Dynamic implication of biomass energy consumption on economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from panel data analysis

The present article examines the dynamic linkages between biomass energy consumption, capital stock, human capital and economic growth across selected Sub-Saharan African countries based on dynamic heterogeneous panels of a mean group (MG) and pooled mean group (PMG) techniques. The finding based on PMG as the preferred method reveals that biomass energy consumption, capital stock and human capital are statistically significant, which means aforementioned variables have positive significant impact on economic growth in the countries studied. When an alternative panel estimation techniques of panel cointegration, dynamic OLS (DOLS) and fully modified OLS (FMOLS) are applied, the result based on panel cointegration technique reveals that biomass energy consumption, capital stock, human capital and economic growth are cointegrated as null hypothesis of most statistics are rejected at 1 % level of significance. The finding based on FMOLS shows that biomass energy consumption, capital stock and human capital positively influences economic growth at 1 % level and same result is obtained from panel OLS. The result based on DOLS however reveals that biomass energy consumption and capital stock are significant at 1 % on economic growth while human capital is insignificant. Considering its positive effect on economic growth with little or no environmental degradation when compared with fossil fuel uses, consumption of biomass energy is more preferable in these countries therefore is the best option to adopt by the policy makers of Sub-Saharan African countries.     

A new methodological perspective on the impact of energy consumption on economic growth: time series evidence based on the Fourier approximation for solar energy in the USA

From the empirical energy literature, it is observed that studies focusing on the energy-economic growth nexus ignore the possible existence of gradual breaks as they employ methods without or with sharp structural breaks. Therefore, one can argue that they may yield biased and inefficient output in the presence of gradual breaks. The goal of this paper is to investigate the impact of solar energy consumption on GDP utilizing quarterly data over the period 1984–2018 for the USA. For this purpose, the paper performs a unit root test and a cointegration test that are based on the Fourier approximation to take gradual breaks into account. The paper also performs the dynamic ordinary least squares estimator to estimate long-run parameters. The findings document that there exists cointegration in the empirical model and that GDP is positively associated with solar energy consumption. Some implications based on the empirical findings are presented in the paper.

     

The asymmetric nexus of energy-growth and CO2 emissions: An empirical evidence based on hidden cointegration analysis

Noting the significance of asymmetries in macroeconomic literature, this study aimed to estimate the asymmetric linkages between energy growth and the environment for BRICST countries between 1990 & 2017. For this purpose, this study applied hidden cointegration, panel NARDL, and asymmetric causality tests between the variables. In the first step, the results supported the existence of hidden cointegration between the variables. In the next step, empirical results obtained from panel NARDL results explained that the chosen variables have asymmetric relationships and are highly responsive to macroeconomic shocks. Initially, the positive shocks of energy consumption positively respond to environmental degradation; similarly, the negative shocks also correspond positively to CO₂ emissions. In the economic expansion phase, the positive shocks of growth have insignificant, and adverse shocks negatively respond to CO₂ emissions in BRICST countries. The results of individual countries along BRICST differ at various levels in response to asymmetric shocks. Different asymmetric causalities between the chosen dimension of variables are explored. From the asymmetric associations between the variables, the study proposes to forecast the energy demand and explore alternative ways to energy resources to shift their fossil energy bases to renewable systems. Similarly, adopting ICT products could make energy efficiency in these countries more productive towards improving environmental quality.     

Enhancing environmental quality in the United States by linking biomass energy consumption and load capacity factor

This study analyzes the impact of biomass energy, financial development, and economic growth on environmental quality using the novel Fourier autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach on annual data for the period 1965–2018 in the United States (USA). The study analyzes the impact of related variables on the load capacity factor (LCF) as well as on indicators of environmental degradation such as carbon dioxide emissions and ecological footprint. The LCF is one of the most comprehensive environmental indicators to date, encompassing both biocapacity and ecological footprint. In this regard, this study contributes to the environmental economics literature by examining, for the first time, the impact of biomass energy on the LCF. The results of the cointegration test show that there is only a long-run relationship between the LCF and the independent variables. According to the Fourier ARDL results, biomass energy improves the environmental quality, while financial development has no effect on the LCF. Moreover, the increase in per capita income reduces the LCF. Furthermore, since the income elasticity is larger in the long run than in the short-run, the environmental Kuznets curve is validated. Therefore, the United States government should encourage the use of biomass and investment in this form of energy.     

The link between trade openness and deforestation for environmental quality in Nigeria

This paper examines the effect of trade openness on deforestation for environmental quality in Nigeria. Autoregressive Distributed Lag bounds testing approach to cointegration was used to achieved the long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables. Economic growth, energy consumption and population were used as control variable. The long-run result shows that the coefficients of trade openness and economic growth are significant and inversely related to deforestation. This suggests that trade openness and growth reduce deforestation and improves environmental quality. Conversely, the long-run coefficient of population is significant and positively related to deforestation, meaning that population increases deforestation and environmental degradation. However, the long-run result for energy consumption did not produce statistical significance. Furthermore, all the short-run results were consistent with their long-run result.     

The Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle: Sub-regional economic cooperation and integration

Regional economic cooperation is being re-considered in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Brunei. The political leadership in each of the member countries appearsto have recognised that regional integration of their economies hold out better prospects for economic competitiveness and sustained growth. The diversity among the ASEAN states however, explains the mixed reaction to development schemes that have been premised on regional cooperation and economic integration. It is the paradox that while difference among the ASEAN countries account for some of the toughest competition faced by the region's newly industrialising economies, these differences have also been the reason behind integration and cooperation. This paper examines the growth triangle arrangement initiated by the government of Singapore and involving the Riau Islands in Indonesia and the state of Johor in the neighbouring country of Malaysia. The spatial and economic impact of Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle, as it is now officially called, is discussed. In spite of the addition of more growth triangles which have been identified following on this pioneering effort in the region, the discussion will highlight the limits to such cooperation at least, among the newly industrializing economies in the region.     

The role of disaggregated renewable energy consumption on income and load capacity factor: A novel inclusive sustainable growth approach

Stimulating renewable energy consumption is a major focus of the Sustainable Development Goals in combating climate change and global warming. The International Energy Agency estimates that renewable energy consumption should be doubled to achieve the COP21 targets. In this context, the question is whether renewable energy types promote the improvement of ecological quality and economic growth. Most studies have investigated the influence of renewable energy on ecological pollution using carbon dioxide emissions or ecological footprint indicators, which only represent the pollution caused by human consumption patterns, and these indicators neglect the supply side. Motivated by this point, this study uses the LCF (Load Capacity Factor) as an environmental indicator and examines the causality relationship among different types of renewable energy, income, and environmental quality in the USA, while also incorporating employment and capital stock into the analysis. Through using the Fourier causality test with the wavelet-decomposed series, the study explores for the validity of the renewable energy-based growth hypothesis and answers to the question of whether there is a causal effect of renewable energy types on environmental quality. The results demonstrate that there is a bidirectional causality between total renewable energy, wood, biomass, and economic growth as well as between these renewable energy types and the LCF.     

Effect of information and communication technology on energy consumption in China

Widespread controversy and a lack of empirical research exist with regard to the relationship between information communication technology (ICT) and energy consumption, especially in developing countries. This paper adopts a partial least square (PLS) method to explore the impact of ICT on energy consumption in China. Its main conclusions indicate that the impact can be represented by a U-shaped curve and the turning-point for ICT capital service is 10.93 units at 1990 constant prices. The negative effect of ICT was dominant until 2014. Moreover, the ARDL-ECM results also reveal a negative association between ICT and energy consumption in the short run. In addition, the influence of population, income, industrialization level, service sector development, energy price, energy consumption structure and non-ICT capital service on energy consumption is examined. Finally, policy recommendations are given.     

The nexus between income inequality,economic growth and environmental degradation in Pakistan

This study examines the impact of income inequality and economic growth on environmental degradation in Pakistan using ARDL bounds testing approach for the period 1966–2011. Empirical results for the aggregate CO₂ emissions and its four sources such as CO₂ emissions from solid fuel, liquid fuel and gaseous fuel consumption as well as electricity and heat production confirm the existence of long run co-integrated relationship between income inequality, economic growth and environment degradation. The estimated results indicate that carbon emissions increase as the income gap expands in Pakistan. Besides the negative impact of industrial share and population density on CO₂ emissions, we also confirm that economic growth in Pakistan comes up with higher emissions. Hence, the hypothesis of EKC is not valid for Pakistan during the study period. Our empirical findings are robust as evidenced by dynamic ordinary least squared and the U-tests. Overall, this study suggests that the distribution of income matters to aggregate carbon emissions and focus should be made on sustained economic growth to reduce pollutants and hence CO₂ emission in the study area.     

Impact of FDI on energy efficiency: an analysis of the regional discrepancies in China

Under the assumption of “technology will not be forgotten,” this study estimates and decomposes the total-factor energy efficiency (TFEE) using the sequential data envelopment analysis-Malmquist productivity index and directional distance functions that consider undesirable output based on the provincial panel data of China from 2001 to 2013. On this basis, we make an empirical study of the relationship between foreign direct investment and energy efficiency with the dynamic panel model. The result shows that over the sample period, on the national level, the trend of the TFEE was upward, but the growth rate showed a downward trend. On the regional level, the TFEE in the eastern region was higher than that in the central and western regions. In addition, foreign direct investment enhanced the energy efficiency significantly, which demonstrated that the “pollution halo” effect was greater than the “pollution haven” effect. It is indicated that technical progress was the main cause of the increase in the TFEE, but technical efficiency played the opposite role. This conclusion remains valid even if the TFEE indicator is changed into the single-factor energy efficiency indicator.

     

圆孔缺陷与I型运动裂纹相互作用的试验研究

为了研究运动裂纹与圆形孔缺陷的相互作用机制,采用数字激光动态焦散线方法进行了含圆形孔缺陷的冲击试验。结果表明：在冲击载荷下,I型运动裂纹在与圆形孔贯通前,断裂面光滑,扩展路径平直;运动裂纹从圆形孔上端起裂后,断裂面凹凸不平,扩展路径也更为弯曲。当运动裂纹朝向邻近的圆形孔扩展时,圆形孔对运动裂纹的扩展速度和动态应力强度因子有抑制作用,且随着圆形孔直径的增大,这种抑制作用不断增强。当运动裂纹与圆形孔缺陷汇聚后,圆形孔阻碍了裂纹的继续扩展,裂纹尖端被钝化,钝裂纹的起裂韧度较尖裂纹提高9.58%～13.87%,裂纹再次起裂时的扩展速度和动态应力强度因子存在明显的跳跃,表明钝裂纹更难起裂,需要消耗的能量更多。     

一种提高泥石流防撞墩抗冲击性能的方法

为提高桥墩泥石流防撞墩的抗冲击性能,拟将废旧轮胎堆栈于防撞墩前,与之形成一种刚柔复合结构.并使用显式动力有限元软件LS-DYNA,通过对泥石流大石块的冲击过程进行数值计算,发现当冲击能量在轮胎的吸能范围时,其冲击力能降低80％.     

The economic impact of climate risks in China: evidence from 47-sector panel data, 2000–2014

Climate risks have significant economic impacts on the various sectors of an economy through direct and indirect channels. When aggregated, their impact can be underestimated or overestimated. This paper examines the impact of five types of climate risks on 47 sectors in China from 2000 to 2014 through the application of a threshold model. We find that: (1) the impact of the integrated climate risks index on sector output is linear. While rainstorms show a U-shaped relationship with output, the other four types of risks—droughts, typhoons, high temperatures and low temperatures freezing—have an inverted U-shaped relationship. (2) Climate risks indirectly influence sector output through capital stock in a significantly positive way. (3) The proportion of intermediate inputs leads to significant differences in the impact of climate risks on sectors. The results suggest that climate policies need to be sector- and risk-specific, as well as dynamic.

     

高能量冲击作用下淤泥孔压特征规律试验研究

以往动力排水固结室内试验,通常冲击能量不够,很难激发软土某些工程响应,对应加固机制难以发现。通过可提供高冲击能的多向高能高速电磁力冲击智能控制试验系统,针对淤泥类超软土进行静动力排水固结模型试验,获得了淤泥孔压等响应特征：夯击瞬间（6 ms）上部孔压增长及下降时间非常短,且其重复性好;初始两遍夯击结束后中部孔压变化呈双峰型,其时间间隔随着夯击遍数增加而逐渐变大,最后不复存在;每遍夯击瞬时中部土压均出现急剧增长与快速减小,增长幅度随夯击遍数增加呈减小趋势,但每遍夯完后数天内土压值均大于夯前值;每遍夯击孔压消散后最终值都小于初始孔压,说明在一定的排水条件下,淤泥这类超软土地基确实可夯击;夯击后残余应力作用机制存在,且其对沉降起主要作用,而一定静力荷载的这种机制不明显;排水板插设扰动效应不可忽视,但该扰动效应随软土埋深增大而减少。     

FDI对地区资源环境影响的研究进展评述

外商直接投资（FDI）的流入在为发展中国家带来资金和技术、促进经济增长的同时,也由于其趋利性以及发达国家与发展中国家在环境标准、环境管制和环保理念上的差异,为资源消耗与污染型产业从发达国家转移到发展中国家提供了可能。因此,FDI与地区资源环境的问题日益得到重视,逐渐成为国际社会关注的焦点问题。文章从宏观和微观两个角度系统总结了FDI对资金流入地区的资源环境效应,在此基础上对国内外学者在该领域的研究进展进行了详细述评,最后提出了未来FDI与资源环境关系还需要在环境管制、社会责任以及跨国公司的环境行为等方面加强研究。     

含水层对地下水热泵承载力数值评价及其实用化:以北京平原区为例

针对北京平原区的水文地质条件,运用地下热传递数值法评价了年内地下热量均衡、失衡两种状态下,各水文地质亚区单位面积含水层对地下水热泵的承载力,并利用多元线性回归方法阐明了承载力、抽灌井间距与含水层各参数之间的关系。研究表明:承载力仅与含水层厚度显著正相关,而抽灌井间距与含水层的渗透系数和厚度均显著正相关。研究结果为类似地区的地下水热泵定量规划提供了简捷的估算方法及参考依据。     

冲击荷载下玄武岩纤维水泥土吸能及分形特征

为研究玄武岩纤维对水泥土冲击破坏过程中能量吸收及碎块块度分布特征的影响,采用Φ50 mm变截面霍普金森压杆（split Hopkinson pressure bar,简称SHPB）试验装置对不同玄武岩纤维掺量的水泥土进行了冲击压缩和动态劈裂试验,分析了冲击荷载作用下玄武岩纤维掺量与水泥土吸收能、破坏形态和分形维数 的关系,试验结果表明：随着玄武岩纤维掺量的增加,水泥土吸收能呈先增大后减小的趋势,超过最佳掺量后,由于纤维-纤维薄弱面的存在,水泥土吸收能减少;冲击破坏后水泥土破碎块度分布是具有统计意义上的分形,冲击压缩试验中水泥土破碎块度平均粒径随玄武岩纤维掺量的增加而不断增大,对应的 值总体上呈现不断减小的趋势;在动态劈裂试验中,玄武岩纤维掺量在0～2.0%范围内,水泥土破碎块度平均粒径呈现上升趋势, 值不断减小,玄武岩纤维掺量超过2.0%后,平均粒径有所降低,对应 值增大。玄武岩纤维水泥土吸收能和 值之间有着密切的联系,冲击压缩试验中,吸收能在分形维数为2.20～2.26范围内呈先增大后减小的趋势,而在动态劈裂试验中,吸收能在分形维数为1.85～2.20范围内总体呈现下降趋势,两者具有一定的负相关性;合适掺量的玄武岩纤维对水泥土动态特性起着积极作用,通过试验得出玄武岩纤维的合适掺量为1.5%～2.0%。     

陇中黄土高原夏季陆面辐射和热量特征研究

利用兰州大学半干旱气候与环境观测站(SACOL)的观测资料,分析了陇中黄土高原夏季陆面辐射和热量收支的特征.通过研究不同典型天气条件对陆面过程微气象特征的影响,发现地表反射率在晴天会出现早晨偏大的不对称结构;晴天与多云天气相比不平衡量较大,而阴天时的阵性降水会使局地能量收支出现不平衡.利用最小二乘法(OLS)线性回归得到的夏季平均不闭合度是19.6%.在半干旱区云和降水对辐射和能量收支的影响不容忽视,达到约25%的削弱程度,比极端干旱的敦煌荒漠区要大,又进一步证明了半干旱区夏季的平均气候特征与云量较多的多云天气(5≤Mean total cloud amount<8)接近.另外,7月日平均波恩比最大是4.1,平均是1.95,比极端干旱区的敦煌波恩比小1个数量级,说明榆中所处的黄土高原半干旱区比敦煌所处的极端干旱区在气候上要湿润很多.     

The Econometric Assessment of Losses Caused by Water Pollution in Chongqing, Southwest China

As an important industrial city, Chongqing has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years, but at the same time the growth has been accompanied by serious pollution problems. Water quality monitoring shows that the waters of Chongqing are widely polluted. In this paper, the human capital approach is applied to assessing the economic losses and damages caused by water pollution in Chongqing. Based on previous studies and empirical investigations,water pollution-induced damage can be categorized into two general types: damage to ecosystems, including agriculture; and damage to non-ecosystems, including industry. The economic loss estimation of each type of the damage is conducted by taking into account a group of relevant parameters and methods.     

爆破冲击荷载作用下中隔墩岩体的动力响应与局部破坏机制

针对两侧深槽一侧已开挖形成临空面的中隔墩爆破开挖,分析了爆破冲击荷载作用下中隔墩岩体产生的振动、应力、位移等动力响应,并改善了爆破开挖方式,优化了开挖程序。研究表明,爆破冲击荷载作用下中隔墩岩体的动力响应是由于爆破应力波的反射与叠加;通过选取适当的预留岩体厚度,可以合理地利用爆破应力波的反射与叠加,削弱爆破冲击荷载作用下中隔墩的动力响应,进而降低中隔墩因爆破开挖出现动力失稳的风险,其研究成果对工程实践具有重要的指导意义。