Hidden Fortunes Of An Accessible Countryside

The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast

Mariama, a listener from Sierra Leone has sent this question in for discussion on today's episode - “For a few years I lived in Cumbria in the UK, and miss your country walks there. Countryside here in Sierra Leone is a very different thing though. Tell me, what frustrates you guys the most about the countryside in the UK?”

The biggest thing that frustrates Stuart are gates that block access to green spaces for certain disabilities, and that some gates are accessible to some wheelchairs and not others. Though he’s also frustrated that people generally stick to the well beaten track and how we’re obsessed with how the hedgehog is decline in the UK, yet there are other animals that are in more imminent danger.

Stuart’s action is to open your eyes and ears when you’re out in nature, and to put your damn phones down!

William’s biggest issue with access to the countryside is that if it’s private land, the king and his castle attitude pervades. He also sees people following a habit about where they go in the countryside, going to the same places as everyone else. Not off the beaten track. He talks about the habits we take into the countryside that don’t need to be there, such as being on your phone, and not being mindful of your surroundings.

William’s action is to think about why you go out into nature.

The fundraiser to get Stuart back out into nature with an all-terrain chair is mentioned, and you can donate here https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/wildmanonwheels?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=20240518_

Tommy, from Alloa, Scotland has set this second question today - “Concealing wealth is part and parcel of preserving it. Are the wealthy really as insecure as it would seem to me?”

Stuart asks how we can truly know whether someone is insecure, and brings up how those who win the lottery often conceal they’ve done so, but is that down to insecurity?

William carries this thought on, that it’s often a good idea to conceal a big win as people suddenly crawl out of the woodwork, and ask for money.

Stuart talks about those who are born into wealth and the idea of hiding what someone is investing is as a way of concealing things, but again is that down to insecurity? He doesn’t know what Tommy’s angle is as he isn’t sat with them, he does however get the impression that Tommy’s banging the wealthy over the head for being wealthy.

Stuart raises that maybe those with wealth can be petrified of losing their wealth, and ends up by throwing a question back at Tommy: So what if people are concealing their wealth?

William wonders whether wealth is concealed as a way to avoid taxes? Stating that the best way to use your own wealth is not to feel you need to show it off, and that those who show their wealth are potentially more insecure. He also feels it doesn’t mean that if someone is concealing their wealth they are insecure either, they maybe just don’t want to flaunt it.

He further brings up that even if they had a wealthy person in the room with them, they wouldn’t necessarily be indicative of everyone with wealth.

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

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