writing for self-discovery

I recently met the chief of Padangtegal village in Ubud who is trying to make a big difference in his community; and, if all goes well (and according to plan), change will come to the rest of Ubud and beyond:

The ballooning dilemma of trash and pollution has become a scourge on this island, once deemed a natural paradise. The accumulation of garbage on roads, in rivers and on the coastlines is not only an eyesore, but an escalating environmental and health hazard.  Plastic bags, foil wrappers, batteries, styrofoam and rubber tires are swept into piles, and then burned in close proximity to homes and schools, or dumped into streams or crevices that line sidewalks.

Unfortunately, the city of Ubud, one of the main hubs of Bali’s tourism industry, is a microcosm of this growing environmental menace. One has only to peek behind restaurants, hotels and businesses, to witness how…