Did Borlaug prevent or just delay mass famine?

Dr. Norman Borlaug, whose "scientific farming" led to the "green revolution" of the 1970s, died over the weekend in Texas. (Drawing from Gho-Englisch.de.)

The "green revolution," a term first used in 1968, describes Borlaug's work starting in the 1940s, using new seeds and techniques to increase food crop yields in the developing world.

Mourning was especially heartfelt in India and Pakistan, where the green revolution prevented mass starvation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Borlaug's death "the end of an era."

Truer words were seldom spoken.

Borlaug's work cemented a relationship between the poor of the world and science that still exists. He also demanded that governments pay world prices for grain, making him a hero of capitalism as well.

That may be why his death is being politicized by conservatives, who claim "the left" would have prevented the green revolution, and that Borlaug defused the "population bomb" predicted by liberal thinkers like Paul Ehrlich.

It's deadly nonsense.

Fact is agriculture is a key driver of global warming, as described in this 2008 article from Iowa State University.

The big problems are nitrous oxide, produced by nitrogen fertilizers, and methane produced by farm animals. New techniques for using fertilizer and managing animal feed are recommended, but how far, and fast, can those ideas filter into the developing world? We need more Borlaugs.

Increased populations and the profitability of agriculture also lead to deforestation, another big driver of global warming. Almost one-fourth of all land on Earth is now devoted to agriculture. Techniques like no-till organic agriculture can mitigate some impacts but it's not a cure-all.

This may be why some conservatives are drawing strict lines in the sand, calling anyone who supports population controls "evil" and suggesting that, if there are too many people, activists die first.

Closing our eyes and shouting won't shut down science, however. They won't stop global warming, and won't mitigate its impact.

Unless scientists, businesspeople and politicians cooperate in the fight against global warming Dr. Borlaug's legacy will have been to kill the grandchildren of the millions he saved.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com