By Natalie Casson
It’s incredibly challenging to try to place yourself in a globally scaled issue. Finding where you fit into a deeply rooted complex issue can at times make it seem like there is no good way to approach or tackle the issue. Climate change is universal and anthropogenic, and yet we individually have no idea how to place ourselves within this issue we have created. While reading the text Who Rules the Earth? by Paul Steinberg, he argues that we must approach climate change at by placing ourselves at a larger scale. It is important that we all keep individual action in mind, as it is essential in changing the population’s mindset that allows us to implement and follow regulations; however, Steinberg argues that institutional actions and governmental regulations are imperative in working to see progress and improve.
Steinberg grapples with the issue of scale within his text. He argues significant improvements will come with larger scale action. Encouraging us to shift towards working vertically to solve these issues, he states “We need to think and act on multiple levels” (Steinberg 2015, 163). Working at an institutional level is essential, and it can be done in two primary ways: through the economy and markets, or through governmental regulation. Steinberg suggests that the market can be an effective tool for creating social and environmental change, but they must be implemented carefully under certain circumstances. For example, a cap and trade method of market control has been used in attempt to decrease pollution levels in the US in the past. However, when the European Union attempted to enact a cap and trade system it failed because of the different European countries governments having conflicting goals. So when used in the right circumstances, market environmental systems can be effective (Steinberg 2015).
Another effective method of institutional action in which Steinberg advocates for is government regulation. He describes how this can be very effective when implemented correctly, but it is hard to ensure due to the fact we have no overarching international government. From this larger coalitions of joining governments like the European Union have joined together in attempt to create specific laws and regulations, and this group has been relatively effective in creating treaties. For example, the European Unions has made steady progress towards most ambitious and largest ruling system. Thus when implemented correctly, government regulation may be a more productive approach when attempting to make large-scale change (Steinberg 2015).
His arguments have led to a reconsideration of my own personal beliefs on how I can fight against climate change. I have always been a strong believer in personal civic environmentalism: doing things on my own within my everyday life in attempt to make a difference; however, after reading this, I understand that in order to really see change we have to tackle this problem at many levels. The idea of “think globally and act locally” is not really an effective mechanism. We have to think vertically (Steinberg, 2015). It’s hard as an individual to grapple with the idea that you alone may not be able to make a difference, but for me it just added incentive to work in new ways after reading this text. I can’t alone be an institution large enough to make a difference. Donating to organizations with the means to make change is effective, but unfortunately I am a broke college student. Though I will continue to do my individual actions because it gives me some personal control of my ecological footprint, I have realized the most important thing I can do is be an active citizen and being a politically aware and active person—even if that just means getting involved in local government that still provides means for scaling up. Regulations and large scale institutional changes arise out of demand in the populations. For example, voting, writing into legislatures, and attending protests or rallies can be a good way to show people who do have power to initiate institutional change what the population wants. Thus if I as a citizen exercise my rights and become engage within my community and give my opinion in these various ways on environmental issues, I can aid in the initiation of institutional action.
Paul Steinberg encourages that we work institutionally and work towards scaling up and down when needed in order to really make a difference in the climate. As institutional action is what will really create change on a large scale, I now plan to shift my focus towards these things in my daily life as well. By working to be an active community member, I may not be directly enacting policies that could make a change, but I can act as a catalyst for that change to begin to occur.
References
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015, Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.