Research interests:
Lower-carbon/sustainable lifestyles
Pro-environmental behaviour change
Energy-related social practices
Social movements for sustainability
Climate change communications and discourses
Perceptions of, and responses to, unconventional energy, energy demand reduction technologies and energy/climate change-related policies
Sustainability, mindfulness, and well-being
Education for sustainability
I am an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist, interested in insights from many relevant disciplines (e.g. sociology, psychology, human geography, behavioural economics, science and technology studies, and environmental education). My research employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, often in combination.
Career history:
Present: Lecturer in Sociology/Sustainable Development, University of Edinburgh
Previous: PhD ‘Promoting Lower-Carbon Lifestyles’ (The University of Edinburgh)
Active research projects:
Not available
Recent publications:
Whitehead, M., R. Jones, R. Lilley, R. Howell, J. Pykett. (2018) Neuroliberalism: Cognition, context, and the geographical bounding of rationality. Progress in Human Geography, DOI: 10.1177/0309132518777624. Accepted version available here for those without journal access.
Howell, R.A. (2018) UK public beliefs about fracking and effects of knowledge on beliefs and support: A problem for shale gas policy. Energy Policy 113:721–730. Accepted version available here for those without journal access.
Howell, R.A. (2018) Carbon management at the household level: a definition of carbon literacy and three mechanisms that increase it. Carbon Management, 9(1):25-35. Accepted version available here for those without journal access.