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Oct 21, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Free rent in an ecovillage for a year? (Documentary project)

Are you a passionate and knowledgeable permaculturalist? Would you like to live in a developing ecovillage for a year ‘rent free’ as part of a documentary project? Do you want to explore a life of frugal abundance? If so, read on! Over the last 12 months the Simplicity Institute has been involved in the development of an ecovillage permaculture farm in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia (about 1 hour 45... read more

Oct 1, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

The Divestment Movement

Below I’ve posted the introduction to a new MSSI Issues paper, “Fossil Free: The Development and Significance of the Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement“, which I co-authored with Kara Nicholson and John Wiseman. As the probability and risks of catastrophic climate change continue to increase (Potsdam, 2012; Christoff, 2013), fossil fuel divestment has become an increasingly important... read more

Sep 25, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Transcript of book launch talk – ‘Pioneers of the Deep Future’

Below I’ve posted the transcript of the talk I gave last night at the book launch of Simple Living in History: Pioneers of the Deep Future. Thanks so much to everyone who came. It was heartening to see so much interest in the book. PIONEERS OF THE DEEP FUTURE Good evening everyone. Thanks very much for coming tonight. It’s very good to be able to share this occasion with you. I’m not going to... read more

Sep 9, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

The Simple Life – Past, Present, Future

The following essay, by the preeminent historian of simplicity, David Shi, is the ‘foreword’ to my new book, Simple Living in History: Pioneers of the Deep Future, which I co-edited with Amanda McLeod. This essay provides a wise and stimulating introduction to many of the individuals, cultures, and movements that have embraced forms of ‘simple living’ throughout history and which... read more

Aug 30, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Simple Living in History: Pioneers of the Deep Future

Simple Living in History: Pioneers of the Deep Future, edited by Samuel Alexander and Amanda McLeod. Below I have posted the ‘Table of Contents’ and ‘Preface by the Editors’. The book is available here. Information on the launch is available here. Please share 🙂 ________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface by the Editors, Samuel Alexander and Amanda... read more

Aug 29, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Book Launch: Simple Living in History

In a few weeks I’ll be launching my new book, Simple Living in History: Pioneers of the Deep Future, which I co-edited with Amanda McLeod. The book brings together 26 chapters, from different authors, discussing the most prominent individuals, cultures, and movements that have embraced forms of ‘simple living’ throughout history (see table of contents below). The book is being launched by... read more

Jul 22, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Composting Toilets made from Wheelie Bins

I just read a post on composting toilets on the Permaculture Research Institute and remembered that I never posted about the composting toilets I made last year (for various projects) based on a similar principles, but a distinct design. Below I offer a few words of introduction and then post photos of the building process with instructions. As part of various projects that I’ve helped organise over the... read more

May 30, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

New Book Review of Samuel Alexander’s ‘Entropia’

Below I have posted a new review of my last book, Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation. The review is by Dr Pete Burdon and it appeared in Arena. Book Review: Entropia – Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation, by Samuel Alexander Review by Dr Peter D. Burdon Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek has commented that it is easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism or... read more

Mar 13, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Essays on Frugal Abundance (2 of 4) by Serge Latouche

The Simplicity Institute has just published the second of Serge Latouche’s “Essays on Frugal Abundance.” I have posted a short excerpt below, and the full essay is available here. In these essays, Latouche responds to common misunderstandings and controversies around the notion of degrowth. Degrowth means unemployment For the advocates of growth, or in fact for ordinary people in modern... read more

Feb 25, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Our Beautiful Cob Cabin: Building with Mud

In recent months I’ve posted about the ‘simpler way’ demonstration project I’m helping develop out in Gippsland, Victoria. It continues to be an exciting, enriching, and evolving project. To complement the Earthship we built in December, we’ve just completed (almost) a beautiful new cob cabin – see pictures below. The foundations and walls of this natural building were... 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.