In Praise of the Governator?

At a recent press conference for the new Bloom Energy fuel cell technology, a few words were spoken by one of the environment's most visible supporters: Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

California's conservative, Hummer-loving Governator has long been regarded as the ecosystem's most unlikely political ally. Although Schwarzenegger is rightly commended for his work in areas such as solar energy, his record is actually fairly spotty. In the last month, for instance, he approved the destruction of toxic dams in the Klamath River and supported major solar efforts, but also proposed weakening environmental laws and backed an eco-unfriendly freeway project.

While he may not be perfect in action, though, Schwarzenegger has made a profound difference in another way—shifting the tone of environmental politics.

Like Obama, Schwarzenegger has largely acted as a post-partisan politician, doing what he thinks is right whether it appeases his base or not. He often spoke out against Dubya's environmental destruction, and vocally supported Obama on the issue—to the extent that he was once buzzed about as a possible White House Energy Czar. This takes a political courage that is increasingly rare in Capital City, an environmental war zone dominated by denialists like James Inhofe and Sarah Palin.

On the heels of Glenn Beck's shocking admission that he's not opposed to the idea of man-made global warming, one wonders if there are more conservatives like Schwarzenegger who believe in acting on the environment, but have been too afraid to take a stand because it would publicly defy their party line.

Schwarzenegger has framed the debate in a way that represents the most viable way forward for the GOP. His greatest achievement has arguably been his dedication to conservation; he's acquired or saved more land than any other governor in California history, including all his Democratic predecessors.  This is very much in line with the history of the Republican party, including the work of the Governator's hero, staunch GOP conservationist Teddy Roosevelt.

He has also been a vocal proponent for the economic upside of environmental action, a much easier sell (sadly) to the GOP than thwarting global warming, and a key component of bipartisan legislative efforts. When he recently announced a proposal to increase the amount of credit received by solar power users, he made a point to say "We're celebrating a bill today that is great for the environment and great for our economy" — language echoed during a speech to solar energy business owners last month, and the linchpin of his efforts to amp up public transit options last year.

It's well-known that our government is in a paralyzing partisan gridlock over the environment right now. Schwarzenegger's willingness to embrace Democratic ideas, and keen understanding of the GOP's environmental pressure points, could well go down in history as the defining accomplishment of his time in office — and a great boon to our environmental future.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons