Writing it down: suggestions for a new approach towards understanding pro-environmental behaviour

A fashionable field of enquiry – the relationship between expressed attitudes and actual behaviour in the context of sustainable development – is complex (Staats et al. 2004 Staats, H, Harland, P and Wilke, H. 2004. Effecting durable change: a team approach to improve environmental behaviour in the household. Environ Behav., 36(3): 341–367. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and difficult to apply in a policy-relevant manner (Aall and Norland 2005 Aall, C and Norland, I. 2005. The use of the ecological footprint in local politics and administration: results and implications from Norway. Local Environ., 10(2): 159–172. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). However, recent research indicates that the use of a household diary can be beneficial in helping to quantify household environmental impact, in educating householders about their impact, and in identifying major ‘behavioural turning points’, where householders may focus efforts to reduce their environmental impact (Hunter et al. 2006 Hunter, C, Carmichael, K and Pangbourne, K. 2006. Household ecological footprinting using a new diary-based data-gathering approach. Local Environ, 11(3): 307–327. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). In other words, the use of a diary by householders is a potentially powerful tool in encouraging and facilitating desired behavioural change. This paper reports on the initial findings of an innovative study that assessed the use of a household diary approach as a means of framing and collecting household environmental data and, critically, as an educational vehicle for bringing about behavioural change. Based on the initial findings, it is clear that there is some potential to develop practical policy measures that empower householders by allowing them to better grasp their environmental impact and, consequently, recoup positive implications in terms of financial savings (e.g. reducing the amount of food thrown out) and health benefits (e.g. more walking/cycling).     

Rain forest dwellers' livelihoods: income generation,household wealth and NTFP sales,a case study from Xishuangbanna,SW China

Through annual in-depth household questionnaire interviews of 60% of households in Daka and Baka villages from 1998 to 2004, we explored wealth-related differences and similarities in the sale of NTFPs of tropical rain forest fringe dwellers in Xishuangbanna, SW China. Contribution of different NTFPs to cash income and different seasonal access to NTFPs between Baka and Daka were analysed. There were significant differences in income and role of NTFPs per household between Baka and Daka related to different access to: NTFPs in forests, labour and market sales in different seasons. In Baka, the ranking of NTFP income was: fungi, wild vegetables, bamboo shoot in 2000 and 2001. Differences in gender and generational involvement in NTFP sales was also examined. For example, households without a son, as well as those with a female householder depended more on income from NTFPs and less on income from rubber than other households. Resource use patterns between relatively wealthy and poor households were also analysed. Wealthy households sold 2.50 ± 0.50 types while poor households sold 2.08 ± 0.26 NTFPs. The Gini coefficient of gross income per household for Baka in recent years was 0.393, increasing to 0.414 without NTFPs. The Gini coefficient of gross income for Daka in recent years was 0.291, increasing to 0.292 without NTFPs, showing the different role of NTFPs in mitigating wealth inequality in the two villages.     

江苏和吉林农村家庭能源消费差异及影响因素分析

通过对江苏省和吉林省农村能源消费的实地调查,分析了农村家庭能源消费的区域差异.结果表明,由于冬季取暖需求,吉林省农村人均总能源消费量高于江苏;在生物质能源方面,江苏使用秸秆居多,而森林资源丰富的吉林以秸秆和薪柴并重;在商品能源消费方面,江苏人均消费电力、成品油、液化气多于吉林,而煤炭消耗少于吉林;在新型可再生能源--沼气消费方面,江苏的推广效果好于吉林.运用经济计量模型分析了农村家庭能源消费的影响因素,结果表明:人均纯收入、人均耕地面积、人均耐用家电价值、人均摩托车及生产性固定资产价值、地区等因素是影响农村家庭人均能源消费量的重要因素;同时,政府的资金技术支持、人均纯收入、人均生猪养殖数量、农户位于粮食主产区或林区等因素对农户选择使用沼气有重要影响.     

The derivation of discount rates with an augmented measure of income

Most developed economies invest in public goods such as national defense, education, infrastructure, and the environment. Discount rates used to evaluate such projects should reflect the rate of return on the current mix of investment opportunities. Rates derived from the productivity of private capital neglect returns beyond the market boundary. The present paper derives discount rates using an augmented measure of national income inclusive of non-market goods. In an empirical application focusing on air pollution and climate damages in the United States economy, the paper reports that the difference between augmented and market discount rates averages 0.3 percentage points from 1999 to 2014.     

武陵山片区城乡收入差距空间格局及影响因素

运用探索性空间数据分析、空间滞后模型和空间误差模型3种方法分析了武陵山片区城乡收入差距的空间格局特征及影响因素。结果表明:①2013—2017年,武陵山片区高差距区的数量先增后减,低差距区数量呈增加趋势。②武陵山片区城乡收入差距的莫兰指数为正,表现为空间正相关集聚。③城乡收入差距的主要影响因素为经济发展水平、城镇化进程程度等,但在不同时期存在差异。在研究基础上,提出对策建议,以更好地缩小武陵山片区整体收入差距,促进社会良好与稳定发展。     

我国农村能源政策以及收入水平对农户生活能源需求的影响研究

针对传统能源使用过程中产生的环境、气候问题,由中央政府制定并实施的农村能源政策倡导农户使用多种清洁能源及技术。同时,商品能源逐步成为当下农户生活能源的重要组成部分。“并举式”的能源政策是否造成甚至扩大不同能源、技术的需求差异,这一结果是否符合政策的初衷和目标?基于此,论文研究并分析2005—2014年农村能源政策以及收入水平对农户生活能源需求的影响。结果表明：政策的实施加剧了存在替代关系的能源、技术需求间的此消彼长;政策的溢出效应促进了部分商品能源需求;收入的提高对部分能源需求产生了正向作用。建议制定兼顾清洁能源以及商品能源的农村能源发展战略和政策,实现政策的精准发力,同时加强能源基础设施的建设和管理。     

病险水库管理决策中的环境价值评估 ——以水库的游憩价值为例

以滁州市黑洼水库的游憩价值为例,利用两边界二分式条件价值法,探讨了我国病险水库管理决策中的环境价值评估.利用收入限制的Logit模型,分析支付意愿均值和中值点估计和区间估计对其分布函数右尾变化的灵敏性.结果表明本研究中支付意愿的分布函数没有出现“大尾效应”,在最大投标值处,对分布函数进行简单截断的方法统计效率最高.滁州市公众对黑洼水库游憩功能提升的平均支付意愿为305元/户(95%置信区间265~351元/户);总价值为3782万元(95%置信区间3296~4355万元).表明即使是小型病险水库也可能具有极高的环境价值,病险水库管理决策必须考虑环境价值这一重要指标.     

基于农户微观视角下的大城市郊区耕地土壤质量变化驱动机制研究

对耕地土壤质量变化驱动机制的研究是破解耕地质量变化规律及其效应的关键。利用野外采样与实验室分析相结合、统计分析和计量经济模型等分析方法,对研究区域238 个耕地地块的土壤采样数据和对应农户调查数据进行实证研究,结果表明,不同区域农户土地利用方式、程度和投入强度对耕地土壤质量的作用方向、影响程度和显著水平都不同。其中近郊区的农户“以兼业为主,以农为辅”,其行为突出表现为劳动力投入的“非农化”趋势,对耕地的粗放利用和掠夺式经营现象比较普遍,主要影响因素土地利用程度每增加一个单位,导致耕地土壤的碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾的含量平均下降11.496、44.078 和15.469 mg/kg;研究区域中部农户“以兼业为主”,突出表现为集约化程度比近郊区农户有所提高、种植结构也不断调整,对土地的投入、管理都得到很大的提高,主要影响因素土地利用方式转变会促使土壤有机质、碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾含量平均提高4.799 g/kg、7.454 mg/kg、100.170 mg/kg 和61.205 mg/kg;远郊区的农户“以农为主”,突出表现为“非粮化”趋势,由于比较高的就业机会成本,种地收入超过农户预期,耕地集约化、规模化程度较高,主要影响因素土地投入强度每增加一单位,土壤碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾含量平均增加0.007、0.025 和0.037 mg/kg。基于以上的研究结果,从提高农业生产比较效益、稳定农村土地承包关系和促进土地适度规模经营等方面提出规范农户土地利用行为,改善区域耕地土壤质量的政策建议。     

Home composting as an alternative treatment option for organic household waste in Denmark: An environmental assessment using life cycle assessment-modelling

An environmental assessment of the management of organic household waste (OHW) was performed from a life cycle perspective by means of the waste-life cycle assessment (LCA) model EASEWASTE. The focus was on home composting of OHW in Denmark and six different home composting units (with different input and different mixing frequencies) were modelled. In addition, incineration and landfilling was modelled as alternatives to home composting. The most important processes contributing to the environmental impact of home composting were identified as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (load) and the avoided emissions in relation to the substitution of fertiliser and peat when compost was used in hobby gardening (saving). The replacement of fertiliser and peat was also identified as one of the most sensible parameters, which could potentially have a significant environmental benefit. Many of the impact categories (especially human toxicity via water (HTw) and soil (HTs)) were affected by the heavy metal contents of the incoming OHW. The concentrations of heavy metals in the compost were below the threshold values for compost used on land and were thus not considered to constitute a problem. The GHG emissions were, on the other hand, dependent on the management of the composting units. The frequently mixed composting units had the highest GHG emissions. The environmental profiles of the home composting scenarios were in the order of −2 to 16 milli person equivalents (mPE) Mg⁻¹ wet waste (ww) for the non-toxic categories and −0.9 to 28 mPE Mg⁻¹ ww for the toxic categories. Home composting performed better than or as good as incineration and landfilling in several of the potential impact categories. One exception was the global warming (GW) category, in which incineration performed better due to the substitution of heat and electricity based on fossil fuels.     

论新疆水资源合理开发利用与水环境保护

根据新疆“三水”资源的形成背景与时空分布特征,提出合理开发利用“三水”资源与水环境保护的积极举措,促使水环境质量与生态环境质量的提高;贯彻开发与节约并举;遵循在开发中保护,在保护中开发的总原则。实施开源节流,确保水资源的永续利用。