July 04, 2005

Schwarzenegger to G8: Get Real

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of the fifth largest economy on earth, California he-man, and a man destined to be remembered as "The Terminator", has written an op-ed piece in the U.K. paper, The Independent, essentially telling the G8 summit, which includes the US, to stop talking and take action on global warming.

Schwarzenegger says emphatically: "Many people have falsely assumed that you have to choose between protecting the environment and protecting the economy. Nothing could be further from the truth. In California, we will do both. "

He teaches corporations: "Pollution reduction has long been a money saver for businesses. It lowers operating costs, raises profits and creates new and expanded markets for environmental technology."

Recently, I heard excerpts of a 1977 Presidential address by Jimmy Carter on public radio that outlined an energy plan for America that would have had a substantially positive impact on our energy problems by the year 2000. Of course, he was unable to implement it, and by the time Reagan came into power any of the good ideas were squashed for good.

Read the speech. Contrast how Carter approached this crisis (which existed back then) with how Bush does now. It was the last time we had a President who was not wholly bought and paid for by the energy, communications, military, financial, and pharmaceutical industries.

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