Ken Winston

By Ken Winston, Nebraska Sierra Club Advocate

There were three pipeline bills heard in the Legislature this week.

LB 1134, introduced by Senator Avery was heard on Wednesday by the Judiciary Committee. It would set out procedures that entities, including utilities, would have to go through before they could exercise eminent domain. This includes a requirement that the project be for a public purpose, that there be a public hearing and a majority vote about the use of eminent domain. It also contains a provision that makes it illegal to threaten to use eminent domain without authority. Although several people, including Randy Thompson, John Hansen, Jack Gould, Brian Jorde, Jane Kleeb and I testified in favor of the bill, it is unlikely to advance because there is substantial opposition to the bill from utilities, NRDs and municipalities.

LB 845, introduced by Senator Sullivan was heard on Thursday by the Natural Resources Committee. It would require restoration of land to a condition as close reasonably practicable to the condition that existed prior to construction. It was supported by John Hansen, Ben Gotschall and I among others and had no opposition testimony. Senator Sullivan has made it her priority bill so it has a good chance of passage this session.

LB 1161, introduced by Senator Smith, attempts to revive the DEQ pipeline review process that was derailed when Congress passed its arbitrary deadline for a pipeline decision and the President denied TransCanada’s permit application. This bill appears to be intended to allow the Republicans in Congress to claim that all the concerns about the route in Nebraska have been resolved.  There are lots of reasons why this is a bad idea, including the fact that it is unnecessary since we have a process in place for oil pipeline applications, it is unnecessary because there is no pending application for a pipeline permit, it violates the agreement made in the special session, it is probably unconstitutional special legislation, it is probably unconstitutional as a violation of equal protection and it continues the status quo regarding the open-ended authority for pipeline companies to make eminent domain threats. Senator Smith was unable to answer most questions about the bill. TransCanada had two people testify: Robert Jones once again displaying his inimitable arrogance, and an attorney named Jim White who tried to gloss over all the changes the bill would make. Mary Pipher, Randy Thompson, Amy Schaffer, Linda Duckworth, Ben Gotschall, Adam Hintz and I were among those who testified against the bill. I probably received the most extensive grilling, but think I withstood it fairly well. I have attached a copy of my written testimony. Senator Smith has prioritized LB 1161, so it will probably be advanced soon to the floor of the Legislature. We intend to continue to expose its deficiencies.

All GNC community events are free and open to the public.

 Ms. Wamstad-Evans was hired as the City’s first Sustainability Coordinator in September, 2009. Over the past 2-1/2 years, she has worked to establish ECO-Omaha, the Office of Sustainable Development in City Hall, has been responsible for managing over $14 million in energy efficiency projects and programs, and has established many new tools to help facilitate and catalyze sustainability in the City of Omaha.

Ms. Wamstad-Evans will report on progress made since 2009 and discuss ECO-Omaha’s plans for 2012, including building a community-wide web-based tool for collecting information about local efforts to promote and implement sustainability. She is very interested in learning what community groups and individuals are doing to help make our neighborhoods and our city more sustainable.

The Mayor’s Neighborhood Grants provide local organizations with grants of up to $5000 to pursue and implement creative green solutions in their own neighborhoods. Applications for the 2012 funding cycle are due March 26th.  Kristi will be discussing the types of green projects that were funded over the last two years and provide details on how neighborhood associations and other organizations can apply for a 2012 grant.

Tom McCauley, administrator for the Mayor’s Neighborhood Grants will also be available to answer questions about the 2012 application process.

 Green Projects For Earth Day & Beyond

 For individuals and groups who want to bring project ideas, the Green  Neighborhood Council will have information tables set up for that purpose. These can be projects you’re currently working on or ones you’re planning on doing for  Earth Day—or any day of the year.

A free green book will be given to the first 50 attendees.

It is difficult to write a definitive article about the status of TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline because the situation keeps changing. When President Obama denied their permit application on January 18^th, it would make sense to think that the project was dead, right? Wrong! Let’s review what has happened and is currently happening.
On November 10, 2011 the US State Department decided that they needed to do further review of issues related to the Nebraska Sandhills and Ogallala Aquifer. The Nebraska Sierra Club was heavily involved in helping support and develop citizen involvement and provide information that led to that decision. The State Department estimated that the review would not be completed until early 2013.

The Nebraska Legislature was meeting in special session to consider issues related to the pipeline route when the State Department made its decision to delay the process. The Nebraska Sierra Club, in particular, Senator Ken Haar and I, played a major role in calling for the special session and the developments that ensued. During the special session the Legislature passed two bills for reviewing the route of proposed oil pipelines, LB 1 and LB 4. LB 4 set up an expedited process for environmental review of the pending pipeline application that would be conducted by the Nebraska DEQ pursuant to a memorandum of understanding with the State Department. LB 4 was supposed to apply only to TransCanada’s application for the Keystone XL pipeline. This arose from an agreement by TransCanada to choose a route that would not cross the Sandhills. In return the process would be expedited and the State would pay for the review, supposedly to avoid any issues of conflicts of interest. LB 1 will apply to all oil pipeline applications that are submitted after November 2011.

After passage of the legislation, DEQ hired HDR, a consulting/engineering firm from Omaha to conduct studies related to the review. DEQ issued a map of what they believed constituted the Sandhills, which would be off-limits for the proposed pipeline, based on EPA eco-region definitions. I was part of a group of people who met with DEQ to talk to them about their procedures and plans. At that time, DEQ was working to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State Department. DEQ estimated they would be able to complete their review within nine months after they signed the MOU.

At that point, Congressional Republicans got into the act. They decided that Nebraska’s expedited review process wasn’t fast enough. They also wanted to put the President in a political box by forcing him to make a decision within 60 days. They were able to get the bill passed by attaching it as an amendment to the payroll tax bill that Congress passed before the end of the year.

On January 18^th, President Obama denied the pipeline permit, because the route through Nebraska had not yet been determined and there was inadequate time to review it. The President’s decision was cause for celebration for environmentalists and people who support citizen empowerment. We had a showing of Pipedreams scheduled for January 21^st at the House of Loom which we converted to a celebration of the President’s decision.

However, Congressional Republicans, backed by big oil interests, are busily trying to resurrect the tar sands pipeline, like some zombie horror movie. Imagine The Creature from the Black Ooze trying to slime its way back into existence, with destruction of everything in its path. That’s what this pipeline is like.

There are various Congressional proposals. They are all fundamentally flawed. I cannot imagine a less-qualified body to make decisions about the future of Nebraska’s land and water than the current US Congress, a body that has set new lows in partisanship over the best interests of the people of the United States. Sadly, Rep. Lee Terry of Omaha has been one of the champions of these ideas, although the pipeline would primarily benefit foreign corporations and big oil. It ignores the fundamental value of Nebraska’s land and water both to our economy and the future of this nation.

The most recent proposal would deem the project approved, although proponents claim it would allow Nebraska to carry out its review of the pipeline route. This idea fails even rudimentary tests of logic. To use an analogy, this legislation is like saying that a student will get an A at the end of the class, but he or she still has to take the tests. That means the tests are meaningless. If TransCanada’s application is deemed approved before they even begin, it means that Nebraska’s review of their proposed route will likewise be meaningless, because anything that conflicts with TransCanada’s intentions will be nearly impossible to enforce.

I need to make a couple of other points. As I write this, TransCanada has no pending application for a tar sands pipeline to cross the border into the United States. Although Governor Heineman says that TransCanada has told him they have chosen a new route, it has yet to be proposed to the public. So any action by Congress on this subject is jumping the gun, asking to approve an application for a pipeline that doesn’t exist for a route that has yet to be disclosed.

There is a lot of frantic action this week on the pipeline issue. Congressional Republicans are trying to attach the pipeline bill to legislation that has widespread support and needs to pass, such as the Transportation Bill. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, are working on getting as many people to sign a petition calling on Congress to oppose any legislation to resurrect the tar sands pipeline. If you have not already signed a petition or contacted Nebraska’s members of Congress, please take the time to do so. Stay tuned for further developments.

Ken Winston

By Ken Winston, Chapter Policy Advocate
As usual I have been busy this time of year. In the last couple of weeks, I have been involved in several legislative activities. Following the hearing on Senator Haar’s LB 885, I participated in a meeting with interested parties to try to work out issues with the bill, primarily the unrealistically large fiscal note. LB 885 would require state buildings to have energy star ratings to determine their energy use ranking. The meeting went well, but it is my understanding that Governor Heineman’s administration will not permit DAS officials to continue to work on the bill. The fact that the Governor’s administration generated a fiscal note that was at least ten times larger than it should have been and their refusal to work with the introducer on the legislation creates an impression  that they do not support efforts to make state buildings more energy efficient.
I testified in opposition to LB 1043, which would allow the public power districts to establish a five-year fixed electric rate as an economic development incentive. The Nebraska Sierra Club has a longstanding policy of opposing taxpayer subsidies to businesses for supposed economic development purposes. The public power districts already have the authority to use special low rates to businesses for economic development incentives. LB 1043 would extend this policy by fixing the rate for five years.
My testimony focused on two primary points:
1. Electric rates have gone up significantly in the past five years; establishing fixed rates for certain business customers would mean that rest of the ratepayers, including homeowners and small businesses, would have to pay even higher rates while the businesses that received the incentive rate would not share in that cost. This would put a larger burden on the rest of the ratepayers, while benefiting a few larger customers, similar to tax breaks for the wealthy.
2. If our public power districts really want to engage in economic development, renewable energy and energy efficiency projects create far more jobs and provide greater benefits to more people than incentives to one or two large businesses. I pointed out the fact that Nebraska has the third greatest wind potential in the country and yet our neighbor Iowa put three times as much wind development online in one year than Nebraska’s total development. This is an opportunity we cannot afford to waste. I also pointed out that energy efficiency generates 17 jobs for every $1 million invested, while benefiting every homeowner and business whose energy costs are reduced.
LB 1043 has been amended to address the issue of increased fuel costs. I am trying to get it further amended because it does not address the issue of shifting costs of capital improvements that may occur in the next five years, which could amount to more than a billion dollars each for both of the State’s largest public power districts. At this point, I am trying to call attention to this issue in an attempt to protect Nebraska ratepayers from this type of cost shifting.
 LB 1043 is part of a package of incentives intended to lure a data center to Nebraska. It has been made a priority bill, so it is likely the Legislature will pass it this session.
I sent several messages to senators about LB 473, Senator Louden’s latest attempt in his war against prairie dogs. Although the bill advanced, I have recently seen several messages against the bill from other people, including Buffalo Bruce and highly respected naturalist Paul Johnsgaard. In addition to being bad policy, in my opinion LB 473 is unconstitutionally vague and would unconstitutionally delegate state authority. I hope that enough people will speak out against this bad idea it will derail the bill.
 I sent out a call to action related to LB 1161, Senator Smith’s bill to try to create a new process for DEQ to get involved in the pipeline siting process. There are several things wrong with the bill, including the following:
1. It is not needed. There is no pending application for a tar sands pipeline to cross Nebraska since TransCanada’s permit application has been denied. This appears to be special legislation to address TransCanada’s failed proposal.
2. We have a process for siting pipelines through the Public Service Commission, passed by the Legislature during the special session.
3. It would require the expenditure of $2 million in taxpayer funds to carry out environmental studies, instead of requiring the applicant to shoulder the costs of the application, as is typical of such procedures.
4. Nebraska’s process for TransCanada’s application could be underway right now, but Congress screwed it up by interfering in the process.
5. LB 1161 would weaken the process that was supposed to be used by removing references to federal laws that control how an environmental review is supposed to be done.
LB 1161 will be heard by the Natural Resources Committee on February 16th at 1:30 p.m. Contact the members of the committee and tell them you oppose the bill.

This building is being renovated into a sports bar/pizzeria and office suites. While not LEED or “green” certified, the renovations are an example of how sustainable design solutions can be incorporated into all projects. This tour is a follow-up to the program: “Building Green before ‘Green Building’”

The Sierra Club EcoKids Program has been revised locally through the MoValley Group. Helen Deffenbacher has agreed to chair the project and is accepting volunteers for the EcoKids Committee.

Helen has also agreed to maintain the Youth area of the Nebraska Sierra Club website (http://sierranebraska.org) and has already posted EcoKids projects on it for January and February 2012. Check them out through these links:

January 2012 MoValley EcoKids Project: Beyond Coal & What You Can Do to Help
February 2012 Movelly Ecokids Project: Great Backyard Bird Count and …

Each month Helen will write about a different project or projects kids can do in their home, backyard, or community. If you would like to suggest a project idea, email it to: hdeffenbacher@cox.net.

The 15^th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place on February 17-20 in towns all across the United States and Canada.

photo by Phil Swanson

 It’s a fun, free, and educational event for people of all ages. And it’s easy. Here are the steps:

• Print a Tally Sheet of local birds to look for at the Great Backyard Bird Count Website For Kids: http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/checklist
• Watch and count birds in your backyard for at least 15 minutes on any day of the count, February 17-20, 2012
• Enter your results at www.birdcount.org where you can watch as the tallies grow across the continent. Over 10 million tallies have been made in past years’ GBBC events.

Besides being a lot of fun, the Great Backyard Bird Count also helps ornithologists, scientists who study birds:

“When thousands of people all tell us what they’re seeing, we can detect patterns in how birds are faring from year to year,” said Janis Dickinson, director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. ”

“The Great Backyard Bird Count is a perfect example of Citizen Science,” says Audubon Chief Scientist, Gary Langham. “Like Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, volunteers help us with data year after year, providing scientific support that is the envy of many institutions. It’s also a lot of fun.”

“We’re finding that more people are taking part in our bird count programs every year–and the more that take part, the better it is for the birds,” says Richard Cannings, Senior Projects Officer for Bird Studies Canada.

Watch this video with your family to learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count: www.birdsource.org/gbbc/GBBCvideo12

 To download a poster and button, click on this web link:
www.birdsource.org/gbbc/press/news-stories/gbbc-posters-web-buttons

 ——————————————————-

 Here are several more fun things you and your family can do to learn about birds and ways you can help conserve them:

Ö  Put together a bird watching kit.

 At a minimum, include a checklist and a field guide (see below). You and your family may want to add other things to it, such as: binoculars, a video or still camera, and a journal for notes, photographs and/or illustrations.

• “Binocular Basics” provides tips on choosing, using, and caring for your binoculars:  www.birdsource.org/gbbc/learning/birdingtools
• Print a checklist of birds for your area at the Great Backyard Bird Count Website For Kids that was mentioned earlier: http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/checklist
• Birds of Nebraska Field Guide,by Stan Tekiela is available at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center’s Gift Shop, wild bird supply stores, and local bookstores.
  

  Birds of Nebraska Field Guide

Ö  Learn more about Nebraska birds at these two fantastic interactive websites:

The Nebraska Bird Library: www.nebraskabirdlibrary.org

 This online library provides information and beautiful photographs on almost 450 bird species that can be found in Nebraska. You can search by bird color, size, area of the state, and habitat. Once you narrow your search, pages chock full of information are provided about that particular species, even including the bird’s song or call.

Project Beak

Project BEAK was created for kids in 5^th through 8^th grades, but Nebraskans of all ages enjoy using this website to learn about:  Birds & People, Adaptations, Nebraska Habitats, The Rare Ones, and Birding Basics. (Teacher Resources are also available). You and your family and friends can play games together, take quizzes to test your knowledge of Nebraska birds, and watch videos: www.projectbeak.org

 Ö  Check out a book about bird conservationists from your school or neighborhood public library.

Here are three suggestions:

 Audubon: Painter of Birds in the Wild Frontier,by Jennifer Armstrong, with illustrations by Jos. A. Smith. Grades K-4

Audubon: Painter of Birds

Saving Birds – Heroes Around the World, by Pete Salmansohn and Stephen W. Kress. Grades 4-7.

Saving Birds--Heroes Around the World

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon, by
Jacqueline Davies and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Grades K-4

Boy Who Drew Birds

Ö  Tell your parents about Audubon’s interactive Healthy Yard website.

 If they haven’t already done this, ask if you can help create a healthy yard for people, pets, birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife. Using natural ways to control insects, such as enticing predators to your yard, is one of the steps. Many bird species eat bugs or feed them to their young during the summer. The natural foods you provide in your yard will attract these bug eaters and other birds to your yard.

http://web4.audubon.org/bird/at_home/Healthy_Yard.html

 Ö  Plant a bird garden this spring

 Native plants provide food and protective cover for birds and other wildlife all year round.  It isn’t too early to start planning your bird garden, learning which native plants will attract birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife to your backyard, and deciding what additional things you would like to include in your garden, such as a pond or birdbath, logs, and one or more nest boxes (See: “How to build a nest box,” below).

 Glenn Pollock, who lives in Omaha, is a longtime naturalist and prairie conservationist and a member of the Sierra Club. Below is a list of 12 native plants, among others, that he has planted in wildlife gardens and prairies.

 The photographs are from Stock Seed Farms’ online catalog. Their store is located in Murdock, Nebraska. Each of these native wildflower seeds is $2.50 a packet: www.stockseed.com

 Another company Glenn likes is Ion Exchange in Harpers Ferry, Iowa, which also sells a variety of native seeds you can order online: www.ionxchange.com

 Blackeyed Susan

 Butterfly Milkweed 

Common Milkweed

False Sunflower

 Illinois Bundleflower

Joe Pye Weed

 Pale Purple Coneflower

 Purple Coneflower

Purple Prairieclover

Spiked Gayfeather

 Upright Coneflower

 Wild Bergamot

How to build a nest box

How to build a nestbox

From your research on Nebraska birds, you will learn which species use nest boxes. The most important thing you can do to attract birds to your yard is to provide an inviting habitat, not just a birdfeeder or nest box. Birds will choose a nest site based on the surrounding habitat.

 On the following website, scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology discuss which birds use nest boxes and the general features of a good nest box. They also provide step-by-step instructions on how to build nest boxes for different bird species:  www.birds.cornell.edu/nestinginfo/nestboxref/construct

To do even more gardening for wildlife:

For step-by-step instructions on creating a backyard wildlife habitat and getting it certified, visit the website of the National Wildlife Federation: www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife

Ö  Ask your parents if you can take a family outing to one or more places that have native seeds and plants.

Besides looking through seed catalogs, this is another fun way to learn about native Nebraska plants. You may want to visit a seed company, plant nursery, a public garden, or a prairie preserve that has native species. These are just a few of those places, among many others:

• Ion Exchange: 1878 Old Mission Drive, Harpers Ferry, Iowa: www.ionxchange.com
• Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St., Omaha, NE 68108  When they’re in bloom, you can go and see “The Song of the Lark Meadow” and other native gardens to get ideas for your own bird garden: www.lauritzengardens.org
• Sawmill Hollow Family Farm:  www.sawmillhollow.com The website has an email form to inquire about purchasing aronia berry (chokeberry) plants.
• Stock Seed Farms: 28008 Mill Road, Murdock, Nebraska:  www.stockseed.com 

Prairie Preserves

Allwine and T.L. Davis Prairie Preserves: www.unomaha.edu/prairie/app.php

Allwine Prairie Preserve

Tallgrass Prairies in Eastern Nebraska:
www.nebraskabirdingtrails.com/trail.asp?trail=16

Audubon Society of Omaha Prairie Preserve (formerly known as Jensen Prairie):
www.audubon-omaha.org/places.htm

Vincent Bluff: A Loess Hills Prairie Preserve in the Urban Heart of Council Bluffs, Iowa:
www.loesshps.org/Photos/Maps/slides/VincentBluffMapaerialcolor.php

Each month Sierra Club volunteer Helen Deffenbacher will write about a different project or projects you can do with your family and friends in your home, backyard, or community.

Individuals and organizations are also invited to write about one or more local green projects you are working on. Email your story or article to Helen Deffenbacher: hdeffenbacher@cox.net

Movalley Sierra Club Group is attempting to pack as many separate programs as possible into a single Saturday so members can avoid multiple days and trips. “Orientation for New Members of 2011″, a workshop on “Communicating Effectively on Conservation Issues”, the first meeting of the “Under 40 Group”, a “Potluck Social for all Conservationist” are just some of the activities planned.
Don’t miss this chance to socialize, learn, and work together to save the planet.

WHEN: Saturday, February 18.
WHERE: The First Unitarian Church, 3114 Harney Street, Omaha, NE 68131-3910
To register or for more info, click here >> REGISTER

9:00 a.m. Doors open. Coffee and ?. Volunteer to setup info tables.

9:30 a.m. Orientation for New Members of 2011 – On time please.

10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Workshop (a break in middle)
“Framing the Debate: When Speaking/Writing on Conservation Issues”
By Curtis Bryant
Curtis will discuss successful ways for conservationists to frame the political debate, especially when speaking to folks who do not accept “global warming” or “natural resources depletion.” Curtis leads workshops based on George Lakoff’s research. Curtis also leads meetings of Citizens for Participatory Democracy, at which participants practice using Lakoff’s theory to clarify and express their views more effectively. George Lakoff’s latest blog post can be found at: http://georgelakoff.com/blog

Noon – 1:30 p.m. Potluck Social (best eats until Thanksgiving!)

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Potluck Social continues, plus other events – First “Under 40 Group” meeting,
Volunteer Fair for MoValley Committees, other activities TBA.

Beyond Coal: The EcoKids Green Project of the Month for January, 2012

Your parents or grandparents may have told you about the Sierra Club’s Campaign called “Beyond Coal.” Our members are working with others all across the country to move America away from fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas, and on to green energy.

Green energy is also called “renewable” and “sustainable” energy. It lasts forever, and it’s cleaner and healthier for humans and the environment than fossil fuels.

Renewable energy includes wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. You can learn more about each of these at the U.S. Department of Energy’s website for kids: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/kids/

A young mother named Mary Ann Hitt, shown here in this photograph with her baby, is the Director of the Beyond Coal Campaign.

Mary Ann Hitt with Baby

They live in Appalachia. Coal-mining companies there are using dynamite to blow the tops off mountains to get to the veins of coal underneath. Five hundred mountains have been blown up. Most people believe that mountains and all of nature should belong to everyone and should not be destroyed.

More and more people everywhere are “speaking for the mountains,” and for the people of Appalachia. Just as the words and illustrations in The Lorax make people of all ages want to conserve trees, the stories and photographs from Appalachia are moving people of all ages to save the mountains.

The Appalachian Mountains are ancient, older than the Himalayas, even. Many people who live in Appalachia are doing all they can to move our nation beyond coal, including these two groups: I Love Mountains.Org and Kentuckians For the Commonwealth.Org.

They aren’t waiting for the government or for coal-mining companies to change things for the better. They’re acting together to make sure their children and grandchildren will inherit the remaining mountains.

They want present generations to enjoy and to be able to pass down to their children a healthy environment, with clean water and clean air, just as your own parents and grandparents also want for you. They are working hard to bring clean, renewable energy to their communities.

Sierra Club members aren’t waiting, either. Mary Ann Hitt writes that, “Our small, start-up campaign quickly grew into a force to be reckoned with. And I’m proud to say that, so far, together we have stopped over 150 proposed coal-fired power plants. People said that it couldn’t be done, but we are doing it.”

Here Are Several Things You Can Do:

• If they haven’t already, ask your parents and grandparents to take the pledge to move beyond coal at this website: www.beyondcoal.org/
• Ask your family to help you make a list of free and inexpensive things you can do to conserve (save) energy. You’ve probably heard that the “greenest” energy of all is energy that’s never used. Post your list on your refrigerator or bulletin board. Add to it as you discover new ideas. Websites with a lot of good ideas include:
• www.sierraclub.org/tips/ and http://www1.eere.energy.gov/kids/
• Check out books from your school or public library to learn more about renewable energy and green energy careers. Write a report for your class when your teacher assigns one for a nonfiction book.
• Save up your allowance and buy a book on renewable energy to donate to your school or neighborhood public library. Ask the librarians for one or more titles of books they would like to add to their collections.
• Consider doing a science fair project on renewable energy. Catch the Wind, Harness The Sun: Super-Charged Science Projects for Kids has 22 fun projects for ages 8 to 13. KidWind’s website also has project ideas, free energy activities, and classroom kits and materials: www.kidwind.org. Another great website with lots of science fair project ideas is: www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/index.html
• Write a letter to President Obama thanking him for his support of renewable energy and green energy jobs for our nation’s workers. Send it to: President Barack Obama, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500

Each month Sierra Club volunteer Helen Deffenbacher will write about a different project or projects you can do in your home, backyard, or community. If you would like to suggest a project idea, email it to: Helen Deffenbacher (hdeffenbacher@cox.net).

January 28, 2012

The Legislature is back in session again. I have already appeared at committee hearings on four bills and participated in meetings regarding legislation based on our policies on these issues.

On January 18^th I appeared before the Natural Resources Committee in support of Ken Haar’s LB 713, which would prohibit homeowner’s associations and similar  organizations from preventing homeowners from installing solar panels. This issue came to attention from a situation involving an Omaha resident who put solar panels on his home and got sued by the homeowner’s association, but there are many situations where it could apply. Although the bill is a common-sense approach to dealing with a 21^st century issue, the committee does not appear to be supportive of renewable energy development, or private property rights of homeowners for that matter.

            On January 19^th I testified in support of LB 741, which allows participation in multi state transmission authorities to be considered in transmission decisions by the Power Review Board. Transmission is very important for the development ofNebraska’s renewable energy resources. I testified in a neutral position on LB 742, which was supposed to make it easier for private developers to develop renewable energy, but as drafted, did exactly the opposite. Since the hearing, I organized a meeting with NPPD to talk about amendments to the bill and their stance on developing renewables, particularly the fact that they have publicly stated that they do not intend to develop any more renewable resources until 2017. Although the meeting had some contentious moments, we were able to agree on language that made the bill fall in line with their stated intent. We continue to have concerns about their decision to put renewable development on hold while abundant opportunities exist.

On January 26^th, I testified in support of LB 885, Ken Haar’s bill to require Energy Star rating of State buildings. There was no opposition, but the State has created a $2 million dollar fiscal note, which is problematic for the bill’s chances. I raised questions about the validity of the fiscal note at the hearing, which was echoed by some committee members. There is a meeting scheduled for next week to explore methods of obtaining the information without the cost projected by the fiscal note.

I also put together the list of bills for proposed priority status by the Chapter ExCom.