The Right to Know and Ecological Literacy

Sor Juana asserted that ignorance is not innocence but injustice—that access to knowledge is a human right, not a privilege. In climate contexts, this means communities threatened by pollution, rising seas, or resource depletion have the right to full, honest information about these threats and their causes. Ecological literacy is not optional expertise but essential for democratic participation in your own survival. Corporations and governments often obscure climate data; misinformation spreads freely. Sor Juana's insistence on transparent knowledge becomes a climate justice principle: people deserve to understand the science, history, and policy affecting their environment. This includes right to know about corporate carbon emissions, historical responsibility for emissions, and alternative futures. When communities lack ecological literacy, they cannot advocate for themselves. Knowledge transparency becomes climate justice practice.