A great deal of research went into the writing of Happier People Healthier Planet. As well reading many existing studies on the sources and impacts of wellbeing and many other relevant subjects, I carried out a specially designed study into how the daily practice of living lightly on the Earth can result in a fulfilling life. The hugely varied life-histories, experiences, and perspectives of ninety-four “happily modest consumers” living in Britain who engaged with this exploration contribute further valuable insights to the thinking set out in the book.
I have shared my findings with a wide range of audiences, in workshops and talks, on the airwaves and in blogs and articles. Some examples are:
Workshops
Social Science Café, Norwich, Increasing Happiness, Decreasing Consumption 2009
University of East Anglia (UEA) Wellbeing Week, 2009, student event Increasing Happiness, Decreasing Consumption
UEA Summer School for Year 10 school students, What Makes You Happy? 2011
Suffolk Festival of Ideas, Increasing Happiness, Decreasing Consumption 2015
Golden Triangle Girls (Women’s Institute young women’s branch), Increasing Happiness, Decreasing Consumption 2016
Norwich Diocesan Conference, Listening to the Planet 2017
Confer (educational events for psychotherapists) Small Earth Conference, The Non-material Nature of Wellbeing 2018
Possitopia Festival, Norwich, How Can we Take Happiness into the World of the Future? 2023
Quaker Earthcare Gathering, Derbyshire, How Can we Take Happiness into the World of the Future? 2025
Talks and discussions
International online Zero Carbon Conference, Consumption and Wellbeing 2009
West Somerset Quakers green advisory group, public talk Happier People Healthier Planet 2015
Burning Bush Barn, Rockland St Mary, Norfolk, Spirituality and Creativity 2015
Royal Society of Arts, Norwich branch, Education and Wellbeing 2015
Science Café, The Cut, Halesworth, Suffolk, The Modest Consumers Study 2015
Aviva Women’s Network, What I Learnt from Writing Happier People Healthier Planet 2016
U3A (University of the Third Age), Halesworth, Suffolk, Exploring the relationship between human and environmental wellbeing 2017
Norfolk Club, Psychology Group, On Writing Happier People Healthier Planet 2017
Dragon Hall Debate, Norwich, one of three speakers on the theme of A New Age of Anxiety? 2018
Rotary eInnovation Club international webinar on How Putting Wellbeing First Would Help Sustain Life on Earth 2021
Network of Wellbeing webinar, co-hosted with Eden Project Communities, in their series Do Good Lives Have to Cost the Earth? System Change Not Climate Change 2021
Technical University of Munich seminar series The Climate Drama – Are we taking action or just acting like it? Looking in a New Direction to Create Happier People and a Healthier Planet 2023
Norwich Cathedral Current Affairs Forum, opening talk for Climate Change and the Environmental Crisis discussion 2025
Radio
BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour phone-in 2015
Blogs and articles
Huffington Post, “Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day: which offers more?” 2015
The Conversation, “Your Serious Pursuit of Happiness is Key to Protecting the Planet” 2017
The Conversation, “The Many Reasons Why Less is More” 2017
The Ecologist, “Climate Consciousness Requires Political Pressure” 2018
Green Spirit Magazine, “The Making of Happier People Healthier Planet” 2025
