Trucking is among the most important, yet polluting parts of our environment. Everything everywhere was delivered by a truck, unless you live on a farm. A necessary evil, if you will. Getting truckers on board with the green movement will play an integral part in the widespread acceptance of alternative fuel vehicles. To do that, you’ve got to hit them in the wallet.

Towards that end, last week Vision Industries, with the help of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, unveiled a short haul, hydrogen-powered truck dubbed the Tyrano.

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“It is leading the United States, and quite frankly, even though the bulk of the United States is behind the developed world, I think California in many respects is partially leading the world,” newly-confirmed U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said in an interview for the special. “It’s wonderful to be director of a major research lab that wants to work on this energy problem in a state that is so receptive to this work.”

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Just how green California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is is definitely up for debate. He has his moments of somewhat progressive policy, which he then dilutes with moments of complete and utter ignorance. For example, when he signed California’s way overdue budget, he lined-out $3.1 million in funding from the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to restore salmon, steelhead and other endangered and threatened species.

“We are deeply disappointed that the governor would opt to severely limit DFG’s ability to protect our environment at this critical time,” said California Trout Chief Executive Officer Brian Stranko. “Particularly given the dramatic recent reductions in salmon populations and other threatened and endangered species, this action seems especially short-sighted. His action is particularly troublesome given the relatively minor savings achieved to our multi-billion dollar state budget.”

Amusingly enough, this was followed up by the Governator taking center stage in San Francisco at a Commonwealth Club event to celebrate the state’s success in its leadership on fightingglobal warming.

“The global warming debate is over,” Schwarzenegger reminded everyone. He went on to say that Washington is “asleep at the wheel,” and that he would not wait.

Yet, Schwarzenegger has limiting critical funding for DFG’s Biodiversity Program staff. Thy are responsible for enforcing California’s Endangered Species Act (CESA),  as well as overseeing timber harvesting plans. The state’s efforts for recovery of threatened and endangered species are budgeted under this program, according to California Trout.

Here are some other fouls listed by Indybay:

• The refusal of his appointed officials on the State Water Resources Control Board and regional boards to hold agricultural polluters to the same standards as industry and municipalities, in spite of pleas by fishermen, conservationists and farm workers.

• His veto of historic suction dredge mining legislation, sponsored by the Karuk Indian Tribe and California Trout, last year. More recently, the Governor pressured the Legislature to remove interim suction dredge mining restrictions that were to have been incorporated as part of an omnibus resource trailer bill, AB 1338 (Huffman) that was adopted by the Legislature last Monday night as part of the state budget package and sent to the Governor.

• His persistent fast-track advocacy of “no fishing zones” on the California Coast, under the guise of “Marine Protected Areas.” These areas kick sustainable commercial and recreational fishermen off the water while doing nothing to stop water pollution, habitat degradation, water diversions and water exports that have resulted in huge fishery declines. Could it be that Schwarzenegger is removing fishermen from the water, forcing them to find work elsewhere, in order to eliminate the most persistent critics of his water policies?

• The failure by the DFG under the Schwarzenegger administration to support a volunteer rescue of tens of thousands of striped bass, Sacramento blackfish, Sacramento splittail, largemouth bass and other species last November when the Bureau of Reclamation drained Prospect Island in the California Delta. Before the volunteers were finally allowed to do the rescue, thousands of fish died, making Prospect Island the largest fish kill ever documented on the Delta and one of the largest fish kills in California history.

As campaign director of Restore the Delta Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said, “Schwarzenegger is as green as a silk plant. When you get up close, you realize that is all a big fake.”

Image source: Night Star Romanus at Flickr

Okay, that’s not true. However, it summarizes how environmentally out-of-touch I feel the Alaskan Governor is. For example, just one day before being picked as the GOP vice president, she wrote a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urging him to shoot down pollution-reduction efforts aimed at cargo containers. Palin’s concerns were aimed at the Alaskan economy, and well…not the environment. Oh, and it gets better! Check out some of the other things Palin has had to say on the topic.

From Think Progress

Palin Denies Man-Made Global Warming. When asked for her “take on global warming,” Palin replied, “A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I’m not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.” [Newsmax, 08/29/08]

Palin Says She’s Not A ‘Doom-And-Gloom Environmentalist’ Who Blames Global Warming On ‘Human Activity.’ “I’m not an Al Gore, doom-and-gloom environmentalist blaming the changes in our climate on human activity, but I’m not going to put my head in the sand and pretend there aren’t changes.” [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 12/4/07]

Challenging ‘Uncertain Climate Models,’ Palin Is Suing To Lift Protected Status For Polar Bears. After a multi-year court battle, the Bush administration recognized in 2008 that polar bears are threatened with extinction by global warming. Announcing Alaska’s suit to block the listing, Palin said, “We believe that the listing was unwarranted and that it’s unprecedented to list a currently healthy population based on uncertain climate models.” [Reuters, 5/22/08]

Palin Established Illegal Fly-By Wolf Hunting Bounty. In 2007, Palin illegally established “a $150 bounty to the state sanctioned airborne wolf hunters as an added incentive to increase their kills,” soon overturned by the Alaska State Court. [Alaska Wildlife Alliance; Anchorage Daily News, 3/31/07]

Related posts:

Palin Changes Position on Global Warming - Then Denies It
Why Palin is a Bad Choice for the Environment
World Views of Sarah Palin & The Environment

Image source: bobster1985 on Flickr

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Palin’s concerns were aimed at the Alaskan economy, and well…not the environment. Duh! Claiming that shippers are already burdened by high fuel prices, she said this “may harm California by driving port business away from its ports.” As those three ports together account for over 40-percent of U.S. goods, that kinda seems unlikely. The bill’s author isn’t impressed by Palin’s suggestion either.

“We are losing about 3,400 Californians each year because of pollution. … I don’t think Gov. Palin truly understands the impacts going on here,” says state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D), who sponsored the bill. “She certainly displays a lack of understanding,” Lowenthal went on to say.

Many California environmentalists consider this to be the most important pollution reduction effort made in the state this year.

“Why should Gov. Schwarzenegger take into account what out-of-state interests are saying?” said Lisa Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for Clean Air. “It’s unfortunate that she is using her popularity to push her agenda on this state.”

The bill would impose a $60 fee for every 40-foot cargo container entering those ports. It would bring in about $400 million per year, which would go towards the installation of cleaner truck and train engines and projects aimed to reduce congestion and idling. That sounds pretty good to me!

Image source: tinou bao at Flickr