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Ian Williams

Professor of Applied Environmental Science, University of Southampton
Ian Williams is Associate Dean (Enterprise) at the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton. He is a multi award-winning academic who specialises in environmental pollution and resource management. Ian has published three books and over 200 peer-reviewed papers on waste and environmental issues, as well as over 100 commercial project reports.

He obtained his first degree in Chemistry from the University of Surrey in 1988 and a PhD in Public Attitudes to Air Pollution from Road Traffic from Middlesex University in 1995. He has been a lecturer at Middlesex University (1989-2000), the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan, 2000-2004) and the University of Southampton (UoS, 2005-present). He was the founder and Head of the Centre for Waste Management at the UCLan. He has appeared numerous times on broadcast media, including on BBC Radio 4’s Costing the Earth.

Thousands of satellites are due to burn up in the atmosphere every year – damaging the ozone layer and changing the climate

Mar 22, 2025 05:32 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The worlds first artificial satellite, the Soviet Unions Sputnik 1, was launched in October 1957. Just three months later, it fell out of orbit. As Sputnik hit the upper atmosphere at incredible speed, the friction would...

What you should (and shouldn't) do with all of your old phone chargers and other e-waste

Oct 09, 2023 03:48 am UTC| Life

The statistics surrounding mobile phones are staggering. There are more than 7 billion mobile phone users worldwide, nearly 5 billion of whom use a smartphone. These devices are a fundamental part of our lives. But, as...

Economy

Canadian Miners Flock to ASX Amid Pension Wealth and Global Instability

Australias stock exchange is attracting a record number of secondary listings from Canadian mining firms in 2025, driven by strong investor demand, regulatory stability, and access to Australias vast pension capital. The...

India Ends $23B Manufacturing Incentive Scheme Amid Slow Progress and Missed Targets

India is ending its $23 billion Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and reducing reliance on China, just four years after its launch. According to government sources, the...

Oil Prices Dip Amid Tariff Tensions and Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks

Oil prices edged lower in Asian trading Monday as markets reacted to looming U.S. tariffs and developments in Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations. Brent crude futures for May delivery slipped 0.4% to $71.88 per barrel, while...

Japan’s Business Activity Slumps as Inflation and Trade Woes Bite

Japans business activity contracted for the first time in five months in March, according to preliminary PMI data released Monday, signaling growing economic headwinds. The au Jibun Bank Composite PMI dropped to 48.5 from...

U.S. Futures Jump as Trump Softens Tariff Plans, Easing Market Jitters.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Sunday evening after reports suggested President Donald Trumps upcoming April 2 tariff rollout will be narrower and less aggressive than previously feared, providing some relief to anxious...

Politics

Trump’s FHFA Chief Shakes Up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in Push for Privatization

President Donald Trumps Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) chief, Willian Pulte, is initiating sweeping reforms at federal mortgage giants Fannie Mae (OTC:FNMA) and Freddie Mac (OTC:FMCC), signaling a push toward...

Australia Accelerates $1B Defence Spend to Boost Missile, Submarine Capabilities

Australia will fast-track A$1 billion in defence spending as part of a broader A$10.6 billion boost over four years, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced at the Avalon Air Show. The spending, set to be unveiled in...

Malaysia Faces U.S. Pressure to Tighten Chip Regulations Amid AI Tensions with China

Malaysia is moving to tighten oversight on semiconductor shipments following U.S. pressure to prevent high-end AI chips from reaching China, according to the Financial Times. The United States has raised concerns that...

US Pushes for Black Sea Ceasefire in Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks

A U.S. delegation is pursuing a Black Sea ceasefire and a broader halt to the Ukraine-Russia war during key diplomatic meetings in Riyadh. Led by Andrew Peek from the National Security Council and State Department official...

U.S. Eyes Greenland as Delegation Visits Amid Annexation Buzz

A high-level U.S. delegation is visiting Greenland this week, spotlighting growing American interest in the Arctic territory as President Donald Trump continues to push for U.S. annexation of the semi-autonomous Danish...

Science

What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

For a few days in mid-February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2032 specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 per cent on...

A new study reveals the structure of violent winds 1,300 light years away

The planet WASP-121b is extreme. Its a gas giant almost twice as big as Jupiter orbiting extremely close to its star50 times closer than the Earth does around the Sun. WASP-121b is so close to its star that tidal forces...

What’s the shape of the universe? Mathematicians use topology to study the shape of the world and everything in it

When you look at your surrounding environment, it might seem like youre living on a flat plane. After all, this is why you can navigate a new city using a map: a flat piece of paper that represents all the places around...

Asteroid has a very small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but a collision could devastate a city

In December 2024, astronomers in Chile spotted a new asteroid streaking through the sky, which they named 2024 YR4. Whats significant about this 100m-wide space rock is that it has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2023....

Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible studies of human anatomy still don’t get the recognition they deserve

Wikimedia, CC BY-SA The mere mention of Leonardo da Vinci evokes genius. We know him as a polymath whose interests spanned astronomy, geology, hydrology, engineering and physics. As a painter, his Mona Lisa and Last Supper...

Technology

FuriosaAI Rejects $800M Meta Takeover, Aims to Rival NVIDIA in AI Chip Race

South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI has reportedly turned down an $800 million acquisition offer from Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META), according to local media. The decision wasnt driven by price but rather...

Toyota Delays EV Battery Plant in Japan Amid Weak Demand and High Costs

Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) is delaying the construction of a lithium-ion battery plant for electric vehicles (EVs) in Japans Fukuoka prefecture, according to a report by the Asahi Shimbun. The decision follows concerns...

Ant Group Taps Chinese Chips to Cut AI Training Costs by 20%

Ant Group, backed by Jack Ma, is leveraging Chinese-made semiconductors to reduce the cost of training artificial intelligence models by up to 20%, according to a Bloomberg report. The breakthrough, achieved using domestic...

WuXi Biologics Clinches Eighth CDMO Leadership Award with Breakthroughs in Biologics Manufacturing

WuXi Biologics (2269.HK), a leading global CRDMO, has once again earned top recognition at the 2025 CDMO Leadership Awards, securing wins in the Biologics Global category. It also received accolades for Best Scientific...

China Backs Viral AI Startup Manus Amid Global Buzz and Domestic Rollout

Chinese AI startup Manus is gaining momentum after registering its AI assistant Monica for domestic release and receiving its first feature on state broadcaster CCTV. This signals growing support from Beijing as it looks...