The latest in a series of posts relating to the environment, Bethlehem’s Climate
Action Plan, and Bethlehem’s Environmental Advisory Council 
Followers know the sad news that the proposed ban of single-use plastic bags coming from our Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) under the leadership of Beth Behrend was hit with the pause button because of a one-year legislative moratorium at the state level in order to study the issue.
At the October 15 meeting, however, City Council passed a resolution from the Administration supporting passage of the ban:
Plastic Bags Support Resolution-1
But Behrend and the EAC are not the kind of people to rest on that laurel and to sit back and wait for the year to tick away.
Behrend spoke before Council December 3 to present 100 signatures from residents in support of “some kind of action” taken by the City to reduce plastic bags. In speaking at the October 15 meeting, for instance, Councilman Reynolds pointed out that the effort to reduce single-use plastic bags would take more than an ordinance and that there were things that could be done before the ban on banning expired. Behrend also requested Council to send a letter in support of another State bill regarding beverage containers.
Gadfly has come to learn that the EAC travels in packs for greater impact (2 other EAC members spoke preceding Behrend) and is far from innocent about political strategy.
To wit: enter Mary Jo Deseridino in Behrend’s wake to call for City Council to pass a single-use plastic bag ordinance now effective date in July 2020, that is, before the 2021 budget is passed and before the opportunity to extend the ban.
You gotta love these people!
Gadfly enjoys every opportunity to showcase such high quality community involvement of his fellow residents.
What they can do, we all can do.
Your non-tax dollars at work!
It’s Monday, December 16, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?
