We're the kind of people who'd lick a glacier just to say we’ve “explored it cold.” No matter what we're talking about—be it cheese, space travel, or ancient plumbing—we’ll somehow loop it back to the environment. And yes, between two questions, we casually teleport 11,000 miles—from croissants in Paris to kiwis in the Bay of Plenty. Our carbon footprint is basically a world tour.

Margot, from Paris, France is the listener setting the first question today. “What is the significance of pilgrimage in different religions?”

Alex thinks pilgrimages are just fancy holidays with extra soul-searching. Stuart’s like, “Pilgrimage? Could be a museum binge or a walk to your nan’s—whatever moves you.” William treats Finland like his personal Zen dojo. Alex says you don’t even need to leave your sofa—just vibe deeply. Stuart reckons all pilgrimages, religious or not, are just brain space with a passport. William’s in it for the emotional detox. Environmentally? Alex hugs trees locally. Stuart reads the fine print before jumping on the eco-bandwagon. William wants pilgrimages with less carbon and more conscience.

Ryan, from Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand sets the next question. “Does the concept of fate or destiny play a role in the meaning of life and choices we make?”

Alex treats destiny like a cosmic suggestion box—no proof, but hey! Stuart’s into fate with a side of free will, like life’s a GPS with optional detours. William’s not buying it—he’s Team DIY Life Plan. Alex likes spreadsheets over spontaneity. Stuart says embracing life’s chaos is liberating, like nihilism but with better PR. William, after hearing the others, realizes he’s never properly Googled “destiny” and might give it a second thought. Eco twist? Alex says ponder fate while hugging a tree. Stuart suggests debating destiny to save the planet. William wants to slow-cook his existential crisis and see if it’s compostable.

The video link of the race William refers to which was when Australian Steven Bradbury won gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUi4-H6hfw8

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

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We like to give you an ad free experience. We also like our audience to be relatively small and engaged, we’re not after numbers.

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 podfollow.com/ThePeoplesCountrysideEnvironmentalDebatePodcast , support our work through Patreon patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside⁠. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside

Since COVID, this podcast has pretty much been all about the questions that you, the listener, have sent in for Stuart ‘The Wildman’ Mabbutt and William Mankelow, the two co-hosts, to conversate around.

In every episode, two of these listener questions are discussed, and by sheer coincidence, both questions in today’s episode, have come from the same person; Elodie in Brittany, France.

The first of Elodie’s questions is as follows: “What does the ideal form of government look like, and why?”

From this question the conversation begins with an exploration of what constitutes an ideal form of government. Stuart advocates for a system that is fair, progressive, and breaks free from traditional constraints, even referencing John Lydon's controversial support for Donald Trump, as an example of challenging the establishment. William counters with a stark reality check, arguing that Trump causes real harm to working people and asserting that no truly ideal government can exist, due to inherent human disagreement and dissent.

The discussion evolves into a fascinating examination of power dynamics, with William drawing unexpected parallels between government structures and the music industry's shift from record label dominance to streaming platform control. Both hosts ultimately agree that effective governance requires balance - strong leadership willing to make difficult decisions, paired with robust opposition ready to find middle ground through reconciliation.

The second question from Elodie is “How do names and labels influence our perceptions and reality?

William expresses discomfort with gendering non-human objects like hurricanes and ships, leading to a broader conversation about the difference between grammatical gender and sexual identity. Stuart provocatively argues that society's obsession with labeling - whether by profession, sexuality, or identity - may actually hinder progress, rather than advance it.

The hosts examine the LGBTQ+ movement through different lenses, with William viewing it as necessary activism against those who deny gender diversity, while Stuart questions whether continued focus on gender categories prevents true social evolution.

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

Sign the Petition - Improve The Oxfordshire Countryside Accessibility For All Disabilities And Abilities: change.org/ImproveTheOxfordshireCountrysideAccessibilityForAllDisabilitiesAndAbilities

Fundraiser For An Extreme 8 All-terrain Wheelchair: justgiving.com/wildmanonwheels

We like to give you an ad free experience. We also like our audience to be relatively small and engaged, we’re not after numbers.

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 podfollow.com/ThePeoplesCountrysideEnvironmentalDebatePodcast , support our work through Patreon patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside⁠. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside

We cover two listener questions in today’s episode, with two guests once again in the Listener’s Chair, those being Alex Kauffmann and Suzi Darrington, who sit alongside the regular co-hosts Stuart ‘The Wildman’ Mabbutt and William Mankelow.

The two questions up for discussion are: “How do technological advancements alter scientific methodologies?” which was sent in by Floss in Gimli, Manitoba, Canada, and “Can ethical consumption ever exist in a capitalistic society?” which was posed by Paul in Queensland, Australia.

From Floss’s question, Alex feels that technology evolves to become more accurate and precise over time, forcing scientific methodologies to adapt accordingly. Suzi sees positive AI applications in science (early breast cancer detection for example) but is concerned about how it’s being used in the creative fields, while Stuart advocates for technology to enhance rather than replace human skills and awareness. William emphasizes viewing AI as a tool rather than a master, for example it can be useful for mentoring when human mentors aren't accessible. He feels it all comes down to how AI is used.

Then from Paul’s question, William attempts to define ethical consumption by encouraging you to "stop buying crap and just buy what you actually need to exist", while Suzi posits the idea that “ if consumption is ethical, it would have to be good, not just neutral. But she thinks when people criticize consumption under capitalism, the suggestion is that it's not only not ethically good, it's actually ethically bad because it relies on someone's exploitation.” Meanwhile Alex believes that pure ethical consumption under capitalism is impossible, and advocates to be conscious of your environmental impact in consumption decisions. Stuart questions whether anyone is truly outside the capitalist system - he asks "aren't we all in the system?"

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

We like to give you an ad free experience. We also like our audience to be relatively small and engaged, we’re not after numbers.

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 podfollow.com/ThePeoplesCountrysideEnvironmentalDebatePodcast , support our work through Patreon patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside⁠. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside

Sign the Petition - Improve The Oxfordshire Countryside Accessibility For All Disabilities And Abilities: change.org/ImproveTheOxfordshireCountrysideAccessibilityForAllDisabilitiesAndAbilities

Fundraiser For An Extreme 8 All-terrain Wheelchair: justgiving.com/wildmanonwheels