J. Gordon Edwards (entomologist and mountaineer)

J. Gordon Edwards (1919-2004) was an entomologist, mountain climber, author, and park ranger. Edwards was professor, and later emeritus professor of Biology, San Jose State University. He died on July 19 of a heart attack while hiking up Divide Mountain with his wife, Alice. He was 84.

DDT and environmental issues

Edwards was prominent as a supporter of the use of DDT and critic of Rachel Carson. He was active as a member of, or consultant for, a wide range of lobby groups opposed to environmental regulation, including the American Council on Science and Health. According to Edwards, he was also active as a member of several environmental groups such as the Sierra Club (which published one of his books,) and the Audubon Society. [http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/summ02/Carson.html] Edwards was a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. He has published his ideas in "21st Century Science and Technology", a publication of the Lyndon LaRouche Movement. [http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/sample.html] He was co-author, with Steven Milloy of "100 things you should know about DDT". [http://junkscience.com/ddtfaq.htm]

Edwards insisted that "no human beings have ever been harmed by DDT." According to 21st Century Science and Technology, a photograph appeared in the September, 1971 issue of "Esquire magazine", showing Edwards eating a teaspoon full of DDT, which he claimed to do on a weekly basis to demonstrate the lack of toxicity of DDT for humans and vertebrate animals. Because of its role in preventing the spread of insect-borne diseases, Edwards asserted that "DDT has saved more millions of lives than any other man-made chemical." [http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/Fall02/Mosquitoes.html]

Mountaineering

Edwards was given the unofficial title of patron saint of climbing in Glacier National Park (U.S.).Fact|date=September 2008

His "A Climber's Guide to Glacier National Park" (ISBN 0-87842-177-7) was first published by the Sierra Club in 1960. [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007DN9LW]

References

External links

* [http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001101.html Obit and memorials of Edwards on "Blog of death"]
* [http://www.new-cue.org/quetchenbach%20thoreau%20ASLE.pdf Gordon Edwards, Rachel Carson and DDT] (criticism of "The Lies of Rachel Carson" by Bernard Quetchenbach)
* [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45063 DDT-eating scientist exposes eco-fraud] - Jack Cashill, excerpted from his book "Hoodwinked: How Intellectual Hucksters Have Hijacked American Culture"