Epistemic Justice in Climate Science Communication

Epistemic justice—the right to have one's knowledge and testimony taken seriously—was central to Sor Juana's struggle. She demanded that her ideas be heard not as curiosities from a woman or colonial subject, but as legitimate intellectual contributions deserving serious engagement. Climate science often commits epistemic injustice: dismissing farmers' observations about changing weather patterns, ignoring Indigenous forecasting systems validated over centuries, or treating frontline communities as passive victims rather than knowledge holders. When a Bangladeshi community's account of saltwater intrusion is dismissed as merely anecdotal while satellite data receives unquestioned authority, epistemic injustice occurs. Sor Juana's framework demands we recognize multiple valid forms of climate knowledge: scientific data AND lived experience, Western methodology AND traditional ecological knowledge, quantitative measurements AND qualitative understanding. Climate communication and policy must practice epistemic humility, treating affected communities as credible witnesses to planetary change and partners in generating solutions.