Why are there so many mice in London?

London's poor waste management led to its mice infestation

Question: Why are there so many mice in London?
Position‹5 of 5: London's poor waste management contributes to rodent problems
Argument: London's poor waste management led to its mice infestation

Since the bubonic plague, London's attempts at waste management have always been a hair behind what is necessary. This delayed approach to waste management has attracted mice.

The argument

London has a history of poor waste management, which led not only to an infestation of mice but also helped their population increase rapidly. In the 17th century, the bubonic plague broke out partially as a result of poor waste management. It was commonplace for people to throw waste in the streets, attracting mice from surrounding areas. Once these mice were in the city, they were there to stay. Within 18 months, 25% of London's population was dead. This left the city without the necessary manpower to properly manage waste, allowing the mice population to continue to grow. London's sizable population has left it constantly trying to play catch-up when it comes to waste management today. Unfortunately, mice have taken advantage of this and established themselves as a nuisance.

Premises

[P1]Poor waste management, such as discarding refuse in the streets, attracts mice and allows their populations to grow rapidly. [P2] London has a long history of inadequate waste management, from the 17th-century plague era to its present struggle to keep pace with a large population. [C] Therefore, London's persistent waste management failures are a key reason for its abundance of mice.

Counter-arguments

While poor waste management is one of the ways that mice infested London, it doesn't explain how mice continue to thrive today. London is leagues ahead, waste management wise, where it was during the bubonic plague. London's current waste management practices cannot be blamed for the number of mice in London today.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] The historical continuity the premise relies on does not hold: the counter accepts that poor waste management is how mice established themselves in London but notes that the city's practices today are far ahead of what they were in the plague era, so present-day waste handling cannot be what sustains the population. [Rejecting C] The conclusion therefore explains the origin without explaining the persistence, which is the thing in need of explanation — why the mice continue to thrive now that the conditions blamed for them have substantially improved.