People don't talk about nature as much anymore. Why is that a problem?

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published September 10, 2025 at 11:48 AM EDT

A mushroom from the genus Pholiota grows in moss on a dead tree spotted during a biodiversity survey near Port Angeles, Washington, on October 17, 2024. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

A recent study found that words related to the natural world, such as 鈥榬iver,鈥� 鈥榤oss,鈥� and 鈥榖lossom,鈥� have dramatically declined in English-language books over the last 200 years.

It鈥檚 not just a quirk of how we talk these days 鈥� it reflects a loss of connection with the surrounding environment, which experts say is at the root of the environmental crises we face today.

Host Scott Tong speaks with , senior staff writer at Grist, about the factors driving nature from our minds.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de 黑料新闻, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programaci贸n que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para m谩s reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscr铆base a nuestro bolet铆n informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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