Friday, December 10, 2010, is Human Rights Day, the day the world commemorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a towering vision of equality and peace.
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 Saturday’s rally in CD 2.
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.
AN EVENING WITH BEATTY BRASCH . . . The Lincoln Chapter of Nebraskans For Peace will present An Evening with Beatty Brasch on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 7:00 to 9:00pm, at The Center for People in Need, 3901 North 27th Street, Lincoln. Brasch, president of The Center, will report on a recent survey of poverty in Lincoln, new grant projects to combat poverty, and the staggering poverty in North Omaha. E-mail Carol McShane with questions, carolmcshane [at] gmail [dot] com, or phone 402.438.5141.
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
350.ORG HOLIDAY GATHERING . . . More than 150 people were at the 10.10.10 Omaha Global Work Party in Memorial Park October 10th. 350.org-Nebraska will thank Omaha participants and friends at a holiday gathering in the Whole Foods Market meeting room, 10020 Regency Circle, on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The photo of Omaha’s 10-10-10 event was selected by the international 350.org organization to represent one of the top 50 events in North America. Photos and videos taken that day are here, here, and here.
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 in Omaha. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “A Crude Awakening – The Oil Crash.” Click here to watch the trailer for this film about how our civilization’s addiction to oil puts it on a collision course with geology. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Saturday, December 11, 2010, noon to 1:00pm, at 90th & Maple, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. 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. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION FOR SUDAN . . . The Sudanese Civil Society of Nebraska will host a peaceful demonstration in support of a free and fair referendum to pave the way for Self-Determination in Southern Sudan on Saturday, December 11, 2010, 11:00am to 3:00pm, at Memorial Park, 5700 Dodge Street, in Omaha. For more information, phone James Guek, 402.812.5330, or John Badeng, 402.699.0837.
Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3
PEACE WORKERS MEETING . . . The December meeting of Central Nebraska Peace Workers, a chapter of Nebraskans for Peace, will be Sunday, December 12, 2010, 3:00 to 5:00pm, at the home of Del and Carolyn Roper, 906 Bell Blvd., Grand Island. The Ropers will provide a large pot of chili, and beverages, for a 5:00pm pot luck supper. All PeaceMakers are welcome. The CNPW mission is Peace, Environmental Preservation, and Social Justice.
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . A December 1, 2010 Natural Resources Committee public hearing at the Nebraska Legislature drew compelling tesitmony from several landowners, Nebraska Green Party former Co-chair Frances Mendenhall, and representatives of BOLD Nebraska, Nebraska Sierra, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, among others. Press coverage from the Lincoln Journal Star is here; from the Omaha World Herald is here; and the Grand Island Independent is here.
A Unicameral Update “Oil pipeline safety analyzed,” is here. “Slated for construction in Nebraska in 2011, the 1,661-mile oil pipeline will connect Canadian crude oil suppliers to Texas refineries.” Such language assumes the pipeline will be build, even before the State Department has approved the project. Senators need to know there is constituent opposition statewide, and be encouraged to reconsider assumptions about inevitability. Only two Senators have started asking challenging questions. If Senator Harr or Senator Fulton is your senator, consider thanking him for speaking out. All the senators need to understand that, at the least, they can require financial assurances from TransCanada with regulatory oversight for pipelines, and reform eminent domain laws. Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here. Contact information is included for each Senator.
North American native groups urged the United States and Canada to abandon support for the carbon-heavy tar sands pipeline in protests at the UN Climate Talks in Cancun. “Cancun Protesters Target Canada, U.S. over Oil Sands,” by Solve Climate News, covered the protests on December 3rd. Nebraska Farmer’s Union has also issued a Resolution against the XL pipeline. Lincoln Journal Star published another letter to the editor, “Reroute the pipeline,” Sunday, December 5th. To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, 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