  We investigate the properties of quantum electrodynamics $(QED_3)$ in two
spatial dimensions at finite temperature and density. The static as well as the
dynamical properties of the planar plasma are calculated using the real time
formalism of quantum field theory. It is shown, that due to the presence of the
parity breaking Chern-Simons term, the propagating modes of the photon consists
of two longielliptic waves with different values for the masses. However, it is
shown that both in the high temperature and high density limit the parity
symmetry is restored; in this limit the propagating modes reduce to the
longitudinal and transverse ones, both with the same mass.
