Dozens of local environmentalists plunged into the icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay over the weekend to raise awareness about global warming.

Jessica Forres was there…



[NAT: WAVES]

At the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Annapolis headquarters the wind is blowing and the temperature is in the high 30's yet Leanna Howser... dressed in her bathing suit... is ready to jump into the Bay's frigid waters...

I'M ACTUALLY KIND OF GETTING NUMB SO IT'S NOT THAT BAD ANYONE AND ONCE YOU GET IN YOU HAVE TO DIVE. THERE'S NO POINT OF GOING IN AND KEEPING YOUR HAIR DRY.

She is taking part in the Chesapeake Climate Action Network's fourth annual Polar Bear Plunge.

Mike Tidwell is with the non-profit. He says the plunge is meant to raise awareness about global warming and show support for a bill that would reduce 25 percent of the pollution generated in Maryland by 2020...

WE WILL SUFFER FOR A FEW LONG MOMENTS IN ORDER TO RAISE AWARENESS THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP WINTER COLD TO SAVE OUR CLIMATE, SAVE OUR ECONOMY AND SAVE THIS PLANET.

[NAT: NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE… WOOOOOO]

About a hundred people decided to take the plunge…

- HOW DO YOU FEEL
- COLD
- GOOD GOD
- COLD, PRETTY FRIGID
- IT WAS COLD
- IT FELT LIKE TWENTY OR THIRTY DEGREES IN THERE. MY FEET WERE NUMB AS SOON
- AS I WENT IN, IT WASN'T LIKE THAT LAST YEAR. OH MY GOD IT WAS SO WORTH IT.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News