The plastic monster

Environmental advocate and Central student James King has an unusual way of keeping warm this winter. While most students would throw on an extra layer or two, King is covered head to toe in over 300 bright yellow plastic bags.

In an effort to gain support for a plastic bag ban in Ellensburg, King wears a coat of grocery bags as a golden suit of armor. With his captivating appearance, he wanders around advocating for his cause.

The “plastic bag monster” belongs to the advocacy group Our Environment and was created by active member Martha Duskin-Smith to support their petition. The monster is comprised mainly of Grocery Outlet bags.

Duskin-Smith wore it throughout the summer as a “mascot for the ban,” according to King. Now King has taken it up on campus.

“It helps address that plastic bags are everywhere,” King said.

King’s goal is to grab attention and to inform people on the issue.

“A lot of people don’t know why plastic bags are a problem and want to know more about [it],” King said.

The Ellensburg City Council is awaiting a recommendation from the environmental commission before deciding on whether or not to ban plastic bags in Ellensburg. According to Mayor Rich Elliott, the council will most likely do whatever the commission recommends.

The next commission meeting is on Dec. 16. King and Our Environment hope to get 700 signatures by then. According to King, the Parks and Recreation Department are behind their cause and have recommended that Ellensburg ban the bags.

King’s latest escapade as the monster was on Nov. 20. He waddled around the SURC asking passing students to support his cause. Those who noticed him could hardly take their eyes off of him.

“I think he’s doing a good job repping the ban,” said Richard Troung, senior accounting major. “The ban [will be] good for the community.”

For two hours King wandered around, attaining 70 signatures. Most of those who signed are supportive of his cause, but a few were struck by his commitment.

Caleb Hudson, freshman undecided, applauded him for pushing for his cause and supported his commitment.

“Personally, I couldn’t care less about plastic bags,” Hudson said. “I thought I’d throw down a signature to help him out.”

King appreciates all kinds of support and thanked anybody who stopped to listen.

Rachel Harmatta, senior public health major, saw the suit as a true representation of the problem.

“It looks like he’s suffocating,” Harmatta said. “Like the animals in the same situation.”

King’s history and personal goals

At 14 years old, King found interest in social justice, environmental and economical issues.

“It made me start to question some of the problems that I was seeing around me,” King said.

A decade later, King found a passion for advocacy through an environmental leadership and advocacy class at Central. The class lead him to search for more ways to impact the world.

“Over summer [2014], I decided I want to do more,” King said.

After a few months of searching for an advocacy group, King found Our Environment.

“I loved it immediately,” King said. “It really meshed with what I was doing.”

King’s main focus is climate change, and Our Environment primarily works to raise awareness about that issue. Both King and Our Environment aim to unite the community to combat climate change.

“The nature of the problem is going to require cooperation and unity on a really large level,” King said. “That’s something I’m interested in. Encouraging different groups to be more open and cooperative.”

King is a buddhist and said his spirituality is tied into his desire to be an advocate.

“A lot of my practices are gated at removing suffering and spreading compassion,” King said. “That’s what I really hope to do. I want to try to play into something bigger.”