Wednesday: Climate Change Day on the Hill
Gore set to change climate on Hill
Democrats, environmental activists and presidential hopefuls are angling to share the spotlight with former Vice President Al Gore this week as he comes to Capitol Hill to testify on global warming. Mr. Gore, who has made a personal crusade out of climate change, will appear Wednesday before House and Senate panels to urge Congress to attempt to halt climate change, and he expects to bring a mailbag filled with the nearly 300,000 postcards he has collected since Christmas.
Mr. Gore will testify Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at a joint hearing of House Energy and Commerce energy and air quality subcommittee and the House Science and Technology energy and environment subcommittee. At 2:30 p.m., he will appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for a hearing titled "Vice President Al Gore's Perspective on Global Warming."
Taking advantage of the panel hearing are environmentalists, who will march on the Capitol as part of Climate Crisis Action Day tomorrow. They also will hold a rally there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., starring members of Congress and state leaders.
"Temperatures are rising across the globe, and the impacts are devastating," reads one advisory for the rally, being promoted by the liberal activist group MoveOn.org. "But a new Congress is in session, and we have an opportunity unlike any we've seen in years."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, was among the lawmakers trumpeting Mr. Gore's expected appearance, saying: "His testimony will help us shape the kind of reforms we need and garner even more attention to this growing crisis." Mrs. Pelosi has been one of the biggest champions of climate-change legislation, creating a special committee for global warming and calling for staffers to implement "green" practices in the Capitol. "Reversing the effects of global warming may be the greatest challenge of our time, setting at risk our economy, environment, national security and our children's future," Mrs. Pelosi said in an e-mail from the Democrats' campaign-fundraising group. "Every choice we make can help it can be as simple as walking instead of driving or installing energy-efficient light bulbs." (Source: CNSNews.com)
• As this avalanche of activity hits the Hill tomorrow, pray that calm minds and sound reasoning will yet prevail. • "When the enemy rushes in, like a flood, the Lord lifts up a standard before him." (Isaiah 59:19b)
