Keppel, Rik (2023) Homogeneity and Polarization in the Climate Debate. Research Project, Industrial Engineering and Management.
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Abstract
In light of the ongoing climate crisis, we present a framework that investigates the interplay between homophily, opinion polarization, individual sustainable behavior, and their collective influence on the climate crisis. Our approach involves a continuous time model to capture the dynamics between individual sustainable actions and their impact on the climate. In this model, the decision-making process is governed by a game-theoretic mechanism, influenced by various factors such as homophily, social influence, costs of sustainable behavior, and climate impact. Additionally, we extend the model by incorporating opinion dynamics, including peer pressure and confirmation bias. Furthermore, we expand the game theoretic mechanism to incorporate additional elements like governmental subsidies, economies of scale, and opinion influence. The results demonstrate that high levels of homophily and polarization lead to an increase in both the mean and maximum climate impact caused by the lower responsiveness of the system. Additionally, high costs associated with sustainable behavior and limited technological efforts to combat climate change further heighten the climate impact. Hence, we emphasize the importance of reducing homophily and polarization, while simultaneously investing in climate technologies to lower the costs associated with sustainable behavior and enhance technological capabilities. These measures are crucial in effectively mitigating the impact of the climate crisis.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Research Project) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Cao, M. and Jayawardhana, B. and Frieswijk, K. |
| Degree programme: | Industrial Engineering and Management |
| Thesis type: | Research Project |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Sep 2023 12:16 |
| Last Modified: | 07 Sep 2023 12:16 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/31422 |
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