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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

Mexico-US Trade Talks Delayed to October as Tariff Negotiations Continue

The fourth round of Mexico-US trade talks is unlikely to take place next week and could be postponed until October as both countries navigate a busy diplomatic schedule, according to a senior Mexican trade official. Luis...

Australia Unemployment Hits Five-Year High Despite Strong Jobs Growth

Australias labour market delivered mixed signals in August as employment growth comfortably exceeded expectations, while the unemployment rate climbed to its highest level in nearly five years amid increased participation...

Asian Stocks Fall as Bond Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Asian stocks mostly declined on Thursday as surging global bond yields weighed on risk appetite, while investors awaited a closely watched meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping....

Gold Prices Fall as Treasury Yields Rise on Fed Rate Hike Bets

Gold prices edged lower on Thursday, extending pressure from the previous session as rising Treasury yields, stronger oil prices and a firm U.S. dollar fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve may continue raising...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High

Asian currencies traded mixed on Thursday as the U.S. dollar hovered near a two-month high, supported by stronger U.S. economic data, renewed inflation concerns and growing expectations for another Federal Reserve rate...

Politics

OpenAI Agent Breaches Australia Medicare Data Portal

An OpenAI artificial intelligence agent gained unauthorized access to an Australian government Medicare statistics portal, prompting a federal investigation and renewed concerns about the cybersecurity risks posed by...

Taiwan Thanks US for Support Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Taiwans government on Thursday expressed gratitude for continued US support and said it remains in close communication with Washington as President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in the US...

Netanyahu Takes Aim at Mamdani as Israel Election Nears

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his United Nations address on Thursday to criticize New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as the Israeli leader faces international pressure and a closely watched...

Russian Missile and Drone Attack on Kyiv Kills Two, Damages Maternity Hospital

Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Thursday, killing two people and damaging residential buildings, medical facilities and other infrastructure across the Ukrainian capital, according to...

Judge Orders Trump to Restore White House Access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico

A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trumps administration to temporarily restore White House press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that the administrations ban on the three...

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

Tencent Launches TenPayGo Payment App for Foreign Tourists in China

Tencent has launched TenPayGo, a new mobile payment app designed to make digital transactions easier for international travelers visiting China, as the technology giant looks to benefit from growing inbound tourism ahead...

China’s ‘Lipstick King’ Says AI Won’t Replace Livestream Hosts

Chinas livestream shopping industry is entering a slower phase, but Li Jiaqi, the influential presenter known as the Lipstick King, believes artificial intelligence will complement rather than replace human hosts. Li, who...

Meta Unveils Muse Charm AI Device, Expands Smart Glasses Lineup

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) unveiled a palm-sized device designed specifically for its Muse artificial intelligence agent on Wednesday, alongside an expanded lineup of smart glasses and new AI capabilities. CEO Mark...

SoftBank Raises $11.1 Billion in Bond Sale to Fund OpenAI Investment

SoftBank Group has raised $11.1 billion through a major dollar- and euro-denominated bond offering as the Japanese technology investment giant builds up cash to finance its expanding artificial intelligence investments,...

Meta Connect Spotlights Camera-Free Smart Glasses Amid Privacy Concerns

Meta Platforms opened its annual Connect conference on Wednesday, with the technology giant expected to introduce new smart glasses as it seeks to expand its lead in AI-powered wearable devices while addressing mounting...