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With regards to the low degree of digitization, lack of real geological terrain, and low degree of automation in the cutting process of the traditional virtual fully mechanized mining face, we studied the key technologies of virtual operation and cutting path planning of the shearer on the three-dimensional (3D) roof and floor based on the virtual reality engine (Unity3D). Firstly, the virtual 3D coal seam was constructed through the 3D geological coordinate data of the mine. On this basis, the shape function of the scraper conveyor with the adaptive configuration on the floor was constructed to obtain the combined operation of the virtual shearer and the scraper conveyor. The movement of the shearer’s walking and height-adjustment was then, analyzed. A strategy for automatic height-adjustment based on the adjustment of the direction of the drum movement is hence, proposed to control the cutting path of the shearer. Finally, different experimental schemes were simulated in the developed prototype system after which each of the schemes was evaluated using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. The results show that the proposed strategy for trajectory control can improve the accuracy and stability of the shearer’s motion trajectory. In Unity3D, the pre-selected schemes and digital and visual planning of coal production are previewed ahead of time, the whole production process can be mapped synchronously in the production process. It is also obtained that the virtual preview and evaluation of the production process can provide some guidance for actual production.

Environmental pollution damages public health and affects economic development. Environmental regulation is the main way for the government to solve environmental pollution. So what type of environmental regulation works better for public health and economic development? Can environmental regulation have an influence on economic development through public health? To solve these problems, this research uses China’s provincial panel data from 2013 to 2017 to divide environmental regulation into command-control policy tools and economic incentive policy tools and uses the mediating effect model to examine the relationship among environmental regulation, public health and economic development. The results show that: (1) There is a positive correlation between economic incentive policy tools and economic development; while no significant relationship between command-control policy tools and economic development is founded; (2) The relationship between command-control policy tools and public health is not significant, while the relationship between economic incentive policy tools and public health is positive; (3) Public health does not play a mediating role between command-control policy tools and economic development but plays a partial mediating role between economic incentive policy tools and economic development. Therefore, the government should strengthen the use of economic incentive policy tools to promote public health and sustainable economic development.

In order to identify ecological relationships of participating countries in the transfer system of ecological capital embodied in global trade, this paper takes the international trade of China and its partners from 2002 to 2017 as a case, and uses the ecological footprint (EF) measured by the optimized product land-use matrix (PLUM) method to quantify ecological capital for the value of macro-ecological resources, then uses the ecological network analysis (ENA) method to construct a complete transfer network of trade-embodied ecological capital and uses a utility analysis to identify ecological relationships between trading countries. Our results show that: (1) Throughout the study period, competition relationships with 61% dominated in the network, and the countries that have a pair-wise competition relationship with China are mainly located in central and western Europe, northeastern Europe, North America, southern Asia and eastern Asia. (2) Indirect utility determines the dominant ecological relationship in system, and it mainly converts dominant ecological relationships from control to competition by transforming exploit into competition. (3) China is looking to creating a more mutually beneficial trading environment at the expense of its own interests. (4) A global crisis event is likely to result in the control of ecological capital in more countries, and in its aftermath, the world is likely to be in a highly competitive environment. Reducing ecological capital consumption by improving energy efficiency and optimizing the global trading environment into a trading system dominated by mutualism relationships can be effective ways for countries around the world to achieve sustainable development post-COVID-19 crisis.

Abstract Trading energy efficiency (TEE) is adopted by more and more countries to cope with global climate change. This article studies the effects of TEE by investigating an optimization model, and several interesting conclusions are obtained. Firstly, it is observed in the model that TEE stimulates energy efficiency innovation, that is, promotes the firms to increase innovation investments. Secondly, it is proved that TEE reduces the marginal emission and total emission of the firms, while outputs are promoted by TEE. Meanwhile, TEE does not reduce energy inputs. Finally, TEE under carbon tax performs better than that without carbon tax. Based on these results, to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, it is suggested for the governments to adopt TEE with carbon tax.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the decline in environmental quality in India, China and Brazil is due to release of toxic gases which is an effect of high energy consumption? If so, the increase in energy consumption is due to rapid economic growth led by industrialization? Also examined is what effect does excessive economic growth rates have on energy consumption levels in these countries.

Abstract Energy efficiency improvement will reduce the effective price of energy services, and hence at least partially mitigate original expected energy conservation. Therefore, the magnitude of rebound effect is important for the design and timing of an effective energy conservation policy. Under the framework of translog cost share equations, we estimates the direct rebound effect for heavy industry in China for the first time by conducting an empirical research on the relationship between the direct rebound effect and the ease with which energy services can substitute for other inputs. Additionally, asymmetric price responses are specified in the model for the rebound effect estimation. Empirical results in our paper indicate that the rebound effect for heavy industry in China is about 74.3%. This reveals that energy efficiency improvement can save energy to a certain degree since the rebound effect is less than 100% (“back-fire”), but most of the expected reduction in heavy industry energy consumption is mitigated. These findings prove that energy pricing reforms and energy taxes should be further implemented to achieve effective energy conservation in China’s 12th Five Years Plan.

Introduction. The problem of Ukraine's economic development in modern conditions is directly related to the implementation of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement, so the national economy is facing new opportunities and challenges, including the lack of effective mechanisms to restrict timber exports. The research aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the export bans to the EU. Aim and tasks. The aim of the paper is to study the mechanisms of regulation of the timber market and their export to the EU. Results. The impact of the imposed moratorium on the declared goals is analyzed in the paper. Analyzed statistics show no effect moratorium on the reduction of deforestation and halt exports of unprocessed timber. It is also impossible to make a clear conclusion about the positive impact of the moratorium on the supply of raw materials of domestic enterprises woodworking and furniture industries. However, within the structure of Ukrainian exports, the share of products of woodworking and furniture industries has increased. This was due to the reduction of Ukrainian export volumes against the background of increasing the share of exports of timber and wood products, as well as the resumption of sales of the furniture industry. Conclusions. A study of the ban on raw wood showed that in general, the effect of the moratorium imposed is not obvious, since the number of woodworking enterprises has increased and the level of employment in these sectors has increased. Ukraine requires the adoption of a comprehensive targeted program that would combine measures to develop both the woodworking and forest industries. The national interest of Ukraine is the preservation and restoration of forests, and the moratorium introduced is an example of how partial, fragmentary unsystematic decisions are made. The practical significance of the results allows to analyze existing and find new alternative export balance, ensuring equal opportunities and non-discrimination between domestic and European Union market.

With respect to conventional energy, the significant advantages of new energy are the balanced regional distribution and the large resource extent which, to some extent, could be regarded as infinity compared with human's demand for energy. The development and utilization of new energy are beneficial to optimize energy consumption structure, to protect ecological environment, and to guarantee energy security. Accelerating the development of new energy industry is strategic choices of pulling domestic demands, cultivating new economic growth points, improving employment opportunities, and promoting economic and social sustainable developments. New energy mostly characterizes disadvantages of low energy density and decentralization, which are difficult to substitute for fossil energy on a large scale in the near future. More efforts will be needed in the aspects of technology, cost and management. In this paper, the development status and prospect of new energy were reviewed, and some suggestions were put forward based on the problems existed in the development process of new energy in China.