The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast

An unscripted real discussion, with genuine opinions, as hosts Stuart and William examine a listener question, again from Sally Ann Woodrow in Oxfordshire, England. "Is there a healthy balance for humans to exist on this planet, or is the natural world better off without us?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to examine, discuss or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Usually we aim to challenge mindsets, beliefs, habits through this podcast, however this episode goes off on a slightly different path than usual. So listen in as Stuart and William delve into, discuss, and explore a question sent in by listener, Sally Ann Woodrow, from Oxfordshire, England. Here is Sally's question; "It seems like a lot of your audience are regulars? Why then do you always stick to the same introduction format for your podcast? You always mention your ages, and not expand on other personal information so we can get to know you better through each episode. For example, William's a photographer, what does he like to photograph. Why does age matter?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to explore, delve into or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Using their usual unscripted, roaming style of conversation, hosts Stuart and William delve into a listener question, from Hailey in Minchery Farm, Oxford, England. "How do you deal with trolls on social media regarding the podcast and other work you do?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to explore, discuss or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Here is a deep dive into a fascinating, and at times, brutal response, to a post Stuart and William posted in the 'environment' subreddit in April this year (2021).  In that initial post Stuart and William posed the following questions;  Loneliness within climate activism, is it an overlooked issue?  Any personal experiences about this potentially hidden issue within activism?  They received a reply almost straight away from WasabiGlum3462, and promised to record a bonus episode in direct response.  This bonus episode of the podcast released today, is Stuart and William's full analysis of WasabiGlum3462 feedback.  You can find the complete original post with the following link: https://www.reddit.com/r/environment/comments/n0bry3/loneliness_within_climate_activism_is_it_an/gw60rzv/?context=3 This is verbatim, Reddit user WasabiGlum3462 reply if you'd like to follow it as Stuart and William try and confront some of the issues raised;  "It is incredibly isolating. If you're doing it right, you're likely being vilified or out right criminalized by the communities surrounding the jobs you're threatening. Sustained volunteer work takes away from other, more lucrative opportunities, and if you're already impoverished there are some inherently alienating dynamics between the college proto-liberals who are patronizing you or spending only a weekend over the summer working with your lifelong struggle. Consistent harrassment by law enforcement sucks. If you're committed to jail or prison than that is obviously isolating. There was a lot of encouragement from other crusty activists, but there were so few of us. Ofc I was an autistic, suicidal basket case whoring, drinking, and smoking constantly and skirting a range of criminal activities and always had trouble attracting friends, so I'm sure i would have felt lonely regardless. Paranoia would undercut a lot of potential friendships, though i knew i could have easily seduced any undercover fbi agent to the resistance. Ex-mil private security a-holes had the misguided notion it was their duty to protect business and never miss an opportunity to lean on or threaten you. All said, there was a lot of solidarity and better, more organized folk who could manage the support and even if i only briefly met members of the wider network, i could feel them moving with me every step of the way. I think, as an American env. activists, most of the loneliness comes more from simply being an American, than any work associated with activism. To envoke a familiar allegory: When you settle into your barstool at the end of the day, after filtering out the cracked out lumber jacks who clear cut old growth, pipeline and oil riggers, the liberal appeasers, the conservative wingnuts, the backing banksters, and the fascist pigs, there are still many people remaining who will buy you a round. Its worse for high profile activists. Fame does strange things to your social life and self image. Worse, it limits the sort of actions you can take. I'm glad i could maintain healthy consumption of earthly vices without having to worry about disappointing members of the whole damn movement, get away with petty acts of vandalism against construction and survey equipment when under the radar, or say something stupid and offensive without some damned debate ensuing. Isolation is empowering. I'm sure every lonely person feels overlooked. Though the networks activists rely on are fickle and fragile and i hear a lot of reactionary talk calling activists, of any movement, "entitled" or "privileged", ignorant of the personal sacrifices made on behalf of our quiet mother. I only hope, with the rise of modern fascism, all the various protests and movements intersect and amplify environmentalism and real, mitigative actions can be made systematically before it's too too late." --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Hosts Stuart and William, mark the International Day Of Friendship in this bonus episode of The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast. First proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly, with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals, can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as our future leaders, in community activities, that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity. You can find out more by following this link;  https://www.un.org/en/observances/friendship-day --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Hosts Stuart and William take another roaming and wandering, insightful conversation, offering up a very real discussion as usual, as they explore a listener question, from Jenny in Littlemore, Oxford, England. "You talk about supporting each other on numerous episodes, what form does that take, and how do you know when each other needs supporting?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to explore, delve into or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

It's time for another very real, unscripted discussion, that really could go anywhere, with hosts Stuart and William, as they embark on another exploration of a listener question, from Clive in Florence Park, Oxford, England. "Are you scared about what humanity faces regarding the climate crisis?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to explore, delve into or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Using their searching, improvised chatty style, hosts Stuart and William hope to challenge your thinking, as they explore and examine a straight forward question from listener Ted, in Elsfield, Oxfordshire, England. "How do you feel about the cut flower industry?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to explore, delve into or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

No filters, just a brutally honest conversation, between hosts Stuart and William, as they head off on another meandering, insightful conversation, scrutinising another listener question, from Alan in Northway, Oxford, England. "Is the system rigged against the ordinary woman and man in the street? Maintaining the status quo, and the old boys network, with the balance skewed in favour of our leaders, policy makers, and those with vested interests? The latest London mayoral elections is possible an example, in that it's too expensive for a member of the public to stand. I've heard that it costs £30,000 to even get on the ballot paper. Black Lives Matter motivated a report by the UK government, that said there's no systemic racism. The report claims to have found well meaning protestors just see problems where there aren't any. So with this in mind, if the system and the government commissioned the report, isn't it always going to find the answer that suits the system, and the government? Nothing is resolved until hard truths are faced." Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to explore, delve into or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

We aim to challenge mindsets, beliefs, habits through this podcast, and this episode is no exception to that rule. Join hosts Stuart and William, in their usual far reaching discussion style, as they examine a question from listener Sue in Stockport, Cheshire, England. "Several studies suggest that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a positive influence on sustainable consumption. How can we strengthen a compassionate mindset and inner determination to keep the vision of a sustainable world alive, and not go back to business as usual?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to examine, discuss or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Authentic views and maybe unexpected opinions, as hosts Stuart and William depart on another meandering, insightful conversation, offering up a very real discussion, as they explore a listener question, from Charlotte in Jersey, one of the Channel Island's. "Is Joe Biden good for the environment?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to examine, discuss or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Using their nomadic and roaming, unscripted style, hosts Stuart and William offer up a very real discussion, as they take a deep dive and explore another listener question, this time from Debs in Jericho, Oxford, England. "Doom-mongering seems to have overtaken denial as a tactic of climate crisis deniers out there. Deniers know if we are taken down a road and believe nothing can be done, and it is too big a problem, then we give up and the status quo is maintained. Which is good for those with vested interests in the fossil fuel industry. Do you agree that doom-mongering is a new tactic picked up by climate crisis deniers?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to examine, discuss or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Another unscripted, searching, insightful chat, between hosts Stuart and William. A very real discussion, as they examine another question, from Alan, a listener in Northway, Oxford, England. "Given the flammable conditions of societal and planetary collapse in a climate crisis, the divide and rule culture wars of Donald Trump in the USA, and Priti Patel in England, can never end well, ever, or can it? Abuse of power to threaten peaceful protesters with 10 year jail sentences, when violent protesters getting only 10 years too, sends an inconsistent message, potentially. Bringing in new legislation in the UK that says police have the power to arrest anyone who's protesting, (even those just making protest banners) who may cause inconvenience to anyone, puts the police in tough situation. They're the ones having to interpret the ambiguous term, 'inconvenience', set by the government. This looks like the government inflaming an already volatile situation, and blaming the police if it goes arse over tit. Should the new policing act be revised again, with a new viewpoint of not seeing it as an us and them situation, but from all party point of view? We all face the climate crisis and societal breakdown together". Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to examine, discuss or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Buckle up, this really could going anywhere!  Authentic views and opinions, as hosts Stuart and William depart on another meandering, insightful conversation, offering up a very real discussion, as they explore a listener question from Kai in Cold Harbour, Oxford, England. "How do we recognize when we have a climate crisis denier in front of us?" Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to examine, discuss or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

Another spontaneous, improvised, insightful chat, between hosts Stuart and William. A very real deliberation, as they examine another listener question, this time from Barry in France. "Are climate crisis deniers truly on the backfoot, or is this just another fake dawn? This new momentum in addressing the climate crisis feels different now, with the youth movement really taking off. Is it time for positive optimism? Mind you the young left huge amounts of litter in parks after the third UK lockdown eased, so my (Barry's) optimism took a battering that day". Do you have a question you'd like Stuart and William to examine, explore or debate? Send us an email thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com with your name, where you're listening from, and your question. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message