Does local government competition aggravate haze pollution? A new perspective of factor market distortion

Haze pollution has become a new threat to China's sustainable development, but it may be that local government behaviour can play an important role in the prevention and control of pollutants. A dynamic spatial autoregressive (SAR) model is used to study the relationship between local government competition and haze pollution. To further explore the indirect impact of factor market distortion on haze pollution and control potential endogeneity problems, a newly developed intermediary effect model that incorporates the characteristics of the generalized method of moments (GMM) is utilized to explore how factor market distortion indirectly affects haze pollution. The research results show that regional haze pollution in China is characterized by significant spatial correlation, and local government competition has a positive impact on haze pollution; that is, local government competition exacerbates haze pollution. In general, local government competition not only directly leads to an increase in haze pollution but also further intensifies it by distorting the local factor market, and the intermediary role of factor market distortion is approximately 7.04%. The results of the regional inspection found that competition among local governments in the eastern region did not lead to haze pollution, and distortion of the factor market did not exist as an intermediary effect. However, both direct and intermediary effects are significant in the central and western regions. Therefore, an official performance appraisal system that includes ecological constraints should be established to guide the benign transformation of local government competition, and an environmental management mechanism must be developed for joint prevention and control to reduce haze pollution. In addition, the free flow of factors and marketization are equally important.     

Can stable environmental protection officials’ tenure reduce illegal emissions?

Based on the day-night PM_2.5 difference of the nearest atmospheric monitoring points to measure whether there is illegal emission, this paper explores the impact of environmental protection officials' tenure (EPLT) on illegal emissions. The results show that there is a positive correlation between EPLT and illegal emissions. Stable EPLT can reduce illegal emissions by increasing environmental information disclosure and environmental subsidies. It can increase illegal emissions by weakening public pollution reporting and media supervision, environmental law enforcement and promoting corruption. In addition, EPLT can increase illegal emissions as EPLT is less than 3.55 years, while EPLT can increase illegal emissions as EPLT exceeds 6.21 years. Further, when mayor's tenure and EPLT are both stable, the promotion effect of EPLT on illegal emission is stronger. Stable company director's tenure can also aggravate the promotion effect of EPLT on illegal emissions.     

Lake Chivero: A management case study

Lake Chivero in Zimbabwe was shown to be hypereutrophic. Historical data showed that the eutrophication process had been arrested in the late 1970s. However, a combination of poor planning, multiplicity of jurisdiction, mismatch between rate of urbanization and waste management investment, recent changes in the local climate and a permissive, immature political system that called for no public accountability resulted in environmental management breakdown leading to hypereutrophication of the lake. The case of Lake Chivero is presented as an example of a wider global issue regarding the status of environmental management in competition with other priorities in emerging democracies.     

弯曲性分叉河道中污染物扩散性的初步研究

弯曲性分叉河道中水流特征复杂,对污染物扩散有很大影响。为了定量分析其水流特征对污染物扩散的影响,采用有限元方法求解弯曲性分叉河道中的污染物扩散数学模型,研究其中污染物扩散的状况。主要针对河道回流、绕流对污染物扩散的影响进行了详细数值模拟计算,并分别给出了可视化结果及平均的扩散距离。计算结果表明:边界层稍微减弱污染物的扩散,弯道分离使污染物扩散呈现多向扩散,而回流和绕流尾迹区使污染物很难扩散,从而有利于泄漏污染物的收集和集中治理。     

凉水河污染对土壤和地下水的影响

在凉水河下游取河床底泥及河床下部土样,分析其NH3-N、磷和有机物的变化,发现底泥对NH3-N和磷的去除发挥了很大作用,分别是下部土壤吸附量的10倍和1倍多;土中5种氯代烃均有检出,是河水长期渗漏积累的结果。凉水河流域内的野外试验结果表明,凉水河对地下水存在污染,污染组分主要是CODCr,NH3-N也有一定污染,其他无机污染组分如NO3-N,Cr6+,TP和Pb2+对地下水的影响较小,氯代烃对地下水也有一定影响。据推测,凉水河污染对地下水的影响范围大概在河两侧80 m范围内。     

地下水污染试验研究进展

本文在总结国内外众多学者有关污染物在含水层中的运移规律研究成果的基础上，介绍了地下水污染试验研究的最新进展；并据此认为，三维弥散，各向异性含水层介质中污染物的迁移，非饱和土层中的污染物多相迁移和吸力的关系等将成为今后地下水污染传播研究的主要问题。     

Environmental Taxation and Vertical Cournot Oligopolies: How Eco-industries Matter

This article specifies what an optimal pollution tax should be when dealing with a vertical Cournot oligopoly. Polluting firms sell final goods to consumers and outsource their abatement activities to an environment industry. It is assumed that both markets are imperfectly competitive. Thus, the tax is a single instrument used to regulate three sorts of distortions, one negative externality and two restrictions in production. Consequently, the optimal tax rate is the result of a trade-off that depends on the firms’ market power along the vertical structure. A detailed analysis of Cournot-Nash equilibria in both markets is also performed. In this context, the efficiency of abatement activities plays a key-role. It gives a new understanding to the necessary conditions for the emergence of an eco-industrial sector.      

Influence of influent tributaries on water quality changes in Lake Mogan, Turkey

Lake Mogan, located in the steppes of central Anatolia, is a vital Turkish ecological system, in terms of its water resources, flora and fauna. The lake also is a unique recreational area for Ankara, the capital of Turkey. However, the lake is currently threatened by severe pollution, being under the risk of serious degradation because of (i) uncontrolled urbanization; (ii) point and non‐point source pollution; (iii) inefficient sewerage systems; (iv) sediment transportation and pollution via influent creeks to the lake; (v) uncontrolled soil erosion in its drainage basin; (vi) inappropriate flood control measures; and (vii) severe degradation of the natural wetlands within its drainage basin. This study evaluates the influence of its influent creeks on the water quality of Lake Mogan, mainly because the creeks are believed to be responsible for the major pollutant load reaching the lake, and because the extensive database documenting this situation has not previously been critically evaluated. Accordingly, this study reviews (i) change in the water quality of Lake Mogan between 1993 and 2002; (ii) the water quality classification of the major influent creeks feeding Lake Mogan; and (iii) the influence of the influent creeks on the water quality of the lake between 1993 and 2004.     

水生生物环境诊断(AOD)技术应用研究

介绍一种新型的毒性试验方法——水生生物环境诊断(AOD)技术，该方法将冷冻浓缩和生物测试技术有机地相结合，较好地解决了低毒性水体的毒性测试问题。应用本项技术以红鳍鱼为受试生物，分别对湖北武汉马伧湖、墨水湖、广东深圳河、长江干流寸滩等几个断面、丹江口水库白河、丹江河口、老灌河等不同水体进行AOD测试，所得48hr-LC\-50结果与实际水质状况基本相符。     

我国突发性水资源污染事故应急机制的若干问题评述

基于突发性水资源污染事故应急处理现状的分析,对目前我国突发性水资源污染事故防范和应急机制的建立进行探讨,指出当前工作中的三大缺陷,并有针对性地提出如何加快防范突发性水资源污染事故以及建立相关应急机制的进程的若干措施,包括突发污染事故的隐患调查、脆弱性评价、水质预报、动态监测以及应急组织机构等方面,以期能为我国减少突发性水资源污染事故及其损失提供一定的理论分析依据。