CONGRATULATIONS TO BUFFALO BRUCE, NEBRASKA WILDLIFE FEDERATION 2011 CONSERVATIONIST OF THE YEAR.

Monday, October 10, 2011 — World Day Against the Death Penalty. Take the Not in My Name Pledge here.

A.I. MIDWEST REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN KANSAS CITY . . . Learn about Amnesty International’s 2011 Midwest Human Rights Conference, October 28 through the 30th, in Kansas City at the Marriott Country Club Plaza, and register here.  Celebrate Amnesty’s 50 anniversary with members and activists from the 13 state Midwest Region. The Next Chapter Begins With You.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

FROM NEBRASKA, WITH LOVE . . . Monday, October 10, 2011, at noon, didicated activists against the Keystone XL pipeline will deliver homemade gifts such as food, family photos, and Nebraska flowers–the very things we’re fighting to protect–to Governor Heineman with notes attached asking that he call a special session right away. Join the group over your lunch hour (or stop by anytime after) to drop off gifts at the gate of his mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. From noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty will also be there for a weekly vigil. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. 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.

M.S. SWAMINATHAN LECTURE . . . Monday, October 10, 2011, 3:00pm, the first World Food Prize laureate, M.S. Swaminathan, will open the new Heuermann lecture series on meeting the world’s growing food needs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Hardin Hall, 33rd and Holdrege streets, Lincoln. Known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India, Swaminathan’s presentation, “Food Security in an Era of Price Volatility and Climate Change,” will be preceded by a 2:30pm reception at Hardin Hall. A LJS article is here.

PIPE DREAMS . . . The Lincoln Premier of ‘Pipe Dreams,’ a new documentary about the Keystone XL pipeline featuring Randy Thompson, Ken Winston and other Nebraska opposition leaders, will be Monday, October 10, 2011, 7:00pm at The Ross, 313 North 13th Street, Lincoln. Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks will present an introduction to the film which explores social, political and environmental impacts of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The 7:00pm showing is free. Watch the 3:06 minute trailer here.

OCCUPY LINCOLN PLANNING . . . There will be a planning meeting for Occupy Lincoln in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street Movement on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 3:00pm, at Cultiva Coffee, 727 South 11th Street. Saturday, October 15th, there will be a solidarity event at the state capitol, at noon. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. The Lincoln Occupy Together website is 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.

2011 WASTECAP NEBRASKA SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT . . . WasteCap Nebraska will hold the 2011 Sustainability Summit [pdf] on October 12, 13 and 14, with events in Lincoln and Omaha. This year’s Summit will include a Sustainable Business Awards Luncheon, hands-on workshops and public events that feature Dr. Bob Willard, author and sustainability expert. A schedule of events is here.  Register here.  For more information, e-mail communications [at] wastecapne [dot] org

ALTERNATIVES TO THE MILITARY ACTION . . . The first ATM leafletting opportunity at Lincoln High Schools this year will be Thursday, October 13, 2011, at Lincoln Northeast, 2635 North 63rd Street. To help with this action introducing students to options for after graduation that do not include joining the military, meet ATM activists at 63rd and Baldwin at 7:20am. New volunteers will be warmly welcomed. E-mail Kevin Haake, atmlincoln [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions, or to rsvp your assistance that morning. The ATM FaceBook page is here, and twitter is here.

JANE KLEEB AT LUNCH AND LEARN . . . BOLD Nebraska’s Jane Kleeb will be the guest speaker at the League of Women Voters Lincoln Luncheon on Thursday, October 13, 2011, speaking about TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline. For more information or to make a reservation e-mail lwv-ne [at] inebraska [dot] com or phone 402.475.1411. It’s open to the public. The lunch is $13 for members and $15 for non-members.

NWF ANNUAL BANQUET . . . The Nebraska Wildlife Federation will honor Buffalo Bruce as Conservationist of the Year at the fifth annual fundraiser and awards banquet, Thursday, October 13, 2011, in Mahoney State Park, beginning at 5:30pm. Read the LJS article here.  The federation is a statewide conservation organization that has worked for more than 40 years to protect and preserve the natural and unique eco-systems in Nebraska. Reservations may be made at 402.477.1008, or via e-mail, Nebraskawildlife [at] windstream [dot] net.

WACHISKA FOCUS ON SALINE WETLANDS . . . Eastern saline wetlands will be featured at the Wachiska Audubon meeting Thursday, October 13, 2011, 7:00pm, at the Union College Dick Administration Building, Room 3, 3800 S. 48th St. Lincoln, NE.  Tom Malmstrom, coordinator of the Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership, will speak about the rare, threatened wetlands of Lancaster and Saunders counties. Once covering more than 20,000 acres, fewer than 4,000 acres remain, and many of those are highly degraded, according to a Lincoln Journal Star article.  For more information, call 402-486-4846. The monthly meetings are always open to the public, and there is no charge.

THE LAST MOUNTAIN . . . Friday, October 14, 2011, Bill Haney’s ecological documentary The Last Mountain opens at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, 313 North 13th Street, Lincoln. The film traces the horrific fallout from the practice of mountain-top removal that has been employed throughout West Virginia. The filmmakers show how local communities, with the help of such national figures in ecology as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stand up to industries that are making decisions harmful to their lives. From the website, “The mining and burning of coal is at the epicenter of America’s struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental concerns. Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal.” The documentary runs through Thursday, October 20th, and show times are available here, by consulting your newspaper, or by calling the MRRMAC information line at 402.472.5353. View a 2:28 minute trailer here.

AUTUMN BIRD WALK & BRUNCH . . . Saturday, October 15, 2011, 8:30 to 11:30am, take a walk on the trails at Spring Creek Prairie, south of Denton, Nebraska. An experienced guide will point out migrating birds on the trails, and brunch will be served mid-morning, after your walk. For more information, phone 402.797.2301. Details are here. Directions to SCP are here.

NFP ANNUAL CONFERENCE . . . The 2011 Nebraskans For Peace Annual Conference, “Endless War, Endless Costs,” will be Saturday, October 15, 2011, 9:00am to 4:00pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 7130 Kentwell Lane, in Lincoln. Featured speaker Kevin Martin, Executive Director of Peace Action–the largest Peace & Justice Organization in the country, will address the “crying need to change America’s flawed military and economic priorities. View the schedule of events and download a regisatraion form here.  Early registration deadline is Wednesday, October 12th. For more information, e-mail nfpstate [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . Saturday, October 15, 2011, there will be an Occupy Lincoln event at the state capitol, at noon. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. The Lincoln Occupy Together website is here.

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, 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. 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, through October 20. 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.

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. Wednesday, October 12, 2011, the film will be “Inside Job.” “Through exhaustive research and extensive interviews with key financial insiders, politicians, journalists, and academics, the film traces the rise of a rogue industry which has corrupted politics, regulation, and academia. It was made on location in the United States, Iceland, England, France, Singapore, and China.” Watch the trailer here.  The weekly event is always free and open to the public. A discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

CARPOOL FROM OMAHA . . . To carpool from Omaha for the 2011 Nebraskans For Peace Annual Conference, “Endless War, Endless Costs,” on Saturday, October 15, 2011, 9:00am to 4:00pm in Lincoln, phone Mark Welsch, 402.453.0776. Featured speaker Kevin Martin, Executive Director of Peace, will address the “crying need to change America’s flawed military and economic priorities. View the schedule of events and download a regisatraion form here. [pdf]  Early registration deadline is Wednesday, October 12th. For more information, e-mail nfpstate [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org

FESTIVAL OF HEALING ARTS . . . The 2011 Festival of Healing Arts will be Saturday, October 15, 2011, 10:00am to 5:00pm, 3424 North 90th Street at Unity of Omaha. Steve Thyberg has been working on this Festival for over 2 years as a gift of love to the community. There will be “50 holistic healing modalities, including 30 Experiential Workshops – Schedule; Massage / Energy / Bodywork Mini-treatments – the modalities; One-on-One Consultations – the modalities; Wholeness Ceremony – link.  Admission – $5 donation. No cost for anything else.  Facebook page here.

OCCUPY OMAHA . . . Saturday, October 15, 2011, 9:00am, there will be an Occupy Omaha event at City Hall, 1819 Farnam Street, #300. The Omaha Occupy Together Community website is here.  The FaceBook page is here. Twitter: #occupyomaha

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Omaha protests with Guardians of the Good Life continue. E-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net for details. STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace Coordinator xMark Welsch, 402.453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.

BENSON COMMUNITY GARDEN . . . Omaha’s newest community garden is at 60th & Lafayette, at the south side of the historic Benson neighborhood. 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

PIPE DREAMS . . . A CD 3 free showing of ‘Pipe Dreams,’ the new documentary about the Keystone XL pipeline featuring Randy Thompson, Ken Winston and other Nebraska opposition leaders and landowners, will be Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 7:00 to 9:00pm, at West Holt High School (Lecture Hall), 1000 North Main Street, Atkinson, Nebraska. The filmmaker will be there for Movie Talk after the screening. Watch the 3:06 minute trailer here.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Early news about this week’s lawsuit to block the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline from Reuters was published October 5, 2011. “Green Groups Sue US to STOP Work on Keystone XL Oil Pipe,” begins “Environmental groups sued the U.S. government on Wednesday to stop the clearing of grasslands, the moving of threatened species and other work going on ahead of U.S. approval of $7 billion Canada to Texas planned oil pipeline. The Center for Biological Diversity, the Western Nebraska Resources Council and Friends of the Earth sued the U.S. State Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stop work they called “illegal construction” on the 1,700 mile (2,740 km) pipeline. …The groups say the State Department and the Fish and Wildlife Service have quietly allowed TransCanada to do the work, including mowing a corridor of native prairie grasslands in Nebraska’s ecologically sensitive Sand Hills region.” Lincoln Journal Star coverage is here, the Omaha World-Herald article is here.  The Hill coverage is here, An AP article is here, and the Huffington Post covered the lawsuit here. Thanks to Buffalo Bruce for generating media coverage.
Also in the past week, State Senator Annette Dubas and her lawmaker allies made the case for urgency, calling the legislature to meet and establish siting authority over oil pipelines in the state. LJS coverage is here.  In the meantime, three senators–Speaker Flood, NRC Chair Langemeier, and Dubas–will meet in Norfolk with TransCanada officials concerning the route of XL pipe through the fragile Nebraska Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer on Tuesday this week. The LJS article is here.
There is public demand for calling a special session, including an October 6th LJS Editorial, “Time running out on pipeline bill,” stating ” The Nebraska Legislature has been passive for far too long on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. But better late than never. It’s encouraging that a sense of urgency finally seems to be spreading among state senators. …Lobbyists for TransCanada, the company that wants to build the pipeline, are trying to derail the push for a special session by saying the bill may be on shaky legal ground. The argument is feeble. State Department officials themselves said the state has authority. So does the Congressional Research Service. Other states already are exerting their authority. …Suspicions that approval by the State Department is a foregone conclusion were deepened recently by the disclosure of emails showing a department official cheering on a TransCanada lobbyist. Action at the state level may be the only way Nebraskans can take protection of the Sandhills into their own hands. And time is running out.” Read the complete editorial here.
Letters to the editor during the past week include calls for a special session by LaVonne Dilla, Scott Svoboda, and Alex M. Houchin. Barbara DiBernard wrote about the revealed Entrix Conflict of Interest here. “All Nebraskans who care about their state, as well as the health of democracy, should be aware of this conflict and speak up about it if it is as appalling to them as it is to me.”
Several Nebraska groups have formed a Save Our Sand Hills Coalition calling for a special session of the legislature.  Call Your senator and ask him or her to press for a special session. We have no legal petition route. Citizen input is the only way the senators will become interested enough to act. They need to hear from constituents.
A video stream of both sessions of the September 27th Keystone XL oil pipeline public meeting with the U.S. State Department in Lincoln is available here.  “Next Steps and Pics from State Dept. Meetings,” by BOLD Nebraska Executive Director Jane Kleeb begins “We showed up strong to the State Department meetings in Lincoln and Atkinson. We made factual, scientific, economic, national security and deep emotional pleas to stop the pipeline. We stood as one Nebraska, we stood as a united Nebraska, we stood as a bold Nebraska. Many of you are asking, “What’s next?” Before we dive into next steps, check out the pictures from Lincoln and celebrate the change we are making in our state.” Read and view photos here.
International oil sands news in the past week from Daily Climate reported that “Oil from controversial and environmentally destructive tar sands is likely to be all but banned from Europe after a decision on Tuesday.”
In this country, there was another oil pipeline break in Edmond, Oklahoma. Video of the Friday “release” is here. Crews are still working to contain the gusher.
The New York Times publications against permitting the XL pipeline during the week started with an October 3, 2011 Editorial, “N.Y. Times says ‘no’ to Keystone XL” stating …”We again urge Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to say no to the Keystone XL (pipeline).” Other NYT articles included “TransCanada Pipeline Foes See U.S. Bias in E-Mails,” by Elisabeth Rosenthal, October 3rd, reporting “E-mails released Monday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the environmental group Friends of the Earth paint a picture of a sometimes warm and collaborative relationship between the lobbyist for the pipeline company, Trans-Canada, and officials in the State Department, the agency responsible for evaluating and approving the billion-dollar project. The exchanges provide a rare glimpse into how Washington works and the access familiarity can bring. The 200 pages are the second batch of documents and e-mails released so far.” Read here.
Bill McKibben wrote “The Cronyism Behind a Pipeline for Crude,” as an Op-Ed Contributor, also published October 3rd. McKibben also reports on the cozy deals writing “Even as the State Department was supposedly carrying out a neutral evaluation of a pipeline’s environmental impact, lobbyists were undermining the process. …One of the stars of this sordid drama was Paul Elliott, TransCanada’s chief Washington lobbyist for its pipeline project. Back in 2008, he was the deputy national campaign manager of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential bid. Around the time she became secretary of state, he was hired by TransCanada. Why did he get the job? Just ask Marja Verloop, a member of the diplomatic staff at the United States Embassy in Canada who oversaw environmental and energy issues. In one of the friendly e-mails between the diplomat and the lobbyist, Ms. Verloop reassured Mr. Elliott about an article that mentioned his possible conflicts of interest: “it’s precisely because you have connections that you’re sought after and hired.” Read the Op-Ed here.  On October 8th, the NYT published more on the Extrix scandal in “Pipeline Review Is Faced With Question of Conflict.” Read that article here.
Brad Johnson’s article for ThinkProgress, revealing the “stunning” Entrix scandal, “State Department Keystone XL Hearings Run By TransCanada Contractor,” is here.
           Add your voice to the “Protect Our Water, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!” petition urging the president to deny the construction permit here.
New from CREDO Action,  “Tell Oprah: Stop promoting dirty tar sands lies on your network.”  Oprah Winfrey is a respected voice for advancing the rights and lives of women all over the world. But now she is allowing that work to be co-opted, by validating a dangerous campaign of flat out lies that promote the development of the Canadian tar sands on her network. Read the petition, and join almost 100,000 signers with an e-mail here.
The White House Switchboard number is 202.456.1111. Tell the President to deny the permit to build this pipeline.
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.)
           The governor could stop this pipeline madness right now by making the Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer off limits to pipelines. He needs to hear from EveryOne who opposes the XL project.  Please contact him with thanks for his letters to the President and Secretary of State, ask him to call a special session of the legislature, and also contact your own senator requesting he or she joins the senators seeking a special session. Continue writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, and keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska. (If you haven’t written the LJS yet, please do so here.)  E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers, and t-shirts. New armbands say “Sandhills and Ogallala Aquifer Lover” and “Pipeline Fighter.”
Be a community educator and organizer. Help make Nebraska the first state to successfully oppose a pipeline project.

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.

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 Subsitute Hemp for oil.“

STOP THE PIPELINE