The Terminator: US will help battle climate change
KATOWICE: Governments must protect citizens from the killer effects of climate change, movie tough guy-turned-statesman Arnold Schwarzenegger said, insisting the United States was committed to a greener future despite President Donald Trump reneging on the Paris agreement.
In an interview on the sidelines of a UN climate summit here this week, the Terminator actor and three-time Mr Universe winner said he was on an “environmental crusade” and urged everyone to join in the climate fight.
Schwarzenegger added a sprinkle of stardust to Monday’s opening session of COP24 climate talks here, where nations must agree on a rulebook to limit global temperature rises and the devastating economic and health impacts global warming will bring.
“I think governments’ responsibility is to protect people. That’s why we have armies to avoid an attack. Well, here is the biggest attack,” he said.
“Seven million people die every year because of (air) pollution, 25,000 of them die alone in America. If we don’t want to fight that, then there is something wrong with us.”
The 71-year-old said the US was committed to act on climate change regardless of Trump’s controversial decision to take the richest country in the world out of the Paris accord.
“Just because Donald Trump dropped out of the Paris agreement it doesn’t mean that America dropped out.”