EARTH CIRCLE . . . On the first day of each month, people around the world stop for five minutes to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. Join peacemakers everywhere at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am Mountain Time, on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its beings. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

WORLD AIDS DAY . . . December 1st is World AIDS Day.  Help Stop the Global Pediatric AIDS Epidemic.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials is below following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note the CD 1 hearing, and notice of Saturday’s rally in CD 2.

CLIMATE JUSTICE . . . Wednesday, December 1, 2010, is national call-in day for climate justice. The world’s poorest nations are on the front lines of catastrophic climate change. Floods in Pakistan and droughts in Africa are just the most recent examples of how poor nations are suffering because of indifference to the climate crisis. 1Sky, ActionAid, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Jubilee USA and other partners are calling for a national call-in day on Wednesday, December 1st, just as climate talks in Cancun get underway. Sign up to call the White House on Wednesday, and tell the President to keep his climate promises in Cancun. Or, phone the White House directly at 202.456.1414.

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

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, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. 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.

HEARING ON PIPELINES AT CAPITOL . . . State Senator Annette Dubas will hold a hearing on the Legislature’s interim study of oil and gas pipelines at the Capitol, 1445 K Street, Lincoln, on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at 9:00am. Ask for hearing room number at the information desk. Opponents need to insure that state senators know Nebraskans are watching, and we do not support this proposed pipeline. Citizens and landowners may testify, share ideas about how to best protect our land and water resources, or just be there in solidarity. If you plan to speak, and wish to coordinate testimony with others, contact Jane Kleeb, 402.705.3622, twitter: @janekleeb.

ONE BOOK ONE LINCOLN EVENT . . . The last in a series of One Book One Lincoln events will be Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 7:00pm, at the Gere Library, 2400 South 56th Street. The 2010 selection is “I Am a Man,” by Lincoln writer Joe Starita.  UN-L professor emeritus at the College of Law, John Snowden, will discuss the history of Native American law, followed by a time for questions. For more information, contact Lincoln City Libraries at 402.441.8500.

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.

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 an Anti-War and Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068.

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, Omaha. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “Race: The Power of an Illusion – Episode 3 – The House We Live In.”  The PBS film uncovers how race resides not in nature but in politics, economics and culture. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OMAHA’S TRANSPORTATION PLAN . . . The last of 6 public participation meetings seeking feedback on Omaha’s long-range transportation plan will be Thursday, December 2, 2010, 4:30 to 6:30pm, at the South Omaha Metro Community College Campus, South 27th & Q Streets, in the Library conference room. The plan is available here.  A survey regarding the plan is available here. [pdf]  E-mail comments to LRTP [at] mapacog [dot] org

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Saturday, December 4, 2010, noon to 1:30pm, or 2:00, depending on weather, at 72nd & Pacific, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. Park in the southeast lot closest to the intersection, if driving. Dress warm. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to the fragile ecosystem of the entire region. The rally will be canceled if there is precipitation and/or below freezing temperatures. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . A Tuesday, November 23, 2010 press conference at the capitol rotunda released a new 60-page report by Plains Justice, an energy and environmental law center in Billings, Montana, on the pending pipeline project. “The Northern Great Plains at Risk: Oil Spill Planning Deficiencies in Keystone Pipeline System,” raises serious response concerns. Lincoln Journal Star press conference coverage is here.  Omaha World Herald coverage, “Pipeline spill response plans faulted,” was published November 24th.
November 19 through the 22nd, the first International Tar Sands Resistance Summit was held in Missoula, Montana, where activists from all over North America met to work on creative ways to maximize protest energy and opposition. Coverage, photos and video are here.  To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy in Nebraska, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net.
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.”  The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened.
A Proposed Dirty Oil Pipeline Would Put Americans at Risk for Cancer and Asthma–Why Are Senators Pushing For Its Hasty Approval? was published by AlterNet on September 23, 2010. ” …We know the Keystone XL pipeline would put American health at risk. In addition to threatening drinking water, processing tar sands oil releases pollutants directly linked to asthma, emphysema and birth defects. Refining tar sands crude from the pipeline would create far more air pollution in American communities that are already burdened with cancer and poor air quality as a result of the oil industry. We also know the pipeline would cross the most important source of agricultural water in the United States, the Ogallala aquifer. And we know pipeline disasters happen.” Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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.“

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here, for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente