David Malakoff Precis

321 Words2 Pages
Population Impacts Perspectives Here we have the same juxtaposition we’ve encountered in other readings – the ideologue versus the scientist in Jared Diamond’s Op-Ed piece for the New York Times (2Jan2008) versus David Malakoff in Conservation Magazine’s Oct-Dec 2009 edition. While Diamond begins with an effective device showing the significance of the number 32 as the multiplier between undeveloped and developed consumption rates he wanders off the point and in some cases or just digresses to inflammatory orations that undermine his credibility. Malakoff, in contrast, paints both the history of and current depth of issues surrounding “over” population, “under replacement” rates and their consequences. This author brackets our popular experience with closing elementary schools, closing pre-schools etc., with the scientific assessments and analysis. It’s difficult to ferret out the key synopsis of the diatribe by Diamond – it looks like he is making a case for less wasteful consumption but fail to outline what that would consist of exactly. Malakoff knows his topic extremely well, enough to poke fun at the 1969 sit in behavior of Berkeley students protesting population explosion, “end of the world”. He fast forwards us step by step to today’s perspectives on the “over population” as well as the “under replacement” ramifications. My take away from Malakoff is that we really don’t know how things will work but that looking at the complexities of the population impacts and treating it as a non linear outcome will result in being better decision makers going into the future. My views of overpopulation didn’t change with these articles since I didn’t believe the hype the first time around in the 60’s but I found the contrast of opinions serve as a reminder for me not to lean too heavily on science at any given time as it’s always moving and not always
Open Document