- Peace Garden: Arnold only a light shade of green?

Arnold only a light shade of green?

Friday, April 13, 2007

Schwarzenegger’s ‘Green’ Credentials Questioned

He is gaining a reputation as the green governor who is marshaling California in the fight against global warming. But Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the last people in the Capitol to join the battle, and has earned so-so grades from environmental activists.Schwarzenegger seems to be everywhere as the crowd-friendly face of environmental activism. Catch him on the cover of Newsweek, balancing a fragile globe on the tip of a finger, or giving a big environmental speech in Washington.
Back home, environmentalists see the governor’s green credentials as thin.
The governor has taken more than $1 million in campaign money from the oil industry, whose products contribute to the greenhouse gas buildup that Schwarzenegger says he wants to roll back. And he is not reliable in using his bill-signing powers to protect the environment, activists say.
Each year, the California League of Conservation Voters puts out an annual scorecard that rates the governor on a scale of 0 to 100, based on the environmental bills he has signed or vetoed. Last year, Schwarzenegger’s grade was 50, down from the previous two years when he logged a 58.
50? Arnie - not good. Sure he is the cover boy for some. For me I would rather see someone like Bill McKibben, Al Gore, the young man picking up beach litter, the young woman putting in CFLes, the couple installing solar panels on their roof, the teenager choosing to be a vegetarian because of the impact raising cattle, to satiate some eaters, has on the environment... These are the cover boys, girls, men and women I respect. They all have passing grades.



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