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HOLDEN: I have a deep fear of reductionism and the idea that we can improve on nature with technical fixes without knowing the consequences. We are part of nature, and with that relationship should go respect, humility, and above all responsibility. In the past we’ve waited for evidence of harm before we’ve acted. That is no longer good enough, and the BSE experience should teach us that. In making decisions we need to take into account the role of intuition, emotional influences, even spiritual influences—things we might not yet understand.

MANNING: I’ve ended up with an absolutist position that everything is natural. In the…

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