Code from: Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: Exploration-exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects
Data files
Sep 17, 2023 version files 11.09 KB
Abstract
These data are part of a data portal that accompanies the special issue ‘Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture,’ published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B in 2023. To access the data portal, please visit: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h4h4.
This code represents a computational model investigating the dynamics of coupled and decoupled resource use and efficiency gains. It can be used to simulate the effects of exploration-exploitation strategies on efficiency, consumption and sustainability, considering different levels of direct and indirect rebound effects.
The model simulates a population of agents who make decisions on whether to explore or exploit a natural resource. These agents become more efficient over time based on their chosen strategy, affecting resource consumption. Different scenarios are considered, including various rebound effects, which influence how efficiency gains impact resource use.
The key elements of the model include agents' uncertainty about the efficiency of their actions, the operationalization of efficiency as a reward, and the calculation of resource consumption based on efficiency gains and rebound effects. The model provides insights into how agents' decisions and resource use evolve over time under different conditions.
This computational framework offers a valuable tool for exploring the complex dynamics of resource consumption and management in the face of environmental challenges. It can be applied to gain a deeper understanding of the Jevons Paradox and its implications for sustainable resource use.
README: Code from: Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: Exploration-exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects.
Python scripts to run the model, as described in:
Segovia-Martin J, Creutzig F, Winters J. 2023 Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: exploration–exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 378: 20220405. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2022.0405
The code and supplementary materials are all freely accessible at the following link: https://github.com/School-of-Collective-Intelligence/Jevons-Paradox-and-Cultural-Evolution
The simulator can be accessed via the following links: https://jevons-collectiveintelligence.pythonanywhere.com/ or https://jsegoviamartin.pythonanywhere.com/
The DOI of this Dryad repository:
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqnk
Methods
This computational model simulates the dynamics of exploration and exploitation strategies within a population of agents. These agents make decisions on whether to explore new solutions or exploit existing ones, with a focus on maximizing efficiency. The model employs a N-armed bandit problem approach, where agents select actions to maximize efficiency gains. Efficiency is operationalized as a reward, and agents use sample means to estimate expected efficiency. A balance between exploration and exploitation is maintained through a probability-based algorithm. The code also encompasses resource domains, representing different resources and their dynamics, along with computations of resource consumption, existing resources, and sustainability indices. The simulations consider various parameter combinations to examine the model's behavior.
Overall, the code serves as a tool for studying the interplay between exploration, exploitation, efficiency, and resource consumption within a population of agents across different scenarios, making it valuable for investigating the effects of rebound effects on resource consumption and sustainability. The simulations run a comprehensive set of parameter combinations to explore the model's behavior thoroughly.