{"id":545,"date":"2011-09-04T07:02:04","date_gmt":"2011-09-04T07:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/?p=545"},"modified":"2013-05-29T07:04:14","modified_gmt":"2013-05-29T07:04:14","slug":"green-notes-week-of-september-4-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/2011\/09\/04\/green-notes-week-of-september-4-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Notes Week of September 4, 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE.<\/p>\n

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1<\/p>\n

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, from noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. In winter, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. For information about Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, click here<\/a>.\u00a0 A Lincoln Journal Star front page feature story about 84-year old Norma Fleisher’s summer tour of all Nebraska counties calling for an end to the death penalty is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

CROPS FARM WALK AND SOUP SUPPER . . . Friday, September 9, 2011, 5:00 to 7:00pm, Community CROPS<\/a> will host a tour of Sunset Community Farm, SW 40th and F Streets, and an all-you-can-eat soup supper. There will be kids activities, live music, and a chance to meet growers with food to sample and vegetables to sell. Click here<\/a> to purchase tickets.<\/p>\n

BIRDING AT INDIAN CAVE . . . Sign up by Friday, September 9, 2011, 5:00pm, for a birding day at Indian Cave State Park hosted by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission staff on Thursday, September 15th. Meet at the Park Entrance 10 miles south of Brownville in Nemaha County, 8:00am. A park entry permit is required. Lunch will be served for a small fee, or bring your own. Contact Grant Powell, 402.471.5631, or e-mail ngpc [dot] southeast [dot] partner [at] nebraska [dot] gov with any questions. Click here<\/a> for more details in a Lincoln Journal Star article.<\/p>\n

IOWA PSR SYMPOSIUM . . . Friday, September 9 through Sunday September 11, 2011, the Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility<\/a> will hold a Symposium at the energy-independent Arbor Day Farms Lied Conference Center, Nebraska City, on the Missouri River about 40 miles south of Omaha. Click here<\/a> for the Program Schedule of “Advancing the Right to Health on a Sick Planet: Redefining Security & the Role of Militarism in a Changing Climate.”<\/p>\n

DIG DEEPER FARM TOUR . . . Open Harvest<\/a> has invited the entire community to visit four area farms on Saturday, September 10, 2011, 12:00 to 5:00pm. This year’s Frist Annual Dig Deeper Farm Tour<\/a>, will include Branched Oak Farm, Raymond; Common Good Farm, Raymond; Caruso-Rozzano Farms, Lincoln; and Robinette Farms, Martell. Click here<\/a>\u00a0[pdf]\u00a0 to view the brochure.<\/p>\n

WEEKLY WALKABOUTS AT WILDERNESS PARK . . . Friends of Wilderness Park<\/a> is hosting weekly hikes through the Park, led by Adam Hintz, starting at 1:00pm every Saturday, now through October. Each week will focus on a different area, highlighting the diversity of life in the Park. Hikes will start in parking lots according to the following schedule: the first and second Saturday of the month, meet at the Pioneers Boulevard entrance; the third Saturday, meet at Old Cheney Road; the fourth Saturday, meet at 14th Street north of Rokeby Road; and every fifth Saturday, the hike will start at Saltillo Road east of the Jamaica Trail. For more information, contact Adam at 402.421.8464.<\/p>\n

LINCOLN FARMERS MARKETS . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market<\/a> is open every Saturday, 8:00am to noon, in the Haymarket District at 7th & P Streets. Expect to find more than 120 vendors with fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handmade items plus a performance showcase featuring local folk, jazz, blues and classical music. The Market continues through October 15th. Every Sunday, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, the Old Cheney Road Farmers Market<\/a> at 5500 Old Cheney Road features in-season heirloom and traditional produce, artisan breads and cheeses, homemade baked goods, wild-crafted and traditional jams, jelly, honey, meats, fish, eggs, and bedding plants. The Piedmont Farmers Market is open Saturdays, 8:00am to noon, at 1265 South Cotner, through mid-September. Saturday Farmers Markets at the FARM, 11855 Yankee Hill Road, 9:00am to noon, run until October 29th. Community CROPS<\/a>, 1551 South 2nd Street, has garden pick-up 4:00 to 6:00pm Monday and Thursday, May 23 through October 20. Through mid-September, a Wednesday market in University Place is open from 3:00 to 7:00pm at the former Green’s Plumbing site, 48th & Madison Streets. Thursday’s market from 4:00 to 8:00pm at Fallbrook Town Square Park on the corner of Fallbrook Blvd. between NW Sixth and Seventh Streets will be open through October 13th. Check an interactive map<\/a> of Lincoln’s Farmers Markets, Farms and Community Supported Agriculture programs, and learn more about markets, CSAs, and local farms at the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Omaha area: Congressional District 2<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe<\/a>, 38th and Harney in Omaha.\u00a0 For September 7th a special film tribute to the American labor movement is planned. From the <\/b>website<\/b><\/a>: \u00a0“We are in the process of carefully selecting JUST the right film, so please check back soon as we know we’ll find it. Where would we be without the brave forebears of today’s labor unions, the ones who paved the way? Learn all about it on Sept. 7, after the BBQ and the downtown parade. Stay tuned!”\u00a0<\/b> The event is always free and open to the public. For more information, click here<\/a>. \u00a0The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.<\/p>\n

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE INSANITY IN WASHINGTON? . . . The next Progressive Omaha<\/a> meeting will be Saturday, September 10, 2011, 6:00 to 9:00pm, in a new location at 1517 North Happy Hollow Blvd. (mapquest:<\/a>) There will be a potluck supper from 6:00 to 7:00, discussion on the topic of what’s happening in Washington with Hank Van den Berg from 7:00 to 8:00pm, and business\/continued discussion until 9:00pm. Van den Berg, a UN-L Economics professor, is just returned from two international conferences in Nottingham and Oxford. He will offer thoughts on the economics implications of recent events in DC. For more information, e-mail Karen Abrams, kabrams123 [at] cox [dot] net<\/p>\n

GREEN BELLEVUE MEETING . . .\u00a0 The next meeting of Green Bellevue will be Sunday, September 11, 2011, 1:30 to 3:30pm, at Bellevue Public Library, Galvin Road near Bellevue East High School.\u00a0 A <\/b>Nebraska Wildlife Federation <\/b><\/a>speaker will discuss the Keystone XL pipeline<\/b>.\u00a0 Learn more about the XL threat to our fragile ecosystem in Nebraska.<\/p>\n

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Omaha protests with Guardians of the Good Life<\/a> continue. E-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net for details. STOP THE PIPELINE yard signs are available in Omaha by calling Nebraskans for Peace<\/a> Coordinator Mark Welsch, 402.453.0776, or e-mail NFPOmaha [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.<\/p>\n

BENSON COMMUNITY GARDEN . . . Omaha’s newest community garden is at 60th & Lafayette, at the south side of the historic Benson neighborhood. For more information, phone 402.714.0290 or e-mail goetzinger2 [at] cox [dot] net. To get involved, or help support the garden, please register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3<\/p>\n

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Saturday was the last day of sit-ins at the White House in opposition to the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline through Nebraska’s fragile Sand Hills<\/a> and the Ogallala Aquifer<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 A petition with 617,428 names opposing the pipeline was delivered to the White House at the end of the sit-ins and arrests.<\/strong>\u00a0 Click on the Tar Sands Action website<\/a>\u00a0for final press releases, photos and videos.
\n350.org<\/a> leader and protest organizer Bill McKibben wrote from the White House lawn: “In front of me there\u2019s a sprawling rally underway, with speakers ranging from indigenous elders to the great Canadian writer Naomi Klein. In back of me, another 243 courageous people are being hauled away to jail — it\u2019s the last day of Phase 1 of the tar sands campaign, and 1,252 North Americans have been arrested, the biggest civil disobedience action this century on this continent.<\/b>\u00a0 But we\u2019ve been just as cheered by the help that has poured in from around the world — today, activists in front of the White House held a banner with a huge number on it: 618,428. That’s how many people around the world who signed on to the “Stop the Tar Sands” mega-petition to President Obama.” Check out photos of passion and courage on display here<\/a>.
\n“Over 1,000 Arrested While Protesting the Keystone XL Pipeline<\/a>” by Sarah Alexander, sourced from Food and Water Watch<\/a> by AlterNet<\/a>, September 2, 2011 begins “One of the largest acts of civil disobedience in the environmental movement is underway as over 1,000 people have been arrested in front of the White House while gathering to oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline. The pipeline, which will extend from the Athabasca tar sands of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, is a threat to our environment and threatens the drinking water of millions of people in its path. …Add your voice<\/a> to the over 250,000 people that have already petitioned the\u00a0president to deny the construction permit.
\n“Naomi Klein Arrested in Oil Sands Protest,” by Mitch Potter of The Toronto Star was published in Reader Supported News<\/a> September 3rd. It also begins “More than 1,000 people have been busted at the gates of the White House the past two weeks, as the most ambitious of climate protests against Canadian oil comes to a head. Toronto author and activist Naomi Klein was not planning to be among them. …Yet there was Klein on Friday, being led away by police in the latest harvest of detainees after a last-second decision to put her liberty on the line in opposition to the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.”\u00a0 See the photo and read the article\u00a0here<\/a>.
\nLocal PeaceMaker and Green Party supporter Carol Smith hosted riders on buses from California and Texas, and then began the trip East to pick up others along the way in caravan to the White House. Carol’s pre-trip Local View for the LJS, “I Will be Sitting in Front of the White House,” is here<\/a>. It was picked up by Common Dreams here<\/a>. \u00a0On Thursday, September 1st, a photo of Carol being arrested ran in LJS with a column by Cindy Lange-Kubick reporting on Carol’s activism. A blog about the caravan’s experiences on the road, with photos, is here<\/a>. Thank You Carol!
\nIn the news this past week was Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman’s letter to the President and Secretary of State asking them to deny a permit to TransCanada for the proposed route through the Sand Hills and the Ogalalla Aquifer. The Omaha World-Herald covered the letter here<\/a>, and Lincoln Journal Star reporting is here<\/a>.
\nA September 2nd Steve White report on NTV, “Special Session Urged Over Pipeline Route<\/a>” began “Now that Governor Dave Heineman has come out against the proposed route of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, farm groups call for a special session of the unicameral. Nebraska Farmers Union<\/a> has been talking with ag producers during the state fair. They credit the governor for listening to their concerns about putting the pipeline through the Sandhills. Now NFU President John Hansen calls on the legislature to act. He said, “The ball really is in the legislature’s court. So the legislature needs to go into special session so they can deal with issues and authority of siting and routing.”
\nA Sunday, September 4th letter to the Lincoln Journal Star editor by Jim Knopik of Belgrade, NE.\u00a0also asks the governor to “Call special session on Keystone.” It begins “Wednesday morning I heard some great news. Gov. Dave Heineman wrote a letter to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton opposing the Keystone XL pipeline, but he continues to drag his own feet, saying the ball is in the hands of our federal government. Sen. Ben Nelson, on the other hand, said Gov. Heineman could do something about making TransCanada reroute the pipeline. Personally, I believe all of them could do something, but won’t. The letter is here<\/a>.
\n“Dismayed by Heineman,” a LJS letter by Vernon Forbes published August 18th begins “I was dismayed that Governor Dave Heineman will not call for a special session of the Legislature to protect the Ogallala Aquifer, even though he admits that a majority of Nebraskans (including himself) believe that the Keystone XL Pipeline should not go through the Sandhills. He believes this should have been taken care of in the regular session, that a special session is too expensive, and that the votes to pass a bill are not there. During the regular session, the senators did not feel they had the authority to determine a pipeline’s route through the state. It is now clear they do have that authority, and Senator Ken Haar is trying to make that correction.” The letter continues here<\/a>.
\nSeveral Nebraska groups have formed a coalition named Save Our Sand Hills for the purpose of calling for a special session to re-route the pipeline away from the Sand Hills.\u00a0 Call your senator and ask him or her to press for a special session of the legislature. We have no legal petition route to calling a special session. Citizen input is the only way the senators will become interested enough to act. They need to hear from constituents.<\/b>
\nIn the Final Environmental Impact Statement<\/a>, the Obama administration “removed a major roadblock to a planned $7 billion oil pipeline from western Canada to the Texas coast<\/a>” saying that the project is unlikely to cause significant environmental problems during construction or operation. The EIS is 1,200 pages. Early AP coverage is here<\/a>. \u00a0Lincoln Journal Star coverage is here<\/a>. \u00a0The New York Times called the EIS “a crucial green light<\/a>” to the 1,711-mile tar sands pipeline. The Department of State said it was eliminating route alternatives from further consideration! Read the BOLD Nebraska<\/a> response to the FEIS here<\/a>.
\nA background document on the FEIS by the Natural Resources Defense Council<\/a> mailed to grouplists September 2nd summarizes the bottom line: “1) There is ample evidence that Keystone XL will cause an increase in tar sands oil extraction and significant harm to climate, wildlife, water and health. 2) The pipeline will risk health and safety through oil spills as well as water and air pollution. 3) The State Department’s finding that the pipeline will cause “no significant impact” is flawed. 4) The FEIS is lacking in several areas including an expert study on safety impact, clean energy alternatives to the pipeline, a serious review of an alternative path avoiding the Nebraska Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquifer, climate change impacts, and an on-the-ground study or refinery pollution in Port Arthur and Houston.” Ken Winston’s response for Nebraska Sierra<\/a>, “Final Environmental Impact Statement Flawed” is here<\/a>.\u00a0 Please take a moment to call the White House and tell the President to deny the permit to build this pipeline.<\/b>\u00a0 The White House Switchboard number is 202.456.1111<\/b>.
\nDepartment of State Public Hearings<\/a> following the final EIS will offer the final opportunity to speak for preservation of Our land and water. Randy Thompson and the entire Coalition of groups taking action to Save the Sand Hills will now focus on fostering a large presence at the two Nebraska hearings.\u00a0 Please mark your calendars now: Tuesday, September 27, 2011: Pershing Center, 226 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, 12:00 pm \u2013 3:30pm, 4:00pm \u2013 8:00 pm; and Thursday, September 29, 2011: West Holt High School, 100 North Main Street, Atkinson, Nebraska, 4:30 pm \u2013 10:00 pm.<\/strong>
\nSunday, August 28th, the Omaha World-Herald editorialized “Protect this Special Gift<\/a>,” a strong statement for rerouting the pipeline. “The Ogallala Aquifer is a special gift to Nebraskans. Nebraskans have a special responsibility to protect it. Allowing an oil sands pipeline to cross the heart of that aquifer poses a potential threat to a unique natural resource. The proposed Keystone XL pipeline should be rerouted.” And a Lincoln Journal Star Op-Ed September 2nd called for a strong public presence at the scheduled State Department hearings. Although that day’s editorial is not online, it says “We hope senators continue the effort to establish stronger state control before it’s too late.” The editorial board first wrote “Reroute Keystone LX pipeline around Sand Hills” on September 28, 2010.
\nIn a LJS letter to the editor<\/a> published September 3rd, Joyce Petit asks the following questions: “Have any of our elected officials asked TransCanada to change the route? Have any of our elected officials asked for a guarantee that the United States will get a certain amount of that oil? Have any of the elected officials asked TransCanada to give each state a superfund to pay for the damage when\/if there are spills\/leaks? Have any of our elected officials asked how many of the “thousands” of jobs will be permanent? How many of the jobs will be for only a few months? Will TransCanada bring its own trained\/skilled pipe workers to do the high-paying jobs? Will the company create high-paying jobs all along the pipeline route?” Continuing, she writes “Elected officials seem to be so mesmerized by all the money hanging out of TransCanada’s pockets they can’t think straight. They were elected to protect the citizens and the environment of the United States, not a foreign company. Our Nebraska elected officials should be demanding that the route be changed. After all, the state elected officials are the ones who are supposed to dictate what happens in the state, not TransCanada.”
\n“No to TransCanada<\/a>,” a letter from Elke Roby, reveals new information most of us probably hadn’t noticed: “I was wondering how many folks are aware that if they go to the Nebraska State Fair, they would be accepting money from TransCanada.\u00a0 On the State Fair’s website, TransCanada is listed as one of the four big sponsors.<\/strong>\u00a0 Does TransCanada think it can buy our goodwill by sponsoring our fair? I, for one, am not willing to take TransCanada’s blood money.”
\nA Bill McKibben article published in the Daily Beast, “Global Warming\u2019s Heavy Cost<\/a>,” says “Hurricane Irene\u2019s dangerous power can be traced to global warming -\u2014 and Obama is at fault for his failed leadership on the environment.”
\nFrom “Pipeline Protests: Beyond the Usual Suspects,” by Madeline Ostrander, Yes! Magazine, in TruthOut August 29th, “Several months ago, John Stansbury, a soft-spoken professor from Omaha, Nebraska, took his 12-year-old grandson to a public meeting to discuss Keystone XL, the proposed mega-pipeline that would carry oil from Canada across his home state to the Gulf of Mexico. At the time, Stansbury knew almost nothing about the pipeline and had never done anything particularly political. ‘I’m not really an activist,’ he says, a bit sheepishly. But he wanted his grandson to ‘see democracy at work.’ The 61-year-old civil engineer also happens to be an expert in the transport of hazardous materials. And as he learned more about Keystone XL, he saw a disaster in the making. After the meeting, Stansbury began poring over official risk assessments of the pipeline and thought they grossly underestimated the probability of a spill. He was so troubled that he did something he\u2019s never done before\u2014he courted media attention. He drafted an independent report on the pipeline, asked the organization Friends of the Earth to help announce his findings, and held a press conference. He predicts the pipeline could have approximately 91 significant spills over the next 50 years\u2014eight times as many as the energy company TransCanada estimated. …The pipeline could be a rare moment for Obama to act on his commitment to post-partisan politics, make good on his promise to act on climate change, and stop one of the world\u2019s most environmentally disastrous projects.” Read the article here<\/a>.
\n“Nebraska Landowners vs. TransCanada’s Pipeline,” by Bradley Olson, published September 1st in Businessweek, quotes Omaha lawyer David Domina, whose firm studied the Keystone proposal, saying “it is hard to imagine local judges and juries in eminent domain cases\u2014both in initial stages and on appeal\u2014siding with a Canadian company against their neighbors. Eventually, the judges will have to face a public vote.\u201d Read page 1 of 2 here<\/a>.
\nIn “3 Reasons Why the Tar Sands Pipeline Has to be Stopped,” Janet Redman writes “why the pipeline is truly idiotic and why I’m willing to get arrested to stop it.” The AlterNet article begins “The latest bone-headed move by the fossil fuel industry to build a pipeline across the United States is testing my patience. And I’m someone who’s seen a lot of really dumb environmental behavior. …For all the oil money in politics — and there’s about $24 million of it in Congress — I still hold out the hope that with a little help from his friends Obama will see the Keystone XL pipeline expansion as a really stupid idea. Obama’s no dummy. He knows that increasing national energy security means reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. He knows that we don’t have extra money lying around to clean up spills and foot the bill for health impacts. And he knows that building a clean, renewable energy economy in the United States would create millions of jobs.” The complete article is here<\/a>.
\nA great new Huffington Post “Keystone XL Pipeline Infograph: Built to Spill,” was posted August 28th. Emma Pullman of DeSmogBlog<\/a> and Heather Libby of TckTckTck<\/a> created the infographic. Their statement provided the following description: “TransCanada says their Keystone pipelines are the safest on the continent. But what about those 12 spills in the past year? Since its operation began in June of 2010, the Keystone 1 pipeline has suffered more spills than any other 1st year pipeline in US history, a track record which does not bode well for the proposed Keystone XL which tracks across one of the largest aquifers in the world \u2013 the Ogalalla \u2013 which supplies drinking water to millions of mid-Westerners and provides 30% of the nation\u2019s groundwater used for irrigation. The Keystone pipeline map shows the spills documented in TransCanada’s publicly released safety records alongside the proposed route for Keystone XL, indicating key risk areas near waterways and major metropolitan areas.” Please click here<\/a> to view this new infograph.
\n“Cornhuskers vs Dirty Oil” is a new four part YouTube video by Nebraska Greens featuring a great original song to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies; interviews with Senators Dubas, Fulton, Avery, and Coash; clips from the rally at the capitol, and great quotes from Raymond Joe Moller, a Douglas, NE resident with family property near Central City. Thanks to John Carlini, Shari Schwartz, and Anthony DiCostanzo for production. View Part 1 of 4 here<\/a>.
\nAs Nebraska’s National Geographic contributing photographer Joel Sartore<\/a> wrote in a Journal Star Local View<\/a>, please contact “Governor Dave Heineman, Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Adrian Smith and Lee Terry, and Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns” and let them know that “trading our environmental heritage in order to cater to greed and increase the wealth of a select few will not be tolerated. Nebraska is better than this.”
\nContact information for Nebraska’s Congressional Representatives is as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln), FaceBook<\/a>; Rep. Lee Terry<\/a>, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith<\/a>, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); Senator Ben Nelson<\/a>, 720 Hart Senate Office Building, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.6551; Senator Mike Johanns<\/a>, 404 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202.224.4224.\u00a0 Contact <\/b>Governor Dave Heineman<\/b><\/a>, at linked e-mail or PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244.<\/b>\u00a0 Please contact them all if you oppose the environmental devastation that XL would cause Nebraska’s ecosystems.
\nComprehensive Green Notes covering international, national and local opposition to the XL pipeline since May 30, 2010 are in archives here<\/a>. \u00a0(Scroll from the bottom up for links to each week’s Notes.)
\nThe governor could stop this pipeline madness right now by making the Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer off limits to pipelines. He needs to hear from EveryOne who opposes the XL project.<\/strong>\u00a0 Please contact him<\/a> with thanks for his letter to the President and Secretary of State, ask him to call a special session of the legislature, and also contact your own senator requesting he or she joins Ken Haar in seeking a special session. Continue writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, and keep the issue alive in conversations at the kitchen table, in cafes, churches, and clubs around Nebraska. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org for yard signs, bumper stickers, and t-shirts. New armbands that say “Sand Hills and Ogallala Aquifer Lover” and “Pipeline Fighter” will be ready for the State Department public hearings.
\nBe a community educator and organizer. Help make Nebraska the first state to successfully oppose a pipeline project.<\/p>\n

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . “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.” Sign the Petition<\/a> and view 6:20 minute Colbert Report interview with Tom Ridge.<\/p>\n

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.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative<\/a>, 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<\/a>. \u00a0Click here<\/a> for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here<\/a> for Tomato Tom\u00e4to, 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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>. \u00a0Bookmark 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!<\/p>\n

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “<\/b>Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for oil.<\/b><\/a>“<\/b><\/p>\n

STOP THE PIPELINE<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE. Lincoln area: Congressional District 1 VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, from noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. In winter, the vigil … Continue reading Green Notes Week of September 4, 2011<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=545"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":548,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545\/revisions\/548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}