Jul 14, 2007 1:06 am US/Eastern
Fla. Says 'Hasta La Vista' To Pollution
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MIAMI (CBS4) ―
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's motorcade arrived on Friday at Miami's Intercontinental Hotel, where he was attending the second of a two-day global environmental summit. He arrived at the loading dock area, where security could wisk him away without much fanfare.
"Please give a warm Florida welcome to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger," an introduction that brought most of the delegates standing and applauding.
"We have to say 'Hasta La Vista Baby' to the greenhouse gases," he said, prompting the audience to cheer even more wildly.
There was much the governor wanted to explain about climate change as it related to California, but he couldn't resist reminding the crowd how he was heckled when he first ran for office, with pretty much similar ideas.
"Stop! Don't vote for him. He's going to destroy the environment. He's driving Hummers and flying private planes and all those things. And now, three and a half years later, and as Gov. Crist has pointed out, we've accomplished so much in these last years proving a Republican can protect the environment!"
He said he admired Gov. Crist's move forward to raise auto emission standards in the state.
Crist ordered the state's Department of Environmental Protection to adopt California's auto emissions standards as soon as the federal Environmental Protection Agency grants California permission to impose them.
California has been battling the EPA for two years to get permission to implement a state law that would require automakers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mainly carbon dioxide, by 25 percent from cars and 18 percent from sport utility vehicles by the 2009 model year. Crist said he is willing to join California if it sues the EPA.
Meanwhile in Washington, Democratic Sens. Bill Nelson of Florida and Barbara Boxer of California said they would sponsor legislation to try to force federal environmental officials to rule on California's new stricter auto emissions standards.
Crist wants Florida to match California's limits, but Nelson said in a statement that Florida can't move forward until the federal Environmental Protection Agency approves the California plan. Nelson also said 11 other states are waiting on the EPA to approve the California rules.
"There's a billboard in Michigan that accuses me of costing the car industry 85 billion because of California's emission standards. It says Arnold to Michigan, 'drop dead'. But that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying Arnold to Michigan, 'Get off your butt! That's what I'm saying."
Schwarzenegger told 600 people at the conclusion of the two-day Florida Summit on Climate Change sponsored by Crist: ``You are on your way.''
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
