SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials is below, following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note Wednesday’s Noon Action at the State Capitol Building in Lincoln.
Lincoln area: Congressional District 1
RECYCLE HOLIDAY TREES . . . Holiday trees will be accepted for recycling at eight Lincoln sites through Sunday, January 9, 2011. The city has recycled an estimated 186,645 trees since the annual project began in 1987. Drop off trees at any of the following locations: Ballard Park, 3901 N. 66th Street; Oak Lake Park, three blocks south of Cornhusker Highway on First Street; University Place Park, 50th and Garland Streets; Holmes Lake Park, parking lot west of the north softball field; Sawyer-Snell Park, Second and South streets, west of the Fire Department Building; Tierra Park, 29th and Tierra Drive; Woods Park, 31st and J Streets, southeast corner of parking lot; and Hoefling Enterprises, 2200 South Folsom Court. Hoefling has donated grinding services, and tree mulch will be distributed free to Lincoln residents beginning January 10, 8:00am to 5:00pm weekdays. (Remove any nails, wires and tree stands, or plastic bags used to transport the trees.)
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.
OPENING DAY OF THE LEGISLATURE . . . On Wednesday, January 5, 2011, opening day of the 102nd Nebraska Legislature, from noon to 1:00pm, there will be an action under the Lincoln statue on the west side of the Capitol Building. The clear message to state “leaders” will be Do Your Duty and Protect our Land and Water. Join Greens, NGP Supporters, BOLD Nebraska and members of Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Nebraska Sierra Club, Audubon Nebraska, Guardians of the Good Life, and Nebraskans for Peace in solidarity against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline threatening our land and water. E-mail info [at] boldnebraska [dot] org with any questions.
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.
ELECTRONICS RECYCLING . . . Saturday, January 8, 2011, 9:00am to 1:00pm, obsolete, broken and unused electronics may be recycled at the Lincoln Public Schools District Office, 5901 O Street. All electronics will be recycled for free, except TVs and monitors with CRTs, which are hazardous waste. Recyclables include desktop and laptop computers, bar coders, circuit boards, copiers, CD/DVD drives, DVD players, fax machines, hand-held devices, medical equipment, keyboards, modems, monitors, printers, routers, scanners, servers, telephones, wire and cords. Call Jim Vanderslice, 402.420.1515, for more information.
WINTER WALKABOUT . . . Spring Creek offers opportunities to get out and walk the prairie. On Saturday, January 8, 2011, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center will host a “New Year Winter Walkabout.” There will be two sessions: from 10:00am to noon, and from 1:00 to 3:00pm. Staff members and participants will explore remote parts of the prairie, and investigate winter wildlife. For more information, phone 402.797.2301. The Center, with more than 800 acres of native tallgrass prairie, is 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln near Denton.
LOCAL ARTISTS WANTED . . . The Third Annual Artistic Rain Barrel Program invites local artists to paint rain barrels with original designs for display citywide next spring. Twenty-five artists will be chosen for a public auction of barrels in May, 2011. Click here [pdf] for an application, which includes a short summary and preliminary sketch of your intended design. Applications are due by February 11, 2011. For more information, contact Ellen Wright, 402.441.7075.
Omaha area: Congressional District 2
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 “500 Years Later,” an epic documentary that chronicles the struggle of a people who continue to fight for the most essential human right of freedom. Watch trailers here. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . .Stop the Keystone XL pipeline — call your senators. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline, and your senators can pressure her to stand up to Big Oil and stop it. Help put some needed peer pressure on Secretary Clinton by calling your senators today. Dial the Capitol Switchboard at 202. 224.3121, and ask to be connected.
Carol Smith’s Letter to the Editor of Lincoln Jounal Star, “Tar sands oil devastating,” published December 19, 2010, refers to “U.S. pipeline plan, climate vows at odds,” a previous article regarding the Keystone XL pipeline. “The article addresses important negative aspects of the pipeline issue that we don’t see very often: higher greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands than from crude oil; the destruction of forest and wetland in Alberta, the size of Florida; and the poisoning of their air and water. One fact it did not mention is that the burden of this devastation is once again being borne on the backs of the indigenous population. While it is true that it would be a needless tragedy to have the pipeline leak into the Ogallala Aquifer, we need to recognize our own personal responsibility for why we need so much oil in the first place. We have the technology to drastically reduce our dependence on all oil, if only we can find the personal courage to do so. Let’s work together to make it happen.” “On Precaution,” by Naomi Klein for Reader Supported News on December 8th, features photos of Canadian landscapes gutted by tar sands extraction.
“U.S. poised to slurp up more of Canada’s dirtiest oil,” was published by McClatchy newspapers December 8, 2010. It begins, “At the climate talks under way at the Mexican beach resort of Cancun, the U.S. has assured the world it’s not backing away from its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, however, the State Department looks likely to approve a pipeline that would increase the use of one of the dirtiest forms of oil.” On December 10, Lincoln Journal Star published coverage of TransCanada tests on the existing Keystone pipeline, “TransCanada checking Keystone anomalies.” New information from BOLD Nebraska is that there was a pipeline leak in Nebraska, August of this year. In a letter to Senator Nelson, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said no decision has been made on the proposed Keystone XL $7 Billion pipeline, despite her reported remarks suggesting she supports the project. Lincoln Journal Star coverage of “Hillary Clinton: No Keystone XL decision made,” was published December 11.
A Nebraska Unicameral Update “Oil pipeline safety analyzed,” is here. “Slated for construction in Nebraska in 2011, the 1,661-mile oil pipeline will connect Canadian crude oil suppliers to Texas refineries.” Such language assumes the pipeline will be build, even before the State Department has approved the project. Senators need to know there is constituent opposition statewide, and be encouraged to reconsider assumptions about inevitability. Only two Senators have started asking challenging questions. If Senator Harr or Senator Fulton is your senator, consider thanking him for speaking out. All the senators need to understand that, at the least, they can require financial assurances from TransCanada with regulatory oversight for pipelines, and reform eminent domain laws. Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here. Contact information is included for each Senator.
North American native groups urged the United States and Canada to abandon support for the carbon-heavy tar sands pipeline in protests at the UN Climate Talks in Cancun. “Cancun Protesters Target Canada, U.S. over Oil Sands,” by SolveClimateNews covered the protests on December 3rd. Nebraska Farmer’s Union has also issued a Resolution against the XL pipeline. Lincoln Journal Star published another letter to the editor, “Reroute the pipeline,” Sunday, December 5th. To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
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. Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands 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.“
AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.
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 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