Schwarzenegger's Green Challenge

California Governor Says He'll Stick To Environmental Plans, Despite Economic Crisis

(CBS)  President-elect Obama is 30 days from office. For a window on his future, turn west for a moment to a chief executive who is already up to his neck in the nation's troubles.

This month, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger warned of financial Armageddon, as California faced a potential $40 billion deficit that threatened jobs, roads, schools and public safety. At the same time, he's pushing some of the world's toughest environmental laws to make California a leader on climate change.

The governor agreed to take 60 Minutes along during his most challenging times. How does he deal with it all? Well, what would you expect a former action hero to say?

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"The more difficult it gets, the more joy I find in it. Because it's just great to figure out all of the ways of bringing people together and shaping policy. But to get it done, to get there is always a long process. But when you get it done, it’s very satisfying," Gov. Schwarzenegger told correspondent Scott Pelley.

Maybe it was acting. When 60 Minutes met Schwarzenegger at the state Capitol in Sacramento, he had just declared a state of emergency. His budget plan touched off a political firestorm which, of course, in California, would be accompanied by a real one.

Schwarzenegger and Pelley visited one Los Angeles neighborhood burned to ash just weeks before - evidence to Schwarzenegger that even in these times, the greatest threat is climate change. "It all happened so fast they couldn't save one single one of those homes. Over 500 homes here were destroyed within hours," Schwarzenegger explained as they walked through charred remains.

"You know, there's been a lot of research that suggests that there are more fires and there are hotter fires because the fire season has been extended by climate change," Pelley remarked.

"Well, we have been doing some research in that, and we have seen the changes. We don't have a fire season anymore. It starts in the beginning of the year and goes all year around and so it has created, of course, big challenges," the governor said.

Asked what he tells someone who says climate change is theoretical and questions the harm, Schwarzenegger told Pelley, "I always say, well there were people that were debating over if the world is a globe. They thought for a long time it was flat. And there's still people that think that they're flat. And there are people that still live in the Stone Age."

Schwarzenegger wants to revolutionize energy with aggressive limits on greenhouse gases. In a little more than ten years, a third of California power is supposed to flow from renewables, like solar energy. And he wants to cut tailpipe emissions 30 percent in eight years.

Asked if it's the wrong time to switch the way America uses energy - in light of the economic emergency, Schwarzenegger said, "I think that there's never the wrong time. There's always the right time. I will argue the opposite. Because we have seen that the industries that are performing well in California, even right now in this economic decline, is green technology. It's really spectacular to see those manufacturers coming up to me and saying, 'Our business is booming,' while there's an economic decline. So, green technology's where it's at."

He'd like to turn greener faster, but he's been fighting the Bush White House and, ironically, environmentalists.

"You can't build a solar power plant in the Mojave Desert in California because there's concern about an endangered squirrel?" Pelley asked, referring to the attempts to meet the renewable power standards.

"Well first of all, let me just say the Mojave Desert is the best place to have a solar field because it is the most sun they have sun all year round, it's the best place but, there's some that want to hold it up because they think that it will endanger some animal life there that is going overboard," Schwarzenegger said. "Because the environmentalists are the first ones to say, 'Yes, we need renewable energy. We should get rid of, you know, using our energy from coal and from natural gas,' and all those kind of things. But then when you say, 'Okay, let's do renewable, let's go that,' 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up, not so fast.'"

And when he tried to impose the cuts in tailpipe emissions, President Bush's EPA administrator Stephen Johnson said no. "I could tell in his eyes that he did not believe in it, that we would never get it, that he will create every obstacle. And the administration just had no interest in it," Schwarzenegger recalled.

So Schwarzenegger sued the administration. "What we wanted to do is just say 'Look, America, the United States, is not doing the right thing and is not moving this agenda forward, and is really trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or have an energy policy or an environmental policy. So, therefore we as a state are forced to create our own,'" he told Pelley.

He went as far as to create his own foreign policy. Last month, Schwarzenegger held a world summit on climate change in Beverly Hills.

He did what Washington would not do, signing an emissions declaration with government officials from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, India and China. Then he took the delegates to the L.A. Auto Show, where they were no doubt impressed with the horsepower of his celebrity.

[katiell]

Can''t anybody see the writing on the wall? There is definitely something going on in the atmosphere. I can''t believe how stupid people are. We got a president leaving office who was in for 2 terms....that is just one example of stupidity. There is so much greed and me, me, me, now it is pathetic. There was pollution in Los Angeles back in the 60s when I lived there. Wake up idiots!! Kate

[pepperwood2]

What''s the Story Here? Kalifornia is going to run out of cash in two weeks.

Something''s rotten in Kalefornia? The richest of the rich with all this wealth and the Liberals are going to bankrupt the State. Why don''t these Elite who wanted Green just pay there fair share? Instead of getting in line for a Federal Bailout like all the Losing Corporations & Banks across this Country of ours. Where''s Al & Rosie with the big bucks?

Instead of becoming a part of the problem, come up with a real solution. After all aren''t these the people running the show out their as in Washington the world''s most intelligent.

I know, just spend spend spend get ourselves further in debt with no real means or help for the consumer to ever come out of it. Wonder which the NEXT State that has gone Greeen will come out pissing & moaning that they will be out of cash. They just don''t ever get it.

[noloyalisti]

Baaaaahhhhhhh

Posted by Cryos

Thanks for demonstrating for ALL of us to see, your complete ignorance of the facts and your stupidity by parroting the right wing propaganda of the corporations and talking heads like Sean Slannity. Good job, thanks for sharing.

[lovegetpeace]

RECALL ARNOLD!

[noloyalisti]

Let''s recall this Republicon SOB who supported Butch and McSame. This guy drove CA into the ground, part of the Con conspiracy to bankrupt the middle class.

[Mccarthyaw]

So, McCarthy51, you are calling Nobel Prize Winner for Physics, Ivar Giaever ignorant for his comment %u201CI am a skeptic%u2026Global warming has become a new religion.%u201D ignorant????

Posted by telloian at 04:53 PM : Dec 22, 2008

Yes, I am calling him ignorant. Too entrenched in his paradigm. There are a few respected scientists here and there that disagree. I know there is one at Harvard. But a large majority agree that climate change is occurring at a faster pace than seen before.

[s_libertas]

I''d be interested in seeing a cost/benefit analysis of the Governator''s plan to cut emissions. How much will it cost, and what amount of global warming will it prevent? I''ve never seen any such analysis of any global warming initiative. Other than "doing something", what actual benefit are we going to attain?

www.semperlibertas.com

[czervik7]

President Arnold,

Please accept our thanks for joining the Kyoto Climate Change Consortium. We really needed a big-pocket donor to keep our religion...er eh I mean...just cause alive.

We will need a check in the amount of $1,000,000,000,000.00 payable to the Gore/Soros Cap & Trade fund. The money will mainly be used for travel expenses by Al Gore to canvas the world and spew propoganda...eh...enlighten young children about the dangers of climate change.

While we realize that climate change has been happening for millions of years, your donation will help us sell the idea that somehow us humans have managed to have some meaningful affect in the past 50 years. Although we cannot even accurately predict the weather for more than 1 day in advance we must show that we can change it.

We must also figure out a way to say global warming has caused record-cold temperatures. If you have any ideas on this please let us know. You, after all, have figured out how to sell global warming economics to a state that is $40 billion in the hole. We need your marketing expertise.

Thanks a bunch!

China

P.S. We''d join the accord but we just don''t have the money right now.

[dlaws99]

This bozo is arguably the worst governor in the history of the state going back to the Spanish land grant, so it only makes sense he''d want to be president...

[czervik7]

President Arnold,

Please accept our thanks for joining the Kyoto Climate Change Consortium. We really needed a big-pocket donor to keep our religion...er eh I mean...just cause alive.

We will need a check in the amount of $1,000,000,000,000.00 payable to the Gore/Soros Cap & Trade fund. The money will mainly be used for travel expenses by Al Gore to canvas the world and spew propoganda...eh...enlighten young children about the dangers of climate change.

While we realize that climate change has been happening for millions of years, your donation will help us sell the idea that somehow us humans have managed to have some meaningful affect in the past 50 years. Although we cannot even accurately predict the weather for more than 1 day in advance we must show that we can change it.

We must also figure out a way to say global warming has caused record-cold temperatures. If you have any ideas on this please let us know. You, after all, have figured out how to sell global warming economics to a state that is $40 billion in the hole. We need your marketing expertise.

Thanks a bunch!

China

P.S. We''d join the accord but we just don''t have the money right now.

[czervik7]

President Arnold,

Please accept our thanks for joining the Kyoto Climate Change Consortium. We really needed a big-pocket donor to keep our religion...er eh I mean...just cause alive.

We will need a check in the amount of $1,000,000,000,000.00 payable to the Gore/Soros Cap & Trade fund. The money will mainly be used for travel expenses by Al Gore to canvas the world and spew propoganda...eh...enlighten young children about the dangers of climate change.

While we realize that climate change has been happening for millions of years, your donation will help us sell the idea that somehow us humans have managed to have some meaningful affect in the past 50 years. Although we cannot even accurately predict the weather for more than 1 day in advance we must show that we can change it.

We must also figure out a way to say global warming has caused record-cold temperatures. If you have any ideas on this please let us know. You, after all, have figured out how to sell global warming economics to a state that is $40 billion in the hole. We need your marketing expertise.

Thanks a bunch!

China

P.S. We''d join the accord but we just don''t have the money right now.

[dlaws99]

In case it isn''t completely obvious to anyone, the global warming hoax is being used as the "scientific" foundation for inplementing the anti-capitalist socialist agenda. It''s the classic "big lie told long enough..."

[telloian]

So, McCarthy51, you are calling Nobel Prize Winner for Physics, Ivar Giaever ignorant for his comment %u201CI am a skeptic%u2026Global warming has become a new religion.%u201D ignorant????

[jimdrotto]

I agree with Cryos and RealScience. Also prescribed burns, which are controlled burns, would help limit the wildfires, but environmentalists won''t let departments of Natural Resources operate that way. Pay now or pay later when mankind interferes with nature.

[jpipk]

Arnie should re-register as a Democrat.
They''ll change the rules about where he was born like they did for the anointed one.
Or he could just get a birth certificate from Hawaii -- they don''t seem to care too much.
Wouldn''t that just be great! Swartzie the RINO following McLame the RINO.
Where does a conservative go to throw up?
Probably Chicago -- they like stuff like that there!

[bikerbill98-2009]

Arnie thinks it''s fun to solve the problems he and others created. Must be nice being able to laugh while the state is crumbling under the weight of the debt. Me thinks he''s used too man steroids over the years.

[petro49l]

California should control vehicle emissions to reduce pollution. Coal is a good idea when it is correctly extracted from the ground. The coal is then converted into gasoline for automobiles. Hydrogen is an abundant source of fuel. The technology is sophisticated, but it could be marketed in the United States to most drivers. California should also invest in preparedness for wild fires. Emergency vehicles, chemicals, tools, and forest breaks are effective strategies for stopping the flames.

[Mccarthyaw]

Watch the governors of Alaska, North Dakota, Louisiana, Mississippi, and a few others, if you really want to see effective state government in action.


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Posted by KatyfromTX at 03:41 PM : Dec 22, 2008

Rofl, Palin? Seriously? She is as inept as they come

[81w10]

Schwarzenegger for President? Hmmm

Built up his body but evidently didn''t concentrate much on building up his mind,

Spent years building personal wealth playing make-believe.

Managed to marry a Kennedy cousin, while maintaining that he was a Republican.

Cashed in on all his sterling qualifications (see above) to swoop in with celebrity name recognition to replace poor old Gray Davis, an equally stupid career political animal who may have actually been duped by ENRON as he claimed at the time. But, we all know Californians - celebrity will win out every time.

Schwarzenegger is probably sincere about his environmental opinions, but his ignorance is blatant. He probably believes his own hype about his leadership role in solving California''s problems, but again, his ignorance is blatant.

What we have in Schwarzeneggar is a super-sized ego. This is not a movie, Arnold. No movie script will turn up which can trump the Constitution. YOU CAN''T BE PRESIDENT of the USA, being Mr. Olympia, Mr. Maria Shriver, Mr. Governor notwithstanding.

Watch the governors of Alaska, North Dakota, Louisiana, Mississippi, and a few others, if you really want to see effective state government in action.

[Mccarthyaw]

Climate change (AKA global warming) is occuring. There is no real scientific debate over that. Even the most outspoken antagonists of climate change the last couple decades have come out and said that it is occuring. Those who say climate change is not occuring are ignorant.

The debate now is whether humans are partly responsible for the change. Yes, the earth goes through cyclic changes, but this change is occuring at a much more rapid pace this time around.

I see nothing but good that can come from switching to green technology anyways.