When the BioMass Hits the Wind Turbine

011 - Politics of Sustainability

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.

142 – What do we mean by Net Zero and can we achieve it?

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.

096 - Does the Gig Economy work for you?

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.

001 - Living in an Earthship

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

029 - The Man Who Invented Everything (William Murdoch)

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.

111 - Home Funerals, Sustainable Burials

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.

182 - The Problem with Lithium

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.

180 - Be the Change you Want to See

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.

181 - Ohio’s Potential Nuclear Disaster

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.

179 - Fixing Appalachia’s Chronic Poverty

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.