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May 15, 2023 Posted by Samuel Alexander

S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art

Over the last year I have been working on a collection of aesthetic essays called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. Although this project may still be a few months off completion, I’ve decided to start publishing essays as I finish them. Below I have posted the provisional Table of Contents for this project and the cover page. As I publish each essay, I will update this... read more

Mar 6, 2022 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Life in a ‘Degrowth’ Economy: Envisioning a Prosperous Descent

What would daily life would be like in a ‘degrowth’ economy? That is, in an economy seeking planned contraction of energy and resource demands in order to achieve sustainability, equity, and social wellbeing. In this presentation, I explore theses issues by seeking to envision what such a ‘prosperous descent’ might look like. This is Part IV of the Ecological Civilisation... read more

Feb 6, 2022 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Home Biogas Video: Renewable Energy from Food Waste (Ecological Civilisation Series)

This presentation is about making renewable energy in your backyard from food scraps. I provide an introduction to domestic-scale biogas production and provide an independent, four-year review of the Home Biogas system. This is Part I of the Ecological Civilisation series. The introduction is available here: This series will be grappling with the problems of consumerism and the growth economy;... read more

Jan 31, 2022 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Ecological Civilisation: Beyond Consumerism and the Growth Economy (Introduction to Video Series)

I have begun producing a free video series called “Ecological Civilisation: Beyond Consumerism and the Growth Economy.” The introduction is now available at the link below and more videos will be uploaded in coming weeks and months. You can support this new project by purchasing a Simplicity Institute e-book from the link below, available on a ‘pay what you can’ basis (the price... read more

Feb 25, 2021 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Beyond Capitalist Realism: The Politics, Energetics, and Aesthetics of Degrowth

I’ve just published my fourth book of collected essays, Beyond Capitalist Realism: The Politics, Energetics, and Aesthetics of Degrowth. I’ve posted the introduction below, which includes overviews of each chapter. The paperback is available here and the ebook is available on a ‘pay what you want’ basis here (you can edit the price as you like). Introduction ‘Capitalist... read more

Feb 11, 2021 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Urban Awakenings: Disturbance and Enchantment in the Industrial City

I’ve recently published a new book with Professor Brendan Gleeson, Urban Awakenings: Disturbance and Enchantment in the Industrial City, published by Palgrave.It is based on ‘urban tramps’ that we undertook in Melbourne, before, during and after the COVID lockdown. It also has 71 colour images, including a bunch from the great Australian treasure – the poet, cartoonist, and artist... read more

May 12, 2020 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Death for Gaia: Ecocide and the Righteous Assassins

In the middle of last year I finished the manuscript of a book called Death for Gaia: Ecocide and the Righteous Assassins, co-authored with Associate Professor Peter Burdon, of Adelaide Law School, Australia. Believe it or not, the book is a work of philosophical fiction about a global pandemic, although given the timeline any similarities with the existing situation are obviously coincidental. With the... read more

Dec 20, 2019 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Low-impact Christmas present ideas

Are you in need of a low-impact Christmas present idea? I’ve made most of my e-books available on a ‘pay what you can’ basis (including paying nothing). You can download here. Easy, cheap, quick, and low-impact. Also, in recent months I’ve collaborated with a bunch of top notch musicians to create an unusual musical production called “Dreaming Backwards, Falling Awake”... read more

Sep 17, 2019 Posted by Samuel Alexander

The Rebellion Hypothesis: Crisis, Inaction, and the Question of Civil Disobedience

Many of you will have read about the Extinction Rebellion that has been hitting the streets around the world in recent months. I’ve participated in these non-violent demonstrations, not because I agree with every framing, demand, or detail of this movement, but because I worry that ordinary politics is functioning to sleepwalk us all toward catastrophe. Therefore, I feel we need to experiment with... read more

Nov 22, 2018 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Book Launch: Degrowth in the Suburbs (6 Dec)

Book launch on 6 December at 5pm, University of Melbourne. A few weeks ago I posted about the new book I’ve published, Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary, co-authored with Prof. Brendan Gleeson. For those in Melbourne, the book will be launched at the University of Melbourne on 6 December at 5pm. David Holmgren, co-originator of the permaculture concept, is launching the book. If... 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.