#179: Footballers

Modern footballers eh? Spoilt, obscenely rich, carbon-guzzling narcissists who couldn't spell planet, let alone save it. They're an open goal for moralising and high-handery, or at least must have seemed so to the UK Health Secretary when he pooh-poohed players' high pay at the pandemic's outset (omitting, accidentally no doubt, to pass comment on the wages of hedge fund managers or the like).Well, we in Babble towers don't buy that. We're unapologetic disciples of the beautiful game, for all its flaws, and we can't help noticing that, far from conforming to (stereo)type, high profile stars of both the men's and women's game have led from the front on all manner of social issues of late, not least the environment.So this week we pick our starting 11* of poverty-tackling, environment-defending, racism-clattering footie heroes and ask: might they be rather better at campaigning than the 'professionals' are?Also in today's episode, a belching bumful of macro-inhofery from the 'natural' gas industry, and some world-beating sustainababble from the world's richest man.*In fact, we only had time for a five-a-side team, but do check out this Global Citizen piece detailing more players doing excellent things.Sustainababble is your friendly environment podcast, out weekly. Theme music by the legendary Dicky Moore – @dickymoo. Sustainababble logo by the splendid Arthur Stovell. Ecoguff read out by Arabella. Love the babble? Bung us a few pennies at www.patreon.com/sustainababble. MERCH: sustainababble.teemill.com Available on iTunes, Spotify, Acast & all those types of things, or at sustainababble.fish. Visit us at @thebabblewagon and at Facebook.com/sustainababble. Email us at hello@sustainababble.fish.