SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. Keystone XL pipeline news is in CD 3 Green Notes below.
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 when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. In winter, 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 information about Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, click
here.
BOLD NEBRASKA ON KZUM CALL-IN . . . Tuesday, July 12, 2011, Keystone XL pipeline opposition leaders from BOLD Nebraska will be on KZUM radio, 89.3fm, for the hour from 11:00pm to midnight. Call in with questions, or just listen to learn more about what you can do to help STOP THE PIPELINE. Listen to the live stream here.
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.
MORRILL HALL THURSDAYS . . . The UN-L State Museum, Morrill Hall, at 14th & Vine Streets in Lincoln, is offering free admission every Thursday, 4:30 to 8:00pm, through August 25th. Visit the Morrill Hall website for summer schedule information.
THINK GREEN IT’S THURSDAY . . . TGIT is a new happy hour for planning a sustainable future at the EcoStores Conference Room, 530 West P Street, Lincoln. This is an informational, educational, and social weekly event, with locally grown food and beverages. (Beverage donations will be accepted.) Learn about the latest green products, businesses, policies and practices every Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. For the spring schedule of TGIT speakers, click here. For more information, e-mail mitch [dot] paine [at] ecostoresne.org.
WACHISKA SUMMER PICNIC . . . The Annual Wachiska Audubon potluck picnic is Thursday, July 14, 2011, 6:00pm, at Maxwell Arboretum/Keim Hall on UN-L East Campus. Click here for more details.
SAVE THE DATE: August 25, 2011 . . . The annual potluck supper for the group Alternatives to the Military will be on Thursday, August 25, 2011, 5:30pm, at Christ United Methodist Church, 45th & A Street, Lincoln. Paul Olson, and Lela Shanks, two well known, well deserved people will receive the Peacemaker of the Year Award this year. Save the Date!
WATCHDOGS OF LINCOLN GOVERNMENT . . . Lincoln Watchdogs have been a presence at Joint Public Agency meetings since the toxic arena project began construction in the historic Haymarket. Minutes of the June JPA meeting are here. [pdf] The next meeting is Friday, July 15, 2011, 3:30pm, at the County City Building, 555 South 10th Street, in City Council Chambers on first floor. (Call the City Finance office, 402.441.7411, to make sure the time has not been changed.) The next Watchdogs group meeting will be Saturday, July 16th, 10:00am, at Gere Library, 2400 South 56th Street, Lincoln.
STAR CITY PRIDE FESTIVAL . . . This year’s Fifth Annual Star City Pride Street Festival is Saturday, July 16, 2011, at The Panic Bar, 200 South 18th Street (18th & N), Lincoln, 2:00pm to 2:00am. There will be live music, food vendors, DJ’s, belly dancers, a beer garden for ages 21 and older, and a kid’s zone. The Nebraska AIDS Project will provide free AIDS testing. The event is free to public.
WEEKLY WALKABOUTS AT WILDERNESS PARK . . . Friends of Wilderness Park is hosting weekly hikes through the Park, led by Adam Hintz, starting at 1:00pm every Saturday from now through October. Each week will focus on a different area, highlighting the diversity of life in the Park. Hikes will start in parking lots according to the following schedule: the first and second Saturday of the month, meet at the Pioneers Boulevard entrance; the third Saturday, meet at Old Cheney Road; the fourth Saturday, meet at 14th Street north of Rokeby Road; and every fifth Saturday, the hike will start at Saltillo Road east of the Jamaica Trail. For more information, contact Adam at 402.421.8464.
LINCOLN FARMERS MARKETS . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, in the Haymarket District at 7th & P Streets. Expect to find more than 120 vendors with fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items plus a performance showcase featuring local folk, jazz, blues and classical music. The Market continues through October 15th. Every Sunday, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, the Old Cheney Road Farmers Market at 5500 Old Cheney Road features in-season heirloom and traditional produce, artisan breads and cheeses, homemade baked goods, wild-crafted and traditional jams, jelly, honey, meats, fish, eggs, and bedding plants. The Piedmont Farmers Market is open Saturdays, 8:00am to noon, at 1265 South Cotner, through mid-September. Saturday Farmers Markets at the FARM, 11855 Yankee Hill Road, 9:00am to noon, run until October 29th. Community CROPS, 1551 South 2nd Street, has garden pick-up 4:00 to 6:00pm Monday and Thursday, May 23 through October 20. Through mid-September, a Wednesday market in University Place is open from 3:00 to 7:00pm at the former Green’s Plumbing site, 48th & Madison Streets. Thursday’s market from 4:00 to 8:00pm at Fallbrook Town Square Park on the corner of Fallbrook Blvd. between NW Sixth and Seventh Streets will be open through October 13th. Check an interactive map of Lincoln’s Farmers Markets, Farms and Community Supported Agriculture programs, and learn more about markets, CSAs, and local farms at the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Facebook page.
SAVE THE DATE . . . Friday, August 5, 2011, Lincoln’s “I Stand With Randy–Keep Heineman Accountable” event will circle Governor Heineman’s mansion, 1425 H Street, at 9:00pm. Get ideas for other events, and sign up to host your own at links provided here.
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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “Rashomon,” a 1950 Japanese crime drama depicting the rape of a woman and the apparent murder of her husband through the widely differing accounts of four witnesses. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE, OPPOSE H.R. 1938 . . . Omaha protests with Guardians of the Good Life continue. E-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net for details. BOLD Nebraska blogged about CD 2 US Representative Lee Terry’s bill, the “Oil Disaster Promotion Act,” here, (See XL Update in CD 3 Green Notes below.) E-mail, Tweet or write on Terry’s Facebook wall letting him know his pipeline bill was reckless and he needs to pull it now. Call him at 402.397.9944. Plan events ouside Terry’s Omaha office, 11717 Burt Street, Suite 106. Stand outside, alone, with a friend or group of friends, holding a sign such as “don’t rush the pipeline.” Or hold a BOLD Nebraska STOP THE PIPELINE sign for a presence at his office. STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace Coordinator Mark Welsch, 402.453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.
HIKE FONTENELLE FOREST . . . The Omaha Hiking Club will host a hike on the higher elevation trails of Fontenelle Forest Nature Center Saturday, July 16, 2011. The 4-5 mile hike will start at 8:30am. Fontenelle Forest Nature Center showcases 1400 acres of forest, wetlands and marshlands, penetrated by 17 miles of walking and hiking trails and a mile-long, barrier-free boardwalk where you will see many forms of wildlife. For more information, e-mail omahahikingclub [at] cox [dot] net.
OWL RIDE IN OMAHA . . . The Second Annual Owl Ride, Omaha’s organized urban cycling adventure, will happen Saturday, July 16, 2011, 11:00pm, with the start and finish at Lewis and Clark Landing, 515 North Riverfront Drive. Click here for event information, and here to register. Contact Kurt Goetzinger, 402.714.0290 with questions, or e-mail goetzinger2 [at] cox [dot] net.
FORAGING WALK FOR EDIBLES . . . Sunday, July 17, 2011, 10:00am to noon, Nebraska Adventure Group will host a Foraging Walk for Edible Plants. Contact Brandon Miller neadventuregroup [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.
BENSON COMMUNITY GARDEN . . . Omaha’s newest community garden is at 60th & Lafayette, at the south side of the historic Benson neighborhood. The Benson Community Garden is looking for individuals and families interested in garden plots. For more information, phone 402.714.0290 or e-mail goetzinger2 [at] cox [dot] net. To get involved, or help support the garden, please register here.
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
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . “Should Alberta’s cross-border oil pipeline be extended to Texas?” This CBC News article and poll posted July 9, 2011 reports “Alberta’s energy minister says he’s going to push Ottawa to promote TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline to the U.S. government.” Please Vote! Let a resounding “No” be reflected.
Comments are invited in “Petroleum Companies and Politicians,” a July 8th Statepaper.com Analysis. “Have you noticed enormously arrogant multinational companies behave like enormously arrogant politicians? What with that oil spill in Montana, and the scuffle over the Keystone XL pipeline proposed for Nebraska, we’d like to get your thoughts on oil companies, politicians and the entire process.” Read Analysis and post feedback here.
A Sunday, July 10, 2011 Lincoln Journal Star letter to the editor by James F. Shoup begins “Thousands of gallons of Exxon-Mobil crude flushing down the Yellowstone River, poisoning who knows how much land and how many animals, should make one think twice (or more times) about running a pipeline across our prized land. There are 25 miles of ruined land (at last count) and 42,000 gallons of oil. If accidents such as this don’t put a stop to the proposed pipeline here, then all those who want it should be forced to help clean up the mess after the catastrophe. …If the tragedy that just occurred in Montana with the oil pipeline happens here in Nebraska, are we really ready to accept the consequences?”
Tv news of the July 2nd Exxon spill at the Yellowstone River in Montana prompted evacuations. “Oil Spill in Montana’s Yellowstone River, Lessons for Nebraska,” by Jane Kleeb, BOLD Nebraska Executive Director, July 3rd begins “A tragic oil spill is happening right now in Montana. An Exxon Mobile oil pipeline ruptured in the Yellowstone River resulting in gallons of oil and chemicals on families’ farms and homes. Wildlife is being rescued and oil booms were laid trying to soak up as much oil as possible. It is still unclear how much oil was spilt, however we do know at least 150 miles of the Yellowstone River and families’ homes and farms have been spoiled by oil. …Frustrated by the spill and want to take local action? Consider joining us on August 5th to circle Gov. Heineman’s mansion for an I Stand with Randy event.” Start thinking about how you’d like to Stand With Randy August 5th, and plan to join the circle at the governor’s mansion in Lincoln at 9:00pm. Read Jane’s blog about the spill here. An NPR story is here. An AP article published by Reader Supported News, “Exxon Spills Again, Scenic Yellowstone River Tarnished,” is here. And a
Democracy Now! video segment is here.
The Lincoln Journal Star editorialized “Regrettable proof of oil pipeline risk” on July 8th. “If there were any Nebraskans who were still unconcerned about the possibility that the Sandhills could face long-term damage from an oil spill from the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, they ought to be worried now. The rupture of a 12-inch Exxon pipeline Friday night under the Yellowstone River in Montana sent about 1,000 barrels, or 42,000 gallons, of crude oil downstream. …If a spill were to occur under similar conditions in the Nebraska Sandhills, environmental damage would be magnified by the porous nature of the sandy soil, and the difficulty of reestablishing vegetation. Damage from the oil and cleanup work might extend miles from the pipeline itself. …In more than a dozen editorials, the Journal Star editorial board has hammered away at the plan to jam the Keystone XL pipeline through the beautiful and fragile Sandhills. The latest pipeline spill provides regrettable proof that our fears are not unfounded. …Meanwhile, Nebraskans are waiting for an announcement on when and where the federal government will hold its last public hearing in the state on the proposed pipeline. We hope that federal officials are getting the message. The Keystone XL pipeline should be rerouted to avoid the Sandhills.” The complete Editorial is here. LJS also published “Exxon Mobil called broken pipeline safe,” by Detroit Free Press, July 7th. It says “Regulators were told oil line was buried deep enough before 1,000 barrels spilled.”
The US House of Representatives is expected to vote on Rep. Lee Terry’s bill, H.R. 1938, this week. The bill is expected to be “dead on arrival” at the Senate, but a House vote for the bill will give TransCanada momentum. This is a bad bill that says Secretary Clinton must make a decision about the XL pipeline by November 1, 2011, even if the final Environmental Impact Statement is not completed. Read a BOLD Nebraska blog about the “Oil Disaster Promotion Act” here. A National Wildlife Federation commentary is here.
New Nebraska Green Party grouplist contributor John Atkeison was published in the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha-World Herald this past week. His solution to the tar sands question is leave it in the ground! “Their record of twelve leaks in 12 months for TransCanada’s Keystone I pipeline is not reassuring. …There is an even more important reason to leave it in the ground. It is now more imperative than ever to keep the carbon in this goo out of the air where there is already an overabundance of unnatural greenhouse gases. Greenhouse pollution is increasing rapidly even in this recession and the effects on climate are charging into view faster than most people would have thought possible just a few years ago.” If you’d like to start receiving Nebraska Green Party grouplist e-mails about current news and actions, click here, put “subscribe listserv” in the subject line, and send us your e-ddress.
From “Heineman Remains Silent on Pipeline,” by Ben Gotschall, “…a Congressional Research Service (CRS) memo requested by Nebraska Republican Congressman Lee Terry has shown that, although the State Dept. wields the power of approving or denying a permit for the pipeline to cross the US/Canadian border, it is ultimately up to the states (i.e. Nebraska) to determine siting of the pipeline route. This means that Gov. Heineman has the legal authority and duty to get the pipeline out of the Sand Hills. …Sadly, Gov. Heineman still chooses to sit back and remain silent in the same invertebrate fashion he has displayed in the past. While it would be easy to write off his lack of initiative as typical partisan accommodation of big oil companies, the pipeline is a nonpartisan issue. Democrats and Republicans are concerned about the route of the pipeline, and members of the Nebraska legislature have shown that other state leaders can and will take action to protect our citizens. The highest-ranking elected official in our state has chosen to opt out and avoid responsibility. This is not leadership. This is outright neglect of duty, and we need to let Governor Heineman know that his inaction is not what Nebraska citizens expect from a leader with such an important role and with so much at stake–our land, water, economic activity and the cultural heritage that makes our state strong.”
Quoting “Piping in some common sense,” a LJS Local View by Lincoln’s National Geographic contributing photographer Joel Sartore, “…For the sake of my family, myself and my state, I challenge the proposed route of the Keystone XL Pipeline. …I don’t wish to offend anyone, but the conclusion I come away with every time is this: I cannot believe this is something we’re considering for even a minute. …If you care, let your voice be heard. Write and call Gov. Dave Heineman, Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Adrian Smith and Lee Terry, and Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns. Let them know that trading our environmental heritage in order to cater to greed and increase the wealth of a select few will not be tolerated. Nebraska is better than this.”
Contact information for Nebraska’s 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), FaceBook; 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); Senator Ben Nelson, 720 Hart Senate Office Building, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.6551; Senator Mike Johanns, 404 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.4224. Contact Governor Dave Heineman, at linked e-mail or PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Please contact them all if you oppose the environmental devastation that XL would cause Nebraska’s ecosystems.
New this week is a petition to Secretary of State Clinton: “Stop the Pipeline. Save Our Songbirds!” “The numbers are staggering: tar sands mining in Canada’s Boreal forest could claim the lives of 160 million migratory birds — including millions of backyard songbirds we love seeing and hearing every summer.” A petition from the National Wildlife Federation, “Save SandHill Cranes from Dirty Oil,” is addressed to the president, the signer’s senators, representative, and the State Department. Other petitions still open to signatures requesting the denial of a permit to TransCanada include “Stop the TransCanada Pipeline” to Secretary Clinton, Governor Heineman, and President Obama; “Protect Nebraska; Say NO to Tar Sands;” “Protect Nebraska’s Economic Activity, Put the Brakes on the Pipeline;” “Protect Your Water, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!” and a Brave New Foundation petition to Clinton, “Say No to the Kochs and Yes to Protecting Americans.” A new Sierra Action Alert to call President Obama at 202.456.1111 outlines talking points for asking him to reject the dirty and dangerous XL tar sands pipeline. And readers can sign a letter asking Dole and Chiquita not to use toxic tar sands oil for transporting their bananas here. “Time’s Running Out to Stop the Keystone Tar Sands Pipeline — Take Action Now,” by Tara Lohan, AlterNet, June 3, 2011 also links a new petition to Secretary Clinton. Please take all these actions, if you haven’t already.
Farmers and ranchers along the pipeline route signed an open letter to Montana’s Governor calling on him to protect the state’s rivers. Their list of requirements for needed protection is included with their entire letter here.
“The Keystone XL Pipeline Story in the United States,” is a new 40-minute documentary being produced in association with the National Wildlife Federation to explore environmental, social and political impacts of the $13 billion XL pipeline construction. From the website, “This film will uncover the realities behind building this 1,980-mile pipeline through the heartland of America. It will discuss the ramifications of the growing US reliance on Canadian oil, as well as the sacrifices on people, wildlife and the environment as a result of the transport and refinement of this very polluting tar sands oil.” To learn more about the project and become a supporting financial contributor, click here.
SAVE THE DATES: Nebraska XL opposition groups are planning a STATEWIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS to coincide with the Washington DC Action August 5th through August 7th. In towns across the state, in venues from churches to bars, during the first weekend of August artists will use the themes of Water, the Sand Hills, and stopping the XL pipeline to create a statewide Festival. Arts include dance, theater, cooking, poetry, music, sculpture, origami, flower arrangement, film, photography and more. AnyOne can organize an event anywhere. Think about what kind of event you’d like to plan, and fill out a form to participate in the statewide action here.
Comprehensive Green Notes covering international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 are in archives here. (Scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Notes.)
What more can you do? Sign all the petitions linked above. Keep writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska. Click here to learn about planning your own “I Stand With Randy” event August 5th through the 7th. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts. More actions EveryOne can take are listed here.
Be a community educator and organizer. Help make Nebraska the first state to successfully oppose a pipeline project.
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.“
STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “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.” Sign the Petition and view 6:20 minute Colbert Report interview with Tom Ridge.
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.
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.
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
STOP THE PIPELINE