Targhee Today

Now, we’ve probably all heard the term sustainability so much lately that it’s likely to cause brain rot.  But this term, defined as meeting the needs of the current population without compromising the ability for future generations to thrive, is a key concept that’s laying the foundation of the New Economy.

Now, this is NOT to be confused with the “old” New Economy of the last few decades where the service and asset-based economy, brought about by globalization, projected to provide decades of… steady growth, low unemployment, and immunity from the boom and bust macroeconomic cycles- but instead…well, we all know what’s happened.  No- this “New” New Economy learns from the lessons of the last two decades, especially the last year.  And the principles driving the New Economy have the ability to create radical change- which is our only option if we want to sustain life on this planet.

First, and most-importantly I think, the New Economy accounts for externalities.  The triple bottom line, as it’s often referred to, takes into consideration not only the dollar value of a product or service, but the social and environmental costs associated with providing that product or service.  Triple bottom line accounting recognizes that without happy, healthy staff, a vibrant community, and the natural environment able to sustain those people and resources; business IS unsustainable in the long term.  “People, Profit, Planet” is the mantra.  Triple Bottom Line businesses invest in human capital, give back to the communities that support them, eliminate toxic chemicals from their products, and conduct life cycle analyses of their operations to track their impacts both upstream and downstream.  If every business could pull this one off, we could save the world.  And the best part is that it’s a fundamentally conservative idea—it’s a free market where- instead of being heavily regulated by the government- business accounts for and addresses its impacts.

Second, the New Economy strives for closed-loop systems.  These are systems and processes that strive for zero-waste, often referred to as cradle-to-cradle.  Here is one example of this concept that we’re planning to apply at Targhee- (slides) Consultants City Soil and Greenhouse are helping us with a feasibility study that would design a composting greenhouse.  Organic waste such as food scraps, yard trimmings, cardboard, and paper will be added to internal composting chambers where they’ll cook the waste and turn into compost.  The cooking of the compost will heat the interior of the greenhouse, which is important because our base area is at 8000’ so it can get pretty cold during the winter.  This rich super-soil will then be used to grow vegetables that we can then use in our restaurants.

A highly innovative application that I think we’ll hear a lot more about in the near future is Biomimicry- design inspired by nature.  Ecosystems don’t generate waste and ecosystems don’t have underemployed.  Every plant, animal, and insect has an integral job and every process is continual.  If we can base human systems on natural systems, we can eliminate waste in materials, energy, and labor.   This application is helping design engineers, architects, and biologists create products that strive for zero-waste, zero-emissions, and zero toxicity.  Inspiration is being drawn from humpback whales to design super efficient wind-turbines, ant colonies to design more socially sustainable communities, and a butterfly wing’s iridescence to design non-toxic paint. Biomimicry encourages us to optimize rather than maximize.

Another piece of the NEW ECONOMY is a pretty basic concept that, when actually applied, has profound implications for how businesses interact, and that’s Systems Thinking. Suppose… your city wants to encourage more people to ride public transportation but then instead of investing in transit infrastructure, the city builds more auto parking spaces… or your child’s school district wants to promote youth leadership but excludes them from school management decision-making.  Systemic thinking encourages us to see the world in a wider, more holistic way, recognizing that issues and relationships are much more like a connected web than a series of separate boxes.  The problem with much of the thinking of the past decade is we tend to operate in ‘silos’.  We don’t always see connections or recognize there might be other consequences to our actions than those we intended.  We either don’t include these effects consciously in our thinking – or we just don’t perceive them as being relevant. Or maybe we are driven by fierce competition and see collaboration as “sharing the secret sauce.”  But in a world of rapid change, currently characterized by complexity and uncertainty, such limited thinking will not help us to work toward radical change.

And the last principle of the New Economy is organizational learning.  This is the idea that we possess all of the knowledge, creativity, and tools we need to compete within our own organizations and interrelated systems.  And if we can create a learning environment, harness the skills and creativity of our employees, engage in ongoing dialogue, collaborate and share resources, and create an inclusionary decision-making process- we can optimize our efficiency.   Unfortunately for me, Organizational Learning would contend that it’s not as efficient to have me stand here and deliver a one-directional presentation to all of you.  Instead, it’s about harnessing all of the collective knowledge of the people in this room and having meaningful discussions, creating opportunities for ongoing dialogue, and sharing resources . . .

Some of the attendees have already produced reports and content from Gotham Goes Green – you can read more at the  Alternative Consumer and The Daily Green.

Christina was also recently interviewed by Jackson Hole Community Radio for LIGHTS OFF, a radio show about local sustainability efforts. Listen to it here: http://www.tetonarea10x10.org/mp3/player24.html.

Visit our website for more information on our Sustainability Charter.

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We received a recent accolade from Skiing Magazine, who identified their “Green All Stars” and awarded Grand Targhee Resort the title of Greenest Ski Resort.

Early last week our Director of Sustainable Operations, Christina Thomure, joined a group of like-minded companies (SOLE, Kleen Kanteen, The North Face, Teton Gravity Research, Protect Our Winters, Regen and Polartec) for “Gotham Goes Green,” a sustainability-themed media event in New York City organized by Rendezvous Event Management.  Christina was invited as the guest speaker, representing not only Grand Targhee Resort, but also Protect Our Winters (POW).  We were the first Resort to sign on as a partner of POW and Christina sits on the board.

In addition to identifying some of our progress – including becoming the first business in North America to become climate registered through the North American Climate Registry, the current recipient of the Golden Eagle Award, our new glass reduction initiative and our goal to reduce our electricity use by 2010 to 10% below our 5-year average – Christina spoke about the elements of the New Economy – here’s an excerpt from her presentation:

Now, we’ve probably all heard the term sustainability so much lately that it’s likely to cause brain rot.  But this term, defined as meeting the needs of the current population without compromising the ability for future generations to thrive, is a key concept that’s laying the foundation of the New Economy.

Now, this is NOT to be confused with the “old” New Economy of the last few decades where the service and asset-based economy, brought about by globalization, projected to provide decades of… steady growth, low unemployment, and immunity from the boom and bust macroeconomic cycles- but instead…well, we all know what’s happened.  No- this “New” New Economy learns from the lessons of the last two decades, especially the last year.  And the principles driving the New Economy have the ability to create radical change- which is our only option if we want to sustain life on this planet.

First, and most-importantly I think, the New Economy accounts for externalities.  The triple bottom line, as it’s often referred to, takes into consideration not only the dollar value of a product or service, but the social and environmental costs associated with providing that product or service.  Triple bottom line accounting recognizes that without happy, healthy staff, a vibrant community, and the natural environment able to sustain those people and resources; business IS unsustainable in the long term.  “People, Profit, Planet” is the mantra.  Triple Bottom Line businesses invest in human capital, give back to the communities that support them, eliminate toxic chemicals from their products, and conduct life cycle analyses of their operations to track their impacts both upstream and downstream.  If every business could pull this one off, we could save the world.  And the best part is that it’s a fundamentally conservative idea—it’s a free market where- instead of being heavily regulated by the government- business accounts for and addresses its impacts.

Second, the New Economy strives for closed-loop systems.  These are systems and processes that strive for zero-waste, often referred to as cradle-to-cradle.  Here is one example of this concept that we’re planning to apply at Targhee- (slides) Consultants City Soil and Greenhouse are helping us with a feasibility study that would design a composting greenhouse.  Organic waste such as food scraps, yard trimmings, cardboard, and paper will be added to internal composting chambers where they’ll cook the waste and turn into compost.  The cooking of the compost will heat the interior of the greenhouse, which is important because our base area is at 8000’ so it can get pretty cold during the winter.  This rich super-soil will then be used to grow vegetables that we can then use in our restaurants.

A highly innovative application that I think we’ll hear a lot more about in the near future is Biomimicry- design inspired by nature.  Ecosystems don’t generate waste and ecosystems don’t have underemployed.  Every plant, animal, and insect has an integral job and every process is continual.  If we can base human systems on natural systems, we can eliminate waste in materials, energy, and labor.   This application is helping design engineers, architects, and biologists create products that strive for zero-waste, zero-emissions, and zero toxicity.  Inspiration is being drawn from humpback whales to design super efficient wind-turbines, ant colonies to design more socially sustainable communities, and a butterfly wing’s iridescence to design non-toxic paint. Biomimicry encourages us to optimize rather than maximize.

Another piece of the NEW ECONOMY is a pretty basic concept that, when actually applied, has profound implications for how businesses interact, and that’s Systems Thinking. Suppose… your city wants to encourage more people to ride public transportation but then instead of investing in transit infrastructure, the city builds more auto parking spaces… or your child’s school district wants to promote youth leadership but excludes them from school management decision-making.  Systemic thinking encourages us to see the world in a wider, more holistic way, recognizing that issues and relationships are much more like a connected web than a series of separate boxes.  The problem with much of the thinking of the past decade is we tend to operate in ‘silos’.  We don’t always see connections or recognize there might be other consequences to our actions than those we intended.  We either don’t include these effects consciously in our thinking – or we just don’t perceive them as being relevant. Or maybe we are driven by fierce competition and see collaboration as “sharing the secret sauce.”  But in a world of rapid change, currently characterized by complexity and uncertainty, such limited thinking will not help us to work toward radical change.

And the last principle of the New Economy is organizational learning.  This is the idea that we possess all of the knowledge, creativity, and tools we need to compete within our own organizations and interrelated systems.  And if we can create a learning environment, harness the skills and creativity of our employees, engage in ongoing dialogue, collaborate and share resources, and create an inclusionary decision-making process- we can optimize our efficiency.   Unfortunately for me, Organizational Learning would contend that it’s not as efficient to have me stand here and deliver a one-directional presentation to all of you.  Instead, it’s about harnessing all of the collective knowledge of the people in this room and having meaningful discussions, creating opportunities for ongoing dialogue, and sharing resources . . .

Some of the attendees have already produced reports and content from Gotham Goes Green – you can read more at the  Alternative Consumer and The Daily Green.

Christina was also recently interviewed by Jackson Hole Community Radio for LIGHTS OFF, a radio show about local sustainability efforts. Listen to it here: http://www.tetonarea10x10.org/mp3/player24.html.

Visit our website for more information on our Sustainability Charter.