Adaptation processes in the context of climate change: a social and environmental psychology perspective

An informed multidisciplinary understanding of the ways in which people experience, appraise, adapt, and respond to global climate change is a prerequisite to effectively managing the transition to a sustainable economy. In this paper, we argue that climate science has to date failed to fully appreciate the contribution that social and environmental psychology can make to such an understanding. We draw on findings from two large national Australian surveys to demonstrate how this perspective can contribute to knowledge, understanding, and policy formulation. Central to this perspective are processes of psychological adaptation, that is, processes through which individuals orient towards, make sense of, and ultimately come to terms with, the threat and reality of climate change. Such adaptive processes are shown to mediate relationships between environmental experiences and behavior, and hence provide the foundation for environmentally-friendly lifestyles. Rather than assuming that external sanctions and incentives are sufficient to engender sustainable lifestyle changes, a social and environmental psychology approach recognises and explores the complexities of the transactions that occur between individuals’ internal and external environments, emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation and self-determination, and suggests the need for initiatives that promote behaviors that are both environmentally and psychologically significant.     

African economic development in a comparative perspective

Conventional explanations of poor African economic performancegenerally fail to pay adequate attention to causal mechanismsof growth, decline and stagnation. Many African countries experiencedinvestment booms after independence but, in contrast to EastAsian newly industrialising economies, these were not sustainedowing to failure to establish a virtuous growth circle involvingcomplementary increases in savings and exports. Structural adjustmentprogrammes dismantled stat-mediated mechanisms of accumulationwithout putting viable alternatives in place, and failed totackle the structural constraints which impede productivitygrowth in agriculture. A new policy approach, drawing on theexperience of both post-colonial and adjustment periods, isnecessary.     

International transmission of environmental policy: A New Keynesian perspective

In this paper we examine the international transmission of environmental policy using a New Keynesian model of the global economy. We first consider the case in which the quality of the environment affects utility, but not productivity. This allows us to look at the trade-off between environmental quality and output. We then consider the case in which the quality of the environment increases productivity but does not affect utility. Our main results show that in both cases a unilateral implementation of a more stringent environmental policy by the domestic country raises foreign welfare under a benchmark parameterization. Our modeling strategy allows an analysis of how nominal rigidities interact with the implementation of environmental reforms, by allowing the domestic country to shift, through exchange rate depreciation, parts of the costs of more stringent environmental policies to the foreign one.     

How cross-functional management influences new product development: a socio-technical perspective

This paper develops an integrated theoretical framework of cross-functional management from a socio-technical perspective, focusing on technical support, job rotation and process standardisation. It then explores the effects of these three practices on new product development (NPD) via a global survey of 725 manufacturing companies in 20 countries. The results show that technical support and job rotation are positively related to the speed of NPD, while process standardisation and job rotation are positively associated with the quality of new products. These results contribute to the field of NPD by integrating the technical and social aspects of cross-functional management.     

Tracing distant environmental impacts of agricultural products from a consumer perspective

Globally, trade flows of agricultural products are increasing. While value is typically added along the whole production chain, certain environmental impacts, such as land and water use, biomass appropriation, and soil degradation, are intrinsically linked to where the primary products originate from. When taking a consumer oriented approach on environmental problems, bilateral trade statistics can help in providing a clearer picture about the location of impacts caused by consumption elsewhere. However, in today's increasingly globalized world, consumer goods are often imported from countries other than where the primary product originated from. For instance, soybeans are transported from Brazil to the Netherlands, where they are processed into soy oil, which is shipped to Austria, where it is consumed. Utilizing bilateral trade matrices and matrix algebra, we present a method that allows to clearly link consumption patterns to the origin of primary products. In this, the method can help to provide information about consumption related, distant environmental impacts. We employ the case of land and water use linked to Austria's soy product consumption to demonstrate the approach's relevance. Finally, we outline some possible applications of this method to show its potential in enhancing understanding for informed consumer based environmental decision making.     

Evaluating latecomer growth in information technology: A historical perspective

From a low initial base it is not difficult for developing countries to close the relative digital divide with the developed countries. A more challenging and novel question is whether, because of leapfrogging and other latecomer advantages, developing countries have grown faster than developed from the same initial starting point. Or, is it the case rather that the disadvantages of being a latecomer exceed the advantages? Are there any pronounced outliers among the developing countries and what are their distinguishing characteristics? Using a number of methods and data sources I seek to answer these questions in a tentative but provocative manner.     

Regional economic development and environmental repercussions: An environmental input-output approach

This study attempts to examine issues related to the existing adverse relationship between regional economic development and natural environment protection. For doing so, a regional environmental input-output model for the region of central Macedonia in northern Greece is constructed in order to quantify the direct and indirect undesirable negative effects of the production process in the natural environment. The results suggest that there is a considerable trade-off between economic development and environmental deterioration which should be taken into account when policy decisions are made. This paper benefitted from comments by the participants of the Forty-Seventh International Atlantic Economic Conference, Vienna, Austria, March 16–23, 1999.     

Value of agricultural non-point source pollution measurement technology: assessment from a policy perspective

The development of accurate non-point source pollution assessment technologies allows the implementation of more efficient policies than can be undertaken in their absence. This study estimates the value of accurate measurement technology by estimating the gains from implementing a more efficient policy, one that targets agricultural non-point source emission reductions at the field scale but requires accurate field scale measurement technology, relative to a practice-based policy that can be implemented in the absence of such technology. For the environmental benefit of carbon sequestration, large cost savings are found due to improved targeting of conservation tillage subsidies for the state of Iowa. The ability of the government to cost discriminate is found to have little impact on the value of accurate measurement technology.     

Interaction between knowledge and technology: a contribution to the theory of development

Abstract.  This article attempts to explain the large and persistent disparities in levels of output per worker across countries. It is argued that an explanation for these disparities requires an understanding of the relationship between knowledge and technology. The model that is constructed can be summarized as an open-economy version of the Solow-Swan growth model, in which technological change is investment specific, and knowledge about new technologies is embodied in labour. In the model, income differences arise because poor countries lack the knowledge to implement foreign technologies productively. Furthermore, these disparities persist when countries differ in their ability to learn. JEL classification: F43, O11     

Optimizing international technology diffusion: A middle-income country's perspective

The paper develops a North–Middle–South model to formulate a middle economy that plays catch-up via imitative R&D to acquire newer technologies from a higher-wage innovative forerunner, while playing “reverse catch-up” via outbound FDI to transfer older technologies to a lower-wage follower. A critical policy dilemma facing the middle economy is how to balance its R&D-driven technology inflows against its FDI-driven technology outflows. Numerical simulations are used for dynamic welfare analysis. This paper finds that tightening FDI permits the middle economy to keep a lower saving rate without weakening its ability to acquire newer technologies in the long run.     

A new perspective on the issue of selection bias in randomized controlled field experiments

Many randomized controlled trials require participants to opt in. Such self-selection could introduce a potential bias, because only the most optimistic may participate. We revisit this prediction. We argue that in many situations, the experimental intervention is competing with alternative interventions participants could conduct themselves outside the experiment. Since participants have a chance of being assigned to the control group, participating has a direct opportunity cost, which is likely to be higher for optimists. We propose a model of self-selection and show that both pessimists and optimists may opt out of the experiment, leading to an ambiguous selection bias.     

Remittances for economic development: The investment perspective

Based on the economic theory of the family, this paper constructs a model of remittances where the migrant, besides sending money to his family, also invests in his home country. The investment is looked after by a family member in return for some monetary compensation. The model focuses on two different cases: state-contingent transfers (transfers are tied to investment outcomes) and fixed transfers (transfers are mainly of altruistic motive). As the migrant derives utilities from consumption, his consumption-investment decision is driven by preferences and future investment prospects. The transfers are to increase with both business encouraging and income compensatory effects.     

Forecasting inflation through a bottom-up approach: How bottom is bottom?

The aim of this paper is to assess inflation forecast accuracy over the short-term horizon, using Consumer Price Index (CPI) disaggregated data, through a bottom-up approach. That is, aggregating forecasts is compared with aggregate forecasting. A new dimension to the question of to bottom-up or not is introduced by considering different levels of data disaggregation, namely a higher disaggregation level than the one considered up to now. This raises modelling issues that one has to cope with. In particular, it is suggested the use of a new strand of models, the Factor-Augmented SARIMA models. Considering as case-study the Portuguese one, we find an inverse relationship between the forecast horizon and the amount of information underlying the forecast, when minimizing the RMSFE.     

Global environmental problems and the strategic choice of technology

Reductions of environmentally harmful emissions are often a public good in a global context. For strategic reasons, countries may adopt a technology with high per unit cost of emission reduction, even if a technology with lower per unit cost is available at no extra cost. They thereby credibly commit themselves to not reducing emission much in the future. In a game of private voluntary provision of emission reduction, this commitment will make other countries increase their emission reductions. Also, in the case where countries cooperate in the future, such commitment gives a country a strategic advantage, because it shifts the disagreement point in a favorable direction.     

Historical perspective: Factors that stall development in third world countries

International Advances in Economic Research -     

Income inequality and the development of environmental technologies

Within rich countries, a large dispersion in the capacity of generating environmental innovations appears correlated to the level of inequality. Previous works analyze the relationship between inequality and environmental quality in a static setting. This paper builds a dynamic model more suitable to analyze technological externalities driven by the emergence of a new demand for green products. Under fairly general assumptions on technology and preferences, we show that: 1. the relationship between inequality and environmental innovation is highly non-linear and crucially depends on per-capita income; 2. an excessive inequality harms the development of environmental technologies especially in rich countries. Key to our results is the fact that externalities generated by pioneer consumers of green products benefit the entire population only for relatively low income distances. The empirical analysis robustly confirms our theoretical results, that is: whereas for rich countries inequality negatively affects the diffusion of innovations, per-capita income is paramount in poorer ones.     

国际环境法的发展研究

国际环境法经过多年的发展,经历了萌芽期、初现雏形期,直到现在仍保持着良好的发展势头。在国际环境法的发展中,各国出现了很多矛盾与分歧。尽管国际环境法的发展道路是充满矛盾与斗争的道路,但势必会在全人类的共同努力下逐步完善,促进国际环境保护事业的发展。     

The development of technology foresight: A review

The term “foresight” has long been used to describe readiness to deal with long-term issues (especially on the part of governments). This term “Technology Foresight” took off in the 1990s, as European, and then other, countries sought new policy tools to deal with problems in their science, technology and innovation systems. Large-scale exercises drew in numerous stakeholders as sources of knowledge and influence, and the prominence of these exercises led to “foresight” being used much more widely to describe futures activities of many kinds. While few new tools and techniques have been developed in these exercises, they represent an unprecedented diffusion of forecasting, planning and participatory approaches to long-term issues. Futures approaches are, in consequence, far more officially acceptable and legitimate than in the past.     

Study on environmental logistics based on sustainable development: a case study of Shandong Province

Traditional logistics takes economic interest as the final goal. The.frequency and changes of logistics activities have brought severe negative effects to the environment. At present, logistics industry, has become the dominant industry in the third industries, and it is also the main driver for economic development, As more emphasis has been attached to the philosophy of sustainable development, low carbon emission and environmental protection, environmental logistics has become the trend of logistics management. In this paper, basic theories of logistics, development economics etc. are employed, the dialectical relationship between environmental logistics and sustainable development are analyzed through statistics, and proposals are put forward to develop environmental logistics.