Level of environmental threat posed by horticultural trade in Cactaceae

Ornamental horticulture has been identified as an important threat to plant biodiversity and is a major pathway for plant invasions worldwide. In this context, the family Cactaceae is particularly challenging because it is considered the fifth most threatened large taxonomic group in the world; several species are among the most widespread and damaging invasive species; and Cactaceae is one of the most popular horticultural plant groups. Based on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna and the 11 largest online auction sites selling cacti, we documented the international cactus trade. To provide an in‐depth look at the dynamics of the industry, we surveyed the businesses involved in the cactus trade in South Africa (a hotspot of cactus trade and invasions). We purchased seeds of every available species and used DNA barcoding to identify species to the genus level. Although <20% of this trade involved threatened species and <3% involved known invasive species, many species were identified by a common name. However, only 0.02% of the globally traded cacti were collected from wild populations. Despite a large commercial network, all South African imports (of which 15% and 1.5% were of species listed as threatened and invasive, respectively) came from the same source. With DNA barcoding, we identified 24% of the species to genus level. Based on our results, we believe that if trade restrictions are placed on the small proportion of cacti that are invasive and there is no major increase in harvesting of native populations, then the commercial trade in cactus poses a negligible environmental threat. However, there are currently no effective methods for easily identifying which cacti are traded, and both the illicit harvesting of cacti from the wild and the informal trade in invasive taxa pose on‐going conservation challenges.     

Global Trade in Exotic Pets 2006–2012

International trade in exotic pets is an important and increasing driver of biodiversity loss and often compromises the standards required for good animal welfare. We systematically reviewed the scientific and gray literature and used the United Nations Environment Programme ‐ World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP‐WCMC) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade database to establish temporal and geographical trade patterns of live exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles and to describe trends in research, taxonomic representation, and level of threat and legal protection of species traded. Birds were the most species‐rich and abundant class reported in trade; reptiles were second most abundant but unusually the most studied in this context; and mammals were least abundant in trade. Mammalian and reptilian species traded as pets were more likely to be threatened than expected by random. There have been a substantial number of Appendix I listed captive‐bred mammals and birds and wild‐caught birds and reptiles reported in trade to CITES. We identified the Middle East's emerging role as a driver of demand for exotic pets of all taxa alongside the well‐established and increasing role of South America and Southeast Asia in the market. Europe, North America, and the Middle East featured most heavily in trade reports to CITES, whereas trade involving South America and Southeast Asia were given most emphasis in the literature. For effective monitoring of and appropriate response to the international exotic pet trade, it is imperative that the reliability and detail of CITES trade reports improve and that scientific research be directed toward those taxa and locations that are most vulnerable. El Mercado Global de Mascotas Exóticas 2006‐2012     

Toward a new understanding of the links between poverty and illegal wildlife hunting

Conservation organizations have increasingly raised concerns about escalating rates of illegal hunting and trade in wildlife. Previous studies have concluded that people hunt illegally because they are financially poor or lack alternative livelihood strategies. However, there has been little attempt to develop a richer understanding of the motivations behind contemporary illegal wildlife hunting. As a first step, we reviewed the academic and policy literatures on poaching and illegal wildlife use and considered the meanings of poverty and the relative importance of structure and individual agency. We placed motivations for illegal wildlife hunting within the context of the complex history of how wildlife laws were initially designed and enforced to indicate how hunting practices by specific communities were criminalized. We also considered the nature of poverty and the reasons for economic deprivation in particular communities to indicate how particular understandings of poverty as material deprivation ultimately shape approaches to illegal wildlife hunting. We found there is a need for a much better understanding of what poverty is and what motivates people to hunt illegally.     

环境问题对我国对外贸易的影响

随着世界经济一体化的发展和全球环境保护浪潮的兴起,贸易与环境问题日益得到世界各国政府的关注。文章阐述了环境问题与贸易的关系,并讨论了环境问题对我国对外贸易产生的各种影响。     

餐饮业建筑功能规划及设施建设的环保问题思考

在酒店厨房工程设计和施工的实践工作基础上,对目前城市餐饮建设项目现状与居民生活环境之间存在的矛盾加以归纳、分析,根据问题现状,分别从城市餐饮业建筑功能规划、餐饮业厨房建筑设施建设相关的环保问题及全民参与环境保护等方面提出具体的解决对策。     

中国虚拟水贸易的测算及影响因素研究

本文测算2005年、2007年与2010年3个年度中国虚拟水进出口贸易量,采用投入产出及IO-SDA等方法分解分析其变化的影响因素。研究结果显示部门间用水系数差距都非常大,直接用水系数最大的农业部门857.9 t/万元(3年平均值,下同),与直接用水系数最小的部门差距达600倍之多。完全用水系数最大的也为农业部门1 078.7 t/万元,与完全用水系数最小的部门亦达113倍。各部门的完全用水系数和直接用水系数也存在较大不同,有些部门完全用水系数和直接用水系数差距很大,如服装皮革羽绒及其制品业部门差距达115倍,食品制造及烟草加工业部门差距达618.5 t/万元;而有些部门差距非常小,如农业部门差距仅仅0.24倍,煤炭开采和洗选业部门差距仅为8.2 t/万元。虚拟水出口量和进口量分别从2005年的1 774.3亿t和1 378.7亿t增加到2010年的2 254.1亿t和1 836.5亿t,且出口量一直大于进口量。影响因素分解显示,在此期间,进出口规模的增加是虚拟水贸易量增加的主要影响因素,其中出口规模合计为103 698.8×10~6t,进口规模合计为80 401.2×10~6t。进出口贸易结构的影响在不同部门间存在较大的差异。真实用水系数和真实中间投入技术是虚拟水贸易变化的主要负向因素,其中真实用水系数对虚拟水出口与进口的影响分别为-36 793.2×10~6t和-34 668.3×10~6t,真实中间投入技术对虚拟水出口与进口的影响分别为-1 719.7×10~6t和-1 660.8×10~6t,表明在此期间用水效率和中间投入效率都得到了改善。另外,直接用水系数和中间投入技术分解出的结构效应都不明显,中间投入进口比率效应也不明显。     

Carbon trading thickness and market efficiency in a socialist market economy

Unlike the European Union emission trade system (EU ETS), China’s pilot ETSs implemented diversified policy designs instead of using a uniform framework. Variance ratio test is used to evaluate the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) in China’s carbon trading markets. The results of two versions of variance ratio tests indicate that the carbon trading market in Hubei is considered weak form efficient, and the socialist market economy does not necessarily lead to market inefficiency in carbon trading markets. Thin trading activities generate market frictions and bias the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) tests.     

贸易开放、劳动力转移和就业

长久以来主流国际贸易模型中充分就业的假设使经济学界忽略了对贸易开放如何影响就业的分析,而哈里斯-托达罗模型则为此提供了一个可供扩展的框架.将哈里斯-托达罗模型扩展到存在贸易开放的情况后,本文发现如果一国的比较优势为制造品,贸易开放将会减少就业,这是因为制造品价格的提高会吸引更多的劳动力从农业向制造业转移,而制造业部门劳动力市场刚性的存在则阻碍了劳动需求的增加.为了研究我国改革开放以来贸易开放对就业的影响机制,并且考虑到就业的持续性,本文利用我国省际面板动态数据进行实证研究,并使用国有企业和政府部门劳动力占比度量我国劳动力市场刚性程度.实证研究结果发现当不考虑劳动市场刚性时,由于我国的比较优势是劳动密集型产品,贸易开放能增加就业;而当劳动力市场刚性较大时,劳动力转移过程反而促使贸易开放减少我国的就业,恰好验证了本文的理论分析结果.该文的政策含义则意味着政府应努力降低劳动力市场刚性以促使贸易开放增加就业.     

输美轮胎特保案对中国贸易的影响及对策

分析了2009年9月26日美国对中国轮胎进口实施的特别保护措施,运用国际贸易和国际经济学的相关理论,对美国轮胎特保法案进行了剖析。在目前中美轮胎贸易情况下,从宏观和微观的角度探讨了轮胎贸易顺差形成的原因,以及长期和短期内对中国经济的影响,并对中国轮胎出口贸易提出了几点政策建议。     

我国农产品贸易中的虚拟耕地交易分析

虚拟耕地是指隐含在农产品贸易中,生产这些农产品过程中所必需占用的土地资源,有意识的在国际农产品贸易中实施虚拟耕地战略,对于平衡国内耕地赤字、保障粮食安全,发挥我国农产品在国际市场上的竞争优势具有重要的理论指导意义。首先介绍了虚拟耕地的定义及其量化方法,接着分析计算了我国谷物、油籽、棉花等几类主要农产品单位重量的虚拟耕地含量,在此基础上,对当前农产品进出口贸易中虚拟耕地的交易现状及未来发展趋势作了分析和预测。结果显示：近10 a来虚拟耕地净进口量出现持续增长,2006年,通过农产品国际贸易净进口虚拟耕地16602903.1 hm²,约占当年全国耕地总面积的12.77%。同时,虚拟耕地净进口量在今后若干年仍将保持增长态势。