PEACEWEEK . . . PeaceWeek, a Global Telesummit for Building a Culture of Peace, continues through Tuesday, September 21, 2010. From the website: The broad trend of human evolution is to move beyond violence. Given the scale of global crises, we must accelerate that evolution and learn to live, collaborate, and create in a more harmonious way. PeaceWeek will unite pioneers from around the world together for the largest virtual peace summit ever created, culminating with the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21st. Engage in creating a shift to a world at peace by registering for this free virtual event here.

A MILLION MINUTES FOR PEACE . . . Odyssey Networks, the nation’s largest coalition of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith groups dedicated to achieving interfaith understanding, invites global participation in A Million Minutes for Peace, on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, the U.N. International Day of Peace. People of different faiths from all over the world will stop at noon and pray for peace for one minute — each in their own way. Click here to watch a 60-second video, and pledge your prayer for peace. It’s simple. It’s global. May Peace Prevail on Earth.

POLLUTION PREVENTION WEEK . . . It’s been 20 years since the passage of the P2 Act which establishes as national policy that waste shall be prevented whenever feasible. September 19 through the 25th is Pollution Prevention Week. Register for the following webinars emphasizing prevention before the end of the day Monday, September 20, 2010.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 11:00am to 12:30pm CDT: Water Efficiency for Hotels — Greening Your Bottom Line through Water Conservation. Read more and register here.  Wednesday, September 22, 2010, noon to 1:30pm CDT: Understanding the Environmental and Health Impacts of Personal Care Products. Read more and register here.
Thursday, September 23, 2010, noon to 1:30pm CDT: Greening Your Business. Read more and register here.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . When “voluntary” agreements to allow pipeline to cross private property fail, TransCanada goes to court, by Elizabeth McGowan, was published at SolveClimate on September 15, 2010. Pressure is mounting against dirty pipelines. Western Canada’s First Nations have been demonstrating against an Enbridge Northern Gateway project, protesting in the streets, “Keep oil sands off our lands and waters.” First Nations Escalating Opposition to Strategic Oil Pipeline Through Their Land, by Stacy Feldman, was also published at SolveClimate, on September 14th.  Sunday, September 19th, the Lincoln Journal Star published a fourth editorial warning on the issue, “Follow the pipeline project closely.”
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.”  The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. See CD 2 Green Notes below for this week’s Omaha events in demonstration against the XL project.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline. Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: 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 other environmental exploiters.
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. Click here  for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for Oil.”

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.

LISTENING SESSION ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE . . . Thursday, September 23, 2010, UN-L Extension will host a USDA Listening Session on Sustainable Agriculture, 5:30 to 8:30pm, at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln. The listening session is open to the public, at no cost. EveryOne is invited to attend, especially anti-hunger and food justice advocates, educators, non-profit organizations, concerned citizens, government officials, farmers, ranchers, grocers, chefs, workers, food processors and distributors. For more information, and to pre-register, contact Gary Bergman at 402.441.7180.

WILDERNESS WALKABOUT . . . Friends of Wilderness Park are hosting weekly hikes through different parts of the Park, every Saturday at 3:00pm. The casual strolls will highlight the diversity of life in the Park. Meet at the 14th Street Entrance on September 25, 2010. All ages are welcome.

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.
— 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

EXPANDING NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY . . . Citizens for Equal Protection is working with the Omaha City Council to expand the City’s existing non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity.  Public comments will be heard at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 2:00pm, at the Council office, 1819 Farnam Street, Suite LC-1. For more information contact Buster Brown, City Clerk, 402.444.5557. Click here for the CFEP facebook page.

RALLY TO INFORM AND DEMONSTRATE OPPOSITION TO THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Help cover the entire intersection at 90th & Maple Street with a protest presence on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 5:00 to 7:00pm. Bike, walk, or carpool if possible. Park in the southwest corner of the bank parking space in you must drive. There are a limited number of evenings left before it will be too dark after work for a visible protest. Signs will be provided, or bring your own. E-mail Jane Wilson, japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net, for more information.

BLACK-WHITE DIALOGUES . . . The fall Black-White Dialogues public series, where people of the different races meet, watch and listen to a short presentation, and then discuss the topic and other concerns, building connections in order to address and eliminate racism, continues Tuesday, September 21, 2010, with Wadie Thomas & Doug Johnson, Juvenile Court Judges presenting “How Kids Get Into and Out of Trouble,” from 7:00 to 9:00pm at First Central Congregational Church, 421 South 36th Street, in Omaha. Gather at 6:45pm. To get involved, phone Elaine Wells, 573-1720, or click here for information and registration.

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 GREEN DRINKS . . . Green Drinks, Omaha’s informal, self-organizing network of environmental activists and friends, will meet in the loft on Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 5:30pm to close, at Loft 610, Midtown Crossing, 220 South 31st Avenue #3107. Green Drinks are currently active in 728 cities worldwide. Walk, cycle, bus, or carpool if possible. Three hours of free parking, if you need it, is available under the Prairie Life Fitness Center access off the roundabout.

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 “Plunder: The Crime of Our Time.”  The film by Danny Schechter explores how the financial crisis was built on a foundation of criminal activity, uncovering the connection between the collapse of the housing market and the economic catastrophe that followed. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

“CLIMATE CHANGE, KEYSTONE XL AND YOU” . . . Graham Christensen, of Nebraska Farmers Union, will speak on how climate change and the tar sands pipeline are impacting EveryOne’s lives on Friday, September 24, 2010, noon to 2:00pm, in the Nebraska Room of UN-O Milo Bail Student Center, 6001 Dodge Street. This is the first event of the year for the UN-O Women’s Resource Center.  The free presentation, followed by discussion, is open to the public. Complimentary food will be provided. Click here for information on FaceBook.

LISTENING SESSION ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE . . . Friday, September 24, 2010, 2:30 to 5:30pm, the Douglas County USDA Listening Session will be at Metropolitan Community College Institute for Culinary Arts, Swanson Conference Center, Room 201A, 5730 North 30th Street, in Omaha. Everyone is invited, especially anti-hunger and food justice advocates, educators, non-profit organizations, concerned citizens, government officials, farmers, ranchers, grocers, chefs, workers, food processors and distributors. For more information and to pre-register, phone Jennifer Valandra, 402.457.2555, or e-mail jvalandra [at] mccneb [dot] edu

BENSON FARMERS MARKET . . . The Benson Farmers Market will be on Military Avenue from Maple to Binney Streets, Saturday, September 25, 2010, 8:00am to noon.

HUMANE SOCIETY WALK FOR THE ANIMALS . . . This year’s Margre Durham Walk for the Animals will be Sunday, September 26, 2010, 8:30am to noon on the Nebraska Humane Society Campus, 8929 Fort Street, Omaha. There will be a three-quarter-mile walk, vendors, food. Click here to register for the event. For more information, phone Mark Langan, 402.444.7800.

BENSON GARDEN WALK . . . The Benson Garden Walk at various Benson locations will be Sunday, September 26, 2010, 11:00am to 4:00pm.

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