Intelligent Energy Choices: a simulation/game for educating the public

Intelligent Energy Choices (IEC) is an online/offline game/simulation that was designed to provide educators at high schools and college levels ? and engage the general public ? with an interactive tool that allows users to ?control? their countries and, by doing so, control the fate of the world. The conclusion from playing and observing IEC is that Millenium goals can be satisfied while the countries that they rule and the World at large prosper. IEC is an agent-based simulation/game in which the world's twenty-five most populous countries are represented either by autonomous agents (simulation) or players. IEC is focused on energy use and climate change and their global and national impact on climate and prosperity. The algorithm is based on Cap and Trade (at this stage of development there is no trade but there is Share). The specific Millenium goals the IEC addresses are Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Target 7.A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development Target 8.B: Address the special needs of the least developed countries IEC uses the following World Bank energy related indicators: GDP (Constant 2000$) Energy Use Energy Mix (Fossil; CRW; Renewables ? in%) Population Population growth It uses the 2003 data as a reference and monitors development based on individual and collective (class) set of decision makers. Students can validate assumptions based on comparisons of outcome with ?future? data from 2003 to the present. Individual and collective decision making is specified below. Collective (class) Choices: Cost of carbon footprints. Distribution of carbon bank Price increase of fossil fuels Price decrease of alternative fuels   Country (Individual) Choices: Desired growth of GDP or GDP/Capita Play includes the following: Set desired energy growth (in %) -> System calculates energy need based on current energy intensity. Based on price and allocation system determines the cost. Find mechanisms (saving, trade, increase GDP/capita) to lower energy intensity. 1st. Step: Energy cost of the GDP = (Price_Fossil*InitialPercentFossil + PriceAlternatives*Percentalternatives + PriceCRW(0)*PercentCRW)*TotalEnergy. Consumption + saving = GDP ? Energy Cost For the simulation either set saving = 0 or Consumption = Saving. Carbon footprints = PercentFossil*TotalEnergy*0.07 in tons Cost of carbon footprints = 50*Footprints. Needs to subtract cost of carbon footprints from consumption + saving. Calculate New Saving + Consumption Minimum consumption 1$/day No subsidy in the first step. Next - STEP: Select GDP growth (in the simulation mode it might be decent attempt at increase 2% of previous growth (5% to 5.1% for example) ? in the game mode this is the key choice of players). Calculate Energy Intensity, population growth and CRW - based on the algorithm above and the previous GDP/Capita. Calculate new population. Calculate new GDP based on the selected growth. Calculate how much additional energy the increase in GDP will require based on the energy intensity. The CRW component of the energy mix is fixed and is based on the GDP/Capita as mentioned above. The rest of the energy is based in the simulation on the lowest cost and in the game on individual choices. Calculate the cost of the mix. Calculate the carbon footprints and their cost. If qualifies ? calculate the subsidy based on the accumulation from the previous round. Subtract the energy cost and add the subsidy to the new GDP to get consumption + saving. If number below the minimum consumption reduce the GDP growth and start again. If this doesn?t work ? you need help.

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