Nature's Echo

Harnessing ancient feedback loops to heal a changing planet

Thomas Crowther

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Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Torva
05 May 2026

Meteorology & climatology; Applied ecology; Management of land & natural resources; Conservation of the environment; Endangered species & extinction of species

Learn how an ancient force, dating back to the beginning of time, can be harnessed to solve the world’s biggest problems.

In the moments after the big bang, matter started to take shape. Within a few seconds, quarks began combining to form neutrons and protons, which would later form the nuclei of the most basic elements. Minutes passed, then years, then millennia. In this initial emptiness, the underlying processes that would eventually produce our entire world were already underway, a ceaseless dance of evolving matter. And the fundamental steps of that dance, the patterns of interaction that shaped all of the developing matter, are called feedback loops.

A feedback loop occurs when the outcome of a process restarts that process, creating a cyclical chain of cause and effect. Feedback loops can either maintain the status quo (a negative feedback loop), or they can create a “snowball effect” (a positive feedback loop) where more begets more. Physical feedback loops literally form our physical reality around us, but psychological feedback loops determine how we build our perspective of reality.

In Nature’s Echo, scientist Tom Crowther provides inspirational examples from restoration projects around the globe that show the spectacular interconnectivity of ecosystems formed through endless feedback loops and share inspiring stories of communities using feedback loops to restore their environments and adapt economically to a changing world. The feedback loops that generate sustainable ecosystems have the same structure as those that give rise to the stars, planets, and life; economic inequality and privilege; and the way we see the world. Understanding feedback loops can help individuals, companies, and governments engage in the battle against environmental change and envision a new future where we work with the Earth to fight its devastating effects.

By: Thomas Crowther
Imprint: Torva
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 700g
ISBN: 9781911709718
ISBN 10: 1911709712
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 05 May 2026
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Thomas Crowther is a professor in the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich, where he leads the Crowther Lab. He is chair of the advisory council for the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and founder of Restor, an online platform for the global restoration movement developed in partnership with Google. In 2021, the World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader.