30 Senators are planning an all night "talkathon" Monday night to raise awareness about climate change. The event, planned by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and scheduled to last until approximately 9AM Tuesday, is part of the newly formed Senate Climate Action Task Force Headed by Senators Barbara Boxer and Sheldon Whitehouse: 

In a statement, Boxer said Democrats want to "wake up Congress" to the dangers of climate change.

The marathon session is not technically a filibuster in part because there is no legislation under debate, but overnight sessions are rare and likely to draw media attention to the topic — which is precisely the goal.

Participants this evening will include 28 Democrats and 2 Independents, though as USA Today noted, the exact agenda is a bit unclear:

The Democratic effort is cause for some confusion because these senators are calling for action in a chamber they control but without any specific legislation to offer up for a vote, or any timetable for action this year.

Whitehouse spokesman Seth Larson said the overnight event is "just one of a number of steps that the Senate Climate Action Task Force will be taking this year, and we hope it will help get more Americans engaged in the important debate about how we can act on climate change."

The actions Monday night will technically result in the consumption of more energy, as the Senate chambers would not typically be open overnight, meaning fewer lights and other devices would be turned on.

The formation of the new task force, and subsequent "talkathon" come only weeks after the announcement by billionaire Tom Steyer that he plans to spend $100 billion making climate change an issue in the 2014 election cycle.