HELP GREENS GATHER SIGNATURES . . . The Green Party is now qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. Nebraska Green Party is now gathering signatures so that voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate.
In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate with friends and family during the holidays. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions. Omaha area Greens will meet Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 6:00pm, at the Pizza Shoppe, 6056 Maple Street, in Benson.
You must be a registered voter to circulate petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.[pdf] If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!
SAVING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT . . . “There’s no question that the political tide is turning thanks to Occupy Wall Street–because there’s actually a political push to ensure that corporations are NOT people, to overturn the “free speech rights” given to corporations by the Supreme Court’s troubling Citizens United decision.” Add your voice. Sign the petition.
In the House, Representative Ted Deutch’s H.J. Res 90, The OCCUPIED Amendment, also says that corporations are not people and they do not belong in our elections. Sign the OCCUPIED petition. Spread the word.
XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Page down for this week’s Pipeline Opposition Update, and then PLEASE CONTACT PRESIDENT OBAMA.
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.
LOBBY DAY ON NEBRASKA VOTER SUPPRESSION BILL . . . The Nebraska version of the Voter Suppression bills bombarding our country is LB 239. Wednesday, January 11, 2012, many groups interested in safeguarding the right to vote will converge on the state capitol to oppose this bill and remind legislators that voting should not depend on income or education. Minorities, low income people, college students and others will be affected by LB 239. Click here [pdf] for text of the bill. See CD 2 Green Note on the bus charter from Omaha for Lobby Day.
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.
NEBRASKA’S WINTER BIRDS . . . Thursday, January 12, 2012, 7:00pm, noted UN-L professor emeritus Paul Johnsgard will speak about Nebraska’s Winter Birds at the Wachiska Audubon General Meeting, in the Dick Administration Building lower level auditorium at Union College, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln. Read a December Prairie Fire article by Johnsgard, “The Feathers of Winter,” here. The Audubon presentation is free and open to the public.
ANNUAL MLK FREEDOM BREAKFAST . . . Keynote Speaker will be Larry Williams, Executive Director of the Malone Center, at the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Breakfast, 7:30 to 8:30am, Friday, January 13th, at Embassy Suites, 1040 P Street, in Lincoln. For reservations, phone 402.323.3412.
NPPD BOARD MEETING . . . The Nebraska Public Power District is poised to 1) pass a resolution approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project in Nebraska, on behalf of TransCanada; and 2) spend more than a billion dollars of ratepayer money to retrofit coal-fired power plants, while at the same time arguing there is no money for alternative energy development. Friday, January 13, 2012, 9:00am until 12:00pm, public comments will be heard at the NPPD Board Meeting in the Columbus General Office, 1414-15th Street, Columbus, Nebraska. See the Bold Nebraska website for more details. Put the “public” back in “public power.”
NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS AT OPEN HARVEST . . . Open Harvest Co-Op Grocery, 1618 South Steet in Lincoln, has eliminated plastic bags at the check out registers beginning January 1, 2012. From the LJS article, “It is a positive change for the Co-op and hopefully other businesses in Lincoln will consider keeping plastic bags out of their store and out of our landfills.”
OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. There is now a General Assembly three times per week: Sunday, 1:30pm; Wednesday, 6:00pm; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm. The Facebook page is here. The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!
OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Lincoln’s Occupy Education committee is promoting the idea of a free and open university with talks/discussions starting the second week of January, through February 13, 2012. The teach-in workshop schedule is Mondays, 7:00 to 8:00pm at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street; and Tuesdays, 7:00pm at Meadowlark Coffee, 1624 South Street. The Monday ECON 99 Course, “Economics the 1% Doesn’t Want You to Know,” will consist of five informal lectures to present basic ideas on the subject of that week, followed by an open discussion. Monday, January 9th: A. Intro to the Occupy Education Program; B. Intro to ECON 99 – Economics that the 99% needs to know. Tuesday, January 10th, 7:00pm, Stephanie, Brandon, and Trina, from the OL Medical Committee, will address “Burn Out in Community Organizing.” For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu. Be there to learn and discuss. Knowledge is liberating.
Omaha area: Congressional District 2
LOBBY AGAINST LB 239 IN LINCOLN . . . The Nebraska Voter Suppression bill is LB 239. Wednesday, January 11, 2012, a chartered bus from North Omaha will be available for those who want to lobby against this threat to voting rights of minorities, low income people, and college students, among others. Omaha departure time is 8:00am sharp, leaving from the OIC Building, 2729 North 24th Street. The bus will return leaving Lincoln at 4:00pm. There is a $7.00 suggested donation. For further details, contact Preston Love at 402.812.3324, or prestonlovejr [at] yahoo [dot] com Click here [pdf] for the full wording of LB 239.
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.
CD 2 NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY MEETING . . . Omaha area Greens will meet Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 6:00pm, at the Pizza Shoppe, 6056 Maple Street, in Benson. Meet Omaha Greens, join the NGP ballot access campaign, and get involved.
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, January 11, 2012, the film will be “American Blackout,” a look at the career of U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney, Green Party presidential candidate in 2008, and the historical suppression of black voters in the United States. View a trailer at the website. 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.
PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . Progressive Omaha is an organization that provides information, education and support to progressive people and groups through various approaches including a website, speakers bureau, film festival, calendar of events, and monthly meetings. The January 2012 meeting will be Saturday, the 14th, 6:00 to 9:00pm, at 1517 North Happy Hollow Blvd. There will be a potluck supper from 6:00 to 7:00, discussion with Curtis Bryant from 7:00 to 8:00, and business/social time until 9:00pm. Bryant’s focus is George Lakoff’s research on how to frame the progressive political debate. Progressive Omaha is looking for new leadership since Jack Dunn stepped down. Responsibilities include (1) facilitating monthly meetings; and (2) securing speakers for upcoming meetings. Join the discussion, and volunteer leadership Saturday night, or just be there to meet Omaha progressives at the start of a new year. For more information, e-mail Karen Abrams, kabrams123 [at] cox [dot] net.
BID GREEN TO KEEP THE AQUIFER CLEAN . . . Saturday, January 14, 2012, 7:00 to 10:00pm, BOLD Nebraska will host an Art Auction Fundraiser for Keystone XL pipeline opposition in Omaha at the new BLK Building, 1213 Jones Street. Randy Thompson, Nebraska’s opposition superstar, is hosting the live auction part of the night. To help STOP THE PIPELINE by contributing art or other items to the Omaha event, fill out the form here. View some of the items already donated for auction here. Please help spread the word about Saturday’s auction on FaceBook.
OCCUPY OMAHA . . . The current Occupy Omaha location 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
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . The Lincoln Journal Star published “Keystone XL pipeline not safe” by Mike Klink on January 1, 2012. Klink, a civil engineer and an inspector for TransCanada during the construction of the first Keystone pipeline, is currently seeking whistleblower protection from the U.S. Department of Labor. From the editorial, “I’ve had an uncomfortable front-row seat to the disaster that Keystone XL could bring about all along its pathway.”
The LJS editorial generated attention in alternative media throughout the week. Democracy Now! included “Ex-Inspector Urges Cancellation of Keystone XL Pipeline” in January 6th headlines. “Pipeline Inspector-Turned-Whistleblower Calls Keystone XL a Potential Disaster,” by Stephen Lacey, ThinkProgress, was published January 4th in Truthout: “Mike Klink is a former inspector for Bechtel, one of the major contractors working on TransCanada’s original Keystone pipeline, completed in 2010. Klink says he raised numerous concerns about shoddy materials and poor craftsmanship during construction of the pipeline, which brings tar sands crude from Canada to Midwestern refineries in the U.S. Instead of actually addressing the problems, Klink claims he was fired by Bechtel in retaliation.” And Reader Supported News published “TransCanada Inspector: Keystone XL Pipeline Not Safe,” on January 3rd: “Mike Klink, former inspector for TransCanada is seeking whistleblower protection from the U.S. Department of Labor. Klink writes, “What did I see? Cheap foreign steel that cracked when workers tried to weld it, foundations for pump stations that you would never consider using in your own home, fudged safety tests, Bechtel staffers explaining away leaks during pressure tests as ‘not too bad,’ shortcuts on the steel and rebar that are essential for safe pipeline operation and siting of facilities on completely inappropriate spots like wetlands. … Let’s be clear – I am an engineer; I am not telling you we shouldn’t build pipelines. We just should not build this one.”
We now have until February 20, 2012 to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. This is the moment to inspire President Obama to be the President he told us he would be and make sure he does not approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline through Nebraska’s fragile Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer. Sign a Credo petition to the president here. Send the White House a message here, and spread the word on Facebook and Twitter. CALL THE WHITE HOUSE at the Switchboard number: 202.456.1414. The two-month clock is ticking on this environmentally disastrous tar sands project.
Tell President Obama to stand strong and reject the Keystone XL! Tell him to “Please reject this attempt to ram through approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by rejecting the project’s permit application.” Sign a Save BioGems NRDC petition here. Kyra Sedgwick urges the public to join nine Nobel Laureates, including the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in calling on the president to reject the proposed tar sands pipeline in a 0.38 second video promoting the same petition.
January 6th, The Guardian reported that “The head of the US’s biggest oil and gas lobbying group said on Wednesday that the Obama administration will face serious political consequences if it rejects a Canada-to-Texas oil sands pipeline that has been opposed by environmental groups.” Read “XL Pipeline: Oil Chief Threatens Obama” here.
Writing “Time to Stop Being Cynical About Corporate Money in Politics & Start Being Angry,” for TomDispatch and Truthout January 5th, Bill McKibben says “We’ve reached the point where we’re unfazed by things that should shake us to the core. So, just for a moment, be naive…. I don’t want to be hopelessly naive. I want to be hopefully naive. It would be relatively easy to change this: you could provide public financing for campaigns instead of letting corporations pay. It’s the equivalent of having the National Football League hire referees instead of asking the teams to provide them.”
“Unequal Risks and Benefits for Citizens in Six States on Keystone XL Pipeline Route,” by Lisa Song, InsideClimate News, January 5th, reports “…The differences are particularly striking when it comes to tax revenue and environmental protection. States with stronger regulations have won protections for their citizens, while other states sometimes focused more on meeting TransCanada’s needs.” Read page 1 of 5 here.
From “Oil industry: ‘Huge political consequences’ if pipeline rejected,” by Andrew Restuccia, The Hill, January 4, 2012: “A top oil industry official delivered a clear warning to President Obama Wednesday: approve the Keystone XL pipeline or face “huge political consequences.”
“Obama, Congress begin 2012 in oil pipeline dispute,” by Matthew Daly, AP, from the January 3rd LJS: “Republicans have bullied their way to get a reckless rider attached to a bill that was supposed to be about helping middle-class families,” said Jane Kleeb, executive director of the group Bold Nebraska, which opposes the pipeline. With the bill signed into law, Obama “must do the right thing for our land, water and families’ health by denying the pipeline permit,” Kleeb said.
January 1st, New York Times editorialized “The Republicans believe they have President Obama in a box: either he approves a controversial Canadian oil pipeline or they accuse him of depriving the nation of jobs. Mr. Obama can and should push back hard. This is precisely the moment for him to argue the case for alternative fuel sources and clean energy jobs — and to lambaste the Republicans for doubling down on conventional fuels while ceding a $5 trillion global clean technology market (and the jobs that go with it) to more aggressive competitors like China and Germany. …American voters are smart enough to see through the ridiculous pipeline gambit. And they will surely listen if Mr. Obama makes a compelling argument for both protecting the environment and investing in clean energy industries that will create lasting jobs.” Read “Where the Real Jobs Are” here.
Also from The Hill, “Greens say President Obama has no choice but to kill Keystone XL pipeline,” by Andrew Restuccia begins “Republicans who lobbied aggressively for a measure to force President Obama to make a speedy decision on the Keystone XL pipeline have ensured the project’s demise, environmental groups say. The activists said Obama will be forced to reject the pipeline — which would carry oil sands crude from Alberta, Canada, to refineries on the Gulf Coast — under a measure in the two-month payroll tax cut extension that requires the administration to make a decision on the project within 60 days. “The president is going to have no choice but to reject the pipeline,” said Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, director of international programs at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “I don’t see any wiggle room.”
Urge President Obama to do the right thing and reject the pipeline by filling out a 350.org petition here. Send a “Thanks in Advance” message to the President here.
Add your voice to the “Protect Our Water, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!” petition urging the president to deny a construction permit here. Call the White House Switchboard directly at 202.456.1111. And sign The Other 98% petition to Obama, “End Lobbyist Influence, STOP THE PIPELINE,” here.
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.
STOP FRACKING NOW . . . From “Officials Say Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquake,” in Reader Supported News, January 2, 2012: “Officials said Saturday they believe the latest earthquake activity in northeast Ohio is related to the injection of wastewater into the ground near a fault line, creating enough pressure to cause seismic activity. The brine wastewater comes from drilling operations that use the so-called fracking process to extract gas from underground shale.”
“Ohio earthquake was not a natural event, expert says,” by Kim Palmer for Reuters in the Chicago Tribune, January 3rd, reports “A 4.0 magnitude earthquake in Ohio on New Year’s Eve did not occur naturally and may have been caused by high-pressure liquid injection related to oil and gas exploration and production, an expert hired by the state of Ohio said on Tuesday.”
Petition Congress: “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.”
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 Substitute Hemp for oil.“