Enviromental Awareness of the Baduy

Economic growth, viewed from the point of view of economics, physics, chemistry and technology has no discernible limit, must necessarily run into decisive bottlenecks when viewed from the point of view of environmental sciences. An attitude to life which seeks fulfillment in the single minded pursuit of wealth — in sort, materialism–does not fit into this world, because it contains within itself no limiting principle, while the environment in which it is placed is strictly limited.

This excerpt from Dr. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful conforms to the Baduy’s adage “Gunung ulah dilebur, Lebak tong diruksak,” which tell us all that we must not destroy the mountain nor ruin the valley. It is an old environment awareness of the Baduy that still upheld by now. Respectively, Schumacher’s warning comes from a scientific  view and the Baduy’s adage comes from oral tradition, told as sagas from generation to the next generation of the Baduy wisdom. Both have the same goal: Beware of our greed.

The economic development of Indonesia since its independence in 1945 has been in pursuit of catching a western materialism lifestyle. All resources, Land, water and air a claimed as the property of state and having purpose in bringing prosperity of all people. In practice, it is not true from case to case. The exploited resources are for “SALE” in the global market only to serve the more developed country to consume even more energy, to exhaust more consumer product that come from nonrenewable  resources. And the next generation of Indonesia are left with only a huge debt.

In 2009, at the home yard of the Baduy the Lundin Rangkas BV has signed a contract to explore the Rangkas Block of about 4,000km square. In early 2011 they have conducted the seismic test near the Baduy land, in Cisimeut, Lebak Province. As one of villager in Kampung Suminta told us that they are “keur neangan minyak!” (they were looking for oil.) Now we are still uninformed whether they will continue the onshore mining near the Baduy or they cancelled the project because of lack of evidence that the deposited oil is economically feasible.

Just to make this talking short, this activities near the Baduy land and near the protected forest of Halimun is against the Sacred Faith of the Baduy People and against the dreams of many people who want to avoid risking their environment in a catastrophic disaster such as happened in Sidoarjo because  of Lapindo Brantas Prroject.

If the government thinks that by giving the Rangkas Block exploited is a solution to the poverty problem of the people of Banten, how can we be convinced? Will the people of the land benefited at most?

Last but not least, be aware that a solution that create another unrecoverable solution is not a solution. The economic development in Banten must ultimately eradicate the poverty most of the people of Banten and most importantly giving direct benefit to the people nearest to the project.