Cross-country electricity trade,renewable energy and European transmission infrastructure policy

This paper develops a multi-country multi-sector general equilibrium model, integrating high-frequency electricity dispatch and trade decisions, to study the effects of electricity transmission infrastructure (TI) expansion and renewable energy (RE) penetration in Europe for gains from trade and carbon dioxide emissions in the power sector. TI can benefit or degrade environmental outcomes, depending on RE penetration: it complements emissions abatement by mitigating dispatch problems associated with volatile and spatially dispersed RE but also promotes higher average generation from low-cost coal if RE production is too low. Against the backdrop of European decarbonization and planned TI expansion, we find that emissions increase for current and targeted year-2020 levels of RE production and decrease for year-2030 targets. Enhanced TI yields sizeable gains from trade that depend positively on RE penetration, without creating large adverse impacts on regional equity.     

Reducing the complexity of the flood vulnerability index

After the flooding in 2002 European governments provided billions of Euros of financial assistance to their citizens. Although there is no doubt that solidarity and some sort of assistance are reasonable, the question arises why these damages were not sufficiently insured. One explanation why individuals reject to obtain insurance cover against natural hazards is that they anticipate governmental and private aid. This problem became to be known as “charity hazard”. The present paper gives an economic analysis of the institutional arrangements on the market for natural disaster insurances focusing on imperfections caused by governmental financial relief. It provides a theoretical explanation why charity hazard is a problem on the market for natural disaster insurances, in the way that it acts as an obstacle for the proper diffusion and therefore the establishment of natural hazard insurances. This paper provides a review of the scientific discussion on charity hazard, provides a theoretical analysis and points out the existing empirical problems regarding this issue.     

大亚湾开发区排污权交易实施方案研究

为保护大亚湾开发区的环境,充分运用社会主义市场经济手段配置环境资源,提高环保投资效益,在国内外排污权交易研究和实践的基础上,充分考虑环境污染物排放总量控制实施中的经济、技术、管理因素,提出了排污权交易实施的原则、程序等具体方案,明确了环境行政管理部门和企业法人在总量控制实施中的地位、具体行为和关系。研究结果已经在大亚湾开发区应用。     

Mixed signals: market incentives, recycling, and the price spike of 1995

Environmental economics assumes that reliance on price signals, adjusted for externalities, normally leads to efficient solutions to environmental problems. We explore a limiting case, when market volatility created ‘mixed signals’: prices of waste paper and other recycled materials were suddenly extremely high in 1994–1995, then plummeted back to traditional low levels in 1996. These rapid reversals resulted in substantial economic and political costs. A review of academic and business literature suggests six possible explanations for abrupt price spikes. An econometric analysis of the prices of wood pulp and waste paper shows that factor which explained price changes in 1983–1993 contribute very little to understanding the subsequent price spike. From the econometric analysis and from other sources, we conclude that speculation must have played a major role in the price spike, perhaps in combination with modest effects from changes in government policy and in export demand. If speculatively driven price spikes can disrupt an environmentally important industry such as recycling, what is the appropriate role for public policy? When price volatility is sufficiently disruptive, then measures to control or stabilize prices, rather than interfering with the market, might help to make it more efficient.     

世界与中国核电市场寿命周期探索

核电是高效、安全、清洁、经济的能源 ,但它和一切进入市场的产品一样 ,有其市场寿命周期。世界核电发展 5 0年 ,经历了市场寿命的投入期、成长期 ,现在处于成熟期 ;中国核电发展十多年 ,已进入成长期。笔者探索了世界与中国核电市场寿命分期 ,各期产生转换的动因 ,重点探讨了核电市场前景 ;同时认为 ,世界核电在未来的 2 0年左右 ,由于退役装机容量大于新增装机容量 ,可能出现阶段衰退 ,但会继续发展 ,进入新的寿命周期 ;而中国核电由于社会、经济快速发展 ,能源资源的不足 ,能源、电力结构调整与地区优化 ,环境与生态可持续发展等多方因素 ,仍需要不断发展 ,预测中国核电将有 6 0年以上的发展期。     

Socio-economic changes and sacred groves in South India: Protecting a community-based resource management institution

The sacred groves along the forest belts of south India, which were traditionally managed by village communities, are gradually disappearing. This study conducts an analysis of how this community‐based resource management institution has evolved over time and what socio‐economic factors have caused its gradual disintegration. Commercial agriculture, changing demographics and weak property‐rights systems are found to be some of the enabling factors. While the grass‐roots enthusiasm to save the sacred groves is still alive, government action is needed to strengthen the traditional village organizations, which are still perhaps in the best position to manage local resources. Several economic and financial incentive mechanisms at the local level that might lead to more efficient and equitable resource use outcomes are suggested.     

我国水射流清洗切割现状分析

从不同角度对我国水射流清洗切割的现状作了较为全面的分析。在调查研究的基础上，分析了我国水射流清洗切割的技术概况和市场状况，提出了经营中的运作模式和发展思路。同时，探讨了水射流技术与安全工程的关系。     

市场经济条件下的环境管理探讨

本文论述了社会主义市场经济体制的建立及其过渡时期对环境管理发生的有利，不利因素和新的要求，针对当前环境管理中的实际情况，探讨了若干应该与市场经济相适应的环境管理问题，并提出了一些建议。     

国外环境保护产业发展现状及趋势研究概述

文章概述了国外环保产业发展的历程、特点以及政策,阐述了以日本、美国为代表的发达国家环保技术与产品的开发现状和趋势,分析并预测了发达国家环保工业的市场状况。文中提出了发展我国环保产业的建议。      

Desalinated versus recycled water: public perceptions and profiles of the accepters

Many countries' water resources are limited in both quantity and quality. While engineering solutions can now safely produce recycled and desalinated water from non-potable sources at a relatively low cost, the general public is sceptical about adopting these alternative water sources. Social scientists, policy makers and technical experts need to better understand what is causing this lack of acceptance by the general population and how acceptance levels for recycled and desalinated water can be increased. This study is the first to conduct a comparative analysis of knowledge, perceptions, and acceptability, and determine segments of residents who are more open-minded than the general population toward the use of recycled and desalinated water. The Australian population once perceived desalinated water as environmentally unfriendly, and recycled water as a public health hazard. The general level of knowledge about these two concepts as potential water sources has historically been low. After nearly five years of serious drought, accompanied by severe water restrictions across most of the country, and subsequent media attention on solutions to water scarcity, Australians now show more acceptance of desalinated water for close-to-body uses, and less resistance to recycled water for garden watering and cleaning uses. The types of people likely to be strong accepters of the two alternative water sources are distinctly different groups, and can be reached through different media mixes. This finding has significant implications for policy makers and water practitioners.