Do global CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel consumption exhibit long memory? a fractional-integration analysis

In this article we use an autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average approach to measure the degree of fractional integration of aggregate world CO₂ emissions and its five components – coal, oil, gas, cement, and gas flaring. We find that all variables are stationary and mean reverting, but exhibit long-term memory. Our results suggest that both coal and oil combustion emissions have the weakest degree of long-range dependence, while emissions from gas and gas flaring have the strongest. With evidence of long memory, we conclude that transitory policy shocks are likely to have long-lasting effects, but not permanent effects. Accordingly, permanent effects on CO₂ emissions require a more permanent policy stance. In this context, if one were to rely only on testing for stationarity and non-stationarity, one would likely conclude in favour of non-stationarity, and therefore that even transitory policy shocks have permanent effects. Our fractional-integration analysis highlights that this is not the case.     

On the welfare costs of business-cycle fluctuations and economic-growth variation in the 20th century and beyond

The main objective of this paper is to propose a novel setup that allows estimating separately the welfare costs of the uncertainty stemming from business-cycle fluctuations and from economic-growth variation, when the two types of shocks associated with them (respectively, transitory and permanent shocks) hit consumption simultaneously. Separating these welfare costs requires dealing with degenerate bivariate distributions. Levi's Continuity Theorem and the Disintegration Theorem allow us to adequately define the one-dimensional limiting marginal distributions. Under Normality, we show that the parameters of the original marginal distributions are not affected, providing the means for calculating separately the welfare costs of business-cycle fluctuations and of economic-growth variation.Our empirical results show that, if we consider only transitory shocks, the welfare cost of business cycles is much smaller than previously thought. Indeed, we found it to be negative – −0.03% of per-capita consumption! On the other hand, we found that the welfare cost of economic-growth variation is relatively large. Our estimate for reasonable preference-parameter values shows that it is 0.71% of consumption – US$ 208.98 per person, per year.     

农户主体行为与农民土地权益保护

保护农民土地权益需要农民内力和社会外力的共同作用才能有效实现。随着工业化、城市化程度的不断加深,各地侵害农民土地权益的事件时有发生。目前我国农民自我保护意识普遍较弱,对其自身合法权益的维护产生较大负面影响,因此政府有必要从教育、法律、组织、制度等层面引导农民树立自我保护意识。     

Some comments on the Sraffian Supermultiplier approach to growth and distribution

Abstract

The article discusses the Sraffian Supermultiplier (SSM) approach to growth and distribution. It makes 5 points. First, in the short run, the role of autonomous expenditure can be appreciated within a standard post Keynesian framework (Kaleckian, Kaldorian, Robinsonian, etc.). Second, and related to the first, the SSM model is a model of the long run and has to be evaluated as such. Third, in the long run, one way that capacity adjusts to demand is through an endogenous adjustment of the rate of utilization. Fourth, the SSM model is a peculiar way to reach what Garegnani called the “second Keynesian position.” Although, it respects the letter of the “Keynesian hypothesis,” it makes investment quasi-endogenous and subjects it to the growth of autonomous expenditure. Fifth, in the long run it is unlikely that “autonomous expenditure” is really autonomous. From a stock-flow consistent point of view this implies unrealistic adjustments after periods of changes in stock-flow ratios. Moreover, if we were to take this kind of adjustment at face value, there would be no space for Minskyan financial cycles. This also creates serious problems for the empirical validation of the model.     

经济长波理论与网络文化产业发展

创新,是经济发展的本质规定。文化,是衡量世界发展的重要尺度。网络文化产业发展,正是一种创新性的发展。它既同经济周期、长波理论紧密关联,又具有反经济周期的特性,呈现出逆势上扬的特点。当然,网络文化产业的反周期与逆势上扬,并不一定是消费者直接付费的增长,而可能是其间接支出的累积,例如广告投入的力度加大。中国网络文化产业,正进入发展的黄金时期。     

Polarities between Naturalism and Non-Naturalism in Contemporary Economics: An Overview

We provide a dynamic model of banking competition, in which bounded rationality of some competitors explains how the credit cycle is intensified. We model the economic cycle following Tobias F. Rötheli (2012b), who argues that boundedly rational banks, in their Bayesian learning, overestimate the probability of success during booms and underestimate it during recessions. We obtain three main results. First, the model suggests that pessimism/underconfidence is not a powerful driver of credit cycles. Instead, it supports the conclusion that it is euphoria during large upswings that leads to the next crunch. Second, the dynamization of the model provides further insight into the way boundedly rational competition intensifies the credit cycle. Third, it additionally predicts that the effects of behavioral biases are more pervasive when the quality of the niche markets is lower.     

THE AGEING POPULATION: CRUNCH TIME FOR GOVERNMENT REFORMS

Current discussions about reforms to health and long‐term care miss the most important trends that should be influencing debate. With an ageing population that includes a higher proportion of people with manageable illnesses, health and care costs will rise. Reforms must ensure that existing government spending is used more efficiently and that it harnesses – rather than works against – private financing.     

网上商品热销的影响因素探析——基于分位数回归的实证研究

本研究从网上销售的影响因素出发,采用搜索程序获取了淘宝网的4059个货架1周的销售数据,通过分位数回归方法对不同热门程度产品的价格、信誉、保障标记以及口碑的需求弹性进行了实证分析。研究结果表明,随着产品热门程度的提高,信誉的需求弹性不断增强,而价格、保障标记以及口碑的需求弹性却不断减弱。由此表明,产品的价格降低,保障标记级别和口碑的提升都能使销售趋于分散,而提高商家的信誉却能加速销售向热门产品集中,使得"热门更热"。     

谐波绕组系数的内在规律及计算

三相60°相带的交流电机,绕组磁势的谐波次数是无穷的。本文导出了无穷次谐波绕组系数之间存在的内部周期性规律及利用该规律计算任一次谐波绕组系数的方法。