Community | The Simplicity Collective

Currently Browsing: Community

Mar 26, 2022 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Video – Ecovillage Future: And How Access to Land is a Barrier (Ecological Civilisation Series)

What is an ‘ecovillage’ and how do practices and values different from ordinary life within consumer capitalist societies? And what would the world look like if there were millions of ecovillages emerging to replace industrial civilisation? In this presentation, I examine these question and draw on research which attempts to measure the energy and resource reductions of ecovillage living.... read more

Oct 31, 2018 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Post-Capitalism by Design not Disaster: Creating Common Wealth via Degrowth

Two weekends ago I delivered a keynote presentation at the New Economy Network of Australia. I’ve had several requests for a transcript, so I’ve posted it below. POST-CAPITALISM BY DESIGN NOT DISASTER Samuel Alexander MELBOURNE SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE (Keynote address at the New Economy Network of Australia Conference) Designing the Descent Good morning everyone,... read more

Oct 18, 2018 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary

I’ve just published a new book, Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary, co-authored with Professor Brendan Gleeson, with a foreword by David Holmgren, and published by Palgrave Macmillan. (If anyone is interested in reviewing it on their website / blog, please leave a comment and I’ll send you a pdf). More details in forthcoming posts. This book addresses a central dilemma of the... read more

Mar 4, 2018 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Degrowth, Permaculture, and the Simpler Way (Collected Essays)

Late last year I published my third book of collected essays – and I never got around to posting about it. The collection is called Wild Democracy: Degrowth, Permaculture, and the Simpler Way and it is available here. My first two books of collected essays are Prosperous Descent: Crisis as Opportunity in an Age of Limits and Sufficiency Economy: Enough, for Everyone,... read more

Aug 6, 2016 Posted by Samuel Alexander

A simple life can be a good life

A couple of days ago the following article appeared in the Weekly Times, written by journalist, Sarah Hudson. Photo credit: Chloe Smith THERE’S a radical revolution happening in Gippsland. But you won’t find any weapons or angry masses. Instead, on an 8ha property outside Moe, there’s a community peacefully trying to find solutions to problems that ail the planet. Called Wurruk’an and founded in... read more

Jul 18, 2016 Posted by Samuel Alexander

The Third Age of Simplicity

I’m very happy to be posting a new essay by Simplicity Institute Fellow, Mark A. Burch. He’s been a bit quiet recently working away on some larger creative projects (more about those in due course) but below I’ve posted his new essay, ‘The Third Age of Simplicity.’ THE THIRD AGE OF SIMPLICITY, by Mark A. Burch The Third Age I propose that we think of our lives as passing... read more

Jun 28, 2016 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Residencies available at Wurruk’an ecovillage and permaculture farm (Victoria)

Wurruk’an is a small community of people living in West Gippsland, Victoria. For the last few years we have been trying to push the boundaries of environmental practice by exploring what it means to live in a deeply sustainable way. So far the community has built many demonstration “tiny houses” using a combination of reclaimed materials, cob, “Earthship style” rammed earth and super-adobe. As... read more

Jun 17, 2016 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Telling New Stories as the Old Book Closes

Today I am posting a link to my new essay, ‘Prosperous Descent: Telling New Stories as the Old Book Closes‘, which was recently published in the Griffith Review, Australia’s most prestigious literary journal. The essay tells the story of Wurruk’an, the ‘simpler way’ demonstration project that formed the basis of the new documentary ‘A Simpler Way: Crisis as... read more

Jun 6, 2016 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Compost Capitalism

I’ve had a handful of requests from people asking for a transcript of my short introduction to the film premiere last Friday (full documentary is now available here). I’ve turned my notes into a script which I think is pretty much word for word. Good evening everyone, a very warm welcome to you all, my name is Samuel Alexander and I’m very happy to be introducing tonight’s premiere... read more

Jun 4, 2016 Posted by Samuel Alexander

A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity (Full Documentary)

Last night 300 people attended the sold-out premiere screening of the new documentary, A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity, which I co-produced with Jordan Osmond. After the film, David Holmgren and Helena Norberg-Hodge joined us on stage for a panel discussion which stimulated a great discussion. You can watch the film freely below and information on organising your own screening can be found here.... 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.