INTEGRATING SOCIAL BENEFIT COST ACCOUNTING INTO WATERSHED RESTORATION AND PROTECTION PROGRAMS1

ABSTRACT: Successful watershed management requires consideration of multiple objectives and the efficient use of scarce public and private resources. One way to address these multi-faceted issues is through Social Benefit-Cost Accounting (SBCA). SBCA is a systematic method of addressing complex social and economic issues relevant to proposed watershed management projects. Benefits of using this technique include: benefits and costs of watershed projects are better understood; politically sensitive issues tend to be put into perspective; and stakeholders' interests are placed on a level playing field. An example from Bogota, Colombia demonstrates how SBCA can be used to value the benefits and costs of a proposed project. By addressing the benefits and costs to all stakeholders, the design of watershed management programs can be improved to achieve goals in a cost-effective manner.     

POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURAL WATER USE IN THE SOUTHEAST U.S.1

ABSTRACT: Climate change has the potential to have dramatic effects on the agricultural sector nationally and internationally as documented in many research papers. This paper reports on research that was focused on a specific crop growing area to demonstrate how farm managers might respond to climate-induced yield changes and the implications of these responses for agricultural water use. The Hadley model was used to generate climate scenarios for important agricultural areas of Georgia in 2030 and 2090. Linked crop response models indicated generally positive yield changes, as increased temperatures were associated with increased precipitation and CO2. Using a farm management model, differences in climate-induced yield impacts among crops led to changes in crop mix and associated water use; non-irrigated cropland received greater benefit since irrigated land was already receiving adequate moisture. Model results suggest that farm managers will increase cropping intensity by decreasing fallowing and increasing double cropping; corn acreage decreased dramatically, peanuts decreased moderately and cotton and winter wheat increased. Water use on currently irrigated cropland fell. The potential for increased water use through conversion of agriculturally important, but currently non-irrigated, growing areas is substantial.     

A COST‐BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF WATER QUALITY PROTECTION IN THE CATAWBA BASIN1

ABSTRACT: The primary objective of this study was to perform a cost‐benefit analysis of maintaining the current level of water quality in the Catawba River basin. Economic benefits were estimated using a stated preference survey method designed to value respondents' willingness to pay for a management plan to protect water quality in the Catawba basin over time. From the surveys conducted with 1,085 area residents, we calculated an annual mean willingness to pay of $139 for the management plan, or more than $75.4 million for all taxpayers in the area. Over the five‐year time horizon in which respondents were asked to pay for the management plan, this resulted in a total economic benefit of $340.1 million. The Watershed Analysis Risk Management Framework model was used to estimate the amount of management activities needed to protect the current level of water quality in the basin over time. Based on the model results, the total cost of the management plan was calculated to be $244.8 million over a ten‐year period. The resulting cost‐benefit analysis indicated that the potential benefits of this management plan would outweigh the costs by more than $95 million.     

基于经济学视角的职业健康规制问题研究

用经济学分析工具对现有的职业健康规制进行探讨,研究规制机构、企业和劳动者三方行为主体的博弈,通过分析存在的问题,提出解决职业健康规制的对策。在理顺职业健康规制体制,健全机构的同时不断完善法规体系。同时,加强对劳动者职业健康的保障,完善第三方介入机制,并且加大对违规企业的处罚力度,提高对劳动者的赔偿。不断强化企业作为职业健康责任主体的意识,推进职业危害防治技术创新,培养"以人为本"的职业健康安全文化观念。     

环境经济学在中国的发展

本文讨论了环境经济学在中国的发展过程,并对新时期环境经济学面临的理论和现实问题进行了展望。在新的时期,环境经济学应更加注重以环境问题表现的社会利益结构和利益均衡的实证分析,并对满足可持续发展要求的宏观经济政策变革和微观环境管理提供理论支持。     

黄河三角洲垦利县可持续土地利用评价及对策研究

选取34个自然、环境和社会经济指标,采用相关分析和模糊数学原理对研究区的可持续土地利用进行了评价.结果表明,研究区可持续土地利用性在1986-2003年期间逐渐提高.通过计算障碍度详细分析了研究区可持续土地利用的障碍因素.人均农业总产值、粮食单产、芦苇地占地率、农业用地率是可持续土地利用的主要障碍因素.芦苇地占地率在1996年以后始终是第一障碍因素.人均农业总产值的限制主要出现在1998年之前,之后对可持续土地利用未构成障碍.粮食单产和农业用地率的影响主要出现在1996年以后.林草覆盖率、公顷耕地农机总动力和农村电气化水平在一半以上的年份对可持续土地利用构成障碍.在1994年之前,农民人均收入障碍度较大,是主要的障碍因素.最后根据障碍因素的分析提出了可持续土地利用的对策.     

工伤保险行业差别费率确定方法探讨

制定合理的行业差别费率对于工伤保险基金的稳定、促进企业改善安全生产状况具有积极作用.我国工伤保险制度处于起步阶段,有些地区对行业差别费率厘定进行了探索,但费率与风险的关联性不强,影响了低风险企业参加工伤保险统筹的积极性.本文针对工伤统计数据缺乏的现状,分析了现阶段工伤保险行业差别费率确定方法的研究现状,重点讨论了确定行业风险等级的3种方法,即聚类分析法、风险系数测评和模糊风险评估法的应用过程以及优缺点;另外,强调了在确定行业风险指数时,应注意根据不同事故类别的严重度来确定各风险因素指标的权重大小.最后,应用风险评估理论分析工伤保险行业差别费率的运作机理,提出应用工伤赔付支出费用计算行业差别费率的数学公式,此公式原理清晰、操作方便,且有利于各统筹地区根据实际情况划分行业差别费率.     

经济增长质量与能源效率是一致的吗?

论文从全社会节能的角度提出全社会能源效率的概念,构建了经济增长质量指标体系,并基于1997—2007 年中国30 个省份的面板数据,采用Malmquist DEA方法测算了广义技术进步指数并进行分解,然后运用面板方法分析了经济增长质量与能源效率的作用机制,研究结果表明经济增长质量与能源效率是不完全一致的,具体表现为:改善环境质量与提高能源效率是一致的,技术进步与产业结构升级能够促进能源效率,但出口比重的增加和生活水平的提高会抑制能源效率的改进。技术进步、技术效率、纯技术效率和规模效率对全社会能源效率有正向影响,技术效率的作用大于技术进步,纯技术效率和规模效率的下降削弱了技术进步的正向作用。     

Normalized tornado damage in the United States: 1950–2011

In 2011, thunderstorms in the United States resulted in 550 deaths from tornadoes and more than $28 billion in property damage, according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the vast majority of economic losses resulting from tornadoes. This article normalizes U.S. tornado damage from 1950 to 2011, using several methods. A normalization provides an estimate of the damage that would occur if past events occurred under a common base year's societal conditions. We normalize for changes in inflation and wealth at the national level and changes in population, income and housing units at the county level. Under several methods, there has been a sharp decline in tornado damage. This decline corresponds with a decline in the reported frequency of the most intense (and thus most damaging) tornadoes since 1950. However, quantification of trends in tornado incidence is made difficult due to discontinuities in the reporting of events over time. The normalized damage results are suggestive that some part of this decline may reflect actual changes in tornado incidence, beyond changes in reporting practices. In historical context, 2011 stands out as one of the most damaging years of the past 61 years and provides an indication that maximum damage levels have the potential to increase should societal change lead to increasing exposure of wealth and property.     

内蒙古经济发展与环境污染之间关系的检验

利用内蒙古1986-2009年间的6类环境污染指标和人均GDP数据,基于VAR计量技术,通过变量平稳性和协整检验,Granger因果检验和脉冲响应分析对经济增长与环境污染的关系及其动态性进行了实证研究。结果显示:①当内蒙古粉尘排放量增长率、 工业固体废弃物产生量增长率、 工业二氧化硫排放量增长率和工业烟尘排放量增长率各增加1%时,人均GDP分别降低0.068%、 0.411%、 0.380%以及0.418%;当工业废气排放量增长率和工业废水排放量增长率分别增加1%时,人均GDP分别上升1.305%和1.601%。②人均GDP变化是工业固体废弃物产生量和工业废气排放量变化的Granger原因,但各污染物排放并不是人均GDP变化的Granger原因,这与研究期间内蒙古处于工业化尤其是工业中的采矿业发达的事实吻合。③人均GDP增长率对来自环境变量增长率的冲击影响其响应表现为在第1期均为0,从长期响应来看,给粉尘和废水排放增长率一个正的冲击,人均GDP增长率的响应为持续的降低;对来自废气排放增长率冲击响应函数图在前4期表现出"增长-降低-增长"的趋势,而在后6期表现为缓缓下降;对来自固体废弃物产生量增长率和二氧化硫排放量增长率冲击响应不明显;对来自烟尘排放量增长率的冲击其响应在第2期达到最大值,随后也呈递减趋势。④从方差分析的结果看,不考虑GDP自身的贡献率,内蒙古环境污染指标排放增长率对人均GDP增长率贡献率较小,而在不考虑内蒙古各个环境污染指标排放增长率自身的贡献率的情况下,内蒙古人均GDP增长率对环境污染指标排放的增长率的贡献较高。这进一步说明了内蒙古环境各污染因子排放量的增多并没有大幅度促进人均GDP的增长,但是人均GDP增长却带动了工业污染物排放的增长。