Circular Economy Development Mode Based on System Theory

Abstract

The paper tries to explore circular economy from the viewpoint of the system theory. Circular economy is a kind of complicated economic activity, and it is a wholly new ecotype economy proposed by Western countries after they had summed up many experiences and lessons from traditional economy. It is an entirety and has many layers. It keeps an open and dynamic balance. Because the system theory is the theoretical foundation of circular economy, we should systemically analyze and study circular economy from the macroscopic view, correctly grasp its operational laws, improve its service functions, and realize human beings' sustainable development. The paper introduces the content and general characteristics of the system theory and the idea of circular economy. Then it analyzes circular economy based on the system theory. The paper concludes that the integration of circular economy and the system theory can promote the functions of circular economy.     

Environmental Capital,Negative Externality and Carbon Finance Innovation

Abstract

In the context of global climate change, the internalization of negative externality, which is brought about by the traditional mode of economic growth, has become an inevitable choice. In order to achieve the internalization, it is necessary to make innovations on the market mechanism and system, find the value of environmental capital, establish a new mode of economic growth based on environmental capital, and then transform the environmental capital, an exogenous factor of economic growth, into an endogenous factor. Of this, the key of market mechanism and system innovation is the financial innovation that is based on environmental capital and negative externality; the government defines the initial property right of environmental resources and establishes environment energy trading market, so as to guide enterprises to trade environmental resources (represented by carbon emission permit trading) based on the Clean Development Mechanism, and to vigorously develop environmental finance and carbon finance.     

Forest law compliance and enforcement: the case of on-farm timber extraction in Ghana

The paper investigates law compliance in case of on-farm timber extraction in Ghana. It empirically investigates compliance with rules that (i) require timber operators to obtain prior and informed consent from the farmers, (ii) require timber operators to pay appropriate and timely compensation for crop damage caused by timber extraction and (iii) ban chainsaw lumbering. The study documents a low level of compliance in all three domains. Subsequently, the paper discusses the underlying causes for the observed low compliance. The low compliance level is attributed to a legislation, and enforcement, that provides huge financial incentives for non-compliance for both farmers and timber operators, and in the latter case both with and without legal permits. At the same time the regulation is perceived to violate their moral values. The paper underlines the interests of the political elite as decisive in shaping the current regulation and the way it is implemented on the ground. It asserts that eliciting compliance requires consideration of both the instrumental and normative perspectives; else it becomes illusive. The study thus challenges the typical response of governments in developing countries, who, supported by donor agencies, attempt to elicit compliance through enhanced law enforcement efforts. The results presented on the Ghana case suggest that such an approach is unlikely to elicit compliance.     

基于点—轴系统理论的北黄海经济带空间结构研究

选取北黄海经济带作为研究对象,从区域空间角度,基于点—轴理论,重点分析了北黄海经济带的空间结构。结果表明,北黄海经济带的空间发展模式为点—轴渐进逐级开发模式,并具有规模经济效应、集聚与扩散效应、交通协同效应;北黄海经济带依托大连经济发展一级枢纽轴心,沿庄河、东港二级枢纽轴心的两条产业轴延伸,形成一条点—轴式空间发展枢纽轴带,即北黄海经济带。     

关于危险化学品重大危险源分级的研究

在重大危险源死亡半径分级法的基础上,引入经济密度和人员密度,并给出不同情况下相应的计算方法。然后以＂最大危险原则＂和＂概率求和原则＂为财产损失和人员伤亡计算的原则,以《重大危险源分级标准（征求意见稿）》中的分级标准为标准,对危险化学品重大危险源进行分级,这样进行危险源分级时,可将周边环境中可能波及到的财产损失和人员伤亡考虑进去,使得危险化学品重大危险源分级考虑的因素更加全面,分级的结果和实际情况更加吻合。本文的研究结果对危险化学品重大危险源分级具有一定的参考价值。     

环渤海地区海洋经济发展及地域空间差异分析

环渤海地区海洋资源丰富,地区经济的发展壮大在很大程度上依赖于对海洋资源的开发利用.概述了环渤海地区海洋经济的发展现状,应用区域空间差异的定量分析方法与模型(标准方差、加权变差系数、集中化指数、最小方差法等)分析了环渤海四海市主要海洋产业的空间集聚与扩散程度,总结出它们发展海洋经济的民同,提出了促进环渤海地区海洋经济发展的建议.     

陕西旅游资源富集县县域经济发展模式研究——以华阴市为例

陕西省作为我国的旅游资源大省,通过着力发展比较优势明显的旅游产业来促进县域经济发展本是大势所趋,但目前旅游业与工农业发展的孤立性又是约束县域经济发展的一道"紧箍咒",如何在旅游大发展的背景下实现旅游产业与县域经济的互动发展具有极为重要的理论与实证意义.通过分析华阴市2002--2009年旅游产业对县域经济的贡献能力,切实考虑当前该市县域经济发展中存在的主要问题,从旅游产业的视角出发,归纳出陕西旅游资源丰富地区县域经济发展的模式,以期为陕西省县域经济的发展提供对策和建议.     

Embodied energy and emergy evaluation of a typical biodiesel production chain in China

Biodiesel from non-grain feedstock has been considered as one of the proper substitutes for fossil fuels associated with a series of activities emerging in China in order to meet the resource shortage and develop the energy crops. This paper presents an ecological accounting framework based on embodied energy, emergy, and CO₂ emission for the whole production chain of biodiesel made from Jatropha curcas L. (JCL) oil. The energy and materials invested in and CO₂ emission from the whole process, including cropping, transportation, extraction, and production, are accounted and calculated. Also, E_mCO₂, the ratio of real CO₂ released to the emergy-based sustainability indicator per joule biodiesel, is proposed in this paper to present a new goal function for low-carbon system optimization. Finally, the results are compared with those of the bioethanol (wheat) production in Henan Province, China, and bioethanol (corn) production in Italy in view of the indices of embodied energy, emergy and CO₂ emissions and E_mCO₂.     

Trade, technology, and the environment: Does access to technology promote environmental regulation?

Focusing specifically on regulation of coal-fired power plants, we examine how technological innovation by early adopters influences the timing of new environmental regulation in non-innovating countries. We build a general equilibrium model of an open economy to identify the political-economy determinants of regulation. With a newly created dataset of SO₂ and NO_x regulations for coal-fired power plants and a patent-based measure of the technology frontier, we estimate the determinants of environmental regulation diffusion. Our findings support the hypothesis that international economic integration eases access to environmentally friendly technologies and leads to earlier adoption, ceteris paribus, of regulation in non-innovating countries. However, we also find evidence that domestic trade protection promotes earlier adoption allowing shifts of regulatory costs to domestic consumers. Furthermore, international market power permits large countries to shift costs to foreign consumers. Other political economy factors, such as the quality of domestic coal, are also important determinants.     

基于低碳经济的天津产业结构调整战略

以低碳经济理论为指导,分析了近年来天津产业结构调整成效和存在的不足,认为天津产业结构的“高碳锁定效应”仍较明显。按照发展低碳经济的要求,提出了天津产业结构调整战略：一是加强增量控制,产业增量向第三产业倾斜,逐步“减工业化”;工业增量向高新技术产业、战略性新兴产业倾斜,逐步“降重工业化”;严格限制新增高耗能产业项目,从源...