From an article by Nick Paulson in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:
STEVENS POINT — The average American has gained 10 pounds in the past decade, and the extra weight is helping cause climate change.
“What that means is that the airlines that crisscross this country burn 350 million more gallons of jet fuel every year, schlepping around that extra weight,” said Terry Tamminen. “If all of us, myself included, would lose that 10 pounds, the planet would be better off and so would we.”
The idea may be a little harsh, but it is the kind of forward thinking Tamminen is known for and has helped him land some of the most prestigious climate jobs in the country. He has worked as the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Thursday night was part of a conference call with the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama.
Tamminen was Friday morning’s keynote speaker at the Wisconsin Climate Change Summit at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
From ideas such as his weight loss theory to broader changes like converting 1.2 million buildings nationwide to more efficient systems, Tamminen shared four steps he believes will stimulate the economy and create a more sustainable country: renewables, efficiency, markets and democracy.