We examine convergence in carbon dioxide emissions among 128 countries for the period 1960-2003 by means of a new methodology introduced by Phillips and Sul (Econometrica, 2007). Contrary to previous studies, our approach allows us to examine for evidence of club convergence, i.e. identify groups of countries that converge to different equilibria. Our results suggest convergence in per capita C...

Since 1970, vehicle’s exhaust pollutions have received increasing attention as a source of air pollution at both local (human health concerns) and global (global warming) scales. This study mainly discusses diesel and gasoline vehicles because, today, over 90% of vehicles on the road use gasoline and diesel fuels. The major concerns of gasoline exhaust contaminants are carbon monoxide (CO), hyd...

We present a new calculation of Australia’s ecological footprint. Modifications have been made to the concept as originally proposed, in response to its perceived shortcomings: rather than characterising the consumption of the Australian population in terms of appropriated ‘bioproduction’ at world-average productivity, a regional, disturbance-based approach is taken, including actual Australian...

Agricultural soils are important sources of atmospheric N2O and CO2. However, in boreal agro-ecosystems the contribution of the winter season to annual emissions of these gases has rarely been determined. In this study, soil N2O and CO2 fluxes were measured for 6 years in a corn-soybean-wheat rotation in northeast China to quantify the contribution of wintertime N2O and CO2 fluxes to annual emi...

From the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (VCPOL) held in 1985 to the joint United Nations Convention of Climate Change held in 2010, environmental protection has become increasingly urgent. In 2011, the International Standards Organization launched a new energy management system ISO50001 for improving energy efficiency. As an adjunct to these increasingly stringent inter...

Based on unique data from a world-wide survey of agents involved in international climate policy, this paper empirically analyzes the importance of equity in this field. We find that equity issues are considered highly important in international climate negotiations and that the polluter-pays rule and the accompanying poor losers rule are the most widely accepted equity principles. Our economet...

Climate change occurs as a result of absorption of infrared radiation which heats the atmosphere. Greenhouse gas emissions can increase the earth’s average temperatures since the majority of greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2). Fossil fuels have historically played a major role as the world’s primary source of energy and will continue to assume that role for at least the next few decades....