FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2021
Contact: Nora Lowe, Sunrise Westchester, sunrisewestchesterhubpress@gmail.com, 914-380-2631
Sunrise Westchester, Youth Climate Activists, Gather in State Capital to Demand Climate Action
Albany, N.Y.—On August 6th, youth protesters from around New York gathered at the state capital to demand climate action.
Protesters sought action on two fronts. Firstly, they rallied to urge the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System to divest from fossil fuels, in which it has invested $4.5 billion. More broadly, they seek ambitious climate legislation to pass swiftly, given that according to Public Power New York, no legislation to put New York on the path to achieving the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act objectives has been passed in three years.
Sunrise Westchester members, along with members of 20 organizations co-sponsoring the event, were bussed to Albany this past Friday to make their voices heard.
Describing the atmosphere of the event, Sunrise Westchester social media chair and protest attendee Jen Novick said, “the energy at the protest was super lively. Folks of all ages and demographics came out to rally against fossil fuel investments. It was really liberating to see the crowd all fighting for the same cause, seeing as it’s all of our futures. There was a lot of pent up anger largely due to the lack of government action. Chanting served as a bonding experience and built a sense of camaraderie amongst all us protesters. I am hopeful that our voices will be heard and changes will be made.”
The speaker roster included seasoned environmental justice seekers such as Eric Weltman, a Brooklyn-based senior organizer with Food & Water Watch, and Valerie Juang, a founding member and co-organizer with the Western New York Youth Climate Council. Caitlyn Carpenter, an organizer with the New York Youth Climate Leaders and the co-founder and co-coordinator of Sunrise Westchester gave some of the opening remarks.
Her fellow co-founder and co-coordinator, Sebastian Vasquez, who also attended the protest, spoke about the urgency of the situation and the inaction of the state legislature with regards to climate: “As the recent IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] report reminds us of the urgency of the climate crisis, it is vital that New York State takes the necessary steps to move away from fossil fuels and onto clean energy for the current and future wellbeing of the planet.”
Sunrise Westchester is the local chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led advocacy organization fighting for environmental and social justice. The hub has 150+ registered members. Through legislative campaigns and strategic activism, we work towards a safe and equitable future.
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