For Schwarzenegger, America stays green despite Trump

The duty of governments is to protect citizens from the deadly effects of climate change, Arnold Schwarzenegger told AFP, assuring that the United States remains "greener" than we think, even if Donald Trump wants to get out of the world. Paris Agreement.

The former Mr Universe, known for his role as Terminator, before returning to politics, came to Poland for the 24th annual UN climate conference. In an interview with AFP, he said he was in "crusade for the environment", calling on the world to join this fight.

The COP24 meeting in Katowice is expected to allow some 200 countries to agree on the rules for implementing the Paris Agreement to limit global warming and its disastrous effects.

"I think the responsibility of governments is to protect people. If we have armies, it is to repel attacks. Well, that's the biggest attack, "said the former governor of California.

"Seven million people die each year because of pollution (air). 25,000 of them die in America. If we give up fighting against this, it's because something is wrong here. "

During his two terms at the helm of the largest and richest US state, Schwarzenegger helped California grow into green power.

It has enacted laws to provide state and local government officials with tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by limiting urban sprawl. He promoted renewable energies and green technologies.

And despite the US president's willingness to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris deal, the former actor is optimistic about the general attitude of the Americans.

"The fact that Donald Trump left the Paris agreement does not mean that America has come out of it," he said.

"All of our environmentally friendly states are always moving in the same direction. All our cities in America are going in the same direction, they are still in the Paris agreement.

"People must understand"

"People are investing in the green economy. It's an expanding industry and people need to understand that we all have to work together. America is and if our crazy leader is not, so be it. "

During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to protect coal miners and even reopen closed mines.

COP24 is being held in Katowice, the capital of Polish coal, and the Warsaw government defending its coal industry advocates a "just transition" that gradually reduces the use of coal, while protecting miners and their jobs.

But for Schwarzenegger, the argument of wanting to protect a fossil fuel-dependent economy is wrong.

"Green technologies create a lot of jobs and the truth is that we do not have to choose between them. We can protect the environment and protect the economy at the same time, "he said.

According to the American Institute of Advanced Energy Technologies (EEA), more than half a million people work in California's green economy, several times the number of coal miners in the United States.

"We have the first economy in the United States and we have the strictest laws on the environment, which shows that one does not exclude the other," Schwarzenegger insisted.

"We have to make sure everybody hears this message, that everyone is involved, whether it's buying an electric car, turning off the lights or air conditioning when we leave the house, installing solar panels at home. ... Whatever this gesture, people have to do it so that we all win. "