Green and Bear It

Natural Awakenings. Sounds good, but how do we change from competition to cooperation?

Swami: First we must recognize that the biggest obstacle to a healthy ecosystem is an unhealthy ego-system.  That means switching focus from getting ahead to getting a heart.  Instead of pursuing happiness, we need happier pursuits.  The economic growth of the future is growing more happiness, by using fewer goods and creating more goodness.

Natural Awakenings. How about energy policy?

Swami: That is an area where we need to declare a state of emerge ‘n see.  We need to emerge from being a bunch of fossilized fools fueled by fossil fuels, and see that we have a virtually infinite source of power, just as surely as the sun comes up in the morning.  During World War II, the United States mobilized the Manhattan Project to build the first weapons of mass destruction, nuclear power.

Today, we need a Man-Helpin’ Project to mobilize our forces to weave a web of mass-construction … new clear power … clean, renewable energy so abundant we don’t need armies to defend it.  Now I know what you’re thinking.  I am proposing a sane world — I must be crazy!

But listen.  Maybe it’s time we went sane and built our own sane asylum.  With soul power and solar power, we pretty much have what we need.

Natural Awakenings. Finally, Swami, what do you suggest for improving the overall economy?

Swami: That’s simple.  Overalls.  The more people there are wearing overalls, the healthier our overall economy.  That’s because our most renewable abundant resource comes out of the ground every season.  Hey, those plants are rooting for us to achieve “humanifest destiny” — where we accept and fulfill our mission to regrow the garden from the grassroots up and have a heaven of a time doing it.

Swami Beyondananda is the alter ego of writer and humorist Steve Bhaerman, and can be found online at www.wakeuplaughing.com.  There you can find out about the Swami Goes Green campaign.