Seahawks Take the Plunge for Global Warming

Talk about climate change! Just over a week ago St. Mary’s College students took the plunge into frigid waters to raise awareness about global warming, and now they’re out sunning on the same beach enjoying the 80+ degree weather.

For the ninth year the Student Environmental Action Coalition of St. Mary’s College hosted the Polar Bear Plunge to raise awareness of global warming and inspire action to prevent it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n83PA1779ao]

Global warming affects everyone. While some may be thankful for the warmer weather we’ve been experiencing lately, that’s not what it’s all about. Multiple greenhouse gasses are responsible for global warming, the SEAC explains. While CO2 is the most prevalent contributor, due to human pollution, some “have heat trapping potential thousands of times greater than CO2” according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

This phenomena is cited with destruction of cold-weather habitats, with the poles and ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland melting, higher precipitation, and increased parasitic insect populations.

SEAC encourages students to take environmentally-friendly actions such as recycling, increasing composting rate and reducing waste on campus.  Students at SMCM also undertake projects such as the campus community farm and offer EcoHousing. Participation in senior capstone projects through the environmental studies programs  create literature available to educate the public.