Category: Environmental Advisory Council

Bethlehem going green

(The latest in a series of posts relating to the environment, Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan, Bethlehem’s Environmental Advisory Council)

Dawn Nixon, “Lehigh Valley leaders discuss efforts to go green.” WFMZ, March 12, 2019.

On March 12 our Mayor Donchez joined with representatives from Allentown and Whitehall at the Lehigh Valley Mayors’ Sustainability forum  to discuss Valley efforts to Mayor sustainability“go green.”

The Mayor talked of converting to LED lights; working with UGI and PPL to reduce the amount of gas used by local businesses; such key components as green buildings, energy efficiency and conservation, water and wastewater systems and climate friendly transportation; and plans for a consultant to assist the city in developing a climate action plan.

“Mayor Donchez closed the forum’s discussion by commenting on how any efforts made by individual cities benefit the entire Lehigh Valley. ‘The more we work together on key issues, the better the Lehigh Valley will be as a whole,’ he said.”

Here for us are the key slides from the Mayor’s presentation showing work done and on the radar:

Sustainability 1

Sustinability 2

Sustinability 3

Susatainability 4

It’s Friday, March 22, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?

18 miles for Ron on Day 5!

(2nd in a series of posts on Ron Yoshida)

https://88-photos.com/

Yoshida 5

And yet he had strength for this reflection:

“The walk provides plenty of time to reflect and enjoy the environment, specifically gardens. I have come upon wonderful examples from highly manicured to seemingly very natural gardens. Common to all of them is the absence of grass lawns. Rather, gardens are filled with trees and perennials or are planted with seasonal vegetables and fruit trees, I have contended that grass lawns are one of humankind’s worst land uses – wasted person hours cutting grass and the overuse of pesticides and herbicides. Perhaps we can learn from these examples.”

Comments you EAC folks?

Ron’s photos are beautiful!

Follow along?

https://88-photos.com/

Climate watch: March 3

(The latest in a series of posts relating to the environment, Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan, Bethlehem’s Environmental Advisory Council)

Interesting day on the climate front —

CBS: 60 Minutes (March 3, 2019): Juliana v. the United States

“Of all the cases working their way through the federal court system none is more interesting or potentially more life changing than Juliana v. United States. To quote one federal judge, “This is no ordinary lawsuit.” It was filed back in 2015 on behalf of a group of kids who are trying to get the courts to block the U.S. government from continuing the use of fossil fuels. They say it’s causing climate change, endangering their future and violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property. When the lawsuit began hardly anyone took it seriously, including the government’s lawyers, who have since watched the Supreme Court reject two of their motions to delay or dismiss the case. Four years in, it is still very much alive, in part because the plaintiffs have amassed a body of evidence that will surprise even the skeptics and have forced the government to admit that the crisis is real.”

“Your View by 15 Lehigh professors: We really do need to worry about climate change — and act.” Morning Call, March 3, 2019.

“Climate has been in the news, thanks to the release of several concerning reports, plus reactions to the proposed Green New Deal. Our Lehigh colleague in Economics, Tony O’Brien, recently published an opinion piece in these pages (Feb. 17) in which he claimed that climate-change impacts won’t be very bad, so there’s no need to go all-in on the Green New Deal, and that a nonideological view suggests a carbon tax is the far better approach. We’d actually agree that a carbon tax would be one important part of an effective climate policy, but what motivates us to write is concern over widespread misunderstandings of the earth system and how it pertains to people and society, misunderstandings that happen to be well illustrated in O’Brien’s column.”

Inslee for America

Gov. Jay Inslee has formally announced for the presidency with basically climate change his sole position. Click on his initial campaign video on the top page of his web site.

Let’s keep climate change and our Climate Action Plan on our radar.

It’s Monday, March 4, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?

free marketers never acknowledge their own pie-in-the sky fantasy

Breena Holland is an Associate Professor at Lehigh University in the Department of Political Science and the Environmental Initiative. She is a past and current director of Lehigh University’s South Side Initiative.

Gadfly:

It’s great to see the likes of Jonah Goldberg feeling threatened enough by the GND that they have to come out and try to stifle its momentum. Note that his comments do not at any point acknowledge the seriousness of the climate change problem and the importance of a radical reduction in emissions over the next decade. The GND may be an aspirational document, but there is real thinking behind it and real policy wonks starting to figure out what implementing it would entail. I find it outrageous that free marketers at the American Enterprise Institute never acknowledge their own pie-in-the sky fantasy that markets can solve environmental problems. They are the ones who are living in a fantasy world. Yes, government can always do better, and there are some social problems that markets can be left to fix. But climate change is not one of them. Conservatives in this country seem to be the only significant political group in all of the industrialized-democratic world who still think such problems can be solved without significant government intervention. There are no solutions in Goldberg’s article, no acknowledgement of the significance of the problem, and no references to support any of his claims. It’s no wonder 60 reps in the house have already jumped on board with AOC’s fantasy.

Breena

Require climate impacts on new developments and major renovations

See Kathy Fox’s “A question for prospective city council members”

Kathy:

I think climate impacts — and other sustainability impacts — should definitely be required for all planning & zoning submissions — for all new developments & major renovations. As a starting point, we could use the Sustainability Impact Assessment project completed by 5 students last summer.
[https://www.sustainlv.org/focus_on/sustainability-impact-assessment/]

Peter Crownfield

(Be sure to see Peter’s comments on the “Thinking green” and “Reducing carbon emissions” posts as well.)

Yes, use zoning and building codes to effect local changes

Gadfly:

Kathy Fox hits the nail on the head with addressing these kinds of issues using zoning and building codes to effect local changes. Too bad city officials don’t.

Why not require solar panels on the roofs of buildings over a certain square footage? Why not require warehouses to then provide onsite rest parking for diesel fuel drinking semis? Why not use the solar energy created to allow those semis to plug in instead of running engines that pollute, while a driver rests? Why not up the ante on reconstruction and new construction with more environmentally friendly energy standards/requirements?

Yes, there is much that could be done to address environmental concerns, but it seems that election time rhetoric is the only time we hear about soon to be forgotten ideas, in the name of getting elected.

This is a practice and philosophy, not a campaign bullet point.

Dana Grubb

A question for prospective city council members

(The latest in a series of posts relating to the environment, Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan, Bethlehem’s Environmental Advisory Council, and candidates for election)

Kathy Fox is a member of the Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council, a co-chair of the Northampton County Council of Democratic Women’s Environmental Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Bethlehem Food Co-op.  Kathy involves herself in positive organizations and activities that foster community, environmental awareness, education, and good health. 

Gadfly:

Thank you for your continued interest in the issue of climate change.  While we dilly-dally on the federal level on workable solutions, here in Bethlehem we should also be concentrating on making changes in our community and in local government zoning and planning because this is where we have the most control.

Even before the next election, I want to see the current city council and mayor to step up their game.  Climate change is not only a world issue, it is a local issue.

I want to hear our six (so far) prospective city council members talk about their specific solutions to climate change on a city level.

Years ago I sent an e-mail to the council members and the mayor urging them to change the city ordinance/building codes to require more stringent energy efficiency rules than the 2009 Pennsylvania building code regulations.  I never heard that the city made any changes.

Last year, Pennsylvania updated their building code regulations, and now the city must comply with the updated codes.  However, the city still needs to increase the energy efficiency requirements on all new buildings and renovations to require some level of LEED certification.  You do not need a written Climate Action Plan to start changing our buildings codes and ordinances.  The longer we wait, the direr the consequences will be.

As for the last fact presented by Jonah Goldberg in your blog post regarding the decrease in emissions in 2017, it fails to mention that in 2018 U.S. emissions increased 3.4% — “a jarring increase that comes as scientists say the world needs to be aggressively cutting its emissions to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change.”

See “U.S. greenhouse gas emissions spiked in 2018 — and it couldn’t happen at a worse time,” by Chris Mooney and Brady Dennis.

So prospective city council members, what changes in the existing City of Bethlehem zoning, planning, building codes, etc. are you willing to propose and support to more effectively battle climate change on a local level, and how quickly will you do this once you are elected?

Kathy

Bethlehem Authority: a long history of superior forest stewardship

(The latest in a series of posts relating to the environment, Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan, and Bethlehem’s Environmental Advisory Council)

Stephen Repasch is Executive Director of the Bethlehem Authority.

Gadfly should check out the web page of the Bethlehem Authority on the City’s website to learn about its role in the climate picture. I’ve excerpted a few lines below from the “Watershed Forest Management” section:

“Dating back to the purchase of the watershed properties, the Bethlehem Authority (Authority) and the City of Bethlehem have a long history of superior forest stewardship that is distinguished from most private land owners in the region. Through the efforts of long time City Forester, John Anspach, the watershed forests have been a model for proper forest management activities. Plantations of various indigenous species were developed and nurtured under Mr. Anspach’s guiding forestry principles. . . .

In 2011, following over a year of negotiations, the Authority entered into a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) that was part of TNC’s Working Woodland’s Program. TNC is an international private nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. The outcome of this arrangement was the development of a comprehensive Forest Management Plan (FMP) that became Forest Stewardship Council or FSC® certified in 2012. FSC ® is the preeminent sustainable forest certification entity in the world today.

The FMP has the following overarching goals that will drive the management activities on the Authority properties:

· Preserve the high drinking water quality and quantity of the sources by maintaining or improving the capacity of the watershed to produce these values and maintaining or improving watershed security to insure the safety of the supply.
· Improve the capacity of the watershed and its properties to produce financial return that will better enable BA to protect and enhance the long term value of the asset. This includes sustainable timbering, potential renewable energy and monetizing ecosystem services (carbon, NRCS cost share, easements, leases etc.).
· Promote ecosystem health, diversity, and sustainable management of all resources through compliance with all federal, state, and municipal requirements, FSC standards of operation and other best management practices.
· Within constraints of other objectives, maintain or improve opportunities to allow the public active and passive recreational access to BA lands.

The FMP was developed to guide the management activities of the Authority properties in the Wild Creek and Tunkhannock Creek Watersheds. These properties are part of the Working Woodlands program of TNC, and, as a result, will be managed in accordance with the FSC® US 2010 National Standard as part of TNC’s group certificate. In addition, as part of Working Woodlands, these properties will be verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) and provides carbon credits that are sold on the voluntary market to offset the carbon footprint of large companies. By sequestering carbon dioxide, through 2018 the Authority has received credits for revenue totaling over $946,000 from Chevy Corp. and Disney Corp. and has a commitment from Disney to buy carbon credits though 2022.

The vision for all properties within TNC’s Working Woodlands, is to restore and sustain high quality ecological values within economically productive forests. The Authority properties serve as the primary and secondary drinking water supply for over 116,000 customers, and as such have considerably high conservation value. In addition, the mesic till barrens community type of the Pocono Plateau, which dominates several thousand acres of Authority property, is home to rare and endangered species of plants, birds and insects and is considered to be the only natural community of its kind in the world.

The conservation easement provides that: the properties will be retained predominantly in their natural, scenic, and forested condition, free of additional forest fragmentation or additional development; any rare plants, animals, or plant communities will be protected; and any use that will significantly impair or interfere with the conservation values or interests of the Authority will be prevented. The easement will assure long-term, professional, independent third-party certified forest management of the property for the production, management and harvesting of economically valuable timber and related forest products while ensuring the conservation values are protected or enhanced. The easement also ensures the protection of forest and other natural resources and allows for the potential of economic return from the protection, management, maintenance, and improvement of ecosystem services provided by the property, including but not limited to the protection of water quality and quantity, carbon sequestration, and the protection of wetlands, rare species and natural communities.

The FMP will be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure that strategies to be undertaken are in compliance with TNC’s Compatible Human and Economic Use Activity Standard Operating Procedures (CHU SOP) and are in accordance with the Conservancy’s Group Certification program and the FSC® US National Standard.”

Steve

Thinking green on a white morning

(The latest in a series of posts relating to the environment, Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan, and Bethlehem’s Environmental Advisory Council)

It was a weekend to think green – like “Green New Deal.”

The weekend of the Ocasio-Cortez/Markey joint Congressional resolution (not a legislative proposal)  “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.”

Gadfly, as you followers can tell, he thinks, spurred by the fact that Bethlehem is ahead of the curve on local Climate Action Plans, is trying to school himself better in this area.

Here’s four texts he spent some time on this weekend.

1) The primary source: “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.”  A 10-year national mobilization scheme. Always start with the primary source.

Goals:

  • building resiliency against climate change-related disasters
  • repairing and upgrading the infrastructure
  • 100% clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources
  • energy-efficient, distributed, and ‘‘smart’’ power grids
  • all buildings with maximum energy efficiency
  • massive growth in clean manufacturing
  • removing pollution/greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector
  • overhauling transportation systems to remove pollution/greenhouse gas emissions
  • mitigating/managing the health/economic/other effects of pollution/climate change
  • removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere
  • restoring and protecting threatened, endangered, and fragile ecosystems
  • cleaning up existing hazardous waste and abandoned sites
  • identifying other emission and pollution sources
  • international exchange of technology, expertise, products, funding, and services

2) Ocasio-Cortez/Markey press conference (17 mins.)

  • resolution has many co-sponsors
  • green dream
  • great programs start with vision of the future
  • Pelosi on board
  • beginning of education phase of this idea
  • silent on any individual technology
  • some Republican support
  • also an infrastructure bill
  • appeals to swing voters
  • about the role of government
  • smart investment generating returns
  • small tax breaks as fossil fuels have gotten
  • green generation has risen up
  • among top issues in election cycle
  • people want ambitious plan
  • many different paths to the goal
  • charge of gov. expansion is hypocritical
  • Federal gov. scientists defying president
  • make default clean energy
  • this resolution outlines scope of bills that will follow
  • will be voting issue in 2020
  • resolution deals with principles

3) The politics: Ella Nilsen, “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is making the Green New Deal a 2020 litmus test.” Vox, February 7, 2019.

  • will be a litmus test
  • “Once this resolution is announced, there will be a really clear litmus test for what they support,” said Stephen O’Hanlon, spokesman for climate activist group Sunrise Movement. But there’s something larger at work here. The Green New Deal is fundamentally about making climate change a central Democratic priority in 2020 — without shoving aside health care and the economy. After years of this globally important issue languishing on the national agenda, it has come roaring back.
  • Some 2020 Democrats have also been cautious about a full-throated endorsement. While the Green New Deal has been endorsed by declared or potential candidates including Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand, Mike Bloomberg, and Cory Booker, exactly what that means is fuzzy. Staff for 2020 contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) told Axios she supports the “idea” of a Green New Deal.
  • The fact this proposal is a catch-all of the most progressive programs means it probably isn’t going anywhere in the House, where House Energy and Commerce Chair Frank Pallone has already called the plan too ambitious and unlikely to generate consensus among moderate Democrats in the House, never mind the Senate.
  • “The goal of trying to reduce fossil fuels and get to a carbon neutral economy is important and something that I agree with,” Pallone told the Asbury Park Press last month. “The Green New Deal says you can do it in 10 years. I don’t know if that’s technologically feasible. … Beyond that it’s probably not politically feasible.”
  • But to Ocasio-Cortez and Green New Deal backers, that’s not the point. They are banking that the idea will keep spreading. Even some in the House who are skeptical of whether the plan is feasible agree that the branding of the Green New Deal — harkening back to the days of FDR — is a brilliant marketing strategy.
  • Progressives are clearly using the Green New Deal to push the debate in their direction. The left wants to make sure they have fully vetted and influenced the ideas of any Democrats that have a shot at winning the White House.
  • If Democrats take back the White House and the Senate in 2020 — a big though not impossible if — activists want to have bills ready to go in 2021 to tackle climate change. Realistically, the bills that come out of the House in the next two years probably won’t be as bold as the proposal Ocasio-Cortez is floating.
  • But activists won’t be totally satisfied until 2020 candidates do two things: embrace Ocasio-Cortez’s plan and pledge not to take fossil fuel money. “We’re focusing on getting all the 2020 contenders to endorse the full vision of the Green New Deal and get specific about it,” O’Hanlon said.

4) The other side, which we always must look at: Jonah Goldberg, “Green New Deal backers embrace their fantasies.” Tribune, February 9.

  • It’s worth noting that it’s not legislation as people normally understand the term. It’s a resolution titled “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.” In other words, even if it passed — a considerable if — nothing would really happen.
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t taking it too seriously.
  • It’s not a very serious proposal
  • Well, at least the plan isn’t too ambitious. Retrofitting “every building in America” can be done in 10 years, but eliminating all the gassy cows will take a bit longer. Maybe we’ll move them all to Hawaii, which with the near-abolition of airplanes will be effectively cut off from America anyway.
  • Even if you take these goals seriously, as a practical matter it’s a fantasy masquerading as green virtue-signaling.
  • But it’s a fantasy based on a worldview that should be treated seriously because it’s so dangerous. NPR’s Steve Inskeep asked Ocasio-Cortez whether she was comfortable with the “massive government intervention” critics say is required by such an undertaking.
  • The free market hasn’t been given free rein, and over the last 40 years the free market and government regulations alike have made laudable environmental progress. In 2017, the U.S. had the largest reductions of CO2 emissions in the world for the ninth time this century. Rather than celebrate and build on that reality, the Green New Dealers would rather embrace their fantasies — and waste a lot of time and money in the process.

Now, to Gadfly followers much more knowledgeable than he, an invitation for things to read and to think about.

Reducing carbon emissions and making money H.R. 763

(The latest in a series of posts relating to the environment, Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan, and Bethlehem’s Environmental Advisory Council)

“There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil.
The triumph of anything is a matter of organization.”
(Kurt Vonnegut)

Remember that Bethlehem under the leadership of CM Reynolds and the good volunteer folk on the Environmental Advisory Council chaired by Lynn Rothman and with the cooperation of City Hall has a Climate Action Plan abirthing.

Martha Christine, “The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act deserves bipartisan support.” Morning Call, February 10, 2019.

Here is one of Martha’s latest drumbeats in favor of the The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act H.R. 763.

Valentine’s Day brings thoughts of love, friendship and cooperation. But can members of the federal government cooperate? Yes, and it’s happening right now.

The House has introduced a bipartisan bill to address climate change. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763) will reduce carbon emissions while providing a monthly dividend check to offset higher costs of energy. It will create new jobs and improve health. It’s revenue neutral so it won’t grow the government.

Senators are cooperating, too. They’ve re-introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce drug costs. I believe Republican and Democrat senators will work together to support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. The Chamber of Commerce has recognized that bipartisanship benefits business, so they should also endorse this business-friendly legislation. Even the president has called for cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.

So, there’s hope for bipartisan action on climate change. I love the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act — a simple, effective solution to climate change. I encourage you to urge Representative Wild and Senators Casey and Toomey to love it, too!

You can find email links to Wild, Casey, and Toomey on the Gadfly sidebar.

Martha introduced me to the national organization the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

The local Lehigh Valley chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby meets the Tuesday after the 2nd Saturday of the month at:

Friends (Quaker) Meeting House
4116 Bath Pike (Route 512)
Bethlehem, PA 18017

6 pm: potluck supper, welcome & introductions
6:30 pm: business meeting

That means tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12!

It’s Monday, February 11, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?

Non-profit food waste creating energy could be a driver for changing minds

My hint was that Bethlehem build and fuel its own plant, not feed Easton’s I apologize for my lack of clarity. I am aware that we live in a wonderful yet somewhat backward place where services like city-provided garbage pickup in fixed routes with automated trucks doesn’t happen. We don’t have self-check machines at our main circulation desk at our library, etc. What we *do* have are big non-profit organizations who often cooperate for the good of the city in which they operate.

I admire the work that Peter and his colleagues are doing to fight the good fight for our region and the world. Non-profit food waste creating energy for the betterment of the entire city could be a driver for changing the minds of more taxpayers, and sooner rather than later.

John Marquette

Must deal with food waste properly NOW

Peter Crownfield is officially retired but spends most of his time working with students in his role as internship coordinator for the Alliance for Sustainable Communities–Lehigh Valley.

Gadfly:

I don’t know any of the details of Easton’s plan, but let’s hope they avoid the nasty pollution problems that come with many such plans.

Asking whether food waste from Bethlehem’s educational institutions could fuel this plant in Easton seems to me like the wrong question. [See John Marquette’s post yesterday.]

Bethlehem should be requiring all residents, businesses, & institutions to compost food waste and should provide free curbside pickup / composters for residences. Composting returns food waste to the soil, where it belongs. Several cities already do this, and the state of Vermont plans to require all food waste to be collected separately. (Actually, that might already be in place.)

If the EAC/city can find a clean, sustainable waste-to-energy model to process food waste (there are some in Europe, I believe), that might be worth discussing, but they need to deal with food waste properly NOW.

Peter

Where does our food waste go?

(The latest in a series of posts relating to the environment and Bethlehem’s Environmental Advisory Council)

John Marquette is a retired librarian/archivist, author, historian, and a resident of Bethlehem. His current project is focused on the restoration of the interior of the Archibald Johnston Mansion in Housenick Park.

 Christina Tatu, “In first for Lehigh Valley, Easton sewer plant looks to food scraps to generate power.” Morning Call, February 4, 2019.

Gadfly: where does your household waste go?

The Easton Sewer Authority announced plans to design and build a system to use food scraps to produce methane to power their waste water treatment plant. They believe that there is enough food waste being created by service area restaurants and residents to drop their power bill by $450,000 a year.

The cost of the waste-to-energy plant is projected at between $1.5 and 2 million, which suggests a payback period of no more than four years. The plant already produces some of the methane they burn to power the plant. Easton Sewer Authority plant management believes they’ll get enough food waste from their service area’s customers to make up the difference with the new system.

Because of Bethlehem’s fractured household waste collection process, it’s not likely that city residents could include compostables in their curbside collection along with recyclable material and the stuff that goes to the landfill. But that’s not the end of the story.

Lehigh University, Moravian College, Bethlehem Area School District, Moravian Academy, and the parochial school systems generate food waste daily. The proposed Easton plant needs 12,000 gallons of liquid food waste a day — or about 48 tons.

Could Bethlehem power its water treatment plant without having to collect residential compost?

John

Keeping an eye on the politics of climate change

(The latest in a series of posts relating to Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan
and Environmental Advisory Council)

Gadfly is keeping one eye out for hopeful indications that climate change will get more political attention.

See Kamala Harris — newly announced presidential candidate — foregrounding it.

Colby Itkowitz, “Kamala Harris just set the litmus test for Democrats in 2020 on health care, climate change and guns.” Washington Post, January 29, 2019.

Harris also came out in support of a Green New Deal, a plan to address climate change and income inequality promoted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). In tweeting about it in December, Ocasio-Cortez wrote, “Our goal is to treat Climate Change like the serious, existential threat it is by drafting an ambitious solution on the scale necessary – aka a Green New Deal – to get it done.” At the town hall, Harris adopted similar language: “I support a Green New Deal. And I will tell you why. Climate change is an existential threat to us, and we have got to deal with the reality of it.”

See the CNN Town Hall (mins. 28:45 – 30:45), where Harris talks of going with science fact rather than science fiction.

On a different note, the DNI Director Dan Coats report (p. 23) that was the basis for the newsworthy “Worldwide Threat Assessment” meeting yesterday didn’t mention threat on our southwestern border but did mention climate change.

Global environmental and ecological degradation, as well as climate change, are likely to fuel competition for resources, economic distress, and social discontent through 2019 and beyond.

Climate hazards such as extreme weather, higher temperatures, droughts, floods, wildfires, storms, sea level rise, soil degradation, and acidifying oceans are intensifying, threatening infrastructure, health, and water and food security. Irreversible damage to ecosystems and habitats will undermine the economic benefits they provide, worsened by air, soil, water, and marine pollution.

Good signs that good things might get done?

It’s Wednesday, January 30, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?

Objections to the Zrinski resolution

Tara Zrinski’s resolution (see Sunday’s post) regarding plastic bags and straws passed the Northampton County Council, but it got hammered in this morning’s issue of “Lehigh Valley Ramblings.”

In this criticism, we probably see a foreboding taste of what a proposal from our Environmental Advisory Council will encounter.

Here are key sections from the “Ramblings.”

Problems with the resolution:

There are several problems with Zrinski’s resolution. First, it was never vetted by a Council Committee, which is the norm. Second, it is essentially identical to one tabled in December. Zrinski dishonestly or mistakenly suggested her previous proposal was an ordinance. Third, it is nonbinding, meaning it means nothing. Fourth, no municipality I know of looks to Northampton County Council for guidance on anything. Fifth, the research cited in the resolution is flawed. Some of it, I kid you not, comes from a 10 year old’s school project.

The alternate solution the Rambler offers:

I agree that plastic pollution is a serious problem, but an unenforceable plastic straw ban is a joke mostly designed to make Zrinski and her followers feel like they’ve accomplished something while the world still goes to hell. They can pat themselves on the back while whales still die. What is a solution, here in the Lehigh Valley, is periodic sweeps along the waterways to pick up plastic. Open space money could be used for this and pay people with limited incomes, but we’d rather spend that money to preserve undevelopable swamps and cliffs.

It might be wise to answer the Rambler. Good practice. His fifth problem, the charge that a ban is unenforceable, and his alternate solution look to Gadfly as the three specific points on which to focus (Gadfly expertly avoids ending the sentence with a preposition.)

Gadfly asks followers to eschew (good SAT word) caustic and ad hominem comments and language. Best, in fact, to avoid the Rambler’s name. In fact, let’s stick to the facts. Let’s assume these objections will come up again and again and need to be reasonably answered.

In fact (so awkward repeating this phrase three times) some sort of look at the objections that were overcome in places that have a ban and the objections that prevailed in places where the ban was defeated might be good strategy in preparation for a Bethlehem proposal. Gadfly can see in mind’s eye a list of objections with a paragraph answer for each that goes along with a proposal.

Tara Zrinski’s resolution recommending restriction of single-use plastic bags and straws is approved

(The latest in a series of posts relating to Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan
and Environmental Advisory Council)

Kathy Fox is a member of the Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council, a co-chair of the Northampton County Council of Democratic Women’s Environmental Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Bethlehem Food Co-op.  Kathy involves herself in positive organizations and activities that foster community, environmental awareness, education, and good health. 

Gadfly:

Thursday night January 24, Northampton County Council passed Tara Zrinski’s resolution tara zrinskirecommending to all municipalities the concept of banning single-use plastic bags and straws.

Zrinski has described the purpose of her resolution this way:  “The resolution is not a ban on the use of bags or straws themselves but the recommendation that they be made of biodegradable materials. Single use plastic is one of the most wasteful forms of pollution to our earth and oceans. By using compostable straws and reusable or compostable shopping bags, we save tons of waste in landfills and oceans that would otherwise accumulate for 1000’s of years. Plastic waste is one of many types of wastes that take too long to decompose. Normally, plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. But plastic bags we use in our everyday life take 10-1000 years to decompose, while plastic bottles can take 450 years or more. This resolution will then serve as a template for distribution to the municipalities that will have the authority to enforce it. I think this is an important step to show leadership in the direction towards environmental responsibility and a commitment from the County to support the reduction of plastic that is accumulating in our landfills and eventually makes its way to our oceans.”

northampton county council resolution banning plastic bags

Linked above you’ll find a preliminary version of the resolution that passed 6-2-1 (2 no’s and one “present”). A vote of “present” is used when the person does not want to vote yes or no and does not have a reason for abstention. The final version of the resolution will be in slightly revised form.

Chris Bartleson from the city of Bethlehem spoke in support of the resolution during the public comment period at the Open Space Committee meeting in the afternoon, stating 349 cities, towns, counties, and/or states in the United States have bans in place.  (In Pennsylvania, the only town is Narberth.)  Additionally, there were about a dozen citizens there to support the resolution that was passed later that evening in full Council, including Breena Holland from Lehigh University and a few of her students.  The shame is they arrived a few minutes late and missed the public comment time.

Dale Sourback (Bethlehem Township), Peg Church, and Rik Sherry (both from the city of Bethlehem) all spoke in favor of the ban during the public comment period in the evening session.  Dale supported the resolution and referenced volunteering for Meals and Wheels and hoping to see changes within that system to reduce plastic waste.  Peg referenced the whales dying after ingesting plastic, the infamous picture of the turtle with a straw stuck in his nostril, and the fact that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by the end of the century.  Rik spoke of his paddling/teaching experiences on the Delaware River with students.  He indicated the trips incorporated clean-ups of the river and stressed the large number of plastic bags that were pulled out of the river.

On Page 3 of the version of the resolution linked above, Section 2 will be struck out of the final version.  Zrinski stated that if a municipality chooses to create an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags and straws, it should determine how to implement the ban, including charging fees or not.

There was a bit of push back from Council Members Cusick, Ferraro, and Dietz.  Dietz talked about the senior citizens who use plastic bags to pick up dog poo. What will they do?  He also mentioned that it takes more energy to produce paper bags than plastic. I haven’t looked this up, but he missed the point completely.  It is not the monies collected that is important; in fact, some places don’t have fees at all.  It is not the goal to argue over whether plastic or paper creates more devastating greenhouse gases. The goal is the paradigm shift created for the public to always bring reusable bags no matter where you shop. Then you do not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions of bag production at all, and you will not pay any fees.

I bring my bags into department stores, farmer’s markets, farm stands, grocery stores.

Make thinking sustainably when being a consumer the norm, not the exception!

Kathy

(Gadfly’s understanding is that a proposal from our EAC for a resolution or ordinance pertaining to plastic bags is in the pipeline.)

Bethlehem Food Co-Op on track

Colleen Marsh is a member of the Bethlehem Food Co-Op’s Board of Directors.

Had a great conversation with John [John Marquette, see his January 22 post] and wanted to summarize a few things here so that other readers can have the same info. What John posed is a great idea and a logical option to explore — In fact, it HAS been explored! A few years ago, Weavers Way found itself in a position to expand and worked with a national cooperative consulting firm to research options, including merging or partnering with existing start-ups. They organized a meeting to explore feasibility with the numerous start-up cooperatives in the Philadelphia region. Bethlehem Food Co-Op representatives, including myself, attended that meeting, where it was mutually agreed upon that we were geographically too far away to pursue partnership at the time. Ambler Food Co-Op, which was founded around the same time as Bethlehem Food Co-Op, ultimately was approached, and their membership voted to become Weavers Way members and open a Weavers Way-Ambler location instead of their own separate business. You can read more about the merger here: http://www.weaversway.coop/shuttle-online/2016/06/editors-note-everything-you-wanted-know-about-expansion

The store is fantastic and an easy drive down route 309, so I highly recommend taking a trip to see what sort of operation we have in the works for Bethlehem!

While the Bethlehem Food Co-Op remains an autonomous cooperative, we are extremely fortunate to have the level of support and industry resources that we do, so we can avoid reinventing the wheel. As one of the cooperative principles is “Cooperation Among Cooperatives,” we’ve been able to obtain advice, data, and assistance from individual cooperatives, alliances, and organizations across the nation to help guide our development. Various Weavers Way employees and board members have mentored us since our earliest days of organizing, as well as representatives from other co-ops. We are also incredibly grateful to have the support of the Food Co-Op Initiative, Keystone Development Center, and the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, all of which have provided enormous resources for our co-op already. Our board members and volunteers have also had annual opportunities to attend conferences where they’ve gained information from a network of national cooperatives and experts. Bethlehem Food Co-Op has also secured expert consulting services in key areas so that we ensure our business is feasible and viable for the long haul in the competitive grocery industry.

The process of opening a food co-op typically takes between 5-8 years from incorporation. Bethlehem Food Co-Op incorporated in 2013, and all evidence shows that we are following the typical development timeline. We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and patience of our volunteers, and appreciate ideas, patience, and involvement from all of our members, like John! #strongertogether

Colleen

Information about membership in the Bethlehem Food Co-Op is available here.

Environmental drama

Tara Zrinski, Northampton County Councilwoman, is a ball o’ fire.

Her resolution to ban single-use plastic bags and straws will be discussed at the county Open Space committee meeting Thursday, 1/24/19, at 4 pm. at the Northampton County Courthouse-Council meeting room.

And then voted on at the regular Northampton County Council business meeting that evening at 6:30 pm.

Gadfly has been attending our Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) meetings — meets first Thursday of the month, 7PM, Illick’s Mill — for about a year now, and we have a plastic bag proposal coming down the pipeline.

So followers of environmental issues are urged to attend one or both of the Zrinski meetings.

Gadfly cannot attend, so reports from attendees – as comments to this post or longer separate comments – are most welcome. Pictures too.

Zrinski is colorful, and fellow blogger Bernie O’Hare (see the link to his blog on our sidebar) has been having fun with her.

See his “Steve Samuelson Assaulted at MLK Breakfast” post today!

Suggestion for the Co-op: contract out core functions

John Marquette is a retired librarian/archivist, author, historian, and a resident of Bethlehem. His current project is focused on the restoration of the interior of the Archibald Johnston Mansion in Housenick Park.

Bethlehem Food Co-op

Gadfly:

Have you been to Weaver’s Way Co-op in Philadelphia (two locations with a couple of stores per location) and Ambler (big, bright store)? It’s a great operation with member-how does your grocery store checkout_FINAL_11x14owners.

More importantly, they have the systems experience in place to manage the back office needs of our co-op. I’m talking about inventory, payroll, cash registers, cash management, and so on. Why do our members and board need to take on these tasks if we can enter into a good working relationship with a similar and far larger organization?

Cooperative organizations do far better when they stick together. I note that many credit unions allow members of other credit unions to use tellers, ATMs, and other functions. It’s because they work together and share what’s important.

It would be reasonable someday to take over our own operations, but if contracting out core functions to another organization with common cause, it would mean having the physical store open sooner.

I’m member #17.

John

Gadfly doesn’t know much about the Co-op and hopes to learn more soon.

Dialogue on development

(14th in a series on Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan)

Followers will recognize that Gadfly has been fussin’ over how to feel about “development.”

He is much intrigued over the phrase “socially conscious development” in Council candidate Grace Crampsie Smith’s press release and is anxious to hear more about what’s behind that phrase.

So he couldn’t help but be drawn into the public dialogue between our past mayor Don Cunningham and our present Councilwoman Paige Van Wirt (who is running again) on Amazon, truck traffic, and the growth of warehouses (delightfully termed “sprawl in a box”!).

What Gadfly has seen now several times and really likes in CW Van Wirt is her dismissal of dichotomies. You know, the simplistic either/or kind of thinking that characterizes so many politicians. When she says things like “as if our only choice is between warehouses and economic stagnation,” Gadfly’s antennae go up and his wings flutter. That’s an interstice (good SAT word) he needs to believe in. Yes, maybe we can have significant development with its economic advantages but common-sense and socially conscious development.

PVW’s thoughtful piece worthy of attention.

Don Cunningham, “You can’t use Amazon and then complain about truck traffic.” Morning Call, January 16, 2019.

Paige Van Wirt, “Lehigh Valley shoulders heavy burden of warehouses.” Morning Call, January 21, 2019.  (online link not available yet, will add later)van wirt newspaper

“You’re not allowed to hate what you love and what you use, and then complain about what it [Amazon] creates.” (DC)

“I think characterizing truck traffic in the Lehigh Valley as a consequence of our own dependence on internet retailers such as Amazon is in error. This opinion ducks our responsibility as a region to adequately plan for warehouse expansion that minimizes traffic and environmental impacts, and it disregards the loss of our farmlands to warehousing.” (PVW)

“If you order products online and have them delivered to your door, you are not allowed to complain about trucks on the road.” (DC)

“It’s easy to point the finger at internet retailers and say the rest of us should consider ourselves lucky, as if our only choice is between warehouses and economic stagnation. But people who are stuck on Route 22 behind six big rigs, or the mom dealing with yet another asthma attack as her child breathes our air, might find this dismissal of the problem just wrong.” (PVW)

“People are inherently lazy and love little wrapped gifts and surprises, even if we know what’s in them. So, the idea of sitting on the couch, ordering things and having someone bring them to our door is appealing. Voila, a new industry is created: e-commerce. And, yes, trucks deliver the packages.” (DC)

“Watertown, Mass., recently mandated the installation of solar panels on all new commercial buildings, and even on renovations of buildings over a certain size. Imagine the pollution and energy costs that could be avoided by mandating solar panel installations on top of all those flat, treeless warehouse roofs.” (PVW)

“Nonetheless, we go online, order packages, try on clothes, return them if they don’t fit and have someone carry a new package to our door all the while complaining about the explosion of warehouses in the Lehigh Valley.” (DC)

“What we should be demanding from our region-wide planners is a path for centralization of the warehouses, so truck traffic impact is minimized, as well as conducting highly localized studies of the particulate burden in our air in order to prevent the siting of any warehouses in current air pollution hot spots and creating green standards that specify how warehouses can operate.”

It’s Monday, January 21, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?

Climate plan action: the beat goes on (13)

(13th in a series on Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan)

“There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization.” (Kurt Vonnegut)

Last time, last week when Gadfly posted on this topic, he said:

If journalists keep the heat on . . .

If the new Congress  . . .

If the new presidential candidates . . .

Well, the beat certainly goes on. Check out the following from this week’s note file.

Those of you more attuned to the nuts and bolts of these happenings than Gadfly is are invited to comment.

Our own Peg Church, “Sen. Casey should support Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act,” Morning Call, January 5, 2019.

Because Pennsylvania has an unequal burden, it makes great sense for Casey to strongly advocate for the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, introduced Dec. 19 in the Senate. The House version was introduced several weeks ago, and both have bipartisan support and are expected to be reintroduced in 2019. . . . Start the New Year right, Sen. Casey, and sponsor the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Bipartisan support can make our planet great again.

Pelosi gets standing ovation over climate change.

Announcing a new Congressional committee: “We must also face the existential crisis of our time . . . natural disasters of epic proportion.”

A commitment to fast, bold action on climate is becoming a threshold issue for Democrats running for president.

A marginal candidate for president, for sure, but will help raise the issue to national consciousness.

Robinson Meyer, “Democrats Establish a New House ‘Climate Crisis’ Committee.” Atlantic, December 28, 2018.

It’s official: When Democrats take control of the House of Representatives next month, they will form a special new committee to examine climate change. . . .[Pelosi] announced that the new committee will be named the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. It will be led by Kathy Castor, a seven-term representative from Tampa Bay.

Robinson Meyer, “The Democratic Party Wants to Make Climate Policy Exciting.” Atlantic, December 5, 2018.

On Monday, speaking at a town hall led by Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative-Elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez framed her chosen climate policy—the Green New Deal—through the lens of gallant American exceptionalism. “This is going to be the New Deal, the Great Society, the moon shot, the civil-rights movement of our generation,” she said. The Green New Deal aspires to cut U.S. carbon emissions fast enough to reach the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious climate goal: preventing the world from warming no more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.

It’s Sunday, January 6, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?

Sustainable Future film this Friday at LEPOCO (12)

(12th in a series on Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan)

From LEPOCO, pass it on! Note that Gadfly follower Kathy Fox is discussion leader.

Friends,

We hope you can join us for the Popcorn & Politics Film, “Tomorrow: Take Concrete Steps to a Sustainable Future,” this Friday, January 4, at 7 pm, at the LEPOCO Peace Center.  Peace, Nancy Tate

Friday,  January 4, 2019   7 pm

Popcorn and Politics – First Friday Film

“Tomorrow: Take Concrete Steps to a Sustainable Future”

LEPOCO Peace Center, 313 W. 4th St., south Bethlehem

Unlike other films which focus on the cause of global imbalances and their negative consequences, “Tomorrow” has the distinction of not giving in to catastrophism.  Optimistically, it identifies initiatives that have proven themselves in ten countries around the world:

concrete examples of solutions to environmental and social challenges, be it agriculture, energy, economy, education, governance.

Directed by Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent.  120 minutes.  2015.

Discussion led by Kathy Fox.

Please bring a snack or beverage to share.

Call 610-691-8730 for more information.

It’s Thursday, January 3, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?

Climate change: science, yes; politics, no (11)

(11th in a series on Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan)

Are we feeling some momentum building?

“Meet the Press” devoted its full Sunday show yesterday to climate change.

If you missed it, watch “The Climate Crisis” here.

One of the tag lines:

“The science is settled, the politics is not.”

If journalist keep the heat on . . .

If the new Congress  . . .

If the new presidential candidates . . .

But, in the meantime, as CM Reynolds and others have said, let’s do what we can in our own backyards.

It’s Monday, December 31, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?

Business as usual means the news will get worse (10)

(10th in a series about Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan)

Peter Crownfield is officially retired but spends most of his time working with students in his role as internship coordinator for the Alliance for Sustainable Communities–Lehigh Valley.

Gadfly:

Yes, I think it is noticeable that more voices are joining the call for climate action.

Unfortunately, there are also many comments deriding the advocates of climate action—and the national government is showing no leadership. The Democratic leadership is a big part of the problem, refusing to make a strong push for the “Green New Deal” that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been pushing. (In fact the Dem. leadership is actively undermining it.)

At the state legislature, there is almost no discussion of or planning for climate action. Pathetic.

Locally, Easton has a good start on developing a CAP, but it seems to be stalled at the moment. In Bethlehem, there is talk about developing a CAP, but little or no public discussion of methods to be used or possible goals. Allentown has been talking about it, but I don’t know what’s happening with that.

It seems so painfully obvious, but if we don’t stop “business as usual” and make some dramatic changes, the news will continue to get worse.

Peter

Climate change in the local news (9)

(9th in a series about Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan)

Is it just Gadfly, or does it seem that there’s truly been a noticeable uptick in the buzz about climate change in our local papers lately? Perhaps a result of that big scientific study.

My clipping file overfloweth.

Gadfly has cited and linked the LTEs by Kathy Fox and Martha Christine lately, people known to him by hanging out at the Environmental Advisory Council.

But here’s a bunch more:

Ron Pizarie, “Don’t expect Mother Nature to protect us from climate change.” Morning Call, December 20, 2018.

When deniers opine that white, frozen, reflective surfaces in the Arctic and northern regions can simply melt away and flow into the oceans with no drastic complications for humanity, they sound like the biblical people jeering Noah.

Gary Abramowicz, “Stunning Apollo 8 earth photo shows our ‘fragile home’.” Morning Call, December 20, 2018.

Fifty years ago this Christmas Eve, three incredible Apollo 8 astronauts flew to the moon. They spent about 20 hours circling the moon, photographing landing areas. But their most stunning photo was the Earth rise from the moon. It showed a planet without borders. That photo also showed that blue dot in the cosmos is our fragile home, and if we do not take care of it, it will not take care of us.So far we humans have failed. My assessment is we will leave a climate in crisis for our children to fix.

Rachel Rosenfeld, “Gov. Wolf gives environment a holiday present.” Morning Call, December 20, 2018.

Just when the news on global warming couldn’t get much worse, we have Gov. Wolf to thank for a holiday gift in the form of proposed new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas development and infrastructure. No lump of coal from the governor — instead, a breath of fresh air and stark counterpoint to the Scrooge in the White House, who continues to dismantle much-needed environmental regulations.

Terry Weida, “Give Earth a Christmas gift by recycling.” Morning Call, December 20, 2018.

We make far too much trash. Give the Earth a gift. Recycle.

Joe Baylog, “New EPA Clean Water Rule weakens protections.” Morning Call, December 20, 2018.

In 2015, the EPA released the Clean Water Rule clarification. Recently, that clarification was dismantled and a proposed a new rule that significantly diminishes these protections was submitted. . . . please join me in standing up for our right to clean water and tell this administration to maintain 2015 protections for headwater streams and wetlands.

Sam Layding, “It’s time for a ‘Green New Deal’.” Morning Call, December 7, 2018.

However, some members of our government (including our president) are still in disbelief that our planet is in danger. Instead of pushing to reduce carbon emissions, many of them continue to support big business over all else. How do you think that history is going to judge our leaders who stand by while Mother Nature continues to cry for help? It is imperative, now more than ever, that we continue to call our representatives and senators and ask for their help in making our planet great again.

Jessie E. Snyder, “Public must show support for climate change bill in Congress.” Morning Call, December 9, 2018.

Problem: Wildfires, droughts, asthma, floods, diseases, extinctions, famine. These are effects of rising temperatures. They are and will continue to occur. Our poor children and grandchildren will suffer because of worldwide inaction.

Trevor Watlington, “What we eat does affect climate change.” Morning Call, December 14, 2018.

Unfortunately, we have a rather large issue of climate change approaching us, and if we don’t act things can get dangerous. One of the simplest and easiest things we can do to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions is to stop eating beef or to cut down on the amount of beef we eat.

 Karen Poshefko, “We must address climate change crisis for next generations.” Morning Call, December 17, 2018.

Let us put our minds together and see what kind of life we can make for our children.” These insightful words by the Lakota chief, Sitting Bull, remind us that we all bear the responsibility for the welfare of future generations. Regardless of our cultural heritage, religious beliefs or political leanings, it is common sense to care for the well-being of our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

It’s Saturday, December 22, do you know where your local Climate Action Plan is?