ARE RURAL RESIDENTS WILLING TO PAY ENOUGH TO IMPROVE DRINKING WATER QUALITY?1

ABSTRACT: The concentrations of iron and sulfate in community water supplies are a concern for a number of areas in southwestern Minnesota. This study used the contingent valuation method to determine how much consumers would be willing to pay to improve their drinking water quality. On average, individuals were willing to pay US$5.25 per month (in 1995 U.S. dollars) to reduce the level of iron and US$4.33 per month to reduce the level of sulfate in their water to the USEPA's secondary standards for drinking water quality. Respondents with negative perceptions of their drinking water quality were willing to pay more to improve water quality. The aggregate annual willingness to pay (WTP) for all consumers in community water systems in southwestern Minnesota that were out of compliance with water quality standards were estimated to be US$2.4 million and US$2.0 million (in 1995 dollars) for reducing the levels of iron and sulfate, respectively. Yet the total WTP of consumers who use small community water systems may not be enough to pay the full cost of providing improved water in those systems. Economies of scale in water treatment and difficulties in financing improvements mean that technical innovation, government assistance, or institutional changes may be needed to improve water quality in these areas.     

政府调控、市场机制与城市发展

深入探究政府调控和市场机制对城市规模的影响有利于解决目前中国大城市人口快速膨胀,城市病频发,而中小城市发展潜力不足,对人口吸纳能力有限,城市发展规模存在两极分化的问题。从探究影响城市发展的因素入手,通过对不同地区和不同规模城市的面板数据回归分析,发现中国属于典型的"自上而下"的城市发展模式,尤其是城市科层制的层级结构直接决定了城市规模大小,政府财政分权行为更加剧了城市规模两极分化趋势。市场机制对城市规模具有一定的影响,但其作用方向和效果明显依赖于政府调控水平,且科层制的城市等级结构弱化了市场机制对城市规模影响效果的发挥。政府和市场机制对不同区域、不同规模城市的影响效应不同。市场机制在东部城市产生涓流效应,而在中西部则发挥着聚集极化作用。市场机制在特大和大城市已产生涓流效应,加之政府"抑大崇小"的城市发展战略使得这种效应愈加明显,中等城市则处于极化效应和涓流效应更替中,小城市则表现为更多的聚集极化效应。为形成大中小城市合理分工的城市体系,其关键在于正确处理政府调控和市场机制的关系。政府应指导城市发展方向,为其创造良好的宏观环境,市场则应在微观资源配置中起决定性作用。建议根据城市发展和市场经济需要,对现有的行政区划进行适时调整和变动。调整公共资源在特大及大中小城市传统分配政策,实现公共资源由按行政级别配置向按照人口规模配置转变。同时,建立跨区域的相应的协调机制,以市场力量突破行政界限探索城市健康发展。     

Parks versus PES: Evaluating direct and incentive-based land conservation in Mexico

Protected areas (PAs) and payments for ecosystem services (PES) are the top two mechanisms available for countries to achieve international REDD agreements, yet there are few empirical comparisons of their effects. We estimate the impacts of PAs and PES on forest conservation, poverty reduction, and population change at the locality level in Mexico in the 2000s. Both policies conserved forest, generating an approximately 20–25% reduction in expected forest cover loss. PES created statistically significant but small poverty alleviation while PAs had overall neutral impacts on livelihoods. Estimates by individual policy type for the same level of deforestation risk indicate that biosphere reserves and PES balanced conservation and livelihood goals better than strict protected areas or mixed-use areas. This suggests that both direct and incentive-based instruments can be effective, and that policies combining sustainable financing, flexible zoning, and recognition of local economic goals are more likely to achieve conservation without harming livelihoods.     

福建省地级市人为源活性氮排放及其特征分析

在人口增长和快速城市化的背景下,活性氮排放对生态环境的影响日益加剧.为研究省级尺度活性氮排放规律,采用排放因子法建立2000、2005及2010年福建省人为源活性氮排放清单,分析各地市3个年份活性氮排放量及排放强度特征.结果表明,3个年份福建省活性氮排放总量分别为538.4、587.0和619.97 Gg,呈整体增加趋势.在9个地级市中,增速最快的为莆田市,而漳州市排放量有所下降.排放量最大的为漳州和泉州,排放量最小的为宁德与厦门.从排放来源看,90%以上的排放来自农田生态系统和畜禽养殖系统.能源活动贡献较小,但其排放增长最为显著.2010年,各地市单位面积活性氮排放强度呈"东南沿海高西北内陆低"的格局,最高为厦门市,最低为三明市;GDP和人口排放强度则呈"东南沿海低西北内陆高"的格局,最高为南平市,最低为厦门市.在分析各地市活性氮排放源特征的基础上,探讨了不同地区活性氮减排重点,研究结果可为福建省及下辖各地市活性氮减排提供科学依据.     

中国区域环境绩效及波特假说的再检验

以二氧化碳为非期望产出,基于序列DEA的方向性距离函数、环境规制强度指数、Malmqulist-Luenberger指数,测度了1999~2010年中国30个省、市、自治区及东、中、西、东北四大区域的环境技术效率、环境规制成本及全要素生产率,并对四大区域的全要素生产率进行了波特假说的再检验.研究结果表明:区域间的环境技术效率呈现东-东北-中-西依次递减的演变格局;东北老工业基地的环境规制成本最高、西部地区最低;环境规制强度与全国及四大区域全要素生产率有显著的正相关性,这支持了波特假说的存在;技术进步效应的检验结果显示,只有中部区域支持波特假说的存在,西部区域检验结果表明碳排放的规制过高会对技术进步带来消极影响;环境技术效率变化效应的检验结果显示,全国及四大区域均支持波特假说的存在,碳排放规制强度的加强,会推动各地区在不同时期追赶最优生产前沿面的程度.     

飞机环控系统典型故障分析

环控系统解决了飞机座舱的供气、调温和增压问题,座舱的压力制度按3个阶段进行。通过典型的飞机环控系统故障,对座舱压力调节机理进行了分析,介绍了座舱压力调节过程,分析了导致飞行员耳膜疼痛、座舱压力持续下降的原因,提出了预防故障发生的建议。     

浅谈欧盟化学品新法规及其对我国石油化工行业的影响

介绍了即将实施的欧盟化学品新法规出台背景和主要内容,并浅析了新法规对我国石油化工行业的影响.     

上市公司环境信息公开的双重监管

上市公司是一种特殊的企业形式,法律要求其在设立和生产经营过程中进行信息披露,来保护利益相关者的权益。涉及到环境信息的披露,上市公司受到环境法和证券法的双重监管,由于监管的理念和宗旨存在差异,导致监管的主体、内容和方式也存在着很大的不同。     

Quantitative method to determine the regional drinking water odorant regulation goals based on odor sensitivity distribution：Illustrated using 2-MIB

Taste and odor （T/O） in drinking water often cause consumer complaints and are thus regulated in many countries. However, people in different regions may exhibit different sensitivities toward WO. This study proposed a method to determine the regional drinking water odorant regulation goals （ORGs） based on the odor sensitivity distribution of the local population. The distribution of odor sensitivity to 2-methylisobomeol （2-MIB） by the local population in Beijing, China was revealed by using a normal distribution function/model to describe the odor complaint response to a 2-MIB episode in 2005, and a 2-MIB concentration of 12.9 ng/L and FPA （flavor profile analysis） intensity of 2.5 was found to be the critical point to cause odor complaints. Thus the Beijing ORG for 2-MIB was determined to be 12.9 ng/L. Based on the assumption that the local FPA panel can represent the local population in terms of sensitivity to odor, and that the critical FPA intensity causing odor complaints was 2.5, this study tried to determine the ORGs for seven other cities of China by performing FPA tests using an FPA panel from the corresponding city. ORG values between 12.9 and 31.6 ng/L were determined, showing that a unified ORG may not be suitable for drinking water odor regulations. This study presents a novel approach for setting drinking water odor regulations.     

赤泥碱性调控研究进展

赤泥是氧化铝工业生产过程产生的强碱性固体废弃物,资源化利用难、环境风险高,严重制约了氧化铝行业的可持续发展.赤泥土壤化是实现规模化处置赤泥的一种可行方法,而碱性调控则是赤泥土壤化的关键环节.论文在综述氧化铝生产过程碱性物质形成过程的基础上,从可溶性碱和化学结合碱角度分析了赤泥碱性物质的赋存状态,阐述了国内外化学调碱法和生物调碱法的研究进展和碱性转化机制,剖析了赤泥碱性调控方面存在的问题,提出了赤泥碱性调控研究的发展方向.这将为赤泥规模化处置和堆场生态重建、保障氧化铝工业的健康发展提供科学参考.