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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Alan Lowenthal on Wednesday joined more than a dozen members of Congress in a Capitol Hill rally to raise awareness to Congressional inaction on climate change.

The event, coordinated through the House of Representatives’ Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), was labelled the “Time to Wake Up Congress to Climate Change” rally and featured Congress members from SEEC, the Senate Climate Action Task Force, the Bicameral Climate Change Task Force, and the House Safe Climate Caucus .

“Wake up. Open your eyes, Congress - climate change is here. Climate change is here and it is happening,” Congressman Lowenthal said. “We have overwhelming scientific evidence of human-caused climate change. What are we waiting for?”

At the rally, speakers and audience members were asked to set their cell phone alarm clocks for 5:00pm EST in a show of solidarity that it is time for Congress to “wake up” to the scientific evidence of climate change.

Below are the Congressman’s remarks as written:

I’m Congressman Alan Lowenthal, and I want to work with you all to wake-up my climate change-denying colleagues in Congress.

Denying climate change is not representing a legitimate scientific debate, it is public disinformation;

Denying climate change is not just ignorant; it is recklessly playing Russian Roulette with our earth’s future;

Denying climate change is not just affecting far-off places, it is affecting us right here at home;

Denying climate change is not just changing habitat and ecosystems, it is effecting our ports and infrastructure that drive our economy; and

Denying climate change is not just another political position, it is a denial of reality.

Wake up! Open your eyes Congress - climate change is here.

And we need all of you to force our elected officials to take action.

Thank you.

Congressman Lowenthal is an active member of SEEC and the House Safe Climate Caucus where he frequently engages in public debate about climate science and the need for Congress to enact climate change legislation.

Other Members in attendance included Representatives Lois Capps (D, CA-24), Judy Chu (D, CA-32), Gerry Connolly (D, VA-11), Mike Honda (D, CA-17), Jared Huffman (D, CA-2), Doris Matsui (D, CA-6), Scott Peters (D, CA-52), Mike Quigley (D, PA-5), John Sarbanes (D, MD-3), Jackie Speier (D, CA-14), Paul Tonko (D, NY-20), Niki Tsongas (D, MA-3), and Chris Van Hollen (D, MD-8).

Congressman Alan Lowenthal represents the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, Avalon, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Cypress, Westminster, Garden Grove, Buena Park, Anaheim, Midway City and Stanton in California’s 47th Congressional District. He can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, or his website.