When the BioMass Hits the Wind Turbine

The electrical grid has not changed much since the days of Edison and Tesla. The electrical system in your home has largely remained the same since screw-in fuses were replaced by circuit breakers in the 1960s. But all that is about to change. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of how distributed energy (wind and solar) is changing how power is delivered to your home and how smart home devices are going to dramatically change how you consume that power.

What is social justice and why is it not incorporated in all aspects of life, business and our culture? What can we personally do to help promote a culture of fairness and equity in our everyday activities. Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Jarod Marsh, who recently graduated with a degree in human rights and sustainability from the University of Dayton - then packed off to India to experience whether not the world reflected the theory.

In 2004 Rural Action started a produce auction in the heart of Appalachia. In the early days, a number of volunteers and a group of Amish farmers formed the core of this enterprise. Over the years it has grown to be an economic engine within the community of Chester Hill, Ohio – as well as an unlikely tourist destination. Join Jay and Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion with Emily Elam of Rural Action on some of the history, projects, challenges and successes of the Chester Hill Produce Auction.

Things are always changing, often without us noticing. This is especially true in the world of solar energy. Join Jay and Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of a few stories in a typical week in the world of solar and how these events will impact our world, our culture and our lives for decades to come.

Just as tiny houses require all the limited space to be used efficiently for shelter – urban forest gardens use every bit of available space (side-to-side as well as up-and-down) to grow a mix of local produce. But farming in an urban setting present a unique set of challenges – from codes and zoning that may shut it down, to theft and vandalism, to tip toeing around utilities and easements. Chad Cully, graduate student in Cornell University's Natural Resources and the Environment program joins Annie and Jay Warmke from Blue Rock Station for a discussion design challenges in creating an urban forest garden.

Former congressman Zack Space (OH) joins Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for this milestone 100th episode of When the BioMass Hits the Wind Turbine. Congressman Space's experience in working within the US Congress as well as president of Sunday Creek Horizons - a strategic communications, issue advocacy and business development consulting firm - provides a unique perspective on the possibilities and challenges of trying to change the system from the inside.

It's easy to get the impression that everything and everyone around you is either crazy or in the process of going crazy. This is largely because it's true. Mental health is the number one illness or complaint facing those living in our soul-sick society. So how can you deal with and cope with the mental stresses of everyday life? What are some of the things you can do to try to stay sane in an insane world? Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the ever changing landscape of living sustainably.

The search for energy has largely been a search for light. We have evolved from huddling around campfires, to burning candles made of animal fat, to hunting whales on the oceans, to refining oil and ultimately the electric light. This is a journey filled with adventure, fortunes, misfortunes - but mostly lies and lawyers. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of sustainable living - and the Dead White Scientists that made it all possible.

How do you construct a home or cottage from straw bales? Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of sustainable living and alternative housing options.

You can't fix the system because it ain't broken. Sustainability is political. Join Annie and Jay Warmke from Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the realities of sustainability in this culture we live within.

More and more corporations are promoting their net-zero or carbon-neutral goals. Is this more corporate greenwashing, or is it a real thing? Can the profit-driven corporate structure really shift to embrace a long-term impact-neutral process? And what does net zero really mean? Join Annie and Jay Warmke from Blue Rock Station for a discussion about the impact of a truly net zero society.

Over one-third of American workers are employed in what has come to be called the Gig Economy. If you are between 18-35 years of age, more than half those working (53%) do not have a steady paycheck. Gig workers get no sick leave, no medical, no paid vacations. Yet the vast majority claim they would not trade the freedom this work situation provides for 'traditional' employment. Join Jay and Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station and their guest, gig worker and graphic artist Ryan Evans for a discussions of the pros and cons of being a contract worker.

What is it like to live in an Earthship (a home made of tires, bottles, mud and assorted garbage)? Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the serious topic of sustainable living - without taking ourselves too seriously. You can take a free virtual tour at www.bluerockstation.com

Probably the most important scientist that you have never heard of. It can be claimed (and we will claim it) that William Murdoch was involved in creating or perfecting most of the major inventions that brought us through the Industrial Revolution to the modern age. From the steam engine to the locomotive, to the automobile to the steam boat - he even invented the pneumatic tube (that thing that delivers checks at the bank) and a way to purify beer with fish. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of sustainable living - and the Dead White Scientists that made it all possible.

We are all going to die someday. So how would you like to go? Many people are opting to reject the industrialized death machine that has gradually emerged in our society - one that makes those who love you spectators rather than participants in what is, after all, a natural and inevitable end to being a part of this world. Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station as they speak with Donna Baker, founder of Columbus Community Deathcare about the process of conducting a home funeral and burial options that are more natural and easier on this planet that we have come to know and love.

Lithium and specifically lithium batteries promise to be the “oil” of the coming decades. But like oil, it comes at a price. There has already been a military coup of a democratically elected government (applauded by the US govt, sound familiar?) over control of this resource. Mining practices are wreaking havoc on some regions of the world – and the transition to lithium is just beginning. But is the future of lithium all doom and gloom, or the dawn of a bright new age? Join Jay and Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the positives and negatives the world faces as it transitions to a battery economy – and what new sources and technologies hold promise that history does not have to repeat itself.

So you want to change the world. We know the political and social structures that helped make that possible in the past are deaf and/or broken. So how can you begin to create effective change from where you are... with the resources you have available? Join Jay and Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion on how not to feel helpless and hopeless in a world that often feels overwhelming and dysfunctional.

After WWII the US Department of Defense decided it would be a good idea to refine Uranium for nuclear bombs in the small southern Ohio town of Piketon. Over the decades the released vast amounts of radioactive material into the region, elevating death rates to twice the national average, causing schools to be closed due to high radioactive measurements and resulting in more than $1 billion in worker's comp claims. Yet few people have heard of this... and they are planning to reopen and expand operations. Jay and Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Pat Marida of the Ohio Nuclear Free Network to discuss the history of this plant and an upcoming forum to be held in Piketon to address the past and future issues this plant is imposing upon the region.

Appalachia is a region that seems perpetually stuck in recession, followed by depression, followed by recession. What are some of the causes of this chronic cycle of poverty and how can the region emerge economically. Jay and Annie Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Natalia Rudiak of Reimagine Appalachia and Ted Boettner of the Ohio River Valley Institute for a discussion of these and other issues that face the region.

According to a United Nation's study, the planet has only about 60 years of soil left. The nutrients in our soil have been so depleted that today you must eat 8 oranges to get the same vitamins that your grandparents got by eating just one. So what are the issues and what can we do about them? Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Heather Kabler and Chitra Iyer of the Isha Foundation to discuss the Save Soil Movement and what is being done to raise awareness of this critical issue.