Gov. Schwarzenegger to be Obama's Energy Czar?

Daily Mail (i.e. tabloid) report, so use some salt.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been tipped to become Barack Obama's new energy secretary.
The former movie star is coming to the end of his stint as California governor and could be asked to cross over from the Republican party to serve in Obama's new administration, according to several sources.

Schwarzenegger endorsed his fellow Republican John McCain in the presidential vote and even derided Obama's 'skinny legs' and scrawny arms' at a campaign rally in October.

But the Terminator star's views on the environment are closer to those of the president-elect than those his defeated rival.

California has already moved faster and farther than Washington to start a cap-and-trade scheme to curb greenhouse-gas emissions.

The state aims to reduce emissions 80 per cent by 2050 - the same target as Senator Obama.

Schwarznegger argues that climate-change legislation will help economic growth by boosting energy efficiency.

U.S. environmental groups see Barack Obama's presidential victory as a chance to undo the Bush legacy on global warming.
A White House 'climate czar' could be part of that, environmental groups say.

Mr Obama has articulated that the economy, energy and climate change are inter-related problems, meaning any energy czar could also take on climate issues.

Members of the environmental community in and around Washington say such a post could oversee various government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department, to focus on tackling global warming and fostering clean energy to jump-start the flagging economy.

'For the first time, candidates and voters are really connecting the dots between energy, the environment and the economy,' said Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club's political director. She said at a news briefing that Obama had made it clear that investing in cleaner energy would be a top priority in his plan for economic recovery.

One way to coordinate these interrelated issues would be to have one person in charge, based at the White House, according to sources in the environmental community familiar with the idea.

They said this could be part of a White House special council on energy and environment, analogous to the National Security Council. This kind of organization could be more effective than the Environmental Protection Agency has been under President George Bush, one source said.
Mr Obama made clear in his acceptance speech on Tuesday that he sees climate change as a critical problem, along with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the wilting economy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...ergy-czar.html