ARRAN KEARNEY
Staff Writer
Bethel took a step closer toward sustainability as Joshua Kennell, sophomore from Newton, was originally appointed as Bethel College’s ambassador to the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS) at the beginning of this academic year.
CSCS is an organization founded to, in their own words, “lead Anabaptist efforts to respond to the challenges of climate change.” It operates out of Eastern Mennonite University, VA, and seeks to create initiatives involving Anabaptist and Mennonite colleges in the United States and Canada.
Kennell, on behalf of CSCS, hosted Bethel’s first such initiative on campus on February 10th, in conjunction with the charity Boomerang Bags.
Boomerang Bags is an international organization that describes itself as a “global, grassroots movement.” It was founded in Australia, though it now has branches across four different continents. The chapter in Harvey County, which was founded through “a joint effort of the Newton Et Cetera shop and Shalom Mennonite Church” according to their website, is one of only two in the state of Kansas, with the other being in Wichita.
Kennell was "really happy” to bring this concrete climate action event to Bethel. “I’ve felt kind of isolated...there’s been a lot of Zoom meetings, and not much else if I’m being honest” Kennell said, discussing his relationship with CSCS. Kennell hopes that this local climate initiative will bring benefits to the community of Harvey County.
Boomerang Bags says that its primary goal lies in “connecting and empowering local communities to tackle plastic pollution”, with the essential goal being the reuse of “waste” fabric (that might otherwise be consigned to landfill) in the manufacturing of bags, which can then be distributed amongst a local community as substitutes for plastic shopping bags.
This is exactly what the local chapter hopes to do. Kennell, referring to the event of a few days ago, described the process as follows – “the student volunteers cut and packaged the used cloth, which was sent to the Et Cetera shop [Newton], where local residents will be able to take it home with them to sew into new bags.” These can then be brought back to Et Cetera, to be handed out to shoppers.
It is hoped that the chapter could grow large enough that “the bags could be handed out at farmers markets and fairs”, Kennell said.
Kennell believes that such initiatives are very much in keeping with Bethel’s values – and specifically its commitments to peace and justice. Kennell feels that such environmental enterprises have a great deal in common with the efforts of other clubs on campus, such as the Diversity Council and the newly created Community for Justice and Peace.
“Peace work takes different forms – I think that peace with creation is vital” Kennell said.
In this same vein, Kennell wishes to promote the work of the Environmental Action Club on campus, with special attention being paid to Climate Week, which centers around Earth Day on April 22nd.
Kennell wishes to promote the cause of education more than anything else. “Climate change is not going away, I think it would be good if we can make people aware of it, even if we don’t have any significant, noticeable impact on a national level”, said Kennell.
