“Solastalgia” is probably a word rarely used by most in Shepparton or, for that matter, even understood.
Just as are the organisations “Degrowth Network Australia (DNA)” or “Basic Income Australia (BIA)”.
The word solastlagia was coined in 2005 by philosopher Glenn Albrecht in an effort to link human health and identity.
Albrecht described solastalgia as “the homesickness you have when you are still at home” and when your home environment is changing in ways you find distressing.
Also rarely thought about, or used, in Shepparton are the ideas of degrowth or the basic income.
Solastalgia, quite obviously, stands alone in its uniqueness and while discreet organisations with distinct purposes the DNA and BIA are linked through a prevailing economic system which they question and believe could be better; better for individuals and the world generally.
So here in Shepparton, as does the rest of the world, we stand as witnesses to a world collapsing into climate disarray and yet people, clinging to nostalgic views, put their faith in technology, or maybe the “great teapot in the sky, and see only better days ahead.
Sharing, an idea which near 70 years of indoctrination driven by the market, profit and individualism trope has completely discredited, is at the heart of what degrowth and basic income prefer.
A basic income is paid by the State to everyone, upon reaching a certain age, regardless of social status, wealth of broader personal success.
The idea seems impossible at first, but considered forensically it brings both savings and vastly better health and happiness to society.
Degrowth is somewhat different, but it also aims for better health and happiness and not only provides savings to society, but also, actually saves humanity.
It was the Conjoint Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at the University of NSW, Dr Ted Trainer, who said, when writing about transitions from a consumer society to a simple, more co-operative, just and ecologically sustainable society, “Global problems cannot be solved without huge and radical change.”
He said: “The basic cause of the problems is over-consumption — the grossly unsustainable demand for high material ‘living standards’ in a world of limited resources.”
“We cannot keep up the present levels of production and consumption and resource use for long, and there is no possibility of all the world’s people ever rising to these levels.
“People in rich countries have these high ”living standards“ only because we are taking much more than our fair share of the available resources and depriving the majority.”
In discussing a sustainable world order, Dr Trainer said the error we make is in allowing market forces to decide our fate, but what is to be done must be determined by what humans and ecosystems need, not by what is most profitable in the market.
“There must be,” he adds, “a value change to much more concern with cooperation, sharing, helping, caring, collective welfare and living more simply.”
The recent floods in Shepparton were a wonderful example of co-operation, sharing, helping, caring and collective welfare, but with the passing of that emergency, those wonderful human qualities retreat to the shadows laying dormant until the next emergency.
There’s sadness about that for should we embrace the intent of degrowth and basic income, then cooperation, sharing, helping, caring and collective welfare would become a natural, embedded and intimate part of how Shepparton simply works, and so solastalgia is relieved.
Robert McLean is a former editor at The News