Articles: Green Lifestyles, New Paradigms, and Consciousness

SUSTAINABILITY AND SIMPLICITY

The Garden Of Simplicity

By Duane Elgin, Published Spring 2003, Emerging Lifestyles Magazine
A quiet revolution in living has been underway for the past few decades in which as much as a quarter of the adult population has made significant changes toward simpler ways of living. This article describes ten different approaches that are thriving in the United States.

Choosing A New Lifeway: Voluntary Simplicity

By Duane Elgin, from his book Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity's Future (Morrow, 2000)
An overview of the shift toward more sustainable and compassionate ways of living. Simplicity is not about a life of poverty and sacrifice but about a life of purpose and satisfaction. This is important because a sustainable future for the Earth will require much more than a surface change to a different style of life; it requires a deep change to a new way of life.

Voluntary Simplicity

By Duane Elgin & Arnold Mitchell, Co-Evolution Quarterly, Summer 1977
While working for the think-tank, Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International) Duane Elgin co-authored a report with Arnold Mitchell in 1976 for the Business Intelligence Program. Titled Voluntary Simplicity, this was the most popular report published to that date by the program and it stirred national interest in the theme of simplicity. This article is an updated version of that catalytic report and was published in the summer, 1977 issue of the Co-Evolution Quarterly (which, in turn, was published by the Whole Earth Catalog).

The Value Of Voluntary Simplicity

By Richard Gregg, originally published in August, 1936 in the Indian Journal Visva-Bharati Quarterly and by the Quakers at Wallingford, PA: Pendle Hill, 1936
This is the original article on voluntary simplicity that inspired Duane Elgin to write his book by the same name in 1981. Gregg was a Harvard graduate and a student of Gandhi's teachings. In this article, Gregg explores the spiritual, social, and economic reasons for choosing a life path of greater simplicity.

CULTURE AND CONSCIOUSNESS

Global Consciousness Change: Indicators of an Emerging Paradigm

By Duane Elgin with Coleen LeDrew Elgin, May 1997, 38 pages.
This report brings together, for the first time, most of the major global and U.S. surveys pertaining to a shift toward a more reflective, living-systems perspective. Includes a guide for group dialogue and study.

Collective Consciousness & Cultural Healing

By Duane Elgin, October 1997, 40 pages.
This report explores the scientific foundations, evolutionary implications, and psychological dimensions of the theme of collective consciousness and cultural healing. Includes excerpts from interviews with 18 leaders and visionaries.

Transformational Philanthropy

Co-authored by Duane Elgin & Elizabeth Share, February 2002.
This report summarizes two years of inquiry regarding the creative role of philanthropy in responding to our rapidly changing world. A core question was whether it was possible to identify "transformational initiatives" that recognize the world-system is moving through a time of profound change, creating a unique window of opportunity for seeding initiatives that support the turn toward a more sustainable, just, and compassionate future.

Self-Guiding Evolution of Civilizations

By Duane Elgin, to be published in a forthcoming issue on the conscious evolution of humanity in the Systems Research and Behavioral Science Journal (affiliated with AAAS and UNESCO).
Because the impact of humanity is now global, that is the scale at which we are challenged to become reflective if we are to be choiceful about our common future. The vehicle of collective attention at a civilizational scale is the mass media, particularly broadcast television. If civilizations are to realize their potential for reflective consciousness and become self-guiding in their evolution, then it is vital for the public to mobilize the public's airwaves on behalf of the public interest.

MEDIA ACCOUNTABILITY & DEMOCRACY

Revitalizing Democracy Through Electronic Town Meetings

By Duane Elgin, Journal of the Council of State Governments, Spring 1993
Each generation must renew its contract with democracy in ways that respond to the changing needs of the times. Our world is now changing so fast that democracy is endangered unless citizens are far more involved in setting the direction of public policy. Electronic Town Meetings hold the potential to dramatically revitalize our democracy at a time filled with great decision about our future.

Let's Put the Vision in Television!

By Duane Elgin, In Context Journal, Summer, 1983
Virtually all of our problems are, at their core, communication challenges. Therefore, holding our vehicles of mass communication accountable for serving the interests of the public is not "just another issue." Robust and full social communication is an issue upon which virtually all other issues depend because only with an effective means of communication can we begin to grapple with the many serious challenges to our future.

Citizen Feedback Forums and Communications Law

By Duane Elgin, adapted from book Promise Ahead, New York: Morrow, 2000
How do Citizen Feedback Forums or Electronic Town Meetings fit into U.S. communications law? Do these represent an inappropriate intrusion of the public into the affairs of broadcast TV stations or do these activities represent a fully legitimate exercise of the public's rights and duties in a modern democracy? Because most U.S. citizens are reluctant to act when not given the authority to do so, it is important to know that Citizen Feedback Forums are fully legitimate expressions of our democratic processes and are strongly supported across a broad spectrum of Constitutional law, Congressional legislation, and FCC regulation.

INTERVIEWS WITH DUANE

Peril & Promise

An interview with Duane Elgin by Arnie Cooper, The Sun Magazine, August 2002 "Voluntary Simplicity means choosing our path through life consciously. It's not so much about living with less as it is living with purpose and balance." In this interview, Duane Elgin describes how simplicity lies at the intersection of spirituality and sustainability.

The Breaking Point

An interview with Duane Elgin by Carter Phipps, What is Enlightenment? Magazine, Spring/Summer 2001 What does awakening look like as it moves into the world? Our entire future may depend on how we answer this question, on how effectively we are able to bring a spiritual perspective to bear on the urgent global challenges faced by our awakening species at this decisive juncture in our evolutionary journey.

Upshifters

An interview with Duane Elgin by Sarah van Gelder, editor, Yes! A Journal of Positive Futures, Summer/Srping 1996
About 10 percent of U.S. adults are "upshifters" that have gone even further and are pioneering a new way of life that is more sustainable, satisfying and soulful. They're making a whole-pattern shift in their lives that grows out of an ecological awareness and the sense that "I'm here as more than just a consumer to be entertained; I'm here as a soulful being who wants to grow."

Join Duane's
Email List

"Duane Elgin totally engaged more than 2,000 green building professionals in a spirited dialog about the future...Duane's impact was immediate, profound and likely to be lasting on our industry."