Pope's climate change appeal boosts hope for bipartisan action in Congress

Climate campaigners applaud pope's bridging of environmental issues with moral obligation as way to force Republican party leaders to reconsider position

It just took one utterance from Pope Francis - "earth" - to rouse cheers from the climate campaigners who had gathered on the Mall to watch the pope's historic speech to Congress.

The pope's visit to what remains a fortress of climate denial among the Republican party leadership greatly boosted hopes among campaigners of elevating climate change from a narrow, partisan issue to a matter of broad public concern.