Green Notes Week of November 18, 2012

FORSBERG DOCUMENTARY ON NET . . . Sunday, November 25, 2012, 8:30pm, acclaimed Nebraska photographer Michael Forsberg will be featured in a new documentary,”Great Plains: America’s Lingering Wild,” airing on NET1 and NET-HD. Watch an 11:46 minute trailer here. Forsberg explores what remains of the Great Plains wilderness in 11 states. One Nebraska segment features the annual Platte River Valley Sand Hill Crane migration. 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. “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. 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. OCCUPY EDUCATION LINCOLN . . . Occupy Education Lincoln and the Calvary United Methodist Church, 1610 South 11th Street, Lincoln, (corner of South 11th and Garfield Streets) will hold weekly Workshop/Skills Teaching Sessions, The Repair Cafe, every Thursday, starting at 5:30pm. (The time coincides with the start of FoodNet.) Toss It? No Way! Fix it, find another use, use some of its parts, recycle it, and say no to the throw away culture. Everything and everyone has value. We must discover the value. For more information, contact Barbara van den Berg, 402.488.6926, barbvandenberg [at] hotmail [dot] 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, November 21, 2012, the film will be “Lifting the Fog (Part 2),” the scientific method applied to the World Trade Center disaster. A discussion will follow the film. EveryOne is welcome. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004. 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. 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@gmail.com. The FB link is http://www.facebook.com/atmlincoln. Twitter is http://www.twitter.com/ATMLincolnNE. Leafletting in Omaha. 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 KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Friday, November 16, 2012, AlterNet Editorial Staff reported “Disaster in the Gulf Again as Oil and Gas Rig Explodes.” The article begins “So far at least two people have been confirmed dead and two more are missing. Yesterday BP was charged with manslaughter for the 2010 Gulf disaster and today two workers on a Black Elk Energy oil and gas rig off the coast of Louisiana are dead after an explosion. NBC has reported that two more workers are missing and four others in critical condition were flown to a hospital.” From the Huffington Post, “The largest oil spill in America’s history should have been a wake-up call. If we refuse to learn from that mistake, it will become a recurring nightmare instead.” November 14th, Wildlife Promise, reported on a new poll from the National Wildlife Federation. “Keystone XL Pummeled by Clean Energy,” released results of a Zogby commissioned poll covering several climate and energy issues. “The poll, done just after the election, finds support for Keystone XL was dwarfed by voters’ desire for expanded renewable energy investments. Support for Keystone barely broke out of the single digits. With protests this weekend against Keystone XL in the nation’s capital, the poll shows that the President has a mandate to fight climate disruption. Keystone XL takes the fight to slow climate change in the wrong direction.” Voters want clean energy, 4 to 1. #nokxl The Lincoln Journal Star published Bill McKibben’s November 13th op-ed “Obama needs to face climate change, reject Keystone pipeline.” The editorial begins “It will be painfully easy to tell if President Barack Obama is going to take a serious stab at doing something about climate change in his second term: The purest, starkest test he faces will be the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from the tar sands of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.” The November 18th Truthout reported “Unity College Becomes First to Pull Money From Dirty Energy” in response to McKibben’s 350.org “Do the Math” campaign. To help fight climate change, it will divest its financial holdings from fossil-fuel companies. LJS published “Oil industry group pushes Obama to OK pipeline,” by Josh Funk, AP, November 16th: “The fight over a proposed pipeline to transport crude oil from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries has picked up again with groups on both sides putting pressure on President Barack Obama to either approve or reject the pipeline. The attention given to TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline project has increased now that the election is over because it’s clear who will decide the project’s future and because Nebraska is close to deciding whether to approve a revised route through the state.” And also on November 16th, LJS published a McClatchy article by Sean Cockerham, “With election over, will Obama OK Keystone pipeline?” Cockerham asserts that this decision “could define Obama on energy and climate change.” It is time for President Obama to draw a line in the tar sands, and reject the Keystone XL pipeline. Click here to sign a CredoAction petition to President Obama. The petition reads: “If you are committed to fighting climate change, you must reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. You simply cannot have it both ways.” If you are on Facebook, click here to post the petition to your Wall. If you have a Twitter account, click here to automatically tweet: Tell @BarackObama: You can’t have it both ways on climate change. Reject the Keystone XL pipeline. SAVE THE DATES: The “Do the Math” 350.org tour with Bill McKibben will be in Omaha on Saturday, December 1, 2012, 6:00 to 9:00pm, at the Joslyn Museum Witherspoon Concert Hall, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha. McKibben will be on a nationwide tour talking about climate, oil subsidies, and the pipeline, bringing together tens of thousands of people over one month to start an historic push to win real solutions to the climate crisis. Purchase tickets online here. DEQ HEARING, RALLY AND LANDOWNERS MEETING . . . A Department of Environmental Quality hearing on the review of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline route in Nebraska will be Tuesday, December 4, 2012, 6:00pm, at the Boone County Fairground, Albion, Nebraska. It is critical that voices of opposition to the pipeline continue to be heard. This route is no better than the last one–it is still in sandy soil, it is still crossing the Aquifer, and it is still carrying tarsands and chemicals that TransCanada will not disclose. There will be a NEAT landowner meeting before the hearing, 4:00 to 5:00pm, at J’s Grill, 333 South 1St Street, Albion. And a No KXL Pipeline Rally will be from 5:00 to 5:30pm at the Boone County Fairground, in Albion. Gather at 5:00pm to hold signs before hearing. Bring homemade signs, line the streets with signs. Citizens’ voices will continue to move this pipeline right out of our state! For more information, the facebook event page is here. Sign a Pledge to Speak at the DEQ Hearing on December 4th, and find links to submit comments via e-mail. 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. Dear President Obama: 171 reasons to deny the pipeline. “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 . . . From “Five Effects of Fracking You May Not Know About” by Alyssa Figueroa, AlterNet, October 23rd: “What comes to mind when you think of fracking? Perhaps it’s images of tap water being lit on fire or stories of families suffering health problems after nearby wells are fracked. Indeed, the health and environmental impacts of fracking are being documented, but it’s important to know that fracking is a catalyst for widespread negative consequences.” 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. 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.”