Governance experiments in climate action: empirical findings from the 28 European Union countries

Climate targets call for novel policy measures to facilitate widespread adoption of low-carbon solutions and innovations. The literature on socio-technical systems argues that experimentation has a prominent role in enabling sustainability transition. Experiments represent ways of testing new ideas and methods across a wide range of policy fields. Governance experiments in particular can support accelerated diffusion of new solutions, because they integrate policy with innovations. Here, types of success factors in the implementation of governance experiments to mitigate climate change are examined. Statistical analysis of sustainability innovations in the 28 European Union countries indicates that the types of success factors in governance experiments differ from those of product and social experiments. Governance experimentation is more positioned within socio-technical regimes than in strategic niches. These results suggest that governance experiments may indeed provide new transition opportunities towards low-carbon societies.     

Exploring the Adaptation-mitigation Relationship: Does Information on the Costs of Adapting to Climate Change Influence Support for Mitigation?

Can information about adaptation costs influence citizens’ willingness to support climate change mitigation? Some scholars are concerned that policy discussions on adaptation might present climate change as a more manageable problem, and therefore crowd out mitigation efforts. On the other hand, providing information on adaptation costs may sensitize citizens to these costs, thereby increasing their willingness to support mitigation. To assess these conflicting predictions, we fielded a web-based survey experiment using a sample of 2,000 US-based respondents. We presented the respondents with a hypothetical newspaper article regarding a proposed gasoline tax (a mitigation strategy) and measured the support for this proposal across different treatment groups. In the control group, the respondents were told that failure to mitigate climate change could result in a potentially catastrophic outcome, whereas in each of the treatment groups the respondents were provided with information concerning possible adaptation costs. The respondents were then asked about their willingness to support a gasoline tax. Our key finding is that the provision of information about adaptation costs leads to a small increase in the respondents’ willingness to support mitigation efforts. Furthermore, we find that this effect becomes larger when the information regarding adaptation costs is made more specific.     

Turbulent Ventilation of a Street Canyon

A selection of turbulence data corresponding to 185 days of field measurements has been analysed. The non-ideal building geometry influenced the circulation patterns in the street canyon and the largest average vertical velocities were observed in the wake of an unbroken line of buildings. The standard deviation of vertical velocity fluctuations normalised by the ambient wind speed was relatively insensitive to ambient wind direction and sensor position, and it was usually larger than the corresponding 1-hour average velocity. Cross-correlations of spatially separated velocity measurements were small, and this suggests that most of the velocity fluctuations were fairly local and not caused by unsteady street vortices. The observed velocities scaled with the ambient wind speed except under low-wind conditions.     

鹤壁矿区煤矸石淋滤实验研究

对鹤壁煤矿区第10矿煤矸石进行连续淋溶试验,模拟煤矸石矿井填充后对地下水环境的影响.测定pH值、电导率、F-、总硬度、Zn、Mn、Cr6 、Cd、Cu和Pb等项目,实验结果表明,煤矸石淋出液中F-和Cr6 超标,Mn接近标准,pH值偏高,对地下水环境存在一定影响.其他各元素含量甚微,多未检出.     

水葱湿地对泰达景观河道水质净化特性研究

通过水葱湿地对天津泰达景观河道水体污染物去除的室内试验研究,考察了不同污染物的去除情况。COD的去除率20.38%～40.25%;TN的去除率为39.78%～68.16%、NH3-N的去除率为53.94%～76.71%、NO3--N的去除率为39.78%～74.41%、TP的去除率为81.29%～88.27%、PO4-P的去除率为82.76%～89.61%以及TD(S先上升后下降)、pH(由8.25下降到7.30)变化情况.。在此基础上,得出了通过种植水葱,对泰达景观河道水体污染物去除效果是明显的,同时为防治泰达再生水景观河道水体富营养化的发生发展提供理论依据和技术指导。     

北京地区壤土对柴油的吸附作用研究

通过静态吸附实验,研究了北京地区壤土对柴油的吸附行为,考察了温度、溶液pH值、土壤有机质含量和粘土的矿物组成对柴油吸附的影响.结果表明,4种土样对柴油的吸附等温线均较好地符合Langmuir吸附模式,其吸附能力的大小顺序为:轻壤土＞中壤土＞砂壤土＞重壤土;温度和溶液pH值的升高,不利于柴油的吸附,温度从10℃升高到30℃,柴油的饱和吸附量从833 3 μg·g-1降低到263.2 μg·g-1,pH值从4升高到10,柴油在重壤土、轻壤土、中壤土和砂壤土中的吸附量分别从1012μg·g-1、1800 μg·g-1、1377μg·g-1和1272μg·g-1降低到114μg·g-1、236μg·g-1、163 μg·g-1和150μg·g-1;柴油的吸附量随土壤有机质含量的升高而增大,且两者具有线性关系;柴油的吸附量与蒙脱石含量具有线性正相关关系,说明粘土中蒙脱石含量对吸附量的影响较大.     

主扇扩散器出口速度分布的数值模拟与实验研究

借助重整化群双参数湍流模型,建立扩散器内风流流动的控制方程组。基于工程实际,给定模拟边界条件进行数值模拟,并分析扩散器的出口速度分布。根据大量的数值模拟算例,获得节能型扩散器的最优断面扩大系数,找出扩散器出口速度分布与扩散器动能回收之间的关系。通过对节能型扩散器的多工况模型实验,对扩散器出口速度分布进行研讨。借助数值模拟实验与模型验证实验,揭示了扩散器结构形式与扩散器出口动压能损失分布之间的关系。     

硫磺回收装置脱硫废液处理的试验研究

采用将脱硫废液与炼油废水按比例混合之后对其进行处理的方法,通过批式试验,考查混合废液的BOD5/COD指标及其COD、NH3-N、S2-的去除率。筛选合适的混合液配比,分别对500︰1和800︰1的混合废液进行了模型试验,分析了COD去除效果。结果表明:800︰1的混合废液在10d之后,出水COD为134mg/L,达到了《污水综合排放标准》(GB8978—1996)二级标准要求。最终确定炼油废水与脱硫废液混合的合适比例应不低于800︰1。     

Using a choice experiment to measure the environmental costs of air pollution impacts in Seoul

Air pollution, a by-product of economic growth, has been incurring extensive environmental costs in Seoul, Korea. Unfortunately, air pollution impacts are not treated as a commercial item, and thus it is difficult to measure the environmental costs arising from air pollution. There is an imminent need to find a way to measure air pollution impacts so that appropriate actions can be taken to control air pollution. Therefore, this study attempts to apply a choice experiment to quantifying the environmental costs of four air pollution impacts (mortality, morbidity, soiling damage, and poor visibility), using a specific case study of Seoul. We consider the trade-offs between price and attributes of air pollution impacts for selecting a preferred alternative and derive the marginal willingness to pay (WTP) estimate for each attribute. According to the results, the households' monthly WTP for a 10% reduction in the concentrations of major pollutants in Seoul was found to be approximately 5494 Korean won (USD 4.6) and the total annual WTP for the entire population of Seoul was about 203.4 billion Korean won (USD 169.5 million). This study is expected to provide policy-makers with useful information for evaluating and planning environmental policies relating specifically to air pollution.     

Willingness to Pay for Improving the Residential Waste Disposal System in Korea: A Choice Experiment Study

This study attempts to apply choice experiments with regard to the residential waste disposal system (RWDS) in Korea by considering various attributes that are related to RWDS. Using data from a survey conducted on 492 households, the empirical analysis yields estimates of the willingness to pay for a clean food-waste collection facility, the collection of small items (such as obsolete mobile phones and add-ons for personal computers), and a more convenient large waste disposal system. The estimation results of multinomial logit models are quite similar to those of nested logit models. The results reveal that residents have preferences for the cleanliness of facilities and the collection of small items. In Korea, residents are required to purchase and attach stickers for the disposal of large items; they want to be able to obtain stickers at not only village offices but also supermarkets. On the other hand, the frequency of waste collection is not a significant factor in the choice of the improved waste management program.