Hundreds of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. residents plunged into an icy Chesapeake Bay today to express their alarm over the rapid advance of global warming, and to highlight their demand for action at the state and federal levels.

Hundreds of Local Climate Activists Brave Icy Water in
Fifth Annual “Polar Bear Plunge”
Citizens Call for Immediate Action on Global Warming
at State and Federal Level

ANNAPOLIS, January 23, 2010-Hundreds of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. residents plunged into an icy Chesapeake Bay today to express their alarm over the rapid advance of global warming, and to highlight their demand for action at the state and federal levels.

“People are willing to come out in these conditions in such numbers because they are alarmed, truly alarmed by the evidence of climate change they see every day,” said Mike Tidwell, Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN). “They’ve noticed the climate changing around them and they want government action and policy changes now.”

The theme of this year’s plunge was 350, a reference to 350 parts per million, which is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere according to leading scientists (current levels are at 387ppm). Upwards of 350 people gathered on the beach, participants carried signs that read “350” as they ran into the bay, and plungers were encouraged to set $350 as their fundraising goal.

The dip occurred only days after the start of the 2010 General Assembly sessions in Virginia and Maryland. In Virginia, legislators are working on a number of bills including legislation to increase energy efficiency, clean up streams that have been polluted by mountaintop removal mining, and increase solar incentives. In Maryland, legislators will discuss creating a comprehensive energy plan to ensure that the state meets its ambitious clean energy goals.

“The battle against global warming is a marathon race, not a sprint,” said Delegate Bill Bronrott, a member of the House Appropriation Subcommittee on Transportation and the Environment. “We know what it will take to save our planet, and citizen action groups like CCAN are essential to keeping our state and nation focused on the urgent need for leadership in this race against the clock.” Del. Bronrott participated in the plunge and is a member of the General Assembly’s Green Caucus and a sponsor of numerous climate change laws.

On Capitol Hill there is growing interest in a bi-partisan piece of comprehensive climate legislation, the CLEAR Act, introduced a month ago by senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME). CCAN supports the CLEAR Act and its “cap and dividend” framework.

The plunge attracted a diverse crowd but everyone agreed on the urgency of taking action to address the climate crisis. Official data recently released by NASA confirms that 2009 was the second warmest year ever, concluding the warmest decade on record.
Despite accelerating global warming impacts, many local, state and federal governments continue to drag their feet. A utility recently proposed building a $6 billion coal plant in Dendron, a 300-person town in Virginia’s Hampton Roads area. If built, this plant would spew out 14.6 million tons of global warming pollution every single year – the equivalent of adding nearly 3 million new cars to the road annually.

Misti Furr lives in Dendron. She traveled to Annapolis to participate in the plunge and to spread the word about the proposed plant.

“I am both excited and honored to participate in this event, Furr said. Climate change is the single most important issue that we face as a species. It is extremely important that we actively pursue an alternative to what could be a very sad future, indeed. As a resident of a town that is considering permitting the construction of the largest coal-fired power plant in Virginia, I have a very personal desire to bring attention to both climate change AND its causes.”

Parking lot attendants dressed as polar bears were on hand to direct traffic. To minimize their carbon footprint, most plungers carpooled to the event and found rides through a rideshare website set up by CCAN.

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Its mission is to educate and mobilize citizens of this region in a way that fosters a rapid societal switch to clean, renewable energy, thus joining similar efforts worldwide to slow the dangerous trend of global warming. Today’s Fifth Annual Polar Bear Plunge was a fundraiser for CCAN. The plunge was held at the Annapolis headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Learn more at www.keepwintercold.org

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SPONSORS: Clean Currents, lori hill event productions, Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company, New Leaf Vegan Society, Perfect Settings, and Waste Neutral Group