生态公益林建设管理的环境经济政策分析--以广州市为例

根据环境经济学的外部性理论 ,生态公益林建设管理具有外部经济性。使生态公益林建设管理外部性内部化的主要手段是“调节市场”型的环境经济政策 ,即由政府向公众征收生态公益林建设管理费用 ,而“建立市场”型的环境经济政策———明晰生态公益林的产权、承包经营权 ,则是生态公益林建设管理外部性内部化和生态公益林有效管理的需要。广州市生态公益林建设管理中存在的建设管理资金不足、林地的使用权分散、对林农补偿的数量难以确定等问题 ,有待于上述两种环境经济政策来解决     

耕地保护外部性及其经济补偿研究进展

耕地保护外部性及其经济补偿问题日益成为经济发展现实中的生态治理研究的重要领域,但既有的研究尚缺乏系统性和理论基础。本文综合运用文献资料法、对比分析法,较为系统的梳理了国内外关于耕地价值核算、耕地保护外部性及其经济补偿研究的代表性观点,在此基础上分析了当前的研究不足与未来的研究取向。研究发现:①国内对耕地价值核算的研究多沿袭国外的理论框架,且对于耕地非市场价值的划分缺少一个明晰的分类体系;②耕地资源外部效益的估算方法应区别对待,且缺少不同方法与途径的比较研究;③耕地外部性的经济补偿标准在时空分配方面的研究有待强化;④缺乏对耕地保护的补偿模式与执行效率的研究。进而提出:应充分借鉴国外经验并结合中国国情,实现耕地价值核算理论框架的整合,并基于利益相关者的分析框架进一步加强耕地保护外部性经济补偿体系、补偿标准及其运行机制方面的研究,推进CVM等价值评价方法等在资源开采矿区生态补偿及资源综合成本核算方面的应用研究。     

水源地生态补偿机制研究进展

水源地生态补偿机制是一种调动水源地生态保护的经济手段。本文首先从生态补偿的概念、特征、目标与原则、主客体分析、补偿标准和补偿方式等方面综述了水源地生态补偿的发展现状与存在的问题。国外水源地生态补偿起步早、发展成熟;国内起步相对较晚且不完善,存在补偿标准偏低、资金来源单一、监督评估体系几乎空白等问题。通过综述水源地生态补偿实施效益评估方面的研究及案例发现,尽管国内外已有相关学者开始探索评价生态补偿政策的实施效果,但仍缺乏对生态补偿政策的有效监管与效益评估方法。针对以上问题,本研究提出通过拓展资金渠道,引导市场化资金募集方式;因地制宜,多重补偿方式相互结合;建立水源地生态补偿实施效益评估机制等几方面建议,以此完善水源地生态补偿机制的建立与优化。最后,本文指出采用定性描述与定量指标相结合,探索全面、有效与可行的水源地生态补偿机制实施效果监督与评估体系作为今后水源地生态补偿的主要研究方向。     

价值感知视角下生态补偿方式对农户绿色生产行为的影响

生态补偿是促使农户实施绿色生产行为,实现农业绿色发展的重要政策之一。而不同补偿方式会给农户带去差异化的价值感知体验,进而对其绿色生产行为产生异质性影响。为此,基于价值感知视角探究了不同生态补偿方式对农户绿色生产行为的影响机理,并结合湖北省五个地级市837户农户的微观调查数据,运用Binary Logistic模型实证考察了价值感知调节作用下,现金和技术两种生态补偿方式对农户绿色生产行为的影响。结果表明:(1)现金补偿和技术补偿对农户绿色生产行为均产生了显著的正向促进作用;且两者之间存在着互补效应,即技术补偿能够作为现金补偿的有效补充机制,会共同激励农户参与农业绿色生产。(2)在生态补偿影响农户绿色生产行为的过程中,价值感知起到了显著的调节作用,即价值感知水平的提升能够进一步强化生态补偿对于农户绿色生产行为的激励作用。最后,在纠正了农户常年务工会对估计结果可能产生的偏误后,上述结论依然稳健。(3)对于不同年龄分组的农户而言,不同生态补偿方式的激励效果亦有所不同。具体来讲,在考虑价值感知的调节效应后,现金补偿能够更有效地促进年轻组农户采取绿色生产行为;而技术补偿对老龄组农户的激励作用则更加明显。因此,结合农户的认知水平和现实需求,强化价值感知的调节作用,创新并完善生态补偿制度,将有助于推动农业绿色生产。     

资源环境约束下黄河三角洲盐碱地农业绿色发展对策

本文系统分析了黄河三角洲盐碱地开发利用状况和农业发展的资源条件,探讨了农业发展的环境影响与效益制约,提出了促进农业绿色发展的对策。结果表明:黄河三角洲不仅受到盐碱地改良难、淡水紧缺的资源约束,而且受到常规农业发展模式环境风险高、比较效益低的环境效益约束,农业发展面临严峻挑战;黄河三角洲肩负发展高效生态经济重任,盐碱地农业利用必须坚持绿色主题,兼顾资源环境约束,保障国家食物和生态安全。建议在黄河三角洲发展水肥一体化设施栽培,优化农业空间布局,将设施栽培向黄河、小清河以北迁移,"两河"以南"退棚还田"发展粮食生产;强化科技支撑,培育绿色产业链,并建立生态经济补偿机制协调区域关系。     

基于倾向值匹配法的区域生态补偿绩效评估研究

从上世纪90年代起,中国在全国和各区域范围内实施了大量以生态补偿为理论基础的环境保护项目。同时,伴随着生态补偿项目的实施,生态补偿的相关研究也在不断推进。目前,中国对于生态补偿的研究主要集中在理论体系的构建、机制的探索、补偿对象、补偿方式以及补偿金确定等补偿前阶段的研究,而较少涉及对现有补偿项目绩效评估等补偿后阶段的研究,特别是缺少标准经济学范式的绩效评估研究。因此,本文在提出了区域生态补偿绩效评价的必要性与理论意义的基础上,通过引入熵值法、倾向值匹配法、面板数据回归方法等经济学技术对区域生态补偿绩效进行评估。本文以辽东山区生态补偿财政项目为案例,运用熵值法对经济、社会、生态状况相近的27县综合生态绩效进行计算、比较,经过统计分析初步发现绩效最好的县均是政策影响县,但也存在诸如清河、灯塔、弓长岭等补偿县的生态绩效并没有较大提升;通过对补偿政策组与非补偿政策组以及按行政区划分的生态绩效比较发现,补偿政策以及行政归属对生态绩效影响是显著的;运用面板回归方法,发现在控制了行政区划、时间、环保投资和森林资源现有存量后,补偿政策的效应为0.475。为避免样本选择问题,文章引入Kernel内核匹配法得出平均处理效应为0.783。两方法均支持补偿政策有效的结论。最后,为考察生态补偿绩效影响因素,对补偿政策组样本进行面板回归并与全样本回归结果进行比较。研究认为,行政区划与财政赤字占比分别在1%水平上显著,且财政赤字占比效应为正。由于现阶段生态补偿政策依然包含过多行政色彩,所以第二产业占比、林业占比、人均GDP等经济因素只有人均GDP在10%水平上显著。另外,通过年份时间变量的引入,考察了各年平均生态绩效的变化情况,并发现政策效应在逐渐趋于收敛,这也从另一个角度证实了补偿政策的实际效果。     

政策与法律双重维度下生态补偿的法理溯源与制度重构

目前中国生态补偿实践已经积累了大量的经验,在部分领域已经取得了良好的效果,但其法理研究比较薄弱,主要表现为对政策和法律层面运行逻辑的混淆,公法原理与私法原理的杂糅。生态补偿政策与法律均有其存在的必要性和正当性。本文基于这一思路分析了政策和法律视角的生态补偿制度现状与原理,并以公法和私法原理解释其制度逻辑,从而探寻法理基础。生态补偿政策的异化根源于传统国家治理体制,目前以"项目制"行政拨款和治理方式为基础,地方将中央拨付的补偿资金用于环境治理后收到环境保护实效的同时,消解了中央拨付资金的意图。在法律层面,生态补偿并未产生规制行政权力以及调节私人利益的制度效果,导致法律调节长期被政策所主导,处于"失语"状态。生态补偿的法理探讨应当区分公法规制与私法调节的范围,在公法层面确定规制行政权力的基本理念,拓展行政补偿的理念与实体制度范围,并将其应用到生态补偿法律制度的构建中;私法层面,应当在遵守公法设立的管制性规范的前提下,承认一定良好程度的生态环境的经济价值和可交易性,进一步发掘合同法、物权法以调节个体环境利益的制度空间。在生态补偿制度的完善方面,政策层面的生态补偿应在明确事权划分的基础上,进一步发掘地方或区域环境协同治理的空间,法律层面应以立法为核心,行政补偿进一步精细化,私法相关制度应体现"绿色"理念。政策与法律双重维度的生态补偿制度各自发挥功能,避免出现互相交织的局面,同时也为正在推进的《生态补偿条例》的制定提供必要的理论支撑。     

国外生态补偿机制设计中的关键要素及启示

近年来,生态补偿已成为国内外学界关注的热点,各国相关实践也日益广泛深入。国外关于生态补偿的概念界定并不一致,不同国家的生态补偿实践也不尽相同,但通过考察现有相关研究和实践,可以总结和归纳出各国在生态补偿机制设计中均需考虑的一些关键要素。其中,生态补偿概念的构成要素包括外部性、条件性和自愿性,反映出生态补偿区别于其他环境保护政策工具所具有的核心特征;生态补偿效率的影响要素指向生态补偿的环境效益和成本效益,决定了生态补偿目的能否实现以及实现的程度和代价。提高环境效益的关键在于满足登记、目标锁定、额外性、联结和持续性的要求,避免泄漏、不正当激励和动机挤出效应的出现,而提高成本效益的关键则在于降低交易成本;生态补偿实施的制约要素是指机制运行的前提条件和事后保障,直接影响生态补偿最终能否真正落实和有效实施,包括制度背景例如生态系统服务提供者的财产使用权、透明度、附加目标、商业和技术支持等,以及事后的监督与评估,这也是条件性的必然要求。中国在建立健全生态补偿机制时,应当立足于本国的制度背景,同时借鉴国外先进经验,明确生态补偿的内涵和实质,从制度创新出发,将政府补偿和市场交易相融合,在生态补偿实施方案或协议的拟定中,将各项关键要素融入精密的条款设计中,明确利益相关各方的角色和责任,更好地实现生态补偿防止生态系统服务退化、促进生态系统服务恢复以及确保生态系统服务持续提供的功能,达成效益、效率和公平等价值目标。     

农户参与农业生态转型:预期效益还是政策激励?

农户作为农业生产经营的基本主体,农户参与农业生态转型行为是我国农业转型的关键。预期效益和政策激励是影响农户参与农业生态转型的两个重要方面,两者作用如何是值得探讨的重要命题。本文基于山东省两县级市507份设施蔬菜农户调查数据,分析农户参与农业生态转型的影响因素,并运用ISM模型判定各影响因素的内在关联关系和层次结构。研究发现:第一,预期效益中的环保型技术成本预期、废弃物回收利用成本预期对农户农业生态转型参与行为具有阻碍作用,预期效益中的收入预期对农户农业生态转型参与意愿具有促进作用。第二,政策激励中的政府监管和政策补贴对农户农业生态转型参与行为具有明显的靶向指导作用。第三,环保型技术成本预期、废弃物回收利用成本预期等预期效益因素是表层直接因素;政府监管、政策补贴等政策激励因素是深层根源因素。因此,要推进优质优价农产品市场机制形成,提供农业生态转型示范模式。推动设施蔬菜生产的绿色化、优质化、品牌化建设,加强按照环境友好型方式生产出来的绿色蔬菜的辨识度。重视绿色蔬菜示范基地建设,探索可复制可推广的农业生态转型模式,增强农户进一步参与农业生态转型信心。同时,政策约束与政策激励结合,落实农业生态转型政策激励。运用大数据科学制定农业政策,对污染环境、影响农产品质量安全的农业生产方式要严格禁止,并采取经济惩罚措施。对环境友好型生态农业生产方式要加以鼓励引导,对生态循环农业生产给予适当补贴,同时强化政策执行和舆论监督。     

崇明生态岛经济指标体系框架研究

崇明生态岛建设是区域可持续发展的新探索，不同于国外的生态城市建设，必须要重视经济发展。为了引导崇明岛走向兼顾环境保护的经济发展道路，从崇明生态经济发展模式出发，提出了一套生态岛的经济指标体系。该指标体系体现了在生态不退化的前提下挖掘经济发展空间，推动自然资本的经济价值实现，打造领先的生态经济模式的发展理念，包括了绿色经济产出等9个基础指标，绿色经济指标、生态价值指标和生态经济指标3个二级指标，最终可计算出生态岛的经济指数。其中，提出了计算绿色经济产出的新思路，即通过建立区域发展的资源环境账簿，实施项目准入机制、环境容量置换和交易机制，避免经济发展对资源环境账簿的透支，从而实现经济产出的绿色化     

Present status of Rn in groundwater in Extremadura

Radon-222 was measured in groundwater sources of Extremadura (Spain), analyzing 350 samples from private and public springs, wells, and spas by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and gamma spectrometry. The ²²²Rn activity concentrations ranged from 0.24 to 1168 Bq L⁻¹. The statistical analysis showed a log-normal distribution with a mean of (111 ± 7) Bq L⁻¹ and a median of (36 ± 3) Bq L⁻¹. A hydrogeological study revealed correlations between the activity concentration and the aquifer material's characteristics. A map of ²²²Rn in groundwater was elaborated and compared with the natural gamma radiation map for this region. About 35% of the samples showed ²²²Rn activity concentrations above the Euratom recommended limit of 100 Bq L⁻¹. Three uranium series radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²³⁴U, and ²²⁶Ra) were also assayed by alpha-particle spectrometry, estimating the annual effective dose due to the presence of these natural radionuclides in drinking water.     

Reuse of mining wastewater in agricultural activities in Jordan

A pilot study was completed in the Al-Abyad area near phosphate mining activity in Jordan. Six plots of 50 m² each were planted with two types of plant species (Zea mays spp. and Medicago lupulina spp.) and irrigated using three types of water (fresh groundwater, mine wastewater, and hydride water consisting of 50% fresh and 50% mine wastewater) to investigate the suitability of utilizing mine wastewater for food production in the area. Water, soil and plant sampling was completed for each plot over different time intervals and analyzed for heavy metal (Cr⁺⁶, Ni⁺², Zn⁺² and Pb⁺²) in addition to major ionic composition of the water used for irrigation. Crop yield was estimated at the end of the experiment. Plots irrigated with mine wastewater showed slightly higher heavy metals concentrations and soil salinity during the experiment period was higher for plots irrigated with mine wastewater compared to plots irrigated with fresh water, and it was uniform through the upper 45 cm of the soil profile due to the high amount of irrigation water used during the experiment. Crop yield was inversely proportional to salinity as an increase of salinity by 2-folds resulted in reducing yield by almost 50%. However, no risk of heavy metals contamination was found in plants and soil. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Evaluation of Urban Sustainability in Specific Sectors in Latvia

In Latvia, the concept of sustainability is only slowly gaining recognition. An analysis of Development Plans prepared by the four largest cities of Latvia indicates that sustainability is presented as one of the guiding principles. However, a comparison of Development Plan policies against the urban sustainability issues reveals a great deal of ambiguity and contradiction.At the municipal level, planners and politicians lack indicators to gauge whether the long-term goals of Development Plans and the principles of sustainable development are being achieved. As a consequence, the broad public is deprived of the opportunity to assess for itself the process of development in relation to Development Plan policies, thus limiting accountability in development decision-making. Relevant statistical data collected on a regular basis are required to create sustainability indicators reflecting sustainability issues, to supplement and replace existing statistical compilations pertaining almost exclusively to economic growth and consumption. Development and utilisation of sustainability indicators can be an effective instrument for promoting the values of sustainable development amongst politicians, planners and the broad public and for enhancing accountability in decision-making.     

Concentration and characterization of plutonium in soils of Hubei in central China

To study the Pu concentration and isotope ratio distributions present in China, the ^239+240Pu total activities and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in core soil samples from Hubei Province in central China were investigated using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The activities ranged from 0.019 to 0.502 mBq g⁻¹ and the ^239+240Pu inventories of 45 and ∼55 Bq m⁻² agree well with that expected from global fallout. The ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in the soil ranged from 0.172 to 0.220. The ratios are similar to typical global fallout values. Hence, any close-in fallout contribution from the Chinese nuclear weapons tests, mainly conducted in the 1970s, must have either been negligible or had a similar ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu ratio to that of global fallout. The top 10 cm layer of the soil contributes ∼90% of the total inventory and the maximum concentrations appeared in the 2-4 cm or 4-6 cm layers. It is suggested that climatic conditions and organic content are the two main factors that affect the vertical migration of plutonium in soil.     

Diffusion of Lead-free Soldering in Electronics Industry in China

The EU directives on e-waste management (WEEE and RoHS) have drawn the attention of electronics producers around the world to the environmental benign technologies in recent years. One of the technological challenges to the electronics manufacturers is the adoption of the lead-free soldering system. This article studies the diffusion of lead-free soldering technology among the electronics producers in China, and finds out the relevance of clusters for the diffusion of environmental benign technological innovation among firms. Four agents, as key promoters, were identified within the production network –leading global brand-name companies, the OEM companies who provide integrated manufacturing service, the suppliers of lead-free components, and specialized consultant companies. The conclusion is that industrial cluster facilitates communications among all agents for the diffusion of innovation, whereas, the incentives for firms within the cluster, to collaborate for innovation, comes from outside.     

Radionuclides in terrestrial ecosystems of the zone of Kyshtym accident in the Urals

It was shown that along the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace central axis, about 100 km in length, decrease of the ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs deposition densities in soil samples may be described as an exponential function. At the western and eastern periphery of the trace, ⁹⁰Sr contents in soils approached to the background level due to global fallout. ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in seeds of some herbaceous plants have been determined. The radionuclide concentrations and the resulting dose loads upon plant seeds showed an excess over the background level of about two or three orders of magnitude.     

Effect of Increase in Price of Oil on Behavior of Private Car Owners in Beijing

In order to understand the short-term response of private car owners to changes in the price of oil, a survey was conducted in Beijing after the gasoline price in China rose in June 2008. It showed that private car drivers in Beijing reduced their trips in the one month period following the price adjustment. Certain trip characteristics and drivers' demographics significantly influenced price elasticity in the short term, including the purpose of the trip, the distance covered and the income of the car driver.     

Dynamics of Habitat Distribution in Birds Differing in the Level of Site Tenacity

The dynamics of habitat distribution in two bird species differing in the level of site tenacity—willow warbler (relatively tenacious) and little bunting (more flexible)—were studied at the boundary of the northern taiga and forest–tundra zones over ten years. The distribution pattern proved to be more uniform in the willow warbler than in the little bunting. Both species occupied their habitats according to a well-known scheme: initially, the birds settled in their favorable floodplain habitats and later; when their abundance increased, in less preferable habitats (terraces above the floodplain, moss bogs, and the tundra). In the case of willow warbler, the process of occupying the floodplain was stepwise: bird density increased sharply, remained at the same level in the next year, then increased again, etc. In the case of little bunting, the degree of floodplain occupation by birds remained high, except for the years when high spring floods interfered with bird settling.     

Ecophysiological Parameters of Transpiration in Coniferous Woody Plants in Phytocenoses of the North

Long-term observations on needle transpiration in pine and spruce, the main forest-forming tree species in the North, made it possible to estimate the rate of this process depending on different ecological factors in years with different weather conditions. Using a large amount of data, an attempt was made to compare transpiration rates in pine and spruce and reveal some specific features of this process under conditions of the North.