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Abstract“China is by far the world’s largest importer of oil and emitter of carbon dioxide.” Therefore, clean energy development (CED) is of great practical significance to reduce carbon dioxide emission (CDE), ensure energy security, and achieve green economic growth. What is the role of CED in reducing CDE? Can CED, which requires significant investment, promote economic growth? For the above aims, according to the panel data of 30 provinces composed of accurate data during 1979 to 2016 and prediction data from 2017 to 2030 in China, this research employs “a non-parametric and additive regression model” to explore the linear and nonlinear influence of CED on CDE and economic growth. The results show that CED does not play an essential role in reducing CDE and fostering economic growth from a linear perspective; the influence of CED on CDE and economic growth in China’s western, central and eastern regions is significantly different from a nonlinear perspective. Hence, the Chinese government ought to fully play the critical role of clean energy in reducing CDE and fostering economic growth.

Wheat dwarf bunt, caused by Tilletia controversa K??hn (TCK), is an important quarantine wheat disease throughout the world. Based on published research results of the biology and the epidemiology of the disease, the main factors including temperature, humidity, snow cover, and their parameters relating to teliospore germination, infection and epidemics of TCK were determined. The geophytopathological models for the risk analysis of wheat dwarf bunt establishment were modified. Fifty-year meteorologic data from about 500 weather stations in China were used to calculate the probabilities of TCK establishment in different geographic sites with the models. The map that displays the establishment risk of TCK in winter wheat growing regions in China was generated by using geographical information system (GIS). The zones showing high, moderate, low, and very low, including no risk, of TCK establishment accounted for 27.33, 27.69, 38.12, and 6.86% of total winter wheat growing areas in China, respectively. These results will provide useful information to formulate quarantine regulations and wheat importation policy in China

Evaluation of the provincial industrial energy efficiency has recently attracted an increasing interest. A lot of previous researches were conducive to the evaluation of regional energy efficiency employing various types of DEA model. Using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and directional distance function (DDF) approach, this article constructs two models based on the total factor framework and analyses the energy efficiency and the energy-saving potential in China during 2008-2012; meanwhile, it combines partial factor energy efficiency and the total factor energy efficiency based on two models, and introduces the target energy intensity indicator measures the energy intensity efficiency of each province. The empirical study results show that in the target course of the study, east China is more effective than west and central China, thanks to the higher energy saving and emissions reduction in east China. The energy efficiency differences are significant among areas, and energy-saving and output expansions also have a great improvement potential. Thus, changing economic growth pattern from 'extensive type to 'intensive type' is still a strategic priority for a very long time in China.

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