Schwarzenegger Convenes Global Climate Summit In Beverly Hills

The eyes of the world may be on President-elect Barack Obama, but when it comes to the issue of climate change, Arnold Schwarzenegger is muscling his way into the international spotlight.

On Tuesday, the California governor will convene a two-day Global Climate Summit in Beverly Hills. More than 600 environmental officials and activists from Borneo to Bulgaria, along with five U.S. governors and regional politicians from foreign nations, are expected to attend.

Grandiose gabfest? So whisper the Sacramento cynics, but Schwarzenegger calls it a "historic summit" that will create "an alliance of states, provinces and regional governments" to influence upcoming negotiations on a new global climate treaty.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[LeBeau59741]

Where did the funding come from for this?
My understanding is that California is very much "in the red", so I have to wonder how the money can be available for a summit of this size, in a venue that, to put it mildly, is not on the low end of the price scale.

If it happens that Schwarzenegger is footing the bill out of his own fund, lovely, fabulous, good for him
If, as I expect is the case, the citizens of California are funding even one bottle of Chardonnay, he has some explaining to do.

[Anciano]

We need an apology from Arnold for THIS!
"You have faith in free enterprise, faith in the resourcefulness of the American people ...and faith in the U.S. economy. To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: Don't be economic girlie men!... "We move prosperity ahead. We move freedom ahead. We move people ahead. Under President Bush, and Vice President Cheney, America's economy is moving ahead...."Ladies and gentlemen, America is back! back from the attack on our homeland- back from the attack on our economy back from the attack on our way of life. We're back because of the perseverance, character and leadership of the 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush."

[NationalTreasure]

global summit in the land of conspicious consumption -- lol - ROTFLMAO

why didn't they do a green summit via web cast and teleconfernce? that would have been innovative

instead they pretend to be green but emitt millions of pounds of carbon just to go to the summit and all of the wast of the conference materials and other related pollution effects

WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP

[alvdh1]

If Arnold really wants to turn California green, he must give access to the grid to everyone who wants to sell green electricity. The state has the most advanced grid network management system that is operated by the California Independent Service Operator (ISO) who purchases electricity from all producers. Currently, the state's Net Metering Law allows small residential producers to run their electric meters in reverse for a credit.

The ideal plan would allow smal business and residential producers of clean, renewable energy to sell their excess power to the ISO at full retail rates. While the utilities will scream at any hint of opening up the market to small producers, it is a step that must be understaken in order for widespread development of solar and wind. Small producers will line up to install green energy if they know they will be able to recover their initial capital costs. This will bring competition to the market, lay the ground work for the electrification of transportation and dramatically reduce air pollution. As an olive branch to the utility industry, there should be a 5-10% holdback on production revenue from small producers for grid maintainance and improvements.

[Camperhead]

Funny how Arnold can parade around as the Jolly Green Giant while at the same time cutting 95 percent of voter-mandated, voter-created state funding for public transit. You can't have one without the other. "The People's Governor"? "The Muscle Behind Saving the Planet"? Bah, he's either clueless or simply a fraud.