The ISU Student Environmental Council is sponsoring Earth Week this week to raise awareness of environmental issues in preparation for Earth Day.

This week’s events are a great opportunity for ISU students to get involved with helping their planet.

Environmental problems can directly affect each and every person for generations to come. They’re not only our problems, they’re our children’s and grandchildren’s problems also.

However, we are in a much better position to prevent environmental damage than coming generations will be. A lot of damage has already been done, but we can help ensure that the damage stops here.

Students can help clean up the fecal coliform contamination of College Creek this week and learn about ecofeminism. The “Save the Ales Concert” could not only appeal to the desire for entertainment, but it also pertains to a subject dear to many college students’ hearts: the quality of beer.

The centerpiece of the week is the “Earth Car-Free Day” on Thursday, where all students are asked to leave their cars at home and walk or bike for a day.

Cars are a big contributor to global warming by emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Although one car-free day will not have a permanent impact on the environment, students can learn to use alternative forms of transportation by leaving their cars at home.

So, in honor of the environment this week, haul out the bike, dust off the walking shoes, and instead of leaving your Daily in class or throwing it in the garbage can, stick it in a recycling bin instead. Help out the planet – it’s the only one we’ve got.

editorialboard: Carrie Tett, Jocelyn Marcus, Katie Goldsmith, Andrea Hauser and Tim Paluch