Hello all,

Today I want to clear up some confusion over the meaning of the term  ECOLITERACY. Understandably, it is being misinterpreted as being related to learning to read and write. It IS certainly a type of literacy, but not quite as one imagines. I  personally understand it as being the language of the environment to which we belong, of which we are a part of. It involves us as actors in the environment, and the literacy involves learning about how we can act responsibly, respect everyone and everything within this environment;  i.e. all living beings.

I came across this written by the son of the author of ECO LITERATE; (the author being Daniel Coleman):

My father says:

“to be eco-literate means: the ability to read our environment and understand the consequences of our actions.”

Coleman goes on to say:

“Like learning how to read, it suggests that it is something that can be learned. In fact, ecoliteracy is a made up word. Made up from two words:
Literacy (“the ability to read and write”) and  Eco which stands for both ecology and economy. (Ecology: “the relationship between organisms and their environment”; Economy: “the management of resources, such as money, materials, and labour”. ”

Sir Ken Robinson writes:

“One of the most urgent issues facing humanity is fixing our broken relationship with the earth, on which all life depends. To do that,  we have to think, feel, and act differently.”