The 100th monkey is green!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

By Nancy Taylor

Whether you believe in the hundredth monkey phenomenon or not, the green movement in Jackson has reached a critical mass. The hundredth monkey phenomenon may be a myth extrapolated from a study of Japanese monkeys who taught each other to wash their food. The food washing behavior spread, and now has become quite common among certain tribes of monkeys. Lyall Watson theorizes that, “the hundredth monkey phenomenon refers to a sudden spontaneous and mysterious leap of consciousness achieved when an allegedly ‘critical mass’ point is reached.”

On Friday January 26th, 100 people met  at “Jackson’s Green Actions” at the Wort Hotel with the purpose of  nonprofits, governmental agencies and businesses sharing with each other and the public what they are doing to be green.

The nonprofit sector was represented by  organizations such as Grand Teton National Park, Teton Conservation District, Teton County Schools, the Library, Teton Science Schools and the town and county.  Some of the measures taken by these groups involve recycling, switching to compact fluorescent lighting, purchasing hybrid vehicles, using biodiesel and non-toxic cleaners and in the case of the school district, dropping the use of Styrofoam in the cafeteria in favor of biodegradable dishes. The Library will be installing solar panels over the next several years, hoping to generate 30 percent of their energy needs from the sun.

The Greater Yellowstone Clean Cities Coalition is working on a regional transportation plan to reduce the carbon footprint (combined energy use) of the Greater Yellowstone area. JH Community Pathways is also looking at our emissions and encouraging non-motorized methods of transportation such as walking, biking or carpooling to reduce our use of fossil fuels. Vista 360o hopes to promote sustainable tourism in Jackson. The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is working with the for-profit sector, offering seminars for businesses that want to become more sustainable.

Alpenglo Farms and Jackson Whole Grocer are working hard to bring you the best organic produce possible, Blue Spruce cleaners will clean your clothes without that “dry-cleaning odor” because they have eliminated the use of suspected carcinogen PERC (perchloroethylene) and saved money in the process. Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort are offsetting their energy use by buying wind power and using biodiesel in their snowcats. Lower Valley Energy, Creative Energies, and Green Living and Building Consulting will help you figure out how to get rebates for your appliances, go solar and live in a more energy efficient manner.

Both Grand Teton Lodge Company and Signal Mountain Lodge  are trendsetters in the green hotel business and their practices are models for the resort industry in Jackson. Hawtin Jorgensen Architects sent their entire office to the U.S. Green Building Council meeting in Denver in order to be on the cutting edge of green design in Jackson. To learn what you can do to live more sustainably go to www.carbonneutraljournal.com.
PERMALINK:
The 100th monkey is green! | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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