Declining Discount Rates: The Long and the Short of it

The last few years have witnessed important advances in our understanding of time preference and social discounting. In particular, several rationales for the use of time-varying social discount rates have emerged. These rationales range from the ad hoc to the formal, with some founded solely in economic theory while others reflect principles of intergenerational equity. While these advances are to be applauded, the practitioner is left with a confusing array of rationales and the sense that almost any discount rate can be justified. This paper draws together these different strands and provides a critical review of past and present contributions to this literature. In addition to this we highlight some of the problems with employing DDRs in the decision-making process, the most pressing of which may be time inconsistency. We clarify their practical implications, and potential pitfalls, of the more credible rationales and argue that some approaches popular in environmental economics literature are ill-conceived. Finally, we illustrate the impact of different approaches by examining global warming and nuclear power investment. This includes an application and extension of Newell and Pizer [‘Discounting the benefits of climate change mitigation : how much do uncertain rates increase valuations?’ Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 46 (2003) 52] to UK interest rate data.     

区域经济发展综合效益及其协调程度研究：以陕西省“八五”时期为例

本文提出“综合效益协调度”和“综合效益协同度”两个新指数。分别用来衡量综合效益发展水平及发展过程的协调程度。同时,选取具有较好代表性的指标群,对陕西省各地市“八五”期间经济发展的综合效益水平、综合效益协调程度、综合效益递增幅度及递增过程中的协同程度等进行了分析。并指出存在的问题和可能的对策。     

物流企业实现规模效益的途径探讨

针对当前物流企业规模较小、效益较差的现状，本文提出通过扩大企业规模的措施，以实现规模经济，提高企业效益。     

On the cost-benefit of the regionalisation of the National Health Service

In this paper we analyse in formal terms the desirability of the regionalisation of a National Health Service. The policy consists of a devolution process, i.e. the increase in the health services provision to be decided by a region and financed by an increase in its revenues. The change is a marginal one, as it regards the part of supply of the health services exceeding a minimum standard, which for purposes of equity is maintained uniform in the national territory. As the central government is responsible for this component of the provision of health care (a federal “mandate”), the level of the said component is chosen by this authority and financed by federal taxation. Moreover, the government also applies an equalisation scheme based on the difference between a standard level of tax revenues and the revenues which the region is deemed able to raise for this purpose. Within the theoretical context of welfare improving reforms with distortionary taxation, we derive two conditions which focus on the regional, as well as the social, convenience of regionalisation. Received: May 5, 1999 / Accepted: January 21, 2000     

中美贸易背后的利益分析

文章首先介绍了中美贸易的不平衡发展，然后重点分析了在中美贸易中的贸易利益流向和对双方的经济影响，进而找到解决此问题的积极可行的对策。     

云南长防林体系建设中几个问题的探讨

本文就云南省长防林体系建设中存在的认识问题,指导思想、政策、资金投入及有关技术问题,进行分析。提出相应的对策和意见。     

论农地的外部效益与补偿

农地农用产生显著的外部效益．只有得到社会普遍的认知以及在经济上实现激励补偿才有助于农地的有效保护并持续供给．增进社会福利。本文详述了农地对全社会的外部效益．进而探讨了相应补偿的构想．最后提出了实施补偿的政策建议。     

广西岩溶地区“神山”的生态经济效益探讨

神山是广西岩溶地区民族植物文化的重要组成部分。本文论述了“神山”在保护生物多样性、调节小气候、改善区域环境、控制土壤侵蚀等方面的作用以及它的经济效益，在此基础上，针对岩溶地区“神山”当前面临的形势，提出了保护“神山”，恢复岩溶地区植被的建议。     

四川省云阳县桐粮间作类型及效益分析

本文简介了云阳县的自然条件和桐粮间作类型，着重分析了相粮间作的经济、生态及社会效益。最后，提出了进一步发展混农林业的建议。