EARTH CIRCLE . . . On the first day of every month, people around the world stop everything for five minutes, joining with thousands of others to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. New Dimensions invites peacemakers everywhere to join at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am in District 3 where Mountain Time begins, Wednesday, June 1, 2011, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its people. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

WILDFLOWER WEEK STATEWIDE . . . Nebraska Wildflower Week, May 28 through June 5 this year, is a celebration of native plants in the wild, the state’s prairies, and gardens at their prime, during the first week of June.  Click here for a schedule of Wildflower events in Eastern Nebraska. More informaton, photos, and a complete list of statewide events can be found here.

PROTECTING WILDLIFE FROM DIRTY TAR SANDS OIL . . . The National Wildlife Federation will host a 30-minute Tele-town Hall: “Protecting Wildlife from Dirty Tar Sands Oil,” Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 7:00pm CST. Learn more about the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline’s threats to wildlife, and how you can help stop it. BOLD Nebraska’s Jane Kleeb will address what is at stake along the 2,000 mile route, and award-winning journalist Andrew Nikiforuk, author of “Why Keystone Pipeline Will Weaken the US,” will give a first-hand account of Canada’s tar sands operations–one of the most polluting and destructive industries on Earth. To join the Town Hall, rsvp here and you will receive a phone call between 6:45 and 7:00pm CST on June 1st. From NWF: “We can’t let this dirty tar sands pipeline put America’s wildlife at risk and jeopardize our clean energy future. Get your questions answered and find out what you can do by joining our Tele-town Hall on June 1st.”

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. There has never been a successful pipeline opposition campaign in the US. Please help Nebraska be the first state to organize opposition successfully. Actions you can take, regardless of where you live, are in CD 3 Green Notes below. Please help save our land and water from more corporate exploitation. The public comment period ends Monday, June 6, 2011.

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 when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. In winter, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. 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.

EMPTY BOWLS . . . The Food Bank of Lincoln will host the ninth annual Empty Bowls luncheon on Tuesday, May 31, 2011, 11:00am to 1:00pm, at Embassy Suites, 10th & P Streets. For more information, a list of participating restaurants, and to order tickets online, 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.

THINK GREEN IT’S THURSDAY . . . TGIT is a new happy hour for planning a sustainable future at the Eco Stores  Conference Room, 530 West P Street, Lincoln. This is an informational, educational, and social weekly event, with locally grown food and beverages. (Beverage donations will be accepted.) Learn about the latest green products, businesses, policies and practices every Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. For the spring schedule of TGIT
speakers, click here.  For more information, e-mail Mitch Paine at mitch [dot] paine [at] ecostoresne.org.

PUBLIC MEETING ON POST OFFICE CONSOLIDATION . . . The public will have an opportunity to offer comments about a proposal to consolidate some Lincoln and Omaha postal services on Thursday, June 2, 2011, 6:00pm, at the Firefighter’s Reception Hall, 241 Victory Lane, Lincoln. For more information about the proposed consolidation, click here for a Lincoln Journal Star article.

WEEKLY WALKABOUTS AT WILDERNESS PARK . . . Friends of Wilderness Park is hosting weekly hikes through the Park, led by Adam Hintz, starting at 1:00pm every Saturday from now through October. Each week will focus on a different area, highlighting the diversity of life in the Park. Hikes will start in parking lots according to the following schedule: the first and second Saturday of the month, meet at the Pioneers Boulevard entrance; the third Saturday, meet at Old Cheney Road; the fourth Saturday, meet at 14th Street north of Rokeby Road; and every fifth Saturday, the hike will start at Saltillo Road east of the Jamaica Trail. For more information, contact Adam at 402.421.8464.

LINCOLN FARMERS MARKETS . . . Farmers markets are now open in Lincoln. The Haymarket Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, in the Haymarket District at 7th & P Streets. Expect to find more than 120 vendors with fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items plus a performance showcase featuring local folk, jazz, blues and classical music. The Market continues through October 15th.  Every Sunday, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, the Old Cheney Road Farmers Market at 5500 Old Cheney Road features in-season heirloom and traditional produce, artisan breads and cheeses, homemade baked goods, wild-crafted and traditional jams, jelly, honey, meats, fish, eggs, and bedding plants. The Piedmont Farmers Market is open Saturdays, 8:00am to noon, at 1265 South Cotner, through mid-September. Saturday Farmers Markets at the FARM, 11855 Yankee Hill Road, 9:00am to noon, run until October 29th. Community CROPS, 1551 South 2nd Street, has garden pick-up 4:00 to 6:00pm Monday and Thursday through October 20. Other markets start in June and July. Find out what’s new this year, check an interactive map of Lincoln’s Farmers Markets, Farms and Community Supported Agriculture programs, and learn more about markets, CSAs, and local farms at the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Facebook page.

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 a Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store parking lot. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068 for more information about Saturday vigils.

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 “Progpaganda Swing,” a 60 minute documentary about Charlie and His Orchestra, a 1930’s Hitler propaganda swing band. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

TOWN HALL DISCUSSION . . . Thursday, June 2, 2011, 9:00am to 4:00pm, there will be a Town Hall Discussion on the mass incarceration of people of color. The free event, “JAIL and the Black Man,” is open to the public at Metropolitan Community College South Omaha Campus, ITC Training Building, 27th & Q Street. For more information, contact Willie Hamilton, 402.502.2081, or willzzway2 [at] yahoo [dot] com.

HIKE FONTENELLE FOREST . . . In celebration of National Trails Day, June 4, 2011, there will be a 9:00am, moderate to difficult Hollow to Hollow Hike at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, in Bellevue just south of Omaha. For more information, e-mail bobbygoetschkes [at] hotmail [dot] com.

PATTY DUNN BENEFIT FUNDRAISER . . . Patty Dunn was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Her family, including longtime Progressive Omaha Director Jack Dunn, and friends, are hosting a benefit fundraiser to help with medical expenses on Saturday, June 4, 2011, 3:00 to 7:00pm, at Premier Events, 145 Main Street, Springfield, Nebraska. There will be a buffet dinner, silent auction, door prizes, and a live auction at 6:00pm. All proceeds will go to the Dunn Family for long term cancer treatments. Suggested ticket prices are Adults-$5 and Children-$3. For more information, contact event organizers: Carl Brown, 402.681.6265 or Carol Radke, 402.397.3233. Springfield is just a few minutes south of Millard.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Omaha protests with Guardians of the Good Life continue. E-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net for details. STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace Coordinator Mark Welsch, 402.453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.

BENSON COMMUNITY GARDEN . . . Omaha’s newest community garden is at 60th & Lafayette, at the south side of the historic Benson neighborhood. The Benson Community Garden is looking for individuals and families interested in garden plots. For more information, phone 402.714.0290 or e-mail goetzinger2 [at] cox [dot] net. To get involved, or help support the garden, please register here.

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Monday, June 6, 2011, is the deadline for submitting comments on the proposed XL tar sands pipeline to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. BOLD Nebraska has a new blog post with videos, a petition to Secretary Clinton, background information and action alerts. The Department of State prefers comments specific to the 320-page Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed pipeline through Nebraska’s Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer, but EveryOne’s expressed opposition for whatever personal reasons is needed. A five-page Executive Summary of the SEIS is here.  The Journal Star editorialized “The statement is unfairly dismissive of the unique characteristics of Nebraska’s Sand Hills.” and encourages “Nebraskans — actually all Americans –” to comment on the ESI during this final comment period.  The official State Department Comments Page is here.  Comments may also be submitted via e-mail at keystonexl@cardno.com, by US Postal to Keystone XL EIS Project, P.O. Box 96503-98500, Washington D.C. 20090-6503, or fax 206.269.0098.  In comments, please invite Secretary of State Clinton to visit the Sand Hills, see our unique ecosystem, and meet the people who will be most effected by XL pipeline construction.
A new SignOn.org petition “Stop the TransCanada Pipeline” is here.  To Secretary Clinton, Governor Heineman, and President Obama, it says “Every elected official talks about the need for clean energy, biofuels, and energy independence. Now it’s time to live up to your words. We urge you—Sec. Clinton and Pres. Obama—to deny the permit to TransCanada. We urge you—Gov. Heineman—to get serious about protecting our land and water and get state-based regulations passed in the Unicameral. Stop the TransCanada pipeline. It’s too risky and threatens the good life of Nebraska.” A Sierra Action Alert “Protect Nebraska; Say NO to Tar Sands!” addressed to Secretary Clinton is here.  A Guardians of the Good Life petition “Protect Nebraska’s Economic Activity, Put the Brakes on the Pipeline,” to Secretary Clinton is here.  Take action here, to ask Clinton to “Protect Your Water, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!” at a food&waterWatch petition. And a Brave New Foundation petition to Clinton, “Say No to the Kochs and Yes to Protecting Americans,” is here.  Please sign them all, and comment directly to the Department of State here.
Thursday, May 26th, was the last day of the 2011 Nebraska legislative session. LB 629, [pdf] the Oil Pipeline Reclamation Act, regulating petroleum pipelines in Nebraska, passed 47-0, with two senators absent. The narrow “Revegetation Bill” is a small first step that does nothing to address basic safety and landowner rights concerns about the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL protect. Meanwhile, state Senators Ken Haar, Colby Coash, Annette Dubas, Tony Fulton, and Kate Sullivan asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to delay a decision on the project until next May, allowing the legilsature more time to consider further legislation to “ensure that the citizens and landowners of Nebraska are adequately protected by state law.”  “The senators’ letter said that federal regulations are inadequate and that Nebraska needed to explore issues such as siting, routing, eminent domain powers, emergency response and liability of pipeline companies.”
Many letters to the Lincoln Journal Star have been published in the year since the public started realizing the threat posed by TransCanada. Letters linked in Green Notes since May 30, 2010 are in archives here.  (Scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Notes.) Sunday, May 29, 2011, LJS published a letter from Jeremiah J. Leubbe, of Broken Bow. “Smith needs to speak out on route” begins “Adrian Smith needs to take a stand, for once, against big business. He needs to speak out and oppose TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline and its proposed route through the Sand Hills.” “New idea for route,” by Larry Fruhling of Wilber asked “Why is the company so insistent on the route that takes it directly over the main source of our drinking water and irrigation water, whose pollution would affect millions of people in the high plains and the global economy? A major pipeline leak could in one day ruin what took 10 million years to develop. I urge people not to be swayed by ads that show little interest in these greater and far-reaching effects.” Quoting from “Heineman asleep at helm,” by Britton Bailey, published May 26th, “Gov. Dave Heineman fell asleep at the helm. Instead of guiding us through rough waters, he may have punched holes in our boat with his silence. We needed a leader in Nebraskan to protect our rights by listening to the majority of citizens who feel the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline is way off course. I’m starting to question what Heineman has to gain in silence and by letting a foreign company threaten Nebraska landowners with eminent domain for an unapproved pipeline. …Someone in Nebraska government has something to gain at our expense or we wouldn’t be in this sinking boat that’s leaking oil.”
TransCanada’s “disturbing history of oil spills along an existing pipeline in North Dakota” was reported in the Rapid City Journal Editorial “Oil spills keeping regulators busy” on May 18, 2011.  The May 7, 2011 rupture of the Keystone I pipeline in Cogswell, North Dakota was covered extensively, including articles by AlterNet and Friends of the Earth, reporting that “the incident is the 12th spill from the Keystone I pipeline, which is not even a year old.”
FOE describes more about this spill: According to eyewitnesses, Saturday’s rupture of the Keystone I pipeline sent a six-story high gusher of oil into the air. The spill occurred at a pumping station, but the spray contaminated soil and water in a nearby field before it could be contained. The latest spill brings attention again to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, currently (and controversially) under review by the Obama administration. The XL pipeline would carry 900,000 barrels of tar sands oil a day from Canada to Texas. The Keystone I pipeline carries 591,000 barrels a day, and concerns—and opposition—are mounting.”
A May 10th article covering local concern by statepaper.com, “TransCanada Oil Leak Draws Attention In Nebraska,” is here.  Rapid City Journal reporter Kevin Woster calls the North Dakota spill a “sign of things to come,” if the proposed XL pipeline is built. TransCanada’s “disturbing history of oil spills along an existing pipeline in North Dakota” was reported in the Rapid City Journal Editorial Board’s “Oil spills keeping regulators busy” on May 18th.
Just before the North Dakota rupture, Alberta, Canada experienced “one of the largest oil spills …reinforcing Nebraskan’s concerns that our state is not prepared for the massive tarsands oil pipeline planned by TransCanada.”  Both tar sands environmental disasters are covered in a Reuters article, “Latest pair of oil accidents fuel opposition to Keystone pipeline extension” here.
Lincoln Journal Star revealed “TransCanada has encountered problems with the reclamation phase on a 50-mile stretch of a new natural gas pipeline through southeast Montana and western North Dakota that even its own spokesman calls severe. Erosion and …”very severe subsidence,” or settling of the soil, are visible in photographs  taken by the Billings Gazette.” In the May 12th editorial,  LJS referred to the “Wide gaps as deep as three feet and hundreds of feet long (that) have opened above the 30-inch Bison pipeline.  Secretary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline.  Click here to ask her to stand up to Big Oil and NOT grant a permit to TransCanda.  You might want to remind her that the “European Union may blacklist tar sands because of higher greenhouse gas emissions.”
“US-Canada oil pipeline – water source threatened is a 2:49 minute AlJazeeraEnglish report featuring Nebraska property owners Randy Thompson, Cindy Myers, and Nebraska Audubon representing the issue. Thompson’s letter to TransCanada in response to their “final offer” for his land in Merrick County ends “Until a court of law determines otherwise, your arbitrary claim to condemnation powers is nothing more to us than an empty threat. We feel very strongly that this pipeline could place our property and way of life at risk.  Therefore, we are unwilling to succumb to such a threat and respectfully decline your final offer.” Thompson’s testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, on behalf of his family and all Nebraskans who share concerns about the risks associated with the massive pipeline, is here. [pdf] Committee background information is here.
The New York Times joined citizens, experts and opinion leaders in opposition to the pipeline in an editorial “No to a New Tar Sands Pipeline,” concluding “Last July, an older bitumen pipeline in Michigan spilled 800,000 gallons of the stuff into the Kalamazoo River. A new TransCanada pipeline that began carrying diluted bitumen last year has already had nine spills. …From all of the evidence, Keystone XL is not only environmentally risky, it is unnecessary.”
Pipeline educator and local musician Jim Pipher recently made a 1:40 minute YouTube video demonstrating a one barrel oil spill. A new documentary making the independent film circuit now, The Pipe, is based on a struggle in Ireland, but there are many similarities with our own Stop the Pipeline efforts in the US. And a new 13:32 minute film by UN-L students Casey Mills and Justin Swanson, “Voices of Nebraska,”  features Jane Kleeb and Mary Pipher, but also includes an erroneous quote that opposition “has spent lots of money fighting the pipeline in Nebraska.” The quote is laughable. The truth about the far-right billionaire Koch brother’s involvement in promoting the pipeline for “making a killing” was reported in Forbes by Osha Gray Davidson May 20th. Quoting a Reuters article, Charles and David Koch are positioned to be the big winners if XL is approved. The Forbes article quotes Susan Seacrest, president emeritus of The Groundwater Foundation about the danger of mixing a major oil pipeline and the Ogallala Aquifer.
TransCanada representatives are making the rounds to county meetings all along the pipeline route. Meanwhile, “the Domina Law Group is investigating a class-action lawsuit against the XL pipeline, saying the company may be abusing eminent domain laws to bully Nebraska landowners into making way for the pipeline. Environmental groups are hoping that if even a few landowners can block the pipeline from running over their turf, they can force the pipeline to be re-routed.” Keystone Facing Potential Legal Hurdle, was reported at POLITICO.
What else can you do?  Keep writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska.
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. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here.
Be a community educator and organizer. Let’s change the world together.
           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.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . In the past 3 weeks, the Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.

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

STOP THE PIPELINE

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. There has never been a successful pipeline opposition campaign in the US.  Please help Nebraska be the first state to organize opposition successfully. Actions you can take, regardless of where you live, are in CD 3 Green Notes below. Please help save our land and water from more corporate exploitation. The public comment period ends June 6, 2011.

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 when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. In winter, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. 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.

JPA MEETING . . . A West Haymarket Joint Public Agency meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 3:30pm, at the County City Building, 555 South 10th Street, room 112, Lincoln. “The Salvation of the State is Watchfulness in the Citizen.” –Hartley Burr Alexander

THINK GREEN IT’S THURSDAY . . . TGIT is a new happy hour for planning a sustainable future at the Eco Stores Conference Room, 530 West P Street, Lincoln. This is an informational, educational, and social weekly event, with locally grown food and beverages. (Beverage donations will be accepted.) Learn about the latest green products, businesses, policies and practices every Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. For the spring schedule of TGIT speakers, click here.  For more information, e-mail Mitch Paine at mitch [dot] paine [at] ecostoresne.org.

WEEKLY WALKABOUTS AT WILDERNESS PARK . . . Friends of Wilderness Park is hosting weekly hikes through the Park, led by Adam Hintz, starting at 1:00pm every Saturday from now through October. Each week will focus on a different area, highlighting the diversity of life in the Park. Hikes will start in parking lots according to the following schedule: the first and second Saturday of the month, meet at the Pioneers Boulevard entrance; the third Saturday, meet at Old Cheney Road; the fourth Saturday, meet at 14th Street north of Rokeby Road; and every fifth Saturday, the hike will start at Saltillo Road east of the Jamaica Trail. For more information, contact Adam at 402.421.8464.

LINCOLN FARMERS MARKETS . . . Farmers markets are now open in Lincoln. The Haymarket Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, in the Haymarket District at 7th & P Streets. Expect to find more than 120 vendors with fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items plus a performance showcase featuring local folk, jazz, blues and classical music. The Market continues through October 15th.  Every Sunday, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, the Old Cheney Road Farmers Market at 5500 Old Cheney Road features in-season heirloom and traditional produce, artisan breads and cheeses, homemade baked goods, wild-crafted and traditional jams, jelly, honey, meats, fish, eggs, and bedding plants. The Piedmont Farmers Market is open Saturdays, 8:00am to noon, at 1265 South Cotner, through mid-September. Saturday Farmers Markets at the FARM, 11855 Yankee Hill Road, 9:00am to noon, run until October 29th. Community CROPS, 1551 South 2nd Street, has garden pick-up 4:00 to 6:00pm Monday and Thursday, May 23 through October 20. Other markets start in June and July. Find out what’s new this year, check an interactive map of Lincoln’s Farmers Markets, Farms and Community Supported Agriculture programs, and learn more about markets, CSAs, and local farms at the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Facebook page.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

BELLEVUE TOWN HALL MEETING . . . Cyclists, are you interested in improved transportation systems? The City of Bellevue is conducting a Complete Streets public Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, May 24th 2011, 7:00pm, in the auditorium at Bellevue University, 1000 Galvin Road South. City Officials and representatives from Metropolitan Area Planning Association and Metro Area Transit will join the City Citizen Panel to hear from the public about issues and concerns related to safe, efficient transportation needs for all uses.

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 a Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store parking lot. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068 for more information about Saturday vigils.

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 “Black Girl.” For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OMAHA GREEN DRINKS . . . Wednesday, May 25, 2011, Omaha Green Drinks will meet from 5:30pm to close at Whole Foods Market, 10020 Regency Circle, in the education room by the restaurant–across from the coffee bar. Green Drinks is an informal, organic, self-organizing social network now active in 802 cities internationally. Walk, bike, bus, or carpool if possible. Click here for FaceBook event information.

FROM CAIRO TO MADISON . . . Saturday, May 28, 2011, 2:00pm, there will be a Rally for a Better World at Bemis Park, north of Cumming Street, between 36th and 33rd, in Omaha. Hosted by the International Socialist Organization, a brief presentation will be followed by a discussion about the prospects for building an alternative to the broken system characterized by greed, racism, war, and oppression. For more information, e-mail breadandrosestoo [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 213.880.6380.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Omaha protests with Guardians of the Good Life continue. E-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net for details. STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace Coordinator Mark Welsch, 402.453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.

BENSON COMMUNITY GARDEN . . . Omaha’s newest community garden is at 60th & Lafayette, at the south side of the historic Benson neighborhood. The Benson Community Garden is looking for individuals and families interested in garden plots. For more information, phone 402.714.0290 or e-mail goetzinger2 [at] cox [dot] net. To get involved, or help support the garden, please register here.

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

CONVERSATIONS CONFERENCE . . . Care about Nebraska’s future? The third Conversations Conference on Nebraska Environment and Sustainability will be Thursday, May 26, 2011, 8:00am to 4:30pm, at Bosselman Conference Center, 700 East Stolley Park Road, Grand Island. There will be conversations with area resource specialists On water, On Land, On Energy, On Food, and On Materials. Watch Conversations Conference Videos here.  Register online here.  Contact Katie Torpy at 402.933.0080 or ktorpy [at] sustainabledesign [dot] org with any questions.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . The only pipeline related bill to be advanced out of the legislature’s Natural Resources Committee, LB 629–the Oil Pipeline Reclamation Act, ignores issues like the liability of pipeline companies to clean up a spill or leak; protection for landowners from eminent domain abuses; financial assurances; and state permitting and siting of pipelines. In debate, Lincoln Senator Bill Avery tried to make a distinction between “the best we can do” and “the most we’re willing to do.” As reported by the Lincoln Journal Star, Avery asserted that TransCanada’s efforts to use eminent domain and land condemnation to clear a path for the pipeline — at a time when federal permits have not been granted — amount to a violation of existing state law. He said it’s “a very serious problem” that such tactics got no attention Thursday. “We have here a foreign corporation that can actually invoke eminent domain against the private property interests of Nebraska citizens. That ought to give us pause.” The narrow “Revegetation Bill” was voted 47-0 first-round approval. It is a small first step in the right direction, although it does nothing to address basic safety and landowner rights concerns.
We know that TransCanada is making the rounds to all county meetings in the pipeline route. Meanwhile, “the Domina Law Group is investigating a class-action lawsuit against the XL pipeline, saying the company may be abusing eminent domain laws to bully Nebraska landowners into making way for the pipeline. Environmental groups are hoping that if even a few landowners can block the pipeline from running over their turf, they can force the pipeline to be re-routed.” Keystone Facing Potential Legal Hurdle, was reported at POLITICO.
More letters from Nebraskans were published in Lincoln Journal Star this past week.
Quoting “Nebraskans need to speak up,” by Cindy Myers, LJS lte, May 19, 2011: “TransCanada’s first experience building an oil pipeline is Keystone 1, which crosses eastern Nebraska and has had 12 leaks. The last leak was discovered by a landowner in North Dakota when he saw a geyser of oil shooting 60 feet in the air; 500 barrels of oil spilled. With 12 leaks in the Keystone 1 during its first year of operation, how can we believe it would be safe for TransCanada to build its second oil pipeline, Keystone XL, across our state’s most valuable natural resource, the Ogallala Aquifer? Holt County is vulnerable to oil leaks, particularly through southwest Holt County where the aquifer is saturated at or near ground level and the 36-inch pipeline carrying the world’s most toxic type of oil will be submerged in water only feet above our drinking supply. …Comments on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Statement are needed to discourage Hillary Clinton from signing the presidential permit for this pipeline. The comment period at www.keystonepipeline-XL.state.gov closes June 6, 2011. Don’t let the loud, powerful voice of a foreign company with self-serving interests drown the small voices of rural Nebraskans.”  The entire letter is here.
“Concerns for land, people,” by Jeri Kuchera, LJS lte, May 18, 2011: “How many pipeline leaks (or using TransCanada’s vernacular, “unplanned releases of oil”), or miscalculations of response time, or reclamation problems will have to occur before our elected officials realize the risk they are putting our state in? The 12 incidents on the first Keystone Pipeline in the relatively short time it has been in use certainly does not give me a feeling of confidence that the Keystone XL will prove any less faulty.” Continued here.
“TransCanada shouldn’t get to weigh in,” by Barbara Bailey, May 16, 2011: “In the May 13 story “Panel advances pipeline proposal,” Sen. Chris Langemeier is paraphrased as saying “there’s nothing unusual about allowing a company to weigh in with suggested wording.” In what way is it ethical to listen to a foreign corporation’s, TransCanada’s, suggestions for legislative regulation providing protection of land and water for our state in the construction of its pipeline, which will carry corrosive and toxic diluted bitumen through fragile ecosystems?  Why don’t we let al-Qaida “weigh in” on the security measures adopted by Homeland Security?”
“Concerned about pipeline,” by Joyce Petit, LJS, May 15, 2011: “I do not understand how a foreign company like TransCanada is allowed to come into our country without even having gotten a permit and try to coerce the landowners into letting it contract an easement to their land to install the Keystone XL Pipeline, which will transport dirty oil to a refinery in Texas. I guess the company’s leaders expect the landowners to just roll over and play dead like our elected officials have chosen to do. We have been told that everything is safe and “if” there is a leak in the pipeline, the company has machinery that will detect the leak right away and workers will get right out and shut it off and fix it. But reading about the six-story geyser of dirty oil in North Dakota, that isn’t necessarily the way it is.” Continued here.  TransCanada’s “disturbing history of oil spills along an existing pipeline in North Dakota” was reported in the Rapid City Journal Editorial Board’s “Oil spills keeping regulators busy” on May 18, 2011.
Media coverage of the May 12, 2011 “Citizen Hearing” at the capitol rotunda included a tv report from KHAS, “Citizens speak out against future pipeline,” “Pipeline bill gets boost,” KVNO News audio, “Deadlock broken, panel advances pipeline bill,” by LJS reporter Art Hovey, and “Frustration over proposed pipeline fills capitol rotunda,”  published in the Hastings Tribune. That morning, Lincoln Journal Star editorialized “Indifference over pipeline hard to fathom: The passivity of Nebraska’s elected state officials to the planned crude oil pipeline through the Sandhills becomes more alarming with every new reported problem. …It’s unfathomable that the pipeline route is not even a matter of public debate in the Legislature.”
A five-page Executive Summary of the 320-page Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed XL pipeline through Nebraska’s Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer is here. [pdf]  The Journal Star editorialized “The statement is unfairly dismissive of the unique characteristics of Nebraska’s Sand Hills.” and encourages “Nebraskans — actually all Americans –” to comment on the ESI during this final comment period.  The official State Department Comments Page is here.   Comments may also be submitted via e-mail at keystonexl@cardno.com, by US Postal to Keystone XL EIS Project, P.O. Box 96503-98500, Washington D.C. 20090-6503, or fax (206) 269-0098.  In comments, please invite Secretary of State Clinton to visit the Sand Hills, see our unique ecosystem, and meet the people who will be most effected by XL pipeline construction.
A new Sierra Action Alert “Protect Nebraska; Say NO to Tar Sands!” addressed to Secretary Clinton is here.  At a Food & Water Watch webpage you can enter your zip code and send a message asking your state representative to protect Nebraska’s landowners and natural resources. And Jane Kleeb’s petition to Secretary Clinton, Governor Heineman, and President Obama says “Every elected official talks about the need for clean energy, biofuels, and energy independence. Now it’s time to live up to your words. We urge you—Sec. Clinton and Pres. Obama—to deny the permit to TransCanada. We urge you—Gov. Heineman—to get serious about protecting our land and water and get state-based regulations passed in the Unicameral. Stop the TransCanada pipeline. It’s too risky and threatens the good
life of Nebraska.” The petition is being circulated by MoveOn. Sign it here.
The Saturday, May 7, 2011 rupture of the Keystone I pipeline in Cogswell, North Dakota was covered extensively, including articles by AlterNet and Friends of the Earth, reporting that “the incident is the 12th spill from the Keystone I pipeline, which is not even a year old.”
FOE describes more about this spill:  “According to eyewitnesses, Saturday’s rupture of the Keystone I pipeline sent a six-story high gusher of oil into the air. The spill occurred at a pumping station, but the spray contaminated soil and water in a nearby field before it could be contained. The latest spill brings attention again to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, currently (and controversially) under review by the Obama administration. The XL pipeline would carry 900,000 barrels of tar sands oil a day from Canada to Texas. The Keystone I pipeline carries 591,000 barrels a day, and concerns—and opposition—are mounting.”
LJS coverage, “TransCanada cleaning up spill at N.D. pump station,” reported that Bob Banderet saw a geyser of oil higher than cottonwood trees about a mile and a half from his farm when he got up Saturday. He “called the TransCanada hotline and said he spent five minutes on hold, suspecting the person who answered thought his call might be a hoax.”
A May 10th article covering local concern by statepaper.com, “TransCanada Oil Leak Draws Attention In Nebraska,” is here.  Rapid City Journal reporter Kevin Woster calls the North Dakota spill a “sign of things to come,” if the proposed XL pipeline is built. TransCanada’s “disturbing history of oil spills along an existing pipeline in North Dakota” was reported in the Rapid City Journal Editorial Board’s “Oil spills keeping regulators busy” on May 18th.
Just before the North Dakota rupture, Alberta, Canada experienced “one of the largest oil spills …reinforcing Nebraskan’s concerns that our state is not prepared for the massive tarsands oil pipeline planned by TransCanada.” Both tar sands environmental disasters are covered in a Reuters article, “Latest pair of oil accidents fuel opposition to Keystone pipeline extension” here.
A LJS Local View, “Fence off Sand Hills to pipeline,” by Ben Gotschall, was published May 9th.
Letters to the LJS encouraging legislative action include “Shouldn’t governor lead charge?” by Kevin L. Johnson, and “Strangely quiet on pipeline,” by Dorothy A. Kubick, both from Lincoln.
“Silence deafening references Mary Pipher’s April 24th letter urging “all readers to do what they can to motivate our state senators and governor to act now. …The silence of most, but not all, of our elected senators and Gov. Dave Heineman on the subject is deafening.” Marilyn Barnes writes “Nebraska must take action concluding “Nebraska should not cede its oil pipeline siting authority to a Canadian corporation. I hope those who care about Nebraska’s water and agriculture will call or write to the governor and state senators urging immediate legislation to regulate this and future pipelines.”
April 21st, LJS revealed “TransCanada has encountered problems with the reclamation phase on a 50-mile stretch of a new natural gas pipeline through southeast Montana and western North Dakota that even its own spokesman calls severe. Erosion and …”very severe subsidence,” or settling of the soil, are visible in photographs  taken by the Billings Gazette.” In the May 12th editorial, LJS referred to the “Wide gaps as deep as three feet and hundreds of feet long (that) have opened above the 30-inch Bison pipeline.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  A Study and Memo from the Congressional Research Service dated September 20, 2010 determined that primary authority over location of interstate pipelines belongs to individual states. A BOLD Nebraska blog post, includes background information, a transcript of the media roundtable held upon discovery of the memo, and action alert.
Action: write your state senator urging that oil pipeline regulations be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.  Find your state senator’s contact information at the map linked here.  Contact Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244 asking that he be responsive to the citizens of Nebraska who oppose the environmental devastation this pipeline would bring to the entire region.
Secretary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline.  Click here to ask her to stand up to Big Oil and NOT grant a permit to TransCanda.  You might want to remind her that the “European Union may blacklist tar sands because of higher greenhouse gas emissions.”
“US-Canada oil pipeline – water source threatened,” is an excellent 2:49 minute AlJazeeraEnglish report featuring Nebraska property owners Randy Thompson, Cindy Myers, and Nebraska Audubon representing the issue. Thompson’s letter to TransCanada in response to their “final offer” for his land in Merrick County ends “Until a court of law determines otherwise, your arbitrary claim to condemnation powers is nothing more to us than an empty threat. We feel very strongly that this pipeline could place our property and way of life at risk.  Therefore, we are unwilling to succumb to such a threat and respectfully decline your final offer.” Thompson’s May 13th letter to the LJS editor is here.  Thompson was invited to testify in front of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power. He will speak Monday, May 23rd, on behalf of his family and all Nebraskans who share concerns about the risks associated with the massive pipeline. Committee background information is here.  Watch his testimony live here.
New Neal Obermeyer cartoons addressing the legislature’s inaction were published in the Lincoln Journal Star on May 8, 2011,  and May 1st.  Pipeline educator and local musician Jim Pipher recently made a 1:40 minute YouTube video demonstrating a one barrel oil spill. A new documentary making the independent film circuit right now, The Pipe,  is based on a struggle in Ireland, but there are many similarities with our own Stop the Pipeline efforts in the US. And a new 13:32 minute film by UN-L students Casey Mills and Justin Swanson, “Voices of Nebraska,” features interviews with Jane Kleeb and Mary Pipher, but also includes an erroneous quote that opposition “has spent lots of money fighting the pipeline in Nebraska.” The quote is laughable. The truth about the far-right billionaire Koch brother’s involvement in promoting the pipeline for “making a killing” was reported in Forbes by Osha Gray Davidson May 20th. Quoting a Reuters article, Charles and David Koch are positioned to be the big winners if XL is approved.  Forbes quotes Susan Seacrest, president emeritus of The Groundwater Foundation, about the danger of mixing a major oil pipeline and the Ogallala Aquifer.
           What else can you do? Keep writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Other excellent letters to Lincoln Journal Star are here, here, and here.  Keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska.
E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here.  For comprehensive references in media since May 30, 2010, click here and scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Green Notes coverage.
Be a community educator and organizer. Let’s change the world together.
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.”
PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and
sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . In the past 3 weeks, the Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.

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

STOP THE PIPELINE

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials are below in District 3 Green Notes.

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 when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. In winter, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. 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.

RIDE OF SILENCE . . . Wednesday, May 18, 2011, The Great Plains Bicycling Club will lead the fifth annual Ride of Silence in memory of cyclists who have been killed or injured while riding. The 10-12 mph ride will start at 7:00pm, Sawyer Snell Park, 1st & South Street, go through downtown, the Haymarket, and back to the park.

THINK GREEN IT’S THURSDAY . . . TGIT is a new happy hour for planning a sustainable future at the Eco Stores Conference Room, 530 West P Street, Lincoln. This is an informational, educational, and social weekly event, with locally grown food and beverages. (Beverage donations will be accepted.) Learn about the latest green products, businesses, policies and practices every Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. For the spring schedule of TGIT speakers, click here.  For more information, e-mail Mitch Paine at mitch [dot] paine [at] ecostoresne.org.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS . . . The Lancaster County Health Department will host two household hazardous waste collections this week: Friday, May 20,2011, 3:00 to 7:00pm, at the Community Center, 115 and Locust Streets, in Hickman; and Saturday, May 21st, 9:00am to 1:00pm, at Pfizer, 601 West Cornhusker Highway, Lincoln. Phone 402.477.3606 for more information.

NEBRASKA BOOK FESTIVAL . . . The public is invited to celebrate Nebraska’s literary heritage and contemporary authors at the 2011 Nebraska Book Festival, “Cultivating Creativity,”  Saturday, May 21, at the Nebraska State Historical Society’s Nebraska History Museum, 15th and P Streets, and NuVibe Juice & Java, 126 North 14th Street, in downtown Lincoln. The keynote panel, “Local Wonders: From Book to Musical Theatre Production,” features US Poet Laureate and Nebraska poet Ted Kooser, Nebraska Repertory Theater’s Virginia Smith, and Columbia College Chicago’s Paul Amandes discussing how Kooser’s book “Local Wonders: Seasons in the Bohemian Alps,” has evolved into musicial theater. Writers who will present their 2010 works, conduct free workshops, and participate in the keynote panel are listed and linked here.  View the schedule of events by category here.

QUEEN OF THE SUN: WHAT ARE THE BEES TELLING US? . . . Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling us? examines the global bee crisis through the eyes of beekeepers, scientists, farmers, and philosophers unveiling 10,000 years of beekeeping, highlighting how our historic and sacred relationship with bees has been lost due to highly mechanized industrial practices. The 1 hour and 23 minute documentary runs at The Ross, 313 North 13th Street, Lincoln, through Thursday, May 19, 2011.

WEEKLY WALKABOUTS AT WILDERNESS PARK . . . Friends of Wilderness Park is hosting weekly hikes through the Park, led by Adam Hintz, starting at 1:00pm every Saturday from now through October. Each week will focus on a different area, highlighting the diversity of life in the Park. Hikes will start in parking lots according to the following schedule: the first and second Saturday of the month, meet at the Pioneers Boulevard entrance; the third Saturday, meet at Old Cheney Road; the fourth Saturday, meet at 14th Street north of Rokeby Road; and every fifth Saturday, the hike will start at Saltillo Road east of the Jamaica Trail. For more information, contact Adam at 402.421.8464.

LINCOLN FARMERS MARKETS . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, in the Haymarket District at 7th & P Streets. Expect to find more than 120 vendors with fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items plus a performance showcase featuring local folk, jazz, blues and classical music. The Market continues through October 15th. Every Sunday, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, the Old Cheney Road Farmers Market at 5500 Old Cheney Road features in-season heirloom and traditional produce, artisan breads and cheeses, homemade baked goods, wild-crafted and traditional jams, jelly, honey, meats, fish, eggs, and bedding plants. The Piedmont Farmers Market opened Saturday, May 14th, at 1265 South Cotner, 8:00am to noon, and runs to mid-September. Saturday Farmers Markets at the FARM, 11855 Yankee Hill Road, 9:00am to noon, run until October 29th. Community CROPS,  1551 South 2nd Street, has garden pick-up 4:00 to 6:00pm Monday and Thursday, May 23 through October 20. Other markets start in June and July. Find out what’s new this year, check an interactive map of Lincoln’s Farmers Markets, Farms and Community Supported Agriculture programs, and learn more about markets, CSAs, and local farms at the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Facebook page.

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 a Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store parking lot. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068 for more information about Saturday vigils.

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 “The Constant Gardener,” a suspense-thriller starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Omaha protests with Guardians of the Good Life continue. E-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net for details. STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace Coordinator Mark Welsch, 402.453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.

BENSON COMMUNITY GARDEN . . . Omaha’s newest community garden is at 60th & Lafayette, at the south side of the historic Benson neighborhood. The Benson Community Garden is looking for individuals and families interested in garden plots. For more information, phone 402.714.0290 or e-mail goetzinger2 [at] cox [dot] net. To get involved, or help support the garden, please register here.

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Since Nebraskans were not given an opportunity to speak out about the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed XL pipeline through our fragile Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer, BOLD Nebraska and the coalition of groups opposing the project held a May 12, 2011, “Citizen Hearing” at the state capitol rotunda. That morning, the Lincoln Journal Star editorialized “Indifference over pipeline hard to fathom: The passivity of Nebraska’s elected state officials to the planned crude oil pipeline through the Sandhills becomes more alarming with every new reported problem. …It’s unfathomable that the pipeline route is not even a matter of public debate in the Legislature.”
Media coverage of the Citizen Hearing included a tv report from KHAS, “Citizens speak out against future pipeline,”  “Pipeline bill gets boost,” KVNO News audio, “Deadlock broken, panel advances pipeline bill,” by LJS reporter Art Hovey, and “Frustration over proposed pipeline fills capitol rotunda,” published in the Hastings Tribune.
A BOLD Nebraska blog “Langemeier Says Citizens Have No Relevance,” by Jane Kleeb, expresses a shared theme: “There is at least one thing that is crystal clear out of this process–Sen. Langemeier is a weak leader who is out of touch and not serious about protecting our land and water.” Call or e-mail Langemeier. Phone: 402.471.2719; E-mail: clangemeier [at] leg [dot] ne [dot] gov.
New action alerts this week include a Food & Water Watch webpage where you can enter your zip code and send a message asking your state representative to protect Nebraska’s landowners and natural resources; and Jane Kleeb’s petition to Secretary Clinton, Governor Heineman, and President Obama: “Every elected official talks about the need for clean energy, biofuels, and energy independence. Now it’s time to live up to your words. We urge you—Sec. Clinton and Pres. Obama—to deny the permit to TransCanada. We urge you—Gov. Heineman—to get serious about protecting our land and water and get state-based regulations passed in the Unicameral. Stop the TransCanada pipeline. It’s too risky and threatens the good life of Nebraska.” MoveOn is circulating the petition. Sign it here.
The Saturday, May 7, 2011 rupture of the Keystone I pipeline in Cogswell, North Dakota was covered extensively, including articles by AlterNet and Friends of the Earth, reporting that “the incident is the 12th spill from the Keystone I pipeline, which is not even a year old.”
FOE describes more about this spill:  “According to eyewitnesses, Saturday’s rupture of the Keystone I pipeline sent a six-story high gusher of oil into the air. The spill occurred at a pumping station, but the spray contaminated soil and water in a nearby field before it could be contained. The latest spill brings attention again to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, currently (and controversially) under review by the Obama administration. The XL pipeline would carry 900,000 barrels of tar sands oil a day from Canada to Texas. The Keystone I pipeline carries 591,000 barrels a day, and concerns—and opposition—are mounting.”
LJS coverage, “TransCanada cleaning up spill at N.D. pump,” reported that Bob Banderet saw a geyser of oil higher than cottonwood trees about a mile and a half from his farm when he got up Saturday. He “called the TransCanada hotline and said he spent five minutes on hold, suspecting the person who answered thought his call might be a hoax.”
A May 10th article covering local concern by statepaper.com, “TransCanada Oil Leak Draws Attention In Nebraska,” is here.  Rapid City Journal reporter Kevin Woster calls the North Dakota spill a “sign of things to come,” if the proposed XL pipeline is built.
Just before the North Dakota rupture, Alberta, Canada experienced “one of the largest oil spills …reinforcing Nebraskan’s concerns that our state is not prepared for the massive tarsands oil pipeline planned by TransCanada.” Both tar sands environmental disasters are covered in a Reuters article, “Latest pair of oil accidents fuel opposition to Keystone pipeline extension” here.
For background information about the tar sands extraction process, and photos showing Alberta’s devastated landscapes, BOLD Nebraska has posted a 9:44 minute YouTube segment from last summer’s Tar Sands Pipeline Summit in Lincoln. A 53:46 minute audio interview with John Hansen, Ken Winston, & Graham Christensen on the Derry Brownfield Show discusses TransCanada Pipeline Issues (mp3).
A five-page Executive Summary of the 320-page Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement is here. [pdf]  The Journal Star editorialized “The statement is unfairly dismissive of the unique characteristics of Nebraska’s Sand Hills.” and encourages “Nebraskans — actually all Americans –” to comment on the ESI during this final comment period.  The official State Department Comments Page is here.  Comments may also be submitted via e-mail at keystonexl@cardno.com, by US Postal to Keystone XL EIS Project, P.O. Box 96503-98500, Washington D.C. 20090-6503, or fax (206) 269-0098.  In comments, please invite Secretary of State Clinton to visit the Sand Hills, see our unique ecosystem, and meet the people who will be most effected by XL pipeline construction.
A LJS Local View, “Fence off Sand Hills to pipeline,” by Ben Gotschall, was published May 9th.  Letters to the LJS encouraging legislative action include “Shouldn’t governor lead charge?” by Kevin L. Johnson, and “Strangely quiet on pipeline,” by Dorothy A. Kubick, both from Lincoln.
“Silence deafening,” references Mary Pipher’s April 24th letter urging “all readers to do what they can to motivate our state senators and governor to act now. …The silence of most, but not all, of our elected senators and Gov. Dave Heineman on the subject is deafening.” Marilyn Barnes writes “Nebraska must take action,” concluding “Nebraska should not cede its oil pipeline siting authority to a Canadian corporation. I hope those who care about Nebraska’s water and agriculture will call or write to the governor and state senators urging immediate legislation to regulate this and future pipelines.”
April 21st, LJS revealed “TransCanada has encountered problems with the reclamation phase on a 50-mile stretch of a new natural gas pipeline through southeast Montana and western North Dakota that even its own spokesman calls severe. Erosion and …”very severe subsidence,” or settling of the soil, are visible in photographs taken by the Billings Gazette.” In the May 12th editorial, LJS referred to the “Wide gaps as deep as three feet and hundreds of feet long (that) have opened above the 30-inch Bison pipeline. Saturated with spring meltwater, the loamy, sandy soil along Bison’s 50-foot permanent easement is sinking into broad crevasses through wheat fields, corn fields, alfalfa and rangeland. …In low areas of the rolling ranchland where deep snow gathered, fissures branch across the easement, eroding the topsoil and washing it out into creeks and ponds.”
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  A Study and Memo from the Congressional Research Service dated September 20, 2010 determined that primary authority over location of interstate pipelines belongs to individual states. A BOLD Nebraska blog post, [pdf] includes background information, a transcript of the media roundtable held upon discovery of the memo, and action alert.
Action: write your state senator urging that oil pipeline regulations be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters. Find your state senator’s contact information at the map linked here.  Contact Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244 asking him to be responsive and join opposition efforts.  Secretary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline.  Click here to ask her to stand up to Big Oil and NOT grant a permit to TransCanda.  You might want to remind her that the “European Union may blacklist tar sands because of higher greenhouse gas emissions.”
“US-Canada oil pipeline – water source threatened,” is an excellent 2:49 minute AlJazeeraEnglish report featuring Nebraska property owners Randy Thompson, Cindy Myers, and Nebraska Audubon representing the issue. Thompson’s letter to TransCanada in response to their “final offer” for his land in Merrick County ends “Until a court of law determines otherwise, your arbitrary claim to condemnation powers is nothing more to us than an empty threat. We feel very strongly that this pipeline could place our property and way of life at risk. Therefore, we are unwilling to succumb to such a threat and respectfully decline your final offer.” Thompson’s May 13th letter to the LJS editor is here.
The New York Times joined citizens, experts and opinion leaders in opposition to the pipeline in an editorial “No to a New Tar Sands Pipeline,” concluding “Last July, an older bitumen pipeline in Michigan spilled 800,000 gallons of the stuff into the Kalamazoo River. A new TransCanada pipeline that began carrying diluted bitumen last year has already had nine spills. …From all of the evidence, Keystone XL is not only environmentally risky, it is unnecessary.” Read the entire editorial here.
New Neal Obermeyer cartoons addressing the legislature’s passive inaction were published in the Lincoln Journal Star on May 8, 2011, and May 1st.  Pipeline educator and local musician Jim Pipher recently made a 1:40 minute YouTube video demonstrating a one barrel oil spill. And a new documentary making the independent film circuit right now, The Pipe is based on a struggle in Ireland, but there are many similarities with our own Stop the Pipeline efforts in the US.
What else can you do?  Keep writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Other excellent letters to Lincoln Journal Star are here, here, and here. Keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska.
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. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here. For comprehensive references in media since May 30, 2010, click here and scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Green Notes coverage.
Be a community educator and organizer. Let’s change the world together.
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.“

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . In the past 3 weeks, the Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.

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

STOP THE PIPELINE

The second annual Hemp History Week is Monday, May 2 through Sunday, May 8, 2011.  Discover the benefits of hemp!

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials are below in District 3 Green Notes.  Note the Omaha Education and Action Forum Tuesday, May 3, 2011.

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 when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. In winter, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. 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.

VOTE . . . The General Election in Lancaster County is Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Early voting continues at the Election Commission, 601 North 46th Street, Lincoln. A sample ballot is here. [pdf]

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.

MEETING WITH SENATOR NELSON’S STAFF . . . Thursday, May 5, 2011, there will be a noon meeting with Senator Nelson’s staff to address accountability for his votes against clean air. The senator’s Lincoln office is at 440 North 8th Street, Suite 120. Sign up to attend here.

COOPER NUCLEAR PERFORMANCE MEETING . . . Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of the Nebraska Public Power District in a 4:00pm public meeting Thursday, May 5, 2011, at the Brownville Concert Hall, Atlantic Avenue and Second Street, Brownville. In addition to the performance assessment, NRC staff will answer questions from the public on the Cooper safety record.

THINK GREEN IT’S THURSDAY . . . TGIT is a new happy hour for planning a sustainable future at the EcoStores  Conference Room, 530 West P Street, Lincoln. This is an informational, educational, and social weekly event, with locally grown food and beverages. (Beverage donations will be accepted.) Learn about the latest green products, businesses, policies and practices every Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. For the spring schedule of TGIT speakers, click here.  For more information, e-mail Mitch Paine at mitch [dot] paine [at] ecostoresne.org.

CANNABIS RIGHTS RALLY . . . The Nebraska Cannabis Coalition of nonprofit and political groups will rally Saturday, May 7, 2011, on the north side of the state capitol. Music and speeches will be from noon to 3:30pm, followed by a march to and from the federal building. The rally is designed to educate and reach out with new solutions to current environmental, political, and cultural problems. At 5:00pm there will be a potluck barbecue with live music at University Park, North 40th and Adams Street.

WEEKLY WALKABOUTS AT WILDERNESS PARK . . . Friends of Wilderness Park is hosting weekly hikes through the Park, led by Adam Hintz, starting at 1:00pm every Saturday from now through October. Each week will focus on a different area, highlighting the diversity of life in the Park. Hikes will start in parking lots according to the following schedule: the first and second Saturday of the month, meet at the Pioneers Boulevard entrance; the third Saturday, meet at Old Cheney Road; the fourth Saturday, meet at 14th Street north of Rokeby Road; and every fifth Saturday, the hike will start at Saltillo Road east of the Jamaica Trail. For more information, contact Adam at 402.421.8464.

FARMERS MARKETS BEGIN . . . The first local farmers market is open from 10:00am to 2:00pm every Sunday at 5500 Old Cheney Road. The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market features in-season heirloom and traditional produce, artisan breads and cheeses, homemade baked goods, wild-crafted and traditional jams, jelly, honey, meats, fish, eggs, and bedding plants.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

OMAHA MEETING WITH SENATOR NELSON’S STAFF . . . Wednesday, May 4, 2011, there will be a noon meeting with Senator Nelson’s staff addressing accountability for his votes to undermine the Clean Air Act’s carbon pollution limiting ability at the Senator’s Omaha office, 11819 Miracle Hills Drive, Suite 205. Attendance is limited to eleven people. Click here to rsvp.

UN-O NFP END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR DROP-IN . . . Tuesday, May 3, 2011, progressives and peace wagers are invited to stop by the UN-O Nebraskans for Peace office on the third floor of Milo Bail Student Center for light snacks between 2:00 and 4:00pm, to celebrate the end of the school year. E-mail Candella at c [dot] ing [dot] the [dot] light [at] gmail [dot] com.

STOP THE PIPELINE EDUCATION AND ACTION FORUM . . . The Omaha Education and Action Forum on the proposed XL pipeline will be Tuesday, May 3, 2011, 7:00 to 8:30pm, at First Unitarian Church, 31st & Harney. Speakers will include Jane Kleeb, BOLD Nebraska, Jane Wilson, Guardians of the Good Life, Marian Langan, Audubon Nebraska, Duane Hovorka, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Ken Winston, Sierra Nebraska, as well as other presenters on the impact to Nebraska’s water and land resources. Click here for a FaceBook link.

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 a Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store parking lot. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068 for more information about Saturday vigils.

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 “Harlan County, USA,” an award-winning documentary record of a thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line. Watch the 3:00 minute trailer here.  For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OMAHA CINCO DE MAYO 2011 . . . Celebrating 26 Years in South Omaha, events for Cinco de Mayo Omaha 2011 will begin on Thursday, May 5, and run through Sunday, May 8, 2011, featuring a parade, carnival, food, entertainment, vendors, contests, kids’ activities and national Latin group.
Thursday, May 5th, a Cinco de Mayo Reception hosted by the Mexican Consulate and the South Omaha Business Association to honor 2011 Sponsors and Grand Marshals will be at 7444 Farnam Street, 6:00pm.
Friday, May 6th, Carnival will start at 5:30pm on South 25th Streets (O-M Streets). Group Control will play at Plaza de la Raza (25th & N), 7:00pm.
Saturday, May 7th, one of Omaha’s largest parades will begin at 10:00am, and will extend from 24th & B streets to 24th & O streets. Following the parade will be a fiesta at Noon. There will be food, a carnival, music and booths. Over 80 shops and restaurants will offer a wide variety of Mexican Cuisines.
Sunday, May 8th, starts with Mariachi Mass on Plaza de la Raza (25th & N) with fiesta and carnival following on the Plaza from Noon to 10:00pm.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Omaha protests with Guardians of the Good Life continue. E-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net for details. STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace  Coordinator Mark Welsch, 402.453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.

BENSON COMMUNITY GARDEN . . . Omaha’s newest community garden is at 60th & Lafayette, at the south side of the historic Benson neighborhood. The Benson Community Garden is looking for individuals and families interested in garden plots. For more information, phone 402.714.0290 or e-mail goetzinger2 [at] cox [dot] net. To get involved, or help support the garden, please register here.

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . More great letters to the Lincoln Journal Star were published Sunday, May 1st, and Tuesday, April 26, 2011. “Silence deafening,” by LaVonne Dilla, references Mary Pipher’s April 24th letter urging “all readers to do what they can to motivate our state senators and governor to act now.” Dilla writes “Those who care about Nebraska’s natural resources should let someone know. The silence of most, but not all, of our elected senators and Gov. Dave Heineman on the subject is deafening.” An April 26th letter from Marilyn Barnes, “Nebraska must take action,” concludes “Nebraska should not cede its oil pipeline siting authority to a Canadian corporation. I hope those who care about Nebraska’s water and agriculture will call or write to the governor and state senators urging immediate legislation to regulate this and future pipelines.”
Also on April 26, Art Hovey wrote about state senators not acting on pipeline regulations, with a focus on Fullerton Senator Dubas, in a LJS article “Sen. Annette Dubas defends actions on Keystone XL pipeline.”  Sierra’s Ken Winston and BOLD Nebraska’s Jane Kleeb are both quoted, raising questions and expressing equally incredulous remarks about this legislature’s obvious lack of serious concern for the state’s natural resources.
“National groups, Merrick board, weigh in on Keystone XL,” was published Thursday, April 28, 2011. A new 20-page report by Friends of the Earth says TransCanada “bullies farmers, manipulates oil markets, threatens fresh water and skimps on safety in the United States.” The article also reported on a Merrick County Board vote giving support to the Keystone XL pipeline.  A Daily Journal news item from Central City reports “The Merrick County Board voted Tuesday to write a letter of support for TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which is being reviewed by the US State Department.” The rationale? “TransCanada has promised that the pipeline would be safe and reliable.” Safe and reliable. It’s a promise. Meanwhile, there have been eleven documented leaks on the first Keystone pipeline carrying tar sands through Nebraska since fall of 2010. A BOLD Nebraska blog commentary and action alert is here.
In response to a 320-page Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed pipeline through Nebraska’s fragile Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer, the Journal Star editorialized “The statement is unfairly dismissive of the unique characteristics of Nebraska’s Sand Hills.” “Pipeline impact statment disappoints” also encourages “Nebraskans — actually all Americans –” to comment on the 300-page ESI during this final comment period. A five-page Executive Summary is here. [pdf]  The official State Department Comments Page is here.  Comments may also be submitted via e-mail at keystonexl [at] cardno [dot] com, by US Postal to Keystone XL EIS Project, P.O. Box 96503-98500, Washington D.C. 20090-6503, or fax (206) 269-0098.  In comments, please invite Secretary of State Clinton to visit the Sand Hills, see our unique ecosystem, and meet the people who will be most effected by XL pipeline construction.
One of two Nebraska mayors who signed a letter supporting the pipeline has taken his support back–and he noted that TransCanada essentially lied to him about the letter. “Further review” reverses mayor’s pipeline support, April 21, 2011, reported that “after …consulting with others, Ralston Mayor Don Groesser retracted previous support of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline expansion in an April 13 letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The same week, Lincoln Journal Star revealed “TransCanada has encountered problems with the reclamation phase on a 50-mile stretch of a new natural gas pipeline through southeast Montana and western North Dakota that even its own spokesman calls severe. Erosion and …”very severe subsidence,” or settling of the soil, are visible in photographs  taken by the Billings Gazette.”
A 13:26 minute interview with John Hansen, President of coalition member Nebraska Farmers Union, aired on NET News Capitol Comments. Hansen discussed the three pipeline regulation bills stalled in the Unicameral’s Natural Resources Committee.  Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  A Study and Memo from the Congressional Research Service dated September 20, 2010 determined that primary authority over location of interstate pipelines belongs to individual states. A BOLD Nebraska blog post, [pdf] includes background information, a transcript of the media roundtable held upon discovery of the memo, and action alert.
Action: write your state senator urging that oil pipeline regulations be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.  Find your state senator’s contact information at the map linked here.  Also contact members of the Natural Resources Committee asking that they move the pending bills, LB 340, [pdf]  LB 578 [pdf] and LB 629 [pdf] out for floor debate. And please contact Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244 asking him to be responsive and join opposition efforts.
Secretary of State Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline.  Click here to ask her to stand up to Big Oil and NOT grant a permit to TransCanda. You might want to remind her that the “European Union may blacklist tar sands because of higher greenhouse gas emissions.”
“US-Canada oil pipeline – water source threatened,” is an excellent 2:49 minute AlJazeeraEnglish report featuring Nebraska property owners Randy Thompson, Cindy Myers, and Nebraska Audubon representing the issue. Thompson’s letter to TransCanada in response to their “final offer” for his land in Merrick County ends “Until a court of law determines otherwise, your arbitrary claim to condemnation powers is nothing more to us than an empty threat. We feel very strongly that this pipeline could place our property and way of life at risk.  Therefore, we are unwilling to succumb to such a threat and respectfully decline your final offer. Our conclusion is that the courts need to make the final determination on this issue.”
The New York Times joined citizens, experts and opinion leaders in opposition to the pipeline in an editorial “No to a New Tar Sands Pipeline,” concluding “Last July, an older bitumen pipeline in Michigan spilled 800,000 gallons of the stuff into the Kalamazoo River. A new TransCanada pipeline that began carrying diluted bitumen last year has already had nine spills. …From all of the evidence, Keystone XL is not only environmentally risky, it is unnecessary.” Read the entire editorial here.
Nebraska Greens John Carlini and Shari Schwartz have produced a 30-minute public access tv show “Cornhuskers vs. Dirty Oil.” It airs on cable channel 13, Sundays at 8:00pm, and Wednesdays at 9:30pm.
What else can you do?  Keep writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Other excellent recently published letters to Lincoln Journal Star are here, here, and here.  Keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska.
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. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here.  For comprehensive references in media since May 30, 2010, click here and scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Green Notes coverage.
Be a community educator and organizer. Let’s change the world together.
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.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . In the past 3 weeks, the Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.

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

STOP THE PIPELINE