Schwarzenegger brings climate crusade to Canada
California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggeris on amission this week — atrade mission to Canada— to promote California tourism, California products and hislatest obsession, climate-friendly technology.
His three-day visitto Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, starting Tuesday,is one of a series of out-of-state appearances in his new starringrole as a political warrior against global warming.
Schwarzenegger is a cigar-smoking, Hummer-driving man who wants to clear the atmosphere withnew technologies rather thanslimmed-down lifestyles, the CBC's Jennifer Westaway reports from Los Angeles.
He ispromising cleaner air and fuel and expecting automakers, oil companies and scientists to figure out how, she says.
"That's how we solve the problem,"Schwarzenegger himself has said. "Rather than making people feel guilty or telling them they have to go to reduce their car size, we should let them keep their big SUV and change the technology."
Hebetrays nodoubts that the required technical advances will occur. "This is our race to the moon, and like that race, this too will be one giant leap for mankind."
Schwarzenegger, whosecareer has veered from body building to acting totough-guy Republicanpolitics, has unexpectedly become one of the leading U.S. voices in the battle against climate change.
The first result ofhis bigplans for cleaner air and fuel is a flurry of lawsuits. Detroit automakers are especially peeved, but the governor is suing back — and so far he is winning in court and in popularity polls.
"There is no one that is doing a speech anywhere now about the environment, anywhere in the world, that they don't include California and say, 'Why can't we do what California does?' " he crows.
As part of his effort, he is signing agreements with all comers, including British Columbia, to trade carbon credits and share antipollution goals.
Canada is not following his lead on emission cuts butmight be a market for California products such as theTesla electric sports car,afast, zero-emission, $92,000 US roadster.
The governor himself has one on order. It will be the 18th vehicle in his personal fleet, a greener muscle car for a greener muscle man.