California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is on a mission this week — a trade mission to Canada — to promote California tourism, California products and his latest obsession, climate-friendly technology.

His three-day visit to Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, starting Tuesday, is one of a series of out-of-state appearances in his new starring role as a political warrior against global warming. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger drops the puck Monday before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators in Anaheim, Calif. The Ducks won 3-2.
(Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press)

Schwarzenegger is a cigar-smoking, Hummer-driving man who wants to clear the atmosphere with new technologies rather than slimmed-down lifestyles, the CBC's Jennifer Westaway reports from Los Angeles.

He is promising cleaner air and fuel and expecting automakers, oil companies and scientists to figure out how, she says.

"That's how we solve the problem," Schwarzenegger himself has said. "Rather than making people feel guilty or telling them they have to go to reduce their car size, we should let them keep their big SUV and change the technology."

He betrays no doubts that the required technical advances will occur. "This is our race to the moon, and like that race, this too will be one giant leap for mankind."

Schwarzenegger, whose career has veered from body building to acting to tough-guy Republican politics, has unexpectedly become one of the leading U.S. voices in the battle against climate change.

The first result of his big plans for cleaner air and fuel is a flurry of lawsuits. Detroit automakers are especially peeved, but the governor is suing back — and so far he is winning in court and in popularity polls.

"There is no one that is doing a speech anywhere now about the environment, anywhere in the world, that they don't include California and say, 'Why can't we do what California does?' " he crows.

As part of his effort, he is signing agreements with all comers, including British Columbia, to trade carbon credits and share antipollution goals.

Canada is not following his lead on emission cuts but might be a market for California products such as the Tesla electric sports car, a fast, zero-emission, $92,000 US roadster.

The governor himself has one on order. It will be the 18th vehicle in his personal fleet, a greener muscle car for a greener muscle man.