GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . On Wednesday, Jill Stein participated in Democracy NOW’s “Expand the Debate,” broadcast in over 25 million households. From the campaign, “We need a serious debate focused on energy: Phasing out coal plants, ending mountaintop removal, banning fracking, and halting the Keystone XL pipeline.”
WRITE-IN JILL STEIN AND CHERI HONKALA IN NEBRASKA. Another U.S. is Possible — Another Party is Necessary.
Lincoln area: Congressional District 1
OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Sunday, October 7, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00pm, Justin Orem will present “Winterizing Your Home” at the last weekly Occupy Education class of this Series, Meadowlark Coffee, 1624 South Street, Lincoln.
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. See below for Note about NADP’s Annual Reception and Silent Auction, Thursday, October 11, 2012, 7:00 to 8:30pm. “It’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.
TUESDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . Tuesday, October 9, 2012, 4:30-7:30pm, will be the last Farmers Market of the season at St. Paul United Church of Christ, 13th & F Streets, Lincoln.
WASTECAP NEBRASKA SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT . . . The WasteCap Nebraska Sustainability Summit, will be Tuesday and Wednesday, October 9 and 10, 2012 in Lincoln and Omaha. Learn how to “Get Green done!” The Summit features a speech in Omaha, October 9, by Auden Schendler (Aspen Skiing Company’s Vice President of Sustainability), a conference in Lincoln, October 10, with presentations on sustainable business practices, and a free public policy panel discussion with Schendler and public officials the evening of October 10, in Lincoln. See the details at http://www.wastecapne.org/sustainability-summit/2012-2/.
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.
ATM LEAFLETTING . . . Alternatives To the Military fall leafletting opportunities at Lincoln High Schools continue this week: Thursday, October 11th, Lincoln High School, 2229 J Street (meet at 7:15am at the street circle where J ends, northeast of the football field (approximately 22nd and J); and Wednesday, October 17th, Lincoln Northeast HS, 2635 North 63rd (meet at 7:15am near 63rd and Madison Avenue). This fall’s leaflet can be found here.
An LPS opt-out form will also be enclosed. EveryOne is welcome to help inform high school students routinely recruited by the military that they have other options. If you’d like to get involved with ATM in this way, or have questions about this effort, please e-mail atmlincoln@gmail.com. The FB link is http://www.facebook.com/atmlincoln. Twitter is http://www.twitter.com/ATMLincolnNE.
NADP ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT . . . The annual Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty Reception & Silent Auction will be Thursday, October 11, 2012, 7:00 to 8:30pm, at Beacon Hills at Country Inn & Suites, 5353 North 27th Street, Lincoln. (There is plenty of onsite parking, and its near the 27th Street interstate exit.) State Senator Danielle Conrad will be honored for her continued work to end the death penalty, and the featured speaker will be Victoria Coward, the mother of a murdered son. Her testimony played an integral role in the recent repeal of the death penalty in Connecticut. Register online at www.nadp.net.
SUSTAINABLE CHURCHES AUDUBON TOPIC . . . The Wachiska Audubon October general meeting, Thursday, October 11, 2012, 7:00pm, will feature Rev. Kim Morrow Hinrichs, Associate Minister at First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln. The free presentation, “Sustainable Churches: Re-Imagining Christianity for a Warming World,” will be at the Dick Administration Building Auditorium, 3800 South 48th on the Union College Campus. Refreshments will follow the program. All are welcome.
SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The last Haymarket Farmers Market of the season, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, will be Saturday, October 13, 2012, 8:00am to noon. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.
SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road, through October 28th.
NEBRASKA WIND CONFERENCE . . . Registration is now open for the 5th annual Nebraska Wind Conference, October 22 and 23, 2012, at the Cornhusker Hotel, 333 S 13th Street,in Lincoln. Register, view the program, and learn more about Nebraska’s largest conference on renewable energy at http://nebraskawindconference.com/.
OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here. 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 PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, October 10, 2012, the film will be “The Line,” documenting the stories of people across the country living at or below the poverty line. A discussion will follow the film. EveryOne is welcome. For more information, go to http://www.progressiveomaha.com/films.htm. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
R.E.A.S.O.N. EVENT . . . Thursday, October 11, 2012, 7:00pm, R.E.A.S.O.N. (Rationalists, Empiricists, And Skeptics Of Nebraska) will host “The Decline of Ethics in Science and Medicine: Why Have We Plummeted?” presented by Roger Brumback, M.D., Professor of Pathology, Psychiatry and Neurology at Creighton University of Medicine, at the UNMC Durham Research Center auditorium, Room 1002. The Tower is at 45th and Emile Streets, and free parking is available in the garage southeast of Farnam and Saddle Creek. The talk is free and open to the public.
OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is a Peace Vigil at the northwest corner of 72nd and Dodge Streets in Omaha. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store lot. Contact Steve Horn, 402.426.9068, for more information about Saturday vigils.
NEBRASKANS FOR JUSTICE HOST RAMSEY CLARK . . . Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa (a.k.a., David Rice) have now spent over 40 years in prison for a crime they did not commit. For 22 years, Amnesty International has called for a new trial for Ed and Mondo based on evidence of prosecutorial misconduct. saturday, October 13, 2012, 3:00pm, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark will be the featured speaker at a “Still Seeking Justice” event, at the Malcolm X Center, 3463 Evans Street, Omaha. The event is open to the public. For more information, contact mrydickin [at] gmail [dot] com.
OMAHA GREEN HOME TOUR . . . The Omaha Green Home Tour will be Sunday, October 14, 2012, 1:00 to 5:00pm. The fifth annual Tour features six local new and existing homes that showcase green living techniques. See green practices at work, talk to on-site experts and pick up tips on how to green your own living environment. Tour homes are in mid-town, and near Elkhorn. More information is at http://www.greenomahacoalition.org/councils/design-and-construction/2012/08/28/green-home-tour-2012/.
ATM LEAFLETTING IN OMAHA . . . An Alternatives To the Military supporter who lives in Omaha would like to put together and participate in a local leafletting group there. She wants to start small–maybe leafletting at just one or two schools. If you have an interest in joining a Omaha ATM group, please contact Kevin Haake, atmlincoln [at] gmail [dot] com. The FB link is http://www.facebook.com/atmlincoln. Twitter is http://www.twitter.com/ATMLincolnNE.
OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . Click here for an Omaha Market schedule.
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 at http://www.engageomaha.com/.
Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3
NFP PEACE CONFERENCE . . . The Nebraskans for Peace Annual Peace Conference http://nebraskansforpeace.org/ is Saturday, October 20, 2012, 9:00am to 4:00pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 5th and Elm Streets, Grand Island. This year the conference will feature Mark Reynolds, executive director of Citizens Climate Lobby, a group working to end the United State’s reliance on carbon-based fuels. A mail-in registration form is at http://nebraskansforpeace.org/uploaded/pdfs/APC2012brochure.pdf. Early registration ends October 17th.
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . “Daryl Hannah and East Texas Great-Grandmother Arrested Protesting Keystone XL Pipeline,” by EcoWatch, was sourced to Reader Supported News October 5, 2012: “Anything can happen when a multi-national corporation comes in and expropriates your farm for their profit.”
Bold Nebraska reported that When TransCanada arrived on Eleanor Fairchild’s Texas farm without prior warning to remove trees and clear land, she decided to take action to halt their progress. Fairchild, who has been bullied by the foreign pipeline company attempting to build the “southern leg” of the Keystone XL pipeline, was arrested on her own farm when she stood in front of their heavy machinery. Daryl Hannah, actress and activist, stood alongside Fairchild in taking a peaceful stand to block TransCanada’s clearing of trees, the very trees TransCanada told Eleanor they will not replant.
Photos of Eleanor and Daryl’s attempt to stand up to TransCanada’s bullying tactics are at http://tarsandsblockade.org/darylandeleanor/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarsandsblockade/sets/72157631695560081/. Video of the action is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKqs7Fc45XM&feature=player_embedded and Video of Eleanor describing recent abuses by TransCanada is at http://tarsandsblockade.org/eleanor/. Background Videos of Eleanor from last year is here and here.
“TransCanada Pipeline protestor cements self to easement,” by Melanie Torre, KLTV News, Wood County, TX, October 1st: “Protestors continue to do all they can to delay the Transcanada Pipeline Project in East Texas. In Wood County on Monday, one of those protestors physically attached himself to the easement where construction was scheduled to take place. The protestor was using at least his arm and concrete to stay locked in place. A tarp, put up by officials, kept other protestors and media from seeing what exactly was going on.” Continued, with two minute video, at http://www.kltv.com/story/19689227/transcanda-pipeline-protestor-cements-self-to-easement.
Also reporting from Texas, Candice Bernd wrote for Truthout, October 6th, “Why Susan Scott Buried TransCanada’s Money on Her Family Farm.” “…Susan Scott worked for years and saved every penny she earned to buy her dream farm in Winnsboro, Texas. Well, it was her dream farm, but that was before the Keystone XL pipeline was slated for construction right over top of it. …Scott says she was intimidated into signing a contractual agreement with TransCanada for her land. “I said, ‘I ain’t signing that,’ and [a TransCanada representative] said to me, ‘Let me tell you why you ought to, because they are going file charges, take you to court and they’re going to sue you. You’re going to have to pay lawyer fees, you’re going to have to pay court costs,’ and God only knows what else they’re going to come up with, and I’m going like, ‘I am a farmer. I don’t have that kind of money. I’m a farmer for heaven’s sakes!”
“Planet Earth Needs You in Texas,” by Carl Gibson, Reader Supported News, September 30th: “…The battle happening in Texas right now is one we must win if we’re to have a planet on which to raise the next generation. A company motivated by nothing other than naked greed, like TransCanada, must not be victorious in their goal to harm our planet and brutalize our people all to make more money. On October 12th and 13th, www.tarsandsblockade.org is hosting a direct action training camp. If you need a ride, they can even help you get there. Get to Texas, ASAP. Your planet needs you.” Read at http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/271-38/13732-focus-planet-earth-needs-you-in-texas.
A Keystone XL “Open Letter” to President Obama and Governor Romney was released to the media Thursday, September 27, 2012, and the “Defend America, Stop Keystone Tour” started the following day. Click here to add your name to the Open Letter calling on President Obama and Governor Romney to withdraw their support for Keystone XL on economic, public health and national security grounds. THEN PRINT OUT A COPY WITH YOUR NAME ON IT AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO JOIN YOU IN DELIVERING IT TO THE ROMNEY & OBAMA CAMPAIGN OFFICES NEAREST YOU (send it to your local newspaper, television and radio reporters, or better yet, invite them to join you). Video the delivery and post it on YouTube. Post the letter on your website, with a call for more signers. Send out a tweet asking your Twitter followers to join you in signing it. Post the letter on Facebook.
There’s no top down strategy here, just grassroots democratic activism. Everyone has a critical role to play, so please do what you can to help spread the word.
InsideClimate News reported “Michigan landowners quietly rack up court victories in pipeline fight with Enbridge,” a David Hasemyer article recounting that “a 66-year-old Detroit Edison retiree is among a handful of Michigan residents who have won court victories in the last few weeks against Canada’s biggest pipeline company over attempts to condemn their land for an oil pipeline, called Line 6B.”
From Globe and Mail, “British Columbia could withhold electricity from proposed pipelines, Premier suggests,” by Carrie Tait, Nathan VanderKlippe, and Justine Hunter, October 2nd: British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has issued a veiled threat to withhold electricity needed to operate controversial oil sands pipelines if the projects do not meet her demands.”
And from “Ambitious plans for Canada oil sands would create lakes from waste,” by Nathan Vanderklippe, October 3rd: “It could one day be Alberta’s very own Lake District, a recreational haven complete with campgrounds, boating, fishing – even swimming. Or it could turn into a landscape of ponds sullied by toxic chemicals and oil, a malingering presence left by an industrial experiment gone wrong.”
An e-mail from ForestEthics covers a new report, “Tar Sands Refineries: Communities at Risk,” that exposes the appalling health problems that tar sands refineries dump onto U.S. communities. The Environmental Protection Agency says short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide is associated with a host of respiratory problems, including decreased lung function, respiratory illness, and deterioration of the lung’s defense system. Despite the EPA’s knowledge that health problems from refinery pollution are greater for disadvantaged groups than for others, it has failed to address the problem of tar sands refinery impacts on community health. Big Oil wants to dramatically increase US refinery use of tar sands, further harming some of the most vulnerable populations in our society. Take a few minutes to read this report and share it with your contacts. It is crucial that everyone know the severe health consequences of allowing more tar sands refining in our communities.
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.
SAVE THE DATE: PSC Hearing on Pipeline Siting Rules, Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 1:00 to 3:00pm, at The Atrium, 1200 N Street, Hearing Rm 300, Lincoln.
“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 Nominee.
STOP FRACKING NOW . . . At the First-Ever National Mobilization Against Fracking, celebrities, community groups, and more than 100 organizations joined forces for “Stop the Frack Attack” in Washington, DC, where they made three demands of Congress: 1. Stop dangerous fracking; 2. Close 7 legal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry from parts of the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, and Clean Water Acts; and 3. Implement a pathway towards 100% clean renewable energy. Learn more about the event here. 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.”
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. http://www.goodsearch.com/default.aspx 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.“