Faculty of Mathematics and Statistics, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China.
School of Mathematics and Statistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Sep;29(43):64665-64679. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-20233-x. Epub 2022 Apr 27.
This study investigates the impact of air pollution on residents' subjective happiness, using data from the China General Social Survey for 2013, 2015, and 2017, regional air pollution, and socioeconomic indicators. We find that air pollution has a negative effect on residents' subjective happiness. Specifically, the average marginal effect of the logarithm of SO emissions on happiness is -0.0099 and significant at the 1% level; namely, a one-unit increase in [Formula: see text] will reduce the likelihood of residents feeling happy by 0.99%. This negative effect is greater for those who have children, are old, or have a higher level of education. We also empirically test two mechanisms by which air pollution affects subjective happiness-depressed mood and leisure activities outside the home-and demonstrate that environmental regulation can moderate the negative impact of air pollution on happiness, but the moderating effects are nonlinear. Environmental governance investments are more effective at the low level, pollutant discharge fees are more effective at the medium level, and complaints about environmental pollution are more effective at the high level. As well as enriching theoretical insights into the relationship between air pollution and happiness, this study provides a valuable reference for developing more suitable policies in relation to environmental management and national happiness.
本研究使用 2013、2015 和 2017 年中国综合社会调查的数据、区域空气污染和社会经济指标，调查了空气污染对居民主观幸福感的影响。我们发现空气污染对居民主观幸福感有负面影响。具体来说，SO 排放量的对数对幸福感的平均边际效应为-0.0099，在 1%的水平上显著；即，[Formula: see text]每增加一个单位，居民感到幸福的可能性就会降低 0.99%。这种负面影响在有孩子、年龄较大或教育程度较高的人群中更大。我们还通过实证检验了空气污染影响主观幸福感的两种机制——抑郁情绪和家庭以外的休闲活动——并表明环境监管可以调节空气污染对幸福感的负面影响，但调节效应是非线性的。环境治理投资在低水平时效果更好，排污费在中等水平时效果更好，而对环境污染的投诉在高水平时效果更好。本研究丰富了空气污染与幸福感之间关系的理论见解，为环境管理和国家幸福感方面制定更合适的政策提供了有价值的参考。
