IN MEMORIAM . . .  Legendary civil rights leader, peace activist, and writer Lela Knox Shanks died at her home on Monday, October 24, 2011, after a two year struggle with cancer. Lela was 2011 Alternatives to The Military Peace Maker of the Year, sharing this year’s honor with Nebraskans For Peace President Emeritus Paul Olson. In 2008, NFP honored Lela as Peace Maker of the Year for her many peace and justice achievements. Read the NFP citation delivered at the awards event here.  The Lincoln Journal Star October 28, 2011 Editorial, “Lela Shanks set inspirational example,” is here.  Nebraska Green Party extends sympathy to Lela’s family and many friends, with appreciation for her courageous, inspiring lifetime of leadership.

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

CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, FOOD PRODUCTION . . . Registration is now open for Agriculture for Life, the Iowa Environmental Council’s annual conference to explore the connection between what Iowans eat and the environment, Thursday, November 3, 2011, at Drake University in Des Moines. Keynote speaker Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet, will describe how changing the way people think about environmental challenges may be the key to solving them. For more information or to register, click here or call 515.244.1194, extension 210.

ENCIRCLE THE WHITE HOUSE AND STOP THE TAR SANDS PIPELINE . . . On Sunday, November 6, 2011, in Washington DC, 350.org and environmental activists from around the country will encircle the White House sending a powerful message to President Obama: honor your 2008 campaign promises and stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. view a 1:28 minute video featuring Nebraska’s Randy Thompson, here.

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

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

TRICK OR VOTE . . . Meet Keystone XL pipeline opponents at noon, Monday, October 31, 2011, at the state capitol information desk and go Trick or Voting to the offices of all the senators from noon to 1:00pm. Ask that they STOP THE PIPELINE, or at least re-route it away from Nebraska’s fragile Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer.

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.

SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE ON PIPELINE ROUTING REGULATIONS . . . Tuesday, November 1, 2011, a special session of the Nebraska legislature will begin to address routing regulations for oil pipelines in the state. This will provide a chance to revoke TransCanada’s free pass and assure that pipelines are regulated fairly, like gas pipelines. If your state senator tries to tell you it’s too late, or illegal, to re-route the Keystone XL, know that he or she is wrong. Two new legal memos explain the areas that can be regulated, and why it’s *not* too late. Click here [pdf] for Alan Peterson’s Constitutional Analysis of a Nebraska Pipeline Routing Law, and here [pdf] for the Domina Law Group’s Green Paper on Nebraska’s Regulatory Authority Over Oil Pipelines, Nebraska’s Non-Preempted Right To Regulate Land Use, and Legal Authority for Action By Nebraska. Let your senator know that this special session MUST, at a minimum, re-route the pipeline. The state capitol switchboard number is 402.471.2311. Call your senator and ask him or her to STOP THE PIPELINE.

CANNABIS COALITION MEETING . . . Tuesday, November 1, 2011, the Nebraska Cannabis Coalition will meet at Cultiva Coffee, 727 South 11th Street, Lincoln, 6:00pm. The Nebraska Proposition 19 Cannabis Initiative seeks to put a proposed constitutional amendment to regulate and tax all commercial uses of marijuana and remove all laws governing private, noncommercial use of the plant on the November 2012 general election ballot. Petitions will be available for new circulators, and the group will assess progress of the signature gathering campaign. End Hemp Prohibition in Nebraska!

EN THOMPSON FORUM: DIVIDING THE WATERS . . . Sandra Postel, leading authority on international freshwater issues, will speak on “Global Security in a Water-Stressed World” Tuesday, November 1, 2011, for the EN Thompson Forum, 7:00pm, at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, 12th & R Streets, Lincoln. Postel founded the Global Water Policy Project in 1994 to foster ideas and inspiration for redirecting society’s use and management of fresh water toward conservation and ecosystem health. She continues as the project’s director. Lectures are available live on the UNL web site, Lincoln cable channel 21 or 5, UNL campus channel 8, and UNL KRNU radio 90.3 FM. All lectures are interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing. Click here for free ticket information.

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 ON XL PIPELINE . . . There will be an Occupy movement meeting on the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline at LUNk House, 1315 South 24th Street, (24th Street between A and B), on Thursday, November 3, 2011, 7:00pm.

CITIZENS’ SPECIAL SESSION SEMINAR . . . Friday, November 4, 2011, there will be a Citizens’ Special Session Seminar at the State Capitol in the Warner Chamber of the Legislature, noon to 4:00pm. This Seminar will address how a special session works, what bills need to be introduced and passed, and how citizens can make a difference. Following the discussion, participants will visit senators’ offices to speak with them about group expectations. RSVP here if you plan to attend. STOP THE PIPELINE.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. Occupation General Assembly meetings are every Wednesday at 6:00pm, and Sundays at 1:30pm.  The fourth Occupy Lincoln march will be Saturday, November 5, 2011, starting at noon on the north side of the state capitol building, 14th & K Streets.  A parade permit has been granted for this action and every Saturday at noon until January 1, 2012. The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. The Occupy Lincoln website is here.  An October 17th Lincoln Journal Star article, “Urban camping: Occupy Lincoln digs in downtown,” is here.  “Occupy Lincoln tents on mall do not violate any law,” from the October 18th LJS, is here.  Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

FRIENDS OF WILDERNESS PARK FEATURING BUTTERFLIES . . . Sunday, November 6, 2011, 3:00pm, UN-L entomologist Steve Spomer will speak about the butterflies found in Wilderness Park at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street, Lincoln. There are 58 species found in the Park–more than can be found in many Nebraska counties. View an 8:47 minute You Tube video of Steve on how to spread a butterfly here.  The public is welcome at this Friends of Wilderness Park meeting.

BIONEERS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION . . . Registration is now open for the Beaming Bioneers Nebraska 2011 Fall Conference on Saturday, November 19, 2011, 9:00am to 5:00pm, in Lincoln at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department conference room, 3140 N Street. This Conference is the year’s premiere environmental and social justice conference in the state, and Nebraska Green Party is one of the sponsors. Check out the website for information about the day’s agenda, mark your calendar, and plan to be there. Register online here.

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. Wednesday, November 2, 2011, the film will be “Countdown to Zero,” about a film exploring the dangers of nuclear weapons. Watch a trailer here.  Quoting President John F. Kennedy, “The weapons of war must be abolished, before they abolish us.” The weekly event is always free and open to the public. A discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OCCUPY OMAHA . . . The current Occupy Omaha location is the Somali Cultural Center on 24th and Farnam. The camp site is 24th and Farnam, across from the Federal Reserve. The weekly march/rally is Saturdays at 11:00am, starting at Gene Leahy Mall, 14th Street, across from the library. General Assemblies are every Wednesday, 7:00pm, and every Saturday, 3:00pm. The official Occupy Omaha website is here.  The FaceBook page is here.  The Twitter feed is #occupyomaha

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. And please contact your Omaha senators! It is very important that they hear from constituents who want the XL pipeline stopped!

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

TRICK OR VOTE . . . EveryOne expects a knock at the door for Halloween. Especially in rural areas, many people know their senators personally. Monday, October 31, 2011, consider dropping by your state senator’s house and instead of asking for Halloween candy, ask that he or she vote for a bill that re-routes the Keystone XL pipeline out of the Sand Hills and away from the Ogallala Aquifer.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Monday, October 24, 2011, Governor Dave Heineman called a special Session of Nebraska’s legislature to begin on November 1st. Quoting key senators asking for the special session to deal with siting of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeling, which has yet to be permitted for construction, the Lincoln Journal Star covered the announcement here, and Editorialized “Right call on pipeline session,” on October 27, 2011: “Nebraskans finally will get the full-blown legislative discussion they deserve on what to do about the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. …During the regular session earlier this year, week after week went by with pipeline bills bottled up in the Natural Resources Committee led by Sen. Chris Langemeier of Schuyler. Only in the waning days of the session did the committee allow a bill on pipeline liability issues to escape. Sponsor Sen. Kate Sullivan of Cedar Rapids was forced to water down the bill considerably before the committee majority allowed it to advance. Sandhills rancher Susan Luebbe characterized the measure, which quickly swept to overwhelming approval, as “a joke.” …More than a year ago, the Journal Star editorial board took the position that the pipeline route should be altered to avoid Nebraska’s fragile and beautiful Sand Hills, where the Ogallala Aquifer often is close to the surface. Hope grows stronger that the change will be made before it’s too late.” Read the entire Editorial here.
Omaha World-Herald reported on the “surprise” call for a special session on the 25th. The Paul Hammel article begins “After saying for weeks that a special session would be a waste of time and money, Gov. Dave Heineman did a dramatic about-face Monday, calling for a session on the controversial Keystone XL project. The governor attributed his change of heart to a “better understanding” of the state’s power in influencing the routing of crude-oil pipelines after discussions with federal and state officials. And Nebraskans, he said, want something done. “I determined it was time to move forward,” he said. “In perfect hindsight, the state should have acted several years ago.” The OW-H report continues here.
OW-H also reported on a legal analysis from Lincoln attorney Alan Peterson, advising that pipeline routing law is “doable.” Peterson joined two other environmental attorneys saying the legislature would be on legally solid ground in siting where the proposed pipeline can go. LJS covered the routing issue here.  A possible alternative pipeline corridor could be identified, and builders could be required to follow the new route according to Omaha attorney Brian Jorde, answering questions at a news conference in the capitol rotunda. The LJS report on that is here.
“Pace quickens as Capitol prepares for special session” is here.  Further on the special session, Sunday, October 30th, Art Hovey writes “Pipeline session headed for uncertain course” for LJS: “Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman does not expect to have a pipeline siting bill introduced on his behalf at the start of the special legislative session Tuesday. Many critics of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline sounded surprised and pleased when Heineman called a special session last week. Up to that point, he had been urging federal officials to deny the presidential permit that TransCanada needs to build its Keystone XL project through the Sandhills and over one of the more vulnerable parts of the Ogallala Aquifer.” The article is continued here.
District 34 Senator Annette Dubas of Fullerton wrote a Local View, also published October 30th in LJS. “Few subjects catch the attention of Nebraska citizens from border to border like the prospect of an oil pipeline crossing our Sand Hills. As with any issue of this magnitude, there are viewpoints covering every perspective and agenda. With so many camps clamoring for attention, it becomes difficult to sort out the objective information. This makes it especially challenging for policymakers seeking to be responsive to their constituency and craft responsible laws. However, one clear, collective call resonates throughout our entire state: Nebraskans deserve a voice in determining the best interests of our state, our land and our natural resources.” The Local View is continued here.
NET Television will provide live coverage of the special session beginning November 1st on NET2 World. Live streaming of the floor debate and all legislative hearings will be available on the NET website.
Wednesday, October 26th, Omaha World-Herald covered expansion of a lawsuit on behalf of wildlife. The report begins “A trio of environmental groups has expanded a lawsuit to stop the Keystone XL oil pipeline over concerns that spills could harm whooping cranes and other endangered species in Nebraska. Since the proposed pipeline would cross the Missouri, Niobrara and Platte Rivers in Nebraska, any spills of crude oil could hurt the fish and wildlife that rely on the waterways. …The Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth and Western Nebraska Resources Council brought the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Omaha. The same organizations sued the same federal agencies earlier this month for allowing TransCanada to undertake a costly operation to trap and relocate endangered American burying beetles along the pipeline’s route in the Nebraska Sand Hills. Lawyers for the groups argued that the relocation operation amounted to early work on a project that has yet to be approved.” Read the article here.
From Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ website, “Tar Sands Pipeline Probe Urged,” also dated October 26, “Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday asked the State Department inspector general to investigate whether conflicts of interest tainted the process for reviewing a proposed crude oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. In a separate letter to President Barack Obama, Sanders, Reps. Steve Cohen and Peter Welch and 11 other senators and congressmen cited “serious concerns” about the integrity of the review and asked the White House to withhold any decision on the project until the inspector general’s investigation is completed, made public and evaluated.” The Senator’s comments are continued here.  Call for an investigation of the State Department’s tar sands scandal at a Credo Action Petition online here.
Coverage of Nebraska’s steps to block the proposed route of KXL comes from Edmonton, Alberta. Articles are linked with “Keystone becoming a touchstone for once-ardent Obama supporters,” beginning “Almost everywhere he goes these days, U.S. President Barack Obama is confronted by environmental activists pressuring him to deny Calgary-based TransCanada Corp.’s application for a presidential permit to build the $7-billion oilsands pipeline.”
LJS sourced an October 24th article by Amy Schaffer, “Stop TransCanada,” that begins “British Columbia is refusing permission to run a tar sand pipeline through the territory. If Canada’s own territory also is fighting this battle, why would we allow tar sands to cross the United States? …I urge people to contact the U.S. State Department and tell officials that America is better than this. We are a progressive, innovative country. To achieve energy independence, we can do better than allowing a foreign company to pollute the resources America depends upon.” The article continues here.
AlterNet sourced “Four Reasons We Need Less Gas,” by Lester R. Brown, from YES! Magazine, October 20th: “Americans are driving less and less. Here is what that means for the future of our oil dependence. With the auto fleet shrinking, with the average car being driven less, with the fuel use of new cars to be cut in half by 2025, and with electricity starting to replace gasoline as a fuel, why do we need to build a pipeline to bring crude oil from Canada’s tar sands to oil refineries in Texas? The answer is we don’t.” Read here.
Tar Sands Action and many partner groups are organizing visits to Obama for America offices around the country. A map of planned events and a sign up page is here.  A 3:55 minute video from the New York City visit on Monday, October 17th, with 250 people presenting hundreds of letters, is here.  “Let’s bring the change that Obama promised. This is the movement that will change the world.” On November 6th, Tar Sands Action will return to DC and encircle the White House asking the president to reject the XL pipeline. As “Encircling The White House,” by Bill McKibben, 350.org, explained on October 13th: “…November 6th, we’re gathering a massive crowd of people to completely circle the White House. This action will be completely legal, we’re not planning on anyone getting arrested, but it will be just as powerful as the sit-in that happened this August. As we encircle the White House, we’ll be carrying signs with quotes from President Obama himself, words like, “We must be the generation that ends the tyranny of oil.” It will be a powerful demonstration and a symbol of hope, as well as a strong reminder that the White House belongs to the people, not Big Oil.” Watch McKibben’s 1:28 minute Call for November 6th action, featuring Nebraska’s Randy Thompson, here.  Read Randy’s most recent letter to LJS here.  Add your voice to the “Protect Our Water, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!” petition urging the president to deny the construction permit here.  Call the White House Switchboard directly at 202.456.1111.
“Environmentalists make Keystone XL a litmus test for Obama’s re-election: Will it work?” beings “To hard-core environmentalists, the Obama administration’s upcoming decision on the fiercely debated Keystone XL oil sands pipeline is black and white. Say no to the Canada-to-Gulf Coast pipeline, they insist, or they won’t support Obama’s re-election bid.” Read the InsideClimate News article here.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, writing for Reader Supported News, asks “Is the Keystone XL Pipeline a Good Deal for Americans?” He points out that TransCanada “ads want you to think that constructing this pipeline is the answer to all our oil needs, but if you look closer, a different picture begins to emerge. One that I hope will have you asking: ‘Who really benefits from the Keystone XL pipeline?'” Read Wyden’s commentary here.
“Obama allies’ interests collide over pipeline,” by Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson, sourced from the Washington Post to LJS begins “In May, environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben, pondering a simmering energy issue, asked a NASA scientist to calculate what it would mean for the Earth’s climate if Canada extracted all of the petroleum in its rich Alberta oil sands region. The answer to McKibben’s query came a month later: It would push atmospheric carbon concentrations so high that humans would be unable to avert a climate disaster. “It is essentially game over,” wrote James E. Hansen, who leads NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and is one of the nation’s leading voices against fossil fuel energy.” Read that article here.
“Eminent Domain Fight Has a Canadian Twist,” by Leslie Kaufman and Dan Frosch, was published in the New York Times. “A Canadian company has been threatening to confiscate private land from South Dakota to the Gulf of Mexico, and is already suing many who have refused to allow the Keystone XL pipeline on their property even though the controversial project has yet to receive federal approval.” Read page 1 of 2, and view a photo of Randy Thompson here.
“Meet the tar sands PR wizard,” from Mother Jones, begins “As environmental groups converged on Washington, DC, to protest the Keystone XL oil pipeline, a Canadian “grassroots” nonprofit by the name of Ethical Oil went on the counteroffensive. The group’s ads all carried the same blunt message: You can buy oil from Saudi Arabia and bankroll terrorism, or you can buy oil from friendly, democratic Canada. …If you’re familiar with the tobacco industry’s all-out campaign to downplay the adverse health effects of cigarettes, Levant’s rhetorical style might sound familiar.” View a photo of tar sands destruction in Alberta and read the article here.
Recent Position Statements opposing the pipeline include Nebraska Sierra Club comments on the National Interest Determination, and Nebraska Farmers Union formal comments to the State Department on the Final Environmental Impact Statement.  “An Open Letter to Secretary Clinton: KO Keystone XL,” by David Yarnold, President of National Audubon Society, was published in the Huffington Post on October 12, 2011. “Since last fall, a steady stream of damning evidence about questionable relationships, lobbying practices and political bias have been flowing from the Keystone XL pipeline process. This weekend’s outrageous revelation that TransCanada supervised the environmental review has poisoned the process beyond repair. It’s time to KO Keystone XL. It is irreversibly polluted.” Read the Yarnold open letter here.
A Climate Progress article by Joe Romm called the Extrix scandal a “bombshell” when news was release by alternative sources. (A blackout has continued in most mainstream press.) Quoting Romm, “The State Department assigned an important environmental impact study of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to a company with financial ties to the pipeline operator, flouting the intent of a federal law meant to ensure an impartial environmental analysis of major projects.” As the game was rigged, Romm called for the entire Environmental Impact Statement to be invalidated.
From The Daily Beast, “Obama’s Pipeline Mess,” by Bill McKibben and Naomi Klein, says “Obama’s plan to transport oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast reeks of cronyism. …there’s still time for the president to step in and stop it. …The story started coming out a few weeks ago when Nebraska activists preparing for State Department hearings on the Keystone XL pipeline noticed something odd. The hearings were actually being run by a private company called Cardno Entrix—their name was even at the bottom of the State Department official website. If you wanted to send in public comments, you sent them to the company. …This is quite possibly the biggest potential scandal of the Obama years. But there’s a danger that it will go ignored for three reasons ” Read page 1 of 2 here.
Comprehensive coverage of international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 are archived in a Green Notes tab above. At the Index, scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Update.
Thanks to EveryOne who has written letters to the editor of local papers. Please continue writing letters, and keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska. (If you haven’t written the LJS yet, please do so here.)  E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers, and t-shirts. New armbands say “Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer Lover” and “Pipeline Fighter.”
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

A.I. MIDWEST REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN KANSAS CITY . . . Learn about Amnesty International’s 2011 Midwest Human Rights Conference, October 28 through the 30th, in Kansas City at the Marriott Country Club Plaza, and register here.  Celebrate Amnesty’s 50 anniversary with members and activists from the 13 state Midwest Region. The Next Chapter Begins With You.

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

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

THANKS IN ADVANCE CAMPAIGN . . . Every Monday at noon, dedicated activists against the Keystone XL pipeline will deliver homemade gifts such as food, family photos, and Nebraska flowers–the very things we’re fighting to protect–to Governor Heineman with notes attached asking that he call a special session right away. Join us over the lunch hour (or stop by anytime after) to drop off gifts right at the gate of his mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. From noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty will also be present for the weekly vigil. 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.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE MILITARY ACTION . . . The next ATM leafletting opportunity this year will be Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 7:15am, at Lincoln High School, 2229 J Street. To help with this action introducing students to options for after graduation that do not include joining the military, meet ATM activists at the street circle where J street ends, northeast of the football field, (approximately 22nd and J) at 7:15. New volunteers will be warmly welcomed. E-mail Kevin Haake, atmlincoln [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions, or to rsvp your assistance that morning. The ATM FaceBook page is here.

SPECIAL JOINT PUBLIC HEARING . . . The Lincoln City Council and Lancaster County Board have scheduled a Special Joint Public Hearing on LPlan 2040, Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 5:00pm, in Hearing Room 112 on the first floor of the County-City Building, 555 South 10th Street. The draft LPlan 2040 document, which is the Planning Commission’s recommendation to the City Council and County Board, can be found here.  The publilc is welcome to testify at this joint hearing, or submit additional comments to council [at] lincoln [dot] ne [dot] gov and commish [at] lancaster [dot] ne [dot] gov. For questions or more information, phone Nicole at 402.441.6363 or e-mail ntoze [at] lincoln [dot] ne ]dot] gov

OCCUPY LINCOLN PLANNING . . . Updates on OCCUPY Lincoln planning will be posted when they are available. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. The Lincoln Occupy Together website 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.

THE LAST MOUNTAIN . . . Bill Haney’s ecological documentary The Last Mountain is showing at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, 313 North 13th Street, Lincoln, through Thursday, October 20th. The film traces the horrific fallout from the practice of mountain-top removal that has been employed throughout West Virginia. The filmmakers show how local communities, with the help of such national figures in ecology as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stand up to industries that are making decisions harmful to their lives. From the website, “The mining and burning of coal is at the epicenter of America’s struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental concerns. Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal.” Show times are available here, by consulting your newspaper, or by calling the MRRMAC information line at 402.472.5353. View a 2:28 minute trailer here.

WORKSHOP ON RACISM . . . “Dismantling Institutional Racism,” a two-day workshop “to dismantle instututional racism by identifying the structures that maintain systemic racism and inequalaity, and replacing them with structures that are liberating and just,” will be Friday, October 21, 6:00 to 9:00pm, and Saturday, October 22, 2012, 8:30am to 4:00pm at the Nebraska Wesleyan Story Student Center, 5000 St. Paul Avenue in Lincoln. For more information, phone John Krejci, 402.466.8460.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The second OCCUPY Lincoln march will be Saturday, October 22, 2011, starting at noon on the north side of the state capitol building, 14th & K Streets. A parade permit has been granted for this action and every following Saturday at noon until January 1, 2012. The Facebook page is Occupy Lincoln, Nebraska For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. The Lincoln Occupy Together website is here.  Lincoln Journal Star coverage of the first OCCUPY march is here.  Once again, the number of people reported in LJS is about half the number estimated by participants.

PUMPKINS AGAINST THE PIPELINE . . . Saturday, October 22, 2011, 7:00pm, meet at the BOLD Nebraska office, 1141 H Street, Lincoln, to join a march to the governor’s mansion in opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline. The Pumpkins Against the Pipeline action will consist of 91 advocates (representing the 91 possible leaks on KXL) carving 91 pumpkins to spell out a special message for the governor. E-mail info [at] boldnebraska [dot] org if you’d like to be one of the 91. Then EveryOne opposed to the KXL is invited to join the march from BOLD Nebraska to the mansion, 1425 H Street, to deliver the pumpkins.  Kids, pets, and friends are all welcome to dress up in costume! Please start spreading the word. Facebook is here.  Twitter: Join us for Pumpkins Against the Pipeline.

BIONEERS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION . . . Registration is now open for the Beaming Bioneers Nebraska 2011 Fall Conference on Saturday, November 19, 2011, 9:00am to 5:00pm, in Lincoln at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department conference room, 3140 N Street. This Conference is the year’s premiere environmental and social justice conference in the state, and Nebraska Green Party is one of the sponsors. Check out the website for information about the day’s agenda, mark your calendar, and plan to be there. Register online here.

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 through October. Each week will focus on a different area, highlighting the diversity of life in the Park. The October 22nd hike will start in the parking lot at the 14th Street entrance north of Rokeby Road. October 29th, the hike will start at Saltillo Road east of the Jamaica Trail. For more information, contact Adam at 402.421.8464.

LINCOLN FARMERS MARKETS . . . Through October, 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. 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.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

SAVE DEMOCRACY NOW! . . . If you care about having Democracy Now! on the air in Omaha, plan to be at the City Council Chambers, 1819 Farnam, on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 2:00pm, for a hearing on public access tv. Contact Frances Mendenhall at 402.208.3717 for more information.

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. Wednesday, October 19, 2011, the film will be “Man on Wire,” a documentary that looks at tightrope walker Philippe Petit’s daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City’s World Trade Center twin towers in 1974, what some consider, “the artistic crime of the century.” The weekly event is always free and open to the public. A discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OCCUPY OMAHA . . . Check the Omaha Occupy Together Community website for information about OCCUPY Omaha planning. The FaceBook page is here. Twitter: #occupyomaha

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 xMark Welsch, 402.453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.

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 . . . The Sunday, October 16, 2011 Lincoln Journal Star letters to the editor section was again dominated by opposition to the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline through Nebraska’s fragile Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer.  A Local View by the Reverends Betsy Blake Bennett and Don Huber, “Choose life, health over pipeline,” was also published on the Opinion page. Paul Johnsgard wrote about the ecosystem and wildlife risks involved with this potential “ecological disaster.” Nebraska Sierra Club Board Chairman Dick Boyd recalled the Santa Barbara spill of 1969, urging that the pipeline route be changed.
“Jobs claim dubious,” by Jack Lindell, begins “Nebraskans are challenged to find the truth among the ocean of claims by both sides about the Keystone XL. Luckily, this issue has garnered enough attention that independent groups are studying these claims to provide an unbiased perspective. …Before we believe the slick ads and lobbyists on both sides, it is our duty to inform ourselves. Everyone should read the Global Labor Institute’s findings.[pdf]  It is difficult to see the positive economic impact the Keystone XL purports to offer.” Read the entire letter here.
“Literal vision of hell,” by Richard Dale Sullivan, observes “It’s quite interesting that the narrative that’s been created and discussed is essentially only about the route of the pipeline, i.e., should it be through the Ogallala Aquifer in the Nebraska Sandhills or rerouted? I imagine TransCanada is thrilled with this narrative, because it excludes a more serious discussion: Should this pipeline even be constructed?” Ten “Facts in pipeline debate,” are presented by C. MichaelCowan here.  And the LJS Art Hovey article on October 16 is here.
Another LJS Editorial Opinion, “Pipeline process not trustworthy,” was published Thursday, October 14th. “No wonder the environmental impact statement for the Keystone XL pipeline was so superficial and unduly dismissive of the unique characteristics of Nebraska’s Sandhills. The firm that authored the report has financial ties to the TransCanada, the firm seeking approval for the pipeline, according to the New York Times.
It’s outrageous that the State Department would have hired a company for the environmental study that has such a clear interest in seeing that the project wins approval. We noted in an earlier editorial that the supplemental impact statement digressed from environmental issues at one point to dwell on the economic benefits of running the pipeline through the Sandhills. The shorter route “would typically translate to lower overall construction capital costs and lifetime operating costs of the system,” the report said. Now we know why the authors of the environmental impact statement were so concerned with TransCanada’s profit margin. …Assurances that the Keystone XL pipeline only would have a minimal environmental impact on Nebraska’s fragile and beautiful Sandhills were implausible under any circumstances. But no one should be expected to trust in promises from a company with such a clear conflict of interest. The State Department’s permitting process for the Keystone XL pipeline is fundamentally flawed.” Read the complete editorial here.
Merrick County landowner Randy Thompson, was one of many letter writers to LJS this past week. In “Ranchers, farmers not misguided,” also published October 14th, Randy wrote “Russ Girling, CEO of TransCanada, made the statement this past week that farmers and ranchers all along the proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline are being misguided by environmentalists. If he thinks we are too stupid to see through TransCanada’s shell game on our own, then he’s the one who is a naive fool.”
Lois Bauer wrote “If Mari Sandoz still were around, she would fight to the death the destruction of her land, the land that healed her whenever she was able to get away from the torments of the city. She is buried out there among the hills she loved. Can we ignore history in the decisions we make? Can we blatantly ignore the beauty of this land and the comfort it brings to all who travel its highways? Can we take any chance, slim or severe, of harming Nebraska’s greatest natural asset in order to pipe oil from Canada. I say no, now and forever. All who have connection to this project should think hard, study hard and be sure they know what this transaction would mean. Then, they should speak up, stop the destruction and search for alternatives, if they can. I know this is a fight between that which calms the soul and that which fills the pockets. Are we ready to give up this offering of peacefulness to brag on our wealth?” Read Bauer’s “Sandoz would fight pipeline,” here.
In a lengthy meeting with state senators in Norfolk on Tuesday, TransCanada representatives refused to budge on siting of the pipeline, admitting in LJS coverage that a move would “invalidate the federal exercise and force us to go back and start all over again.” In “TransCanada not budging on route,” the Omaha World Herald reports “…Such a delay would be unacceptable for the Texas oil refineries that would be customers for the 700,000 barrels of diluted tar-sand oil — called bitumen — from Canada. Customers such as the Conoco, Shell and Valero oil companies are losing supplies of heavy crude oil from their traditional sources in Mexico and Venezuela and are relying on the pipeline — to be completed in 2013 — to fill that gap. Our customers need a solution for supply. They can’t wait another two or three years.”
Meanwhile in New Zealand, an oil spill from a stranded cargo ship off the east coast threatened a “wildlife tragedy” for local penguins, whales, seals and seabirds. Read and view a 1:18 minute video here.  Calling the disaster New Zealand’s “worst in decades,” the BBC report with 1:15 minute video is here.  Video of an October 7th pipeline break in this country at Edmond, Oklahoma is here.  International oil sands news from Daily Climate recently reported that “Oil from controversial and environmentally destructive tar sands is likely to be all but banned from Europe.”
Position Statements opposing the XL pipeline released last week include Nebraska Sierra Club comments on the National Interest Determination, and Nebraska Farmers Union formal comments to the State Department on the Final Environmental Impact Statement.  “An Open Letter to Secretary Clinton: KO Keystone XL,” by David Yarnold, President of National Audubon Society, was published in the Huffington Post on October 12, 2011. “Since last fall, a steady stream of damning evidence about questionable relationships, lobbying practices and political bias have been flowing from the Keystone XL pipeline process. This weekend’s outrageous revelation that TransCanada supervised the environmental review has poisoned the process beyond repair. It’s time to KO Keystone XL. It is irreversibly polluted.” Read here.
More news about the Entrix scandal was release last week. “Bombshell: State Department Outsourced Tar Sands Pipeline Environmental Impact Study to ‘Major’ TransCanada Contractor” was written by Joe Romm at ClimateProgress. Quoting the article sourced to AlterNet October 10th, “The Game was Rigged: Entire Environmental Impact Statement Should Be Invalidated. The State Department assigned an important environmental impact study of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to a company with financial ties to the pipeline operator, flouting the intent of a federal law meant to ensure an impartial environmental analysis of major projects.” Read here.
From The Daily Beast, “Obama’s Pipeline Mess,” by Bill McKibben and Naomi Klein, October 8th: “Obama’s plan to transport oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast reeks of cronyism. …there’s still time for the president to step in and stop it. …The story started coming out a few weeks ago when Nebraska activists preparing for State Department hearings on the Keystone XL pipeline noticed something odd. The hearings were actually being run by a private company called Cardno Entrix—their name was even at the bottom of the State Department official website. If you wanted to send in public comments, you sent them to the company. …This is quite possibly the biggest potential scandal of the Obama years. But there’s a danger that it will go ignored for three reasons ” Read page 1 of 2 here.
Other Lincoln Journal Star letters last week encouraged legislative action to pass a pipeline bill, and tied the Occupy Wall Street Movement with the pipeline debate in Nebraska. Alexandra Svoboda writes “These two issues are part of the same story, the story of powerful economic interests, the 1 percent, dictating the fate of the people, the 99 percent. Wall Street has never been held accountable for the greed and corruption that plunged our nation into an ongoing recession.”
Janene Sheldon urged the governor to call a special legislative session, expressing disappointment in his “lack of leadership,” and encouraging readers to contact Heineman and their state senators asking for action now. In “Don’t trust pipeline statements,” Darlene Todd writes “…I don’t trust anything these government people say, because they want the pipeline to go through. There is no such thing as the safest pipeline ever built. The proposed route is across the very fragile Sandhills and across America’s prime farming country. That’s one big impact. Without water, people cannot work. Thousands of jobs will last only till the pipeline is done. Those don’t sound like permanent jobs to me.” And Scott Sandquist writes “…So with the exception of TransCanada, one truly has to wonder why either side would be against a much safer route for the Keystone XL pipeline.”
Call Your senator and ask him or her to press for a special session. We have no legal petition route. Citizen input is the only way the senators will become interested enough to act. They need to hear from constituents.  And join pipeline opponents at the governor’s mansion Monday from noon to 1:00pm for the Thanks in Advance action detailed at the top of CD 1 Green Notes above.
           Add your voice to the “Protect Our Water, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!” petition urging the president to deny the construction permit here.
New from CREDO Action, “Tell Oprah: Stop promoting dirty tar sands lies on your network.”  Oprah Winfrey is a respected voice for advancing the rights and lives of women all over the world. But now she is allowing that work to be co-opted, by validating a dangerous campaign of flat out lies that promote the development of the Canadian tar sands on her network. Read the petition, and join almost 100,000 signers with an e-mail here.
The White House Switchboard number is 202.456.1111. Tell the President to deny the permit to build this pipeline.
Comprehensive coverage of international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 are archived in a Green Notes tab above. At the Index, scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Update.
           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 with thanks for his letters to the President and Secretary of State, ask him to call a special session of the legislature, and also contact your own senator requesting he or she joins the senators seeking a special session. 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. (If you haven’t written the LJS yet, please do so here.) actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers, and t-shirts. New armbands say “Sandhills and Ogallala Aquifer Lover” and “Pipeline Fighter.”
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

CONGRATULATIONS TO BUFFALO BRUCE, NEBRASKA WILDLIFE FEDERATION 2011 CONSERVATIONIST OF THE YEAR.

INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF PROTEST TO STOP THE MILITARIZATION OF SPACE October 1 through 8, 2011. Stop the Drones – No Missile Defense – End the wars & occupations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya – Bring Our War $$ Home – Convert the Military Industrial Complex.

WALK TO SCHOOL DAY . . . The 14th Annual International Walk to School Day is Wednesday, October 5, 2011. Parents, teachers, and community leaders are encouraged to organize events so groups can meet to walk and bike together. The Day is observed in more than 3,500 schools, in more than 40 countries. In Nebraska, more than 1,000 children are expected to participate. For details, and to get involved, phone Angela Barry at 402.476.7331.

STOP THE MACHINE – CREATE A NEW WORLD . . . “October 2011 is the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan and the beginning of the 2012 federal austerity budget. It is time to light the spark that sets off a true democratic, nonviolent transition to a world in which people are freed to create just and sustainable solutions.”  Stop the Machine – Create a New World, October 6th in Washington DC.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE. Randy Thompson will be testifying at the Department of State Hearing in Washington DC, Saturday, October 7, 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.  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.

CITY COUNCIL HEARING ON SOLAR INSTALLATION INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT . . . The Lincoln City Council will hold a public hearing on plans for a solar power installation on the roof of the police station at 27th and Holdrege, Monday, October 3, 2011, 3:00pm, in Council chambers at 555 South 10th Street. This project (agenda item #22) is a joint effort between the Mayor’s office and the Public Building Commission. Read item #22 here.  For more information, e-mail Milo Mumgaard, mmumgaard [at] lincoln [dot] ne [dot] gov

NWF ANNUAL BANQUET . . . Make reservations for the 5th Annual Nebraska Wildlife Federation Fundraiser and Awards Banquet by Wednesday, October 5, 2011. Buffalo Bruce will be honored as 2011 Conservationist of the Year. The Banquet will be Thursday, October 13, 2011, in Mahoney State Park, beginning at 5:30pm. Read the LJS article here.
The federation is a statewide conservation organization that has worked for more than 40 years to protect and preserve the natural and unique eco-systems in Nebraska. Reservations may be made at 402.477.1008, or via e-mail, at Nebraskawildlife [at] windstream [dot] net.

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.

HEALTHY HONEYBEES . . . Honeybees will be the topic of a Science Cafe Thursday, October 6, 2011, 6:30pm, at red9, 322 South 9th Street, Lincoln. Master Beekeeper Marion Ellis, professor of entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will talk about honeybee health and factors that can stress bee colonies. Science Cafe is a free educational event meant to increase the science literacy of Nebraskans.

TWILIGHT ON THE TALLGRASS . . . Sunday, October 9, 2011, 1:00 to 5:00pm, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center will host the 5th Annual Harvest of Traditions. Spring Creek Prairie is an 808-acre tallgrass prairie nature preserve located 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln. For details about this year’s prairie festival, click here.

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. 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. 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

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE . . . There will be two opportunities to meet with Johns Hopkins professor Cindy Parker and Baltimore Psychologist Steven Shapiro at discussions in Omaha this week. “The Physical and Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change & How to Cope With Them,” will be Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 7:00 to 9:00pm, at First United Methodist Church, Room 112, 7020 Cass Street; and Wednesday, October 5th, noon to 1:00pm, “Slowing Global Warming: Benefits for Patients and the Planet,” will be at the College of Public Health Grand Rounds, MCPH 3013, College of Public Health, UN Medical Center. Both events are free and open to the public. If you have questions, please contact Andrew Jameton, UNMC College of Public Health, 402.559.4680 or ajameton [at] unmc [dot] edu. Drs. Parker and Shapiro are co-Authors of Climate Chaos: Your Health at Risk: What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family.

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. Wednesday, October 5, 2011, the film will be “Lone Star,” John Sayles’ murder-mystery exploring interpersonal and interracial tensions in Rio County, Texas. Watch the trailer here.  The weekly event is always free and open to the public. A discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . Progressive Omaha will meet from 6:00 to 9:00pm, Saturday, October 8, 2011, at 1517 North Happy Hollow Blvd.  This is a new meeting location. EveryOne is Welcome. There will be a potluck supper between 6:00 and 7:00, discussion with speaker Mark Welsch, Community Organizer for the Omaha Chapter of Nebraskans for Peace, 7:00 to 8:00, and organizational business from 8:00 to 9:00pm. Mark’s topic will be “Advocacy – How to Make Change Happen.” E-mail Karen Abrams, kabrams123 [at] cox [dot] net for more information.

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 xMark 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 . . . Thanks to all testifiers at the Department of State Public Hearings in Lincoln and Atkinson, Nebraska. From Sierra’s Ken Winston, “We had diversity in age and background, from a 12 year old to grandparents, farmers and ranchers, professors and business people. My own 14 year old daughter spoke for many young people whose voices often aren’t heard. Eloquence abounded, and it was filled with emotion, but grounded on facts and real-life information. State senators Haar, Fulton, Avery and Wallman spoke in opposition or at least opposing the current route. As the day went on it was more than 90 per cent opposing the pipeline. And almost all the people supporting it were being paid to be there, many of whom were from out of state. And perhaps even more significant, of the 80 or so who had signed up and couldn’t testify and the hundreds more who didn’t even try to testify, almost all of them were opposed to the pipeline.” Following the Atkinson hearing, Ken wrote “I was never so proud to be a Nebraskan as I was while attending and participating in the hearings in Lincoln and Atkinson this week. More than 1,000 of our people attended each of the hearings, compared with about 250 pro pipeline people in Lincoln and about 150 in Atkinson. All of our people got there on their own power and the vast majority of the pro-pipeline people were bused in, and most of them were from other states.
“Our folks wrote their own testimony and spoke with eloquence and power and authenticity. Local nurse Cindy Myers presented her in-depth research on water and toxins in the tar sands, landowners like Teri Taylor, Susan Luebbe, and Randy Thompson told their stories of harassment by TransCanada, and a young mother who is also an Iraq war vet spoke movingly of her hopes and dreams for her young children. We had Senators Haar and Dubas talking about the need for the State of Nebraska to take action to protect its resources. John Stansbury, the UNL scientist who wrote the worst case report, did a great job attacking the credibility of the FEIS. Ben Gotschall debunked a bunch of TransCanada’s lies with his usual eloquence. One after another landowners and local residents showed that they know the land they live on and that they are the real experts on how to preserve and protect the Sandhills. The State Department should heed their message.”
Lincoln Journal Star coverage of the local hearing, “Pipeline opponents, union proponents butting heads early,” by Art Hovey, is here.  A LJS Editorial published September 25, 2011, “It’s time to stand up for the Sand Hills,” encouraging Nebraskans to speak up at the hearings, is here.
A Local View by associate professor of environmental and water resources engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln John Stansbury, “Pipeline’s environmental impact statement isn’t science,” also published on the 25th in LJS, is here.
Another LJS Editorial, “It’s not too late for the governor and Legislature to act,” was published September 30th. “Why is there any doubt in the minds of Nebraska legislators and the governor that states can and do regulate the routing, installation and other issues of an international oil pipeline? South Dakota law shows that state certainly thinks it does and TransCanada went along by acquiescing to the South Dakota state regulatory process for the Keystone XL. Just check the record of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. While you’re at it, check the record of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, which managed more than 40 changes in the pipeline’s route. …Gov. Dave Heineman’s recent and belated interest in rerouting the Keystone XL around the Sandhills apparently doesn’t extend so far as an effort to do something about it, beyond evasions and finger-pointing. He offers excuses of interstate commerce primacy for not bothering to try and clearly wants to make the pipeline’s construction through the Sandhills, if it happens, a sin of the Obama administration. That ignores his power, the Nebraska Legislature’s power and his lack of leadership on this issue. …Maybe it’s too late to stop the powerful forces trying to move this pipeline through an ill-advised route in Nebraska. Maybe not. But not doing anything, for which the governor and Legislature have shown a great talent ever since this pipeline proposal entered the public sphere, is the poorest option. To shift blame to the State Department, which has the overarching responsibility to decide whether the pipeline is built, and to oversee the supervision of its safety by other agencies if it is built, is a meek and convenient way out.” Read the complete Editorial here.
“Politicians need to act,” by Pascha Stevenson, October 2nd, begins “I was proud of my fellow Nebraskans who told the State Department exactly what they think of the Keystone XL pipeline. I heard righteous anger and desperation. I heard the facts clearly articulated. We, the citizens of this great state, are watching our political leaders. Are they listening to us? Do they only have ears for TransCanada and the intoxicating jingle of lucre? Many grow doubtful that our elected officials care about us. We’re beginning to believe that it is really big business that runs our nation, that big business gets the breaks, and that we get bulldozed when we dare to oppose corporate will. ” … Nebraskans have spoken. The majority oppose this pipeline. Now it’s up to those we put in power to heed our pleas, to prove that the citizens still have a voice, that our political leaders answer to us rather than that insatiable monster, corporate greed.” The complete letter is here.  Also published October 2nd was Adam J. Liska’s Local View, “Climate change policy could make Keystone XL obsolete,” beginning “Clearly the Keystone XL pipeline threatens both surface and ground water that sustains the agricultural economy of Nebraska, but the projected profitability of tar sands oil and the pipeline operation are dependent on the future economics of climate change. The vast majority of the developed world already has begun climate change mitigation procedures (e.g. Kyoto Protocol), and it is only a matter of time before the United States begins to share the burden by reducing greenhouse gas emissions via necessary policy.” The column continues here. If you haven’t written to the Journal Star yet, please do so here.
Several Nebraska groups have formed a Save Our Sand Hills Coalition calling for a special session of the legislature.  Call Your senator and ask him or her to press for a special session. We have no legal petition route. Citizen input is the only way the senators will become interested enough to act. They need to hear from constituents.
“Observations from hearing,” were offered by Martha Miller in a LJS letter published September 30th. “As a working-class Nebraskan who could not attend the Lincoln Keystone XL public hearing until 5:00pm, I found it interesting to witness the final three hours of testimony. Not only did it appear that many of the pro-pipeline individuals present did not come from Nebraska (as evidenced by the number congregated throughout the day and staying at the high-end Cornhusker Hotel), it also appeared that those present may have been on the clock. When hour’s end came around, they left Pershing Center in small groups like their shift had ended. The individuals who testified against the pipeline, or against its proposed route, appeared to be genuine residents of Nebraska with a real concern for the welfare of our state. I found the lack of political representatives testifying either for or against the pipeline disheartening. …Gov. Dave Heineman certainly should call for a special session and push our representatives into making a decision.” Read here.
From “Keystone XL pipeline debate moves to Sand Hills,” by Art Hovey, LJS, September 30th: “Public debate over the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline moved Thursday to the Sand Hills — ground zero for opposition to the TransCanada project in Nebraska. The audience got bigger and the voices got louder in the second and last listening session presided over by the U.S. State Department in the state. And on the home turf of the ranch families who would be most affected by an oil spill, the loudest cheering from about 1,000 people gathered in the West Holt Public Schools gymnasium was for speakers who want the route moved away from the Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer.
“I truly believe this is the most pivotal decision made in the history of Nebraska,” said Cindy Myers, a registered nurse from Atkinson. “This decision to be made by State Department officials, miles away in (Washington) D.C., could well transform Nebraska into a devastating industrial wasteland,” Myers said.  Read the article here.
“A resident alien calls Nebraskans to action,” by Saravanan Raju, a LJS Local View on September 30th begins “My legal status is that of a resident alien, in English it means I am a non-resident in the land of liberty and a guest of the great state of Nebraska. I hold no association with any institution, political or apolitical, nor am I affiliated with any organization governmental or otherwise. I stand here as one of the commons. …Therefore, let me reiterate that I oppose this proposition as-is. I implore the citizenry of this land and those elected to represent them to reconsider this proposition. Read the entire opinion piece here.
Lisa Song reported on the Atkinson hearing for InsideClimate News.  “Keystone Hearing in Nebraska Sand Hills Draws Mostly Critics, and Passions Flare,” begins “Farmers and ranchers who oppose Keystone XL outnumbered supporters at the hearing in Atkinson, Neb., located 10 miles from the fragile Sand Hills. …About 1,000 people showed up for the hearing, which was scheduled to run from 4:30 to 10 p.m. About 160 registered to speak, and the meeting was extended until 11 p.m. so most of them could be accommodated. ” Read page 1 of 2 here.  Other alarming InsideClimate News articles, by Elizabeth McGowan, are here and here.
From “State Department Keystone XL Hearings Run By TransCanada Contractor,” at ThinkProgress, Brad Johnson revealed the Entrix scandal. “In a stunning conflict of interest, public hearings on federal approval for a proposed tar sands pipeline are being run by a contractor for the pipeline company itself. The U.S. Department of State’s public hearings along the proposed route of the TransCanada Keystone XL tar sands pipeline this week are under the purview of Cardno Entrix, a “professional environmental consulting company” that specializes in “permitting and compliance.” Cardno is not only running the State Department hearings, but also manages the department’s Keystone XL website and drafted the department’s environmental impact statement. Comments from the public about the pipeline go not to the government, but to a cardno.com email.” The article is continued here.
Further revelations about TransCanada’s lobbying expenditures were reported in “Surge of Lobbying Fuels Keystone XL Pipeline Project,” by Seth Cline, OpenSecrets, on the 28th. “…One look at the company’s lobbying expenditures shows that it has seen its desire to influence lawmakers increase sharply beginning in 2008. In 2008, TransCanada spent $190,000 on lobbying, according to research by the Center for Responsive Politics, and every year since, it increased this number: first to $490,000 in 2009, then to $720,000 last year and to $790,000 so far in 2011. That’s an increase of nearly 300 percent between 2008 and 2010 alone. To further aid the pipeline’s progress, last year TransCanada hired Paul Elliott to lobby federal agencies such as the Department of State, where Hillary Clinton serves as the secretary. It was Clinton’s State Department that conducted the final environmental review, which approved the project. And Elliott himself formerly worked as the national deputy director of Clinton’s 2008 presidential run. This relationship has led environmental groups to call on the Department of Justice to investigate Elliott and TransCanada’s lobbying.” The article is continued here.  As reported in last week’s Green Notes, a Washington Post article was early with this story.
“Next Steps and Pics from State Dept. Meetings,” by BOLD Nebraska Executive Director Jane Kleeb begins “We showed up strong to the State Department meetings in Lincoln and Atkinson. We made factual, scientific, economic, national security and deep emotional pleas to stop the pipeline. We stood as one Nebraska, we stood as a united Nebraska, we stood as a bold Nebraska. Many of you are asking, “What’s next?” Before we dive into next steps, check out the pictures from Lincoln and celebrate the change we are making in our state.” Read and view photos here.
From TarSandsAction, “Cornell Global Labor Institute Study Finds Keystone XL Pipeline Will Create Few Jobs.” Some key findings: KXL will create no more than 2,500-4,650 temporary direct construction jobs for 2 years (according to TC’s submitted materials to the State Department; Company’s claim of 20,000 jobs is unsubstantiated; Strong evidence that most of the steel used in construction won’t be created in the US; Construction of KXL will not affect US unemployment rate in any substantial manner – it will remain at 9.1%; KXL will divert petroleum away from Midwestern markets and will likely increase the price at the pump for the Midwest by 10-20 cents per gallon (supports previous findings); and KXL investment will not be $7 billion, but closer to $3-4 billion. See the full report here.
A Huffington Post article, “Former Keystone Pipeline Inspector Says Construction Shortcuts Are Tied To Leaks,” interviews Michael Klink, a 59-year-old civil engineer from Auburn, Illinois, who “reported a litany of problems when he was working as a construction inspector at several pumping stations along the Keystone oil pipeline as it was being built in 2009 — from sloppy concrete jobs and poorly spaced rebar to bad welds and poor pressure testing. For his diligence, Klink says, he was harassed, berated and ultimately fired. The experience has left him convinced that a controversial proposal to expand the Keystone pipeline matrix, which would ultimately deliver as much as 1.3 million barrels of crude oil a day from an oil patch in Alberta, Canada, to refineries in the Midwest and the Texas Gulf Coast, should never gain federal or public support. Page 1 of 2 is continued here.  (A photo of BOLD Nebraska’s “pipeline” taken at the Lincoln DOS hearing is included with this article.)
“Keystone Pipeline Debate Ruptures,” by Chris Clayton, was published in The Progressive Farmer on September 28th. “Standing outside waiting for a U.S. State Department hearing on the Keystone XL pipeline, rancher Todd Cone described the water around his area in north-central Nebraska. “It’s the most pristine stuff there is,” Cone said. “No nitrates, no arsenic, no nothing in it.” Cone and neighboring ranchers drove to Lincoln Tuesday for the public hearing on the Keystone XL pipeline, which has become one of the most politically-charged energy infrastructure projects in the country.” Continued here.
In the September 14th Rolling Stone, Jeff Goodell writes that the Number One thing Obama must do is Stop the Pipeline. “…There are two big problems with Keystone XL. First, mining and refining the tar sands of Alberta – the second-largest repository of carbon on the planet – requires huge amounts of energy. That’s why carbon pollution from tar-sand oil is up to 20 percent higher than from conventional crude. If we burn through the tar sands, warns NASA expert James Hansen, it’s “game over” for the climate. Second, an oil spill from the pipeline could devastate the Midwest: A recent study by the University of Nebraska estimates that a worst-case spill in the Platte River would create an oil slick that would stretch for hundreds of miles and contaminate drinking water for millions of Americans.” Read page 1 of 3 here.
James E. Hansen’s must read article “Climate Story Tellers” was published in TruthOut following his arrest at the White House sit-in. “If the Keystone XL pipeline is approved, can we make a citizen’s arrest on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for violating the Energy Independence and Security Act? If they were put in the back of a hot paddy wagon in DC and held for at least several hours with their hands tied behind their backs, maybe they would have a chance to think over this matter more clearly. …Have no doubt — if the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is approved, we will be back, and our numbers will grow. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must find a leader who is worthy of our dreams.” Hansen’s remarks to the protesters before his arrest are here.
A National Interest Determination document released September 8, 2011, by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Oil Change International, and the Dakota Resource Council concludes The Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Is Not in the National Interest.  Other links relating to the National Interest Determination are here.  Peter Lehner summarizes the NID document here.  In terms of “national interest,” Reader Supported News revealed that XL “will carry oil that is too dirty for the US government to buy–under legislation signed by George W. Bush!” Read the Brendan Smith and Jeremy Brecher article sourced from CommonDreams here.
Add your voice to the “Protect Our Water, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!” petition urging the president to deny the construction permit here.
From CREDO Action, “Tell Oprah: Stop promoting dirty tar sands lies on your network.”  Oprah Winfrey is a respected voice for advancing the rights and lives of women all over the world. But now she is allowing that work to be co-opted, by validating a dangerous campaign of flat out lies that promote the development of the Canadian tar sands on her network. Read the petition, and join almost 100,000 signers with an e-mail here.
           The White House Switchboard number is 202.456.1111. Tell the President to deny the permit to build this pipeline.
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 with thanks for his letter to the President and Secretary of State, ask him to call a special session of the legislature, and also contact your own senator requesting he or she joins Ken Haar in seeking a special session. 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. (If you haven’t written the LJS yet, please do so here.) E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers, and t-shirts. New armbands say “Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer Lover” and “Pipeline Fighter.”
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