KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE / TAR SANDS . . . If you are new to Green Notes and the issue of a proposed Keystone XL Pipeline through Nebraska’s groundwater-rich Sand Hills, including the Ogallala Aquifer, click here for background from our Green Notes index. Schroll down for updates published before the comment period to the Department of State ended July 2, 2010. Omaha progressives against the pipeline met Friday, July 9th, to discuss an action plan. Nationally, TruthOut reports that Protesters gathered at the Canadian embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue asking Secretary of State Clinton to Vote No on the tar sands proposal. The Obama administration is poised to approve or veto the 1,700-mile pipeline. Click here for the TruthOut article.
Comments of concern 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
NEBRASKA PHARMACY BOARD HEARING . . . Monday, July 12, 2010, the Nebraska Pharmacy Board meets at 8:00am in the State Office Building, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, to hear testimony on the subject of medical cannabis. Last winter, an independent pharmacy board in Iowa recommended that the Legislature reclassify marijuana so it could be used for medical treatment, and other states have now followed the reclassification trend. (A new Denver Sales Tax on Medical Marijuana Raised Over $1 Million In Five Months.) A powerful new eye-opening film about the future of cannabis, and perhaps the future of medicine, has just been released. The trailer for “What if Cannabis Cured Cancer,” is here.
“What If Cannabis Cured Cancer summarizes the remarkable research findings of recent years about the cancer-protective effects of novel compounds in marijuana. Most medical doctors are not aware of this information and its implications for prevention and treatment. If we need more evidence that our current policy on cannabis is counterproductive and foolish, here it is.” –Andrew Weil, M.D.
VIDEO YOUR GREEN PROJECTS . . . Jose Espinosa, a journalist traveling the country for GreenStories, will be interviewing people in Nebraska about their green projects, green activities, and green jobs. He will be in Lincoln Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 12 through the 14th. If you’d like to be interviewed about your Nebraska specific green lifestyle, contact him at JE [at] USAGreenStories [dot] com
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.
“LIVING AND WORKING IN 2040” . . . The City and County will spend the next 12 to 18 months updating the Comprehensive Plan and long-range transportation plan for Lincoln/Lancaster. In conjunction with beginning this process, there will be a public workshop, “Living and Working in 2040,”(pdf) from 7:00 to 9:00pm, Tuesday, July 13, 2010, in City Council Chambers, County-City Building, 555 South 10th Street. Click here for more information.
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.
PRIDE WEEKEND . . . Lincoln PRIDE weekend, celebrating LGBT diversity, will start Friday, July 16, 2010, with the Star City PRIDE Street Dance at the main site, 18th & N Streets. A beer garden will open at 5:00pm. Live music starts around 7:00pm. Saturday, July 17th, the Star City PRIDE Street Festival featuring food, vendors, speakers, and local artists, begins at 2:00pm. Jumpin’ Kate will sing original songs from 4:00 to 4:30, and bands will rock until 1:00am. A Kidz Zone will be open from 2:00 to 4:00 under the big tent on N Street west of the main stage. Click here for a full schedule of events, entertainers, and more information.
GROW AND SHARE . . . 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 during summer. 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.
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 is 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
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE, ANOTHER U.S. IS NECESSARY, ANOTHER DETROIT IS HAPPENING . . . Eighteen people from Nebraska, under the umbrella of the Omaha/USSF Coalition, joined 12,000 other Progressive activists from around the country to network, learn and celebrate at the U.S. Social Forum, June 22 through 26, 2010, in Detroit. Click here for a grab-bag of impressions from the event.
2010 OPPD HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY WORKSHOP . . . There will be a Home Energy Workshop at the Omaha Neighborhood Center, 115 South 49th Avenue, on Monday, July 12, 2010, 5:30pm. For more information, phone Renee at 636.3541, or e-mail rmjacobsen [at] oppd [dot] com
POWER OF THE MIND . . . Monday, July 12, 2010, Omaha native Friar Justin Belitz of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor, will present a free lecture on the power of the mind, at Hampton Inn, Dodge Street and I-680, in Omaha, 7:30pm. Saturday and Sunday, July 17 and 18, Belitz will teach the Silva Method of Meditation at the Hampton Inn, Westroads. Belitz is an internationally recognized lecturer on meditation, mind development, relaxation, visualization and motivation. For more information, phone 402.334.8154 or 402.203.3514.
“BEYOND THE MOTOR CITY” . . . There will be a free opportunity to watch a PBS Documentary Screening and Discussion of the future of mass transit in America at Film Streams Theater, 1340 Mike Fahey Street, Omaha, Wednesday, July 14, 2010, at 7:00pm. For more information, contact Casey Logan, 402.933.0259, or e-mail casey [at] filmstreams [dot] org
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.
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 “Ask Not,” a documentary that explores the effects of the US military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gay and lesbian service members. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
VIDEO YOUR GREEN PROJECTS . . . Jose Espinosa, a journalist traveling the country for GreenStories, will be interviewing people in Nebraska about their green projects, green activities, and green jobs. He will be in Omaha Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 15th through the 17th. If you’d like to be interviewed about your Nebraska specific green lifestyle, contact him at JE [at] USAGreenStories [dot] com
LEAD REMEDIATION PUBLIC MEETING . . . A toxic waste dump has been proposed for a South Omaha residential area located at 2727 South 28th Avenue. Thursday, July 15, 2010, 7:00pm, there will be a public meeting at the Southeast Police Precinct, 2475 Deer Park Blvd., to discuss this possibililty. As part of the Environmental Protection Agency lead remediation project, all soil removed from lead poisoned yards must be moved to a staging site for testing before it can proceed to the landfill. While the proposed property is zoned “industrial,” it is located in a residential area. The South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance invites all neighborhood associations, businesses, schools, community groups and non-profit organizations to attend this meeting to ask the EPA and its contractors to consider a site that is located in a non-residential area. For more information, contact Crystal Rhoades crhoades [at] mail [dot] unomaha [dot]edu
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
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 own 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 your support!
We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente