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Peter Howson

Senior Lecturer in International Development, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Peter Howson is a Researcher in International Development at Northumbria, where he leads the MSc in International Development.

His teaching and research interests span political ecology, critical theory, gender, race and development, ‘green violence’, blockchain-based environmental management and geo-politics in the Global South. Most of Pete's teaching draws on his research interests and professional experience in the Asia-Pacific region.

Before joining Northumbria, Pete was a Lecturer in International Development at Nottingham Trent University. In 2016 he was a Post-doc Researcher at Colorado State University, looking at Palau’s National Marine Sanctuary. Before that, he was based at University of Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand. His PhD research explored the political ecology of climate finance in Indonesia.

Pete's current projects include analysis of the ‘blue belt’ network of marine protection measures in the UK Overseas Territories. Peter is also looking at how cryptocurrencies and carbon trading are coming together to make trees more valuable standing than cut down, and what impacts the practice is having on forest-dependent communities in Indonesia.

Digital Currency Revolution

Crypto tolls in the Strait of Hormuz shows why bitcoin thrives in times of crisis

Apr 18, 2026 07:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Digital Currency

Bitcoin has long been promised to function as money. In practice, it rarely does. While 99% of transactions are still speculative trading, for as long as bitcoin has been a thing it has been used to skirt governments...

DeepSeek claims to have cured AI’s environmental headache. The Jevons paradox suggests it might make things worse

Feb 03, 2025 11:01 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

AI burns through a lot of resources. And thanks to a paradox first identified way back in the 1860s, even a more energy-efficient AI is likely to simply mean more energy is used in the long run. For most users, large...

Digital Currency Revolution

Bitcoin: China's crackdown isn't enough – only a global effort can stop crypto's monstrous energy demand

Jun 08, 2021 12:31 pm UTC| Digital Currency

Huge concrete data centres, permanently plugged into power plants and telephone exchanges, maintain much of online life. But the infrastructure behind internet-based cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, dogecoin and ethereum...

Blockchain Revolution Series

NFTs: why digital art has such a massive carbon footprint

Apr 04, 2021 10:00 am UTC| Technology

How much would you be willing to pay for a one-of-a-kind work of art? For some collectors, the limit lies somewhere in the region of hundreds of millions of dollars. What about a work of art that has no tangible form, and...

Digital Currency Revolution

Bitcoin isn't getting greener: four environmental myths about cryptocurrency debunked

Feb 20, 2021 12:38 pm UTC| Technology Digital Currency

The price of bitcoin has reached US$50,000 (36,095) another all-time high. Its hard to believe that 10,000 bitcoin would only buy a couple of pizzas ten years ago. Its even stranger to think that bitcoins are completely...

Economy

Citi Says Sharp TOPIX Drop Could Push USD/JPY Lower as Yen Gains Momentum

A significant correction in Japanese equities could trigger a sharp decline in the USD/JPY exchange rate, although Citi analysts believe the stock market would need to fall much further before the Japanese yen strengthens...

Iran Warns of Retaliation as Trump Threatens New Strikes, Oil Risks Intensify

Iran warned over the weekend that it would respond forcefully to any new U.S. military action, escalating tensions in the Middle East as President Donald Trump reiterated threats of additional strikes on Iranian targets....

South Korea Exports Surge 62.8% in July on AI Chip Demand

South Koreas exports posted stronger-than-expected growth in July, fueled by robust global demand for semiconductors and AI-related technology, reinforcing the countrys position as a major beneficiary of the artificial...

U.S. Treasury Joins Japan in Yen Intervention as Currency Nears 40-Year Lows

The U.S. Treasury reportedly stepped into currency markets on Friday by buying Japanese yen, joining Japans efforts to stabilize the currency after it weakened to levels close to a four-decade low. According to a Financial...

Gold Ends July Higher as Weaker Dollar Offsets Fed Inflation Concerns

Gold prices posted modest monthly gains in July, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and the Federal Reserves decision to keep interest rates unchanged. However, renewed inflation concerns fueled by rising oil prices limited...

Politics

US Embassies Urge Americans to Leave Middle East as Iran Tensions Escalate

The United States has issued emergency security alerts across several Middle Eastern diplomatic missions, urging American citizens to consider leaving the region as tensions with Iran continue to rise. U.S. embassies in...

DOJ Subpoenas New York Times Freelancer Over North Korea Military Report

The U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed records belonging to freelance journalist Matthew Cole as part of an investigation into the sources behind a 2025 New York Times report detailing a failed U.S. military...

Capital One Says AML Review Led to Closure of Trump Organization Accounts

Capital One Financial has defended its decision to close hundreds of bank accounts linked to the Trump Organization, arguing in a court filing that the move followed an extensive anti-money laundering (AML) review rather...

Trump Weighs Iran Strikes as U.S. Embassies Issue Emergency Security Alerts

The United States has issued emergency security alerts across the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to escalate, prompting officials to warn Americans to consider leaving the region and prepare for possible flight...

Spain Installs Floating Barrier as Ceuta Migrant Crossings Halt After Deadly Surge

Spain said migrant crossings into its North African enclave of Ceuta came to a halt overnight as authorities began installing a 500-metre floating barrier along the border with Morocco following a deadly mass migration...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

AI Data Center Boom Faces New Risks as Public Backlash and Policy Scrutiny Grow

Public opposition to large-scale data center construction is rising sharply, creating new challenges for the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure boom, according to Wolfe Research. The firm identified growing voter...

T-Mobile Executives Reportedly Oppose $300 Billion Deutsche Telekom Merger

Senior executives at T-Mobile US have reportedly told parent company Deutsche Telekom that they do not support a proposed $300 billion merger between the two companies, citing shareholder resistance and potential...

Roblox Stock Drops 16% as Q3 Bookings Forecast Misses Expectations

Roblox Corp. (NYSE: RBLX) shares plunged about 16% in premarket trading after the gaming platform reported mixed second-quarter 2026 results and issued weaker-than-expected third-quarter bookings guidance, raising concerns...

Apple Stock Slides 7% as Weak Sales Forecast Overshadows Quarterly Earnings Beat

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares fell more than 7% in premarket trading after the tech giant issued weaker-than-expected guidance for the September quarter, overshadowing better-than-anticipated quarterly earnings and revenue....

Sony Raises Full-Year Outlook After Q1 Profit Jumps 40% on Gaming and Chip Growth

Sony Group (TYO: 6758) delivered a strong start to its fiscal 2026, reporting a 40% year-over-year increase in first-quarter operating profit and raising its full-year earnings outlook, fueled by robust performance in its...