Albany, NY – Today, 22 young New Yorkers kicked off 2017 with a sit-in at the Capitol, asking Governor Andrew Cuomo, "are you brave enough to stand up to Donald Trump and save our future?" In the face of the Trump administration actively ignoring climate science and pursuing reckless expansion of fossil fuels, 22* millennial New Yorkers risked arrest on the first day of the New York State legislative session.
As the 12th largest economy in the world, participants are demanding Gov. Cuomo lead the country in the fight against climate change by making the Climate and Community Protection Act a key component of his 2017 budget, and by standing up to Trump's catastrophic climate agenda by publicly denouncing Scott Pruitt's denialism and Rex Tillerson's reckless greed.
Donald Trump has appointed climate deniers to every single cabinet position pertaining to energy and environment. Trump's climate denial cabinet includes ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, whose company is currently under investigation from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for its climate crimes, as well as anti-EPA zealot Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA.
In response to the anticipated anti-science agenda of President-elect Trump, states like California have already signaled a readiness to fight. New York's own Attorney General joined public officials from across the nation last week urging the Trump administration to keep the Clean Power plan intact. Yet, New Yorkers have received nothing but silence from Cuomo.
Participants of the sit-in, representing Western New York, the Hudson Valley, the Capital Region, NYC, Long Island and more, spoke out around the urgency of the climate crisis, and shared how climate change has impacted their lives and their communities.
Organizers are looking for Cuomo to mention his intention to implement the CCPA in his State of the State on January 9, and affirmed that today's action is just the beginning of the immense pressure that will follow Governor Cuomo until he takes the necessary bold action on climate to save our future.