The US Capitol Just Honored Norman Borlaug, The Man Who Saved A Billion Lives

[FarCenter]

A statue was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday of plant scientist Norman Borlaug, the man widely considered the father of the Green Revolution and whose work helped save as many as 1 billion people from starvation in the developing world.

Magicians Penn and Teller called Borlaug "the greatest human that ever existed" in an episode of "Penn & Teller: Bullshit" (the segment is embedded below).

Borlaug, who died in 2009 and would have celebrated his 100th birthday today, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for developing new varieties of wheat that were resistant to disease and had high-yield potential.

The new breeding technique and other advances in agricultural practices that were embraced by farmers in Mexico and Asia, increased food production and helped to save millions from hunger.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-norman-borlaug-2014-3

[Laelth]

1. k&r for the Great Norman Borlaug--perhaps one of the greatest humans to ever live.

(if you consider his impact on humanity)



-Laelth

[pscot]

2. Because 7 billion people

is sooo much better than 6 billion, or 5 billion.

[HERVEPA]

3. Having people starve is not the way to reduce population.

Your empathy is underwhelming.

[dhill926]

4. no kidding….

I wonder about this place sometimes….

[HERVEPA]

7. I'm prretty close to giving up on this place.

I don't know if it's trolls or a lot of the best people are gone or what, but can be very disturbing.

[Aerows]

9. It really is a bummer

sometimes. You wonder where the hell compassion went.

[CJCRANE]

5. In fact, if you give people a better standard of living that reduces population growth.

It seems counterintuitive but it makes evolutionary sense if you think about it.

[HERVEPA]

6. Oh, absolutely.

[Aerows]

8. A billion dead people to bury

isn't exactly going to be very good for the health of the rest of the people that survive. If you feel that strongly about population control, well, charity starts at home, right?

[pscot]

10. When critters overpopulate their range

a condition known as overshoot develops. Overshoot is invariably followed by an event known as dieback. Estimates of Earth's carrying capacity vary widely, but 1 billion humans is probably pretty close to the mark. So in terms of sustainability, the human species was in overshoot before Dr. Borlaug's miracle occurred. Borlaug's miracle allowed us to double our population from that point. I don't wish anyone ill, but this cannot end well. Climate change, drought, ocean acidification are all working against us, degrading the planet's carrying capacity below what it was in 1970. All the larger animals are extinct or at the brink. Fish stocks are collapsing. Bees are dying. Every fracked well poisons another 5 million gallons of water and buries it deep in the earth. Tell me why more humans is better. Does anyone seriously believe the we alone are immune to natures imperatives?

[AngryAmish]

11. Where do you prefer the cull to start?

First world or third world?

[pscot]

13. That call isn't ours to make

Crop failures, drought and collapsing fisheries, among other things, will determine who, when and where. Did you know that photosynthesis stops at 98 degrees fahrenheit? The IPCC has predicted that within 10 years parts of the Caribbean and Central America may be too warm for human habitation. Ten years is not very far off. I have no way of knowing if they're right, but suppose they are? Are we not supposed to talk about this stuff?

[Aerows]

17. I live, I breathe and I love

It is absolutely my call to make. Just because your perfect vision of life on earth is ruined, doesn't mean everyone else's has to be.

That's talking about stuff.

[Aerows]

12. I'm pretty big on science, facts and

evidence. I've been called emotionless by those who explode far faster than I do. One thing I am not, however, is callous.

[pscot]

14. I know you think I am

Maybe you're right. But I have kids and grandkids who I love, and I'm very fond of the Earth and its creatures. I'm deeply worried about what I see coming. I've been watching this storm approaching for a long time, like a hurricane offshore. I didn't think I'd live to see it, but now it's upon us and I'm afraid I will.

[Aerows]

16. You make a judgment of disaster.

Others decide that we have a need for better management of resources. Which of us is truly prepared?

Hollering "the sky is falling, we're all gonna die!" never made an improvement. "I love you, I love my children, and I love my community enough to devote my time to making them grow" has done more than "sky is falling" arguments ever have. I prefer a society based upon care for one another, not suspicion.

[pscot]

18. It's still a good idea to put plywood over the windows

just in case. Maybe even move to higher ground. Complacency is not a good choice.

[Aerows]

20. When you pack up and move away

you are safe. But somebody has to stay behind and rebuild. I've already been that somebody, because I give a damn.

Did it scar me? Probably. I *DO* know, however, what I am capable of in adverse conditions. Trials by fire leave you burned, but they temper you into a blade that is direct and sharp. Not callous, but direct and pointed at the problem, not some generalized "other evil".

[X_Digger]

19. K&R n/t