Publication & Working Paper:
[1] Urban Forests: Environmental Health Values and Risks (with Eric Zou, Jianwei Xing, Jintao Xu, and Fan Xia) [Environment] [Health] [Urban]
Review of Economics and Statistics, R&R
Latest Version | NBER Version | Random Acts of Medicine | Camphor Economists Circle [香樟]
Abstract: We study a massive urban afforestation policy in Beijing that planted 1/3 of a million acres of greenery in less than a decade. The policy reduces PM₂.₅ concentration at population hubs by 4.2 percent, the health value of which amounts to 1.5% of the city’s annual GDP. Rapid vegetation growth unexpectedly led to a 7.4 percent increase in pollen exposure, triggering respiratory emergency room visits, although the medical costs are outweighed by the pollution benefits. Urban forests are only partially capitalized in housing values, with buyers mainly appreciating proximity to green spaces but not the air quality improvements they bring.
Abstract: The trade-off between economic development and environmental protection explains why many environmental regulations fail in developing countries. This paper explores the potential of developing tourism to balance economic growth and environmental protection. By analyzing daily internet search data for over 1,000 tourist attractions in China, we find that air pollution significantly reduces tourism activities, implying that improving environmental quality brings significant economic benefits, which may affect local decision-making. Using the expansion of China's 5A-level tourist attractions as a natural experiment, we show that increased regional tourism resources incentivize local governments to reduce air pollution. The decline in pollution is attributed to lower firm emissions, fewer entries of firms in polluting industries, and higher environmental awareness among residents and policymakers. Our study offers a strategy to achieve economic development without sacrificing environmental protection.
Data: The core data used in this paper has been released in "Public Goods" section on my website. Citation is welcomed!
[3] Efficiency of Public Service Outsourcing: Evidence from Foreclosure Auctions in China (with Xinmei Yang) [Public] [Real Estate]
Draft Available on Request
Abstract: Using the judicial auction outsourcing reform in China as a natural experiment, this study examines whether public service outsourcing improves efficiency in foreclosure auctions. After outsourcing, the auction success rate increased by 2.4%, which only occurred under the revenue-sharing contract. The improvement was driven by reduced search frictions, better information disclosure of auctioned items and higher trust in private companies, not by lower auction prices or lower participation thresholds that may harm the principals. Between 2015 and 2024, if judicial auctions were fully outsourced to judicial auxiliary agencies, it would generate an additional benefit of 8.27 billion CNY for debtors.
Pre-doctoral Work:
[1] The Development of Biological Soil Crust along the Time Series is Mediated by Archaeal Communities (with Bin Song et al.)
Geoderma, 2024
Abstract: Biological soil crusts (BSCs) play an essential role in soil stabilization and nutrient cycling in arid environments, being a hotspot of microbial activity including soil enzyme production. However, the changes in microbial communities of the BSCs from different age are poorly understood. In over a 60-year dune revegetation chronosequence (2021, 2016, 1973, and 1962) in the southeastern Tengger Desert, China, we compared the development of BSCs and underlying sands using metagenome sequencing and enzyme assays. In both BSCs and the underlying sand substrate, enzyme activity increased along the time series but was always greater for BSCs than the substrate, emphasizing the potential for nutrient cycling activity. A clear trend in community composition and co-occurrence network complexity was observed in the BSCs: the family-level taxonomic network of BSCs became more connected in the older age BSCs, while in the substrate, there was no such trend. Unexpectedly, considering their low relative abundance and diversity, archaea emerged as major keystones in establishing community networks, being key to network stability. In the underlying substrate, by contrast, archaea did not play this key role. During the time series of BSCs, the dominant archaeal groups were Nitrososphaeria, Methanomicrobia, Halobacteria, and an unclassified Thaumarchaeota, mainly linked to functional genes related to carbon and nitrogen, such as CHB2, xylA, amyA, amoB, nxrA, nxrB, and nirB. This suggests that in BSCs, the key role of archaea relates to their role in nitrogen cycling. This perspective adds to the emerging view that archaea play an important role in community structure and function in dryland environments.
Abstract: Extreme temperatures threaten agriculture and exacerbate global food insecurity, yet their direct impact on dietary choices remains poorly understood. We provide the first evidence of how short-term exposures to hot or cold weather may affect macronutrient intake in China. We find that hot weather reduces carbohydrate and protein consumption but not fat intake, while cold weather increases all nutrient intakes, particularly fats. Both conditions elevate high-fat diet risks. Fans, air conditioners, and heating systems mainly mitigate these effects by altering thermal comfort, whereas refrigerators, which primarily serve to store food, show minimal impact. These results suggest that temperatures may influence dietary patterns more through physiological appetite regulation than food accessibility. Socioeconomic disparities are evident, with rural and less-educated individuals more likely to adopt high-fat diets. Projections indicate that climate change will generally increase high-fat diet probabilities, with northern regions experiencing declines and southern regions rising due to differing temperature changes.
Abstract: This paper examines how extreme temperatures shape firm entry decisions and industrial geography. Leveraging comprehensive firm registration data from China, we identify an inverted U-shaped relationship between temperature and firm entry, while firm exit remains largely unresponsive. Sector analyses reveal that temperature extremes suppress firm entry in agriculture and industry through production shocks, and in services through demand-side spillovers. Firms also adapt by shifting equity investments toward new firm establishments in regions with milder climates. Climate projections indicate that ongoing warming will significantly reshape industrial geography, with warmer regions experiencing greater losses. These findings highlight firm location choice as a critical channel of climate adaptation and underscore the role of temperature risk in driving long-term spatial economic change.