Technological change under residual risk regulation: The case of coke ovens in the U.S. steel industry

An engineering-economic model is used within a dynamic setting to determine the least cost mix of investment and import activities as the U.S. steel industry faces successively tighter controls on coke oven emissions over the next 10 years. In response to Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards proposed for 1995, U.S. steel producers would likely export their toxic pollution by importing 6 million tons of coke per year. About 4 million tons of coke oven capacity is retrofit and about 1 million tons of annual coke consumption is replaced by new iron technologies, such as Corex. The Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) standards proposed for 1998 roughly double the coke oven retirements estimated to occur under MACT. Coke imports also are substantial but are no higher than under MACT because the additional time allows the industry to invest in more coke-saving blast furnaces and in new less toxic coke-making technologies, such as the Jewell process. The LAER standards in conjunction with higher capital costs, however, force coke imports to more than 8 million tons per year and sharply increase imports of semi-finished steel. Such a situation could exacerbate existing disputes on international steel trade.The authors are associate professor, instructor, and graduate student, respectively. This research was performed under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Mines Distinguished Young Scholar Award Administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities for the Bureau of Mines. Naturally, the usual disclaimer applies.     

A Note on Environmental Awareness and Cross-Border Pollution

Considering a Nash equilibrium in which a developed country chooses the amount of foreign aid and a developing country sets the emission tax rate and the proportion of the received aid allocated to public abatement of pollution, it is shown that an increase in the recipient countrys environmental awareness will reduce the level of cross-border pollution and benefits the donor though its foreign aid is increased.     

中国环境污染治理的思考

目前在我国经济发展过程中环境污染与经济发展的矛盾日益突出，该如何解决这一矛盾，本文从理论和实践两方面探讨了这个问题，并提出了建议。     

Optimal Investment in Clean Production Capacity

For the mitigation of long-term pollution threats, one must consider that both the process of environmental degradation and the switchover to new and cleaner technologies are dynamic. We develop a model of a uniform good that can be produced by either a polluting technology or a clean one; the latter is more expensive and requires investment in capacity. We derive the socially optimal pollution stock accumulation and creation of nonpolluting production capacity, weighing the tradeoffs among consumption, investment and djustment costs, and environmental damages. We consider the effects of changes in the pollution decay rate, the capacity depreciation rate, and the initial state of the environment on both the steady state and the transition period. The optimal transition path looks quite different with a clean or dirty initial environment. With the former, investment is slow and the price of pollution may overshoot the long-run optimum before converging. With the latter, capacity may overshoot.     

环渤海污染问题的原因和对策

海洋环境专家"渤海可能变成'死海'"的警告使得"渤海碧海行动计划"出炉.然而,在"碧海计划"第一个"疗程"的结束之年,人们发现"碧海"药方疗效甚微,渤海依然笼罩"死亡阴影".那么,什么是《渤海碧海行动计划》,以整治海洋环境污染为任的计划实施后,为何污染反而加剧?渤海的污染治理如何能更见起色呢?     

光污染--一种新型的环境污染

"光污染"已成为城市建设中继水污染、大气污染、噪声污染三大污染之后的第四大污染,而且其危害正日趋严重."光污染"侵权诉讼的现状不容乐观,缺乏法律依据,举证不能,成为"光污染"受害者通过环境诉讼得到法律救济的障碍.但审视现行民法与环境保护法的有关规定,"光污染"并没有被排除在外,对城市"光污染"的策略应在立法与司法方面进一步完善.     

石化企业供应物流信息系统设计研究

本文运用信息系统规划设计原理,遵循系统工程原则,经济、实用原则,灵活、高效原则,安全、可靠原则,先进、规范原则,用户参与原则,通过深入详细的需求分析,对石化企业供应物流信息系统分别从总体设计、流程设计、代码设计、功能模块设计、数据库设计、网络环境设计等方面进行了论述.通过理论与实践相结合,对石化企业供应物流信息系统进行了具体设计.     

空气污染对企业环境治理行为的影响研究——基于产权性质的中介效应

空气污染等环境问题频繁发生,使得企业的外部制度环境发生重大变化。重污染企业的环境治理行为既取决于外部制度因素的驱动,同时也受企业内部产权性质的深刻影响。以沪深A股377家重污染行业上市公司为研究对象,实证检验空气污染、产权性质与企业环境治理行为的关系,研究发现,空气污染程度与重污染企业环境治理行为显著正相关,即企业所在地空气污染越严重,重污染企业环境治理力度越大;产权性质在空气污染程度与重污染企业环境治理行为的关系中发挥部分中介效应。研究结论为我国进一步完善重污染企业环境治理行为的驱动机制提供了实证依据。     

Reciprocity in Corporate Tax Compliance—Evidence from Ozone Pollution

In a tax—public goods reciprocity framework between citizens and the state, managers view taxes as a payment to the government in exchange for public goods, and hence they adjust their willingness to pay taxes as public good quality changes. We show that corporate tax planning intensity increases with ground-level ozone pollution. Revisions in ozone pollution regulations cause counties that failed the revised and more stringent standards to reduce ozone pollution. Consequently, firms headquartered in these counties reduced corporate tax planning intensity relative to firms in other counties. The ozone-tax link varies in the predicted directions with public attention to pollution, potential welfare loss due to ozone, managers’ stakeholder orientation, taxpayers’ polluting status, political preferences, and civic norms. We also find consistent results for Superfund cleanups of hazardous waste sites. Our research sheds light on reciprocity as a potential mechanism influencing corporate tax compliance.     

可持续发展视角下的企业成长战略

随着对可持续发展认识的不断加深,越来越多的企业家正意识到自己所肩负的责任:如何运用可持续发展的理论来抓住机遇,迎接挑战,促使企业成长;如何在成长过程中避免重蹈发达国家先发展后治理的覆辙?本文提出了企业可实施资源节约、创新、组织变革、多元化和学习等战略,从而达到预防性治理目的,实现企业成长与社会、环境可持续发展协调一致。