In Who Rules the Earth? How Social Rules Shape our Planet and Our Lives Paul Steinberg tackles the question, what would it take to move the world to a more sustainable path? Steinberg argues the only way to achieve this is to change the social rules that govern our lives. Social rules are the institutions that govern our lives, such as norms, laws, regulations, customs, and taboos. In order to change these rules, Steinberg suggests one must first become aware of them and recognize their power (Steinberg 2015). Ultimately, Who Rules the Earth reveals how social change works, explores the invisible architecture of rules that make up our world, and prescribes how the “intelligent reader concerned about the environment and eager to learn what can be done” about it can create meaningful and lasting change (Steinberg 2015, 6). In this post I will examine Steinberg’s ideas and discuss how I this knowledge applies to my own life.
Searching for Solutions
The introduction of Who Rules the Earth debunks a familiar myth that I wrote about in my first post: individual action alone is not enough to solve any of the world’s environmental problems (Steinberg 2015, 6). Instead, Steinberg suggests ordinary citizens must change our social rules (Steinberg 2015, 32). In order to do this, the author notes we must first identify the invisible rules that govern our actions, and consider how they influence our ideas of right and wrong (Steinberg 2015, 32). This was helpful in further developing my thoughts on the ever-pressing conundrum of the individual vs. institutional scale of environmental action. Steinberg believes small-scale changes are not enough to solve these problems, but that individuals still have the ability to change social rules and incite institutional change. I found this to be comforting in that it gives the reader hope that individuals are instrumental in the rule changing process. Steinberg also demands we must understand that current rules were created by the scrutiny of those before us who found the existing order of things wanting, and changed the rules (Steinberg 2015, 21). This inspires readers to become active in making change; if social rules are constructed they can also be deconstructed and rebuilt. This approach to solving environmental problems reduces some of the hopelessness felt when approaching the magnitude of environmental issues.
Who Owns the Earth
This second section of the book reveals the invisible architecture of social rules that pattern our behaviors. Steinberg addresses the role of property rights, the market, and the government as solutions to environmental problems. Steinberg calls property “the most powerful social rule” (Steinberg 2015, 64), claiming that in order to understand who rules the earth, we must understand who owns it, and how the rules of ownership were made. He finds that property rights determine who reaps the benefits and who suffers the consequences of a wide range of decisions on various forms of ownership, be that migratory birds or future generations (Steinberg 2015, 94). He then discusses how one might use property rights and the market to “tackle some of our toughest environmental problems” through the use of tradable permits (Steinberg 2015, 94). I was very interested to learn more about the potential of economic incentives as a means to change social rules. I first learned about cap and trade in Economics 100, quickly becoming fascinated in the ways we can use the market and government regulation to ensure institutional implementation of climate change policies. I am excited to learn more about this in Econ 260 next semester! Steinberg also considers the role of the government, examining how different nations grapple with environmental problems and how the rules they make help or hinder sustainability (Steinberg 2015, 32). A global perspective is valuable when discussing climate change action since all people and all governments are impacted by the environmental issues themselves, and also by the unique social rules of their nation.
Transformation and Leverage
The last two sections examines the ways social rules transform and the reader’s role in this process. The rule making power across different levels of government is shifting due to the formation of the EU and wide decentralization (Steinberg 2015, 23); these global trends reveal how social rules are not static, but constantly evolving, which we must consider when implementing effective environmental change. This section also provides suggestions on how to bring about meaningful change by breaking out of the behavioral patterns we are stuck in and establishing new behaviors to fall into. The notion of creating “new assumptions of normality” (Steinberg 2015, 268) was especially interesting to me as it debunks the idea of anything being natural or normal. Steinberg ends his book with eight principles for institutional action, including such as to constantly question social rules, learn from the success and failure of actions tried around the globe, and, surprisingly, to keep recycling (Steinberg 2015, 267-278). Steinberg’s suggestions provide hope to the reader; the power, Steinberg says, ultimately lies in the ordinary citizens. Turn your research into action and make a difference.
So, who rules the earth? Steinberg suggests that well, rules rule the earth, or at least the people who “leave behind a legacy of rules” do (Steinberg 2015, 264). The intent of his book is to incite a rule maker in all of us; this glass-half-full perspective warms the cynicism in my heart. By understanding the rules guiding our lives, Steinberg suggests the intellectual can turn research into action and make the world better. This reasoning is why I believe many of the people in this class are pursuing an Environmental Studies degree: to learn how to be the catalyst for change.
Citation
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. Oxford University Press.