Too small to be independent? On the influence of ECB monetary policy on interest rates of the EEA countries

Monetary policy independence is regarded as the central argument in favour of floating exchange rates and monetary integration. We evaluate the actual independence of non-euro members of the European Economic Area by using heterogeneous panel cointegration methods that allow cross-dependency. We show that domestic interest rates follow the euro interest rates. These spillovers imply a low monetary independence despite the insulation given by floating exchange rate regimes and inflation-targeting frameworks. We therefore find significant spillover effects of the European Central Bank policy and argue that the costs of monetary integration in Europe may be lower than expected.     

近30年来我国粮食产量波动影响因素分析

[目的]根据粮食产量波动特征,从自然因素、科技因素(物质装备)、社会经济因素和农业生产条件等方面对粮食产量的影响进行量化分析,为科学合理地制定农业政策,保障我国粮食安全提供理论依据。[方法]文章利用HP滤波法分析1978—2010年我国粮食产量波动特征,并采用灰色关联与层析分析相结合的综合评价法定量分析不同波动周期各影响因子对我国粮食产量波动的影响度。[结果](1)改革开放以来,我国粮食产量经历了完整的6个波动阶段,平均波动周期为6年;(2)除1994—2000年,各波动周期的粮食产量受科技因素的影响最大,且影响日益显著,影响度从1978—1981年的37. 0%增加到2006—2010年的48. 3%,其中,有效灌溉面积的影响增大趋势最为明显,其次是农业机械总动力,化肥施用量的影响呈减弱趋势;(3)社会经济因素对粮食产量的影响呈波动性增加的规律,2006—2010年影响度达到24. 9%;(4)农业生产条件对粮食产量的影响在20世纪80年代初期与科技因素基本持平,此后,除1994—2000年,与科技因素的影响度差距越来越大,到2000—2006年对粮食产量的影响度仅为16. 6%,其中,耕地面积的影响度下降最多,到2006—2010年,影响度仅为1. 1%;自然因素对粮食产量波动的影响最小,且较为稳定,除1985—1988年影响度达到24. 3%,其余波动周期均在8. 7%~12. 4%之间,2006—2010年影响度为10. 2%。[结论]完善农田水利灌溉体系,加强对农业机械指导的"重科技"举措比单纯增加后备耕地数量、改善应对气候变化与自然灾害能力的"靠资源"发展更为有效;加大农田水利投入,完成灌区续建配套与灌排泵站更新改造是目前最重要的发展方向。     

基于生命周期理论的无锡市锡山区棕(褐)地再利用环境风险综合评价

研究目的:以生命周期理论为基础,建立定量评价棕(褐)地再利用环境风险的评价体系与方法,并以无锡市锡山区为例验证其有效性。研究方法:系统分析法、层次分析法和灰色评价法。研究结果:(1)棕(褐)地再利用全生命周期可划分为确认准备、控制治理、维护监管三大阶段,各阶段包含政策法律风险、经济风险、组织风险、污染风险等8个要素;(2)锡山区棕(褐)地再利用环境风险处于中等水平,由于棕(褐)地的污染性、复杂性,仍应对棕(褐)地环境风险进行必要的控制。研究结论:运用层次分析法和灰色评价法对棕(褐)地再利用进行环境风险综合评价具有一定的价值与可操作性。     

生命周期视角下茅洲河流域水环境综合治理

基于生命周期理论和利益相关者理论,对茅洲河流域水环境综合治理工程中的决策阶段、设计阶段、实施阶段、竣工验收阶段和运营维护阶段进行全生命周期管控,根据不同阶段的侧重点采取不同的应对措施。总结出生命周期视角下的水环境治理经验,包括开创性的治理模式,水资源、水安全、水环境、水生态、水文化 “五位一体”的城市河流健康治理理念,先进的治水科技和智慧水务以及多方协同的治理格局等,可为相关流域水环境综合治理提供参考。     

基于STR模型的中国宏观经济 周期拐点的识别与预测

本文应用平滑转换模型（STR）对我国经济周期的运行特点及拐点识别进行深入研究,并成功识别出经济周期拐点。研究发现我国GDP机制转换发生在自身滞后1期,增长率96%是扩张与收缩的临界点;固定投资机制转换发生在自身的滞后4期,增长率19%是扩张与收缩的临界点;固定资产投资对GDP的拉动效应具有较为缓慢的调整特征和滞后效应,机制转换发生在固定资产投资的滞后2期。     

Give peas a chance: Transformations in food consumption and production systems

Food production chains can be organised in a variety of ways. Conventional ‘industrial’ agricultural practices are based on advanced breeding techniques and major inputs of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Food produced in this way is transport-intensive, requires high-energy processing, relies on modern retailing systems and demands high-tech kitchens. Many argue that the industrialised systems should be dismantled and replaced with alternative methods of agriculture, food processing and distribution that emphasise social and environmental sustainability. This paper looks at the environmental and social sustainability of different strategies for food systems by analysing the whole chain of production, processing, distribution and consumption activities of the production of frozen peas, a vegetable that is ‘symbolic’ of modern food systems and the UK diet.     

Backcasting energy futures using industrial ecology

Backcasting has been widely used for developing energy futures. This paper explores the potential for using industrial ecology to guide the development of energy futures within a backcasting framework. Building on the backcasting work of Robinson [1], a seven step method is presented to embed industrial ecology principles within the development and assessment of future scenarios and transition paths toward them. The approach is applied to the case of backcasting regional energy futures in the Latrobe Valley, near Melbourne, Australia. This region has substantial brown coal deposits which are currently mined and used in coal-fired power stations to generate electricity. Bounded by a sustainability vision for the region in a carbon-constrained world, regional industrial ecologies in 2050 were backcast around three themes: bio-industries and renewables (no coal usage); electricity from coal with carbon capture and storage (low to high coal usage); and coal to products such as hydrogen, ammonia, diesel, methanol, plastics and char (demonstrating medium to high overall coal use relative to current levels). Potential environmental, technological, socio-political and economic impacts of each scenario across various life cycle stages were characterised. Results offer a platform for regional policy development to underpin deliberation on a preferred future by the community, industry and other stakeholders. Industrial ecology principles were found to be useful in backcasting for creatively articulating alternative futures featuring industrial symbiosis. However, enabling the approach to guide implementation of sustainable transition pathways requires further development and would benefit from integration within the Strategic Sustainable Development framework of Robèrt et al. [2].     

Biofuel policies and the environment: Do climate benefits warrant increased production from biofuel feedstocks?

We examine whether climate benefits warrant policies promoting biofuel production from agricultural crops when other environmental impacts are accounted for. We develop a general economic-ecological modelling framework for integrated analysis of biofuel policies. An economic model of farmers' decision making is combined with a biophysical model predicting the effects of farming practices on crop yields and relevant environmental impacts. They include GHG emissions over the life cycle, nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, and the quality of wildlife habitats. We apply our model to crop production in Finland. We find that under current biofuel production technology the case for promotion of biofuels is not as evident as has been generally thought. Only reed canary grass for biodiesel is unambiguously desirable, whereas biodiesel from rape seed and ethanol production from wheat and barley cause in most cases negative net impacts on the environment. Suggested policies in the US and the EU tend to improve slightly the environmental performance of biofuel production.     

传统贸易、增加值贸易与国际经济周期联动

随着国际分工格局发生了从产业间分工到产业内分工再到全球价值链分工的重大转型,增加值贸易相较于传统贸易在经济周期传导中的作用得到显著提升。本文首先基于国际经济周期理论,在两国和三国框架下从理论上分析增加值贸易和传统贸易在传导经济周期中的异质性作用,然后基于国家层面采用2000—2014年的世界投入产出数据进行实证检验。研究结果表明,增加值贸易对经济周期联动性具有显著且稳健的正向影响,而传统贸易的作用并不显著。这一结论印证了理论分析结果,即随着全球价值链分工模式的不断深入,增加值贸易逐渐替代传统贸易成为国际经济周期传导的核心贸易渠道。这为中国应对贸易保护和规避国际经济周期波动的传导风险,构建新发展格局,实现中国经济稳态发展提供了重要的政策参考。     

菜籽油生物柴油技术经济评价——基于全生命周期评价方法

采用全生命周期评价方法,对菜籽油制生物柴油的二氧化碳排放量和经济性进行了评估,旨在说明用菜籽油生产生物柴油对环境的影响及其经济价值。结果表明:在用菜籽油生产生物柴油的全生命周期过程中,排放入大气中的二氧化碳量远低于从大气中吸收的二氧化碳量,油菜籽制生物柴油是一种环境友好的燃料;就经济性而言,菜籽油制生物柴油的生产成本较高,每吨约高出0#柴油3178.2元,生物柴油的商业化应用尚需等待原料成本的降低。