, Steven J. Davis, Ken Caldeira
Joule · 2020 · ENERGY · MITIGATION
Jacqueline A. Dowling, Ken Caldeira, Katherine Z. Rinaldi, Tyler H. Ruggles, Steven J. Davis, Mengyao Yuan, Fan Tong, Nathan S. Lewis
Nature Climate Change · 2020 · CLIMATE · IMPACTS
Yixuan Zheng, Steven J. Davis, Geeta G. Persad, Ken Caldeira
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2018 · ENERGY · CLIMATE · MITIGATION · IMPACTS
Dawn L. Woodard, Steven J. Davis, James T. Randerson
Energy and Environmental Science · 2018 · ENERGY · MITIGATION
Matthew R. Shaner, Steven J. Davis, Nathan S. Lewis, Ken Caldeira