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Posted on 05/07/2007 6:02:35 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
One of Arnold Schwarzenegger's first moves upon entering California's bizarre gubernatorial recall election in 2003 was to contact Terry Tamminen and persuade him to join his campaign.
Or so Schwarzenegger maintains in the March issue of Outside magazine.
Why Tamminen? Because Schwarzenegger wanted to do something significant about global warming, and he knew that Tamminen's environmental credentials were second to none.
Just days after his stunning victory, Schwarzenegger then named Tamminen -- who grew up on Milwaukee's north side -- the first secretary of the state's Environmental Protection Agency. And in 2006, the two convinced California's Legislature to pass the toughest anti-global warming law in the country.
Though Schwarzenegger got most of the credit, it's the 54-year-old Tamminen "who is emerging as the state's real Terminator, winning industry support and the endorsement of a Republican governor for a mandate to reduce the state's emissions 80 percent by 2050," said a recent story in Time magazine.
Tamminen, who left his state post late last year (he's still an adviser to Schwarzenegger), has a different mission now: trying to convince other states to take drastic measures to dramatically reduce their own greenhouse emissions.
In March, he stopped in Madison to talk to Gov. Jim Doyle and officials at the Department of Natural Resources and to give a speech at the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Last week, he paused in his hectic schedule for a phone interview. Some excerpts:
The Time magazine article said 19 states have now developed aggressive climate plans based on your work and that of Karl Hausker of the Center for Climate Strategies. Is Wisconsin among the 19?
"Well, I'll be honest. When we helped Time prepare that article, Wisconsin wasn't among the 19 because it didn't have an active climate action planning process. But since then, as you know, Gov. Doyle has appointed a global warming task force to help develop a plan. So I'd certainly say they'd be added to that list now."
There's been criticism of that task force for having more pro-utility types on it than environmentalists. What do you think?
"You've got to get all of them into the tent. That's our experience here in California -- that if you don't include all the major emitters, the major business interests. They're going to be outside, trying to set the tent on fire. So let's give them the chance to operate.
"There are a lot of other state plans and targets that Wisconsin will be compared to. So I have faith in the these people, and I think you're going to see some pretty remarkable results. I think Gov. Doyle is very committed to getting this right, to being part of a growing network of states (that have plans)."
I assume that if states were being graded for their anti-global warming efforts, California would get an A. But what grade would Wisconsin get?
"Well, I do think -- partisanship aside -- California would be the gold standard at this point. Until Wisconsin's task force completes its plan, I'd say Wisconsin gets an incomplete. We're waiting for the work to be turned in."
Wisconsin has been sharply criticized for allowing utilities to continue to build traditional coal-fired power plants -- such as We Energies' $2.2 billion plant in Oak Creek. What's your take on that?
"I do think it's a challenge. If you're going to be committing yourself to significant reductions of greenhouse gases, but then are authorizing what's essentially an increase in greenhouse gases from one sector, you're going to have to get dramatically more reductions or sacrifices from other emitters -- meaning cars, landfills, other industries. And that's just not fair.
"So I think you do have to address that issue, and there are a couple ways to do it. One is with more energy efficiency. You've already got some of that in Wisconsin. In the United States, average energy consumption is about 12,000 kilowatt hours per person, per year. And Wisconsin is probably in that range.
"California is about 6,000 kilowatt hours per person, per year -- half the national average. So by taking a look at some of the measures we've implemented, you can start reducing your demand and very often you discover you don't need to build a lot of new power plants.
"To the degree that you do need more plants -- and coal is ostensibly a cheaper alternative -- you've got to think about the newest, cleanest technology. In California, for example, we passed a bill which says that state utilities will no longer be allowed to buy electricity from coal-fired power plants unless they are at least as clean as the cleanest natural-gas-fired power plants and they sequester the carbon.
"What we're saying is, we're not going to discriminate against coal. But coal, you have to go out and get as clean as your competitors. So we're creating a performance-based standard for electricity generation, and let the best technology win."
In other words, building traditional coal-fired plants no longer makes sense?
"Yeah. It sets you further back when you're trying to make progress. And for no reason.
"I don't have the numbers, but just a quick scan of the data shows that we provide huge tax subsidies and tax breaks to the coal industry. And we obviously pay the price when their particulate matter and other pollutants go up in the air and come back into our lungs, or the mercury from burning coal ends up in our fish and in our drinking water.
"So if you think about all those costs -- and the environmental costs of digging the stuff out of the ground -- I'll bet that 2 cents a kilowatt energy from coal probably ends up being far more expensive than that. So I think you've got to be realistic about the cost of our fossil fuel addiction. We can't undo the mistakes we've made in the past, but we can sure be smarter and not make them in the future."
Much has been written about the Hydrogen Highway Network that Schwarzenegger approved in 2004. As the architect of that plan, can you explain how it will work?
"Sure. That was one of the things Arnold and I put into his environmental action plan and said that if he were elected governor, it's something he would do. It was recognizing that we just can't continue our dependence on oil.
"The Hydrogen Highway was designed to address that concern -- and that nobody wanted to mass produce hydrogen vehicles if there wasn't a fueling network. So we brought together some of the brightest minds on this issue, including energy companies and car companies and environmentalists and academics, and had them design this program that lays out a blueprint for commercializing this technology.
"And they came up with this notion to have 200 fueling stations (in California) spaced along the major interstates, which would help consumers have confidence and encourage the car companies to bring some of these cars to market. So that by 2010 we could expect to have up to 20,000 vehicles in California running on hydrogen, with 200 stations.
"We're working on that now. We've got 30 stations already and several hundred vehicles. Later this year BMW is going to be bringing their vehicle to market. Toyota and Honda have already done so in limited numbers.
"By 2010, all the major carmakers will have hydrogen-powered vehicles for sale in California. And we're working now with the governments of Baja, the Mexican state to our south, as well as Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, to extend the Hydrogen Highway all up and down the West Coast. So by 2010, when the Winter Olympics take place in Whistler, B.C., we'll be able to drive a car on hydrogen from Baja, Calif., all the way up to British Columbia."
A lot of people are surprised that a Republican governor has taken such a strong stance on global warming. Did it take much arm twisting?
"Not of him, because he comes from a very sincere place on this issue. First of all, he grew up in post-war Austria, when the cities were still largely in ruins and there was lots of pollution. And then, when he started to get into bodybuilding and was very health-oriented, he started thinking about coming to California.
"His image was always one of beautiful beaches and pristine, snowcapped mountains and all this kind of thing. But when he came here and went to Venice Beach to work out, there was trash on the beaches and his lungs would burn and his eyes would sting from air pollution.
"So he always wanted to do something about that. But, like most people, he had a career elsewhere, and it wasn't his specialty. But it was one of the many things that if he ever got into politics he wanted to address."
Just curious. How does the real Arnold differ from his public image?
"You know, the interesting thing is, what you see is kind of what you get. People who interview him and actually spend time with him realize quickly he's a very, very smart guy. He didn't get to be Mr. Universe seven times and the most highly paid action movie star and then very, very successful in business by being just a thickheaded, cybernaut from the future.
"He's funny, he's thoughtful, he's irreverent. He's got a very big world view that obviously comes from being a European and spending a lot of time in different places. So he's got a really unique perspective compared to most public servants."
I've never seen a resume as diverse as yours -- U.S. Coast Guard captain, fish breeder in Australia, manager of a large sheep farm in Hayward, Wis., various environmental jobs. And now you've written a book ("Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction"). How'd you find time to accomplish all that?
"Well, the nasty little secret is I don't sleep. I don't know, some people say, Oh wow, you're a renaissance man.' And some people say, It looks like you can't keep a job.'
"I'm just fascinated by a lot of things. I long ago realized I won't live long enough to have all the careers I'd like to. Life is great, and I want to taste as much of it as I can before checking out."
"...and let the best technology win...unless, of course, it's nuclear energy. That's icky."
"So by 2010, when the Winter Olympics take place in Whistler, B.C., we'll be able to drive a car on hydrogen from Baja, Calif., all the way up to British Columbia."
ROFLMAO! Righty-O. I'm making a note of that on the calendar, LOL! Three years from now. I'll be here watching and ridiculing from the sidelines. :)
>>>I’m making a note of that on the calendar
::GASPS::
A calendar??!! How politically incorrect of you! You are committing a hate crime! You know calendars were made based on the birth of Christ!
Click on POGW graphic for full GW rundown
New!!: Dr. John Ray's
GREENIE WATCH
Ping me if you find one I've missed.
Stop reading my thoughts and re-writing The Constitution to ban them! ;)
Thoughts?!! Now you are committing a thought crime! There is no hope for you.
:))
“There is no hope for you.”
Man, I hope so! When the balloon goes up, meet me in the bunker with our un-tagged, and/or chipped livestock, plenty of ammo, dry socks, canned goods, matches and manual can openers, LOL!
You bring the environmentally un-friendly Sterno. And your own sleeping bag. I have to draw the line somewhere. ;)
Hey, PA is doing it’s part! Pittsburgh has lost population over the last decade second only to NO. With it’s socialist policies, it drives away any semi-competent business. Pretty soon all we’ll have to worry about is bovine flatulence.
I’ld be a lot happier living in a bunker than under the foot of a jack boot.
>>>Pittsburgh has lost population over the last decade second only to NO
Say, ‘Thank you Jack Murtha’
Through redistricting, this was the first election that he was my rep.(BARF!)I will not comment on that treasonous POS for obvious reasons.
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