Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed that California be allowed to implement much tougher environmental regulations than the rest of the country. The Bush administration rejected California's request. Do you side with the governor or with the president?
COOPER: Our next question is from Janet Hook of the L.A. Times.
HOOK: This is for Senator McCain.
Senator McCain, Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed that California be allowed to implement much tougher environmental regulations on emission requirements than apply to the rest of the country. This is an initiative that conservatives generally oppose, and the Bush administration rejected California's request.
Do you side with the governor or with the Bush administration?
MCCAIN: Well, there's some physical danger. I have to agree...
(LAUGHTER) ... with the governor.
Look, I'm a federalist. And I believe the states should decide to enormous degrees what happens within those states, including off their coasts. The people of California have decided they don't want oil drilling off their coasts. The people of Louisiana have decided that they do.
I applaud the governor's efforts and that of other states in this region and other states across America to try to eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change.
Now, suppose that the governor and I are wrong, and there's no such thing as climate change. And we adopt these green technologies, of which America and the innovative skills we have and the entrepreneurship and the free market which is embodied by Senator Lieberman's and mine cap-and-trade proposal is enacted, and there's no such thing as climate change. Then all we've done is give our kids a cleaner world.
But suppose we do nothing. Suppose we do nothing, and we don't eliminate this $400 billion dependence we have on foreign oil. Some of that money goes to terrorist organizations and also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Then what kind of a world have we given our children? The state of California and the state of Arizona, we Westerners care very much about our environment and we want to act. And it's no secret that I have disagreed with the Bush administration in not being more active in addressing the issue of climate change, whether it be through cap-and-trade, through tax incentives for R&D for green technologies and many other measures that I think need to be taken.
We are feeling here in California pollution from China. It is a global issue, and we have to address it globally. And I would not agree to any global agreement without India and China being part of it.
But I want to assure you that we have an obligation to try to stem these greenhouse gas emissions. And one of the ways is through the use of nuclear power. The French generate 80 percent of their electricity with nuclear power.
I think that -- by the way, we now have a pro-American president in France, which shows if you live long enough, anything is possible in this world.
But the point is, young Americans care. Californians care. People all over this country care. And we have to address this issue.
We can do it. The greatness and strength of America is in our innovative capability and our ability to develop these green technologies.
General Electric, the world's largest corporation, is committed to green technologies. We can do it. And to somehow believe that it will cost more money if we unleash the innovative and entrepreneurship of America I think does not have confidence in the ability of Americans to address this issue.