As I was reading an interesting article in Newsweek the other day about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, I pondered what type of environmental advocate/alternative energy proponent I am. The article discussed the fact that Mr. Schwarzenegger is at times criticized for wanting the market to solve our environmental and energy problems, instead of preaching that people need to make sacrifices. A good example of his position is that he likes to drive a Hummer still, albeit one that runs on hydrogen. Some people feel that we should be pushing more for conservation, smaller vehicles, less energy use, etc., rather than touting that technology can fix our environmental and energy woes without much sacrifice on our end. I have to admit that I tend to lean more towards Mr. Schwarzenegger's attitude, namely because he deals with the reality of how people want to live and reconciles some of those practices with his desire to improve the environment and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. He actually makes things happen by dealing with industry, rather than protesting industry and wanting all or nothing. He promotes conservation in many ways, but he accepts the fact that people may want big houses or cars. To deal with the latter, he encourages more technology in the areas of solar power and hydrogen, for instance. It's hard to knock his commitment to reducing the effects of global warming and lowering carbon dioxide emissions in his state, so his approach seems to have real teeth to it. I admire the way that he views the improvement of the environment and energy independence as real necessities that the market should be allowed to make happen. Just look at the way California companies are embracing environmental improvements and alternative energy projects. While Mr. Schwarzenegger may not be viewed as the traditional tree-hugger, he is obviously gifted at bringing the masses onboard his plan for the future on these issues. He is finding a way to bridge the gap between industry and preserving our planet, which is quite a feat indeed.