The Sightline Institute is a not-for-profit research and communication center–a think tank, essentially. Sightline's mission is to bring about sustainability–a healthy, lasting prosperity grounded in the place they call Cascadia (the Pacific Northwest).

Nonpartisan and wholly independent, Sightline's only ideology is commitment to the shared values of strong communities, fair markets, and responsible stewardship. 

Since 2004, Sightline has published an annual Cascadia Scorecard, which monitors the region's progress on seven key regional trends, including human energy and climate, health, sprawl, pollution, wildlife, economy and population. The Sightline Institute updates the Scorecard annually in book form, periodically in reports on critical issues, and regularly on their blog, The Daily Score.

Sustaining Jackson Hole fulfills much the same role here in Jackson Hole. The collaborative effort of The Charture Institute, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce and Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative

aims to develop and disseminate a set of sustainability indicators examining all aspects of our community, including the arts, economy, environment, recreation, social services, and transportation, among others.

Recently, Sustaining Jackson Hole's Resource Use Group announced 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. This effort is intended to complement the Town of Jackson's and Teton County's joint resolution to reduce electricity and fossil fuel consumption 10% each by December 31, 2010.

I bring all this up because the most recent Cascadia Scorecard reveals that, on a per capita basis, Northwesterners are using less gasoline, In fact they've reduced gasoline use by 10% since the late 1990's.

How did they do that? According to Gristmill's analysis, there are three primary reasons:

• Folks are driving a bit less. Person for person, vehicle mileage trends in the Northwest are on the decline.
• Cascadians are driving more efficient vehicles. In the Northwest, sales of hybrids have outpaced Hummers for years.
• Mass transit is gaining ridership. Between 1999 and 2006, transit boardings in greater Vancouver and Portland have gone up by about 25 percent; in the Puget Sound it's been about 11 percent.

As the Sustaining Jackson Hole and Town/County efforts gain momentum, it will be critical to track and analyze the key measures of our energy and fuel conservation as well as the reduction in trash generated. Keeping the public involved, updated and motivated by our progress toward 10 x 10 will require consistent and timely dissemination of vital statistics.

Perhaps the time is ripe for a Tetonia Scorecard?

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