Protesters seeking more official action to combat climate change call the issue a long-term emergency facing New York. 

That includes Joanna Oldman Smith, who traveled to Albany from Brooklyn to stage a sit-in at the state Capitol. She was among a dozen protesters blocking the entance to the building in order to bring attention to the issue which she said lacks urgency from the state's leaders. 

"It is worth it due to the fact that there was 100% inaction last legislative session, so we've all approached in this multi-faceted ways," she said. 

Smith said she and other protesters have become disheartened by the efforts to combat climate change and respond to the effects of extreme weather events. 

"Frustrated and terrified. I would add that adjective," she said. "We understand what it means to do nothing, and we're not willing to consign all of our fates to that."

Advocates are seeking $15 billion in spending to combat climate change in the state budget, due at the end of month. That would be a major chunk of a proposed $216 billion spending plan by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

New York state has sought to shift to renewable forms of energy while also spending on efforts to curtail the effects of extreme weather brought on by climate change. Stephan Abel, of the group New York Renews, said more is needed. 

"The governor did include some things in the budget, the Legislature is doing some great work and the state is taking steps," he said. "But it's not nearly what's called for in this moment where we're seeing the imminent harm and the harm going on right now from climate change."

But some of the increasingly urgent messaging and rhetoric surrounding climate change has led to denounciations and apologies from state lawmakers. Two Democratic state senators — Rachel May of Central New York and Manhattan's Robert Jackson — appeared at the rally in front of a banner that equated climate change with the September 11 terrorist attacks.

"Who is that convincing?" said Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt. "Who looks at that banner and says, 'you know what? Now I get it.'"

Both Jackson and May repudiated the banner's message, and apologized. New York Renews, which coordinated the protest and rally, also disavowed the banner and said the protester in question was asked to leave.

But Ortt said the message hurt the cause of demonstrators in an increasingly polarized political world.

"It rightfully infuriates people," he said. "It bothers people. But it's not just bad PR. To me, it's bad representation."