The past year has been difficult as a climate advocate. With the Trump administration working around the clock to roll back the gains we made under Biden, and budget constraints at the state and local level leading to cuts in key sustainability programs, the energy transition has been facing some steep challenges. 

That’s not to say that there haven’t been some real successes: Renewable energy has surged in recent years as costs for solar panels and wind turbines continue to drop. As fossil fuel costs skyrocket in response to Trump’s unjustified attacks on Iran, we expect renewable energy and electrification to increase here in the Pacific Northwest. At this point, it is clear that we are in midtransition to clean energy, and not even the president of the United States can stop that.

At the local level, we need leaders who are ready to steward the transition and ensure Eugene is doing everything possible to facilitate the adoption of new zero-emission technologies. That’s why I’m supporting Jennifer Smith to represent Ward 3 on the Eugene City Council. 

Smith is a union president and community organizer who has long been advocating for climate action, with a focus on supporting walking and biking infrastructure in our city. Unlike her opponent, Smith recognizes that it is no longer a question of if the energy transition will happen, but rather when it will happen, and of who will benefit. 

With her longtime union-organizing experience and her lifelong commitment to environmentalism, Jennifer Smith is the person I trust to lead our city through three more years under Trump, and to the clean energy future we so desperately need.

Patricia Hine
Eugene