Say 'hasta la vista' to greenhouse gas, Arnie urges the US

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger urged US states to pressure Washington to do more to prevent climate change, discounting the argument that protecting the environment hurts the economy.

Speaking at a summit organised by Florida Republican governor Charlie Crist, Terminator actor Schwarzenegger said the climate change issue should not be political and is one that conservatives must also embrace.

“There is no Democratic planet Earth. There is no Republican planet Earth. There’s just a planet Earth and we all have a responsibility to take care of it,” Schwarzenegger, a Republican, told the crowd of 600.

Crist called the two-day summit in Miami to examine the effects of climate change and discuss strategies for reducing greenhouse gases. He planned to conclude the summit by signing orders that would require state agencies to conserve energy and power companies to use more renewable energy.

During his speech, Schwarzenegger acknowledged the perception that Republicans have not been as strong on environmental issues.

“Three-and-a-half years ago when I ran for governor, I had environmental protesters following me around saying, ’He’s a Republican! Please stop! Don’t vote for him! He’s going to destroy the environment!”’ Schwarzenegger said.

California has since become a leader in promoting strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which are blamed for causing the planet’s temperatures to rise. He noted the state’s use of solar energy and hydrogen fuel and its push for more stringent emissions standards for vehicles.

“We have proven that Republicans can, in fact protect the environment,” he said.

President George Bush refused to join the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which requires developed countries to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions to 5% below 1990 levels by 2012.

Legislation requiring an increase in fuel economy standards passed the US Senate in June and is pending in the House of Representatives. But Democrats in the US Congress have largely abandoned hope of enacting major global warming legislation before the end of Bush’s term in January 2009.

In the absence of national laws to address global warming in the United States, a growing number of municipal and state governments have bypassed Washington by adopting their own legislation.

Crist will direct Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (EPA) to adopt California’s vehicle emissions standards as soon as the federal Environmental Protection Agency grants California permission to impose them.

California has been battling the EPA for two years to get permission to implement a state law that would require car manufacturers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mainly carbon dioxide, by 25% from cars and 18% from sport utility vehicles by the 2009 model year.

“I’m very proud to see another governor wanting to join the growing number of states that are not looking to Washington for leadership anymore,” Schwarzenegger said.

He said that car manufacturers and others who said guarding the environment was bad for the economy were wrong.

“We won’t have an economy if we destroy our environment,” Schwarzenegger said. “We can grow the economy and still simultaneously protect the environment. It’s not a choice, it’s not either or; the two go hand in hand.”

He capped his remarks with one of the catchphrases from his acting days.

“We have to say, ’Hasta la vista, baby’ to greenhouse gasses,” he said.

Earlier, Theodore Roosevelt IV, great-grandson of the former US president and managing director of the investment bank Lehman Brothers, told attendees that addressing climate change will create economic opportunities.

“We all need to recognise the linkage between sound financial decisions and better environmental and social performance,” said Roosevelt.

“America can regain the leadership in the world on this incredibly important issue.”