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# The Simplicity Collective

A Community of People Exploring a Life that is Materially Simple, Inwardly Rich.

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## Posts

- [Toward a Politics of Beauty (interview question #16)](http://simplicitycollective.com/toward-a-politics-of-beauty-interview-question-16) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. How do these ideas you are discussing lead to what you call a ‘politics of beauty’? I find Schiller’s perspective important not just aesthetically but politically. Modern societies
- [Freedom through Beauty (interview question #15) ](http://simplicitycollective.com/freedom-through-beauty-interview-question-15) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. Earlier we considered Schiller’s anthropological thesis that beauty gave birth to humanity. What did Schiller mean when he said that it is only through beauty that we arrive
- [The Poetic Conception of Life (interview question #14)](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-poetic-conception-of-life-interview-question-14) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. As well as music, you often speak of poetry and the poetic, which is perhaps not surprising since you are a writer with a love of language. Why
- [Music (interview question #13)](http://simplicitycollective.com/music-interview-question-13) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. In a body of work that celebrates art and aesthetics in all their forms and variations, music seems to hold a special place in your philosophical perspective. Why
- [An 'Aesthetic Justification' of Existence (interview question #12)](http://simplicitycollective.com/an-aesthetic-justification-of-existence-interview-question-12) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. Schopenhauer and Nietzsche are two thinkers who have a lot to say about suffering. What place does suffering hold in your worldview? And to what extent, despite the
- [Creative Evolution (interview question #11)](http://simplicitycollective.com/creative-evolution-interview-question-11) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. Your last words return us to the cosmological perspective, in the sense that it seems you’re saying that existence is inherently aesthetic and that this is somehow fundamental
- [Democratising the Poet (interview question #10)](http://simplicitycollective.com/democratising-the-poet-interview-question-10) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. If Henry Thoreau inspired some of these ideas, you also say that you go beyond him by seeking to ‘democratise the poet’ – and here the influence of
- [The Poet-Farmer (interview question #9)](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-poet-farmer-interview-question-9) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. You have mentioned this idea of the ‘poet-farmer’. Can you offer more insight into this character or archetype? To what extent is it indebted to Henry David Thoreau?
- [SMPLCTY (interview question #8)](http://simplicitycollective.com/smplcty-interview-question-8) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. Can you say more about your notion of SMPLCTY? In what sense does it signify an ecological civilisation? And can you explain the unusual spelling? SMPLCTY is my
- [Homo Aestheticus (interview question #7)](http://simplicitycollective.com/homo-aestheticus-interview-question-7) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. Building upon those ideas, you propose that humanity needs to transition from ‘homo economicus’ to ‘homo aestheticus’. How should we understand this transition? Is ‘homo aestheticus’ something that
- [Defining Art and Aesthetics (interview question #2)](http://simplicitycollective.com/defining-art-and-aesthetics-interview-question) - My friend and colleague Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. Before proceeding we ought to address some definitional questions in relation to ‘art’ and ‘aesthetics’. How should we understand these complex and contested terms?
- [Aesthetic Anthropology (interview question #6)](http://simplicitycollective.com/aesthetic-anthropology-interview-question-6) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. You have spoken of art and aesthetics but we haven’t yet discussed, in any depth, the notion of beauty, which you have mentioned a few times. In your
- [The Will to Art (interview question #5)](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-will-to-art-interview-question-5) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. Before engaging you on social and political issues, let us delve deeper into your notion of the ‘Will to Art’. This is perhaps the most obscure philosophical concept
- [The Apocalyptic Sublime (interview question #3)](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-apocalyptic-sublime-interview-questions-3) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. In the preface to your book SMPLCTY, you discuss the ‘apocalyptic sublime’. What do you mean by this intriguing but slightly unsettling turn of phrase? When I speak
- [The Aesthetic Universe (interview question #4)](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-aesthetic-universe-interview-question-4) - Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. In one of the early essays in SMPLCTY you engage the work of artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), but seem to push his aesthetic perspective a few steps further.
- [A Pessimistic Retreat? (interview question #1)](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-pessimistic-retreat-interview) - My friend and colleague Dr Simon Ussher has started emailing me interview questions about my recent books on aesthetics (see here). Over coming weeks I'll post my responses to his questions. You have spent your career writing about notions of voluntary simplicity, degrowth, permaculture, and energy descent. Why now, after twenty years of scholarship and
- [Game Theory and Degrowth's Dilemma: Why Embrace Degrowth if Other States and Societies Do Not?](http://simplicitycollective.com/game-theory-and-degrowths-dilemma-why-embrace-degrowth-if-other-states-and-societies-do-not) - I've just had a new article published in the Real-World Economics Review. It's called 'Game Theory and the Dilemma of Degrowth: Why Embrace Degrowth if Other States and Societies Do Not?' – freely available here (a couple of paragraphs posted below). The full edition of the journal issue is available here. I've also been given another 50 free downloads of my other
- [Sacred Revolt: Why Reverence before Restraint Transforms the Limits-to-Growth Predicament](http://simplicitycollective.com/sacred-revolt-why-reverence-before-restraint-transforms-the-limits-to-growth-predicament) - I've had a new article published called "Sacred Revolt: Why Reverence before Restraint Transforms the Limits-to-Growth Predicament." This is part of a forthcoming special issue of Psychoanalytic Inquiry. I've posted the abstract below, and there are 50 free downloads at the link here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/S2XES26C8EU6W4KB9WRM/full?target=10.1080/07351690.2026.2698342 The author-formatted version of the article is also available here. ABSTRACT: This article
- [SMPLE-KOIN: A Buddhist Cryptocurrency Optimised for Material Sufficiency within Game Theory Dynamics](http://simplicitycollective.com/smple-koin-a-buddhist-cryptocurrency-optimised-for-material-sufficiency-within-game-theory-dynamics) - I've just published a short new book, SMPLE-KOIN: A Buddhist Cryptocurrency Optimised for Material Sufficiency within Game Theory Dynamics. I've posted the blurb below, and the pdf is available here (on a 'pay what you want' basis, just edit the price as you see fit). It's also available on the major online book sellers if
- [Interview with Samuel Alexander](http://simplicitycollective.com/interview-with-samuel-alexander) - The following interview appeared originally in the Sufficiency and Wellbeing Magazine: Vlad Bunea: You write in Homo Aestheticus (2025): “Material abundance is preferable to material destitution, of course, but ultimately the superfluities of consumer lifestyles are spiritually beside the point, representing a failure of imagination, a mistaken idea of wealth and freedom. Consciously or unconsciously, most of us,
- [Creative Evolution](http://simplicitycollective.com/creative-evolution) - Recently I published Homo Aestheticus: Philosophical Fragments on the Will to Art, available at most online bookstores in paperback, hardback, and also as a pdf (on a pay ‘what you want’ basis, edit the price as you wish). In coming days and weeks I’ll post some of the chapters here on the Simplicity Collective. Here is chapter 3. Creative Evolution
- [The Will to Art](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-will-to-art) - Recently I published Homo Aestheticus: Philosophical Fragments on the Will to Art, available at most online bookstores in paperback, hardback, and also as a pdf (on a pay ‘what you want’ basis, edit the price as you wish). In coming days and weeks I’ll post some of the chapters here on the Simplicity Collective. Each chapter is a collection of
- [The Aesthetic Universe](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-aesthetic-universe) - Recently I published Homo Aestheticus: Philosophical Fragments on the Will to Art, available at most online bookstores in paperback, hardback, and as a pdf (on a pay 'what you want' basis). In coming days and weeks I'll post some of the chapters here on the Simplicity Collective. Each chapter is a collection of philosophical fragments,
- [Homo Aestheticus: Philosophical Fragments on the Will to Art](http://simplicitycollective.com/homo-aestheticus-philosophical-fragments-on-the-will-to-art) - In 2023 I published a book of political aesthetics called SMPLCTY: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art (the preface, ‘the Apocalyptic Sublime’ is available on Resilience here). In this large volume of collected essays I presented an ‘aesthetics of existence’, which arose out of metaphors of art and creativity, and I explored the relationship of this new aesthetic
- [Industrial Aesthetics: A Critique of Taste](http://simplicitycollective.com/industrial-aesthetics-a-critique-of-taste) - Below I have posted the latest in my collection of essays called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'Industrial Aesthetics: A Critique of Taste'. The PDF is also available here. ‘Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.’ – William Wordsworth Every
- [Answering Estragon: Art, Godot, and Utopia](http://simplicitycollective.com/answering-estragon-art-godot-and-utopia) - Below I have posted the latest in my new collection of essays S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called "Answering Estragon: Art, Godot, and Utopia." The PDF is also available below. Answering EstragonDownload ‘Vladimir: Say you are, even if it’s not true. Estragon:
- [Art Against Empire: Marcuse on the Aesthetics of Revolt](http://simplicitycollective.com/art-against-empire-marcuse-on-the-aesthetics-of-revolt) - Below I have posted the latest in my new collection of essays S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'Art Against Empire: Marcuse on the Aesthetics of Revolt.' The PDF is also available below. Art Against EmpireDownload ‘Art cannot change the world, but
- [Making Art While the World Weeps: Political Reflections on Aesthetics](http://simplicitycollective.com/making-art-while-the-world-weeps-political-reflections-on-aesthetics) - Below I have posted the latest in my collection of essays called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'Making Art While the World Weeps: Political Reflections on Aesthetics.' The PDF of the essay is also available. Making Art While the World WeepsDownload
- [S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Banish the Poets! The Power and Politics of Aesthetic Education](http://simplicitycollective.com/banish-the-poets-the-power-and-politics-of-aesthetic-education) - Below I have posted the latest in my collection of essays called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'Banish the Poets! The Power and Politics of Aesthetic Education.' The PDF is also available below. Banish the PoetsDownload ‘The development of man’s capacity
- [Bad Faith and the Fear of Freedom: Can Art Shake Us Awake?](http://simplicitycollective.com/bad-faith-and-the-fear-of-freedom-can-art-shake-us-awake) - Here is the latest in my collection of essays called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'Bad Faith and the Fear of Freedom: Can Art Shake Us Awake?' The PDF is also available below. Bad Faith and the Fear of FreedomDownload ‘Modern
- [The Politics of Beauty: Schiller on Freedom and Aesthetic Education](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-politics-of-beauty-schiller-on-freedom-and-aesthetic-education) - Below I have posted the latest in my new collection of essays called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'The Politics of Beauty: Schiller on Freedom and Aesthetic Education.' The PDF is also available below. The Politics of BeautyDownload ‘If we are
- [Giving Birth to Oneself: Ethics as an 'Aesthetics of Existence'](http://simplicitycollective.com/giving-birth-to-oneself-ethics-as-an-aesthetics-of-existence) - Below I have posted the latest essay in my new collection, S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'Giving Birth to Oneself: Ethics as an "Aesthetics of Existence."' I have also posted the PDF below. Giving Birth to OneselfDownload ‘In our society art
- [Homo Aestheticus, the Artful Species: An Evolutionary Perspective](http://simplicitycollective.com/homo-aestheticus-the-artful-species-an-evolutionary-perspective) - Below I have posted the latest essay in my new collection, S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'Homo Aestheticus, the Artful Species: An Evolutionary Perspective.' I have also posted the PDF below. Homo Aestheticus, the Artful SpeciesDownload ‘What are humans for?’ – Wendell Berry
- [Rescuing Aestheticism from the Dandies: Critical Distinctions](http://simplicitycollective.com/rescuing-aestheticism-from-the-dandies-critical-distinctions) - Below I have posted the latest essay in my new collection called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This new essay is called 'Rescuing Aestheticism from the Dandies: Critical Distinctions'. I've also posted the PDF below. The Introduction and the other essays are available from the link
- [Camus on Art and Revolt: Overcoming Nihilism in an Absurd Universe](http://simplicitycollective.com/camus-on-art-and-revolt-overcoming-nihilism-in-an-absurd-universe) - Below I have posted the latest essay in my new collection called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. This essay is called 'Camus on Art and Revolt: Overcoming Nihilism in an Absurd Universe.' The PDF is also available. Camus on Art and RevoltDownload ‘The demands of rebellion
- [Pessimism without Despair: Suffering, Desire, and the Affirmation of Life](http://simplicitycollective.com/pessimism-without-despair-suffering-desire-and-the-affirmation-of-life) - I am in the process of publishing a collection of essays on aesthetics called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. In recent days I published the Preface, the Introduction, and the opening two essays, 'The Cosmos as a "Readymade": Dignifying the Aesthetic Universe' and "Creative Evolution and
- [An Aesthetic Justification of Existence: The Redemptive Function of Art](http://simplicitycollective.com/an-aesthetic-justification-of-existence-the-redemptive-function-of-art) - I am continuing to publish my new essays as I finish them. The full collection, called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art, will eventually be posted here. Below I have posted the latest essay, 'An Aesthetic Justification of Existence: The Redemptive Function of Art.' The PDF is
- [Introduction: The Aesthetic Dimension](http://simplicitycollective.com/introduction-the-aesthetic-dimension) - Below I have posted the Introduction to my new collection of essays called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. The PDF is also available. Introduction-–-The-Aesthetic-Dimension-1Download 'Rising, tram, four hours in the office or factory, meal, tram, four hours of work, meal, sleep and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
- [Creative Evolution and the Will to Art](http://simplicitycollective.com/creative-evolution-and-the-will-to-art) - I am in the process of publishing a collection of essays on aesthetics called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. In recent days I published the Preface, the Introduction, and the opening essay, 'The Cosmos as a "Readymade": Dignifying the Aesthetic Universe.' Below I post the second
- [The Cosmos as a 'Readymade': Dignifying the Aesthetic Universe](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-cosmos-as-a-readymade-dignifying-the-aesthetic-universe) - I am in the process of publishing a collection of essays on aesthetics called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. In recent days I published the Preface and the Introduction, and below I have posted the first of the substantive essays. The PDF is also available below.
- [Preface: The Apocalyptic Sublime](http://simplicitycollective.com/preface-the-apocalyptic-sublime) - Below I have posted the Preface to my new collection of essays, called S M P L C T Y: Ecological Civilisation and the Will to Art. I will publish these essays over coming months, as I complete them, with the Introduction ready for publication later this week. The PDF of the Preface is also
- [Deface the Currency: The Lost Dialogues of Diogenes](http://simplicitycollective.com/deface-the-currency-the-lost-dialogues-of-diogenes) - I'm happy to announce the publication of my new book - or, rather, my new 'philosophical play' in six acts - called Deface the Currency: The Lost Dialogues of Diogenes. Here is the advance praise the book received from Dr William Desmond, author of The Greek Praise of Poverty. “This is a creative re-enactment of
- [The Rebellion Hypothesis: Extinction Rebellion and Civil Disobedience (Part VII of Ecological Civilisation)](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-rebellion-hypothesis-extinction-rebellion-and-civil-disobedience-part-vii-of-ecological-civilisation) - Can civil disobedience ever be justified in a democracy? How does Extinction Rebellion relate to other social movements in history that have also practiced civil disobedience to advance societal progress? In this presentation I critically examine these questions and present an analysis I call the 'rebellion hypothesis'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h9EwWhu4ss This is Part VII of the Ecological
- [Video – Ecovillage Future: And How Access to Land is a Barrier (Ecological Civilisation Series)](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Video: Post-Capitalism by Design not Disaster – A Grassroots Theory of Change](http://simplicitycollective.com/video-post-capitalism-by-design-not-disaster-a-grassroots-theory-of-change) - Capitalism has various growth imperatives that are inconsistent with environmental limits. That is, capitalism must grow for stability but cannot grow limitlessly on a finite planet. It follows that the future will be post-capitalist – by design or disaster. In this presentation I explore a grassroots theory of change that I argue is the most
- [Life in a 'Degrowth' Economy: Envisioning a Prosperous Descent](http://simplicitycollective.com/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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFtEWHPl-TM This is
- [A 'Real' Green New Deal? Policies for a Post-Growth Economy (Video)](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-real-green-new-deal-policies-for-a-post-growth-economy-video) - I've just released the next video presentation in the Ecological Civilisation series. Today's topic is 'Policies for a Post-Growth Economy' and my question is: What would a 'real' Green New Deal look like? In my next presentation I'm going to consider 'Life in a Degrowth Economy: Envisioning a Prosperous Descent'. Watch this space! This series
- [Video: Thoreau's Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy at Walden Pond (Ecological Civilisation Series)](http://simplicitycollective.com/video-thoreaus-philosophy-of-sufficiency-economy-at-walden-pond) - I've released the next presentation in the Ecological Civilisation series. This talk provides an overview of Henry David Thoreau's philosophy of sufficiency which he developed and practised while living in the woods near Walden Pond, over the years 1845-47. As a foundation, I review his critique of materialistic culture, then consider Thoreau's 'simple living' approach
- [Home Biogas Video: Renewable Energy from Food Waste (Ecological Civilisation Series)](http://simplicitycollective.com/home-biogas-video-renewable-energy-from-wood-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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0rd65kvlkw The introduction is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxC-rqY5ngg This series will be grappling with the
- [Ecological Civilisation: Beyond Consumerism and the Growth Economy (Introduction to Video Series)](http://simplicitycollective.com/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. https://youtu.be/WxC-rqY5ngg You can support this new project by purchasing a Simplicity Institute e-book from the link below, available
- [Disturbance and Enchantment in the Industrial City (National Radio Interview)](http://simplicitycollective.com/disturbance-and-enchantment-in-the-city-national-radio-interview) - Last weekend I was interviewed on national radio with my colleague Professor Brendan Gleeson. We discuss our new book Urban Awakenings: Disturbance and Enchantment in the Industrial City. You can listen to the 25 minute interview here and read more about the book here. I'd also like to share a YouTube link to a talk
- [Beyond Capitalist Realism: The Politics, Energetics, and Aesthetics of Degrowth](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Urban Awakenings: Disturbance and Enchantment in the Industrial City](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [A Critique of Techno-Optimism: Efficiency without Sufficiency is Lost](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-critique-of-techno-optimism-efficiency-without-sufficiency-is-lost) - I have been doing some work recently with the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, and have just published the first of a number of working papers, entitled “A Critique of Techno-Optimism: Efficiency without Sufficiency is Lost”. An abstract is posted below and the full paper is available here. ABSTRACT: “Technological optimists believe that humanity will be
- [Extinction Rebellion: Insights from the Inside](http://simplicitycollective.com/extinction-rebellion-insights-from-the-inside) - I don't believe Extinction Rebellion has all the answers but I do know that peaceful resistance has played an important role advancing human societies in the past and I believe it has a role to play advancing the state of our troubled world today. To participate in this movement during lockdown, while we've been unable
- [Death for Gaia: Ecocide and the Righteous Assassins](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Low-impact Christmas present ideas](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [The Rebellion Hypothesis: Crisis, Inaction, and the Question of Civil Disobedience](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Entropia Television Production](http://simplicitycollective.com/television-production-based-on-entropia) - In a bizarre and unexpected twist of fate, I've recently received calls from TV executives in Los Angeles who have been wanting to purchase rights to my book, Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation, to make a television production. That's right, a TV show! It's one of the major global players. A contract has been signed
- [This Civilisation is Finished: Conversations on the end of Empire - and what lies beyond](http://simplicitycollective.com/this-civilisation-is-finished-conversations-on-the-end-of-empire-and-what-lies-beyond) - I've just published a new book, co-authored with philosopher-activist Rupert Read (leading spokesperson of the Extinction Rebellion in the UK). There is also a postscript by Helena Norberg-Hodge, author of Ancient Futures and producer of The Economics of Happiness. Our new book is entitled This Civilisation is Finished: Conversations on the end of Empire -
- [Book Launch: Degrowth in the Suburbs (6 Dec)](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Post-Capitalism by Design not Disaster: Creating Common Wealth via Degrowth](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Short Film: Degrowth in the Suburbs](http://simplicitycollective.com/short-film-degrowth-in-the-suburbs) - Recently I posted about my new book - Degrowth the in Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary - co-authored with Professor Brendan Gleeson. A couple of days ago Happen Films released a short video on the topic, based on my household - see below.
- [Degrowth in the Suburbs: A Radical Urban Imaginary](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Living the Change: Now Available from Happen Films](http://simplicitycollective.com/living-the-change-now-available-from-happen-films) - Jordan Osmond and Antoinette Wilson have released their new film, Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future. It's an excellent and inspiring film, available here, and the trailer is posted below.
- [Degrowth, Permaculture, and the Simpler Way (Collected Essays)](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future (Film)](http://simplicitycollective.com/living-the-change-inspiring-stories-for-a-sustainable-future-film) - Jordan Osmond (who co-produced A Simpler Way with me) is about to release his second feature film, co-directed with Antoinette Wilson. The premiere is on 8 March, at 6.45pm, at Cinema Nova - if you're around, come along and invite your friends. Should be amazing. Details below, tickets here. ----------- Living the Change: Inspiring Stories
- [Home Biogas Review: Independent Assessment from Australia](http://simplicitycollective.com/home-biogas-review-independent-assessment-from-australia) - Biogas is a renewable energy source with net-zero emissions. In an age of worrying climate change and looming fossil energy decline, wouldn’t it be great if we could produce biogas at our homes and burn it as a cooking fuel? Well, it turns out you can. That’s what I’ve been doing in recent months and
- [Degrowth as an "Aesthetics of Existence"](http://simplicitycollective.com/degrowth-as-an-aesthetics-of-existence) - I have just published a new MSSI monograph called "Degrowth as an 'Aesthetics of Existence'" The pdf is available here and I've posted the essay below. Thanks to Melissa Davis for the cover image. This essay also appears as the introduction to my new book, Art Against Empire: Toward an Aesthetics of Degrowth Many of
- [Art Against Empire: Toward an Aesthetics of Degrowth](http://simplicitycollective.com/art-against-empire-toward-an-aesthetics-of-degrowth) - Last night I launched my new book called Art Against Empire: Toward an Aesthetics of Degrowth. This book is the outcome of a year-long collaboration with culture jamming artists around the world who produced over 170 images that make up the substance of the book. You can see some of the images here and the
- [Culture Jamming Art: Book Launch Invite](http://simplicitycollective.com/culture-jamming-art-book-launch-invite) - This is one final reminder for those in Melbourne who might be interested in attending my book launch this Friday, 20 October, at 5.30pm, at Melbourne University. More details and RSVPs at this link, please share with others who may be interested. There will be live music from the amazing Matt Wicking and free beer
- [Art Against Empire: Book Launch Invitation (Melbourne)](http://simplicitycollective.com/art-against-empire-book-launch-invitation-melbourne) - Over the last year I have been working on a new project which explores the role of art and aesthetics in driving social, economic and political change. I am soon to publish a book on the subject called Art Against Empire: Toward an Aesthetics of Degrowth which includes over 170 'culture jamming' images from a
- [Dialogue One from 'Deface the Currency'](http://simplicitycollective.com/dialogue-one-from-deface-the-currency) - Last year I published a book of 'lost dialogues' based on the ancient Greek philosophy of Diogenes the Cynic - arguably the most radical practitioner of 'simple living' in history. Below I have posted the first dialogue. The full book is available here. ACT I DIOGENES’ LANTERN Athens, 323 BCE. In broad daylight Diogenes wanders
- [Restoring Paradise through Regenerative Agriculture: A Short Film](http://simplicitycollective.com/restoring-paradise-through-regenerative-agriculture) - Jordan Osmond of Happen films (co-director of A Simpler Way) has just released a new short film on regenerative agriculture, produced in association with the Simplicity Institute. Another uplifting contribution to the movement for change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob_asuZ6OtE&t=1s
- [New Tiny House on Wheels](http://simplicitycollective.com/new-tiny-house-on-wheels) - There is a new tiny house on wheels out at the Wurruk'an ecovillage! I've posted a few pictures below, and my carpenter friend, Tom Coupe of Blue Leaf Creations, who built it, has written a short article explaining some of the pros and cons of building on a trailer. Save the steel Why build on
- [Composting Loos: A Short Film](http://simplicitycollective.com/composting-loos-a-short-film) - Jordan Osmond of Happen Films (co-producer of A Simpler Way) has recently released a short film on composting loos (see below), produced in association with the Simplicity Institute. A fascinating and progressive film by my favourite documentary maker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAcEvs3Bxjs
- [Words for Awakening: Voices of Inspired Revolt](http://simplicitycollective.com/words-for-awakening-voices-of-inspired-revolt) - Over the last few months I have been working with my co-director of the Simplicity Institute, Simon Ussher, collecting together provocative and inspiring quotes and excerpts from our favourite thinkers and writers, related to the themes of simple living, frugal abundance, money and wealth, crisis, mindfulness, nature mysticism and sacred activism. In our new book,
- [Introduction to 'Entropia'](http://simplicitycollective.com/introduction-to-entropia) - In 2013 I published my first book of fiction, Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation. This book has just been published in French, with a foreword by Serge Latouche, so to mark this occasion I'm publishing the introduction to Entropia below (in English). If you know any French speakers, please share this link with them. The
- [Democracy at risk: the terrifying power of 'big data'](http://simplicitycollective.com/democracy-at-risk-the-terrifying-power-of-big-data) - Here is my short article that appeared Tuesday morning in On Line Opinion. Democracy at risk: the terrifying power of 'big data' The ‘digital revolution’ continues to change the world in profound ways. Everyday computers and other information technologies reach further into our lives, often in subtle ways, reshaping global society so swiftly that the
- [Urban Abundance](http://simplicitycollective.com/urban-abundance) - Jordan Osmond of Happen Films has just released his new short film 'Urban Abundance', produced in association with the Simplicity Institute. Another inspiring piece of work - thanks Jordan! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BSSB2zf2CI
- [A Critique of the Decoupling Strategy: A 'Limits to Growth' Perspective](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-critique-of-the-decoupling-strategy-a-limits-to-growth-perspective) - In late 2015 the CSIRO - Australia's most prominent scientific organisation - published the 'Australian National Outlook Report' which argued that Australia can grow its economy and achieve sustainability without questioning consumerist values. In response to that report, the Simplicity Institute has just published a new paper called 'A Critique of the Decoupling Strategy: A
- [The Dark Cellars Project: An Aesthetics of Revolt](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-dark-cellars-project-an-aesthetics-of-revolt) - A couple of months ago I made a call out for artists and graphic designers to be in touch if they wanted to explore ways to use art and image to unsettle the normality of consumer capitalism and provoke thought about alternative ways to live and be. I was overwhelmed by the response, with over
- [The Moral and Ethical Weight of Voluntary Simplicity: A Philosophical Review](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-moral-and-ethical-weight-of-voluntary-simplicity-a-philosophical-review) - I've just published a new Simplicity Institute Report with a friend and colleague, Jacob Garrett, called 'The Moral and Ethical Weight of Voluntary Simplicity: A Philosophical Review'. I've posted the introduction below and the full report is available here. The Moral and Ethical Weight of Voluntary Simplicity: A Philosophical Review Samuel Alexander and Jacob Garrett
- [Live without Dead Thyme: Photo Tour of Garden](http://simplicitycollective.com/photo-tour-of-garden) - I spent Saturday night under a 100 year old pear tree with David Holmgren, Su Dennett, and a spirited gathering of Victorian permaculturalists, for their annual summer solstice party. Fun and uplifting times. David and Su's property Melliodora is a genuine permaculture paradise - and an inspiring example of what can be done. My household's
- [Just Enough is Plenty: Thoreau's Alternative Economics](http://simplicitycollective.com/just-enough-is-plenty-thoreaus-alternative-economics) - This week I published a short book called Just Enough is Plenty: Thoreau's Alternative Economics, available in paperback here and in pdf on a 'pay what you want' basis here. Feel free to share the pdf as a post-consumerist Christmas present. Philip Cafaro, author of Thoreau's Living Ethics wrote this about my new book: "Just
- [An Invitation for Wildness](http://simplicitycollective.com/an-invitation-for-wildness) - Jordan Osmond of Happen Films, with whom I co-produced A Simpler Way, has just released, in association with the Simplicity Institute, a new short film called 'An Invitation for Wildness', documenting a 23-year-old food forest. It's a beautiful and uplifting production by one of the most promising documentary filmmakers on the scene today. Congratulations Jordan
- [Any Graphic Designers Out There? A Call Out for Collaborators](http://simplicitycollective.com/any-graphic-designers-out-there-a-call-out-for-collaborators) - The Simplicity Institute is mobilising for a new 'culture jamming' project next year and we've started gathering a team of skilled graphic designers (and potentially visual artists more generally) to collaborate. If this sounds like you and you are keen to volunteer some of your time (a few hours or many hours) to creating striking
- [A revolution disguised as organic gardening: in memory of Bill Mollison](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-revolution-disguised-as-organic-gardening-in-memory-of-bill-mollison) - Yesterday I had the following short tribute to Bill Mollison, co-originator of the permaculture concept, published in The Conversation. It is with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Bill Mollison on Saturday, September 24 (1928-2016). He was one of the true pioneers of the modern environmental movement, not just in Australia but globally.
- [Euterra Rising: The Last Utopia](http://simplicitycollective.com/euterra-rising-the-last-utopia) - Somewhere it is written: “When all appeals to reason fail, tell a story.” Readers of this website will be familiar with the stimulating writings of Simplicity Institute Fellow, Mark A. Burch, whose earlier works include The Hidden Door: Mindful Sufficiency as an Alternative to Extinction and Stepping Lightly: Simplicity for People and Planet. Today I'm
- [Introduction to 'Deface the Currency'](http://simplicitycollective.com/introduction-to-deface-the-currency) - Below I have posted the table of contents and the introduction to my new book of dialogues, Deface the Currency: The Lost Dialogues of Diogenes. The book is available here. ACT I DIOGENES’ LANTERN ACT II THE EMPEROR AND THE BEGGAR ACT III PLATO AND THE REPUBLIC OF DIOGENES ACT IV THE NERVOUS OLIGARCHS ACT
- [Book Reviews of "The Hidden Door" by Mark Burch](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [The Hidden Door: Mindful Sufficiency as an Alternative to Extinction](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-hidden-door-mindful-sufficiency-as-an-alternative-to-extinction) - I am honoured to announce the publication of Mark Burch's new book, The Hidden Door: Mindful Sufficiency as an Alternative to Extinction, available here. Published proudly by the Simplicity Institute, this text brings together some of Mark's finest essays of recent years, and includes a new introduction. A deep yet accessible book, here's the blurb: Many people
- [My Interview with Open Democracy UK on Decoupling and Green Growth](http://simplicitycollective.com/my-interview-with-open-democracy-uk-on-decoupling) - Last week I was interviewed by Ian Sinclair at Open Democracy UK about whether the 'green growth' strategy can solve climate change. I've posted the interview below and the original interview is here. Ian Sinclair: What is the thinking of those who herald ‘decoupling’ as a promising tool in stopping dangerous levels of climate change?
- [My article in Adbusters](http://simplicitycollective.com/my-article-in-adbusters) - I've had second short piece published in the culture-jamming magazine Adbusters. I've posted a screen-shot of my article below and the full magazine can be purchased in pdf here or in print at good magazine stores. (My first Adbusters article is also available here).
- [Wild Democracy: A Biodiversity of Resistance and Renewal](http://simplicitycollective.com/wild-democracy-a-biodiversity-of-resistance-and-renewal) - I've just published a new Simplicity Institute Report, called "Wild Democracy: Resistance and Renewal". The introduction is available below and the full report is available here. With characteristic insight, the great American philosopher, John Dewey, once wrote: ‘Every generation has to accomplish democracy over again for itself.’ His point was that, at each moment in
- [Living Simply in a Tiny Off-Grid Cabin](http://simplicitycollective.com/living-simply-in-a-tiny-off-grid-cabin) - Jordan Osmond, with whom I co-produced A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity, has released a new short film, 'Living Simply in a Tiny Off-Grid Cabin'. Not only does it address important issues, as always, Jordan has crafted the short film with characteristic beauty and charm. Another tip of the hat to you Jordan! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsA4nHsynS0
- [A simple life can be a good life](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [David Spratt Interview on Climate Change](http://simplicitycollective.com/david-spratt-interview-on-climate-change) - While co-producing A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity I interviewed one of Australia's leading climate change activists, David Spratt. Excerpts from the interview were included in the documentary but my co-producer (Jordan Osmond) and I thought it would be a shame if the footage from the interviews we conducted were not published in full. So,
- [The Third Age of Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/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.
- [From Finance to Farmer](http://simplicitycollective.com/from-finance-to-farmer) - I intended to post this a while back but got waylaid. Here is beautiful short film made by Jordan Osmond of Happen Films (with whom I co-produced 'A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity') telling the story of one financier who turned farmer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jh1481J6qw
- [Residencies available at Wurruk'an ecovillage and permaculture farm (Victoria)](http://simplicitycollective.com/residencies-available-at-wurrukan-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
- [Telling New Stories as the Old Book Closes](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Compost Capitalism](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity (Full Documentary)](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Phasing out fossil fuels for renewables may not be a straightforward swap](http://simplicitycollective.com/phasing-out-fossil-fuels-for-renewables-may-not-be-a-straightforward-swap) - Here is a fascinating and important article (originally published at The Conversation) written by Josh Floyd and Anthony James, based on the energy transition modelling undertaken by Floyd at his excellent energy blog, Beyond this Brief Anomaly. To have any chance of preventing dangerous climate change, the world needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to
- [Trailer to "A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity"](http://simplicitycollective.com/trailer-to-a-simpler-way-crisis-as-opportunity) - We've just released the trailer to our forthcoming documentary, A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity". Half the tickets for the Melbourne premiere (3 June) have moved in the last couple of days, so if you're wanting to attend, get your tickets here. We're also very happy to announce that David Holmgren, co-originator of the permaculture
- [Limits to Growth: Policies to Steer the Economy away from Disaster](http://simplicitycollective.com/limits-to-growth-policies-to-steer-the-economy-away-from-disaster) - Yesterday I posted my new MSSI Issues paper, "Policies for a Post-Growth Economy". Today I share my short summary of that paper which has been published in the Conversation. (Also, a quick reminder for those in Victoria, tickets to the premiere of A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity are moving quickly. If you want to
- [Policies for a Post-Growth Economy](http://simplicitycollective.com/policies-for-a-post-growth-economy) - This week I published a new MSSI Issues paper called "Policies for a Post-Growth Economy". The full article is available here. INTRODUCTION The 1972 publication of Limits to Growth sparked a controversy that has yet to subside. This book argued that if population, resource use, and pollution kept increasing on our finite planet, eventually economies
- [Invitation: Melbourne Premiere of "A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity"](http://simplicitycollective.com/invitation-melbourne-premiere-of-a-simpler-way-crisis-as-opportunity) - I've been relatively quiet on the Simplicity Collective this year, primarily because I've been investing so much time making a documentary, called "A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity", which I've co-produced with Jordan Osmond of Happen Films. After 18 months of work, we're delighted to announce a date for the Melbourne premiere of the film.
- [The Goldilocks Question: How Much Economic Growth is Just Right?](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-goldilocks-question-how-much-economic-growth-is-just-right) - A week ago I was interviewed on ABC's Radio National, with several leading Australian economists. They were the pro-growth advocates, I was the sceptic. I'll let you decide whether they answered the critique of growth I put forward: The debate can be listened to here.
- [Want to visit Wurruk'an? Let's build the new world together](http://simplicitycollective.com/want-to-visit-wurrukan-lets-build-the-new-world-together) - Wurruk’an is a humble but beautiful body of land, water, and forest in the Gunai district of Gippsland, Victoria. In recent years it has become an inclusive gathering space for people seeking to pioneer and demonstrate a ‘simpler way’ of living based on permaculture principles. Among other things, we have been running mud-building workshops and
- [My Interview with David Holmgren](http://simplicitycollective.com/my-interview-with-david-holmgren) - Recently I interviewed David Holmgren, co-originator of the permaculture concept, at his property in Hepburn, Victoria. This was produced as part of the documentary I'm making this year with Jordan Osmond of Happen Films. You can see the interview below or click here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqwWdranB5A
- [Less Meat, Less Heat: The Overlooked Climate Strategy](http://simplicitycollective.com/less-meat-less-heat-the-overlooked-climate-strategy) - Leat Meat, Less Heat: The Overlooked Climate Strategy by Samuel Alexander, Nicholas Bowles, and Mark Pershin Sometimes the best way to respond to a problem is overlooked because it is right under our noses - literally, one might say, on our dinner plates. Even when we see what is under our noses and know how
- [What is Degrowth? Envisioning a Prosperous Descent](http://simplicitycollective.com/what-is-degrowth-envisioning-a-prosperous-descent) - This is a transcript of my keynote address presented at the ‘Local Lives, Global Matters’ conference in Castlemaine, Victoria, 16-18 October 2015.Other keynote speakers included Rob Hopkins, David Holmgren, and Helena Norberg-Hodge. Introduction Thank you for that introduction, Jacinta, good morning everyone. I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of this land
- [$420 Tiny House out at Wurruk'an (Short Film)](http://simplicitycollective.com/420-tiny-house-out-at-wurrukan-short-film) - Below you will see a short film of the latest 'tiny house' out at Wurruk'an, built for $420 out of reclaimed materials. The film was made by Happen Films in association with the Simplicity Institute. You can also see the film here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ppB72v-8nY
- [Sustained economic growth: United Nations mistake the poison for the cure](http://simplicitycollective.com/sustained-economic-growth-united-nations-mistake-the-poison-for-the-cure) - Below is my recent article in The Conversation: On the surface, the Sustainable Development Goals, soon to be confirmed by the United Nations, seem noble and progressive. They seek to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and hunger while creating sustainable and resilient societies. But look beneath the surface of this pleasant
- [Earth as a Petri Dish: The Problem of Growth](http://simplicitycollective.com/earth-as-a-petri-dish-the-problem-of-growth) - The 1972 publication of Limits to Growth sparked a controversy that has yet to subside. This book argued that if population, resource use, and pollution kept growing on our finite planet, eventually economies would face environmental ‘limits to growth’ - with potentially dire consequences. Despite the evidence mounting in support of this position, any suggestion
- [My Interview with Graham Turner on 'Limits to Growth'](http://simplicitycollective.com/my-interview-with-graham-turner-on-limits-to-growth) - Below is the next instalment of the interview series Jordan Osmond and I are releasing as part of the crowd-funding campaign for our documentary, A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity. Thank you to all the generous souls who have helped us reach our first goal in 18 days! For more information on the documentary or
- [The 'green tech' future is a flawed vision of sustainability](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-green-tech-future-is-a-flawed-conception-of-sustainability) - Below is my new article published in The Conversation today, co-authored with Josh Floyd. The original article can be viewed here. What does your vision of a sustainable future look like? Some people imagine a scenario whereby technology solves the world’s most pressing environmental problems. In this world we all drive electric cars and have
- [My Interview with Helena Norberg-Hodge](http://simplicitycollective.com/my-interview-with-helena-norberg-hodge) - As mentioned in recent posts, I'm currently co-producing a documentary called A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity, and as part of our crowd-funding campaign, we're releasing some of our full interviews with leading activists, educators, and thinkers, parts of which will eventually be used in the documentary. Below you can view the full interview with
- [A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity (Documentary)](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-simpler-way-crisis-as-opportunity-documentary) - Readers of this website will know about the 'simpler way' demonstration site that I've been helping develop in Gippsland, Victoria, called Wurruk'an. I've also mentioned the documentary that I'm co-producing with Jordan Osmond of Happen Films, called A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity, which is capturing the development of that demonstration project. We are super
- [Introduction to "Sufficiency Economy"](http://simplicitycollective.com/introduction-to-sufficiency-economy) - Below I have posted the introduction to my new book of collected essays, Sufficiency Economy: Enough, for Everyone, Forever. This is the companion volume to Prosperous Descent: Crisis as Opportunity in an Age of Limits, published earlier this year. The paperback of Sufficiency Economy is available here. For those unable to pay or who would
- [Sufficiency Economy: Enough, for Everyone, Forever](http://simplicitycollective.com/sufficiency-economy-enough-for-everyone-forever) - I've just published my second book of collected essays, Sufficiency Economy: Enough, for Everyone, Forever. This is the companion volume to Prosperous Descent: Crisis as Opportunity in an Age of Limits, published earlier in the year. The paperback of Sufficiency Economy is available here. Your support is greatly appreciated. For those unable to pay, the
- [Horizon (The Crash Narrative)](http://simplicitycollective.com/horizon-the-crash-narrative) - I'm very excited to share the video for 'Horizon', the first single by The Crash Narrative! The full EP will be released on iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp next week. Stunning video by Jordan Osmond of Happen Films. https://www.youtube.com/embed/mzZbKtgOHEI
- [Greening the Apocalypse](http://simplicitycollective.com/greening-the-apocalypse) - Last night I was interviewed on Melbourne's RRR radio, during a show called "Greening the Apocalypse". You can listen to the interview here. The show was also the radio launch of "Apocaloptimystic", the debut EP from the Melbourne/Christchurch duo, The Crash Narrative. More about The Crash Narrative another time.
- [Beyond Extinction: Transition to Post-Capitalism is Inevitable](http://simplicitycollective.com/beyond-extinction-the-transition-to-post-capitalism-is-inevitable) - Below is an article by Nafeez Ahmed discussing the transition to post-capitalism, which features my latest book, Prosperous Descent: Crisis as Opportunity in an Age of Limits. The article was originally published here. Beyond Extinction: Transition to Post-Capitalism is Inevitable In Margaret Atwood’s powerful essay on the reality of climate change — and its implications for the
- [My Interview with Nicole Foss](http://simplicitycollective.com/my-interview-with-nicole-foss) - Earlier this year I interviewed Nicole Foss as part of the documentary I'm making with Jordan Osmond of Happen Films. The interview is quite long but it is well worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/embed/AdNvmIfyQPY
- [Low-Tech Living as a 'Demand-Side' Response to Climate Change and Peak Oil](http://simplicitycollective.com/low-tech-living-as-a-demand-side-response-to-climate-change-and-peak-oil) - I've just published a new Simplicity Institute Report, co-authored with Paul Yacoumis, entitled "Low-Tech Living as a "Demand-Side" Response to Climate Change and Peak Oil". I've posted the abstract and the introduction below and the full essay is freely available here. LOW-TECH LIVING AS A ‘DEMAND-SIDE’ RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND PEAK OIL Simplicity is
- [Tiny House on Wheels Workshop (Oct 17-22)](http://simplicitycollective.com/tiny-house-on-wheels-workshop-oct-17-22) - For those in Victoria, here are details of an upcoming "Tiny House on Wheels" workshop out at Wurruk'an. If you're interested, don't hesitate to apply as spots are limited and are likely to be filled quickly. I've been part of four of these workshops now - this will be my fifth - and each of
- ['One Planet Living' Interview on Radio National](http://simplicitycollective.com/one-planet-living-interview-on-radio-national) - On Tuesday I was interviewed on Radio National about my recent Conversation article. You can listen to the radio interview at the link here:
- [If everyone lived in an ecovillage, the Earth would still be in trouble](http://simplicitycollective.com/if-everyone-lived-in-an-ecovillage-the-earth-would-still-be-in-trouble) - Here is my new article which was published in The Conversation on Friday: We are used to hearing that if everyone lived in the same way as North Americans or Australians, we would need four or five planet Earths to sustain us. This sort of analysis is known as the “ecological footprint” and shows that
- [One Planet Living](http://simplicitycollective.com/one-planet-living) - Yesterday I was keynote speaker for World Environmental Day at the University of Melbourne. Below I have posted the transcript of my talk: Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for that introduction, Professor Kvan, and thank you all for being here to mark World Environment Day. It was Buckminster Fuller who once said: ‘You never change
- [World Environment Day (book launch)](http://simplicitycollective.com/world-environment-day-book-launch) - I'm guest speaker for World Environment Day (a United Nations Environmental Program initiative) at the University of Melbourne this Friday, 5 June, from, 12.30-1.30pm. I'm taking this opportunity to launch my new book, Prosperous Descent: Crisis as Opportunity in an Age of Limits. Being a lunchtime gig I know it will be difficult for many
- [Wurruk'an: Seeding a New Earth Story](http://simplicitycollective.com/wurrukan-seeding-a-new-earth-story) - Over the last two years I've been helping develop a 'simpler way' demonstration project in Gippsland, Victoria (Australia), on a property which we have named Wurruk'an. Wurruk is the local indigenous term meaning both 'Earth' and 'story'. K'an is the Mayan word for 'seed'. We've invented the word Wurruk'an to signify our attempt to 'seed
- [Introduction to 'Prosperous Descent'](http://simplicitycollective.com/introduction-to-prosperous-descent-new-book) - A paperback of my new book, Prosperous Descent: Crisis as Opportunity in an Age of Limits, is available here and a link to a free pdf copy of the book will be sent out to subscribers of the Simplicity Institute in a week. Please sign up to the Simplicity Institute here to receive the link.
- [Prosperous Descent: Crisis as Opportunity in an Age of Limits](http://simplicitycollective.com/prosperous-descent-crisis-as-opportunity-in-an-age-of-limits) - I've just published a new book, Prosperous Descent: Crisis as Opportunity in an Age of Limits, which is the first volume of my collected essays to be published this year. The cover and endorsements are posted below. A second book of collected essays, Sufficiency Economy: Enough, for Everyone, Forever, will be published in a couple
- [The Marvellous Market: A Critique by Ted Trainer](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-marvellous-market-a-critique-by-ted-trainer) - Ted Trainer has just written a provocative, concise but important critique of the 'Marvellous Market' which he argues is the main cause of our fatal problems. See below: The Marvellous Market: The Main Cause of our Fatal Problems A ridiculous claim? Let’s see. There is no doubt the market system does many important things very
- [Tiny House Build for $2500](http://simplicitycollective.com/tiny-house-build-for-2500) - Recently I wrote about a 'tiny house' build I was involved in (see here). In association with the Simplicity Institute, Jordan Osmond of Happen Films has recently produced a short film based on the 'tiny house' build, which is available for viewing below. Please share with your friends, family, and social networks. Jordan Osmond is
- [Find Freedom in a Tiny House](http://simplicitycollective.com/find-freedom-in-a-tiny-house) - Here is an article of mine published on The Conversation earlier this month. (Photo courtesy of Michael Green.) Sick to Death of Consumerism? Find Freedom in a Tiny House What is a house? I feel this is a dangerous question, which holds within it the seeds of a disruptive innovation, so read on at your
- [Our Beautiful Cob Cabin: Building with Mud](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Degrowth, sustainability, and tackling global inequalities](http://simplicitycollective.com/degrowth-sustainability-and-tackling-global-inequalities) - Recently I was interviewed by Jen Wilton, a UK journalist and researcher, on the subject of degrowth. What follows is the transcript of our phone interview, originally posted here. Degrowth, sustainability, and tackling global inequalities Q: What would a degrowth society look like? SA: A lot of mainstream environmentalism still clings to the idea that
- [Divesting from Commonwealth Bank – or, why I just cut up my bank card](http://simplicitycollective.com/divesting-from-commonwealth-bank-or-why-i-just-cut-up-my-bank-card) - This morning I cut up my Commonwealth Bank card, and it felt good. I’ve been meaning to do it for ages. When I first moved to Australia in 2006 I didn’t give much thought to which bank I should bank with. But now I know that Commonwealth Bank invests heavily in the fossil fuel industry
- [The Case for Simplicity, by Ted Trainer](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-case-for-simplicity-by-ted-trainer) - Ted Trainer has just published a new Simplicity Institute report, 'The Case for Simplicity'. I've posted the brief introduction below and the full report is available here. The Case for Simplicity Why try to live more simply? I think there are two main lines of argument. The first is that global sustainability and justice cannot
- [Our Renewable Future, by Richard Heinberg](http://simplicitycollective.com/our-renewable-future-by-richard-heinberg) - Richard Heinberg, one of the world’s premiere energy analysts, recently wrote an excellent essay called ‘Our Renewable Future’ which he has now published as a Simplicity Institute Report. It’s a fascinating discussion that reviews the current state of our energy predicament and reminds us that how we use energy is as important as how we
- [The New Economics of Oil](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-new-economics-of-oil) - I've just published an "Issues" paper with the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, called "The New Economics of Oil". I've posted an abstract below and the full paper is available here. "This paper seeks to show that oil issues remain at the centre of global challenges facing humanity, despite recent claims of oil abundance, and that
- [The Paradox of Oil: The Cheaper it Is, the More it Costs](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-paradox-of-oil-the-cheaper-it-is-the-more-it-costs) - I've just published a new Simplicity Institute Report, 'The Paradox of Oil: The Cheaper it Is, the More it Costs'. I've posted the introduction below and the full paper is available here. There will be oil, but at what price? – Chris Nelder and Gregor Macdonald THE PARADOX OF OIL: THE CHEAPER IT IS, THE
- [Podcast: Stepping Lightly, with Mark A. Burch](http://simplicitycollective.com/podcast-stepping-lightly-with-mark-a-burch) - Mark A. Burch, from the Simplicity Institute, has just been interviewed by Dr Randell Hardy about voluntary simplicity and mindfulness. The interview (38 mins long) is freely available online here. As always, Mark stands out as being an extremely eloquent and insightful advocate of simpler, more mindful living. It's well worth a listen. (If you enjoy
- [The Simple Life of Jesus, by Simon Ussher](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-simple-life-of-jesus) - Below is Simon Ussher's chapter on Jesus, from the anthology Simple Living in History: Pioneers of the Deep Future. A suitable post for these days leading up to Christmas. ‘Hail, queen wisdom! May the Lord save thee with thy sister holy pure simplicity!’ – St. Francis of Assisi At its heart the ‘voluntary simplicity’ movement
- [The Steady State Economy and the Incompatibility of Capitalism, by Geoff Mosley](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-steady-state-economy-and-the-incompatibility-of-capitalism) - The following text is a transcript (with minor revisions) of a talk Geoff Mosley gave at the 2014 Fenner Conference on the Steady State Economy at the University of NSW. Geoff is the Australian Director of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy. Thanks to Geoff for granting permission to reproduce his
- [The 'Simple Life' Manifesto, by Ted Trainer](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-simple-life-manifesto-by-ted-trainer) - Below is a recent article by Ted Trainer, originally published on The Conversation here. The 'simple life' Manifesto and how it could save us The aftermath of Christmas is a good time to think about where consumer-capitalism is getting us. The sad fact is that, with these values, our society can never be ecologically sustainable
- [Want to help create an Ecovillage?](http://simplicitycollective.com/want-to-help-create-an-ecovillage) - "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." – Buckminster Fuller A week or so ago I received the most exciting email ever. It was from a reader of the Simplicity Collective who had just finished reading my book, Entropia. Inspired by
- [Earthbag Dome Building Workshop](http://simplicitycollective.com/earthbag-dome-building-workshop) - In recent months I've posted a few times about the 'simpler way' demonstration site that I'm helping develop in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. In time we hope this property will become an education centre and hopefully a small ecovillage. Last December, we ran our first workshop and we built this beautiful Earthship. In February this year
- [Can you support our 'simpler way' documentary?](http://simplicitycollective.com/can-you-support-our-simpler-way-documentary) - In the last post I outlined the ecovillage permaculture farm that the Simplicity Institute has been developing as a ‘simpler way’ demonstration project. This project is currently seeking applicants [now closed] for a year long ‘residency’ at the ecovillage. I also mentioned the documentary that we’re hoping to make based on the evolution of this
- [Free rent in an ecovillage for a year? (Documentary project)](http://simplicitycollective.com/free-rent-on-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
- [The Simple Life of Henry David Thoreau](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-simple-life-of-henry-david-thoreau) - Here is my chapter on Henry Thoreau from Simple Living in History: Pioneers of the Deep Future. HENRY THOREAU Few individuals in history evoke images of ‘the simple life’ more distinctly than the poet-philosopher, Henry David Thoreau. In 1845, when Henry was 27 years old, he left his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts, and went to
- [Life in a 'degrowth' economy, and why you might actually enjoy it](http://simplicitycollective.com/life-in-a-degrowth-economy-and-why-you-might-actually-enjoy-it) - Yesterday my article "Life in a 'degrowth' economy, and why you might actually like it" was published in The Conversation. I've reposted it below: What does genuine economic progress look like? The orthodox answer is that a bigger economy is always better, but this idea is increasingly strained by the knowledge that, on a finite
- [The Divestment Movement](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [The Simple Life - Past, Present, Future](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Transcript of book launch talk - 'Pioneers of the Deep Future'](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Economic 'degrowth' needed to stop a carbon budget blowout](http://simplicitycollective.com/economic-degrowth-needed-to-stop-a-carbon-budget-blowout) - My short article below appeared in The Conversation yesterday. A newly released report called Better Growth, Better Climate draws the seductive conclusion that “we can create lasting economic growth while also tackling the immense risks of climate change”. But while the report, spearheaded by former Mexican president Felipe Calderón and UK climate economist Nicholas Stern,
- [Simple Living in History: Pioneers of the Deep Future](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Book Launch: Simple Living in History](http://simplicitycollective.com/simple-living-in-history-pioneers-of-the-deep-future-book-launch) - 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
- [Degrowth and the Carbon Budget: Powerdown Strategies for Climate Stability](http://simplicitycollective.com/degrowth-and-the-carbon-budget-powerdown-strategies-for-climate-stability) - I've just published a new Simplicity Institute Report, called "Degrowth and the Carbon Budget: Powerdown Strategies for Climate Stability." I've posted the introduction below and the full paper is available here. 1. INTRODUCTION In recent years the notion of a ‘carbon budget’ has entered the lexicon of climate science (e.g. IPCC, 2013; Meinshausen et al,
- [Composting Toilets made from Wheelie Bins](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Disruptive Social Innovation for a Low Carbon World](http://simplicitycollective.com/disruptive-social-innovation-for-a-low-carbon-world) - I've recently published a new paper called "Disruptive Social Innovation for a Low Carbon World', which was published as part of the Visions and Pathways Project. This paper critically reviews the social movements or social innovations that have the most potential to change the world's current trajectory acutely in the direction of a low carbon
- [New Book Review of Samuel Alexander's 'Entropia'](http://simplicitycollective.com/new-book-review-of-samuel-alexanders-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
- [The Transition Movement: Questions of Diversity, Power, and Affluence](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-transition-movement-questions-of-diversity-power-and-affluence) - Esther Alloun and I have recently published a new Simplicity Institute Report, entitled ‘The Transition Movement: Questions of Diversity, Power, and Affluence’. This report presents an overview, literature review, and critical analysis of the Transition Movement. We’ve posted a section of the introduction below, and the full paper is freely available here. “A mood of
- [Essays on Frugal Abundance (3 and 4 of 4)](http://simplicitycollective.com/essays-on-frugal-abundance-3-and-4-of-4) - The Simplicity Institute has published the final two ‘Essays on Frugal Abundance’ by Serge Latouche. The two essays are available at the links below: Essays on Frugal Abundance (3 of 4) Essays on Frugal Abundance (4 of 4)
- [Essays on Frugal Abundance (2 of 4) by Serge Latouche](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Post-Growth Economics: A Paradigm Shift in Progress](http://simplicitycollective.com/post-growth-economics-a-paradigm-shift-in-progress) - I've recently published the second in my series of working papers with the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute. This new paper is called, 'Post-Growth Economics: A Paradigm Shift in Progress'. I've posted the the introduction below and the full paper is available here. Post-Growth Economics: A Paradigm Shift in Progress Samuel Alexander 1. INTRODUCTION ‘Going for
- [Essays on Frugal Abundance (1 of 4) by Serge Latouche](http://simplicitycollective.com/essays-on-frugal-abundance-1-of-4-by-serge-latouche) - Serge Latouche is Europe's preeminent degrowth scholar - an original, deep, and provocative thinker. The Simplicity Institute is pleased to be publishing four "Essays on Frugal Abundance" by Professor Latouche, in which he considers and responds to various misunderstandings and controversies surrounding the notion of degrowth. Part 1 of this series on Frugal Abundance is
- [New Book Review of "Entropia"](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Simple Living in the City](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [A Limits to Growth Critique of the Radical Left](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Natural Building Workshop - March 2014](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Crash on Demand: David Holmgren Publishes New Simplicity Institute Report](http://simplicitycollective.com/crash-on-demand-david-holmgren-publishes-new-simplicity-institute-report) - David Holmgren, co-orginator of the permaculture concept, has just published a new Simplicity Institute Report, entitled 'Crash on Demand: Welcome to the Brown Tech Future'. Fascinating, deep, and provocative, the introduction is posted below and the full report is available here. Crash On Demand Welcome to the Brown Tech Future
- [Voluntary Simplicity and the Steady State Economy](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Radical Emissions Planning: Kevin Anderson](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [The Deep Green Alternative: Debating Strategies of Transition](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-deep-green-alternative-debating-strategies-of-transition) - I am pleased to begin this new year with the publication of a new Simplicity Institute Report, entitled ‘The Deep Green Alternative: Debating Strategies of Transition,’ co-written by myself (Samuel Alexander) and Jonathan Rutherford. This report is freely available here, and a brief overview of the report is posted below: In this paper we do not
- [A New Earthship has Landed!](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Building with Mud: Workshop in February 2014](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Too Many Teddies (Children's Book)](http://simplicitycollective.com/too-many-teddies-childrens-book) - I was recently contacted by a new author/illustrator called Glenn Martin, who has just written a children's book related to consumerism and simple living, which he tells me was inspired by reading Entropia. Glenn's book, "Too Many Teddies", is a sweet and simple story of a little elephant named Ned and his teddy Pixie. Ned gets
- [Want to help build an Earthship?](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [What is a Transition Town?](http://simplicitycollective.com/what-is-a-transition-town) - The following introductory article on Transition Towns was published on the Permaculture Research Institute and will soon be appearing in the Zero Carbon Moreland bulletin. The ‘Transition Town’ movement burst onto the scene merely six years ago in Ireland, and yet already there are almost two thousand Transition Towns around the world. There are dozens
- [The Hour is Darkest just before Dawn: Crisis as Opportunity ](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-hour-is-darkest-just-before-dawn-crisis-as-opportunity) - The Festival of Ideas is on at the University of Melbourne at the moment, and I was invited to give a short talk, envisioning how Australia made the transition to a low-carbon society by the year 2033. Here is the transcript: As I look back from the year 2033, I would like to be able
- [Changing Gears: A Pedal-Powered Detour from the Rat Race](http://simplicitycollective.com/changing-gears-a-pedal-powered-detour-from-the-rat-race) - Recently I was fortunate enough to attend the book launch of Changing Gears: A Pedal Powered Detour from the Rat Race, written by Greg Foyster. Over the last week or so I’ve devoured this highly enjoyable read. This book achieves the challenging task of being eminently readable and ethically deep, and every few pages Greg’s
- [Peak Oil is Alive and Well, and Costing the Earth](http://simplicitycollective.com/peak-oil-is-alive-and-well-and-costing-the-earth) - The following article of mine appeared today in The Conversation (based on a much longer paper here): You might have heard that peak oil – the theory that one day crude oil production will stop increasing, even as demand grows – is dead. Shale oil production is surging in the US. The premiere peak oil website, The
- [Simple, Quiet, Affordable: Up for a Tree Change? ](http://simplicitycollective.com/simple-quiet-affordable-up-for-a-tree-change) - It is with a mixture of pleasure and pain that I write this post. A couple of weeks ago a reader of this website sent me through a link of an amazing rural property 1 hour 40 mins out of Melbourne: 10 acres, beautifully designed eco-house, off-grid solar, 135,000 litres of water capacity, 25 fruit
- [Living without a fridge](http://simplicitycollective.com/living-without-a-fridge) - I’ve been living without a fridge for the last three months – the winter months of Melbourne, Australia. Before you send me to the asylum, however, let me tell you about this experiment which produced several interesting, and I think important, surprises, related to energy consumption and lifestyle habits. My main conclusion, which I’ll unpack
- [Book Reviews of Entropia](http://simplicitycollective.com/book-reviews-of-entropia) - Over the last few weeks some books reviews of Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation have been posted in cyberspace, which I've linked to below. I've also linked to a Q&A about Entropia which appears on the website, Simple Lives. Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation, Book Review posted on The Greening of Gavin Book Review: Entropia, by Samuel Alexander posted on Make Wealth
- [Charter of the Deep Future: Enough, For Everyone, Forever ](http://simplicitycollective.com/charter-of-the-deep-future-enough-for-everyone-forever) - As well as the excerpt below, I'd just like to offer a final reminder about the launch of my book, Entropia, this Thursday 18th July, at 6pm, on the campus of Melbourne University, Parkville. You're invited... so if you'd like to come, please RSVP here. * * * Below is a short excerpt from Entropia: Life Beyond
- [Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation ](http://simplicitycollective.com/entropia-life-beyond-industrial-civilisation) - I am very pleased to announce the publication of my new book, Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation. This book is a creative work of fiction – a ‘utopia of sufficiency’ – in which I bring to life a simple living community that became isolated on a small island after the collapse of industrial civilisation. Looking
- [Invitation to Launch](http://simplicitycollective.com/invitation-to-launch) - I am launching my new book, Entropia, on 18 July at Melbourne University at 6pm, and I'd love it if local Simplicity Collective readers would join me! The launch will be hosted by the Australian Conservation Foundation, in collaboration with the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute and the Office for Environmental Programs.... and there'll be a free
- [How to Build a Cheap Raised Garden Bed](http://simplicitycollective.com/how-to-build-a-cheap-raised-bed) - I've been advancing my guerilla gardening efforts recently, with a significant new raised bed now beautifying my nature strip, as seen in the featured picture. I thought in this post I could provide a brief overview of how to build a cheap raised bed, either for use on your nature strip or in your front
- [Grow Your Own Oyster Mushrooms on Straw](http://simplicitycollective.com/grow-your-own-oyster-mushrooms-on-straw) - I’ve been experimenting recently with growing my own oyster mushrooms, and as you can see from the photos, I’ve met with some success. I was motivated to explore mushroom cultivation partly because I’m a vegetarian and want to produce my own high-protein alternatives to meat; but I was also interested in using so-called ‘dead space’ to
- [Utopia of Sufficiency](http://simplicitycollective.com/utopia-of-sufficiency-excerpts-from-entropia) - The following excerpts from my new book, Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation, have just been posted on the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. Copies of the book and more information are available here. Below is an excerpt from Samuel Alexander’s new book, Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation. This book is a ‘utopia of sufficiency’ that brings
- [Transition Coburg: A Year in Review](http://simplicitycollective.com/transition-coburg-a-year-in-review) - A little over a year ago I mentioned on this website that I had co-founded Transition Coburg (for an introduction to the Transition Town movement, see here). Below I have provided a snapshot of some of the things we have done since our birth. Most of these activities might seem small in isolation, but if we
- [Voluntary Simplicity, Degrowth, and Peak Oil](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Self-Sufficiency in a 'Time of Plenty'](http://simplicitycollective.com/self-sufficiency-in-a-time-of-plenty) - Today I'm happy to be posting two interesting and insightful essays by Dr Amanda McLeod: (1) "Self-Suffciency in a 'Time of Plenty': Mass Consumerism and Freedom in 1970s Australia"; and (2) "Consumer Choice: Another Case of Deceptive Advertising?" I've posted abstracts to both essays below, and the full essays are freely available from the links
- [Superannuation's Carbon Footprint](http://simplicitycollective.com/superannuations-carbon-footprint) - Recently I posted an article called "Bursting the Carbon Bubble" by Michael Green. Below is Michael's follow up article, which was published in The Age a couple of days ago. He raises the point that our superannuation could well be investing in the fossil fuel industry, suggesting that we should consider moving our superannuation into pension funds
- [Insight into the Politics of Climate Change: A Letter and Response  ](http://simplicitycollective.com/insight-into-the-politics-of-climate-change-a-letter-and-response) - A friend of mine, Govind Maksay, who works at the Moreland Energy Foundation, recently wrote a letter to Martin Ferguson (Minister for Resources and Energy, Federal Government, Australia - who actually resigned as I was writing this post!). Govind asked questions about Australia's position on fossil fuels in the face of climate science. With permission,
- [Bursting the Carbon Bubble](http://simplicitycollective.com/bursting-the-carbon-bubble) - The following article was written by Michael Green and appeared in The Age a couple of days ago. Thanks to Michael for raising this important and fascinating issue concerning the 'carbon bubble' and for permission to repost the article. There are many links in the article for those who wish to explore this issue further.
- [The Benefits of Life in The Simpler Way](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-benefits-of-life-in-the-simpler-way) - After the last two posts being rather gloomy, I am happy today to bring your attention to Ted Trainer's new Simplicity Institute Report, called 'Your Delightful Day: The Benefits of Life in the The Simpler Way.' In this report Trainer highlights the many benefits that would come - individually, socially, environmentally - if communities embraced
- [Ted Trainer's new article on 'The Conversation' ](http://simplicitycollective.com/ted-trainers-new-article-on-the-conversation) - A couple of days ago Ted Trainer published an article on 'The Conversation,' which I've republished below. It's called 'Living off-the-grid is possible, but it's not enough to fix climate change' and it's one hell of a read, despite being very short. LIVING OFF-THE-GRID IS POSSIBLE, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO FIX CLIMATE CHANGE by
- [Has Civilization a Future? Simplicity Institute Report by Paul Ehrlich and Anne Ehrlich ](http://simplicitycollective.com/has-civilization-a-future-simplicity-institute-report-by-paul-ehrlich-and-anne-ehrlich) - Can a collapse of civilization be avoided? This is the bold question Paul and Anne Ehrlich, from Stanford University, confront in their challenging new essay, published today by the Simplicity Institute. Paul Ehrlich has been amongst the most prominent figures in the Environmental Movement ever since his 1968 publication of The Population Bomb. I've posted the
- [Psychedelic Garden Love](http://simplicitycollective.com/psychedelic-garden-love) - A huge ‘dome of heat’ over Australia has broken temperature records, and this heat has been so intense that the Bureau of Meteorology has been required to create new colours for their charts, which had previously been capped at 50 degrees. Deep red has now been superseded by deep purple. Bush fires have been raging
- [My Post-Electric Washing Machine: The Deindustrial 2020](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-deindustrial-2020-my-post-electric-washing-machine) - Introducing my post-electric washing machine, which I call the Deindustrial 2020. It’s of the future, not the past – although it does look rather like the old-style, Medieval 1450. It was made for only $2. As you should be able to see from the picture, the Deindustrial 2020 is made up of two hi-tech elements,
- [Enough, For Everyone, Forever](http://simplicitycollective.com/enough-for-everyone-forever) - Below is the introduction to Mark A. Burch's final Simplicity Institute Report for the year, ending what has been a wonderfully prolific few months. The essay is called "Sufficiency: Enough, For Everyone, Forever," and it is freely available in full here. I'd like to extend my gratitude to Mark for all his hard work, over
- [The Sufficiency Economy: Envisioning a Prosperous Way Down](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-sufficiency-economy-envisioning-a-prosperous-way-down) - Below I've posted the introduction to my new essay, "The Sufficiency Economy: Envisioning a Prosperous Way Down." This essay, which I feel is the clearest expression of my views, summarises the critique of growth economics and then describes in some detail what I consider to be the most promising alternative model - 'a sufficiency economy.' The
- [Simplicity, Sustainability, and Human Rights](http://simplicitycollective.com/simplicity-sustainability-and-human-rights) - Mark A. Burch has just published another fine Simplicity Institute Report, this time addressing the themes, "Simplicity, Sustainability, and Human Rights." I've posted the introduction below and the full report is available here. I don’t claim any professional credentials or special expertise with respect to human rights. My perspective is that of a layperson, not
- [My Solar Oven: Renewable Energy the Simpler Way](http://simplicitycollective.com/my-solar-oven-renewable-energy-the-simpler-way) - I was at the salvage yard the other day and saw some cheap mirrors, so I bought them. Not so that I could look at myself. From my typical appearance it is clear that I do not do that nearly as often as I should. Rather, I thought I could use them to make a good
- [Simplicity and Economy](http://simplicitycollective.com/simplicity-and-economy) - Continuing his prolific few months of writing (with several more essays still to come!), Mark A. Burch has published a new Simplicity Institute Report, this one entitled 'Simplicity and Economy.' As always, Mark presents an insightful and inspiring analysis, deserving of serious attention. I've posted a short section below and the full essay is available
- [Mindfulness: The Doorway to Simple Living](http://simplicitycollective.com/mindfulness-the-doorway-to-simple-living) - Mark A. Burch has just published a new Simplicity Institute Report, called 'Mindfulness: The Doorway to Simple Living.' I've posted a short section below and the full essay is available here. Also, before I leave you with Mark's fine essay, I've been contacted by two different writers seeking interviewees for their own work on simple
- [How to Live Simply: The De-Junking Guide](http://simplicitycollective.com/how-to-live-simply-the-de-junking-guide-by-mark-a-burch) - A few years ago Mark A. Burch wrote a helpful 'de-junking guide' which he has kindly given me permission to post online. I've posted a couple of pages from an introductory section below and the full text (full of practical advice) is freely available here. This text supports the practical advice the Simplicity Institute offers at
- [The Simplicity Exercises: A Sourcebook for Simplicity Educators](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-simplicity-exercises-a-sourcebook-for-simplicity-educators) - On this first day of spring, which symbolises new life, it brings me great pleasure to announce the publication of Mark Burch's The Simplicity Exercises: A Sourcebook for Simplicity Educators. This special issue from the Simplicity Institute takes us in a new direction, moving beyond the analytical stage of defending simplicity and criticising growth-based, consumer-orientated economies,
- [Degrowth, Expensive Oil, and the New Economics of Energy](http://simplicitycollective.com/degrowth-expensive-oil-and-the-new-economics-of-energy) - The PDF is available here: "Degrowth, Expensive Oil, and the New Economics of Energy" Our understandings and expectations of the world have been shaped by our experience of economic growth. The dynamic stability of that growth has habituated us to what is ‘normal.’ That normal must soon shatter. – David Korowicz Samuel Alexander[1] 1. Preparing
- [Radical Simplicity and the Middle-Class: Exploring the Lifestyle Implications of a 'Great Disruption'](http://simplicitycollective.com/radical-simplicity-and-the-middle-class-exploring-the-lifestyle-implications-of-a-great-disruption) - Below I have posted my new Simplicity Institute Report, "Radical Simplicity and the Middle-Class: Exploring the Lifestyle Implications of a 'Great Disruption.'" The report has also been published with the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and the PDF is available here. 1. Introduction How would the ordinary middle-class consumer – I should say middle-class citizen –
- ['Education' under Consumer-Capitalism, and The Simpler Way Alternative](http://simplicitycollective.com/education-under-consumer-captialism-and-the-simpler-way-alternative) - Ted Trainer has just published a new Simplicity Institute Report, addressing the question, "What is Education?" He's provided a short summary below and the full essay is available here. Education under Consumer-Capitalism, and The Simpler Way Alternative Ted Trainer In consumer society “education” is essentially about reproducing consumer society - providing workers who are skilled,
- [Ted Trainer's Review of "Reinventing Fire"](http://simplicitycollective.com/ted-trainers-review-of-reinventing-fire) - Below is Ted Trainer's review of Amory Lovins' book, Reinventing Fire (2011). Reinventing Fire continues the presentation of the Lovins perspective, essentially the claim that there is great scope for conservation measures and alternative technologies to solve our problems and enable maintenance of rich world economies and lifestyles. He says at least 80% of US power,
- [Educating for Simple Living](http://simplicitycollective.com/educating-for-simple-living) - Mark Burch has just written an important and timely essay on "Educating for Simple Living" which will be published through the Simplicity Institute in a few days. The full essay is available in advance here, and I've posted the introduction below. Educating for Simple Living by Mark Burch In the following pages I aim to explore
- [Che Guava Strikes Again: Guerilla Gardening on Nature Strip](http://simplicitycollective.com/che-guava-strikes-again-guerilla-gardening-on-nature-strip) - Someone's been guerilla gardening on my nature strip again. I think it was Che Guava, but can't be sure. You will see from the picture that a wonderful no-dig garden bed is now beautifying the nature strip outside my place. A no-dig bed means exactly that - no digging - which means you don't have
- [David Holmgren Publishes Simplicity Institute Report: Retrofitting the Suburbs](http://simplicitycollective.com/david-holmgren-publishes-simplicity-institute-report-retrofitting-the-suburbs) - I'm pleased to announce that David Holmgren, co-originator of the permaculture concept, has just published a Simplicity Institute Report, entitled "Retrofitting the Suburbs for the Energy Descent Future." I've provided a short overview of Holmgren's essay below, and the full report is available at the Simplicity Institute here. Sometimes well-meaning 'green' people like to imagine
- [Resilience through Simplification: Revisiting Tainter's Theory of Collapse](http://simplicitycollective.com/resilience-through-simplification-revisiting-tainters-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
- [Will you tell your Story of Simplicity?](http://simplicitycollective.com/will-you-tell-your-story-of-simplicity) - The Simplicity Institute invites you to tell your 'story of simplicity' for our new book. Living simply in a consumer culture involves heading in the opposite direction to where most of society is moving. At times this can produce feelings of social isolation, so it is very important that those of us exploring simplicity both
- [Seeking a Simple Life](http://simplicitycollective.com/seeking-a-simple-life) - There is an article in The Age today on simple living, which is worth a read. It's written by journalist Michael Short, but the article is based on a campaign by Greg Foyster, who is currently on a bike tour around Australia promoting simpler lifestyles and interviewing people who are exploring voluntary simplicity. Greg interviewed me
- [Ted Trainer and the Simpler Way](http://simplicitycollective.com/ted-trainer-and-the-simpler-way) - Ted Trainer is one of the wisest, boldest, and most dedicated advocates of The Simpler Way. In 2010 he published a book called, The Transition to a Sustainable and Just World, and I have to say that it is one of the best books I have ever read in my life. If you only have
- [But Can't Technology Solve the Problems? ](http://simplicitycollective.com/but-cant-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
- ["Our Life Is Our Message" - Simple Living 2009](http://simplicitycollective.com/our-life-is-our-message-simple-living-2009) - ‘Our life is our message.’ – Mahatma Gandhi Greetings all, I am very pleased to report that last weekend at the Sustainable Living Festival hundreds of new members signed up to our Collective, and more are joining everyday. It was truly inspiring to meet so many warm and genuine people, and the conversations I had
- [Technology and Simple Living](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [What will Rio+20 bring?](http://simplicitycollective.com/what-will-rio20-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
- [Life After the Peak](http://simplicitycollective.com/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 –
- [Transition 2.0: A Story of Hope and Resilience in Extraordinary Times](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Transition Towns as Resilience Pioneers](http://simplicitycollective.com/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:
- [Can Renewable Energy Sustain Consumer Societies?](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Envisioning a Sustainable Urban Landscape](http://simplicitycollective.com/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
- [Urban Food Forests: A Policy Proposal](http://simplicitycollective.com/urban-food-forests-a-policy-proposal) - Relocalising food production - especially in urban centres - is absolutely critical to decarbonising our economies and making our communities more resilient. My vision of a sustainable urban landscape is one where the streets are lined with fruit and nut trees, supplying the community with a greater portion of its own food. The City of
- [The Best Books I’ve Read This Year: Need Ideas for an Oppositional Xmas?](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-best-books-i’ve-read-this-year-need-ideas-for-an-oppositional-xmas) - At a time when the world’s most respected scientists affirm that ordinary Western-style consumption habits are indeed destroying the planet, what attitudes should we have toward the corporate event known as Christmas? Should we still be seeking salvation through over-consumption? Or is it high time to embrace some form of enlightened material restraint? The materialistic
- [Ted Trainer and The Simpler Way (Review Essay)](http://simplicitycollective.com/ted-trainer-and-the-simpler-way-review-essay) - I'm very pleased to announce that Ted Trainer has joined the Simplicity Institute, and in recognition of this important event I've spent the last week writing a review essay of his work, which I've posted below. Ted has been writing about The Simpler Way for many years, and in coming weeks and months he will be
- [There's No Tomorrow (Film)](http://simplicitycollective.com/theres-no-tomorrow-video) - Ignoring the rather gloomy title, I highly recommend this new educational video on peak oil and economic growth. It's a very engaging summary of many of the issues related to peak oil and resource depletion, and it's essentially a short (34mins) visual expression of my recent paper, "Peak Oil, Energy Descent, and the Fate of
- [Post Carbon Pathways](http://simplicitycollective.com/post-carbon-pathways-reviewing-transition-strategies) - This month the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute and the Centre for Policy Development, at Melbourne University, released a major report, entitled "Post Carbon Pathways: Reviewing Post Carbon Economy Transition Strategies." Authored by John Wiseman and Taegen Edwards, this report provides an overview of the key goals and priorities of 18 of the most ambitious, promising
- [Living Better on Less? Toward an Economics of Sufficiency ](http://simplicitycollective.com/living-better-on-less-toward-an-economics-of-sufficiency) - My last article summarised a longer paper I have just finished called "Living Better on Less? Toward an Economics of Sufficiency." This paper reviews the social research that examines the relationship between income and happiness. The central question I ask is: How important is money to happiness? The weight of evidence suggests that income growth tends
- [The Simple Life has Benefits for All of Us](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-simple-life-has-benefits-for-all-of-us) - The following article was published in The Age today (16 March). The online newspaper version is available here. Increasing material wealth has been, and remains, one of the dominant goals of humankind – perhaps the dominant goal. This is hardly surprising, of course, given the extremely low material living standards endured by most people throughout history,
- [Questioning the Growth Imperative](http://simplicitycollective.com/questioning-the-growth-imperative) - This post has been published recently in Green (the publication of the Australian Greens), Issue 35, p9. Celebrated economist, Sir John Hicks, began one of his essays with the pronouncement, ‘We are living in an age of growth.’ It is a view that applies more so today than ever before, at least as a statement of
- [Sustainability in Fiction: Black Cow by Magdalena Ball ](http://simplicitycollective.com/sustainability-in-fiction-black-cow-by-magdalena-ball) - Magdalena Ball, one of the readers of this website, has just published a book of fiction called Black Cow, which explores themes related consumerism and sustainability. Below she provides an overview of her novel. Thanks to Maggie for her efforts, and congratulations for bringing this work to fruition. Freya and James Archer live the high life
- [Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-power-of-community-how-cuba-survived-peak-oil) - A shout out to all Melbournians: Transition Coburg is screening "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" this Sunday (today) 26 February at 3pm, the Coburg Library (access in the side door, from the Coburg Mall). This is an inspiring film about how Cuba relocalised its food production almost overnight.... when they had
- [Overcoming Barriers to Sustainable Consumption ](http://simplicitycollective.com/overcoming-barriers-to-sustainable-consumption) - Our country is set up structurally to oppose voluntary simplicity. – Michael Jacobson Our lifestyle decisions, especially our consumption decisions, are not made in a vacuum. Instead, they are made within social, economic, and political structures of constraint, and those structures make some lifestyle decisions easy or necessary and other lifestyle decisions difficult or impossible.
- [The Simpler Way: A Practical Action Plan for Living More on Less](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-simpler-way-a-practical-action-plan-for-living-more-on-less) - I'm pleased and excited to announce the launch of the latest initiative of the Simplicity Institute - The Simpler Way: A Practical Action Plan for Living More on Less. ____ The Simpler Way, created in collaboration with Ted Trainer, consists of a website and booklet which provide detailed practical advice on how to live a
- [The High Price of Materialism ](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-high-price-of-materialism-2) - Tim Kasser is a psychologist that has spent many years researching into the effects of materialistic values and practices on human wellbeing. I highly recommend his excellent book, "The High Price of Materialism," but for those who only have five minutes to spare, many of the key insights of that text are summarised in a
- [David Holmgren: Retrofitting the Suburbs for Sustainability  ](http://simplicitycollective.com/david-holmgren-retrofitting-the-suburbs-for-sustainability) - Exciting news for all Melbournians: David Holmgren, co-originator of the 'permaculture' concept, is giving a free lunchtime talk at Melbourne's Wheeler Centre on 16 February 2012. His subject is 'Retrofitting the Suburbs for Sustainability," and it isn't to be missed. David's insight into the various social and ecological challenges of our times is unrivalled, and
- [Toward a Foucauldian Ethics of Sustainable Consumption ](http://simplicitycollective.com/toward-a-foucauldian-ethics-of-sustainable-consumption) - I've turned my last post 'Self-Cultivation and the Art of Voluntary Simplicity' into an essay, which itself is based on the rather-too-long manuscript I posted a few months ago, called 'Voluntary Simplicity as an Aesthetics of Existence.' I hope this much abridged essay might be less daunting, despite the fact that it is framed by
- [Self-Cultivation and the Art of Voluntary Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/self-cultivation-and-the-art-of-voluntary-simplicity) - Consumption is a proper subject of ethical concern primarily for the following three reasons: (1) the planet’s resources are being consumed at an unsustainable rate, and this is placing in jeopardy the future of life as we know it, with potentially catastrophic consequences; (2) a small percentage of the world’s population live in relative comfort
- [We are not Machines: The Parable of Sufficiency](http://simplicitycollective.com/we-are-not-machines-the-parable-of-sufficiency) - Let me define a machine very broadly as something incapable of thought that reacts predictably to a given stimulus. Take a vending machine, for example. Someone puts money in, pushes certain buttons, and without thinking about it, the machine distributes the goods selected. Now imagine another type of machine – a robot. Suppose every time
- [Money, Stuff, and the Deathbed Experiment](http://simplicitycollective.com/money-stuff-and-the-deathbed-experiment) - If you’d excuse the rather confronting title, I’d like to invite you to undertake what I call the ‘Deathbed Experiment.’ It’s simple and goes like this: Imagine you are on your deathbed and someone asks you: “What attitudes defined your life?” What would you want to be able to say? This thought experiment never fails
- [God's Away on Business: The Spiritual Significance of Voluntary Simplicity ](http://simplicitycollective.com/gods-away-on-business-the-spiritual-significance-of-voluntary-simplicity) - Economic growth is the secular religion of advancing industrial nations. - Daniel Bell In December 2009 I addressed the Parliament of the World's Religions on the subject of the spiritual significance of voluntary simplicity. I would never hold myself out as an authority on this matter, I hasten to add - it seems to me
- [Voluntary Simplicity as an Aesthetics of Existence](http://simplicitycollective.com/voluntary-simplicity-as-an-aesthetics-of-existence) - Over the last couple of weeks I've drafted a new paper on voluntary simplicity. It's a bit more philosophical than my recent writing (and it's rather long) but I hope that the title might tempt some of you to take a look. In a sentence, the argument I make is that living simply in a
- [Unleashing Transition Coburg: From Oil Dependence to Local Resilience ](http://simplicitycollective.com/unleashing-transition-coburg-from-oil-dependence-to-local-resilience) - Greetings all - especially those of you who might live in Coburg (Melbourne), or thereabouts. I'm guessing many of you have heard of Transition Initiatives, but for those who haven't, the basic idea is this: it doesn't look as if our governments are going to do anything significant with respect to peak oil or climate
- [Peak Oil Can Fuel a Change for the Better](http://simplicitycollective.com/peak-oil-can-fuel-a-change-for-the-better) - I managed to get an article on peak oil published in a mainstream newspaper today (The Age). It's available here: Peak Oil Can Fuel a Change for the Better. Thanks to all those who came down to the talk in City Square last night. During discussion time, when the audience was throwing ideas and perspectives
- [Peak Oil, Energy Descent, and the Fate of Consumerism](http://simplicitycollective.com/peak-oil-energy-descent-and-the-fate-of-consumerism) - My new paper 'Peak Oil, Energy Descent, and the Fate of Consumerism' can be downloaded here, and it has also been published on the Energy Bulletin. I've reposted the abstract below. Abstract: Western-style consumer lifestyles are highly resource and energy intensive. This paper examines the energy intensity of these consumer lifestyles and considers whether such lifestyles
- [Free Public Talk in Melbourne's City Square](http://simplicitycollective.com/free-public-talk-in-melbournes-city-square) - Greetings all, and happy new year, I'm giving a talk on peak oil and consumerism in Melbourne's City Square this Tuesday 10 January, at 7pm. The talk will go for around 40 mins followed by about 40 mins discussion. For those of you in Melbourne, it would be great to see some of down there
- [Viva La Resistance!](http://simplicitycollective.com/viva-la-resistance) - No, this isn’t the same citrus tree that I planted and posted about a couple of weeks ago. Although I do look very fondly upon that citrus tree, and check upon it morning and night, I wouldn’t bother you again with more details were it not for the fact that another tree has mysteriously appeared,
- [Guerrilla Gardening: Things Are Getting Serious](http://simplicitycollective.com/guerrilla-gardening-things-are-getting-serious) - Since I became a guerrilla gardener a month or so ago, I've been living in the mountains (not really, but let's run with this narrative). I've only been entering civil society to do my work, and busy I have been. Then I escape back into the mountains where I plan my next move. My code
- [One Vision of Occupy Melbourne](http://simplicitycollective.com/my-vision-of-occupy-melbourne) - Occupy Melbourne may have fallen out of the news, but several hundred people have still been meeting everyday on the steps of the State Library to continue their grassroots activities. It remains a vibrant community of passionate and compassionate people, and the energy levels have not been dampened but only enhanced by the executive beating
- [Solar Hot Water: The Simpler Way](http://simplicitycollective.com/solar-hot-water-the-simpler-way) - To those of you in the Northern hemisphere, who are heading into the depths of winter, this post may be a bit offensive. My apologies in advance. The temperature today in Melbourne, Australia, reached a toasty 29 degrees (celsius) and that signifies the beginning of the season of solar hot water - but solar hot
- [The Strangest Thing Happened at Cherry Grove](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-strangest-thing-happened-at-cherry-grove) - With a day to pass before my students submit their second assignment for marking, this morning I set out on my bike to survey the neighbourhood for a plot of unused land to cultivate, in the manner of a Guerrilla Gardener. I already had my eyes set on a couple spots, so soon enough I
- [Guerrilla Gardening and the Relocalization of Food Production](http://simplicitycollective.com/guerrilla-gardening-and-the-relocalization-of-food-production) - Relocalizing food production is one of the most important steps on the path to a sustainable society, and in times of great economic uncertainty, relocalizing food production is just plain sensible. It should bother us, therefore, when we see good land in our neighbourhoods sitting dormant and uncultivated, especially when it is right outside our own
- [Ten Most Popular Posts of 2011](http://simplicitycollective.com/ten-most-popular-posts-of-2011) - As the year draws to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the readers of this website for their support and contributions. Our community is now over 1,000 strong, and I’m very much looking forward to exploring voluntary simplicity, and all it entails, with you in 2012. Now, more than ever before,
- [Voluntary Simplicity and Transition vs. Empire](http://simplicitycollective.com/voluntary-simplicity-and-transition-vs-empire) - This post is a short excerpt from a paper of mine considering the role the Simplicity and Transition Movements might play in resisting the forces of globalization and producing a degrowth or steady-state economy. The age of globalization is upon us, and it could be that any attempt to realize a degrowth or steady-state economy
- [How to Win the Wilberforce Award: The Problem is Overconsumption not Overpopulation](http://simplicitycollective.com/how-to-win-the-wilberforce-award-the-problem-is-overconsumption-not-overpopulation) - There are now many credible scientific studies establishing that the global economy is exceeding, by some way, the regenerative and absorptive capacities of Earth’s ecosystems. One way to understand this defining problem of our age, and perhaps move towards its resolution, is to look at the problem of overpopulation. The planet is in such a
- [Voluntary Simplicity: The Poetic Alternative to Consumer Culture](http://simplicitycollective.com/voluntary-simplicity-the-poetic-alternative-to-consumer-culture) - In 2009 I published (on a not-for-profit basis) an anthology of articles on simple living, entitled Voluntary Simplicity: The Poetic Alternative to Consumer Culture. It includes 20 chapters from leading advocates of simple living, including Clive Hamilton, Juliet Schor, and Henry Thoreau, among many others. I've just noticed that Fishpond is having a sale and
- [Occupy Wall Street / Occupy Melbourne: Are We the People We Have Been Waiting For?](http://simplicitycollective.com/occupy-wall-street-occupy-melbourne-are-we-the-people-we-have-been-waiting-for) - (A PDF of my 4,000 word defence of Occupy Melbourne can be downloaded here: Ignite.) I presume you have all heard about the occupation of Wall Street that began a few weeks ago in New York? Thousands of people have been staging an extended protest – an occupation – of Wall Street, voicing their diverse objections
- [Notes on the Occupation - Occupy Melbourne](http://simplicitycollective.com/notes-on-the-occupation-occupy-melbourne) - This post is a continuation of the last one – but this time with the benefit of lived experience. Here are my thoughts on the experience so far. (For my 4,000 word defence of the movement, please click here: Ignite.) For the purpose of ‘occupying Melbourne’ in solidarity with the global movement, I headed down to
- [Ignite: An Unspoken Address to the Occupiers (Occupy Melbourne)](http://simplicitycollective.com/ignite-an-unspoken-address-to-the-occupiers-occupy-melbourne) - A PDF of my 4,000 word statement can be downloaded here: Ignite. I woke up in City Square again this Thursday morning. The sun was rising, the vibe was characteristically joyful and positive, and the conversation was critical and engaged. Not only that, seeing the City Square full with tents was an inspiring spectacle, one that
- [The Battle of City Square: This Is What Democracy Looks Like](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-battle-of-city-square-this-is-what-democracy-looks-like) - I got a call this morning around 7.30am informing me that the police were planning to evict people from City Square at 9am. So I jumped on my bike and did what my conscience demanded of me. What else is one to do? It is 7.15pm as I write these words, and I now have
- [Looking Backward from the Year 2099: Ecozoic Reflections on the Future](http://simplicitycollective.com/looking-backward-from-the-year-2099-ecozoic-reflections-on-the-future) - This is the last essay in the July series, and I think it may be the most interesting. Recently published in the Earth Jurisprudence and Environmental Justice Journal, this essay looks back upon the world from the vantage point of the year 2099. The futuristic reflections detailed in this essay review how attitudes toward consumption and
- [Peak Oil and the Twilight of Growth](http://simplicitycollective.com/peak-oil-and-the-twilight-of-growth-wild-law-paper) - [This is the transcript of my online presentation delivered today for the Wild Law Conference] The PDF of this presentation can be downloaded here: Peak Oil and the Twilight of Growth A slightly revised article with more references can be downloaded here: Peak Oil and the Twilight of Growth (New) 1. Introduction Good afternoon everyone,
- [Planned Economic Contraction? The Emerging Case for Degrowth](http://simplicitycollective.com/planned-economic-contraction-the-emerging-case-for-degrowth) - I've recently drafted a paper on 'degrowth' for the journal Environmental Politics (forthcoming) which I've summarised below. The full paper can be downloaded here: Planned Economic Contraction: The Emerging Case for Degrowth Abstract: This article outlines the sociological, ecological, and economic foundations of a macroeconomics ‘beyond growth,’ focusing on the idea of degrowth. Degrowth opposes conventional growth
- [An Introduction to Peak Oil: Some Online Resources](http://simplicitycollective.com/an-introduction-to-peak-oil-some-online-resources) - For some time I have been interested in the notion of peak oil, but recently I have had the opportunity to research quite extensively on the subject. I am currently working on an essay about peak oil and its implications for high consumption lifestyles, but presently I would just like to share some of the
- [Free Money Day](http://simplicitycollective.com/free-money-day) - Free Money Day? What the... I'm not sure about you, but Free Money Day sounds like absolute madness to me. What is the meaning of it all? I was contacted by the Post-Growth Institute recently who asked me if I would write a theme song for Free Money Day - the day people give out
- [Property beyond Growth: Toward a Politics of Voluntary Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/property-beyond-growth-toward-a-politics-of-voluntary-simplicity) - Over the last four years I’ve been working on my doctoral thesis, which I submitted for examination in January this year and which has recently been passed. The thesis, entitled ‘Property beyond Growth: Toward a Politics of Voluntary Simplicity,’ explores the notion of a private property / market system ‘beyond growth’ and argues that any
- [Voluntary Simplicity and the Social Reconstruction of Law: Degrowth from the Grassroots Up](http://simplicitycollective.com/voluntary-simplicity-and-the-social-reconstruction-of-law-degrowth-from-the-grassroots-up) - The inner crisis of our civilization must be resolved if the outer crisis is to be effectively met. - Lewis Mumford Building upon the arguments presented in the previous post, this post consists of another working paper for a journal, this time focusing on the relationship between voluntary simplicity and degrowth. The paper is entitled
- [Less can be More](http://simplicitycollective.com/less-is-more) - Greetings all, several people have asked me to write a short 'press release' summarising the key findings of the recent Simplicity Institute Report. The aim is to make it easy for those people who wish to post a link to the study on their websites, etc. I hope the following statement is of some use.
- [Simplicity Institute Publishes Results of the Simple Living Survey](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-voluntary-simplicity-movement-a-multi-national-survey-analysis-in-theoretical-context) - The Simplicity Institute has today published the results and analysis of the Simple Living Survey. 1748 people participated in the survey (so far), and to the best of our knowledge that makes it the most extensive sociological examination of the Voluntary Simplicity Movement available. To read the report, click below: "The Voluntary Simplicity Movement: A
- [Tunes for Transition](http://simplicitycollective.com/tunes-for-transition) - Something a little different today – free music! After a silent hiatus of several years without composing a note – justifying my musical alias “Samuel de Silentio” – over the last few weekends I’ve written and recorded (at home) a short album and posted it online for free download. Most of the songs are ‘simplicity’
- [Deconstructing the Shed: Where I Live and What I Live For](http://simplicitycollective.com/deconstructing-the-shed-where-i-live-and-what-i-live-for) - My essay, ‘Deconstructing the Shed: Where I Live and What I Live For,’ is about to be published in the Concord Saunterer: The Journal of Thoreau Studies. I sent out a draft to some of you a few months ago but have been given generous permission to post the final version here (see link below). The
- [Reimagining the Good Life beyond Consumer Culture](http://simplicitycollective.com/reimagining-the-good-life-beyond-consumer-culture) - Continuing the July series of publications, this post consists of an essay called "The Voluntary Simplicity Movement: Reimagining the Good Life beyond Consumer Culture,' which is soon to be published in the peer-reviewed, International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability. This essay, which is based on a collection of earlier posts on this website,
- [Just Enough is Plenty: Thoreau's Alternative Economics (Audio Lecture and E-Book)](http://simplicitycollective.com/just-enough-is-plenty-thoreaus-alternative-economics-audio-lecture-and-e-book) - I've recently started teaching a Masters of Environment course called, "Consumerism and Sustainability," through the Office for Environmental Programs, University of Melbourne. Last night I was privileged enough to deliver a lecture on Thoreau, and I have attached an audio file of part of that lecture if anyone would like to have a listen. I
- [Is this the most beautiful film ever made? ](http://simplicitycollective.com/is-this-the-most-beautiful-film-ever) - "Home" is a uniquely beautiful film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, made in 2009. I'm sure some of you will have seen it, but if you haven't, I highly recommend spending an hour and a half absorbing this masterpiece. It is a truly magnificent work of art - one utterly beyond the capacity of words to describe. Make some
- [Growthbusters: Hooked on Growth (Film)](http://simplicitycollective.com/growthbusters-hooked-on-growth-film) - Growthbusters: Hooked on Growth is a film by the visionary filmmaker Dave Gardner that is currently in production. The film is questioning the growth imperative that lies at the heart of modern economic systems – the film’s trailer can be viewed here. The Growthbusters team is currently on a fundraising campaign to pay for the
- [Three Simple Messages](http://simplicitycollective.com/three-simple-messages) - ----------- (1) The Great 'Simple Living' Survey is still open and looking for more participants. If you are exploring 'a simpler life' in one way or another, the Simplicity Institute (a non-profit research organisation) would love to hear from you. If you haven't participated yet but would like to (it only takes 4 mins) please
- [Travelling the Simpler Way: In Praise of Camping](http://simplicitycollective.com/travelling-the-simpler-way-in-praise-of-camping) - This post was written on the invitation of Zero Carbon Moreland. Henry David Thoreau, the pioneering environmentalist and philosopher of the simple life, once wrote an essay called ‘Walking’ in which he informed his contemporaries – in all seriousness – that they didn’t know how to walk properly. In fact, he claimed that he had
- [The Great 'Simple Living' Survey](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-great-simple-living-survey) - If you live a 'simple' lifestyle in one way or another, the Simplicity Institute needs your help! The Simplicity Institute is an organization dedicated to research and policy analysis around the topic of simple living, downshifting, and similar lifestyles. This research is profoundly important as it touches the core of global problems such as climate
- [Alternative Hedonism and the Pleasures of Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/alternative-hedonism-and-the-pleasures-of-simplicity) - Hedonism can be defined as a way of life which treats pleasure as the ultimate good. It can be distinguished from utilitarianism, which treats happiness as the ultimate good. Hedonists are not so much concerned with happiness, in the sense of overall wellbeing. They are more interested in the carnal, sensual, and immediate pleasures of
- [There is More Day to Dawn: The Promise of the New Pioneers](http://simplicitycollective.com/passing-on-the-torch-of-voluntary-simplicity) - Two years ago, almost to the day, the Simplicity Collective was launched at Melbourne’s “Sustainable Living Festival.” It was born of the idea that consumer culture as we know it is unsustainable, both socially and ecologically, and that simpler living, in some form or another, will need to be a part of any human civilization
- [The Revolutionary Spirit of the Voluntary Simplicity Movement](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-revolutionary-spirit-of-the-voluntary-simplicity-movement) - Voluntary simplicity designates a way of life that is very different from the high consumption, materialistic lifestyles that are widely celebrated today in advanced capitalist societies (and increasingly elsewhere). Given the personal, social, humanitarian, and ecological benefits that voluntary simplicity promises, it should be of concern to all those who are sympathetic to this way
- [The Need for a Politics of Voluntary Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-need-for-a-politics-of-voluntary-simplicity) - The Voluntary Simplicity Movement has been criticized, at times, for being ‘escapist’ or ‘apolitical,’ a criticism which, it cannot be denied, has some weight.[1] Leading sociologist on voluntary simplicity, Mary Grigsby, notes that participants in the Simplicity Movement ‘don’t generally talk about policy initiatives, instead focusing on the individual as the primary mechanism for change.’[2] While the
- [Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown: The Diderot Effect](http://simplicitycollective.com/regrets-on-parting-with-my-old-dressing-gown-the-diderot-effect) - Have you ever purchased or been given something, something you really wanted, only to find that this new acquisition made the rest of your stuff seem a bit old and dated? Rather than discarding the new acquisition or accepting some disunity in the style of your possessions, have you then been tempted to upgrade your
- [The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less (Video Lecture)](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-paradox-of-choice-why-more-is-less-video-lecture) - Barry Schwartz is a sociology professor at Swarthmore College and author of The Paradox of Choice. In this talk, he explains how and why the abundance of consumer choice in modern society is actually making people miserable. But far from being a litany of despair, his is ultimately a message of hope, and a message
- [Life after Growth (Short Film)](http://simplicitycollective.com/life-after-growth-short-film) - The economic crash of 2008 revealed not only the frailty and vulnerability of the economic system, it also showed the false basis that the growth economy is built upon. The prescription from mainstream economists is more growth - but is this just taking more of what ails us? Has growth become uneconomic? Is there another
- [Facebook as an Oppositional Tool for Activists? A Highly Qualified Defence of Social Media](http://simplicitycollective.com/facebook-as-an-oppositional-tool-for-activists-a-highly-qualified-defence-of-social-media) - Until 2011, I spent a total of about 4 minutes on social media like Facebook, MySpace, etc. I signed up for an account a couple of years ago, but then immediately forgot my password and, until very recently, never looked back. Like many others, I feel that social media is consuming an alarming amount of
- [The Curse of Affluenza (Video Lecture)](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-curse-of-affluenza-video-lecture) - 'Affluenza' can be defined as a collective psychological disorder that leaves people feeling deprived despite their plenty. The link below leads to an insightful and powerfully argued video lecture on the subject. The 29 minute lecture is delivered by Richard Denniss, who is the Executive Director of Australia's most influential think-tank, the Australia Institute. Denniss is
- [Stories of Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/stories-of-simplicity) - Do you have a story you could share about your personal exploration of the simple life? Was there a moment when you realized that it was 'the simple things' in life that matter most? What do you understand by 'the simple things'? Perhaps you would like to share some of the difficulties with simple living
- [An Invitation / Incitation to the Simple Life](http://simplicitycollective.com/an-invitation-incitation-to-the-simple-life) - We are freer than we think we are. – Michel Foucault WELCOME LIFE POETS! NEWS IN BRIEF: Voluntary Simplicity Documentary (Wednesday) – The showing of the voluntary simplicity documentary was delayed one week and is now showing this Wednesday 29 April 2009, 9.30pm, Channel 31’s Plug In TV Show. The documentary will also be posted
- [Welcome!](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-life-poets-simplicity-collective) - Invitation / Incitation Greetings All, The Life Poets’ Simplicity Collective is a grass-roots environmental organization dedicated to promoting and celebrating sustainable culture. We are a diverse and ever-growing network of individuals, from all walks of life, who are trying to make a difference in our own creative way - and we need your help. Our
- [Sustainable Living Festival 2010 - The Simplicity Collective Represents!](http://simplicitycollective.com/sustainable-living-festival-2010-simplicity-collective-draws-attention) - Hello everyone, The Sustainable Living Festival is always an inspiring and energizing few days. It was great to be representing the Voluntary Simplicity Movement and it was great to have received so much support from the Melbourne public. More on the Festival below, but before saying anything further, as those signed up will be aware, I haven't
- [The Social Significance of Voluntary Simplicity - Sustainability Week Presentation](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-social-significance-of-voluntary-simplicity-sustainability-week-presentation) - There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. – Victor Hugo THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY Samuel Alexander (Speech made for Sustainability Week, Melbourne University, 22nd March 2010) Hello everyone, good to be with you today to recognize and celebrate Sustainability Week. What strikes me most about Sustainability Week is
- [What Does the Simple Life Mean to You?](http://simplicitycollective.com/what-does-the-simple-life-mean-to-you) - Here is an opportunity to share your ideas, perspectives, and insights on simplicity of living. One of the paradoxes of 'simple living' is that it is complex. Nobody has all the answers. The simple life is not so much a destination as it is an on-going creative process, and one way to creatively explore your
- [Breadmaking Workshop a Delight](http://simplicitycollective.com/breadmaking-workshop-a-delight) - Contining the Simplicity Collective workshop series, last weekend a roomful of novice breadmakers came together in the name of simple living to explore the art of breadmaking. We were very fortunate to have Andrea, Leesh, and Em as our wise and passionate tutors. Thanks so much to them for their time and willingnes to share
- [Simple Living Workshop](http://simplicitycollective.com/simple-living-workshop) - Last night the first workshop for the Simplicity Collective was held and I am happy to report that it was a success. A wonderful evening of story sharing, philosophizing, and homemade spicy pumpkin soup. Thanks to everyone who turned up. It was truly inspiring to hear your stories and insights. No matter how many books
- [A Brief History of Voluntary Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-brief-history-of-voluntary-simplicity) - The celebration of the simple life is about as old as human history itself; so too are warnings about the dangers of greed and materialism. The story could begin with Siddhartha Gautama – the Buddha – who at the age of 29 gave up the superficial luxuries of a royal existence to seek spiritual truth
- [Small Ways to Make a Big Difference](http://simplicitycollective.com/small-ways-to-make-a-big-difference) - Over the last three weeks, a large group of writers, educators, and activists organized by Raam Dev has come together to create a free ebook entitled, 'Small Ways to Make a Big Difference.' In terms of content, the book's title speaks for itself. Many of the short contributions made in this book mesh nicely with
- [Audio Lecture on Voluntary Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/audio-lecture-on-voluntary-simplicity) - Dear Simplicity Collective, Just a short note to bring your attention to a free, audio lecture by leading 'simple living' advocate, Mark Burch, which is available for download here. It is an insightful and eloquent overview of the idea of voluntary simplicity, particularly useful because of the thoughtful questions posed by members of audience at
- [Take Back Your Time Day: Fighting Overwork and Time Poverty](http://simplicitycollective.com/take-back-your-time-day-fighting-overwork-and-time-poverty) - In a few days – on 24 October – a growing number of people will acknowledge, ‘Take Back Your Time Day,’ an initiative established in 2001 by world leaders in the Voluntary Simplicity Movement, most notably, John de Graaf. This initiative falls on 24 October because that is the day many North Americans and Australians
- [Technology and the Simple Life](http://simplicitycollective.com/technology-and-the-simple-life) - Apparently, ballpoint pens don’t work in space because of the lack of gravity. It is said that NASA, troubled by this realization, spent many millions of dollars designing a ‘space pen’ that could function in the absence of gravity. The Russians used a pencil. Whether or not this story is true, it raises interesting questions
- [Step Out of the Rush...](http://simplicitycollective.com/step-out-of-the-rush) - Here is a wonderful story that has been floating around in cyberspace. THE SITUATION In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of
- [Christmas: The Assumption of Consumption](http://simplicitycollective.com/christmas-the-assumption-of-consumption) - The other day I saw a Christmas card which read, “The faster we destroy the planet, the sooner Jesus will be here.” First it made me laugh; then it made me think. At a time when the world’s most respected scientists affirm that ordinary Western consumption habits are indeed destroying the planet, what attitudes should
- [The Art of Life](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-art-of-life) - For all the jokes that are made about New Year Resolutions – jokes about how the diet lasts one week, or how the new exercise regime is enthusiastically written down but never practised – I feel there is nevertheless something of profound value in the technique of reflecting upon one’s own life for the purpose
- [Living Simply as a Path to Genuine Wealth](http://simplicitycollective.com/living-simply-as-a-path-to-genuine-wealth) - Money provides power in the market – power to purchase and consume desired commodities, whether goods or services. Consumption, by satisfying market preferences, is supposed to lead to well-being. In essence, this is the economic foundation of consumer culture.[1] Its fundamental prescription is that people should seek well-being in higher incomes and more consumption.[2] The
- [Voluntary Simplicity, Community, and the Social Good](http://simplicitycollective.com/voluntary-simplicity-community-and-the-social-good) - There are also social or communitarian incentives for embracing a life of voluntary simplicity.[1] For example, when an individual embraces voluntary simplicity by working less, this may well benefit the individual (e.g. by creating more leisure and reducing stress). But those individual benefits will often have flow on effects that benefit others too, such as
- [The Humanitarian Case for Living Simply](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-humanitarian-case-for-living-simply) - Although there are indeed many personal and communitarian incentives for adopting voluntary simplicity, it would be an impoverished ethics that sought to justify itself solely in relation to personal or community self-interest. For that reason, it is important to recognize that there are also broader humanitarian reasons for adopting voluntary simplicity.[1] In a world where
- [Stepping Lightly on the Planet](http://simplicitycollective.com/stepping-lightly-on-the-planet) - As well as personal, communitarian, and humanitarian reasons for living simply, there are, of course, also environmental reasons. It has long been recognized that consumption and ecological impact are correlated,[1] and from this correlation it follows that reducing consumption can be an effective means for reducing ecological impact. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly clear that
- [A Scientific Review of the Ecological Impacts of Overconsumption](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-review-of-the-ecological-impacts-of-overconsumption) - The last post suggested that living more simply will be a necessary part of any transition to an ecologically sustainable society. To support the contention that current consumption patterns are unsustainable, and that low-consumption lifestyles are necessary, here is a brief scientific review of the ecological impacts of economic activity today. The Living Planet Report 2008,[1] based on the scientific
- [The Scapegoat of Overpopulation](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-scapegoat-of-overpopulation) - In the face of evidence such as that cited in the last post, some are quick to blame ‘over-population’ and argue that the environment is under such strain because there are too many people on the planet.[1] Currently the world population is approximately 6.8. billion and is increasing by about 70 million people each year.[2]
- [Will Science and Technology make Consumer Lifestyles Sustainable?](http://simplicitycollective.com/will-science-and-technology-make-consumer-lifestyles-sustainable) - Aside from blaming over-population, a second mainstream response to the ecological crisis is to claim that science and technology will save the planet.[1] From this perspective, rather than focusing on reducing consumption or population, what primarily needs to happen is for scientific or technological advancements to make the production of commodities more efficient; that is,
- [The Voluntary Simplicity Movement in an Age of Commodity Fetishism](http://simplicitycollective.com/contextualizing-the-voluntary-simplicity-movement-in-an-age-of-commodity-fetishism) - In the developed regions of the world today, such as North America, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, etc., decades of unprecedented economic growth have all but solved the economic problem of how to secure the necessaries of life and, indeed, have resulted in most people living lives of relative luxury and comfort.[1] Though a
- [Defining Voluntary Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/defining-voluntary-simplicity) - Voluntary simplicity is an oppositional living strategy that rejects the high-consumption, materialistic lifestyles of consumer cultures and affirms what is often just called ‘the simple life’ or ‘downshifting.’[1] Sometimes called ‘the quiet revolution,’[2] this approach to life involves providing for material needs as simply and directly as possible, minimizing expenditure on consumer goods and services,
- [Does Voluntary Simplicity Glorify Poverty?](http://simplicitycollective.com/a-glorification-of-poverty) - Voluntary simplicity can be misinterpreted sometimes as glorifying or romanticizing poverty, a myth encouraged perhaps by the fact that some of the more extreme proponents of simplicity – e.g. Diogenes, St Francis, Gandhi, etc. – did indeed live lives of staggering material renunciation. Such extremism can be alienating if it is considered to be a
- [The Simple Life: Necessarily Agrarian? Just for Hippies?](http://simplicitycollective.com/necessarily-agrarian-just-for-hippies) - Living simply does not necessarily imply leaving the city to live in the country; nor does it mean becoming a hippie or joining a commune. Although some may find that an agrarian existence is a very good and natural way to live, it will not be attractive (or available) to everyone; nor will living in
- [Is Living Simply Primitive? Regressive? Anti-technology?](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-simple-life-primitive-regressive-anti-technology) - Voluntary simplicity, furthermore, does not mean indiscriminately renouncing all the advantages of science and technology. It does not mean living in a cave, giving up all the benefits of electricity, or rejecting modern medicine. But it does question the assumption that science and technology are always the most reliable paths to health, happiness, and sustainability.
- [Is the Voluntary Simplicity Movement just about Increased Leisure for a Privileged Few?](http://simplicitycollective.com/is-the-voluntary-simplicity-movement-just-about-increased-lesiure-for-a-privileged-few) - The Simplicity Movement is sometimes described, occasionally even by its advocates, as a leisure expansion movement. The criticism sometimes implicit in this description is that voluntary simplicity is a self-centred, narrowly hedonistic philosophy of life available only to a privileged few. While voluntary simplicity by its very nature is indeed ‘an ethic professed and practiced
- [Creating Meaning and Identity through Consumption: Implications for Simple Livers](http://simplicitycollective.com/meaning-and-identity-through-consumption-as-an-objection-to-voluntary-simplicity) - A more sophisticated critique of voluntary simplicity arises out of theories of consumption which recognize that commodities have come to play a role in our lives that go well beyond their material functionality. These theories hold that commodities also function symbolically as social artefacts through which people express and create their identities and in which
- [Does Voluntary Simplicity Prescribe Universal Rules by which to Live?](http://simplicitycollective.com/does-voluntary-simplicity-prescribe-universal-rules-by-which-to-live) - Any discussion of the practice of simplicity ought to begin by acknowledging that there is not one way to live simply. There is no Doctrine or Code of Simplicity to follow, as such; there is no Method or Equation of Simplicity into which we can plug the facts of our lives and be told how
- [Vote with Your Money](http://simplicitycollective.com/vote-with-your-money) - It is all very well to theorize about the simple life – to debate definitions and evaluate justifications – but theory is empty if it is not grounded upon practice. Accordingly, this post and the following posts seek to enrich the preceding theoretical discussions by providing a preliminary exposition of how the idea of voluntary
- [What Kind of Shelter Does One Need to Live Well and Be Free?](http://simplicitycollective.com/what-kind-of-shelter-does-one-need-to-live-well-and-be-free) - Housing (whether purchasing, building, or renting) is typically life’s greatest single expense, so simple livers must think especially carefully about where they live and why, and how much of their lives they are prepared to spend seeking a ‘nicer’ place to live. Exactly what kind of shelter does one need to live well and be free?
- [Clothing, High Fashion, and Voluntary Simplicity's Alternative Aesthetic ](http://simplicitycollective.com/clothing-high-fashion-and-voluntary-simplicitys-alternative-aesthetic) - The historic purpose of clothing, as Henry Thoreau pointed out, was to keep us warm and, in time, for reasons of modesty. Today its dominant purpose seems to be fashion and the conspicuous display of wealth and status. People can, of course, spend thousands and thousands of dollars on clothing, if they wish. But simple
- [Food: A Thumbnail Sketch](http://simplicitycollective.com/food-a-thumbnail-sketch) - Eating locally, eating organically, eating out in moderation, eating less or no meat, eating simply, lightly, and creatively, and, as far as possible, growing one’s own fruit and vegetables – these are some of the key characteristics to food production and consumption in the lives of many simple livers.[1] Given some thought and a little
- [Consume More or Work Less? ](http://simplicitycollective.com/consume-more-or-work-less) - Rethinking attitudes to work is central to the way many participants in the Simplicity Movement approach simple living.[1] Charles Siegel poses the critical question: ‘Should we take advantage of our increasing productivity to consume more or to have more free time?’[2] If people keep raising their material standard of living every time they come into
- [Thoreau on Materialistic Culture](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau-on-materialistic-culture) - ‘Let us consider the way in which we spend our lives,’ Henry Thoreau began one of his most provocative essays, noting that since time was short he would ‘leave out all the flattery, and retain all the criticism,’[1] as was his way. ‘What is it to be born free and not to live free?’ he
- [The Walden Experiment](http://simplicitycollective.com/the-walden-experiment) - (For the background to this post, click here.) On Independence Day, 1845, a few days before his twenty-eighth birthday, Henry Thoreau left his town of Concord, Massachusetts, and went to live alone in the woods, on the shores of Walden Pond, a mile from any neighbour. He there built himself a modest cabin and for
- [Voluntary Simplicity is an Expression of Freedom](http://simplicitycollective.com/voluntary-simplicity-is-an-expression-of-freedom) - MARCH 2009 THE LIFE POETS’ SIMPLICITY COLLECTIVE Invitation / Incitation www.simplicitycollective.com Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead WELCOME LIFE POETS! NEWS IN BRIEF: Voluntary Simplicity Presentation and Discussion – This Wednesday 1st April, 5-6.30 pm,

## Pages

- [Practicing Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/acts-of-opposition) - It is all very well to theorize about the simple life – to debate definitions and evaluate justifications – but theory is empty if it is not grounded upon practice. Accordingly, the following sections seek to enrich the discussion by providing an overview of how the idea of voluntary simplicity is actually lived by participants
- [What is Voluntary Simplicity?](http://simplicitycollective.com/start-here/what-is-voluntary-simplicity-2) - Voluntary simplicity, or simple living, is a way of life that rejects the high-consumption, materialistic lifestyles of consumer cultures and affirms what is often just called ‘the simple life’ or ‘downshifting.’[1] The rejection of consumerism arises from the recognition that ordinary Western-style consumption habits are degrading the planet; that lives of high consumption are unethical
- [Overview](http://simplicitycollective.com/start-here) - Getting and spending we lay waste our powers. – William Wordsworth A SIMPLER LIFE BEYOND CONSUMER CULTURE The Simplicity Collective is a grassroots ‘network of imaginations’ dedicated to exploring, promoting, and celebrating a materially simple but inwardly rich life. Our planet needs us to explore alternative ways to live, and one promising way to lessen
- [                       Invitation / Incitation](http://simplicitycollective.com/start-here/invitationincitation) - Getting and spending we lay waste our powers. – William Wordsworth A SIMPLER LIFE BEYOND CONSUMER CULTURE The Simplicity Collective is a grassroots ‘network of imaginations’ dedicated to exploring, promoting, and celebrating a materially simple, inwardly rich, life. Our planet needs us to explore alternative ways to live, and one promising way to lessen our
- [What is the Simplicity Collective?](http://simplicitycollective.com/start-here/what-is-voluntary-simplicity) - The Simplicity Collective is a grassroots 'network of imaginations' dedicated to creatively exploring, promoting, and celebrating a materially simple but inwardly rich life. Our planet needs us to explore alternative ways to live, and one promising way to lessen our impact on nature is to reject the high-impact lifestyles of consumer culture and voluntarily embrace
- [Forum](http://simplicitycollective.com/join) - The Simplicity Collective Discussion Forum operates a little differently from other forums. There are two ways to engage members of the Simplicity Collective in discussion. The first and easiest way is to click on one of the ‘subjects for discussion’ listed below and post a comment or ask a question. The links below take you to a
- [Thoreau On Comforts, Luxuries and Tools](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau/thoreau-on-comforts-luxuries-and-tools) - We cannot answer the question, ‘How much is enough?’ until we have first answered the question, ‘Enough for what?’ Having exposed that relationship, we are now in a position to consider what attitude Thoreau adopts in relation to material resources beyond the necessaries of life. On this question his alternative economics entails – at times
- [Why Live Simply?](http://simplicitycollective.com/start-here/why-live-simply) - With the definitional overview complete, it is now time to consider what reasons or incentives there might be for choosing a life of voluntary simplicity. The following discussion is divided into five (somewhat overlapping) sections – personal, social / communitarian, humanitarian, ecological, and spiritual. Personal Money provides power in the market – power to purchase
- [Thoreau On Technology](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau/thoreau-on-technology) - What about technology? Must the simple liver indiscriminately renounce it? Thoreau thought that it is certainly better to accept than reject the advantages, though so dearly bought, which the invention and industry of humankind offer – provided, of course, that they are genuine advantages.[1] But he warned that often with these ‘modern improvements’ there is
- [Thoreau On Working Hours](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau/thoreau-on-working-hours) - Let us now reflect on Thoreau’s attitude to working hours. His basic insight here, which is central to his alternative economics, can be expressed quite briefly, since it has been implicit throughout much of what has already been discussed and now just needs bringing to the surface. We only have a limited amount of time
- [Thoreau On Food](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau/thoreau-on-food) - During his two year stay at the pond, Thoreau grew for himself the bulk of the food he ate – beans, especially, but also a few rows of peas, corn, turnips, and potatoes. He drank water. From this experience he learned, among other things, that it ‘cost incredibly little trouble to obtain one’s necessary food’
- [Thoreau On Shelter](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau/thoreau-on-shelter) - As for Shelter, Thoreau does not deny that this is now a necessary of life, though he does make a point of noting that there are instances of human beings, no hardier than ourselves, doing without shelter for long periods in colder countries.[1] Assuming, however, that ‘Shelter’ is indeed a necessary of life, Thoreau proposed
- [Thoreau On Clothing](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau/thoreau-on-clothing) - With respect to procuring clothing, Thoreau wondered whether we are more often led by the love of novelty and the opinions of others, than by a true utility. ‘We worship not the Graces… but Fashion. The head monkey at Paris puts on a traveler’s cap, and all the monkeys in America do the same.’[1] This
- [Thoreau](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau) - On Independence Day, 1845, a few days before his twenty-eighth birthday, Henry Thoreau left his town of Concord and went to live alone in the woods, on the shores of Walden Pond, a mile from any neighbour. He there built himself a modest cabin and for two years and two months earned a simple living
- [Voluntary Simplicity: The Poetic Alternative to Consumer Culture](http://simplicitycollective.com/start-here/full-simplicity-essay) - Is consumer culture the ultimate fulfillment of human destiny? Or are we entitled to hope for something more? Our current use of language, it must be said, does not bode well for those of us who live in hope, for consider what today is proudly called the ‘developed world’: In the face of extreme poverty
- [Documents](http://simplicitycollective.com/documents) - Read the Manifesto PDF Read the Peaceful Acts Of Opposition PDF Read the Declaration On Degrowth PDF Read the Introduction To Anthology PDF Read the Meditations PDF
- ['Economy' from Walden](http://simplicitycollective.com/thoreau/economy-from-walden) - Read the Economy From 'Walden' PDF
- [Meditations On Simplicity](http://simplicitycollective.com/documents/meditations-on-simplicity) - Read the Meditations PDF
- [Declaration On Degrowth](http://simplicitycollective.com/documents/acts-of-opposition) - Read the Declaration On Degrowth PDF
- [Peaceful Acts Of Opposition](http://simplicitycollective.com/documents/peaceful-acts-of-opposition) - Read the Peaceful Acts Of Opposition PDF

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