GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . The nation’s leading anti-poverty advocate Cheri Honkala to be Green Party VP candidate! Wednesday, July 11, 2012, Jill Stein introduced Cheri Honkala as her vice-presidential running mate at a National Press Club press conference in Washington D.C. The room was filled with journalists from around the nation and around the world. Two short videos are here.
For 25 years, Cheri Honkala has been fighting to help keep families in their homes, and demanding fairness for America’s poor. There is a reason she is often called “the original occupy” activist. Read a New York Times article covering the event by Susan Saulny here.  Stein and Honkala appeared in their first live joint interview on Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman Friday. Stein’s victory statement on qualifying for federal matching funds is here.
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions for a NGP ballot line must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st.

GPUS 2012 CONVENTION . . . The Green Party National Convention continues through Sunday, July 15, at the University of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland.  Congratulations to Nebraska State Council Representative Charles Ostdiek, newly elected GPUS Steering Committee Co-chair.

FARMERS MARKETS . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Free school Sundays are from 7:00pm – 8:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 South Street, in Lincoln. Sunday a different member of the Lincoln community will host a short class on the topic of their choosing. July 15, 2012, Clare LaFrance will present “Replies to the Anti-Homosexual Agenda.”

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’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.

OCCUPY THE FOOD SUPPLY . . . This Occupy Education series is devoted to resisting the industrialization of agriculture and food production, reinstituting the use of plants as medicine, as well as reclaiming the means to produce healthy, chemical-free food, with special focus on sustainability and truly organic practices. Learn the basics of gardening, composting, seed saving, and harvesting, as well as connect and work with others who share the same passions, every Monday through August 6, 2012, 7:00 – 8:00pm, Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street, Lincoln.

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

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Free school Sunday on July 22, 2012, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm, will be “Living Off the Abundance of the Land for Health and Harmony,” with Dustin Rymph. **This teach-in will meet at 9th and Park Streets; walk-about at Standing Bear Grounds to follow.**

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com 2004 Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb will be starting a Move to Amend tour of the Midwest with Nebraska appearances in Lincoln and Omaha on Sunday, August 12th. Watch for details in future Green Notes.

SAVE THE DATE . . . The annual Alternatives to the Military potluck supper will be held at Christ United Methodist Church, 46th and A Streets, in Lincoln, on Thursday, July 26, 2012, starting at 5:30pm. The 2012 “Peacemaker of the Year” honoree will be Marilyn McNabb, longtime Lincoln activist for peace, justice and the environment. Everyone is welcome. It is always a simple but fun event. Bring your friends, a place-setting, and some food to share. Or just show up. There is always plenty. Feel free to help spread the word.

LAST CALL AT THE OASIS . . . The Ross Media Arts Center, 313 North 13th Street, Lincoln, will show Last Call at the Oasis, a new documentary dealing with the global water crisis, Friday, July 27 through Thursday, August 2, 2012. The film, featuring activist Erin Brockovich and distinguished experts, shatters myths behind our most precious resource, and presents a powerful argument for why the global water crisis will be the central issue facing our world this century.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

NRC MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC . . . The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission is scheduled to meet with OPPD officials Tuesday, July 17, 2012, 6:00 to 9:00pm, at the Doubletree Hotel, 1616 Dodge Street. It will be the NRC’s first public meeting since the Sierra Club of Iowa filed a formal request asking that the Fort Calhoun Nuclear plant be closed permanently. Click here to read “Omaha’s Troubled Nuke Plant to Get Another Look,” published June 29th.

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, July 18, 2012, the film will be Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Dreams.” Watch a 5:24 minute Colbert Report interview with Herzog speaking about the film here.  A 2:16 minute trailer is here.  For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

ORIGIN OF LIFE . . . Jim Rogers, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, will speak on “The Mathematical Basis of the Origin of Life” at the Saturday meeting of REASON (Rationalists, Empiricists And Skeptics Of Nebraska), 2:00pm, July 21, 2012, at the W. Dale Clark Library, 215 South 15th Street, Omaha. The meeting is free and open to the public. Discussion will follow the presentation. For more information, phone Jim Bechtel, 402.556.8312.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . Click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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

NEBRASKA ENERGY FAIR . . . Saturday, July 21st, the 2012 Nebraska Energy Fair Solar Experience is an all-day opportuity to learn from a knowledgeable, experienced solar consultant and explore solar installations featuring a range of production capabilities, mounting systems, panel types, and configurations. The Fair begins at 8:30am, in Lyons, Nebraska, at Nebraska Green Fuels, 300 Main Street. A “Solar Basis” presentation by Nebraska Renewable Energy Systems’ Robert Byrnes will start the day. Pre-register here.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . On Wednesday, July 25, 2012, groups across the country are holding solidarity events to mark the 2-year anniversary of the toxic tar sands spill in Michigan’s Kalamazoo river. Bold Nebraska has a “Keep Our Water Blue” blog post asking for photos taken by a water crossing or favorite body of water at-risk: a small creek or stream, an aquifer-fed pond, or of the sources of water listed county-by-county at the blog.  Photos should have individuals or groups holding handmade signs (the yard signs that say “Keep Our Water Blue” will work great for this) calling attention to the pipeline’s threat. Groups will then hold a press conference (location TBD) on July 25th using these photos, information from the Stansbury report documenting that the pipeline could have 91 leaks and spills over the lifetime of the pipe, and findings from a government report on the Kalamazoo spill, making the case that the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and this route are too risky for our water. Please send photos to info [at] boldnebraska [dot] org by July 20th. For more information, or to ask questions, phone Ben at 402.705.8679.
The Compassionate Earth Walk is a physical walk along the Keystone XL route through the heart of North America–a moving spiritual community dedicating energy to nourishing the earth, and an invitation to all humans to wake up, end the destruction, and return to our home in the community of life. The Walk will happen next summer, but this August Shodo Spring will do a preparatory trip along the expected route to become familiar with the geography, to meet the people, and to participate in two indigenous environmental actions: August 4, the Third Annual Healing Walk at the tar sands, and August 7-11, Unis’tot’en Camp, British Columbia. Then Shodo will travel down along the pipeline route all the way to Steele City, Nebraska.
Shodo is asking for support from people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Meet her, house her, introduce her to your community, and/or join the walk for any part of the trip. E-mail shodo [dot] spring [at] gmail [dot] com or phone Shodo at 612.562.0614.
“KEYSTONE XL: Compromise route around Nebraska Sand Hills still crosses sandy hills,” by Elana Schor, E&E Greenwire, was published on July 10, 2012: “Pipeline critics who pushed to move its route out of the Sandhills now lament that TransCanada’s compromise path, based on an EPA-developed map, still runs crude through sandy soils and high water tables.”
“Opposed to new route,” by Kathy Burnham, a July 14th letter to the editor of Lincoln Journal Star, also addresses the bottom line: It’s Still the Sand Hills and the Aquifer. “…The proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline still threatens the Ogallala Aquifer. It also threatens the Niobrara River. These sources of water are crucial for agriculture and the citizens of this state. Clean water is the key to Nebraska’s economy, not the Keystone XL. For that reason, this conservative is opposed to the construction of the Keystone XL along the new route.” Click here to read the entire letter.
A July 15th letter to LJS, “Their wealth, our health,” by Cleve Trimble, begins “We already know that bitumen is the most toxic, least efficient, most expensive and dirtiest form of energy. We know the earth is blown up to extract it. We know that getting this poisonous goop from Canada to Texas requires a huge pipe that is heated and pressurized and certain to leak at some points in time. …This is not a partisan issue. It’s not about jobs or energy. It’s not about payoffs to cross our lands. It’s not about the route. These are diversions that have us arguing with each other. The only real issue is whether TransCanada’s wealth trumps Nebraska’s health. The sole issue is whether this pipeline should cross our border in the first place.” The letter is continued here.
Rachel Maddow did a segment on the Enbridge tar sands spill in the Kalamazoo River, but did not mention the pending decisions on Keystone XL. Please send a note to a senior producer, cory [dot] gnazzo [at] msnbc [dot] com encouraging her to do more on tar sands and KXL.
“Building pipelines is an invitation for more oil spills,” by Paul Hanley, July 10, 2012, in The Star Phoenix, discusses the likelihood of devastating oil spills if dirty tar sands pipeline projects like Keystone XL or the Northern Gateway pipeline are approved. “All technologies fail sooner or later. If the Northern Gateway pipeline and supertanker port or the Keystone pipeline are built, there will be spills, including disastrous spills. …Contrast this with renewable energy: When there is a huge solar energy spill, it’s just called a sunny day.”
“Enbridge spills it out” is a new 1:39 minute animated spoof on the Northern Gateway pipeline and oil spills in general.
Thanks to Shannon at New Partners for these Quotes of the Week: “While the oil sands industry has made progress in reducing GHG emissions intensity, overall emissions are growing and this is inconsistent with our national GHG reduction commitment.” –Quote from a memo from Canadian Prime Minister Harper’s administration, the premise for a push by Canadian officials to counter the U.S. battle against climate change on behalf of the tar sands industry.
“Delegating too much authority to the regulated is tantamount to letting the fox guard the hen house.” –Deborah Hersman, Chair of the NTSB.
“Learning about Enbridge’s poor handling of the rupture, you can’t help but think of the Keystone Kops,” referring to the incompetent policemen in silent films. “Why didn’t they recognize what was happening? What took so long?” –Deborah Hersman, Chair of the NTSB.
Tell the Obama Administration: Reject Keystone XL. Again. The following message accompanies a new petition from Credo Action: In the same week that record June heat blanketed the southeast, Minnesota tried to recover from record flooding, and the biggest fire in Colorado’s history continued to burn out of control — President Obama doubled down in his support for the energy that is causing this deepening climate change spiral approving the first portion of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, giving away 720 million tons of publicly owned coal to a coal company for virtually nothing, and promising to lease more arctic offshore areas for oil drilling. Now, the Canada to Oklahoma portion of the Keystone XL pipeline – which would turn up the spigot on deadly, “game over for the climate” tar sands production – is back before the State Department after being rejected by President Obama earlier this year when Republicans tried to force his decision.
Without the pressures of the election, President Obama could conceivably cave when a decision is made in 2013 – if he is re-elected. This public comment period is our opportunity to go on the record, before the election, with our fierce opposition. Please urge President Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline.
If you have a Twitter account, click here to automatically tweet: Tell @StateDept and @BarackObama: The weather is bad enough already. Don’t “XL” climate change – reject #Keystone XL!
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
           “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominee.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . At the First-Ever National Mobilization Against Fracking on July 28th, celebrities, community groups, and more than 100 organizations will join forces for “Stop the Frack Attack” in Washington, DC, where they will make three demands of Congress: 1. Stop dangerous fracking; 2. Close 7 legal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry from parts of the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, and Clean Water Acts; and 3. Implement a pathway towards 100% clean renewable energy. Learn more about the event here.  Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

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.

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.“

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . JILL STEIN QUALIFIES FOR FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS!  From Jill Stein’s victory statement on matching funds: “…Our first major goal in this campaign was to win the Green Party nomination. We appear to have done that by winning 29 state primaries and securing well over half the delegates to the nominating convention. Our second goal was to qualify for federal matching funds. Today, we have done that. We now focus our resources on completing our ballot drive efforts across America, working to win the support of people outside of the Green Party to our common cause. Our goal is to be on the ballot for more than 90% of the voters in America. Clearly, many more challenges must be met. And with your help, we will meet them. So today we celebrate a victory. And every voter who joins us in calling for a new direction in America is a victory. Let’s keep standing up for people, peace and the planet.”
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska so that Stein can be on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions for a NGP ballot line must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st.

GPUS 2012 CONVENTION . . . The Green Party National Convention is Thursday, July 12, through Monday, July 16, 2012 12:00pm, at the University of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland, 1420 North Charles Street. (Google map and directions.)
For more information, contact the Baltimore City Green Party, by phone at 443.637.2471, or e-mail info [at] baltimorecitygreenparty [dot] org

FARMERS MARKETS . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Each week a different member of the Lincoln community will host a short class on the topic of their choosing. Free school Sundays are from 7:00pm – 8:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 South Street, in Lincoln. July 8, 2012 there will be an Open Discussion/Brainstorming Session on “What would we like to see Occupy Lincoln do this summer?”

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’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.

OCCUPY THE FOOD SUPPLY . . . This Occupy Education series is devoted to resisting the industrialization of agriculture and food production, reinstituting the use of plants as medicine, as well as reclaiming the means to produce healthy, chemical-free food, with special focus on sustainability and truly organic practices. Learn the basics of gardening, composting, seed saving, and harvesting, as well as connect and work with others who share the same passions, every Monday from July 9 through August 6, 2012, 7:00 – 8:00pm, Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street, Lincoln.

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

ANNUAL BUTTERFLY COUNT . . . Register by Thursday, July 12, for the 36th Annual Butterfly Count ON Saturday, July 14, 2012, 9:00am to noon, at Pioneers Park Nature Center, 3201 South Coddington, in Lincoln. An experienced person will accompany each group. The count involves walking about 2 hours and covering 2 to 3 miles. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Call 402.441.7895 to register.

NEBRASKA NATURALIST PROGRAM . . . Thursday, July 12, 2012, 7:00pm, Wachiska Audubon will present “The Nebraska Naturalist Program” at a free public meeting in the Dick Administration Building, lower level room 3, Union College, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here. The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

BRING JOBS HOME RALLY . . . Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 5:00pm, The Nebraska AFL-CIO is hosting a “Bring Jobs Home Rally” in support of S.2884, The Bring Jobs Home Act, and HR.3596, the Call Center Workers and Consumer Protection Act. This bill will give a tax break to companies who move jobs and business operations to America from another country. It will not only stem the tide of outsourcing, but start bringing lost jobs back to the US. The Rally will be at Lewis and Clark Landing, 515 North Riverfront Drive, Omaha.

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, July 11, 2012, the film will be “Deliver Us from Evil,” documenting Father Oliver O’Grady’s moves from one parish to another in Northern California during the 1970s, where he quickly won each congregation’s trust and respect. Unbeknownst to them, O’Grady was a dangerously active pedophile that Church hierarchy harbored for over 30 years, allowing him to abuse countless children. Filmmaker Amy Berg exposes the deep corruption of the Catholic Church and the troubled mind of the man they sheltered in this controversial film. Watch a 2:21 minute trailer here.  For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

ZERO WASTE STRATEGIES . . . The registration deadline is Friday, July 6th, for the Wednesday, July 11, 2012 Green Team Roundtable Exploring Zero Waste Strategies and a Model for Self-sufficiency and Redemption. The Lunch Meeting, from 11:30am to 1:00pm, will be at the Cross Training Center, 4505 South 76th Circle, in Omaha. Register here.  July11th For more information, contact Julie Diegel, 402.434.7376, or jdiegel [at] wastecapne [dot] org

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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

NEBRASKA ENERGY FAIR . . . Saturday, July 21st, the 2012 Nebraska Energy Fair Solar Experience is an all-day opportuity to learn from a knowledgeable, experienced solar consultant and explore solar installations featuring a range of production capabilities, mounting systems, panel types, and configurations. The Fair begins at 8:30am, in Lyons, Nebraska, at Nebraska Green Fuels, 300 Main Street. A “Solar Basis” presentation by Nebraska Renewable Energy Systems’ Robert Byrnes will start the day. Pre-register here by July 15th for the early-bird discount.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Sunday, July 8, 2012, Ken Winston, of the Nebraska Sierra Club, summarized the need to continue contacting our elected officials because “Bottom line: it’s still the Sand Hills.” Winston’s summary of the KXL situation at this piont is as follows:
“Thousands of Nebraskans rejoiced last November when they heard the news that TransCanada had agreed to move the tar sands pipeline out of the Sand Hills. Because TransCanada had planned to run their pipeline through the Sand Hills, Governor Heineman and Senator Mike Johanns had opposed the pipeline, the Legislature had been called into special session and hundreds of Nebraskans had testified at hearings held by the State Department and the Legislature. Because of all the concerns raised about risks to the Sand Hills and the Ogallala Aquifer, President Obama said the federal government needed to re-examine the route. This led to TransCanada’s agreement to avoid the Sand Hills and passage of two bills in the special session that gave Nebraska a process to deal with routing pipelines.
Eight months later, it has become clear that TransCanada’s agreement to avoid the Sand Hills is a shallow charade designed to appease politicians and members of the public. The landowners who live along the new proposed route have always thought of their land as the Sandh Hills. It has the same characteristics as the Sand Hills; dunes of sandy soil covered with grass, porous soils that are highly susceptible to erosion, a water table close to the surface that extends for hundreds of feet beneath the surface. The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s greatest freshwater resources, is once again in danger of being placed at risk from a huge high pressure pipeline carrying unknown toxic substances.
However, at this point there has been little public attention given to the fact that this is still the Sand Hills and there are the same reasons for concern with the new route as the original route. Why is this? Several reasons, including two-faced politicians, public fatigue with the issue and the “map”.
Although it is unclear exactly why Senator Johanns and Governor Heineman chose to oppose the pipeline because of the route last year and now are supporting it, if they are going to be consistent with last year’s position, they should continue to oppose it. Second, the public thought the issue had been resolved last year and the media has done very little reporting that would let them know that the route through the Sand Hills is still a real issue.
Third, the “map”. DEQ and TransCanada have decided to use a map developed by the EPA to determine the boundaries of the Sand Hills. Both the Governor and Senator Johanns have been engaged in a campaign to demonize the EPA wherever possible, but neither have indicated any concern about using a map from the EPA to define the Sand Hills. Both Senator Johanns and Governor Heineman like to talk about using Nebraska common sense. Common sense would say that you should listen to the people who live there and look at the characteristics of the land and water to determine what is the Sand Hills, not base it on a map developed by Washington bureaucrats. If they are going to depend on a map there are other maps that show the boundaries of the Sand Hills being much larger, including a map used by the State Department in their analysis last year and maps from the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Bottom line: it’s still the Sand Hills. Tell our elected officials to make TransCanada abide by their agreement and move the pipeline out of the Sand Hills.”
Quoting a July 4th letter to the editor of Lincoln Journal Star, “Oppose Keystone,” by Dick Boyd, chairman of Nebraska Sierra, Lincoln, “…The new route has the same characteristics as the old one: sandy soils, water table close to the surface and a vast amount of water in the aquifer. The people living there always have thought of it as the Sandhills. They know the land is easily damaged and difficult to restore.”
The largest civil penalty ever proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has been announced against Enbridge Energy for the July 25, 2010 crude oil spill near Marshall, Mich. “…PHMSA’s investigation found multiple violations of its hazardous liquid pipeline safety regulations related to integrity maintenance, failure to follow operation and management procedures, and reporting and operator qualification requirements. PHMSA issued its notice and proposed civil penalty to Enbridge in a Notice of Probable Violation. …Enbridge has 30 days to respond to PHMSA.” Read the PHMSA press release here.
The Washington Post published “Keystone XL pipeline: A primer” on July 1st. “The Keystone XL pipeline extension has been the subject of much political debate with environmentalists, union members and national security proponents weighing in on its costs and benefits. Here’s a look at the proposed route and some of the facts and controversies surrounding the pipeline.”
A July 1, 2012 letter to the editor of Lincoln Journal Star, “Leaks still a concern over aquifer,” by Cindy Myers of Stuart, Nebraska, begins “The new Keystone XL route crosses the aquifer the majority of the study area except for 10 miles and still will cross areas of shallow groundwater. TransCanada’s own environmental study filed with the U.S. State Department admits to an expected spill rate and undetected leaks. The study said landowners should do regular checks to spot these undetected leaks. …Who is going to be responsible for the many rural wells threatened by contamination from the expected, unknown leaks? People can take action by posting comments to DEQ, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: ecmp.nebraska.gov/deq-seis, as well as the State Department project website for Keystone XL, under the “contact information” link.”
“The Dilbit Disaster: Inside The Biggest Oil Spill You’ve Never Heard Of, Part 1,” by Elizabeth McGowan and Lisa Song, was published at InsideClimateNews Tuesday, June 26, 2012. The eight page report on the Enbridge tar sands pipeline leak in Michigan two years ago was followed on June 27th by Part 2, another seven pages covering the confusion that followed the spill. Part 3 of 3 is here.
“Texas Activists Move Toward Tar Sands Blockade,” by Candice Bernd, begins “The deadline for the review of TransCanada’s permits for the Gulf Coast portion of the Keystone XL pipeline was Monday, June 25, 2012, at the Texas Army Corp of Engineers Galveston office and without any finalization of review, those permits will be automatically granted to the corporation – thanks to President Obama’s announcement that he would expedite the southern leg of the pipeline in Cushing, Oklahoma, back in March.” Read the Truthout article here.  Click here to sign up and support the Tar Sands Blockade in Texas. A fourth-generaltion Texan responds to the blockade news here.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
“The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominee.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . At the First-Ever National Mobilization Against Fracking on July 28th, celebrities, community groups, and more than 100 organizations will join forces for “Stop the Frack Attack” in Washington, DC, where they will make three demands of Congress: 1. Stop dangerous fracking; 2. Close 7 legal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry from parts of the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, and Clean Water Acts; and 3. Implement a pathway towards 100% clean renewable energy. Learn more about the event here.  Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

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.

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.“

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . JILL STEIN QUALIFIES FOR FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS! Watch for news at the website.  If you ever dreamed of a new paradigm for electoral politics in this country, please watch the model of extraordinary cooperation and agreement between candidates, in stark contrast to the competitive status quo, in a 1:42:42 minute video of the May 12, 2012 Presidential Forum here.
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska so that Stein can be on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions for a NGP ballot line must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st.

FARMERS MARKETS . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Sunday, July 1, 2012, Occupy Education will present An Evening with the Lincoln Bike Kitchen.  Meet at the Bike Kitchen location, 1720 South 15th Street, at 7:00pm.

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’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHITE PRIVILEGE AND ITS CONTEXT . . . Monday, July 2, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00pm, Occupy Education will present the final discussion in a series led by local peace and justice activist/educator Joshua Cramer, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street #102, Lincoln. The series focus has been on institutionalized white privilege in the education system and how it can be challenged by a comprehensive approach that synthesizes many domains of culture: race, class, nationality, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and ableness.

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.

NEBRASKANS FOR PEACE PICNIC . . . The NFP Lincoln chapter summer picnic will be on Saturday, July 7, 2012, at the shelter near A Street in Antelope Park between 27th Street and Normal Boulevard. (There has been road work in the area but you should be able to get in from A street. If not, try from the south or the west. You should be able to see the NFP banner.)
It also happens to be NFP President Emeritus/UN-L Professor Emeritus Paul Olsen’s 80th birthday. There will be no speeches, no slide shows, just pot luck food and people, starting around 5:30pm. Mark Your Calendar. Bring kids. Bring your own plate, utensils and a favorite dish, or not. There will be plenty.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

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 will be no film this Wednesday. Enjoy your Independence Day, and plan for next week’s film, “Deliver us from Evil,” at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney, Wednesday, July llth, 7:00pm. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

ZERO WASTE STRATEGIES . . . The registration deadline is Friday, July 6th, for the Wednesday, July 11, 2012 Green Team Roundtable Exploring Zero Waste Strategies and a Model for Self-sufficiency and Redemption. The Lunch Meeting, from 11:30am to 1:00pm, will be at the Cross Training Center, 4505 South 76th Circle, in Omaha. Register here.  July11th For more information, contact Julie Diegel, 402.434.7376, or jdiegel [at] wastecapne [dot] org

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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 . . . A July 1, 2012 letter to the editor of Lincoln Journal Star, “Leaks still a concern over aquifer,” by Cindy Myers of Stuart, Nebraska, begins “The new Keystone XL route crosses the aquifer the majority of the study area except for 10 miles and still will cross areas of shallow groundwater. TransCanada’s own environmental study filed with the U.S. State Department admits to an expected spill rate and undetected leaks. The study said landowners should do regular checks to spot these undetected leaks. …Who is going to be responsible for the many rural wells threatened by contamination from the expected, unknown leaks? People can take action by posting comments to DEQ, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, as well at the State Department project website for Keystone XL, under the “contact information” link.”
Ken Winston, Policy Advocate for Nebraska Sierra Club, wrote an Op Ed Piece about TransCanada’s violation of fundamental rights for Lincoln Journal Star, published Wednesday, June 27, 2012. The Local View, “Nebraska farmers and ranchers act to protect their land and water,” begins “Water is life. Nebraska farmers and ranchers know this; how a field will green up after a rain, how much more productive a properly irrigated field can be, how much water their livestock need every day and how that same field can burn up and die without water. They also know the value of the land that nourishes and sustains the plants and animals they grow to feed themselves and the ever growing demands of a hungry planet.
Nebraska landowners Randy Thompson, Suz Luebbe and Susan Dunavan have spent much of the past four years fighting to protect the life-giving resources on their land against the threats of a foreign corporation and the risks of a high pressure tar sands pipeline. When they learned the Legislature passed LB1161, which has no standards to protect our resources and gives TransCanada a special deal to use eminent domain to take private property for this pipeline, they decided to challenge it. The Nebraska Sierra Club supports their challenge because it protects two fundamental principles: The right to protect private property and its natural resources, and the right to due process of law.” The Local View continues here.
June 27th, LJS also published “Sand Hills still threatened,” by Teri Taylor, of Newport, Nebraska. “In November 2011, when TransCanada said it would reroute the Keystone XL pipeline to avoid the Sandhills, a collective cheer resounded across the rolling hills of Keya Paha, Rock and Holt counties. On our ranch, we were convinced that we had been saved from six miles of certain destruction, and we were equally certain that this entire region of the state had been given a reprieve. We were certain avoiding the Sandhills meant that this area that has garnered the Sandhills name for centuries would remain unscathed. We were wrong.”
The good news last week, sourced to Reader Supported News by EcoWatch, and was that “In the eleventh hour during negotiations on the transportation bill on June 27, language requiring approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and barring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation of coal ash waste was dropped. … Thanks to members of Congress who acted to protect drinking water and human health.” The June 29, 2012 article “Coal Ash, Keystone XL Dropped From Transportation Bill,” is here.
“The Dilbit Disaster: Inside The Biggest Oil Spill You’ve Never Heard Of, Part 1,” by Elizabeth McGowan and Lisa Song, was published at InsideClimateNews Tuesday, June 26, 2012. The eight page report on the Enbridge tar sands pipeline leak in Michigan two years ago was followed on June 27th by Part 2, another seven pages covering the confusion that followed the spill. Part 3 of 3 is here.
A Bold Nebraska June 26th blog focused attention on the InsideClimateNews piece, and also on how unprepared we are in Nebraska for such a spill. Please re-post on Facebook and Twitter. Post: TWEET: What would Nebraska do if TransCanada Keystone 1 had a tarsands spill today?  We can prevent another MI tragedy #nokxl
This week Bold Nebraska also announced that the Nebraska Easement Action Team has negotiated with Domina Law Group to provide services to supporters of NEAT who have signed Easements with TransCanada and want to get out of or rescind the Easement.  It may not be too late!  If you are a NEAT Supporter, call 402.705.8679 or email info[ at] NebraskaEasement [dot] org to learn if you qualify.
Bill McKibben of 350.org spoke with Democracy Now! on Colorado Wildfires, Debby, Keystone XL and the Failure of Rio+20, June 27th: “With extreme weather fueling wildfires in Colorado and record rainfall in Florida, the Obama administration has moved closer to approving construction of the southern section of the Keystone XL pipeline. We’re joined by environmentalist, educator and author Bill McKibben, founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org. “Today is one of those days when you understand what the early parts of the global warming era are going to look like,” McKibben says. “For the first time in history, we managed to get the fourth tropical storm of the year before July. … These are the most destructive fires in Colorado history, and they come after the warmest weather ever recorded there. … This is what it looks like as the planet begins — and I underline ‘begins’ — to warm. Nothing that happened [at the United Nations Rio+20 summit] will even begin to slow down that trajectory.” Video is here.
“Texas Activists Move Toward Tar Sands Blockade,” by Candice Bernd, begins “The deadline for the review of TransCanada’s permits for the Gulf Coast portion of the Keystone XL pipeline was Monday, June 25, 2012, at the Texas Army Corp of Engineers Galveston office and without any finalization of review, those permits will be automatically granted to the corporation – thanks to President Obama’s announcement that he would expedite the southern leg of the pipeline in Cushing, Oklahoma, back in March.” Read the Truthout article here. Click here to sign up and support the Tar Sands Blockade in Texas. A fourth-generaltion Texan responds to the blockade news here.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
           “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominee.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . 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.

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.“

TOM MCCORMICK, REST IN PEACE . . . Tom McCormick passed away early Friday morning, June 22, 2012. He was 67 years of age. Tom was a peace and justice activist who represented CD 1 Greens on the Nebraska Green Party Council, and as a national delegate to the Green Party of the United States. A memorial service will be held at Lincoln’s First Mennonite Church, 7300 Holdrege Street, 11:00am, on Wednesday, June 27th, followed by lunch. Scattering of ashes will be held Wednesday at 6:00pm in Wilderness Park, at the corner of South 1st and West Calvert Streets. From West Pioneers Blvd. take South 1st Street north. Meet by the concrete arches and come prepared for a short walk. Memorials to donor’s choice.

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . Greens are now on the ballot in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and new state, Delaware. Dr. Jill Stein will go to the Green Party convention in Baltimore, July 13, 14 and 15, with a clear majority of delegates. Stein campaign manager Ben Manski shares the urgency of getting matching funds by Saturday, June 30th, in a 6 minute video here.
If you ever dreamed of a new paradigm for electoral politics in this country, please watch the model of extraordinary cooperation and agreement between candidates, in stark contrast to the competitive status quo, in a 1:42:42 minute video of the May 12, 2012 Presidential Forum here.  Watch video of Stein’s 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial debate with Mitt Romney here.
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska so that Stein can be on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions for a NGP ballot line must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st.

FARMERS MARKETS . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Sunday, June 24, 2012, 7:00pm, Occupy Education will present “Tactical Information Techniques and Strategies” with Ande Reinkordt and Grant Brownyard, at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street, Lincoln.

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’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.

LINCOLN CITY COUNCIL MEETING . . . The Lincoln City Council will meet Monday, June 25, 2012, 5:30pm, at Council Chambers, 555 South 10th Street in the County/City Building. The agenda is here.

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHITE PRIVILEGE AND ITS CONTEXT . . . Led by local peace and justice activist/educator Joshua Cramer, and featuring a different guest every Monday, 7:00 to 8:00pm, this Occupy Education series is centered on institutionalized white privilege in the education system and how it can be challenged by a comprehensive approach that synthesizes many domains of culture: race, class, nationality, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and ableness. The series continues through July 2nd, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street #102.

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.

GREEN DRINKS . . . Lincoln Green Drinks, an informal self-organizing social network of environmentally interested people, will meet Wednesday, June 27, 2012, 5:30 to 8:00pm, at Buzzard Billy’s, 247 North 8th Street, in Lincoln’s Haymarket District. Walk, cycle, bus, or carpool if possible, and meet outside in the shade. All are welcome. Green Drinks groups are now active in 656 cities around the world. The Facebook group listing is here.

GARDEN GALA . . . Saturday, June 30, 2012, 10:00am to 2:00pm, Community Crops will host it’s annual free Garden Gala at the Antelope Park Church garden, 3645 Sumner Street, Lincoln. The family-friendly event celebrating local food and community gardeners will feature tours throughout the day, a rain barrel raffle, live music, friendly chickens and kid’s activities. There will be wood-fired pizza, and free ice cream from noon to 2:00pm.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Sunday, July 1, 2012, Occupy Education will present An Evening with the Lincoln Bike Kitchen. Meet at the Bike Kitchen location, 1720 S. 15th Street, Lincoln, at 7:00pm.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

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, June 27, 2012, the film will be “Koch Brothers Exposed,” an expose on the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, who helped finance the conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity. Watch a 2 minute trailer here.  For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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 . . . Although she wrote her song specifically about the proposed Alberta to British Columbia twin Enbridge tar sands pipelines, the message of Ta’Kaiya Blaney clearly extends to Keystone XL. Reader Supported News sourced this article and video from YES! Magazine publishing “What a 10-Year-Old Did for the Tar Sands,” by Angela Sterritt, on June 24, 2012. “Ten-year-old Ta’Kaiya Blaney stood outside Enbridge Northern Gateway’s office on July 6, waiting for officials to grant her access to the building. But the doors remained locked. …Enbridge’s Alberta-B.C. pipeline is widely opposed, largely because it would bring hundreds of oil supertankers a year to the Great Bear Rainforest – an ecologically significant region along a particularly dangerous route for tankers.” Read and view the 5:31 minute video of her song here.
The June 20, 2012 Wall Street Journal published “Canadian Spills Fuel Worries,” by Edward Welsch. The article begins “Three large Canadian oil spills over the past 30 days have increased concern over pipeline safety here, just as the government and the Canadian petroleum industry are trying to drum up support for a series of new pipeline projects.
Enbridge Inc. said late Tuesday that one of its pipelines, carrying heavy oil-sands crude, spilled some 1,450 barrels in eastern Alberta earlier in the week. Earlier this month, Plains All American PipelineLP spilled up to 3,000 barrels into a reservoir near the small resort town of Sundre, Alberta. And last month, Pace Oil & Gas Ltd. spilled some 5,000 barrels from a well in a remote corner of northwestern Alberta.
…TransCanada’s Keystone pipeline, which connects Alberta to refineries in Illinois and the storage depot in Cushing, Okla., suffered 14 small leaks during its first year of operation. The company recently reapplied for a U.S. permit to expand that line, after the White House rejected its original proposal, in part, to allow more time to review the environmental impact.” The complete article is here for WSJ subscribers.
From “Deformed Fish Found Downstream of Tar Sands Mines,” by Jason Mark, Earth Island Institute, sourced to Reader Supported News June 21st, “Chief Allan Adam, the head of the Fort Chipewyan community in the far north of Alberta, has been fishing in Lake Athabasca for all of his life. His father, now 76 years old, has been fishing there even longer. And neither of them has seen anything like what they pulled from the lake on May 30: two grotesquely deformed, lesion-covered fish.” The article continues here.
Also on Tuesday, Reuters reported that Enbridge “closed a major Alberta pipeline that transports oil sands-derived crude after a spill at a pump station, the second oil leak to foul regions of the Canadian province in under two weeks.”  The June 19th article was written by Jeffrey Jones.
The same day, Amy Boughner reported “Enbridge May Be Unprepared For Spill Clean-Up.”  Quoting the Care2.com article, “Two recent oil spills in Alberta have environmental risks of oil pipelines in the headlines, and now media have found documents showing that the Northern Gateway proposal was flagged for not including appropriate spill response plans.”
Get the facts on TransCanada and the KXL, by Bruce Boettcher, was the Guest Opinion in the York News Times June 19th.
1. Fact is the new route still crosses the Ogallala Aquifer and permeable soils.
2. Fact is the new route still crosses the Sandhills region and high water tables.
3. Fact is the new route only moved .5 to 5 miles from the “NDEQ declared Sandhills.”
4. Fact is there is no barrier protecting the vulnerabilities of the Sandhills.
5. Fact is you do NOT have to let TransCanada survey your land.
6. Fact is on Aug 31, 2010 Governor Heineman told President Obama that he was opposed to the KXL route because it crossed the Ogallala Aquifer.
7. Fact is on Aug 31, 2010 Senator Johanns released a statement that he wanted the permit denied because it crossed the Ogallala Aquifer.
8. Fact is TransCanada will not disclose the toxic diluents they will use to move tar sands through KXL.
9. Fact is the KXL pipeline is an export pipeline.
10. Fact is TransCanada will not support legislation guaranteeing the oil for the U.S.
11. Fact is the Keystone XL pipeline will raise gas prices because it is an export pipeline.
12. Fact is TransCanada is paying half of the amount property tax they tout.
13. Fact is the projected jobs are temporary.
14. Fact is TransCanada hires employees from unemployment and pays them a high wage for a short time period.
15. Fact is after the KXL pipeline is built TransCanada employees will go on unemployment, paid by your tax dollar.
16. Fact is on February 2; Governor Heineman said the only tax revenue that would come from KXL would be in housing and food for the workers building the pipeline for a short time period.
17. Fact is President Obama denied the first permit because it crossed environmentally sensitive areas; the new route still crosses this same region.
18. Fact is soil scientists say that the ecoregions map is insufficient to protect the vulnerabilities of the Sandhills.
19. Fact is on Aug 31, 2010 Governor Heineman said that Ogallala Aquifer is the lifeblood of the State’s agriculture industry.
20. Fact is the KXL route will affect everyone in Nebraska not just landowners along the route; everyone’s water is at risk.
“Why they won’t Show Us,” (2part) by Cleve Trimble, MD, was the York News Times Guest Opinion June 15th. “Yesterday’s guest comment (‘Just show us the antidote’) expressed dismay that neither Nebraska’s Department of Health nor its Department of Environmental Quality are aware of the chemical composition of diluents in Keystone XL’s heated, pressurized, eventually leaky pipeline. This information – vital in event of inevitable spills – is withheld by KXL on grounds of being proprietary, a ‘trade secret.’ They have unflinchingly subordinated human well-being to their own economic interest, not because others might duplicate the concoction to TransCanada’s disadvantage; but because what’s in it could, if known, disqualify the project entirely.
…Nebraskans have been forced into a futile discussion about the route, as though there is a difference if KXL leaks in the Sand Hills or a bit to the east. …Wherever the leaks come, they will occur in somebody’s watershed and get into somebody’s groundwater; no one in this or any downstream state should ignore these fundamentals. It is not about the Sand Hills: it’s about humanity itself. Dead people require no fuel.
…Until the exact composition of the diluents is well known we know nothing about the true environmental impact!  …But the greater secret is why our public watchdogs have remained silent; why they are willingly oblivious to having the antidote in hand. If there is one.”
Also on June 15th, Reuters published “Republicans fear uncertain scope of Keystone study,” by Roberta Rampton and Scott Haggett: “The scope of a planned environmental review of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada could go beyond a small disputed portion in Nebraska and threatens to delay the project further, its Republican backers in Congress said on Friday.
The State Department asked on Friday for public comments by the end of July to help determine the scope of an environmental review ordered earlier this year for the controversial pipeline. The review is designed to supplement a “final” environmental impact report issued last August.
…The State Department said its study would focus on the new Nebraska route but could also examine any other new significant environmental concerns. …The State Department also said it would look at the pipeline’s impact on any national historic places or “cultural resources.” But Fred Upton, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee, said the review’s parameters were not yet clear. “By not limiting the scope of the review to just the new Nebraska segment, the entire project could become tangled in unnecessary review and red tape, and subjected to attacks and stalling tactics by opponents,” Upton said in a statement.
The National Wildlife Federation wants the State Department to take a hard look at the project, Joe Mendelson, the group’s director of climate and energy policy, said in a statement. “For starters, the State Department must thoroughly analyze the safety issues involved with transporting corrosive tar sands in the pipeline, account for the increased carbon emissions that will speed global warming,” Mendelson said. The group also wants additional study of risks to endangered species and more consultation with American Indian tribes, he said.” Read complete article is here.
Politico reported “Legislative mixup sets back Keystone XL bid,” by Andrew Restuccia, June 21st: “A mix-up over amendment language has robbed House Republicans of their latest opportunity to vote for greenlighting the Keystone XL oil pipeline. “Reps. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and Connie Mack (R-Fla.) withdrew their amendment to a GOP energy bill that would have approved the pipeline after realizing that key language was missing.” TWEET: Oops  Rep. Lee Terry fumbles a pipeline amendment while all of us shake our heads and just want honest answers #nokxl
The Dirtiest Oil on Earth, is a 1:42 minute animation on the dangers of tar sands crude and pipelines, illustrating the destruction of natural areas, contamination of air and water supplies and political influence exerted by the oil industry to build projects designed to transport tar sands across the US to reach foreign markets. The Dirtiest Oil on Earth, and more information, can be found at The Sierra Club beyond oil campaign website.
From OnEarth Magazine: “Our agricultural policy used to be designed with farmers in mind. Then Big Ag took it over. Can it be won back?” This excellent May 23rd interview with KXL opposition leader, Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen, by Paul Tullis, is called “The Barnstormer.”
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
           “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominee.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . 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.

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.“

PSC MEETING MONDAY, JUNE 18, 10:00AM . . . If the current lawsuit is successful, TransCanada will have to use the Public Service Commission process of approval for their toxic tar sands pipeline through Nebraska. Public comments are critical. The Nebraska Public Service Commission meeting is Monday, June 18, 2012, 10:00am, at the PSC Hearing Room, 1200 N Street, Lincoln. Read PSC proposed rules here. [pdf]
Send comments via e-mail to rose [dot] price [at] nebraska [dot] gov AND angela [dot] melton [at] nebraska [dot] gov. Here are some suggestions for comments from Bold Nebraska.
1) We need avoidance areas like private wells, families drinking water sources, etc.
2) The PSC should develop a Citizen Advisory Council made up of landowners in the route and citizens not in the route to be engaged in the process as a partner.
3) All of the known oil related laws on a local or state level should be listed in the rules.
4) The state-level oil spill/fire response plan should also be listed in the rules with how TransCanada will work that plan.

NGP 2012 CONVENTION SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012 . . . The Biannual Nebraska Green Party Convention will be Saturday, June 23rd, noon to 3:00pm, at Elmwood Park, 808 South 60th Street, in Omaha (or in case of rain at McFoster’s Cafe, 38th & Farnam). To keep it a no cost event, we’re having a potluck picnic. We’ll have signs up in the park to direct you. Should you have questions, call Mark Zimmermann, 402.250.5235.
The agenda will include electing delegates to our national convention, as well as a new state council. Just as important, we will have a discussion on how to refocus and revitalize our state party. Is pursuing a ballot line the best use of our time, or should we focus on more local and nonpartisan efforts? Should we be more campaign oriented or more issue oriented? What is the role of a “third” party in a highly polarized political atmosphere? How do we turn a small budget into an advantage (which in a fair world it would be)? We are at a real crossroads in terms of our state party’s direction and viability. If you have any interest in the possibility of progressive politics in Nebraska, we need your input. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been gone for a while, or have never been that involved. You will be welcome, and you are needed. If you are not in our database, and want to be, please send us your contact information at negreenparty [at] gmail [dot] com or by postal mail at P.O. Box 85442, Lincoln, NE 68501-5442.

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . Greens are now on the ballot in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and new state, Delaware. Dr. Jill Stein will go to the Green Party convention in Baltimore, July 13, 14 and 15, with a clear majority of delegates. Stein campaign manager Ben Manski shares the urgency of getting matching funds by June 30 in a 6 minute video here.
A 1:42:42 minute video of the May 12, 2012 Green Party Presidential Forum streamed live with Stein and Roseanne Barr is here.  If you ever dreamed of a new paradigm for electoral politics in this country, please watch this model of extraordinary cooperation and agreement between candidates, in stark contrast to the competitive status quo.  Watch video of Stein’s 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial debate with Mitt Romney here.
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions for a NGP ballot line must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st.

STOP MILITARY RECRUITMENT OF CHILDREN . . . The Obama administration recently created a petition tool allowing the public to bring different issues to their attention. The bar is set quite high (25000 signatures), but it presents a real opportunity to have the ear of the president, and to tell him that the recruitment of, and marketing to kids for US military service needs to stop. The Stop Military Recruitment of Children Petition Campaign needs signatures, 24,855 of them, by July 12. Please sign and share the petition. The US Military has no business marketing to and recruiting our kids. This practice needs to stop. Please stand with us to put an end to it.

FARMERS MARKETS . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

NATIVE AMERICAN POW-WOW . . . The National Congress of American Indian Welcome Pow-Wow will be Sunday, June 17, 2012, 5:00 to 10:00pm, at the Lincoln Indian Center, 1100 Military Road. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, phone 402.438.5231.

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Sunday, June 17, 2012, 7:00pm, Occupy Education will hold an open discussion/brainstorming session about what Occupy Lincoln should do this summer at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street, Lincoln. Check the Occupy Education – Lincoln website for the new schedule of Teach-Ins.

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’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHITE PRIVILEGE AND ITS CONTEXT . . . Led by local peace and justice activist/educator Joshua Cramer, and featuring a different guest every Monday, 7:00 to 8:00pm, this Occupy Education series is centered on institutionalized white privilege in the education system and how it can be challenged by a comprehensive approach that synthesizes many domains of culture: race, class, nationality, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and ableness. The series continues through July 2nd, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street #102.

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

LINCOLN COMMUNITY ENERGY CONVERSATION . . . There will be a Community Energy Conversation on Saturday, June 23, 2012, at the City/County Building, 555 South 10th Street, Lincoln. Registration is at 8:30, and the discussion starts at 9:00am.  The day’s events will include conversations between Lincoln residents, City officials, and experts from Lincoln Electric System. Lunch and parking will be provided. Participants must be 18 years old or older. For more information, e-mail ppc [at] nebraska [dot] edu or phone 402.472.5678.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Sunday, June 24, 2012, Occupy Education will present “Tactical Information Techniques and Strategies” with Ande Reinkordt and Grant Brownyard at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street, Lincoln.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . With a unanimous vote May 21, 2012, the City Council closed a loophole that allowed Occupy Lincoln to keep tents up on Centennial Mall for almost seven months. Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage of the new rule banning tents on public land without a permit here.  There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

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, June 20, 2012, the film will be “Death on a Factory Farm,” a documentary that chronicles an investigation of alleged animal abuses at a hog farm in Ohio. Watch a 56 second trailer here.  And it’s movie planning time, so if there’s a film you’d like to see in the weekly series, e-mail Beth Dagle, bethdagle [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

NGP 2012 CONVENTION. . . The Nebraska Green Party 2012 Convention will be Saturday, June 23, noon to 3:00pm, at Elmwood Park, 808 South 60th Street, in Omaha. (In case of rain, at McFoster’s Cafe, 38th & Farnam.) If you have an interest in the possibility of progressive politics in Nebraska, we need your input. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been gone for a while, or have never been that involved. You will be welcome, and you are needed. Join us for a pot luck picnic and discussion at this NGP crossroads event.

UPDATE ON CLOSING POLLING STATIONS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY . . . Open and accessible polls are essential to a representative democracy. Election 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. A Lincoln Journal Star AP report, “27 Douglas County polling places to reopen,” was sourced from The Associated Press, June 14th. It begins “The Douglas County election commissioner has told some residents that he’ll reopen 27 of the 86 polling places he’d closed because of budget restraints.” Thank you to those who signed the petition asking Phipp to reverse his course of action.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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 . . . Sunday, June 17, 2012, the Omaha World-Herald published “TransCanada sweetens pot,” by Paul Hammel. It begins “TransCanada Inc. is significantly increasing its financial offers to Nebraska landowners as it seeks a new route for the Keystone XL pipeline that bypasses the groundwater-rich Sand Hills. Letters went out last week to landowners along the new route, offering bonuses for signing right-of-way contracts and increasing estimated payments for right-of-way by up to 400 percent over what the company paid along the original route.” The article is continued here.
TWEET: Landowners tell their story about TransCanada upping their offers by 400%
Inside Climate News published “2010 oil spill in Michigan far larger than official estimates, evidence shows,” by David Sassoon, on June 11th. “Almost two years after the spill, oil is still being removed from the Kalamazoo River. The cleanup has been difficult because the line that ruptured was carrying diluted bitumen, a form of oil derived from Canada’s oil sands that has defied traditional oil recovery methods.” A May 22nd “Exclusive Interview: Why Tar Sands Oil Is More Polluting and Why It Matters,” by Lisa Song, was also published at Inside Climate News this past week. In the interview, Adam Brandt, global expert on the carbon footprint of fuels, explains why oil sands’ 20% greater greenhouse gas emissions are significant.
Tuesday, June 12th, “Oil sands firms test alternative way to tap bitumen” was published in the Globe and Mail. “A research consortium announced Tuesday it has field-tested a new extraction method that essentially involves microwaving bitumen. If it works, it could tackle some of the industry’s largest challenges: water use, greenhouse gas emissions and high costs.”
“Canada seeks alternatives to transport oil reserves,” by Elisabeth Rosenthal on June 13th begins “As the United States continues to play political Ping-Pong with the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline, Canadian officials and companies are desperately seeking alternatives to get the country’s nearly 200 billion barrels in oil reserves to market from landlocked Alberta.”
TransCanada has secretly submitted its permit application for the Southern portion of the Keystone XL Pipeline to the Corps of Engineers. To evade a meaningful review, TransCanada applied for an expedited, insufficient permit. And the Army Corps, which has an abysmal environmental track record, could approve the project unless the EPA steps in. Learn more and add your name to a petition telling EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson not to allow TransCanada’s project to get rubber stamped at CredoAction here.  Please sign them both.
The Dirtiest Oil on Earth, is a new 1:42 minute animation on the dangers of tar sands crude and pipelines, illustrating the destruction of natural areas, contamination of air and water supplies and political influence exerted by the oil industry to build projects designed to transport tar sands across the US to reach foreign markets. The Dirtiest Oil on Earth, and more information, can be found at The Sierra Club beyond oil campaign website.
From OnEarth Magazine: “Our agricultural policy used to be designed with farmers in mind. Then Big Ag took it over. Can it be won back?” This excellent May 23rd interview with KXL opposition leader, Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen, by Paul Tullis, is called “The Barnstormer.”
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
           “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominee.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . 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.

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.“

PSC MEETING JUNE 18, 2012 . . . If the current lawsuit is successful,TransCanada will have to use the Public Service Commission process of approval for their toxic tar sands pipeline through Nebraska. Public comments are critical, in person at the June 18th meeting, 10:00am, at the PSC Hearing Room, 1200 N Street, Lincoln, or in writing, by June 11th, to Nebraska Public Service Commission, PO Box 94927, Lincoln, NE 68509-4927. Read PSC proposed rules here. [pdf]  Send comments via e-mail to rose [dot] price [at] nebraska [dot] gov AND angela [dot] melton [at] nebraska [dot] gov.  Here are some suggestions for comments from Bold Nebraska.
1) We need avoidance areas like private wells, families drinking water sources, etc
2) The PSC should develop a Citizen Advisory Council made up of landowners in the route and citizens not in the route to be engaged in the process as a partner.
3) All of the known oil related laws on a local or state level should be listed in the rules.
4) The state-level oil spill/fire response plan should also be listed in the rules with how TransCanada will work that plan.

NGP 2012 CONVENTION JUNE 23, 2012 . . .  The Biannual Nebraska Green Party Convention will be Saturday, June 23rd, noon to 3:00pm, at Elmwood Park, 808 South 60th Street, in Omaha (or in case of rain at McFoster’s Cafe, 38th & Farnam). To keep it a no cost event, we’re having a potluck picnic. We’ll have signs up in the park to direct you. Should you have questions, call Mark Zimmermann, 402.250.5235.
The agenda will include electing delegates to our national convention, and a new state council. Just as important, we will have a discussion on how to refocus and revitalize our state party. Is pursuing a ballot line the best use of our time, or should we focus on more local and nonpartisan efforts?  Should we be more campaign oriented or more issue oriented?  What is the role of a “third” party in a highly polarized political atmosphere?  How do we turn a small budget into an advantage (which in a fair world it would be)?   We are at a real crossroads in terms of our state party’s direction and viability. If you have any interest in the possibility of progressive politics in Nebraska, we need your input.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve been gone for a while, or have never been that involved. You will be welcome, and you are needed.  If you are not in our database, and want to be, please send us your contact information at negreenparty [at] gmail [dot] com or by postal mail at P.O. Box 85442, Lincoln, NE 68501-5442.

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . The Green Party’s Jill Stein has clinched the presidential nomination after celebrating a major victory in California’s primary, winning 49% of the vote. The California win followed Stein victories in Michigan, Florida, and Iowa. With 182 delegates required to win the nomination, and 194 delegates now in hand, Stein will go into the Green Party convention in Baltimore, July 12-15, with a clear majority of delegates. She has won over 66% of all delegates allocated, and 27 of 29 Green Party primaries, with the next nearest candidate, Roseanne Barr, at 22%.
A 1:42:42 minute video of the May 12, 2012 Green Party Presidential Forum streamed live with Stein and Roseanne Barr is here.  If you ever dreamed of a new paradigm for electoral politics in this country, please watch this model of extraordinary cooperation and agreement between candidates, in stark contrast to the competitive status quo.  Watch video of Stein’s 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial debate with Mitt Romney here.
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska so that Stein can be on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions for a NGP ballot line must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st. The National Green Party convention is in Baltimore, July 12, 2012.

FARMERS MARKETS . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Check the Occupy Education – Lincoln website for the new schedule of Teach-Ins. Sunday, June 10, 2012, 7:00pm, the class will be “Occupy Small Town: Reaching out to the rural community,” at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street.

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’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHITE PRIVILEGE AND ITS CONTEXT . . . Led by local peace and justice activist/educator Joshua Cramer, and featuring a different guest every week, this Occupy Education series is centered on institutionalized white privilege in the education system and how it can be challenged by a comprehensive approach that synthesizes many domains of culture: race, class, nationality, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and ableness. This series continues every Monday night, 7:00 to 8:00pm, through July 2nd, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street #102.

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.

IDENTIFYING BIRDS . . . Thursday, June 14, 2012, 7:00pm, Spring Creek Prairie’s Kevin Poague will present “How to Identify Birds–and Have Fun Doing It” at the Wachiska Audubon Society monthly meeting, Union College Dick Auditorium, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln. Click here for details about the free presentation, including parking suggestions during current campus construction. Learn about many of the 455 Nebraska bird species in this introduction to birdwatching.

INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE . . . Permaculture is a system for living sustainably. Saturday, June 16, 2012, 9:30am to 12:00 noon, CROPS Executive Director Ingrid Kirst will present an Introduction to Permaculture at 2411 South 8th Street (8th and Park), in Lincoln. Kirst will demonstrate how, by learning from natural ecosystems, we can create growing systems that require less outside inputs and less effort to produce abundant foods. From this introduction, you will be able to put permaculture principles into action. This class will be at the home permaculture garden of Amy Brt, so you will get direct experience of easy things you can implement at your own home. Pre-Register here.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

JUNETEENTH WEEKEND . . . Lincoln’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration will be Saturday, June 16, 2012, at Trago Park, 22nd and U Street. There will be free food, live entertainment, a health/resource fair, and a kid’s corner with bouncy houses. A Juneteenth Reunion Celebration and Fundraiser will be Friday evening, June 15th, 5:30 to 9:00pm, at the Malone Center, 2032 “U” Street. There will be local jazz, blues and gospel performers, appetizers, and a historic display of the Center. For more information, phone 402.474.1116.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

NATIVE AMERICAN POW-WOW . . . The National Congress of American Indian Welcome Pow-Wow will be Sunday, June 17, 2012, 5:00 to 10:00pm, at the Lincoln Indian Center, 1100 Military Road. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, phone 402.438.5231.

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Sunday, June 17, 2012, 7:00pm, Occupy Education will hold an open discussion/brainstorming session about what Occupy Lincoln should do this summer at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street, Lincoln.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . With a unanimous vote May 21, 2012, the City Council closed a loophole that allowed Occupy Lincoln to keep tents up on Centennial Mall for almost seven months. Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage of the new rule banning tents on public land without a permit here.
There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION . . . There will be a Community Celebration and Welcome for the Human Rights Campaign’s incoming President, Chad Griffin, on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 6:00 to 8:00pm, at Slowdown, 729 North 14th Street, Omaha. An acoustic set of music will be provided by Laura Burhenn of the Mynabirds, and leaders from Omaha and Lincoln will speak about the success of recent employment nondiscrimination ordinances. Light Fare and Drink will be provided for the free event with RSVP. RSVP NOW.

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, June 13, 2012, the film will be “Under Our Skin,” a documentary that exposes the hidden story of Lyme disease. Watch a 2:30 minute trailer here. It’s movie planning time, so if there’s a film you’d like to see in the weekly series, e-mail Beth Dagle, bethdagle [at] gmail [dot] com. 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.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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 . . . “Just Show Us The Antidote,” by Cleve Trimble MD, was published in the Norfolk Daily News June 4, 2012. “…The only real issue is whether Keystone’s wealth trumps Nebraska’s health. The sole issue is whether this pipeline should cross our border in the first place. It makes no sense that a tube of death runs over the drinking and agricultural waters of Nebraska – our lifeblood – and that our departments of health and environmental quality don’t know what’s in it; and that foreign interests — who know but won’t tell — control the antidote. Maybe they’ll sell it to us later, when our lands and waters and critters are dying.”
Meanwhile, “Criticism, concern follows Alberta pipeline spill,” by CTV News staff (Calgary), June 9th reported on Friday’s Alberta pipeline spill. “Premier Alison Redford says it’s too early to tell what caused up to 3,000 barrels of crude oil to gush out of an Alberta pipeline, but an investigation will soon take place. For the time being, crews are scrambling to contain a leak that may have resulted in as much as 475,000 litres of crude spilling into a tributary of the Red Deer River.” Continued here.
Also on June 9th, The Toronto Star published an in-depth article on the pipeline. “Keystone XL: How Canada’s pipeline splits the U.S.” by Mitch Potter, includes a 13:17 minute video featuring Bold Nebraska’s Jane Kleeb. “The Battle for Nebraska’s Sandhills,” also speaks with Nebraskans all along the proposed route. “It’s Big Oil vs. landowners on the Sandhills of Nebraska and the underdog is near defeat. How far will the ranchers go to protect one of the most sensitive eco-regions in the US against oilsand crude and the Keystone XL pipeline?”
From Truthout, June 8th, “TransCanada’s Latest Extreme Energy Export Pipelines in the US and Canada,” by Steve Horn, sourced from DeSmogBlog: “TransCanada was once in the limelight and targeted for its Keystone XL pipeline project. Now, with few eyes watching, it is pushing along two key pipeline projects that would bring two respective forms of what energy geopolitics scholar Michael Klare calls ‘extreme energy’ to lucrative export markets.” Read and watch 1:47 minute video here.
A Lisa Song Inside Climate News article on June 7th, “Keystone XL: Will EPA concern over 61 water crossings go unanswered?” reports “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not responding to an EPA scientist’s letter about 61 water crossings in Texas as the White House works to expedite pipeline approval.” Further, “Approval from the Army Corps is virtually all that stands between TransCanada and pipeline construction.”
TransCanada has secretly submitted its permit application for the Southern portion of the Keystone XL Pipeline to the Corps of Engineers. To evade a meaningful review, TransCanada applied for an expedited, insufficient permit. And the Army Corps, which has an abysmal environmental track record, could approve the project unless the EPA steps in.  Learn more and add your name to a petition telling EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson not to allow TransCanada’s project to get rubber stamped at the CredoAction petition here.  Please sign them both.
Wednesday, June 6th, the Sierra Club released The Dirtiest Oil on Earth, a 1:42 minute animation on the dangers of tar sands crude and pipelines transporting the world’s dirtiest oil from Alberta, Canada, through the United States. The animation illustrates the dangers of spills, destruction of natural areas, contamination of air and water supplies and political influence exerted by the oil industry to build pipeline projects designed to transport tar sands across the US to reach foreign markets. The Dirtiest Oil on Earth, and more information, can be found at The Sierra Club beyond oil campaign website.
Click here for a Weekly Pipeline Recap with Action Ideas, other news, and developments from Bold Nebraska.
A Memorandum Of Understanding between the U.S. Department of State and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality for Conducting an Environmental Review for the Keystone XL Pipeline Project was posted Thursday, May 24, 2012. Click here [pdf] to read the six-page document. The June 1, 2012 Lincoln Journal Star coverage, “State, federal agencies on same pipeline page,” is here.  June 1st, LJS also published an AP article by Ramit Plushnick-Masti, “TransCanada submits new application for part of pipeline.”
From OnEarth Magazine: “Our agricultural policy used to be designed with farmers in mind. Then Big Ag took it over. Can it be won back?” This excellent May 23rd interview with KXL opposition leader, Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen, by Paul Tullis, is called “The Barnstormer.”
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
           “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominee.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes,” by Brad Johnson, ThinkProgress, in Reader Supported News 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…” 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.

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.“

NEBRASKA WILDFLOWER WEEK . . . June 2 througth June 10, 2012 is Nebraska Wildflower Week, a celebration of wildflowers and native plants across the state. Events are listed here.  View a 13:25 minute video of native plants and wildflowers with Bob Henrickson of the state Arboretum here.

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . Greens are united across the country in voting for Jill Stein as their 2012 presidential nominee. For the full set of primary results to date, click here.  A vice presidential running mate search is on, and the campaign is asking for people’s guidance at the website.
A 1:42:42 minute video of the May 12, 2012 Green Party Presidential Forum streamed live with Stein and Roseanne Barr is here.  If you ever dreamed of a new paradigm for electoral politics in this country, please watch this model of extraordinary cooperation and agreement between candidates, in stark contrast to the competitive status quo.  Watch video of Stein’s 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial debate with Mitt Romney here.
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska so that Stein can be on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions for a NGP ballot line must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st. The National Green Party convention is in Baltimore, July 12, 2012.

FARMERS MARKETS . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Check the Occupy Education – Lincoln website for the new schedule of Teach-Ins. Sunday, June 3, 2012, 7:00pm, Lynette Katrina Xavier will present “Know Your City Council” at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street.

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

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.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Sunday, June 10, 2012, 7:00pm, the class will be “Occupy Small Town: Reaching out to the rural community,” at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso, 1624 South Street, Lincoln.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . With a unanimous vote May 21, 2012, the City Council closed a loophole that allowed Occupy Lincoln to keep tents up on Centennial Mall for almost seven months. Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage of the new rule banning tents on public land without a permit here.  There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

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, June 6, 2012, the film will be “The Good Reactor.” The film about Thorium, a technology from the Cold War era, details the potential to resolve the energy crisis, stem carbon emissions and render covert development of nuclear weapons nearly impossible. Watch a 1:35 minute trailer here.  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.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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 . . . A new Alberta pipeline disaster last week “released 22,000 barrels of oil and water into muskeg in the far northwest of Alberta. The spill ranks among the largest in North America in recent years, a period that has seen a series of high-profile accidents that have undermined the energy industry’s safety record. The Enbridge Inc. pipeline rupture that leaked oil near Michigan’s Kalamazoo River, for example, spilled an estimated 19,500 barrels.” Read a Globe and Mail update from Calgary here.
Pipeline leaks of thousands of gallons in Southeast Nebraska resulted in fines by the EPA as reported in the Omaha World-Herald, May 29, 2012. “$1M Fine for Water Contamination,” by Joe Duggan, is here.
The Lincoln Journal Star published “Supreme Court says no to pipeline case,” by Art Hovey, May 30, 2012. “The Nebraska Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging the constitutionality of action in the 2012 legislative session involving the Keystone XL pipeline. That means pipeline opponents will turn to a companion lawsuit filed last week as a back-up plan in Lancaster County District Court.” Coverage is continued here.
A Memorandum Of Understanding between the U.S. Department of State and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality for Conducting an Environmental Review for the Keystone XL Pipeline Project was posted Thursday, May 24, 2012. Click here [pdf] to read the six-page document. The June 1, 2012 Lincoln Journal Star coverage, “State, federal agencies on same pipeline page,” is here.  June 1st, LJS also published an AP article by Ramit Plushnick-Masti, “TransCanada submits new application for part of pipeline.”
From OnEarth Magazine: “Our agricultural policy used to be designed with farmers in mind. Then Big Ag took it over. Can it be won back?” This excellent May 23rd interview with KXL opposition leader, Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen, by Paul Tullis, is called “The Barnstormer.”
Click here for a Bold Nebraska recap of news, research and updates on TransCanada’s KXL pipeline for the past week.
TransCanada has secretly submitted its permit application for the Southern portion of the Keystone XL Pipeline to the Army Corps of Engineers. To evade a meaningful review, TransCanada applied for an expedited, insufficient permit. And the Army Corps, which has an abysmal environmental track record, could approve the project unless the EPA steps in.  Learn more and add your name to a petition telling EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson not to allow TransCanada’s project to get rubber stamped at the CredoAction petition here.  A similar Friends of the Earth Petition is here.  Please sign them both.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
           “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential candidate.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes,” by Brad Johnson, ThinkProgress, in Reader Supported News 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…”  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.

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.“

NEBRASKA WILDFLOWER WEEK . . . June 2 througth June 10, 2012 is Nebraska Wildflower Week, a celebration of wildflowers and native plants across the state. Events are listed here.  View a 13:25 minute video of native plants and wildflowers with Bob Henrickson of the state Arboretum here.

NEBRASKA RAINBOW GATHERING . . . Nebraska’s 2012 Memorial Day Weekend Rainbow Gathering will continue until Wednesday, May 30th. No money. No alcohol. No aggression. No amplified music. Camping and Celebration of Nature. Find Common Unity to Build Community. Hike and camp along a wide sandy river channel on public land near Genoa. For directions, and more information, phone William at 402.304.2751.

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . Greens are united across the country in voting for Jill Stein as their 2012 presidential nominee. She has won 50% or more of the vote in all 22 state primaries, caucuses, and conventions so far, and in 16 of those primaries she won over 67% of the vote. For the full set of primary results to date, click here.  A vice presidential running mate search is on, and the campaign is asking for people’s guidance at the website.
A 1:42:42 minute video of the May 12, 2012 Green Party Presidential Forum streamed live with Stein and Roseanne Barr is here.  If you ever dreamed of a new paradigm for electoral politics in this country, please watch this model of extraordinary cooperation and agreement between candidates, in stark contrast to the competitive status quo.  Watch video of Stein’s 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial debate with Mitt Romney here.
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska so that Stein can be on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st. The National Green Party convention is in Baltimore, July 12, 2012.

FARMERS MARKETS OPEN . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, 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.  Saturday, June 2, 2012, there will be Training Sessions in Lincoln and Omaha. “10 Tough Questions About the Death Penalty” will present the most effective ways to discuss the issue. The Lincoln training will be from 9:00 to 11:00am, at the Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street, Lincoln. Identical Omaha traning will be from 1:00 to 3:00pm, at the Second Unitarian Church, 3012 South 119th Street, Omaha.  A suggested $5 donation would cover the cost of materials, but it is not a requirement. 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 . . . Check the Occupy Education – Lincoln website for the new schedule of Teach-Ins.

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.

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY AT SPRING CREEK PRAIRIE . . . Celebrate National Trails Day at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln near Denton, 8:30am to noon or 1:00pm, Saturday, June 2, 2012. There will be hiking, tailgating, and a special birding hike from 8:30 to 10:00am. The celebration is free. Drawings will be held for Spring Creek memberships, and there will be gifts for the first 300 participants. Bring a picnic lunch or prepare a tailgate lunch after the hike. For more information, call Deb Hauswald at 402.797.2301.

BIKE SWAP MEET . . . Saturday, June 2, 2012, is the ninth annual Lincoln Bike Swap Meet, from 8:00am to noon, in the parking lot of the 501 Bar and Grill, at 501 West A Street. The event is free, and will be held rain or shine. There will be bike clothing and components for bikes in auction at 11:00am. A Lincoln Journal Star article about the growing trend for Lincoln cyclists is here.

HERBS FOR HEALTH AND JUSTICE . . . Led by Alex Svoboda, this Occupy Education Series is organized with the intention of fostering community and sharing knowledge about herbal healing and health justice. Saturday, June 2, 2012, Alex will present “Building an herbal first aid kit: Disaster preparedness.” The class is from 2:00 to 4:00pm, at the 4th floor auditorium, Bennett Martin Library, 136 South 14th Street, in downtown Lincoln.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . With a unanimous vote Monday evening, May 21, 2012, the City Council closed a loophole that allowed Occupy Lincoln to keep tents up on Centennial Mall for almost seven months. Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage of the new rule banning tents on public land without a permit here. There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

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, May 30, 2012, the film will be “The War You Don’t See.”  The John Pilger documentary reveals the ways in which modern media has become compromised. Watch a 1:12 minute trailer here.  For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

POT LUCK AND DISCUSSION . . . Thursday, May 31, 2012, 6:30 to 9:00pm, there will be a pot luck meal and discussion on “How do we ‘build a movement’ for economic equality?” at 4924 Chicago Street, in Omaha. Bring a food dish to share. Everyone is welcome.

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.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Lincoln Journal Star coverage of this week’s lawsuit, Thompson V. Heineman, [pdf] filed with the Nebraska Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of a pipeline siting law passed in the 2012 legislative session is here.
The lawsuit claims that LB1161 [pdf] violates separation of powers and that it delegates authority for regulating the controversial pipeline to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, even though the constitution assigns that task to the Nebraska Public Service Commission. The 12-page suit names landowners Randy Thompson of Central City, Susan Luebbe of Stuart, and Susan Dunavan of McCool Junction as plaintiffs and Gov. Dave Heineman, State Treasurer Don Stenberg, and DEQ Director Mike Linder as defendants.
The lawsuit was widely covered in media including AP, Reuters, Bloomberg, UPI, Nebraska’s Omaha World-Herald, and KVNO News.
All three plaintiffs, the legal team, and opposition activists were interviewed in a conference call the previous day. The 40:29 minute audio is here.  Click here for Bold Nebraska’s press resources, photos, the text of lawsuit, and quotes from the landowner/plaintiffs.
How The Keystone XL Pipeline Could Raise Gas Prices, by Mose Buchele, begins “The debate over TransCanada’s proposed oil pipeline from the oil sands of Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast has mostly focused on the environmental and economic impacts. People in favor say it will bring jobs and energy security. Opponents say the pipeline, and the crude it will carry, will harm the earth. But the project might have another consequence that’s been largely overlooked. Some analysts say it could actually raise gas prices for many American consumers.” Here’s how.
According to Bill McKibben, “We’re coming to think that it’s at least as important to tackle the fossil fuel industry directly as they try to tackle our win on the Keystone pipeline. Last Thursday, Bernie Sanders introduced a bill that would strip $113 billion in subsidies from coal, gas, and oil companies over the next decade. That’s enough money to weatherize more than half the single family and mobile homes in America.” Click here to learn how you can help.
TransCanada has secretly submitted its permit application for the Southern portion of the Keystone XL Pipeline to the Army Corps of Engineers. To evade a meaningful review, TransCanada applied for an expedited, insufficient permit. And the Army Corps, which has an abysmal environmental track record, could approve the project in 45 days – or sooner – unless the EPA steps in.  Learn more and add your name to a petition telling EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson not to allow TransCanada’s project to get rubber stamped at the CredoAction petition here.  A similar Friends of the Earth Petition is here.  Please sign them both.
An Esquire article about Nebraska’s XKL opposition hero Randy Thompson, sourced to Reader Supported News, is here.  RSN also sourced “Game Over for the Climate,” by James Hansen, from the New York Times. It begins “Global warming isn’t a prediction. It is happening. That is why I was so troubled to read a recent interview with President Obama in Rolling Stone in which he said that Canada would exploit the oil in its vast tar sands reserves ‘regardless of what we do.’ If Canada proceeds, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate.” Read the Hansen article here. Read Bill McKibben’s response to Hansen’s article here.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
           “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential candidate.

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 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.”
BOLD 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.

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.“

NEBRASKA RAINBOW GATHERING . . . Nebraska’s 2012 Memorial Day Weekend Rainbow Gathering will be from Wednesday to Wednesday, May 23 to May 30th. No money. No alcohol. No aggression. No amplified music. Camping and Celebration of Nature. Find Common Unity to Build Community. Hike and camp along a wide sandy river channel on public land near Genoa, Nebraska. For directions, and more information, phone William at 402.304.2751.

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . After winning Green Party primaries in Maryland and Delaware, Dr. Jill Stein has crossed the 50% threshold to winning the Green Party’s 2012 presidential nomination. With 200.5 delegates required, and 105.5 delegates in hand, Dr. Stein is now the prospective nominee. She is 18 for 18 in the Green Party state primaries, conventions and caucuses. The campaign has launched the first step in a search for a vice presidential running mate, asking for people’s guidance at the website.
A 1:42:42 minute video of the May 12, 2012 Green Party Presidential Forum streamed live with Stein and Roseanne Barr is here.  If you ever dreamed of a new paradigm for electoral politics in this country, please watch this model of extraordinary cooperation and agreement between candidates, in stark contrast to the competitive status quo.  Watch video of Stein’s 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial debate with Mitt Romney here.
To help secure ballot status in Nebraska so that Stein can be on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st. The National Green Party convention is in Baltimore, July 12, 2012.

FARMERS MARKETS OPEN . . . There are more than 90 local Farmers Markets in Nebraska this year. For a partial schedule of current Buy Fresh Buy Local Markets, click here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

BEES . . . Sunday with a Scientist May 20, 2012, 1:30 to 4:30pm, at the University of Nebraska State Museum, Morrill Hall, just south of 14th and Vine Streets in Lincoln will feature Professor Marion Ellis, Department of Entomology at UN-L, highlighting the work of scientists on BEES. Discuss getting started in beekeeping with experienced beekeepers, participate in a honey tasting quiz to recognize the floral source of honey samples, and learn about native bees, beekeeping, and pollination at the “ask a beekeeper” booth. Collections of native bees will be on display to help visitors learn to identify common Nebraska bees.

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.  Save the Date: June 2, 2012 Training Sessions in Lincoln and Omaha.  “10 Tough Questions About the Death Penalty” will present the most effective ways to discuss the death penalty–over the water cooler, or presenting to your book club, Bible study, or social studies class. The Lincoln training will be from 9:00 to 11:00am, at the Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street, Lincoln. Identical Omaha traning will be from 1:00 to 3:00pm, at the Second Unitarian Church, 3012 South 119th Street, Omaha. A suggested $5 donation would cover the cost of materials, but it is not a requirement. 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 . . . The Monday Occupy Education Series continues with PLANET IN PERIL: HOW BUSINESS AS USUAL WILL TAKE US OVER THE CLIFF, weekly, 7:00 to 8:00pm, through May 21, 2012, at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street #102. May 21st, “Part 4: Group Discussion about Alternative Energy” will be presented by Dennis Keim. Keim has a 30 year career instructing on renewable energy.

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.

HERBS FOR HEALTH AND JUSTICE . . . Led by Alex Svoboda, this Occupy Education Series is organized with the intention of fostering community and sharing knowledge about herbal healing and health justice. Saturday, May 26th, Alex will present “Cold and flu Support: Remedies for basic ailments–Food as medicine.” Each Saturday class through June 2nd is from 2:00 to 4:00pm, at the 4th floor auditorium, Bennett Martin Library, 136 South 14th Street, in downtown Lincoln.

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market, on 8th Street in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District, is now open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, through October 13, 2012. More than 100 vendors bring farm-fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items to the local gathering place that also features a “Performance Showcase” for Nebraska folk, jazz, blues, classical, and dance talent, plus educational demonstrations and informational booths. Buy Fresh. Shop Local.

SUNDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Old Cheney Road Farmers Market offers local produce, baked goods and natural meats every Sunday, 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Nebraska Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

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, May 23, 2012, the film will be “Dirt! The Movie.”  Narrated by Jaime Lee Curtis, Dirt! uses animation, vignettes, personal accounts and story telling to examine our relationship with the soil. Watch a 2:01 minute trailer here.  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.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here for an Omaha Market schedule.

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 . . . There have been large crowds at Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality information sessions along the proposed KXL pipeline corridor. More than 160 people attended the Wednesday meeting in Albion.
TransCanada propaganda, a Lincoln Journal Star May 20, 2012 letter to the editor by Stu Luttich, remindeds readers that “… All TransCanada has to do is create an organization with attractive catch-phrases and logos, promote its intentions with large-scale advertisements and lace the advertisements with what the people want to read and hear, and the people will be seduced into following like mice following the Pied Piper. The oil and oil pipeline companies do not become rich by increasing jobs and selling cheap oil.”
In The Politics of the Pipeline, for Esquire Magazine, sourced to Reader Supported News, Charles Pierce speculates on political strategy around KXL. “As always, it’s necessary to point out that the pipeline will carry the most poisonous fossil fuel in the history of man right down through the center of our country, through rich farmlands and the Oglalla aquifer, to refineries in Texas, whereupon it will be refined and sold on the open market to anybody who wants to buy it. Energy independence, my eye. Lower gas prices, my other eye.”
How The Keystone XL Pipeline Could Raise Gas Prices, by Mose Buchele, May 17th, begins “The debate over TransCanada’s proposed oil pipeline from the oil sands of Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast has mostly focused on the environmental and economic impacts. People in favor say it will bring jobs and energy security. Opponents say the pipeline, and the crude it will carry, will harm the earth. But the project might have another consequence that’s been largely overlooked. Some analysts say it could actually raise gas prices for many American consumers.” Here’s how.
May 18th, The Hill reported on Friday’s House vote to insist that lawmakers negotiating a bicameral transportation programs funding bill include approval of the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline. The bill was approved 261-152.  Average Yea voters took 6.5 times more money from oil interests in the current Congress than the average Nay voter. In total, oil money Yea voters took over 11 times more. The Yea voters have received nearly $6 million during the current Congress while Nay voters received just over half a million.  Read The Hill article here.
According to Bill McKibben, “We’re coming to think that it’s at least as important to tackle the fossil fuel industry directly as they try to tackle our win on the Keystone pipeline. Last Thursday, Bernie Sanders introduced a bill that would strip $113 billion in subsidies from coal, gas, and oil companies over the next decade. That’s enough money to weatherize more than half the single family and mobile homes in America.” Click here to learn how you can help.
TransCanada has secretly submitted its permit application for the Southern portion of the Keystone XL Pipeline to the Army Corps of Engineers. To evade a meaningful review, TransCanada applied for an expedited, insufficient permit. And the Army Corps, which has an abysmal environmental track record, could approve the project in 45 days – or sooner – unless the EPA steps in.  Learn more and add your name to a petition telling EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson not to allow TransCanada’s project to get rubber stamped at the CredoAction petition here.  A similar Friends of the Earth Petition is here.  Please sign them both.
An Esquire article about Nebraska’s XKL opposition hero Randy Thompson, sourced to Reader Supported News, is here.  RSN also sourced “Game Over for the Climate,” by James Hansen, from the New York Times. It begins “Global warming isn’t a prediction. It is happening. That is why I was so troubled to read a recent interview with President Obama in Rolling Stone in which he said that Canada would exploit the oil in its vast tar sands reserves ‘regardless of what we do.’ If Canada proceeds, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate.” Read the Hansen article here. Read Bill McKibben’s response to Hansen’s article here.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
           “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential candidate.

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 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.

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.“