The Political Climate: an ongoing commentary on the NH Primary and Climate Change

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was interviewed on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Nov. 25th (view show here).  During the interview he touched on a variety of topics; however, there was one subject he continued to return to–global warming.

In response to Tim Russert’s question about whether he is now to be considered a “moderate” Republican, Schwezenegger said, “I think that if it has to do with global warming, or if it has to do with raising the minimum wage, or if it has to do with lowering prescription drugs for vulnerable citizens–all of those things are people issues, not Democratic issues or Republican issues.” 

And who will Schwarzenegger support in 2008? In California “we’re going to clean our environment and we’re going to contribute and do our share.  And I think that that is the question of this presidential race that’s coming up in 2008. Are those issues addressed?…Where are we going to  be environmentally?  Where are we going to be with our dependence on fossil fuel?  Are we going to get off fossil fuel…The key thing is that we are cleaning our environment, that we contribute to really slow down the global warming, and that we continue with our economic stimulation and creating jobs.”

On the federal government’s lack of action, Schwarzenegger said, “California–the states in the U.S. are not waiting any more for the federal government to provide leadership.  We are going off on our own.  We are providing leadership.  I think that you will see more states joining to show leadership in protecting the environment.”

This response comes at perfect the time as today is the first day of the Supreme Court case of Massachusetts vs. the Environmental Protection Agency (view this article in the New York Times).  Massachusettes, joined by 11 other states (California being one), 3 cities, and 13 environmental organizations, has filed a lawsuit against the EPA arguing that it has violated the requirements of the Clean Air Act by ignoring the harmful effects of greenhouse gases.  Echoing Schwarzenegger Massachusetts attorney general Thomas Reilly says “the federal government’s willing suspension of belief when it comes to global climate change has left it to the states to stand up and force action.”  The outcome of this case, however, may change some of that…