THE NEW MINIMALISTS

Why Owning Less Is the Ultimate Environmental Act

- Gauri Ghadge

The 21st century has perfected the art of excess. Homes overflow with objects bought on impulse, wardrobes carry clothes still tagged with price labels, and devices multiply faster than our needs. Across the planet, humanity now consumes more resources than the Earth can regenerate in a single year. According to UNEP's Global Resources Outlook 2024, global extraction has tripled since the 1970s and, without policy shifts, could rise by 60% by 2060.

But beneath this mountain of possessions, something quieter is stirring - a reawakening. From the concrete jungles of metropolitan India to the slow, salt-scented lanes of Goa, a new kind of environmental consciousness is emerging. It does not preach sacrifice or scarcity; instead, it celebrates sufficiency. The new minimalists believe that owning less is not loss - it's liberation.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF "ENOUGH"

Minimalism is often mistaken for aesthetic minimalism white walls, clean counters, curated décor. But its true form lies deeper, in the psychology of "enough." Modern psychology links clutter to cognitive overload. Observational work from UCLA's Center on Everyday Lives of Families found that managing high volumes of household possessions correlated with elevated diurnal cortisol among mothers, consistent with homes self-described as 'chaotic. Multiple studies in environmental psychology link reduced clutter and intentional consumption with improved subjective well-being, clarity, and perceived autonomy.

What connects these findings to sustainability is profound: the less we consume, the less we extract, manufacture, transport, and discard. The IPCC concludes that demand-side changes across buildings, transport, and food can cut end-use emissions by 40-70% by 2050 versus baseline pathways. In essence, the minimalist mindset directly translates into planetary healing.

GOA'S ORIGINAL MINIMALISM: THE PHILOSOPHY OF SUSEGAD