Green Notes Week of August 19, 2012

August 19, 2012Green Notesgreenone

WOMEN’S MARCH TO END GENOCIDE IN WHITECLAY, NEBRASKA . . . Sunday, August 26, 2012, 12:00 noon, at the Billy Mills Hall, Pine Ridge, South Dakota, there will be a Women’s March to End Genocide in Whiteclay. For more information, contact Olowan Martinez, Lead Organizer, at 605.407.1773 or truelyn8tive [at] yahoo [dot] com

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Local Move to Amend groups presented signatures on petitions to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution of the Lincoln City Council on Monday, August 13, 2012. 2004 Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb started a Midwest Barnstorming Tour with Nebraska appearances in Lincoln and Omaha last weekend. Watch a 2:10 minute video of David Barnstorming MTA at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr-Eax3f1rg&feature=youtu.be. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . For the latest information on ballot access, see http://www.jillstein.org/ballot. Thirty-three states now have a ballot line for Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala. In Nebraska, we are collecting signatures for Jill’s ballot access with a non-partisan line on the November ballot. The petition deadline is September 1, 2012. To help with the effort to make a vote for Dr. Jill Stein possible in Nebraska, please e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Another U.S. is Possible — Another Party is Necessary.

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

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.

TUESDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . Tuesdays, 4:30-7:30pm, there is a Farmers Market at St. Paul United Church of Christ, 13th & F Streets, in Lincoln.

WEDNESDAY FARMERS MARKETS . . . The Downtown Garden Market, M Street between 16th & Centennial, continues every Wednesday, 12:00 noon to 4:00pm. The University Place Community Market, 48th Street & Madison Avenue, is every Wednesday from 3:00 to 7:00pm.

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.

RALLY FOR WHITECLAY . . . A Rally to Raise Awareness in The Battle for Whiteclay will be Thursday, August 23, 2012, on the North side of the State Capitol, Lincoln, in solidarity with the Women’s March to End Genocide on Sunday, August 26, 2012 in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Featured speakers in Lincoln will include Native American Activist Frank LaMere, Documentary Filmmaker Mark Vasina, and Philosopher/Writer Char Knoflicek. Thursday evening, 7:00pm, there will be a special screening of the documentary film The Battle for Whiteclay at the Common Root Mutual Aid Center, 1315 South 24th Street.

FEAST ON THE FARM . . . Saturday, August 25, 2012, at 5:00pm, the annual Sunset Community Feast on the Farm, SW 40th and West F Streets, will feature food, live music, dancing, and a silent auction. For more information, including a list of silent auction items, go to http://www.communitycrops.org/farmdinner.

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!

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. For information about this Wednesday’s film, check http://www.progressiveomaha.com/films.htm later in the week. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

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

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

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . From “Keystone XL pipeline crosses political boundaries in Nebraska and beyond,” by Steven Mufson, Washington Post, August 17, 2012: “When TransCanada said its $7 billion Keystone XL oil pipeline from Alberta to Texas would pass about two miles from Spalding in central Nebraska, political boundaries crumbled as the pipeline proposal united Nebraskans across party lines and divided them within.” Read page 1 of 4, and view photo blog, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/keystone-xl-pipeline-crosses-political-boundaries-in-nebraska-and-beyond/2012/08/17/2be72f84-d5c6-11e1-b2d5-2419d227d8b0_story.html (This article reveals how misinformed Bob Kerrey is about where this tar sands toxin is going after it splits our land open and pollutes our entire environment. His Senate opponent is for the pipeline.)
“XL Pipeline Construction Begins With Protests in Texas,” by Candice Bernd, sourced from Occupy.com to Reader Supported News, August 17th, begins “Blockaders braved a wall of bulldozers early Thursday morning and unfurled banners that warned TransCanada to expect resistance the size of Texas if the company proceeds with construction of a pipeline to carry Canadian tar sands through the region as part of Keystone XL’s hastily rebranded “Gulf Coast Project.” Read at http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/12977-xl-pipeline-construction-begins-with-protests-in-texas.
“Keystone XL pipeline construction begins amid protests,” by Kim Murphy, was published in LA Times, August 16th: “The Canadian pipeline company TransCanada has quietly begun construction of the southern leg of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, installing segments near Livingston, Texas, company officials confirmed Thursday.” Read at http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-keystone-xl-pipeline-20120816,0,6693892.story.
“Tar Sands Blockade is Taking A Stand in Texas,” Published by Ethan Nuss, August 13th: “Remember a year ago when 1,253 people got arrested in front of the White House? We came in waves day after day, for weeks, vowing that we would lay our bodies on the line to halt the permitting of the dreaded Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Well, in case you haven’t heard since then, Big Oil has been up to its old tricks and recently secured all the necessary permits to build the southern section of Keystone XL to the Gulf. The Canadian oil corporation, TransCanada, is planning to break ground “within weeks.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on letting them build anything that could spell “game over” for the global climate.
Fortunately, I’m not alone. I’m proud to be part of Tar Sands Blockade, a growing movement of Texas landowners and activists ready to use nonviolent direct action to stand up to Big Oil and say; “Don’t Mess with Texas.”
We need your help! Together we can halt this dirty pipeline in its tracks and build the healthy, clean energy future we know is possible. We’re an open grassroots organization so sign up on our website to learn more about how to get involved. 5:03 minute video at http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2012/08/13/video-tar-sands-blockade-is-taking-a-stand-in-texas/. LIKE on Facebook and SHARE the video on Twitter to support this critical campaign.
“Don’t Mess with Texas’ Tar Sands Blockade Takes Action as Keystone Pipeline Construction Begins,” by Will Wooten, Waging Nonviolence, AlterNet, August 17th: “…Activists will respond by holding the blockade for as long as possible, through the summer and likely into the fall. This could be an important moment for the entire climate movement, setting the stage for future actions and alliances — not to mention giving new meaning to the words “Don’t mess with Texas.” Read and view 5:03 minute video at http://www.alternet.org/hot-news-views/dont-mess-texas-tar-sands-blockade-takes-action-keystone-pipeline-construction-begins?akid=9231.138312.-OGqek&rd=1&src=newsletter694901&t=10.
Jane Kleeb reported from the Texas hearing on Julia Trigg Crawford’s eminent domain case that the judge could rule at any time. Stand with Julia in her fight against Big Oil by donating to her legal fund at https://sumofus.org/campaigns/stand-with-Julia/?akid=683.2507.9N7c3x&rd=1&sub=fwd&t=3.
“Blockade Aims to Stop Southern Keystone XL Pipeline,” by Christine Leclerc, rabble.ca, was at Reader Supported News August 11th: “With a nonviolent direct action camp that started July 27, 2012 in East Texas, grassroots opponents are working on a construction project of their own: Tar Sands Blockade, a coalition of landowners, community members, students, and others dedicated to stopping the pipeline through direct action.” Read at http://www.readersupportednews.org/opinion2/271-38/12883-blockade-aims-to-stop-southern-keystone-xl-pipeline.
From All Things Considered, When this oil spills, it’s ‘a whole new monster.’ “New pipelines are spreading out around the United States as the nation gears up to get much more of its oil from Canada’s deposits of tar sands in Alberta. This is not conventional crude, and getting straight answers about what these pipeline will carry, and what happens when it spills has been difficult for property owners near the pipelines.” Eleven minute audio of All Things Considered at http://www.npr.org/2012/08/16/158025375/when-this-oil-spills-its-a-whole-new-monster.
“Doctors demand access to all health data on oilsands,” by Sharon Kirkey, Postmedia News, August 15th: “The Canadian Medical Association is calling for public and timely access to all government and industry data on the potential human health effects of the oilsands and other natural resource development projects.” Continued at http://www.canada.com/business/Doctors+demand+access+health+data+oilsands/7095892/story.html.
From “This just in… it’s not even oil!” by Greg Awtry, York News Times Editorial, August 14th: “If you transport petroleum products through a pipeline in the U.S.A. you have to pay 8-cent per barrel excise tax to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. If the Keystone XL goes through and they transport about 700,000 barrels a day, TransCanada would have to pay about $56,000 into the fund every day. That would be about $20 million a year.
But here’s some breaking news. The Internal Revenue Service, the agency who has to collect these taxes, has ruled that TransCanada’s Keystone XL won’t have to pay the tax. What? These high pressure tar sand pipelines are spilling all over the place and they don’t have to pay into the Oil Spill Trust Fund? Yes, you read it right. That is correct.
Why? The IRS has ruled the tar sand or diluted bitumen as it’s called after they dilute it with poisonous chemicals, is not oil! The IRS says it is not even a petroleum product! If I was reading this like you are, I would say, “Greg, you have been sniffing too many pipeline fumes! You must have your information wrong!”
…TransCanada calls it oil when they want to sell us on their dangerous idea. They call it an oil pipeline when they overstate the number of jobs this will create. They call it an oil pipeline when they exaggerate the amount of property taxes they will actually pay. The Senators and Representatives who have bought into this lunacy call it oil. But now, when they realize it will be taxed, suddenly it’s not oil any longer!
So (pardon me) what the hell is it? Well, I am going to tell you for two reasons. One, TransCanada won’t, and two I think you need to know exactly what will be going right through our drinking water.
It is dilbit, diluted bitumen. We don’t worry too much about the bitumen. It is a mixture of clay and sand and petroleum product and has the consistency of peanut butter. You can’t pump that through a 36-inch pipe, so they have to dilute it. That’s the part to worry about. About 40 to 70 percent of what’s in the pipe is bitumen. That leaves 30 to 60 percent of something else. Those are the diluents, and they can kill you!
A dilbit safety data sheet says: Smells like rotten eggs because of the hydrogen sulfide; contains benzene which causes cancer in humans along with serous blood disorders including leukemia, and can damage nervous systems including fingers feet and arms. Dilbit contains PNA’s, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, which if it comes into contact with skin can cause skin cancers. Inhalation of PNA’s can cause lung cancer.
The safety data sheet goes on to say about dilbit: Don’t inhale the vapors as the hydrogen sulfide may cause irritation, breathing failure, coma and death without any warning odor being sensed. If spilled on land, the safety sheet says, “Keep public away. Vapors or dust may be harmful or fatal.” If spilled in water, “Product will submerge after a few days of weathering.”
Folks, that means it sinks in water. TransCanada says it floats. We know that is not true as Enbridge is still cleaning the bottom of the Kalamazoo River after a million gallons spilled in 2010.
…So Congressman Adrian Smith, whose Third District is about to be sliced open so all this poison can run right over and through our water, why didn’t you tell us about tar sand not being “oil” and not subject to the tax to clean up spills? We have asked you about the Keystone XL numerous times, and not once did you bring this up. It all comes from the House of Representatives, your body, and this pipe is going to spill on your Third District. Why aren’t you screaming at the top of your lungs to force Keystone XL to pay into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund?
Since this pipe is coming within three miles of York, Neb., the York News-Times would like to know. But if you are one of those who still think this will create 200,000 jobs, end our dependence on unfriendly oil and will never spill, then I submit it’s actually you who might have been sniffing too many pipeline fumes.” The op-ed was re-printed in the Omaha World-Herald August 17th.
“Keystone tax value tops $500 million, by Art Hovey, Lincoln Journal Star, August 14th: “Ten Nebraska counties will benefit from the $538.5 million assessed valuation of the Keystone pipeline when local property taxes are paid next year.” Continued at http://journalstar.com/news/local/keystone-tax-value-tops-million/article_45eb30cd-2a29-59d6-8044-4480709815aa.html?comment_form=true.
Jane Kleeb’s response to Omaha World-Herald coverage:  “Any funds local counties get from TransCanada could be wiped out in a minute if a major spill takes place. Since our state senators and Gov. Heineman have allowed TransCanada lobbyists to control any laws that deal with pipelines, counties are still at risk for costs related to clean-up, health risks, road damages and concerns around water supply.”
“Any tax revenue from TransCanada is short-term. Worse, if the state decides to play around with funding formulas, some counties might even lose state aid with this new tax revenue coming in from TransCanada. At the end of the day, this pipeline remains a huge risk to our land, water and property rights. Tax revenue over a few years will not remove the risk.”
“It’s great to see TransCanada paying some taxes since they continue to stiff the federal Oil Spill Liability Fund because tarsands is not classified as oil according to the IRS. No doubt tarsands lobbyists got that tax loophole and free ride to TransCanada into law. So who will pay for clean-up if TransCanada does not even pay into the fund used when a major spill happens?”
“We have no guarantees, nothing in writing, no money in a bond to ensure our land and water–not to mention medical bills– will be 100% cleaned-up at the expense of TransCanada when a spill happens. We have their word. I remain unconvinced their word is worth the value of our land and water.”
The Omaha World-Herald also published “Be responsibe, safe with XL pipeline,” by Jim Hall, August 16th: “…The harsh reality is that our economy lacks jobs and our lifestyles depend on oil. But it’s important that we provide these jobs and transport oil in a safe, responsible manner. Before a project of this magnitude is approved, both the government and TransCanada need to prove that they are putting safety first.”
Protect the aquifer, by Nina Nelson, a Lincoln Journal Star letter published August 19th, states “…Do people know that the bitumen or tar sands crude oil TransCanada plans to transport through this huge pipeline will be full of dangerous chemicals that can poison both humans and animals? We have no say in what will pass through that pipeline. TransCanada thus far has refused to disclose what dangerous chemical mix will be part of the tar sands crude oil transported. The only way to ensure its safety is to never build the pipeline anywhere near the aquifer. I urge people to contact their House and Senate representatives today.”
“Bad marketing,” by Amy Schaffer, is another LJS letter published August 16th: “…In its attempt to develop a marketing schematic around what is near and dear to Nebraskans’ hearts, TransCanada has failed miserably. What marketing research did not tell executives is that you cannot buy out generations of hard work from a Nebraskan. You cannot threaten to steal our livelihood and expect to get away with it. …Perhaps TransCanada’s marketing dollars would have been better spent on devising an alternate energy source or using common sense and finding a route that does not cross one of the world’s largest aquifers. Wake up, TransCanada. No amount of money will buy out “The Good Life” in God’s Country, so the company best find a new marketing director.”
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.  (Note: Credo Action petitions do generate e-mail from other petitions.)
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 joined forces for “Stop the Frack Attack” in Washington, DC, where they made three demands of Congress: 1. Stop dangerous fracking; 2. Close 7 legal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry from parts of the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, and Clean Water Acts; and 3. Implement a pathway towards 100% clean renewable energy. Learn more about the event here. http://www.stopthefrackattack.org/ 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 EPA: Stop stalling. Save the Bees! Submit a public comment urging the EPA to stop stalling, and take action to protect bees from the harmful pesticide clothianidin.
Last month, for the second time, the EPA refused to intervene to stop the use of the pesticide clothianidin, which scientists believe is at least partially to blame for the alarming rise in bee colony collapse — the sudden bee die-off which has claimed about 30% of the U.S. honey bee population each year since 2006. If we don’t convince the EPA to reconsider, it will not review clothianidin again until 2018. By then it could be too late for the bees, and the one third of our food crops that bees play a crucial role in pollinating.
The EPA is currently accepting public comments on its latest decision not to declare bee die-offs an emergency situation and suspend the use of clothianidin. Now is a crucial moment to make our voices heard for the bees. Submit a public comment to the EPA now.
Astonishingly, clothianidin was approved by the EPA based on virtually no scientific study. Yet the EPA continues to allow its use. Now, a group of senators have joined the call, writing a letter urging the EPA that waiting until 2018 to again review clothianidin and other neonicotinoids will be too late. There is no time to waste. Please submit a comment now urging the EPA to immediately suspend approval of clothianidin to protect honey bees and our food system.

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 Notes Week of August 12, 2012

August 12, 2012Green Notesgreenone

JAPAN’S FIRST GREEN PARTY . . . “Anti-nuclear campaigners launch Japan’s first Green Party,” by Justin McCurry, for The Guardian, begins “Greens Japan promises voters to put environment first and abolish nuclear power plants.” Congratulations to Japan Greens!

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council, Monday, August 13, 2012. 2004 Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb is spearheading a Midwest Barnstorming Tour starting with Nebraska appearances in Lincoln and Omaha. Saturday, August 11th, 7:00pm, David will speak in Omaha at the 1st Unitarian Church, 3114 Harney. Sunday he will speak in Lincoln, 7:00pm, at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. David will will be joined by representatives from local groups at Monday’s regularly scheduled Lincoln City Council meeting, County-City Building, 555 South 10th Street, Room 111. Move to Amend supporters will speak at open mic, following the 3:00pm meeting. Tuesday, David will be on the air live, 8:00 to 10:00am, at KZUM, 89.3fm, with Molly Pitcher on The Melting Pot. Watch a 2:10 minute video of David Barnstorming MTA at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr-Eax3f1rg&feature=youtu.be. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . For the latest information on ballot access, see http://www.jillstein.org/ballot. Thirty states now have a ballot line for Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala. In Nebraska, we are collecting signatures for Jill’s ballot access with a non-partisan line on the November ballot. The petition deadline is September 1, 2012. To help with the effort to make a vote for Jill possible in Nebraska, please e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Another U.S. is Possible — Another Party is Necessary.

OBAMA IN COUNCIL BLUFFS MONDAY . . . President Barack Obama will visit Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Monday, August 13, 2012. He will be in Bayliss Park, downtown Council Bluffs, with entry to the park allowed beginning at 9:15am. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for entrance. One ticket per person will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Starting Saturday, tickets are available at the Organizing for America Omaha office, 347 North 76th Street. To participate in a Keystone XL Pipeline resistance protest, contact Jane Kleeb, jane [at] boldnebraska [dot] org or call 402.705.3622.

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

DAVID COBB/MOVE TO AMEND IN LINCOLN . . . Sunday, August 12, 2012, 7:00pm, David Cobb will speak at the Lincoln Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Monday, August 13th, David will be joined by representatives from local groups at the Lincoln City Council meeting, City County Building, 555 South 10th Street, Room 111. Move to Amend supporters will speak at open mic, following the 3:00pm meeting. Tuesday, David will be on the air live, 8:00 to 10:00am, at KZUM, 89.3fm, with Molly Pitcher on The Melting Pot. Watch a 2:10 minute video of David Barnstorming MTA at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr-Eax3f1rg&feature=youtu.be.

TUESDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . Tuesdays, 4:30-7:30pm, there is a Farmers Market at St. Paul United Church of Christ, 13th & F Streets, in Lincoln.

THRUSDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . Fallbrook Town Square Park, 570 Fallbrook Blvd., holds a Farmers Market every Thursday, 3:30 to 7:00pm.

LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE . . . What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place? Archi+ETC and WasteCap Nebraska will host “An Introduction to The Living Building Challenge,” at Archi+ETC / Ayars & Ayars headquarters, 2436 North 48th Street, Lincoln, from 11:30am to 1:00pm on Friday, August 17, 2012. Of special interest to architects, engineers and builders, the presentation is open to individuals interested in green building concepts as well. Lunch will be served, and registration is required at http://www.wastecapne.org/?page_id=2576&regevent_action=register&event_id=73&name_of_event=August+An+Introduction+to+the+Living+Building+Challenge-+Meeting+%26amp%3B+Lunch. The Living Building Challenge provides a framework for design, construction and the symbiotic relationship between people and all aspects of the built environment. It is a philosophy, advocacy tool and certification program comprised of seven performance areas: Site, Water, Energy, Health, Materials, Equity and Beauty. For more information, contact Julie Diegel, jdiegel [at] wastecapne [dot] org or 402.434.7376.

FRIDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Gateway Garden Market at Gateway, on the south side of the shopping center, is every Friday, 4:00 to 8:00pm.

KZUM OPEN HOUSE . . . Nebraska’s only Independent community radio station, KZUM, 89.3FM, invites EveryOne to a public Open House at new business offices and the new on-air studio, 3534 South 48th Street, Suite 6, Lincoln, Saturday, August 18, 2012, from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Take a tour, meet staff, board members and visit with programmers at the new space. “KZUM’s mission is to educate and build community through broadcast media, with diverse and independent voices that enrich the perspectives of our audiences.”

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.

TAKE ENERGY SURVEY . . . Lincoln’s first Community Conversation on energy will be Saturday, August 18, 2012, 9:00am to 1:30pm, at the County-City Building, 555 South 10th Street. Sign up to attend the Conversation by taking an online survey on sustainable energy at the City website. For more information, phone Milo Mumgaard, Cleaner Greener Lincoln, at 402.441.7376.

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.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

OBAMA IN COUNCIL BLUFFS . . . President Obama will visit Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Monday, August 13, 2012, at Bayliss Park, downtown, with entry to the park allowed beginning at 9:15am. Tickets are required for entrance. To participate in a Keystone XL Pipeline resistance protest, contact Jane Kleeb, jane [at] boldnebraska [dot] org or call 402.705.3622.

FORTENBERRY/TERRY FORUM . . . Nebraska Representatives Fortenberry and Terry are hosting a forum, “America’s Role in Global Nuclear Security,” at 1:30pm, Tuesday, Aug 14, 2012, at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, 2825 Y Street, in Omaha. The Keynote Speaker will be General C. Robert Kehler, Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, on “America’s Nuclear Posture within the Broader National Security Framework.” Dr. David Kay, former United Nations Chief Weapons Inspector will speak on “Challenges of Detecting Nuclear Transgressions.” Perhaps Fortenberry and Terry can explain why Senate Republicans tried to block a nuclear non-proliferation treaty at the end of the last session. Fortenberry’s Lincoln office number is 402.438.1598. Terry’s Omaha office number is 402.397.9944.

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, August 15, 2012, the film will be “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills,” a documentary about “a horrific triple child murder that leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.” For more information, go to http://www.progressiveomaha.com/films.htm. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

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

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Monday, August 13, 2012, President Obama will be in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Nebraska KXL resistance groups will carry a 4×8′ banner that says “Water is Life. Tarsands Oil Isn’t. Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline.”
“Keystone XL pipeline may threaten aquifer that irrigates much of the central U.S.,” by Steven Mufson at the Washington Post, August 6, 2012, starts out with this: “Jane Kleeb is a savvy activist who, Nebraska’s Republican governor once said, “has a tendency to shoot her mouth off most days.” A Florida native who moved to Nebraska in 2007 after marrying a rancher active in Democratic politics, she did as much as anyone to bring the massive Keystone XL crude oil pipeline to a halt last year.” The 4 page article continues, with photo blog, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/keystone-xl-pipeline-may-threaten-aquifer-that-irrigates-much-of-the-central-us/2012/08/06/7bf0215c-d4db-11e1-a9e3-c5249ea531ca_story.html
“Enbridge pipeline’s path: Lansing-area homeowners feel powerless,” by Louise Knott Ahern, Lansing State Journal, August 6, 2012, details the latest Company plans for a massive construction project to replace 75 miles of Line 6B — the now-notorious 45-year-old pipeline that ruptured and dumped 20,000 barrels of crude oil into the Kalamazoo River. Property owners were told Enbridge would never have to go back into their woods. Now they find out “The current 30-inch pipe will not be removed but simply deactivated. Some portions of the new pipe will be larger — 36 inches — allowing Enbridge to transport more oil. …Enbridge crews essentially will have to take over homeowners’ properties until the project is finished. In Weldon’s case, she’s going to lose several century-old trees to make room for the workers. “I’ve lived here for 40 years, and some of those trees are at least 100 years old,” Weldon said. “And now they’re going to take a bunch of my trees, and I don’t want them to.” Read page 1 of 3 at http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20120806/NEWS01/308060018/Enbridge-pipeline-s-path-Lansing-area-homeowners-feel-powerless?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE
“Enbridge Hires Armed Gaurds,” from the Livingston Daily, August 5th, begins “Armed guards hired by Enbridge Energy LP stood in clear view of Kieth Huff’s home just in case the Oceola Township man decided to interfere with the early stages of a 50-mile oil pipeline replacement project.” Page 1 of 3 continued at http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20120805/NEWS01/208050307/Company-hires-armed-guards-ward-off-resident?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
“Scientific conundrum,” by Thomas P. Lynch, is a Lincoln Journal Star letter to the editor of August 12th. “…The gist is, you can’t celebrate the scientific triumph of the Mars rover landing and also believe that climate change is a hoax. Even, I think, if you’re a Republican. And there’s a local connection. In an essay he wrote last summer (“Silence is deadly”), NASA scientist Hansen spoke out against the Keystone XL pipeline. He argued that the construction of the pipeline “would make it implausible to stabilize climate and avoid disastrous global climate impacts. If Nebraskans don’t like extreme heat and drought, we can’t support the Keystone XL pipeline. Keystone XL means more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which means more heat waves and droughts. And you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.” Read the entire letter at http://journalstar.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letter-scientific-conundrum/article_38cbfe10-2253-5af0-abd3-2a4d2598a065.html
“The Summer of Solidarity: Direct Action Against Extraction,” by Candice Bernd, Campus Progress, Truthout, August 8th: “If one thing is sure, this summer won’t be remembered as one where young environmentalists twiddled their thumbs while wild fires broke out across Colorado and record temperatures were set across the nation. Instead, this summer will go down as one of the hottest, not only in terms of temperature, but also in terms of resistance.” Read, and view 2:45 minute video from the Texas Tar Sands Blockade, at http://truth-out.org/news/item/10780-the-summer-of-solidarity-direct-action-against-extraction
“Blockade Aims to Stop Southern Keystone XL Pipeline,” by Christine Leclerc, rabble.ca, RSN, August 11, 2012:”With a nonviolent direct action camp that started July 27, 2012 in East Texas, grassroots opponents are working on a construction project of their own: Tar Sands Blockade, a coalition of landowners, community members, students, and others dedicated to stopping the pipeline through direct action.” Read at http://www.readersupportednews.org/opinion2/271-38/12883-blockade-aims-to-stop-southern-keystone-xl-pipeline
“Pipeline Tests Land Rights,” by Ana Campoy, Wall Street Journal, August 10, 2012: TransCanada’s pipeline efforts are sparking a fight over land-rights laws. A Texas case could prove a legal test. “A big Canadian pipeline company and a small Texas corn farmer squared off in a county courthouse here on Friday over a pasture near the Oklahoma border that could become part of a massive project to transport oil from Alberta to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast. TransCanada Corp., the Calgary-based company behind the […] Continued for subscribers at http://stream.wsj.com/story/markets/SS-2-5/
Jane Kleeb reported from the Texas hearing on Julia Trigg Crawford’s eminent domain case. Eight press members were there on Friday, from NPR, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, local and state papers. The judge did not rule, but he could do so as early as next Wednesday.
Here is last week’s Green Note on the Crawford case: SumOfUs.org, is spreading the word about the case of Julia Trigg Crawford, a Texas farmer who joined non-violent protests in front of the White House led by Bill McKibben and the Tar Sands Coalition to stop government approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. Along with 1,252 other people, Julia was arrested. …In 2008, TransCanada told the Crawford family it was going to build the Keystone XL pipeline through their land. Now they are taking TransCanada to court. This legal battle could postpone or even halt the entire Keystone XL project, but there is only one more week to raise the money she needs to defend herself in pre-trial. Julia’s legal team is people-powered by regular citizens from around the world who are willing to help a stranger. The lawyers believe she has a strong case. She and her family are committed to fighting TransCanada to the end. Success in the Texas courts could substantially delay the beginning of construction, creating time for new carbon fuels standards, removal of tax incentives, and/or new laws emanating from the PHMSA tar sands pipeline study to impact the project. Stand with Julia in her fight against Big Oil by donating to her legal fund at https://sumofus.org/campaigns/stand-with-Julia/?akid=683.2507.9N7c3x&rd=1&sub=fwd&t=3. Learn more about the case at the Crawford Family Defense Fund website.
Also from last week, “Newly obtained government documents suggest lawsuit to protect endangered species could delay Keystone XL pipeline construction,” a July 31st press release from Friends of the Earth, begins “In a victory for the climate, public health and endangered species, the Fish and Wildlife Service has taken action that could interfere with Canadian oil corporation TransCanada’s plan for fast-tracked approval of its Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. According to documents obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity, the agency decided July 10 to disallow a University of Nebraska researcher from using his research permit to help TransCanada clear the way for Keystone XL by physically relocating the American burying beetle from its habitat.” Bottom line: a US Fish and Wildlife policy has been changed so researchers now and in the future cannot trap and remove beetles until a project has all of their federal and state permits issued to construct. For TransCanada, this means if a permit to build was granted in early 2013, they could then trap and remove the beetles in May-Sept 2013 (beetle season) and then start construction, versus trapping them now and starting to build immediately after a permit was granted. In the bigger picture, this means TransCanada cannot start preparing land until they have ALL their permits.
“South Dakota anti-pipeline movement now in 13 countries” by Emma Dejong, The Dickinson Press, August 2nd, begins “On Wednesday, several hundred people from 13 nations began a “Fast for the Earth.” The fast is largely in response to TransCanada’s Keystone Pipeline, which transports crude oil from the tar sands in Canada to the United States. Those fasting are opposed to any further extension of the pipeline, including the proposed XL extension.”
Reporting for InsideClimate News, July 30th, Stacy Feldman and Kathryn Doyle begin “First Nations Hold the Cards in Northern Gateway Battle with Enbridge,” “When the National Transportation Safety Board released a scathing report this month faulting Enbridge for its Michigan oil spill, speculation began instantly about whether it would harm the company’s chances for its Northern Gateway pipeline to the Pacific Coast of British Columbia. Even without the report, however, the project’s prospects have long been slim at best. That’s because most First Nations in B.C.—where more than half the pipeline would pass—never signed treaties ceding their lands to the Canadian government. Despite offers from Enbridge that would give them a 10 percent equity stake worth millions of dollars and other cash benefits, many still refuse to give the needed right of way, setting up a legal clash that could end up at the Supreme Court. A single holdout could delay the pipeline for many years, if not indefinitely—even if the project wins approval from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.” Page 1 of 4 continues at http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120727/first-nations-british-columbia-northern-gateway-pipeline-oil-sands-dilbit-enbridge-canada-supreme-court-china
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. (Note: Credo Action petitions do generate e-mail from other petitions.)
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.

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 Notes Week of August 5, 2012

August 5, 2012Green Notesgreenone

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . . Move to Amend is gathering signatures on a petition to End Corporate Personhood by a Resolution to be presented to the Lincoln City Council, Monday, August 13, 2012. 2004 Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb is spearheading a Midwest Barnstorming Tour starting with Nebraska appearances in Lincoln and Omaha. Saturday, August 11th, 7:00pm, David will speak in Omaha at the 1st Unitarian Church, 3114 Harney. Sunday he will speak in Lincoln, 7:00pm, at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. David will will be joined by representatives from local groups at Monday’s regularly scheduled Lincoln City Council meeting, County-City Building, 555 South 10th Street, Room 111. Move to Amend supporters will speak at open mic, following the 3:00pm meeting. Watch a 2:10 minute video of David Barnstorming MTA at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr-Eax3f1rg&feature=youtu.be. To get involved with the local campaign, e-mail Carol Smith, smithcarol [dot] 49 [at] gmail [dot] com

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . For the latest information on ballot access, see http://www.jillstein.org/ballot. In Nebraska, although we have not collected sufficient signatures for a Green Party ballot line, we will still campaign for Jill’s ballot access with a non-partisan line on the November Nebraska ballot. The deadline for that petition is September 1, 2012. To help with the effort to make a vote for Jill possible in Nebraska, please e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Another U.S. is Possible — Another Party is Necessary.

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. Each Sunday a different member of the Lincoln community will host a short class on the topic of their choosing. August 5, 2012, Trina Derickson will present “Know Your City Government, Part III.”

OCCUPY THE FOOD SUPPLY . . . Monday, August 6, 2012, 7:00 to 8:00pm, the final class in this Occupy Education series will be at Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street, Lincoln. This series has been 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.

TUESDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . Tuesdays, 4:30-7:30pm, there is a Farmers Market at St. Paul United Church of Christ, 13th & F Streets, in Lincoln.

TOWN HALL WITH FORTENBERRY . . . Tuesday, August 7, 2012, CD 1 Congressman Jeff Fortenberry will meet with constituents in a town hall forum, 5:15pm, at Southwest High School, 7001 South 14th Street, Lincoln. Ask questions about your important issues of concern. Phone Fortenberry’s office at 402.438.1598 for more information.

COMMUNITY COFFEE WITH JOHANNS . . . Tuesday, August 7, 2012, Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns will hold a Community Coffee in Lincoln at the Isles Reception Hall, 6232 Havelock Avenue, 6:30 to 7:30pm.

GREEN TEAM ROUNDTABLE . . . Wednesday, August 8, 2012, the WasteCap Nebraska Green Team Roundtable will be hosted by Recycling Enterprises from 11:30am to 1:00pm, at 1200 West Upland Avenue, in Lincoln. The meeting will feature a presentation on “Getting to Zero Waste,” and a tour of Recycling Enterprise’s new facility. Bread and Cup will cater a zero-waste lunch. Registration and payment may be made at www.wastecapne.org/greenteams/. For more information on hosting opportunities and upcoming Roundtables phone Julie Diegel, 402.434.7376.

THRUSDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . Fallbrook Town Square Park, 570 Fallbrook Blvd., holds a Farmers Market every Thursday, 3:30 to 7:00pm.

FRIDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Gateway Garden Market at Westfield Gateway, on the south side of the shopping center, is every Friday, 4:00 to 8:00pm.

PERSEIDS METEOR SHOWER . . . Saturday, August 11, 2012, from 4:00 to 7:00pm, Lincoln Bioneers will meet for a potluck supper at the Hintz house, 1611 Van Dorn Street, Lincoln. Then, starting at 9:00pm, watch the Perseids meteor shower with Bioneers at The Growing Place, near Lincoln. For more information, e-mail Anne Hintz, redmoonbakery [at] yahoo [dot] com.

DAVID COBB/MOVE TO AMEND IN LINCOLN . . . Sunday, August 12, 2012, 7:00pm, David Cobb will speak at the Lincoln Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Monday, August 13th, David will be joined by representatives from local groups at the Lincoln City Council meeting, City County Building, 555 South 10th Street, Room 111. Move to Amend supporters will speak at the open mic, following the 3:00pm meeting. Watch a 2:10 minute video of David Barnstorming MTA at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr-Eax3f1rg&feature=youtu.be

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 August 5, 2012, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 South Street, Trina Derickson will present “Know Your City Government, Part III.”

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

COMMUNITY COFFEE WITH JOHANNS . . . Wednesday, August 8, 2012, there will be a Community Coffee with Senator Mike Johanns in Omaha, 1:30 to 2:30pm, at the Omaha Public Library, Millard Branch, 13214 Westwood Lane.

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, August 8, 2012, the film will be “Life in a Day,” a documentary shot by filmmakers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on the 24th of July, 2010. Starting with 80,000 submissions, 4500 hours of footage, from 192 countries, Kevin Macdonald has taken this raw material and created a 90-minute testament to what it means to be human in the world. Watch a 1:47 minute trailer at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1687247/. For more information, go to http://www.progressiveomaha.com/films.htm. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

2012 BLACK AUGUST AT MALCOLM X CENTER . . . Saturday, August 11, 2012, The Malcolm X Memorial Foundation will host its 6th Annual Black August celebration in partnership with the National Jericho Movement from 12:00 noon to 5:00pm at the Malcolm X Center, 3448 Evans Street, in Omaha. Black August is celebrated nationwide to recognize the political imprisonment of persons who were unjustly put behind bars during America’s human rights movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s. A small historical exhibit will feature photos and biographies of 49 persons currently incarcerated since the 1960’s. Three films will be previewed detailing the history of injustices suffered by these political prisoners, followed by discussions led by Tarik Al-Amin, Nebraskans for Justice, and Tekla Ajbala, official representatives of the Nebraska Chapter of the Jericho Movement. For more information about the Black August event contact Lizabeth Arellano, lizabetarellano [at] malcolmxfoundation [dot] org or call 402.590.7526.

DAVID COBB/MOVE TO AMEND IN OMAHA . . . Saturday, August 11, 2012, 7:00pm, David Cobb will speak in Omaha at the 1st Unitarian Church, 3114 Harney. Join the Move to Amend Team for inspiring conversation with the Green Party’s 2004 candidate for President of the United States.

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

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . “Environment groups ask for more climate, safety analysis,” by Ayesha Rascoe for Reuters, was published July 30, 2012. It begins “Environmental groups demanded the U.S. State Department conduct a new, thorough analysis of the risks of transporting oil sands crude through TransCanada Corp’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline as a Wisconsin oil spill renewed concerns about pipeline safety. …Green groups submitted more than 400,000 comments to the State Department in support of a more robust review, said Anthony Swift, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. BOLD “It is time the State Department look into growing evidence that tar sands pipelines are more likely to leak and tar sands spills are far more devastating than conventional oil spills,” UNBOLD Swift said.” Read the article at http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/07/30/usa-keystone-review-idUKL2E8IUCE720120730
“Newly obtained government documents suggest lawsuit to protect endangered species could delay Keystone XL pipeline construction,” a July 31st press release from Friends of the Earth, begins “In a victory for the climate, public health and endangered species, the Fish and Wildlife Service has taken action that could interfere with Canadian oil corporation TransCanada’s plan for fast-tracked approval of its Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. According to documents obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity, the agency decided July 10 to disallow a University of Nebraska researcher from using his research permit to help TransCanada clear the way for Keystone XL by physically relocating the American burying beetle from its habitat.”
To learn more about the American burying beetle, an endangered species, go to http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/01/pictures/120119-animals-blocked-keystone-xl/#/10-keystone-xl-pipeline_47015_600x450.jpg. Bottom line: a US Fish and Wildlife policy has been changed so researchers now and in the future cannot trap and remove beetles until a project has all of their federal and state permits issued to construct. For TransCanada, this means if a permit to build was granted in early 2013, they could then trap and remove the beetles in May-Sept 2013 (beetle season) and then start construction, versus trapping them now and starting to build immediately after a permit was granted. In the bigger picture, this means TransCanada cannot start preparing land until they have ALL their permits.
“American Burying Beetle brings new problem for pipeline,” by Katie Gauthier, covered the story on KHAS-TV, August 1st.
“Pipeline opponents celebrate a reroute in Nebraska” is a new Washington Post video by Whitney Shefte, posted August 3rd.
“South Dakota anti-pipeline movement now in 13 countries” by Emma Dejong, The Dickinson Press, August 2nd, begins “On Wednesday, several hundred people from 13 nations began a “Fast for the Earth.” The fast is largely in response to TransCanada’s Keystone Pipeline, which transports crude oil from the tar sands in Canada to the United States. Those fasting are opposed to any further extension of the pipeline, including the proposed XL extension.”
Reporting for InsideClimate News, July 30th, Stacy Feldman and Kathryn Doyle begin “First Nations Hold the Cards in Northern Gateway Battle with Enbridge,” “When the National Transportation Safety Board released a scathing report this month faulting Enbridge for its Michigan oil spill, speculation began instantly about whether it would harm the company’s chances for its Northern Gateway pipeline to the Pacific Coast of British Columbia. Even without the report, however, the project’s prospects have long been slim at best. That’s because most First Nations in B.C.—where more than half the pipeline would pass—never signed treaties ceding their lands to the Canadian government. Despite offers from Enbridge that would give them a 10 percent equity stake worth millions of dollars and other cash benefits, many still refuse to give the needed right of way, setting up a legal clash that could end up at the Supreme Court. A single holdout could delay the pipeline for many years, if not indefinitely—even if the project wins approval from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.” Page 1 of 4 continues at http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120727/first-nations-british-columbia-northern-gateway-pipeline-oil-sands-dilbit-enbridge-canada-supreme-court-china
“Is Dilbit Oil? Congress and the IRS Say No,” by Lisa Song, also for InsideClimate News, sourced to Truthout August 4th, begins “The oil industry has often said that dilbit, a heavy crude oil from Canada’s tar sands, isn’t much different from conventional crude oil. But when it comes to paying into a federal fund used to clean up oil spills, it’s different enough to deserve a sizeable tax break.” Anthony Swift is again quoted: “The key issue is, is tar sands crude oil?…When it comes to taxes, [the industry] get[s] to make the argument that tar sands isn’t crude oil,” said Anthony Swift, an attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council who has spent years advocating for better pipeline safety. “But when it comes to the safety of moving tar sands in pipelines, they say it’s just like crude oil.” Read at http://truth-out.org/news/item/10693-is-dilbit-oil-congress-and-the-irs-say-no
A new 8-month old start-up organization, SomOfUs.org, is spreading the word about the case of Julia Trigg Crawford, a Texas farmer who joined non-violent protests in front of the White House led by Bill McKibben and the Tar Sands Coalition to stop government approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. Along with 1,252 other people, Julia was arrested. …In 2008, TransCanada told the Crawford family it was going to build the Keystone XL pipeline through their land. Now they are taking TransCanada to court. This legal battle could postpone or even halt the entire Keystone XL project, but there is only one more week to raise the money she needs to defend herself in pre-trial. Julia’s legal team is people-powered by regular citizens from around the world who are willing to help a stranger. The lawyers believe she has a strong case. She and her family are committed to fighting TransCanada to the end. Success in the Texas courts could substantially delay the beginning of construction, creating time for new carbon fuels standards, removal of tax incentives, and/or new laws emanating from the PHMSA tar sands pipeline study to impact the project. Stand with Julia in her fight against Big Oil by donating to her legal fund at https://sumofus.org/campaigns/stand-with-Julia/?akid=683.2507.9N7c3x&rd=1&sub=fwd&t=3. Julia’s hearing is Friday, August 10, 2012. Learn more about the case at the Crawford Family Defense Fund website.
From “Peaceful protest takes a violent turn in Burlington, by John Briggs for Free Press, July 29th: “Burlington police in riot gear shot protesters with what they described as “pepper balls” and “stingball pellets” as a large, peaceful demonstration turned violent and ugly Sunday afternoon. …At 3:30 Sunday afternoon they were in front of Burlington’s Hilton Hotel on Battery Street to make their voices heard, “No tar sand pipeline.” They flattened themselves on the pavement to create a symbolic human oil spill. …The violence erupted shortly before 5:00pm …During the earlier, peaceful portion of the demonstration, environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, told the crowd this is “a hinge moment in human history.”” The report Continues, with 7:43 minute video, on page 1 of 4 at http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120729/NEWS02/120729008/Peaceful-protest-takes-violent-turn-Burlington?nclick_check=1
“Protesters Force Chinese Officials to Cancel Pipeline,” by Shiv Malik, Guardian UK, sourced to Reader Supported News, July 30th, begins “Officials in eastern China have cancelled a planned industrial waste pipeline project after up to 1,000 environmental demonstrators occupied a government office, overturned cars, destroyed computers and beat police officers.” Read the account at http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/12694-chinese-protesters-force-officials-to-cancel-industrial-waste-pipeline-project
The entire Lincoln Journal Star letter to the editor by Scott Janike, August 2nd, “TransCanada’s oil games,” is as follows: “In the month of July, TransCanada Corp.’s vice president and spokesperson (“Keystone XL pipeline will be safe,” Guest View, July 25, and “Defining ‘Sandhills’,” letter, July 8) have both taken up space on the editorial page trying to convince readers that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline will be both safe and avoid the Sandhills.
Meanwhile, a second leak on a relatively new pipeline in Wisconsin broke Friday, spilling an estimated 1,200 gallons and forcing one family to be relocated for their safety. This comes two years after a pipeline break on the Kalamazoo River wreaked havoc on the waterway.
Let’s not forget that the tar sands oil that would be pumping through the Keystone XL pipeline is expected to be far more hazardous and toxic than crude oil, but then again, we don’t even know exactly what chemicals would be used in TransCanada’s pipeline that would make tar sands fluid enough to pump en route to foreign markets.
The Olympic Games began recently, but the oil games citizens have been subjected to have been an ongoing PR campaign. Nebraskans, however, have real “skin” in these oil games: water, land and public health.”
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. (Note: Credo Action petitions do generate e-mail from other petitions.)
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.

COMMUNITY COFFEE WITH JOHANNS . . . Thursday, August 9, 2012, Senator Mike Johanns will hold a Community Coffee in Pierce, Nebraska, 3:45 to 4:45pm, at the Pierce Public Library, 207 West Court Street.

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 Notes Week of July 29, 2012

July 29, 2012Green Notesgreenone

MOVE TO AMEND/END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD . . .2004 Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb will begin a Move to Amend Midwest tour spearheading a campaign to amend the Constitution of the United States with a weekend in Nebraska. See CD 1 Green Notes below.

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . For the latest information on ballot access, see http://www.jillstein.org/ballot. A compilation of 2012 National Green Party Convention videos is at http://www.gp.org/video/list-categories.php?VideoCat_Name=2012%20Convention. Another U.S. is Possible — Another Party is Necessary.

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, is at http://food.unl.edu/web/localfoods/fmcsa.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

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.

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, 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.

NIOBRARA: A PERSPECTIVE . . . The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center will show Niobrara: A Film Perspective, on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, at 8:00pm. The screening is free, open to the public, and will feature Niobrara Sweet!; Niobrara Jewel of the North, and Snowbound, all produced by Thomas Bouse, independent film producer in Nebraska. Click here for more information.

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.

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 from Friday, August 10 through Monday, August 13, 2012. Details will be announced soon. Stay tuned.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

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, August 1, 2012, the film will be “Double Victory,” a gripping documentary spotlighting America’s first all black aerial unit, the Tuskegee Airmen, who broke racial barriers and challenged stereotypes in World War II. Watch a 1:01 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.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Friday, July 27, 2012, an Enbridge pipeline in Wisconsin ruptured around 2:45pm. A news item from woodtv.com reported the rupture and that “Enbridge also owns the pipeline that ruptured near Marshall in July 2010, spilling almost a million gallons of crude oil into the Kalamazoo River. That river just re-opened for use this summer.” Sunday, July 29th, Reuters reported “Enbridge working fast to contain Wisconsin oil spill, restart pipeline. ” The major pipeline spilled “more than 1,000 barrels of oil in a Wisconsin field, provoking fresh ire from U.S. officials over the latest in a series of leaks.”
Wednesday, July 25th, groups across the country held solidarity events to mark the 2-year anniversary of the toxic tar sands spill in Michigan’s Kalamazoo river. The message to Big Oil: “We Don’t Want Your Dirty Tar Sands.” The Nebraska event, “Keep Our Water Blue,” was held in front of the governor’s mansion. The Nebraska Farmers Union issued a statement in solidarity with the victims of the spill saying, “…the spill in the Kalamazoo River in Michigan two years ago is an example of water contamination that could have been prevented if the proper measures would have been taken. Both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) & the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality have raised red flags. Enbridge did not have those safeguards in place that would protect U.S. landowners… this battle is not only about your land, it is about hundreds of other landowners, & their landowners rights as Tar Sands pipelines are proposed in other areas of our state, & country.”
A Washington Post story on eminent domain, “Keystone XL pipeline is issue of property rights for some ranchers,” mentions the hypocrisy of Deb Fischer and the GOP, but fails to mention that her 2006 Bill gave oil pipelines eminent domain rights in Nebraska. A 3:06 minute Video of John Harter, one of the featured ranchers, is here.
“Keystone XL: Fresh Evidence That China and Not U.S. Will Benefit” by Tony Lallonardo for the NWF Blog July 26, 2012 begins “As the promoters of the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline regroup to push their new permit application to funnel high carbon tar sands through America’s Midwest from Alberta to Texas, there continues to swirl a good deal of controversy over where tar sands will ultimately end up? More evidence just came to light this week that the Canadian Prime Minister and his Big Oil allies are eying China, not the U.S., as their biggest market. That’s a critical development, since backers of the pipeline wrongly say tar sands will improve U.S. energy security. …Americans could become little more than middle men, taking the risk of spills and increased pollution, while the oil goes abroad. So why do this? In a nutshell, petro companies have one goal – to sell as much oil as they can for the highest price.”
“Gateway pipeline risks exceed rewards, B.C. Premier says,” by Karen Howlett and Bill Curry for The Globe and Mail, July 22nd reported that “British Columbia Premier Christy Clark is warning that the environmental risks associated with a plan to sell Canadian oil to Asia through the Northern Gateway pipeline outweigh the economic benefits, leaving her at odds with the federal and Alberta governments.”
Alyssa Figueroa reporting on a new 1:31 minute Video, “We Quit You, Keystone XL (It’s Not Us, It’s You),” July 24th, writes “The Post Carbon Institute, an energy think-tank, released a new video featuring a woman “breaking up” with Keystone.” And “Enbridge spills it out” is a new 1:39 minute animation.
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. (Note: Credo Action petitions do generate e-mail from other petitions.)
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.

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 Notes Week of July 22, 2012

July 22, 2012Green Notesgreenone

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . Presidential Candidate Jill Stein was on NPR’s On Point Tuesday, July 17, 2012. Access the excellent 46:36 minute audio, plus 3:59 minute campaign video, here.
Unique articles on the Green Party 2012 Convention results in Baltimore last weekend include the following: AP, Democratic Underground, C-SPAN, Comedy Central, Baltimore Sun, NPR, Time, and Reuters. A compilation of Convention videos is here. Another U.S. is Possible — Another Party is Necessary.

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. Each Sunday a different member of the Lincoln community will host a short class on the topic of their choosing. July 22, 2012, “Living Off the Abundance of the Land for Health and Harmony” will be presented by Dustin Rymph. **This teach-in will meet at 9th and Park Streets; walk-about at Standing Bear Grounds to follow**

ATM ANNUAL POTLUCK & PEACEMAKER AWARD . . . Thursday, July 26, 2012, the annual Alternatives to the Military potluck supper will be held at Christ United Methodist Church, 46th and A Streets, in Lincoln, 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. Sunday, July 29, at 2:45pm, following the 1:00pm screening, the Friends of the Ross are sponsoring Movie Talk with Professor John Gates, Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at UN-L. A specialist in water quality and underground water resources, he teaches classes on environmental geology and geochemistry. Admission to Movie Talk is free and open to the public. Admission for LAST CALL AT THE OASIS is at regular Ross prices.

PEACE EDUCATOR SPEAKING . . . “Fire From Heaven” will be special guest speaker Titus Peachey’s sermon, Sunday, July 29, 2012, 10:45am, at First Mennonite Church, 7300 Holdrege Street, Lincoln. Peachey, a conscientious objector to military service, performed alternative service in Vietnam during the war. At 2:00pm he will participate in an informal discussion of military recruitment practices and ways in which alternatives may be presented to youth and young adults. All are welcome.

SAVE THE DATE . . . The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center in Lincoln will be showing Niobrara: A Film Perspective, on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, at 8:00pm. The screening is free, open to the public, and will feature Niobrara Sweet!; Niobrara Jewel of the North, and Snowbound, all produced by Thomas Bouse, independent film producer in Nebraska. Click here for more information.

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 29, 2012, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm, at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 South Street, will be a Planning Session for Events and Direct Actions.

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. A July 22nd Lincoln Journal Start article “Drive to overturn Citizens United decision under way,” announced that Common Cause Nebraska has launched a campaign to enact a constitutional amendment reversing the US Supreme court’s 2010 Citizens United decision.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

OMAHA GREEN DRINKS . . . Omaha Green Drinks will meet Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 5:30 to 8:30pm, at Whole Foods Market Omaha, 10020 Regency Circle, in the education room by restaurant seating, across from the coffee bar. Walk, cycle, bus, or carpool if possible. All are welcome at the informal self-organizing network meet-up. The Facebook group listing is here. FB event information is here. Green Drinks now meet on a regular basis in 664 cities around the world.

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 25, 2012, the film will be “Waste Land,” a documentary following artist Vik Muniz to the world’s largest garbage dump where he photographs pickers of recyclable materials. Watch a 2:16 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

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Friday, July 20, 2012, the Lincoln Journal Star editorial, “TransCanada must do more,” begins “TransCanada has a lot of work to do before Gov. Dave Heineman should give the OK for the new route for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality pointed out some major problems with the proposed corridor in the “feedback report” it released this week. State officials pointed out that the corridor suggested by the pipeline company “crosses areas of fragile, sandy soil that are outside of the Sandhills ecoregion but that have surface features very similar to the Sandhills.” The Editorial is continued here.
Also on July 20th, LJS published “Threat to water,” a letter to the editor by Scott Svoboda: “…Nebraska’s groundwater needs good stewardship. The KC Federal Reserve noted that Nebraska irrigated farmland prices increased 36 percent in 2011. Ordinary citizens and commodity specialists agree that without the Ogallala Aquifer, our state wouldn’t be as big a player in world food production. The current drought only emphasizes the fact that we are somewhat protected with close to half our farmland irrigated. …
TransCanada wants to pump the same heavy crude across the porous and high water table areas of our Sandhills via the Keystone XL pipeline. Something is not right. If money and access to money is driving the decision for placement of the Keystone XL pipeline, then we Nebraska stewards are all the worse if we allow TransCanada to move forward at our own environmental risk.” Read the entire letter here.
“No way can Heineman approve Keystone XL now,” by Greg Awtry, Publisher of the York News Times, was printed Tuesday, July 17th: “Last week, on July 10, 2012, the National Transportation and Safety Board released its findings on the tar-sand oil pipeline spill in Michigan, when more than 800,000 gallons of diluted bitumen poured from a ruptured pipe two years ago, ending up in the Kalamazoo River where cleanup continues even now.
Here’s what happened. Corrosion fatigue cracks were discovered in a section of pipe in 2005. “(For) five years, they (Enbridge) did nothing to address the corrosion or cracking at the rupture site – and the problem festered,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, the chairwoman of the NTSB. Then, in July 2010 the huge pipe ruptured under the intense pressure of a tar-sand pipeline and what followed was like a scene from the Keystone Cops, Hersman said.
…The fact is the NTSB report said the pipe failed, employees failed and the government failed. The report also cited many factors that are not yet in place to prevent disasters like this from occurring. …If you are not afraid of this pipeline, you should be. If you think a spill like this, or worse, can’t happen in Nebraska, you are wrong.
In light of the NTSB report, there is no way Gov. Heineman or the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality can possibly sign off on Keystone XL. Not now, not over our water and not until each of the 19 NTSB recommendations have been implemented into law and thoroughly tested. To approve it now, in light of the Michigan findings, would be an act of insubordination by neglecting known dangers and known recommendations to improve the safety of our own natural resources and most importantly the safety of our own Nebraskan citizens.” Read the entire editorial here.
“State wants more answers from TransCanada,” by Art Hovey, LJS, July 18, 2012: “The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality released 68 pages of initial feedback Tuesday on a proposed alternative route for the Keystone XL pipeline that would avoid the Nebraska Sandhills. In commenting on its contents, Pat Rice, NDEQ’s project manager, said the agency wants more answers from pipeline builder TransCanada on how the project can be constructed and operated safely. But Rice made it clear the agency cannot reject TransCanada’s choice. “We’re trying to help them find the best route,” he said. “They get to choose the route. We have no authority to tell them what route to choose one direction or the other.”
…“The next step is for TransCanada to complete its field work, identify a route and then provide us with a route,” Rice said. That leads to a public hearing at a site that has yet to be identified along or near the alternative route and ultimately to a recommendation to Gov. Dave Heineman on a specific path.” Continued here.
From “Concerns Expressed in NDEQ Report to TransCanada,” 10/11 news, July 17, 2012: “The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) has provided an initial feedback report to TransCanada regarding the state’s evaluation of the rerouted portion of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline project.” The 2:41 minute video is here.
To view a copy of the initial 20-page feedback report, click here.
The Tar Sands Blockade greeted President Obama in Austin, Texas on July 17th. Photos on flicker for ‘We Are the Kalamazoo’ Tar Sands Blockade joined by Occupy Austin, are here. A second “We Are The Kalamazoo” Action started Wednesday, July 18th, at the capitol in Lansing, Michigan, with a human oil spill organized by the National Wildlife Federation. Photos from the two events can be found here. A 3:09 minute video of the Michigan human oil spill event is here.
On Wednesday, July 25th, 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. For more information, or to ask questions, phone Ben at 402.705.8679.
“Windfall from first Keystone pipeline falls short,” by Paul Hammel, in the July 15th Omaha World-Herald opens with “When TransCanada officials began promoting the benefits of its first pipeline to cross Nebraska, they projected a $5.5 million tax windfall for the state in the first year of operation. The actual tax bill for the original Keystone pipeline is less than half that figure.” The article is continued here.
Read a July 16, 2012 TransCanada press advisory announcing their bribery in Nebraska here.
Rachel Maddow did a segment on the Enbridge tar sands spill in the Kalamazoo, 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.
“Enbridge spills it out” is a new 1:39 minute animation here.
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. (Note: Credo Action petitions do generate e-mail from other petitions.)
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.

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 Notes Week of July 15, 2012

July 15, 2012Green Notesgreenone

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.”

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.**

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.

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 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

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.

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 Notes Week of July 8, 2012

July 8, 2012Green Notesgreenone

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?”

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.

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.

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.

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 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

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

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.

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 Notes Week of July 1, 2012

July 1, 2012Green Notesgreenone

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.

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.

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.

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.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

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.

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

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.”

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 Notes Week of June 24, 2012

June 24, 2012Green Notesgreenone

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.

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.

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.

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.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

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

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.

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 Notes Week of June 17, 2012

June 17, 2012Green Notesgreenone

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.

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.

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!

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

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

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.

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.“