On Wednesday January 13th, a dozen monastery residents and local sangha joined several hundred state-wide protesters in Albany, NY to urge New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, state senators and legislators to stay focused on renewable energy and to discontinue reliance on coal, oil, nuclear and “fracked” natural gas. Rally participants traveled to Albany from the downstate metro area as well as from the Western Tier, Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley regions.

Monastery residents at climate rally

Spirited protesters chanted, sang and presented testimonies about pending utility development projects, including pipelines and storage facilities, which contribute to rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, as well as posing threats to groundwater contamination and continuing our state’s reliance on fossil fuels. Rally speakers included author, microbiologist and anti-fracking activist Sandra Steingraber, urging citizens to continue holding elected officials accountable for safe and clean energy. Coalition activists also called for a minimum living wage of $15 an hour, a proposal which the Governor currently supports, as tied in to overall anti-poverty quality of life in the state.