In Who Rules the Earth? by Paul F. Steinberg (2015), the author argues that the way to make real and lasting environmental change, is by changing the social rules that govern us. Social rules, in this sense, are institutions. Today the public tends to hold the ideology that power is unassailable, but this, as it […]
Post 3 (Due Apr 17)
Student posts below addressed the following: "Summarize the main argument underlying the WRE text, with citations/quotes as evidence, and reflect on how it may apply to your scholarly and personal life."
Re-Rooting the Rules
Rules are what make humans the way they are and they are also what make and what have made the world the way it is. Rules have made humans progressive and intelligent but they have also made us restrained and complacent with exploitation and global atrocities which are caused by rules. Formal and informal, rules, […]
Certified-Ineffective: Institutional Action in Who Rules The Earth?
It’s challenging to know which direction to pursue after ENVS 160, especially after reading up on multifarious environmental perspectives. In his book Who Rules The Earth?, Paul Steinberg addresses the institutional approach to environmental problems (Steinberg 2015). In the opening of the book, Steinberg addresses individualistic approaches to environmentalism, most prevalent in opening his book […]
Do Rules Run Our World?
The final focus of ENVS 160 has been the book Who Rules The Earth? By Paul F. Steinberg. In this book, we have learned about social rules, constructs, and norms that shape the way the world works and interacts. Steinberg’s main argument is that if there is to be environmental change in this world, we must think institutionally […]
Ruling an Institution
In his book, Who Rules the Earth?, Paul F. Steinberg asserts that lasting solutions for climate change and other environmental issues must come from institutional change because the world afflicted by these problems is governed by social rules. Steinberg begins the book with a commentary on why individual-scale change is often unsuccessful. Steinberg poses the question, “Scientists […]
All Sides of the Conservation Story
The last section of our ENVS 160 course has been focused on the text Who Rules the Earth by Paul Steinberg, and built off our discussions throughout the course demonstrating the importance of scaling up in order to solve environmental problems. He addresses the importance of institutional thinking, as well as how much social rules […]
Social Rules are Everywhere
Summary of the main argument in Who Rules the Earth In his book Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives, Steinberg informs us that social rules are everywhere; these rules and regulations are embedded in every aspect of our lives even if they are not immediately noticeable to us […]