By Kim Se-jeong
Chung Chang-kwon, a system dynamics expert and educator, goes around the country explaining climate change through games.
"When I hear, I forget. When I see, I remember. When I do, I understand," Chung, 51, quoted an old proverb as to explain the importance of the climate change games. "Climate change is connected to politics, business, societal conflicts and inter-generational conflicts. It is the result of the most complex system and it is very hard to understand."
The games demonstrate difficulties in making decisions and communication among members of society.
"The games have two lessons: "One lesson is not to blame others, rather examine the structure that makes inevitable behavior. Another is (to realize) that today's problem comes from yesterday's solution," Chung said.
He goes around the country for the climate change games and almost 3,000 students have played the games since 2014.
Most of the games were invented by system dynamics experts in the U.S. who made the Climate Change Playbook in 2016. Chung translated the playbook into Korean this year.
Chung is also a World Climate Ambassador appointed by Climate Interactive, a U.S. think-tank committed to understanding climate change through system dynamics modeling.
System dynamics is a methodology to understand nonlinear behaviors of complex problems over time, which was invented by professor Jay Forrester at the MIT Sloan School in the U.S. in the 1960s to address business management challenges.
"System dynamics can articulate the mechanism of counter-intuitive behavior that comes from the delayed effect of the policy or decision-making with computer simulation," Chung said. He is the president of the Korean System Dynamics Society.
The key in understanding system dynamics is delay-induced counter-intuitive behaviors.
For example, if a narrow road causes traffic congestion and the government constructs a broader road. "The solution seems to pay off for the time being, but in the long run, the road can have more traffic congestion because of the broader road attracting more drivers. Today's problems comes from yesterday's solution," Chung explained.
Delay carries particular importance in climate change issues.
"System dynamics stresses the delayed effect of the systems. Sometimes it is not noticeable. However, decision-makers often discard the delay for several reasons even though they notice it because the appearance of the delayed effect is out of their authority and responsibility. The very example is the environment and climate change problem which have very long-delayed effects. That is why most of the system dynamicists are interested in climate change."
He also pointed out democracy doesn't support finding a long-term solution to climate change.
"We elect new leaders every four, five years and we tend to see what candidates can do in those years. I believe the democratic way of making a decision hinders solving the climate change issue."
Regarding a solution, he said it would be possible with the correct understanding of a climate change system which enables individuals to contemplate their behaviors.
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| Chung Chang-kwon |
"When I hear, I forget. When I see, I remember. When I do, I understand," Chung, 51, quoted an old proverb as to explain the importance of the climate change games. "Climate change is connected to politics, business, societal conflicts and inter-generational conflicts. It is the result of the most complex system and it is very hard to understand."
The games demonstrate difficulties in making decisions and communication among members of society.
"The games have two lessons: "One lesson is not to blame others, rather examine the structure that makes inevitable behavior. Another is (to realize) that today's problem comes from yesterday's solution," Chung said.
He goes around the country for the climate change games and almost 3,000 students have played the games since 2014.
Most of the games were invented by system dynamics experts in the U.S. who made the Climate Change Playbook in 2016. Chung translated the playbook into Korean this year.
Chung is also a World Climate Ambassador appointed by Climate Interactive, a U.S. think-tank committed to understanding climate change through system dynamics modeling.
System dynamics is a methodology to understand nonlinear behaviors of complex problems over time, which was invented by professor Jay Forrester at the MIT Sloan School in the U.S. in the 1960s to address business management challenges.
"System dynamics can articulate the mechanism of counter-intuitive behavior that comes from the delayed effect of the policy or decision-making with computer simulation," Chung said. He is the president of the Korean System Dynamics Society.
The key in understanding system dynamics is delay-induced counter-intuitive behaviors.
For example, if a narrow road causes traffic congestion and the government constructs a broader road. "The solution seems to pay off for the time being, but in the long run, the road can have more traffic congestion because of the broader road attracting more drivers. Today's problems comes from yesterday's solution," Chung explained.
Delay carries particular importance in climate change issues.
"System dynamics stresses the delayed effect of the systems. Sometimes it is not noticeable. However, decision-makers often discard the delay for several reasons even though they notice it because the appearance of the delayed effect is out of their authority and responsibility. The very example is the environment and climate change problem which have very long-delayed effects. That is why most of the system dynamicists are interested in climate change."
He also pointed out democracy doesn't support finding a long-term solution to climate change.
"We elect new leaders every four, five years and we tend to see what candidates can do in those years. I believe the democratic way of making a decision hinders solving the climate change issue."
Regarding a solution, he said it would be possible with the correct understanding of a climate change system which enables individuals to contemplate their behaviors.
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