Bioeconomy in Ex-Coal Mining Land

Bioeconomy is defined as knowledge-based production and uses biological resources or living things to produce products, processes, and services in the economic sector within the framework of a sustainable economic system.

Coal which is a fossil energy with bioeconomy seems to be two contradictory thing. In practice, however, this may not be the case. After the coal deposit is extracted from the bowels of the earth, the land should be reclaimed so that it can be used for bioeconomy. Moreover, in the future era or era of decarbonization, the use of coal will also begin to be reduced due to its bad influence on climate change and global warming. A number of countries have prepared systematic plans for reducing the use of coal and in the future to not use it at all. Indonesia itself is a coal producing country with the third rank in the world (after China and India) with more than 550 million tons of production, which is the largest source of state revenue from the mining sector as well as many environmental problems due to the exploitation of the coal. The ex-coal land should be reclaimed so that it can be used again for productive activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. Soil conditions after exploitation should be at least the same as before the coal exploitation. With its tropical climate, the bioeconomic programs should also be easier to carry out.

We are required to continue to learn so that we understand the changing circumstances, then understand the core of the problem so that we can do the best, including providing solutions. Sometimes a problem can be solved quickly, but on the other hand a problem needs a long and continuous solution. Factors of religion, politics, economy and natural conditions are a number of things that influence these changes. The problems of climate change and demographics are examples of problems facing humanity globally today and require gradual and long-term solutions. For the problem of climate change, in particular, a number of efforts have been made and seem to be getting more intensive lately.

In the future era, the combination of economic activities that are environmentally sound, but also capable of providing good economic growth or bioeconomy, with its premise on the safety of the earth, will greatly color human life. The high awareness of environmental problems distinguishes it from the exploitative economy of the past that left massive environmental damage. The financial economy or the financial sector but does not have an impact on the real sector, clearly does not provide benefits, even has repeatedly caused crises or has been proven to damage the economy itself. In more practical terms, the financial sector economy does not create new jobs. The food, energy and human goods sectors must be produced in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. For example, bioenergy as the best energy source must be continuously encouraged and improved, for a detailed explanation, read here.

Post-coal mining land is very minimal in nutrients and even acidic, so it needs preparation in the form of special treatment before being used for various purposes. This process can't be fast but also not too long, in a matter of 2-3 years the land should have been able to be used with the condition of the land or soil in good condition even better than before the coal mining activity. In addition to improving the physical and chemical structure of the soil, it is also necessary to add nutrients from organic matter. The use of biochar with its characteristics will be able to improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil, even with the addition of organic matter it will also fertilize the soil better. The biochar will also be able to last for hundreds of years, unlike organic materials that may need to be added periodically to maintain soil fertility. The best organic material for post-coal mining is livestock manure. This makes livestock ideally suited to be integrated into the post-mining reclamation program.

With a land area of ​​​​millions of hectares, the recovery of the post-coal land will provide environmental, economic and social benefits. Of course this is very strategic considering the environmental hazards due to environmental damage can bring much greater natural disasters. Livestock especially ruminants will be the best entry point or “weapon” to start the reclamation by using biochar as a multi-benefit material. After the soil is fertile, any activities related to agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry can be carried out optimally. Biochar in addition to soil improvement also absorbs CO2 gas in the atmosphere so that it is very good for productivity and the environment, especially the climate. Climate change has now become a central and global issue in environmental issues and even the existence of the earth so that the policies of countries in the world take it into account. Raw materials for biochar production are also very abundant, both from plantation industrial waste such as palm oil and from forestry.

One of the tasks of human life according to Q.S. Adz Dzariyat 56 that must be carried out is 'Abdullah (a servant of Allah who is always submissive and obedient to His rules and will and only serves Him). The task of human life is also as the caliph of Allah on earth. This can be understood from the word of Allah in Q.S. Al-Baqarah: 30. Man is the noblest creature among other creatures (Surah al-Isra ': 70) and he/she was made by Allah in the best form/event, both physically and psychologically (Surat at-Tin: 5), and equipped with various potential tools and basic potentials (fitrah) that can be developed and actualized as optimally as possible through the educational process. Because of that, it is proper for humans to carry out the task of being the caliph of Allah on earth. The task of man as the caliph of Allah on earth, among others, involves the task of realizing prosperity on earth (Q.S. Hud: 61). Therefore, the task of caliphate is a sacred duty and a mandate from Allah from the first human to humans at the end of the age to come, and is a manifestation of the implementation of devotion to Him ('abdullah).

Furthermore, Allah SWT also mandates humans to re-establish balance in the universe that has been disturbed by justice (Surah 55:8-9). Currently, when the concentration of greenhouse gases continues to increase in the atmosphere so that the earth's temperature increases, it will cause icebergs at the two poles of the earth to melt, raise sea levels, climate change, to change the concentration of the earth's mass point and shift the earth's north pole. The shift in the earth's poles will affect the circulation of the earth to the earth and so will affect the position of the earth in the universe. What happens if these changes continue or even accelerate? The balance of nature is disturbed, the sun rises from the west and at the end there will be a collision between planets and stars in the solar system and the universe, there will be doomsday. Carbon trading is one of the efforts to reduce these greenhouse gases, and as human awareness continues to increase, the price of carbon or the cost of compensating for CO2 gas has increased recently.

To reduce the earth's temperature, namely by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases. To reduce 1 ppm concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is equivalent to absorbing about 15 gigatons of CO2. Meanwhile, the costs required for mitigating major climate change disasters are estimated at USD 1.6 trillion to USD 3.8 trillion annually. To reach the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere to 350 ppm, it takes about 70,000 biochar the size of the Giza pyramid, assuming that fossil fuels are discontinued. With a Giza pyramid volume of 2.6 million m3 and an average biochar density of 200 kg/m3, the Giza pyramid-sized biochar weighs 520 million kg or 520 thousand tons. Great job of course. Biochar production should grow 5000 times from its current production capacity. With biochar the size of the Giza pyramid unit we need to build 4 pyramids per day (about 2 million tons of biochar per day) for the next 100 years and starting now. And the post-coal mining land is likened to a dead earth, while humans as caliphs on earth are ordered to prosper this earth by fertilizing the soil.