GREENS ARE GATHERING SIGNATURES. . . The Green Party is qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. At this time, 20 states have ballot status in November 2012. For brief information about current candidates for President, click here.
NGP is gathering signatures so voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate. In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate the county specific petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.[pdf]  If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Printable NGP brochures on FaceBook are here.  Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!

PAGE DOWN FOR KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. When weather is bad, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

RALPH NADER AT PERU STATE . . . Monday, March 26, 2012, former Green Party presidential candidate and consumer advocate Ralph Nader will speak on “Social Justice and World Affairs” at Peru State in the College Theater at 7:00pm. Greens will be there with ballot status petitions, collecting signatures before and after the event. Join us. We’ll have NGP T-shirts for circulators to wear.

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.

MIRRORS OF PRIVILEGE: MAKING WHITENESS VISIBLE . . . Saturday, March 31, 2012, 9:00am until 4:00pm, there will be a transformational anti-racist, anti-oppression experience based on the powerful documentary “Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible,” in Lincoln at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. The film features white women and men who have worked to gain… insight into what it means to challenge notions of racism in the United States. Watch a 3:10 minute trailer here.  his workshop is open to all who are interested in justice, spiritual growth and community making. Participants will watch the video and engage in small group discussions. Facebook Event Information is here. For more details, and to register, click here.

WATER MONITORING . . . The Nebraska Environmental Action Coalition, in collaboration with the Nebraska Wildlife Federation, is holding an information/training session to lead and promote the formation of citizen water monitoring and testing groups at the Legion Club in Fullerton, Nebraska on Monday, April 2, 2012, from 3:30 to about 6:00pm. The program and its objectives will be discussed in the first part of the meeting, and then Duane Hovorka, Executive Director of the NeFW, will demonstrate how the actual water tests are done.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . “City officials and Occupy Lincoln have reached an agreement that will keep tents pitched on Centennial Mall until May 1, two months later than the city had planned.” Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage here.
The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. There is a General Assembly every Sunday, 1:30-2:30pm, at Bennett Martin Library, 14th and N Streets, in the 4th floor auditorium; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865.  Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

KXL PIPELINE COMMUNITY MEETING . . . BOLD Nebraska and partner groups will host a meeting to update the Omaha community on the status of TransCanada’s rejected Keystone XL pipeline Tuesday, March 27th, 7:00pm, at the First Unitarian Church, 3114 Harney Street. Find out about the possibilities of a new application, happenings in Washington, and review Nebraska’s Public Service Commission (PSC) public comment process for certifying oil pipeline routes. A goal is also to get input on what we as citizens and landowners think the PSC should consider when analyzing and certifying oil pipeline routes. The more public input the better! (There will be #nokxl cookies and lemonade.)

OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Omaha peacemakers vigil every Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm, at StratCom/UN-O, 6801 Pine Street, east of the Scott Technology Center on the UN-O campus. Free parking is available at the NE Corner of 67th Street and Pine in a student lot. For more information, phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887. Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is a Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store parking lot. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068 for more information about Saturday vigils.

OMAHA GREEN DRINKS . . . This month’s Omaha Green Drinks is convening on the 33rd anniversary of Three Mile Island, Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 5:30 to 8:30pm, at Whole Foods Market, 10020 Regency Circle, in the education room across from the coffee bar. All environmentalists are welcome. Walk, cycle, carpool or bus 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. Wednesday, March 28, 2012, the film will be “Not Just a Game,” a film described as “nothing less than an alternative history of political struggle in the United States as seen through the games its people have played.” View a 1:19 minute trailer here.  An informal discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PETITION TO REVERSE DECISION CLOSING POLLING STATIONS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY . . . Open and accessible polls are essential to a representative democracy. Commissioner Phipp’s decision to close half of the county’s polls resulted in disproportionately closing more polling locations in low income areas of Omaha where citizens do not have their own personal transportation. Find more information here, and here.  Election Commissioner Phipp’s CAN reverse this course of action. His decision was made without ANY public input or notice until he stated it was “too late.” Demand Election Commissioner Phipps make our elections accessible by calling 402.444.8683, and sign the petition here.

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

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

NPPD GENERATION OPTIONS ANALYSIS, SPRING 2012 PUBLIC OUTREACH MEETINGS . . . NPPD is currently gathering input from stakeholders as it faces decisions about its future electrical generation options. These generation decisions will determine whether or not NPPD has enough room in its portfolio for additional wind energy generation, or not. Nebraska has the fourth most wind energy capacity in the nation, yet is far behind in both wind energy developed or as a percentage of our state portfolio when compared to other top ten wind capacity states or bordering states. If NPPD locks in more coal generation, they lock in less wind. This week there will be two open house meetings in CD 3, to gather public input on NPPD’s future electrical generation options:  Monday, March 26th, at the Gering Civic Center in Gering, from 2:00 to 8:00pm; and Tuesday, March 27th, at the Sand Hills Convention Center in North Platte, from 2:00 to 8:00pm.  Please attend one of these public forums and share your support for wind energy as a part of a more appropriate state portfolio.  For more information contact the Nebraska Farmers Union at 402.476.8815.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . The president was in Oklahoma last week touting support for drilling, and the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline. Democracy Now! covered the president’s speech:  “Under my administration, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years. That’s important to know. Over the last three years, I’ve directed my administration to open up millions of acres for gas and oil exploration across 23 different states. We’re opening up more than 75 percent of our potential oil resources offshore. We’ve quadrupled the number of operating rigs to a record high. We’ve added enough new oil and gas pipeline to encircle the earth and then some.”
Also on Democracy Now!, 350.org’s Bill McKibben made the point that this year’s “Winter Heat Wave Underscores Need for Obama to Reject, Not Fast-Track, Keystone XL.”  Quoting DN!’s Amy Goodman, “Spring only began on Tuesday, but it has felt like summer this week throughout much of the Northeast, Midwest and parts of Canada. Record temperatures have been recorded in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Buffalo and many other cities and towns. Some 36 states set daily high temperature records last Thursday.”
After the speech, McKibben said “Earlier today, Barack Obama wrapped up his first trip to Oklahoma as President. He arrived just after a week of floods, capping off a winter that never came, which followed the hottest and driest summer Oklahoma had seen in thousands of years, perhaps ever. But he wasn’t in Oklahoma to talk about these climate disasters. He was there to laud his administration’s fast-tracking of the southern leg of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. It’s obvious from his speech today that President Obama isn’t connecting the dots between fossil fuel extraction, climate change, and the extreme weather that has reshaped so much of the American landscape this past year. It’s a painful reminder that sometimes we must be leaders ourselves, before we can expect our elected officials to do the same. In this case, it’s clearly up to us to connect the dots.”
350.org is launching a global day of action May 5th to call attention to these and other climate disasters. …However you choose to participate, your voice is needed in this fight — and you can sign up to host a local event here.  For more general info about the day, check the new website here.  Please join us — we need you to send the most important alarm humanity has ever heard.
Meanwhile, during Obama’s endorsement speech, Native Americans were forced to protest from a ‘Cage‘ as reported by Common Dreams.  “As long as I’m president, I’m going to keep encouraging the development of oil and gas infrastructure,” Obama said.”
A Reader Supported News report of the speech describes the scene: “President Obama stood in a red-dirt field before acres of stacked pipeline pieces on Thursday to illustrate his support for expedited construction of the southern leg of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. But his public declaration for the project pleased neither the industry and its Republican allies nor environmentalists.”
Responding to the speech for BOLD Nebraska, Jane Kleeb said “Many of us voted for President Obama because he shared a vision for a clean energy economy, one that lives up to what American can do. TransCanada’s export pipeline does not fit into this vision.
TransCanada is building an export pipeline to a refinery owned by Saudi Arabia. This type of energy project is not what Americans support and are being misled by Big Oil’s ads. Our country’s focus must be on developing American-made energy that brings us forward, not foreign tarsands that sets our country back.
No more favors for oil companies. We should not cut corners, we should not fast-track projects that risk our land and water. Tarsands emits three times more green house gas emissions and our country has no idea how to clean up the chemicals–like benzene–that tarsands leaves behind when a spill happens. Until we know we can clean it up, we should not build any more pipelines that risk our families health, water and land.” Kleeb’s remarks are continued here and here.
Lincoln Journal Star published two articles by Art Hovey, “Cushing extension could hike fuel prices in Midwest,” by and “Panel gives Keystone XL another nudge.”
Last Wednesday, BOLD Nebraska’s Ben Gotschall explained why Bill McKibben will be coming to Nebraska Friday March 30th to Rally Against LB 1161: “Six of the eight members of the Nebraska Unicameral’s Natural Resources Committee have become pro-pipeline activists, voting through their committee a bill that would give TransCanada a free pass to determine a pipeline route through Nebraska and to seize private property through eminent domain on a “fast track.”
LB1161 circumvents existing Nebraska state law that would require any major oil pipeline project to first obtain approval through a Nebraska Public Service Commission process. LB1161 would set a dangerous precedent by allowing a foreign corporation (which currently has no pending permit for a pipeline) to enact immediate powers of eminent domain, as if they were a public utility with the proper authority and permits.
The unicameral worked hard during the special session in November to pass laws that would give Nebraskans input and oversight over where and how pipelines would cross our state. Now, following the lead of TransCanada-loving Jim Smith (LD14), five other Natural Resources Committee senators Tom Carlson (LD38), Mark Christensen (LD44), Chris Langemeier (LD23), Beau McCoy (LD39) and Ken Schilz (LD47) are taking their pro-pipeline activism to the rest of the unicameral for a vote.
It seems the “Pipeline Six” are in TransCanada’s pocket, doing anything they ask rather than representing Nebraska citizens and our natural resources. Nebraskans deserve better. We deserve leaders who represent our interests, not the interests of a foreign corporation. We demand leaders who will take necessary action to protect and preserve our state’s land and water–not corporate puppets that will do anything in their power to ensure this pipeline is built. We will not allow this political pandering of a few state senators willing to sell out our state’s natural resources and our people’s personal property rights to their Big Oil buddies.
That’s why I signed a petition to The Nebraska State Senate, which says: “Dear Nebraska Unicameral members, The state of Nebraska pulled together behind Governor Heineman’s call for a Special Session last November, and you answered the call by passing laws to govern pipeline routing and siting in our state. Now, certain members of the Natural Resources Committee have thrown that progress by the wayside by passing LB1161 on to general file. Please stand with Nebraskans who believe we have a right to control our own destiny when it comes to pipeline routing and siting. Honor the laws we have on the books. TransCanada does not deserve special legislation just for them, just because they do not like our current laws. Please vote “No” on LB1161. Tell the “Pipeline Six” to get out of TransCanada’s pocket and get back to working for Nebraska.”  Click here to add your name.
From “XL-Pipeline Community Meetings, Input on PSC,” by Malinda Frevert, “BOLD Nebraska and partner groups are hosting a series of meetings to update the community on the status of TransCanada’s rejected Keystone XL, the possibilities of a new application, happenings in Washington and to review Nebraska’s Public Service Commission (PSC) public comment process on how they will certify oil pipeline routes. Our goal of the community meetings is to not only give updates on the pipeline, but to get input on what we as citizens and landowners think the PSC should consider when analyzing and certifying oil pipeline routes.
The meeting schedule is as follows: Tuesday, March 27th, 7:00pm, First Unitarian Church, 3114 Harney Street, Omaha; Thursday, March 29th, 7:00pm, O’Neill Community Center, 501 South 4th (Hwy 281), O’Neill; Monday, April 2nd, 7:00pm, American Legion, 204 Broadway, Fullerton; Thursday, April 5th, 7:00pm, Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street, Lincoln. BOLD will be gathering public comments to deliver to the PSC. The more public input the better! (There will be #nokxl cookies and lemonade.)”
Worth repeating from last week, Paul Hammel’s report for Omaha World-Herald in “Pipeline lobbying costs incredible,” indicates “During the fourth quarter of 2011, when the Nebraska Legislature held a special session on the pipeline, TransCanada reported $529,099 in lobbying and legal expenses. That spending works out to about $10,800 for each of the 49 senators during those three months.”
Reminder: “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential candidate
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . Quoting Bill McKibben in “Why Not Frack?” “The planet is running short of the easy stuff, where you stick a drill in the ground and crude comes bubbling to the surface. The great oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Mexico have begun to dwindle; one result has been a rising price for energy. We could, as a civilization, have taken that dwindling supply and rising price as a signal to convert to sun, wind, and other noncarbon forms of energy-it would have made eminent sense, most of all because it would have aided in the fight against global warming, the most difficult challenge the planet faces. Instead, we’ve taken it as a signal to scour the world for more hydrocarbons. And it turns out that they’re there-vast quantities of coal and oil and gas, buried deep or trapped in tight rock formations or mixed with other minerals. Getting at them requires ripping apart the earth: for instance, by heating up the ground so that the oil in the tar sands formation of Canada can flow to the surface. Or by tearing holes in the crust a mile beneath the surface of the sea, as BP was doing in the Gulf of Mexico when the Deepwater Horizon well exploded. Or by literally removing mountaintops to get at coal, as has become commonplace across the southern Appalachians.”
“Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes,” by Brad Johnson, ThinkProgress, in Reader Supported News March 10, 2012 reports “A dozen earthquakes in northeastern Ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas-drilling wastewater into the earth, Ohio oil and gas regulators said Friday as they announced a series of tough new regulations for drillers.”
           Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . The Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.
From FitLife.tv, “In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.”
“Monsanto’s Roundup Shown to Be Ravaging Butterfly Populations,” by Mike Barrett, Natural Society, for Truthout, March 9th: “Although the butterfly population may be suffering, humans are taking heat from Monsanto’s creations as well. Past research has shown that Monsanto’s Roundup ready crops are leading to mental illness and obesity, primarily by destroying the amount of good bacteria found in the gut. The corporation’s Roundup, containing glyphosate, has also been shown to cause infertility and birth defects.”
To help organize or coordinate a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your local community, sign up here.  To pressure Whole Foods Market and the nation’s largest supermarket chains to voluntarily adopt truth-in-labeling practices, sign editable text here.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.“

GREENS ARE GATHERING SIGNATURES. . . The Green Party is qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. At this time, 20 states have ballot status in November 2012. For brief information about current candidates for President, click here.
NGP is gathering signatures so voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate. In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate the county specific petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.[pdf]  If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Printable NGP brochures on FaceBook are here.  Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!

CANDIDATE WORKSHOP . . . The candidate training workshop hosted by Nebraska League of Conservation Voters has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 24, 2012, in Lincoln and Omaha. Rescheduling allowed for time to reach out to conservation-minded candidates following the March 1st filing date.  E-mail Larry Zink, LarryZ [dot] nlcv [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.

PAGE DOWN FOR KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. When weather is bad, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Education, an initiative of Occupy Lincoln, is offering a free and open university with weekly talks/discussions through March 19, 2012. The teach-in workshops are Mondays, 7:00 to 8:00pm, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street. The Monday Phil 99 Course, “A Philosophical Look at Law, Punishment, and Power,” consists of informal lectures, followed by an open discussion. March 19, 2012 will be “Part 5: Bringing the Offender, Victim, and Community Together — A Closer Look at Restorative Justice,” presented by Steve Swartzer, Lecturer of Philosophy and Assistant Director of the Center for the Teaching and Study of Applied Ethics at UN-L.
Tuesday Teach-In Workshops will be hosted by a different member of the Occupy Lincoln community, on a topic of their choosing, Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. March 20th, the topic will be “The Psychological, Cognitive, and Biological Differences of the Political Spectrum” presented by John Hibbing, Regents Professor of Political Science and Psychology at UNL and co-director of the Political Physiology lab. For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu

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.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . “City officials and Occupy Lincoln have reached an agreement that will keep tents pitched on Centennial Mall until May 1, two months later than the city had planned.” Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage here.
The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. There is a General Assembly every Sunday, 1:30-2:30pm, at Bennett Martin Library, 14th and N Streets, in the 4th floor auditorium; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865.  Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

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 about Saturday vigils.

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, March 21, 2012, the film will be “Forks Over Knives,” a feature film examining “the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.” View a 2:12 minute trailer at the website. An informal discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

CANDIDATE’S FORUM ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES . . . Thursday, March 22, 2012, 7:00pm, environmental issues including clean energy, the federal government’s role in protecting the environment, public transportation, and land conservation, will be among topics discussed at a non-partisan Candidates Forum featuring candidates for Nebraska’s Second Congressional District, at First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass Street, Omaha. (Enter north door Education Wing.) The Forum is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

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

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . At the national level, there was good news in a McClatchy article by Sean Cockerham, March 14, 2012, “Senate Rejects Arctic Drilling and Keystone Pipeline,” sourced to Reader Supported News, beginning “The Senate on Tuesday resoundingly rejected a sweeping measure to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other protected areas to oil drilling, as well as to approve construction of the Keystone pipeline project.”
“Another Keystone XL Victory,” by Bill McKibben for Reader Supported News, March 11th, begins “A year ago almost no one had heard of the pipeline. Even four months ago, a poll of 300 ‘energy insiders’ still found 97 percent predicting it would get its permit. But it didn’t. For now, people power … overturned the odds.”
SAVE THE DATE: Friday, March 30, 2012. 350.org founder and Keystone XL opposition leader Bill McKibben will speak at a Rally to Protect Land and Water, Friday, March 30th, at either at 5:30 or 7:30pm, in Lincoln. Details are still being worked out.
Why a Rally Now?  From BOLD Nebraska, “the Nebraska Legislature is considering a bill (LB 1161) that essentially grants TransCanada immediate power of eminent domain (versus waiting for a federal permit) and creates a loophole just for TransCanada to have a “new route” approved by Nebraska before TC submits a new application through the State Department. The bill also sticks Nebraskans with a $2 million price tag for pipeline review.”
From Press Releases March 13th, after LB 1161 was voted to General File for first round consideration, 6-2:
“Nebraska Farmers Union is encouraging Nebraska landowners and citizens to contact their state senators and ask them to reject LB 1161. It is likely unconstitutional, is a sweetheart deal for TransCanada, and breaks faith with promises made to Nebraska landowners. All new oil pipeline projects were supposed to follow the process delineated in LB1”, said John Hansen. “The state bargain made with TransCanada ended when the President denied their pending permit. It is now important to follow the law and process for all new oil pipelines. That is the bargain made with Nebraska landowners and citizens,” Hansen said.”
From Bold Nebraska: “The Natural Resources latest move to give TransCanada everything they ask for is another example of how our Unicameral is simply bought and paid for by big oil and how they have forgotten their Nebraska roots. “Most of the Natural Resources Committee can no longer say they represent the people of Nebraska and can no longer say they are looking out for our state’s natural resources. Senator Smith and those that voted to advance his bill care about their “duty” to TransCanada and have forgotten about their Nebraska roots and responsibility to our state’s constitution. Citizens will fight to block LB 1161 and continue to protect our water and property rights from this risky export pipeline. Enough is enough. TransCanada does not deserve special treatment. They do not deserve a special law written just for them. TransCanada should re-apply for a federal permit and then submit their proposed routes to Nebraska’s Public Service Commission. We have a law in place to review any future oil pipelines that was passed during the pipeline Special Session last year. TransCanada should follow our laws. The Unicameral needs to get out of TransCanada’s pocket.” Background on LB 1161 is here.
From Nebraska Sierra Club:  “The vote by a majority of the Natural Resources Committee to advance LB 1161 disregarded the Nebraska Constitution, the rights of Nebraska landowners and the wishes of all the Nebraska citizens who testified at the committee hearing,” said Ken Winston, Nebraska Sierra Club spokesperson. “The committee had been given a legal memo that raises serious questions about the constitutionality of LB 1161, but disregarded that opinion. They had heard testimony from landowners that the rights of Nebraska landowners needed to be strengthened against eminent domain threats by private pipeline companies, yet they advanced this bill that weakens landowner rights. And every Nebraska citizen who testified on LB 1161 opposed it, yet the majority of the Committee ignored their testimony.”
From “XL-Pipeline Community Meetings, Input on PSC,” by Malinda Frevert, March 15th, “BOLD Nebraska and partner groups are hosting a series of meetings to update the community on the status of TransCanada’s rejected Keystone XL, the possibilities of a new application, happenings in Washington and to review Nebraska’s Public Service Commission (PSC) public comment process on how they will certify oil pipeline routes. Our goal of the community meetings is to not only give updates on the pipeline, but to get input on what we as citizens and landowners think the PSC should consider when analyzing and certifying oil pipeline routes.
The meeting schedule is as follows: Tuesday, March 27th, 7:00pm, First Unitarian Church, 3114 Harney Street, Omaha; Thursday, March 29th, 7:00pm, O’Neill Community Center, 501 South 4th (Hwy 281), O’Neill; Monday, April 2nd, 7:00pm, American Legion, 204 Broadway, Fullerton; Thursday, April 5th, 7:00pm, Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street, Lincoln. BOLD will be gathering public comments to deliver to the PSC. The more public input the better! (There will be #nokxl cookies and lemonade.)”
“Rebuilding land destroyed by oil-sands may not restore it, researchers say” by Ben Weber, The Canadian Press, March 11th, begins “In a small corner of the vast scrape the oilsands have left on northern Alberta, wetlands reclamation is underway. But academic researchers point out at least half the region’s wetlands will be permanently lost. And then there is the carbon. …There’s the fate of a huge ecosystem being disrupted at an increasing pace. There’re the millions of dollars companies have spent studying how to rebuild wetlands destroyed by oil-sands mining. And there’s the social licence of an industry that promises to restore land — in the words of one ad — to “where you’d never know there’d been a mine in the first place.”
“Ogallala Aquifer still at risk,” by Lisa Song, March 14th, for InsideClimate News reports that the map used to define Nebraska Sand Hills doesn’t include nearby areas also vulnerable to contamination. “…It was always about the water,” said Amy Schaffer, a fifth-generation Nebraskan whose father runs a Sand Hills ranch. “This isn’t over until they get [the pipeline] out of the Ogallala aquifer.” Landowner concerns with LB 1161 were also reported at Chadron.com on March 14th. There is an excellent map of current and proposed pipelines here.
Paul Hammel, reporting for Omaha World-Herald in “Pipeline lobbying costs incredible,” writes “During the fourth quarter of 2011, when the Nebraska Legislature held a special session on the pipeline, TransCanada reported $529,099 in lobbying and legal expenses. That spending works out to about $10,800 for each of the 49 senators during those three months.”
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . Quoting Bill McKibben in “Why Not Frack?” “The planet is running short of the easy stuff, where you stick a drill in the ground and crude comes bubbling to the surface. The great oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Mexico have begun to dwindle; one result has been a rising price for energy. We could, as a civilization, have taken that dwindling supply and rising price as a signal to convert to sun, wind, and other noncarbon forms of energy-it would have made eminent sense, most of all because it would have aided in the fight against global warming, the most difficult challenge the planet faces. Instead, we’ve taken it as a signal to scour the world for more hydrocarbons. And it turns out that they’re there-vast quantities of coal and oil and gas, buried deep or trapped in tight rock formations or mixed with other minerals. Getting at them requires ripping apart the earth: for instance, by heating up the ground so that the oil in the tar sands formation of Canada can flow to the surface. Or by tearing holes in the crust a mile beneath the surface of the sea, as BP was doing in the Gulf of Mexico when the Deepwater Horizon well exploded. Or by literally removing mountaintops to get at coal, as has become commonplace across the southern Appalachians.”
“Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes,” by Brad Johnson, ThinkProgress, in Reader Supported News March 10, 2012 reports “A dozen earthquakes in northeastern Ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas-drilling wastewater into the earth, Ohio oil and gas regulators said Friday as they announced a series of tough new regulations for drillers.”
Petition Congress:  “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . The Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.
From FitLife.tv, “In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.”
“Monsanto’s Roundup Shown to Be Ravaging Butterfly Populations,” by Mike Barrett, Natural Society, for Truthout, March 9th: “Although the butterfly population may be suffering, humans are taking heat from Monsanto’s creations as well. Past research has shown that Monsanto’s Roundup ready crops are leading to mental illness and obesity, primarily by destroying the amount of good bacteria found in the gut. The corporation’s Roundup, containing glyphosate, has also been shown to cause infertility and birth defects.”
To help organize or coordinate a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your local community, sign up here.  To pressure Whole Foods Market and the nation’s largest supermarket chains to voluntarily adopt truth-in-labeling practices, sign editable text here.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.“

GREENS ARE GATHERING SIGNATURES . . . The Green Party is qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. At this time, 20 states have ballot status in November 2012. For brief information about current candidates for President, click here.
NGP is gathering signatures so voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate. In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate the county specific petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.[pdf]  If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com.  Printable NGP brochures on Facebook are here.  Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!

McFOSTER’S UPDATE. . . McFoster’s Will Stay Open!  See CD 2 Green Note below for details of this week’s meeting at Omaha’s Nebraska Green Party home, McFoster’s.

PAGE DOWN FOR KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

WOMEN’S WEEK AT UN-L . . . There will be special Women’s Week 2012 events at UN-L Monday through Friday this week, March 12 through March 16th. Find a complete schedule of events here.

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. When weather is bad, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Education, an initiative of Occupy Lincoln, is offering a free and open university with weekly talks/discussions through March 19, 2012. The teach-in workshops are Mondays, 7:00 to 8:00pm, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street.
The Monday Phil 99 Course, “A Philosophical Look at Law, Punishment, and Power,” consists of informal lectures, followed by an open discussion. “Part 4: Criminals are People Too — How We Dehumanize Suspects and Offenders,” will be Monday, March 12th. The five-week seminar will be presented by Steve Swartzer, Lecturer of Philosophy and Assistant Director of the Center for the Teaching and Study of Applied Ethics at UN-L.
Tuesday Teach-In Workshops will be hosted by a different member of the Occupy Lincoln community, on a topic of their choosing, Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Tuesday, March 13th, the topic will be “Protest Songs,” with Ian Egenberger. For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu Education is a Basic Human Right.

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.

RUN FOR WILDERNESS PARK BRIDGES . . . A “Run for the Bridges,” to benefit Wilderness Park will be Saturday, March 17th, at the Fitness Loop/Day Camp area (First and Park) in the Park. The 1/2 Marathon and 6 mile run will help Raise Funds to Replace Bridges in Wilderness Park. Due to overwhelming interest, the number of entrants exceeded all expectations and registration was closed before the March 7th deadline. For more information, contact Rosina Paolini at 402.423.1260 or rapaolini [at] gmail [dot] com

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . “City officials and Occupy Lincoln have reached an agreement that will keep tents pitched on Centennial Mall until May 1, two months later than the city had planned.” Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage here.
The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. There is a General Assembly every Sunday, 1:30-2:30pm, at Bennett Martin Library, 14th and N Streets, in the 4th floor auditorium; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865.  Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

MEET WITH OMAHA GREENS AND CELEBRATE McFOSTER’S . . . Tuesday, March 13, 2012, Omaha area Greens will meet at 6:00pm for a March meeting, and to celebrate McFoster’s continuing in business at 38th and Harney where Tom and Mary have been for 18 years, and where Nebraska Greens have had a home since 2000. Stop by to sign or pick up ballot access petitions and brochures, plan for spring events where teams can gather signatures, and discuss Green concerns. We’ll plan to be upstairs. Please join us. Now is the time to get re-involved and help Greens grow in Nebraska. For more information, contact Mark Zimmermann, markalanzimmermann [at] gmail [dot] com

OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Omaha peacemakers vigil every Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm, at StratCom/UN-O, 6801 Pine Street, east of the Scott Technology Center on the UN-O campus. Free parking is available at the NE Corner of 67th Street and Pine in a student lot. For more information, phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887. Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is a Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store parking lot. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068 for more information about Saturday vigils.

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, March 14, 2012, the film will be “Aristide and the Endless Revolution,” a detailed account of the United States’ removal of Haiti’s democratically elected president, featuring Aristide, Sen. Maxine Waters, Noam Chomsky, Rep. Charles Rangel, and others. The trailer is here.  (This film was scheduled for March 7, but didn’t become available until March 14th.) An informal discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

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

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . From “Senate Rejects Keystone XL By Narrow Vote,” by Brad Johnson, March 8, 2012, “An amendment by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) to force immediate approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline failed to get the 60 votes it needed, on a 56-42 vote. Democrats Max Baucus (MT), Begich (AK), Conrad (ND), Hagan (NC), Landrieu (LA), Manchin (WV), McCaskill (MO), Pryor (AR), Tester (MT), and Webb (VA) voted with Senate Republicans to strip authority for the pipeline’s approval from the president of the United States. Despite the intensity of climate activism in the region, New England Republicans Ayotte (NH), Brown (MA), Collins (ME), and Snowe (ME) stayed with the Republican bloc in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. The amendment was attached to the unrelated highway funding bill. Moments earlier, Republicans killed an amendment that would have approved the pipeline if it used American steel and kept the oil for American use.
350.org‘s Bill McKibben responds: “Today’s vote was a temporary victory and there’s no guarantee that it holds for the long run. But given that this thing was a ‘no brainer’ a year ago, it’s pretty remarkable that people power was able to keep working, even in the oil-soaked Senate. We’re grateful to the Administration for denying the permit and for Senate leadership for holding the line. The reason this fight has been so hard is because of the financial power of the fossil fuel industry, so that’s what we’re going after now. …We’ve learned a lot, not all of it savory, about how the political process works and we’re going to put that to use.”
From “Confusion Surrounds Federal Review of Southern Leg of Keystone XL,” by Lisa Song, InsideCli*+mate News via Truthout, March 10, 2012: “TransCanada’s decision last week to build the southern half of the rejected Keystone XL has raised a tricky question about who will regulate the project review … The process could be stickier at the federal level. The U.S. State Department was the lead agency on the original Keystone XL because it crossed an international boundary. But so far, no agency has stepped forward to take responsibility for the Gulf Coast Project.” A second Lisa Song article, “Canadian Government Targeting Opponents of New Oil Sands Pipeline,” published March 11th, reports “As U.S. environmental groups renew their battle against the resurrected Keystone XL oil pipeline, their counterparts in Canada are facing a deeper problem—a government campaign to limit their influence over Canada’s Northern Gateway pipeline.”
In a March 9th Christian Science Monitor report, “Inside the Keystone pipeline: How much would it really help US consumers?” page 1 of 5 begins “Politicians paint a rosy picture of lower gas prices and abundant supply, but Canadian firms behind the Keystone pipeline expect it to supply Gulf Coast export markets and raise Midwest oil prices.”
Paul Hammel, reporting for Omaha World-Herald March 5th in “Pipeline lobbying costs incredible,” writes “How serious is TransCanada, Inc., about building its Keystone XL pipeline? If money for lobbying Nebraska state senators is any indication, very. With a capital “V.”  During the fourth quarter of 2011, when the Nebraska Legislature held a special session on the pipeline, TransCanada reported $529,099 in lobbying and legal expenses. That spending works out to about $10,800 for each of the 49 senators during those three months — or nearly as much as a lawmaker’s annual $12,000 salary.”
Quoting a March 5th report by Brenda Norrell, “Lakotas arrested blocking tarsands trucks on Lakota land!,” “Debra White Plume, released from jail in Kyle, South Dakota, said Monday night, “Alex White Plume, myself, Sam Long Black Cat, Andrew Iron Shell and Terrell Eugene Iron Shell were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. We formed a blockade to stop tarsands oil mine equipment from passing our lands. BOLD The truckers told us the corporation office from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the State of South Dakota made a deal to save the truckers $50,000 per truck, there were two trucks, from having to pay $100,000,” UNBOLD Debra White Plume told Censored News.”
Also on March 5th, a Vancouver Tyee article by Mitchell Anderson, “Spill from hell: Diluted bitumen,” reported on the poisoned air, sunken gunk, and clean-up nightmare at the Kalamazoo River DilBit spill disaster. “On a July morning in 2010 in rural Michigan, a 30-inch pipeline owned by Calgary-based Enbridge Energy Partners burst and disgorged an estimated 843,000 gallons of thick crude into a tributary of the Kalamazoo River. This was no ordinary crude — it was the first ever major spill into water of diluted bitumen from the Alberta oil sands. The cleanup challenges and health impacts around Kalamazoo were unlike anything the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had ever dealt with, and raise serious questions about the preparedness in British Columbia to respond to such a disaster on the B.C. coast — or the Vancouver harbour.”
And Reuters reported that another Enbridge U.S. oil line was shut down this past week after a deadly vehicle accident in Illinois caused an oil leak and fire.”
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . Quoting Bill McKibben in “Why Not Frack?” “The planet is running short of the easy stuff, where you stick a drill in the ground and crude comes bubbling to the surface. The great oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Mexico have begun to dwindle; one result has been a rising price for energy. We could, as a civilization, have taken that dwindling supply and rising price as a signal to convert to sun, wind, and other noncarbon forms of energy-it would have made eminent sense, most of all because it would have aided in the fight against global warming, the most difficult challenge the planet faces. Instead, we’ve taken it as a signal to scour the world for more hydrocarbons. And it turns out that they’re there-vast quantities of coal and oil and gas, buried deep or trapped in tight rock formations or mixed with other minerals. Getting at them requires ripping apart the earth: for instance, by heating up the ground so that the oil in the tar sands formation of Canada can flow to the surface. Or by tearing holes in the crust a mile beneath the surface of the sea, as BP was doing in the Gulf of Mexico when the Deepwater Horizon well exploded. Or by literally removing mountaintops to get at coal, as has become commonplace across the southern Appalachians.”
“Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes,” by Brad Johnson, ThinkProgress, in Reader Supported News March 10, 2012 reports “A dozen earthquakes in northeastern Ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas-drilling wastewater into the earth, Ohio oil and gas regulators said Friday as they announced a series of tough new regulations for drillers.”
Petition Congress:  “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . The Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.
From FitLife.tv, “In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.”
“Monsanto’s Roundup Shown to Be Ravaging Butterfly Populations,” by Mike Barrett, Natural Society, for Truthout, March 9th: “Although the butterfly population may be suffering, humans are taking heat from Monsanto’s creations as well. Past research has shown that Monsanto’s Roundup ready crops are leading to mental illness and obesity, primarily by destroying the amount of good bacteria found in the gut. The corporation’s Roundup, containing glyphosate, has also been shown to cause infertility and birth defects.”
To help organize or coordinate a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your local community, sign up here.  To pressure Whole Foods Market and the nation’s largest supermarket chains to voluntarily adopt truth-in-labeling practices, sign editable text here.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.

EARTH CIRCLE. . . On the first day of every month, people around the world stop everything for five minutes, joining with thousands of others to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. New Dimensions invites peacemakers everywhere to join at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am in District 3 where Mountain Time begins, Thursday, March 1, 2012, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its people. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

GREENS ARE GATHERING SIGNATURES  . . . The Green Party is qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. At this time, 20 states have ballot status in November 2012. For brief information about current candidates for President, click here.
NGP is gathering signatures so voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate. In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate the county specific petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.  If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!

PLEASE HELP MCFOSTER’S, OUR OMAHA GREEN PARTY HOME . . . The restaurant’s closure would not only have a deep impact on the vegetarian and vegan communities in Omaha, but it has been the CD 2 home of Nebraska Green Party since 2000. An Omaha World Herald article reports “McFoster’s will stay in business until February 29th, when it will close if the owners don’t find a buyer.” Quoting Tom Foster, “Ideally, we could find an affluent Omahan that would like to buy it and keep it a natural foods restaurant. …We have a lot of loyal customers, a great building, a super location. I hate to give up on it.” Readers, please brainstorm about how to help Tom and Mary raise the money to stay in business at 38th and Farnam, where they have been for 18 years.

PAGE DOWN FOR KEYSTONE XL UPDATE.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . The Nebraska Supreme Court issued a stay of the scheduled March 6th execution on Thursday, February 23, 2012. “Supreme Court halts Ryan execution” provides details.
Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. When weather is bad, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Education, an initiative of Occupy Lincoln, is offering a free and open university with weekly talks/discussions through March 19, 2012. The teach-in workshops are Mondays, 7:00 to 8:00pm, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street.
The Monday Phil 99 Course, “A Philosophical Look at Law, Punishment, and Power,” consists of informal lectures, followed by an open discussion. “Part 2: Death is Different — A Discussion about Capital Punishment,” will be Monday, February 27th. The five-week seminar will be presented by Steve Swartzer, Lecturer of Philosophy and Assistant Director of the Center for the Teaching and Study of Applied Ethics at UN-L.
Tuesday Teach-In Workshops will be hosted by a different member of the Occupy Lincoln community, on a topic of their choosing, Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. February 28th, the topic is “Everything You Wanted to Know about the History of Birth Control, but were Afraid to Ask,” by Rose Holz, Associate Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, UN-L.
For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu. Education is a Basic Human Right.

CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS FORUM . . . There is no charge for a Climate Conversations Forum at Embassy Suites in Downtown/Old Market Omaha, 555 10th Street, Tuesday, February 28, 2012, from 11:30am to 4:00pm. The Forum will be hosted by The Keystone Center, as part of an effort to incorporate new voices and perspectives into the National Climate Assessment process. Short informational presentations will be followed by small-group discussions in a “World Café” format, intended to maximize thoughtful discussion and creative dialogue. A light lunch will be provided. Attendance is limited. Registration is required, here.  Contact Caitlin Ellsworth, cellsworth [at] keystone [dot] org, or call 202.452.0108 with any questions.

NATIONAL STOP OCCUPY WALL STREET SUPPRESSION DAY . . . Tuesday, February 28, 2012, Occupy Lincoln and supporters will meet at Centennial Mall on K Street, 4:00pm, in solidarity with OWS. At 4:55, those gathered will walk through the Mall to L Street. Corporations are not people. Overturn Citizens United. Stop the Suppression of OWS.

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.

PEACEMAKING WORKSHOP XXVI . . . Nebraskans for Peace will present “Mind the Gap Between the 99 and 1%: Growing Inequity Between Rich and Poor,” on Sunday March 4, 2012, 1:30 to 5:30pm, at 1st United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street, Lincoln. The Keynote Speaker will be Jim Hightower, nationally know commentator and former Texas elected official, at 1:30, presenting “America’s Leaders Are Small, But Americans Are Not: Turning Our Leaders’ Failure Into Our Inspiration.” A Workshop Series begins at 3:00. This event is free and open to the public. A free-will donation meal & conversation will follow at 5:30pm.

2012 WINTER LECTURE SERIES . . . Northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt is the topic of this year’s Winter Lecture Series at Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Each two-hour session starts at 7:00pm. The first hour features a presentation, followed by refreshment break and a half hour of questions and dialogue. On the seventh and final evening, the series will end with a 6:00 dinner and a panel discussion at 7:00pm. The lectures are free and open to the public. On March 4, 2012, Raymond Maxwell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, will present “Northern Africa and US Policy.”

CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS FORUM . . . There is no charge for a Climate Conversations Forum at Embassy Suites in Downtown/Old Market Omaha, 555 10th Street, Tuesday, February 28, 2012, from 11:30am to 4:00pm. The Forum will be hosted by The Keystone Center, as part of an effort to incorporate new voices and perspectives into the National Climate Assessment process. Short informational presentations will be followed by small-group discussions in a “World Café” format, intended to maximize thoughtful discussion and creative dialogue. A light lunch will be provided. Attendance is limited. Registration is required, here.  Contact Caitlin Ellsworth, cellsworth [at] keystone [dot] org, or call 202.452.0108 with any questions.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. The camp has been notified of a March 1, 2012 eviction date.  Occupy Lincoln says it’s ‘not yet ready to end‘ and that the city’s eviction deadline is unrelated to renovation, calling the eviction “arbitrary and unrelated to actual renovation work.” Read Occupy Lincoln’s expertly crafted letter to the City, giving reasons for not leaving the mall on March 1st, here, and read Occupier Nick Svoboda’s February 26th Local View: “Occupiers need time and space” here.
There is a General Assembly every Sunday, 1:30-2:30pm, at Bennett Martin Library, 14th and N Streets, in the 4th floor auditorium; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865.  Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

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 about Saturday vigils.

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, February 29, 2012, the film will be “Man with a Movie Camera,” an experimental 1929 silent documentary, with no story and no actors, presenting urban life in Odessa and other Soviet cities. A 9:14 minute video trailer is here.  An informal discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

GREEN TEAM ROUNDTABLE . . .  The Green Omaha Coalition Green Business Council and WasteCap Nebraska will convene a Green Team Roundtable on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, from 11:30am to 1:00pm, at UN-O Mammel Hall, 6708 Pine Street, Omaha.  Green Team Roundtables are peer-to-peer networking meetings for green teams and individuals committed to sustainable business practices. Three panelists will discuss three different types of Green Jobs.  Cost includes a zero-waste lunch. Registration and payment must be made by noon on Friday, March 2nd, here. For more information call Julie Diegel, 402.434.7376.

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

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . The first part of a two-part series on NPR about the Keystone XL pipeline featuring Nebraska opposition leaders aired Saturday, February 25, 2012. “Ranchers’ Land Becomes Ground Zero in Energy Fight,” is by Guy Raz and Brent Baughman.
A February 20th TED talk on tar sands, “Garth Lenz, The True Cost of Oil,” is an impassioned 17:34 minute video showing tar sands devastation in Canada.
Quoting Bolder Weekly: Keystone XL Would Raise Gas Prices, Not Lower Them, “Unfortunately, there’s an all-too-typical problem with the Republican line on Keystone: it’s completely unsupported by the facts.”
Ted Turner’s opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline was published in several news sources last week. Please click here and comment on his op/ed about protecting our land and water. In “Keystone oil pipeline would risk disaster” he says “…Congress should not be in the business of skirting the rules and ramming through a polluting project like the Keystone XL pipeline. Instead of supporting the transport of dirty tar sands oil, its focus should be on harnessing truly clean, renewable energy sources like solar, wind and biofuels, which will create thousands of long-lasting jobs in the United States, protect our natural resources and provide true energy and water security today and for many years to come.”
An analysis, “Royal Society oilsands report went easy on industry,” reports “a key section in a high-profile Royal Society of Canada report that cast doubt on potential environmental and health impacts of oilsands development in Alberta was plagued by “misinformation” and “out of date” data.” It says that the government report was rushed, and that tarsands are much more destructive to the environment than what the Canadian government said. “The literature review on surface water quality, impacts on aquatic organisms and fisheries, and potential pathways to human exposure was superficial, … not based on a thorough or careful analysis.”
           Action Alerts still available on line include the following:
From Bill McKibben: “The Keystone XL zombie is lurching back to life and we need your help to knock it back again. The Senate is considering a series of tricks designed to force approval of the project. It’s hard to track what’s real and what’s just noise, but our friends on the Hill assure us this is a crucial moment for the public to weigh in. Click here to write your Senators.
Keystone XL is the perfect symbol of the cronyism that’s corrupting our government: the 44 Senators who co-sponsored the most recent piece of legislation have taken $22.3 million in oil and gas money — that’s more than three times as much dirty money as those opposing the pipeline. The one Democrat on this list, West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, has taken more money from the fossil fuel barons than anyone else in his party—it’s really just a game of follow-the-cash.
From Sierra Club: “There’s breaking — and disturbing — news about the Keystone XL pipeline.  We knew Big Oil wouldn’t give up, and sure enough, they’re still at it, using their money to force the pipeline down our throats, thwart the President, and pass this bill.
This pipeline would carry the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel, tar sands oil, from Canada to Texas, where it would be shipped overseas. To build the pipeline, TransCanada has to seize private land from ranchers and farmers, and then expose what’s left to the threat of oil spills and leaks. Clean water, clean air, agriculture, and our shared climate would all be put at risk for what have been greatly exaggerated benefits. Take thirty seconds to tell Sen. Johanns and Sen. Nelson — put our public health before Big Oil profits. Oppose this and any other attempt to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to the payroll tax bill, the transportation bill or any other unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . Quoting Bill McKibben in “Why Not Frack?” last week, “The planet is running short of the easy stuff, where you stick a drill in the ground and crude comes bubbling to the surface. The great oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Mexico have begun to dwindle; one result has been a rising price for energy. We could, as a civilization, have taken that dwindling supply and rising price as a signal to convert to sun, wind, and other noncarbon forms of energy-it would have made eminent sense, most of all because it would have aided in the fight against global warming, the most difficult challenge the planet faces. Instead, we’ve taken it as a signal to scour the world for more hydrocarbons. And it turns out that they’re there-vast quantities of coal and oil and gas, buried deep or trapped in tight rock formations or mixed with other minerals. Getting at them requires ripping apart the earth: for instance, by heating up the ground so that the oil in the tar sands formation of Canada can flow to the surface. Or by tearing holes in the crust a mile beneath the surface of the sea, as BP was doing in the Gulf of Mexico when the Deepwater Horizon well exploded. Or by literally removing mountaintops to get at coal, as has become commonplace across the southern Appalachians.
Ted Glick also wrote about “Fracking, Obama and the 2012 Debate” for Reader Supported News last week: “President Obama says that fracked natural gas allows us to essentially chill out. Because of it, ‘we don’t have to choose between our environment and our economy.’ What a disappointing, inaccurate and alarming statement. It’s as if the around-a-thousand – so far – documented cases of water poisoning from fracking are caused by one or two ‘bad apple’ companies in the gas industry that can be easily made to see the error of their ways.”
           Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . The Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.
From FitLife.tv, “In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.”
To help organize or coordinate a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your local community, sign up here.  To pressure Whole Foods Market and the nation’s largest supermarket chains to voluntarily adopt truth-in-labeling practices, sign editable text here.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.“

BOLD HELP GREENS GATHER SIGNATURES UNBOLD . . . The Green Party is qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. At this time, 16 states have ballot status in November 2012. For brief information about current candidates, click here.  NGP is gathering signatures so voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate.
In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate the county specific petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.[pdf]  If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!

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

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. When weather is bad, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour.
The Lincoln Journal Star recently editorialized “It’a time for Nebraska to abolish the death penalty,” and “Mistakes flaw death penalty,”  which concludes “…We hope senators take the time to re-examine their beliefs and assumptions. Senator Council’s LB276, which would replace the death penalty with life in prison, recognizes the reality of human limitations. It deserves to pass.”
Letters to editors of local papers statewide are needed in response to the March 6, 2012 execution date for Michael Ryan. Details of Nebraska’s ritualized premeditated protocol for state killing are listed in “State prepares for Ryan’s execution,” published January 15th.
Contact information for state senators, and other actions you can take, are here.  For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Lincoln’s Occupy Education committee is offering a free and open university with weekly talks/discussions. The teach-in workshop schedule is Mondays, 7:00 to 8:00pm at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street; and Tuesdays, 7:00pm at Meadowlark Coffee, 1624 South Street. The Monday ECON 99 Course, “Economics the 1% Doesn’t Want You to Know,” consists of informal lectures to present basic ideas on the subject of that week, followed by an open discussion. The topic Monday, Febraury 13th, for ECON 99, Part 5 is “Can Economic Growth Ever Be Sustainable?” – Learning to Respect Complexity. Tuesday, February 14th, 7:00pm, Alex will present “Supporting Yourself and Your Community with Herbs” at Meadowlark. For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu

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

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Lincoln peace vigils continue at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402.499.6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

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

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

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

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

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. The camp has been notified of a March 1, 2012 eviction date.  Occupy Lincoln says it’s ‘not yet ready to end‘ and that the city’s eviction deadline is unrelated to renovation, calling the eviction “arbitrary and unrelated to actual renovation work.” Read Occupy Lincoln’s expertly crafted letter to the City, giving reasons for not leaving the mall on March 1st, here.
Both the Mayor’s office and the City Council have asked for calls of support from Lincoln residents so they can legitimately tell those opposed to the camp that many of their constituents are supportive and they are respecting their voice. Contact information for the Mayor’s office is here.  Contact the City Council using information here.  They represent us, and we need to be involved by direct communications to let them know what we want.  Tuesday, February 14th, is “Call in your LOVE for OL day.” Call the city council, 402.441.7515, and Mayor’s office, 402.441.7511, to let them know we appreciate having an occupation in Lincoln and that we support the move to amend statement to END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD!
There is a General Assembly every Sunday, 1:30-2:30pm, at Bennett Martin Library, 14th and N Streets, in the 4th floor auditorium; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. BOLD Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed! UNBOLD

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

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

OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Omaha peacemakers vigil every Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm, at StratCom/UN-O, 6801 Pine Street, east of the Scott Technology Center on the UN-O campus. Free parking is available at the NE Corner of 67th Street and Pine in a student lot. For more information, phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887. Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is a Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store parking lot. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068 for more information about Saturday vigils.

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, February 8, 2012, The Festival will welcome Yukiko Shimono,[pdf] a member of the Never Again Campaign— a volunteer people-to-people program. Ms. Shimono, from Hiroshima city, Japan, is touring the country, introducing people to Japanese culture, and spreading the message of remembrance and hope that the world will never forget the continuing effects of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She will present two short films on the bombings in Japan. An informal discussion will follow the films. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

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

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

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

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

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “Shale-Shocked: Fracking Gets Its Own Occupy Movement,” by Ellen Cantarow, TomDispatch and Truthout, January 23rd, begins “This is a story about water, the land surrounding it, and the lives it sustains. Clean water should be a right: there is no life without it…. But for once, this story isn’t about tragedy. It’s about a resistance movement that has arisen to challenge some of the most powerful corporations in history.”
Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . The Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.
From FitLife.tv, “In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.”
To help organize or coordinate a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your local community, sign up here.  To pressure Whole Foods Market and the nation’s largest supermarket chains to voluntarily adopt truth-in-labeling practices, sign editable text here.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.“

HELP GREENS GATHER SIGNATURES . . . The Green Party is qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. At this time, 16 states have ballot status in November 2012. NGP is gathering signatures so voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate.
In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate the county specific petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.[pdf]  If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!
This week’s news: “Roseanne Barr Wants Green Party’s Presidential Nomination,” by AlterNet Staff, February 4, 2012: “Roseanne Barr said Thursday she’s running for the Green Party’s presidential nomination — and it’s no joke. The actress-comedian said in a statement that she’s a longtime supporter of the party and looks forward to working with people who share her values. She said the two major parties aren’t serving the American people.” A Green Party Watch Presidential Poll ending February 2nd asked “Who do you think should get the Green Party Nomination for President in 2012?” See voter numbers here.  For brief information about all four candidates, click here.

SAVING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT . . . “There’s no question that the political tide is turning thanks to Occupy Wall Street–because there’s actually a political push to ensure that corporations are NOT people, to overturn the “free speech rights” given to corporations by the Supreme Court’s troubling Citizens United decision.“  Add your voice. Sign the petition.  In the House, Representative Ted Deutch’s H.J. Res 90, The OCCUPIED Amendment, also says that corporations are not people and they do not belong in our elections.  Sign the OCCUPIED petition.  Spread the word.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. When weather is bad, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. Read the January Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty Newsletter here.
A recent Omaha World-Herald Editorial, “State looks bad over execution esthetic,” by Robert Nelson begins “In the past 12 months, Nebraska officials twice have tried to buy the increasingly hard-to-find drug sodium thiopental for use in executions by lethal injection. Both times, the state has acquired the drug more in a manner you would expect from a desperate drug addict than a state government.” Details of the “embarrassment” are explained in the op-ed.
The Lincoln Journal Star then editorialized “It’s time for Nebraska to abolish the death penalty,” and printed details of Nebraska’s ritualized premeditated protocol for state killing in “State prepares for Ryan’s execution.”  On January 30th, another LJS editorial, “Mistakes flaw death penalty,” concludes “…We hope senators take the time to re-examine their beliefs and assumptions. Council’s LB276, which would replace the death penalty with life in prison, recognizes the reality of human limitations. It deserves to pass.”  Debate on LB 276,[pdf] began January 26th. Then, Council “requested that debate on her bill to abolish the death penalty be stopped so she can try to get answers about how the state purchased a lethal-injection drug.”
Letters to editors of local papers statewide are needed in response to the scheduled March 6, 2012 execution date for Michael Ryan. Contact information for state senators, and other actions you can take, are here.  For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Lincoln’s Occupy Education committee is offering a free and open university with weekly talks/discussions through February 13, 2012. The teach-in workshop schedule is Mondays, 7:00 to 8:00pm at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street; and Tuesdays, 7:00pm at Meadowlark Coffee, 1624 South Street. The Monday ECON 99 Course, “Economics the 1% Doesn’t Want You to Know,” consists of informal lectures to present basic ideas on the subject of that week, followed by an open discussion. February 6th: ECON 99, Part 4–“Capitalism, Mercantilism, What’s the Difference?” The Privatization of the Commons. February 7th: “Organizer Training.” For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu Education is a Basic Human Right.

GREEN TEAM ROUNDTABLE . . . The year’s first Green Team Roundtable will be Wednesday, February 8th, 11:30am to 1:00pm, at the Pioneers Park Nature Center, on the west end of Pioneers Park, 3201 South Coddington Avenue, Lincoln. Roundtables are peer-to-peer networking meetings organized by WasteCap Nebraska for green teams and people committed to sustainable business practices. The Center’s “green roof” will be one of the topics discussed. Presenters will include, Julie Diegel, describing how to organize and maintain momentum for a successful green team; Richard Sutton, discussing green roofs in Lincoln; and a representative from the city’s Cleaner Greener Lincoln program will open the luncheon with a presentation on the city’s new sustainability plan and energy efficiency policy for buildings. For more information, and to make a reservation by noon, February 6th, 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.

WACHISKA AUDUBON MEETING . . . Wachiska Audubon will meet Thursday, February 9th, 7:00pm, at the Dick Administration Building, Union College, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln. “Sustainability of Water Resources in Nebraska” will be presented by Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, including a 20-minute video entitled “Inside Nebraska’s Water.” For more information, call the Wachiska office at 402.486.4846.

GREEN TEAM ROUNDTABLE IN YORK . . . Hamilton Sundstrand will host the first Green Team Roundtable in York, Nebraska on Wednesday, February 15th. Green Team Roundtables are peer-to-peer networking meetings for the exchange of best practices for individuals and green teams committed to sustainable business practices. This informal lunch meeting will run from 11:30am to 1:00pm at HS, 2800 Division Avenue. Cost to attend the event is $10 and includes a zero-waste lunch prepared by Lilly’s Sweet Tooth of York. To register and pay by Friday, February 10th, click here.  For more information, contact Contact Julie Diegel, 402.434.7376, or via e-mail at jdiegel [at] wastecapne [dot] org

NSAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE . . . The 2012 Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society Annual Conference will be Friday and Saturday, February 10 & February 11, at the Lied Lodge & Conference Center, in Nebraska City. The Rural Advantage and Healthy Farms Conference will provide interactive educational opportunities for adults and youth, and a chance to network with experts, university faculty, and fellow agricultural colleagues. For more information, click here.

REFUSING TO BE ENEMIES . . . The Lincoln Chapter of Nebraskans for Peace and multiple co-sponsors will show “refusing to be enemies: the zeitouna story,” at Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street, on Sunday, February 12, 2012, at 2:00pm. Manya Aron-Thomas, who participated in the film’s dialogue process, will lead a discussion following the 58-minute documentary offering “living proof of how the journey of personal transformation may pave the way to socio-political transformation and peace.” The film is free, and Open to the Public.

2012 WINTER LECTURE SERIES . . . Northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt is the topic of this year’s Winter Lecture Series at Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Each two-hour session starts at 7:00pm. The first hour features a presentation, followed by refreshment break and a half hour of questions and dialogue. On the seventh and final evening, the series will end with a 6:00 dinner and a panel discussion at 7:00pm. The lectures are free and open to the public. February 12, 2012, the topic will be “Arab Spring, Islam, and Islamism in Egypt” with Professor Simon Wood of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. The camp has been notified of a March 1, 2012 eviction date.  Occupy Lincoln says it’s ‘not yet ready to end’ and that the city’s eviction deadline is unrelated to renovation, calling the eviction “arbitrary and unrelated to actual renovation work.” Read Occupy Lincoln’s expertly crafted letter to the City, giving reasons for not leaving the mall on March 1st, here.
Both the Mayor’s office and the City Council have asked for calls of support from Lincoln residents so they can legitimately tell those opposed to the camp that many of their constituents are supportive and they are respecting their voice. Contact information for the Mayor’s office is here.  Contact the City Council using information here.  They represent us, and we need to be involved by direct communications to let them know what we want.
There is a General Assembly three times per week: Sunday, 1:30pm; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm. The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

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 about Saturday vigils.

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, February 8, 2012, The Festival will welcome Yukiko Shimono,[pdf]  a member of the Never Again Campaign— a volunteer people-to-people program. Ms. Shimono, from Hiroshima city, Japan, is touring the country, introducing people to Japanese culture, and spreading the message of remembrance and hope that the world will never forget the continuing effects of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She will present two short films on the bombings in Japan. An informal discussion will follow the films. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

SOLAR BUYING CO-OPS & HOW TO ORGANIZE ONE . . . Thursday, February 9, 2012, 6:30 to 8:00pm, the Green Neighborhood Council (GNC) and the Nebraska Solar Energy Society are co-sponsoring a roundtable discussion on the steps involved in forming a solar-buying co-op, at the Neighborhood Center, 115 South 49th Avenue, Omaha. Learn what other cities have done or are doing–lessons and benefits to homeowners and communities, 2012 tax credits and incentives, installation options, and how other co-ops have selected installers. A solar-buying co-op is, essentially, a “support group” for all who are interested in “going solar” and learning from one another and from community experts how to make an informed, cost-effective purchase. Residents who already have had PV or solar hot water systems installed are also invited to come and share what you have learned. A free green book will be given to the first 50 attendees. Questions? Suggestions? E-mail Helen Deffenbacher, hdeffenbacher [at] cox [dot] net. For a schedule of future co-op meetings and a list of discussion questions, click here.

DARWIN DAY IN OMAHA . . . “Scientific Illiteracy: A Public Health Hazard,” a thoughtful discussion of public policy, will be Thursday, February 9, 2012, 7:30pm, at the Durham Research Center auditorium, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Room 1002, in the tower south of Farnam and east of Saddle Creek. In celebration of the 203rd anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, critically acclaimed author and professor John Janovy will lead the discussion. “Progress in medicine, agriculture and other vital areas of society rests on an understanding of science, now threatened by scientific illiteracy not only among elected officials, but increasingly among the electorate itself.” For more information, click here. For information on additional Darwin Day events around the globe, click here.  Professor Janovy’s extensive publications are listed here.  The event is free and open to the public.

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . The next Progressive Omaha meeting will be Saturday, February 11, 2012, at 1517 North Happy Hollow Blvd. (mapquest: http://mapq.st/o7rcsI). Michael Gordon, former Executive Director (and current board member) of Citizens For Equal Protection will discuss the re-introduced Omaha city ordinance adding “sexual orientation, gender identity” to the existing workplace non-discrimination policy, sponsored by Ben Gray. CFEP is a non-profit organization that advocates equality for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of Nebraska. There will be a potluck supper from 6:00 to 7:00, discussion from 7:00 to 8:00, followed by business and social time from 8:00 to 9:00pm. All are welcome.

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

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . CD 2 Greens will meet on Monday, February 13, 2012, 6:00pm, at Legends Coffee House, 52nd and Leavenworth, Omaha.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE DENIED . . . Democrats unveiled legislation on Friday that would block export of any oil transported by the Keystone XL pipeline.  The Bottom line is the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline permit has been DENIED. (The White House Statement is here.  The Department of State announcement is here.)  Both Democrats and Republicans are now floating counter-KXL bills–playing more politics with Our land, water and the health of Nebraskans and our communities statewide. At the same time, “Democrats counter energy security claims about Keystone pipeline project,” as reported in The Hill.
BOLD Nebraska suggests Congress should regulate and discuss oil pipelines, especially foreign oil pipelines, and enact laws that meet basic guidelines: 1) Pipeline will not cross America’s water supply; 2) Steel must be made in the US; 3) Oil must remain in the US; 4) Oil subsides should be removed; and 5) Landowner rights must be protected–no eminent domain for private oil pipelines.
“PSC gearing up for oil pipeline oversight,” by Art Hovey, February 3, 2012, in Lincoln Journal Star, reports on the Nebraska Public Service Commission’s new authority over petroleum pipelines. “TransCanada will reapply for permit,” by Terrie Gonzalez, is a Cherokeean Herald Editorial from Jacksonville, Texas published February 1st quoting a TransCanada spokesman: ‘All options are on the table.’
“Why the GOP Loves Keystone XL and Wants Congress to Approve the Pipeline,” by Mike Ludwig for Truthout begins “Senate Republicans announced a bill on Monday that would allow Canadian oil company TransCanada to begin construction of its proposed $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline that would run 1,700 miles from Canada to Texas.”
“The GOP’s Plan To Corner Obama On The Keystone Pipeline,” by Sahil Kaput for Talking Points Memo January 30th reports “Republicans are pushing full speed ahead to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline via congressional action after President Obama rejected it on the grounds that the narrow time window he had was insufficient to evaluate the environmental consequences. The strategy is aimed at exploiting Democratic divisions and pushing Obama into a corner politically. Most Senate Republicans — along with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) — are now backing legislation to approve of the Canada-to-Texas pipeline. House Republicans intend to attach it to their upcoming infrastructure bill.”
“Republicans to Link KXL Pipeline to Highway Bill,” by Kim Dixon and Paul Simao for Reuters was sourced to Reader Supported News January 30th. “Republican lawmakers will try to force the Obama administration to approve the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline by attaching it to a highway bill that Congress will consider next month, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday.”
On January 12th, the day that the KXL permit was denied, The Nation published “On the Plains, a Rare Chance at Trans-Partisan Politics,” by Madeline Ostrander. It begins “Long before the Occupy movement swept the country—over two years ago—a political revolt began in one of the reddest states in America. Farmers and ranchers in Nebraska, many of whom are long-time conservatives, got angry about the amount of corporate influence in a single political issue that has since captivated the entire state and upset federal politics: the Keystone XL pipeline.” It’s a good review of Stop the Pipeline Coalition work featuring BOLD Nebraska’s Ben Gotschall, a fourth-generation rancher turned activist for the Sand Hills, a 12 million–acre landscape of fragile, erodible soil and rolling sand dunes.
A new Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert this past week begins “Congressional Republicans refuse to let the tar sands pipeline die. Just two weeks after President Obama stood his ground and killed the permit for this environmental nightmare, Republicans on Capitol Hill are now threatening to hold key legislation hostage unless Big Oil gets to run a river of the world’s dirtiest oil through our nation’s heartland.”  Tell your members of Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to the payroll tax bill, the transportation bill or any other unrelated legislation.
The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while you get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet. And despite the oil lobby’s propaganda, this fossil fuel boondoggle will raise oil prices in the Midwest and could actually kill more jobs than it creates.  Tell Congress to let the Keystone XL pipeline die a merciful death.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “Shale-Shocked: Fracking Gets Its Own Occupy Movement,” by Ellen Cantarow, TomDispatch and Truthout, January 23rd, begins “This is a story about water, the land surrounding it, and the lives it sustains. Clean water should be a right: there is no life without it…. But for once, this story isn’t about tragedy. It’s about a resistance movement that has arisen to challenge some of the most powerful corporations in history.”
Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . The Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.
From FitLife.tv, “In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.”
To help organize or coordinate a Millions Against Monsanto and Factory Farms Truth-in-Labeling campaign in your local community, sign up here.  To pressure Whole Foods Market and the nation’s largest supermarket chains to voluntarily adopt truth-in-labeling practices, sign editable text here.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.“

EARTH CIRCLE . . . On the first day of every month, people around the world stop everything for five minutes, joining with thousands of others to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. New Dimensions invites peacemakers everywhere to join at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am in District 3 where Mountain Time begins, Wednesday, February 1, 2012, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its people. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

HELP GREENS GATHER SIGNATURES . . . The Green Party is now qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. At this time, 15 states have ballot status in November. Nebraska Green Party is gathering signatures so voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate.
In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.[pdf]  If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!

SAVING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT . . . “There’s no question that the political tide is turning thanks to Occupy Wall Street–because there’s actually a political push to ensure that corporations are NOT people, to overturn the “free speech rights” given to corporations by the Supreme Court’s troubling Citizens United decision.”  Add your voice. Sign the petition.  In the House, Representative Ted Deutch’s H.J. Res 90, The OCCUPIED Amendment, also says that corporations are not people and they do not belong in our elections.  Sign the OCCUPIED petition.  Spread the word.

FRESH, a feature-length movie about the good food movement, is now available free online through Wednesday, February 1, 2012. To access the movie, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. When weather is bad, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. Read the January Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty Newsletter here.
A recent Omaha World-Herald Editorial, “State looks bad over execution esthetic,” by Robert Nelson begins “In the past 12 months, Nebraska officials twice have tried to buy the increasingly hard-to-find drug sodium thiopental for use in executions by lethal injection. Both times, the state has acquired the drug more in a manner you would expect from a desperate drug addict than a state government.” Details of the “embarrassment” are explained in the op-ed. And the January 15th Lincoln Journal Star editorialized “It’a time for Nebraska to abolish the death penalty.”  Details of Nebraska’s ritualized premeditated protocol for state killing are listed in “State prepares for Ryan’s execution,” also published on January 15th.
Debate on LB 276,[pdf] to “Change a penalty from death to life imprisonment without possibility of parole,” introduced by Omaha Senator Brenda Council and Lincoln Senator Danielle Conrad, began Thursday, January 26, and continued Friday morning. Then, Council “requested that debate on her bill to abolish the death penalty be stopped so she can try to get answers about how the state purchased a lethal-injection drug.”
Letters to editors of local papers statewide are needed in response to the March 6, 2012 execution date for Michael Ryan. Contact information for state senators and other actions are here.  For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Lincoln’s Occupy Education committee is offering a free and open university with weekly talks/discussions through February 13, 2012. The teach-in workshop schedule is Mondays, 7:00 to 8:00pm at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street; and Tuesdays, 7:00pm at Meadowlark Coffee, 1624 South Street. The Monday ECON 99 Course, “Economics the 1% Doesn’t Want You to Know,” consists of informal lectures to present basic ideas on the subject of that week, followed by an open discussion. January 30th, ECON 99, Part 3: “The Culture of Economics–A Sociological Analysis” with Pierre Bourdieu on Neoliberalism. Tuesday, January 31st, 7:00pm: “Rhetorical English” presented by Alex. For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu Education is a Basic Human Right.

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.

HELP WACHISKA AUDUBON . . . Wachiska Audubon will co-sponsor a family event in conjunction with the annual Great Backyard Bird Count on February 18, 2012. There will be kid’s activity stations, and Wachiska is asking members and supporters to help collect 600 empty toilet paper tubes, and 400 pine cones, for the children’s crafts projects. Bring the tubes and cones to the General Meeting Thursday, February 9, 7:00pm, where “Sustainability of Water Resources in Nebraska” will be presented by Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District at the Dick Administration Building, Union College, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln; or drop them off at the Wachiska office, 4547 Calvert Street, Stuite 10. For more details, phone Chuck Francis, 402.483.6727.

2012 WINTER LECTURE SERIES . . . Northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt is the topic of this year’s Winter Lecture Series at Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Each two-hour session starts at 7:00pm. The first hour features a presentation, followed by refreshment break and a half hour of questions and dialogue. On the seventh and final evening, the series will end with a 6:00 dinner and a panel discussion at 7:00pm. The lectures are free and open to the public. There will be no lecture on February 5th because of the Super Bowl.

NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS AT OPEN HARVEST . . . Open Harvest Co-Op Grocery, 1618 South Steet in Lincoln, has eliminated plastic bags at the check out registers.  From the LJS article, “It is a positive change for the Co-op and hopefully other businesses in Lincoln will consider keeping plastic bags out of their store and out of our landfills.” An update on customer response is in a Cindy Lange-Kubick article, “Kicking a (plastic) bag habit” published January 22, 2012.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. The camp has been notified of a March 1, 2012 eviction date.  There is a General Assembly three times per week: Sunday, 1:30pm; Wednesday, 6:30pm at Indigo Bridge Books; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm. The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln.
A letter was delivered to the City Attorney and Mayor’s office following GA approval on Wednesday (copies are available at camp) giving Occupy’s reasons for not leaving the mall on March 1st.  Both the Mayor’s office and the City Council have asked for calls of support from Lincoln residents so they can legitimately tell those opposed to the camp that many of their constituents are supportive and they are respecting their voice. Contact information for the Mayor’s office is here.  Contact the City Council using information here. unbold They represent us, and we need to be involved by direct communications to let them know what we want.
For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Omaha peacemakers vigil every Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm, at StratCom/UN-O, 6801 Pine Street, east of the Scott Technology Center on the UN-O campus. Free parking is available at the NE Corner of 67th Street and Pine in a student lot. For more information, phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887. Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is a Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store parking lot. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068 for more information about Saturday vigils.

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, February 1, 2012, the film will be “The Conscientious Objector,” a documentary about Medal of Honor recipient Desmond Doss. The weekly event is always free and open to the public. A discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

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

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE DENIED . . . The TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline permit has been DENIED. The White House Statement is here.  The Department of State announcement is here.  “This is a victory for our environment and for future generations that will look upon this decision as an important step toward reducing our addiction to oil and moving America and the world toward a cleaner, safer and healthier future with tremendous job-creating opportunities in the creation of renewable energy systems and public transportation for all.” –Steve Larrick, Nebraska Green Party elected official, Lower Platte South Natural Resource District.
In a Democracy Now! video interview, “Robert Redford Praises Rejection of Keystone Pipeline: We Can’t Afford to Be at the Mercy of Big Oil,”  Redford speaks about the significance of the XL pipeline denial decision.
“State: ‘Serious’ questions on GOP pipeline bill,” by Matthew Daly, AP, published in the Lincoln Journal Star on January 25th reports on “A Republican bill that would strip President Barack Obama of his authority to decide on a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline [that] raises “serious” legal questions… Assistant Secretary of State Kerri-Ann Jones told Congress that the bill “imposes narrow time constraints and creates automatic mandates that prevent an informed decision” on the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., would transfer authority over the 1,700-mile pipeline to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.”
From “State officials uncertain of next pipeline move,” by Art Hovey, LJS, also on January 25th: “…Mike Linder, director of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, and Kerri-Ann Jones of the U.S. State Department were two of the three people scheduled to testify before Rep. Lee Terry, R-2nd District, and his fellow members of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power. But Linder learned Tuesday, while en route to Washington, that the House panel was “unable to accommodate his testimony,” according to DEQ spokesman Brian McManus. …Bold Nebraska leader and pipeline critic Jane Kleeb says there’s not a federally approved project on the table, so there’s nothing for the state to consider. “The only mystery, from my perspective,” she said, “is that DEQ thinks they should be analyzing these routes still.”
Speaker John Boehner’s website announced he hosted “Keystone Job Creators in the House Gallery for last week’s State of the Union.”  The website continues, “Boehner is welcoming these leaders as part of Republicans’ commitment to keep pushing for the Keystone project, and the 20,000 shovel-ready jobs that go with it.” Included in the group of four was Nebraska state senator Chris Langemeier, Chair of the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee. “Senator Langemeier is a strong supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline and was the author of compromise legislation that paved the way for a new pipeline route in the state.” Quoting Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hanson, “It is extremely poor judgment on Sen. Langemeier’s part to get used in this partisan way.”
As to the continuing lie about jobs creation, the Columbia Journalism Review published “Keystone XL Jobs Bewilder Media,” by Curtis Brainard, on January 24th. “President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline last week incited a new wave of coverage and speculation about how many jobs the line would create. Unfortunately, many outlets are still citing inflated and unreliable industry figures in the tens to hundreds of thousands while ignoring more modest and trustworthy approximations from academia and government, which place the total anywhere from 2,500 to 6,000.”  Page 1 of 2 about the wildly inflated numbers is here.  Quoting John F. Kennedy, “No matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as the truth.”
Further on the subject of jobs, “TransCanada: No More Than 6,000 Pipeline Workers on the Job “on Any Given Day,” by Lisa Song was published in InsideClimateNews and Truthout January 22nd. “Twenty thousand jobs is the number used by TransCanada, the Alberta-based company that wants to build the pipeline…. Opponents of the pipeline say TransCanada has inflated the number of construction jobs by ignoring two facts: That most of the jobs would be temporary, and that there’s a big difference between hiring people for varying periods of time and creating jobs.”
A Media Matters analysis from January 26th reports that as a whole, news coverage of the Keystone XL pipeline between August 1 and December 31 favored pipeline proponents. Although the project would create few long-term employment opportunities, the pipeline was primarily portrayed as a jobs issue. Pro-pipeline voices were quoted more frequently than those opposed, and dubious industry estimates of job creation were uncritically repeated 5 times more often than they were questioned. Meanwhile, concerns about the State Department’s review process and potential environmental consequences were often overlooked, particularly by television outlets.”
The core message in “Keystone: The Next Round,” also from Media Matters,is “With Keystone, Big Oil gets the profits, foreign countries get the oil, and Americans get all the risks.”
“Why GOP’s Keystone XL Gambit Could Backfire in 2012,” by Elizabeth McGowan, InsideClimateNews, and AlterNet, January 25th, speculates on political fallout: “Now that President Obama has at least temporarily quashed the Keystone XL pipeline, TransCanada executives have to be wondering if they really need enemies when their supposed friends, the House Republicans, have placed them in such a financial and strategic bind.”
Neil Harrison shared his letter to the Senator after Mike Johanns’ politically motivated response to the President’s State of the Union speech: “As an elected representative of the people of Nebraska, your continued support of the Keystone XL pipeline and its suspect promises of U.S. access to Canadian oil and “thousands” of jobs evidences both blind optimism and extreme ignorance. Even if such jobs were forthcoming, even if those toxic tar-sands oils were meant for consumption here in the U.S. instead of being pumped to the Gulf for export to the highest international bidder, the Keystone XL pipeline is an environmental disaster simply awaiting U.S. governmental approval to flow out of Canada into the United States.
…Republican or Democrat, any senator from any state in the U.S. who takes an honest look at the massive toxic cesspool TransCanada has created in a once-pristine boreal forest in Alberta, could not with clear conscience support such a pipeline. If you continue to support Keystone XL, it will be a crystal-clear indication to me that you approve of that environmental disaster in Alberta, and welcome the possibility of such a toxic nightmare in my home state, Nebraska. I sincerely hope you will do some research into the immense pools of highly toxic waste left at the tar-sands site in Alberta, and reconsider your position on the Keystone XL pipeline with due haste.”
View a photo of the Alberta environmental disaster published with “Feds list First Nations, green groups as ‘adversaries’ in oil sands PR strategy” by the Montreal Gazette January 26th. The article begins “The federal government is distancing itself from its own lobbying and public relations campaign to polish the image of Alberta’s oil sands, following revelations that an internal strategy document labelled First Nations and environmentalists as “adversaries” while describing the National Energy Board as an “ally.”
Find Nebraska landowner Randy Thompson’s Response to the State of the Union address here.  “As an ordinary citizen I find it distressing that so many of our elected officials are inclined to cater to the needs of their corporate sponsors instead of the people they are supposed to represent.”
New letters to the LJS editor last week were from Stu Luttich, “A third error does not correct two earlier errors,” and Roxanne Smith, “Stop fuel addiction.”  Quoting Smith, “North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said “It’s hard to imagine a project that is more in the national interest and the interest of the American people.” I can’t imagine a project that is less in the national interest. It has never been in the interest of the American people, or any people, to have a transportation system based on the automobile. Humans need to walk to be healthy. Humans need community to be healthy. Humans need the natural world to be healthy. The automobile diminishes public health. Fueling the automobile is not a project that is in the national interest if public health is in the national interest.”
From “Competitor plans Keystone XL alternative,” by Phillip O’Connor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and LJS, January 28th, “…Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. hopes to link its existing Canadian oil pipelines from where they currently end near Chicago with another pipeline that runs from Cushing, Okla., to Houston and Port Arthur, Texas. To do that, the company wants to build a $1.9 billion pipeline adjacent to an existing Enbridge line that cuts diagonally across northern Missouri before entering southeast Kansas. Together, the two Enbridge pipelines would be able to carry almost 700,000 barrels a day between Illinois and Oklahoma. “In the energy industry, and oil in particular, there’s always been a history of fierce competition,” said Paul Blackburn, an environmental attorney and pipeline consultant. “One has to anticipate that if one of the players stumbles, another is going to try to capitalize on that.”
“Buffett’s railroad among winners from Keystone denial,” by Jim Efstathiou, Jr., Bloomberg and LJS, January 29th, “Warren Buffett’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC is among U.S. and Canadian railroads that stand to benefit from the Obama administration’s decision to reject TransCanada’s Keystone XL oil pipeline permit. With modest expansion, railroads can handle all new oil produced in western Canada through 2030, according to an analysis of the Keystone proposal by the U.S. State Department.”
“Neb. lawmaker explains why he joined the Keystone XL fight” by Lisa Song, January 25th, profiles Legislative District 21 Senator Ken Haar. Asked “What would you say to the Nebraskans who worked so hard to reroute the pipeline?” Haar’s advice is “Be vigilant. Stay involved as citizens. This isn’t over. You’ve got to stick with this forever. That’s what citizenship means.”

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “Shale-Shocked: Fracking Gets Its Own Occupy Movement,” by Ellen Cantarow, TomDispatch and Truthout, January 23rd, begins “This is a story about water, the land surrounding it, and the lives it sustains. Clean water should be a right: there is no life without it…. But for once, this story isn’t about tragedy. It’s about a resistance movement that has arisen to challenge some of the most powerful corporations in history.”
Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . The Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.”

XL PIPELINE DENIED . . . The TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline permit has been DENIED. “This is a victory for our environment and for future generations that will look upon this decision as an important step toward reducing our addiction to oil and moving America and the world toward a cleaner, safer and healthier future with tremendous job-creating opportunities in the creation of renewable energy systems and public transportation for all.” –Steve Larrick, Nebraska Green Party elected official, Lower Platte South Natural Resource District. Page down to CD 3 Green Notes for news items about this week’s announcement.

HELP GREENS GATHER SIGNATURES . . . The Green Party is now qualified for ballot status this election cycle in all of the four biggest states: New York, California, Florida, and Texas. Nebraska Green Party is gathering signatures so that voters here will also have the choice of voting for the Green Party presidential slate.
In Lincoln, petitions are available at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street. Registered Nebraska voters are invited to stop by for coffee, visit with Adam Hintz from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily, sign a petition, or pick up one to circulate. In Omaha, look for Charles Ostdiek at McFoster’s, 38th and Harney, to sign and pick up petitions.
You must be a registered voter to circulate petitions. Fill out a voter registration application online here.  If you can help us identify a public place in CD 3 where petitions could be available, if you would like us to mail you petitions to circulate, or to participate in the ballot access process in any way, please let us know by e-mailing mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Let’s take Our democracy back from Wall Street!

SAVING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT . . . “There’s no question that the political tide is turning thanks to Occupy Wall Street–because there’s actually a political push to ensure that corporations are NOT people, to overturn the “free speech rights” given to corporations by the Supreme Court’s troubling Citizens United decision.”  Add your voice. Sign the petition.  In the House, Representative Ted Deutch’s H.J. Res 90, The OCCUPIED Amendment, also says that corporations are not people and they do not belong in our elections.  Sign the OCCUPIED petition. Spread the word.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. 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. Read the January Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty Newsletter here.  A recent Omaha World-Herald Editorial, “State looks bad over execution esthetic,” by Robert Nelson begins “In the past 12 months, Nebraska officials twice have tried to buy the increasingly hard-to-find drug sodium thiopental for use in executions by lethal injection. Both times, the state has acquired the drug more in a manner you would expect from a desperate drug addict than a state government.” Details of the “embarrassment” are explained in the op-ed. And the January 15th Lincoln Journal Star editorialized “It’a time for Nebraska to abolish the death penalty.” — number two on the “Agenda for 2012.” Details of Nebraska’s ritualized premeditated protocol for state killing are listed in “State prepares for Ryan’s execution,” also published by LJS on January 15th.  Meanwhile, Omaha Senator Brenda Council and Lincoln Senator Danielle Conrad have introduced LB LB276, to “Change a penalty from death to life imprisonment without possibility of parole and change other penalties as prescribed.”  Letters to editors of local papers statewide are needed in response to the March 6, 2012 execution date for Michael Ryan. Contact information for state senators and other actions are here.
For more information about NADP, click here.  “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Occupy Lincoln’s Occupy Education committee is offering a free and open university with weekly talks/discussions through February 13, 2012. The teach-in workshop schedule is Mondays, 7:00 to 8:00pm at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street; and Tuesdays, 7:00pm at Meadowlark Coffee, 1624 South Street. The Monday ECON 99 Course, “Economics the 1% Doesn’t Want You to Know,” consists of informal lectures to present basic ideas on the subject of that week, followed by an open discussion. Monday, January 23rd, ECON 99, Part 2: “No Human Rights without Economic Rights” – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Tuesday, January 24th, 7:00pm, “Acquiring Land without Requiring Loans from Big Banks,” With Tobias tobiasalexander [dot] busque [at] gmail [dot] com For more information, e-mail Hendrik van den Berg, hvan-den-berg1 [at] unl [dot] edu

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.

2012 WINTER LECTURE SERIES . . . Northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt is the topic of this year’s Winter Lecture Series at Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Each two-hour session starts at 7:00pm. The first hour features a presentation, followed by refreshment break and a half hour of questions and dialogue. On the seventh and final evening, the series will end with a 6:00 dinner and a panel discussion at 7:00pm. The lectures are free and open to the public. Sunday, January 29, 2012, “Historical and Current Tunisia” will be presented by Nejib Ayachi, Director of the Maghreb Center in Washington, DC.

NATIONAL SEED SWAP DAY . . . The 2nd Annual Seed Swap in Lincoln will be Saturday, January 28, 1:00 to 3:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 South Street, Lincoln. Bring seeds for vegetables, herbs, flowers, and native plants to share. Please label seeds, and bring extra envelopes, if you have them. There will be guest speakers beginning around 2:00pm. Information will be available about plant selection for our local climate, as well as additional seed sources. Everyone is welcome.

NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS AT OPEN HARVEST . . . Open Harvest Co-Op Grocery, 1618 South Steet in Lincoln, has eliminated plastic bags at the check out registers.  From the LJS article, “It is a positive change for the Co-op and hopefully other businesses in Lincoln will consider keeping plastic bags out of their store and out of our landfills.” An update on customer response is in a Cindy Lange-Kubick article, “Kicking a (plastic) bag habit” published January 22, 2012.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . The Occupy Lincoln camp site is located on Centennial Mall north of the state capitol. The camp has been notified of a March 1, 2012 eviction date. There is a General Assembly three times per week: Sunday, 1:30pm; Wednesday, 6:00pm; and Friday, 6:00 to 9:00pm. The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

RECYCLE TREES UNTIL JANUARY 30 . . . Due to continuing demand, holiday trees may be recycled until January 30 at Hofeling Enterprises, 2200 South Folsom Court, 7:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday. For more information, phone the City Recycling Hotline at 402.441.8215.

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 about Saturday vigils.

OMAHA GREEN DRINKS . . . The first Omaha Green Drinks of 2012 convenes Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 5:30 to 8:30pm, at Whole Foods Market Omaha, 10020 Regency Circle, in the education room, across from the coffee bar.   Anyone working on environmental issues (green business, architecture, design, clean energy, natural resources, and more) or studying them, is welcome. Walk, cycle, bus, or carpool if possible. Green Drinks now meet regularly in 816 cities worldwide.

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, January 25, 2012, the film will be “Children Underground,” an Academy Award nominated documentary following the lives of five homeless Romanian children who live in a Bucharest subway. The weekly event is always free and open to the public. A discussion will follow the film. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OMAHA SIERRA JANUARY MEETING . . . “Building Green before ‘Green Building'” is the title of this month’s Omaha Sierra Club program, Thursday, January 26, 2012, 7:00pm, at First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass Street, Omaha. (Enter north door Education Wing.) Everyone is welcome.

OMAHA SEED SHARE . . . The second annual Omaha Seed Swap is open to anyone who wants to grow their own food in the Omaha metro. There will be common seeds, as well as organic, heritage or heirloom plant varieties at the free seed swap on Saturday, January 28, 2011, 1:00pm to 3:00pm, at the Douglas County Extension Office, 8015 West Center Road. For more information, phone Patty Falcone, Douglas County Health Department, 402.444.7146 or e-mail patty [dot] falcone [at] douglascounty-ne [dot] gov

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

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix here.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . We did the impossible. Our STOP THE PIPELINE coalition of tireless activists from Nebraska and around the world has done what has never been done before. There has never been a successful pipeline opposition campaign against Big Oil… until now. And pro-pipeline politicians are already conspiring to find ways around the XL permit denial. The White House Statement is here.  The Department of State announcement is here.
The Democracy Now! report, “Obama Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline under GOP Deadline, But Opponents Prepare for Long-Term Fight,” begins “The Obama administration has rejected the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline that would stretch from the Alberta tar sands to the Gulf Coast.  We get reaction from Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska and 350.org founder Bill McKibben, an expert on climate change who has led massive protests in Washington, D.C. against the pipeline over the past six months.”  Video is here.  “People Have The Power!“
“President turns thumbs down on Keystone XL,” by Art Hovey, was published in Lincoln Journal Star January 19, 2012.
“Obama Rejects the Keystone XL Pipeline and Protects America’s National Interest,” by Frances Beinecke at the Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard, January 18, 2012 says “…This project wouldn’t have delivered lower gas prices or good jobs, but it would have helped accelerate climate change. Extracting tar sands oil produces three times as much global warming pollution as conventional crude.”
Also from NRDC, Peter Lehner writes “Obama Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline, Missing Opportunity to Create 20 Jobs:”  “What exactly did President Obama reject when he denied a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline? He denied a Canadian company the right to pipe their oil past Midwestern refineries and ship it overseas, tax-free. He said no to the chance to transport the world’s dirtiest oil–it produces three times the carbon pollution and is more corrosive than conventional crude–through a major source of drinking water for the Great Plains. He rejected an opportunity to create about 1 billion tons of global warming pollution. On top of that, he turned down a chance to create 20 permanent jobs. That’s the number we’re talking about–20 jobs. According to State Department estimates, the Keystone XL pipeline would have created just 20 permanent jobs…”
From 350.org founder and Keystone XL protest leader Bill McKibben’s statement on the announcement:”…This is a victory for Americans who testified in record numbers, and who demanded that science get the hearing usually reserved for big money. We’re well aware that the fossil fuel lobby won’t give up easily. They have control of Congress. But as the year goes on, we’ll try to break some of that hammerlock, both so that environmental review can go forward, and so that we can stop wasting taxpayer money on subsidies and handouts to the industry. The action starts mid-day Tuesday on Capitol Hill, when 500 referees will blow the whistle on Big Oil’s attempts to corrupt the Congress.” Reporting on Tuesday’s protest, “The 99% Strike Back Against Keystone XL next Tuesday in Washington, DC,”  Climate Progress says “The 350.org demonstration plays up a recently released report showing that the 234 members of Congress who voted to force a decision on Keystone XL cumulatively took $42 million in fossil fuel money.” In Vermont, McKibben’s home state, The Burlington Free Press proclaimed “McKibben’s efforts pay off as Obama kills pipeline.”
“Keystone XL Is Dead – Again,” by George Zornick for The Nation, January 18th, reports “…Today—less than even one month since the payroll tax cut bill was passed—the State Department announced they were denying the permit. In a statement, President Obama endorsed that decision: “As the State Department made clear last month, the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment.”
Also on January 18th, environmental champion Robert Redford commented on the president’s announcement for Reader Supported News: “…His decision represents a victory of historic proportions for people from throughout the pipeline path and all across America who have waged an uphill, years-long fight against one of the most nightmarish fossil fuel projects of our time. But make no mistake: Big Oil is going to fight back hard and fast.” Read Redford’s latest commentary here.
From Nebraska’s Center for Rural Affairs, Johnathan Hladik writes“…The Center for Rural Affairs rallied along with thousands of other Nebraskans during the past year building opposition to the proposed line, attending hearings across the state and expressing concern about the proposed route of the pipeline. Many Center supporters and staff members testified in opposition to the pipeline’s projected route, which would travel through 300 miles of Nebraska, including 92 miles across the Sand Hills, bringing oil from tar sands in northern Canada to refineries in the southern United States. A determined set of individuals and organizations representing varied interests and communities throughout Nebraska played a pivotal role in the final decision.”
Glenn Thrush and Darren Samuelsohn reported “Keystone decision a political win-win,” for Politico on January 18th: “There was puzzlement, bordering on disgust, in the West Wing on Wednesday at all the professions of shock and outrage at President Barack Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.”
And a surprising report from FoxNews by Sally Kohn lists “Six reasons Keystone XL was a bad deal all along.” “… But the fact is, for the good of our country and our economy, rejecting the Keystone XL deal was the best decision possible.”
January 21st, Reuters reported “Republicans plot next step on Keystone oil pipeline,” saying they “are considering using upcoming payroll tax cut or highway construction bills in order to force quick approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline but have not yet settled on a strategy.” “GOP Looks for Keystone alternatives,” by Bloomberg, also published in LJS on the 21st, begins “While TransCanada considers its options, congressional Republicans are looking for other ways to push through approval of the pipeline. The House Energy and Commerce Committee may consider legislation as early as next week that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a panel that regulates electricity and natural gas markets, to issue a permit for the pipeline within 30 days of receiving a new application. ”
Meanwhile, “DEQ: Nemaha County fuel spill could take two years to clean up and monitor.”  That was the report by AJ Laukaitis, LJS, on the latest oil spill in Nebraska: “The cleanup and monitoring of a massive December fuel spill from two ruptured pipelines in Nemaha County will last at least two years, a state official said Thursday.”
“The President’s denial of the Keystone XL Pipeline permit today represents thousands of volunteer hours and a tribute to the power of organization. My thanks goes to our members, our Board of Directors, our staff, our organizational partners, our elected officials, and the press. A special tip of the hat goes to our landowners who stuck their foot in the ground, would not take the money, had the courage to speak out, and would not back down. It is a pleasure and an honor to work with and for people with their courage and sense of fair play. While this battle is not yet over, I like our field position for the rest of the game.” –John K. Hansen, President Nebraska Farmers Union.
“This decision also presents opportunities to develop policies that support native renewable energy, like Nebraska’s abundant wind and solar resources, instead of maintaining our addiction to dirty fuels. Energy from these resources is not only much better for the planet; it will create far more jobs than the tar sands pipeline would have. The tar sands pipeline was being pushed by the same kinds of short-term profiteering and bad energy policies that led to $4 a gallon gas and near economic collapse in the last administration. We do not want to go back down that road.” –Ken Winston, Nebraska Sierra Club.
           Sign a giant Thank You card to President Obama here.  Fill out an online form with your message by January 28th.
Thank You to EveryOne who joined in this effort to STOP THE PIPELINE. The Coalition will be celebrating this victory together, possibly with a Valentine’s Day party. Watch future Green Notes for details.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . From “Officials Say Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquake,” in Reader Supported News, January 2, 2012: “Officials said Saturday they believe the latest earthquake activity in northeast Ohio is related to the injection of wastewater into the ground near a fault line, creating enough pressure to cause seismic activity. The brine wastewater comes from drilling operations that use the so-called fracking process to extract gas from underground shale.”
“Ohio earthquake was not a natural event, expert says,” by Kim Palmer for Reuters in the Chicago Tribune, January 3rd, reports “A 4.0 magnitude earthquake in Ohio on New Year’s Eve did not occur naturally and may have been caused by high-pressure liquid injection related to oil and gas exploration and production, an expert hired by the state of Ohio said on Tuesday.”
Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

PETITION THE EPA . . . Tell the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee populations.  Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here.

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA NOT TO CAVE TO MONSANTO AND THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY . . . The Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve three biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa, Roundup Ready genetically modified sugar beets and a new industrial biotech corn for ethanol production. These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please tell the President it’s time to stand up to Monsanto and reject GMO crops.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.“