The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast

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 a...

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 t...

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...

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, Dr...

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...

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:...

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...

Why shouldn't a couple of birds ruin the entertainment for thousands of people? Every year, thousands of people flock to watch the high-speed thrills of motorcycle speedway, but at what cost to the environment? Is it worth sacrificing the habitat of a few Nightjars for the entertainment of the masses? But here's where things get complicated - it's not just about a couple of birds. It's about a bal...

Are we too controlling of the environment? We’ll always justify our own actions, so are there really any categorical answers? What makes us different from the rest of the animal kingdom? Is it really so off putting to be talking about us being animals, and is a negative reaction to that based in self determination or fact? We aren’t descended from monkeys, we share a common ancestor, is that true?...

We can all be guilty of limited thinking and unconscious bias, but where and at what point does an open mind become detrimental? There’s not enough time in the day to take every opportunity on, and we need to remember balance is a goal,  not a struggle. A deeply philosophical question today, which has come in for Stuart and William to chat about from Samia, from Tlemcen, in Algeria, here it i...

We need to get used to change, and there appears to be 19 US states not wanting to change, and reduce their pollution. Is this really a republican issue, or is it a wider than that? Maybe these 19 states need guiding through this change in a more supportive way with clearer pathways, and maybe, just maybe, these can help reduce resistance to change? These points of discussion were instigated by an...

Do private individuals realise the impact of their own CCTV and other monitoring devices? Do we really need to be capturing everything that goes on around our lives and homes? It's said cameras can aid crime prevention, though being watched all the time can lead to paranoia, and here in the UK we seem to be one of the most watched nations in the world. Do you have any thoughts around being monitor...

How can you avoid the pitfalls of subservience and oppression? What does being born to lead really mean? Doesn’t it lead to egotism? These are just a few of the questions Stuart and William discuss as they explore the following question that was sent by listener Alex in Poland: “Does the reaction to the Queen's death show how a society could be subservient to its oppressor? Is this Stockholm Syndr...

Are impulsive purchases just filling up a hole in our lives? Are those impulsive moments just to get the rush of a new purchase, the thrill of buying that new object? “What do you think about people who purchase things because they just like gadgets, but don’t really need the item?” A very straightforward question sent in by Bobby in Pasadena, California, USA, which leads to an in depth discussion...

It’s the 400th episode of the podcast! Thanks to everyone who listens, and everyone who sends in questions for discussion on this podcast. The following is a question that was sent in for Stuart and William to discuss by Ron in Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, England. “I notice you record so you capture the ambient noise in the background and you leave the bleeped out swearing in. Most other podcasts don’...

Trigger Warning : The topic of male suicide is discussed in this episode. If this is a subject that you’ll find difficult to listen to, then this might not be the episode for you right now? This subject was raised by listener Alex from Poland, who sent in the following question for us to discuss: “Not listened to your podcast in a long long time, but nice to see you are still going. I see I’ve got...

A very different discussion, from one of the many varied questions that are sent into us by you, the listeners. In this episode Stuart and William mull over the following question from Ron in Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire, England: “Not asked you a question since November 2020 but got a cracker for you. Hope another listener hasn’t asked this? How important is a good credit rating to you personally?” Whi...

As a species we like a sterile, safe and controlled environment, that’s maybe why we detach ourselves from nature? It’s a form of control. This is just one of the conclusions Stuart and William came to as they discussed the following question from listener Ignacio in Peru: “Is there a defined time when man started to see himself outside of nature and not part of it, or was it a steady evolution? T...

Often Stuart and William’s views, statements and claims, are maybe unfounded, but their aim through this podcast, and other outlets, is to get you thinking about how we can help tackle the world scale problems we all face. This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice. Though the specific subjects discussed generally come fro...

The countryside isn’t always spoken about on this podcast, even though it’s in the name, due to the conversations generally being based around the questions sent in by you the listener, so you help set the direction and agenda of the discussions we have. This episode is no exception to that rule. This discussion between Stuart and William is framed around the idea of the differences between compen...

Today’s listener question, from Paco in Wimbledon, London, England, was a tricky one for Stuart and William to tackle, as after all they’re two men talking about an issue that they’ll never have direct experience of. They do however try their best to tackle this particular subject from an as objective a viewpoint as possible, as life is rarely black and white. Here is the question that was set by...

Another great question from one of our long standing listeners, this time it’s from Ivy, in Worthing, West Sussex, England. The question is as follows: “Is there a shortage of volunteers now, in our societal hour of need? Are people fed up with volunteering, maybe having done loads of it during the Covid situation?” The discussion between your co-hosts Stuart and William mainly revolves around why...

This episode almost spills into a debate, can you believe it? Though it really is more William having a rant about today’s subject, which was sparked by the following question, sent in by listener Kenny, in Little Wittenham, Oxfordshire, England. “Any views on the parties that happened in Downing Street, when the public were told to stay at home?” William feels that at the time there was an abject...

On this podcast we always aim to give you a balanced view, we always discuss the topic in hand from our own truths, and never shy away from the big topics. In today’s episode Stuart and William discuss the following question which has been sent in by listener Vera in New Hinksey, Oxford, England. “Feels like the 1970’s all over again with high inflation and strikes. What are your thoughts on recen...

A quite nostalgic episode, where both Stuart and William share with you their favorite parts of the county of Oxfordshire, where they both were born, live, and grew up. This nostalgia was prompted by the question below sent in by Kenny, in Little Wittenham, Oxfordshire, England. “As an Oxford based podcast, what parts of the Oxfordshire county do you both like the best?” We recommend you listen to...