2024 starts with a new format for this podcast. Instead of releases at 10am UK on Tuesdays and Sundays, with one listener question covered in each episode. We’re now just releasing on Sundays, but still at 10am UK time. Now though you’ll get two listener questions per episode. So we're going longer form. Debs, Didcot, Oxfordshire, England sets the first question of the year, which is: “Is the male/female opinion societally influenced, genetically influenced or independent of all outside influences, and how does that influence our willingness or unwillingness to live sustainably?” Stuart explores that at different moments it can be any one of the three (societally influenced, genetically influenced or independent of all outside influences) it can be an overlap. There are rarely categorics. William asks whether males have truly different opinions than females? That’s how he’d interpret part of this question. Ella, Heaton Mersey, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England then sets the follow up listener question: “In the UK MP’s seem to be drifting away from thinking their role is a service to us, not a job. A job within a mosaic of other jobs and outside interests. They seem to take well paid speaking opportunities over appearing in parliament. We shouldn’t get jealous about people making money, but I think lines are often crossed where MP’s constituents are not the priority. What role does this all take in MP’s not understanding the very real concerns of their constituents when it comes to climate change?” William concludes with an action, and that is to check out what your local MP is doing so you can make an informed judgement about them. You may find this link useful in that https://members.parliament.uk/findyourmp 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 ⁠[email protected] We 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 ⁠https://podfollow.com/the-peoples-countryside-environmental-debate-podcast/view⁠ , support our work through Patreon ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside⁠. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: ⁠https://linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message