Growth and pollution convergence: Theory and evidence

Stabilizing pollution levels in the long run is a pre-requisite for sustainable growth. We develop a neoclassical growth model with endogenous emission reduction predicting that, along optimal sustainable paths, pollution growth rates are (i) positively related to output growth (scale effect) and (ii) negatively related to emission levels (defensive effect). This dynamic law reduces to a convergence equation that is empirically tested for two major and regulated air pollutants – sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides – with a panel of 25 European countries spanning the years 1980–2005. Traditional parametric models are rejected by the data. More flexible regression techniques confirm the existence of both the scale and the defensive effect, supporting the model predictions.     

基于胡焕庸线波动的长江经济带水资源环境承载力动态演变特征

基于水资源生态足迹模型,对长江经济带2010—2018年131个地区水资源生态足迹与生态承载力进行研究,并用GIS可视化揭示和探讨长江经济带水资源时空特征。研究发现： （1）胡焕庸线假说在长江经济带区域成立;（2）长江经济带人均水资源生态盈余状况在胡焕庸线以西区域最好,胡焕庸线与胡焕庸亚线之间次之,胡焕庸亚线以东最差;（3）长江经济带胡焕庸线以西区域人均水资源承载力均值、水资源承载力均值在三个区域中最大;（4）长江经济带各地区历年万元GDP生态足迹呈减小趋势,水资源利用率逐年提高;（5）长江经济带历年平均水资源负载指数呈上升趋势,水资源压力逐年上升。研究结果有助于长江经济带水资源综合管理,为水资源的调控及使用提供量化依据。     

炼化常减压装置挥发性有机物无组织源谱分析

以典型常减压装置中工艺管线无组织逸散VOCs为切入点,选取不同地域的多套常减压装置,参照美国EPA包袋法采样标准,并按照HJ 644-2013标准将气态样品转移到组合三吸附管内,利用气相色谱-质谱仪进行分析检测.结果表明,常减压装置无组织排放的VOCs共含116种物质,以烷烃类、烯烃类和醛酮类物质占主导,其中烷烃类物质占总排放的65%以上.在此基础上,对检出物质占比量进行量化分析,明确了常减压装置VOCs无组织排放因子以2-甲基丁烷、丁烯和苯等物质为主,并检出了微量的萘.相关结论可为炼化企业构建VOCs排放清单提供有力支撑,对于后续精细化管理炼化行业的VOCs排放具有指导意义.     

长江经济带总磷污染状况与对策建议

长江经济带是我国重要的战略区域,加强长江经济带生态环境保护是我国的重大战略部署,在推进我国"五位一体"总体布局建设中具有重要地位,是体现习近平总书记"共抓大保护,不搞大开发"的重要精髓。目前,总磷已成为长江经济带水体首要污染指标,总磷超Ⅲ类的断面比例达到18.3%,主要的一级支流中,沱江、清水江、岷江、乌江总磷平均浓度在地表水Ⅲ类水质标准上下浮动,污染相对较重;长江经济带总磷污染主要受工业、城镇生活、农业等污染源影响,主要涉及四川、贵州、湖北、湖南、重庆等地区;同时结合总磷污染特征分析,提出了涉磷工业企业治理、磷矿管理、城镇生活污水治理、畜禽养殖防治、规范监测方法等治理措施,为长江经济带总磷污染防控提供技术支撑和决策依据。     

The resource curse revisited and revised: A tale of paradoxes and red herrings

We critically evaluate the empirical basis for the so-called resource curse and find that, despite the topic's popularity in economics and political science research, this apparent paradox may be a red herring. The most commonly used measure of “resource abundance” can be more usefully interpreted as a proxy for “resource dependence”—endogenous to underlying structural factors. In multiple estimations that combine resource abundance and dependence, institutional, and constitutional variables, we find that (i) resource abundance, constitutions, and institutions determine resource dependence, (ii) resource dependence does not affect growth, and (iii) resource abundance positively affects growth and institutional quality.     

NEATS: A Network Economics Approach to Trophic Systems

The main principle of the economic approach to a trophic system we propose here lies in assuming that there is a transfer of food along a path between a prey and a predator if, for the predator, the benefits are greater than costs of predation on this path. Conversely, if the costs exceed the benefits, there are no flows. This trade-off, considered all along the food chains of an ecosystem, together with ecological processes (assimilation, somatic maintenance) results in a model coupling mass balance equations (biological constraints) and complementarity principles (Walras’ law). Here is the core of the Network Economics Approach to Trophic Systems (NEATS).     

Co-Partnership in Forest Management: The Gwira-Banso Joint Forest Management Project in Ghana

The involvement of local communities, as well as the private sector and the government in forest management is now an important principle of tropical forestry policy and practice and a major component of most international forestry aid programmes. This paper present an analysis on the Joint Forest Management Project initiated by two timber companies (Ghana Primewood Products Ltd and Dalhoff Larsen & Horneman) in collaboration with local people in Gwira-Banso of Ghana. Conditions required for enhancing responsibility for and commitment to local forest management, and for an effective local participatory process were also analysed. The study began with the premise that incentives and good communication will enhance participation in joint forest management.The assumption was valid and the results from the survey showed that five broad issues prioritised by respondents to be essential for co-partnership in forest management are communication, financial support, tree planting, multiple land use and benefit sharing. The Project enjoys a great deal of support from the local community, but a number of factors make the continued support of local people a challenging task, including questions of immediate livelihood sources and tenure arrangements. Although this participatory forest management has been implemented over a relatively short period, there is evidence that government and private sectors can successfully involve local people in sustainable management of the forests.     

RESEARCH: Land Use Characteristics and Water Quality: A Methodology for Valuing of Forested Buffers

In this study, water quality and basin characteristics data from different basins of the Fish River basin, Baldwin County, Alabama, were used to develop a valuation model. This valuation model is based on the effectiveness of “contributing zones” identified and delineated using methods described by Basnyat and others (Environmental Management]1999] 23(4):539–549). The “contributing zone” delineation model suggests that depending on soil permeability, soil moisture, depth to water table, slope, and vegetation, buffer widths varying from 16 m to 104 m must be maintained to assimilate or detain more than 90% of the nitrate passing through the buffers. The economic model suggests the value of retiring lands (to create the buffers) varies from $0 to $3067 per ha, depending on the types of crops currently grown. The total value of retiring all areas identified by the contributing zone model is $1,125,639 for the study area. This land value will then form the basis for estimates of the costs of land management options for improving (or maintaining) water quality throughout the study area.     

我国职业伤害经济损失研究

结合国情 ,在全面、系统地研究了我国工业企业职业伤害的经济损失的基础上 ,对需要明确的若干问题进行了阐述。主要内容有 :国内外职业伤害的经济损失研究现状 ;职业伤害的经济损失的调查、统计与分析技术 ;工伤事故的经济损失估算方法及其主要规律等。     

长江经济带人口城镇化与土地城镇化协调发展时空差异研究

长江经济带是我国经济发展的战略区域,人口城镇化和土地城镇化的协调发展是推进新型城镇化发展的战略重点之一。本文以2006-2013年长江经济带126个地级市的人口、土地数据为基础,从长江经济带、区域和市域视角,采用熵值法、发展水平评价模型和均衡发展模型测度人口城镇化和土地城镇化协调发展度,结合空间分析方法对协调发展度进行分析,并使用ArcGIS10.2得出二者协调发展度的空间分布图。研究发现,从整体来看长江经济带2006-2013年人口城镇化与土地城镇化协调发展水平不断提高,并呈现相对平稳增长,2013年总体上达到较高协调发展水平。从区域视角来看,协调发展度呈现阶梯特征即下游地区中游地区上游地区的状态,且自2009年起3大区域协调发展度差距呈扩大趋势。从市域视角分析,长江经济带126个地级市2006-2008年协调发展度的发展速度慢,2009年后发展速度显著提升;在空间上呈现"东北-西南"的空间非均衡性和空间异质性,东北高、西南低,并表现明显的"城市群集聚"发展特征。长江经济带在人口城镇化和土地城镇化进程中应不断推进区域经济发展,加快中上游城市的城镇化进程,充分发挥"城市群"的经济辐射带动作用,同时转变土地财政思想,真正实现地区发展水平的提高,最终实现人口城镇化和土地城镇化协调发展。