Summary: <p>Join hosts Stuart 'The Wildman' Mabbutt and William Mankelow, along with Oxford University Crankstart student Suzi Darrington, in her penultimate appearance in the listener’s chair, in a thought-provoking episode that dips heavily into philosophy.</p> <p>The trio delve into the following question posed by listener Jon from Cowley, Oxford England:</p> <p>“Too many people seem to be focusing on growth as the pathway out of the downturn in many of the world economies, but that seems to have its limits. All solutions do though don’t they? </p> <p>For example the UK government has been offering sections of the community financial support to help with increasing heating and cost of living bills, but this is short termism and just plugging the gap with a sticking plaster losing its adhesion. Surely it's better to insulate peoples homes so they don’t need as much energy to heat them in the first place, instead of the population using more and more energy unchecked, and then trying to sustain that? Societal aspirations alongside need to be simpler though, and instead of us feeling it's our right to own a house, have a posh car, have expensive holidays, and live more and more in a disposable way if we so wish. </p> <p>We need to stop the self talk of having and consuming less being considered a retrograde step. We need to change our collective value set and just strive for what we really need, the rest is a distraction. To keep striving, unchecked, means our lives need more capital to sustain it, so if we had more sustainable aspirations instead we’d all be more resilient to the ups and downs of the economy, and be able to support the most vulnerable better. Perpetual growth isn’t the holy grail, and one isn’t part of the Anti Growth Coalition just by looking at alternatives. </p> <p>I’m not saying we should go back to living in trees or becoming fully nomadic again, but by mixing how the indigenous cultures of the world live, and our own culture, I’m sure we can find the best of both worlds, without losing any of the cultures. By living smarter might bring about growth and higher profits but we reject that for perpetual growth, but it would be more likely to be sustainable growth and profits”.</p> <p>Stuart and William approach the topic with their signature candidness, discussing the limitations of growth on a planet with finite resources. As Suzi points out though, the pursuit of growth has led to both improved living standards and increased inequality. Suggests that perhaps growth has run its course, that potentially we’re done with what growth has offered us. The discussion touches on diverse perspectives, from the aspiration culture to the potential for a more equitable society.</p> <p>The conversation evolves into a debate about the viability of equalising society when those in power are invested in maintaining their status. Can long-term solutions thrive in a world of short-term political cycles? The hosts reflect on actionable steps for change, emphasising the importance of valuing experiences over possessions, and asking critical questions before making purchases.</p> <p>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 <a href="mailto:thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com">thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com</a></p> <p>We like to give you an ad free experience, so be assured, that will never happen. We also like our audience to be relatively small and engaged, we’re not after numbers.</p> <p>This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice. <br>Help us to spread the impact of the podcast by sharing this link with 5 friends<a href="https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view"> https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view</a> , support our work through Patreon<a href="https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside"> https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside</a> or just 'follow' to avoid missing any public posts. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link:<a href="https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside"> https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside</a></p> --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message
