Iowan (Norman Borlaug)Receives Congressional Gold Medal

KETV (Des Moines, IA) ^ | July 17, 2007

[E Rocc]

Iowan Receives Congressional Gold Medal

Cresco Native Honored At Ceremony

POSTED: 5:22 pm CDT July 17, 2007 UPDATED: 5:37 pm CDT July 17, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa -- An Iowa native received the nation's highest civilian honor Tuesday morning.

Cresco native Norman Borlaug received the Congressional Gold Medal.

President George W. Bush was on hand to congratulate Borlaug for his lifetime work to fight hunger around the world.

Borlaug created varieties of wheat that were resistant to disease and doubled and tripled yields in developing countries.

"I speak for this whole team of hunger fighters that I have been privileged to train and lead, in part, and to change and apply science and technology to the improvement of well-being of people in different parts of the world," he said at the ceremony.

Borlaug is the fifth person in history to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the Nobel Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

[E Rocc]

I was suprised this hadn't been posted. Borlaug is one of the most important scientist/innovators of the last century.

Here's an older story that basically presents him as the anti-Ehrlich.

-Eric

[Steelerfan]

Thanks for posting. Gregg Easterbrook, whom I normally have trouble agreeing with on anything not NFL related, posted a story describing him as the most important living American. Given the number of lives Borlang is responsible for saving, Easterbrook may have an argument.

[E Rocc]

Gregg Easterbrook, whom I normally have trouble agreeing with on anything not NFL related,

Sort of like me having trouble agreeing with Rush Limbaugh on anything NFL related, right? >:)

Great interview with Borlaug in Reason Magazine

If one wants to annoy liberals, one can point out that Borlaug's work decreased the need for agricultural land in the US, facilitating "sprawl".

-Eric

[Mase]

Borlaug deserves much more recognition than he's receiving and it should have come a long time ago. Every student should be made aware, at a young age, of his accomplishments. The amount of lives that were saved by the green revolution......

I would love to hear his opinion about all the hand wringing over genetically modified foods these days. Thanks for posting.

[iowamark]

Norman Borlaug Blasts GMO Doomsayers

When forced to mention Dr. Borloug, the MSM generally leaves the GMO issue out. That is why you haven't heard about it.

[Mase]

Thanks for that link! I was surprised to learn that Borlaug is still so active and working with/for Africa. I've always been in awe of the guy and find it mind boggling that he has to defend genetic engineering in food given his history.

Against ignorance the gods themselves contend in vain.

[Ditto]

Great article. Thanks.