An episode where there's no one in the Listeners Chair as Alex has returned to university to study Microsoft Paint so the remaining panel records blind. Listeners submit questions in advance; the hosts open them only when the red light goes on, responding cold and unrehearsed. The podcast welcomes teasing and detours, but the conversation always returns to the core question. This episode is candid, focused, and unsparing — real-time thinking, no script.

Tracey, from Oxford, England sets William and Stuart the first question to explore - “Badgers are undermining my house but I can’t relocate them. They should be in the countryside, not urban areas”.

William argues badgers don’t distinguish countryside from towns; animals simply follow suitable habitats. Stuart recounts badgers collapsing a road and the Highways Agency relocating them, and he sympathizes with homeowners denied the same protection. 

Both call for consistent rules and balanced action: protect property foundations, manage habitat to reduce encroachment, and minimise harm to badgers while recognising their ecological role.

Sally, from Mildura, Australia offers up the next question - “Knowledge drives everything, some say. How do we live well without making the planet unlivable for ourselves then?”

Stuart and William debate humanity’s role in the world: Stuart argues knowledge isn’t the sole driver of events and that unseen forces shape the universe, while William warns that human comforts often come at the expense of other species as people reshape the planet for their own benefit. 

They challenge the idea that humans are simply parasites, presenting instead a nuanced view of our adaptability and resilience. Both contend that “living well” can mean comfort or ecological responsibility and that most choices sit in shades of gray. William closes with a practical action: listen twice as much as you speak to learn from diverse perspectives and find more balanced solutions.

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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This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice. 

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