KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . A July 26, 2010, earth2lincoln broadcast on KZUM, 89.3fm (6:00pm every Monday), revealed that there is *no* regulation legislation in Nebraska, for the current Keystone I pipeline, nor for the proposed XL pipeline. Listen to the interview here.  To see photos of what tar sands have done to the Alberta, Canada environment, click here.
Now, two leaks have already been discovered, both in South Dakota, at the brand-new Keystone I pipeline, before the operation is even in production. A report on the May 2010 leak, revealed by Plains Justice, is here. The June 20, 2010 leak is covered here.
A Lincoln Journal-Star Editorial on July 27th, Keystone XL pipeline needs more study begins “The Environmental Protection Agency is right. The draft statement on the environmental impact of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline is inadequate. More work is needed.” Further, “The draft is full of omissions and oversights. The current statement does not deserve approval. We are pleased that the State Department on Monday extended the Sept. 15 deadline by 90 days for federal agencies to comment on the draft, but that’s not enough. The problems should be fixed and the public should get another chance to comment on the revised statement.” Read the entire editorial here.
Ruptured Oil Pipe Sends 877,000 Gallons of Crude Oil into Kalamazoo River, Threatening People and Wildlife covers last week’s Michigan spill, the largest ever oil disaster in the Midwest. The AlterNet article is from July 30, 2010.
The State Department comment period expired July 2nd, but Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to continue getting letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents calling for oil pipeline regulation in Nebraska. Contact Nebraska Congressional Representatives: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or any other environmental exploiter.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence.
And remember, 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

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.

REMEMBERING HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI . . . The first U.S. performance of “Foie Gras and the Public Servant,” by Hayashi Kyoko, victim of the bombing of Nagasaki, will be part of a program on Friday, August 6, 2010, 7:00pm, at the Lincoln Unitarian Church, 6300 “A” Street. Local actors David Landis, William Gaines and Hanna Day-Woodruff will perform the leads in this “reading performance” of what was originally a radio play. For more information, e-mail Paul Olson, polson2 [at] unlnotes [dot] unl [dot] edu

REMEMBRANCE CONTINUES . . . The 2010 Hiroshima-Nagasaki Lantern Float commemoration will be Saturday, August 7, 2010, 7:00pm, at Lincoln’s Holmes Lake. The program will be a mixture of music, poetry and reflection, culminating with the lantern float at nightfall. The purpose of the event is to remind us of what happened and to affirm that such events never occur again. For a schedule of the evening’s events, scroll down here.

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

BENEFIT FOR OMAHA BIKES . . . Monday, August 2, 2010, 7:30pm to 10:00pm, Tom Snyders, “The Bicycling Comedian,” will perform a one-night-only comedy show “You Can’t Bring That Bike in Here!” for the benefit of Omaha Bikes, a community organization promoting improved transportation, utility, and recreational bicycling infrastructure, opportunities and experiences in Omaha. The fundraiser will be at Barley’s Bar & Grill, 1510 Cuming Street. Now pedaling through the Midwest, Snyders has performed in more than 200 comedy clubs, riding his bicycle to each performance, accumulating more than 150,000 miles in all 50 states and 33 countries on six continents. For details, click here.

STOP THE PIPELINE DEMONSTRATION . . . Weekly demonstrations promoting clean energy and an end to plans for the Keystone XL Pipeline will continue throughout the summer. This week, the demonstration will be Tuesday, August 3, 2010, 5:00 to 7:00pm, on the northeast corner of 90th & Dodge Street in Omaha. Help by holding a burma shave type sign during part or all of the rally.

TIBETAN MONKS IN OMAHA . . . Tuesday, August 3, through Sunday, August 8, 2010, the Tibetan monks of Gaden Shartse Monastery in exile at Mundgod, India, will present a week of cultural events at the OM Center, 1216 Howard Street, Omaha. For a schedule of the week’s events, click here and scroll down.

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 “Trouble Behind,” a film that shows how present and past are tied together in a seemingly typical American town, Corbin, Kentucky, home of Kentucky Fried Chicken. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

STOP THE PIPELINE MEETING . . . A new group organized around support for clean, renewable energy, will meet Friday, August 6, 2010, 6:30pm, on the back patio of Caffeine Dreams Coffee Shop, 4524 Farnam Street, (one block west of Saddle Creek). The group is dedicated to stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline.

ANNUAL VIGILS AT STRATCOM . . . The annual weekend of vigils at the gates of Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, home of the Strategic Nuclear and U.S. Military Space Commands, will begin Thursday evening, August 5, 2010, with a 6:00pm Mass and Pot Luck Supper at the Omaha Catholic Worker, 1104 North 24th Street, Omaha. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, August 6, 7 and 8, vigils will be at the Kenny Gate of STRATCom, 8:00am to 5:00pm, commemorating the anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Click here for a full schedule of events and details. Monday, August 9, there will be a vigil and Closing Ceremony (including line crossing) from 8:00 to 11:00am. Phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887, or e-mail cwomaha [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.

HIKE FONTENELLE FOREST . . . The Missouri Valley Sierra Club will host a perimeter hike of Fontenelle Forest, open to all, on Saturday, August 7, 2010. Meet at the Nature Center, 1111 Bellevue Blvd. North, Bellevue, at 10:00am. For more information, e-mail bobbygoetschkes [at] hotmail [dot] com

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

PAWNEE SPEAKERS SERIES . . . The Pawnee were pre-Nebraskan settlers, farming and hunting on the Plains. A 2010 August Speakers Series will present a glimpse of their Culture every Sunday afternoon, 3:00pm, at The Pawnee Arts Center, 106 South Mill Street, Dannebrog, Nebraska. Sunday, August 8th, Ronnie O’Brien, Education Director of the Kearney Archway, will present ” Building the Earth Lodge,” an understanding of where the Pawnee lived. The Center will open at noon. Light refreshments will be available after the program. There is a suggested donation. Phone Gale Pemberton, 308.226.8286, or e-mail gale1938 [at] live [dot] com for more information.

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