Paul Steinberg’s, “Who Rules the Earth,” discusses the rules that both consciously and subconsciously govern and impact our lives. He also asks what the best ways to implement meaningful and lasting change are and how they can be successful for the future. He begins his book by telling the story of how one woman changed the rules regarding the use of pesticides by banning them in her town. Dr. Irwin found the use of specific pesticides to be detrimental to human health, and she worked to ban them in the town of Hudson Canada. The movement grew immensely and by 2010 the three fourths of all Canadian citizens were in some way protected under legislation based on the Hudson Model (Steinberg 2015, 8). She changed the rules. Another example of this can be seen in the protection of forested lands in order to help the cerulean warbler during its migratory path over South America and the eastern United States. These lands were specifically set aside so that this small bird could have a place to nest and rest while on its long path. Both of these examples are ways in which Steinberg demonstrates the need for change at an institutional level as well as at the individual level. Dr. Irwin was just one woman who was able to change the rules in an impactful way by doing so on the platform of the institution, while the cerulean warbler only has protected land because change was made at the institutional level. As Steinberg says, “Recycling is not enough,” however individuals have the ability to incite change on a greater level in order to implement different social and institutional rules (Steinberg 2015, 1).
Steinberg then addresses the question, who owns the earth? This section uncovers many of the invisible and unrealized constructs of how the earth is run and how we live on it. He uses the example of a peach tree growing in his backyard, and the rules regarding who can pick peaches from it, why can or can’t they, and how did this come to be, in order to demonstrate the importance of property rights. Steinberg says property is “the most powerful social rule” implying that in order to understand who rules the earth, we also have to understand who owns it (Steinber 2015, 64). He argues that instead of being in opposition to each other, property rights and government regulation actually go hand in hand, and that localized governmental rules are the best solution to protect both private property rights and the environment. Another important aspect is the role of the market in relation to the environment. This can be seen in the cap and trade of carbon permits of large companies that resulted in a more efficient and rapid decrease in carbon emissions than would have from a more classical approach. This section discusses how the market, government regulation and property rights all play large roles in the conservation of the environment and how each govern the way we live.
Social rules are ever evolving, changing, and shifting. This is evident in the spread of decentralization that we are experiencing, and is important to keep in mind as we try to implement our own rules and social constructs. Steinberg discusses our tendency to get stuck in “ruts” which are basically habits that we can’t seem to break, for instance like our military spending, and although not all ruts are necessarily bad, we need to understand that the rules we make will continue to affect the future generations. Because of this we need to balance these rules between permanence so that they are followed, and adaptability so that future generations can continue to evolve with these rules. Steinberg concludes his book answering his question, who rules the earth? Well, we do. The people who implement small changes that grow into institutional action and effect the way we live day to day whether we realize it or not. In the end, Steinberg provides eight principles for action which include bridging research and action, thinking vertically, continue to question the social rules that govern us, and yes, keep recycling.
So what I have I learned and am taking away from this? Well I have learned how being just one individual I actually can implement greater change the way Dr. Irwin did in Hudson, Canada. It is possible that as citizens we can change the rules in order to make real lasting impacts on how we live. This gives me hope for the future. I have learned how intersectional the government, property and ownership rights, and the market are with the environment, and how each of these can be used to benefit it. This book has taught me to open my eyes to more than what I see around me, and really ask, why do I see what is around me? Steinberg began his book stating, “my hope is that you will not only come away with a fresh perspective on the world, but that is will be impossible to view it the same way again” (Steinberg 2015, 18). I can say with complete certainty, that this is true for me, and my view of the world has been changed completely.
Citation
Steinberg, Paul F. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford Univ. Press, 2015.