Despite opposition from the Catholic Church, he has committed to stem cell research, all the while reminding people that he is a devoted Catholic. Many American Christians, Catholic and Evangelical Protestant, do the same over their leaders' objections.
That tells me this: the majority of Americans are proving, by their actions, that they don't believe that human personhood begins at conception, which is not what the Catholic magisterium and the Religious Right teach. We all know that the majority can be horribly wrong, but that isn't a given.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a new $30-million joint research venture to facilitate stem-cell research Wednesday morning.
McGuinty and Schwarzenegger signed the deal at the MaRs Discovery District research centre in Toronto as part of the California governor's three-day trade mission to Canada.
"Our government is proud to be investing $30 million in the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium to be headquartered right here at MaRs," McGuinty said.
"The consortium will research ways to use knowledge of cancer stem cells to find a lasting cure."
Government sources say funding for the agreement is provided by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.
Schwarzenegger is a leading supporter of stem-cell research and said he hopes new discoveries will lead to "a cure for deadly and debilitating diseases."
The governor's father-in-law suffers from Alzheimer's disease.
The two Canadian scientists who discovered stem cells in 1963 were on-hand to hear the premier's announcement.
McGuinty said the research may do more than help the two-out-of-five North Americans that will be diagnosed with cancer.
"In the future, stem cells could also be used to treat Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and muscle damage," McGuinty said.
Critics and anti-abortion activists have condemned both the governor and Ontario's premier for the plan.
The Campaign Life Coalition accused McGuinty of betraying his Catholic faith by supporting stem-cell research with the grant.
"Read my lips, Arnold and Dalton, embryonic stem cell research does not work," said Jim Hughes, national president of Campaign Life Coalition.
"There is no need to kill human embryos. The scientists are only pushing for this because the embryos are available."
McGuinty and Schwarzenegger also signed an agreement on Wednesday to cut emissions in Ontario.
The deal includes low-carbon fuel standards for Ontario, but will fall short of California's tough emission caps.
Schwarzenegger has pledged to cut his state's greenhouse emissions 25 per cent by the year 2020, and an additional 80 per cent by the year 2050.
The deal commits Ontario to:
* Adopt California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, implemented to reduce carbon content of all fuels sold in the state by 10 percent by the year 2020;
* Promote innovative, low-carbon technology; and
* Explore more energy-efficient programs and policies.
The premier has already set a target to reduce Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, but McGuinty and Canadian environmentalists think the federal government should set standards for every province and territory.
"In an ideal world, we would have a global standard for everything from emissions to fuel standards to energy efficiency," McGuinty said Wednesday.
The premier says it doesn't make sense for provinces to set their own emission limits.
"North America as a whole is about 15 years behind the European Union and Japan when it comes to fuel efficiency standards. Requiring California standards in Canada would put us on track to making up some of the lost time," Emilie Moorhouse, Atmosphere and Energy Campaigner, said in a statement.
Critics say the emissions plan could damage Ontario's embattled automotive sector.
Schwarzenegger said he's also been hampered in getting the U.S. government onboard with his policies, but he's made it clear that California is going to get federal support to go green, one way or another.
"We're working with federal government, and at the same time we made it clear that if we don't get it, we'll sue the federal government," Schwarzenegger said, cracking a smile.
McGuinty said he's convinced that North America's national levels of government will get onboard soon, but in the meantime, regional governments have to work together to gain momentum.
"I don't think you're going to see the federal governments at the front of the parade, I think that you'll see them joining it sometime in the not-so-distant future, but much of the leadership will be provided by states and individual provinces," he said.
"What we're doing now is reaching out to each other and reminding ourselves that we share the same planet, and we can work together to form a critical mass and continue to build on that."
This is Schwarzenegger's first trip to Canada as governor. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell in a series of meetings throughout the week.
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