Alan R.P. Journet Ph.D.
Cofacilitator
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
February 5^th 2026

SOCAN Comments on budget priorities

Co-Chairs Lieber and Sanchez and members of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means:

I write as cofacilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN), the oldest grassroots climate organization in the Rogue Valley now representing some 2,000 Southern Oregonians who 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 while encouraging that this be undertaken through a social justice lens.

Since we pay attention to Oregon legislative action, we are quite aware of the financial crisis facing the state. We understand, therefore, the need for agencies to tighten their budgets.  However, recognizing our focus is on the global life-threatening problem of climate change, we urge the Ways and Means Committee to be mindful of the need for the states to fill the gap in addressing the climate crisis that has been opened by the Trump Administration. It is patently obvious that the Federal Government has a totally anti-science stance in claiming that climate science is a hoax and in eliminating funding for sane projects that address the crisis. Regrettably, if life, as we know it, is to survive on the planet the climate crisis must be addressed.

The above concern can be seen by comparing Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 from the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute’s latest Climate Assessment Report (Fleishman 2025) depicts the projected possible future temperature of Oregon according to three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways or scenarios. Among these trajectories, the SSP5-8.5 scenario was initially designated as the worst case scenario’ but, since we seem to be following it, has often been dubbed the ‘Business as Usual’ scenario. SSP3-7.0 and 2-4.5 represent scenarios in which we collectively we take meaningful action and substantially decrease in the trajectory of accelerating fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions currently underway.

Figure 2 (modified from Whittaker 1975) illustrates how temperature and precipitation determine the distribution of natural ecosystems across the planet. Note that a shift of just a few degrees in temperature can adjust climate out of the range that supports any given natural ecosystem in its current location. The key message is seen by relating the Oregon projections (Figure 1) to this chart. It is clear that Oregon’s natural ecosystems, like those across the planet, are threatened if current climate projections come to pass. Only a substantial change in our collective behavior will avert the threat.

It is worth noting also that our agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are dependent on these same variables and are equally susceptible. Even with a dramatic behavioral change, it is evident that our natural ecosystems, our global life support system, and the biodiversity those ecosystems comprise are all threatened along with our agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

The budgetary message for Oregon is that there is no area of state endeavor that is more important than maintaining our commitment to addressing the climate crisis. Assuredly, Oregon alone cannot avert the ‘Business as Usual’ trajectory, but we can and should do our part.

In addition to maintaining investments in addressing the climate crisis, we urge the legislature to seek additional routes for generating Treasury funds. Suggested routes for raising funds include disconnecting from the federal tax system, raising taxes on the wealthy, modifying the kicker law so as to not compromise the state budget when the economic forecast is woefully inaccurate and substantially underestimates state revenue.

Respectfully Submitted

Alan Journet Ph.D.

7113 Griffin Lane

Jacksonville
OR 97530-4392

[email protected]
541-500-2331
541-301-4107

Sources Cited

Fleishman E. (Ed) 2025 Seventh Oregon climate assessment. Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. https://oregonstate.app.box.com/s/ziqc1kisxkup45147phjp526kheugqnb Whittaker R. 1975 Communities and Ecosystems. Macmillan USA. https://www.scribd.com/document/757317714/Communities-and-Ecosystems-Robert-H-Whittaker-Z-Library