Senator Sheldon Whitehouse spoke to the 60-plus Aquidneck Islanders assembled at the Step It Up meeting on First Beach this afternoon. The rally, one of more than 1,500 around the country, was aimed at bringing pressure on Congress to take action on greenhouse emissions.

Sen. Whitehouse reminded everyone of the importance of getting control of the Senate, which Rhode Island helped make possible. It meant, he said, being able to replace Inhofe on the Environment and Public Works Committee with the new Chair Barbara Boxer, someone who actually believes in the science behind global warming.

And he talked about the importance of sea level rise to a place like Rhode Island, as one of the Step It Up volunteers held up a map showing the effect of a potential 20-foot-increase in sea level if carbon emissions continue to grow unabated.

When he was done, he stuck around and talked for quite a while with several folks in the audience. What really impressed me was his attention and sincerity — he wasn't just doing a handshake, he was listening, asking questions, and really talking to people.

The weather was gorgeous, and the crowd enjoyed the sunshine and listened to talks from Save The Bay, local religious leaders, and a deeply moving, heart-felt plea from a local fisherman to work together to save the environment we all depend on.

In case you're wondering what Portsmouth would look like under the worst-case scenario, here's a peek. Light blue indicates areas underwater. Hint: It doesn't matter whether we have sewers or septic in Island Park.

Visit Step It Up 2007 to learn more.