Paul Steinberg’s Who Rules the Earth addresses a core question that environmentalists have grappled with for decades. What kind of actions and decisions are needed to move the world in a sustainable direction? Steinberg argues that the only way to truly change the world for the better is to change the social rules that guide our behavior. However, to morph the rules we all live by, one must first be conscious of their presence and power (Steinberg 2015). Steinberg shares this crucial information in Who Rules the Earth. He is informing us of the extent to which social rules “rule” our Earth and how we can act institutionally to bring about lasting laws that spur a legacy of change.
A Walk on the Beach
Steinberg begins by taking the reader to their favorite beach and painting a vivid picture of the serene wild processes that take place there. However, he goes on to reveal an “invisible world” of “social rules that pattern this physical reality” (Steinberg 2015, 19). Steinberg debunks the myth of individual action right off the bat – institutional action is everything. Decisions made by lawmakers intricately shape one’s experience on any given beach, they even control whether one can walk on the beach at all. This mental exercise provoked me to re-imagine the world as I know it. I have always been aware of how entrenched social rules are to the world in general, but I had never come to think that simply walking on a beach is only made possible (or impossible) by laws created by people who came before me. Steinberg exposed to me the hidden web of rules in place that shape our world. Steinberg’s message is clear, “many of the simple pleasures we take for granted today, such as a walk on the beach, are only possible because others before us scrutinized the existing order of things, found it wanting, and changed the rules” (Steinberg 2015, 21). The rest of the book continues to build upon these core observations.
Who Owns the Earth?
In further chapters, Steinberg goes on to discuss property rights, the economy, and different scales of governance with regards to solving environmental problems. Particular emphasis, however, is placed on the notion of private property. The “rules we devise for property determine whether sustainability is possible” (Steinberg 2015, 65). We need to understand who owns the Earth before we can fully comprehend who rules it. Property rights determine who makes decisions about certain plots of land and what obligations we have towards the planet when using the resources that specific areas offer. With regards to the market, these rules are transferable and can be bought or sold (Steinberg 2015). In my economics class, we have learned a great deal about the benefits of trade. Economic incentives are certainly ones to consider as far as the properties of rules and the legacies they leave behind. Steinberg switches to issues regarding government in further chapters with regards to centralization or decentralization. He discusses the benefits and drawbacks of giving local governments power or letting officials call the shots on a national level (Steinberg 2015).
Ideas for Action
The final few chapters of Who Rules the Earth work to inform the reader about their own role in the invisible web of rules that control the Earth. Steinberg also points out how rules evolve and are never set in stone. We need to consider the future evolution of rules when addressing issues like climate change. The notion of “evolving” rules is empowering to me as it can be easy to think of current laws as “just the way it is.” However, we can alter them and in turn mobilize dramatic positive change. I appreciate Steinberg’s optimistic yet realistic tone throughout the book. His demeanor is one I aim to have while working on creating lasting change. Steinberg urges us to break out of current norms and create new rules that will shape a new normal. In creating new rules, “we must balance durability… with the recognition that we never have all the answers” (Steinberg 2015, 268). We must always be open for change, yet safeguard our future. For, those who truly rule the Earth are those who create new rules that last.
Works Cited
Steinberg, Paul F. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford Univ. Press, 2015.