Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a blunt message to environmentalists frustrated with President Donald Trump’s energy agenda: stop complaining and start acting. Speaking at the Austrian World Summit in Vienna, Schwarzenegger urged climate activists to focus on practical, local-level solutions rather than despairing over federal policy.
Schwarzenegger addressed concerns from environmental advocates who feel defeated by the Trump administration’s rollback of Biden-era environmental regulations and its push for oil and gas under the “American energy dominance” doctrine. “What is the point of fighting for a clean environment when the government of the United States says climate change is a hoax and coal and oil is the future?” he said, quoting recent conversations.
His response: “Stop whining and get to work.”
Schwarzenegger emphasized that meaningful environmental progress often happens below the federal level. He cited his own legacy as governor, where local and state initiatives led the way in reducing emissions. “Be the mayor that makes buses electric; be the CEO who ends fossil fuel dependence; be the school that puts up solar roofs,” he told attendees.
Schwarzenegger also refrained from directly criticizing President Trump. “Attacking the president is not my style,” he said, noting that he avoids commenting on American presidents while abroad. However, his remarks underscored a broader call for personal responsibility and initiative within the environmental movement.
“The people are sick and tired of the whining and the complaining and the doom and gloom,” he said. “The only way we win the people’s hearts and minds is by showing them action that makes their lives better.”
Schwarzenegger’s message reinforces the conservative principle of decentralized solutions and individual initiative—urging Americans to take ownership rather than rely on Washington.
