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Crist taps Calif.'s environmental expertiseDate: 13.07.2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info Team United States
MIAMI — In the end, he couldn't resist referring to his Hollywood past.
"This is the new future that I want to embrace," said California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, speaking of his state's moves toward greener energy. Then the Terminator star gave a nod to his previous career:
"Because we have to say 'Hasta la vista, baby' to greenhouse gases."
It was a big applause line, and he got it.
Schwarzenegger - bodybuilding champ, Austrian immigrant, movie hero and now gubernatorial crusader for the environment - accounted for a lot of the buzz on Friday, the second and final day of the state's first climate-change summit.
But he also brought substance to Gov. Charlie Crist's efforts to put Florida on the same carbon-cutting road as California. Crist's plans relied heavily on the work of Schwarzenegger's environmental adviser, Terry Tamminen.
During his speech Friday to a packed house of more than 700 environmentalists, government officials and businesspeople - plus more than 100 members of the media - Schwarzenegger said he shares with his fellow Republican Crist the distinction of belonging to a political party that isn't considered environment-friendly.
When he was running in a recall election nearly four years ago against incumbent Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, Schwarzenegger said he had environmental protesters following him around.
"They were saying, 'He's a Republican, don't vote for him,'" he said. But now, "we have proven that a Republican can indeed protect the environment."
It's case of another GOP governor "defying conventional wisdom," Schwarzenegger said. Republicans "are supposed to protect the economy and protect the businesses, and I think this is all bogus because we're not going to have an economy if we destroy our environment.
"There is no Democratic planet Earth, there is no Republican planet Earth, there is just Earth," he said.
At the start of the speech, Crist stepped up to the podium and acknowledged the agency heads and utility regulators - all by name - who were in the room. He then introduced Schwarzenegger.
"This is a man who's been a true visionary, a true leader, a great public servant, a man who understands the power of the people and knows we need to reach forward and we need to do more," Crist said.
Schwarzenegger was greeted with loud applause and a standing ovation. He thanked Crist for his introduction.
"It's exactly how I wrote it," he said.
Schwarzenegger warned that some will criticize Florida for its new energy policy and that the state will also make some mistakes.
"Whenever you do something new, there will be bumps in the road, there will be times you will make mistakes," he said. "But you have to have the guts, you have to take risks."
The naysayers will be there, he added.
"You'll be attacked. You'll be attacked by businesses, you'll be attacked by the other side," he said, mentioning a giant billboard in Michigan that reads "Arnold to Michigan: Drop dead" to support the Motor State's claims that California's movement to curb automobile emissions is killing the car industry and a major portion of that state's economy.
"That's not what I'm saying," he said. "What I'm saying is, "Arnold to Michigan: Get off your butt."'
Though Schwarzenegger has been billed as the greenest governor in the nation, he said he still keeps things in perspective.
"Do I believe that the standards that we set in California, that that will solve the problem and we'll eliminate global warming? Of course not, but we're applying leverage," he said.
Just before Crist signed three executive orders restructuring Florida's energy policy, there were some lighter moments, and more movie references.
Crist stepped up next to Schwarzenegger, who put his arm around the Florida governor and said: "Crist and I, this is the new Twins team," referring to the movie in which Schwarzenegger starred with Danny DeVito.
The pair, who later traveled to Tampa for a Florida Republican Party fund-raiser, walked over to a large table so Crist could sign the executive orders.
"There's one," he said.
Then Schwarzenegger leaned down. "You have to look up right there and smile," he said, as the cameras clicked away.
"There's two," Crist said, pausing to grin.
"And three," he said, picking up the folder in his left hand and waving it. |
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