Solastalgia

[ˌsɒləˈstældʒə]

Related terms: Biophilia, Displacement, Ecosystem Distress Syndrome, Global Dread, Nature Deficit Disorder, Nostalgia, Pain, Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Saudade (Portuguese), Soliphilia (Solace Secured, Love of Unity, Solidarity), Weltschmerz (German)

»Solastalgia« is a term coined by Glenn Albrecht in his essay »Solastalgia: The Distress Caused by Environmental Change« (2005). It formulates the sentiment of experiencing the absence of a connection to a healthy land. The supposition of solastalgia is that our physical and psychological health has a deep connection with the health of the environment we live in. The word was specifically coined to characterize the desolation and loss of environments in which people previously found solace. It describes the longing for a Heimat that has vanished.