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:

1. Commit to reduce your household's energy use and garbage generation by 10% by December 31, 2010.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. Have Lower Valley Energy perform an energy audit.
5. Follow through on the audit and take advantage of Lower Valley's incentives and rebates.
6. Have Lower Valley Energy perform a lighting audit and install compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
7. 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.
8. Buy alternative fuels.
9. Ride the START Bus, bike, walk or carpool.
10. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Additional steps to consider:

1. Buy Green Power.
2. Buy carbon offsets.
3. Reduce water use.
4. 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; and

I 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.