The article entitled “About That Overpopulation Problem”, written by Jeff Wise is a new look on global population issues. Wise uses previous research, data and statistics in order to develop a thesis for his work. Unlike most news about population that has been released in the media, this new view is about how the population of the world is actually declining. Although the world has hit 7 billion human inhabitants around march of 2012, the researcher states that we will face a declining world population in the near coming years, contrary to what other people might think. The world’s human inhabitants are growing in population, and this is definitely a problem. The scarcity of resources, supplies, energy as well as clean water is limited. The researcher claims that these things are putting immense stress on the planet. However, people do not see that there is a growing problem, which is low fertility rates. With family planning, birth control and laws on having children, such as China’s one-child policy, people are having fewer and fewer children. Although this article might seem as if it is argumentative in nature, it is actually more of an informative piece. The thesis focuses on the deteriorating population of the world, and it does not try to tear down another view. It presents facts and date to give readers an insight of what is happening around the world. The article opens up new information and stitches it together in order to make its point. Therefore, the article in an informative piece, not an argumentative one.
The interesting points found within the article are the patterns in human population. Facts and statistics were shown so that the reader would be able to understand why the birth rate is steadily declining. The author compares the fertility rates and birth rate patterns throughout the centuries. This was also mirrored against the death rates during the years when diseases and illnesses would wipe out. During this time, the population rate was steady because the fertility rates were high, even though the death rate was also at a high level. Over the years as science improved and technological as well as medical developments helped combat diseases which then increased the death rate, the population number soared. However, shortly after this boom in the population, the fertility rates significantly dropped, too. In today’s time, the pattern of low fertility rates are still seen. This means that the death rate is seen as a steady pace and the fertility or birth rate is not enough to replenish the population. The author claims that eventually, the entire human race will be wiped out.
“Even in sub-Saharan Africa, where the average birth rate remains a relatively blistering 4.66, fertility is projected to fall below replacement level by the 2070s.” (Wise 1).
The article used a number of articles to back-up claims that the author has made. These were done through in-text links to other articles from news sources and journals. Wise also quoted a few credible people in the field of biology and science who have studied the fertility pattern of the world’s population. Overall, the article has identified credible sources which can be considered reliable. These sources were used to justify statistics used in the article as well as data regarding population rates. Through this information, the author weaved together a thesis statement which was that the overall population of human inhabitants is significantly declining and will continue to decline in the coming years, eventually leading to the extinction of the human race.
Works Cited
Wise, Jeff. “About That Overpopulation Problem.” Slate.com. 9 January 2013. Web. 1 April 2014.
