Paul Steinberg writes in his book Who Rules the Earth? about how social rules and civic governance affect the environment. Society creates both formal and informal rules that can either protect or harm the earth, affecting natural resource usage, pollution, deforestation, and many more major human impacts. Each of these rules have been debated by individuals and organizations; however, some of these rules are so embedded in society that it is erroneously thought that they cannot be changed. Steinberg believes that rules are always liable to change, and people must work to alter many of them for the sake of preservation.
This argument for active change begins with awareness. “To change the rules, we must first be aware of them[…] Social rules escape notice because, unlike the usual subjects of environmental science, you cannot place a rule in a child’s hand for inspection, point it out to a group of tourists on a safari, or put it in a test tube. Yet once we know what to look for, we are in a position to critically examine the powerful social structures shaping our planet and our lives,” (Steinberg 2015, 12). Steinberg directs most of his points towards rules and regulations based in social rules, which are at times the most difficult to grasp.
Steinberg then delves into the details of dynamic change. He tells us not to rely on one base of power, but to build upon layers and layers of supportive politicians so it does not waver as the future government does. When a rule is so embedded, the change needs to be just as deep-seated to last. This can be specific laws regulating the amount of carbon an industrial company is allowed emit, to “rules that take on the form of widely understood social norms, like the golf course aesthetic that leads homeowners to spray their lawns to the nodding approval of their neighbors. Whether they take the form of national regulations or the most minute technical design standards, social rules are like thousands of invisible threads tugging at us as we go about our daily routines, shaping our decisions and determining how we relate to one another and the planet we share,” (Steinberg 2015, 19).
The most critical way we can create lasting change is by heeding the advice and welcoming the participation of people who have the greatest understanding of the legal system, who are able to direct complicated bureaucracy. For instance, “corporations rely on reams of written agreements to run their day-to-day operations, and these rules have a direct impact on the earth,” (Steinberg 2015, 61). It would be in the activist’s best interest to involve someone from a corporation to advocate for innovation. Change the rules knowing that sometimes, it is not in the best interest of all and there will be opposition. Sometimes it is not in a company’s best economic interest to become more sustainable, so keep in mind that the more stakeholders who benefit the easier revision is. “One reason we do not live in the best of all feasible worlds is that decision makers- be they companies, consumers, mayors, parents, or presidents- often lack the information they need to make the best decision, (Steinberg 2015, 44). The first step is to inform yourself before you can inform others.
This relates to the future of any Environmental Studies student as they progress through the academic realm and out into the broader world of activism, be it for any type of policy change. Organized society would collapse without rules, because “social rules enable societies to function,” (Steinberg 2015, 10). Rules operate for good and bad, and you have the power to change them. Individuals can unite to direct efforts at elected officials and make or eliminate rules. Steinberg’s writing is significant because it helps us comprehend how we continue to influence and develop our society everyday, reminding us that nothing is as set in stone as it seems: “The more we understand about a thing, the more we can change it,” (Steinberg 2015, 27). It delivers hope that all is not lost.
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015. Who Rules the Earth? How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford Univ. Press.