Marye Audet
DCL
Honing your green skills is part of growing and learning to walk softly on the earth. How many things do you really know how to do in order to increase your green and decrease your carbon footprint?
Here is a list of 100 essential skills for the green do-it-yourself-er.
Essential Food Skills
1. Read and understand product labels
2. Bake bread
3. Make your own bread starter and keep it going
4. Make cheese, yogurt, and kefir from local milk
5. Preserve food by canning
6. Preserve food by drying
7. Forage for local wild foods safely 8. Raise a couple of backyard chickens 9. Make your own tofu,tempeh, and soy milk 10. Eat locally and in season 11. Grind your own flour 12. Grow your own produce 13.Grow your own herbs 14.Grow your own sprouts 15. Blend your own herbal tea 16. Have a repertoire of vegetarian recipes you can use for various occasions 17. Fish or hunt responsibly if you eat meat 18. Make homemade pastas and other pantry basics 19. Cook a variety of foods well 20. Utilize a menu to minimize food waste 21. Throw a party without compromising your green values 22. Make Your Own Vanilla Extract 23. Sharpen kitchen knives so they last 24. Make homemade granola bars, granola, waffles, and other breakfast items 25. Make baked goods from "scratch". 26. Understand terms like, "organic", "Fair Trade", "all natural", and "GMO" Essential Household Skills 27. Sew well enough to repair clothing 28. Sew well enough to make your own clothing and reusable shopping bags 29. Sew fitted cloth diapers for your baby 30 .Knit or crochet dishcloths 31. Know how to reupholster a chair 32. Make your own laundry soap 33. Make your own dishwasher detergent 34. Make your own house cleaning supplies 35. Use diatomaceous earth, bay leaves, and other "eco-friendly" natural pest deterrents Home Maintenance and Repair Skills 36. Use non-electric appliances rather than electric 37. Know where to find non-electric appliances 38. Program a thermostat 39. Tile a counter top 40. Use 0 VOC paint 41. Repair a screen 42. Use a caulk gun 43. Make simple appliance repairs such as replacing belts 44. Find what you need by bartering, or using CraigsList, eBay, and thrift stores 45. Repair a leaky toilet 46. Repair a leaky faucet 47. Replace a faucet 48. Check your home for energy leaks using incense, a candle, or a device that is created for that purpose 49. Unclog a drain without using Drano or harmful chemicals 50. Insulate an attic with eco-friendly insulation Gardening Skills 51 .Build a compost system 52. Use compost to enrich your soil 53. Plan a garden for your climate 54. Understand xeriscaping\ 55. Plant a multi-seasonal vegetable garden 56. Build a simple cold frame for salad all year 57. Build frames for raised bed gardens 58. Make a rainwater catchment system 59. Use a manual reel mower 60. Use companion planting methods to control pests 61.Build a bat house to encourage bats and decrease mosquitoes 62. Use predator insects like Praying Mantis to control garden pests 63. Know what heirloom seeds are and why you should use them 64. How to plant open pollinated vegetables for best yields 65. How to save seeds from your own produce 66. Plant trees and bushes to cut your energy bills 67. Use soaker hoses to conserve water 68. Sharpen and maintain tools Health Skills 69. Know how to use herbs and natural remedies to treat common illnesses 70. Make your own soap 71. Make your own skin care products 72. Use essential oils for health and cleaning 73. Make your own deodorant Transportation Skills 74. Tune up a bicycle and make repairs 75. Do simple maintenance on your car 76. Arrange or locate a carpool 77. Learn to use hypermiling techniques 78. Plan eco-friendly air travel Energy Skills 79. Install exterior solar lighting 80. Install a solar panel 81. Know where to find the most eco-friendly, green power source available to you 82. Connect home electronics to power strips for easy shut off 83. Check the wattage of an appliance 84. Calculate annual kilowatt usage Conservation Skills 85. Use email rather than conventional mail 86. Switch to a paperless office 87. Locate the local library and use it rather than buying books, DVDs, and tapes 88. Adjust your settings on the computer to make it more energy efficient 89. Use skype and other technology to limit the need for travel to conferences 90. Learn to plan eco-friendly vacations, such as camping (and leave no trace) 91. Replace a hobby with an environmentally friendly hobby 92. Locate and use recreational green spaces such as hiking trails, parks, and public gardens 93. Understand and be able to explain what cradle to cradle means 94. Understand and be able to explain what carbon emissions are 95. Understand and be able to calculate a carbon footprint as well as explain what it is 96. Know where to recycle technological items like computers, microwaves, televisions etc. 97. Identify and sort a variety of recyclable materials 98. Know where reusable items can be substituted for disposables 99. Understand and be able to explain cap-and-trade Do you agree with all of those? Are there others that you feel are important? Let us know your thoughts!
