GREENS ARE GATHERING SIGNATURES . . . NGP is gathering signatures so voters here will have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate. For brief information about current candidates for President, click here. In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions. To participate in the ballot access process in any way, please e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Printable NGP brochures on FaceBook are here. Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!
PAGE DOWN FOR KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE.
Lincoln area: Congressional District 1
VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, 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. When weather is bad, 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 more information about NADP, click here. “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw
OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . “American History: Mocking Ourselves With Falsehoods” is the current Occupy Education Series every Monday through April 23, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00pm, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street, #102, Lincoln. This series, led by Richard Hargesheimer, will address discrepancies about and within the traditional narrative of American History, from the Gilded Age to today, with focus on various movements to include the Labor Movement, Populism, and the Rights Movements of the 1950s and 1960s. Monday, April 9, 2012 will be “Part 3: Populism – Nebraska’s Role in the Populist Movement.”
TEACH-IN TUESDAY . . . Each week a different member of the Occupy Lincoln community will host a short class on a topic of their choosing, Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:00pm through April 24th, at Meadowlark Café, 1624 South Street, in Lincoln. Tuesday, April 10, 2012, Tim Rinne, Executive Director of Nebraskans for Peace, will present “Nebraska’s Role in Climate Change.”
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.
WACHISKA ANNUAL . . . The Wachiska Audubon Earthkeeper Award will be presented to Duane Hovorka, Executive Director of Nebraska Wildlife Federation, on Thursday, April 12, 2012, at the Wachiska annual meeting and potluck dinner beginning 6:15pm, at Spring Creek Audubon Center near Denton. Marian Langan, Exeuctive Director of Audubon Nebraska and Vice President of National Audubon Society, will present an overview of the new strategic national plan. The public is invited to bring a favorite dish to share, and table service. Phone the Wachiska office for more information at 402.486.4846.
PEACE AUCTION . . . The Crete Nebraskans for Peace Auction will be Thursday, April 12, 2012, 7:00pm, in the ARC, United Church of Christ, (west end/new addition), 12th and Ivy, Crete, NE. The auctioneer will be Cody Vance. Contributions to past auctions have included a wide variety of small items of inestimable value such as food (Mid-Eastern meal, candy, kolache, rolls, jelly, bread, etc.), books, games, puzzles, videos, jewelry, hats, and sundry items culled from the treasures commonly found in basements, attics, closet shelves, shoe boxes, under mattresses and in safety deposit boxes. Keep those items in circulation. Call Pat or Rob at 402.826.4818, or Jane at 402.797.3855 for more details. Refreshments will be served.
FREE GARDENING WORKSHOP . . . Saturday, April 14, 2012, 9:30 to 11:30am, From Mowing to Growing, a free community gardening workshop, will be presented in the garden on the northwest corner at 26th & T Streets, in Lincoln. Learn how to transform your lawn and block into a productive food system. Pre-registrations would be appreciated, by e-mail to Barb at barb [at] communitycrops [dot] org or call 402.474.9802. Click here for more details. All are welcome.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING . . . ACLU Legal Director Amy Miller will present “Know Your Rights,” a training workshop focused on your rights and responsibilities in encounters with law enforcement, on Saturday, April 14, 2012, 2:00 to 4:00pm, in the Colonial Room at the UN-L Student Union, 14th & R Streets, in Lincoln. Whether contact is made in your car, on foot, or in your home, learn your rights at this free training session.
NATIVE PLANTS . . . Sunday, April 15, 2012, 2:00pm, there will be a Native Plant Program at Lincoln Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street, presented by Roland Barth and Neal S. Ratzlaff, authors of “Field Guide to Wildflowers: Fontenelle Forest & Neale Woods Nature Centers.”
NATURE CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS . . . Friends of Wilderness Park is awarding scholarships to members whose children have an interest in attending the Wilderness Park Nature Camp this Summer. If you are interested in applying for the scholarship or know a child who is deserving of the experience please contact Adam Hintz by May 1st at 402.421.8464 or e-mail friendsofwildernessparkne [at] yahoo [dot] com. For more information on the camp, call 402.441.7895.
OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . “City officials and Occupy Lincoln have reached an agreement that will keep tents pitched on Centennial Mall until May 1, two months later than the city had planned.” Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage here.
The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. There is a General Assembly every Sunday, 1:30-2:30pm, at Bennett Martin Library, 14th and N Streets, in the 4th floor auditorium; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm. 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. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!
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, April 4, 2012, the film will be “Orgasm, Inc.,” a powerful 73 minute film that looks inside the medical industry and the marketing campaigns that are literally and figuratively reshaping our everyday lives around health, illness, desire — and orgasm. An informal discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE . . . There will be a Green Neighborhood Council Roundtable Discussion on “Urban Prairies & How You Can Create a Bit of Prairie In Your Own Yard,” 6:30 to 8:00pm, Thursday, April 12, 2012, at the Neighborhood Center, 115 South 49th Ave, Omaha. Longtime ecologist Glenn Pollock will discuss how protecting our natural environment benefits everyone, and how using native wildflowers and other native plants benefits our ecosystem. All GNC workshops are free and open to the public.
GREEN TEEN RALLY . . . There will be a Green Teen Rally Saturday, April 14, 2012, 11:00am to 2:00pm, at Bellevue West High School, 1501 Thurston Avenue – just off the Kennedy Freeway at Cornhusker, sponsored by the Omaha Area Green Club Network. There will be Round Table Sharing, informal connecting over pizza and cupcakes, a presentation by a Master Gardener, Breakout sessions on Gardening, Recycling, and Attracting New Members, and a tour of one club’s native prairie flower garden or paper recycling program. For more information, phone 402.593.1810, or e-mail incompassion [at] yahoo [dot] com. “Like” on Facebook: Green Teen Rally. Follow on Twitter: @GreenTeenRally
PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . Nebraska State Senator Gwen Howard will speake at the next Progressive Omaha meeting, Saturday, April 14th, 2012, from 6:00 to 9:00pm, at 1517 North Happy Hollow Blvd. (mapquest). Senator Howard will discuss her candidacy for incumbent Rep. Lee Terry’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the May 15th primary, Howard will face Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, Jr. to represent the 2nd Congressional District. Howard’s official campaign website is here, and here. There will be a pot luck from 6:00 to 7:00, discussion until 8:00, and business/social time until 9:00pm. All are welcome.
PETITION TO REVERSE DECISION CLOSING POLLING STATIONS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY . . . Open and accessible polls are essential to a representative democracy. Commissioner Phipp’s decision to close half of the county’s polls resulted in disproportionately closing more polling locations in low income areas of Omaha where citizens do not have their own personal transportation. Find more information here and here.
Election Commissioner Phipp’s CAN reverse this course of action. His decision was made without ANY public input or notice until he stated it was “too late.” Demand Election Commissioner Phipps make our elections accessible by calling 402.444.8683, and sign the petition here.
OCCUPY OMAHA . . . The official Occupy Omaha website is here. The FaceBook page is here. The Twitter feed is #occupyomaha
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
OCCUPY GRAND ISLAND . . . In conjunction with Nation-wide “Occupy Week” activities, on Saturday, April 14, 2012, from 1:00 to 3:00pm, there will be a public demonstration in support of Occupy Grand Island at Pioneer Park on U.S. Hwy 30 (West 2nd Street) between Eddy and Walnut Streets in downtown Grand Island. All interested individuals or groups are invited to attend and participate in the gathering and march. If you and/or your group wish to participate, please feel free to just show-up. For finalized plans and further details, please phone Mena Sprague, 308.754.4901, or contact Robert O’Dell, 308.384.1282, or rdodell [at] charter [dot] net
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Nebraska’s Unicameral advanced LB 1161 April 5, 2012, for a final vote, probably in the morning on Wednesday, April 11th. Text of LB 1161 and amendments is here.
From the Omaha World-Herald, “Keystone XL bill advances despite calls to return to committee,” by Paul Hammel, April 6th: “Over the objection of a trio of lawmakers, the Nebraska Legislature advanced an amended bill Thursday that would resume a state review of a Keystone XL pipeline route that avoids the groundwater-rich Sand Hills.” The article is continued here.
BOLD Nebraska posted “Pipeline Bill is Unconstitutional and Continues to Threaten Ogallala Aquifer” here. In part, it says “as the Nebraska state legislature considers legislation that will hastily fast track a route review of TransCanada’s Keystone XL tarsands pipeline, and undo laws passed last year during the historic Special Session, a few important points remain critically unaddressed:
Nebraska’s state constitution forbids any law being passed for the benefit of one company. The pipeline bill (LB 1161) and the various amendments from state senators trying to “fix” the bill come up short on the legal front and are long on handouts to TransCanada. Gov. Heineman just vetoed a bill yesterday because it created a “closed class” and is unconstitutional special legislation, citizens expect him to do the same on this bill.
After promising in January it would provide a new route to Nebraska within days, TransCanada is now refusing to disclose a new route. Instead, TransCanada will only identify a “corridor” and will only do that if the Unicameral passes a bill that fast tracks their project and gives them immediate eminent domain authority—all paid for by Nebraskans to the tune of $2 million.
The Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer are both still at risk since Nebraska does not have anything in writing from TransCanada or in state law to avoid these sensitive areas. Meanwhile, landowners are on pins and needles not knowing if their land will be threatened by tarsands and eminent domain.” More details on LB 1161 and various amendments are here.
Randy Thompson’s letter to the Lincoln Journal Star, published April 8th, begins “TransCanada’s LB1161: Here we go again. As a Nebraska citizen and landowner, I find it unsettling that TransCanada has basically been allowed to write its own legislative bill, which once again grants the company special treatment by our Nebraska lawmakers. Sen. Jim Smith may have his name attached to this legislation, but for anyone who attended the hearings on this bill, it was quite evident that TransCanada’s attorneys had written it. …The intent of LB1161 is to allow TransCanada to be exempted from current Nebraska law (LB1) and fast-track the review process. The thing I find most outrageous is that TransCanada would immediately be granted eminent domain powers with the passage of this bill. In other words, a foreign corporation could start condemning the property of Nebraska citizens prior to even submitting an application for the project. This is unheard-of and should not be tolerated in the state of Nebraska.” Thompson concludes “I truly believe our state legislators need to start worrying a little less about their so-called commitment to TransCanada, and a little more about their commitment to serve the best interest of Nebraskans.
“No to LB1161,” by Amy Schaffer, is an April 6th letter to the LJS. “…If TransCanada wants to move the denied Keystone XL project forward, the company needs to reapply for a permit and follow the laws we enacted during the special session. The citizens of Nebraska did not call and pay for a special session to turn around and have the laws undone four months later. It is clear that TransCanada miscalculated the risk of moving forward on the Keystone XL project without a federal permit. Nebraska government leaders need to remember that it is not government’s duty to compensate TransCanada for its poor business strategy. It is, however, its duty to look out for the good of Nebraska citizens by requiring entities to abide by Nebraska law. I urge people to ask their state senators to vote no on LB1161.”
A 3:02 minute video, “The Apple Pie Brigade Speaks Out Against The Pipeline,” features Mary Pipher, Nancy Packard, Christy Hargesheimer and other grandmothers against the pipeline at the State Capitol on Thursday, March 29th.
Reminder: “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential candidate.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
STOP FRACKING NOW . . . Quoting Bill McKibben in “Why Not Frack?” “The planet is running short of the easy stuff, where you stick a drill in the ground and crude comes bubbling to the surface. The great oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Mexico have begun to dwindle; one result has been a rising price for energy. We could, as a civilization, have taken that dwindling supply and rising price as a signal to convert to sun, wind, and other noncarbon forms of energy-it would have made eminent sense, most of all because it would have aided in the fight against global warming, the most difficult challenge the planet faces. Instead, we’ve taken it as a signal to scour the world for more hydrocarbons. And it turns out that they’re there-vast quantities of coal and oil and gas, buried deep or trapped in tight rock formations or mixed with other minerals. Getting at them requires ripping apart the earth: for instance, by heating up the ground so that the oil in the tar sands formation of Canada can flow to the surface. Or by tearing holes in the crust a mile beneath the surface of the sea, as BP was doing in the Gulf of Mexico when the Deepwater Horizon well exploded. Or by literally removing mountaintops to get at coal, as has become commonplace across the southern Appalachians.”
“Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes,” by Brad Johnson, ThinkProgress, in Reader Supported News March 10, 2012 reports “A dozen earthquakes in northeastern Ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas-drilling wastewater into the earth, Ohio oil and gas regulators said Friday as they announced a series of tough new regulations for drillers.”
Petition Congress: “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.”
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.
From FitLife.tv, “In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.”
“Monsanto’s Roundup Shown to Be Ravaging Butterfly Populations,” by Mike Barrett, Natural Society, for Truthout, March 9th: “Although the butterfly population may be suffering, humans are taking heat from Monsanto’s creations as well. Past research has shown that Monsanto’s Roundup ready crops are leading to mental illness and obesity, primarily by destroying the amount of good bacteria found in the gut. The corporation’s Roundup, containing glyphosate, has also been shown to cause infertility and birth defects.”
To help organize or coordinate a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your local community, sign up here. To pressure Whole Foods Market and the nation’s largest supermarket chains to voluntarily adopt truth-in-labeling practices, sign editable text here.
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 Substitute Hemp for oil.“