EARTH CIRCLE . . . On the first day of each month, people around the world stop for five minutes to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. Join peacemakers everywhere at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am Mountain Time in CD 3, on Tuesday, February 1, 2011, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its beings. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials, is below in Congressional District 3 Green Notes.  Included is news of Nebraska senators’ letter to Secretary Clinton, new Action Alerts, new media reports, and pipeline related Legislative Bills introduced this past week.

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.

LUNCH AT THE LIBRARY . . . Wednesday, February 2, 2011, Joel Starita, author of the 2010 One Book One Lincoln selection “I Am A Man,” will discuss his work at Bennett Martin Public Library, 14th & N Streets, Lincoln, in the fourth floor auditorium, 12:10pm. Bring your own lunch. Free coffee available. For more information, phone 402.441.8516.

WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES SEMINARS . . . A 14-lecture series of seminars at UN-L focused on urban stormwater runoff, gobal climate change, and related environmental issues continues Wednesday, February 2, 2011, 3:30 TO 4:30pm, in the first-floor auditorium of Hardin Hall, on the northeast corner of North 33rd and Holdrege Streets, Lincoln. For more information, contact the UN-L Water Center, 402.472.3305. Click here for a schedule of the lectures. View most lectures online after the have been presented 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.

LPS WANTS INPUT ON STRATEGIC PLAN . . . Lincoln Public Schools administration staff are developing a Strategic Plan for the future. They will host public forums for community members and students in February. There will be a Community Meeting open to the public on Wednesday, February 5, 2011, 7:00 to 8:30pm, at Lincoln High School, 2229 J Street, in the cafeteria. The general student meeting will be February 15th.

SUNDAY LECTURE SERIES . . . There will be no February 6, 2011 Series Lecture at The Unitarian Church of Lincoln. February 13th, Bill Gleason, Coordinator, Eurasian Studies at the US Department of State, will speak on Russian-Ukranian relations.

LOCAL ARTISTS WANTED . . . The Third Annual Artistic Rain Barrel Program invites local artists to paint rain barrels with original designs for display citywide next spring. Twenty-five artists will be chosen for a public auction of barrels in May, 2011. Click here [pdf] for an application, which includes a short summary and preliminary sketch of your intended design. Applications are due by February 11, 2011. For more information, contact Ellen Wright, 402.441.7075.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN OMAHA . . . The Omaha Public Library will celebrate the accomplishments and rich history of African-Americans in the United States with a Series of free Programs, open to the public, during February. This week’s Black History Month schedule begins Tuesday, February 1, 3:00 to 5:30pm, at the Benson Branch, 6015 Binney Street, with Sharif Liwaru, president of the Malcolm X Foundation, speaking about the legacy of Malcolm X. At 5:30 to 7:00pm, Preston Love Jr. will present “Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr.” at the Charles B. Washington Branch, 2868 Ames Avenue. Saturday, February 5th, 10:00 to 11:30am, professional genealogist Karen Tippets will discuss how to use library resources to find your ancestors. From 2:30 to 4:00pm, Malcom X will be discussed at the Washington Branch. For more information, phone Emily Getzschman, 402.444.4896, or e-mail egetzschman [at] omahalibrary [dot] org.

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.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers.” This award-winning documentary tells the story of Daniel Ellsberg, a high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist, who in 1971 concluded that the war was based on decades of lies and leaked 7,000 pages of top secret documents to The New York Times. View the trailer here.  For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Saturday protest actions by Guardians of the Good Life are on hold until weather warms up, but a bus bench ad campaign has begun. STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace Coordinator Mark Welsch, 453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.  For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . This week’s LA Times article by Kim Murphy, “Some Texans, too, resist Keystone XL Pipeline,” was published in the Sunday Lincoln Journal Star hard copy, January 30, 2011, under the title “One Pipeline Too Many.” From Port Arthur, the report begins “Texas has rarely met an oil business it didn’t like. Ever since Spindletop sent a gush of crude 150 feet into the air near here in 1901, Texans have been mostly willing to put up with the spills, smokestack belches and massive refinery vistas that go along with big, fat pots of “Texas tea.” But that was before a Canadian company, TransCanada Corp., came forward with a plan to build a 1,700-mile pipeline to carry heavy, high-pollutant oil from the tar sands under the boreal forests of northern Alberta, across the American heartland, through scenic ranchlands in the piney woods of east Texas and on to refineries near Houston and Port Arthur.”
“Big Oil’s Pipeline Scheme to Increase Midwest Gas Prices,” by Jeremy Symons, was published by Wildlife Promise January 24, 2011. “It’s an old story: oil companies increase gas prices and their profits soar. But rarely do we get an inside view of how they manipulate markets to drive up prices, and even rarer still an opportunity to stop it from happening. This time, Big Oil has been caught with their hand in the cookie jar as they scheme to hike America’s oil bill by $4 billion every year. This time, we have the industry documents that prove it.” From the article, “Here’s how the pipeline scheme would really work: …So here’s the bottom line if the Keystone XL pipeline is built: Canadian oil producers get a huge profit windfall, and America gets higher gas prices as well as the pollution from refineries and any pipeline spills.”
Learn more from the National Wildlife Federation’s report on XL, “Staying Hooked on a Dirty Fuel: Why Canadian Tar Sands are a Bad Bet for the United States.”  Click here to send a personalized message to the President, or sign the online e-mail strongly urging him to stop the proposed pipeline.
In this month’s Prairie Fire, Julie Myers, who grew up in Nebraska, contends “The Keystone XL is a gamble that Nebraska cannot afford, for at least two crucial reasons: (1) It would route huge quantities of a hazardous substance for the first time directly through the Sand Hills geology and over the deepest part of the Ogallala Aquifer. And (2) its approval is being rushed through without performance data, skipping orderly review to avoid the scrutiny that might appropriately lead to its rejection, unless the area’s unique environmental safety concerns can be resolved.” Read the entire article here.
Wednesday, January 26th, 21 Nebraska senators sent a letter to Secretary Clinton urging her to study the route/impact on the Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer before deciding on a permit. “Caution urged on pipeline plan”  was published January 27th in the Omaha World Herald.
The following pipeline bills have been introduced in the Nebraska legislature this session:
LB 340 [pdf] establishes state-based guidelines and oversight for oil pipelines. Introduced by Senator Dubas,  send thank yous to adubas [at] leg [dot] ne [dot] gov.
LB 629 [pdf] establishes a state-based certification process for oil pipelines. Introduced by Senator Sullivan, send thank you to ksullivan [at] leg [dot] ne [dot] gov.
LB578 [pdf] requires pipeline companies to be financially responsible for clean-up, decommissioning, and maintenance to roads. Introduced by Senator Haar, send thank you to khaar [at] leg [dot] ne [dot] gov.
Find your state senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
“TransCanada sues to access pipeline land,” by Cody Winchester, January 26, 2011, reports “Court records show that TransCanada has filed more than a dozen lawsuits to condemn land along the route of its Keystone XL oil pipeline in western South Dakota, though it hasn’t received the federal permit it needs to go ahead with the project. …So here’s the bottom line if the Keystone XL pipeline is built: Canadian oil producers get a huge profit windfall, and America gets higher gas prices as well as the pollution from refineries and  any pipeline spills.”
A Washington Post article about the proposed XL pipeline was published on the front page of the January 24, 2011 LJS. “Great Plains oil pipeline plan sparks grass-roots activism, high-stakes lobbying,” was written by staff writer Juliet Eilperin. “A massive feat of engineering by any measure, the Keystone pipeline expansion project would transport crude oil close to 1,700 miles from “oil sands” in the icy reaches of Hardisty, Alberta, down through the Great Plains to the refineries of Port Arthur, Tex. In doing so, the giant pipe also promises to allay some fears about U.S. energy security:  The oil will come from a trusted ally, and its cross-continental path avoids visions of another deep-sea drilling disaster.  But the decision on whether to issue a permit to the project, opposed by environmental groups, rests with the State Department, which has little expertise in engineering or environmental matters. And reflecting the chaos of U.S. energy and environmental policy, the proposed pipeline is pitting Montana landowners against pipe fitters in Nebraska and creating unlikely allies of Nebraska ranchers and chieftains from Alberta’s indigenous communities.” The article continues here.
Lincoln Journal Star has editorialized on the Keystone XL pipeline several times, most recently in “State needs pipeline oversight,”  published January 21, 2011. There was little or no local media coverage of the January 29th XL ACTION EDUCATION FORUM in Lincoln, but coverage of a protest against the pipeline threat was extensive. “Recap: Pipeline Rally Sends Clear Message,” a blog written by Bold Nebraska and Nebraskans for Peace, includes links, video and quotes from the rally.
Save the Date: Sunday, March 6, 2011.  Join members of the groups actively working to protect Nebraska land and water from further pipeline exploitation at Lincoln’s Zoo Bar, 136 North 14th Street, 2:30 to 5:00pm. Live music to be announced.
“Risks outweigh pipeline benefits,” a January 4, 2010 letter to the LJS editor from Ellen Beck in Seward, NE, begins “The Seward County League of Women Voters has written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking that the government deny a permit to build the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline. The Seward league believes it is important for organizations and Nebraska residents to voice opposition to this project.” “On Precaution,” by Naomi Klein for Reader Supported News, features photos of Canadian landscapes gutted by tar sands extraction.  To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net.
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.” The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  Our Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244.
Stop the Keystone XL pipeline — call your senators.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline, and your senators can pressure her to stand up to Big Oil and stop it. Help put some needed peer pressure on Secretary Clinton by calling your senators today. Tell them that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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.“

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials, is below–following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note the January 29, 2011 XL Action Education Forum in Lincoln.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

COMMITTEE HEARING ON LB 333 . . . The Nebraska State Legislature is considering eliminating the Nebraska Department of Education Multicultural Education Program as a budget saving measure, proposed in LB 333 [pdf] (scroll down to page 11). The Nebraska Department of Education DID NOT propose this plan for cutting 10% of their budget. The recommendation came from the Education Committee: “Eliminating the program will mean that school districts are no longer required to integrate multicultural education into their curriculum.” Contact information for Committee members is linked here.  The Education Committee will hold a hearing on LB 333 Monday, January 24, 2011, 1:30pm, in Room 1525 of the state capitol building.  Be there in solidarity, or testify for multicultural education in Nebraska if possible.

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.

WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES SEMINARS . . . A 14-lecture series of seminars at UN-L focused on urban stormwater runoff, gobal climate change, and related environmental issues, began January 19, 2011. All lectures are 3:30 to 4:30PM, in the first-floor auditorium of Hardin Hall, on the northeast corner of North 33rd and Holdrege Streets, Lincoln. The series continues each Wednesday afternoon through April 27th, except during spring brake on March 23rd. For more information, contact the UN-L Water Center, 402.472.3305. Click here for a schedule of the lectures. View most lectures online after they have been presented 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.

UNITY EVENT AGAINST LB 48 . . . Due to bad weather, the 1/11/11 Unity Rally has been rescheduled twice.  The event will now take place on Thursday, January 27, 2011, at noon, on the west side of the state capitol at the Lincoln statue. Nebraska Green Party joined other progressive groups signing a Unity Statement [pdf] collectively opposing LB 48, [pdf] an Arizona-style “Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act” that would drain resources, diminish public safety, and divide our communities. Contact Judiciary Committee members expressing opposition due to economic cost, the social conflict and negative publicity it would cause, the misplaced priorities it would represent: LB 48 would be a political and economic disaster for Nebraska. Help stop it before it starts at the Thursday Rally. For more information contact rgonzales [at] neappleseed [dot] org. We are Strongest Together.

BOLD NEBRASKA XL ACTION EDUCATION FORUM . . . Saturday, January 29, 2011, 10:00am to 12:30pm, there will be an education forum in Lincoln at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street. The Forum will begin with a Sand Hills powerpoint photo display, followed by a panel including landowners and legislators, plus Q&A. Learn how to help stop the XL pipeline, and lobby state senators to protect our land and water.  Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.

LINCOLN SEED SWAP . . . In solidarity with National Seed Swap Day, Saturday, January 29, 2011, starting at 1:00pm, there will be a community seed exchange at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 South Street, in Lincoln. Bring labeled seeds for vegetables, herbs, flowers, and native plants to share. Evrett Lundquist, biodynamic farmer of Common Good Farm, will be on hand to discuss seed saving, and how to start seeds. There will also be information about plant selection for our local climate, and additional seed sources. Kickstart your garden at Meadowlark.

SUNDAY LECTURE SERIES . . . The Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street, is hosting its annual free winter lecture series about Russia and Post-Soviet states. Each two-hour Sunday lecture begins at 7:00pm. The first hour features a guest lecturer, followed by refreshments with a half hour of questions and dialogue. Sunday, January 30, 2011, James C. McClelland, Associate Professor Emeritus of History at UN-L, will speak on Soviet and Russian history.

LOCAL ARTISTS WANTED . . . The Third Annual Artistic Rain Barrel Program invites local artists to paint rain barrels with original designs for display citywide next spring. Twenty-five artists will be chosen for a public auction of barrels in May, 2011. Click here [pdf] for an application, which includes a short summary and preliminary sketch of your intended design. Applications are due by February 11, 2011. For more information, contact Ellen Wright, 402.441.7075.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

OMAHA SPECIAL ELECTION TUESDAY . . . Omaha is facing a very important vote Tuesday, January 25, 2011. The question of whether Mayor Suttle should be removed from office will be the only issue on the ballot. Thousands of people have voted early. If voters remove Suttle, a second election will be held in 90-150 days.

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.

OMAHA GREEN DRINKS . . . This month’s Omaha Green Drinks will be Wednesday, January 26, 2011, 5:30pm to close, at Whole Foods Market, 10020 Regency Circle, in the education room by restaurant seating–across from the coffee bar. Green Drinks is an informal self-organizing network with monthly meetings in 739 cities worldwide. Walk, cycle, bus, or carpool if possible.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “The Garden.” From progressiveomaha: “After the riots of 1992, the city of Los Angeles set aside fourteen acres of land not far from the downtown area to be used as a community produce garden, the largest such parcel in the United States. In 2003, the owner of the property decided to sell the land to make way for a storage facility and soccer field, resulting in a tremendous loss for the farmers who had invested so much of their time and lives working there. The documentary “The Garden,” directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy, chronicles the fight the workers waged against the powers-that-be to preserve the place that had come to mean so much to them.” For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

SIERRA NEBRASKA MEETING . . . How the destruction of an ecosystem affects the area’s hydrology, and how that impacts us, even if we don’t live directly in the affected area, will be addressed Thursday, January 27, 2011, 7:00pm, at First United Methodist Church, 69th & Cass Streets, Omaha (Enter north door Education Wing). The Sierra Club Nebraska Program “Ecological Restoration and Impacts on Hydrology: A Case for Restoring our Natural Areas” with Chad Graeve, Natural Resources Specialist at Hitchcock Nature Center in Pottawattamie County, is free and open to the public.  For more information contact Mary Green, 402.556.1830, or mary [dot] green [at] nebraska [dot] sierraclub [dot] org

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Saturday protest actions by Guardians of the Good Life are on hold until weather warms up.  STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace Coordinator Mark Welsch, 453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.   For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

TRAINING WORKSHOP . . . There will be a Suicide Prevention Workshop Monday, January 24, 2011, at Goodwill Industries, 1804 South Eddy, Grand Island, NE. Sponsored by the Hall Country Suicide Prevention Project, registration starts at 5:30, and the free training seminar is from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Snacks will be provided. The focus will be “QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer.” For more information, e-mail hallcountrysuicideprevention [at] gmail [dot] com

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Last week, the Lincoln Journal Star editorialized on the Keystone XL pipeline again. “State needs pipeline oversight,” was published January 21, 2011. It begins “When TransCanada decided to run the Keystone XL oil pipeline through Nebraska’s environmentally fragile Sandhills, many Nebraskans were dismayed to find out that state government was powerless to do anything about it.” and ends with “It would be terribly disappointing if the session ends with Nebraska still sitting on its hands.”
Senator Annette Dubas has introduced legislation, LB 340, that would require oil pipeline companies such as TransCanada to go through a complex permit process overseen by the state Public Service Commission. The LJS report is here.
Media coverage of the January 5th protest against the XL pipeline threat was extensive. “Recap: Pipeline Rally Sends Clear Message,” a blog written by Bold Nebraska and Nebraskans for Peace, includes links, video and quotes from the rally.
January 29, 2011, 10:00am to 12:30pm, there will be an education forum in Lincoln at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street.  Find your state senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
Save the Date: Sunday, March 6, 2011.  Members of the groups actively working to protect Nebraska land and water from further pipeline exploitation will hold a benefit at Lincoln’s Zoo Bar, 136 North 14th Street, 2:30 to 5:00pm. Live music to be announced.
“Risks outweigh pipeline benefits,” a January 4, 2010 letter to the LJS editor from Ellen Beck in Seward, NE, begins “The Seward County League of Women Voters has written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking that the government deny a permit to build the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline. The Seward league believes it is important for organizations and Nebraska residents to voice opposition to this project.” “On Precaution,” by Naomi Klein for Reader Supported News, features photos of Canadian landscapes gutted by tar sands extraction.  To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net.
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.” The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244.
Stop the Keystone XL pipeline — call your senators.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline, and your senators can pressure her to stand up to Big Oil and stop it. Help put some needed peer pressure on Secretary Clinton by calling your senators today. Tell them that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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.”

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials, is below–following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note the January 22, 2011 action at 72nd & Dodge Streets in Omaha.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WEEK AT UN-L . . . Martin Luther King Jr. would have been 82 on January 15, 2011. Monday, January 17th, is the 25th anniversary of the holiday recognizing his birth. The 16th Annual MLK Jr. Youth Rally and March  begins with a pre-rally program at 8:45am in the UN-L City Campus Union Ballroom, 14th & R Street. Doors open at 8:15. The March starts at 10:00am. Knowing the future depends on our youth, Leola Bullock’s desire to promote youth leadership inspired the annual rally. Click here for more information, phone 402.436.1974, or e-mail pfergus [at] lps [dot] org

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.

CIVIL RIGHTS SERIES . . . The Nebraska Historical Society series of programs, “Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in Nebraska: Understanding the Past, Looking to the Future,” will present former State Senator Ernie Chambers, Nebraska’s longest serving legislator–a strong voice for civil rights–on Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 5:30pm, speaking on his views about change over the decades. For more information, phone 402.471.3270.

1/11/11 UNITY EVENT . . . Due to bad weather on January 11th, the 1/11/11 Unity Rally will now take place on WEDNESDAY, January 19, 2011, at noon, on the west side of the capitol at the Lincoln statue. Nebraska Green Party joined other progressive groups signing a Unity Statement [pdf] collectively opposing LB 48, an Arizona-style law that would drain resources, diminish public safety, and divide our Nebraska communities. For more information contact rgonzales [at] neappleseed [dot] org. We are Strongest Together.

WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES SEMINARS . . . A 14-lecture series of seminars at UN-L will focus on urban stormwater runoff, gobal climate change, and related environmental issues beginning Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 3:30 TO 4:30PM. All lectures are at that time in the first-floor auditorium of Hardin Hall, on the northeast corner of North 33rd and Holdrege Streets, in Lincoln. The series will continue each Wednesday afternoon through April 27th, except during spring brake on March 23rd. For more information, contact the UN-L Water Center, 402.472.3305. Click here for a schedule of the lectures. View most lectures online after they have been presented 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.

IGNITE LINCOLN . . . 17 speakers with topics varying from biking in Lincoln to guerrilla gardening will present fast-paced, inspiring talks for five minutes each at Ignite Lincoln, Thursday, January 20, 2011, 6:00 to 8:00pm. The event, at Bourbon Theater, 1415 O Street, is free with tickets available here.  A list of speakers is here.  Ignite Lincoln is part of a series of global events started in Seattle, December 2006, as a way for people to share ideas with their community. Since then, more than events have been launched all over the globe.

SPRING CREEK PRAIRIE WORKSHOP . . . Register by Friday, January 21, 2011, for “Nature Inside and Out,”  a new program at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, an 808-acre tallgrass prairie nature preserve located 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln. The Saturday, January 22nd workshop, from 9:00am to noon, will emphasize discovering new ways of seeing and experiencing nature’s everyday happenings. To register, phone 402.797.2301, or e-mail scp [at] audubon [dot] org

SUNDAY LECTURE SERIES BEGINS . . . The Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street, will host its annual free winter lecture series about Russia and Post-Soviet states this year. Each two-hour Sunday lecture will begin at 7:00pm. The first hour features a guest lecturer, followed by refreshments and a half hour of questions and dialogue. Sunday, January 23, 2011, Robert Stoddard, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor emeritus, will speak on the geography of the area.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

THE DREAM CONTINUES . . . This week’s Creighton University events celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. are listed here. The 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, 30th and Fort streets, is Tuesday, January 18, 2011, noon to 1:30pm. For more information, phone 402.457.5231.

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.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “Digital Nation.”  Over a single generation, the Web and digital media have remade nearly every aspect of modern culture. This 90-minute documentary is the product of a unique collaboration with visitors to the Digital Nation Web site, who for the past year have been able to react to the work in progress and post their own stories online. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

CITY SPROUTS CLASS . . . “Healthy Eating for the New Year,” a City Sprouts class designed for the whole family, will be Saturday, January 22, 2011, 10:00 to 11:30am, at the Sprouts house, 4002 Seward Street, in Omaha’s historical Orchard Hill neighborhood. The class is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Vickie Gregorio, vickie-g [at] hotmail [dot] com or 402.215.7145.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Saturday, January 22, 2011, noon to 1:00pm, at 72nd & Dodge, in Omaha.  Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. If you drive, park on the west side of Petco’s parking lot. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to fragile ecosystem of the entire region. The rally will be canceled if there is precipitation or the temperature is below 30 degrees. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVIE NIGHT . . . Friday, January 21, 2011, Grand Island Trinity United Methodist Church will present The Battle for Whiteclay, a documentary about the sale of alcohol to Native Americans living on the reservation near Whiteclay, NE, by Nebraska filmmaker Mark Vasina. Part of a monthly series, the film will be shown at the Denton’s home, 6:30pm. Phone Trinity UMC, 308.382.1952, for more information, to rsvp, or for the Denton’s address. Bring a snack to share.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . The company that wants to build the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline through Nebraska would have to negotiate a regulatory maze to complete the project if Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton gets her way.  Dubas introduced legislation, LB 340, that would require oil pipeline companies such as TransCanada, to go through a complex permit process overseen by the state Public Service Commission.
The role of China is discussed in a January 15, 2011 article “Are We Risking Our Land and Water for China?”  A new Solve Climate story on the pipeline, this time focusing on the ads TransCanada is pushing in DC, “TransCanada Takes Oil Sands Heat In Stride,” is here.
Media coverage of the January 5th protest against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline threatening our land and water was compiled by BOLD Nebraska. Youtube video of rally coverage is here; “Lawmakers Feel Heat of Keystone XL Opponents,”  Lincoln Journal Star story with pictures and quotes from various citizens, group leaders, state senators and union representatives; “Oil Pipeline Legislation,” 10/11 News tv coverage; and “Recap: Pipeline Rally Sends Clear Message,” blog written by Bold Nebraska and Nebraskans for Peace including links, video and quotes from the rally.
           Save this date: January 29, 2011, 10:00am to 12:30pm. There will be an education forum in Lincoln get feedback on how to help stop the pipeline and lobby to protect our land and water, at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street.  Find your state senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
“Risks outweigh pipeline benefits,” a January 4, 2010 letter to the LJS editor from Ellen Beck in Seward, NE, begins “The Seward County League of Women Voters has written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking that the government deny a permit to build the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline. The Seward league believes it is important for organizations and Nebraska residents to voice opposition to this project.” “On Precaution,” by Naomi Klein for Reader Supported News, features photos of Canadian landscapes gutted by tar sands extraction.  To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.” The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith,  CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244.
Stop the Keystone XL pipeline — call your senators.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline, and your senators can pressure her to stand up to Big Oil and stop it. Help put some needed peer pressure on Secretary Clinton by calling your senators today. Tell them that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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.“

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials, is below–following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note coverage of the January 5th rally to protest Keystone XL at the State Capitol Building, and the January 15, 2011 action at 72nd & Dodge in Omaha.

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.

1/11/11 UNITY EVENT . . . UPDATE:  Due to bad weather, the Unity Rally will now take place on WEDNESDAY, 1/19/11, at noon, on the west side of the capitol at the Lincoln statue.  Nebraska Green Party joined other progressive groups signing a Unity Statement against an Arizona-style law that would drain resources, diminish public safety, and divide our communities. Tuesday, January 11th, there will be a noon 1/11/11 UNITY event at the state capitol to collectively oppose such a law in Nebraska. Read the Statement here.  We are Strongest Together. For more information contact rgonzales [at] neappleseed [dot] org

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.

WACHISKA SPOTLIGHT ON RIVERS . . . Three Nebraska rivers will be the focus of a presentation by Gene Zuerlein, assistant fisheries division administrator for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, at the monthly meeting of Wachiska Audubon, Thursday, January 13, 2011, 7:00pm, at the Union College Administration Building, Room 3, 3800 South 48th Street, in Lincoln. Look for Audubon signs on the doors. Zuerlein will spotlight the rich cultural and natural history of the Missouri, Platte, and Niobrara rivers. The public is invited, and refreshments will be served. For more information, call the Wachiska office at 402.486.4846.

PEACEMAKING WORKSHOP XXIV . . . How people of faith can be a strong voice for positive immigration reform, while countering a proposed Arizona-type law in Nebraska, will be the focus of a special Peacemaking Workshop “Influencing Immigration Legislation,” Sunday, January 16, 2011, at First United Methodist Church 50th Street and St. Paul Avenue, in Lincoln. Presenters, starting at 1:30pm, include Rev. Frederic McCullough, speaking on “Current Immigration Policy: a Cultural Sin;” S.A. Mora James, a Latina attorney working on immigration issues in Nebraska, and State Senator Brenda Council, speaking at 4:00pm, on her views about immigration reform and the prospects for an Arizona-style bill in Nebraska. The film “9500 Liberty” will be shown at 6:30pm. Click here for an agenda of the entire event. For more information, phone Bob Reeves, 402.464.1803, or e-mail bobreeves63 [at] yahoo [dot] com

FREE MULCH WHILE IT LASTS . . . Holiday tree recycling has ended, but tree mulch will be distributed free to Lincoln residents while it lasts, beginning Monday, January 10, 2011, 8:00am to 5:00pm weekdays, at 2200 South Folsom Court, Hofeling Enterprises, in Lincoln.

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.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “The Devil’s Playground,” a documentary examining Rumspringa, the Amish rite of passage which begins when an Amish child reaches 16 years of age. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Saturday, January 15, 2011, noon to 1:00pm, at 72nd & Dodge, in Omaha.  Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. If you drive, park on the west side of Petco’s parking lot. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to fragile ecosystem of the entire region. The rally will be canceled if there is precipitation or the temperature is below 25 degrees. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

END POLICE BRUTALITY . . . Nebraskans for Peace and others are forming a new group called “Victims Against Police Brutality.” Anyone who has been abused by a law enforcement agency is invited to contact Omaha Coordinator Mark Welsch, 402.453.0776 or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org. The next regular meeting in support of those who have been terrorized by police will be Saturday, January 15, 2011, Noon until 2:00pm, at the Washington Branch Library, 2868 Ames Avenue, in Omaha.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Wednesday, January 5, 2011, the 102nd session of the Nebraska Legislature opened. At noon, a coalition of Greens and Supporters, BOLD Nebraska, and members of Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Nebraska Sierra Club, Audubon Nebraska, Guardians of the Good Life, and Nebraskans for Peace joined in solidarity at the State Capitol in Lincoln to rally against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline threatening our land and water.  Media coverage of the protest includes the following links compiled by BOLD Nebraska. Facebook pictures on the Bold Nebraska page; Facebook pictures on the Nebraskans for Peace page; Youtube video of rally coverage;  NPR/NET radio coverage, including quotes from citizens and state senators; “Pipeline Protest,” NTV story with video; “Lawmakers Feel Heat of Keystone XL Opponents,” Lincoln Journal Star story with pictures and quotes from various citizens, group leaders, state senators and union representatives; “More Than 100 Protest Pipeline,” Omaha World Herald story with pictures, focused on recent threats by TransCanada in addition to rally; “Keystone XL Pipeline Protest,”  KNOP North Platte tv coverage with video (towards bottom of page); “Oil Pipeline Legislation,” 10/11 News tv coverage; “Rally Against Keystone XL Pipeline,” blog written by the Nebraska League of Conservation Voters; “Recap: Pipeline Rally Sends Clear Message,”  blog written by Bold Nebraska and Nebraskans for Peace including links, video and quotes from the rally.
           Save this date: January 29, 2011, 10:00am to 12:30pm. Watch for details about an education forum in Lincoln to keep the momentum going, to train, and get feedback on how to help stop the pipeline and lobby state laws to protect land and water.  Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
“Risks outweigh pipeline benefits,” a January 4, 2010 letter to the LJS editor from Ellen Beck in Seward, NE, begins “The Seward County League of Women Voters has written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking that the government deny a permit to build the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline. The Seward league believes it is important for organizations and Nebraska residents to voice opposition to this project.”  Carol Smith’s letter, “Tar sands oil devastating,”  warns that “While it is true that it would be a needless tragedy to have the pipeline leak into the Ogallala Aquifer, we need to recognize our own personal responsibility for why we need so much oil in the first place. We have the technology to drastically reduce our dependence on all oil, if only we can find the personal courage to do so. Let’s work together to make it happen.” “On Precaution,” by Naomi Klein for Reader Supported News, features photos of Canadian landscapes gutted by tar sands extraction.  To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.” The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith,  CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Stop the Keystone XL pipeline — call your senators.  Unbold Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline, and your senators can pressure her to stand up to Big Oil and stop it. Help put some needed peer pressure on Secretary Clinton by calling your senators today.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.  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.“

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stopthe GE salmon approval process.

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials is below, following Green Notes by Congressional District.  Note Wednesday’s Noon Action at the State Capitol Building in Lincoln.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

RECYCLE HOLIDAY TREES . . . Holiday trees will be accepted for recycling at eight Lincoln sites through Sunday, January 9, 2011.  The city has recycled an estimated 186,645 trees since the annual project began in 1987. Drop off trees at any of the following locations: Ballard Park, 3901 N. 66th Street; Oak Lake Park, three blocks south of Cornhusker Highway on First Street; University Place Park, 50th and Garland Streets; Holmes Lake Park, parking lot west of the north softball field; Sawyer-Snell Park, Second and South streets, west of the Fire Department Building; Tierra Park, 29th and Tierra Drive; Woods Park, 31st and J Streets, southeast corner of parking lot; and Hoefling Enterprises, 2200 South Folsom Court. Hoefling has donated grinding services, and tree mulch will be distributed free to Lincoln residents beginning January 10, 8:00am to 5:00pm weekdays. (Remove any nails, wires and tree stands, or plastic bags used to transport the trees.)

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, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. 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.

OPENING DAY OF THE LEGISLATURE . . . On Wednesday, January 5, 2011, opening day of the 102nd Nebraska Legislature, from noon to 1:00pm, there will be an action under the Lincoln statue on the west side of the Capitol Building. The clear message to state “leaders” will be Do Your Duty and Protect our Land and Water. Join Greens, NGP Supporters, BOLD Nebraska and members of Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Nebraska Sierra Club, Audubon Nebraska, Guardians of the Good Life, and Nebraskans for Peace in solidarity against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline threatening our land and water. E-mail info [at] boldnebraska [dot] org with any questions.

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.

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING . . . Saturday, January 8, 2011, 9:00am to 1:00pm, obsolete, broken and unused electronics may be recycled at the Lincoln Public Schools District Office, 5901 O Street. All electronics will be recycled for free, except TVs and monitors with CRTs, which are hazardous waste. Recyclables include desktop and laptop computers, bar coders, circuit boards, copiers, CD/DVD drives, DVD players, fax machines, hand-held devices, medical equipment, keyboards, modems, monitors, printers, routers, scanners, servers, telephones, wire and cords. Call Jim Vanderslice, 402.420.1515, for more information.

WINTER WALKABOUT . . . Spring Creek offers opportunities to get out and walk the prairie.  On Saturday, January 8, 2011, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center will host a “New Year Winter Walkabout.” There will be two sessions: from 10:00am to noon, and from 1:00 to 3:00pm. Staff members and participants will explore remote parts of the prairie, and investigate winter wildlife. For more information, phone 402.797.2301. The Center, with more than 800 acres of native tallgrass prairie, is 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln near Denton.

LOCAL ARTISTS WANTED . . . The Third Annual Artistic Rain Barrel Program invites local artists to paint rain barrels with original designs for display citywide next spring. Twenty-five artists will be chosen for a public auction of barrels in May, 2011. Click here [pdf] for an application, which includes a short summary and preliminary sketch of your intended design. Applications are due by February 11, 2011. For more information, contact Ellen Wright, 402.441.7075.

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 an Anti-War and Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “500 Years Later,” an epic documentary that chronicles the struggle of a people who continue to fight for the most essential human right of freedom. Watch trailers here.  For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . .Stop the Keystone XL pipeline — call your senators.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the power to approve or reject the Keystone XL pipeline, and your senators can pressure her to stand up to Big Oil and stop it. Help put some needed peer pressure on Secretary Clinton by calling your senators today. Dial the Capitol Switchboard at 202. 224.3121, and ask to be connected.
Carol Smith’s Letter to the Editor of Lincoln Jounal Star, “Tar sands oil devastating,” published December 19, 2010, refers to “U.S. pipeline plan, climate vows at odds,” a previous article regarding the Keystone XL pipeline. “The article addresses important negative aspects of the pipeline issue that we don’t see very often: higher greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands than from crude oil; the destruction of forest and wetland in Alberta, the size of Florida; and the poisoning of their air and water. One fact it did not mention is that the burden of this devastation is once again being borne on the backs of the indigenous population. While it is true that it would be a needless tragedy to have the pipeline leak into the Ogallala Aquifer, we need to recognize our own personal responsibility for why we need so much oil in the first place. We have the technology to drastically reduce our dependence on all oil, if only we can find the personal courage to do so. Let’s work together to make it happen.” “On Precaution,” by Naomi Klein for Reader Supported News on December 8th, features photos of Canadian landscapes gutted by tar sands extraction.
“U.S. poised to slurp up more of Canada’s dirtiest oil,” was published by McClatchy newspapers December 8, 2010. It begins, “At the climate talks under way at the Mexican beach resort of Cancun, the U.S. has assured the world it’s not backing away from its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, however, the State Department looks likely to approve a pipeline that would increase the use of one of the dirtiest forms of oil.” On December 10, Lincoln Journal Star published coverage of TransCanada tests on the existing Keystone pipeline, “TransCanada checking Keystone anomalies.”  New information from BOLD Nebraska is that there was a pipeline leak in Nebraska, August of this year. In a letter to Senator Nelson, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said no decision has been made on the proposed Keystone XL $7 Billion pipeline, despite her reported remarks suggesting she supports the project. Lincoln Journal Star coverage of “Hillary Clinton: No Keystone XL decision made,” was published December 11.
A Nebraska Unicameral Update “Oil pipeline safety analyzed,” is here.  “Slated for construction in Nebraska in 2011, the 1,661-mile oil pipeline will connect Canadian crude oil suppliers to Texas refineries.” Such language assumes the pipeline will be build, even before the State Department has approved the project. Senators need to know there is constituent opposition statewide, and be encouraged to reconsider assumptions about inevitability. Only two Senators have started asking challenging questions. If Senator Harr or Senator Fulton is your senator, consider thanking him for speaking out. All the senators need to understand that, at the least, they can require financial assurances from TransCanada with regulatory oversight for pipelines, and reform eminent domain laws. Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
North American native groups urged the United States and Canada to abandon support for the carbon-heavy tar sands pipeline in protests at the UN Climate Talks in Cancun. “Cancun Protesters Target Canada, U.S. over Oil Sands,” by SolveClimateNews covered the protests on December 3rd.  Nebraska Farmer’s Union has also issued a Resolution against the XL pipeline. Lincoln Journal Star published another letter to the editor, “Reroute the pipeline,”  Sunday, December 5th. To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.”  The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
           Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
           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.“

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

EARTH CIRCLE . . . On the first day of each month, people around the world stop for five minutes to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. Join peacemakers everywhere at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am Mountain Time in CD 3, on Saturday, January 1, 2011, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its beings. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

WORLD MEDITATION AND PLANETARY TRANSMISSION, JANUARY 1, 2011, 11:00am to 1:00pm CST
On this day, endings and beginnings merge.
On this day, evolution will take the next step forward.
On this day, your next breakthrough, resulting in a permanent shift, will occur.
On this day, we will become One, and shift the frequency of this Planet.
An unprecedented World Meditation and Planetary Transmission, will create a living field of energy to evolve the next highest potential for humanity and Planet Earth in the year 2011. Creating a new paradigm can only occur in and through a collective gathering such as this, acting as a singular influence. Sign up to participate here.

NGP FAREWELL TO FRED HARGESHEIMER . . . “WWII pilot who forever repaid rescuers dies at 94,” a December 23, 2010 AP article, was published in the Lincoln Journal Star, the Omaha World Herald, and the New York Times, among others. Fred’s death on December 23rd was included at the end of a list of notable people who died this year in “Final Goodbye: A roll call of some who died in ’10.”  A 2006 article by LJS writer Cindy Lange-Kubick, “Former pilot remembers falling from the sky,” tells Fred’s story of his P-38 plane being shot down over the trackless jungle, his survival for 31 days on two chocolate bars, snails, and bamboo shoots, his rescue, and the inspiring way he repaid those who saved his life. Nebraska Greens extend sympathy to Fred’s family and his many friends worldwide.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials is below, following Green Notes by Congressional District.  Note Saturday’s rally in CD 2.

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, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. 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.

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.

LOCAL ARTISTS WANTED . . . The Third Annual Artistic Rain Barrel Program invites local artists to paint rain barrels with original designs for display citywide next spring. Twenty-five artists will be chosen for a public auction of barrels in May, 2011. Click here [pdf] for an application, which includes a short summary and preliminary sketch of your intended design. Submissions deadline is February 11, 2011. For more information, contact Ellen Wright, 402.441.7075.

FREE HOLIDAY TAXI SERVICE . . . Licensed drivers who have had too much holiday cheer to feel safe driving home can phone 402.474.7233 (474.SAFE) between 9:00pm and 2:00am through December 31st and a local law firm will pay for a taxi ride to any Lincoln residence.

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.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “Capitalism: A Love Story,” Michael Moore’s documentary examining the impact of corporate dominance on everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). Click here to view a 1:59 minute trailer. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . .  Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Saturday, January 1, 2011, noon to 1:00pm, at 72nd & Pacific, in Omaha.  Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible.  If you drive, park in the lot closest to the southeast corner of the intersection.  Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed pipeline threat to the fragile ecosystem of the entire region. The rally will be canceled if there is precipitation.  For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

WINTER HIKE AT INDIAN CAVE . . . Sunday, January 2, 2011, the Nebraska Adventure Group will meet at Indian Cave State Park, 8:45am, for an easy to medium paced hike of ridges and trails in winter. Indian Cave is located on the county line between Nemaha and Richardson counties, ten miles south of Brownville, Nebraska. The park covers 3,000 acres along the Missouri River. E-mail debhoffnung [at] yahoo [dot] com with any questions.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . The following Letter to the Editor of Lincoln Jounal Star, “Tar sands oil devastating,” by Carol Smith, published December 19, 2010, refers to “U.S. pipeline plan, climate vows at odds,” a previous article regarding the Keystone XL pipeline. “The article addresses important negative aspects of the pipeline issue that we don’t see very often: higher greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands than from crude oil; the destruction of forest and wetland in Alberta, the size of Florida; and the poisoning of their air and water. One fact it did not mention is that the burden of this devastation is once again being borne on the backs of the indigenous population. While it is true that it would be a needless tragedy to have the pipeline leak into the Ogallala Aquifer, we need to recognize our own personal responsibility for why we need so much oil in the first place. We have the technology to drastically reduce our dependence on all oil, if only we can find the personal courage to do so. Let’s work together to make it happen.” “On Precaution,” by Naomi Klein for Reader Supported News on December 8th, features photos of Canadian landscapes gutted by tar sands extraction.
“U.S. poised to slurp up more of Canada’s dirtiest oil,” was published by McClatchy newspapers December 8, 2010. It begins, “At the climate talks under way at the Mexican beach resort of Cancun, the U.S. has assured the world it’s not backing away from its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, however, the State Department looks likely to approve a pipeline that would increase the use of one of the dirtiest forms of oil.”  On December 10, Lincoln Journal Star published coverage of TransCanada tests on the existing Keystone pipeline, “TransCanada checking Keystone anomalies.”  New information from BOLD Nebraska is that there was a pipeline leak in Nebraska, August of this year. In a letter to Senator Nelson, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said no decision has been made on the proposed Keystone XL $7 Billion pipeline, despite her reported remarks suggesting she supports the project. Lincoln Journal Star coverage of “Hillary Clinton: No Keystone XL decision made,” was published December 11.
A Nebraska Unicameral Update “Oil pipeline safety analyzed,” is here.  “Slated for construction in Nebraska in 2011, the 1,661-mile oil pipeline will connect Canadian crude oil suppliers to Texas refineries.” Such language assumes the pipeline will be build, even before the State Department has approved the project. Senators need to know there is constituent opposition statewide, and be encouraged to reconsider assumptions about inevitability. Only two Senators have started asking challenging questions. If Senator Harr or Senator Fulton is your senator, consider thanking him for speaking out. All the senators need to understand that, at the least, they can require financial assurances from TransCanada with regulatory oversight for pipelines, and reform eminent domain laws. Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
North American native groups urged the United States and Canada to abandon support for the carbon-heavy tar sands pipeline in protests at the UN Climate Talks in Cancun. “Cancun Protesters Target Canada, U.S. over Oil Sands,” by SolveClimateNews covered the protests on December 3rd.  Nebraska Farmer’s Union has also issued a Resolution against the XL pipeline. Lincoln Journal Star published another letter to the editor, “Reroute the pipeline,”  Sunday, December 5th. To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.”  The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. A Proposed Dirty Oil Pipeline Would Put Americans at Risk for Cancer and Asthma–Why Are Senators Pushing For Its Hasty Approval was published by AlterNet on September 23, 2010. ” …We know the Keystone XL pipeline would put American health at risk. In addition to threatening drinking water, processing tar sands oil releases pollutants directly linked to asthma, emphysema and birth defects. Refining tar sands crude from the pipeline would create far more air pollution in American communities that are already burdened with cancer and poor air quality as a result of the oil industry. We also know the pipeline would cross the most important source of agricultural water in the United States, the Ogallala aquifer. And we know pipeline disasters happen.” Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada
construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
           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.”

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

HAPPY SOLSTICE, CHRISTMAS, KAWNZAA, HANNUKAH, YULE — FROM NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY!

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials is below, following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note Sunday’s rally in CD 2.

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, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. 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.

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.

LOCAL ARTISTS WANTED . . . The Third Annual Artistic Rain Barrel Program invites local artists to paint rain barrels with original designs for display citywide next spring. Twenty-five artists will be chosen for a public auction of barrels in May, 2011. Click here [pdf] for an application, which includes a short summary and preliminary sketch of your intended design. For more information, contact Ellen Wright, 402.441.7075.

FREE HOLIDAY TAXI SERVICE . . . Licensed drivers who have had too much holiday cheer to feel safe driving home can phone 402.474.7233 (474.SAFE) between 9:00pm and 2:00am through December 31st and a local law firm will pay for a taxi ride to any Lincoln residence.

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 an Anti-War and Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s  film is “Control Room,” a documentary about the Arab television network Al-Jazeera’s coverage of the U.S.-led Iraqi war, and conflicts that arose in managed perceptions of truth between that news media outlet and the American military. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

MALCOLM X CENTER GRAND OPENING . . . The grand opening of the new Malcolm X Foundation International Headquarters, 3448 Evans Street, Omaha, will be Thursday, December 23, 2010, 6:00pm. At Malcolm X Avenue and Evans, the building, adjacent to the Malcolm X birthplace, will provide activities to grow and empower the Omaha community and foster individual potential. Click here for details.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Sunday, December 26, 2010, noon to 1:00pm, at 72nd & Dodge, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. If you drive, park in the bank parking lot on the southwest corner of the intersection. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to fragile ecosystem of the entire region. The rally will be canceled if there is precipitation. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . The following Letter to the Editor of Lincoln Jounal Star, “Tar sands oil devastating,” by Carol Smith, published December 19, 2010, refers to “U.S. pipeline plan, climate vows at odds,” a previous article regarding the Keystone XL pipeline. “The article addresses important negative aspects of the pipeline issue that we don’t see very often: higher greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands than from crude oil; the destruction of forest and wetland in Alberta, the size of Florida; and the poisoning of their air and water. One fact it did not mention is that the burden of this devastation is once again being borne on the backs of the indigenous population. While it is true that it would be a needless tragedy to have the pipeline leak into the Ogallala Aquifer, we need to recognize our own personal responsibility for why we need so much oil in the first place. We have the technology to drastically reduce our dependence on all oil, if only we can find the personal courage to do so. Let’s work together to make it happen.” “On Precaution,” by Naomi Klein for Reader Supported News on December 8th, features photos of Canadian landscapes gutted by tar sands extraction.
“U.S. poised to slurp up more of Canada’s dirtiest oil,” was published by McClatchy newspapers December 8, 2010. It begins, “At the climate talks under way at the Mexican beach resort of Cancun, the U.S. has assured the world it’s not backing away from its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, however, the State Department looks likely to approve a pipeline that would increase the use of one of the dirtiest forms of oil.”  On December 10, Lincoln Journal Star published coverage of TransCanada tests on the existing Keystone pipeline, “TransCanada checking Keystone anomalies.”  New information from BOLD Nebraska is that there was a pipeline leak in Nebraska, August of this year. In a letter to Senator Nelson, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said no decision has been made on the proposed Keystone XL $7 Billion pipeline, despite her reported remarks suggesting she supports the project. Lincoln Journal Star coverage of “Hillary Clinton: No Keystone XL decision made,” was published December 11.
A Nebraska Unicameral Update “Oil pipeline safety analyzed,” is here.  “Slated for construction in Nebraska in 2011, the 1,661-mile oil pipeline will connect Canadian crude oil suppliers to Texas refineries.” Such language assumes the pipeline will be build, even before the State Department has approved the project. Senators need to know there is constituent opposition statewide, and be encouraged to reconsider assumptions about inevitability. Only two Senators have started asking challenging questions. If Senator Harr or Senator Fulton is your senator, consider thanking him for speaking out. All the senators need to understand that, at the least, they can require financial assurances from TransCanada with regulatory oversight for pipelines, and reform eminent domain laws. Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
North American native groups urged the United States and Canada to abandon support for the carbon-heavy tar sands pipeline in protests at the UN Climate Talks in Cancun. “Cancun Protesters Target Canada, U.S. over Oil Sands,” by SolveClimateNews covered the protests on December 3rd.  Nebraska Farmer’s Union has also issued a Resolution against the XL pipeline. Lincoln Journal Star published another letter to the editor, “Reroute the pipeline,”  Sunday, December 5th. To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.”  The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened.
A Proposed Dirty Oil Pipeline Would Put Americans at Risk for Cancer and Asthma–Why Are Senators Pushing For Its Hasty Approval? was published by AlterNet on September 23, 2010. ” …We know the Keystone XL pipeline would put American health at risk. In addition to threatening drinking water, processing tar sands oil releases pollutants directly linked to asthma, emphysema and birth defects. Refining tar sands crude from the pipeline would create far more air pollution in American communities that are already burdened with cancer and poor air quality as a result of the oil industry. We also know the pipeline would cross the most important source of agricultural water in the United States, the Ogallala aquifer. And we know pipeline disasters happen.” Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
           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.“

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

TAKE A STAND FOR PEACE! Thursday, December 16, 2010, groups from around the country will Take a Stand for Peace at the White House. From Mike Ferner, Veterans for Peace President, “If we can gather enough courageous souls, nonviolently refusing to leave the White House, willing to be dragged away and arrested if necessary, we will send a message that will be seen worldwide. “End these wars – now!” We will carry forward a flame of resistance to the war machine that will not diminish as we effectively begin to place ourselves, as Mario Savio said, “upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus.” and we will make it stop.”

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials is below, following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note Saturday’s rally in CD 2.

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, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. 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.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION . . . Where Will Nebraska Find $1 Billion? Senator Danielle Conrad will host a Community Conversation on the state budget, Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 6:30 to 7:30pm, at Eiseley Library, 1530 Superior Street, Lincoln.

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.

LINCOLN GREEN DRINKS . . . This month’s Green Drinks in Lincoln at Lazlo’s Brewery & Grill, 210 North 7th Street, will be Wednesday, December 15, 2010. Informal networking officially starts at 5:30pm, but Happy Hour prices on drinks and appetizers are good from 3:00 to 6:00pm. Walk, cycle, bus or carpool if possible. Green Drinks now are active in 767 cities worldwide.

LWV LUNCH & LEARN . . . Well known comedian T. Marni Vos will help the League of Women Voters celebrate its 90th anniversary during the December Lunch and Learn at the Downtown Holiday Inn, 141 North 9 Street, Lincoln, on December 16, 2010. Open to the public, the lunch starts at noon. Reservations are required by noon on Monday, December 13th. Contact the League at lwv-ne [at] inebraska [dot] com or phone 402.475.1411.

AUDUBON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT . . . Lincoln’s Annual Audubon Bird Count will be Saturday, December 18, 2010. Volunteers from across the Western Hemisphere have spent a day identifying and counting birds every year since 1900. It is the largest citizen science event in the world. Birds can be counted from midnight to midnight on the count day in a defined 15-mile-diameter circle. Volunteers identify and count every bird they see or hear, providing information that allows researchers to estimate the total number of birds and species in the area that day.  Feeder watchers count birds at their backyard feeders or in their neighborhoods. Locally, the 15-mile circle includes Wilderness Park, Holmes Lake, Oak Lake, University of Nebraska-Lincoln City and East campuses, Pioneers Park, Nine-Mile Prairie, Wyuka Cemetery, Capitol Beach, Yankee Hill Lake, Conestoga Lake and Pawnee Lake. To sign up — either in the field or at your feeder — contact Linda Brown at 402.489.2381 or e-mail lindar1brown [at] gmail [dot] com. Species number will be tallied at a 6:00pm potluck dinner after the count. RSVP at 402.890.5779.

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 an Anti-War and Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “Imagining Argentina.” Antonio Banderas and Emma Thompson star in this political thriller from Academy Award-winning director Christopher Hampton. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

RENEWABLE ENERGY WORKSHOP . . . Friday, December 17, 2010, 8:00am to 4:30pm, there will be a free one-day introductory course on renewable energy systems, and resources for further self-study, at the Fort Omaha Campus, ICA, Room 201A. Clay Sterling, Education Director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, will speak on how renewable energy can provide an alternative to traditional electrical and heating needs. To register, contact Laura Roush, 402.738.4775 or Lroush1 [at] mccneb [dot] edu

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Saturday, December 18, 2010, noon to 1:00pm, at 90th & Maple, in Omaha.  Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. If you drive, park in the bank parking lot on the southwest corner of the intersection. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to fragile ecosystem of the entire region. The rally will be canceled if there is precipitation. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA HOLIDAY PARTY . . . Instead of a Progressive Omaha meeting this month there will be a holiday party Saturday, December 18, 2010, 7:30pm, at the home of the Dunns, 1214 North 34th Street, Omaha.  Celebrate the season– Solstice, Christmas, Hannukah, Yule–the inauguration of the Progressive Research Institute of Nebraska and the coming New Year. Join friends, neighbors and the usual suspects for an evening of good cheer. E-mail jack [at] progressiveomaha [dot] com with any questions.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . “U.S. poised to slurp up more of Canada’s dirtiest oil,”  was published by McClatchy newspapers December 8, 2010. It begins, “At the climate talks under way at the Mexican beach resort of Cancun, the U.S. has assured the world it’s not backing away from its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, however, the State Department looks likely to approve a pipeline that would increase the use of one of the dirtiest forms of oil.”  On December 10, Lincoln Journal Star published coverage of TransCanada tests on the existing Keystone pipeline, “TransCanada checking Keystone anomalies.”  New information from BOLD Nebraska is that there was a pipeline leak in Nebraska, August of this year. In a letter to Senator Nelson, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said no decision has been made on the proposed Keystone XL $7 Billion pipeline, despite her reported remarks suggesting she supports the project. Lincoln Journal Star coverage of “Hillary Clinton: No Keystone XL decision made” was published December 11.
A Nebraska Unicameral Update “Oil pipeline safety analyzed,” is here.  “Slated for construction in Nebraska in 2011, the 1,661-mile oil pipeline will connect Canadian crude oil suppliers to Texas refineries.” Such language assumes the pipeline will be build, even before the State Department has approved the project. Senators need to know there is constituent opposition statewide, and be encouraged to reconsider assumptions about inevitability. Only two Senators have started asking challenging questions. If Senator Harr or Senator Fulton is your senator, consider thanking him for speaking out. All the senators need to understand that, at the least, they can require financial assurances from TransCanada with regulatory oversight for pipelines, and reform eminent domain laws. Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
North American native groups urged the United States and Canada to abandon support for the carbon-heavy tar sands pipeline in protests at the UN Climate Talks in Cancun. “Cancun Protesters Target Canada, U.S. over Oil Sands,” by SolveClimateNews covered the protests on December 3rd.  Nebraska Farmer’s Union has also issued a Resolution against the XL pipeline. Lincoln Journal Star published another letter to the editor, “Reroute the pipeline,” Sunday, December 5th. To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.”  The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened.
A Proposed Dirty Oil Pipeline Would Put Americans at Risk for Cancer and Asthma–Why Are Senators Pushing For Its Hasty Approval? was published by AlterNet on September 23, 2010. ” …We know the Keystone XL pipeline would put American health at risk. In addition to threatening drinking water, processing tar sands oil releases pollutants directly linked to asthma, emphysema and birth defects. Refining tar sands crude from the pipeline would create far more air pollution in American communities that are already burdened with cancer and poor air quality as a result of the oil industry. We also know the pipeline would cross the most important source of agricultural water in the United States, the Ogallala aquifer. And we know pipeline disasters happen.” Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL tar sands pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters. Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
           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.“

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

Friday, December 10, 2010, is Human Rights Day, the day the world commemorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a towering vision of equality and peace.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials is below, following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note Saturday’s rally in CD 2.

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

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, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. 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.

AN EVENING WITH BEATTY BRASCH . . . The Lincoln Chapter of Nebraskans For Peace will present An Evening with Beatty Brasch on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, 7:00 to 9:00pm, at The Center for People in Need, 3901 North 27th Street, Lincoln. Brasch, president of The Center, will report on a recent survey of poverty in Lincoln, new grant projects to combat poverty, and the staggering poverty in North Omaha. E-mail Carol McShane with questions, carolmcshane [at] gmail [dot] com, or phone 402.438.5141.

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.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

350.ORG HOLIDAY GATHERING . . . More than 150 people were at the 10.10.10 Omaha Global Work Party in Memorial Park October 10th.  350.org-Nebraska will thank Omaha participants and friends at a holiday gathering in the Whole Foods Market meeting room, 10020 Regency Circle, on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The photo of Omaha’s 10-10-10 event was selected by the international 350.org organization to represent one of the top 50 events in North America. Photos and videos taken that day are here, here, and here.

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 an Anti-War and Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “A Crude Awakening – The Oil Crash.” Click here to watch the trailer for this film about how our civilization’s addiction to oil puts it on a collision course with geology.  For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Saturday, December 11, 2010, noon to 1:00pm, at 90th & Maple, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. Dress warm. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to the fragile ecosystem of the entire region. The rally will be canceled if there is precipitation.  For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION FOR SUDAN . . . The Sudanese Civil Society of Nebraska will host a peaceful demonstration in support of a free and fair referendum to pave the way for Self-Determination in Southern Sudan on Saturday, December 11, 2010, 11:00am to 3:00pm, at Memorial Park, 5700 Dodge Street, in Omaha. For more information, phone James Guek, 402.812.5330, or John Badeng, 402.699.0837.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

PEACE WORKERS MEETING . . . The December meeting of Central Nebraska Peace Workers, a chapter of Nebraskans for Peace, will be Sunday, December 12, 2010, 3:00 to 5:00pm, at the home of Del and Carolyn Roper, 906 Bell Blvd., Grand Island.  The Ropers will provide a large pot of chili, and beverages, for a 5:00pm pot luck supper. All PeaceMakers are welcome.  The CNPW mission is Peace, Environmental Preservation, and Social Justice.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . A December 1, 2010 Natural Resources Committee public hearing at the Nebraska Legislature drew compelling tesitmony from several landowners, Nebraska Green Party former Co-chair Frances Mendenhall, and representatives of BOLD Nebraska, Nebraska Sierra, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, among others. Press coverage from the Lincoln Journal Star is here;  from the Omaha World Herald is here; and the Grand Island Independent is here.
A Unicameral Update “Oil pipeline safety analyzed,” is here.  “Slated for construction in Nebraska in 2011, the 1,661-mile oil pipeline will connect Canadian crude oil suppliers to Texas refineries.” Such language assumes the pipeline will be build, even before the State Department has approved the project. Senators need to know there is constituent opposition statewide, and be encouraged to reconsider assumptions about inevitability. Only two Senators have started asking challenging questions. If Senator Harr or Senator Fulton is your senator, consider thanking him for speaking out. All the senators need to understand that, at the least, they can require financial assurances from TransCanada with regulatory oversight for pipelines, and reform eminent domain laws. Find your senator’s web page by name and by District here.  Contact information is included for each Senator.
North American native groups urged the United States and Canada to abandon support for the carbon-heavy tar sands pipeline in protests at the UN Climate Talks in Cancun. “Cancun Protesters Target Canada, U.S. over Oil Sands,” by Solve Climate News, covered the protests on December 3rd.  Nebraska Farmer’s Union has also issued a Resolution against the XL pipeline. Lincoln Journal Star published another letter to the editor, “Reroute the pipeline,”  Sunday, December 5th. To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.”  The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened.
A Proposed Dirty Oil Pipeline Would Put Americans at Risk for Cancer and Asthma–Why Are Senators Pushing For Its Hasty Approval? was published by AlterNet on September 23, 2010. ” …We know the Keystone XL pipeline would put American health at risk. In addition to threatening drinking water, processing tar sands oil releases pollutants directly linked to asthma, emphysema and birth defects. Refining tar sands crude from the pipeline would create far more air pollution in American communities that are already burdened with cancer and poor air quality as a result of the oil industry. We also know the pipeline would cross the most important source of agricultural water in the United States, the Ogallala aquifer. And we know pipeline disasters happen.” Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
           Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith,  CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515,  202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic  activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
           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.”

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente

EARTH CIRCLE . . . On the first day of each month, people around the world stop for five minutes to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. Join peacemakers everywhere at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am Mountain Time, on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its beings. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

WORLD AIDS DAY . . . December 1st is World AIDS Day.  Help Stop the Global Pediatric AIDS Epidemic.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TRANSCANADA XL PIPELINE UPDATE. News items, and contact information for needed communication with specific elected officials is below following Green Notes by Congressional District. Note the CD 1 hearing, and notice of Saturday’s rally in CD 2.

CLIMATE JUSTICE . . . Wednesday, December 1, 2010, is national call-in day for climate justice. The world’s poorest nations are on the front lines of catastrophic climate change. Floods in Pakistan and droughts in Africa are just the most recent examples of how poor nations are suffering because of indifference to the climate crisis. 1Sky, ActionAid, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Jubilee USA and other partners are calling for a national call-in day on Wednesday, December 1st, just as climate talks in Cancun get underway. Sign up to call the White House on Wednesday, and tell the President to keep his climate promises in Cancun. Or, phone the White House directly at 202.456.1414.

AGENCY SCIENTISTS OPPOSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SALMON . . . The following quotes are from Fish and Wildlife Service scientists themselves: “The environmental impact of escaped GE salmon is of great concern.” – Gregory Moyer, Regional Geneticist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; “…approval of the proposal is premature, given the unknowns and uncertainties regarding the possible ecological and environmental effects of these fish.” – Jeff Adams, Branch Chief, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and “…I do think the chance of escapement is huge” – Deborah Burger, Manager, Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ask the President to stop the GE salmon approval process.

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, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. 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.

HEARING ON PIPELINES AT CAPITOL . . . State Senator Annette Dubas will hold a hearing on the Legislature’s interim study of oil and gas pipelines at the Capitol, 1445 K Street, Lincoln, on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at 9:00am. Ask for hearing room number at the information desk. Opponents need to insure that state senators know Nebraskans are watching, and we do not support this proposed pipeline. Citizens and landowners may testify, share ideas about how to best protect our land and water resources, or just be there in solidarity. If you plan to speak, and wish to coordinate testimony with others, contact Jane Kleeb, 402.705.3622, twitter: @janekleeb.

ONE BOOK ONE LINCOLN EVENT . . . The last in a series of One Book One Lincoln events will be Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 7:00pm, at the Gere Library, 2400 South 56th Street. The 2010 selection is “I Am a Man,” by Lincoln writer Joe Starita.  UN-L professor emeritus at the College of Law, John Snowden, will discuss the history of Native American law, followed by a time for questions. For more information, contact Lincoln City Libraries at 402.441.8500.

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.

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 an Anti-War and Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068.

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, Omaha. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “Race: The Power of an Illusion – Episode 3 – The House We Live In.”  The PBS film uncovers how race resides not in nature but in politics, economics and culture. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OMAHA’S TRANSPORTATION PLAN . . . The last of 6 public participation meetings seeking feedback on Omaha’s long-range transportation plan will be Thursday, December 2, 2010, 4:30 to 6:30pm, at the South Omaha Metro Community College Campus, South 27th & Q Streets, in the Library conference room. The plan is available here.  A survey regarding the plan is available here. [pdf]  E-mail comments to LRTP [at] mapacog [dot] org

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Saturday, December 4, 2010, noon to 1:30pm, or 2:00, depending on weather, at 72nd & Pacific, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. Park in the southeast lot closest to the intersection, if driving. Dress warm. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to the fragile ecosystem of the entire region. The rally will be canceled if there is precipitation and/or below freezing temperatures. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . A Tuesday, November 23, 2010 press conference at the capitol rotunda released a new 60-page report by Plains Justice, an energy and environmental law center in Billings, Montana, on the pending pipeline project. “The Northern Great Plains at Risk: Oil Spill Planning Deficiencies in Keystone Pipeline System,” raises serious response concerns. Lincoln Journal Star press conference coverage is here.  Omaha World Herald coverage, “Pipeline spill response plans faulted,” was published November 24th.
November 19 through the 22nd, the first International Tar Sands Resistance Summit was held in Missoula, Montana, where activists from all over North America met to work on creative ways to maximize protest energy and opposition. Coverage, photos and video are here.  To get involved with planning XL pipeline opposition strategy in Nebraska, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net.
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.”  The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened.
A Proposed Dirty Oil Pipeline Would Put Americans at Risk for Cancer and Asthma–Why Are Senators Pushing For Its Hasty Approval? was published by AlterNet on September 23, 2010. ” …We know the Keystone XL pipeline would put American health at risk. In addition to threatening drinking water, processing tar sands oil releases pollutants directly linked to asthma, emphysema and birth defects. Refining tar sands crude from the pipeline would create far more air pollution in American communities that are already burdened with cancer and poor air quality as a result of the oil industry. We also know the pipeline would cross the most important source of agricultural water in the United States, the Ogallala aquifer. And we know pipeline disasters happen.” Read Ken Winston’s November 4, 2010 Tar Sands Pipeline Update for Nebraska Sierra here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline.  Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts, or stop by Bold Nebraska at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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.“

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 says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? 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!

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente