The U.S. House's special panel on global warming will hold a "mountaintop summit" next week to hear from climate change experts.
The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing at a mountain lodge in Franconia, New Hampshire, on Monday morning, chairman Ed Markey (D-Ma.) announced today in a pun-laden press release.
"With concern over global warming reaching new peaks, we will ascend a White Mountain peak to hold the first ever mountaintop 'summit' on the issue," read the release.
Markey will call on several local witnesses to hear how global warming may affect New England and its tourism, jobs, and culture.
"I think it is important for the members of this new committee to get out of Washington, where concern about this issue has lagged, and engage directly with businesses, government and concerned citizens at the local level," Markey said. "On the summit of Cannon Mountain we will have a spectacular view of a state that is concerned about its tourism industry, shorter ski seasons, changing foliage, and intense weather events which presage serious economic consequences if we don't act."
The release notes that access to the lodge is by aerial trainway only.
-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times