I am a retired scientist, a father of three and a grandfather of two — their “GP.” Since my birth in 1953, the global temperature has risen 0.87°C (1.5°F), driven by fossil-fuel use and increasing carbon dioxide emissions. As of last month, atmospheric CO2 measured 497 ppm, compared with 300 ppm when I was born — a 1.7-fold increase. Scientists have tracked this level daily from a mountaintop in Hawaii since 1958. Antarctic ice cores show that today’s concentration is higher than at any time in the past 800 million years. Much of this research is conducted at Oregon State University. 

I first taught my chemistry students about rising CO2, global warming and climate change in 1984 — more than 40 years ago. Research and early computer models established a direct relationship between atmospheric CO2 and temperature. Today’s more sophisticated models, supported by far more data and computing power, make that connection — and its consequences — even clearer. Here in Oregon, increasingly severe wildfires and droughts are among the most visible effects. Yet despite strong evidence and reliable predictions, national and international efforts to address this global crisis remain weak and inconsistent. 

Eugene may be a small city on a vast planet, but it shares responsibility for this crisis alongside individuals, businesses, communities and nations everywhere. Local communities must speak up and demand stronger global climate action. Although Eugene alone cannot solve the problem, it can act now to protect residents from its growing effects. 

That is why I am voting yes on Measure 20-388, the Eugene Clean Energy Fund, on the Nov. 3 ballot. A 2% fee on billion-dollar industries — businesses that have contributed to the problem while paying little or nothing toward its costs — would fund local projects that protect Eugene residents from the growing effects of climate change. The measure is not perfect; no measure is. But demanding perfection prevents both progress and meaningful action. 

As a grandfather — a “GP” — I hope to celebrate my 100th birthday in 2043, when my grandson will be 23 and perhaps a Duck. If he asks, “GP, what did Eugene residents do about climate change in 2026?” I hope I can say, “We began to act.”

John Phillips
Eugene