Artist Dadang Christanto observes, “When everything is destroyed, you can’t put a price tag on the history, family and the land that is gone.” Hawarti laments that the descendants of the victims will “never know the history of where they’re from. They will never again see their grandfather's grave, because everything is under the mud.” What else did survivors lose? How might people be compensated for these non-material losses?

We see hot mud pumped into the river. According to news reports, “Protestors claim the mud is mixed with toxic gas that has contaminated the soil, water, and air.” How might such impact affect people far from the accident site?

Hawarti reports, “There hasn’t been movement by the government or health services to research the impact of this disaster.” What makes the health effects of eco-disasters difficult to track? How does the complexity and longevity of the task hurt victims and benefit those who caused the damage?