Learning abatement costs: On the dynamics of the optimal regulation of experience goods

We study the introduction of new technologies when their costs are subject to idiosyncratic uncertainty and can only be fully learned through individual experience. We set up a dynamic model of clean experience goods that replace old polluting consumption options and show how optimal regulation evolves over time. In our base setting where social and private learning incentives coincide, the optimal tax on the polluting consumption is increasing over time. We show, however, that if social and private learning incentives diverge because the private discount rate exceeds the social discount rate, it may be optimal to temporarily increase the tax rate beyond net marginal external damages to induce more learning before reducing the tax rate to the steady state level. Alternatively, one could complement the tax with subsidies for first-time users which can be phased out over time. Similar results apply if consumers have biased expectations. We therefore give a rationale for introductory subsidies on new, clean technologies and non-monotonic tax paths from a perspective of consumer learning.     

‘Schismo‐urbanism’: cities,natural disaster,and urban sociology

This paper examines a city and a natural disaster, specifically New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina of August 2005. Recovery here is ongoing and the process of return is incomplete, with long‐term dislocation to other cities in the United States, such as Houston, Texas. The question arises as to how planning and stratification influence evacuation and return/dislocation and how they result in a particular practice of adaptation. This interrelated process is conceptually integrated and termed ‘schismo‐urbanism’ and is analysed within a multidimensional theoretical framework to evaluate aspects of urban sociology and natural disasters. Empirical research is based on a quantitative and qualitative mixed‐method case study. Data were collected during two rounds of field research in New Orleans and Houston in 2007 and 2009. As a comparative socio‐spatial study of affected and receptor communities, it makes a novel theoretical and methodological contribution to research on urban disasters in the context of continuing and rapid social change, and is targeted at disaster researchers, planning theorists and practitioners, and urbanists.     

New recruit safety expectations: Relationships with trust and perceived job risk

Very little research has examined the safety expectations of new recruits, particularly those of individuals about to enter full-time work for the first time. There is evidence that new recruits have proportionally more accidents in the first period of their employment. One possible explanation for this is that the safety expectations of new recruits do not match the reality of the workplace they are about to enter. In Study 1 data on workplace safety expectations were collected from 142 final year high school students from six schools. Study 2 collected data from 40 organizations on the safety expectations of a new recruit and compared it with safety expectation data from a manager of the job they were entering. Both studies found that new recruit safety expectations were significantly correlated with ratings of safety specific trust in co-workers and management. Study 2 found that new recruits safety expectation scores were significantly higher than those given by managers. The results suggest that organizations need to develop a clear safety-specific psychological contract with new recruits.     

滨海新区能源消费驱动因素完全分解研究

运用完全分解模型详细研究了2000-2007年间滨海新区能源消费总量变化的过程。结果表明,2000-2007年期间,经济规模扩张因素所产生的增长效应对滨海新区能源消费总量的持续增长起主导作用。与此同时,产业结构的变动对能源消费的减量作用为负面的,技术进步因素产生的能源强度效应则是推动滨海新区能源消费减量的主要因素。笔者认为,推动产业结构的跨越式演进以及在未来城市规划中增加能源消费总量约束性的发展指标是滨海新区实现能源消费总量降低的重要途径和手段。     

Municipal wastewater treatment in China: Development history and future perspectives

The history of China’s municipal wastewater management is revisited. The remaining challenges in wastewater sector in China are identified. New concept municipal wastewater treatment plants are highlighted. An integrated plant of energy, water and fertilizer recovery is envisaged. China has the world’s largest and still growing wastewater sector and water market, thus its future development will have profound influence on the world. The high-speed development of China’s wastewater sector over the past 40 years has forged its global leading treatment capacity and innovation ability. However, many problems were left behind, including underdeveloped sewers and sludge disposal facilities, low sustainability of the treatment processes, questionable wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent discharge standards, and lacking global thinking on harmonious development between wastewater management, human society and the nature. Addressing these challenges calls for fundamental changes in target design, policy and technologies. In this mini-review, we revisit the development history of China’s municipal wastewater management and identify the remaining challenges. Also, we highlight the future needs of sustainable development and exploring China’s own wastewater management path, and outlook the future from several aspects including targets of wastewater management, policies and technologies, especially the new concept WWTP. Furthermore, we envisage the establishment of new-generation WWTPs with the vision of turning WWTP from a site of pollutant removal into a plant of energy, water and fertilizer recovery and an integrated part urban ecology in China.     

天津滨海新区秋冬季大气污染特征分析

为了解天津滨海新区大气污染物浓度水平和污染来源,2009年9月1日~2010年2月28日对NOx、CO、SO2、O3、PM2.5、PM10进行了连续在线观测,并同步观测了气象要素.结果表明,秋冬季上述污染物最高日均值(秋冬平均值±标准差,O3为日小时均值最大值)分别达到300.7(65.4±52.9)×10-9、7.278(1.324±1.169)×10-6、53(13±12)×10-9、95(28±21)×10-9(体积分数)和287.4(62.3±53.6)μg/m3、1421.4(161.9±136) μg/m3. NOx和SO2秋季低于冬季,O3和PM10反之. CO和PM10相对国家二级标准超标率为2%和38%,PM2.5相对WHO标准(75μg/m3)超标率为31%.季节统计日变化显示CO和NOx为早晚双峰型,SO2为中午的单峰型,O3为午后单峰型,且秋季日变化振幅远大于冬季, PM10为早晚双峰型,但冬季比秋季晚出峰2~3h.除冬季PM10,大气污染物浓度49%~74%的逐日变化由气象要素影响.滨海新区大气污染受局地排放和外源输送共同影响,西南方向气流易造成污染物积累,其次是东北方向,而东和东南气流最有利于污染物扩散;各污染物具体表现为NOx主要受局地源控制;SO2主要受外来输送影响;CO和PM2.5同时受本地源和外来源的共同影响;PM10秋季表现为本地源污染,而冬季为本地源和外来源的共同影响.     

基于粗糙集和支持向量机的标准农田地力等级评价

标准农田是耕地的精华,是确保国家粮食安全的关键。科学评价标准农田地力等级对标准农田培肥和土壤改良有着重要意义。将粗糙集(Rough Set,RS)理论和支持向量机(Support Vector Machine,SVM)相结合,提出了基于RS和SVM的标准农田地力等级评价方法,同时,利用遗传算法的并行搜索结构和模拟退火的概率突跳特性,提出了GASA优化SVM参数算法。该方法首先在确定标准农田地力等级评价指标的基础上,利用地力调查样本数据及传统的指数和法评价结果构建RS决策表,应用RS穷尽算法对决策表进行约简,剔除冗余的评价指标,然后用约简后的评价指标作为SVM的输入,运用GASA优化SVM参数算法对SVM进行训练,建立标准农田地力等级的RS-SVM评价模型。应用该方法对温州市鹿城区标准农田地力等级进行评价,与未用RS约简的SVM模型和BP神经网络模型评价结果进行对比,SVM模型和BP神经网络模型的输入指标数均为15个,其评价正确率分别为100%和90%;RS-SVM模型的输入指标数为14个,其评价正确率分别为100%,结果表明,该方法通过RS约简评价指标后,SVM评价精度并没有降低,但降低了SVM输入向量维数和计算复杂度,提高了训练效率;SVM 用于标准农田地力等级评价,具有比BP神经网络更高的评价精度,可有效用于标准农田地力等级评价,为耕地地力评价提供了新方法。     

加强我国对新化学物质的管理

概述了新化学物质的概念及特点,介绍了国际组织对新化学物质管理的要求、国外对新化学物质环境管理的惯例及我国新化学物质环境管理的现状,阐述了建立与实施我国新化学物质申报制度的原则,并从技术上、实践上、经济上论述了这项制度的可行性。      

2015—2019年抚州市临川区主要大气污染物时空变化及成因分析

选取2015—2019年抚州市临川区不同时间尺度的空气质量指数(Air Quality Index,AQI)与6种常规大气污染物监测数据,分析了临川区主要大气污染物的时空变化及影响因素。结果表明,临川区大气PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂和CO年均质量浓度整体呈现下降趋势,O₃年均质量浓度逐年增加,说明临川区应警惕O₃污染的加剧。PM_2.5、PM₁₀和NO₂质量浓度的月变化趋势表现为冬高夏低的特征。此外,2015—2019年临川区大气PM_2.5、PM₁₀月均浓度与AQI的相关性极高(r＞0.96,P≤0.01),表明临川区大气污染类型为颗粒型污染。根据污染物浓度日变化规律以及相关性分析结果可知,PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、NO₂日变化趋势与AQI相似。通过对2015—2019年临川区除夕至大年初一期间大气污染物变化规律和复合污染特征的分析可以发现,2018年和2019年空气污染程度较之前的3年有所下降,说明烟花爆竹燃放禁令对春节期间空气污染的控制具有明显成效。此外,控制移动源排放成为临川区大气污染治理亟需解决的重要问题。