Photo by David Vig on Unsplash
Photo on ETH Zurich

Thomas Crowther

Assistant Professor

Crowther Lab

POSITION

Assistant Professor

COMPANY

Crowther Lab

COUNTRY

Switzerland

SCENE

Environment

SOCIAL

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What makes Thomas Crowther a Global Shaker?

British scientist Thomas Crowther is chief scientific advisor to the UN-backed international project to plant one trillion trees, working alongside conservationists including Jane Goodall. He also leads a team of 25 researchers at the Crowther lab at ETH Zurich University, which focuses on climate mitigation projects.

Crowther is a regular commentator in the media about the effects of deforestation, in which he stresses the need to protect biodiversity, prioritise local communities, and continue cutting emissions — rather than using an increase in tree planting as a way to continue polluting as normal. He also travels to deforested sites, helping put theory into practice as he plants trees.

Alongside Plant for the Planet’s Felix Finkbeiner, Crowther recently mapped the world’s trees, learning that there were about three trillion trees in the world — and that there had been double that number before the industrial revolution.

The ecologist was recently present at Davos2020, where he said that it was “amazing” to see trees high on the agenda, which would help “draw down carbon and support global biodiversity.” “But this is DEFINITELY no silver bullet,” he stressed on Twitter. “Emissions cuts are still the highest priority for climate.”

Tags: reforestation, Science, Switzerland, UN

Last updated: March 20, 2020