Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger has criticised leaders as ‘liars’ and ‘stupid’ who claim that pursuing environmentally friendly policies negatively affects economies.
Schwarzenegger became an environmental pioneer whilst serving as Governor of California between 2003 and 2011, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, he said that California is thriving economically with high employment numbers.
“We are the only place that reduced greenhouse gases by 25 per cent. It shows that you can protect the environment and protect the economy at the same time,” he told the BBC.
“It is the best job creator when you go green. All of those countries that say ‘We’re going to lose jobs if we go greener’- they are liars. Or they don’t know how to do it, because we figured how to do it and they can figure out how to do it. It’s all about having the balls to do it.”
Movie star Schwarzenegger has previously spoken about how growing up as a Catholic in Austria has shaped his approach to public life.
“I grew up Catholic, I went to church. went to Catholic school, I learned the Bible and my catechisms,” he said in January 2021. “And from those days I remember a phrase that is relevant today: a servant’s heart. It means serving something larger than yourself.”
Schwarzenegger believes that the change hoped for through the COP26 conference must come from the ground up, from ordinary people and movements, rather than through governments and politicians.
“Every great movement was always a people’s movement,” he said. Drawing on a line from his most famous film when asked about the chances of progress at COP26, he added: “There is no fate but what we make for ourselves. We have to make people understand where they can participate.”
PHOTO: Screen grab from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s YouTube channel. (CNS screen grab)