To fully implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the symposium on deeply promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, following the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment jointly issued the Action Plan for the Protection and Restoration of the Yangtze River, on December 31, 2018, and after the Ministry of Natural Resources issued the Notice on the Ecological Restoration of Abandoned Opencast Mines in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Program on April 25 this year, recently Ministry of Natural Resources, the General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and jointly issued the "letter on accelerating the implementation of the national open-pit mine comprehensive remediation work", requiring the full implementation of the State Council on the "three-year action plan to win the Blue Sky Defense War" (Guo Fa [2018] No. 22) in four aspects, to promote the deployment arrangements made by the comprehensive remediation of open-pit mines to ensure the successful completion of the remediation work in 2020. In this regard, we would like to discuss the historical origin, theoretical logic and practical significance of ecological remediation of abandoned mines, in order to educate experts and industry professionals in this field.

The historical logic of mine ecological restoration

The development of human civilization has gone through several stages: primitive civilization (fishing and hunting civilization), agricultural civilization, industrial civilization and ecological civilization, while mining development and mineral utilization are the direct drivers of the progress of human civilization.

(i) Mining development and the utilization of minerals were the direct drivers of the industrial revolution

About 10,000 years ago, the use of various metal tools such as bronze and iron greatly enhanced man's ability to transform nature, and the first major turn in human civilization occurred, from a primitive civilization (fishing and hunting civilization) to an agricultural civilization.

With the establishment of the capitalist mode of production in Britain, together with the pearl of high-quality coal mines and moderate amounts of iron ore, the development of coal and the use of bioenergy laid the foundation for the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Thus, the second major turn in human civilization occurred, namely, the shift from agricultural to industrial civilization.

We know that one of the most important signs of The Industrial Revolution is the manufacture and mass use of machines.

To manufacture and drive machines, iron and steel as raw materials and coal (energy) used as power are needed, while smelting iron and steel requires iron ore and coal. In addition to this, a large number of non-metallic minerals are needed, which are one of the most important elements in the industrial revolution.

(ii) Over-exploitation is mercilessly retaliated by nature
 

Over the past 250 years since the Industrial Revolution, the developed Western countries, which account for about 20% of the world's population, have consumed about 80% of the energy and resources of the total global consumption during the same period, and have successively completed industrialization and entered a post-industrial society.

When history entered the 20th century, people who were once intoxicated by the glorious victory of conquering nature began to realize that industrial civilization, while bringing superior living conditions to human beings, also caused ecological and environmental problems such as over-exploitation of natural resources, massive consumption of fossil energy, and brutal emission of industrial waste and exhaust gases, which exceeded the limits of nature and violated the laws of nature, resulting in resource depletion, as well as atmospheric pollution, land desertification, destruction of underground water systems, climate warming, glacial melting, and sea level rise.
 

After the 1970s, with the upgrading and adjustment of the industrial structure of the world economy, the western developed capitalist countries gradually transferred their industrial industries, especially the heavily polluting ones, i.e. "environmental hazards" from the developed countries to the developing countries, including China, causing a global ecological and environmental crisis.

While providing the capitalist market with cheap labor and natural resources, the Third World countries had to suffer the ecological disasters that the developed capitalist countries had suffered.
 

In China, since the reform and opening up, thanks to the large-scale development of resources, our economy has developed rapidly, and we have created an amazing miracle by rapidly completing the development tasks of other countries for hundreds of years in a few decades, and the total economic volume has ranked second in the world.
 

But while we are enjoying the fruits of economic development, we are also suffering from the side effects brought by these developments. Due to the long-term rough and compressed development, the mode of production shows the characteristics of high input, high consumption, high emissions, and no recycling, especially in many places and areas did not deal with the relationship between economic development and ecological and environmental protection, to uncontrolled consumption of resources and destruction of the environment in exchange for economic development, leading to the emergence of environmental problems in China in stages during the industrialization of developed countries in the last century. Energy and other mineral resources consumption is growing too fast, the cost of resources and environment is too high, the pressure on resource and environmental protection is increasing, and ecological and environmental problems are becoming increasingly prominent. If this old way of economic development is not changed, it will be difficult for the resources and environment to support the sustainable development of China.

Taking the ecological damage of mines in the Yangtze River Economic Belt as an example-

According to statistics from previous years, there are 901 mines in the Yangtze River Economic Zone, including 120 large mines, 195 medium-sized mines, and 586 small mines. In terms of mine types, the top 5 are phosphate mines (137), iron ore (120), ≥ 10 million tons of coal mines (111), fluorspar (100), and copper mines (85).

Experts analyze that the damage to the ecological environment of mines in the Yangtze River Economic Zone mainly includes the following aspects.

First of all, it poses a new challenge to the protection of key ecological space. A large number of historical mines have not only caused large areas of land destruction, but also the "point-line surface" pattern of development and utilization generated by mining activities can cause the destruction of wildlife habitats and migration corridors, affecting the integrity of regional ecosystems.

Secondly, it endangers the ecological security of the watershed. The ecological damage of mines includes physical damage and ecological function loss. The ecological background of the upstream zone of the Yangtze River Economic Zone is fragile, and soil erosion and desertification are serious. If long-term large-scale regional soil erosion is not controlled in time, it will easily lead to the rise of riverbeds and siltation of rivers in the watershed.

Third, it produces serious environmental pollution. Mine environmental pollution includes water pollution, air pollution, solid waste and soil pollution caused by the physical amount of damage and human health loss. Coal, non-ferrous metals, phosphate mines and other resources development brings environmental pollution problems prominent, including phosphorus mining and phosphorus chemical industry rapid development has led to total phosphorus has become the Yangtze River's primary excess pollution factors.

In addition, the impact of pollutants from mining activities extends far beyond the geographical and spatial areas of production operations.

Pollution management politics out of many heads, the phenomenon of small and scattered projects is widespread, headaches, headache treatment, the treatment of the foot is difficult to achieve the overall improvement of the ecosystem. Over the years, the historical debt caused by excessive development, due to the limited funds of local governments and other reasons, also makes it difficult to open the situation of governance.
 

(iii) The ecological environment has become a common concern of all countries

The global ecological crisis reflects the crisis of human living conditions.

Since the early 1900s, mankind has been reflecting on industrial civilization and has begun to reconceptualize the relationship between man and nature.

Since the 1960s, frequent and serious "environmental hazards", including air safety, drinking water safety, food safety, species endangerment, and global ecological and environmental crises such as climate warming, have aroused strong reactions and widespread attention in Western societies, and gradually attracted the attention of many developing countries, including China.

In 1968, the Club of Rome was founded by more than 30 scientists, economists and entrepreneurs from 10 countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, Italy and Switzerland.

In 1969, the Nixon administration of the United States enacted the world's first National Environmental Policy Act, which aimed to prevent and eliminate human harm to the environment and maintain harmony between humans and the environment.
 

In 1971, Greenpeace International was born.

In March 1972, the Club of Rome published "The Limits to Growth", which illustrated the devastating effects of the economic growth model characterized by the industrial revolution on the planet and on humanity itself.
 

In June 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held in Sweden, and the United Nations Environment Programme was established.

In 1984, the United Nations established the Century Commission on Environment and Development, which first proposed "sustainable development".

In 1992, the United Nations convened the Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with representatives from 176 countries, including 118 heads of state, attending this meeting. The Conference adopted the Rio de Janeiro Declaration and Agenda 21, and signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

It is against this background that human beings began to reflect on their own development model. In the West, everyone from politicians to the public demanded that human beings should take ecological interests into account while developing themselves, and various ecological social trends were born.

In China, in the face of the increasingly severe situation and reality of "tightening resource constraints, serious environmental pollution and degradation of the ecosystem", our government is fully aware that, under the double constraints of the current international political environment and our natural environment, the road to modernization in China can no longer replicate the traditional path of industrialization once taken by the developed countries in the West, and must explore a new model of economic development and civilizational development.

Drawing on the experience and lessons learned from western developed countries in environmental governance, and taking into account the level of industrialization as well as ecological and environmental realities, China has promptly formulated a series of regulations and standards covering mineral development, marine environment, soil and water conservation, air pollution, grassland and forest protection, animal protection, pesticide and radioactive substance management, sewage management, clean production and other professional laws and regulations, forming a relatively complete legal system for environmental governance.

The deep meaning of the reality of mine ecological restoration

(A) the inevitable requirements for building ecological civilization and beautiful China

At the critical period of economic and social development transformation and socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era, the Communist Party of China has made a major strategic decision in response to the development of the times: to take ecological civilization as a guide to realize the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.
 

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that moving towards a new era of ecological civilization and building a beautiful China is an important part of realizing the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
 

In the report of the 18th Party Congress drafted by Xi Jinping, the construction of ecological civilization became an important part of the governance of the country and was incorporated into the "five-in-one" overall layout of the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics, and for the first time, "beautiful China" was set as the grand goal of ecological civilization construction.

The Constitution of the Communist Party of China (Amendment), adopted at the 18th Party Congress, includes "the CPC leads the people in building a socialist ecological civilization" in the Party Constitution. This is the first time in the world that the CPC has incorporated the construction of ecological civilization into the action program of a political party, especially the ruling party.

At the same time, the Party's nineteenth report clearly put forward, adhere to the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, the construction of ecological civilization is a millennium plan for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, is one of the basic strategies to adhere to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

These ideas manifest the Chinese Communists' profound understanding of the laws of development of human civilization, and also point the direction for the scientific, green and sustainable development of China's mining industry in the new era.
 

Ecological civilization embodies a holistic view of co-creating a harmonious earth, a new concept that crosses the traditional Western development path, and thus attracts global attention.
 

In February 2013, the 27th Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme adopted a draft decision to promote the concept of ecological civilization in China, which signifies the recognition and support of the international community.
 

Three years later, in 2016, the United Nations Environment Programme released another report, "Green Water, Green Mountains are Golden Mountains: China's Ecological Civilization Strategy and Action". China's concept of ecological civilization is providing important lessons for sustainable development around the world.
 

In the afternoon of March 5, 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping, while attending the deliberations of the Inner Mongolia delegation at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress, proposed to strengthen the construction of ecological civilization "four one": in the "five in one" overall layout of ecological civilization is one of them, in the new era to adhere to and develop the basic strategy of socialism with Chinese characteristics to adhere to the harmonious coexistence of man and nature is one of the basic strategy, in the new development concept of green is one of the major ideas, in the three major battles of pollution prevention and control is one of the major battles.
 

These "four ones" reflect our party's grasp of the laws of ecological civilization construction, reflecting the status of ecological civilization construction in the development of the party and state in the new era, reflecting the party's deployment and requirements for building ecological civilization.

(2) The inevitable requirement of implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's "Two Mountains Theory"

1. Proposal of "Two Mountain Theory

On August 15, 2005, Comrade Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, came to Yu Village in Tianhuangping Town, Anji County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, to conduct research. When he heard that the village was determined to shut down the quarry, stop the cement plant, and now rely on the development of ecological tourism to make farmers rich from the scenery, Comrade Xi Jinping was very happy and gave a high degree of recognition.

Comrade Xi Jinping said, "Determined to stop some mines, this is a brilliant move. Green water and green mountains is the silver mountain of gold. We used to talk about both green water and green mountains, but also the golden mountain silver mountain, in fact, green water and green mountains is the golden mountain silver mountain. In itself, it has gold content."
 

Nine days after researching Yu Village, Xi Jinping published a short commentary on "Green Water and Green Mountains are also Golden Mountains" under the pseudonym "Zhexin" on the front page of Zhejiang Daily's "Zhijiang New Language" column.
 

The text states, "We pursue the harmony of man and nature, economic and social harmony, in layman's terms, both green water and green mountains, but also the silver mountain of gold."
 

He further discussed the dialectical relationship between green water and green mountains and golden mountains, "Green water and green mountains can bring golden mountains and silver mountains, but golden mountains and silver mountains cannot buy green water and green mountains. Green water and green mountains and golden mountains can produce both contradictions and dialectical unity."
 

In a speech at Renmin University of China on March 8, 2006, Xi Jinping focused on the dialectical unity between these "two mountains" -

The first stage: is to use the green water and green mountains to exchange for the silver mountain of gold, do not consider or rarely consider the carrying capacity of the environment, bent on demanding resources.
 

The second stage: is not only to Jinshan silver mountain, but also to keep the green mountains, this time the contradiction between economic development and resource scarcity, environmental degradation began to highlight, people realize that the environment is the fundamental of our survival and development, to keep the green mountains in order to have wood to burn.
 

The third stage: is to realize that the green mountains and green water can continuously bring the silver mountain of gold, green mountains and green water itself is the silver mountain of gold, we planted evergreen trees is the money tree, ecological advantages into economic advantages, the formation of a comprehensive, harmonious and unified relationship, this stage is a higher realm, reflecting the requirements of the scientific concept of development, reflecting the development of circular economy, the concept of building a resource-saving and environment-friendly society.
 

These three stages are the process of economic growth transformation, the process of continuous progress in the concept of development, and the process of continuous adjustment and harmony in the relationship between human beings and nature.
 

The "two mountains theory" has become the core content of Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thought.
 

2. Development of the "Two Mountain Theory
 

On September 7, 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping gave a speech and answered questions from students at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, and when talking about environmental protection, he pointed out, "We want both green water and green mountains and golden mountains and silver mountains. It is better to have green water and green mountains than golden mountains, and green water and green mountains are golden mountains."

On October 18, 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 19th Party Congress that to adhere to the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, we must establish and practice the concept of "green water and green hills are golden mountains" and adhere to the basic state policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment. Treat the ecological environment as if it were life.
 

(C) ecological restoration is an inevitable requirement for reshaping the image of the mining industry

The mining industry has made a great contribution to the development of the Republic in the course of history. The basic and strategic position of mining is irreplaceable, and human economic and social activities can never be separated from the mineral resources guarantee and support.
 

However, it should also be seen that the traditional, sloppy mining development model, especially the rush to quick profits, indiscriminate mining, caused great damage to the environment, so much so that when people mention the mine, it will be associated with waste rock quarries, foul ditches, air pollution, ground subsidence, dirty, messy, poor, black, bitter, dangerous, those mines depleted of resources were abandoned, but also left an environmental scar.

Ecological restoration of abandoned mines, or land reclamation, or building them into mine parks with scientific and cultural values, or other public welfare facilities, and cultivating them into new industries and business models, so that they can regain their luster and become golden mountains again, which will not only help to change the image of the mining industry, but also generate huge socio-economic benefits.

(D) ecological restoration is an inevitable requirement to meet people's good life
 

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 19th Party Congress that the main contradiction in our society has been transformed into the contradiction between people's growing need for a better life and unbalanced and insufficient development.
 

Build a beautiful China and create a good production and living environment for the people. The modernization we want to build is a modernization in which people and nature coexist harmoniously, creating more material and spiritual wealth to meet people's growing needs for a better life, and also providing more high-quality ecological products to meet people's growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment.

In December 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping said with deep emotion at the central urbanization work conference, "We should rely on the existing mountains and water veins and other unique scenery to integrate the city into nature; let residents see the mountains, see the water, and remember nostalgia."

Building green mines and green mining, restoring the ecology of abandoned mines and recreating beautiful mountains and rivers is an important part of strengthening the construction of ecological civilization and building a beautiful China, a vivid embodiment of "allowing residents to see the mountains, see the water and remember their nostalgia", and a concrete action to meet the growing needs of the people for a beautiful ecological environment.

(E) Ecological restoration is a requirement for contributing Chinese wisdom to the world

Since 2 million years ago, the ancestors of the Chinese nation have lived, worked and reproduced on this vast land. China was the first country in the world to exploit and manage mineral resources.

Like many peoples in the world, the Chinese nation has been inextricably linked with mineral exploitation activities since its birth, creating a splendid mining civilization that has made significant contributions to the formation and development of Chinese civilization and enriched the treasure trove of the world's mining civilization.
 

Today, China has become the world's largest producer, consumer and trader of mineral resources, and is a pivotal mining power in the world.
 

In such a big mining country as ours, if we can find an effective way to completely solve the problem of ecological restoration of abandoned mines, and thus accumulate a whole set of theories, policies, technologies, methods and means, and then provide effective solutions for ecological restoration of abandoned mines to the vast number of emerging economies and developing countries, and provide Chinese wisdom, it will undoubtedly be a great contribution to the world.