Woody Harrelson was not an actor Friday afternoon when he rode his bike onto Joe Serna Jr. Plaza, but a man concerned with the world he lives in, and the world he wants to leave behind. More than 700 people turned out to hear Harrelson extol the virtues of simple organic living and what individuals can do to save the environment.

Harrelson is biking down the West Coast on the Simple Organic Living tour and making stops at college campuses throughout the course of a 1,500-mile bike trip from Seattle to Los Angeles, advocating kindness to the earth and the boycotting of big industry.

In his speech, Harrelson said that as consumers we must stop “feeding the beast,” meaning that every time we buy bleach, drink Coca-Cola, or buy polyester clothing, we support the big industry that is raping the earth of its resources.

“I look at the beast as being big industry and big industry in this country is not doing us any favors,” Harrelson said.

Harrelson said that from the moment he wakes up to the time he goes to bed, he lives organically; from eating a non-dairy, meatless diet, wearing organic clothing, living in a solar-powered community in Hawaii, to running his bus on industrial hemp fuel and vegetable oil.

“Instead of using petroleum for fuel, redwoods for paper and cotton for clothing, our country could use industrial hemp,” Harrelson said.

Harrelson said industrial hemp could easily replace paper and cotton without the destructive side effects of cutting down trees and harvesting cotton with insecticides.

“Growing hemp would benefit our planet and eliminate the cutting of redwoods and cut down on the pollution in our air and water,” Harrelson said.

Harrelson was unabashed about his lifestyle and frequently alluded to his fondness for smoking marijuana. He openly condemned the Drug Enforcement Agency for the drug war.”The government is throwing us in jail because we?re smoking some plant that makes us feel happy. We?ve got a problem,” Harrelson said.

The tour originally started out as a bicycle ride with friends, but has turned into a full-blown media event. Harrelson is using the tour to promote his Web site, www.voiceyourself.com. The site was created to provide people with the necessary information to live organically and to unite people with similar political and lifestyle views.

Eventually the site will provide information on where to buy organic products and where activists can mobilize and provide a forum for communal living.

Some of Harrelson?s entourage spoke as well, advocating consumption of organic food and the legalization of marijuana.

The point that each wanted to convey is that going back to a more natural way of living, and controlling our rights rather than letting the government control us could benefit everyone.