Assessment of semi-natural habitats and landscape features on Irish farmland: New insights to inform EU Common Agricultural Policy implementation

Concerns over the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in farmland have prompted the development of agri-environment policy measures aimed at reducing farming pressure and maintaining semi-natural habitats in farmed landscapes. However, further knowledge is needed to guarantee successful agri-environment measures implementation. The current study assessed the quantity and the quality of semi-natural habitats in farms across a gradient of farming intensities in two contrasting regions in Ireland. Policy protection seemed fundamental for semi-natural habitats preservation. Habitats not protected by agricultural policy relied on extensive farming and are in danger of disappearing if they are intensified or abandoned. Due to the lack of policy incentives for habitat quality, no correlations were found between farming intensity and share of semi-natural habitats with habitat quality. Therefore, extensive farming and retention of habitats alone may not reverse the decline of farmland quality and biodiverisity and, thus, measures incentivising the environmental quality may be more successful.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01344-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Long-term changes in microbial water quality indicators in a hydro-power plant reservoir: The role of natural factors and socio-economic changes

Long-term changes, from 1984 to 2010, in the indicators of microbial pollution (total viable count, coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens) are analysed in the Riga Hydropower Plant Reservoir, an essential source of drinking water for Riga, the capital of Latvia. Counts in microbial indicators fluctuated seasonally and were related to physicochemical parameters (nitrogen compounds, turbidity, temperature, and pH). The changes in microbial pollution were brought about by two major socio-economic developments. Firstly, Latvia’s independence from the USSR in 1991 which facilitated a distinct reduction in most microorganism counts due to a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. This resulted in a significant drop in point and nonpoint pollution in the river basin. A further development was Latvia joining the European Union in 2004. The corresponding focus on water management, including wastewater treatment, was a major priority of environmental investment and lead to improvements in microbial water quality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01470-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Climate Change Policy in European Countries and its effects on industry

In this paper we discuss the effects ofdifferent climate change policies onindustrial activity and on welfare. Wecompare the effects of carbon taxes andgrandfathered permits and the effects ofexemptions for energy-intensive industries.We survey first the insights from economictheory and from model experiments for theUS. Next we use a general equilibrium modelto assess the effect of different climatechange policies on industrial activity persector and per member country in the EU. Wepay particular attention to the effects ofpolicies where one EU member state exemptsits energy-intensive sectors from abatementefforts. The main findings are that, in theEU, the effects on industrial activity andthe welfare costs of tradable permits orcarbon taxes are small when no industrialsectors are exempted. When one membercountry exempts its energy intensivesector, this will reduce somewhat theimpact on its activity level but willgenerate an extra welfare cost for theEU.     

土地荒漠化的成因、危害及防治对策

土地荒漠化是指在干旱、半干旱和某些半湿润、湿润地区,由于气候变化和人类活动等各种因素所造成的土地退化,它使土地生物和经济生产潜力减少,甚至基本丧失.我国是全球荒漠化面积较大、分布较广、危害较严重的国家之一.近年来由于采取了一系列有效的治理措施,荒漠化和沙化整体扩展的趋势已得到初步遏制,但形势依然严峻.     

利用卫星遥感评估广西壮族自治区SO2减排成效

基于2005—2012年OMI卫星遥感PBL SO2柱浓度数据分析了广西壮族自治区SO2污染的时空格局和变化特征,并结合燃煤火电厂SO2排放模型估算与工业经济增长数据,在时间、空间尺度上分析了自治区内不同区域的SO2污染对火电厂烟气脱硫政策的响应以及所呈现出的减排成效。结果表明,广西因火电厂脱硫政策驱动的SO2污染改善具有显著的空间异质性,自治区内高污染区的SO2浓度在2011—2012年出现了显著下降,而低污染区的SO2浓度则在8年中持续增长;排放模型估算结果显示,烟气脱硫驱动的火电厂SO2减排贡献将在2008年后持续下降,而遥感观测结果显示,广西全区SO2半年浓度均值总体呈现波动上升趋势,2005—2012年浓度增加了8.6%、年均增长约0.9%;综合工业经济增长数据发现,近年来其他工业源的增量排放已给广西SO2减排带了新挑战,而这一变化仍未得到相关决策部门关注,存在明显缺陷的SO2统计排放量数据尚未得到修正。针对上述污染变化新特征,政府相关部门应引起足够重视,尽快更新完善污染源信息并启动针对其他污染源的限排措施,以确保环境持续改善。     

基于协整和因果分析的我国安全生产宏观政策干预研究

为进一步分析我国安全生产政策的实施效果及存在问题,根据政策时效干预度量化模型,采用协检验、格兰杰因果检验和脉冲响应分析等计量方法对1978-2006年我国特别重大事故发生趋势与政策时效干预力度关系进行量化分析,得出特别重人事故的发生与政策时效干预力度问存在长期均衡关系,且在10%的显著水平下,特别重大事故的发生是政策时效干预力度加强的格兰杰原因.同时分析表明,目前我国安全生产政策干预表现出两大缺点:被动性和滞后性.因此,应逐步开展生产安全事故宏观预警与政策模拟等研究,为提高安全生产宏观政策干预的主动性和前瞻性提供技术支持.     

基于体制视角的煤矿矿难成因及对策研究

对国内外煤矿安全事故的成因进行回顾。通过理论与实践研究发现,影响我国煤矿矿难发生的各项因素只是表象,其更深层次的原因是体制层面的问题。分别从计划经济体制、市场经济体制以及双重体制角度对我国煤矿矿难的成因进行分析,指出计划经济体制导致了煤矿企业积极性不高和安全投入不足;以市场资源配置和利益驱动为导向的市场经济体制使得煤矿企业人才严重缺乏、超能力生产严重、安全管理不严和违规操作频发;双重经济体制共同作用引致了我国煤矿行业的监管不力。针对体制对我国煤矿带来的问题,分别从管理机制、安全投入、福利待遇和监管体制等方面给出治理煤矿矿难的政策建议和意见。     

世行贷款云南城市环境建设项目的移民政策与实践

在世行贷款云南城市环境建设项目移民的实践基础上,对移民政策与实践进行初步探讨,对云南城市环境建设项目移民工作将会涉及的问题进行浅析,提出在云南城市环境建设项目中开展项目优化设计,参与者活动,制定合理的移民行动计划,制定和执行针对贫困群体的优惠收费政策,施工期间安全和便利的维护,建设项目后续管理机制的有关建议。     

基于主体功能区划的环境政策框架设计

“十一五”时期,国家在区域协调发展上的新亮点就是创新的提出了“主体功能区”概念,主导这一战略决策的实施需要配套各类专项政策。针对环境问题尝试在主体功能区划条件下设计区域差异化的环境政策,整个政策框架遵循区域差异、综合协调、可操控和环境优先四个原则分区域构建,各区环境政策都沿着政策定位、政府作为和重点政策三条思路充分拓展,对于各项环境政策在不同主体功能区实施的力度也进行了详细描述。本政策框架将为深入研究环境政策和启发其他配套政策的研究思路提供一定的参考。     

关于突发水污染事件应急处置技术需求的几点思考

当前,我国突发环境事件中涉水事件占比较高,生态环境风险较大。通过分析近年来国内突发水污染事件典型案例的特点及国家环境应急管理政策,结合多次参与事件应急处置及调查等环境应急支撑工作中的一些思考,从应急控制标准制定、应急平台建设、应急技术研究、智慧应急4个方面,分析我国突发水污染事件应急处置技术的发展需求及未来研究方向,旨在为建立健全突发水污染事件应急处置技术体系、提高国家环境应急能力提供参考。