N. Gregory Mankiw

N. Gregory Mankiw, an economics professor at Harvard University and the author of Principle of Economics, argues in the following viewpoint that the increasing global population does not present a major threat to mankind or to the environment. On the contrary, Mankiw maintains, an increasing population is a blessing, since a larger number of people will come up with proportionately more ideas for making the world a better place. As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In Mankiw’s words, what is the reason for the increase in living standards over the past two centuries?
2. In the author’s view, what is the “simple insight” shared by people who fear overpopulation, and what is the simple rebuttal to their arguments?
3. According to Mankiw, what solution does Bill McKibben offer for...