Stability of international environmental agreements under isoelastic utility

There is now a growing consensus that ratifying International Environmental Agreements (IEAs) is the most effective way to tackle transboundary pollution problems. While the social benefit function (SBF) critically affects emission choices as well as decisions to ratify IEAs, the related economic literature has mainly concentrated on scenarios where the marginal SBF is linear. Using climatic data, I find that the linear marginal SBF case does not match data and isoelastic SBFs fit data better. In the more realistic, but not yet explored, context of isoelastic SBFs, I reconsider incentives to ratify IEAs. My analysis gives rise to novel conclusions. For instance, changes in the scale of damages do not affect the level of cooperation. When the scale of damages is small, variations of the SBF parameter reveal that large coalitions including the coalition of all countries are stable, but only when the potential gain from cooperation is sufficiently high.     

Ecosystem impacts of pesticide reductions through Bt cotton adoption

This article examines the ecosystem impacts of transgenic Bt cotton technology resulting from reduced chemical pesticide use. Employing unique panel data from smallholder farmers in India, negative environmental and health effects of pesticide use are quantified with the environmental impact quotient (EIQ), with and without Bt technology. An environmentally sensitive dynamic production function is estimated, treating the environmental risk of pesticide toxicity as an undesirable output in the production process. Negative externalities are significantly lower in Bt than in conventional cotton. The reduction in EIQ through Bt technology adoption has increased from 39 per cent during 2002–2004 to 68 per cent during 2006–2008. Bt adoption has also contributed to higher environmental efficiency. Environmental efficiency is influenced by the quality of Bt technology: high‐quality Bt seeds are associated with higher environmental efficiency than lower‐quality seeds.     

The reduction cost of nonperforming loan: evidence from China’s commercial bank

The nonperforming loans (NPLs) are co-generated by creating the profit in a bank, and this article build a joint production model to measure the reduction cost of nonperforming cost. By using a data set of China’s 13 commercial banks, the conclusions show that the reduction cost of NPLs is lower, which suggests that it is not a good choice for China’s commercial bank to hold the NPLs.     

An utility-based decision support sustainability model in slow steaming maritime operations

This paper analyses slow steaming sustainability initiatives and generalizes the traditional discrete cost-based decision support model into novel continuous utility-based models. Two models based on logarithmic and linear utility functions are developed for risk-averse and risk-neutral decision makers respectively. The models, considering fuel consumption, carbon emission, and on time delivery, are applied to a Trans-pacific trade service route. A sensitivity analysis is conducted on parameters of sailing distance, expected transit time, quantity, and emission policies. The model contributes to ship liners on the optimal speed decisions in continuous utility-based slow steaming operations.     

How Productive Is Workplace Health and Safety?

In this paper, we investigate the causal impact of workplace health and safety practices on firm performance, using Danish longitudinal matched employer–employee data merged with unique cross‐sectional representative firm survey data on work environment conditions. We estimate standard production functions, augmented with workplace environment indicators, addressing both time‐invariant and time‐varying potentially relevant unobservables in the production process. We find positive and large productivity effects of improved physical dimensions of the health and safety environment, specifically, “internal climate” and “monotonous repetitive work”.     

An Analysis of Mood System of Narrative Rock Song Lyrics and Its Interpersonal Functions

This thesis takes narrative rock song lyrics as the target of texts analysis from the perspective of mood and its realization of interpersonal functions. Song lyrics texts have the quality of both oral and written text and can be regarded as oral text written for the purpose of singing. Among all kinds of songs, subject with rock is probably the most common genre of song lyrics. Therefore this study focuses on rock song lyrics, specifically narrative rock song lyrics.     

中国制造业资本偏好水平评价

构建了包括劳动密集型产业和资本密集型产业的政府目标函数,利用2005—2012年中国省际面板数据,测算了劳动密集型产业和资本密集型产业的权重区间。研究结果表明:中国政府目标函数中资本密集产业部门的权重介于0.564~0.623之间,资本密集型产业部门的权重显著大于劳动密集型产业部门;政府更重视资本密集型产业部门的福利。     

如何完善会计管理工作

这些年来,由于一些主客观原因,会计的管理作用普遍被弱化,阻碍了经济的发展,本文将从改革会计管理体制、完善和健全会计法律法规、加强内外部监督力等七个方面入手,提出强化会计管理的措施。     

浅议企业组织结构中工会职能的发挥

文章以"建功立业"、"文化建设"、"依法维权"、"和谐劳动关系"、"素质提升"、"自身建设"六大工程为主线,通过对企业工会在企业内部组织结构中的地位及职能的探讨,凸显工会的工作效能。     

企业工会职能建设创新探讨

为了提高服务职工的质量,维护职工群众的切实利益,企业工会需要做好本职工作,创新工作模式。为此,本文从企业职工的民主权利、切身利益、素质、身心健康、基本利益五个方面进行分析和研究,进而为企业工会职能建设奠定基础和提供保证。