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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.

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

Australia Treasurer Backs RBA Governor’s Support for Fed Chair Jerome Powell Amid Independence Concerns

Australias Treasurer Jim Chalmers has publicly backed Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock after she joined a group of global central bank leaders in expressing solidarity with U.S. Federal Reserve...

Asian Currencies Trade Narrowly as US Dollar Holds Near Six-Week High on Strong Data

Most Asian currencies traded within tight ranges on Friday, while the U.S. dollar remained firm near a six-week high, supported by strong U.S. economic data and fading expectations for imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts....

Canada–China Strategic Partnership Signals Reset With Historic Economic Potential

Canada and China are moving toward a renewed strategic partnership that could deliver historic economic gains by building on the complementary strengths of both nations, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said during...

Malaysia Economy Posts Strong Q4 2025 Growth on Domestic Demand Boost

Malaysias economy recorded a solid expansion of 5.7% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to official advance estimates released on Friday, marking its fastest growth pace in more than a year. The robust...

Retail Investors Crowd Into Silver as Prices Surge to Record Highs

Individual investors are buying silver at an unprecedented pace, turning the metal into one of the most crowded commodity trades in global markets, according to a new report from Vanda Research. Over the past 30 days...

Politics

U.S. and Mexico Reaffirm Security Partnership Amid Calls for Stronger Border Action

Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a high-level call on Thursday focused on security cooperation and the future of the U.S.-Mexico partnership, according to...

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Faces Historic Court Ruling Over Failed Martial Law Attempt

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to face his first court ruling on Friday in a landmark criminal case tied to his failed attempt to impose martial law, a political crisis that stunned the nation and drew...

Schumer Urges Trump to Halt ICE Raids, Citing Fear in U.S. Cities

U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations during a meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday, warning that ongoing ICE raids in major U.S. cities...

U.S.–Taiwan Trade Deal Spurs $500 Billion Semiconductor Investment in America

A new U.S. trade deal with Taiwan is set to significantly reshape the global semiconductor landscape, with massive investments aimed at strengthening chip manufacturing in the United States. According to Commerce Secretary...

Trump Pushes Gaza Demilitarization Deal With Backing From Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar are backing his push for a comprehensive demilitarization agreement with Hamas, as Washington moves forward with the next phase of its plan to end...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Anthropic Appoints Former Microsoft Executive Irina Ghose to Lead India Expansion

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has appointed former Microsoft executive Irina Ghose as its Managing Director of India, signaling a major push into one of the worlds fastest-growing AI markets. The appointment...

TSMC Shares Hit Record High as AI Chip Demand Fuels Strong Q4 Earnings

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) shares surged to a record high in Taipei trading on Friday, underscoring strong investor confidence driven by robust fourth-quarter earnings and sustained demand from the...

Federal Judge Clears Way for Jury Trial in Elon Musk’s Fraud Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft

A federal judge in Oakland, California, has rejected renewed attempts by OpenAI and Microsoft to dismiss a high-profile lawsuit filed by Elon Musk, allowing the case to proceed to a jury trial starting April 27. The ruling...

Publishers Seek to Join Lawsuit Against Google Over Alleged AI Copyright Infringement

Major publishing companies Hachette Book Group and Cengage Group have formally asked a California federal court for permission to intervene in a proposed class action lawsuit against Google, intensifying the ongoing legal...

China’s AI Models Narrow the Gap With the West, Says Google DeepMind CEO

Chinas artificial intelligence capabilities are rapidly catching up to those of the United States and other Western nations, according to Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind. Speaking on a CNBC podcast, Hassabis said...