Current Research

• I am Lecturer in Biochar Social Science, part of the UK Biochar Research Centre being established at the University of Edinburgh, as part of an EPSRC Science and Innovation award. My main role (in addition to teaching) will be to develop a multi- and interdisciplinary biochar research programme, in collaboration with two other new lecturers (in soil science and engineering), and to build-up a research team to undertake the work.
• My particular research focus is currently: Life Cycle Assessment of biochar; the socio-economic assessment of biochar; policy mechanisms for biochar deployment, and their interaction (if any) with policies for food production, land-use, rural diversification, waste, energy and climate change; monitoring, verification, accounting and reporting (MVAR)requirements and methodologies; risk assessment methods for biochar evaluation; the requirements for biochar carbon to be traded under the voluntary and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) markets and the distribution of carbon credits; developing screening methods to match good biochar supply with good 'sinks' all within favourable socio-political regimes.
• I am continuing some research interests in CO2 capture and geological storage (CCS), in particular: regulation and risk assessment; stakeholder and public engagement; and the concept and implications of technological lock-in as applied to CCS.
• My theoretical and methodological interests include: innovation studies, science and technology studies, integrated assessment in conditions of high uncertainty, cultural theory and social simulation modelling.