Today’s Germanism in the English language is quite a philosophical one. But don’t be daunted – I’ll try to deal with it as I’m tearing the term apart. Umwelt (pronounce: ‘oomm-valt, meaning the world around) is a word that has become a big political, ecological, and economical topic. Interesting enough, its roots are in the Danish language, and it appeared there in the second half of the 19th century (thank you, Wikipedia!).
To be honest, I never much pondered the term in itself. To me, it always meant environment in two senses. One was the world of human interactions. The other was that of nature and its complex reactions to human behavior. Maybe, I was on to something there, because one is a self-defined surrounding, the other is a circular system. So, in a way, as I am part of this system, my behavior evokes a chain reaction that, in the end targets me in one way or another. In my human surrounding, my Umwelt is a very contemplated way of interaction; in the bigger picture involving Nature, not so much. We all know that water, soil, air, etc. cannot think (as far as our sciences have defined such matter). Animals do, though, to different degrees and react to our behavior. But in some ways, they are also “just” reacting biologically, not in contemplative ways. Umwelt (according to my very limited understanding) is what we define but, also, what defines us. I don’t even want to go into the philosophical distinctions I found online. You can find them explained in better ways anywhere in libraries or online.
I’m not even sure when the term of Umwelt entered my mind. I was still a child – so much is certain. I grew up in a very environmental-conscious home. No waste, no want was only one of the many ways I was raised. That didn’t mean just food. And my mother was very careful about what she let us eat; all items were scrutinized for unnecessary or questionable chemical and other additives. We didn’t waste water because we were aware there was only so much around in the world. Light and other electricity was used when needed. Radios and TV sets were off when nobody was listening or watching. We didn’t litter but took our garbage either to the next bin or back home. We bought durable and sustainable clothing that lasted us until we outgrew it (then it was given away to people in need) or until it fell apart and couldn’t be mended anymore. We used shopping trolleys and leather or cloth bags for shopping. We filled our beverages to-go into reusable cans or bottles. We reused paper that was printed on only one side as scrap paper. Mind, this was all way before any politicians made environment their topic and the terms “sustainable” and “renewable” became a thing. Before “environmental-friendly” became a fad, a cliché, a label that often enough cannot be trusted.
I still try to upkeep all the things I was taught in my childhood and youth, no matter what was fashionable than or now. I do avoid packaging wherever it is possible; I certainly never litter. I try not to waste anything. And when my husband and I look at our backyard, we see that our limited space of Umwelt loves us back with flowers, birds, bees, and possums.
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