Green Daily

"Solastalgia" sounds like a word that describes a bad reaction to a sunburn, but it actually refers to the negative psychological impact of a rapidly changing world like ours (it's an enviro-nostalgia, if you will).

The phrase was coined in response to the work of philosopher Glenn Albrecht, who, in recent years, has documented the solastalgia of fellow Australians; it seems they feel uneasy in the face of ecosystems so damaged by rising temperatures, pollution and the like. The Treehugger post on the topic is thought-provoking, but the most interesting part is the comments section.

Several Australians weigh in to attest to the solastalgia phenomenon. But the most subtle and sentimental observation comes from user cjeam who laments, "Hey, Germans feel solastalgia, too: My Dad has been puzzled and unhappy about the disappearance of chanterelles in the forest near my parents' house." It appears that mushrooms and humans are both sensitive organisms.