{"id":620,"date":"2012-05-27T07:30:22","date_gmt":"2012-05-27T07:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/?p=620"},"modified":"2013-05-29T07:31:01","modified_gmt":"2013-05-29T07:31:01","slug":"green-notes-week-of-may-27-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/2012\/05\/27\/green-notes-week-of-may-27-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Notes Week of May 27, 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

NEBRASKA WILDFLOWER WEEK . . . June 2 througth June 10, 2012 is Nebraska Wildflower Week<\/a>, a celebration of wildflowers and native plants across the state. Events are listed here<\/a>.\u00a0 View a 13:25 minute video of native plants and wildflowers with Bob Henrickson of the state Arboretum here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . Greens are united across the country in voting for Jill Stein as their 2012 presidential nominee. She has won 50% or more of the vote in all 22 state primaries, caucuses, and conventions so far, and in 16 of those primaries she won over 67% of the vote. For the full set of primary results to date, click here<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0A vice presidential running mate search is on, and the campaign is asking for people’s guidance at the website<\/a>.
\nA 1:42:42 minute video of the May 12, 2012 Green Party Presidential Forum streamed live with Stein and Roseanne Barr is here<\/a>.\u00a0 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.<\/b>\u00a0 Watch video of Stein’s 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial debate with Mitt Romney here<\/a>.
\nTo help secure ballot status in Nebraska so that Stein can be on the November ballot, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com. Notarized petitions must be submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State by July 31st. The National Green Party convention is in Baltimore, July 12, 2012.<\/p>\n

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

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

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.\u00a0 Saturday, June 2, 2012, there will be Training Sessions in Lincoln and Omaha. “10 Tough Questions About the Death Penalty” will present the most effective ways to discuss the issue. The Lincoln training will be from 9:00 to 11:00am, at the Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street, Lincoln. Identical Omaha traning will be from 1:00 to 3:00pm, at the Second Unitarian Church, 3012 South 119th Street, Omaha. <\/b>\u00a0A suggested $5 donation would cover the cost of materials, but it is not a requirement. For more information about NADP, click here<\/a>.\u00a0 “It is the deed that teaches, not the name we give it. Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind.” –George Bernard Shaw<\/p>\n

OCCUPY EDUCATION . . . Check the Occupy Education – Lincoln website<\/a> for the new schedule of Teach-Ins.<\/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

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

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

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

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET . . . The Haymarket Farmers Market<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . With a unanimous vote Monday evening, May 21, 2012, the City Council closed a loophole that allowed Occupy Lincoln to keep tents up on Centennial Mall for almost seven months. Read Lincoln Journal Star coverage of the new rule banning tents on public land without a permit here<\/a>.\u00a0There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here<\/a>. \u00a0The Facebook page is here<\/a>. \u00a0The 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!<\/p>\n

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<\/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. Wednesday, May 30, 2012, the film will be “The War You Don’t See.<\/a>” \u00a0The John Pilger documentary reveals the ways in which modern media has become compromised. Watch a 1:12 minute trailer here<\/a>. \u00a0For more information, click here<\/a>. \u00a0The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.<\/p>\n

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

PETITION TO REVERSE DECISION CLOSING POLLING STATIONS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY . . . Open and accessible polls are essential to a representative democracy. Commissioner Phipp’s decision to close half of the county’s polls resulted in disproportionately closing more polling locations in low income areas of Omaha where citizens do not have their own personal transportation. Find more information here<\/a> and here<\/a>. \u00a0Election Commissioner Phipp’s CAN reverse this course of action. His decision was made without ANY public input or notice until he stated it was “too late.” Demand Election Commissioner Phipps make our elections accessible by calling 402.444.8683, and sign the petition here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . . click here<\/a> for an Omaha Market schedule.<\/p>\n

OCCUPY OMAHA . . . The official Occupy Omaha website is here<\/a>.\u00a0 The FaceBook page is here<\/a>. \u00a0The Twitter feed is #occupyomaha<\/p>\n

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha<\/a>,\u00a0is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix.<\/p>\n

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

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Lincoln Journal Star coverage of this week’s lawsuit, Thompson V. Heineman<\/a>, [pdf]\u00a0filed with the Nebraska Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of a pipeline siting law passed in the 2012 legislative session is here<\/a>.
\nThe lawsuit claims that LB1161<\/a>\u00a0[pdf] violates separation of powers and that it delegates authority for regulating the controversial pipeline to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, even though the constitution assigns that task to the Nebraska Public Service Commission. The 12-page suit names landowners Randy Thompson of Central City, Susan Luebbe of Stuart, and Susan Dunavan of McCool Junction as plaintiffs and Gov. Dave Heineman, State Treasurer Don Stenberg, and DEQ Director Mike Linder as defendants.
\nThe lawsuit was widely covered in media including AP<\/a>, Reuters<\/a>, Bloomberg<\/a>, UPI<\/a>, Nebraska’s Omaha World-Herald<\/a>, and KVNO News<\/a>.
\nAll three plaintiffs, the legal team, and opposition activists were interviewed in a conference call the previous day. The 40:29 minute audio is here<\/a>.\u00a0 Click here<\/a> for Bold Nebraska’s press resources, photos, the text of lawsuit, and quotes from the landowner\/plaintiffs.
\nHow The Keystone XL Pipeline Could Raise Gas Prices, by Mose Buchele, begins “The debate over TransCanada\u2019s proposed oil pipeline from the oil sands of Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast has mostly focused on the environmental and economic impacts. People in favor say it will bring jobs and energy security. Opponents say the pipeline, and the crude it will carry, will harm the earth. But the project might have another consequence that\u2019s been largely overlooked. Some analysts say it could actually raise gas prices for many American consumers.” Here’s how<\/a>.
\nAccording to Bill McKibben, “We\u2019re coming to think that it\u2019s at least as important to tackle the fossil fuel industry directly as they try to tackle our win on the Keystone pipeline. Last Thursday, Bernie Sanders introduced a bill that would strip $113 billion in subsidies from coal, gas, and oil companies over the next decade. That\u2019s enough money to weatherize more than half the single family and mobile homes in America.” Click here<\/a> to learn how you can help.
\nTransCanada has secretly submitted its permit application for the Southern portion of the Keystone XL Pipeline to the Army Corps of Engineers. To evade a meaningful review, TransCanada applied for an expedited, insufficient permit. And the Army Corps, which has an abysmal environmental track record, could approve the project in 45 days – or sooner – unless the EPA steps in.\u00a0 Learn more and add your name to a petition telling EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson not to allow TransCanada’s project to get rubber stamped at the CredoAction petition <\/b>here<\/b><\/a>. \u00a0A similar Friends of the Earth Petition is <\/b>here<\/b><\/a>. \u00a0Please sign them both.<\/b>
\nAn Esquire article about Nebraska’s XKL opposition hero Randy Thompson, sourced to Reader Supported News, is here<\/a>. \u00a0RSN also sourced “Game Over for the Climate,” by James Hansen, from the New York Times. It begins “Global warming isn’t a prediction. It is happening. That is why I was so troubled to read a recent interview with President Obama in Rolling Stone in which he said that Canada would exploit the oil in its vast tar sands reserves ‘regardless of what we do.’ If Canada proceeds, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate.” Read the Hansen article here<\/a>. Read Bill McKibben’s response to Hansen’s article here<\/a>.
\nSign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert<\/a> 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.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential candidate.<\/b><\/p>\n

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . Quoting Bill McKibben in “Why Not Frack?<\/a>” “The planet is running short of the easy stuff, where you stick a drill in the ground and crude comes bubbling to the surface. The great oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Mexico have begun to dwindle; one result has been a rising price for energy. We could, as a civilization, have taken that dwindling supply and rising price as a signal to convert to sun, wind, and other noncarbon forms of energy-it would have made eminent sense, most of all because it would have aided in the fight against global warming, the most difficult challenge the planet faces. Instead, we’ve taken it as a signal to scour the world for more hydrocarbons. And it turns out that they’re there-vast quantities of coal and oil and gas, buried deep or trapped in tight rock formations or mixed with other minerals. Getting at them requires ripping apart the earth: for instance, by heating up the ground so that the oil in the tar sands formation of Canada can flow to the surface. Or by tearing holes in the crust a mile beneath the surface of the sea, as BP was doing in the Gulf of Mexico when the Deepwater Horizon well exploded. Or by literally removing mountaintops to get at coal, as has become commonplace across the southern Appalachians.”
\n“Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes<\/a>,” by Brad Johnson, ThinkProgress, in Reader Supported News reports “A dozen earthquakes in northeastern Ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas-drilling wastewater into the earth, Ohio oil and gas regulators said Friday as they announced a series of tough new regulations for drillers.”
\nBOLD 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.”<\/b><\/a><\/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>. \u00a0Learn more about clothianidin and sign the petition here<\/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 Substitute Hemp for oil.<\/b><\/a>“<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEBRASKA WILDFLOWER WEEK . . . June 2 througth June 10, 2012 is Nebraska Wildflower Week, a celebration of wildflowers and native plants across the state. Events are listed here.\u00a0 View a 13:25 minute video of native plants and wildflowers with Bob Henrickson of the state Arboretum here. NEBRASKA RAINBOW GATHERING . . . Nebraska’s … Continue reading Green Notes Week of May 27, 2012<\/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\/620"}],"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=620"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":623,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620\/revisions\/623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nebraskagreens.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}