Yes, Cok Gde Agung is definitely in a position to remedy the destruction of Bali arable land, but if he can lead (and he does), he cannot do it alone. He is fighting an up-hill battle not only against certain groups' huge financial interests, but also against local greed and the lack of education of the Balinese population at large.
I agree with you that one could be a bit puzzle about some of his writings: on the surface, it would seem that everything is fine about the Balinese traditions and culture. However, to a perceptive observer and social scientist such as Cok Gde Agung, there is a real crisis going on in Bali, which eventually could result in its demise. I've read part of his Bali: Endangered Paradise, and it is not exactly the rosy, superficial, and somewhat deceiving picture of Bali that most of us casually see every day. If you have a chance (and the interest), grab his book: I did and it really opened my eyes to another reality.
On the related subject, here is a picture of Cok Gde Agung, taken on August 20, 1992, when his father was still alive, and the King. This picture was taken at Lebih Beach, during a ceremony to ask Ida Betara Segara for the souls of those who were to be cremated in a huge Pelebon in Gianyar, three days later. The two other men in the picture are no longer of this world. On the left, a most extraordinary fellow and a good friend, Agung Gde (A. Gareth Roberts), who served as a interpreter between the Palace and Blair's film crew (Agung was fluent in all levels of bahasa Bali). On the right, also an extraordinary man who maybe does not need introduction to many of you: Lorne Blair.
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