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, Thursday, September 1, 2011, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its people. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE.

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.  A Lincoln Journal Star front page feature story about 84-year old Norma Fleisher’s summer tour of all Nebraska counties calling for an end to the death penalty is 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.

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, 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 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. Through mid-September, a Wednesday market in University Place is open from 3:00 to 7:00pm at the former Green’s Plumbing site, 48th & Madison Streets. Thursday’s market from 4:00 to 8:00pm at Fallbrook Town Square Park on the corner of Fallbrook Blvd. between NW Sixth and Seventh Streets will be open through October 13th. 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.  This week there will be a special Keystone XL Presentation by Duane Hovorak, President of National Wildlife Federation and Smart Energy Group.  The film will be about issues surrounding the proposed pipeline. Learn more about the status of the pipeline, the risks associated with the proposed route, the players, and how you can get involved at this informative session followed by Q&A.  The event is always free and open to the public. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

MENTAL LIBERATION . . . Friday, September 2, and Saturday, September 3, 2011, The Malcolm X Foundation will present an exhibit featuring the spoken word with poet/activist/recording artist Amir Sulaiman, at the Malcolm X Center, 3448 Evans Street, Omaha. Khalid El-Hakim, the founder of Black History 101 Museum, an innovative cultural education project, will also be featured. The exhibit with Amir Sulaiman will be 6:00 to 8:00pm Saturday; and the exhibit with Khalid El-Hakim will be 10:00am to 8:00pm Friday, and 10:00am to 4:00pm Saturday. For more information, e-mail Sharif Liwaru, info [at] malcolmxfoundation [dot] org

COFFEE RIDE . . . Saturday, September 3, 2011, the Bellevue Bicycle Club, will meet at Culver’s off of 36th Street in Omaha, at 8:00am, to ride the Keystone Trail.  For more information, submit an e-mail here.

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. 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 . . . Mainstream media, particularly network tv, was not covering the mass protest and arrests at the White House even before the earthquake and the hurricane. But arrests continue, and the second wave will go on for another week. Fifteen Nebraskans are with thousands of protesters at the Washington DC action against the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL tar sands pipeline through Nebraska’s fragile Sand Hills and the Ogalalla Aquifer.
Writing for the Guardian UK, Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman published “A Line in the Sand for Obama,” August 24, 2011. It begins “The White House was rocked Tuesday, not only by the 5.9 Richter-scale earthquake, but by the protests mounting outside its gates. More than 2,100 people say they’ll risk arrest there during the next two weeks. They oppose the Keystone XL pipeline project, designed to carry heavy crude oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the US Gulf Coast.” Read Amy’s commentary here.
A report on Friday’s events by TruthOut’s Mike Ludwig, “Fifty-Four Protesters Arrested as Environmental Report on Tar Sands Pipeline Is Released,” starts “As environmental activists were handcuffed in front of the White House on Friday, the State Department released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the massive Keystone XL pipeline that would pump crude oil from the Alberta tar sands in Canada across six western states to stations in Oklahoma and Texas. Climate change and environmental groups have staged protests against the proposed pipeline across the country in recent months, including a two-week sit-in currently underway in front of the White House.” Click here for the August 26th report.
In the EIS, the Obama administration “removed a major roadblock to a planned $7 billion oil pipeline from western Canada to the Texas coast” saying that the project is unlikely to cause significant environmental problems during construction or operation. The EIS is 1,200 pages. Early AP coverage is here.  Lincoln Journal Star coverage is here. The New York Times called the EIS “a crucial green light” to the 1,711-mile tar sands pipeline. The DOS said it was eliminating route alternatives from further consideration!  Read Jane Kleeb’s response at the BOLD Nebraska website here.  Watch a debate between Jane and an industry spokeswoman for TransCanada on Democracy Now! from DC here.
Department of State Public Hearing dates following the final EIS were announced last week. They offer the final opportunity to speak in opposition to the Canadian plan for preservation of Our land and water. Randy Thompson and the entire Coalition of groups taking action to Save the Sand Hills will now focus on fostering a large presence at the two Nebraska hearings.  Please mark your calendars now: Tuesday, September 27, 2011: Pershing Center, 226 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, 12:00 pm – 3:30pm, 4:00pm – 8:00 pm; and Thursday, September 29, 2011: West Holt High School, 100 North Main Street, Atkinson, Nebraska, 4:30 pm – 10:00 pm.  Quoting Kleeb, “Sometimes we forget that decisions are made by people. And I think landowners and scientists and grandmas who get out there and testify and explain why they’re opposed to the pipeline and why they’re opposed to the route will have an impact.”   Sunday, August 28th, the Omaha World-Herald editorialized “Protect this Special Gift,” a strong statement for rerouting the pipeline.                      Local PeaceMaker and Green Party supporter Carol Smith hosted riders on the two buses and then began the trip East to pick up others along the way. Several cars were also in the caravan. Carol’s pre-trip Local View for the LJS, “I Will be Sitting in Front of the White House,” is here.  It begins “Here in Nebraska, the controversy over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline has largely focused on the danger of an oil spill contaminating our groundwater resources. Nationally though, growing numbers of people are warning of the irreparable damage that tar sands oil will wreak on the climate if we burn the filthy fossil fuel that the pipeline would haul.” Please make time to read Carol’s entire op-ed here. It was picked up by Common Dreams here.
Carol wrote to the LincolnBioneers grouplist from DC on Sunday: “Most of our caravan arrived safely in Washington DC before the hurricane hit. One car stayed in PA and will rejoin us shortly. We got about 8” of rain in Silver Spring, but the sun is shining now. I am so overwhelmed by what I have seen and learned so far that I will try tell you about it after processing it awhile. Two days ago, we went to Kayford Mountain to view mountain top removal and visited with Larry Gibson, the man who drew a line on the mountain that the coal company hasn’t been able to cross yet. His blog can be found here.  A member of our caravan is blogging about our experiences on the road here.” Thank You, Carol!
An early report from Democracy Now! made on Tusday listed 160 arrests. The number grew with each day as waves from around the country joined the White House sit-in. Bill McKibben was one of the first. The Democracy Now! interview with him is here.  In his article for TomDispatch.com, “Jailed Over Big Oil’s Latest Attempt to Kill the Planet,” McKibben shares what he learned from the experience after two nights in jail. “…We may not be facing the same dangers Dr. King did, but we’re getting some small sense of the kind of courage he and the rest of the civil rights movement had to display in their day — the courage to put your body where your beliefs are. It feels good.”
“No to TransCanada,” by Elke Roby, in LJS letters to the editor August 24th, reveals new information most of us probably hadn’t noticed: “I was wondering how many folks are aware that if they go to the Nebraska State Fair, they would be accepting money from TransCanada.  On the State Fair’s website, TransCanada is listed as one of the four big sponsors.  Does TransCanada think it can buy our goodwill by sponsoring our fair? I, for one, am not willing to take TransCanada’s blood money.”
Other alternative news coverage of the first week’s White House sit-in comes from the Guardian UK, published in Reader Supported News August 21st, here and here.
From another Bill McKibben article published in the Daily Beast, “Global Warming’s Heavy Cost,” “Hurricane Irene’s dangerous power can be traced to global warming -— and Obama is at fault for his failed leadership on the environment.”
In “3 Reasons Why the Tar Sands Pipeline Has to be Stopped,” Janet Redman writes “why the pipeline is truly idiotic and why I’m willing to get arrested to stop it.” The AlterNet article published August 19th begins “The latest bone-headed move by the fossil fuel industry to build a pipeline across the United States is testing my patience. And I’m someone who’s seen a lot of really dumb environmental behavior. …For all the oil money in politics — and there’s about $24 million of it in Congress — I still hold out the hope that with a little help from his friends Obama will see the Keystone XL pipeline expansion as a really stupid idea. Obama’s no dummy. He knows that increasing national energy security means reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. He knows that we don’t have extra money lying around to clean up spills and foot the bill for health impacts. And he knows that building a clean, renewable energy economy in the United States would create millions of jobs.” The complete article is here.
“Dismayed by Heineman,” a Lincoln Journal Star letter to the editor by Vernon Forbes published August 18th begins “I was dismayed that Governor Dave Heineman will not call for a special session of the Legislature to protect the Ogallala Aquifer, even though he admits that a majority of Nebraskans (including himself) believe that the Keystone XL Pipeline should not go through the Sandhills. He believes this should have been taken care of in the regular session, that a special session is too expensive, and that the votes to pass a bill are not there. During the regular session, the senators did not feel they had the authority to determine a pipeline’s route through the state. It is now clear they do have that authority, and Senator Ken Haar is trying to make that correction.” The letter continues here.
This week it was announced by Ken Winston, Sierra Club Nebraska, that several groups have formed a coalition called Save Our Sand Hills for the purpose of calling for a special session to re-route the pipeline away from the Sand Hills. Stop by the Farmers Union booth at the State Fair to get involved. Call Your senator and ask him or her to press for a special session of the legislature. We have no legal petition route to calling a special session. Citizen input is the only way the senators will become interested enough to act. They need to hear from their constituents.
A 350.org Stop The TarSands! petition to the president reads “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy.” Please sign, and add comments if you wish, here.
“Stop The Tar Sands Pipeline” is a Credo Action petition to the president that reads “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. President Obama, you have the final word. You do not have to negotiate with Congress or industry. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.” Click here to sign and add personal comments.
“Cornhuskers vs Dirty Oil” is a new four part YouTube video by Nebraska Greens featuring a great original song to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies; interviews with Senators Dubas, Fulton, Avery, and Coash; clips from the rally at the capitol, and great quotes from Raymond Joe Moller, a Douglas, NE resident with family property near Central City. Thanks to John Carlini, Shari Schwartz, and Anthony DiCostanzo for production. View Part 1 of 4 here.
As National Geographic contributing photographer Joel Sartore wrote in a Journal Star Local View, please contact “Governor Dave Heineman, Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Adrian Smith and Lee Terry, and Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns” and let them know that “trading our environmental heritage in order to cater to greed and increase the wealth of a select few will not be tolerated. Nebraska is better than this.”
Contact information for Nebraska’s 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), FaceBook; 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); Senator Ben Nelson, 720 Hart Senate Office Building, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.6551; Senator Mike Johanns, 404 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.4224. BOLD Contact Governor Dave Heineman, at linked e-mail or PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. UNBold Please contact them all if you oppose the environmental devastation that XL would cause Nebraska’s ecosystems.
Comprehensive Green Notes covering international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 are in archives here.  (Scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Notes.)
The governor could stop this pipeline madness right now by making the Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer off limits to pipelines. He needs to hear from EveryOne who opposes the XL project.  Please contact him, continue writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, and keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here.
Be a community educator and organizer. Help make Nebraska the first state to successfully oppose a pipeline project.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.” Sign the Petition and view 6:20 minute Colbert Report interview with Tom Ridge.

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 . . . 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.

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 asks you to name your cause 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!

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.”

STOP THE PIPELINE

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE.

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. here. A Lincoln Journal Star front page feature story about Norma Fleisher’s statewide summer tour of all Nebraska counties calling for an end to the death penalty is 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.

MORRILL HALL THURSDAYS . . . The UN-L State Museum, Morrill Hall, at 14th & Vine Streets in Lincoln, is offering free admission every Thursday, 4:30 to 8:00pm, through August 25th. Visit the Morrill Hall website for summer schedule information.

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, 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.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE MILITARY ANNUAL PEACEMAKER OF THE YEAR POTLUCK . . . The annual potluck supper for Alternatives to the Military will be Thursday, August 25, 2011, 5:30pm, at Christ United Methodist Church, 45th & A Street, Lincoln. Longtime local peace and justice activists Paul Olson and Lela Shanks will receive the Peacemaker of the Year Award. For more information, and to rsvp, phone Marge Schlitt, 402.474.0682.

PFLAG CELEBRATION . . . The 30th Anniversary of Lincoln’s Chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays will be celebrated Sunday, August 28, 2011, 3:30pm, at Auld Pavilion in Anelope Park, 1650 Memorial Drive. Longtime member Jean Eileen Durgin-Clinchard will present a history of the group, and recognition of honorees. There will be music and refreshments. PFLAG meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, 7:00pm, at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. For more information, phone 402.434.9880.

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 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. Through mid-September, a Wednesday market in University Place is open from 3:00 to 7:00pm at the former Green’s Plumbing site, 48th & Madison Streets. Thursday’s market from 4:00 to 8:00pm at Fallbrook Town Square Park on the corner of Fallbrook Blvd. between NW Sixth and Seventh Streets will be open through October 13th. 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

BUDRUS . . . Monday, August 22, 2011, 7:00pm, there will be a free preview of BUDRUS, a film that looks at the unintended consequences of the wall between Israel and Palestine, at First United Methodist Church, room 112, 7020 Cass Street, Omaha (use entrance on the east end of the north side). A discussion will follow the 58 minute film.

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 “Blood in the Mobile,” a 2010 documentary addressing the issue of illegal mining and lack of corporate social responsibility from the mobile phone industry. View the official 2:48 minute trailer here.  For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

DUNDEE COMMUNITY DAY . . . Saturday, August 27, 2011, Dundee Community Day will start at 8:00am with a pancake breakfast. Click here [pdf] for a schedule of the Day’s events at 50th & Underwood in Omaha’s Dundee neighborhood.

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. 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 . . . Jane Kleeb, Executive Director of BOLD Nebraska, is currently in Washington DC with environmentalists from around the country who will hold sit-ins and other acts of civil disobedience outside the White House every day for the next two weeks. The protest action is intended to pressure the Obama administration to deliver on years of clean energy promises and decide against approval of TransCanada’s tar sands pipeline project. Friday, August 19, 2011, Jane was on Democracy Now! debating an American Petroleum Instutute issues manager on the question “Should the US approve TransCanada’s massive Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline?” Watch the broadcast from DC here.
“Massive Protest at White House Against Alberta Tar Sands Pipeline,” by Suzanne Goldenberg, Guardian UK, was published in Reader Supported News, August 21st: “A protest at the White House against a pipeline from the Alberta tar sands is emerging as the biggest green civil disobedience campaign in a generation, organizers said.” Read here.  Another August 21st update on the mass action from Reader Supported News reports “65 Arrested Outside White House in Keystone Pipeline Protests.  The article begins “US President Barack Obama wasn’t around to see it, but 65 protesters were arrested Saturday as they participated in a peaceful protest outside the White House aimed at pressuring him to block TransCanada’s controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Bill McKibben, a leading American environmentalist and one of the organizers of the two-week protest, was among those arrested. Others included gay rights activist Dan Choi; Jane Hamsher, the founder of the popular liberal blog Firedoglake; and Gus Speth, a onetime environmental expert under former president Jimmy Carter.”
Daily Climate coverage of the DC action, “Climate Justice Movement Keys off Civil Rights Crusade,” by Geoff Dembicki, was also published August 19th. Quoting 350.org’s Bill McKibben, at time of writing, “More than 1,500 people have signed up to be arrested so far, including Hollywood actors Danny Glover and Mark Ruffalo.” At the time of McKibben’s next update, the number was 2,000. “This is getting exciting,” reports “As momentum builds, we’re hearing from the famous and powerful: the wonderful Bernie Sanders just offered up a blogpost pointing out how many more jobs we’d create if we concentrated on clean energy; and the dynamic actor Mark Ruffalo chipped in a heartfelt video imploring people to head to Washington for the protest.”
August 16th, The Washington Post published McKibben’s article “A watershed moment for Obama on climate change.” Also printed in the Lincoln Journal Star, it calls the DC action “the biggest display of civil disobedience in the environmental movement in decades, and one of the largest nonviolent direct actions since the World Trade Organization demonstrations in Seattle back before September 11, 2001. …The issue is simple: We want the president to block construction of Keystone XL, a pipeline that would carry oil from the tar sands of northern Alberta down to the Gulf of Mexico. We have, not surprisingly, concerns about potential spills and environmental degradation from construction of the pipeline. But those tar sands are also the second-largest pool of carbon in the atmosphere, behind only the oil fields of Saudi Arabia. If we tap into them in a big way, NASA climatologist James Hansen explained in a paper issued this summer, the emissions would mean it’s “essentially game over” for the climate. That’s why the executive directors of many environmental groups and 20 of the country’s leading climate scientists wrote letters asking people to head to Washington for the demonstrations. In scientific terms, it’s as close to a no-brainer as you can get.” Continued here.
In “3 Reasons Why the Tar Sands Pipeline Has to be Stopped,” Janet Redman writes “why the pipeline is truly idiotic and why I’m willing to get arrested to stop it.” The AlterNet article published August 19th begins “The latest bone-headed move by the fossil fuel industry to build a pipeline across the United States is testing my patience. And I’m someone who’s seen a lot of really dumb environmental behavior. …For all the oil money in politics — and there’s about $24 million of it in Congress — I still hold out the hope that with a little help from his friends Obama will see the Keystone XL pipeline expansion as a really stupid idea. Obama’s no dummy. He knows that increasing national energy security means reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. He knows that we don’t have extra money lying around to clean up spills and foot the bill for health impacts. And he knows that building a clean, renewable energy economy in the United States would create millions of jobs.” The complete article is here.
“Protest Makes Canada-To-US Pipeline Project Newest Front in Climate Clash,” by Elana Schor, is in the August 19th New York Times. “…Enlisted participants in the White House anti-pipeline event are “not typically who people think of as activists — it’s farmers, doctors, lawyers, church and faith leaders, not the cliche college student out there protesting in the streets,” said Matt Leonard, coordinator of the demonstration and a veteran environmental protester, in an interview. “It’s a cross section of average American citizens who realize that they have an obligation to address climate change for their sons and their daughters.” The complete article is here.
From “Environmentalists Put Obama to Test on Climate Over Pipeline Plan,” by Renee Schoof, McClatchy, published in TruthOut, “Two weeks of protests will raise the question of what the United States should do about climate change, putting the topic back into the spotlight. They’ll pressure President Barack Obama, who must decide whether the pipeline is in the national interest and whether it will be built. For some participants, the key issues are local matters of land and water conservation. The proposed Keystone XL pipeline from the oil sands of Alberta would run from Canada through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.” Read here.
The August 21st Lincoln Journal Star published a Local View by Richard Schmeling, “Consider rail as safe alternative to Keystone XL.”  Schmeling begins “The proposed Keystone XL Pipeline that would be used to transport crude oil extracted from oil shale in Alberta, Canada, to Louisiana for refining is a genuine threat to the Ogallala Aquifer and should not be approved. The danger of pipeline rupture or spill from some other casualty is real, dangerous and may be deadly. It still has not been determined if the extraction process uses benzine (a known cause of cancer), which remains in the crude following the extraction of the oil. A spill in Michigan of crude from oil shale resulted in significant releases of benzine into the water and soil.”  He introduces the reader to “a very real alternative to pipeline transportation of the crude. It is via Tanktrain.” Schmeling encourages giving “Tanktrain a hard look as an alternative to the pipeline. Let’s let Hillary Rodham Clinton and her bunch know an alternative exists. We just might not need to have any new pipelines built across Nebraska in view of our fine existing rail network.” An August 21st letter to the editor at LJS, “Pipeline consequences ignored,” by Jim Anderson, addresses the very misleading argument of necessity in an August 10th Guest View.
Common Dreams published Joe Uehlein’s August 10th article “Joining the Labor Movement and the Sustainabilty Movement: Together We Can Stop the Tar Sands Climate Catastrophy,” explaining why he’s marching with McKibben to protest the XL pipeline: “I’ve decided to walk the walk.”
An August 19th press release announced that the Transport Worker Union and the Amalgamated Transit Union oppose approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and call for an end to increased use of tar sands oil. The unions’ joint statement calls on the State Department NOT to approve construction of the XL pipeline saying that approval of this project now would be reckless given the EPA’s own assessment of the environmental risks. The statement calls for “major “New Deal” type public investments in infrastructure modernization and repair, energy conservation and climate protection as a means of putting people to work and laying the foundations of a green and sustainable economic future for the United States.”
This past week an unrefined gasoline pipeline leak between Decatur, Nebraska, and Onawa, Iowa became the latest “in a string of pipeline accidents in a year, many of which–like the leaks on Enbridge’s two crude lines last summer and the 1,000 barrels of crude oil spilled from Exxon Mobil’s Silvertip pipeline in July–have raised serious environmental concerns.” A Reuter’s report is here.  A Nebraska City News Press article, “Pipeline Leak in Missouri River Flood Plain in Monona County, Iowa,” begins “A pipeline carrying natural gasoline developed a leak over the weekend, with the potential to lose about 140,000 gallons of gasoline in the Missouri River floodplain southwest of Onawa.”
The Daily Climate also published “A quest to clean up Canada’s oil Sands Carbon,” a National Geographic article reporting “The first large-scale effort to capture carbon dioxide emissions in the Canadian oil sands surmounted a crucial hurdle this summer with the signing of government agreements to underwrite nearly two-thirds of the $1.35 billion project’s cost.”  The entire article is here.
Another article about the Friday August 5th “I Stand With Randy” protest against the XL pipeline at the governor’s mansion in Lincoln was published August 15th at HARVEST. “Pipeline controversy continues as decision deadline gets closer” was written by Fred Knapp. Photos from the event are here.  Although the governor was not present, protesters described the action as “awesome,” “amazing,” “wonderful” and “inspiring.”
From “Overheard: Asia’s View of Alberta, Tar Sands and Pipelines,” by Michael Byers, August 15th, “…If the Canadians were smart, they’d build the capacity to refine all their bitumen at source, so as to ship a much more valuable product to Asia and elsewhere. But there are only a handful of upgraders in Alberta — and their capacity is actually going down. …But the people at the State Department aren’t stupid,” I protest. “Surely they can see right through this?” “Don’t count on it,” he laughs derisively. “They’re focused on the Middle East. They don’t understand the Asian energy market. They really don’t.” He leans over and whispers: “And even if they did realize that Gateway is an empty threat, they’d still approve Keystone XL, eventually. No matter what the EPA says, the State Department isn’t about to depart from its practice of approving pipelines from Canada. It’ll just spin out the decision as long as it can, hoping the project dies for other reasons.”” Read here.  Read more on the Enbridge pipe-dream in “Rumours of pipeline’s demise grow as speculation surrounds Enbridge.”
“Dismayed by Heineman,” a Lincoln Journal Star letter to the editor by Vernon Forbes published August 18th begins “I was dismayed that Governor Dave Heineman will not call for a special session of the Legislature to protect the Ogallala Aquifer, even though he admits that a majority of Nebraskans (including himself) believe that the Keystone XL Pipeline should not go through the Sandhills. He believes this should have been taken care of in the regular session, that a special session is too expensive, and that the votes to pass a bill are not there. During the regular session, the senators did not feel they had the authority to determine a pipeline’s route through the state. It is now clear they do have that authority, and Senator Ken Haar is trying to make that correction.” The letter continues here.
Other recent letters: “Economic interest,” by Merle Myers, begins “The interesting part of the debate over the Keystone XL pipeline is that those who defend the pipeline across the aquifer always have an economic interest. …Never do they acknowledge or even address the mere act of moving the pipeline path away from the aquifer, which would resolve the problem! Why? Additional cost to TransCanada, that’s why. Our senators need to address this problem and force TransCanada to rethink its shortsighted strategy. If they don’t they won’t have to worry about term limits since their term will end come the next election.” In “Not the Sandhills,” Larry Caldwell writes “I have lived in, worked in and taken a conservation course in the Sandhills of Nebraska. It simply is NOT the place for a pipeline. I would ask anyone that doubts this to spend some time traveling through, living in or studying the Sandhills.”
In “Oil insider misleads,” Dianne S. Ferguson writes “The latest pro-Keystone XL pipeline guest view by petroleum industry insider Michael Economides plays fast and loose with fact, ignoring contamination issues at the heart of the debate over Keystone XL.” An August 11th letter by Charles Holderby also commented on the Guest View “Keystone pipeline necessary.”
SolveClimate News published Lisa Song’s “Keystone XL Primer: How the Pipeline’s Route Could Impact the Ogallala Aquifer,” on August 11th, reporting “In the debate over TransCanada’s controversial Cananda-to-Texas oil pipe, the Ogallala aquifer and the Nebraska sandhills have emerged as flashpoints.” Page 1 of 5 is here.
A Tarsands Action–Stop The Pipeline White House Sit-In Website is here, and a 350.org Stop The TarSands! petition to the president reads “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy.” Please sign, and add comments if you wish, here.
“Stop The Tar Sands Pipeline” is a Credo Action petition to the president that reads “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. President Obama, you have the final word. You do not have to negotiate with Congress or industry. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.” Click here to sign and add personal comments.
“Cornhuskers vs Dirty Oil” is a new four part YouTube video by Nebraska Greens featuring a great original song to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies; interviews with Senators Dubas, Fulton, Avery, and Coash; clips from the rally at the capitol, and great quotes from Raymond Joe Moller, a Douglas, NE resident with family property near Central City. Thanks to John Carlini, Shari Schwartz, and Anthony DiCostanzo for production. View Part 1 of 4 here.
As National Geographic contributing photographer Joel Sartore wrote in a Journal Star Local View, please contact “Governor Dave Heineman, Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Adrian Smith and Lee Terry, and Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns” and let them know that “trading our environmental heritage in order to cater to greed and increase the wealth of a select few will not be tolerated. Nebraska is better than this.”
Contact information for Nebraska’s 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), FaceBook; 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); Senator Ben Nelson, 720 Hart Senate Office Building, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.6551; Senator Mike Johanns, 404 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.4224.  Contact Governor Dave Heineman, at linked e-mail or PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244.  Please contact them all if you oppose the environmental devastation that XL would cause Nebraska’s ecosystems.
Comprehensive Green Notes covering international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 are in archives here.  (Scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Notes.)
           The governor could stop this pipeline madness right now by making the Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer off limits to pipelines. He needs to hear from EveryOne who opposes the XL project.  Please contact him, continue writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, and keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here.
Be a community educator and organizer. Help make Nebraska the first state to successfully oppose a pipeline project.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.” Sign the Petition and view 6:20 minute Colbert Report interview with Tom Ridge.

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 . . . 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.

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 asks you to name your cause 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!

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.”

STOP THE PIPELINE

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE.

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.   A July 13, 2011 Lincoln Journal Star front page feature story with photo about Norma Fleisher’s statewide summer tour of all Nebraska counties calling for an end to the death penalty is 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.

MORRILL HALL THURSDAYS . . . The UN-L State Museum, Morrill Hall, at 14th & Vine Streets in Lincoln, is offering free admission every Thursday, 4:30 to 8:00pm, through August 25th. Visit the Morrill Hall website for summer schedule 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 [dot] paine [at] ecostoresne.org.

CELEBRATE AND ENGAGE . . . The Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights organization, will be in Nebraska August 20 and 21, 2011, as part of a nationwide effort to visit places where GLBT legal rights are limited. In Nebraska, gay people face obstacles in adoption, marriage and the workplace. In Lincoln, the tour bus will be parked outside the UN-L Nebraska Union, 15th & R Streets, the evening of Saturday, August 20th; and outside Memorial Stadium Sunday, August 21st. Click here for a Lincoln Journal Star article about the trip.

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, 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.

SAVE THE DATE . . . The annual potluck supper for Alternatives to the Military will be on Thursday, August 25, 2011, 5:30pm, at Christ United Methodist Church, 45th & A Street, Lincoln. Longtime local peace and justice activists Paul Olson and Lela Shanks will receive the Peacemaker of the Year Award.

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 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. Through mid-September, a Wednesday market in University Place is open from 3:00 to 7:00pm at the former Green’s Plumbing site, 48th & Madison Streets. Thursday’s market from 4:00 to 8:00pm at Fallbrook Town Square Park on the corner of Fallbrook Blvd. between NW Sixth and Seventh Streets will be open through October 13th. 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

TOWN HALL MEETING WITH LEE TERRY . . . There will be a Town Hall Meeting with CD 2 House Representative Lee Terry on Tuesday, August 18, 2011, at noon, in Brown Park, 5708 South 15th Street, Omaha. Ask him how he can support putting a tar sands pipeline through the Ogallala Aquifer when the first pipeline built by Transcanada has leaked 12 times in 12 months.

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 Human Family Tree,” a National Geographic television series which invites viewers to “retrace the deepest branches of the human species to reveal interconnected stories hidden in our genes.” For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

CELEBRATE AND ENGAGE . . . The Human Rights Campaign will be in Omaha on Saturday, August 20, 2011, as part of a nationwide effort to visit places where GLBT legal rights are limited. In Nebraska, gay people face obstacles in adoption, marriage and the workplace. Omaha’s “On the Road to Equality Open House” will be a the ConAgra Campus, 10th & Harney Street, 9:00am to 2:00pm. Explore the Equality exhibit and share what equality means to you at HRC’s photo and video booths. Click here for a Lincoln Journal Star article about the tour.

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.

CITY SPROUTS GALA . . . The ninth annual City Sprouts Gala, “Cultivating Urban Food Systems,” will be Sunday, August 21, 2011, 2:00 to 4:00pm, at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha. There will be brief speeches, live music, organic food, and a silent auction. This is City Sprouts’ only annual fundraising event to benefit programs in gardening education, increasing the neighborhood food supply, community building, and jobs creation for at-risk youth. For questions and ticket information, contact Norita Matt, Morita [dot] Matt [at] ci [dot] omaha [dot] ne [dot] us or phone 402.214.0534.

BENSON COMMUNITY GARDEN . . . Omaha’s newest community garden is at 60th & Lafayette, at the south side of the historic Benson neighborhood. 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

JOHANNS TOWN HALL MEETINGS . . . Click here for dates and locations of Johanns’ Town Hall meetings in CD 3 August 15 through August 19, 2011.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Photos from the “I Stand With Randy” protest against the Keystone XL pipeline at the governor’s mansion Friday night, August 5th, are here.  Saturday morning koln tv news coverage is here.  Although Lincoln Journal Star got the number of protesters wrong, the Art Hovey article did a good job of reporting the event. Protesters described the event as “awesome,” “amazing,” “wonderful” and “inspiring,” although the governor was not present.
Several new letters to the editor of Lincoln Journal Star were published this week. “Economic interest,”  by Merle Myers, begins “The interesting part of the debate over the Keystone XL pipeline is that those who defend the pipeline across the aquifer always have an economic interest. …Never do they acknowledge or even address the mere act of moving the pipeline path away from the aquifer, which would resolve the problem! Why? Additional cost to TransCanada, that’s why. Our senators need to address this problem and force TransCanada to rethink its shortsighted strategy. If they don’t they won’t have to worry about term limits since their term will end come the next election.” In “Not the Sandhills,”  Larry Caldwell writes “I have lived in, worked in and taken a conservation course in the Sandhills of Nebraska. It simply is NOT the place for a pipeline. I would ask anyone that doubts this to spend some time traveling through, living in or studying the Sandhills. I have referred many people to the June 2008 issue of Nebraskaland magazine, the article with pictures starts on page 10 explaining about Sandhills Blowouts. If the money spent on this issue would have been used to develop alternative fuels we would not have as much need for oil in the future. Can’t the engineers spend their time on that instead of ruining precious Sandhills pasture and hay ground?” Also published Sunday, August 14, 2011, a letter by Jim Elsener, suggests “They should change the name from the Keystone XL pipeline to the Rep. Lee Terry pipeline. This way we can celebrate his name every time the pipeline oil contaminates our water.”
In “Oil insider misleads,” Dianne S. Ferguson writes “The latest pro-Keystone XL pipeline guest view by petroleum industry insider Michael Economides (“Keystone pipeline necessary for energy security”, Aug. 10) plays fast and loose with fact, ignoring contamination issues at the heart of the debate over Keystone XL.” An August 11th letter by Charles Holderby also commented on the Guest View “Keystone pipeline necessary.” “Of course Michael J. Economides thinks the pipeline should be built. He’s from Houston. He’s not worried about our aquifer. He should be. That water feeds many, many people in this nation. The issue is not to build it but where. If they moved the pipeline a bit east, it would miss the Sandhills. They already did that with the previous pipeline. History shows us pipelines will leak.”
Also on Thursday, August 11th, SolveClimate News published Lisa Song’s “Keystone XL Primer: How the Pipeline’s Route Could Impact the Ogallala Aquifer,” reporting “In the debate over TransCanada’s controversial Cananda-to-Texas oil pipe, the Ogallala aquifer and the Nebraska sandhills have emerged as flashpoints.” Page 1 of 5 is here.  “Oil Spills Inspire Bipartisan Surprise on Federal Pipeline Safety Reforms,” by Elizabeth McGowan, was published in SolveClimate News, on August 12th. “Three bills moving through Congress would significantly strengthen federal oversight for pipelines like the proposed Keystone XL.  A series of headline-grabbing ruptures along the nation’s 2.5 million-mile network of oil and gas pipelines is prompting a rare attempt at bipartisanship. Democrats and Republicans seem equally intent on significantly beefing up the pipeline safety standards that might have prevented some of these spills. The timing of the legislation they’re considering is especially vital because the State Department is in the midst of deciding whether a Canadian company should be allowed to expand its U.S. presence by building a $7 billion pipeline through the Ogallala Aquifer and other fragile landscapes in the nation’s heartland.”  Page 1 of 4 is here.
Bill McKibben’s latest article, “New Pipeline to Challenge Obama’s Promises,” says the president now has the opportunity to make good on his environmental promises, but questions if he will. McKibben will join as many as a thousand people, including Nebraskans, who will risk arrest in daily protests of the XL pipeline at the White House over the last two weeks in August. This will be the largest outbreak of civil disobedience in recent environmental history. There is still transportation money available for Nebraskans who want to go to DC.  E-mail jane [at] boldnebraska [dot] org or call 402.705.3622 for more information. There is also money to cover the cost of getting arrested. The fine will be similar to a j-walking ticket, with no jail time.  A Tarsands Action Stop The Pipeline White House Sit-In Website is here.  A 350.org Stop The TarSands! petition to the president reads “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and instead focus on developing safe, clean energy.” Please sign, and add comments if you wish, here.
Keystone XL is “the fuse to the biggest carbon bomb ever.” Now the US Chamber of Commerce has announced the “Partnership to Fuel America,” which they claim will promote energy policy to keep America “clean.” The first major initiative of this partnerhship is a campaign to promote the Keystone XL pipeline–one of the dirtiest projects on the entire planet. Here’s the 3-part plan to fight back from 350.org:
1) Petition President Obama to reject the permit for the pipeline. Already, nearly 30,000 people have signed on–but we’ll need many more to make a big impact for our high-profile petition delivery in DC. The petition says “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and focusing on developing safe, clean energy.” Please click here and sign on.
2) Spread the word about a civil disobedience campaign being planned in DC this August. If you’re ready to escalate your committment to this movement–or know someone who is–please click here.
3) Join hard-hitting activism in all the states that the Keystone pipeline passes through. 350.org will be dominating public comment hearings to oppose the pipeline, recruiting local chambers of commerce to take a stand to stop the tar sands, and on September 24th there wil be big rallies for the Moving Planet day of action.
“Stop The Tar Sands Pipeline” is a Credo Action petition to the president that reads “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. President Obama, you have the final word. You do not have to negotiate with Congress or industry. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.” Click here to sign and add personal comments.
“Cornhuskers vs Dirty Oil” is a new four part YouTube video by Nebraska Greens featuring a great original song to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies; interviews with Senators Dubas, Fulton, Avery, and Coash; clips from the rally at the capitol, and great quotes from Raymond Joe Moller, a Douglas, NE resident with family property near Central City. Thanks to John Carlini, Shari Schwartz, and Anthony DiCostanzo for production. View Part 1 of 4 here.
As National Geographic contributing photographer Joel Sartore wrote in a Journal Star Local View, please contact “Governor Dave Heineman, Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Adrian Smith and Lee Terry, and Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns” and let them know that “trading our environmental heritage in order to cater to greed and increase the wealth of a select few will not be tolerated. Nebraska is better than this.”
Contact information for Nebraska’s 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), FaceBook;  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); Senator Ben Nelson, 720 Hart Senate Office Building, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.6551; Senator Mike Johanns, 404 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.4224.  Contact Governor Dave Heineman, at linked e-mail or PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244.  Please contact them all if you oppose the environmental devastation that XL would cause Nebraska’s ecosystems.  Comprehensive Green Notes covering international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 are in archives here.  (Scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Notes.)
The governor could stop this pipeline madness right now by making the Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer off limits to pipelines. He needs to hear from EveryOne who opposes the XL project.  Please contact him, continue writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, and keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here.
Be a community educator and organizer. Help make Nebraska the first state to successfully oppose a pipeline project.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.” Sign the Petition and view 6:20 minute Colbert Report interview with Tom Ridge.

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 . . . 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.

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!

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.”

STOP THE PIPELINE

MIDWEST RISING: Convergence 2011 . . . Friday, August 12 through Monday, August 15, 2011, 300 environmental justice and climate activists and 300 grassroots low income community members are converging in St. Louis, Missouri, for four days that could change the organizing equation in the Midwest. Climate justice and social justice activists will unite to fight back against corporate power, engage in creative direct action, and envision a more sustainable world. Click here for more information at the official website.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

TOWN HALL MEETINGS . . . Monday, August 8, 2011, Senator Johanns will hold Town Halls in Lincoln at 11:30am and 3:00pm.  Click here [pdf] for locations. CD 1 Representative Fortenberry’s 5:15pm Lincoln Town Hall will be at Southeast Community College, Room U102.  If you go, please thank Fortenberry for splitting with his Republican counterparts and voting against HR 1938, Lee Terry’s bad bill setting a deadline “for determining if the $7 billion Keystone XL project is in the national interest.” If you can’t be at the Town Hall, his local phone number is 402.438.1598. Thank Fortenberry for his vote against rushing a final decision on FaceBook here.

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. A July 13, 2011 Lincoln Journal Star front page feature story with photo about Norma Fleisher’s statewide summer tour of all Nebraska counties calling for an end to the death penalty is here.

CITY BUDGET . . . A $144 Million budget reflecting the mayor’s proposed property tax increase has been presented to the City Council. A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for Monday, August 8, 2011, 2:30 to 10:30pm (with 1/2 hour dinner break). The council has one more chance to make changes on Wednesday, August 10th, at 5:30pm. Deena Winter blogs on “What you need to know about the Mayor’s budget proposal,” here and at Winterized.

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.

MORRILL HALL THURSDAYS . . . The UN-L State Museum, Morrill Hall, at 14th & Vine Streets in Lincoln, is offering free admission every Thursday, 4:30 to 8:00pm, through August 25th. Visit the Morrill Hall website for summer schedule 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 [dot] paine [at] ecostoresne [dot org.

SAVE THE DATE . . . The annual potluck supper for Alternatives to the Military will be on Thursday, August 25, 2011, 5:30pm, at Christ United Methodist Church, 45th & A Street, Lincoln. Longtime local peace and justice activists Paul Olson and Lela Shanks will receive the Peacemaker of the Year Award.

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, 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 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. Through mid-September, a Wednesday market in University Place is open from 3:00 to 7:00pm at the former Green’s Plumbing site, 48th & Madison Streets. Thursday’s market from 4:00 to 8:00pm at Fallbrook Town Square Park on the corner of Fallbrook Blvd. between NW Sixth and Seventh Streets will be open through October 13th. 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

TOWN HALL IN PAPILLION . . . Senator Johanns will hold a Monday, August 8, 2011, Open Coffee at the Shadow Lake Hy-Vee, 11650 South 73rd Street, from 7:30am to 8:30am.

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 “Inside Tyson’s Hell: Why I Got Out of the Chicken Slaughtering Business,” a detailed account of what goes on inside a chicken slaughter plant by a former Tyson worker turned animal activist. 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

JOHANNS TOWN HALL MEETINGS . . . Click here for dates and locations of Johanns’ Town Hall meetings in CD 3 August 15 through August 19, 2011.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Between 1,150 and 1,200 XL pipeline opponents circled the governor’s mansion Friday night with flashlights shining light on Dave Heinemann–letting him know he is being watched and will be held accountable for his lack of action to protect Nebraska’s land, water and human resources threatened with eminent domain by TransCanadia. An incorrect, misleading number of protesters was published in the Lincoln Journal Star article Saturday morning. Speaking Friday night, Randy Thompson, the Merrick County property owner standing up to TransCanada, was joined by two farmers from North Dakota who told about the May 28th rupture of Keystone I that sent a six-story high gusher of oil into the air on their land–the 12th spill from the Keystone I which is not even a year old.” The protest was described as “awesome,” “amazing,” “wonderful” and “inspiring,” although the governor was not present.
BOLD Nebraska hosted a Thursday Pipeline Briefing for elected officials on what jurisdiction they have over pipelines, but many of the questions were addressed to the North Dakota farmers about the May oil geyser. LJS coverage is here.
State Senator Ken Haar called for a Special Session of the Nebraska legislature last week. His Midlands Voices editorial in the Omaha World Herald begins “Nebraska is home to twin jewels — the Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer. The Sand Hills is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska. The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States, containing as much water as Lake Erie and having a saturated depth of more than 1,000 feet in many parts of the Sand Hills. Gov. Dave Heineman has called the Ogallala Aquifer “the lifeblood of agriculture.” TransCanada Corp. plans to run its proposed Keystone XL pipeline through a part of the Sand Hills where the Ogallala Aquifer is both deepest and closest to the surface — and therefore most vulnerable to contamination.
“Over the past year there has been a great deal of confusion about who has the authority to route the pipeline. While the U.S. State Department has the authority to approve or deny a permit for the pipeline, State has no power to dictate the pipeline’s route. It is now well established that routing of pipelines is reserved to the states.
“Unlike Montana and South Dakota, which have siting criteria for oil pipelines, Nebraska has no siting laws on its books. Therefore, in the absence of any state law, TransCanada is free to lay its pipeline through the Sand Hills once it has its permit from the State Department.
“This action could have grave consequences for our state. Consider recent developments, which spotlight this issue:
1. There have been at least 12 leaks reported in TransCanada’s first year of operation of the new Keystone 1 pipeline that runs through eastern Nebraska, including a 21,000-gallon leak — a geyser of oil shooting 60 feet into the air in South Dakota.
2. On July 20, TransCanada experienced a massive explosion on a brand-new natural gas pipeline in Wyoming. This is the same pipeline that had problems with trenches caving in, which TransCanada blamed on its haste to finish the project.
3. Less than a month ago, ExxonMobil had a leak of at least 42,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River from a ruptured pipeline exposed by floodwaters.
4. University of Nebraska-Lincoln hydrologists John Gates and Wayne Woldt sent a letter to the State Department stating there are no studies that evaluate the potential hydrological impact of a spill in Sand Hill soil types. They cited the need for studies to determine how to best protect the Ogallala Aquifer and prepare for remediation in the event of a spill.
5. John Stansbury, associate professor and associate chair of environmental/water resources engineering at UNL, performed an analysis of the worst-case scenarios projected by TransCanada. He concluded that the number of leaks and the amount that would be leaked are far greater than estimated by TransCanada and that the water supplies of Lincoln and Omaha could be at risk.”
Haar’s compelling op-ed continues here.  Heineman was quick to follow the call for a special session with a statement that he opposes the idea.
Bill McKibben’s latest article, “New Pipeline to Challenge Obama’s Promises,” says the president now has the opportunity to make good on his environmental promises, but questions if he will. McKibben will join as many as a thousand people, including Nebraskans, who will risk arrest in daily protests of the XL pipeline at the White House over the last two weeks in August. This will be the largest outbreak of civil disobedience in recent environmental history. There is still money available for plane transportation for Nebraskans who want to go to DC. E-mail jane [at]boldnebraska [dot] org or call 402.705.3622 for more information. There is also money to cover the cost of getting arrested. The fine will be similar to a j-walking ticket, with no jail time. A Tarsands Action Stop The Pipeline White House Sit-In Website is here.
August 4th, BBC New Africa covered a new UN report that the Nigeria Ogoniland oil clean-up ‘could take 30 years’ and cost $1 Billion.  The report indicates that in at least 10 Ogoni communities where drinking water is contaminated with high levels of hydrocarbons, public health is seriously threatened. Key findings of the UN report are here.
Ogoniland lies in the Niger Delta, and residents from several Ogoni communities spent Sunday afternoon Standing With Randy at Antelope Park, singing, dancing and sharing their stories of survival.
Keystone XL is “the fuse to the biggest carbon bomb ever.” Now the US Chamber of Commerce has announced the “Partnership to Fuel America,” which they claim will promote energy policy to keep America “clean.” The first major initiative of this partnerhship is a campaign to promote the Keystone XL pipeline–one of the dirtiest projects on the entire planet. Here’s the 3-part plan to fight back from 350.org.
1) Petition President Obama to reject the permit for the pipeline. Already, nearly 30,000 people have signed on–but we’ll need many more to make a big impact for our high-profile petition delivery in DC. The petition says “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and focusing on developing safe, clean energy.” Please click here, www.350.org/take-a-stand and sign on.
2) Spread the word about a civil disobedience campaign being planned in DC this August. If you’re ready to escalate your committment to this movement–or know someone who is–please click here.
3) Join hard-hitting activism in all the states that the Keystone pipeline passes through. 350.org will be dominating public comment hearings to oppose the pipeline, recruiting local chambers of commerce to take a stand to stop the tar sands, and on September 24th there wil be big rallies for the Moving Planet day of action.
“Cornhuskers vs Dirty Oil” is a new four part YouTube video by Nebraska Greens featuring a great original song to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies; interviews with Senators Dubas, Fulton, Avery, and Coash; clips from the rally at the capitol, and great quotes from Raymond Joe Moller, a Douglas, NE resident with family property near Central City. Thanks to John Carlini, Shari Schwartz, and Anthony DiCostanzo for production. View Part 1 of 4 here.
As internationally acclaimed National Geographic contributing photographer Joel Sartore wrote in a Journal Star Local View, please “Write and call Governor Dave Heineman, Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Adrian Smith and Lee Terry, and Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns” and let them know that “trading our environmental heritage in order to cater to greed and increase the wealth of a select few will not be tolerated. Nebraska is better than this.”
Contact information for Nebraska’s 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), FaceBook; 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); Senator Ben Nelson, 720 Hart Senate Office Building, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.6551; Senator Mike Johanns, 404 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.4224.  Contact Governor Dave Heineman, at linked e-mail or PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244.  Please contact them all if you oppose the environmental devastation that XL would cause Nebraska’s ecosystems.
Stop The Tar Sands Pipeline is a new Credo Action petition to the president that reads “The tar sands represent a catastrophic threat to our communities, our climate, and our planet. President Obama, you have the final word. You do not have to negotiate with Congress or industry. We urge you to demonstrate real climate leadership by rejecting the requested permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.” Click here to sign and add personal comments.
Comprehensive Green Notes covering international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 are in archives here.  (Scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Notes.)
Thanks to EveryOne who circled the governor’s mansion Friday night, and All who participated in the many “I Stand With Randy” events statewide.  The governor could stop this pipeline madness right now by making the Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer off limits to pipelines. He needs to hear from EveryOne who opposes the XL project.  Please contact him, continue writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, and keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here.
Be a community educator and organizer. Help make Nebraska the first state to successfully oppose a pipeline project.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.” Sign the Petition and view 6:20 minute Colbert Report interview with Tom Ridge.

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 . . . 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.

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!

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.“

STOP THE PIPELINE