Rachel Howell

Research Interests

Current Research

I am a PhD student researching 'The Potential for Climate Change Mitigation through Education'.

I'm taking 'education' in a very broad sense, and am more interested in community initiatives and messages aimed at adults than formal school-level education. My first project assessed the impact of the climate change film The Age of Stupid. Here's a brief summary of my results (see my publications page for academic papers on this). I'm interested in behavioural change rather than just increased awareness or concern.

I am now working on a project interviewing people who have made lifestyle changes in order to reduce their carbon footprints, to understand in depth what has prompted and facilitated such changes. Change is a process over time - what stories do people tell about these processes? Do they focus on individual psychological drivers of change such as their values or the impact of vivid films or media stories on their emotional engagement with climate change? Are structural and life pattern factors (such as the changing availability of enabling infrastructure, and changes of address/employment) particularly important in these narratives?

I'm also seeking to explore the relationship between stages of change and processes of change, using a model from health psychology.

Past research

Prior to starting my PhD in January 2009, I worked as a UKERC researcher at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute. I was a member of the Demand Reduction research group, investigating Carbon Rationing Action Groups - groups of concerned citizens who set themselves a voluntary carbon 'ration' each year. Here's the full report of the project, and the executive summary.

In 2007 I gained an MSc with distinction in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh. My dissertation (for which I won Crown House Prize for best dissertation) was about public acceptability of Personal Carbon Allowances. In November 2008 I gave a presentation at a UKERC Personal Carbon Trading workshop, and helped to write the workshop report.

Current Teaching

I have also supervised MSc dissertations on the role of green festivals and community initiatives in promoting pro-environmental attitudes and action, and am available to supervise further dissertations in climate change communications, environmental attitudes and behaviour, and related fields.

My other life

My previous life involved working at grassroots level with marginalised people: asylum seekers, women involved in prostitution, and homeless people. I have also taught in the Further Education sector and worked for a national Quaker environmental charity called Living Witness Project.

When I'm not trying to work out what we can do about climate change I enjoy singing, walking, handbell ringing, dancing, reading, yoga, and writing to prisoners through the Prison Phoenix Trust which encourages and supports inmates in the practice of yoga and meditation. I've also tried growing salad in my living room but it doesn't really work.