One of the world’s most unheralded heroes has recently passed away.
Norman E. Borlaug, 95, known as the father of the "green revolution", was credited for saving and uplifting hundreds of millions of lives around the world and is deserving of “Fawning Eulogies” compared to recently deceased politicians.
This from the New York Times, (bold emphasis added)
`` He was widely described as the father of the broad agricultural movement called the Green Revolution, though decidedly reluctant to accept the title. “A miserable term,” he said, characteristically shrugging off any air of self-importance.
``Yet his work had a far-reaching impact on the lives of millions of people in developing countries. His breeding of high-yielding crop varieties helped to avert mass famines that were widely predicted in the 1960s, altering the course of history.
``Largely because of his work, countries that had been food deficient, like Mexico and India, became self-sufficient in producing cereal grains.
``More than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world,” the Nobel committee said in presenting him with the Peace Prize. “We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace.”
And this from the Wall Street Journal,
``Borlaug solved that challenge by developing genetically unique strains of "semidwarf" wheat, and later rice, that raised food yields as much as sixfold. The result was that a country like India was able to feed its own people as its population grew from 500 million in the mid-1960s, when Borlaug's "Green Revolution" began to take effect, to the current 1.16 billion. Today, famines—whether in Zimbabwe, Darfur or North Korea—are politically induced events, not true natural disasters.
``In later life, Borlaug was criticized by self-described "greens" whose hostility to technology put them athwart the revolution he had set in motion. Borlaug fired back, warning in these pages that fear-mongering by environmental extremists against synthetic pesticides, inorganic fertilizers and genetically modified foods would again put millions at risk of starvation while damaging the very biodiversity those extremists claimed to protect. In saving so many, Borlaug showed that a genuine green movement doesn't pit man against the Earth, but rather applies human intelligence to exploit the Earth's resources to improve life for everyone.”
It is unfortunate that there had been no public pandemonium or mass rallies over his death even when he has served to the benefit of much of mankind’s recent progress. Very much unlike politicians, whom have even been labeled as patriots or heroes, when the latter's accomplishments pale in comparison to Mr. Borlaug's.
As Café Hayek’s Professor Donald Boudreaux rightly laments,
``It’s distressing, I can’t help adding, that dead politicians are often canonized in the popular press while most of humanity will go to their graves never hearing the names of, or learning of the contributions of, genuine heroes of humanity such as Norman Borlaug.”
Norman Borlaug, R.I.P.
Norman E. Borlaug, 95, known as the father of the "green revolution", was credited for saving and uplifting hundreds of millions of lives around the world and is deserving of “Fawning Eulogies” compared to recently deceased politicians.
This from the New York Times, (bold emphasis added)
`` He was widely described as the father of the broad agricultural movement called the Green Revolution, though decidedly reluctant to accept the title. “A miserable term,” he said, characteristically shrugging off any air of self-importance.
``Yet his work had a far-reaching impact on the lives of millions of people in developing countries. His breeding of high-yielding crop varieties helped to avert mass famines that were widely predicted in the 1960s, altering the course of history.
``Largely because of his work, countries that had been food deficient, like Mexico and India, became self-sufficient in producing cereal grains.
``More than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world,” the Nobel committee said in presenting him with the Peace Prize. “We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace.”
And this from the Wall Street Journal,
``Borlaug solved that challenge by developing genetically unique strains of "semidwarf" wheat, and later rice, that raised food yields as much as sixfold. The result was that a country like India was able to feed its own people as its population grew from 500 million in the mid-1960s, when Borlaug's "Green Revolution" began to take effect, to the current 1.16 billion. Today, famines—whether in Zimbabwe, Darfur or North Korea—are politically induced events, not true natural disasters.
``In later life, Borlaug was criticized by self-described "greens" whose hostility to technology put them athwart the revolution he had set in motion. Borlaug fired back, warning in these pages that fear-mongering by environmental extremists against synthetic pesticides, inorganic fertilizers and genetically modified foods would again put millions at risk of starvation while damaging the very biodiversity those extremists claimed to protect. In saving so many, Borlaug showed that a genuine green movement doesn't pit man against the Earth, but rather applies human intelligence to exploit the Earth's resources to improve life for everyone.”
It is unfortunate that there had been no public pandemonium or mass rallies over his death even when he has served to the benefit of much of mankind’s recent progress. Very much unlike politicians, whom have even been labeled as patriots or heroes, when the latter's accomplishments pale in comparison to Mr. Borlaug's.
As Café Hayek’s Professor Donald Boudreaux rightly laments,
``It’s distressing, I can’t help adding, that dead politicians are often canonized in the popular press while most of humanity will go to their graves never hearing the names of, or learning of the contributions of, genuine heroes of humanity such as Norman Borlaug.”
Norman Borlaug, R.I.P.
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