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Ed Atkins

Senior Teaching Associate, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol
My research is based on the contested character of environmental policy, politics and governance. This currently moves across three interrelated themes: the contentious politics of hydropower, the role of these hydroelectric projects in contemporary sustainable development agendas, and the potential role of alternatives to development in environmental policy.

This research draws from the field of political ecology and work on the post-political to explore how current notions of sustainability and the paradigm of sustainable development can be re-politicised - and filled with a more inclusive meaning.

In exploring this topic, I have grown particularly interested into the concept of 'contested sustainabilities', in which the ambiguity of contemporary notions of sustainability have given rise to divergent - and, at times, conflicting pathways to sustainability.

Having conducted an interdisciplinary PhD, I am particularly interested in engaging in work that sits across traditional academic disciplines - drawing on my educational background in History, International Relations and International Law, and now Human and Political Geography.

Biography
I am currently a Senior Teaching Associate at the School of Geographical Sciences, both leading and supporting on a number of units offered at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

I first arrived at the University of Bristol in Autumn 2013, to complete an ESRC-funded PhD in Environment, Energy & Resilience. In addition, I hold a BA (Hons) in History and an MA in International Relations and International Law from the University of Kent. As part of an ESRC 1+3 scholarship, I have also completed a supplementary MRes at the University of Bristol - allowing me to start my PhD studies in September 2014.

Climate Change Series

Britain's next election could be a climate change culture war

Jul 27, 2023 08:18 am UTC| Politics

A byelection in a London suburb has placed environmental policy at the centre of political debate in the UK, and could make it a key battleground in the next general election. The Conservative party narrowly held former...

The Archers' electric vehicle row shows why rural areas may oppose chargers – but they also have so much to gain

Apr 12, 2023 12:45 pm UTC| Entertainment

Long-running BBC radio soap opera The Archers might conjure images of an idyllic country life, but its storylines frequently highlight real tensions in British society. The series, set in the fictional village of...

Belo Monte: there is nothing green or sustainable about these mega-dams

Aug 13, 2018 14:33 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

There are few dams in the world that capture the imagination as much as Belo Monte, built on the Big Bend of the Xingu river in the Brazilian Amazon. Its construction has involved an army of 25,000 workers working round...

Economy

EUR/USD Eyes 1.17 as Fed Decision Could Weigh on Dollar

EUR/USD could climb back toward its summer highs near 1.17 if next weeks Federal Reserve decision sparks a sell the news reaction in the U.S. dollar, according to Citi strategists. However, geopolitical tensions and...

Central Banks Could Buy 20,000 Tonnes of Gold: BofA

Central banks may have significant capacity to continue buying gold even after several years of record demand, according to Bank of America (BofA). The bank estimates that institutions currently underweight in gold could...

UK Businesses Urge Government to Cut Electricity Levies

British businesses are pressing the government to remove levies from electricity bills as high energy costs put increasing pressure on energy-intensive sectors such as steel, chemicals and manufacturing, Bloomberg reported...

UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July, Beating Forecasts

Britains economy expanded by a stronger-than-expected 0.4% in July, maintaining solid momentum from the first half of 2026 despite economic pressures linked to the U.S.-Iran war, according to data released Friday by the...

US Treasury Yields Near 5% as Oil Fuels Inflation Fears

Global bond markets came under heavy selling pressure on Friday, pushing the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield close to the critical 5% threshold as soaring oil prices and expectations for higher interest rates intensified...

Politics

Iran-Oman Talks Lay Groundwork for Hormuz Reopening

An understanding between Iran and Oman could pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, although any immediate resumption of shipping remains unlikely, an Iranian source told Tasnim news agency. The source said the...

Chinese Satellite Images Linked to Iran Strike on US Base

U.S. officials have connected high-resolution satellite imagery supplied to Iran by Chinese entities to a July missile attack on an American military base in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops, according to a Wall Street...

Trump Calls for Five-Year George Washington Smithsonian Exhibit

President Donald Trump called on the Smithsonian Institution to create a five-year exhibition honoring George Washington, while renewing criticism of the museum organizations approach to U.S. history. In a Truth Social...

Saudi Arabia Shuts East-West Oil Pipeline After Drone Attack

Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its strategic East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack, adding fresh pressure to global energy supplies as the U.S.-Iran war disrupts major Middle East shipping routes. The...

Trump Open to Chinese Automakers Building Cars in US

President Donald Trump said Friday that he would be open to Chinese automakers establishing manufacturing plants in the United States, despite strong opposition from U.S. lawmakers and major auto companies. Speaking on Fox...

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

Meta’s AI Shopping Push Grows as Agentic Commerce Remains Below 1%

Agentic commerce still accounts for less than 1% of overall e-commerce activity, despite a wave of new AI shopping agents from Meta, Anthropic and other technology companies. Meta this week launched Muse, a personal AI...

OpenAI Rules Out 2026 IPO as Altman Prioritizes AI Safety

OpenAI will not pursue an initial public offering in 2026 as the artificial intelligence company focuses on mounting safety and alignment challenges, CEO Sam Altman said in an interview with Fortune published Saturday....

OpenAI Agents Linked to RubyGems Cyberattack

OpenAIs AI agents were involved in a previously undisclosed cyber incident that disrupted RubyGems, a widely used software package distribution service, in May, according to a Wall Street Journal report. OpenAI confirmed...

Nvidia Eyes $10 Billion Investment in Anthropic IPO

Nvidia is reportedly in discussions to become an anchor investor in Anthropics planned initial public offering, with the AI chip giant potentially committing up to $10 billion to what could become the largest IPO in...

Optus Apologises After Network Outage Disrupts Emergency Calls

Optus has apologised to customers after a network outage disrupted voice services across several Australian states and affected some emergency calls, raising fresh concerns about the reliability of the countrys...