Throughout Who Rules the Earth, Paul F. Steinberg has uncovered many parts of life that influence the way that social rules are constructed. Through hidden barriers and economic markets, large landscapes like National Parks all the way to someone’s front yard are influence in a multitude of ways. These rules are complex and winding. But, through his book Steinberg makes the main argument that the people that rule the Earth are the people that leave legacies through social rules and regulations. He says “the people who rule the earth are those who leave behind a legacy of rules that shape the actions and opportunities of generations to come” (Steinberg 2015). This can be a broad range of people. This broad range is what is very important when it comes to collective action in environmentalism.
A major part of developing a legacy is being active in the rule making process. Steinberg puts lots of emphasis on the importance of having material example of social rules and ideas. It is up to masses of people to promote their ideas, concerns, and general knowledge to their representatives. As Steinberg says, “The group of rule makers also includes you and me” (Steinberg 2015). There are barriers in place that do prevent people from participating in the process of rule making, barriers that Steinberg refers to as “super rules.” So in order for people to have influence in laws and material regulations, they must first look to the legal system.
Another major way that people create a legacy on Earth is through their knowledge and collaboration. Steinberg also debunks the idea that education is the most important way to illicit change. Important research and documents about issues like Climate Change are not always simple for the average citizen to understand. In Who Rule the Earth, it says “Unfortunately, the flow of knowledge about the root causes of environmental problems is blocked by a mile-high partition separating producers from would be consumers of research” (Steinberg 2015). These barriers of understanding are due to lots of reasons but a major reason is because of the language used in research and the representation of information to people without a science background. By making education more accessible, a more encompassing overview of people’s desires and expectations when it comes to environmental action is available.
Knowledge can lead to mindful thought, but ideas are not an effective way to “save the Earth.” Ideas have to based in real consequences and material regulations. In order to effectively change social rules and regulations, the people have to make decisions that can be sustained for many years. They must be made through extensive understandings of things like the “free” market and invisible social rules. “With so many experiences to draw on, a smart way to approach the task of reworking the rules that shape the planet is to troll for ideas that have been tried elsewhere, learning from the successes and failures of others” (Steinberg 2015). Not one person can fully understand every aspect of “ruling the Earth” and that is why any action must be collaborative among people at various levels of social ruling.
This book largely focused on how people make impressions of the world. Classic environmental thought has largely been based in the mantra “think globally, act locally.” In Who Rules the Earth, Steinberg tries to diverge from this idea. Through collective action people are able to make changes to social norms. The biggest take away from the book is that rules are important for how the world works, but those rules should be made through community efforts. In order to establish any change, we “Must make a common cause by cultivation human relationships and building communities of shared concern” (Steinberg 2015). Through these communities, using our various perspectives and understandings will make action possible.
Steinberg, Paul F. Who Rules the Earth?. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.