GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . Media outlets from Democracy Now! to USA Today have reported on Dr. Jill Stein’s unfair exclusion from the presidential debates, bringing her message to millions of Americans.
Democracy Now! Expanding the debate with Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson: Democracy Now! aired the Obama/Romney debate and paused after questions to include responses from two presidential contenders who were shut out of the official debate: Jill Stein of the Green Party, and Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party.
Black Agenda Report: Why this black man is watching the debates, and voting Green: “I still believe my voice and my vote mean something. Kwame Toure used to say the thing to do is find an organization you’re in substantial agreement with and join it, or if it does not exist, start one and recruit your neighbors.”
Free Speech Radio News: In Denver, Green Party ticket, Occupy activists protest exclusion of third party candidates from debates: “Last night in Denver, activists and members of the Occupy Movement gathered to protest Governor Romney and President Obama… Green Presidential candidate Jill Stein and Vice Presidential candidate Cheri Honkala joined them at a rally.”
USA Today: Jill Stein’s response to the presidential debate: “My mandate, if elected, will be to end mass unemployment once and for all. I will do this in my first term through a Green New Deal — the centerpiece of my campaign — which will create 25 million jobs through direct public works programs and support for cooperatives and community businesses.”
NPR: The third-party candidate debate: and Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson joined moderator Guy Raz of All Things Considered for a debate focusing on domestic issues: the economy, health care and the role of government.
SEE MEDIA COVERAGE FROM THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN at http://www.jillstein.org/media_coverage
“We need a serious debate focused on energy: Phasing out coal plants, ending mountaintop removal, banning fracking, and halting the Keystone XL pipeline.” –Jill Stein
From Imagine All the Voters Treating the Green Party like another realistic option,” by Carrie Peyton Dahlberg, North Coast Journal, September 27, 2012, quoting Jill Stein, “To go into the voting booth and vote for either Wall-Street-backed candidate, that is the definition of throwing away your vote.” WRITE-IN JILL STEIN AND CHERI HONKALA IN NEBRASKA. Another U.S. is Possible — Another Party is Necessary.
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. “It’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.
PSC HEARING ON PIPELINE RULES . . . Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 1:00 to 3:00pm, there will be a public PSC Hearing on Pipeline Siting Rules at The Atrium, 1200 N Street, Room 300, in Lincoln. Learn more about the PSC process, and read the proposed rules here. The Facebook event link is http://www.facebook.com/events/138168712993779/.
ATM LEAFLETTING . . . Alternatives To the Military fall leafletting opportunities at Lincoln High Schools continue this week on Wednesday, October 17, 2012, at Lincoln Northeast HS, 2635 North 63rd (meet at 7:15am near 63rd and Madison Avenue). This fall’s leaflet can be found here. [pdf] An LPS opt-out form will also be enclosed. EveryOne is welcome to help inform high school students routinely recruited by the military that they have other options. If you’d like to get involved with ATM in this way, or have questions about this effort, please e-mail atmlincoln [at] gmail [dot] com. The FB link is http://www.facebook.com/atmlincoln. Twitter is http://www.twitter.com/ATMLincolnNE.
SUSTAINABLE FARMING AND FOOD SYSTEMS . . . “Sustainable Farming and Food Systems in the Great Plains” will be presented by Chuck Francis, professor of agronomy at UN-L, Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 3:30pm, in the Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q Street, Hewit Place, first floor (across the street south from the Lied Center in downtown Lincoln). There will be a reception preceding the talk. This presentation is free and open to the public.
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.
MARY PIPHER TEDTALK . . . Lincoln author and KXL pipeline opposition leader Mary Pipher will speak at Lincoln’s TEDTalk, Thursday, October 18, 2012. The theme of the local version of TEDTalks will be “Wide Horizons and Open Minds.” The broadcast will live-stream on NET, starting at 10:00am.
GLOBAL WARMING IS HERE NOW . . . What to do? Mark Reynolds and the Citizens Climate Lobby have a plan. Hear Reynolds speak on Friday, October 19, 2012, 7:00 to 9:00pm, at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street, Lincoln.
SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road, through October 28th.
SUNDAY WITH A SCIENTIST . . . The Ogallala Aquifer will be the topic of discussion at Sunday With A Scientist, October 21, 2012, 1:30 to 4:30pm, at Morrill Hall on the UN-L campus, just south of 14th and Vine Streets, in Lincoln. Learn more at http://museum.unl.edu/sundaywithascientist/oct2012.html.
UNITED NATIONS DAY BANQUET . . . Sunday, October 21, 2012, 6:00pm, the Nebraska Chapter of UNA-USA will present “Global Water, Food Security, and the United Nations,” at the Nebraska Wesleyan University Student Center, 50th and St. Paul, in Lincoln. Keynote Speaker will be Roberto Lenton, Founding Director of the Daugherty Water for Food Program at UN-L. For more information, and to make a reservation, e-mail unanebraska [at] gmail [dot] com.
NEBRASKA WIND CONFERENCE . . . Registration is now open for the 5th annual Nebraska Wind Conference, Monday and Tuesday, October 22 and 23, 2012, at the Cornhusker Hotel, 333 South 13th Street,in Lincoln. Register, view the program, and learn more about Nebraska’s largest conference on renewable energy at http://nebraskawindconference.com/.
OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here. 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!
Omaha area: Congressional District 2
OCCUWORD . . . Monday, October 15, 2012, 7:00 TO 10:00pm, The PS Collective, 6056 Maple Street, Omaha, will host OCCUWORD, a Celebration of Spoken Word, Poetry, and Comedy, helping to defray legal costs for victims of police brutality. Presenters will include local activists and Omaha personalities, including the Nebraska Green Party’s Doug Paterson, at 7:15pm. The suggested donation is $5.
OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, October 17, 2012, the film will be “If a Tree Falls: Earth Liberation Front,” a behind-the-curtain look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental group that the FBI calls America’s ‘number one domestic terrorist threat.’ A 2:10 minute trailer is here. A discussion will follow the film. EveryOne is welcome. For more information, go to http://www.progressiveomaha.com/films.htm. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is a Peace Vigil at the northwest corner of 72nd and Dodge Streets in Omaha. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store lot. Contact Steve Horn, 402.426.9068, for more information about Saturday vigils.
CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE FORUM . . . A Climate Change Science Forum on Energy Basics will be Saturday, October 20, 2012, 9:00am to 12:00 noon, at First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass Street, Omaha. Speakers will focus on the science of climate change, and implications for urban areas like Omaha. National Wildlife Federation executive director Duane Hovorka will be talking about alternatives for a clean energy future.
FOOD DAY . . . Food Day Omaha will be Sunday, October 21, 2012, 9:00am to 1:00pm, at Aksarben Farmers Market, 67th Avenue and Mercy Road, in solidarity with National Food Day, Wednesday, October 24th–a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, sustainable food. For more information, e-mail Danelle Myer, dmyer [at] centerfornutrition [dot] org or phone 402.559.5513.
GLOBAL WARMING IS HERE NOW . . . What to do? Citizens Climate Lobby has a plan. Mark Reynolds, Executive Director of CCL, will speak in Omaha on Sunday, October 21, 2012. 2:00pm, at First Unitarian Church 3114 Harney Street.
ATM LEAFLETTING IN OMAHA . . . An Alternatives To the Military supporter who lives in Omaha would like to put together and participate in a local leafletting group there. She wants to start small–maybe leafletting at just one or two schools. If you have an interest in joining a Omaha ATM group, please contact Kevin Haake, atmlincoln@gmail.com. The FB link is http://www.facebook.com/atmlincoln. Twitter is http://www.twitter.com/ATMLincolnNE.
Leafletting in Omaha.
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 at http://www.engageomaha.com/.
Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3
NFP PEACE CONFERENCE . . . The Nebraskans for Peace Annual Peace Conference is Saturday, October 20, 2012, 9:00am to 4:00pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 5th and Elm Streets, Grand Island. This year the conference will feature Mark Reynolds, executive director of Citizens Climate Lobby, a group working to end the United State’s reliance on carbon-based fuels. A mail-in registration form is at http://nebraskansforpeace.org/uploaded/pdfs/APC2012brochure.pdf. Early registration ends October 17th.
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Quoting “Disaster in the Making: Grave Warnings Issued That Keystone Pipeline Is Structurally Flawed,” by Andrew Nikiforuk, The Tyee, AlterNet, October 9, 2012, “TransCanada is trying to get its Keystone XL pipeline approved, but a whistleblower is raising the alarm.” Read page 1 of 3, the first of a two-part series, at http://www.alternet.org/environment/disaster-making-grave-warnings-issued-keystone-pipeline-structurally-flawed?page=0%2C0. Read part-2 here.
From “TransCanada Transforms Tar Sands Blockade Area Into Police State,” by Kevin Gosztola, FireDogLake, Reader Supported News, October 12th: “Enlisted off-duty police officers are intimidating, harassing and arresting just about anyone they think is trespassing, even if those people happen to be on property they own. And, officers who are acting as armed henchmen for TransCanada have arrested three journalists in the past twenty-four hours for simply being there to report on resistance to the pipeline construction.”
Another Reader Supported News report from East Texas, “Protesters Challenge Bulldozers at Keystone Pipeline Site,” by Dan Frosch, sourced from the New York Times October 13th begins “Deep within the oak and pine forests that blanket this stretch of East Texas, the chug of machinery drones on late into the day, broken only by the sounds of a band of activists who have vowed to stop it.” Read more about the dangerous situation and determined Texas landowners at http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/13956-protesters-challenge-bulldozers-at-keystone-pipeline-site.
Meanwhile, “Oil in New Gulf Slick Matches That of 2012 Spill, by Steven Mufson and Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, to Reader Supported News, October 12th reported “Ian MacDonald, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University and a spill expert, cautioned said that the origin of the new oil remains uncertain. ‘The jury is out here,’ he said, adding that it was too early ‘to rule out that this is oil freshly released from the reservoir.'”
Truthout published “BP Amnesia: Life and Death After the Spill,” by Mike Ludwig, also on October 12th. “As weathered oil and dead marine life continue to wash up on Gulf shores, environmentalists worry that America has failed to heed the lessons of the summer of 2010, when an ocean of oil gushed from a broken pipe, and mesmerized a nation.” Read at http://truth-out.org/news/item/12084-bp-oil-spill-amnesia-life-and-death-after-the-spill-cam?tmpl=component.
Reader Supported News also published a Common Dreams article “New England Tar Sands Pipeline Plotted Behind Closed Doors,” October 11th. “A new analysis released today by national and regional environmental groups shows that US oil giant Exxon Mobile and Canada’s Suncor hold a majority stake in a pipeline system that local residents along its route fear could soon be used to transport tar sands from western Canada to the New England coast.”
An InsideClimate News article by Dave Hasemyer, October 10th, “EPA Worried Dilbit Still a Threat to Kalamazoo River, More Than 2 Years After Spill,” reported “Enbridge needs to dredge accumulating oil from 100 acres of the river’s bottom, EPA says. The work could take up to a year and cost tens of millions more. The hidden, long-term effects of the 2010 pipeline accident that spilled more than a million gallons of heavy Canadian crude oil into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River became public last week when the EPA revealed that large amounts of oil are still accumulating in three areas of the river. The problem is so serious that the EPA is asking Enbridge Inc., the Canadian pipeline operator, to dredge approximately 100 acres of the river. The additional work could take up to a year and add tens of millions of dollars to a cleanup that has already cost Enbridge $809 million.” Read page 1 of 3 at http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20121011/epa-dilbit-enbridge-6b-pipeline-kalamazoo-river-cleanup-tar-sands-oil-sands-keystone-xl-landowners-environment.
“As Texas Pipeline Blockade Continues, Activists Challenge First U.S. Tar Sands Strip Mine in Utah,” on the October 9th Democracy Now! takes a look at possible tar sands mining in the US. “As a direct action blockade of the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline continues in Texas, we look at what could be the first actual tar sands and oil shale strip-mining operation in the United States. Not far from Moab, Utah, the state has already leased land to a Canadian energy development company that recently changed its name to U.S. Oil Sands. The company plans to mine nearly 6,000 acres in an area of unspoiled wilderness that is also the watershed of the Colorado River, which provides water to more than 30 million people. The mine itself would be water-intensive in what is already the second-driest state in the country, and activists say chemicals used in the mine could pollute the water that is left. We’re joined by two activists working to block the project: John Weisheit, longtime conservation director of Living Rivers & Colorado Riverkeeper; and Ashley Anderson, founder and director of Before It Starts, which is leading the fight to stop tar sands drilling in Utah.” Watch the video at http://www.democracynow.org/2012/10/9/as_texas_pipeline_blockade_continues_activists.
Indian Country Today published “Oil sands lawsuit part of ‘tooth and nail’ fight against pollution,” by David P. Ball, October 5th. “A First Nation whose land sits in the heart of the Alberta oil sands has ramped up its legal battle against the vast industrial development, which has generated controversy because of its massive carbon footprint, untreated tailings ponds and at least three proposed pipelines.”
“TransCanada reproached by NEB over pipeline compliance,” by CBC News, October 12th, reports “A complaint by a former TransCanada Pipelines employee has prompted the National Energy Board to warn the company that its pipeline inspection practices aren’t up to snuff.”
SAVE THE DATES: Saturday, October 27, 2012, and Saturday, December 1, 2012. “Raising the Red Flag on Tar Sands,” will be Saturday, October 27th, 5:30-6:30pm, at the Bourbon Theatrer, 1415 O Street, Lincoln. This will be a Movie Talk featuring Pipe Dreams. Moms from Michigan have been invited to speak on the devastating tar sands spill in their state that is documented in the movie, and the ongoing threat of the TransCanada Keystone XL to our land, water and air. Nebraskans featured in the movie will also be present. All ages are welcome. Facebook event link: http://www.facebook.com/events/322040707887684/.
And tickets are now on sale for the “Do the Math” tour with Bill McKibben in Omaha on December 1st, at the Joslyn Musuem, 2200 Dodge Street, 6:00 to 9:00pm. McKibben will be on a nationwide tour talking about climate, oil subsidies, and the pipeline. Purchase tickets online here.
A Keystone XL “Open Letter” to President Obama and Governor Romney was released to the media September 27, 2012, and the “Defend America, Stop Keystone Tour” started the following day. Click here to add your name to the Letter calling on President Obama and Governor Romney to withdraw their support for Keystone XL on economic, public health and national security grounds. There’s no top down strategy here, just grassroots democratic activism. Everyone has a critical role to play, so please do what you can to help spread the word. Post the letter on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RideforRenewables.
An e-mail from ForestEthics covers a new report, “Tar Sands Refineries: Communities at Risk,” that exposes the appalling health problems that tar sands refineries dump onto U.S. communities. The Environmental Protection Agency says short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide is associated with a host of respiratory problems, including decreased lung function, respiratory illness, and deterioration of the lung’s defense system. Despite the EPA’s knowledge that health problems from refinery pollution are greater for disadvantaged groups than for others, it has failed to address the problem of tar sands refinery impacts on community health. Big Oil wants to dramatically increase US refinery use of tar sands, further harming some of the most vulnerable populations in our society. Take a few minutes to read this report and share it with your contacts. It is crucial that everyone know the severe health consequences of allowing more tar sands refining in our communities.
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 any 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.
“The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominee.
STOP FRACKING NOW . . . At the First-Ever National Mobilization Against Fracking, celebrities, community groups, and more than 100 organizations joined forces for “Stop the Frack Attack” in Washington, DC, where they made three demands of Congress: 1. Stop dangerous fracking; 2. Close 7 legal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry from parts of the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, and Clean Water Acts; and 3. Implement a pathway towards 100% clean renewable energy. Learn more about the event here. 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.”
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.”