KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE / TAR SANDS . . . The comment period for messages of concern about the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline to bring Canadian tar sands through Nebraska’s groundwater-rich Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer has ended. This past week, Lincoln Journal-Star published an editorial opinion, “Pipeline needs more scrutiny.” June 30, 2010 letters to the editor are here. Three July 2nd letters are here.
On July 2nd, thirteen environmental groups, including Sierra Club and Wachiska Audubon, formally objected to the proposal and requested either rejection of the project or further review to ensure it will be safely operated and monitored. The groups sent a 35-page letter to the State Department. A July 3rd Omaha World Herald article covering the group action is here.
A June 28th press advisory from Plains Justice, a public-interest energy and environmental law center in Vermillion, South Dakota, released a report showing that defective steel might have been used in TransCanada’s already constructed Keystone pipeline. The group has asked the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to fully investigate, and to reduce the pipeline’s operating pressure until it can be fully tested. “Keystone XL Environmental Review Fatally Flawed” is here.
Further concerns may still be addressed on line to Nebraska Congressional Representatives and the governor as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry; Rep. Lee Terry; Rep. Adrian Smith; and Governor Dave Heineman. Green Notes will continue to update the situation as new information becomes available.
Reminder: Every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. Read “Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for Oil” here.
Lincoln area: Congressional District 1
CANNABIS INDEPENDENCE DAY RALLY . . . Monday, July 5, 2010, starting around 12:30pm, HEMP, Helping End Misguided Prohibition, will sponsor a Rally at the State Capitol Building, and a parade through downtown Lincoln. The United States was founded by farmers who prospered from the production of hemp–the world’s most versitile crop. The HEMP group’s goal is to educate, legislate, and liberate cannabis.
GROW AND SHARE . . . Starting Monday, July 5, 2010, local gardeners can take excess fruits and vegetables to Campbell’s Nurseries, 2342 South 40th and 7000 South 56th Street, Lincoln, every Monday and Tuesday. The food will be collected for the Food Bank of Lincoln, and distributed to 65 Southeast Nebraska agencies serving low-income people and families. Gardeners can also drop off produce at the Food Bank, 4840 Doris Bair Circle–about three blocks north of 48th and Superior, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm. Click here for tips on how to process produce for sharing. For more information, contact Cory Priefert at Campbell’s, 402.423.4556, ext. 233; or Cheri Lawrence at the Food Bank, 402.466.8170, ext. 106.
VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, from noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. For information about Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, click here.
LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Lincoln peace vigils continue at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402.499.6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.
WACHISKA AT THE ZOO . . . Meet Wachiska Audubon members at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, this Wednesday, July 7, 2010, for a free evening beginning with a bring-your-own brown bag picnic at 6:00pm. Park in the zoo’s lots, 27th & A Streets, and gather outside the main entrance (before crossing the zoo’s railroad tracks) between 5:45 and 6:00pm. The Wachiska group will be admitted free at 6:00pm sharp. After a brief program and presentation of the Lyman Award for the zoo’s Healthy Families Play Outside (HFPO) Initiative, everyone will be free to roam the zoo for the evening. Phone the Wachiska office, 402.486.4846, with any questions. There is no rain date for this event.
PASTORS FOR PEACE CUBA FUNDRAISER . . . The 21st annual Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba arrives in Lincoln on Sunday, July 11, 2010 for a potluck fundraiser at the home of Peter and Jodi Spalding. The Social Justice Committee of First Presbyterian Church, is hosting the 6:30pm event. Pastors for Peace volunteers from the US, Canada and Europe expect to collect 100 tons of aid from 125 communities during a two-week caravan that will converge in McAllen, Texas before traveling to Cuba. Please call the church office at 402.477.6037 for more details on this humanitarian effort.
LINCOLN FARMERS MARKETS . . . Locally grown produce and baked goods are available at Lincoln Farmers Markets five of the seven week days. Saturdays through October 9th, the Haymarket Farmers Market will be open from 8:00am to noon. The Old Cheney Road Garden Market at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road (behind the Lincoln Racquet Club) is open from 10:00am to 2:00pm every Sunday through November 7th. Other Lincoln Markets include
— Havelock Farmers Market, behind the businesses at 62nd and 63rd Streets and Havelock Avenue, Wednesdays 3:00 to 6:30pm, May 5 to October 27th.
— Piedmont Farmers Market, 1265 South Cotner Blvd. Saturdays 8:00am to noon, May 15 to September 18. Vendor spots available. Call Randy Nelsen at 467-2777.
— Centennial Mall Garden Market, 14th and M streets, east side of the Nebraska State Office building. Wednesdays noon to 4:00pm, July 7 to August 25th.
— Community Crops Farmers Market, Pentzer Park, 27th and Potter (2 blocks north of 27th and Holdrege), Thursdays, 4:30-7:30pm, June 3 through September 30, 2010.
— Backyard Farmer’s Market and Exchange, Tuesdays, 4:30 to 7:30pm, in the St. Paul United Church of Christ parking lot at 1302 “F” Street, June 1st through September 28, 2010.
Omaha area: Congressional District 2
JULY 5TH IMMIGRATION RALLY . . . Students 4 Immigration Reform will be celebrating Independence day on Monday, July 5, 2010, with a rally begining at 12:00pm in front of the Tree of Life on the corner of 24th and L streets, in Omaha. After the rally, around 1:30pm, there will be a voter registration barbeque hosted by the Association of Latino American Students (ALAS) at Unity Park, just south of Missouri Avenue on 18th street. Everyone is welcome. Visit the Facebook Group here.
OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Omaha peacemakers vigil every Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm, at StratCom/UN-O, 6801 Pine Street, east of the Scott Technology Center on the Un-O campus. Free parking is available at the NE Corner of 67th Street and Pine in a student lot. For more information, phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887. Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is an Anti-War and Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068.
NO OFFSHORE; YES TO CLEAN ENERGY . . . There will be an Omaha protest demonstration, “Say Yes to Clean Energy,” during rush hour on Wednesday, July 7, 2010. Meet at 72nd & Dodge between 5:00 and 5:30pm. Park on the west side of Petco, not at Target. Signs will be available, or bring your own.
OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “Meeting David Wilson,” a feature length documentary about the enduring legacy of slavery in today’s young black society. Watch the trailer here. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
PROGRESSIVE OMAHA . . . Canceled due to illness.
SIERRA BIKE RIDE . . . Sunday, July 11th, 2010, Sierra will host a 26 mile round trip ride along the Oak Creek Trail between Valparaiso and Brainard, Nebraska. This former Union Pacific rail winds through wooded, rolling hills and offers “highland” vistas along the way. For more information, and to rsvp, e-mail bobbygoetschkes [at] hotmail [dot] com or phone 402.614.4788.
OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . .Global research confirms food choices contribute the highest percentage to our carbon footprint; even more than transportation. The advantages of shopping locally go far beyond environmental impact. Farmers markets are the best way to choose local. Click here for a list of Omaha area Farmers Markets including Benson, Bellevue, Papillion, Auburn, Beemer, Bennington, Falls City, Plattsmouth, and Wayne, Nebraska; Glenwood, Council Bluffs, and Griswold, Iowa.
Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3
BLOSSOMS, BUTTERFLIES & BIRDS . . . The third annual Blossoms, Butterflies & Birds Tour will be Wednesday, July 7, 2010, at the Northeast Nebraska Resource Conservation & Development Council Office, 702 East Park Avenue, Plainview, Nebraska, from 8:15am to 2:00pm. The tour includes speakers, transportation, a fried chicken picnic lunch with the Amish, seldom traveled back roads, and exclusive butterfly destinations. Pre-register at 402.582.4866 or northeastrcd [at] plvwtelco [dot] net
BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here. Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative in expanded space at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.
HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? here. Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for supporting Nebraska Greens.
We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente