Learning and knowing collectively

Scholars from multiple epistemic communities using a variety of models and approaches are working together to understand climate change, biodiversity loss, and other large-scale phenomena stemming from how people interact with the environment. No single model is adequate, no single mind can grasp the multiple models and their numerous implications. Yet collectively, scientists are putting the parts together and reaching a shared understanding. How is this happening, how can it be done better, and what are the implications for ecological economics?