This week in ecoright climate change news, while the issue did not receive attention at the nationally televised debate between the candidates for vice president, it still figured prominently in the news.
Former Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger honored the ten-year anniversary of the state’s climate law, which he enacted under his administration. “Ten years ago we passed a law that I think is the most powerful environmental law, period,” Schwarzenegger said at a reception marking its passage. “How stupid must you be to say that greenhouse gas is not a pollutant?” (Trust us, it’s worth watching the video clip of his full remarks.)
In response to recent ratification of the Paris Climate Accord, the campaign of Donald Trump and Gov. Mike Pence issued a statement, mostly swiping at the international negotiations and the current administration’s policies. But their statement concluded with the following position on climate science: “As our nation considers these issues, Mr. Trump and Gov. Pence appreciate that many scientists are concerned about greenhouse gas emissions. We need America’s scientists to continue studying the scientific issues but without political agendas getting in the way. We also need to be vigilant to defend the interests of the American people in any efforts taken on this front.” (Click here for the full alert.)
Ohio Gov. John Kasich reiterated an earlier threat to state legislators that he would veto any attempt to eliminate or further delay implementation of energy efficiency and renewable standards. “We have a program in Ohio that requires us to meet these certain standards, and I’ve told the legislature the standards that were set were unrealistic but if you try to kill the standards, whether it has to do with the renewables, or whether it has to do with the issue of saving energy, I’ll veto the bill and we’ll go to the higher standards. And so you know I’m committed to it,” he said.
Former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman appeared on the American Security Project program What’s Next to talk about national security, climate change, clean energy and why nuclear is the energy option that makes most sense in the transition toward a low- or no-emission economy. “What concerns me most is we don’t have an overall national energy plan and in Washington, they aren’t taking the issue of climate change seriously enough,” she says. “We need to have government action in order to deal with this issue.” She predicts that short federal action, municipalities and states will continue to move forward in reducing their carbon footprints. “It’s pressure from the public” that motivates their early action.
A recent study found that California residents in households in Republican-controlled districts are more likely to install solar rooftops than those living in Democratic districts. One in every hundred households installed solar rooftops in Republican districts, compared to one in 500 in districts controlled by Democrats. (Click here for the full alert.)
We wish our Floridian and other Atlantic coast friends well and will see you next week.