Copenhagen climate conference: Arnold Schwarzenegger calls for ‘planetary transformation’

[FarCenter]

Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a “planetary transformation” to save the world from climate change.

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 3:44PM GMT 15 Dec 2009

Even if a deal cannot be done between nation states, he said cities and regions such as California are moving forward in transforming their industries and individual lifestyles.

And he offered to host a summit for “sub-national governments” such as California and London to make sure climate change is tackled on a regional level.

Speaking in the Danish capital, Mr Schwarzenegger said the world could take inspiration from the both the city’s “carbon conscious lifestyle” and its heritage as the home of story teller Hans Christian Andersen.

“There is a statue of the Little Mermaid in the harbour based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, but when I was a boy in Austria my favourite tale was the Ugly Duckling because it was a tale of transformation that spoke to me inside. I have always believed in personal transformation,” he said.

“The desire and hope and desperate need for planetary transformation is what brought me here. Is it a dream, a fairly tale, a false hope? If not how can we make it real?”

The self-styled “climate action hero for the globe” said a deal in Copenhagen should not only make the world “more liveable” but help poor countries who have done the least to cause climate change to fight floods and droughts. He said the conference was in danger of “talking grandly” but failing – much like another Hans Christian Anderson tale, the Emperor’s New Clothes.

But even if national governments fail to agree, he said the rest of the world must take action at a “sub-national level”.

“I believe technology and economic focus will overtake the politics and regulatory efforts of national governments,” he said. “We are beginning on a historic great transformation, a new economic foundation for the 21st Century and beyond.”

He said the states like California are already moving forward. “We in California do not wait for Washington or Beijing or Kyoto . We are moving forward and making great progress.”

<snip>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6818405/Copenhagen-climate-conference-Arnold-Schwarzenegger-calls-for-planetary-transformation.html

[slackmaster]

1. On behalf of Californians in general I apologize for Arnold

He's out of his mind.

[anigbrowl]

5. Why, because he speaks up for the environment?

He's shown a lot more leadership on that front than either of our senators. I was happy when the EPA adopted the guidelines that California pioneered, and which he went to court to maintain during the Bush admin. Just this year, PG&E, California's main power utility, left the US Chamber of Commerce to protest their anti-environmental stance.

He is a far from perfect governor but I like him OK; the fact that CA Republicans can't stand him should be food for thought. He certainly plays on his past fame as an action movie hero to get audiences' attention, but once he has it he's a strong advocate for a clean environment, education and technological development. I wish all republicans were like him - I'd still support the Democrats, but I can respectfully disagree with him.

California had a whole lot of problems that were already in place when he came into office - he is not entirely to blame for the mess that the state is in, many of our troubles stem from a gridlocked legislature and a state constitution that no longer works very well.

[slackmaster]

8. While I sympathize with the intent of his environmental policies, he's helping to ruin our economy

He's not as bad as some, but I've lost a lot of the respect that I once had for him.

[Johonny]

13. he was planning to sell off California's parks

so F him. Really.

[grantcart]

11. I think that it is a good policy that when a Republican stands up and does the right

thing we should applaud them.

It doesn't happen very often but on the environment he has been way ahead of his party and way ahead of a lot of democrats.

Franken is supporting coal for god's sake.

[HopeHoops]

2. I think the point of Copenhagen is to MINIMISE planetary transformation.

What the hell kinds of drugs is Ahnold on these days?

[anigbrowl]

6. "transforming industries and individual lifestyles"...I can think of worse goals

We have actually been making serious strides in this direction in California. Maybe if you look past the word games to the substance of what's saying, you'd change your mind. I'm proud that we still have the highest environmental standards in the nation and the toughest regulation. California is a model for a lot of other places in this regard.

[HopeHoops]

7. Oh, no doubt CA has been a leader. I guess I would need an original source other than the OP.

That isn't the way it is phrased in the OP, and Ahnold has been known to come up with some pretty funky comments.

[anigbrowl]

9. I've seen him speak a couple of times...

he tends to start out with crazy talk - as if the characters he layed in the movies were real or something, and everyone is like 'wait, what?' o laughing, but basically this is just his way of hooking an audience with some jokes before he gets down to business. I thought it was weird at first but then I realized that he's not taking himself too seriously, and uses his own stereotype as a meathead to amuse people long enough to get them on his side for the political message (which you might or might not agree with, depending on what he's talking about).

So yeah, he comes across as a bit of a cartoon when you only see short clips or quotes in the news but that's kind of unavoidable, given who he is. Once you get past the 'holy shit, it's Arnold Schwarzenegger' bit he turns out to be to be a fairly middle-of-the-road consensus politician.

[HopeHoops]

12. Dubya used the same technique - but wait a minute - Dubya IS a meathead.

Never mind.

[secondwind]

3. I like what Arnold has said ............he sounds very much like a progressive.

[Xithras]

10. Arnold is more liberal than some Democrats.

That's not saying much, but he's not a fascist like some 'Thugs. On average, we Californian's tend to elect moderates to the Governorship, no matter which party they hail from. There have been some genuine liberal Democrats, and some genuine conservative Republicans (Reagan!barfpuke), but generally, we pick our governors from the middle. Arnold is an example of that.

The legislature is a WHOLE 'nuther story....

I disagree strongly with Ahnold on many subjects, but he does seem to be a genuine and consistent supporter of environmental causes. I can't fault him for that.

[WhiteTara]

4. would that transformation look like the disaster

that he created in California? He is such a terrible person.

[SpiralHawk]

14. Why he sounds like one of them there New Agers...

A republicon realist...thank heavens...