Nature's Echo
Harnessing ancient feedback loops to heal a changing planet
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- 14,99 €
Descrição da editora
Nature wants to heal, and we can help.
'Must read: Nature’s Echo is the scientific basis for optimism, showing that true regeneration is within our grasp.' The Edge, U2
'Earth-restoring and life-affirming with a vital message for our times. Dive in.' Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics
When Earth's ecosystems fall out of harmony, the damage can spiral out of control. But what if we could help nature to regain its balance?
As a leading ecologist, Professor Thomas Crowther studies not just how species work in isolation, but how complex ecosystems regulate themselves. When nature’s cycles are allowed to build momentum, each species can create the conditions to allow others to thrive. From the birth of galaxies to the creation of life, the greatest transformations in our universe have been driven by quiet, self-reinforcing processes known as feedback loops.
Drawing on cutting-edge ecological science, gripping personal narrative and initiatives already happening around the world, Nature’s Echo shows how natural feedback loops have astonishing power to rebound, even with minor intervention. If we can only realize how integral we are to this highly interconnected natural world, we will re-discover the path to a better future.
'A vital, hope-filled manifesto for regenerating our planet.' HRH Princess Esmeralda of Belgium
'Crowther offers insights that are wide-ranging and compelling . . . Nature’s Echo’s identifies a shift in perspective' Spectator
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ecologist Crowther debuts with an optimistic examination of how people can use feedback loops, cyclical processes in which the outcome influences the input, creating a chain reaction of cause and effect, to restore the environment. As Crowther explains, these processes apply to everything from the formation of stars to the diversification of species. Feedback loops also govern human economy and psychology. Crowther describes, for example, how eucalyptus tree plantations in Portugal supported a profitable paper industry that led to more clearing of land for eucalyptus trees in an accelerating loop that ultimately resulted in the destruction of local ecosystems and an increased risk of forest fires. Similarly, feedback loops fuel socioeconomic inequality, as wealth creates opportunity for accumulating more wealth, an exponentially increasing disparity that can cause the collapse of societies. On the other hand, people can embrace feedback loops to repair social systems and the natural world. Investing in restoring landscapes to their natural diversity can revive local agriculture and livelihoods, for example, and consumers opting for sustainable products can spur industries to create zero-waste brands. Filled with intriguing and wide-ranging case studies of how individuals can be agents of change, this empowers and inspires.
