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Protect Nature Now campaign about threats of gene editing

Protect Nature Now explains the issues in simple terms and suggests ways to spread the word

At GMWatch, we're concerned that vast numbers of people are still unaware of the threats posed by new gene-editing techniques. Now a new campaign and set of learning and sharing tools have made it easy to understand the issues and spread the word to friends and contacts.

The campaign, called Protect Nature Now, is a project of The Institute for Responsible Technology. Protect Nature Now has released a short video, The New Global Threat from GMOs, which explains the issues in simple terms. The dangers go way beyond food, encompassing human and animal health, animal welfare, the integrity of our soils, and entire ecosystems.

The campaign, which has its own website, ProtectNatureNow.com, emphasises that "The number one most common outcome of genetic engineering (including gene-editing)" is "surprise side effects" and adds that "There’s no way to clean it up".

On the website are a number of tools and simple actions you can take to raise awareness of the issues around the "unregulated, wild-west 'gene rush'" unleashed by gene editing.

The website explains, "President Trump signed an executive order on June 11th designed to open the floodgates for gene-edited GMOs. If fully implemented, this could irreversibly replace nature.

"Instead of passing on to our children and grandchildren a planet teeming with natural species derived from the billions of years of evolution, we would foist on them an ecosystem where the DNA of countless organisms has been forever corrupted."

Please watch the video, share it with your friends and contacts, and take the actions suggested on the website. On social media, make sure you use the #protectnaturenow hashtag and mention ProtectNatureNow.com in your post so others can get informed with the video, talking points, and materials.