Permit markets,carbon prices and the creation of innovation clusters

Innovation clusters combining public and private effort to develop breakthrough technologies promise greater technological advances to slow down climate change. We use a multi-country model with an emission trading system to examine whether and how international climate policy can incentivize countries to create such innovation clusters. We find that a minimal carbon price is needed to attract applied research firms, but countries may nevertheless fail to invest in complementary research infrastructure. We construct a mechanism that leads to innovation clusters when emissions targets are set before uncertainty surrounding technological developments is resolved. It is a combination of low permit endowments for the country with the lowest costs to build the needed infrastructure, compensation for this country by profits from permit trade, and maximal possible permit endowments for the remaining countries. We outline how the EU-ETS can be further refined according to this mechanism.     

政治体制上端改革:反腐败斗争的迫切需要

我国的反腐败已经进入了一个特殊的高原期,能否实现政治体制上端的重大改革,是决定中国反腐败能否实现突破的关键。政治体制上端改革要坚持三个不动摇、发展党内民主、完善人民代表大会制度和改革政党制度,可以建立"廉洁岛"式的政治特区。     

The Incredible Economics of Geoengineering

The focus of climate policy so far has been on reducing the accumulation of greenhouse gases. That approach, however, requires broad international cooperation and, being expensive, has been hindered by free riding; so far, little action has been taken. An alternative approach is to counteract climate change by reducing the amount of solar radiation that strikes the Earth—“geoengineering.” In contrast to emission reductions, this approach is inexpensive and can be undertaken by a single country, unilaterally. But geoengineering also has worrying consequences: it may harm some countries; it would not address ocean acidification; it would pose new risks. The fundamental challenge posed by this new technology is not free riding but governance: who should decide if and under what circumstances geoengineering should be used?     

Burn or bury? A social cost comparison of final waste disposal methods

This paper evaluates the two well-known final waste disposal methods, incineration and landfilling. In particular we compare the social cost of two best-available technologies using a point estimate based on private and environmental cost data for the Netherlands. Not only does our comparison allow for Waste-to-Energy incineration plants but for landfills as well. The data provide support for the widespread policy preference for incineration over landfilling only if the analysis is restricted to environmental costs alone and includes savings of both energy and material recovery. Gross private costs, however, are so much higher for incineration, that landfilling is the social cost minimizing option at the margin even in a densely populated country such as the Netherlands. Furthermore, we show that our result generalizes to other European countries and probably to the USA. Implications for waste policy are discussed as well. Proper treatment of and energy recovery from landfills seem to be the most important targets for waste policy. Finally, WTE plants are a very expensive way to save on climate change emissions.     

Climate change, irrigation, and Israeli agriculture: Will warming be harmful?

This paper utilizes a Ricardian model to test the relationship between annual net revenues and climate across Israeli farms. The study finds that it is important to include the amount of irrigation water available to each farm in order to measure the response of farms to climate. With irrigation water omitted, the model predicts climate change is strictly beneficial. However, with water included, the model predicts that only modest climate changes are beneficial while drastic climate change in the long run will be harmful. Using the AOGCM Scenarios we show that farm net revenue is expected to increase. Although Israel has a relatively warm climate a mild increase in temperature is beneficial due to the ability to supply international markets with farm product early in the season.     

监督:民主政治建设的关键

防止公共权力滥用的有效途径是建设民主政治,加强监督。监督是民主政治制度的关键所在,没有监督就没有民主。     

关于宪法司法化的再思考

对宪法司法化既要看到其对公民宪法权利保护、制约违宪行为、促进法治进程和中国宪政建设等方面的 积极作用,也不能对其作简单、理想化的理解。只有结合当代中国法制、法治和宪政的建设实践,通盘考虑,才能正确 认识宪法司法化在我国的法治与宪政建设中的作用。     

关于领导干部倡导良好学习风气的新思考

胡锦涛同志在中央纪委第七次全体会议上强调,领导干部要大力倡导八个方面的良好风气,其中位列首位的是学习风气问题.领导干部应该深刻认识、全面理解并自觉倡导勤奋好学、学以致用的良好风气,一是在地位肯定上,要首倡重扬,确保认识到位;二是在精力投入上,要持之以恒,确保终身学习;三是在内容确定上,要虽少犹精,确保理论"管用";四是在方法选择上,要联系实际,确保直面现实;五是在学习精神上,要百折不挠,确保顽强攻关;六是在目标追求上,要学以致用,确保成效显著.     

气候变化对经济金融系统性冲击的物理风险研究

中国作为全球最大的发展中国家,其综合实力伴随着经济、科技的快速发展而不断增强。但我国的极端气候事件趋多趋强,气候风险水平呈上升趋势,影响我国经济社会的发展。金融作为经济运行的核心,在宏观经济中有着举足轻重的作用。为了研究气候变化与经济金融稳定之间的关系,本文对极端气候事件损失体系和区域经济金融稳定性综合体系进行指数合成并构建面板模型探讨气候变化中气温和降水量因素的变动和极端气候事件对区域金融稳定的影响,得出气候变化的物理风险通过极端气候事件对经济发展和金融稳定有负面影响,并根据实证结果提出完善绿色金融市场和优化信息披露制度的政策建议。     

美国公共预算改革的途径:管理、政治和法律

公共预算是通过分配有限资源来实现人类各种不同目的的公共行政活动,目前是公共行政的核心所在。为解决如何分配资源的问题,美国公共预算领域产生并发展了多种预算研究途径,戴维.H.罗森布鲁姆将它们归纳为管理途径、政治途径与法律途径。本文试图从该视角入手,以此对美国公共预算改革进行历史的回顾,探析公共预算改革的发展趋势,从而阐明在实践中运用各种预算理论解决不同预算问题的可行性和必要性。