On deeper human dimensions in Earth system analysis and modelling

Gerten, Dieter; Schönfeld, Martin; Schauberger, Bernhard

doi:10.5194/esd-9-849-2018

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…For this purpose, various modeling approaches from the social sciences are available to be applied to develop comprehensive representations of such socio-metabolic and sociocultural processes (Müller-Hansen et al, 2017;Schill et al, 2019, and references therein). For example, hierarchical adaptive network approaches could be used to model the development of social groups, institutions and organizations spanning local to global scales or the interaction of economic sectors via resource, energy and infor- mation flows (Gross and Blasius, 2008;Donges et al, 2017a;Geier et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent advances, for example in the theory of complex (adaptive) systems, computational social sciences, social simulation and social-ecological system modeling (Farmer and Foley, 2009;Farmer et al, 2015;Helbing et al, 2012;Müller-Hansen et al, 2017;Schill et al, 2019) make it feasible to include some important macroscopic dynamics of human societies regarding, among others, the formation of institutions, values and preferences and various processes of decision-making in a model of the whole Earth system, i.e., the physical Earth including its socially organized and mentally reflexive humans. Furthermore, new methodological approaches are developing fast that allow representing crucial aspects of social systems, such as adaptive complex networks (Gross and Blasius, 2008;Snijders et al, 2010). Finally, initiatives such as Future Earth (Fu-ture Earth, 2014), the Earth League (Rockström et al, 2014, https://www.the-earth-league.org/, last access: 1 April 2020) and the Open Modeling Foundation (Barton and The Open Modeling Foundation, 2019) provide a basis for inter-and transdisciplinary research that could support such an ambitious modeling program.…”

Section: World-earth Modeling: Contributions Towards Earth System Analysis Of the Anthropocenementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Culture in its broadest definition refers to everything people do, think and possess as members of society (Bierstedt, 1963, p. 129). Sociocultural processes such as value and norm changes have been suggested to be key for understanding the deeper human dimensions of Earth system dynamics in the Anthropocene (Nyborg et al, 2016;Gerten et al, 2018)…”

Section: Basic Process Taxa In World-earth Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Earth system modeling with endogenous and dynamic human societies: the copan:CORE open World–Earth modeling framework

et al. 2020

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Abstract. Analysis of Earth system dynamics in the Anthropocene requires explicitly taking into account the increasing magnitude of processes operating in human societies, their cultures, economies and technosphere and their growing feedback entanglement with those in the physical, chemical and biological systems of the planet. However, current state-of-the-art Earth system models do not represent dynamic human societies and their feedback interactions with the biogeophysical Earth system and macroeconomic integrated assessment models typically do so only with limited scope. This paper (i) proposes design principles for constructing world–Earth models (WEMs) for Earth system analysis of the Anthropocene, i.e., models of social (world)–ecological (Earth) coevolution on up to planetary scales, and (ii) presents the copan:CORE open simulation modeling framework for developing, composing and analyzing such WEMs based on the proposed principles. The framework provides a modular structure to flexibly construct and study WEMs. These can contain biophysical (e.g., carbon cycle dynamics), socio-metabolic or economic (e.g., economic growth or energy system changes), and sociocultural processes (e.g., voting on climate policies or changing social norms) and their feedback interactions, and they are based on elementary entity types, e.g., grid cells and social systems. Thereby, copan:CORE enables the epistemic flexibility needed for contributions towards Earth system analysis of the Anthropocene given the large diversity of competing theories and methodologies used for describing socio-metabolic or economic and sociocultural processes in the Earth system by various fields and schools of thought. To illustrate the capabilities of the framework, we present an exemplary and highly stylized WEM implemented in copan:CORE that illustrates how endogenizing sociocultural processes and feedbacks such as voting on climate policies based on socially learned environmental awareness could fundamentally change macroscopic model outcomes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: World-earth Modeling: Contributions Towards Earth System Analysis Of the Anthropocenementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Basic Process Taxa In World-earth Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Earth system modeling with endogenous and dynamic human societies: the copan:CORE open World–Earth modeling framework

et al. 2020

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“…Culture in its broadest definition refers to everything what people do, think and possess as members of society (Bierstedt, 1963, p. 129). Socio-cultural processes such as value and norm changes have been suggested to be key for understanding the deeper human dimensions of Earth systen dynamics in the Anthropocene (Nyborg et al, 2016;Gerten et al, 2018)…”

Section: Basic Process Taxa In World-earth Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Earth system modelling with complex dynamic human societies: the copan:CORE World-Earth modeling framework

Donges

Heitzig

Barfuß

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Abstract. Possible future trajectories of the Earth system in the Anthropocene are determined by the increasing entanglement of processes operating in the physical, chemical and biological systems of the planet, as well as in human societies, their cultures and economies. Here, we introduce the copan:CORE open source software library that provides a framework for developing, composing and running World-Earth models, i.e., models of social-ecological co-evolution up to planetary scales.It is an object-oriented software package written in Python designed for different user roles. It allows model end users to run 5 parallel simulations with already available and tested models. Furthermore, model composers are enabled to easily implement new models by plugging together a broad range of model components, such as opinion formation on social networks, generic carbon cycle dynamics, or simple vegetation growth. For the sake of a modular structure, each provided component specifies a meaningful yet minimal collection of closely related processes. These processes can be formulated in terms of various process types, such as ordinary differential equations, explicit or implicit functions, as well as steps or events of deterministic 10 or stochastic fashion. In addition to the already included variety of different components in copan:CORE, model developers can extend the framework with additional components that are based on elementary entity types, i.e., grid cells, individuals and social systems, or the fundamental process taxa environment, social metabolism, and culture. To showcase possible usage we present an exemplary World-Earth model that combines a variety of model components and interactions thereof. As the framework allows a simple activation and deactivation of certain components and related processes, users can test for their 15 specific effects on modeling results and evaluate model robustness in a controlled way. Hence, copan:CORE allows developing process-based models of global change and sustainable development in planetary social-ecological systems and thus fosters a better understanding of crucial mechanisms governing the co-evolutionary dynamics between societies and the natural environment. Due to its modular structure, the framework enhances the development and application of stylized models in Earth 1 Earth Syst. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi

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“…Everything that happens in society simultaneously affects the set of indicators that characterize the quality of man and society: the population; the number of students studying in the education system; and the number of healthy population in the country. In the latest studies on the modeling of socio-economic systems on the planet Earth, it is recommended to take into account the humanitarian, ethical and religious motives of human behaviour (Gerten, Schönfeld, & Schauberger, 2018). gives an idea of the quality of life, considering the limitations of the elements of the index, which are that the HDI does not take into account many other criteria that significantly affect the "quality of life".…”

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confidence: 99%