Mckibben begins his essay with a personal anecdote describing his trip to the vasectomy office, where he’s thrown with all these questions about having one child, and the consequences of having only one child. This shows that the essay is very personal and formal. This is also a great to catch the reader’s attention. This anecdote is used as information for the first point that McKibben’s make in the following paragraphs, “…in the last ten or 20 or 30 years, our impact has grown so much that we’re changing even those places we don’t inhabit—changing the way the weather works...” Another anecdote in the essay explains how Mckibben also on how his work on environmental issues brought up population, and the decision he is making might be good for the population. “I know that by 2050 there will be almost 50 percent more Americans (and nearly 100 percent more human beings) than there are now.” Anecdotes such as these help the reader start to think about the issue that he is bringing to the forefront. The anecdotes in this story also support his main points and ideas. The anecdotes clearly provide evidence and support for the fact that our rapid population could cause many environmental issues.
After the catching the reader’s attention with a personal anecdote, he transitions to a more serious tone. His serious tone helps the reader witness how he is seriously