webDICE
/The DICE 2010 model, developed by Professor William Nordhaus of Yale University, is the most widely used model of the economics of climate change. webDICE is an online simulation of this model which allows users to see the effects of climate change on the economy and society. It is a web-based tool for running the DICE model which allows the user to choose input parameters and carbon control policies. Over the last year we developed front-end webpage including help features and documentation, rewrote the entire backend code using open source software, wrote the optimization routine (for finding the optimal carbon tax, for example), wrote a method that computes the social cost of carbon calculation and methods allowing users to choose alternative damage functions. In addition, we verified the code for base case scenarios against the original model. Features under development include the ability to run Monte Carlo simulations, alternate carbon cycle models and linking to the Climate Emulator.
The default values in the model only present the user with one set of projected potential impacts. In order to understand the range of potential impacts as a result of climate change, the new design can adjust parameters within the model to reflect differing beliefs about climate, the economy and the future. The large custom graph from the earlier interface now includes two customizable y axes, and has new zooming and panning features. To increase the practical utility of webDICE’s output, all graphs are now downloadable as SVG vector graphics files, and raw data is downloadable in CSV format. Documentation has been updated to reflect adjustments to the model, and an online glossary has been added to the site. Several enhancements have been made to the underlying code so that webDICE’s optimization is faster, thus more user-friendly as a web-delivered application. In the future, we plan to make webDICE device-responsive, add more robust and interactive tutorial components, and add features to the model that separate the costs from methane and carbon.
Two screenshots of the WebDICE tool
The webDICE source code is open source, allowing researchers to make additional modifications to the model, beyond those allowed by the online tool. To receive the code from RDCEP's Github page, click here. If you would like to use webDICE, click the button below.
People
Alison Brizius | David Weisbach | Nathan Matteson | Jeremy Klavans | Christain Solorzano
Alumni:
Runnan Yang | Jeremy Archer | Matt Gee
Presentations
David Weisbach. “webDICE.” Law School seminar, University of Chicago, June, 2014.
Nathan Matteson. webDICE demo for DMCA students, DePaul University. March, 2015.
