Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised Tony Blair’s environmental leadership as a factual replica to the world. The two men met at Downing Street on Mr. Blair’s last day as Prime Minister, issuing a plea for countries to join the fight against the global warming. At the press conference Arnie said the visit by the Prime Minister last year had been a great source of inspiration to everyone in California following a ‘cap and trade’ British style model on curbing emissions.
Though the critics say that Bush administration has been reluctant, the Governors attitude in terminating the greenhouse gas emissions is growing popular in Europe. Last year the Governor signed a law committing to reduce the carbon emissions by 25% till 2020.
A day after meeting the French PM Nicolas Sarkozy, the Californian Governor was in UK for a day of round-table conference on the climate change. The praises went vice-versa when the President appreciated the hallucination and the headship of Schwarzenegger on the issue which has seen California lead a small number of US states in adopting Kyoto protocol objectives, even though Washington having pulled out of that treaty back in 2001.
Both men insisted on ‘growing popular will’ globally for individuals, businesses and governments to reduce their carbon footprint which aims at the emergent and worthwhile business opportunities in Britain and California for environmentally friendly cars and other green technologies.
Schwarzenegger without selfish reasons persisted Blair to be the envoy for the environment, bringing all the countries of the world together to reduce greenhouse gases.
He showcased California’s success in well-disposed action on the environment, getting Republicans and Democrats to work together. ‘It’s the only way we’re going to fix anything’, he told reporters in Downing Street. ‘I think the Prime Minister is the only person who can do that.’ he added.
Both Blair and Schwarzenegger stressed on the importance of getting international agreement to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases once the targets set in the Kyoto Protocol expire in 2012. It is essential that a new agreement has the support, not only of America but also China and India, which are fast heading towards becoming the world’s biggest carbon emitters.
Mr. Blair responding to the willingness of the US President to agree with other leaders of rich industrialized countries at this month’s G8 summit in Germany to calm down global temperatures called it a vital breakthrough.
The Californian Governor said that it’s up to the state administrators like him to show leadership on global warming rather than the US federal govt., though he mentioned it as a normal procedure in the US.
He added: ‘It’s not good enough for the US to demand action on climate change from developing countries, when it produces 25% of the world’s carbon emissions with just 5% of its population.’
‘The idea of continuing to say that China should come in otherwise I’m not going to, that doesn’t work. We have to show leadership.’
Adding flair of humor, standing along with a superstar, the President borrowed a famous line from one of Schwarzenegger’s ‘Terminator’ film to end the news conference: ‘My press officer said to me, whatever else you do this morning, don’t say, I’ll be back.’
The Governor joked that the Number 10’s flavorsome English breakfast has caused him to put on five pounds of weight.
TimesOnline :Images:smh
Washington Post :Credit :The Indipendent
