When the BioMass Hits the Wind Turbine

s amazing as it might seem, there is a move by some corporations (and of course the government is enacting laws to support them) to prohibit customers from repairing the products they buy – forcing them to buy new things when the old may only need a bit of upkeep. And some groups are fighting back. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station in a discussion of the issues and implications of corporations trying to take away your right to repair.

Solar is already the cheapest form of energy available – bar none. And the government, through a number of recent incentive programs, has just put it on sale. You almost cannot afford NOT to put solar on your home or business. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station in a discussion of the various tax credits and grants that are now available to make solar even more affordable and will lead to an amazing energy transition.

It seems that the Appalachian region is always in a state of recession. When times are good nationwide – nothing seems to change in Appalachia. When the nation is struggling, Appalachia feels it first and longest. Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Natalia Rudiak, special projects director at Reimagine Appalachia in a discussion of the challenges facing the Appalachian region of the Ohio River Valley and what can be done to create a vibrant and sustainable economy.

We are living through transformative times. Not since the Industrial Revolution has the energy system that powers our society changed in such profound ways. But we are too close to it to see it clearly. Over the next three years, wind and solar will make up 90% of all new energy sources. Coal is dead. Nuclear is dead. Natural gas is dying. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station in a discussion of the enormous changes that are going on around us and how it is the end of the world as...

Many of us dream of carving out a little homestead in the country – living off the land. But actually making a living this way can be quite difficult. Fortunately there are a lot of funding sources out there designed to help small farmers and homesteaders. But how can you tap into these funds? Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station in a discussion of what funds are out there and how best to successfully compete for this money.

Nearly 30 years ago Annie and Jay Warmke quit their high-paying corporate jobs, sold their suburban home, and moved to the hills of Appalachia to build a home out of tires and mud. The goal was to live a carbon neutral – or even a negative carbon lifestyle. Many of the over 35,000 people who have visited Blue Rock Station over the years have asked - “What made you do such a crazy thing? And how did you manage it?” Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of their...

Agriculture is rediscovering the ancient practice of managing forests as a source of food and other revenue crops (other than just harvesting trees for lumber). But there are a dizzying number of terms thrown about that each mean something to someone – each a bit different in process and intent. Terms such as food forests, forest farming, agroforestry, alley cropping, and more. Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Katherine Favor, a sustainable agriculture specialist,...

Electric vehicles are changing the way we fuel our transportation system. They are cleaner, faster, more efficient and cheaper than the internal combustion engine. Every major car company (and many you have never heard of) are planning to convert their fleet of vehicles to all electric by 2040. But there are a number of fundamental changes that will be required to how we wire our homes, how we manage the grid, and pricing policies used by utilities that must change if we are going to make...

We are used to energy becoming more and more expensive over time. The cost of electricity has increased 7 fold since 1970. That same year a gallon of gasoline cost 36 cents. But solar energy has changed that assumption. The cost of a solar panel has dropped from over $100 per watt in 1975 to only around 25 cents today. If these trends continue - energy will soon be free. But that doesn't mean you won't pay for it. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station to discuss how energy will...

Every dollar you spend is a vote. And you should only vote for those companies that support a world vision that you support. But how can you know what their world vision might be? And when you vote - how can you tell those companies you did not buy from that you voted for someone else. In other words - how can you become an annoying consumer. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for an optimistic discussion of sustainable living and living your values.

For the past decade or so, Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station have observed a three month period of non consumption - their Thanks for Nothing season. It is a break from our consumer society, where they do not buy anything - and even turn off the electricity. Find out what motivated this bizarre behavior and what lessons are learned - and how it has enriched their lives.

The concept of a food forests, integrating marketable crops into a woodland environment, managing not just the turf for planting – but every vertical layer of space – is catching on in the world of agriculture innovations. But can this concept be successful in an urban environment as we seek to provide local and sustainable food sources where we live? Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion about the promise and perils of urban food forests.

How do you create or recreate a vital and vibrant downtown district? As so many cities and small towns have seen their commercial districts fall into disuse and disrepair, there is a movement to recapture the days of locally-owned, walkable business districts. Marietta, Ohio is a small town located at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers. They have actually been fairly successful in achieving this goal. Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Luke Sulfridge as he...

Ohio is dealing with legacy fallout from a nuclear waste facility that has resulted in widespread contamination and soaring cancer rates. Two nuclear facilities are literally crumbling in Lake Erie and are at the center of a scandal involving bribery and the Speaker of the House and other state officials facing prison time. And power from nuclear energy simply cannot compete with wind and solar without massive infusions of public funds. So of course the Ohio legislature has decided that now...

Even big agriculture is beginning to look at this ancient process of using our forests as a food production model and venue for crop planting and harvesting. So what is this concept, how does it work, and what does it mean for the health and vitality of our planet? Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of food forests, not only regarding their economic benefits to marginalized populations, but as a restorative practice for our planet.

Like humans, many of the illnesses suffered by your pets are the result of an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Yet the medical model - which extends to the world of veterinary medicine - seems fairly clueless in how to use natural remedies to keep your pet healthy and help it regain health when things are out of balance. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the realities of sustainable living.

In the 1950s city planners pretty much all thought that bigger was better. More growth, more business... all good. Then sometime in the 1970s folks started worrying about the boom bust cycle of development. Planners began asking how development could be more sustainable. Growing with the future in mind. Now growth must be resilient, able to adapt and weather the certain storms of climate change, changing technologies, energy interruptions. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station...

The history surrounding the early days of electricity involved backstabbing, double dealing, huge egos battling it out in public – the electrocution of horses, dogs, people, and even elephants. Dubbed “the battle of the currents”, this dis-information campaign pitted Thomas Edison against Tesla (and his boss, Westinghouse). Another in our Dead White Scientists series – find out what happened just over 100 years ago that led us to the electrical system (largely unchanged since then)...

Society tells us to aspire to certain ideals. We should own a big house, drive a nice car, go for that next promotion... eat this, drink that. What happens when you reject these as goals? How do you form your own path in a world that judges you against fairly rigid guidelines? Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the realities of sustainable living.

We have heard of net zero energy. Net zero construction. But the heart of sustainability is seeking to live a net zero life. How do you get through this life with as little adverse impact on the generations that follow. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the realities of sustainable living.