Campuses and communities across the nation gathered for an International Day of Climate Action Oct. 24, hoping to raise awareness and spur global decision-makers to reduce pollution. Some participated in a more specific 350 Day on Saturday, drawing attention to what scientists say is the maximum safe amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

At the University of Illinois, junior Matt Rundquist explained that the rallies informed bystanders that Earth's atmosphere stands at 390 parts per million of carbon dioxide. “It needs to be below 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide to prevent Earth's natural temperature from rising,” said Matt Rundquist, junior in ACES and SECS group member.

Students and faculty chose a variety of creative ways to raise awareness for the 350 carbon threshold. Participants at Pacific University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire arranged themselves into the number “350” and took pictures, while students at Binghamton University planted 350 trees. Tufts University students participated in the Boston Under Water Festival, flagging the possibility of Boston being underwater if sea levels continue to rise. Students at Tulane University did it New Orleans style, dancing in the street to the beat of 350 musicians.

Elizabeth Mahaffy, a graduate student at Tufts and organizer of the event on her campus, emphasized the importance of environmental policy reform. “Personal actions are good but it’s not enough,” she said. “We need the systems to change.”

The events were organized to show negotiators in the upcoming December Copenhagen summit that there is widespread grassroots support for clean energy legislation and curbing climate change. 350.org is now sending activists to Barcelona for the last big negotiation before Copenhagen.

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