When the BioMass Hits the Wind Turbine

110 - 2021 UN Climate Report

In late February 2021 the United Nations issued their latest report on global climate.  The report was a call to action, warning that it should be seen as a “red alert for our planet” and that “2021 is a “make or break year” to confront the global climate emergency.

But haven't we heard this all before and it seems that people and governments are content to continue on with business as usual.  Will anything change before it is too late?  Or are things already changing... despite inaction by government?

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the various challenges and complexities of living a sustainable life.

109 - The Doula of Death

When we give birth, it is generally with the help of a midwife or a doctor who has been through the process before and knows what to do and what to say to ease us through what is, after all, a natural process. So why is it not the same with death?

In the not-so-long-ago past, death was a community affair. Friends and relatives would take charge of the process, assisting the dying, helping those that would be left behind – explaining the process, washing the body, arranging for the remains.

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station as they speak with Donna Baker, founder of Columbus Community Deathcare. She is an INELDA-trained Death Doula, hoping to revive some of the ancient rituals and practices that made the process of death a much more normal part of life.

108 - Nuclear Power is Dead

Nuclear power produces about 18% of all the electricity produced in the US.  Power plants have an expected life of around 40 years, and currently 88 of the 96 existing reactors are older than their original life expectancy.  Only one nuclear reactor has been put in service since 1998.  For all intents and purposes - the nuclear industry is dead.

But it is not.  And why is that?  Like riding the tiger, once on the nuclear production beast it is hard to get off.  Decommissioning a plant can take 60 years and many millions of dollars.  Yet many "green" activists remain convinced that nuclear power must remain part of a clean energy future. 

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the various challenges and complexities of living a sustainable life.

107 - Staying Sane in an Insane World

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.

106 - Solar Incentives you can take advantage of in 2021

Solar is today the cheapest form of electricity in most parts of the country. And it is made even cheaper when you take advantage of the incentives that still exist (but are rapidly disappearing). Incentives range from tax credits (currently 26% of the cost of installing the system), grants (up to 25% of the system cost for rural businesses) to low interest loans.

Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station are joined by Mat Roberts from the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council for a discussion of the ever changing landscape of living sustainably.

 

105 - Economics of Pandemics

The Covid pandemic exposed a number of weaknesses in the globalized consumer culture that has evolved in recent decades.  How does the system react when travel, transportation, markets are disrupted?  And what happens when this disruption lasts for weeks, then months, then years?

What resiliency lessons have been learned and what changes might we experience going forward as economic systems adapt to a globe subject to major periodic disruptions.  Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the ever changing landscape of living sustainably.

104 - Ten Solar Innovations that will Change the World

Solar energy is one of the most disruptive technologies in the history of mankind.  It is about to displace the fossil fuel industry and change the world in ways we can barely imagine.  So what are some of the changes and technologies that are underway - often below the radar of most people's experience.

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the 10 new innovations and changes in solar energy that will change the world.

103 - the Impact of Covid on our Future

For most of 2020 and well into 2021, the world has had to adjust to living with a pandemic. But how will the adaptations made change society for the long term? What habits and practices put in place during the crisis will change the world we live in for decades to come?

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of sustainable living – now and well into the future.

102 - Putting Solar on Your Home

As solar power becomes cheaper and more widely available, the usual assortment of grifters and misleading ads are beginning to make the rounds.  So how can you sort the facts from the fiction?  And what is the best approach to determining if solar power is right for you?

Join Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station for a discussion of the process figuring out how to put solar on your home - the steps and realistic costs - as well as incentives that are still available.

015 - Why We Built an Earthship

In 1992 Annie and Jay Warmke decided to begin the process of leaving their suburban corporate lifestyle and build a home made from tires, cans and salvaged materials in the hills of Appalachian Ohio.

 

Construction on the first "Earthship" located east of the Mississippi River began.  The project would take years, perhaps because neither knew what they were doing. 

 

Over the years over 35,000 people have now visited this unique passive solar home - learning about the realities and pitfalls of sustainable living.