Welcome back to another wild ride with Stuart 'The Wildman' Mabbutt and partner in podcast crime, William ‘The Waffler’ Mankelow. In today's episode, they dive deep into two listener questions that have them pondering the mysteries of life, politics, and the great outdoors. The first comes from Alan in Northway, Oxford England, his question is:  “In October 2023 Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister, cancelled the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the new HS2 fast railway (what's the point then of the leg that is to be built from London to Birmingham), and also dropped or altered a lot of policies that could help reduce the effects of climate change in the UK. In the run up to a general election, this all looks like an aim to gain more votes. This stuff has an impact on humanity well into the future, so is it time for the big decisions like this to be made by a larger coalition, and not just one political party and one leader?”I ask is it right legally or ethically for the agreed timeline for the UK to meet Net Zero to seemingly be changed at will by the PM. While discussing Alan’s questions, William takes us on a journey through the stages of big projects and questions the management of HS2, while Stuart wonders if politicians are fit for setting long-term policies, or for just playing the short-term game. Is HS2 a vote winner, or is Rishi Sunak's replacement the real show-stealer? The second listener question is brought to us by Vandana in India, and her question is as follows: - “It's said the human species has 250,000 years of genetics running through its veins. Our universal appreciation for the beauty of the natural world comes from those genetics as we came from caves and the land. If the appreciation is genetic then can the ability to so easily remove ourselves, lose awareness of, and not connect with the natural world be genetic too? If it is, then we are seemingly being pulled away from and pulled towards at the same time. Is it in our genetics to get the balance right?” Off the back of this question, Stuart challenges you to dig deep – what's fueling your nature vibes? Genetic predisposition, upbringing, or a mix of both? And William's got a remedy for any nature-phobia – get outside, explore those green spaces, and let Mother Nature work her magic on your soul. Join us in breaking down barriers for Stuart! Your support not only provides him with an all-terrain wheelchair for outdoor workshops, but also creates a sanctuary for him to start working from again. He’s engaged around 20,000 clients with nature over the years. Let's make a difference together and help him engage 1000’s more. Check out the fundraiser here: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/wildmanonwheels 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