Here at Red River Gorgeous we aim to be mindful of our impact on the planet.
We think about where things come from and where they go.
We believe that Climate Change is a very real threat to our collective home…the planet…and we have voluntarily placed our family, and therefore also our company, into the Paris Agreement by developing and following a plan to reduce our carbon emissions and resource consumption. We are also voluntary signatories of the We Are Still In Declaration.
Here are some initiatives we currently have underway to meet our carbon emission reduction goals:
We Support Renewable Energy:
By paying our electricity bill through Arcadia Power, we are supporting renewable energy sources like wind and solar. You can too! Check them out at www.arcadiapower.com
We Are Working to Add a Solar Power Charging Station:
This station will be made available to our guests to charge everything from cell phones to the 18V Makita Litium-Ion batteries used for the cabin lanterns, portable cabin fans, and many of our construction tools.
Additionally, we pledge that for every dollar we spend on hot tub upgrades, we will spend an equal amount on solar panels and improving other components of our solar system.
We Reduce our Electricity Demand by Line-Drying as many of our Linens as possible:
While it takes more labor and time, we line dry all of our blankets and most of our bathtowels here at our main office. We are excited to include the simplest of solar technologies in our business!
We Recycle:
There are blue bins in every cabin. We collect recyclables and sort them in a system in our parking lot before hauling them to a local recycling center…usually to our friends at CRC in Morehead, KY. Check them out at www.moreheadrecycling.org.
We Use Re-purposed Materials:
Many of the doors, windows and flooring in our cabins and treehouses are on their second or third lives! For example, the flooring in Tradewinds Treehouse is an old high school gym floor. And many of our showers and counter tops are made from reused chalkboards.
We Insulate:
For all of our new builds and renovations, we use a lot of insulation to reduce the long term use of fuel for heating and cooling. Many of our buildings are now insulated to about R-26 and it is our goal to keep improving all of our structures to at least this level of efficiency. R-26 is roughly twice as efficient as standard 2 x 4 wall construction with batt insulation.
We Buy Energy-Efficient Appliances:
We routinely seek out…and pay more for…the most energy-efficient hot water heaters, refrigerators, mini split systems and even hot tubs! We also seek out high quality appliances which will outlive less expensive options so that we reduce the resources required to offer you a great vacation full of relaxation and fun!
We Are Increasing Our MPG Average:
This year we added a used Prius to our road vehicle roster as well as a 4-wheeler, which we can use for many of our cabin and treehouse chores. Using the 4-wheeler instead of our Land Cruisers means we are using energy to move 500 pounds of metal instead of 6,000 pounds. We have added the 4-wheeler by way of a barter agreement with a kindly neighbor here in the gorge.
Our favorite animal:
We think we have finally discovered our favorite animal: The Environmentally Compassionate Copycat.
Please warm our hearts, and help keep the planet cool, by copying any and all of the initiatives mentioned here.
PS: We also like sharing. Please share this website, and these ideas, with others.