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The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast

“We have eaten meat for thousands of years, so why is it now so wrong to still eat it?” That's the listener question that's come in for discussion on this podcast from Debs in Didcot, Oxfordshire, England.

William kicks off the episode saying that to him what makes it wrong to eat meat is the exploitation and the industrialisation of the meat production process, together with the devaluing of those animals we consume. He understands why someone would be against using beeswax, as it's taking something from the bees that they actually use. Though he feels using fish in aquaponics doesn't exploit them in the same way as they are there to fertilise the plants whilst being looked after, and usually go to good homes afterwards.

William raises the point of how meat is often seen as needing to be the centre of the dish, but this doesn’t need to be the case. Also it's not always understood how to properly cook certain vegetables either. He concludes by saying that we can feel very threatened by change, and by someone who is different. He encourages us all to engage with that person, and ask them why they do what they do, and be open yourself up to listening.

Stuart asks the questions: how far do we take the idea of not consuming animal products?

He raises that even with high welfare in meat production, there can still be exploitation. He concludes with a good point about your food. Make it as local as it can be whatever you consume, and as good as it can be, and then start to consider the wider ethics.

Announcement Time: This podcast release schedule is altering in 2024 to once a week on a Sunday at 10am UK time. That means Stuart and William will be discussing two questions per episode, instead of one, so the episodes will become longer.

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

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