Free Republic

Of all the authors who have penned indictments of Big Oil in the past few years, few have as much insight — or access — to the major players of the industry as Terry Tamminen. Years of working on energy policy as special advisor on environmental issues to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and as head of the state's Environmental Protection Agency have given Tamminen plenty of ammunition to use against petroleum companies and U.S. carmakers, and he employs it to powerful effect in his new book, "Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction." Tamminen, who will speak at...

California has an oil addiction. As every self-help professional knows, to break an addiction you have to face the problem and admit you're hooked. The arguments against Proposition 87 sound as hollow as an alcoholic promising to stop after just one more drink. Proposition 87 would develop cleaner, cheaper fuels for our vehicles and build new energy industries and jobs here at home, in places such as Stockton, Salinas and San Diego. Despite valiant efforts and significant improvement for decades, the state still has the nation's worst air pollution, causing asthma, lung disease, cancer and crop damage, and exacerbating the...

Ten years ago, when Arnold Schwarzenegger was enhancing his movie career with "Jingle All the Way," his future environmental adviser Terry Tamminen was working as a pool-cleaning expert, water cop and would-be Bard of the Bay. As Santa Monica Baykeeper, Tamminen spent his days tooling around in his boat harassing litterbugs. He also was promoting copies of his book, "The Ultimate Pool Maintenance Manual," while playing the role of Shakespeare in a children's play he wrote. Over the objections of some Republican advisers, Schwarzenegger appointed Tamminen as secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Then he became the governor's cabinet...