Who Rules the Earth? poses many important questions about what is the best way to approach environmental problems such as loss of biodiversity. Paul Steinburg examines specific examples to show which methods work well and which have had problems. Throughout his book his main underlining argument in all the chapters is that institutional action in all levels of government- local, national, and international- is the most effective way to promote positive change. Steinburg doesn’t say that individual action is useless but rather tries to show how induvial can affect large scale institutional change.
The title of the book, Who Rules the Earth? implies that those in a position of power play a large part in implementing environmental policies. While reading a reader is shown governments that have been effective like the Canadian government when putting regulations on pesticide and ineffective governments like the Peruvian government’s convoluted system to start a business. These national governments have the power to help with environmental problems from loss of biodiversity to climate change. The world we live in is so interconnected that these governments must also be able to work with each other as well. The EU was an example of many countries working well together in order to help the greater good. There are quite a few things that make the EU so effective including that all countries must abide to all rules, they share the same currency, and travel is easy between countries. Unlike many international treaties the EU has worked fairly well and Steinburg said how this might be the best way for countries to work together. Almost all regulations made in European countries are associated with the EU and if seen effective are put in place in other countries. Loss of biodiversity is a huge problem now and effects every country. Migratory birds are not only affected by one country’s rules but by effect country that the travel through. The Cerulean warbler is protected much better in some countries than others. The laws created by governments have played a huge part in the decreasing size of the bird’s population such as the Migratory Bird Act in the US and land redistributions in Columbia and Peru which destroyed much of the bird’s habitat. Social rules on local national and international levels will have to line up with each other in order to fix problems which transcend national boarders like air pollution and migratory animals (Steinburg 2015)
Steinburg not only showed the importance of institutions on a national level but also at the local level. Local governments are important players in the combating environmental problems. In some situations local action has made a big difference. When dealing with water issues in California small scale organizations like the West Basin Water Association who “set a regional cap on water use, allocated quotas to local water users, and pooled their resources to build a barrier against sea water intrusion” (Steinburg 2015, 197). Even after many years this local group continues to make a difference in the California water shortage. Another example of how local communities can make a difference is in Mexico where they have ejidos. Ejidos are land that are cared for by the community without government intervention. In the case of migratory birds these community lands have acted as a safe spot for the birds to land when migrating. Although local institutional action is important there is a danger that local resources can turn into open access resources or only benefit the local elite. Steinburg urges readers to think Vertically where institutional action can take place on every level of government- local, national, and international- in order to effectively solve environmental problems (Steinburg 2015).
One point that the book makes is that citizen action and input really does effect what governments do. Without hearing the people’s voice government will do whatever they want. In my personal life that means trying to get my opinions across whether it be in a discussion with people who share different viewpoints than me, or writing to government officials about topics I am passionate about, or going to protests to oppose unlawful acts. With these actions I hope to become a rule maker and not “adopt the arrogance of an emperor issuing edicts from on high” (Steinburg 2015, 267). He also believes that people should think vertically with their action and try to change social rules on every level of government which I had not thought about before. In the future I would like to not only focus on one level if government with my actions but multiple. In the first chapter of the book Steinburg discusses bringing scholarship and activism closer together. For most people in the academic world they believe that activism has no place in scholarship. By pairing the two together one gets the “activist’s sense of urgency” and the “scholar’s professional skepticism” (Steinburg 2015, 18). Throughout my next years of learning I hope to be an activist and a scholar. One which is passionate about solving problems of the world and can think critically of the world around me.
Biblography
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.