10 steps to 10×10
Apr
So, just what is 10×10? Basically, it's a both top-down and bottom-up effort to get Teton County Residents to reduce energy use, fuel consumption and trash generation by 10% each by 2010.
Specifically there is a Town/County Resolution in place to address our governments' use of energy and fuel, and Sustaining Jackson Hole is coordinating the grassroots effort:
Town/County Resolution: Reduce electricity and fossil fuel consumption 10% each by December 31, 2010. Also places great emphasis on recycling and reducing purchasing whenever possible specific to Town and County organizational operations.
Sustaining Jackson Hole initiative: Kicking off a community-wide 10 x 10 effort, which aims to reduce Teton County’s per capita energy use and garbage generation by 10% (from 2006 levels) by December 31, 2010.
The following are 10 steps individuals (and businesses) can take to achieve 10×10:
- Commit to reduce your household's energy use and garbage generation by 10% by December 31, 2010.
- Gather baseline data: tally your annual use and the money you spend on electricity, heating fuel, vehicle travel (miles) and air travel (miles and number of trips).
- Explore carbon calculators: the EPA's doesn't consider air travel, but has a great interactive section that show the impacts certain changes can have; Climate Crisis provides a good all-round snapshot of your carbon footprint.
- Have Lower Valley Energy perform an energy audit.
- Follow through on the audit and take advantage of Lower Valley's incentives and rebates.
- Have Lower Valley Energy perform a lighting audit and install compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
- Assess your commuting and travel habits. Consider telecommuting one day/week (20% reduction in travel to work), combine trips, extend one international trip to eliminate a second.
- Buy alternative fuels.
- Ride the START Bus, bike, walk or carpool.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Additional steps to consider:
- Buy Green Power.
- Buy carbon offsets.
- Reduce water use.
- Compost.
Take the 10 x 10 pledge:
I recognize that global greenhouse gas emissions must be substantially reduced to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system and social disruption for our children and grandchildren; and
I believe that our current dependence on foreign energy creates economic instability, military conflicts and political divisions; and
I understand that Wyoming is one of the highest per-capita emitters of greenhouse gas emissions due to our reliance on fossil fuel for electricity, heating, and transportation; and
I acknowledge that energy efficiency is a cost-effective solution to realize large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy independence; and
I am concerned that transporting Teton County’s trash to Sublette County’s landfill is an unsustainable solution to a growing problem; andI agree that personal commitments to reducing energy use and trash generation are essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Therefore, I pledge to systematically reduce my family’s overall energy use 10 percent by 2010 as well as support County-wide initiatives to reduce garbage generation 10 percent by 2010.
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