THE EFFECTWENESS OF PRICING AS A STAND-ALONE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM1

ABSTRACT: Economic theory clearly indicates that the use of increasing rate structures will reduce the demand for water and produce monetary incentives for consumers to conserve. One problem with estimating the effectiveness of using rate structures as a conservation program is that they are usually accompanied by other conservation efforts. Thus, it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of any one conservation component. This paper examines the effectiveness of increasing rate structures in a situation where no other conservation program was introduced. The paper uses customer data from the Spalding County (Georgia) Water Authority where an increasing rate structure replaced a descending rate structure in January 1991. Since the imposition of the increasing rate structure, the number of customers has increased 21 percent while total water demand has gone up only 15 percent and per customer water use has declined 5 percent. The daily water use per connection has declined from 243 gallons in 1990 to 231 in 1993, and monthly use has gone from 7,381 gallons to 7,028 per connection over the same period. Statistical tests indicate that water consumption during the two periods was significantly different while weather factors were not.     

农业院校环境科学专业学科群建设及课程体系设置

文章以环境科学学科群的带头学科及其内涵、外延分析为基础,对环境科学专业学科群进行了系统分析;并以青岛农业大学环境科学专业课程组织为例,对农业院校环境科学专业学科群建设进行了探讨,为高等学校环境科学专业建设提供一种新范式。     

《中国环境管理》期刊发展回顾与展望

《中国环境管理》自2015年编委会组建以来,坚持学术期刊的办刊定位,不断开拓出版资源,持续刊登高质量论文,办刊质量稳步提升。本文主要总结《中国环境管理》自编委会组建以来的办刊进展,分析期刊发展形势,重点阐述近几年提升办刊质量的主要做法和办刊思路,并对未来期刊发展提出思考和展望。《中国环境管理》作为一本行业性中文科技期刊,其办刊探索对于类似中文科技期刊的发展具有案例研究意义。     

基于均衡价值论的生态产品定价与补偿标准研究

生态产品定价方法是完善生态补偿制度、落实生态产品市场化机制,以及实现绿水青山转化为金山银山的关键所在。本文基于均衡价值理论,从生产成本、生态效用与供求系数三方面构建生态产品的定价框架,并将其应用于内蒙古锡林郭勒盟禁牧区的生态补偿标准的计算中,进一步分析锡林郭勒盟各旗县自然、社会经济水平因素,构建差异化补偿标准分区方案。生态产品定价方法的研究可指导政府制定合理生态补偿标准,并为生态产品交易价格的磋商提供借鉴。     

EFFECTIVE WATER PRICING1

ABSTRACT: When the goal of water pricing is elevated from mere cost recovery to deriving the greatest value from scarce water and associated nonwater resources, conventional rate regimes are found to be deficient. To address the challenge of creating rates that are both efficient and budget-balancing, several theoretical and practical aspects of rate-making are considered. Purposeful selection of rate parameters for a specific billing system is demonstrated to serve efficiency and cost recovery objectives. Attention to non-accounting opportunity costs is an important system element, but these costs are often not fully borne by the utility or its customers. In situations where this issue is serious, state or federal pricing policy may be necessary.     

基于CVM视角的三峡国家公园管理制度研究

国家公园是被国际社会公认的自然生态保护的有效模式,在生态文明、环境保护等问题上具有重要价值。建立国家公园体制、实施主体功能区制度在中国国家层面得到重视,有关国家公园的学术探讨逐渐成为学界研究热点。从利益相关者角度,运用CVM法测算三峡国家公园利益相关者对公园开发后保护和门票的支付意愿(WTP值),并对二者进行比较,从货币支付角度测度各利益主体对三峡国家公园的重视程度。然后运用Logistic回归模型分析不同利益主体对三峡国家公园保护支付意愿的影响因素。在此基础上探讨三峡国家公园的社区参与、门票管理、机构设置及经营管理,是国家公园体制在三峡库区实施的可行性探索。研究结论对未来三峡国家公园乃至国内其他国家公园建设具有借鉴意义。     

相关关系和因果关系在事故分析中的应用——研究综述与启示

从事故中吸取教训是安全科学的主要任务,回顾拆解曾经的研究成果,从理论基础研究和应用实践研究两个方面进行了文献综述,以期达到总结前期成果和启示后续研究的目的。结果表明,在横向研究中,一方面在全学科的宏观层面,相关和因果的研究在经济与管理科学和社会科学中的开展较为成熟,而在安全科学与灾害防治领域还处于发展阶段。同时自2003年至2012年,是相关关系和因果关系研究成果的快速发展时期;另一方面在生产安全事故范围的微观层面,相关和因果的研究相对集中于事故控制阶段的相关关系的研究;在纵向研究中,对于生产安全事故分析时需要进行的描述、解释、预测和控制4个阶段中在选取相关关系和因果关系时有所侧重,在事故描述阶段偏重使用相关关系;在事故解释阶段,如果是解释事故发生的可能性主要偏重使用因果关系。如果是解释事故发生的损失程度主要偏重使用相关关系;在事故预测阶段,偏重相关关系;在事故控制阶段偏重因果关系。     

碳价格对中国工业外商直接投资的潜在影响

作为未来一段时期市场化减排政策的重要抓手,中国将于2017年启动全国碳交易市场。通过施加碳价格,碳市场将对不同行业的生产成本产生影响。那么,碳价格对中国工业外商直接投资的影响如何?是否有助于优化吸引FDI的行业结构?这正是本文关注的焦点。为了克服碳价格数据不足的问题,本文构建了碳价格与煤炭、天然气等五种能源价格之间的映射关系,并采用1999—2013年36个工业行业的面板数据,估计了能源成本对外商直接投资相对规模和绝对规模的影响,并通过碳市场不同价格水平与能源成本之间的映射关系,对工业行业吸引FDI的潜在影响进行了反事实测算。论文的主要结果有:(1)碳价格与能源成本之间的映射关系存在行业异质性,这是由不同工业行业的能源消费结构差异所致。(2)能源成本对整体FDI的规模不存在显著负向影响。其对中国吸引FDI的相对规模和绝对规模的影响在高耗能行业和非高耗能行业间存在显著的差异。(3)不同碳价格水平对中国工业吸引FDI的相对规模、绝对规模和行业结构都将产生显著影响。碳价格将显著降低高耗能行业的FDI规模,但对非高耗能行业的外资规模具有促进作用;对FDI的绝对规模的影响较之相对规模更显著。碳价格为50元时,高耗能行业FDI的相对规模累积下降2%—7%,绝对规模累积下降3%—13%;非高耗能行业FDI的相对规模累积增加1.5%—3%,绝对规模累积增加0.1%—0.3%。上述结果说明,全国碳市场建立对中国工业吸引FDI的整体规模不会产生显著的负面影响,但有助于提高非高耗能行业的FDI流入,并降低高耗能行业的FDI流入,优化工业吸引外资的行业结构。     

Is local produce more expensive? Challenging perceptions of price in local food systems

This research examines price in local food systems to identify whether the perception that local is more expensive is justified. This study seeks to contribute to the field by addressing the dearth of quantitative price and availability research and building upon existing empirical research by considering a broader range of distribution channels and organic produce. Without a stronger understanding of pricing structures and distribution models, local food initiatives are based on assumptions rather than evidence. Using a case-study approach of the Region of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), price and product data were collected at 11 outlets over a 6-month period. The study involved regression analysis of six locally produced fruits and vegetables based on local, Ontario, and organic attributes associated with the products and comparison with consumer willingness-to-pay research. Results show that local produce in the case study is not consistently more expensive than the non-local option. Both price discounts and premiums are found, depending on the product. These findings challenge the “local is more expensive” assumption and support suggestions that local food systems can be spaces for social inclusion. The organic attribute is associated with a price premium in all cases and may create confusion among consumers given frequent overlap between the local and organic attributes. Proponents of local food can use the results of this study to inform programme and policy development. Most notably, the study suggests that education around the distinction between local and organic as well as challenges to the price perception could be of benefit.     

How economics can further the success of ecological restoration

Restoration scientists and practitioners have recently begun to include economic and social aspects in the design and investment decisions for restoration projects. With few exceptions, ecological restoration studies that include economics focus solely on evaluating costs of restoration projects. However, economic principles, tools, and instruments can be applied to a range of other factors that affect project success. We considered the relevance of applying economics to address 4 key challenges of ecological restoration: assessing social and economic benefits, estimating overall costs, project prioritization and selection, and long‐term financing of restoration programs. We found it is uncommon to consider all types of benefits (such as nonmarket values) and costs (such as transaction costs) in restoration programs. Total benefit of a restoration project can be estimated using market prices and various nonmarket valuation techniques. Total cost of a project can be estimated using methods based on property or land‐sale prices, such as hedonic pricing method and organizational surveys. Securing continuous (or long‐term) funding is also vital to accomplishing restoration goals and can be achieved by establishing synergy with existing programs, public–private partnerships, and financing through taxation.