In Steinberg’s Who Rules the Earth? he explores the governments that form and develop social rules and regulations (2015). He goes on to explain that our efforts for environmental reform are limited by the current social rules that are in place. He started out by exemplifying this by comparing the two outcomes of the battle against pesticides in both Canada and the United States, and what a surprise, Canada was much more successful in pushing forward the legislation to limit the use of pesticides. Which is a result of different social action and regulations. Everything we encounter each day, state beaches, drinking water, breathing the air, are all regulated by social rules that have been deemed as important to follow. For example, the government has set limits for the amount of pollution a company can produce and the purity of drinking water. Steinberg advocates to “think vertically,” by giving power to the local governments and working up the chain of influence (2015, Who rules, 163). Our governments and the people in them are constantly changing and shifting in their power, which means the direction in which we direct our efforts changes with seasons, the election seasons that is (2015).
Speaking of giving power to the local governments, Steinberg critiques Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons as being over simplistic, not accounting for the rules that are put in place to prevent from such an event to occur. Hardin failed to account for the, “rules to govern their [community’s] resources,” and in doing so only saw a chaotic future (Who rules, 195). Realistically, people tend to do well with their common property when rules are in place. The current problem is getting those rules in place to begin with. But as for the United states, where state governments have a significant amount of power, significant strides in taking the initiative to supersede the federal government’s expectations are evident. In this sense, local governments have already proven to be successful where, “two-thirds of the states have stronger requirements for monitoring pollution than is required by Washington,” which is to say that the local green movements have imposed their influence, allowing for stricter regulations to pervade (Who rules, 202).
The world is a cohesion of nations, each of which has a different culture, government, and priorities. In this sense, international regulation is rather difficult to impose given that each nation has its own opinion on which ways are best or most cost effective. Within each nation, rules are important in keeping environmental concerns at bay, and allowing for cooperation between people. Evidently, people need rules so that chaos is not an issue. The path to resistance and prevention of the global destruction is through local movements and pushing for stricter regulations within the government. This text has shown me that social rules are important when it comes to significant change. The air I breathe, the water I drink, the food I eat, are all socially regulated. Current standards of regulation have kept me safe from pollution or dangerous food additives. So why not push for more? An approach proposed by Steinberg pushes for the inclusion of, “others with different perspectives and priorities,” in order to make significant changes and sway political decisions (Who rules, 271). By using these different perspectives, it pushes through the barriers and creates more room for political discourse. By piggybacking onto established organizations that have a strong stance in rulemaking processes, gradual movements can become longstanding rules that will last through the trials of time (2015). Steinberg suggests that an element of cohesion is essential, a cohesion between each other, and with the Earth itself.
As for me, this book has shown me that the rules are not all that bad. They can be seen as an opportunity for change, one that will last for a long while and for future generations, when approached correctly. I like how he proposes that we act together, in ways we have not before. Cohesions between foes, so we can connect ourselves to the Earth, together, is a perspective that resonates in me. I will keep that in mind when there are opportunities for me to engage politically and create gradual change, and to patiently wait for the outcomes to eventually outweigh the input. For the governments and the people within them cannot be expected to simply change the deep, “ruts,” in which they have become accustomed (Who rules, 221).
Works Cited
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015. Who rules the earth?: how social rules shape our planet and our lives. New York, NY: Oxford Univ. Press.