LIVE SMJ Eps.52 "Membaca Potensi Geothermal Gn.Ungaran&Ancaman Kerusakan Lingkungan Dlm Kapitalisme"

Overview: “Suara/SMJ Eps.52” and Mount Ungaran Geothermal

The live episode of “Suara/SMJ Eps.52” focuses on Mount Ungaran’s geothermal exploitation/exploration. It argues that, under capitalist governance, so-called green energy projects repeatedly generate environmental risks and social harms—while profits tend to flow to capital and risk burdens fall on local communities.

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Three “headline updates” before the main topic

1) Rice in Central Java

• Reported rice stock surplus: approximately ~1.5 million tons
• Yet market prices are rising, around IDR 15,000/kg
• Policy observer Emilda Tanjung attributes this to a systemic market/regulatory problem linked to liberal-capitalist mechanisms, implying the state’s market design is unhealthy.

2) Controversy over SKNC carnival in Pekalongan

• Some interpret certain carnival performances as resembling satanic/anti-faith symbols
• The segment frames it as “poison of faith disguised as aesthetics”
• The discussion emphasizes that Islamic standards should be used to judge culture, rather than treating art/tradition as justification by default.

3) GoTREN Phase 3 (boarding school visits) in Kebumen

• About 600 students participate in a program focused on character and nationalism through child-friendly Islamic boarding schools
• A commentary critiques the idea that such programs may shift responsibilities away from the state
• It also questions whether the right religious foundations (Qur’an/hadith/tafsir) come before life skills/economics.

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Ungaran geothermal: potential and project timeline (presented as background)

Biodiversity, water function, and cultural value

Panelists stress that Ungaran is not “empty land,” highlighting:

• Biodiversity, including:
  • Endangered Javan hawk eagle
  • Critically endangered tree frog
  • Various other species
• Water functions, including support for rice fields
• Cultural/tourism significance, including Gedong Songo

Working area and development target

• The geothermal working area (WKP) is stated to cover about 29,800 hectares across Semarang and Kendal
• Development target: ~55 MW
• Framed as currently in exploration/feasibility, not full operation

Exploration drilling and schedule

• Drilling depth: approximately 1,900–2,200 meters
• Target drilling timing: end of 2028 / early 2029
• Target commercial operations: around 2031

Delegation and permitting context

• A ministry decision in 2026 is presented as the basis for delegating the WKP to PT PLN (Persero)
• Additional permitting steps are still required, including:
  • Spatial suitability
  • Forest/land considerations
  • AMDAL
  • Other studies

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Local rejection and concerns (environment-first framing)

The discussion emphasizes that community resistance is broad and sustained.

Protest efforts and coalition involvement

• Protest activities include signatures and organized actions
• A Change.org petition is mentioned, with thousands of signatures
• Involvement includes residents, activists, environmentalists, cultural figures, artists, and youth movements.

Key local concerns

• Water security fears Ungaran is described as a major water catchment/supply (including dependence for drinking water in Semarang).

• Environmental risk Geothermal is not treated as automatically “clean,” because development involves drilling, infrastructure, access roads, land-use changes, etc.

• Risk vs. profit imbalance Even if impacts are “managed,” communities bear the risk while others capture profits.

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Core argument: “Green energy” geothermal can still harm—capitalism as the driver

Ustazah Hanifah Rahmah argues geothermal projects can cause real harms, including:

• Carbon emissions Using scientific findings from geothermal plants abroad to challenge the “always low-emission” myth.

• Toxic gas releases during drilling/extraction (e.g., hydrogen sulfide and others)

• Water pollution risks, including potential heavy metals in geothermal fluids if leaks occur (even under systems described as closed/binary)
• Ecosystem/habitat disruption from clearing and drilling, with possible impacts on wildlife
• Land subsidence, infrastructure damage, and possible induced seismicity
• Resource depletion (reservoir longevity/management issues)
• Economic and social harm, such as agricultural losses, job impacts, and water-quality risks

Ustazah Ratih Resptiani adds a political-economic critique:

• The Ungaran issue is not simply pro vs. con geothermal
• It is about how nature is treated when it becomes investment value
• Even stopping one project doesn’t fix the system, because incentives continue to drive new extraction projects

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A broader pattern across Central Java

They frame Ungaran as part of a wider development model across the region, mentioning:

• Other geothermal initiatives (e.g., Dieng)
• Broader resource/industrial investment plans such as industrial zones, mining, salt processing, fisheries, and spatial planning that distributes extraction pressures across many areas

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Islam’s proposed solution (paradigm shift)

Both speakers present Islam as offering an alternative governance framework:

• Natural resources are a trust from Allah
• Resources should be treated as public ownership, not privatized for profit
• The state (as ra‘iyyah/service, not merely a regulator) must manage resources to ensure:
  • Welfare
  • Fairness
  • Ecological protection
• Expert/scientific input is still needed, but governance should ultimately prioritize public benefit over capital accumulation
• They call for systemic change—referencing caliphate governance—and criticize “patching” harms through regulation/AMDAL without changing the underlying ownership-profit logic

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Q&A conclusions

They reiterate:

• “Green/renewable” labels can function as capital-friendly branding, while real benefit depends on who gains access and who bears costs.
• Under Islamic governance, decisions are not based solely on elite politics or solely on expert science, but on:
  • science informing decisions within a welfare-oriented mandate
• The real public need is not only energy generation, but affordable and fair access for society.

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Closing statements and takeaway notes

• Ratih’s closing: warns against focusing only on mitigating damages; society must challenge the wealth-management system that enables repeated exploitation under capitalism.
• Hanifah’s closing: emphasizes that Islam’s political economy is about who controls resources and why they are managed—public welfare and protection, not profit-driven extraction.

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Concluding “pen notes” (key summary in the video)

• Ungaran geothermal symbolizes how capitalism turns natural resources and living space into commodities
• Regulations and impact assessments may manage the “face” of exploitation, but do not change the underlying incentive structure
• Islam is presented as requiring systemic change:
  • natural resources as trust/public property
  • state management for public benefit
  • broader societal advocacy to abandon capitalist paradigms

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Presenters / Contributors

• Host/Moderator: Septi (also referred to as Mbak Septi, Ibu Septi)
• Co-host/Contributor: Kak Nawa Aulia (also referred to as Sis Nawa)
• Speakers:
  • Ustazah Ratih Resptiani
  • Ustazah Hanifah Rahmah
• Other referenced participants (news analysts/commentators, mentioned in subtitles):
  • Emilda Tanjung (policy observer referenced in the rice-price update)
• Community/chat contributors (mentioned):
  • @Atwa Aisyah
  • Adi Goldi
  • Etwidya Almahira
  • @w.introvert