Control of Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere by Carbon Sequestration in Degraded Mine Lands

Our world is in the grip of dangerous carbon habit and our dependence on carbon-based energy has caused a buildup of green house gas in the atmosphere.This paper focuses on the fact that coal will remain as the prime energy source in India and its demand will grow even more rapidly than in the past. It discusses about the land damage due to coal mining and increase of coal production for meeting the energy demand. The emission of CO₂, the principal greenhouse gas, is strongly related to the use of fossil fuels, especially coal, for energy production. Carbon sequestration on surface mine lands and forest production has been discussed in this paper. It examines the efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it within the terrestrial ecosystems, such as surface mine lands, which are intended to complement reductions in net CO_2’emission. Improved soil productivity is accomplished by reducing the net energy use by adopting energy conservation plans. Productivity varies greatly across mine lands and reclamation activities can either facilitate or hinder their utility for forest growth or carbon sequestration. The study reveals that, since the carbon content of mine spoil materials are very low as compared to undisturbed surface soil, the potential to increase the carbon capital of the reclaimed mine soils is significant. Forest species alter rates of both mineral soil and forest floor carbon accretion. Carbon accretion in mine soils and carbon sequestration scenarios in India are discussed in this paper. Considering the potential of mine lands to sequester carbon to offset rising rates of CO₂ in the atmosphere, it is anticipated to justify the change of current mine reclamation regulations and perceptions to allow loose dumped and degraded mined lands for forest establishment.