Marcus Gee

In the following viewpoint, Marcus Gee argues that warnings of approaching global decay and anarchy are “dead wrong.” Gee contends that many crises such as overpopulation, resource scarcity, and environmental destruction have been exaggerated and that genuine problems are improving. Gee cites examples of improved living standards around the world, including increases in life expectancy and food production and decreases in rates of child mortality, and he predicts that these positive trends will continue into the twenty-first century. Gee is an editorial board member of the Globe and Mail daily newspaper in Toronto, Canada, and a former foreign correspondent.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Gee, what is the chief cause of death among children?
2. What are the factors that could slow population growth, in the author&rsquo...