Solastalgia, our deteriorating environment, and Spirit of Place

Climate anxiety is as newly recognised a phenomenon as is the neologism solastalgia. The word solastalgia was coined by the Australian environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht; it is a composite of the concepts of solace and desolation, and the pain ('algia') derived from the immediate loss of or assault to one's place of residence (Albrecht 2005). It is different from nostalgia, which is the remembrance of times past, and it specifically refers to the mental distress caused by climate change of anthropogenic origin (Albrecht et al. 2007): ''Solastalgia, as opposed to atavistic nostalgia, can also be future orientated, as those who suffer from it might actively seek to create new things or engage in collective action that provides solace and communion in any given environment. Solastalgia has no necessary connection to the past, it may seek its alleviation in a future that has to be designed and created'' (Albrecht 2005).