Samuel Alexander | The Simplicity Collective

Jul 3, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Resilience through Simplification: Revisiting Tainter’s Theory of Collapse

A society or other institution can be destroyed by the cost of sustaining itself. – Joseph Tainter I managed to write one final paper prior to the new semester beginning, this time on the subject of Joseph Tainter’s theory of complexity and collapse. The paper has just been published with the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and will be also published in two parts on the Energy... read more

Jun 27, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

But Can’t Technology Solve the Problems?

Continuing the Simplicity Institute’s enquiry into questions of technology, Ted Trainer has just published a new report, entitled ‘But Can’t Technology Solve the Problems?’ I’ve posted the first few paragraphs below and the full report is available here. But Can’t Technology Solve the Problems? by Ted Trainer The ‘limits to growth’ analysis argues that the pursuit... read more

Jun 24, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Technology and Simple Living

Mark Burch was one of the first writers to guide me into the enriching depths of simplicity as an idea and as an evolving way of life, so I am very honoured to say that he has just published a Simplicity Institute report called ‘Twenty Questions: Technology and Simple Living.’ It’s a deep essay, full of substance and insight, which asks challenging questions about the role of technology in modern... read more

Jun 16, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

What will Rio+20 bring?

My article below, on the Rio+20 conference, has just been published on the Post-Carbon Institute’s Energy Bulletin, available here. In a few days the international community will be meeting in Rio de Janeiro to hold the most significant environmental conference since the Rio Earth Summit of 1992. As the planet’s ecosystems tremble under the weight of overconsumption, this conference surely... read more

Jun 10, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Life After the Peak

The following short article has just appeared in this month’s edition of Issues magazine (Vol: 99, pp40-43). It is adapted from my much longer article, ‘Peak Oil, Energy Descent, and the Fate of Consumerism,’ which is available here. The PDF of the article below is available here. Evidence is mounting that the age of cheap energy – the age of cheap oil, in particular – is... read more

May 30, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Voluntary Simplicity, Degrowth, and Peak Oil

Over the last few years I’ve written a bunch of papers and articles focusing on voluntary simplicity, degrowth, and peak oil. With the new university semester fast approaching, my time available to write long papers is going to diminish, so I thought I’d list my publications to date, with links to most of the full working papers, excluding book chapters. (N.B. The working papers linked below... read more

May 19, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Transition 2.0: A Story of Hope and Resilience in Extraordinary Times

Sorry about the late notice, but Transition Coburg, in association with Sharing Abundance and the Moreland Energy Foundation, is screening a film on Sunday 20 May (i.e. tomorrow or perhaps today, depending on when you get this email) at the Coburg library at 3.45 pm. We are showing the new film, Transition 2.0: A Story of Hope and Resilience in Extraordinary Times. If you are in Melbourne and would like to... read more

May 9, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Transition Towns as Resilience Pioneers

Dr. John Barry has just published an original and challenging new book called The Politics of Actually Existing Unsustainability: Human Flourishing in a Climate-Changed, Carbon-Contrained World. John was leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland for six years, and now is a Reader in Politics at Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland. Here’s the blurb of his new book: Going against both the... read more

Apr 29, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Can Renewable Energy Sustain Consumer Societies?

Ted Trainer has just published a new report with the Simplicity Institute, which explores the question of whether renewable energy could ever sustain consumer societies. My summary of Trainer’s report (see below) has just appeared on the Post Carbon Institute’s Energy Bulletin, which is available here. The full 22-page report is available here. A new report has just been published... read more

Apr 25, 2012 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Envisioning a Sustainable Urban Landscape

In my last post, “Urban Food Forests: A Policy Proposal,” I began by noting that relocalising food production – especially in urban centres – is absolutely critical to decarbonising our economies and making our communities more resilient. I stated that my vision of a sustainable urban landscape (a vision you might share?) is one where the streets are lined with fruit and nut trees,... read more

Invitation / Incitation

The Simplicity Collective is founded upon the idea that a 'simpler life' of reduced resource and energy consumption is a viable and desirable alternative to consumer culture.

Our position is that simple living will improve not only our own lives, but the lives of others, as well as help save our planet from the environmental catastrophe towards which we are so enthusiastically marching.

We must not just fall in line, then, and continue the march ‘business as usual.’ We must explore alternative ways to live. We must experiment creatively, like the artist. We must be the poets of our own lives and of a new generation.