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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2012)
NEWS BRIEFS “Pride and Prejudice: Fighting for Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Rights in Oregon.” It will be a chance for students from Willamette, Churchill and North Eugene to present the work they are doing at their high schools and benefit from the feedback of experienced activists. Claire Syrett, field director for ACLU of Oregon, says students are flattered to be included in the event and are eager to learn more effective ways for spurring change at their schools. “One of the requests that came back from the high schools,” she says, “was that they would like a chance to talk to adults about political activity and how to be an activist.” “This is really going to give them (high school students) a chance to have a dialogue with folks,” Syrett says. Afterward, the attendees will be broken up into groups to discuss what challenges lay ahead. Much of the group discussion will pertain to bullying on high school campuses and ways of gaining support for Gay, Lesbian and Transgender causes. Members of Basic Rights Oregon plan to follow up with Gay/Straight Alliance students in the future on their campuses. Syrett will also speak about the marriage equality campaign here in Oregon and throughout the nation. The public is invited to this event as well, which will be held from 10 am to 12:30 pm Saturday, Feb. 25, at the EWEB training room in downtown Eugene. —Ted Shorack CONTINUED FROM P.7 TAR SANDS MEGALOADS STALLED While the fight rages on against the massive Keystone XL pipeline that would bring tar sands oil from Canada through the U.S. to processing facilities, small groups in the Northwest and the Rockies celebrate a victory in their fight against the machinery that feeds the controversial tar sands. Tar sands oil extraction involves a dirty open-pit mining process that destroys forests and poisons land, water and people, opponents say. The Canadian oil sands project is one of the largest industrial projects on Earth. According to NASA climate scientist James Hansen, producing oil from tar sands emits two to three times the global warming pollution of conventional oil. Imperial Oil’s Kearl Module Transport Project involves massive loads of tar sands equipment — some of it the size of the Statue of Liberty laying on its side and weighing a half million pounds — being barged up the Columbia River, then trucked over rural roads in Montana and Idaho to Canada. Opponents, such as Corvallis resident Trish Weber of the coalition group All Against the Haul, have been fighting the loads, objecting both to the tar sands and to the harm the loads would cause highways, people and the environment. A judge has ruled the Montana Department of Transportation must do a more extensive environmental review before allowing the oversized loads of oil refinery equipment to use that state’s highways. State District Judge Ray Dayton ruled that the transportation department violated the state Environmental Policy Act in signing off the megaloads. Eugene-based Western Environmental Law Center was also involved in the case. Months before the now-disputed final version was released, EW found a draft copy of the environmental review that said the project would have “no significant impact.” Weber says, “Judge Dayton’s ruling is welcome, but hardly surprising, given that Imperial Oil has amply demonstrated the viability of alternate routes.” She says, “If Imperial had just chopped them up and shipped them on the interstate in the first place, it would have saved them time, money, bad press, and untold thousands fewer people would have known what the Alberta tar sands are.” She adds, “It’s a classic case of being hoisted with their own petard and immensely gratifying to witness.” — Camilla Mortensen THE KIVA GROCERS, WINE MERCHANTS AND BOOK SELLERS Wine, champagne and beer Hormone-free and antibiotic-free meats w Vitamins and body care products w gro ce ry.c o m Sandwiches made to order daily DOWNTOWN EUGENE SUN.–SAT. 9 A.M.–8 P.M. 125 W. 11 TH AVENUE 541-342-8666 8 FEBRUARY 23, 2012 EUGENE WEEKLY GET LUCKY AT Fresh organic produce Specialty deli i va Hooking up is a pretty basic human need. For some the only criterion for “getting primal” is a warm body and a heartbeat. For others it gets a little bit stickier. Anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski said that the primal human needs are food, sex and shelter. But for some, food choices have an effect on their love lives, and we don’t mean that whole garlic breath makes for bad kissing problem. “I know some vegans who won’t date people who eat meat,” says Sierra Gabrielson of the Cornbread Café and local animal rights group Eugene Voices for Animals (EVA). If you don’t believe in eating honey, let alone steak, kissing someone who just wolfed down a hunk of salami might just be a dealbreaker. Luckily for local vegans, EVA is hosting a round of heterovegan speed dating Feb. 26 at Cornbread Café, where vegans, vegetarians and vegetarian- leaning singles can find a little deep-fried soul food oriented love. EVA will be donating proceeds to Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary, an animal rescue sanctuary outside Scio, and use a portion of the proceeds to fund some of EVA’s activities and promotional needs. Live music and appetizers will be on hand at the event (but paid for separately), and there will be a raffle for gift certificates to places like Brushfire and Sweet Life to encourage daters to stay connected and to take things to the next level. The group also plans on hosting homovegan speed dating at a later date. So, if you’re the type of eater who’s as picky about your partner as you are your tempeh and kombucha, then this is a surefire way to stay pure and ethical while getting down and dirty. Heterovegan Speed Dating takes place 7 pm Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Cornbread Café, 1290 W. 7th, $12. 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