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Dryad

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.