Alan R.P. Journet Ph.D.
Cofacilitator
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
March 6th 2025
Testimony opposing House Bill 3247
Chair Lively and members of the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment:
As I have noted previously, Southern Oregon Climate Action Now is a grassroots climate organization of some 2,000 Southern Oregonians. We are concerned about the climate crisis and seek federal, state and local action to address it. We are rural and coastal Southern Oregonians who live on the frontlines of the warming, reducing snowpack, heatwaves, drought, rising sea level and the increasing wildfire risk that these trends conspire to impose on us. Because of our concern, we pay close attention to efforts nationally, statewide, and locally that impact our collective efforts to address the climate crisis. As our logo above indicates, the focus of SOCAN is to promote action through science.
It is probably obvious from our name that SOCAN strongly supports the efforts that have been undertaken over recent years to address Oregon’s energy sector and develop programs that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from that sector specifically and the economy in general. The composition of the legislature, comprising a majority in both chambers, who accept climate science and seek to reduce emissions, testifies to the fact that a majority of Oregonians agree with this effort.
Some bills introduced into the legislature are obviously designed to move the state forward in its effort to contribute our share to solving the climate crisis. Meanwhile, others are obviously designed to have the reverse impact. HB 3247 falls clearly in the latter category. The language of the bill is clearly designed to place an enormous obstacle in the way of the PUC and electricity utilities seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector by closing a facility that emits these gases. It is also proposed by a Senator who has repeatedly argued that Oregon should not seek to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions because, on a national and global scale, our emissions are so small as to be inconsequential. By parallel argument, I could claim that my contributions to the Oregon or National Treasury are troublesome to me yet so small in both state and national terms as to be inconsequential. Therefore, I should not be expected to pay taxes. Justifiably, such an argument would receive little ethical support and less judicial support. Sometimes, it’s not clear whether individuals reject climate science or simply and coincidentally offer a legislative agenda and cast votes that are consistent with science denialism.
Possibly more relevant to this issue is that there is no evidence that this bill addresses a problem that actually exists anywhere but in the minds of its proponents. Rather than seeking to undermine efforts to reduce emissions by developing supply-side energy policies, we suggest that proponents of this bill address the demand-side of for energy equation by promoting energy conservation and energy use efficiency.
We concur wholeheartedly with the Oregon Environmental Council in their opposing comments noting especially, as they do, that several bills over the last few years have been designed to promote energy source diversity. If the 2025 House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment is committed to furthering effort to reduce Oregon’s contribution to the global climate crisis, this proposal will either never be subjected to a vote or will be defeated if a vote occurs.
For the above reasons Southern Oregon Climate Action Now opposes HB3247 and urges its defeat.
Respectfully Submitted
Alan Journet Ph.D.
7113 Griffin Lane
Jacksonville
OR 97530-4182
[email protected]
541-500-2331
541-301-4107
