Why do some people have a fear of wasting money on rent? Is the desire for ownership just another way to avoid the reality of our own mortality? Why do so many people aspire to own their own piece of land? In this episode, inspired by the question below, which was sent in by listener Tom in Garland, Texas, USA, Stuart and William explore among other topics, the fear that many people have of living in rented accommodation. “What do you feel about the anomaly of a mindset of moaning that house prices are too high to get on the housing ladder, yet once on it people want the value to keep increasi ..read more

Is the privatisation of water resources working for, or against us? And are we, as individuals, being brainwashed into thinking we can make a difference? Join Stuart and William for another insightful and thought-provoking conversation, this time centred around the topic of water security. This conversation was prompted by the following question, sent in by listener Diane from Southampton, Hampshire, England: “During the summer of 2022, some water companies in the UK issued a hosepipe ban. Is it reasonable to pass the responsibility of sustaining water supplies during a drought to the general ..read more

Can we truly draw definitive conclusions, without overlooking the complexity of this snapshot? Is our understanding of man-made climate change evolving, or are we merely scratching the surface? Your co-hosts Stuart and William once again delve into and explore a question sent in by a listener, with today’s coming in from Guy in Grove City, Ohio, USA. His question is as follows: “I saw a report in August 2022 that some parts of the coral reef that makes up The Great Barrier Reef in Australia has recovered, so it covers a wider area than it has for at least 30 years. Is the evidence that the dec ..read more

Are we truly allowing the women's game to flourish, or are we inadvertently controlling and comparing it to its male counterpart? Does the men's game, with its long-standing institutionalised habits, have an impact on how the women's game could evolve? Can we break free from these ingrained patterns, and embrace a new era? Once again your co-hosts Stuart ‘The Wildman’ Mabbutt and William Mankelow explore and examine a question sent in by a listener, with today’s coming from Lyn in Stanton St John, Oxfordshire, England. There question is as follows: “Can I ask, when your next episodes of the Be ..read more

What is a justified reaction to being insulted? That's the gold nugget for us all to consider today, and comes about due to the next listener question, this time from Helen, Shavertown, Pennsylvania, USA “Enjoying your recordings, even though I disagree with you for I’d guess 50% of the time. What I’d like you to explore is, Salmon Rushdie, the author of The Satanic Verses was attacked and stabbed here in the US. It's said to be an attack on free speech. Who dictates who should be free to speak and who isn’t? So called terrorists in the Middle East and in Ireland often haven’t been able to air ..read more

Another long question sent in by listener Alan, from Northway, Oxford, England and your co hosts Stuart and William delve into the still huge stigma attached to being a council tenant in the UK. The council has flaws, but tenants issues are often sorted quickly. Social housing in other countries isn't always called that, it can be just another housing option. There are some cultures in the world that don’t have words for home or land ownership. The majority of people in the world don’t even have ownership on their radar.  Do any of us really own anything? Aren’t we just afraid of our own ..read more

A long question sent in by listener Lyn, from Stanton St John, Oxfordshire, England, which Stuart and William examine by exploring if we should actively meet more people that are different to us, should move past labels and just let people live their lives, societal progress and the tendrils of colonialism. Set in the current context and backdrop of the cost of living crisis in the UK, and the perspective that offers. Here’s Lyn’s question: “The 2022 Commonwealth Games, the first with more medals available to women than men. The first with disability sports integrated into the main programme ..read more

The paper industry is reportedly the 4th highest carbon-producing industry in the world. Is that true, and what are the environmental implications of that if it is? Is it just playing around the edges to focus on reducing the carbon footprint of the paper industry, or should we also be addressing the issue of over-consumption in all its forms? Is it even possible to completely eliminate paper from our lives? It’s another thought provoking and varied question sent in by another of our listeners, this time coming from Eddie in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. Stuart and William try to break it down into ..read more

Last weekend, the 15th April to be precise, Stuart and William once again had a stall at the East Oxford Farmers’ & Community Market promoting the podcast and wider work. Whilst there they took the opportunity to record a short out about item about the upcoming live iteration of this podcast, Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted, which is taking place at the former Bothy Vineyard in Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire, on the 27th May 2023, 3.30pm to 9pm. This event is for anybody looking to connect with like minded people, concerned about the big issues facing society, the perfect event to ..read more

Is it best to not attack outlandish beliefs, and just ask questions? Can we learn from each other, even if we disagree? In this podcast we regularly jump between very different topics, as the conversation is led by the questions sent in by you, our listeners. With today’s coming from from Karlijn in Teignmouth, Devon, England, and her question is as follows: “I heard someone say, who is a denier of the climate emergency we face, that it's impossible for man to impact negatively on climate change, and the pollution we produce makes little impact. The increased temperatures are natural, and its ..read more