The environmental acceleration variable in Byrum’s Law: γ measures how rapidly the competitive and technological landscape is changing, which determines how quickly schema entropy accumulates. High-gamma environments (emerging technologies, rapid competitive entry, frequent model updates) require higher maintenance rates to sustain cognitive equilibrium. Low-gamma environments (stable industries, slow technological change, infrequent model retraining) allow lower maintenance rates. Gamma is assessed qualitatively per industry and adjusted quarterly based on observed market dynamics. Gamma explains why identical maintenance programs produce different outcomes across industries.