Green Notes Week of November 13, 2011

WE HAVE EFFECTIVELY STOPPED THE TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE FOR NOW! Thanks to EveryOne working in Coalition against the proposed project. PAGE DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S PIPELINE UPDATE.

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.

SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE ON PIPELINE ROUTING REGULATIONS . . . “Do lawmakers push ahead or wait on pipeline issue?,” by Kevin O’Hanlon, was published in Lincoln Journal Star November 12, 2011: “Nebraska lawmakers will have to decide Monday whether to continue pursuing routing legislation for TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline in the current special session or wait until the regular session in January.” Monday morning, please call your senator if you want him or her to debate LB 4 while the hearings on pipeline regulation are fresh. Press for debate, not delay. Meet BOLD Nebraska and Stop the Pipeline Coalition members at the Capitol Rotunda Monday at 1:15pm. The special session resumes at 1:30. Ask your senator to vote for legislation that certifies oil pipeline routes in our state. The capitol switchboard number is 402.471.2311. Tell them to Pass the Bill, Not the Buck. The immediacy of re-routing is eased, but our state still lacks basic regulations. Read news coverage of Our tentative victory in the Pipeline Update (below) in CD 3 Green Notes.

CANNABIS COALITION MEETING . . . Tuesday, November 15, 2011, the Nebraska Cannabis Coalition will meet at Cultiva Coffee, 727 South 11th Street, Lincoln, 6:00pm. The Nebraska Proposition 19 Cannabis Initiative seeks to put a proposed constitutional amendment to regulate and tax all commercial uses of marijuana and remove all laws governing private, noncommercial use of the plant on the November 2012 general election ballot. Petitions will be available for new circulators, and the group will assess progress of the signature gathering campaign. A Notary will be present for those who have completed petitions. End Hemp Prohibition in Nebraska!

EN THOMPSON FORUM . . . Wangari Maathai died before she could deliver her speech, so on Tuesday, November 15, 2011, 7:00 to 9:00pm, the EN Thompson Forum will present “Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai” at the City Campus Nebraska Union Auditorium, 1400 R Street, Lincoln. “It is the people who must save the environment. It is the people who must make their leaders change. And we cannot be intimidated. So we must stand up for what we believe in.” –Maathai

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.

OLSON SEMINAR IN GREAT PLAINS STUDIES . . . Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 3:30pm, Clark Archer and Fred Shelley will discuss their “Atlas of the Great Plains” at the Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q Street, Hewit Place, across from the Lied Center in Lincoln. The lecture is free, and open to the public.

RIGHTS OF LABOR . . . State Senator Amanda McGill, and National Science Teachers Association leader Jeffery Hoffman will present “Rights of Labor” at First Plymouth Church, 2000 D Street, Lincoln, on Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 7:30pm.  Following their presentations, Don Tilley will facilitate a discussion. This meeting is sponsored by the Peace & Justice Team of First Plymouth Church and co-sponsored by the local chapter of Nebraskans for Peace. All are welcome.

THINK GREEN IT’S THURSDAY . . . TGIT, a free educational meetup exploring environmental topics every Thursday, 5:00 to 6:00pm, in the conference room at EcoStores Nebraska, 530 West P Street, Lincoln, will take a break during the holiday season, and return on January 19, 2012.

BEAMING BIONEERS CONFERENCE . . . The Beaming Bioneers Nebraska 2011 Fall Conference is on Saturday, November 19, 2011, 9:00am to 5:00pm, at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department conference room, 3140 N Street, in Lincoln. This Conference is the year’s premiere environmental and social justice conference in the state, and Nebraska Green Party is one of the sponsors. Check out the website for information about the day’s agenda. Register online here.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. Occupation General Assembly meetings are every Wednesday at 6:00pm, and Sundays at 1:30pm. The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln.   Saturday, November 19, 2011, there will be an Occupy Lincoln Community Festival from noon to 3:00pm on Centennial Mall between K and L Streets.  All members of the greater Lincoln community are invited to join occupiers for food, music, and dialogue.  There will be no formal march on this Saturday.  Rather, a smaller group will be hitting the streets to hand out flyers and invite folks back to the camp for an afternoon of fun.  All are encouraged to participate in the potluck style gathering by bringing a dish (side, soup, entree, dessert) to share and BYOdishes (bowl/plate, utensils, mugs) too, please.
There has been an amazing outpouring of support from the citizens of Lincoln. Occupiers would like to use this opportunity to say “thank you!” and to continue conversations about fighting the economic and social injustices that have brought us all together.  There will be activities for kids and adults.  All are encouraged to join in by bringing instruments, games, and ideas to share on the “soap box” stage.  The family friendly event is free and open to everyone.
  For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. The Occupy Lincoln website is here.  Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

BOB KERREY BRIDGE RIDE . . . Every Sunday in November, the Bellevue Bicycle Club will ride 15-20 miles from 1:00 to 4:00pm. All riders are invited to meet at Iowa West Foundation Park, on the Iowa side of the bridge.

PROTEST STRATCOM WEAPONS BAZAAR . . . For the 5th time in 6 years, the Des Moines and Omaha Catholic Workers, Nebraskans for Peace, and the UN-O chapter of NFP will witness and “Die In” at STRATCOM’s Space Weapons Bazaar called the 2011 USSTRATCOM Cyber and Space Symposium.  This yearly love fest between corporate suppliers of weapons and space technologies, the STRATCOM and Military Space Commands and the “power elites” of the Omaha area community takes place at the Qwest Convention Center, 455 North 10th Street, Omaha, Tuesday, November 15 through Thursday, November 17, 2011. Take a look at who is underwriting this event here.  Click here for a schedule of the protest events.

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, November 16, 2011, the film will be “Behind the Burly Q,” a documentary about burlesque. Watch a 2:25 minute 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.

OCCUPY OMAHA . . . The current Occupy Omaha situation is in transition.  The official Occupy Omaha website is here.  The FaceBook page is here.  The Twitter feed is #occupyomaha

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

NEBRASKA WIND POWER 2011 CONFERENCE . . . The fourth Annual Nebraska Wind Power Conference will be Tuesday and Wednesday, November 15 and 16, 2011, at Younes Conference Center, 416 West Talmadge Road, Kearney, Nebraska. The two day conference will focus on Nebraska’s future wind energy development challenges and opportunities. A complete Conference Agenda is here.  Register here.

WATER: A BALANCING ACT . . . In late November each year, the Nebraska State Irrigation Association joins with Nebraska Water Resources Association (NWRA) to present fresh ideas, new insights, current legislative issues and best practices relative to Nebraska’s water issues. Click here [pdf] for the two-day schedule of sessions, panels, and meetings at the Kearney Holiday Inn Convention Center, just off I-80 near the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, Monday, November 21th and Tuesday, November 22, 2011.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . We have effectively STOPPED THE PIPELINE.  Congratulations, and thanks to EveryOne who worked in coalition to make this happen! Although we are not aware of network news coverage, many alternative news sources, and some mainstream press, reported on the victory for XL opponents. Reuters broke the story on Thursday.
From Democracy Now! “Naomi Klein on Environmental Victory: Obama Delays Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Decision Until 2013,” November 11, 2011: “Environmental activists are claiming victory after the Obama administration announced Thursday it will postpone any decision on the proposed 1,700-mile Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline until 2013. The announcement was made just days after more than 10,000 people encircled the White House calling on President Obama to reject the project, the second major action against the project organized by Bill McKibben’s 350.org and Tar Sands Action. In late August and early September, some 1,200 people were arrested in Washington, D.C., in a two-week campaign of civil disobedience. “We believe that this delay will kill the pipeline,” says the Canadian author and activist Naomi Klein. “If it doesn’t, if this pipeline re-emerges after the election, people have signed pledges saying they will put their bodies on the line to stop it.” Klein notes that, “I don’t think we would have won without Occupy Wall Street… This is what it means to change the conversation.” Video is here.
From the LA Times, “Nebraska’s Sand Hills become sand trap for Keystone XL pipeline,” November 11, 2011: “The proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline was big news across the country this week, with the Obama administration announcing that it was delaying a decision on the controversial project. But nowhere was the news bigger than in Nebraska.”
From AlterNet, “Keystone Pipeline Victory: President Puts Disastrous Pipeline on Hold — May Effectively Kill the Project,” by Bill McKibben, November 10, 2011: “The American people spoke loudly about climate change and the president responded.”
From TruthOut, “Keystone XL Pipeline Activists Claim Temporary Victory After Months of Protest,” by Mike Ludwig, November 11, 2011: “The State Department announced yesterday that the review process for the Keystone XL pipeline would be extended until after the 2012 election. The announcement came just four days after thousands of protesters peacefully surrounded the White House to pressure President Obama to reject the massive project. State Department officials said the administration needs more time to assess the potential environmental impacts of the pipeline, but the decision also lifts the president out of a political dilemma as the 2012 election season begins … ‘I 100 percent think that young people were … a large part of what drove the decision,’ said Courtney Hight, a director of the Energy Action Coalition, a group that organizes young activists. ‘Young people are what brought him into the White House, and he knows that.'”
From InsideClimate News, “Activist Leaders Explain How They Beat the Keystone XL Pipeline” by Elizabeth McGowan, November 12, 2011: “Just six months ago, few could have imagined that an inanimate object as ugly as a 36-inch diameter, 1,702-mile oil sands pipeline could revive a dormant and depressed climate movement. But then handfuls of activists experienced a series of ‘aha’moments that resuscitated their cause. First, they connected the dots between the BP oil spill, a do-nothing Congress and the ‘carbon bomb’ that would likely be released if Alberta’s tar sands continue to be mined. They also began pressing President Obama on his promise to wean the country of its oil addiction. Gradually, something began to click.”
From the Washington Post, “Keystone pipeline route in Nebraska to be reassessed,” by Juliet Eilperin, November 10, 2011: “The Obama administration will delay action on a controversial cross-country oil pipeline in order to assess a shift in its route, officials announced Thursday, effectively putting off a politically vexing decision until after next year’s election. The move is the latest twist in a more-than-three-year review process that has evolved from a fairly routine decision within the federal bureaucracy to a very public debate over national energy policy. It pitted environmental activists and an array of citizens along the pipeline’s proposed route against business groups, oil companies and unions whose members would be employed as part of the $7 billion project.”
From Politico, “Obama Punts Keystone XL Pipeline,” by Dan Berman and Darren Goode, November 10, 2011: “For months, the conventional wisdom had been that a presidential permit for Keystone XL was inevitable; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in October 2010 that she was ‘inclined’ to approve it because it was better to get oil from Canada than from less-friendly nations. The State Department then released a final supplemental environmental assessment in August stating that TransCanada’s proposed route is the preferred option. But the environmentalist protests led by 350.org activist Bill McKibben, as well as opposition in Republican-friendly Nebraska to the proposed route, seem to have led the administration to delay the decision.”
From the New York Times, “U.S. Delays Decision on Pipeline Until After Election,” by John Broder and Dan Frosch, was published November 10th: “The Obama administration, under sharp pressure from officials in Nebraska and restive environmental activists, announced Thursday that it would review the route of the disputed Keystone XL oil pipeline, effectively delaying any decision about its fate until after the 2012 election.”
And the Lincoln Journal Star reported “State Department: Explore a Keystone XL route away from Sandhills,” on November 10th: “The U.S. State Department is ordering TransCanada to explore a route for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that won’t go through Nebraska’s Sandhills. The announcement came from the State Department early Thursday afternoon and means final approval for the $7 billion, 1,700-mile pipeline won’t come until after the 2012 U.S. election. The decision is a victory for environmentalists who feared the proposed route could endanger the massive Ogallala Aquifer, which is a source of irrigation and drinking water for a large swath of the central United States.”
Some of the coverage of last Sunday’s Washington DC protest action encircling the White House, includes the following:
Thousands Circle White House to Protest Keystone XL: Will They Abandon Obama if Pipeline is Approved?,” by Stephen Lacey and Jessica Goad, November 7, 2011: “…After a series of high-energy speeches from James Hansen, Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, Mark Ruffalo and many others, demonstrators poured onto Pennsylvania Avenue and created a human chain around the White House, chanting, “two, four, six, eight, stop XL, it’s not too late.” A 3:01 minute video from the protest is included at the linked article.
The Devil in the Tar Sands,” by Jody Williams and Desmond Tutu, November 7, 2011: “On Sunday, November 6, thousands of people encircled the White House as part of the ongoing effort to press US President Barack Obama to stop the Keystone XL pipeline. If the nearly 1,700-mile pipeline were to be built, it would run from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, through the heartland of the US, all the way to the Texas coast on the Gulf of Mexico. Should the project go ahead, Obama will have made one of the single most disastrous decisions of his presidency concerning climate change and the very future of our planet. …”Obama campaigned and was elected in part on a pledge to address climate change. He spoke of seas that would stop rising, and of shifting the US away from fossil fuels to new sources of clean energy. He now has the opportunity to make good on those promises by stopping the Keystone XL pipeline.” Conclusion: “The only ethical choice on this question is one that supports clean, renewable energy – and that rejects continued addiction to fossil fuels.”
10,000 Surround White House in XL Pipeline Protest,” was published by Reader Supported News, sourced from CBS News/AP, November 6th: “Thousands of protesters, including a Nobel laureate and a movie star, gathered near the White House on Sunday in opposition to TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline. The demonstration is the latest in a series of White House protests aimed at convincing US President Barack Obama to block the $7 billion project that would carry Alberta oilsands crude through six American states to Gulf Coast refineries. …The Nebraska legislature, meantime, is in special session considering legislation that could force TransCanada to reroute the pipeline away from the Ogallala Aquifer, a major source of drinking water for the region.”
Thousands surround the White House to protest TransCanada pipeline,” from the Canadian Press Green Page, November 7th: “Thousands of demonstrators, including movie stars and a Nobel laureate, surrounded the White House on Sunday to protest a proposed Canadian pipeline that’s serving as a flashpoint for the U.S. environmental movement while resonating with Americans fed up with corporate interests. The demonstration is the latest in a series of White House protests aimed at convincing U.S. President Barack Obama to thwart Calgary-based TransCanada’s attempts to build the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry Alberta oilsands crude through six American states to Gulf Coast refineries. …”Denying the Keystone XL permit will send a clear signal that the U.S. government recognizes our true ‘national interest’ before oil company profits.”
The Pressure Is On: Thousands Encircle White House, Tell Obama to Reject Keystone Pipeline, by Mike Ludwig, Truthout, November 7, 2011: “Activists of all ages descended on the White House, including more than 1,000 young people. After surrounding the White House, a youth-led breakout march snaked through downtown Washington, DC, carrying the momentum of the Occupy movement along with an inflatable black pipeline replica as long as a city block.”
Bill McKibben’s comments about the DC action are in, “Obama Trapped in Politically Sticky Tar Sands Pipeline Decision,”  Quoting McKibben, “…”Under blue Indian Summer skies, more than 12,000 people from every corner of the country descended on Washington DC; then, with great precision, they fanned out to surround the White House and take a stand against the Keystone XL oil pipeline.”
Regarding the Entrix scandal, “Inspector General Will Investigate Keystone XL Decision,” by Mike Ludwig, was published by Truthout November 8th: “The State Department’s inspector general will investigate potential conflicts of interest within the Department’s approval process for TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline that would pump oil from the Alberta tar sands in Canada to the Gulf Coast, according to a letter released on Monday. Environmental groups and 14 members of Congress recently requested an investigation into potential conflicts of interest such as TransCanada’s successful recommendation that Cardno Entrix, a massive contracting firm and major client of TransCanada, conduct much of the federally mandated environmental review of the pipeline project.”
Comprehensive coverage of international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 is archived in the Green Notes tab above. At the Index, scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Update.
           Thanks to EveryOne who has helped 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 here.  Click here for an article about a new report that links a series of earthquakes in Oklahoma to fracking operations there. Watch a Democracy Now! video, “White House Could Cast Decisive Vote to Permit 20,000 Fracking Wells in Delaware River Basin.”
Quoting the segment, “This week the Delaware River Basin Commission released draft regulations to allow for the natural gas drilling technique hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, in the river’s watershed, which provides water to 15.6 million people in New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The proposed plan would allow for some 20,000 gas wells to be developed in the watershed.” The segment continues, “While environmentalists are claiming a temporary victory after the Obama administration put off approving the tar sands oil pipeline, another major fight between environmentalists and the White House is brewing in the Northeast. Earlier this week, the Delaware River Basin Commission released draft regulations to allow for the major natural gas drilling technique known as “fracking” in the river’s watershed. The Commission is expected to vote on the rules on November 21st. With one seat on the Commission, the White House may cast the deciding vote. The states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware also each have a representative on the board.”

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.

WE STOPPED THE PIPELINE!