Text of my ‘When Worlds Collide’ column published in Ceylon Today Sunday newspaper on 17 June 2012

I have a confession to make: I was once an environmental journalist.

With all good intentions, I thought I could help save the planet through my reporting, analysis and opinion writing in the media. I spent several years of my youth sincerely, passionately chasing stories about environmental problems – and solutions.

Luckily for me, and my readers, I realised my mistake after a while. I’ve been striving to see – and show – the bigger picture ever since.

As the UN Conference on Sustainable Development culminates in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the coming week, it is a good time to reflect how we got here, and what happens next. The collective journey thus far has considerably shaped my own career – even though I didn’t always follow the pack…

The conference is…