Analysis on environmental effect of rural energy consumption and its influence factors

Emission factors were used to estimate quantity of greenhouse gas emissions from rural household energy consumption in each province of China. And the corresponding ecological footprint was regarded as the indicator of environmental effect. STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology) model was used to analyze the influence of population, affluence and technology on the environmental effect. The results showed that: (1) The difference was significant about the footprint of different energy consumed by rural households. The footprint of power consumption was absolutely dominant and the footprint of biogas consumption was the smallest; (2) The population size was the most significant positive factor of energy footprint. And there wasn’t obvious influence of affluence on firewood, straw and coal footprint. The influence on biogas footprint was significantly negative, but it was positive on the power footprint and the total footprint. (3) There was a great provincial difference about ecological benefits in technology which had large possible to improve. The results can provide a scientific basis for the strategy of rural energy-saving emission reduction in China.