Fear of climate change consequences and predictors of intentions to alter meat consumption

Reducing or altering meat consumption has the potential to significantly lower the impact humans have on climate change. Consumers, however, are unlikely to break their food habits unless they are aware of the problem and motivated by the solutions. Fear appeals are often used to overcome this, however, their effectiveness in the context of meat reduction and climate change is unclear. Given the widespread use of fear appeals in information policy, it is important to understand more. The aim of this study was to explore fear—or more specifically—the danger control process in a climate change—food context in order to understand the factors which motivate consumers to reduce or alter their meat consumption. Using a stratified random sample of 222 respondents in Southern Sweden, we develop a model for predicting intentions to adopt specific and general actions to reduce or alter meat consumption. Our results suggest that the general key to motivating consumers is through increasing their self-efficacy towards adopting meat alternatives and educating them on the importance their actions have in reducing the threat. We also found that appraising the threat to self (or those close) was significant, but surprisingly the effect size was greater when the threat concerned others (e.g. others in impoverished nations, animals).     

我国新能源汽车产业破坏性创新的政策支持研究

提高新能源汽车产业创新水平、将新能源汽车产业置于国民经济战略性新兴产业的地位予以支持已成为世界大国博弈的重要命题.文章将破坏性创新理论用于指导我国的新能源汽车产业政策,在公共科技政策分析的基本政策工具框架下,采用内容分析法分析了2009年至今我国新能源汽车产业创新的政策支持体系;对特斯拉汽车成功进行破坏性创新的案例及对我国的启示作了实证研究,进而提出我国新能源汽车产业破坏性创新的政策建议.     

Opportunity cost of water allocation to afforestation rather than conservation of natural vegetation in China

Estimation of ecosystem service values is a hot area of research in ecological conservation and economics. However, the costs of these outputs are largely unknown. In this paper, we estimated the opportunity cost of water allocated to afforestation projects through mathematical modeling based on statistical data for all of China to provide support for restoration planning based on a fuller consideration of the true costs. To guide future ecological conservation and environmental policy development, we illustrate a neglected concept (ecosystem service costs) and use this concept to compare the ecological services provided by ecological restoration based on afforestation with those of restoration based on the conservation of natural vegetation using data obtained since 1949 in China. The results showed that afforestation and natural vegetation create annual costs related to use of the available water resources equal to 4800 and 3700 RMB ha⁻¹, respectively, representing a water opportunity cost of 1100 RMB ha⁻¹ for afforestation. This illustrates the rule that “there is no free lunch” for any service, including ecosystem services. Therefore, to support the development of more effective and sustainable environmental restoration policy, it will be necessary to evaluate the associated opportunity costs.     

On the role of the utility function in the estimation of preference parameters

Modern economic theory summarizes the main characteristics of individual preferences through a definite set of parameters: risk aversion, prudence, and the elasticity of intertemporal substitution. Despite their importance, the results of the literature devoted to the parameters’ estimation are controversial. This paper highlights the neglected role that may have been played by the constraints that the quantitative definition of the parameters and the utility functions employed impose on the estimation. A number of simulation exercises are presented, which show that the same saving behaviour can be associated with quite different values of the parameters depending on the utility function adopted.     

电力生产、跨省交易与能源环境效率

将电力生产作为先行于其他社会生产的生产环节,在考虑规模越来越大的电力跨省交易和非期望产出(二氧化碳排放、工业废气总排放量、工业废水总排放量等)的基础上,使用非参数网络数据包络分析模型测算了2000—2012年中国省域能源环境效率。结果表明:与考虑电力生产和跨省交易的网络DEA模型相比,利用传统DEA方法会高估电力输入省的能源环境效率、低估电力输出省的能源环境效率。指出调整电力生产布局和跨省输送网络可以有效提高地区的能源环境效率。     

能源系统动力学应用研究综述

对系统动力学理论在国内外的发展过程以及其在不同领域的广泛应用进行研究,概括了能源系统动力学的实质是系统动力学理论与SD模型在分析各类能源问题的实证研究与应用,报告了能源系统动力学国内外研究现状,总结了系统动力学在能源领域的应用以及其对环境保护、经济发展、社会进步等方面的贡献,并在此基础上展望了能源系统动力学在大数据时代与数据挖掘及GIS等理论结合研究的方向.     

The behavioural intentions of specialty coffee consumers in South Africa

More than 1.6 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide on a daily basis. South Africa is rapidly adapting to worldwide trends with speciality coffee consumption on the rise, with South Africa recently having been recognised as a key player in the speciality coffee industry. Emerging market trends in speciality coffee consumption have resulted in a number of changes in consumption patterns, preferences and consumer behaviour. The purpose of this study was to determine the behavioural intention of speciality coffee consumers in South Africa, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The data were gathered from a non‐probability sample of 327 respondents, who were selected through a self‐completion online questionnaire. The results indicate that males consume more speciality coffee than females. The majority of respondents consume speciality coffee more than once a day, and foam cappuccinos are consumed most regularly. The results of the stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrate the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a conceptual framework for predicting the behavioural intention of speciality coffee consumers. The findings indicate that attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control are important predictors of behavioural intention. Furthermore, perceived behavioural control is the most important factor influencing speciality coffee consumption, and the most influential of the direct measures of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. With the current rise in speciality coffee consumption among South Africans, the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework contributes to understanding those factors which influence regular speciality coffee consumption. It is recommended that marketers and practitioners adapt their offerings to appeal to the specific needs of the growing speciality coffee market in South Africa.     

跨越“中等收入陷阱”的消费率变化轨迹研究--基于东亚、拉美部分国家的启示

2013年我国人均GDP达到6900美元，标志着我国已居于“上中等收入”国家行列，正面临“中等收入陷阱”的威胁。本文基于日本、韩国、巴西和阿根廷的发展历程，考察了“中等收入陷阱”区间下消费率的变化轨迹，认为成功跨越“中等收入陷阱”的消费率特征是：消费率走势呈U型特征，由波动性变化演变为平稳性运行，并大致在人均GDP4000美元形成“消费率拐点”。其中，收入因素对“消费率拐点”的培育与形成具有较大的制约作用。同时文章对比分析了低中等收入阶段我国消费率变化轨迹，认为我国在人均GDP4283美元水平下形成“消费率拐点”，但当前消费需求的充分释放仍面临较强的挑战，迫切需要相应的政策措施来强化“消费率拐点”的形成。     

Light fuel demand and public policies in Brazil, 2003–2013

The main objective of this article is to evaluate determinants of demand for light fuels in Brazil between 2003 and 2013. Through a vector autoregression analysis, an effort was made to identify and quantify the impact of different economic variables and public policy measures adopted during this period on the surprising increase in energy consumption by Brazil’s light-vehicle fleet. The results suggest that demand for energy by the light-vehicle fleet was influenced by an increase in income, by a decrease in fuel prices associated with a policy designed to prevent increases in the price of gasoline from pushing the inflation rate up, by a higher availability of credit for buying vehicles, and by a drop in the real price of those goods, with emphasis on countercyclical measures to waive the tax on industrialized products levied on new vehicles during economic downturns in the automotive industry.     

企业高级管理人员职务消费规范与治理研究

近年来,随着经济的快速发展,企业高级管理人员的职务消费水平逐渐提高,其中职务消费问题也普遍突出,出现了很多亟待解决的问题,比如有关职务消费的规章制度不健全、职务消费管理不足,职责模糊化等等。职务消费是企业的重要成本费用支出之一,只有建立规范的职务消费制度,才有利于企业节省开支,提升企业利润。因此,找到解决职务消费问题的对策是值得研究和探讨的话题。