Green Notes Week of February 12, 2012

BOLD HELP GREENS GATHER SIGNATURES UNBOLD . . . The Green Party is qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. At this time, 16 states have ballot status in November 2012. For brief information about current candidates, click here.  NGP is gathering signatures so 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. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate the county specific 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!

PAGE DOWN FOR KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE ACTION ALERTS . . . “24 Hours to Stop the Pipeline” begins at noon, Monday, February 13, 2012.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, 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. When weather is bad, 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.
The Lincoln Journal Star recently editorialized “It’a time for Nebraska to abolish the death penalty,” and “Mistakes flaw death penalty,”  which concludes “…We hope senators take the time to re-examine their beliefs and assumptions. Senator Council’s LB276, which would replace the death penalty with life in prison, recognizes the reality of human limitations. It deserves to pass.”
Letters to editors of local papers statewide are needed in response to the March 6, 2012 execution date for Michael Ryan. Details of Nebraska’s ritualized premeditated protocol for state killing are listed in “State prepares for Ryan’s execution,” published January 15th.
Contact information for state senators, and other actions you can take, are here.  For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Lincoln’s Occupy Education committee is offering a free and open university with weekly talks/discussions. 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,” consists of informal lectures to present basic ideas on the subject of that week, followed by an open discussion. The topic Monday, Febraury 13th, for ECON 99, Part 5 is “Can Economic Growth Ever Be Sustainable?” – Learning to Respect Complexity. Tuesday, February 14th, 7:00pm, Alex will present “Supporting Yourself and Your Community with Herbs” at Meadowlark. For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu

AFRICAN-AMERICAN READ-IN, FILMS . . . The 7th Annual African-American Read-in will be Wednesday, February 15, 2012, starting at noon, downtown at the Bennett Martin Library, 14th & N Streets, in Lincoln. The Quinn Chapel Choir will also perform. The African-American Experience in Film Series celebrating Black History Month continues Sunday, February 19th, 1:30pm, at the Nebraska History Museum, 15th & P Streets, with “Do the Right Thing.” February 26th, the film will be “Within Our Gates,” the earliest surviving film made by an African-American director. The films are free.

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.

THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED AT UN-L . . . Saturday, February 18, 2012, beginning at 1:00pm, UN-O Theater Professor and former NGP candidate Doug Paterson will present a Theatre of the Oppressed Interactive Workshop at the UN-L Student Union Heritage Room, 1400 “R” Street, Lincoln. Theatre of the Oppressed uses interactive games and exercises to engage your mind, body, and emotions in an exploration of what it means to be either oppressed or liberated. Activities encourage the participants to heighten their senses and break out of habitual methods of thinking and experiencing. For more information, e-mail contact [at] occupylincoln [dot] net

WACHISKA AUDUBON GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT . . . Wachiska Audubon will co-sponsor a family event in conjunction with the annual Great Backyard Bird Count on February 18, 2012, 1:00 to 3:00pm, at two locations,Eiseley Library, 15th & Superior Streets, and Gere Library, 56th & Normal. The LincolnBirdenCOUNTer will feature kid’s activity stations, live raptors, games, bird journals, free bird guides, and more. Contact Marlene Cupp, 402.475.2295, or via email, rc34712 [at] windstream [dot] net for more details.

INSIDE JOB AT MEADOWLARK . . . There will be a public showing of the must see 2010 Best Documentary “Inside Job,” Saturday, February 18, 2012, 5:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee, 1629 South Street, Lincoln. The film explores the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Watch trailers here.

2012 WINTER LECTURE SERIES . . . Northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt is the topic of this year’s Winter Lecture Series at Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Each two-hour session starts at 7:00pm. The first hour features a presentation, followed by refreshment break and a half hour of questions and dialogue. On the seventh and final evening, the series will end with a 6:00 dinner and a panel discussion at 7:00pm. The lectures are free and open to the public. The February 19, 2012 topic will be “The New Moroccan Constitution (June 2011): The Second Revolution of the King and the People” presented by Professor Samira Sayeh of the University of Kansas.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. The camp has been notified of a March 1, 2012 eviction date.  Occupy Lincoln says it’s ‘not yet ready to end‘ and that the city’s eviction deadline is unrelated to renovation, calling the eviction “arbitrary and unrelated to actual renovation work.” Read Occupy Lincoln’s expertly crafted letter to the City, giving reasons for not leaving the mall on March 1st, here.
Both the Mayor’s office and the City Council have asked for calls of support from Lincoln residents so they can legitimately tell those opposed to the camp that many of their constituents are supportive and they are respecting their voice. Contact information for the Mayor’s office is here.  Contact the City Council using information here.  They represent us, and we need to be involved by direct communications to let them know what we want.  Tuesday, February 14th, is “Call in your LOVE for OL day.” Call the city council, 402.441.7515, and Mayor’s office, 402.441.7511, to let them know we appreciate having an occupation in Lincoln and that we support the move to amend statement to END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD!
There is a General Assembly every Sunday, 1:30-2:30pm, at Bennett Martin Library, 14th and N Streets, in the 4th floor auditorium; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; 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. BOLD Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed! UNBOLD

 

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

OMAHA AREA GREENS MEETING . . . CD 2 Greens will meet on Monday, February 13, 2012, 6:00pm, at Legends Coffee House, 52nd and Leavenworth, Omaha. We’ll be discussing ballot access efforts, 2012 campaigns, and planning for state convention. Stop by and pick up a petition to circulate, or sign. Get involved with the ballot access campaign.

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, February 8, 2012, The Festival will welcome Yukiko Shimono,[pdf] a member of the Never Again Campaign— a volunteer people-to-people program. Ms. Shimono, from Hiroshima city, Japan, is touring the country, introducing people to Japanese culture, and spreading the message of remembrance and hope that the world will never forget the continuing effects of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She will present two short films on the bombings in Japan. An informal discussion will follow the films. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PERMACULTURE WORKSHOP . . . There will be a free talke about permaculture at UN-O on Friday, February 17, 2012, 6:30 to 8:30pm, at the main campus CPACS Building, Room 132D, as a prelude to a weekend permaculture workshop. Permaculture is an umbrella word for all things sustainable: solar panels, roof-top gardens, well insulated homes, rain gardens. It looks at ways to live abundantly on the planet while taking care of it at the same time, and how we go about finding meaningful work and creating safe, healthy and vibrant communities.

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 . . . “24 Hours to Stop the Pipeline” begins at noon, EST, Monday, February 13, 2012. Almost 40 advocacy organizations and businesses are planning a massive online day of action Monday opposing efforts to overturn the Keystone XL pipeline denial decision. The event, “24 Hours to Stop the Pipeline,” has a goal of sending the Senate over 500,000 messages in one day to remind members that KXL is not in the national interest and that any effort to promote it will be met with overwhelming resistance. The push will conclude Tuesday, with a petition delivery to Senate leadership. Dozens of groups will be active throughout the period, promoting the 500,000 goal via social networks, online ads, and blogs. To help champion the event, 350.org founder Bill McKibben will be on the “Colbert Report” Monday night.
Nebraska State Senator Jim Smith has introduced a bill that would exempt TransCanada from the rules laid out during the Pipeline Special Session. LB 1161[pdf] would try to resurrect the Department of Environmental Quality permit process. Under this bill, if TransCanada reapplied for Keystone XL, the DEQ process that required Nebraskans to pay for a $2 million environmental study could still be used. The bill will be heard by the Natural Resources Committee at he State Capitol on Thursday, February 16, 2012, at 1:30pm.  Stopping LB 1161 is a top priority. Please be at the hearing, testify if you wish, or submit written testimony to the Natural Resources Committee.
Environmental activist Robert Redford continued his series of articles opposing KXL for Reader Supported News last week with “Keystone Pipeline Facts,” published February 9th: “…In fact, when it comes to jobs and the Keystone XL pipeline, the State Department estimated it would create only 20 permanent jobs and about 5-6,000 temporary construction jobs… not the hundred thousand jobs proponents of the tar sands pipeline have been citing. The Keystone XL pipeline doesn’t deliver on jobs or national security, it jeopardizes public health and safety and the president was right to reject it. And tar sands are not just “a little dirtier” than traditional crude as Nocera notes. Producing synthetic crude oil from tar sands generates three times the global warming pollution and the extraction process uses vast amounts of energy and water.”
New Action Alerts:
From Bill McKibben, February 8, 2012: “The Keystone XL zombie is lurching back to life and we need your help to knock it back again. The Senate is considering a series of tricks designed to force approval of the project. It’s hard to track what’s real and what’s just noise, but our friends on the Hill assure us this is a crucial moment for the public to weigh in, click here to write a letter to your Senators.
Keystone XL is the perfect symbol of the cronyism that’s corrupting our government: the 44 Senators who co-sponsored the most recent piece of legislation have taken $22.3 million in oil and gas money — that’s more than three times as much dirty money as those opposing the pipeline. The one Democrat on this list, West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, has taken more money from the fossil fuel barons than anyone else in his party—it’s really just a game of follow-the-cash.
Right now, the most important thing we can do is flood the Senate with messages opposing Keystone XL.
From Sierra Club, February 5, 2012: “There’s breaking — and disturbing — news about the Keystone XL pipeline.  Last month, President Obama rejected the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which TransCanada spent $1.3 million lobbying for in 2011. We knew Big Oil wouldn’t give up, and sure enough, they’re still at it, using their money to force the pipeline down our throats, thwart the President, and pass this bill.
This pipeline would carry the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel, tar sands oil, from Canada to Texas, where it would be shipped overseas. To build the pipeline, TransCanada has to seize private land from ranchers and farmers, and then expose what’s left to the threat of oil spills and leaks. Clean water, clean air, agriculture, and our shared climate would all be put at risk for what have been greatly exaggerated benefits. Take thirty seconds to tell Sen. Johanns and Sen. Nelson — put our public health before Big Oil profits. Oppose this and any other attempt to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to the payroll tax bill, the transportation bill or any other unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet. Tell Congress to let the Keystone XL pipeline die a merciful death.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “Shale-Shocked: Fracking Gets Its Own Occupy Movement,” by Ellen Cantarow, TomDispatch and Truthout, January 23rd, begins “This is a story about water, the land surrounding it, and the lives it sustains. Clean water should be a right: there is no life without it…. But for once, this story isn’t about tragedy. It’s about a resistance movement that has arisen to challenge some of the most powerful corporations in history.”
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.
From FitLife.tv, “In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.”
To help organize or coordinate a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your local community, sign up here.  To pressure Whole Foods Market and the nation’s largest supermarket chains to voluntarily adopt truth-in-labeling practices, sign editable text here.

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.