Arnold Schwarzenegger has become a vocal advocate for addressing climate change. Voicing his concerns about the communication obstacles impeding global efforts, the former governor of California emphasized the need for a renewed approach in the fight against this pressing environmental crisis.
What Happened: Schwarzenegger said the term "climate change" fails to inspire action because it lacks a sense of urgency. Instead, he believes the focus should be on pollution, which he said is responsible for both climate change and loss of life.
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By linking pollution to climate change and its deadly consequences, he hopes to engage people and spur them into action.
Schwarzenegger bluntly expressed his belief that the current focus on global climate change is insufficient to drive progress. According to Schwarzenegger, as long as the conversation revolves around this abstract concept, it will fail to resonate with people, as "no one gives a s**t about that," he told CBS News.
"So, my thing is, let's go and rephrase this and communicate differently about it and really tell people we're talking about pollution. Pollution creates climate change, and pollution kills," he said.
Schwarzenegger's passion for combating climate change stems from his commitment to promoting a "healthy body and a healthy Earth." In his role as the host of the Austrian World Summit, a global climate change conference, he is dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
But will he re-enter politics or run for the U.S. presidency? Schwarzenegger swiftly dismissed the idea. He said, "No, no. I'm finished with that." However, he did express a hypothetical scenario, saying, "I would have run if I would have been an American-born in 2016. Because it's the only thing that I can't do in America. I would never complain about that."
Schwarzenegger, who was born in Austria, is not eligible to run for U.S. president because he is not a natural-born citizen of the United States. The U.S. Constitution states that only natural-born citizens, who are born on U.S. soil or born to U.S. citizen parents, are eligible to hold the office of the president.
Why It Matters: The urgency of addressing climate change is underscored by the reality that there is a 50% chance of exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius target set by the Paris Climate Accord within the next few years.
The International Energy Agency reports that global investment in clean energy is surpassing investment in fossil fuels. However, despite that, global carbon emissions continue to rise, albeit at a slower rate than anticipated.
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