The market and shadow value of informal fish catch: a framework and application to Panama

Fisheries catches are known to be widely underreported, and much of their value flows in informal markets. Goods and services that are not directly sold in a market also have a corresponding economic value, here termed ‘shadow value’, which can apply to discarded fish—or those that are consumed but not sold (e.g., subsistence catches). Here, we estimate the monetary value of fisheries catches in Panama that are landed but not reported, or that are discarded at sea; this includes catches from artisanal and industrial fleets, as well as recreational and subsistence fisheries. Based on available data, we estimate that the market and shadow value of unreported catches in Panama in 2010 was around US$92 million, equal to approximately 43% of the total reported landed value. In the case of discarded fish, the shadow value represents the potential but entirely unrealized economic benefit of landing such fish; in the case of unreported landings, unreported market value represents only the first link in the potentially sophisticated informal seafood economy. One must be careful in considering these results for policy. It is possible that, rather than seeking to capture these ‘lost’ benefits, fish that are discarded or unreported should not have been caught at all, for example, if they are juveniles or of threatened species; conversely, unreported subsistence catches are crucial for food security throughout the world. These results help contextualize the scale of unreported fisheries in economic terms, and can inform subsequent policies and strategies to ensure social, ecological, and economic sustainability.     

黄河三角洲垦利县可持续土地利用评价及对策研究

选取34个自然、环境和社会经济指标,采用相关分析和模糊数学原理对研究区的可持续土地利用进行了评价.结果表明,研究区可持续土地利用性在1986-2003年期间逐渐提高.通过计算障碍度详细分析了研究区可持续土地利用的障碍因素.人均农业总产值、粮食单产、芦苇地占地率、农业用地率是可持续土地利用的主要障碍因素.芦苇地占地率在1996年以后始终是第一障碍因素.人均农业总产值的限制主要出现在1998年之前,之后对可持续土地利用未构成障碍.粮食单产和农业用地率的影响主要出现在1996年以后.林草覆盖率、公顷耕地农机总动力和农村电气化水平在一半以上的年份对可持续土地利用构成障碍.在1994年之前,农民人均收入障碍度较大,是主要的障碍因素.最后根据障碍因素的分析提出了可持续土地利用的对策.     

工伤保险行业差别费率确定方法探讨

制定合理的行业差别费率对于工伤保险基金的稳定、促进企业改善安全生产状况具有积极作用.我国工伤保险制度处于起步阶段,有些地区对行业差别费率厘定进行了探索,但费率与风险的关联性不强,影响了低风险企业参加工伤保险统筹的积极性.本文针对工伤统计数据缺乏的现状,分析了现阶段工伤保险行业差别费率确定方法的研究现状,重点讨论了确定行业风险等级的3种方法,即聚类分析法、风险系数测评和模糊风险评估法的应用过程以及优缺点;另外,强调了在确定行业风险指数时,应注意根据不同事故类别的严重度来确定各风险因素指标的权重大小.最后,应用风险评估理论分析工伤保险行业差别费率的运作机理,提出应用工伤赔付支出费用计算行业差别费率的数学公式,此公式原理清晰、操作方便,且有利于各统筹地区根据实际情况划分行业差别费率.     

经济增长质量与能源效率是一致的吗?

论文从全社会节能的角度提出全社会能源效率的概念,构建了经济增长质量指标体系,并基于1997—2007 年中国30 个省份的面板数据,采用Malmquist DEA方法测算了广义技术进步指数并进行分解,然后运用面板方法分析了经济增长质量与能源效率的作用机制,研究结果表明经济增长质量与能源效率是不完全一致的,具体表现为:改善环境质量与提高能源效率是一致的,技术进步与产业结构升级能够促进能源效率,但出口比重的增加和生活水平的提高会抑制能源效率的改进。技术进步、技术效率、纯技术效率和规模效率对全社会能源效率有正向影响,技术效率的作用大于技术进步,纯技术效率和规模效率的下降削弱了技术进步的正向作用。     

Normalized tornado damage in the United States: 1950–2011

In 2011, thunderstorms in the United States resulted in 550 deaths from tornadoes and more than $28 billion in property damage, according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the vast majority of economic losses resulting from tornadoes. This article normalizes U.S. tornado damage from 1950 to 2011, using several methods. A normalization provides an estimate of the damage that would occur if past events occurred under a common base year's societal conditions. We normalize for changes in inflation and wealth at the national level and changes in population, income and housing units at the county level. Under several methods, there has been a sharp decline in tornado damage. This decline corresponds with a decline in the reported frequency of the most intense (and thus most damaging) tornadoes since 1950. However, quantification of trends in tornado incidence is made difficult due to discontinuities in the reporting of events over time. The normalized damage results are suggestive that some part of this decline may reflect actual changes in tornado incidence, beyond changes in reporting practices. In historical context, 2011 stands out as one of the most damaging years of the past 61 years and provides an indication that maximum damage levels have the potential to increase should societal change lead to increasing exposure of wealth and property.     

内蒙古经济发展与环境污染之间关系的检验

利用内蒙古1986-2009年间的6类环境污染指标和人均GDP数据,基于VAR计量技术,通过变量平稳性和协整检验,Granger因果检验和脉冲响应分析对经济增长与环境污染的关系及其动态性进行了实证研究。结果显示:①当内蒙古粉尘排放量增长率、 工业固体废弃物产生量增长率、 工业二氧化硫排放量增长率和工业烟尘排放量增长率各增加1%时,人均GDP分别降低0.068%、 0.411%、 0.380%以及0.418%;当工业废气排放量增长率和工业废水排放量增长率分别增加1%时,人均GDP分别上升1.305%和1.601%。②人均GDP变化是工业固体废弃物产生量和工业废气排放量变化的Granger原因,但各污染物排放并不是人均GDP变化的Granger原因,这与研究期间内蒙古处于工业化尤其是工业中的采矿业发达的事实吻合。③人均GDP增长率对来自环境变量增长率的冲击影响其响应表现为在第1期均为0,从长期响应来看,给粉尘和废水排放增长率一个正的冲击,人均GDP增长率的响应为持续的降低;对来自废气排放增长率冲击响应函数图在前4期表现出"增长-降低-增长"的趋势,而在后6期表现为缓缓下降;对来自固体废弃物产生量增长率和二氧化硫排放量增长率冲击响应不明显;对来自烟尘排放量增长率的冲击其响应在第2期达到最大值,随后也呈递减趋势。④从方差分析的结果看,不考虑GDP自身的贡献率,内蒙古环境污染指标排放增长率对人均GDP增长率贡献率较小,而在不考虑内蒙古各个环境污染指标排放增长率自身的贡献率的情况下,内蒙古人均GDP增长率对环境污染指标排放的增长率的贡献较高。这进一步说明了内蒙古环境各污染因子排放量的增多并没有大幅度促进人均GDP的增长,但是人均GDP增长却带动了工业污染物排放的增长。     

论流域环境经济学

流域系统具有整体性、地域分异性、污染的跨界单向外部性,面临着上下游和不同利益群体之间的利益冲突,使得传统环境经济学的理论和方法遇到了障碍.基于环境经济学在流域这一特殊研究对象的理论拓展和实践探索要求,提出了流域环境经济学发展的必要性,阐述了流域环境经济学的概念、内涵和理论基础,并初步构建了流域环境经济学框架和主要内容.研究认为,流域环境经济学是随着流域环境问题不断演化而产生的新研究领域,通过借鉴空间经济学、信息经济学、行为经济学和制度经济学等相关理论和方法,研究流域经济发展与环境保护之间的相互关系及其引发的人与人之间的关系,探索流域环境管理的机制设计和合理的环境经济政策手段,优化流域环境资源配置,实现流域经济增长与环境保护协调发展.      

Analysis of the efficiency of regional tourism based on DEA window technology

In this study, data envelopment analysis is used to measure the tourism efficiency of 31 regions in China according to the panel data from the year 2000 to 2010. The conclusion shows that the efficiency of tourism industry is on the rise as a whole, while the diversity of every region becomes more and more apparent. High efficiency appears in east regions like Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai where the economy is developed, and regions like Jilin, Sichuan and Gansu in the midland and west show low efficiency.     

Economic and Ecological Rules for Water Quality Trading1

Horan, Richard D. and James S. Shortle, 2011. Economic and Ecological Rules for Water Quality Trading. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(1):59‐69. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2010.00463.x Abstract: Emissions trading in textbook form uses markets to achieve pollution targets cost‐efficiently. This result is accomplished in markets that regulators can implement without knowing pollution abatement costs. The theoretical promise of emissions trading, along with real‐world success stories from air emissions trading, has led to initiatives to use trading for water pollution control. Yet, trading, particularly when it involves nonpoint sources of pollution, requires significant departures from the textbook concept. This paper explores how features of water quality problems affect the design of markets for water pollution control relative to textbook emissions markets. Three fundamental design tasks that regulators must address for pollution trading to achieve an environmental goal at low cost are examined: (1) defining the point and nonpoint commodities to be traded, (2) defining rules governing commodity exchange, and (3) setting caps on the commodity supplies so as to achieve an environmental target. We show that the way in which these tasks are optimally addressed for water quality markets differs significantly from the textbook model and its real‐world analogs. We also show that the fundamental appeal of emissions trading is lost in the case of realistic water quality markets, as market designs that reduce the costs of achieving water quality goals may no longer be implementable without the regulatory authority having information on abatement costs.     

Mine size optimization using marginal analysis

In this study, a model to estimate the optimum mine size is developed. The model is developed on the basis of marginal analysis. The model solves for the production rate at which the present value of marginal costs equals the present value of marginal revenues—the rate that microeconomic theory shows will maximize the net present value of production from the mine.In addition, the article discusses the effects on the optimum production rate of: the physical characteristics of the deposit, economic factors, and financial factors. It has been found that, not surprisingly, as the reserve tonnage increases, the optimum mine size increases. Also, the optimum production rate increases as the ore grade increases. A direct relationship has been found between the mineral price and the optimum production rate. The optimum mine size is found to be inversely related to the expected growth rate of mineral price, while it is directly related to the expected growth rate of mining costs. A concave relationship has been found between the cost of capital and the optimum mine size.