Paul Steinberg’s main argument in Who Rules the Earth? (2015) is that if we want to create any sort of change for the environment then we must first look towards the social rules to implement this change. The social rules are the rules and institutions that govern our lives, including the laws and regulations as well as the cultural norms. Prior to reading this text I always thought that individual actions were the way to create change in my community but I soon realized that this way of thinking was not complete. Individuals can bring about change to social rules but it is the institutions that make a lasting impact. Steinberg argues that it is up to the social rules set in place by society and institutions to enforce any sort of change. This is because social rules inadvertently govern how we go about our lives today so why would it be any different in regard to climate change and other modern environmental problems.
As the name of the book suggests, a major theme throughout the book is the question of property rights and the role of the government in how we deal with environmental problems. Steinberg argues that if we want to understand who rules the earth, then we must understand who owns it and what rights they have to it. Property rights are useful because the rights to the good are transferrable and are backed by the force of the law so the owner will have incentive to care for their good. Steinberg explains that “property rights specify who gets to make the decisions concerning the physical environment, what we may extract from it, and what obligations, if any, we have toward the planet and one another when using these resources” (Steinberg 2015, 65). The environment will be under more care and consideration as a whole because people will care for their share of the environment. Through the use of local governmental rules like property rights, a common goal of protecting the earth can be achieved.
Steinberg concludes his book by coming full circle. His main argument is still that “isolated individual actions are fine and well, but are simply inadequate given the size of the challenge” (Steinberg 2015, 219) and that institutional change is the best option for real change, he makes it clear that we should not give up on individual actions. It is still important to take individual responsibility like recycling or composting because “it is a matter of balance, complementing these everyday acts of individual conscience with larger actions that promote social change” (Steinberg 2015, 278). This ending made everything come together for me because it brings together the two ways for change that I had previously learned were completely separate.
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.