政府行政权力调整对城市绿色全要素生产率的影响——来自“撤县设区”和“省直管县”改革的经验证据

本研究利用“撤县设区”和“省直管县”改革来刻画行政权力向市级政府的集中和分散，构建双重差分模型，基于地级市面板数据，检验了行政权力调整对城市绿色全要素生产率的影响。研究结果表明，行政权力集中加强了市级政府的资源统筹调配能力，通过提高技术创新水平、增加环保支出规模、降低工业产值比重等渠道，显著提升了城市绿色全要素生产率。而行政权力分散的影响效应相反，并不利于城市绿色高质量发展。相较而言，行政权力集中的正效应在政府行为规范度较高、市辖区经济较强的城市表现更突出，行政权力分散的负效应在政府行为规范度较低、县区经济相对较强的城市有着充分体现。对于高行政级别的城市，行政权力调整的影响并不显著。据此，从优化各级政府职能体系，分阶段、分类型，渐进式推进行政管理体制改革等方面提出对策建议。     

供给侧改革视域下企业环保投入与企业价值的关系研究

选取2012—2017年沪深A股披露环保投入额的上市公司作为研究对象,探究企业环保投入与企业价值之间的关系。研究表明:环保投资对企业价值具有提升作用且具有一定时间的延续效应;按产权性质、行业性质差异分组研究发现,相较于非国有企业,国有企业环保投资对企业价值的提升效果更明显;环保投入对企业价值的提升作用仅在重污染行业显著。从政府、企业双角度给出对策建议,推动企业在供给侧改革下的发展。     

生产环保并举 综合治理获益

杭州电化厂是浙江省命名的“清洁文明工厂,”又荣获了省“六好企业”的称号,在企业的污染治理的方面取得了不小的成绩,但是,他们在成绩面前不停步,治理污染不放松。为使“三废”排放都达到国家规定的排放标准,争创“无公害工厂”,     

石化企业VOCs排放管控现状及减排措施

对石化行业VOCs排放源项、管控现状进行梳理,分析了目前石化行业VOCs综合整治中存在的问题,提出了管理部门强化“人员保障”“设施保障”和“技术保障”,企业现场实施技术研发、末端治理设施“三率”（投用效率、收集效率、处理效率）提升、风险管控、LDAR过程规范性管理、智能化信息化建设的建议和措施,可为石化企业VOCs污染防治和减排提供参考。     

污染物特别排放限值对石油石化企业的影响

介绍了污染物特别排放限值出台的背景。回顾了2008年以来水、大气污染物特别排放限值制定的一系列法律依据,分析了其执行时间和涉及的主要石油石化企业。指出执行特别排放限值后,重点控制区将有80%被调查炼化企业的发电锅炉不能达标,大部分在用锅炉需要进行改造或配套污染治理设施,绝大多数炼化企业的硫磺尾气二氧化硫和加热炉烟气氮氧化物将难以稳定达标。从行业或区域限批、治污技术与装置的结合度、治污设施建设周期等方面分析了特别排放限值对企业的综合影响,并从对企业影响的调研、加强与重点区域内政府沟通协调、制定重点控制区石油石化企业污染治理设施运行规范三方面提出了相应的对策建议。     

全面治理环境污染重塑企业清洁文明形象

湖南省常德市汉寿县氮肥厂是一家年产4万吨合成氨的化工企业．该企业过去是常德市的环境污染大户。年排放工业废水556．5万吨．废气1330万立方米，固体废物1．4万吨。近几年来，他们坚持走环境与经济协调发展之路、在治理污染．综合利用“三废”上大作文章‘先后投资535．3万元．完成重点环境污染治理项目8个．逐步甩掉了污染大户的帽子，步入清洁文明工厂之列。连续6年被评为市环保先进企业。作为一个化工企业．他们是如何甩掉污染大户帽子的呢？其成功的做法是；管住源头，花大力气开展“三废’除合利用；舍得投入，全面治理环境污染‘重…     

农村地区散煤的使用与治理

正改革开放以来,我国工业化、城镇化快速推进,人口数量激增,来自工业、交通、电力等众多污染源的污染物大量排放使大气环境容量早已不堪重负。2013年国务院颁布《大气污染防治行动计划》,之后我国在大气污染防治工作中全力以赴,工业、电力等污染物排放集中量大的重点行业的治理取得了瞩目效果。但每年秋冬季节众多城市的重污染天气还是会频频出现,这是多种原因共同作用的结果,但居民燃烧散煤取暖是冬季污染发生的一个重要原因。本文分析了其原因、现     

经济增长目标、融资约束与污染企业绿色技术创新

经济增长目标作为中国政府宏观经济管理的一个重要手段,不仅会影响宏观经济绩效,还会显著影响微观经济主体的行为和绩效。本研究借助中国2004—2019年沪深A股上市污染企业数据,采用固定效应模型,从绿色技术创新视角考察了经济增长目标对微观企业的影响效应,并检验了融资约束在经济增长目标与污染企业绿色技术创新活动之间的中介效应。结果显示,经济增长目标会加剧融资约束,进而抑制企业绿色技术创新。同时,在“硬约束”情形、重污染企业和非国有企业中,经济增长目标对企业绿色技术创新的抑制效应更显著,而环境目标会弱化这种负向作用。本文丰富了经济增长目标影响微观企业绩效的相关研究,并为地方政府科学设定经济增长目标、更好平衡经济增长目标与环境目标之间关系以及促进污染企业绿色转型升级提供了理论依据和政策参考。     

长三角区域一体化的环境治理效应评估——基于DID模型的实证研究

随着长三角一体化的范围不断扩大,融入区域一体化的城市不断增加,对区域城市环境协同治理提出了更高要求。本文采用2003—2019年中国225个地级以上城市面板数据,利用双重差分法评估长三角区域一体化对地区环境治理的影响和作用机制。研究发现长三角区域一体化能显著促进整体城市和原位城市的污染排放强度下降,但对新进城市的环境治理影响并不显著。长三角区域一体化对不同规模城市的环境治理效应没有显著差异;对非资源型城市和高行政等级城市的环境改善作用则优于资源型城市和低行政等级城市。进一步机制分析表明,长三角区域一体化带来污染排放强度整体下降,这一结果主要来自经济集聚效应和技术进步效应,来自产业结构升级的环境治理效应并不显著;同时,长三角区域一体化对环境治理具有显著的反向空间溢出效应,即在降低本地污染排放强度的同时,加大了周边城市污染排放强度。     

高管薪酬激励、环境信息披露质量与环境绩效——基于中介效应与面板门槛模型

以2015—2020年重污染企业的面板数据为样本,实证检验高管薪酬激励对环境绩效的影响及环境信息披露质量的中介效应和门槛效应。结果表明：(1)高管薪酬激励有利于环境绩效提升,环境信息披露质量在其中充当中介。(2)高管薪酬激励对环境绩效的影响存在环境信息披露质量的双重门槛效应,只有环境信息披露质量指数不低于0.292时,高管薪酬激励才显著促进环境绩效;当环境信息披露质量指数超过0.458时,促进作用得到强化。(3)高管薪酬激励对重污染企业环境绩效的促进作用在东、中、西部地区均成立,但环境信息披露质量的中介作用只在东部地区显著。(4)相较于中度和轻度污染行业,高管薪酬激励对环境绩效的促进作用只在重度污染行业企业中显著,环境信息披露质量在其中充当中介。     

Conversion of temperate forests into heaths: Role of ecosystem disturbance and ericaceous plants

Fire and logging in nutrient-poor temperate forests with certain ericaceous understory plants may convert the forests into heaths. The process of disturbance-induced heath formation is documented by using examples ofCalluna in western Europe,Kalmia in Newfoundland, andGaultheria (salal) in coastal British Columbia. In a cool, temperate climate, rapid vegetative growth ofCalluna, Kalmia, and salal following disturbance results in increasing organic accumulation (paludification), nutrient sequestration, soil acidification, and allelochemicals. These are thought to be the main reasons to conifer regeneration failure in disturbed habitats. If continuation in forest is a land-use objective, then temperate forests with an ericaceous understory should not be logged unless effective silvicultural methods are devised to control the ericaceous plants and restore forest regeneration. Preharvest vegetation control may be considered as an option. Failure to control the understory plants may lead to a long-term vegetation shift, from forest to heathland, particularly in nutrient-poor sites. Successful methods of controllingKalmia andGaultheria, however, have yet to be developed. While theKalmia- andGaultheria- dominated heathlands are undesirable in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, a wide range ofCalluna heathlands of western Europe are being conserved as natural and seminatural vegetation.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.     

Neighbourhood characteristics and urban gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area: staffing and voluntarism,food production,infrastructure, and sustainability practices

Urban gardens are important sources of sustenance for communities with limited access to food. Hence, this study focuses on food production in gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area in Northwest Ohio. We administered surveys to 150 garden managers from November 2014 to February 2015 in our attempt to better understand how neighbourhood racial composition and poverty levels are related to staffing and voluntarism, food production and distribution, the development of infrastructure, and the adoption of sustainability practices in urban gardens. The results from 30 gardens are presented in this paper. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the gardens and overlay the map with 2010 census data so that we could conduct demographic analyses of the neighbourhoods in which the gardens were located. Though the gardens were small – two acres or less – up to 46 varieties of food were grown in a single garden. Gardens also operated on small budgets. Food from the gardens was gifted or shared with friends, family, and neighbourhood residents. Gardens in predominantly minority neighbourhoods tended to have fewer institutional partners, less garden infrastructure, and had adopted fewer sustainable practices than gardens in predominantly White neighbourhoods. Nonetheless, residents of predominantly minority and high-poverty neighbourhoods participated in garden activities and influenced garden operations. Volunteering and staffing were racialised and gendered.     

Predicting deer-vehicle collisions in an urban area

Collisions with deer and other large animals are increasing, and the resulting economic costs and risks to public safety have made mitigation measures a priority for both city and wildlife managers. We created landscape models to describe and predict deer-vehicle collision (DVCs) within the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Models based on roadside characteristics revealed that DVCs occurred frequently where roadside vegetation was both denser and more diverse, and that DVCs were more likely to occur when the groomed width of roadside right-of-ways was smaller. No DVCs occurred where the width of the vegetation-free or manicured roadside buffer was greater than 40 m. Landscape-based models showed that DVCs were more likely in more heterogeneous landscapes where road densities were lower and speed limits were higher, and where non-forested vegetation such as farmland was in closer proximity to larger tracts of forest. These models can help wildlife and transportation managers to identify locations of high collision frequency for mitigation. Modifying certain landscape and roadside habitats can be an effective way to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.     

Surface applied water treatment residuals affect bioavailable phosphorus losses in Florida sands

Water treatment residuals (WTR) can reduce runoff P loss and surface co-application of P-sources and WTR is a practical way of land applying the residuals. In a rainfall simulation study, we evaluated the effects of surface co-applied P-sources and an Al-WTR on runoff and leacheate bioavailable P (BAP) losses from a Florida sand. Four P-sources, namely poultry manure, Boca Raton biosolids (high water-soluble P), Pompano biosolids (moderate water-soluble P), and triple super phosphate (TSP) were surface applied at 56 and 224kgPha(-1) (by weight) to represent low and high soil P loads typical of P- and N-based amendments rates. The treatments further received surface applied WTR at 0 or 10gWTRkg(-1) soil. BAP loss masses were greater in leachate (16.4-536mg) than in runoff (0.91-46mg), but were reduced in runoff and leachate by surface applied WTR. Masses of total BAP lost in the presence of surface applied WTR were less than approximately 75% of BAP losses in the absence of WTR. Total BAP losses from each of the organic sources applied at N-based rates were not greater than P loss from TSP applied at a P-based rate. The BAP loss at the N-based rate of moderate water-soluble P-source (Pompano biosolids) was not greater than BAP losses at the P-based rates of other organic sources tested. The hazards of excess P from applying organic P-sources at N-based rates are not greater than observed at P-based rates of mineral fertilizer. Results suggest that management of the environmental P hazards associated with N-based rates of organic materials in Florida sands is possible by either applying P-sources with WTR or using a moderate water-soluble P-source.     

Animal Consciousness and Ethics in Asia and the Pacific

The interactions between humans, animals and the environment have shaped human values and ethics, not only the genes that we are made of. The animal rights movement challenges human beings to reconsider interactions between humans and other animals, and maybe connected to the environmental movement that begs us to recognize the fact that there are symbiotic relationships between humans and all other organisms. The first part of this paper looks at types of bioethics, the implications of autonomy and the value of being alive. Then the level of consciousness of these relationships are explored in survey results from Asia and the Pacific, especially in the 1993 International Bioethics Survey conducted in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, The Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Thailand. Very few mentioned animal consciousness in the survey, but there were more biocentric comments in Australia and Japan; and more comments with the idea of harmony including humans in Thailand. Comparisons between questions and surveys will also be made, in an attempt to describe what people imagine animal consciousness to be, and whether this relates to human ethics of the relationships. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rehabilitation and Flood Management Planning in a Steep,Boulder-Bedded Stream

This study demonstrates the integration of rehabilitation and flood management planning in a steep, boulder-bedded stream in a coastal urban catchment on the South Island of New Zealand. The Water of Leith, the primary stream flowing through the city of Dunedin, is used as a case study. The catchment is steep, with a short time of concentration and rapid hydrologic response, and the lower stream reaches are highly channelized with floodplain encroachment, a high potential for debris flows, significant flood risks, and severely degraded aquatic habitat. Because the objectives for rehabilitation and flood management in urban catchments are often conflicting, a number of types of analyses at both the catchment and the reach scales and careful planning with stakeholder consultation were needed for successful rehabilitation efforts. This included modeling and analysis of catchment hydrology, fluvial geomorphologic assessment, analysis of water quality and aquatic ecology, hydraulic modeling and flood risk evaluation, detailed feasibility studies, and preliminary design to optimize multiple rehabilitation and flood management objectives. The study showed that all of these analyses were needed for integrated rehabilitation and flood management and that some incremental improvements in stream ecological health, aesthetics, and public recreational opportunities could be achieved in this challenging environment. These methods should be considered in a range of types of stream rehabilitation projects.     

AN INDEX FOR MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS WITH AN APPLICATION1

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a statistically valid index for measuring the performance of irrigation systems. The index is applied to a sample of 39 farms on a watercourse under the warabandi system of irrigation management in India. It is found that while the farmers in fact irrigated almost exactly the total amount of irrigated area as designed, inter-farm variations were considerable. The index shows that the degree of error of managerial effectiveness of irrigation on this watercourse is 20 percent. Therefore it is concluded that the system is performing at 80 percent effectiveness.     

WATER LOSS EQUATIONS AND COEFFICIENTS TO ESTIMATE RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL1

Infiltration models are based on physical characteristics of the soil and initial soil moisture. For a given soil it is based on the initial soil moisture distribution. A computer simulation model for flood runoff systems (FH-Model) was used to analyze 39 sets of rainfall-runoff data on four small watersheds ranging in size from 17 to 342 square kilometers located in the Yamaska River basin in Quebec. From these analyses, parameters and coefficients have been determined for a water loss (infiltration) equation. A method for determining the loss parameters, using a nonlinear least square curve fitting technique, is presented. Expressions were made to relate the loss parameters to antecedent precipitation. The equations were tested on 11 storm rainfall and runoff events on a watershed located in the same region and close agreements were found.     

Vegetation dynamics in impounded marshes along the Indian River Lagoon,Florida, USA

Data are presented on the vegetation dynamics of two impounded marshes along the Indian River Lagoon, in east-central Florida, USA. Vegetation in one of the marshes (IRC 12) was totally eliminated by overflooding and by hypersaline conditions (salinities over 100 ppt) that developed there in 1979 after the culvert connecting the marsh with the lagoon was closed. Over 20% recovery of the herbaceous halophytesSalicornia virginica, S. bigelovii, andBatis maritima was observed at that site after the culvert was reopened in 1982, but total cover in the marsh remains well below the original 75%. No recovery of mangroves was observed at this site. The second site (SLC 24), while remaining isolated from the lagoon during much of the study, did not suffer the complete elimination of vegetation experienced at the first site. At this location, mangroves increased in cover and frequency with a concomitant decrease in herbaceous halophytes. Considerable damage to the vegetation was evident at IRC 12 when the impoundment was closed and flooded for mosquito control in 1986. Although the damage was temporary, its occurrence emphasizes the need of planning and constant monitoring and adjustment of management details as conditions within particular marshes change. Storms and hurricanes may be important in promoting a replacement of black mangroves by red mangroves in closed impoundments because the former cannot tolerate pneumatophore submergence for long periods of time. University of Florida-IFAS Journal Series R-00521.