The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast

We explore a question from one of our listeners during this episode. This came from Jaryd in Ireland, "What are our top 5 stupid moments making the podcast?"

This is part 3 of a 3 part series where William looks back at classic installments of the podcast. William listened back to this past episode to see how his point of view have maybe altered since the recording. For this episode we’re travelling back to Christmas of last year  (2019), and and a discussion about David Attenborough’s series, Seven Worlds, One Planet. This selected classic episode was originally released on the 26th December, Boxing Day (2019). William chose this episode as it has been overall one of most listened to shows. We talk about the potential impact of Attenborough's series, comparing it his previous Blue Planet program which had such a big effect on the public psyche. We both felt at the time that we didn’t need to watch it to understand the impact we are all having on the natural world. We invite you to enjoy this classic episode, and do you think we're right in not watching it? Let us know, we like to be challenged in our own assumptions.

This is part 2 of a 3 part series where William looks back at classic installments of the podcast. William listened back to this past episode to see how his point of view have maybe altered since the recording. The second in this mini series takes us back to March this year, and an episode that marked the last time Stuart and William recorded together in the same room. It has also been one of our best performing episodes in recent times, which is why William singled it out. The episode we released on the 27th March 2020, however the more important date was when we recorded it, which was the 16th March 2020, a week before the UK went into full lock down due to the Corona Virus. We invite you to enjoy this classic episode, and would particularly like to hear what you think about what we discussed, and how we can make sure we don’t get entrenched in our own opinions.

This marks the dawn of a 3 part series where William looks back at classic installments of the podcast. William listened back to this past episode to see how his point of view have maybe altered since the recording. This first in this mini series takes us back to our very first edition of the podcast, which is why William singled it out. It's when we welcomed journalist Pete Hughes of the Oxford Mail, and originally released on this platform on the 21st July 2019. We explored three tough environmental questions; How much effect do humans have on other animals survival? Are we causing more extinction than before? AND Is human existence always at a cost to nature? This was very much the starting point of this podcast's concept and format, and was originally recorded in 2018. This will in fact be the 3rd time this episode has been publicly released, as this podcast was originally only released through Soundcloud before we found Anchor. Who now host and distribute our material. We were very much finding our feet with the format, though from the outset we were not afraid to tackle big questions. It’s great to listen back to this episode as it shows the strength of the format. Also listening with fresh ears William picked up on different details, and also feels that his personal opinion has changed since then. We invite you to enjoy this classic episode, and while you’re listening, we’d like you to think how you would have answered the questions we posed, and do you think we covered the topic and themes we discussed thoroughly enough? Would you like us to maybe return to one of these questions in the future?

Part 12 - Progress : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 11 - Planning : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 10 - Development : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 9 - Adaptation : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 8 - Finding New Structure : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 7 - Taking Stock : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 6 - Shock : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 5 - Fear : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 4 - Disbelief : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 3 : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 2 : Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

Part 1: Stuart and William share insights, tips and ideas on how they're adapting to the current situation, and give you the listener actions to occupy some of your time.

 In this episode we welcomed Oxford University scientist, Dr Alexandra Moral. The three questions, which once again inspired an interesting debate, are; - How would we be acting differently if we recognised nature as a separate/sovereign nation?" Not that we should necessarily, but I would be interested to explore how different or not society might be? - People are working behind the scenes on things like locking away carbon within algal blooms that sink and form rock, and also drilling into rock and storing it there within Limestone etc. Should we be focusing our efforts in these mitigation measures or the processes we as individuals are given to live and work by? Or both? - Is there such a creature as an urban animal?

Thanks very much for joining us for this episode of the People’s Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast. We answer listener questions that we’ve not seen before we press record, approaching each one cold. We’re not experts, but we talk freely and honestly, as people often do when faced with important issues unexpectedly.The first listener question in this episode comes from Andrew in Bradford, England. He asks, “Are individualistic cultures intrinsically selfish?”Stuart questions whether focusing on your own health, benefit and wellbeing, is truly selfish, arguing that helping others first requires taking care of yourself.William suggests that the core of the question comes from Andrew’s lived experiences, particularly from repeatedly observing people behaving in selfish or overly individualistic ways without considering how their actions affect others.Stuart suggests that people can be individuals without being selfish, and that perceptions of selfishness often depend on the perspective and expectations of other parties.The second question comes from Clodagh in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. She asks, “Did time, as we now perceive it, start at a specific moment?”Stuart reflects on cutting-edge scientific thinking about black holes and time, suggesting that time may be a human construct and might not have a clear beginning, middle, or end. He admits uncertainty about the nature of time, noting it remains a topic of active scientific debate.William argues that time is a construct of the brain, shaped by our internal experience rather than the external world, noting that subjective perception can make events feel much closer or further away than they actually are.Stuart’s concluding action invites listeners to pause when feeling frustrated about sustainability and explore the underlying concepts and assumptions shaping their thinking.William’s concluding action encourages taking time to do something without focusing on the clock and simply allowing the experience to unfold.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.comSign the Petition - Improve The Oxfordshire Countryside Accessibility For All Disabilities And Abilities: change.org/ImproveTheOxfordshireCountrysideAccessibilityForAllDisabilitiesAndAbilitiesWe 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

You have found our first episode of 2026, well done!This is the podcast where there are no scripts, no prep, just two guys, Stuart ‘The Wildman’ Mabbutt and William Mankelow, who are willing to approach the questions sent in by you the listener. They aren’t afraid of talking about stuff cold that they've never necessarily explored before.The first listener question for this episode comes from Clodagh in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland - “How does culture form?” Stuart asserts  that if you leave something long enough, it will turn into something. That's a culture.Drawing on David Epstein’s Range, William notes that NASA’s rigid, procedure-bound culture before the Challenger accident, discouraged challenge and contributed to failure. The example shows that culture can be examined and, when it no longer serves its purpose, changed, or let go.The second of the two listener question for this episode comes from Zbigniew in Chorzów, Poland - ”If someone has recently relocated to a new country, should there be leniency for breaking minor laws they did not know about, or should they be prosecuted the same as their counterpart raised in that culture?”William argues that breaking a law should not depend on cultural background, since even lifelong residents often do not know every rule. He suggests that enforcement already allows for discretion, and that there is always room for leniency and judgment in how minor offences are handled.Stuart argues that while there is room for leniency, claims of ignorance must be balanced with judgment. He suggests that this balance often depends on a police officer’s experience and discretion, as well as situational factors, including the officer’s state of mind.William notes that during COVID, police often showed leniency toward people who shoplifted out of necessity, using discretion based on circumstances rather than background. He argues that the same approach can apply to people new to a country.Stuart concludes with an environmental action: that is to step back and examine the hidden motivations behind a system or process. He advises considering the broader, macro-level impacts and reflecting thoughtfully on what’s really driving production or decisions.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.comSign the Petition - Improve The Oxfordshire Countryside Accessibility For All Disabilities And Abilities: change.org/ImproveTheOxfordshireCountrysideAccessibilityForAllDisabilitiesAndAbilitiesWe 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

On this New Year’s Day special from The Peoples Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast we want to say how grateful we are for your support, your voices, and your commitment.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.comSign the Petition - Improve The Oxfordshire Countryside Accessibility For All Disabilities And Abilities: change.org/ImproveTheOxfordshireCountrysideAccessibilityForAllDisabilitiesAndAbilitiesWe 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