In this podcast, you, the listeners send in questions, two per episode, for us to conversate around and explore.

We always try to bring the conversation back to the environment in some way, and sometimes overtly come up with an action. When an obvious action doesn’t arise, you will often find one buried deep in the conversation we have. There's always plenty to think about in what we discuss.

Our first listener question for today’s episode comes from Ted in St Keverne, Cornwall, England - “Cornish was declared by the UN as an extinct language. Now there's 500 of us speaking it, it is reclassified as critically endangered. Should we save languages or do they always need to evolve?”

William believes that languages behave like small genetic populations: when too few people speak a language, it loses diversity and cannot evolve. He recalls Tara Piri’s research on leopards, whose tiny populations suffer from limited genetic variation, and argues that a similarly small group of speakers will only reproduce one narrow version of a language, preventing it from developing further.

Stuart explains that while the decline of languages raises complex moral questions, the priority should not be preservation alone but resisting their suppression by dominant forces that seek to erase cultures.

William believes linguistic diversity supports creativity because different languages frame ideas in unique ways. He explains that some words cannot be directly translated, using the Finnish term “sisu” as an example, which describes a deep, intrinsic resilience and way of living that English cannot fully capture.

Stuart explains that words like “literally” are often unnecessary and used out of habit or imitation rather than thought. He argues people copy phrases they hear, such as “you’ve got this,” without considering their meaning. Reflecting on a lung cancer test he had, he recalls rejecting the phrase, saying “fuck that,” as it felt hollow and insincere. Stuart believes people should choose more honest and natural expressions that genuinely reflect the situation.

The second listener question comes from Angus, Sharpthorne, West Sussex, England - “How should I really be living?“

William believes people should think critically, stay open to new ideas, and actively engage with learning by reading, suggesting even a simple trip to the library to pick up a book.

Stuart explains that someone who recognises their own lack of knowledge is not truly stupid but simply lazy, arguing that genuine stupidity lies in a lack of awareness.

William encourages you to  live with some kindness in your heart. Some lightness in your soul.

Stuart explains that one should live in a way that respects both oneself and others, emphasising acceptance, gentleness, and a considerate approach to life.

Sign the Petition - Improve The Oxfordshire Countryside Accessibility For All Disabilities And Abilities: change.org/ImproveTheOxfordshireCountrysideAccessibilityForAllDisabilitiesAndAbilities

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 ⁠thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com

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 podfollow.com/ThePeoplesCountrysideEnvironmentalDebatePodcast , support our work through Patreon patreon.com/thepeoplescountryside⁠. Find out all about the podcast via this one simple link: linktr.ee/thepeoplescountryside