MSNBC
reports that the new CA governor has
... offered an environmental plan that Al Gore would love... Parts of Schwarzenegger's platform could clash with another Republican -- President Bush -- especially when it comes to offshore oil drilling, air pollution and global warming.
There's more...
Having been born, raised and attended undergrad school in the state, I was dismayed by CA's ousting of Gov. Davis from office. I guess there's nothing like a hyper-democratic recall election with angry voters and a financial spark from a conservative Republican to shake things up. But support for socially liberal, fiscally conservative Schwarzenegger as a replacement was
overwhelming, as he received more votes than Davis had in is
Nov., 2002 reelection.
An overview of Schwarzenegger's reported environmental policies:
- Appointing Sierra Club-backed environmentalist Terry Tamminen, who drafted the environmental platform, to head the CA EPA (balanced by a logging industry lobbyist and former Wilson administration official as undersecretary and deputy secretary of the CA EPA, respectively)
- Protecting both jobs and the environment and correctly asserting that one need not be sacrificed for the other (as opposed to Bush: "We will not do anything that harms our economy.")
- Implementing a permanent ban on off-shore oil drilling
- Vowing to protect CA's air quality standards and directing state officials to examine the effects of Bush's and the GOP's egregious rollback of federal air pollution regulations (states' rights, you know)
- Enforcing CA's new law to reduce greenhouse emissions, including carbon dioxide from autos
- Requiring half of all new homes to have solar power by 2005
- and, Vowing to build hydrogen stations every 20 miles on major highways (this is pie-in-the-sky, as producing hydrogen fuel is extremely energy intensive)
As a strong supporter of vigorous environmental regulation, a "believer" in global warming (although it's a matter of fact, not faith), and a lover of the outdoors, I hope this is a good faith effort by Schwarzenegger to truly improve CA's environment. Is the new governor's reported backing of strong environmental regulations his way of making nice with the Dems, or can we expect more of the same in the future? Is Schwarzenegger strong enough to take Bush on, will the Bushies tolerate insubordination from the newly elected moderate Republican, or will the former Mr. Universe be forced to back down in the face of the Bush political machine?
I suspect the Bush political machine keeps GOP politicians on a short leash and Schwarzenegger's left-leaning tendencies will be kept in check. Too bad, because his green policies are enough to make a Liberal proud.
