As a supporter of the environment and in learning to apply permaculture design principles to all areas of my life, I often see those things around me that are in need of change. The problem is that most of those things remain unnoticed by most people, as well as those who are in a position to be able to make changes.
I would rate Wyoming as one of the least environmentally conscious states. Some areas, such as Jackson, are slightly more aware, but for the most part, cowboys and farmers rule the affairs here. This is not to say that there aren’t some people who care about the environment here, but there are far too few to make a difference. Those who do are often transplants who came here from somewhere else and are not from here.
Since I have never worked in a motel other than the one in this town, I cannot say that they are all alike. Most motels are franchises owned by private investors so their focus is always on making the largest possible profit. One month after I had begun working at the motel, it was purchased by a new owner. So far, he has purchased new air conditioning units for all of the rooms, new TV’s, new thermostats, new Gideon Bibles, new pillows, and new sheets and towels. He is having our maintenance man refinish all of the bathtubs. I believe that he plans to replace the mattresses, too, at some point. The Internet is slow and the IPad, computer, and printers are in need of updating. He owns several other motels in addition to this one.
In order to pay for all of his upgrades, he raised the prices over the summer by more than 30%. We began to lose business because of it. When my manager and I finally convinced him that his high prices were turning people away, he returned them to what they were when I started working there. Business has picked up; however, keeping reliable housekeepers has been the biggest challenge, and he refuses to give any of us raises. He does not understand that it is the people who run the motel, that make it successful. If he would invest as much in the staff as he does in the “improvements”, success would be ensured.
Environmentally speaking, there are infinitely more things that could be done to lessen the carbon footprint of the motel. Not a single window in the entire building can be opened. Therefore, there is no way to air out the rooms (especially when someone has ignored the no smoking policy.) Fans and air cleaners, as well as toxic chemicals from a spray bottle, are utilized to remove the odor. These rooms cannot be rented for a couple of days, costing the motel more money. The building faces south and the new ac units are installed on the outside of the building. Below the windows, there is rock that requires herbicides to keep the weeds from growing in them. There are no trees or shrubs to shade the units, so they will suck out far more energy than is necessary. There is a grassy area at one end of the building. Clotheslines could be erected there for drying the sheets, which would then smell so wonderful, it would keep guests coming back. This would eliminate the wrinkled state from which they come out of the dyer. The wind here would dry the sheets most days in as few as two or three hours. The toxic chemicals used to whiten the linens and those in the dryer sheets are a health hazard to people with asthma. They could easily be replaced with natural products. Recycling containers could be provided next to trash cans. There are so many ways in which businesses, as well as individuals, can stop the damage we are doing to our world. Individually, we cannot do a lot, but if those who are creating the bigger problems would put our planet and people above their own profit, we might begin to see improvement. Becoming green should be the priority of every business.
