Welcome to the People’s Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast, where you’ll hear questions sent in from listeners from all around the globe. The main themes that run through each of them are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice.

Join Stuart and Willam, your co-hosts, who are like two men sitting in a pub, given an envelope with the question in, which they open up and explore, cold, without having prepared, very much like you, more likely than not, sitting there listening to this episode. The unprepared nature of this podcast ensures genuine thoughts and reactions for you to ponder.

The first question today comes from Milica in Podgorica, Montenegro. It's quite lengthy, so we've copied it into a Google Doc for reference: Milicia’s Question

William views self-discipline as an internal process. He believes it’s largely self-taught and starts from within your own mind before considering external factors.

Stuart adds that a Buddhist perspective would suggest that by looking within, you can find the answers. From this viewpoint, there are no inherently good or bad environments; it's all about your mindset.

William points out that many people spend their time working, or mindlessly scrolling through social media. This is a passive activity that merely provides a dopamine hit, while reading actively engages the brain and can even help combat Alzheimer's and Dementia.

William’s action: If you're sitting there thinking, I've not read, I've never picked up a book, and I'm not going to sit and read, for example, ‘War and Peace’. Don't! Read what you want to read, look for something that really interests you.

Stuart and William then discuss how we handle stressful situations as indicators of personal growth. Certain situations that once caused stress may no longer affect us, while some still do. Staying calm in stressful circumstances is a sign of progress.

Stuart brings up an action: be aware of any conditioning you’ve had in your life. Be aware of it, and then you can act, if you wish to. He thinks the word acceptance comes into his mind here. If you learn to accept, not just maintaining the status quo, just accepting how things are. And then saying, okay, now I've got that awareness, how can I change things?

The second question of today’s episode has been set by Ashton from Whitfield, Kent, England. Their question is as follows:

“Do you ever see a time when fuel will be the universal currency?”

Stuart asserts right away, that he believes fuel is already functioning as a currency in many ways.

William counters that while fuel may not be a currency per se, it certainly plays a significant role in driving the world forward.

Stuart’s action for this topic: Seek out new opportunities, related to alternative fuels—there's much to explore in this evolving landscape!

Thank you for joining us today! We hope these discussions inspire you to reflect on your own experiences and actions.

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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