INTRODUCTION
Paul F. Steinberg, the author of Who Rules the Earth, works to underline the extent to which social rules are present and actively forming our individual perspectives on the planet and ourselves. Steinberg situates these social rules as both roadblocks and accelerators within the world of environmental progress seen in sustainable efforts. He examines this on many levels, namely on individual and institutional scales. Comparing the two, it is crucial to note that Steinberg advocates for increases in institutional level action as he explains that individual actions cannot even collectively make enough of an impact in working to, for example, reduce carbon emissions. Simply put by Steinberg, “Recycling is not enough” (Steinberg, 5). Overall, it seems important to Steinberg that his audience leaves with a well-rounded knowledge on the impact of socials rules on environmental progress, and more specifically, in sustainable endeavors. Steinberg highlights this goal by using case-studies addressing processes and patterns among social rules, property, and political engagement.
PROCESS AND PATTERNS
In chapters 3-8 of his book, Steinberg explores topics such as feasible worlds, which exemplify how social rules restrict the creation of utopias, or perfect worlds. Social rules create limitations that force us to be realistic in our approach to fixing issues like climate change. Also within these thoughtful chapters, Steinberg continuously reinforces the patterns of behavior created by social rules. He reiterates the presence of “invisible levers patterning our actions” and “invisible architecture of social rules that pattern our behaviors.” (Steinberg, 32). The suggestion of these “invisible” social rules provides us with a platform to reflect on the ways in which social rules affect us personally. Individually, we are shaped by social rules, just as our planet formed by political and economic decisions that are determined by these very same social rules.
PROPERTY
Steinberg explains a detailed case-study about cerulean warbler birds and their migration in chapter 4. The purpose of including this example has to do with the concept of property, and a bird’s place in it. Birds stand to represent any sort of animal facing the same migratory problems, “insert animal/natural species name here”. For the sake of the discussion however, Steinberg uses these warblers to address the changes in ownership of natural landscapes. Unfortunately, the new owners of the area of land may not have motivations to protect the habitats of the birds, resulting in a struggle for survival during their seasonal migration. Steinberg argues that in answering the question of “Who Rules the Earth?” we must “understand who owns it”. (Steinberg, 66). With regard to this very claim, our author continues, “There are important decisions to be made, and these are decisions that we as citizens must track carefully if we wish to promote sustainability in our communities.” (Steinberg, 67). This concept of individual property can in some cases compromise the livelihood of other species we share the planet with. In other words, humans are again envisioned as selfish and world-dominating figures that do not always think of the environmental repercussions of our own advancement or development.
POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
In chapter 6, Steinberg focuses on global government involvement in contemporary environmental issues. It is essential to recognize the ways in which global governments impact the rate of change in social rules, and in environmental policies and regulations. Steinberg explains, “There are plenty of examples today of countries, even poor and relatively unstable ones, that have put in place thoughtful and innovative rules to govern resources sustainably, to ensure that their citizens have clean air and water, and to improve the economic and cultural vitality of urban centers.” (Steinberg, 131). With that being said, governments also slow down the progress of environmental solutions, and Steinberg is not the only scholar to have suggested this. Unfortunately, Steinberg explains, government intervention sometimes worsens the problem. In an example about Brazilian farmers, Steinberg discusses tax exemptions specifically for agriculture. As a result, “Today government subsidies for soybean production are hastening deforestation…” (Steinberg, 134). This is yet another form of human manipulation of natural resources that poses increasingly negative effects on the planet.
PERSONAL AND SCHOLARLY APPLICATION
I found Who Rules the Earth? to be extremely insightful and eye-opening on a personal level. As an active conservationist myself I have struggled with the effectiveness of individual action and my place within environmental issues. I have found it difficult to find much value in the individual-scale work I have been doing. Steinberg opened my mind up to new ideas about the effectiveness of institutional action, and I have come to support the idea more than before. On a scholarly basis however, I found that by exploring further examples of political influence in environmental policy to be frustrating, but essential to the overall progress in sustainable efforts world-wide. Government regulation and institutional action are necessary to changing the rules in general.
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.