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Feb 22, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

New Book Review of “Entropia”

A new review of my book Entropia: Life beyond Industrial Civilisation has appeared in the journal, Environmental Values. The review is written by an academic from the Netherlands, Dr Marius de Geus, who is the world’s leading scholar on ecological utopias. He has written several (highly recommended) books, including Ecological Utopias: Envisioning the Sustainable Society and The End of... read more

Jan 27, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Simple Living in the City

The Sustainable Living Festival is coming up again in Melbourne (Feb 8-23). I’ve posted some details below about some simplicity related events, as well as a call out for anyone who might be able to help volunteer for an hour or two on one of the days. Sustainable Living Festival stall – volunteers needed The Simplicity Institute and Greg Foyster (author of a book about simple living, Changing... read more

Jan 20, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Book Reviews of “The Hidden Door” by Mark Burch

Below I’ve posted two book reviews of Mark A. Burch’s latest book, The Hidden Door: Mindful Sufficiency as an Alternative to Extinction. Book Review: The Hidden Door: Mindful Sufficiency as an Alternative to Extinction, by Mark A. Burch Reviewed by: Rodney Kueneman, Associate Professor, Sociology, University of Manitoba. Reading and reflecting on this book provides an opportunity for a... read more

Jan 17, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

A Limits to Growth Critique of the Radical Left

I am pleased to announce the publication of Ted Trainer’s insightful new Simplicity Institute Report, “A Limits to Growth Critique of the Radical Left: The Need to Embrace the Simpler Way”. Not only does this essay present a powerful challenge to the strategies typically embraced by the radical left, Trainer prefaces his substantive analysis with a pithy restatement of the ‘limits to growth’... read more

Jan 16, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Natural Building Workshop – March 2014

There’s a two week natural building workshop coming up this March, an hour and a half out of Melbourne. For those interested, details below: Agari Farm and Mud Mob Natural Building Collective are running a 2 week natural building and healing workshop in March aiming to teach people to build low cost homes with natural and reclaimed materials (Earthbag, Cob, Wattle and Daub, Light Earth, Reciprocal... read more

Jan 11, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Voluntary Simplicity and the Steady State Economy

Mark A. Burch of the Simplicity Institute has just published this fine article in The Daly News (CASSE). Voluntary simplicity is most basically characterized by the practices of mindfulness and material sufficiency. Through bringing mindfulness to our daily lives, we seek the maximum of well-being achievable through the minimum of material consumption. Well-being applies to all life forms on Earth, not... read more

Jan 8, 2014 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Radical Emissions Planning: Kevin Anderson

I’ve just watched these two clips below from Kevin Anderson, one of the most outspoken climate scientists on the scene today. As you will see, he does not shy away from radical implications of the numbers. Avoiding dangerous climate change, he concludes, requires degrowth in the wealthiest parts of the world, a conclusion other climate scientists (or any policy makers) have dared not acknowledge. But... read more

Dec 20, 2013 Posted by Samuel Alexander

A New Earthship has Landed!

A month or so ago I posted about the Earthship-inspired building workshop I was organising, as part of the ecovillage project outlined here. As you can see in the pictures, the build was a resounding success, with our new ‘mini-ship’ landing last week. This is the first of many alternative buildings we’ve got in the pipeline, with a more conventional mud house being built this coming... read more

Nov 21, 2013 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Building with Mud: Workshop in February 2014

I wrote recently about the Earthship workshop that I’m organising and participating in this coming December, as part of the ecovillage project which I’ve written about here. I’m happy to say that I’ve also just locked in a 6-day mud building workshop in February next year, with the amazingly talented and creative Kate from the Mudmob Natural Building Collective. She’s just... read more

Oct 25, 2013 Posted by Samuel Alexander

Want to help build an Earthship?

Earthship Workshop in December (Victoria, Australia) A couple of months ago I wrote about the ecovillage project that I am involved in, a project that is based on the vision of radical simplicity expressed in Entropia. I am uber excited to announce that our first build for the ecovillage is going to be an Earthship-inspired ‘mini-ship’, taking place this December in Victoria, Australia. Want to be... 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.