The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast

What is a justified reaction to being insulted? That's the gold nugget for us all to consider today, and comes about due to the next listener question, this time from Helen, Shavertown, Pennsylvania, USA. “Enjoying your recordings, even though I disagree with you for I’d guess 50% of the time. What I’d like you to explore is, Salmon Rushdie, the author of The Satanic Verses was attacked and stabbed here in the US. It's said to be an attack on free speech. Who dictates who should be free to speak and who isn’t? So called terrorists in the Middle East and in Ireland often haven’t been able to air their views publicly. Why are some allowed free speech and others not? Why is an attack on Mr Rushdie an attack on free speech but when the west attacks people with differing views it's often said it's not an attack of free speech? I have full sympathy with Mr Rushdie but this is something I’m pondering and churning on. I also notice nothing is really being reported about this specific situations, how is the guy doing, anyone know?” Always interesting where the listener questions take co-hosts Stuart and William, it's often unpredictable, but it's what you the listeners want exploring afterall. They have a look at, via today's chat, whether it's true that when any of us do something controversial, we really have to pay the consequences of our choice. What happened to Rushdie though is an extreme example of that, but there are extreme people out there we have to remember.  Is freedom of speech, a freedom to say anything and anytime? Whatever we do though, someone somewhere is likely to be insulted, aren’t they?  It probably isn’t that some organisations are being silenced, but they lack a platform to speak from? You may disagree though? During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, this podcasts format expanded and made more experiential, then set in front of a live audience, and arranged to take place next on May 27th at the former Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire 3.30pm to 9pm. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: ⁠https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807⁠ What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to ⁠thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com⁠, or record us a message in your own voice by going to ⁠https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message⁠ This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends ⁠https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view⁠ , support our work through Patreon ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside⁠ or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: ⁠https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Another long question sent in by listener Alan, from Northway, Oxford, England and your co hosts Stuart and William delve into the still huge stigma attached to being a council tenant in the UK. The council has flaws, but tenants issues are often sorted quickly. Social housing in other countries isn't always called that, it can be just another housing option. There are some cultures in the world that don’t have words for home or land ownership. The majority of people in the world don’t even have ownership on their radar.  Do any of us really own anything? Aren’t we just afraid of our own mortality and enslaved by the housing ladder? “Council tenants thought they were going into a wonderland when they purchased their homes. That faded into tomorrow for some when the mortgage payments went from 3% to 15%, so they were strangled by repayments. I’m seeing some housing stock sold off by Oxford City Council under the Right To Buy Scheme, now being purchased back by the same council from the same tenants that purchased the properties under the scheme. In some instances I guess these properties sold for 33k and purchased back for over 250k. Is this a good use of public funds? Is it time to scrap the scheme, leaving housing within social housing stock? Not selling it off for a quick buck, that isn’t invested back into new housing?  Those purchasing under this scheme might say it's the council's fault for not investing back in housing, not theirs for buying, but in some instances they knew this probably wouldn’t be the case yet passed the ethical buck to the council. Is it time to put aside the Right To Buy if you are a long term renter, on the simple grounds of wider ethics? Is the fact the modern day council are now purchasing the same housing back, for as much as 200k more than they sold it for, an example of the council of yesteryear getting it wrong? Perhaps not, as the current council still operates the Right To Buy even now?  It seems a quick money spinner, a con for many purchasing their council homes, as being on the housing ladder isn’t always better than not being on it in my view. I’ve seen people purchase their council home, unable to progress up the ladder as they don’t earn enough as the gap to the next rung is too big. Some of those same people had their homes repossessed, as they couldn’t keep up the repair or mortgage costs. These people then had to take a lower standard council house or B&B’s when they lost their homes, and couldn’t afford private rented. What a mess! I know Housing Associations have a policy of selling older houses to fund modern ones, but the story often ends the same. Housing Associations aren’t the holy grail as social landlords, as their rent is extortionately high compared with the council in many instances.  I love my council home, and ethically have no desire to purchase it even though I’ve lived here 40 years, and I’d much prefer to have the council as my landlord, not a housing association. I worked for a housing association and know the inner workings. I know people who own their homes say they get repairs done quicker but I always have good repair service from the council my neighbors do too. I also know homeowners enjoy feeling the home is theirs, but that’s an illusion, it can be taken away, none of us own anything.  We’re largely born free, but many get caught up in the treadmill of the housing ladder which enslaves us, all because we want to avoid throwing money down the drain by renting. Most money we spend is going down the drain so whats so wrong with renting, or living as a community in a shared set up? I hope Oxford City Council never sells their stock to an association. That could be the final straw for us tenants in some instances. We’re living in a modern day work house, a modern slave trade. Just my view of course”. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

A long question sent in by listener Lyn, from Stanton St John, Oxfordshire, England, which Stuart and William examine by exploring if we should actively meet more people that are different to us, should move past labels and just let people live their lives, societal progress and the tendrils of colonialism. Set in the current context and backdrop of the cost of living crisis in the UK, and the perspective that offers. Here’s Lyn’s question: “The 2022 Commonwealth Games, the first with more medals available to women than men. The first with disability sports integrated into the main programme, not having their separate games afterwards. LGBTQ+ competitors could hold the rainbow flag for the first time. The games were billed as the most sustainable ever (though most of the mitigation measures will take decades to off-set - like the mass planting of trees they undertook - will they be looked after and survive?). All good things right, and help to also mitigate the roots of the championships being British colonialism? Or does it? Two thirds of competing nations/territories have laws that make same sex relationships illegal, will the games change that?  Nigeria, Pakistan and Brunei still have the death penalty for being gay. Pakistan has a punishment of the death by stoning for being gay, but haven’t used it. By having it does it breed a culture of seeing gay people as mutants. Nigeria recently executed 3 people for being gay. I fear preventing these countries from competing/hosting, isn’t likely to make that bigger impact. These prejudices are ingrained in families/friends/governments and sporting federations. It’s all largely driven by history and British colonialism. This hatred is rooted in laws imposed across the British empire and still exists in some countries. Homophobia has some roots in 300 years of the slave trade. Slave owners encouraged heterosexual sex amongst slaves, as it produced children, a free supply of slaves into the system. There are records of male slaves discovered to be gay, being publically raped by  slave owners, to discourage homosexuality. It begs the question that the slave owners might have been gay themselves? There's always hope though, change will happen quicker if driven by love and not taking things away from cultures, like the right to host sporting events. This all makes me sad for humanity. Rainbow flags at these games aren’t enough on their own and could maybe even be seen as rainbow washing? It's a start though, and we need to start somewhere. Flying the flag is important as a sign of hope and change, but we need to progress so we don’t need flags or for people to admit they are gay, we need to allow people to just live their lives. Why punish a gay person just for existing? Finally I saw that the games cost over 800 million pounds to put on, is this a worthwhile expenditure when working people are struggling to survive soaring cost of living figures in the UK?” During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, this podcasts format expanded and made more experiential, then set in front of a live audience, and arranged to take place next on May 27th at the former Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire 3.30pm to 9pm. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

The paper industry is reportedly the 4th highest carbon-producing industry in the world. Is that true, and what are the environmental implications of that if it is? Is it just playing around the edges to focus on reducing the carbon footprint of the paper industry, or should we also be addressing the issue of over-consumption in all its forms? Is it even possible to completely eliminate paper from our lives? It’s another thought provoking and varied question sent in by another of our listeners, this time coming from Eddie in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. Stuart and William try to break it down into bite sized chunks, and come up with actions we can all take to address issues discussed. Eddie’s question is as follows: “Loving listening to your podcast and I especially like that you don’t have expert guests all the time like other podcasts. I enjoy the way you challenge yourselves with random questions you talk about, as you say it's probably therapy for you both with the way you explore the unknown cold, and unprepared. You likely get to hear your own thinking only a split second before us listeners?  You could maybe consider expanding on the questions further by having more episodes to cover them, and have guests or experts on the later subsequent episodes, just to mop up the nuances? That could provide material for a series of short mini series which I see you already do. It's hard to cover all the points in one episode as there's always more that could be said.  My question is, for 50 years that I know of, the concept of paperless societies have been spoken about, yet we still haven’t got there. The paper industry I’m informed is the 4th highest carbon producing industry in the world, and whether that's true or not it needs to change. I’ve heard of new technology that can remove ink from paper up to 10 times, before the sheet itself needs to be recycled.  Recycling being a polluting process in and of itself. This new tech basically vaperises much of the ink by laser, and then extracts the remaining pigment that could be put back into ink cartridges that we buy. I’ve also heard this tech could be packaged into small devices that sit next to all our printers, with us running through it us paper that we’ve printed on before to extract the ink, before we run the sheet through the printer again.  To me though having 2 devices has a carbon footprint so maybe new printers should have this new device built into them, so we only buy one and produce less packaging? Is this all just playing around the edges though? Shouldn’t we be focusing on kicking the widespread habits around over-consumption, in all its forms?” During this episode the next iteration of Environmental Debated Live & Unscripted was mentioned? But what is it?  It’s event is for anybody looking to connect with like minded people who are concerned about the big issues facing society, the perfect event to stretch your thinking, explore opportunities and build lasting links with people who want to make a difference. Book your ticket today by going to the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Last weekend, the 15th April to be precise, Stuart and William once again had a stall at the East Oxford Farmers’ & Community Market promoting the podcast and wider work. Whilst there they took the opportunity to record a short out about item about the upcoming live iteration of this podcast, Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted, which is taking place at the former Bothy Vineyard in Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire, on the 27th May 2023, 3.30pm to 9pm. This event is for anybody looking to connect with like minded people, concerned about the big issues facing society, the perfect event to stretch your thinking, explore opportunities and build lasting links with people who want to make a difference.   You can find out more about this event with the following link. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 What do you make of this bonus item? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss on the podcast itself? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Is it best to not attack outlandish beliefs, and just ask questions? Can we learn from each other, even if we disagree? In this podcast we regularly jump between very different topics, as the conversation is led by the questions sent in by you, our listeners. With today’s coming from from Karlijn in Teignmouth, Devon, England, and her question is as follows: “I heard someone say, who is a denier of the climate emergency we face, that it's impossible for man to impact negatively on climate change, and the pollution we produce makes little impact. The increased temperatures are natural, and its natural climate change is not man-made. They went on to say that we should forget about the fake news that we are pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and instead focus on pumping pollutants that cools the atmosphere as a way of adapting to natural climate change. Isn’t this a contradiction, and an example of double standards? If they are right that we could cool the planet by pumping out chemicals, why is it impossible to heat the planet by pumping out other chemicals as we are? Mind you, this denier claimed climate change was all fake news as we’ve been invaded by a bunch of shape shifting reptilians that are trying to get us to destroy ourselves in the panic being caused. So these alien creatures, who are dressed up as the UK royal family, the world's politicians, Drs, police and teachers, can take over and take all of Earth's resources, before moving on to another planet. Should we take any of these statements with any seriousness?” Another meaty topic for Stuart and William to discuss, don't you agree? In the course of their conversation, they cover how conspiracy theories can often have a veneer of truth. They bring up how there are some contradictions in this climate denier's argument, as they claim there isn’t a climate crisis, yet at the same time potentially talk about solutions to it. During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, this podcasts format expanded and made more experiential, then set in front of a live audience, and arranged to take place next on May 27th at the former Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire 3.30pm to 9pm. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts.Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Have you ever stopped to think about where your meat comes from, and what the quality is like? Ultimately, shouldn't we make sure the meat we eat is of the best quality? Join Stuart and William for another listener lead conversation, with today’s question coming from Ron in Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, England, which is as follows: “I’m still enjoying your output, even if you keep calling me Rod, keep it up. I like the way you raise some of the little explored ideas within your recordings, moving away from the more mainstream angles and thinking. Opens you up to controversy, but a reaction is better than none I suppose. So, my question, I’m less convinced about the environmental arguments against eating meat, I’m more convinced by the ethical reasons not to. Does it really matter? I think whatever you eat, you should always go for good food, and generally the ethics will follow. Also, are farmers really benefiting from the subsidies they receive to produce, or is the consumer the one being subsidised, by being able to keep buying unsustainably cheap food? Maybe, if food was more costly, people would eat less, and there would be less obesity?” During this discussion Stuart and William ask you, the listener,  to think about where your meat comes from, as generally, the cheaper the meat is, the lower the quality. They also suggest we all do some research, and consider the environmental impact of meat production, which involves a vast amount of water consumption. Also, they urge you to consider how bringing ethics into meat production will naturally help the environment. In this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, this podcasts format expanded and made more experiential, then set in front of a live audience, and arranged to take place next on May 27th at the former Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire, 3.30pm to 9pm. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Are we being brainwashed into thinking we can make a difference? We believe we can make an impact, but it requires changes in our daily lives. For example, buying from local producers can reduce carbon emissions, but should we also assist growers in countries like Colombia to transition to different products and markets? Welcome to the People’s Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast, where we aim to challenge beliefs, mindsets, and habits. In this episode Stuart and William chew over, and discuss the following question from Shaun in Richmond, Virginia, USA. “Hello from America. I was recommended your podcast and enjoying it. Many of the UK issues you discuss are relevant here as well. I like the way you mix things up and have unpredictable subjects discussed, but I also really like your guest episodes even though there are only a couple of dozen or so. In a couple of episodes you recommend purchasing Colombian products, to encourage producers there to grow and supply products that doesn't require more deforestation, and maybe even encourages the expansion of the rainforests? Isn’t importing Colombian products polluting in itself though, as there are a lot more transport related pollution involved in that than getting our supplies from local producers?” Your co-hosts go on to discuss the carbon legacy since the industrial revolution, the discomforts we often feel when confronting this can come from our own insecurities. and they question whether we can expect the biggest polluting companies to change if we don't change ourselves, as individuals? During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, this podcasts format expanded and made more experiential, then set in front of a live audience, and arranged to take place next on May 27th at the former Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountrysideHelp us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Should we dismiss this climate crisis denier? Or explore their ideas to some degree as there may be an element of truth in what they say? Shouldn’t we just pull up our socks and get used to these higher temperatures?  These points came up because of today's listener question, this time sent in by Iris in Wetley Rocks, Staffordshire, England. “I’ve heard a climate crisis denier claim it's all a hoax, after the heatwave in the UK in 2022, which hit a new temperature high of 40.3, when some countries regularly hit 44, and just get on with it. They felt these high temperatures are just what happens in summer. They also said how can we know if the temperature is rising in the whole world, as some parts of the world that are claimed to be hotter these days actually don't have any temperature gages. What do you think?”  There’s sarcasm in this question don’t you think?  We can dismiss some points in this question, as they are perhaps an oversimplification, but we really shouldn’t always dismiss climate crisis deniers out of hand, as there are often elements in what they say worth considering.  There are various perspectives out there relating to the heatwave in the UK in 2022, and most are worth exploring. Though your co-hosts aren’t sure it's true in this instance that if some locations don’t have thermometers then you can’t monitor temperatures there, and thus not able to make any decisions about the climate there. Stuart and William feel you can measure temperature in more ways than just having a thermometer. You can measure temperature from satellites etc.  These high temperatures last year were not normal for the parts of the world they are occurring in. In the UK we never really get used to a certain type of weather as it changes so often. It's true there is an adaptation process going on here as there is a change happening, even in the hot countries, already used to hot periods. As those places are regularly even hotter too. During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, this podcasts format expanded and made more experiential, then set in front of a live audience and arranged to take place next on May 27th at the Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

This subject shouldn’t be brushed under the carpet, it’s in the past, but it has long tentacles into the present, with a lot of family history still buried and never talked about. So is giving birth outside of wedlock really more accepted now? There’s a lot of resentment still it seems towards young women having children outside of marriage, as they are seen by some as a burden on the state  and the taxpayer. A challenging listener question this, from Daphne in Exeter, Devon, England… “What are your thoughts around women in the UK who were unmarried in the 1960’s and 1970’s and had their children forcibly adopted soon after birth, but now getting a public apology from the government? Many of these women also received subsequent medical treatment and support that was well below a good standard, potentially as a punishment for having a child out of wedlock. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on this sensitive matter”. This is a big question and as co-hosts Stuart and William are two men in their 40’s and 50’s, so don’t necessarily have full knowledge of the subject. They feel they very rarely have the feeling behind the questions set when in written form, compared with the spoken form, but they gave it a go today. Having children out of wedlock in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s was a faux pas, forced adoption was perhaps sometimes seen in some instances as punishment for women who had children out of wedlock. It’s interesting that the government is handing out apologies now, but what does a public apology give to those affected women and children today? Does it really bring it out into the open? Does it reduce the stigma? Is it still an issue now?  Doe’s being born within wedlock and then having your parents split up, make it any more legitimate? There is still a stigma of being from a broken home, that is clear to Stuart and William from personal experience. During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, this podcasts format expanded and made more experiential, and then set in front of a live audience and set to take place next on May 27th at the Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 They also discussed their appearance at the East Oxford Farmers' and Community Market on the 15th April, here is a link to that: https://www.eastoxfordmarket.org.uk/ What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Are we the public being subsidized and not the producers as it’s widely thought? When something is cheap you don’t value it. If you pay a bit more, you value it more, right? Stuart and William aren't having a downer on Fishermen in this episode, they just feel more and more that we should be allowing our fisherman a model to fish within that allows them to make good decisions. Fishermen should be paid more so they can perhaps fish less. Fishermen have their hands tied in their own nets. This discussion was sparked by the following question sent in by listener Ron from Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, England: “People say fishermen are actually caring about the environment as they know if they fish too much, the stocks will run out. So, as many stocks are running low, if it's not the fisherman doing it, who is that doesn't care about the environment? Sorry, feeling sarcastic today.” Fishermen do care, it’s the methods they use that disturbs habitats in Stuart and William’s opinion, it’s how fisherman have to fish to survive sometimes. There’s a lot of unseen fishing going on, and the co-hosts question how much do some fisherman realize they impact the fish stocks?  The market fluctuates, with fish being caught being thrown back as there isn’t money in them, the amount of wastage that is thrown back is incredible. Supermarkets will pay the least amount they can for what they get. Fishermen do care deeply about the environment. but there is a pressure to keep your business going, and they need to work within a sustainable system and model that allows them to make decisions based on the environmental impact, and not can they survive from that day's catch. During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, set to take place on May 27th at the Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 Also during this episode we mention our Redbubble merch page! From mugs to throw pillows, phone cases to T-shirts, check out our Redbubble page and treat yourself or a loved one to something today: redbubble.com/thepeoplescountryside What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Was the hot weather in the UK during the summer of 2022 unprecedented or not? Was it just a hot summer? We’ve always had temperature fluctuations haven’t we? Some of the key points that came up when co-hosts Stuart and William explored another question sent in by a listener. They are also intrigued, what are you actually doing when you listen to this podcast? Working, walking the dog, painting, Driving, cleaning? Anyway, onto the question sent in by Iris in Wetley Rocks, Staffordshire, England: “Will the unprecedented heatwave in the UK and across much of Europe in the summer of 2022 wake people up to climate change whether its man made or not or will people keep saying it's just what happens in summer and another example of generation snowflake not coping?”  Those heat waves during that period may wake some people up, it may also switch people off. It’s potentially an either or situation in many cases, with people either waking up to it or it entrenching belief still further that it isn’t man made or maybe even fake news. It's true, whether the climate change is man made or not, we need to adapt, but will altering to an adaptation mindset to early lead us to giving us on trying to reverse climate change? The changing weather pattern is not random, and a big challenge is heat waves don’t last long generally. The weather is transient, which inturn makes it harder to adapt. Parts of Europe that do get long hot summers even to them this heatwave in 2022 was extreme. Each generation has a set of distractions that the previous generation didn’t, but all generations fell into the stereotyping trap. Using the term ‘Snowflake’ to describe someone with environmental concerns is largely about throwing an insult at someone, and getting emotions involved. This to Stuart and William often indicates the aggressor doesn't always have a good argument, so get personal instead, to distract from that. Snowflake is designed to insult, and not move the conversation on. Insults highlight that your argument isn’t potentially strong enough. Your co-hosts suggest it's possible some people labeled a snowflake currently, eventually might become realists when we have the benefit of hindsight? During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, the live ticketed incarnation of this podcast format, set to take place on May 27th at the Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: ⁠https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Should the Tour De France be doing more to promote the environmental and health benefits of cycling? Is there a missed opportunity here?  Stuart and William discuss this and more as theY explore the following question sent in by listener Karlijn, Teignmouth, Devon: “The Tour De France in 2022 saw climate protesters disrupt some of the stages (3 actually, as far as I know). Is this a good battle to choose if the bicycle is a clean form of transport, or is there more to this targeting than meets the eye? A lot of sports like skiing who flip flop competitors all over the world could lower their footprint if they took a more logical route. I saw someone also try and glue themselves to the goal posts during a game at the 2022 women's football European Championships. The cameras never focus on the protestors though so this really must impact on the awareness and effectiveness of these protests? The go slow blockades on the UK motorways didn’t receive too much coverage either, so all the congestion and inconvenience caused maybe couldn’t be justified?”  They go on to discuss the responsibility of the Tour de France to promote the health benefits of cycling more widely, and how it can use its platform to encourage more people to take up cycling as a means of transport.  They also explore the importance of effective protest, and the risks of going too far. They also challenge the assumption that all environmentalists are radical activists. It’s not what’s done, it’s how it’s done. It’s not a case of whether protesting should or shouldn’t happen, it’s how it’s done. As part of a free world, we should all be free to protest. If you’ve got a voice you need to use it, but you need to be careful how you use it. There is an assumption that all people who are labeled as an environmentalist glue themselves to the road as a protest. In this episode Stuart and William were again joined by long time listener Hedley Thorne, who was invited to take his place in the ‘Listeners Chair’, where he sat in and contributed to the recording, and gave his opinions on the topic discussed. To get your chance of appearing on the podcast and sit in the ‘Listeners Chair’, we have a stretch goal on our Patreon page where once we get to ten Beyond Stereotypes support tier backers, everyone on this tier will be entered into a quarterly draw, and the winner will be offered the opportunity to make an appearance on the podcast. What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.  Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountrysideHelp us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Would seeing a variety of people in advertising materials make a big difference? How do we make the countryside more diverse? Is it a matter of people being excluded, or is it a result of cultural factors? Once again Stuart and William embark on a discussion prompted by a question from a listener, with today’s coming from Kenny in Little Wittenham, Oxfordshire, England. The question is as follows: “When out walking in the UK you rarely see Asian or Black faces, and I think we need to open the countryside up and make it more diverse. I’m aware when Asian people socialise and go out they go to each other's houses and share food, but there are also socioeconomic barriers too. So these groups in society stay more local to where they are when they go out. I also think there needs to be more role models for these groups to link with, for example in outdoor clothing marketing, the people wearing the clothes tend to be white people. Perhaps the models should be more diverse to encourage the uptake of outdoor activities with a wider range of people? Also there are only a handful of walking guides and leaders in the UK that aren't white, perhaps a wider recruitment process needs to be implemented?” During this discussion, among other topics Stuart and William talk about how growing up in a household that never took you out into nature could affect your likelihood of doing it as an adult, and are we always aware when we’re in nature? In this episode Stuart and William were again joined by long time listener Hedley Thorne, who was invited to take his place in the ‘Listeners Chair’, where he sat in and contributed to the recording, and gave his opinions on the topic discussed. To get your chance of appearing on the podcast and sit in the ‘Listeners Chair’, we have a stretch goal on our Patreon page where once we get to ten Beyond Stereotypes support tier backers, everyone on this tier will be entered into a quarterly draw, and the winner will be offered the opportunity to make an appearance on the podcast. What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice. During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, set to take place on May 27th at the Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

As consumers, how much power do we hold in where we choose to invest our pension money? How much change can we realistically expect to influence within larger corporations? In today’s conversation which was sparked by the following question from Ron in Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, England, Stuart and William discuss these points and more: “I’ve heard asking your personal pension company to only invest in green industries is 21 times more effective in combating climate change than individuals becoming vegans or flying less. Do you agree?” During the discussion Stuart and William take a closer look at the investments made by pension companies, and how honest they are about the green credentials of those investments. It's no secret that where we put our money has a significant impact on the companies we support. However, how do we know if these companies truly invest in environmentally-friendly initiatives? As they delve deeper into the topic, they further explore how the green economy is a mosaic of many different things. It's not just about investing in renewable energy, but also about consuming less, flying less, and eating less meat. In this episode they were joined once again by long time listener Hedley Thorne, who was invited to take his place in the ‘Listeners Chair’, where he sat in and contributed to the recording, and gave his opinions on the topic discussed. To get your chance of appearing on the podcast and sit in the ‘Listeners Chair’, we have a stretch goal on our Patreon page where once we get to ten Beyond Stereotypes support tier backers, everyone on this tier will be entered into a quarterly draw, and the winner will be offered the opportunity to make an appearance on the podcast. What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com, or record us a message in your own voice by going to https://anchor.fm/thepeoplescountryside/message This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice. During this episode Stuart and William discuss the upcoming Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted event, set to take place on May 27th at the Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire. To secure your tickets for this event, use the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/environmental-debate-live-unscripted-tickets-514832145807 Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view , support our work through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message