DICE Model Discussion as of March 19, 2008

 

The new DICE-2007 model is available for public use. This following provides a preliminary version of the DICE-2007 model, with a writeup, documentation, and model.

 

A. Papers and documentation:

 

  1. The major study will be published in mid-2008 by Yale University Press as A Question of Balance: Economic Modeling of Global Warming. A prepublication version (with a few remaining typos and problems) is available, click here, click here (version of February 2008).
  2. The documentation as lab notes is available, click here (version of October 5, 2007).

 

 

B. Running the DICE model (DICE-2007.delta.v8) with all the alternative runs:

 

1.         You can access the GAMS files in the directory http://www.econ.yale.edu/~nordhaus/DICE2007_programs or click here.

2.         Copy all the .gms files into a single directory.

3.         Note that running the model requires definition files (“def_***.gms”) for each of the different runs that are included.

4.         The “put*.gms” file is useful for reporting the output of the different runs.

5.         Start a new GAMS project.

6.         Run DICE_delta_v8_071707.GMS.

7.         You may have to rename the directory structure so that the program will read and write where you want it. If you get errors in running the program, that some files cannot be found, this is likely to be the reason. In this case, it may be necessary to rename the include statements to point to the directory in which the programs are located.

 

C. An alternative way that may work (users are encouraged to report whether this works):

 

    1. Open GAMS and start a new project in the folder http://www.econ.yale.edu/~nordhaus/DICE2007_programs.
    2. Then runs the program from there.

 

D. A simplified DICE model is also available. This model has only the baseline and the optimal run, but does not require the complicated subroutines, click here.

 

E. Notes on the description of the different runs, you should look at the background paper in #1 above.

 

F. If you would like a spreadsheet to interpret the “put” file, click here.

 

            Note: For this spreadsheet, you take the put file and copy it into the sheet named “Rawdata.” The runs are then in the sheet named “ResultsRuns.” Some graphics are in the sheet, “Graphs.” Some economic output and interpretation is in “Economics.” Note that the results of a slightly older (April 4) version are in the file at the present time. These are preliminary and will be revised.