环境规制对区域技术创新影响的门槛效应

实现环境规制和经济增长之间"双赢"的关键在于环境规制能否促进企业技术创新。本文在环境规制强度和企业技术创新之间构建了数理模型,并基于区域异质性假定检验了我国环境规制与技术创新的非线性关系并确定了环境规制的最优规制水平。研究表明:环境规制强度与技术创新是非线性的。在强度维度上,环境规制强度和企业技术创新之间符合"U"型关系,即随着环境规制强度的由弱变强,对企业技术创新产生先降低后提高的影响。环境规制的创新效应还取决于经济发展水平的变量。经济发展水平则存在双门槛,经济发展水平跨越的门槛值越高,环境规制对技术创新的促进作用越显著。本文政策涵义明显:政府切忌走入盲目提高环境规制强度的误区,应根据各区域现实特点,有针对性地制定差异化的环境规制强度和标准,并注重滚动修订,及时调整至最优水平。     

Impacts of atmospheric pollution on the plant communities of British acid grasslands

Air pollutants are recognised as important agents of ecosystem change but few studies consider the effects of multiple pollutants and their interactions. Here we use ordination, constrained cluster analysis and indicator value analyses to identify potential environmental controls on species composition, ecological groupings and indicator species in a gradient study of UK acid grasslands. The community composition of these grasslands is related to climate, grazing, ozone exposure and nitrogen deposition, with evidence for an interaction between the ecological impacts of base cation and nitrogen deposition. Ozone is a key agent in species compositional change but is not associated with a reduction in species richness or diversity indices, showing the subtly different drivers on these two aspects of ecosystem degradation. Our results demonstrate the effects of multiple interacting pollutants, which may collectively have a greater impact than any individual agent.     

White clover clones as a cost-effective indicator of phytotoxic ozone: 10 years of experience from central Italy

Data collected at one site in central Italy using the NC-S/NC-R clover (Trifolium repens) biotype system during 1997-2007 were analysed in order to assess: (a) its performance under Mediterranean conditions; (b) variations of ozone damage linked with meteorological conditions; (c) if critical level approach is a good predictor of ozone risk on vegetation. NC-S dry biomasses were systematically lower than those of NC-R, the mean ratio being 0.7. Relevant relationship between ozone visible injury and cumulated values of AOT40 were also reported. Temperature and number of rainy days were the most important factors associated with ozone presence and, as a consequence, with leaf injury index. Photosynthetic gas exchange properties indicate that NC-S has higher values of stomatal conductance.     

Design considerations for environmental sustainability in high density development: a case study of Hong Kong

This study has indicated that there is close relationship between development density and environmental quality; therefore, it is necessary to decide the form of development carefully beforehand. The form of development is shaped either by new development or urban renewal which is a major tactic nowadays adopted by the Hong Kong Government to improve the living condition of the citizens and the quality of the built environment. This study is limited to urban renewal and aims to find out the major urban design considerations for sustaining the environment. Through a questionnaire survey carried out in Hong Kong, the opinions of architects, planners, property development managers, and local citizens were sought and evaluated, and critical design factors for enhancing environmental sustainability of urban renewal projects are highlighted. The results derived from factor analysis indicated that certain design considerations should be incorporated for sustaining the urban environment. “Land Use Planning”, “Quality of Life”, “Conservation & Preservation”, “Integrated Design”, “Provision of Welfare Facilities”, and “Conservation of Existing Properties” were believed to be the significant underlying factors for achieving environmental sustainability of local urban renewal projects. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Cascade-based attack vulnerability on the US power grid

The vulnerability of real-life networks subject to intentional attacks has been one of the outstanding challenges in the study of the network safety. Applying the real data of the US power grid, we compare the effects of two different attacks for the network robustness against cascading failures, i.e., removal by either the descending or ascending orders of the loads. Adopting the initial load of a node j to be L_j=[k_j(Σ_mΓjk_m)]^α with k_j and Γ_j being the degree of the node j and the set of its neighboring nodes, respectively, where α is a tunable parameter and governs the strength of the initial load of a node, we investigate the response of the US power grid under two attacks during the cascading propagation. In the case of α<0.7, our investigation by the numerical simulations leads to a counterintuitive finding on the US power grid that the attack on the nodes with the lowest loads is more harmful than the attack on the ones with the highest loads. In addition, the almost same effect of two attacks in the case of α=0.7 may be useful in furthering studies on the control and defense of cascading failures in the US power grid.     

吨量煤体的自燃过程实验模拟研究

为更好地弄清矿井实际的煤自然发火规律,利用装煤量达5吨的大型实验台对两种烟煤分别进行了自燃模拟实验。大煤量的实验能够很好地模拟煤矿中煤低温氧化和传热传质共同作用导致的发火过程,实验得到的自然发火期与煤矿实际发火期也是一致的。实验中煤样从缓慢氧化变为快速氧化的临界温度为100～110℃。当煤温低于,临界温度时,煤样的升温受到空气流带走热量和向外界散热的影响很大,因此夹层水的保温作用就很关键。当煤温超过临界温度后,反应加快,温度急剧上升,散热的影响明显降低,反应主要受限于氧气的供应情况。     

金融深化对绿色发展的门槛效应分析

在绿色发展的过程中,金融作为现代经济体系中必不可少的一环正扮演着越来越重要的角色。从一般的理论认知和实践而言,可从金融的深化和广化两个角度来看待金融发展。相对金融广化而言,金融深化更能体现金融对于资本的配置功能和金融体系不断完善的过程,它通过引导投资边际收益率促进绿色发展的效率,进而影响整个绿色经济系统的全要素生产率。本文通过构建一个经济内生增长模型来检验金融深化对绿色发展的影响效应,以2003—2014年中国280个地级单元的面板数据为样本,采用面板门槛模型分析其内在作用的非对称性。结果表明:(1)模型推导发现,金融深化作用在不同生产部门所占份额的配置未达到最优时,金融深化对绿色发展存在门槛效应,即金融深化对绿色发展作用存在可能的非对称性;否则,二者以近似对数函数的关系相互作用。(2)实证发现,金融深化对绿色发展在中国地级层面存在一重门槛效应,似然比检验结果表明该门槛效应在1%的临界值下显著,并且其门槛值大小为0.635 5,门限回归结果显示金融深化对绿色发展在门限值前后的偏效应系数分别为-0.056 8和0.129 9,说明中国金融深化与绿色发展的关系呈现库兹涅茨曲线的倒U形形状。(3)稳健性检验发现,控制变量对金融深化导致的绿色发展门槛效应的扰动仅体现在P值的变化范围之内且变化幅度较小,门限值的大小及置信区间不会发生明显变化,反映中国金融深化与绿色发展的关系结构依然稳健。显然,应当大力推进金融深化过程,突破"门槛效应"的制约,充分发挥金融深化对资本的配置效应,从而推动中国绿色发展进程。     

开放经济、环保财政支出与污染治理——来自中国省级与行业面板数据的经验证据

首先按照各省环保财政支出占GDP比重与按主成分分析法计算的地方环境污染物排放综合指数的排名情况把中国30个省份分成两个区域,区域1环保财政支出污染治理效应较强,区域2环保财政支出污染治理效应较弱。区域1包括北京、海南等14个省市,区域2包括天津、上海等16个省市。其次基于2007—2014年中国省级和行业面板数据,分析开放经济、环保财政支出对污染治理的影响。最后借鉴门限回归模型检验开放经济是否存在环保财政支出与污染治理的门槛效应。结果显示:(1)环境污染物排放存在区域差异和行业差异,区域1呈现出开放程度和污染物排放双低的特征,而区域2则表现为双高特征。制造业、电力、煤气及水的生产和供应业污染物排放较高,采掘业污染物排放年均增长速度最快。(2)样本期内省级和行业面板数据均表明开放经济与环境污染物排放显著负相关,对外开放不是助推环境污染的原因。(3)中国环保财政支出与环境污染物排放显著负相关,环保财政支出具有显著的污染治理效应。(4)开放经济对环保财政支出的污染治理效应具有门槛效应,当进口和出口贸易总额高于门槛值-1.221、-1.016时环保财政支出的污染治理效应很难发挥。(5)以进、出口贸易总额为门槛变量时,有107个观测值低于门槛值,占总观测值的44.58%,其中有59个位于区域1,占55.14%。鉴于此应继续加大环境保护财政支出,进一步提升环保财政专项支出在GDP中所占比重,保持适度的对外开放,优化能源消费结构和实现产业结构升级,全面改善环境质量,提升开放经济下环保财政支出的污染治理效应。     

城镇化对工业能源消费的门槛效应研究——以长江经济带省份为例

高效能源利用是推动工业发展,进而促使城镇格局演化的重要催化剂,同时城镇化的高速发展对工业能源的消费结构和利用效率提出了进一步的要求,这必将影响到低碳城市建设和环境保护等生态责任目标的实现。选取2003—2012年长江经济带11个省份(直辖市)的相关数据,运用门槛模型对城镇化率、城镇居民人均总收入、能源工业投资、工业总产值、城市人口密度、产业结构等影响工业能源消费的因素进行分析,重点研究城镇化率和工业能源消费的非线性关系和相应的地区差异。结果表明:(1)长江经济带城镇化发展存在着明显的地区差异,上海、浙江等东部地区城镇化发展速度和水平明显优于云南、贵州等中西部地区。云南和贵州2012年的城镇化率远远低于2003年上海、浙江的城镇化率,显示出长江上游和下游之间存在着巨大的发展水平差距。(2)城镇化对工业能源消费存在显著的门槛效应,以城镇化率为门槛变量,存在两个结构变化点,分别为36.9%和48.3%。(3)在第一个门槛点前,城镇化对工业能源消费起抑制作用,前期城镇化的发展导致资源和人口的集聚效应明显,资源的利用效率和配置效率得到提升,从而抑制工业能源消费。在越过第二个门槛点后,城镇化对工业能源消费起正向作用,此时工业的发展和生活消费水准的提升对能源消费提出了更多的要求。最后为促进长江经济带城镇化和工业低碳化的协调发展,提出以下建议:加快长江经济带沿线各省份联动发展,缩小城镇化发展差异;针对城镇化率和工业能源消费的非线性关系,采取相应的措施引导和控制工业能源消费的变化趋势;协调城镇化进程和地区工业能源消耗,促进城镇化的健康发展。     

中国FDI环境效应的再检验

改革开放以来,外商直接投资(FDI)的涌入为中国经济发展注入了新活力,并成为中国经济高速增长的重要引擎之一。然而,随着康菲石油渤海漏油事故、江苏启东王子造纸排污和阿玛尼污染投诉等涉外污染事件报道频出,学术界对于FDI涌入可能带来的负面环境效应表现出一定担忧。现有文献多聚焦于整体层面的FDI环境效应检验,而对其区域差异及原因产生机制的系统探究并不多见。为此,本文从理论判断和命题推演出发,利用2003—2014年中国省际面板数据,以改进熵值法拟合环境污染综合指数,并构建普通面板模型,实证检验了FDI流入对中国环境污染的影响及其区域差异。结果表明,总体而言,"污染光环"假说在中国基本成立,即FDI流入在一定程度上改善了中国环境质量,但不同地区FDI的环境效应有所不同,其主要表现为沿海和内陆地区FDI具有显著的"污染光环"效应,且前者强于后者,而沿边地区FDI具有不明显的"污染天堂"效应。在此基础上,构造面板门槛模型,进一步系统考察了FDI对中国环境污染影响的4种主要吸收能力因素的门槛效应。门槛回归结果表明,FDI对中国环境污染的影响显著存在基于经济发展、环境规制、人力资本和金融发展水平的双门槛效应。经济发展、人力资本和金融发展水平越高,FDI的"污染光环"效应越明显,而适度的环境规制才更有利于FDI环境技术溢出的发挥。基于此,本文建议应进一步全方位地提高对外开放水平,一如既往地积极引进并监督FDI;同时地方政府也需认清地区发展的不平衡性,进而采取差异化的引资政策。