Arnold Schwarzenegger's Climate Change Op-Ed Pushes For Environmental Action

Arnold Schwarzenegger may have left the governor’s office, but his sights are still set on one of his major political platforms: saving California from environmental catastrophe.

In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times on Monday, Schwarzenegger pleaded with the public to heed the National Climate Assessment draft's warnings. “This isn't a distant threat,” he insisted. “Already we are seeing the effects of a warmer climate.”

The ex-governor pointed toward heat-related deaths, rising sea levels and the climate’s effect on agriculture (one of California’s pivotal industries) as environmental threats facing the Sunshine State.

A study was released just this week showing that climate change may have a drastic impact on wine-producing areas, like California’s Napa and Sonoma valleys. Researchers at UCLA also found that air pollution from traffic, a notorious problem in Los Angeles, could be linked to childhood cancer.

Schwarzenegger said the report should be “a wake-up call” for not only California, but the nation as a whole. “The knowledge in this report is crucial to understanding how to change, to adapt, to prevent and to prepare for future disasters,” wrote the former politician. “It’s our duty to pay attention.”