Iowa State is participating in Earth Car-Free Day today, a global event taking place in hundreds of cities around the world as people pledge not to drive their cars.

The ISU Student Environmental Council is sponsoring the event in Ames, which will be the only city in the Midwest to participate, said Katie Theisen, co-president for the council.

“We want students to be aware of other alternatives to driving,” said Theisen, senior in environmental science. “Turnout has been really great – right now we have 150 pledges.”

It isn’t too late to pledge, she said, which involves agreeing not to drive a car today. Instead, students pledge to use alternative modes of transportation. A table with information will be set up near the Hub from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, she said.

“Ames has great alternatives,” Theisen said. “We have an excellent bus route.”

Robert Cody, associate professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, said exhaust that comes from cars harms the atmosphere and contributes to global warming. He said it also causes smog, which blankets some cities in California.

“It harms people’s health,” he said.

Most of the trips people make are less than two miles from their home, Theisen said. If people would just use alternative modes of travel, she said, it would greatly reduce environmental problems caused by cars.

“Car pooling can greatly help,” she said.

The Student Environmental Council and the ISU Recycling Committee also are working to reduce litter on campus by installing two dumpsters – one north of Friley Hall and once north of Towers Residence Association – to collect recycled newspapers.

The council will monitor the newspapers placed in the dumpsters, designated as newspaper-recycling bins, until Saturday to see how much waste can be saved if students recycle, rather than throw away, their newspapers.