Does subway expansion improve air quality?

Major cities in China and many other fast-growing economies are expanding their subway systems in order to address worsening air pollution and traffic congestion. This paper quantifies the impact of subway expansion on air quality by leveraging fine-scale air quality data and the rapid build-out of 14 new subway lines and 252 stations in Beijing from 2008 to 2016. Our main empirical framework examines how the density of the subway network affects air quality across different locations in the city during this period. To address the potential endogenous location of subway stations, we construct an instrument based on historical subway planning, long before air pollution and traffic congestion were of concern. Our analysis shows that an increase in subway density by one standard deviation improves air quality by two percent and the result is robust to a variety of alternative specifications including the distance-based difference-in-differences method. The total discounted health benefit during a 20-year period from reduced mortality and morbidity as a result of 14 new subway lines amounts to $1.0–3.1 billion, or only 1.4–4.4 percent of the total construction and operating cost.     

模拟酸雨对北亚热带天然次生林土壤呼吸的影响

于2009年3月～2010年1月在南京市郊龙王山北亚热带天然次生林进行模拟酸雨试验,以便携式土壤CO2通量观测仪对不同酸雨强度处理下的林地土壤呼吸速率进行原位测定,研究酸雨对森林土壤呼吸的影响.结果表明,在本试验阶段,4个酸雨强度处理CK(pH值6.4,去离子水)、T1(pH值4.5)、T2(pH值3.5)、T3(pH值2.5)的平均土壤呼吸速率分别为(3.20±0.21)、(3.34±0.30)、(3.51±0.06)、(2.99± 0.23)μmol/(m2·s),酸雨各处理的土壤呼吸季节变化规律显著.由于森林植被生长期季节变化明显,将其分为非生长季1(2~4月)、生长季(5~10月)、非生长季2(11月~次年1月)3个阶段.配对t检验分析各阶段土壤呼吸速率的结果表明,在非生长季1,模拟酸雨未抑制土壤呼吸作用,T1和T2酸雨处理反而促进了土壤呼吸作用;在生长季,高强度模拟酸雨T3显著抑制了土壤呼吸作用;在非生长季2,也出现了模拟酸雨促进土壤呼吸作用的现象;对于整个观测阶段而言,低强度模拟酸雨处理未显著改变北亚热带天然次生林的土壤呼吸,仅高强度模拟酸雨T3显著抑制了土壤呼吸作用.不同酸雨强度处理下的土壤呼吸速率与土壤温度的指数回归关系均达显著水平(P<0.01),CK、T1、T2、T3处理的Q10值分别为3.04,2.73,2.83,2.51,模拟酸雨处理降低了北亚热带天然次生林土壤呼吸的温度敏感性.     

闽江口不同沼泽植被带土壤甲烷产生潜力的温度敏感性

2012年2月采集闽江河口鳝鱼滩短叶茳芏(Cyperus malaccensis),芦苇(Phragmites australis)和互花米草(Scirpus alterniflora) 3个典型潮汐沼泽植被带0~30cm(间隔5cm)土壤样品,在不同温度(10,20和30℃)进行15d室内厌氧培养实验,探讨河口区不同沼泽植被带土壤甲烷产生潜力及其温度敏感性(Q10值)的特征.结果表明,指数模型较好地拟合不同沼泽植被带土壤甲烷产生与温度的相关关系;温度由10℃升至20℃时,3个沼泽植被带土壤甲烷产生潜力Q10值的均值分别为5.04,14.92和14.81,最大值均在培养期间的第13~15d分别出现于10~15cm,15~20cm和20~25cm三个土层;温度由20℃升至30℃时,3个沼泽植被带土壤甲烷产生潜力Q10值的均值分别为3.56,4.99和3.43,最大值分别在培养期间的第4~6d,第4~6d和第7~9d出现于0~5cm,0~5cm和15~20cm三个土层;植被类型和土壤深度对甲烷产生潜力及Q10值均具有显著的影响(P<0.05).     

The value of information for integrated assessment models of climate change

We estimate the value of information (VOI) for three key parameters of climate integrated assessment models (IAMs): marginal damages at low temperature anomalies, marginal damages at high temperature anomalies, and equilibrium climate sensitivity. Most empirical studies of climate damages have examined temperature anomalies up to 3 °C, while some recent theoretical studies emphasize the risks of “climate catastrophes,” which depend on climate sensitivity and on marginal damages at higher temperature anomalies. We use a new IAM to estimate the VOI for each parameter over a range of assumed levels of study precision based on prior probability distributions calibrated using results from previous studies. We measure the VOI as the maximum fixed fraction of consumption that a social planner would be willing to pay to conduct a new study before setting a carbon tax. Our central results suggest that the VOI is greatest for marginal damages at high temperature anomalies.     

Brown backstops versus the green paradox

Anticipated climate policies are ineffective when fossil fuel owners respond by shifting supply intertemporally (the green paradox). This mechanism relies crucially on the exhaustibility of fossil fuels. We analyze the effect of anticipated climate policies on emissions in a simple model with two fossil fuels: one scarce and dirty (e.g. oil), the other abundant and dirtier (e.g. coal). We derive conditions for a ‘green orthodox’: anticipated climate policies may reduce current emissions. The model can also be used to analyze spatial carbon leakage. Calibrations suggest that intertemporal carbon leakage (from 0% to 8%) is a relatively minor concern.     

Government green procurement spillovers: Evidence from municipal building policies in California

We study how government green procurement policies influence private-sector demand for similar products. Specifically, we measure the impact of municipal policies requiring governments to construct green buildings on private-sector adoption of the US Green Building Council?s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. Using matching methods, panel data, and instrumental variables, we find that government procurement rules produce spillover effects that stimulate both private-sector adoption of the LEED standard and investments in green building expertise by local suppliers. These findings suggest that government procurement policies can accelerate the diffusion of new environmental standards that require coordinated complementary investments by various types of private adopter.     

492Q发动机分层进气燃烧净化节油系统研究

492Q发动机分层进气燃烧净化节油系统的研究,是为了使国产492Q发动机的油耗水平下降,同时也降低其排放对大气的污染。为此,采用稀薄燃烧原理,使发动机在空燃比(AF)为18左右也可正常燃烧,达到降低油耗,同时也减少了CH、CO、NO_x的排放。      

Incorporating environmental issues into optimum cut-off grades modeling at porphyry copper deposits

Cut-off grade is defined as the grade which discriminates between ore and waste within a given orebody. Determination of a complete optimum cut-off grade policy is a very important function during mine life. Using the modified optimum cut-off grade model presented in this paper not only the net present value of a porphyry copper mining project is maximized, but also the adverse environmental impacts of the project are minimized simultaneously. This methodology is more effective in long-range planning. For showing the effectiveness of the model, two scenarios are considered in a hypothetical deposit and the results show that incorporating the modified optimum cut-off grade policy, the net present value will be increased by 3.6% in comparison with the Base Case.     

Investor demand and spot commodity prices: Reply 2

This, our second reply to Östensson, supplements our earlier more technical analysis with a simple intuitive explanation of how investor demand can be driving commodity prices higher even when investor stocks are falling.     

Exploring the origins of ‘social license to operate’ in the mining sector: Perspectives from governance and sustainability theories

In the mining sector, local communities have emerged as particularly important governance actors. Conventional approaches to mineral development no longer suffice for these communities, which have demanded a greater share of benefits and increased involvement in decision making. These trends have been spurred by the growth of the sustainable development paradigm and governance shifts that have increasingly transferred governing authority towards non-state actors. Accordingly, there is now widespread recognition that mineral developers need to gain a ‘social license to operate’ (SLO) from local communities in order to avoid potentially costly conflict and exposure to social risks. A social license can be considered to exist when a mining project is seen as having the ongoing approval and broad acceptance of society to conduct its activities. Due to the concept's relatively recent emergence, however, only a limited body of scholarship has developed around SLO. Drawing on examples from northern Canada, this paper uses governance and sustainability theories to conceptualize the origins of SLO in the mining sector and describe some of the associated implications. Further research is needed to determine governance arrangements which help facilitate establishment of SLO in different mineral development contexts.