SJVGreens: 2006 archive

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GreenTV schedule 2006

Michiana Peace and Justice Coalition Continues Vigils During Holiday Season

Ellen Stecker writes: "The MPJC anti-war vigil continues 1-2 p.m. Saturdays at the corner of Grape and Cleveland Roads in Mishawaka/So. Bend. Bring your own sign or use ours. There will be increased drive-by traffic the next 6 weekends. The Monday vigil also continues 5-6 p.m. corner of Jefferson and Main in So.Bend."

See the MPJC website http://www.michianapeacejustice.org/ for their code of discipline for vigil participants.

Public Forum Lays Out Details of County Health Ordinance on CAFOs

What:
The Community Forum for Economic Development is sponsoring a panel discussion and citizens forum to educate and take questions on the proposed CAFO ordinance that will be present this year to the county council and commissioners. The public is invited.
Who:
Marc Nelson, Environmental Manager, St. Joseph County Health Department. Dr. Ron Hellenthal, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. Members of the CAFO ordinance task force.
When:
Thursday, November 30th at 6:30pm
Where:
St. Joseph County Main Library, 304 S. Main Street, South Bend, Indiana
Contact:
Jeri Vitello, 574.633.4223.

Health Dept Presents Proposed CAFO Ordinance to St. Joseph County Council

Kathleen Neal writes: "On Tues Nov. 28th, 5:30pm, at the Council Committee Meeting - 4th floor, County-City building, we expect the St. Joseph County Health Dept. to make a strong presentation to the County Council in favor of the CAFO Ordinance. We hope the Councilmen will vote the CAFO Ordinance out of committee for a first reading at the Dec. 5th full Council meeting. The public will not be allowed to speak at this meeting, but as many of you know from prior times, a room filled to overflowing speaks volumes! PLEASE COME!

CAFO Related Public Meetings to Attend

Tues Nov. 28th, 5:30pm, Council Committee Meeting

4th floor, County-City building. We expect the Health Dept. to make a strong presentation to the Council in favor of the CAFO Ordinance. We hope the Councilmen will vote the CAFO Ordinance out of committee for a first reading at the Dec. 5th full Council meeting. The public will not be allowed to speak at this meeting, but as many of you know from prior times, a room filled to overflowing speaks volumes! PLEASE COME!

Thurs. Nov. 30th, 7:00pm, Public Forum on the CAFO Ordinance

Main SB Library, S. Main St. Between Wayne St. and Western Ave. The Community Forum for Economic Development is sponsoring a panel discussion to inform the public about the proposed CAFO Ordinance. The panel will include the Health Dept., local farmers, and other members of the county-wide task force that helped draft the CAFO Ordinance. The public will be allowed to speak and ask questions. Again, county officials will be watching to see how much support there is in the community for this Ordinance. We must pack this room to overflowing! PLEASE COME!

Mon. Dec. 4th, 7:00pm, Public Forum on the CAFO Ordinance

New Carlisle Library. This is a repeat performance of the Nov. 30th panel.

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) Alert

Things are even worse than indicated in the "Urgent/Stop AETA" alert Joe Miller sent last night (the alert is containted in Joe's article).

"According to an excellent blog written by Will Potter under the name 'Green is the New Red,' the version of AETA that passed in the House yesterday contained identical language to the amended version passed unanimously in the Senate on September 30. If Potter is correct (and the information and analyses on his blog seem very accurate), AETA can now be presented to the President for his signature. Once AETA becomes law, citizens will have to fear that their legimate forms of First Amendment expression against various 'animal enterprise' practices may be construed as terrorism, and subject them to all the stresses (time, financial, physical, psychological, etc.) of defending themselves, and perhaps even conviction." More...

Evangelical Group Leader Quits Over Drug-Fueled Sex Trysts

"The leader of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals, a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, resigned Thursday after being accused of paying for sex with a man in monthly trysts over the past three years." More...

Should the original online article become inaccesible, read our copy. More...

Diebold Demands HBO Cancel Documentary "Hacking Democracy"

"Diebold Inc. insisted that cable network HBO cancel a documentary that questions the integrity of its voting machines, calling the program inaccurate and unfair...The documentary is based on the work of Bev Harris, who founded BlackBoxVoting.org which monitors election accuracy." More...

TV critic summarizes the show. More...

Corporations Ask Congress to Limit Free Speech

From Joe Miller: "At the end of August I sent out an alert describing the House and Senate versions of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), and I compared AETA to Food Disparagement Laws and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). In the alert, available on the St. Joe Valley Greens website, I suggested that 'AETA, Food Disparagement Laws and SLAPPs are designed to check, limit and silence dissent, and deny citizens their First Amendment rights to expression.'"

"When I wrote the alert, and because of the unnecessary, intimidating, and threatening provisions of the Act, I thought that even if AETA passed in the House (which has passed some pretty outrageous legislation), surely it would be defeated in the Senate. Imagine my dismay -- and I'm sure yours as well -- to find that an amended version of AETA passed UNANIMOUSLY in the Senate on September 30 (the last day before recess). If Republicans still dominate the House after the November 7 elections, it seems likely that the House version of AETA (H. R. 4239) will also be passed. Even if the House switches to Democratic control, however, AETA may still pass (witness its unanimous passage in the Senate)..." More

Remembrance of Brad Will, Indymedia Journalist Slain in Oaxaca

Writes David Rovics: "brad will was a dear friend, and a true revolutionary. he died the way countless and uncounted numbers of beautiful people have died in recent centuries -- he was shot in the chest by rightwing paramilitaries. he was filming the scene around one of thousands of barricades that have shut down oaxaca city since last june, when the governor there tried to ban public expressions of dissent, thus throwing one more historical spark into one more historical powder keg."

"brad embodied the spirit of indymedia. he was not just covering stories that the "mainstream" press ignores, such as the exciting, violent revolutionary moment which has gripped oaxaca for several months now. brad was not risking his life to get a good shot of a confrontation at a barricade because he might get a photo on the cover of a newspaper, get some (perhaps well-deserved) fame and money -- he was posting his communiques on indymedia, for free. More...

IDEM Comment Forms for Walnut Grove CAFO

St. Jo. Co. Quality of Life sent us an IDEM public comment form in PDF format. Right click on the link and "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" to download the form to your desktop or hard drive.

Also, please read this fact sheet prepared by St. Joe County Quality of Life. After reading it, you can't possibly doubt the wisdom of building a mega-factory farm on such an unsuitable site.

Safeguard Indiana Elections - Vote for Bill Stant

Sean Bagley, Bloomington, writes: "With elections coming on again, I would like to draw peoples' attention to the oft-ignored race of secretary of state. The secretary of state is the person who is charged with monitoring elections (e.g., Katherine Harris, Florida 2000, Ken Blackwell, Ohio 2004) and as many are aware, the promise of fair elections in our nation is becoming more hot air than truth. See the new Rolling Stone magazine article by Robert Kennedy Jr. for a hint of things to come.

Democrats in Indiana are throwing up a token candidate for secretary of state and plan to leave Republican Todd Rokita in charge of Indiana elections despite having seen the dangers of partisan Republicans in charge of elections (see Ohio/Fla.). The principled, most trusted choice for secretary of state is Green Party candidate Bill Stant. Unfortunately, both major parties have cooperated to enact some of the toughest ballot restrictions for third-party candidates in the nation, and Stant was unable to jump the hurdles they set to block his (and other third-party candidacies') chances.

If you want fair elections in Indiana, you need to WRITE IN Bill Stant for secretary of state. If you vote early, ask for a write-in ballot. Election Day voters just push the Write-In button and write 'Bill Stant'."

Will the Next Election Be Hacked?

Robert Kennedy Jr. publishes his second article on U.S. election fraud.

"The debacle of the 2000 presidential election made it all too apparent to most Americans that our electoral system is broken. And private-sector entrepreneurs were quick to offer a fix: Touch-screen voting machines, promised the industry and its lobbyists, would make voting as easy and reliable as withdrawing cash from an ATM. Congress, always ready with funds for needy industries, swiftly authorized $3.9 billion to upgrade the nation's election systems - with much of the money devoted to installing electronic voting machines in each of America's 180,000 precincts. But as midterm elections approach this November, electronic voting machines are making things worse instead of better.

Studies have demonstrated that hackers can easily rig the technology to fix an election - and across the country this year, faulty equipment and lax security have repeatedly undermined election primaries. In Tarrant County, Texas, electronic machines counted some ballots as many as six times, recording 100,000 more votes than were actually cast. In San Diego, poll workers took machines home for unsupervised "sleepovers" before the vote, leaving the equipment vulnerable to tampering. And in Ohio - where, as I recently reported in 'Was the 2004 Election Stolen?' [RS 1002], dirty tricks may have cost John Kerry the presidency - a government report uncovered large and unexplained discrepancies in vote totals recorded by machines in Cuyahoga County."

Read the original article at Rolling Stone.

HigherArchy Meets Tuesday, Oct. 17

HigherArchy is a Michiana progressive discussion group dedicated to the promotion of grassroots direct democracy through free and open dialogue on current events, political philosophy, art, and culture.

for more info contact: karl_j_hardy@yahoo.com, (574) 807-1349

Walnut Grove CAFO Can Be Defeated, Oct. 11

IDEM has announced a public comment meeting in Lakeville, IN. However, the public will not be allowed to speak, only IDEM representatives will address the audience.

"IDEM has reserved space in the main gym at LaVille Jr.-Sr. High, 69969 U.S. 31 South, Lakeville, Indiana on October 11, 2006. A public meeting will be held from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Information will be provided regarding Indiana's regulatory program and the public will be provided an opportunity to submit questions in writing for responses. An opportunity will also be provided for the public to submit written comments or concerns on the proposed facility.

Citizens who are interested in receiving information about the state's confined feeding regulatory program, or St. Joseph County confined feeding operations are invited to attend. This public forum will also serve to collect public comment regarding concerns related to any pending CAFO permit application in St. Joseph County. Please bring this matter to the attention of persons you believe may have interest."

Please read Joe's analysis of IDEM's probable motives and his suggestions to counter IDEM and stop the CAFO. Joe includes his May 16 letter to IDEM to assist you in framing your questions and comments. More...

Free Screening of "An Inconvenient Truth", Friday, Oct. 6

An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary film about global climate change, will be shown free of charge at 7:00 p.m., Friday, October 6, at Unity Church of Peace. A group of churches interested in ecology and the health of the planet are encouraging congregations to study this presentation.

Unity Church of Peace
905 E Colfax Ave
South Bend, IN 46617
574-233-8004
www.unitychurchofpeace.org
unity905@sbcglobal.net

Local Money - Fun & Training Lunch

Liz Martinez writes: "Please join us to learn more about how 'local money' works to improve our community and regional economy. Learn more about how to recruit new members to signup for participation in the local currency network!

Please come -- even if you are not sure if you have time or interest in recruiting for the local money project. You can have fun, meet new people, and find out more! No doubt, I don't have a lot of time either, but I do have some time to eat lunch with new and old friends. And during the rest of my life, ask people/businesses every once in a while to signup for the local currency directory."

FRIDAY OCT. 6
@ 11:45 a.m.
Lula's Cafe
Edison & Route 23
Lula's phone: 273-6216
(Manager is Sabrina)

For more information, see: http://www.michianacurrency.org.

The Man Who Saved the World

"On 26th September 1983 the hero of the day, Colonel Stanislav Yefgrafovich Petrov, clocked on for work as normal. Petrov was in charge of the Soviet Union’s satellite warning systems and this was the height of the cold war. Everyone was on edge because NATO was carrying out its annual tactical exercises and two weeks before the Soviets had shot down a Korean airliner that had wandered into the wrong airspace." More...

Study Finds World Warmth Edging to Ancient Levels

A new study by NASA scientists finds that the world's temperature is reaching a level that has not been seen in thousands of years. The study, led by James Hansen of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, N.Y., along with scientists from other organizations concludes that, because of a rapid warming trend over the past 30 years, the Earth is now reaching and passing through the warmest levels in the current interglacial period, which has lasted nearly 12,000 years. An "interglacial period" is a time in the Earth's history when the area of Earth covered by glaciers was similar or smaller than at the present time. Recent warming is forcing species of plants and animals to move toward the north and south poles. More...

500 Miles on $9 and a 5 Minute Electric Charge

Would you believe an electric car with the potential to go 500 miles on $9 dollars worth of electricity? That's about $0.45 per gallon at today's gas prices. The patent on the technology has been filed. If the electricity is cleanly produced, the environment benefits too. More...

Secretary of State Candidates to Meet at South Bend Forum

The Indiana Green Party (IGP) announces their endorsed candidate for Secretary of State, Bill Stant, will take part in a candidate forum at Indiana University at South Bend (IUSB), on September 26. The forum will also include Libertarian Party candidate Mike Kole, Democrat Party candidate Joe Pearson, and the current Secretary of State, Todd Rokita, of the Republican Party. The Forum, to be held at the Student Activities Center, rooms 223-225, at IUSB, 1700 Mishawaka Avenue, South Bend, will begin at 6:00 pm EST, and is expected to end at 7:15 pm. More...

The Real Beef About the E. coli Outbreak

One thing about the recent spate of E. coli infections linked to raw spinach is clear: Farmers and food safety officials are, officially, clueless. No particular stomachache has been traced to any particular bag of spinach from any particular farm irrigated by any particular river.

Indeed, this epidemic, which has infected more than 100 people and resulted in at least one death, probably has little do with the folks who grow and package your greens. The detective trail ultimately leads back to a seemingly unrelated food industry — beef and dairy cattle. More...

Joe Miller is circulating an article regarding E. coli and factory farms/CAFOs. Its a short read, a digest really, with links to more articles. More...

Mindfully.org has a page explaining E. coli infection and how to avoid it. More...

Was the 2004 Election Stolen?

Robert Kennedy Jr. contends that statistical analysis of the voting patterns in Ohio lead to the inescapable conclusion that there was massive, organized voting fraud perpetrated by the Republican Party in 2004. In a word, the Presidential election was stolen. And the same tactics were used in Florida in 2000. Ohio was the "Florida" of 2004, the key state in which the vote had to be manipulated to clinch the election for Bush.

Read the original article at Rolling Stone. Or, if the Rolling Stone link goes dead, read Kennedy's article on our website.

Protect Your Drinking Water!

Massive livestock factories pose significant hazards to water quality and human health. But, the EPA has proposed a rule that would basically let them off the hook for polluting our lakes and rivers. Inadequate regulation of factory farm pollution would allow dangerous contaminants to be released into our water. To add insult to injury, the rule also revokes communities' right to know what pollution is being released in their backyard. Tell the EPA this proposed rule is unacceptable! If you don't mind creating an account at The Sierra Club web site, it has a handy automated protest letter which will be sent to your Senator.

Progressive Discussion Group Starts Tuesday Night, Sept. 19

Karl Hardy writes: "We are set to go Tuesday night at the Main Branch of the Library downtown South Bend (304 S. Main), 7-9pm. Subsequent meetings will be each third Tuesday of each month. Please bring friends and spread the word. There may not be too many people there. Hopefully, between now and next month we can get some flyers out around town and do some advertising. Hope to see you all there!"

Evidence DU Weapons Were Used in Southern Lebanon

There is strong evidence that Israel used US supplied bunker buster bombs with DU warheads against targets in Lebanon. These assertions appear in a July 24 letter by Dr. Doug Rokke, former Director of the US Army Depleted Uranium Project, and are consistent with a July 22 report in the New York Times about the US rushing such weapons to Israel, and a August 21 report in the The Daily Star in Lebanon that a crater caused by an Israeli bomb in Khiam contained "a high degree of unidentified radioactive materials." More...

Riverside Trail Groundbreaking Sept. 5

From Judith Robert, "Seven years ago I thought that the greenspace [along the river] would be a great place for a multipurpose trail and would fit in well with the city's East Bank Multipurpose trails and larger plan. Jerry Hinnefeld, who was an original member of MACOG's Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Committee, was on our committee that petitioned the city to move forward with funding for the Riverside Trail. So, after seven years the groundbreaking begins!"

Read the official announcement (PDF).

Intimidation, Disinformation & Framing

Yet another outrageous legislative proposal to thwart citizen's First Amendment rights to expresssion -- the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) -- has emerged. According to the group STOPAETA, if the AETA companion bills in the House and Senate are enacted, "non-violent objection and civil disobedience, boycotts, and even influential media campaigns would become terrorist activities if linked to "loss of profits" for agribusiness, research laboratories, fur farms, circuses, and other "animal enterprises." More...

California Passes Global Warning Cap

Tom Graff, Regional Dir., Environmental Defense, says: "We've made history in California! Just moments ago, the California state legislature passed the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) that establishes a first- in-the-nation statewide cap on global warming pollution. Now, the bill goes to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has promised to sign it. More...

'Divine Strake' Abandoned in Indiana

Isabel Piedmont writes: "As many of you probably know, the federal government has now said the massive nuclear-simulation test called Divine Strake will NOT take place in Indiana. This is great news! However, it would really not be good for the test to occur anywhere, so the calls to our Indiana senators to ask them to stop the test through an amendment to the defense appropriations bill are still valid. Please call Senators Bayh and Lugar to ask them to stop the Divine Strake test from happening anywhere."

Rep. Buyer Asleep at the Wheel on 'Divine Strake' Detonation

Indianapolis, Indiana — David Sanders, candidate for the U.S. House 4th District, had strong words about using a Bedford, Indiana quarry to test a bomb with the power of a nuclear weapon. The bomb, code-named "Divine Strake," would create an underground explosion the equivalent of 700 tons of TNT. A blast of that magnitude could send a mushroom cloud 10,000 feet high. The detonation would be one of the largest controlled non-nuclear blasts in military history.

Sanders was quoted as saying, "This is irresponsible. The people of Nevada stopped this explosion from happening on their soil, so the federal government started to look for a place that is politically less protected. Apparently, that’s Bedford in the 4th Congressional District of Indiana."

Congressman Buyer, in whose district the proposed explosion site lies, had apparently not been notified about the potential test. In a statement to NBC Eyewitness News, Channel 13, Buyer's office seemed caught off guard by the story. It said that Indiana "needs to be educated about this project and its possibilities."

Sanders responded, "Buyer is completely out of touch with the people in his district if he thinks we want a conventional bomb with the power of a nuclear weapon going off where we live. Does he really think education is the answer?" More...

Election Systems & Software to Pay for Election Problems

The IndyStar.com reports that Election Systems & Software has agreed to pay the Indiana State Government $245,000 in addition to extra hand-on and technical support in response to problems during the May primary. From the article: "The company, which has faced similar complaints in other states, reached a settlement with Arkansas officials Monday. In that deal, ES&S pledged services, training materials and technical support but offered no payment. Jackson, the Johnson County clerk, said the company 'has done a 360' since the primary. ES&S officials have been more assertive in preparing for the fall elections. The instructional materials, she said, also will help."

Dept. of Defense Plans to Simulate Underground Nuclear Explosion in Indiana

Isabel Piedmont writes, "You may have heard about the test called 'Divine Strake,' a massive underground explosion of 700 tons of ammonium nitrate which would be used to simulate the use of low-yield nuclear weapons in places like Iran. The test was planned to take place in Nevada, but citizen action and threat of lawsuits stopped it there. Now the government is looking at a quarry site in Mitchell, IN, as a possible testing ground. This test would yield a 10,000 foot mushroom cloud of chemicals with far-reaching negative consequences for the population and environment for miles around the site. It is truly scary that our government would subject its own people to such an experiment. Although the test is not nuclear, there is definitely insufficient evidence that it is safe for people and environment, and indeed common sense tells me that it is not. Please help stop this horrible scheme."

Background articles on Divine Strake:

Diebold Voting Machines Flop in Alaska

From the Anchorage Daily News, "During yesterday's preliminary and ballot measure election across Alaska, Diebold built voting machines failed to 'phone home' causing a hand recount. As a party spokesperson said: "I can say there are many systematic problems with Diebold machines that have been identified in many contexts." Additionally, the state itself has mandated some hand counts of all electronic results, and the Democratic Party is simply suggesting voters request paper voting."

Scientists Study Oregon's Coastal Dead Zone

ZDNet writes "The area off Cape Perpetua on the central Oregon coast is now a gigantic crab and fish graveyard. It was first discovered in 2002, but according to the Christian Science Monitor, researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have taken a close-up look into this coastal dead zone. And things are getting worse. A few weeks ago, the researchers measured the level of dissolved oxygen in this part of the ocean. They found that levels were 10 to 30 times lower than normal, down to 0.5 milliliters per liter, a characteristic of hypoxia. And because they have no explanations about this phenomenon, they're even envisioning a total absence of oxygen, or anoxia. Read more for additional details and pictures about this mystery."

Climate Changes Shift Springtime in Europe

A European study collated information from 17 nations and 125,000 studies involving 561 species. The results indicate that, at least in Europe, 'Spring' is coming earlier and earlier every year, six to eight days earlier than 30 years ago.

Worst Ever Security Flaw Found In Dielbold Touch Screen Voting Machine

"This may be the worst security flaw we have seen in touch screen voting machines," says Open Voting Foundation president, Alan Dechert. Upon examining the inner workings of one of the most popular paperless touch screen voting machines used in public elections in the United States, it has been determined that with the flip of a single switch inside, the machine can behave in a completely different manner compared to the tested and certified version. More...

[Editor: Diebold touch screen voting machines are used in St. Joseph County and elsewhere in Indiana.]

EPA Places Foxes in Charge of the CAFO Chicken Coop

At the end of January, 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed agreements with almost 2700 factory farms that would exempt them from all but the most minimal fines for violation of federal air emission laws during the next four years. Now the U.S. EPA wants to let factory farms make their own decision about whether they are discharging animal fecal waste into waterways, and whether they need to have a federal permit for such discharges.

The assaults on the quality of water have now percolated down to the state level in Indiana. On May 10, the Indiana Water Pollution Control Board suspended for three years the compliance deadlines that CAFO operators must meet to protect groundwater and surface water from manure runoff. The Board's abrogation of its responsibilitities further increases the urgency for counties throughout the state (including our own) to create local ordinances allowing the review and approval or disapproval of new CAFO applications. More...

*** Walking Indiana for Ballot Access ***

Jim Coplen, a Northwest Indiana Green, walked Indiana from south to north to raise awareness of the Indiana Green Party and to highlight how difficult it is for minor parties to gain ballot access in Indiana. The kick off was April 29, at the Lincoln Memorial across from Lincoln State Park in Spencer County. Jim is carrying petitions to place Bill Stant, the Indiana Green Party candidate for Secretary of State, on the ballot in the general election. The Green Party needs 30,000 signatures of verified Indiana voters to get on the ballot. More...

Jim ended his walk in South Bend on Saturday, May 20. GreenTV interviewed Jim. Look for the broadcast in June. Also, check Jim's progress log on his blog at http://igpman.blogspot.com/

Net Neutrality Still in Jeapordy

It looks like citizens may have only one final opportunity to assert their voice to maintain net neutrality. On Thursday, June 8, the House voted 269-152 against the Markey amendment to preserve net neutrality, and then later in the day (apparently late in the night) voted 321-101 to support the COPE Act which subverts net neutrality. Representative Chocola voted to support COPE, and against net neutrality.

As described by John Nichols, COPE will allow telephone and cable broadband providers to "create two-tier access to the Internet – with an information superhighway" for sites that pay fees for preferential treatment and a dirt road for sites that cannot pay the toll". The devastating effects for democracy of such two-tiered access have been described by the Save The Internet Coalition.

Proposed legislation very similar to COPE comes up in the Senate as early as Tuesday morning according to Roy Mark of the Internet News Bureau.

It's not only the neutrality of the Internet that is at risk. Anthony Riddle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Community Media, pointed out on the June 9 Democracy Now broadcast that if something like COPE passes in the Senate, we will lose not only net neutrality, but we may also lose part of the funding for "public media like PEG – Public, Educational, and Government access."

It's CRITICAL that citizens contact their senators and add their voices to petitions available to maintain net neutrality; to continue full funding of local public, educational, and goverment (PEG) access, and to oppose telecom companies' compliance with administration and NSA violation of fundamental citizen rights. Make your voice heard at:

Free Press
Save The Internet
Save Access

Pledge to Switch a Bulb

What costs less than two grande lattes, saves you a bunch of money and helps save the planet?

Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL).

If every US household replaced three 60-watt incandescent bulbs with CFLs, it would be like taking 3.5 million cars off the roads! Swap out just one standard 100w bulb for a just-as-bright CFL, and you'll reduce your household's global warming pollution by more than 1,300 pounds. Swap out two 100W bulbs to lower your household emissions by more than a ton!

Pledge here.

The Simple Truth

Using nature as a toilet in the name of economic stimulus is not restricted to one political party or the other -- let us acknowledge that, to gain election, both parties must feed at the same trough and therefore serve the same master.

- Rachel's Newsletter

An Inconvenient Truth

"Do whatever it takes...find two hours in your week...grab your family, friends, and loved ones...colleagues...and even those you may despise...and go see this film. Then, after you have seen it, tell everyone you know to go see it. It will change your world forever. I guarantee."

- Charles Shaw, Author/Activist, Former publisher, Newtopia Magazine

According to the distributor, "An Inconvenient Truth" is slated to open on 6/23/06 at Showplace 16 in South Bend, IN.

Two Consecutive Stolen Elections

FreePress.org says, "With 99% of Fox viewers believing that the election was "legitimate," only the constant propaganda of Rupert Murdoch's disinformation campaign stands in the way of a majority of Americans coming to grips with the reality of two consecutive stolen elections."

Joe Miller has assembled a page of quotes and links about the stolen Presidential elections. More...

Two Important Victories in Congress!

During the last few months, Joe Miller sent us numerous alerts about the threats posed by EPA's attempt to reduce communities' right-to-know about releases of toxic chemicals into their air, land and water, and about telecom companies' attempts to undermine "net neutrality." The Union of Concerned Scientists recently reported that citizens submitted more than 110,000 comments opposing reductions in the reporting of toxics, and Save The Internet's current tally indicates that citizens have submitted more than 757,000 comments supporting the continuance of net neutrality.

Joe reports that that the first campaign has now resulted in a definite victory, and the second has resulted in an inititial victory, and is rapidly gaining momentum toward an even bigger victory. Please read the slightly reformatted press releases describing each victory. More...

Just One Day Left to Help Stop Cuts to Toxic Pollution Reporting

On Friday, May 19, members of House of Representatives will vote on an amendment to an appropriations bill, and your access to information about pollution in your area hangs in the balance.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans last fall to roll back reporting requirements for facilities that release toxic chemicals. Since then, organizations and individuals have spoken out resoundingly against the EPA's proposals, yet these dangerous plans continue to move forward. But there's still time to save the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program. Congress can stop the EPA in its tracks, but lawmakers need to hear from you and now's the time!

Go to: http://www.ombwatch.org/ and click on "Take Action."

The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program keeps communities, first responders, and medical researchers informed about toxic pollution. Regardless of where you work or live, this loss of information affects you--it's about knowing what's in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the ground below your feet.

Jim Coplen and Bill Stant Meet in South Bend on Saturday, May 20

Show your support for Bill Stant, Green Party candidate for Secretary of State. He will be in South Bend on Saturday, May 20th at the County City Building, 2:00 p.m. Bill is timing his arrival to meet Jim Coplen, 69, from the Northwest Indiana Green Party. Jim is hiking the length of the state to bring awareness to ballot access restrictions, gather signatures and show his support for Bill's campaign.

We hope to have the media there, so the more folks we can get there, the merrier!

Green Party Candidate Sues Daniels Over Major Moves

Bill Stant, Green Party candidate for Indiana Secretarty of State will be holding a news conference at the Plymouth Pilot News (214 N Michigan St, Plymouth) at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 13th. He is coordinating his conference with the arrival in Plymouth of Jim Coplen, who is hiking the length of Indiana to bring attention to ballot access restrictions for political parties in Indiana.

Bill Stant is one of the parties suing the Daniels administration over the Major Moves legislation. He will talk about the suit at the news conference.

Bill will hold a second news conference at Al's Family Diner (at Madison and U.S. 31 S) at about 2:30 p.m. that Saturday.

Bill will also attend the Hip Hop event at St Patrick's County Park on that Saturday evening (4:00 to 10:00 p.m.). The Green Party has permission from event organizers to register new voters and gather signatures to get Bill Stant's name on the ballot for Secretary of State. This event, which is sold out, features bands from Ohio, Chicago and Indianapolis and will be heavily attended by young people.

Bike to Work Week May 15-19 in South Bend

The Paint the Town Coalition invites you to join us, along with the Michiana Bicycle Association, with the support of Down Town South Bend for a gathering of bicycling commuters on the first morning of Bike to Work Week. Pass on the word to your friends and co-workers. Hope to see you there!

When: Monday, May 15th, 7a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Where: College Football Hall of Fame Gridiron, Downtown South Bend
What: Bike Commuter Gathering, including:

Sponsored by: Michiana Bicycle Association and the Paint the Town Bicycle Coalition with suport of DTSB. For information contact Bill or Judy.

CAFO Filing with IDEM

On May 1st, Walnut Grove filed their CAFO permit application with IDEM. The public now has 30 days to submit written comments on that application. Until May 31st. Please send comments, and ask everyone else you know who cares about this issue, to send comments to:

Confined Feeding Program
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
100 North Senate Avenue
P.O. Box 6015
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6015

Include pictures, maps, whatever. Express your strong opposition to this site. IDEM prefers scientific arguments whenever possible. Request a public hearing in your comments too. Have your family and friends write in. No form letters though; they must feel how much we all really care.

HR4341 Exempts Factory Farms from Toxics Reporting and Liability

Large factory farms are major sources of pollution that foul our lakes and rivers and threaten drinking water supplies with pathogens and chemicals. The air around factory farms is also contaminated, and has been linked to asthma, bronchitis, and other diseases. Factory farms are the largest source of ammonia air pollution in the U.S.

Current laws require factory farms to report emissions of toxic chemicals like ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which come from decomposing manure. One dairy operation reported releasing more than 5,600,000 pounds of ammonia in a year - more ammonia than the largest chemical plant reported.

This legislation, HR4341, would create a loophole in our right-to-know laws by exempting factory farms from reporting their emissions. In addition, the bill would exempt livestock operations from paying damages for the cleanup of water supplies polluted by their manure. More...

Congress Should Not Exempt Factory Farms from CERCLA

Congress should oppose efforts by lobbyists to allow their factory-farm clients - also known as "concentrated animal feeding operations" or CAFOs - to evade existing federal pollution laws. Unlike the small family farms that they are driving into extinction, factory farms generate noxious and health-impairing pollution on what is actually often in excess of an industrial scale. More...

Four House Democrats introduce Net Neutrality Bill

"After failing last week to add a provision to a telecommunications reform bill, four Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday introduced a free-standing bill aimed at preventing broadband carriers from discriminating against competing Web content or services." (applause please)

Unfortunately, the bills in the Senate and House which would limit or eliminate net neutrality also have Democrat sponsors. More...

Bloggers Hammer Congress on Net Neutrality Vote

Good news for a change. More than 1,800 blogs have embraced the essential importance of network/internet neutrality, and a coalition of bloggers, individuals and groups have sent more than 250,000 letters to Congress through SavetheInternet.com. Timothy Karr has an uplifting description of the emerging story at Tom Paine.com.

One of those letters may have been yours. Congress appears to be listening. While Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., lost a vote on net neutrality in a House Committee last Wednesday, he lost by much less than expected. Momentum is rapidly building, and Congressman Markey intends to introduce the Network Neutrality Amendment on the floor of the House next week. In order for this to happen, however, the amendment first has to get out of the Rules Committee.

If you haven't already done so, please add your voice to the movement to protect net neutrality at http://www.savetheinternet.com/. Please also contact Congressman Chris Chocola (Washington: 202-225-3915; South Bend: 574-251-0596) and request that he do everything in his power on your and our behalf to save the neutrality of the internet.

Pack the Room for Equality on May 8

South Bend Equality asks you to help "pack the room" to support amending South Bend's nondiscrimination ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The meeting will be open to public comment. South Bend Equality will provide buttons for all who attend!!!

Bill Stant Speaks at Valparaiso University, April 27

Bill Stant, the Indiana Green Party candidate for Secretary of State, is speaking Thursday, April 27, at 8:00 PM, Neils Building, room 234. The EarthTones, a chartered campus environmental group, is sponsoring the event. Bill's speech is "What Putting the Green Party on the Ballot in Indiana Would Mean to You."

Two SJVGreens spoke to the EarthTones in 2000 during the Nader/LaDuke campaign and tabled on campus. Several SJVGreens are carpooling to the presentation. If you would like to ride with us, please contact Kathleen or Tom.

Indiana Congressional District 2 Women's Issues' Forum, April 25

There will be an Indiana 2nd District Primary Campaign forum on Women's Issues on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 in Room 223-5 of the Student Activity Center on the IUSB campus from 7-8:30 p.m. Steve Francis (D), and Tony Zirkle (R) have agreed to attend. Representative Chocola and candidate Joe Donnelly are unable to attend.

Candidates Francis and Zirkle will discuss their campaigns followed by presentations on women's issues by Caroline Domingo, Karen Sandock, Deb Stanley, Rhonda Redman and Karen Jacob. Joyce Wegs will moderate. There will be time for discussion between all presenters and with the audience.

The event is sponsored by the IUSB Office of Student Affairs, the IUSB Office of Student Diversity, and the Michiana Peace and Justice Coalition. The event is free and open to the public. Parking in the IUSB garage and lots adjacent to the Student Activity Center is free.

Congress Is About to Sell Out the Internet

Congress is about to sell out the Internet by letting big phone and cable companies set up toll booths along the information superhighway. Companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are spending tens of millions in Washington to kill "network neutrality" -- a principle that keeps the Internet open to all.

A bill moving quickly through Congress would let these companies become Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow -- and which won't load at all -- based on who pays them more. The rest of us will be detoured to the "slow lane," clicking furiously and waiting for our favorite sites to download.

Don't let Congress ruin the Internet. Get more information. Act now to stop them. More...

Community Forum on Economic Development

The conventional approach to economic development says that the way to develop our economy is to attract new businesses to our area, and the best way to attract them is to offer large tax subsidies with no strings attached. But there are better ways to grow our economy.

The forum schedule: http://www.sjvp.org/smartgrowth.html

Northern Indiana Coalition for Equality Meeting

Northern Indiana Coalition for Equality and Indiana Equality are hosting a large meeting on Saturday, April 22, 3:00 PM, at Another Bookstore, 100 Center, Mishawaka. Meet your legislators, your activists and learn about the legislation that affects your human rights. NICE and Indiana Equality are committed to full equality for all Indiana residents regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. For more information, call Another Bookstore, 574-254-1411

Is Public Access Dead in Indiana?

The recent telecommunications "reform" legislation passed by the Indiana General Assembly may spell death to locally produced public access cable shows. The legislation was written with the guidance of Southwestern Bell Corporation (SBC), now AT&T/SBC. Similar legislation introduced by SBC in Texas drastically reduced public access broadcast channels in the state. These channels are reserved for public, educational and governmental (PEG) use. The Texas legislation was touted as an expansion of PEG programming. Instead, it was a Trojan Horse. More...

Why I Am Suing Over the Major Moves Legislation

Bill Stant, Green candidate for Secretary of State, is suing the State of Indiana over Gov. Mitch Daniels' Major Moves legislation. The Republican controlled General Assembly voted to allow Gov. Daniels to lease the Indiana Toll Road to a foreign investment consortium. Read Stant's five reasons for bringing suit. More...

Cindy Sheehan To Speak in Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 16

With the assistance of many local activist groups, the Kalamazoo area members of Gold Star Families for Peace are proud to host Cindy Sheehan, Ann Wright and Rev. Deborah E. Lake for a rally at Bronson Park in downtown Kalamazoo. Additional speaker(s) include Arnold Stieber - Veterans for Peace.

Rally scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. followed by a presentation by Gold Star Families for Peace at an area auditorium TBA. More...

Truckers Donate Cash for Lawsuit

INDIANAPOLIS -- A national association of independent truck drivers has contributed $10,000 toward a lawsuit that will challenge the constitutionality of an Indiana Toll Road lease.

The contribution was approved Thursday at the biannual meeting of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association in Grain Valley, Mo., according to board member Mark R. Elrod, of Peru, Ind. More...

Republicans Defeat Net Neutrality Proposal

"A Republican-controlled House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Wednesday defeated a proposal that would have levied extensive regulations on broadband providers and forcibly prevented them from offering higher-speed video services to partners or affiliates." Republicans are privatizing the Internet, our information commons. More...

Candidate Bill Stant's Campaign Schedule

Bill Stant continues reaching out to Indiana state citizens in our ongoing effort to achieve ballot access and put himself on the 2006 ballot for Secretary of State. Below is his schedule from today until April 15.

Slain Peace Maker Was a Green

Greens Mourn Tom Fox, Peace Worker and Hostage Murdered in Iraq WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party members expressed sorrow and anger over the death of Tom Fox.

Mr. Fox, who was in Iraq working as a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) , was also a member of the Green Party of Virginia. He was murdered after having been abducted in Baghdad in November along with three other CPT members.

"Tom's dedication to nonviolence was absolute," said Kirit Mookerjee of the Green Party of Virginia. "His life is a model for Green Party members and for all Americans who value peace, justice, and the principles of nonviolent resolution of conflict. His death was senseless, but it also reflects the senselessness of the war on Iraq, which Tom, like the Green Party, passionately opposed. Greens join Langley Hill Friends Meeting, a peace group in northern Virginia to which Tom Fox belonged, in their appeal for peace in Iraq."

URGENT - CAFO Ordinance Proposal

Steve Ross plans to present a draft CAFO ordinance to his fellow Commissioners (Cindy Bodle and Mark Dobson) Tuesday, March 28, at 10:00 AM, at the commissioners’ meeting on the 4th floor of the County-City building. Ross hopes to get the commissioners to support the ordinance and endorse it with the Council. Once he gets that endorsement, Ross plans to ask the Commissioners to enact an immediate moratorium on all CAFO building permits until the ordinance receives a final vote from the County Council. We need to pack the room. If you can't come, send someone in your place and pass this appeal on to everyone you know who is energized by this issue. More...

Public Hearings on Toll Road Lease -- Finally!

The Indiana Finance Authority is holding public hearings this week in Northern Indiana and Indianapolis on proposed toll increases and the agreement to lease the Indiana Toll Road for 75 years to private foreign investors. Gov. Mitch Daniels knows Hoosiers oppose his mission to sell off Indiana one piece at a time. He postponed the public hearings until after his bill passed the General Assembly on a party line vote. Now, only because the law requires it, is he consulting the citizens of the State of Indiana.

The public hearings are scheduled as follows:

Bush Administration Re-Writes Environmental Science

CBS News reports that Bush Administration officials censor government scientists and rewrite their reports to fit administration policies. One of the censors is Phil Cooney, the chief-of-staff of the Council on Environmental Quality. Cooney is not a scientist. He is a former lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute. More...

Chocola Co-Sponsors House Bill to Ban State Food Labeling Protections

Rep. Chris Chocola co-sponsored The National Uniformity for Food Act, H.R. 4167, which bans 200 State food lableling laws.

Joe Miller writes: "Would you believe that on March 8 the House ignored more than 100,000 calls and letters, 39 state attorneys general, and many others and passed the outrageous act! It will come up sometime soon in the Senate."

No Congressional hearings were held on this bill. Congressman Henry Waxman of California said: "Dozens of public health and environmental groups, 39 state attorneys general, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and the Association of Food and Drug Officials have all expressed their strong opposition to this legislation, but they have never been given an opportunity to explain their concerns to Congress."

From The Organic Consumers Association:

And from the National Resoucrces Defense Council:

To register your voice to defeat this outrageous, anti-consumer, anti-democracy legislation in the Senate, go to: http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/labeling.cfm

Family Justice Center Needs to Pack Town Hall on March 21

The Family Justice Center has identified a site on the Courthouse plaza in downtown South Bend. To locate in the First Source Bank Building there, the Center has approached St. Joseph County Government with an innovative proposal under which they would utilize $500,000 of the Center's grant funds toward purchasing this building. In return, the Center would lease 15,000 sq.ft. within the building for two years, as allowed under the grant, and also obtain a subsequent eight-year commitment from the County to allow the Center to remain in the building, essentially rent-free. This plan, if accepted by the County, has exceptional sustainability benefits for the Family Justice Center and the victims they will serve. The County could also benefit from obtaining needed office space in a prime location with the Center's subsidy, and by acting as a landlord to private tenants, could recoup a significant amount of the purchase price of the building over a ten-year period.

The Family Justice Center is engaged in the public process necessary to get the County to buy this building. A key part of this public process is a Town Hall Meeting to be held on Tuesday, March 21st in the Hesburgh Library Auditorium at Notre Dame at 7pm. This meeting will feature Casey Gwinn, visionary founder of the San Diego Family Justice Center, as guest speaker. County government decision-makers will attend the meeting, and it is very important there is a strong show of interest in the issue and support for the FJC exhibited at that meeting. The Center needs you to come to the meeting and bring as many others as you can.

URGENT: CAFO Meeting in Muncie, IN, Monday, March 13

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) and factory farming are becoming hotter issues in Indiana. We have an opportunity to network with farmers and activists fighting against factory farms this Monday evening in Muncie. Citizens concerned about this issue will be meeting in Muncie, Monday 3/13, 7 p.m., at Union Hall in Springwater Park, 5000 E. Centennial, Muncie, IN, to hear from speaker Karen Hudson of Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) and for a strategy session.

Greens, please plan to attend and don't forget to take your CAN-19 Indiana Petition of Nomination (which you can download at www.citizensforstant.org ) . . . and a copy of the Indiana Green Party Platform (available @ www.indianagreenparty.org ) with you. It is important that the IGP and the campaign for ballot access/Secretary of State be represented at this meeting and at future activities of this grassroots cause.

SEIU 415 in the News in California

The SJVGreens' Bay area correspondent, Barri Boone, sends news of her union local, SEIU 415. The local is negotiating a contract with Santa Cruz County. The main issue is the cost of living in the county is so high that public employees can no longer afford to live in the county in which they work and serve. A second issue is leadership and democracy within the local. More...

Factory Farm Fight Heating Up

St. Joseph County Commission members are begining to see that local CAFO regulation might be a big issue, and the coalition forming around St. Joseph County Quality of Life isn't going away quietly. Commission member Raphael Morton told the council secretary to reserve the big council room for 4:30pm, Monday, 3/6/06. Whether the large meeting room is used or not is up to him, at the last minute, and will depend on how many people show up.

SJC Quality of Life needs people to come out in droves to show support. So, once again, we need to pack the house!

It's going to be tough getting numbers at 4:30pm on a Monday afternoon, but we've got to try. It is a public meeting, so they shouldn’t be able to keep anyone out.

Read the full announcement from SJC Quality of Life and Laura Fuderer , who reports that citizens in favor of a moratorium on CAFOs in St. Joseph County were denied entrance to the public meeting last Tuesday and were tricked into not remaining silent at the pro-CAFO presentation.

Gov. Mitch Daniels' Approval Rating Hits New Low

A recent Indianapolis Star poll reveals Gov. Daniels' approval rating among Hoosier adults is 37%, an all-time low. 51% do not like the pace of change introduced by Gov. Daniels. 60% say the Indiana Toll Road lease is a bad idea. 54% say Indiana is on the wrong track.

Read the Star's front page article, "Too Much Too Fast?", and the Star political columnist's analysis, "Fast-paced change quickly lowers Daniels' popularity", at the Indy Star website."

Resources on Depleted Uranium Weapons

Joe Miller gave a talk on Depleted Uranium (DU) weapons at Camp Casey. The audience received an extensive bibliography of DU weapons resources. At our request, Joe edited the list to the best web links on the subject. Here is Joe's recommended short list on DU weapons.

Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Mutants

Few people who have seen David Cronenberg's 1986 classic, The Fly, could ever wish upon themselves the horror and personal tragedy that the genetic disaster in that film ultimately created. This touching, yet profoundly disturbing gross-out fest told the story of eccentric scientist Seth Brundle who, in pursuit of teleportation technology, accidentally has his DNA fused with that of a common housefly. The resulting mutation, "Brundlefly", seems at first to be an inexhaustible Superman with tremendous strength, heightened senses, lightning-fast mental acuity, and the marathon sexual proclivities of an African lion. Eventually, though, Brundle loses all human traits, transforming into a hideous monster that has no place within this world. In the end, knowing that he presented a clear and present danger to the human race, he chooses to be destroyed rather than continue living as an abomination of nature.

Even though the gene-splicing in The Fly was accidental, the film was eerily prescient as a precautionary tale of the dangers of toying with DNA. Its message is all the more relevant today, 20 years later, as genetic engineering technology stands on the precipice of making "Brundlefly" a terrifying reality.

Cronenberg was heavily influenced by the work of Beat author William S. Burroughs, whose surrealist novel Naked Lunch dealt in part with themes of biological mutations a quarter-century before their scientific inception. In the book, Burroughs lays out "basic biologic law", "Rule One" of which states, "hybrids are permitted only between closely related species…" To innovate, to cross-breed using alien genetic material, means to violate this law and to assume the risks of "biologic and social chaos."

Postmodern biotechnology throws any concept of "biologic law" right out the window. According to technoscience professor Donna Haraway, "no objects, spaces, or bodies are sacred in themselves; any component can be interfaced with any other…" The genetic engineering of the early 21st century is most concentrated in the creation of "Frankenfoods", in which DNA is taken from one organism, say, a fish, and inserted it into another, unrelated organism, like a strawberry. With this new technology, engineers are able to cross the boundaries between species in ways that have never been possible in the history of the world."

Read the rest at BioETHICS.

GreenTV Cited in GPUS Green Pages

Joanne Cvar of the Pacific Green Party (Oregon) cites SJVGreens' GreenTV in the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) newspaper, Green Pages. The article is about independent non-commercial voices challenging corporate control of the public's airways and other public owned or supported media. Check it out at Green Pages volume9/issue4.

CAFO Proponents Present Project to County Council Feb. 28

Councilman Dennis Schafer has invited Walnut Grove to present their proposal for a 3,500-head dairy in Union township before the County Council at this meeting. Although this committee meeting is open to the public, the agenda is closed and no one else may speak.

St. Joe County Quality of Life must have a massive, albeit silent, presence in the room! Please come to show your opposition to this proposal. Call/e-mail everyone you know who is energized on this issue. If you have petitions signed against this dairy, call everyone who has signed to invite them to this meeting. Bring your petitions with you to the meeting.

St. Joe County Quality of Life will present an informational binder against this factory to the County Council first thing Monday morning so that they have a chance to review it and pose good questions during the "informational" session put on by Walnut Grove.

Contact St. Joe County Quality of Life at stjoecountyqualityoflife@yahoogroups.co or limitsjccafos@aol.com.

Community Meeting About Factory Farms in St. Joseph County, Feb. 15

If you can find the time and energy to add one more important issue to all the other important issues you're addressing, please consider adding your voice to opposing the 3500 head CAFO being proposed near Lakeville. Come to the community meeting.

St. Joseph County Commissioners and Councilmen will be there and representatives from IDEM (Ind. Dept. of Environmental Management).

Factory Farms Coming to St. Joseph and Marshall Counties

A factory farm or CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) to be located in southern St. Joseph County has been rubber-stamp approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. This is wrong: there was no local input in the approval process, and IDEM is essentially lobbying for the corporation which proposes the CAFO instead of lobbying for the environment.

This particular CAFO operation confines 3500 cows on 50 acres, creates a 16-acre open air manure lagoon next to a designated flood plain and will cause 30-40 semi trucks per day to travel county roads. This means un-bearable stench, groundwater contamination, drying up of local wells to service the CAFO, destruction of county roads and falling property values around the CAFO.

Right-click on the following links and choose the appropriate download option for your browser.

The Freedom My Son Died For

Cindy Sheehan was arrested in the U.S. Capitol minutes before the State of the Union address last week for wearing a T-shirt that pointed out how many Americans, like her son, Casey, have been killed in Iraq. Cindy asks "Is this what her son died for?" More...

Cindy Sheehan On Her Arrest at SOTU Address

Cindy Sheehan was arrested in Congress during President Bush's state of the union address. Her crime was wearing a tee-shirt emblazoned with the number of dead U.S. soldiers in the Iraq war. Please read Sheehan's account of the arrest. More...

Ballot Access Fundraiser - You are invited!

Help breathe new life into electoral politics in Indiana. Support the Indiana Green Party’s campaign for ballot access. Give people of Indiana real choices in elections. Get serious about grassroots democracy.

Come to our House Party Fund-raiser and meet BILL STANT, Indiana Green Party candidate for Indiana Secretary of State.

Food, beverages, live music, live auction. Bring a dish to share and a dish or item to auction off!

Camp Casey Closes Sunday

Camp Casey will close at 1:00 PM, Sunday. Campers say the two week peace vigil was a success. Check the blog. Most of the photos on the blog are uncompressed, so the graphics download slowly. But, the text downloads immediately.

Vigo County Clerk Clarifies Petition Problem

The issue is clearer, but not resolved. Only partisan (Democrat, Libertarian, Republican) petitions are accepted by the new automated petition certification system. The Vigo County Clerk would have entered the Green Party petitions into the system if the system allowed it. More...

Vigo County Clerk Refuses Indiana Green Party Petitions

On Wednesday, January 18, the Vigo County Clerk's office refused to certify ballot access petitions for William Stant, Indiana Green Party candidate for Secretary of State. The stated reason was, "The Green Party is not registered in Indiana."

Stant contacted the Indiana Election Division and requested that the Division look into the refusal. Brad King, Co-Director of the Election Division, directed his co-counsel to investigate. In his reply to Stant, Mr. King stated there is no requirement for a party to be "registered in Indiana" to turn in petiton forms for certification, if the forms are submitted properly. More...

Copper: Enough for Everyone?

From an article in Scientific American's online news:  "Copper is used in everything from automobiles to ordnance. Copper allows electricity to be generated, transported and conducted to the various outlets in a modern home. Copper is also relatively scarce compared to other metals like iron or aluminum that make up a good portion of the earth itself. So copper serves as an excellent metallic bellwether for potential future resource scarcity, according to a group of researchers who compiled data on its extraction, use, recycling and discard to estimate whether there is enough copper available to make a developed standard of living available to all the world's people. The short answer is: no." Read the article.

Camp Casey Open -- Now to January 22

Camp Casey opened Saturday, January 7. Camp will run through January 22, to include Martin Luther King's birthday. Check the Camp schedule and blog. Please stop by to talk with the peace campers and enjoy the activities. There are community meals, presentations and coffee.

Sea Solar Power: Tap Sea Temperature Gradient

Sea Solar Power Inc. (SSP) is developing a solar power technology that does not fluctuate with the weather, but is available constantly. Their solution is to harness the solar energy stored in the sea by tapping the thermal gradient that exists naturally between the surface and deep waters, using a reverse refrigeration cycle. More...

Wisconsin: Voting Machine Source Code Must Be Available for Review

Among the 15 bills governor Jim Doyle signed into law on Wednesday, one will require the software of touch-screen voting machines used in elections have its source code opened up to public viewing...well, open to the election board for review in the case of a recount. Corporate lobbyists must have sunk their hooks (fangs, cloven hooves?) into the original legislation. More...

Digital TV: Leaving Viewers in Limbo

Your old TV set may well go dark in 2009, and believe it or not, that's a good thing. That's because, at the end of last year Congress approved legislation that set a date for the switch from analog to digital television -- February 17, 2009. But, for consumers -- many of whom are likely to be poor, elderly or uneducated -- being forcibly switched from one technology to another will be a nightmare. More...

Camp Casey Begins in South Bend

Organizers met this week to prepare to open Camp Casey in South Bend. The opening is Saturday, January 7, at 3:30 P.M., after the regular Michiana Peace and Justice Coalition peace vigil on Grape Road. The camp will be located adjacent to St. Augustine Church at 1501 W. Washington. The SJVGreens will post schedules and information on this web site, and GreenTV will video tape selected activities at the Camp.

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