Climate change is one of the most important challenges of the 21st Century. As greenhouse gas concentration of the atmosphere has reached the 400ppm threshold of a 2°C global warming on 9 May 2013 and irreversibl...Climate change is one of the most important challenges of the 21st Century. As greenhouse gas concentration of the atmosphere has reached the 400ppm threshold of a 2°C global warming on 9 May 2013 and irreversible tipping points of the climatic system at some point of time have got even more likely, the question of the individual contribution to climate change becomes more and more virulent. For a long time, the absorption capacity of the environment has been regarded as limitless, and based on this perception, the economic entities used the environment for hundreds of years without constraints. Today, with progress of scientific knowledge, we are now aware of the possible negative impacts of climate change to environmental, economic and social systems on Earth. This awareness, however, did not lead to a significant change of individual behavior, because the perceived individual contribution to both the anthropogenic cause of climate change and its mitigation is still regarded as marginal. To encounter this misperception or “diffusion of environmental responsibility”, this article presents an alternative calculation of the individual contribution to climate change taking the incremental approach to a tipping point or a 2°C global warming threshold into account.展开更多
This paper reviews the development of the urban and rural old age security system in China, and discusses the challenges in the process of constructing a sustained old age security system. Althoughfunding gaps and emp...This paper reviews the development of the urban and rural old age security system in China, and discusses the challenges in the process of constructing a sustained old age security system. Althoughfunding gaps and empty individual accounts have imposed a heavy burden on the sustainability of China ＇s urban pension system, there is a relatively high coverage rate of 35.3 percent for urban workers. However, China＇s pension system provides low coverage ratefor rural farmers. The more rapidly aging population and lower incomes in rural areas pose challenges to the vulnerable rural househoM support system. The separation of the oM age security system between rural and urban areas also puts great pressure as a result of urbanization on farmers who lose their farmland. Therefore, it is urgent for China to speed up the reform o fits old age security system to provide an institutional support for its economic and social transition.展开更多
文摘Climate change is one of the most important challenges of the 21st Century. As greenhouse gas concentration of the atmosphere has reached the 400ppm threshold of a 2°C global warming on 9 May 2013 and irreversible tipping points of the climatic system at some point of time have got even more likely, the question of the individual contribution to climate change becomes more and more virulent. For a long time, the absorption capacity of the environment has been regarded as limitless, and based on this perception, the economic entities used the environment for hundreds of years without constraints. Today, with progress of scientific knowledge, we are now aware of the possible negative impacts of climate change to environmental, economic and social systems on Earth. This awareness, however, did not lead to a significant change of individual behavior, because the perceived individual contribution to both the anthropogenic cause of climate change and its mitigation is still regarded as marginal. To encounter this misperception or “diffusion of environmental responsibility”, this article presents an alternative calculation of the individual contribution to climate change taking the incremental approach to a tipping point or a 2°C global warming threshold into account.
文摘This paper reviews the development of the urban and rural old age security system in China, and discusses the challenges in the process of constructing a sustained old age security system. Althoughfunding gaps and empty individual accounts have imposed a heavy burden on the sustainability of China ＇s urban pension system, there is a relatively high coverage rate of 35.3 percent for urban workers. However, China＇s pension system provides low coverage ratefor rural farmers. The more rapidly aging population and lower incomes in rural areas pose challenges to the vulnerable rural househoM support system. The separation of the oM age security system between rural and urban areas also puts great pressure as a result of urbanization on farmers who lose their farmland. Therefore, it is urgent for China to speed up the reform o fits old age security system to provide an institutional support for its economic and social transition.
