the simplicity forum ~ simplicity, consumption and global warming

The articles and information in this section of the website offer
some different perspectives regarding the relationship between our
use of resources and climate change, and how we might happily
adjust to a new way of life that is truly more sustainable and
satisfying. Many of the solutions presented in the mainstream
media are focused on increases in efficiency, development of
environmentally-friendly technologies, and shifts in consumption
from traditional goods to “greener” goods. And though these ideas
are an important part of the puzzle very few sources are advocating
a reduction in consumption altogether or discussing the ways that
such reductions may actually improve our quality of life.

Averting a major escalation in global warming is going to require
more than just a shift in the type of products we purchase, it will
require a rigorous decline in resource use in every sector. It will
also require policy and infrastructure changes that will support and
complement a shift to more sustainable, localized living. If all of the
“stuff” we were buying were making us happier, then encouraging
this kind of virtual transformation of our values and goals as a
culture would be nearly impossible. But studies have shown that
even though our incomes have increased steadily since the 1950’s
our level of satisfaction has not. Our growing economy has not
delivered the increase in quality of life that we had hoped for, so it’s
time to usher in a shift in the external goals that we have for our
society and ourselves.

Marketers have hijacked our nonmaterial needs for such things as
self-esteem, community, and meaning by trying to convince us that
we’ll find fulfillment of those in the acquisition of more and more
material goods. Our internal goals for personal well-being and
social connection will not change, but the way that we go about
fulfilling them just might. In contrast to that the advertising industry
is still encouraging us to focus on appearances and immediate
(though temporary) gratification while promoting overconsumption
and overwork, paired with an economic model that is both
unrealistic and unsustainable.

To reduce global warming we will absolutely have to modify our
levels of consumption and its accompanying fossil fuel use and
greenhouse gas emissions, and we will need some
encouragement to make those changes. Simplicity as a path
toward deeper fulfillment, that just so happens to be accompanied
by a reduction in one’s environmental impact, may provide a
beacon of hope and a pathway through which these shifts can
begin to happen. We’ll need guidance to get from our current way
of life to a lifestyle that is more sustainable and the Forum’s
members (who are some of the major thought leaders in the field
who originally articulated and spread the various ideas and
messages of simplicity) have experienced the personal and
environmental rewards of a simpler lifestyle.

It is this kind of message that will be so desperately needed as we
move to create a society that consumes responsibly and treats all
of its members justly. As a group we are more than willing to share
what we have learned. We encourage you to peruse the site for
more resources on living a simpler and more gratifying life and to
contact us should you have questions or need more information.