Is Current Consumption Excessive? A General Framework and Some Indications for the United States

Abstract:  Many prior studies have explored the implications of human population growth and environmentally problematic technologies for biodiversity loss and other forms of environmental degradation. Relatively few, however, have examined the impacts of the level and composition of consumption. We offer a framework that shows how the level and composition of a society's total consumption relate to the uses of various forms of capital and to the sustainability of natural resources and human well-being. We relate the framework to two main approaches—top–down macro studies and bottom–up computer models—for measuring whether overall consumption in the United States satisfies a sustainability requirement. Existing top–down studies have shortcomings that bias their results toward optimism, and current computer simulation models, although strong on revealing biophysical outcomes, are limited in their ability to evaluate impacts on human well-being. Although some ambiguities arise in determining whether overall consumption in the United States is excessive, our conclusions regarding the composition of U.S. consumption are unambiguous. Distorted consumption patterns and associated production methods lead to excessively rapid natural resource depletion; greater conservation would yield gains to current and future generations that more than compensate for the sacrifices involved. Public policies that deal with the composition problem not only would help conserve natural resources and improve current welfare but also would reduce the costs of meeting the goal of sustainability.     

湖北鄂州和仙桃两地农民集中居住前后福利测度与变化的实证研究

在阿马蒂亚森的可行能力框架理论下构建农民福利评价指标体系,以湖北鄂州和仙桃两地为例,运用模糊评价法测算农民集中居住前后的福利变化。结果表明,农民集中居住后福利水平有所下降,鄂州和仙桃农户福利水平模糊评价值分别由0.455和0.442下降到0.373和0.366;从功能性活动看,农户的社会资源、住房条件和居住环境均有改善,但家庭经济状况、权益保障和心理情感则有不同程度恶化,其中家庭经济状况和权益保障这2项功能的福利水平变化最大,是造成农民集中居住后农民福利水平下降的主要原因。从转换因素看,农民受教育程度、被抚养人口比例和地区差异对农民集中居住前后福利变化均有影响。     

Correlates of bushmeat hunting among remote rural households in Gabon, Central Africa

Hunted wild animals (i.e., bushmeat) are a main source of protein for many rural populations in the tropics, and the unsustainable harvest of these animals puts both human food security and ecosystem functioning at risk. To understand the correlates of bushmeat consumption, we surveyed 1219 households in 121 rural villages near three newly established national parks in Gabon. Through the surveys we gathered information on bushmeat consumption, income, and material assests. In addition, we quantified land cover in a 5-km radius around the village center and distance of the village center to the nearest park boundary. Bushmeat was not a source of income for most households, but it was the primary animal protein consumed. Ninety-seven percent of households consumed bushmeat at least once during a survey period of 12 days. Income or wealth, land cover, distance of village to the nearest park boundary, and level of education of the head of the household were among the factors that significantly related to the likelihood of consuming any of the 10 most commonly consumed species of bushmeat. Household size was the predictor most strongly associated with quantities of bushmeat consumed and was negatively related to consumption. Total bushmeat consumption per adult male equivalent increased as household wealth increased and decreased as distance of villages to park boundaries increased. Bushmeat consumption at the household level was not related to unit values (i.e., price estimates for a good that typically does not have a market value; estimates derived from willingness to sell or trade the good for items of known price) of bushmeat or the price of chicken and fish as potential substitutes. The median consumption of bushmeat at the village level, however, was negatively related to village mean unit values of bushmeat across all species. Our results suggest that a lack of alternative protein sources motivated even the wealthiest among surveyed households to consume bushmeat. Providing affordable, alternative protein sources to all households would likely reduce unsustainable levels of bushmeat consumption in rural Gabon.     

排污权交易市场中具有激励相容性的双边拍卖机制

针对排污权交易市场的交易机制设计问题,描述了多个排污权出售方和购买方治污量和产量的最优决策问题,基于单边拍卖的缺点,设计出了一个激励相容的双边拍卖机制.结果表明,此机制在描述排污权交易市场竞价规则的基础上,设计出了符合排污权市场特点的出清和交易规则,不仅能保证排污权交易市场实时出清,使理性的企业披露自己真实的治污成本,而且能够使污染物平均处理成本低的企业承担更多的处理量,达到了社会治污成本最小化.最后通过算例验证了该机制的有效性和实用性.     

企业环境等级评价制度中的多方博弈辨析

企业环境等级评价制度将公众第三方引入环境管理体系,着重分析三方在管理中的各自作用,以及如何实现利益的最大化。公众的参与是核心,政府引导是保证企业环境等级评价制度顺利和健康实施的基础,而企业可以通过环境等级评价提高企业环境信息的透明度,并进一步利用市场增大企业的利益。     

Multi-objective Programming and Social Welfare Analysis of Rural–urban Land Conversion Decision-making

Abstract

Rural–urban land conversion is an inevitable phenomenon in urbanization and industrialization. And the decision-making issue about this conversion is multi-objective because the social decision maker (the whole of central government and local authority) has to integrate the requirements of different interest groups (rural collective economic organizations, peasants, urban land users and the ones affected indirectly) and harmonize the sub-objects (economic, social and ecological outcomes) of this land allocation process. This paper established a multi-objective programming model for rural–urban land conversion decision-making and made some social welfare analysis correspondingly. Result shows that the general object of rural–urban land conversion decision-making is to reach the optimal level of social welfare in a certain state of resources allocation, while the preference of social decision makers and the value judgment of interest groups are two crucial factors which determine the realization of the rural–urban land conversion decision-making objects.     

重构煤炭主体专业教育的公益性

从煤炭主体专业教育具有的公益性属性分析入手,指出煤炭主体专业的办学经费日紧和煤炭主体专业边缘化与去煤化,公益性日渐式微。建议从国家、高校、企业、个人家庭等各个层次全方位重构煤炭主体专业教育的公益性,加强国家利益至上,强化政府主渠道作用,在政策与教育投入要向其倾斜,优先发展与保障煤炭主体专业的教育,制定相关法规确保煤炭专业生源与人才培养质量,并在该领域就业。国家、企业、高校与个人家庭利益相关者都应在制度上强化各自应有的责任,从而形成一个多层次全方位良性互动发展的培养与吸纳人才的机制,确保煤炭主体专业教育的公益性,促进煤炭主体专业健康发展,满足安全生产的人才需求的供给,从而为煤炭安全生产提供重要保障。     

中国环境管理干部学院动物伦理教育概述

对中国环境管理干部学院的动物伦理教育进行了总结,提出动物伦理教育是大学生思想政治教育的一个重要方面的观点,指出动物伦理教育不仅事关动物,而且关系到大学生人格的培养。     

论森林生态效益补偿的对象与原则

森林生态效益补偿在改善生态环境、促进经济与社会、人与社会和谐发展过程中有着重要的现实意义,中国在这方面的立法尚不完善,在着重论述了中国森林生态效益补偿的对象和基本原则时,提出了自己的观点和看法.     

Welfare effects of rural-urban land conversion on different aged land-lost farmers: exemplified in Wuhan city

Rural-urban land conversion is a universal phenomenon in the rapid process of economic development and urban growth. The welfare of farmers who lost their farmland attracted a widespread concern within the society and academia. However, further research about differentiated policies according to the characteristics of different farmer groups is still need to be conducted. This article divides the land-lost farmers into three age groups: younger than 45, 45–65, and more than 65. It proposes a welfare index system including eight functional areas based on different age groups of affected farmers, taking four districts of Wuhan City as case study area. Fuzzy mathematics method is used to derive the aggregated welfare effect index. Our analysis show that the overall welfare levels of land-lost farmers of all age groups declined, but with a varying degree, with the level of welfare in those farmers who are 45–65 years old, younger than 45 years old, and older than 65 years old decreased by 18.7%, 16.6%, and 12.7%, respectively. The direction and degree of effects on the functional activity index varies among different groups. Economic conditions, living environment, health, and social participation of all age groups decrease while social security and housing conditions increase. On the other hand, development opportunities, social communication, and leisure have different changing directions in different age stages. These results call for differentiated and tailor-made compensation policies for land-lost farmers, towards improving the welfare levels of all farmers and reduce the disparity among them.