Schwarzenegger Becomes the GOP’s Green Candidate

Arnold Schwarzenegger, long associated with one of the least environmentally friendly cars, is talking about retrofitting his Hummer to run on clean-burning hydrogen. The move is symbolic of a platform intended to appeal to voters in a state that has been at the forefront of environmental protection.

With Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the nation’s most prominent environmental activists and a cousin of Schwarzenegger’s wife, advising him on strategy, the film star is crafting a set of positions at odds with the Bush administration on a broad range of issues, from logging in the Sierra Nevada to controlling greenhouse gases from cars and trucks.

As the leading candidates in the Oct. 7 recall election articulate where they stand on a variety of environmental issues in California, Schwarzenegger’s views are closer to those of liberal rivals than of his two Republican competitors.

Peter V. Ueberroth, for example, has distanced himself from a new state law, embraced by Schwarzenegger, that will require cars and trucks to emit less carbon dioxide to combat global warming. Ueberroth argues that the new pollution controls “would make automobile ownership more expensive.”

Further to the right, Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock ridicules the law that targets global warming. He defends the rights of timber companies to harvest trees as they see fit on their own land and has publicly called for disbanding the California Coastal Commission, which regulates seaside development.

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the Democrats’ top choice to replace Gov. Gray Davis if he is recalled, would strengthen the Coastal Commission. As state Assembly speaker, he made appointments to the commission and other panels that were praised by conservationists. But he disappointed environmentalists with his positions on pesticides and other issues important to the agricultural industry, the leading political force in his Fresno-area district.

At the opposite end of the spectrum from McClintock, Peter Camejo of the Green Party and independent candidate Arianna Huffington are striving to woo disaffected voters with bold environmental promises. On forest protection, Camejo wants a shift to “tree farms” to spare old-growth forests; Huffington proposes that the state buy them outright.

The major candidates and Davis come closest to agreement on the issue of oil drilling off the California coast. All have expressed objections to more drilling.

Davis has been reaching out to conservation-minded voters who complained of getting the cold shoulder from a governor they had supported in two elections.

In recent weeks, he has signed legislation making California the first state to ban toxic flame retardants widely used in the manufacture of furniture and computers. While he poses for pictures at scenic coastal sites, his Cabinet members are working on two expensive land acquisitions to preserve the Ballona Wetlands on the Los Angeles coast and the inland hills of the Ahmanson Ranch in Ventura County.

So far, most mainstream environmental groups are opposing the recall -- not because they are devoted to Davis, but because they believe the recall aims to undermine government and its role in regulating pollution.

“We believe it’s an assault on government’s ability to protect people and it’s an abuse of the political process,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. “It’s not because Gray Davis is John Muir. Gray Davis is not John Muir.”

Numerous polls have shown that Californians care more about the environment than people elsewhere in the country. The state’s voters feel deeply protective of their coastlines, mountains and rivers, regardless of whether they are Democrats, Republicans or independents.

The result is a state government that often imposes stronger rules than the federal government on air pollution, coastal development and wildlife protection.

“The environment does play differently in California than the rest of the country,” said Stephen Hayward, a senior fellow at the Pacific Research Institute who has advised President Bush on environmental issues. “Swing voters, the people who make a difference in elections, often look at the environment as one of the top issues in California.”

But California is not monolithic when it comes to environmental sentiments.

Bustamante, from the conservative Central Valley, is making bows to environmentalists on the coast while trying to retain the loyalty of voters in his home region.

As lieutenant governor, Bustamante said, he pushed the State Lands Commission to adopt easements across beaches to make sure the public retained its right to sit on the dry sand. Those easements were offered by oceanfront homeowners in exchange for the right to build on the beach -- and the easements would have expired if the Lands Commission didn’t adopt them.

“As a state, we must move to open these access ways and make certain our beaches are clean, safe and open for all Californians to enjoy,” he said.

Of all the leading candidates, McClintock has consistently spoken in support of the interests of people who have felt burdened by the state’s laws to control pollution.

He doesn’t believe the state should have taken a leadership role in trying to control global warming by approving a law to cut vehicle emissions of carbon dioxide. “If we completely shut down every motor vehicle in California and went back to horses and buggies,” he said, “we would only have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by one-tenth of one percent.”

The environment hasn’t figured prominently in the platform of a Republican gubernatorial candidate in more than a decade, not since former Gov. Pete Wilson emphasized it during his first campaign in 1990.

With a campaign team made of Wilson and several of his former aides, Schwarzenegger is adopting a similar strategy, in hopes of luring conservation-minded voters who might otherwise prefer a Democrat.

“They are trying to cut into the Democratic white males and Democratic working females to put together a plurality,” said Stephen Kinney, a Republican pollster in Hermosa Beach.

As he runs against Davis, Schwarzenegger’s environmental positions are more in conflict with the Republican president, who has praised him but stopped short of making an endorsement in the race.

Schwarzenegger has not publicly discussed environmental issues in detail, but his campaign provided an eight-page position paper last week.

Whereas Bush wants to tap more of America’s oil and gas reserves, Schwarzenegger favors energy conservation and solar energy.

Schwarzenegger faults the Bush administration for abandoning the Sierra Nevada Framework, an agreement to protect old-growth trees and wildlife that was based on a decade of negotiations by loggers, government agencies and environmentalists.

As governor, he said, he would “call on the federal government to honor its pledge to abide by the policies set forth in this unprecedented compact.”

He strongly backs clean air and clean water laws that the Bush administration has sought to weaken. He outlined a program to cut air pollution by 50% before the end of the decade, in part by paying people to junk older, heavily polluting cars, and by creating a network of hydrogen refueling stations throughout California, to encourage use of the alternative fuel.

The positions outlined are in line with a majority of Californians, said Tony Quinn, co-editor of the nonpartisan Target Book, a political newsletter.

“You are seeing the influence from other parts of Arnold’s world,” Quinn said. “Those views would more likely be associated with the Kennedys.”

Schwarzenegger’s environmental position paper is the most detailed policy statement to come out of his campaign so far. It was fashioned with the help of advisors brought in by Robert Kennedy.

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, has been a leader in legal battles to force the cleanup of Long Island Sound and the Hudson River. In 2001, he was jailed in Puerto Rico on trespassing charges stemming from his protest against U.S. naval bombing exercises on Vieques island.

“We, as a team, approached Arnold, and he welcomed us in after he and Bobby spoke at length,” said campaign advisor Terry Tamminen, executive director of the Santa Monica-based Environment Now. Tamminen, who launched Santa Monica BayKeeper, has a long association with Kennedy.

Other advisors include Robert Grady, who worked on White House environmental policies for President Bush’s father; Stanford environmental law professor Buzz Thompson; and Dan Emmett, a BayKeeper director and chief executive of Douglas Emmett & Co., a real estate holding company known for its energy-conserving renovations.

Vague on many issues until now, Schwarzenegger, who has been lampooned by rival candidates for driving around in a gas-guzzling Hummer, asked voters to trust him on the environment.

Now, as he strives to back up his claims with substance, he is also trying to repair his public image by retrofitting his car.

Tamminen, an Orange County-based mechanic who has converted other vehicles to run on hydrogen and other alternative fuels, is measuring the Hummer to see whether he can quickly get the needed parts.

“It will be the ultimate alternative fuel vehicle,” Tamminen said. “It will run on either natural gas or hydrogen.”

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Candidates answer questions about the environment

The Times posed a set of questions about the environment to Gov. Gray Davis and the six major candidates seeking to replace him. Excerpts of their responses follow. During the course of the campaign, The Times plans to ask the candidates about other major issues facing the state.

Q. California law will require automobiles sold in the state to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas linked to global warming. The auto industry and the Bush administration say that issue should be left to the federal government. Who is right?

Gov. Gray Davis (D)

I will fight any attempt to undermine California’s efforts at protecting its air and its environment. I am proud to have signed the Pavley bill limiting carbon pollution from California vehicles.

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Peter Camejo (Green)

California has more motor vehicles than any other state in the union, and thereby contributes more vehicle carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than any other state, so we have an obligation to take leadership in addressing this urgent environmental crisis.

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Arianna Huffington (I)

The state of California is completely right. As governor, I would aggressively defend California’s federally authorized right to set its own air quality standards.

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Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D)

I absolutely believe that, as a state, we have the right to be proactive on clean air issues. California’s air standards predate the federal Clean Air Act. It has long been accepted that California can set our own air standards, and that other states can choose California’s tougher rules over federal regulations.

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Peter V. Ueberroth (R)

This law, which targets greenhouse gases, does not even take effect until 2009, and does nothing to curb the pollutants contributing to our state’s current air quality. Also, it would make automobile ownership more expensive for Californians who have just experienced a substantial increase in their car taxes.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

California’s landmark legislation to cut greenhouse gases is now law, and I will work to implement it and to win the expected challenges in court along the way.

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State Sen. Tom McClintock (R)

Neither. If we completely shut down every motor vehicle in California and went back to horses and buggies, we would only have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by one-tenth of 1%.

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Q. Should the state limit the harvesting of old-growth trees and other timber on private land to prevent damage to the forests that can harm endangered birds and salmon swimming upstream?

Gov. Gray Davis (D)

Yes. The state must act to protect its rapidly dwindling natural resources and ensure that irreparable harm is not done to what little old-growth forest remains.

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Peter Camejo (Green)

Yes, over 95% of our original old-growth trees have now been cut -- it’s vital that we protect the remaining 4%.

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Arianna Huffington (I)

Yes. Although the state has limited authority over logging on private land, it must vigorously enforce its clean water standards and endangered species law, which will, in turn, better protect the ecosystems on these lands.

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Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D)

We should subject the harvesting of old-growth trees on private land to the environmental review process to ensure the protection of soils, water quality and habitat. In doing so, we must consider the need for both sustainable timber employment and for a healthy forest.

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Peter V. Ueberroth (R)

Portions of our forests have a high proportion of sick and dying trees, and the threat of catastrophic fire has never been greater. We must have effective forest management, based on the best available science, balancing wildlife protection and commercial harvesting.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

More acres of California forests were clear-cut under the first four years of the Davis administration than the prior eight years under Gov. [Pete] Wilson. California’s Forest Practices Act already has the tools to protect our watersheds, wildlife and water supplies, but it must be appropriately enforced.

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State Sen. Tom McClintock (R)

No. Trees on private property belong to the property owner.

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Q. Do you favor or oppose more oil drilling off the California coast? Should the state keep the authority to prevent more drilling in federal waters if it is environmentally hazardous?

Gov. Gray Davis (D)

I adamantly oppose additional drilling off of California’s coast. Our coast and coastal resources are too precious to risk. That’s why I sued the federal government when it extended 36 offshore gas and oil leases.

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Peter Camejo (Green)

The environmental costs and risks far outweigh the limited amount of oil and gas which could be recovered, especially given that the entire world is going to run out of economically recoverable oil and gas within a few decades anyway.

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Arianna Huffington (I)

We must not auction off our natural resources to the highest bidder. The fact remains, we can’t drill our way to energy independence.

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Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D)

I believe that California’s Coastal Commission should maintain its authority to prevent drilling in federal waters if it is environmentally hazardous and, of course, the courts have agreed.

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Peter V. Ueberroth (R)

I would like to see the state work in cooperation with the federal government to achieve a buy-back of the undeveloped leases in federal waters. However, this is not good enough. I also believe that the state should work to buy back the undeveloped leases over which it has jurisdiction, and begin phasing out existing operations off the Santa Barbara coast.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

I will protect California’s coastline by fighting for a ban on all oil drilling in coastal waters and I will urge the federal government to purchase the remaining offshore oil leases as it has in Florida. I will always protect our state’s right to protect California’s environment.

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State Sen. Tom McClintock (R)

If the Arctic tundra was opened to drilling, there would be no need to drill off California; and if it isn’t opened to drilling, there is no excuse to drill off California.

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Q. The Bush administration has eased regulations on building roads in wilderness areas, harvesting more trees in Sierra Nevada forests and providing wilderness access for off-road vehicles? Do you support or oppose the administration’s moves?

Gov. Gray Davis (D)

I strongly oppose the Bush administration’s increases in vehicular access and logging in wilderness areas, which would quickly cause irreparable harm to the few pristine lands we have left. Our wilderness belongs to all Californians.

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Peter Camejo (Green)

I oppose these policies. Where it is vital to provide lumber and other forest products which have no other reasonable replacement, we should shift to “tree farms” which impact the environment at a minimum.

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Arianna Huffington (I)

As governor, I would aggressively resist the Bush administration’s ongoing attempts to roll back hard-won environmental protections.

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Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D)

The Bush administration has traded good science for crass politics in their easing of regulations on building roads in wilderness areas, harvesting old-growth forests in the Sierra Nevada and providing off-road vehicles access to pristine wilderness.

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Peter V. Ueberroth (R)

We must manage our forests effectively to balance wildlife protection with legitimate economic interests.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

More than a decade of hard work by a broad variety of stakeholders resulted in the Sierra Nevada Framework, which has been widely hailed as a model of forest ecosystem resource protection. As governor, I will direct all relevant agencies to comply fully with the Framework and call on the federal government to abide by the policies.

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State Sen. Tom McClintock (R)

Support. Public lands should be open to the public.

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Q. Do you think the California Coastal Commission’s current regulations on coastal development and public access to the beach are too burdensome on property owners or too weak for the public?

Gov. Gray Davis (D)

Our beaches are a precious public resource, and all Californians should be able to freely enjoy them. Increasing public access has been a hallmark of my administration.

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Peter Camejo (Green)

The regulations need to be strengthened so that the public interest will unquestionably be maintained. Our coast is also an irreplaceable “resource” which needs to serve all Californians -- not just a comparative handful of more fortunate individuals.

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Arianna Huffington (I)

Our coastline is a California treasure, and must be protected from overdevelopment. I also support efforts to increase public access. California’s beaches belong to us all.

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Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D)

If anything, I believe the California Coastal Commission should be strengthened to ensure coastal preservation and increase public access to the beaches. The protection of our coast is essential to our economy and way of life.

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Peter V. Ueberroth (R)

I support the Coastal Commission’s efforts to work with local communities to protect our state’s precious coastline in a balanced manner that reflects the diversity of our state.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

California’s Coast is recognized worldwide as one of our most precious resources, and it must be protected. The California Coastal Commission should not be subject to political interference in commission decisions that has characterized the Davis administration.

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State Sen. Tom McClintock (R)

If the Coastal Commission wishes to provide access through private property, it should purchase that property at an agreeable price.