Economic Potential of Biomass Based Fuels for Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation

Use of biofuels diminishes fossil fuelcombustion thereby also reducing net greenhousegas emissions. However, subsidies are neededto make agricultural biofuel productioneconomically feasible. To explore the economicpotential of biofuels in a greenhouse gasmitigation market, we incorporate data onproduction and biofuel processing for thedesignated energy crops switchgrass, hybridpoplar, and willow in an U.S. AgriculturalSector Model along with data on traditionalcrop-livestock production and processing, andafforestation of cropland. Net emissioncoefficients on all included agriculturalpractices are estimated through crop growthsimulation models or taken from the literature. Potential emission mitigation policies ormarkets are simulated via hypothetical carbonprices. At each carbon price level, theAgricultural Sector Model computes the newmarket equilibrium, revealing agriculturalcommodity prices, regionally specificproduction, input use, and welfare levels,environmental impacts, and adoption ofalternative management practices such asbiofuel production. Results indicate no rolefor biofuels below carbon prices of $40 perton of carbon equivalent. At these incentivelevels, emission reductions via reduced soiltillage and afforestation are more costefficient. For carbon prices above $70,biofuels dominate all other agriculturalmitigation strategies.     

Reduced Form Auctions Revisited

This note uses the Theorem of the Alternative to prove new results on the implementability of general, asymmetric auctions, and to provide simpler proofs of known results for symmetric auctions. The tradeoff is that type spaces are taken to be finite.     

Deciphering big data in consumer credit evaluation

This paper examines the impact of large-scale alternative data on predicting consumer delinquency. Using a proprietary double-blinded test from a traditional lender, we find that the big data credit score predicts an individual’s likelihood of defaulting on a loan with 18.4% greater accuracy than the lender’s internal score. Moreover, the impact of the big data credit score is more significant when evaluating borrowers without public credit records. We also provide evidence that big data have the potential to correct financial misreporting.     

An empirical analysis of green convention attendees' switching intentions

This study aims at proposing to test a research model to gain a better understanding of the relationships among the dimensions of experiential quality, green experiential satisfaction, green alternative attractiveness, green service fairness, green variety-seeking, and green switching intentions. The study's findings are based on structural equation model analysis of a convenience sample of 650 attendees at the 13th International Green Building and Energy-Savings Exhibition 2016 in Chongqing, China. The results of this analysis contribute to the services marketing theory by providing additional insights into green switching intentions, the dimensions of experiential quality, green experiential satisfaction, green alternative attractiveness, green service fairness, and green novelty-seeking. The study's results will assist green convention management in developing and implementing market-orientated service strategies to increase the dimensions of experiential quality and green experiential satisfaction, enhance green alternative attractiveness, green service fairness, and green novelty-seeking, and decrease green switching intentions.     

Water as an investment: liquid yet illiquid!

The water industry is in great need of further large investments to address existing severe water shortages worldwide which requires the participation of private sector investors. This industry is heavily infrastructure based and is therefore saddled with fixed assets-in-place or illiquid assets. This exposes the industry to what is termed as ‘illiquidity risk’, and hence, investors in this industry should be compensated for bearing this risk with an appropriate return premium (i.e. extra return). In this study, we provide evidence as to whether illiquidity risk indeed significantly affects returns in this industry. We examine the case of all 76 firms that compose the five major global water indices. After controlling for other factors that impact on returns, our results suggest that asset illiquidity is positively associated with stock returns. Specifically, water firms with a larger proportion of illiquid assets-in-place are observed to have greater stock returns than those with a smaller proportion of illiquid assets. Our results have important implications for the financing of water-related projects particularly those which involve the participation of investors from the private sector.     

企业应对劳动力成本增加的品牌战略研究

我国城乡居民人均收入将于2020年翻一番，由此引发的问题是劳动力成本的快速提高。文章在品牌经济学的框架下，分析指出通过品牌战略建设提高产品溢价能力，是企业应对劳动力成本上升的有效手段。通过构建引入选择成本的需求函数，证明了品牌溢价能力与其品牌信用度呈正比关系。在理论分析的基础上，文章提出了应对收入倍增的品牌战略路径，主要包括自主品牌-自主品牌、自主品牌-他人品牌、他人品牌-自主品牌、他人品牌-他人品牌等四种方式。企业可根据实际情况，选择合适路径实现从无品牌到弱势品牌，再到强势品牌的转变。     

Usage of the concept of culture and heritage in the United Arab Emirates – an analysis of Sharjah heritage area

Under the forces of an oil-based economy and the fast paced change, nationals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf states are becoming very keen to preserve, represent and invent a distinct ‘national’ culture and heritage. Fears of ‘loss’ of identity and concerns about ‘global’ culture are powerful social forces. Heritage revival has become a significant social, cultural and political process in the UAE, the most public sign of this being the development of ‘Heritage Villages’. This analysis explores themes of heritage revival and the preservation, representation and construction of culture in the UAE with specific analysis of the Sharjah Heritage Area (SHA). It will be shown that heritage revival in the UAE is both a symbolic and practical negation of globalization. Heritage revival is also increasingly an affirmation of the fast paced development of international business and tourism in the Emirates which is the focus of economic diversification. SHA will first be examined as a museum exhibitionary complex combining museum, festival and shopping. The representation, performance, negotiation and interplay of local/global and old/new culture at the SHA will be outlined in the context of transnationalism and the oil-propelled modernization.     

浅析铜川市接续产业转移风险分析与规避

资源型产业是城市经济的核心和命脉,因资源濒临枯竭的城市需要产业转移,产业结构需要调整,接续产业转移是资源枯竭城市可持续发展的一条有效途径。本文通过对铜川资源枯竭型城市产业转移存在着不确定风险因素的剖析,分析了承接产业转移给铜川市所带来的实现资源合理优化和接续产业的有效协调发展效应,以期为铜川市的转型和持续发展提供有益参考。     

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。     

大兴安岭国有林区接续产业选择问题研究

通过对大兴安岭国有林区经济现状以及接续产业发展的优劣条件和选择路径的分析,结果表明:大兴安岭接续产业发展在资源、区位和政策上存在优势,而人才、体制和产业结构阻碍其发展。其转型路径应该分阶段进行,并以林业资源的产业链延续为主。因此,政企分离,实施科教兴林战略,加强人才队伍建设,建立财政扶持资金的使用与监督机制是大兴安岭国有林区接续产业发展的关键。