排污税能够提高环境质量吗

排污收费制度是我国主要的环境政策工具之一。然而,自1982年这一制度正式建立实施以来,经过2003年的制度改良,始终未能解决征收成本高、使用效率低、寻租行为盛行的问题,这一系列的问题导致该制度的减排效果不佳。因此,近年来,排污费改排污税的改革提上议事日程。这一改革是否能够收到设计者们预期的效果?为从理论上回答这些问题,从中国现实出发,借鉴环境库兹涅茨曲线的研究方法,通过设计一个包含政府征收排污税行为和政府污染治理技术投资行为的经济系统,考察动态条件下排污税对环境质量的长期影响,以及征收排污税对厂商行为和消费者行为的长期影响。根据本文的分析,单一的征收排污税并不一定能够改善环境质量,不一定能够促进环境库兹涅茨曲线拐点的出现,也不能减少企业污染物排放;同时,排污税降低了资本积累速度和经济增长速度,但对消费者消费路径的影响是不明确的。最后,本文建议,政府应投资于污染治理技术的改进能够持续的减少最终污染物排放,达到改善环境质量的目的。     

Examination of Resource Curse Hypothesis: Mineral Resources Exploitation and Economic Growth in Xinjiang Autonomous Region

The mineral resources exploitation stage and the economic growth rate are various in different regions of Xinjiang Autonomous region. Using the method of location quotient, this paper identifies and classifies the intensive regions of three types of mineral resources, known as coal, oil and natural gas, respectively. The intensive regions of economic growth were also identified, according to the rate of per capita GDP growth at prefecture, autonomous prefecture and city. The relationships between different mineral resources and economic growth are different, for example, the relationship between economic growth and coal resource is positive, while the relationship between economic growth and oil resource, or natural gas resource is negative. This study empirically examines the effects of natural resources on economic growth of Xinjiang. The results show that whilst natural resources have a positive impact on growth, and can make a negative impact on growth through the transmission channels, such as investment, manufacture, human capital, and scientific and technologic innovation. Moreover, it studies the transmission channels, that is, the effect of natural resources on the other explanatory variables, and calculates the indirect effect of natural resources on growth for each transmission channel, and comprehensive effects of natural resources on growth. The calculated result of comprehensive effects indicates that the positive direct effects of natural resources on growth are shown to outweigh the negative indirect effect of Xinjiang autonomous region.     

全球能源经济可计算一般均衡模型研究综述

全球能源经济可计算一般均衡(Computable General Equilibrium Model,CGE)模型是研究低碳政策对能源经济系统影响的主要工具,在国际低碳经济研究领域具有重要作用。全球能源经济CGE模型发展起始于20世纪70年代,经过数十年的拓展已经形成了一批发展成熟且应用广泛的模型平台。我国能源经济CGE模型研究开始于20世纪90年代,研究领域主要聚焦在中国本土与国内区域,而在全球尺度上的模型研究尚处于起步阶段。伴随我国在全球气候治理当中的重要性凸显,中国能源环境问题的研究需要具有国际视野。本文对当前全球能源经济CGE模型的研究现状进行分析,对全球CGE模型的主要作用与特点做出评价,并对典型模型进行比较,在介绍了模型优缺点的基础上对全球能源经济CGE模型的发展趋势与关键问题进行讨论,并对中国未来发展全球模型给出具体建议。全球能源经济CGE模型政策评估的主要优点是评估基于坚实的理论基础,可以根据相关理论判断模型结果是否合理并对政策的作用机制与影响结果做出基于经济规律的解释;以及能源与经济系统整体协调一致的相互作用机制。能源经济CGE模型主要争议性问题包括结果依赖大量参数且参数取值不稳健,以及模型假设过于理想且技术表达抽象。当前能源经济CGE模型研究的关键问题与主要趋向包括:关键参数的实证研究与准确校核、经济系统异质化与细节化描述、技术细节表述与内生化变革以及非理想与不均衡市场条件建模。建议中国开发全球模型应充分借鉴全球先进模型开发的基础与经验,在当前全球模型主流框架下重点研究发展中国家在非理想与不均衡市场环境下经济行为表述的改进,同时注重模型基础数据的整理与重要参数的校核。     

\"三河三湖\"流域重污染行业经济和污染贡献率剖析

应用\"污染贡献率\"这一指标,分析了\"三河三湖\"流域COD和氨氮排放的重污染行业以及地区分布,指出了各流域COD和氨氮排放的控制重点.同时分析了各流域重污染行业的\"经济贡献率\",最后结合行业的污染贡献率和经济贡献率以及行业在地区所占的比例,提出了几点重要的结论.     

Conservation‐Induced Wastewater Flow Reductions Improve Nitrogen Removal: Evidence from New York City1

Abstract: Water resources are under increasing pressure to meet potable supply needs while sustaining aquatic ecosystems and fisheries. Growing populations and enforcement of the Total Maximum Daily Load provisions of the Clean Water Act present public water and wastewater utilities with costly options to meet potable water demands and reduce pollutant discharges into receiving waters. This paper documents that New York City’s comprehensive water conservation program – designed to extend the city’s safe yield of potable water—has also resulted in reduced nitrogen discharges from the city’s water pollution control plants during a period of population increases. This paper demonstrates and quantifies the effects that wastewater inflow volume reductions have on increased nitrogen removal, controlling for plant process changes. Conservation programs have saved the city billions of dollars in delayed or avoided capital improvements to both water and wastewater treatment plants, and have enabled the city to meet interim effluent discharge standards.     

Valuing Improvements in The Water Rights System in South Africa: A Contingent Ranking Approach1

Speelman, Stijn, Stefano Farolfi, Aymen Frija, and Guido Van Huylenbroeck, 2010. Valuing Improvements in the Water Rights System in South Africa: A Contingent Ranking Approach. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(6):1133–1144. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00480.x Abstract: In the context of increasing water scarcity, understanding is growing that irrigation water rights are important and that a lack of an effective water rights system constitutes a major reason for inefficient water management. This study carried out a contingent ranking experiment to study how smallholder irrigators in South Africa would value potential changes in water rights. Three specific dimensions of water rights, relevant for the South African case, are considered: duration, quality of title, and transferability. Results indicate that smallholder irrigators are prepared to pay considerably higher water prices if improvements are made in the water rights system. This implies that the proposed interventions in the water rights system would improve the efficiency and productivity of the small-scale irrigation sector. The increased willingness to pay could furthermore also assist the South African government to reach the objective of increased cost recovery.     

ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF PHOSPHORUS LOADING POLICIES FOR PASTURE LAND APPLICATIONS OF POULTRY LITTER1

ABSTRACT: Non-point source pollution created by agriculture is one of the major issues of intensive production. Recent studies indicate that the eutrophication from agricultural non-point source pollution, especially from phosphorus, is of growing concern. The objectives of this paper are to measure the economic opportunity costs of a proposed phosphorus management policy that targets soils with elevated phosphorus levels and examine the impacts of alternative policies such as Pigouvian taxes on the optimal use of litter. The study focuses on land applications of poultry litter in the Muddy Fork watershed of the Illinois River in Northwest Arkansas. The analysis indicates that restriction of litter applications on soils with elevated phosphorus levels will significantly reduce the net returns generated from forage production, resulting in an environmental policy with a high opportunity cost for producers. An analysis of alternative Pigouvian tax policies shows that a smaller tax per ton of litter applied can achieve the same litter control as that of a larger tax on a per acre basis.