Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently called for the end of false debate over climate science, saying that we should not assume that China will create green technologies that Americans can adopt and to admit that global warming will impact the globe in coming years. In a speech at the APRA-E Energy Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C., Schwarzenegger said that changing to a green economy, fixing the environment and ending the political stalemate over carbon legislation are well within the power of today’s technology.
“We want a new era of energy independence, a new era of green technology and green jobs, a new era of better health from a cleaner environment, and a new era of American inventiveness,” Schwarzenegger said.
Schwarzenegger connected the green economy of the future to the current unrest in the Mideast. He said that the overthrow of foreign dictators seemed impossible a month ago but now seems inevitable. At the same time, he believes that defeatism about the ability of a green revolution to transform America will soon look incongruous. The former California governor also pointed to the recent volatility in oil prices resulting from upheaval in the Middle Eastern as a clear example of why the United States needs to wean itself off foreign oil. “Why should a dried-up desert country with a crazy dictator like Libya play havoc with America’s energy future?” Schwarzenegger asked.
Schwarzenegger pointed out that California offers a model for tech companies that can help vitalize the economy and cut greenhouse gases, while helping the country reduce its imports of oil. As governor, he signed a global-warming law that mandates reductions in greenhouse gases; California also has a renewable-energy mandate that has resulted in almost 20 percent of electricity coming from renewable sources.
He lamented the national discussion on clean energy, saying too much of it is stuck in the debate over the science of global warming. Instead, people should focus on immediate benefits from investing in green technologies, including improved health, economic growth, consumer savings from efficiency, and reduced dependence on foreign oil.
“Think about what it means that in the Central Valley of California, one in six children has to walk around with an inhaler. I know we can change the debate and win the debate,” he said. “We can’t talk about global warming, because people can’t relate to that.” Instead of creating “forward-looking policies” for energy use, elected officials are debating the science of global warming. “There is a disconnect between what is happening and what is being debated,” Schwarzenegger concluded.
