More than 100 people marched to A Mountain from Tempe Beach Park early Saturday morning to form the number 350 with their bodies to promote awareness about carbon dioxide’s effect on the environment.

Scientists say that 350 parts per million is the highest amount of carbon dioxide that can safely be in the atmosphere, but currently the earth is at 390 parts per million, according to 350.org.

There were similar events in more than 180 countries, or 5,200 events worldwide, on the organization’s “day of action” on Saturday, according to the Web site. Tempe’s 350 event was organized mostly by Undergraduate Student Government Campus Environment Department Director and sustainability sophomore Natalie Fleming.

Several ASU groups, such as Greenpeace and PETA were present at the event and helped promote it, Fleming said.

“There [was] definitely a wide variety of people at the event — high school students and community members,” she said.

One of the best parts of 350 day, Fleming said, was how cooperative the participants were.

“We’re on the side of this rocky, crazy mountain, it’s hot, the sun is beating down,” Fleming said. “It was even a little dangerous, and yet so many people gathered and willingly gave up their Saturday morning for this. Not only that, they were extremely patient and trying their best to form 350.”

Communications senior Emily Pfister said she heard about the event through her chemistry class, because the professor offered extra credit.

Pfister said she was glad to participate because she thought it was important to be active in trying to change the environment.

“I think it also really got the word out,” Pfister said. “We definitely got noticed and turned some heads marching to A Mountain. People asked questions and wanted to know what we were doing.”

Pfister also said it is important for ASU students to partake in events like this that promote awareness about problems like carbon dioxide.

“We’re such a big school that people notice us in general no matter what,” she said. “I think we should take advantage of our ability to get noticed.”

After participants formed the number 350, about 50 of them took the light rail to Central Station in downtown Phoenix and marched to the Arizona Capitol. Sustainability senior and 1Sky intern Mariann Abrahamsen said she thought the march was empowering.

“There were people from all different backgrounds and ages and we were all there for the same cause,” Abrahamsen said. “I think a lot of people are interested in doing things like this but they just don’t know where to begin. By having events like this, people are able to see how to get started and how simple it can be.”

Abrahamsen said she was glad a lot of people took notice of the different 350 day activities and the meaning behind them.

“There are so many problems, not only as a nation, as a world,” she said. “It can be a bit overwhelming but there are people who feel strongly — normal people like you and I — and if you take a stand, enormous things can happen. We just have to act as one.”

Reach the reporter at sheydt@asu.edu.