Changes in electrical generator cooling systems: Are they cost-effective sources of water now and under climate change?

In the United States, thermal power plant electrical generators (EGs) are large water diverters and consumptive users who need water for cooling. Retrofitting existing cooling systems to dry cooling and building new facilities with dry cooling can save water and reduce EG's vulnerability to drought. However, this can be an expensive source of water. We estimate that the cost of water saved by retrofitting cooling in existing EGs ranges from $0.04/m³ to $18/m³ depending on facility characteristics. Also water savings from building new EGs with dry cooling ranges in cost per unit water from $1.29/m³ to $2.24/m³. We compare costs with that for water development projects identified in the Texas State Water Plan. We find the water cost from converting to dry cooling is lower than many of the water development possibilities. We then estimate the impact of climate change on the cost of water saved, finding climate change can increase EG water use by up to 9.3% and lower the costs of water saved. Generally, it appears that water planners might consider cooling alterations as a cost competitive water development alternative whose cost would be further decreased by climate change.     

农地确权、确权方式与农地转出多维决策——基于云贵川1490户农户的调查

农地确权是否促进农地流转是目前学界争论的焦点之一.通过构建“农地确权方式”→“激励效应、交易费用效应、价格效应”→“农地转出多维决策”的逻辑框架,从确权方式的异质性视角为当前学界分歧寻求一致性的解释.基于云贵川3省1 490户农户数据,运用倾向得分匹配法及工具变量法进行实证分析.结果 表明:(1)简单地认为农地确权促进或抑制农地流转是欠妥的,农户农地流转决策与不同的确权方式有关,其中确权不确地方式显著促进了农户转出土地,而确权确地方式却不存在显著影响;(2)农地确权主要通过促使农地流转合约正式化降低交易费用,确权不确地方式进一步提高了农地流转的交易范围以及转出面积比重;(3)农地确权及不同确权方式均未显著推高农地转出租金.     

农户农村垃圾治理投资响应机理及决策因素分析

农村垃圾治理是改善农村人居环境、满足农民美好生活向往的重要途径之一.农户对农村垃圾治理投资的响应及程度将直接影响农村垃圾治理成效.基于989份农户调查数据,将个体内在感知层面的环境责任感、政策认知和外在关系层面的制度信任纳入统一分析框架,探究农户农村垃圾治理投资意愿及水平的影响机理,并利用双栏模型(DHM)进行实证检验.结果表明:(1)农户对农村生活垃圾治理的投资意愿水平为7.62～16.42元/月·户,对农村生产垃圾治理的投资意愿水平为134.62～435.08元/hm2·季;(2)环境责任感和政策认知正向影响农户农村垃圾治理投资意愿及生活垃圾治理投资水平,政策认知还对农户农村生产垃圾治理投资水平有显著促进作用;(3)制度信任直接影响农户垃圾治理投资意愿,同时还正向调节农户政策认知和农村垃圾治理投资意愿及水平,并在环境责任感和垃圾治理投资意愿之间起到负向调节作用.建议在完善农村垃圾治理政策的同时,加强宣传教育,提升农户对相关环境政策的了解度,增强农户环境责任感,从而激发农户对农村垃圾治理投资的积极性.     

Assessing the double dividend of a third-generation environmental tax reform with resource substitution

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Taxes often face public opposition, which hinders their implementation since people envision them as costs without a return. Taxes on emissions are one...     

创新价值链视角下企业创新效率差异及影响因素分析——基于江苏省国家高新区企业的验证

中国经济新常态背景下,高新区企业创新增效提质是增强高新区创新能力的内生动力.从创新价值链视角出发,将企业创新过程分为技术开发阶段和经济转化阶段,运用两阶段DEA模型分别对2016年江苏省12个国家高新区、11个技术领域以及各高新区内不同技术类型企业的整体和分阶段创新效率进行测度,并构建Tobit回归模型探究每个阶段企业创新效率的影响因素.研究表明:(1)江苏省国家高新区整体创新效率有较大提升空间,其中技术开发效率表现优于经济转化效率.(2)高创新效率的技术领域集中在电子与信息、新材料等,生物医药、环境保护和光机电一体化等技术领域整体创新效率处于较低水平.(3)以各阶段创新效率均值为分界,划分创新资源利用的四种模式,大部分高新区企业处于高开发-低转化和低开发-高转化型模式,存在技术创新与经济转化联系不够紧密的现象.(4)资本投入水平、劳动力的“质”和“量”、政府支持力度对企业创新效率的影响存在明显的阶段差异性.最后,根据研究结果,从强化知识交流网络、集聚多元化人才、调整资源投入产出评估方式及采取扬优补短式效率提升路径四个方面给出提升高新区企业创新效率的政策建议.     

中原城市群城市土地利用效率时空差异及影响因素研究

基于2006～2016年中原城市群各地市面板数据,运用超效率SBM模型和Malmquist模型测算城市土地利用效率并分析其时空差异,基于此借助空间计量模型分析中原城市群城市土地利用效率的影响因素,旨在促进土地要素的合理配置和区域协调发展.研究结果表明:(1)2006～2016年中原城市群城市土地利用效率整体水平不高,呈现先下降后上升波动变化趋势.高效率聚集区主要分布于中原城市群的西部,而东部的高效率聚集区逐渐向北部迁移.(2)城市土地利用过程中要素投入以及非期望产出的冗余是造成中原城市群土地利用效率损失的主要原因之一.(3)中原城市群城市土地利用效率存在正向的空间自相关.(4)经济发展水平、产业结构对于提高城市土地利用效率具有显著的促进作用,而财政压力、城市房地产投资对提升城市土地利用效率具有显著的抑制作用.(5)研究区域的城市土地利用效率存在空间溢出效应.因此要提高城市土地利用效率,中原城市群需要进一步加强城市之间的联系,建立联动发展机制,增强城市土地利用的系统性和整体性.     

长三角地区跨区域合作创新对区域多样化的影响研究

区域多样化发展在提高生产力、促进就业以及稳定经济等方面发挥着重要作用.一直以来演化经济地理学框架下区域多样化发展中外部资源的作用被忽略,而跨区域合作创新是区域获取外部知识的重要途径之一.研究使用2000～2017年长三角地区41个城市的发明专利数据,对区域经济一体化特征显著的长三角地区多样化水平与合作创新进行测度,并实证检验区域内部与跨区域的合作创新在区域多样化进程中所发挥的作用.结果表明:(1)长三角地区各城市的相关与不相关多样化水平总体呈现逐渐上升并趋于稳定的趋势;(2)合作创新作为知识流动的重要载体,合作参与者大多位于长三角内,合作创新所产生的知识溢出往往发生在具有技术关联性的产业间,从而有助于促进长三角地区发展相关多样化,但对不相关多样化没有表现出显著影响;(3)合作创新中参与团队数量与区域相关与不相关多样性没有显著关系;(4)合作创新中跨区域合作比例越高,越能够促进区域相关与不相关多样化的发展.因此,在推动区域产业多样化的过程中应注重强化区域间的合作,借助外部力量引导区域产业发展.     

Changes in the Distribution of Broadleaf Tree Species in the Central Part of the Southern Urals since the 1970s

Russian Journal of Ecology - Changes in the distribution of broadleaf tree species—Tilia cordata Mill., Quercus robur L., Acer platanoides L., and Ulmus glabra Huds.—in the central part...     

Revisiting the environmental Kuznets curve: evidence from Turkey

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This paper uncovers the link between economic development and environmental degradation in Turkey by employing two distinct methods. We test the...     

Public perception of air pollution sources across Europe

Air pollution is one of the primary concerns of our society for its effect on human health and the environment. Among the policy measures that can be put in place to limit air pollutant emissions, end-of-pipe technologies and/or regulatory instruments may be implemented through legislative acts. Also, equally important are behavioural measures, requiring citizens’ active involvement. The success of any measure to limit pollutant emissions requires the acceptance by the citizens that, in turn, implies a correct perception of the main pollutant emission drivers. We present here the comparison between the public perception of air pollution sources and the real-world situation through a survey carried out in seven European countries and involving 16 101 respondents. Our study shows a dramatic underestimation of the contribution of the agri-food sector to air pollution. This result is common to all respondents in the seven countries examined and only to a small extent depends on gender, age and socio-economic status of the respondents.