When the BioMass Hits the Wind Turbine

175 - The Right to Repair

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.

174 - Money Available to Install Solar on your Home or Business

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.

173 - Reimagining Appalachia

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.

172 - End of the Age of Fossil Fuels

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 we know it... and thank God!

171 - Creatively Funding your Homestead

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.

129 – Transitioning Towards Living Sustainably

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 experience moving towards a sustainable lifestyle and the lessons learned over 30 years of living in a house made of trash.

170 -The Future Farms are in our Forests

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, based in the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s Western Regional Office to try to make sense of it all.

169 – Are We Ready for Electric Vehicles?

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 this happen. Can your home handle the requirements of an EV... can your city... can your state? Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of many of the challenges we face as we electrify the transportation industry.

085 – When Energy is Free

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 change over the coming decades and what that means to you and me.

081 – Becoming an Annoying Consumer

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.