Wednesday, 10/14/2009 Print Version |
Gov. Schwarzenegger Delivers Remarks at Oracle OpenWorld 2009 Conference
MR. ELLISON: OK, with that, we have a special guest here this afternoon straight from Sacramento. It is my great honor to introduce the governor of the great state of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Applause)
MR. ELLISON: Great to see you, governor.
Why don’t we sit down and let the governor speak.
GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, thank you very much, Larry, for the wonderful introduction, and thank you all. Please stay down and relax. (Laughter)
I hope you’re all having a good time, and it’s an honor to be here in the company of so many brilliant innovators and entrepreneurs. As a matter of fact, I feel like just as I came out on the stage that my IQ shot up around 10 points. (Laughter)
So this is really terrific. I love that, and I have to say this is really an amazing gathering. Larry told me that there’s around 40,000 people that have come together for this summit or conference or whatever you call it. (Laughter)
And there is like, literally like -- literally like 120 different countries that are present here. So this is really fantastic. So I just wanted to stop and by and literally say, you know, officially, welcome to California. And, you know, it is wonderful to host all of you right here in our wonderful state.
Now this conference is of course all about pumping you up. (Laughter, applause)
This conference is about celebrating technology. That’s right. So being here today gets me very excited because, let me tell you, I love technology. Doesn’t matter if it is high tech or biotech or if it is nanotech or green tech or clean tech. All of the techs, I just love it. (Laughter, applause)
And I tell you -- that’s right. And I love it because I know that some day in the future you will be developing technology so we can have a hand-free cell phone. (Laughter)
Even though my wife doesn’t believe it yet. She doesn’t believe it. I mean, can you believe that she was caught, now, three times in a row? (Laughter)
With holding that phone in her hand like in the stone age? I mean you can just talk. I mean there is the technology available now. And of course I promised the people that I’m going to create action and stop her. Of course, this is a no-win situation, I can tell you this right now. (Laughter)
Because, I mean, if I don’t create action, the voters get upset, and if I do create the action and stop her, then I get no action. So I mean, so, you know, I’m in big trouble. (Applause)
So needless to say, I’m in big trouble, but the bottom line is the reason why I love technology is because I have seen the advantages in my own careers. In every one of my careers technology has played a big part. I mean, if I think back on my bodybuilding career, if I wouldn’t have come to America and used the technology that was available in the equipment and also in food supplements, I would have never won the thirteen -- the thirteen world championships in bodybuilding.
Or think about just the movie career. I mean, how could I have done Terminator and Conan the Barbarian and all of those movies without technology? I mean, if I think about Conan the Barbarian fighting this giant snake, I could have never done that and looked so studly if I wouldn’t have had technology. And the green screen technology. Or in Terminator, just think about it, playing a cybernetic organism, living tissue over a metal endoskeleton. How could I have done that without technology? How could I have, as Terminator, blown the one T-1000’s head off and then magically see it regenerated right in front of me? Or how could I have saved my daughter in True Lies with a Harrier jet flying over her on the crane and picking her up and again looking heroic without technology? So this is why technology was always very important, if you call it morphing, or warping, or if you call it, you know, green screen, or motion capturing technology. All of this was used to make me shine on the screen. So this is how I became successful in my career as an action hero, was because of technology. So this is why I appreciate it so much.
But of course technology is much more than just about the cool movies or the plasma TVs or the iPods and all of those kind of things. Technology is our greatest asset, our greatest partner in so many of the big challenges in our life. I mean, if you just think about medical technology in healthcare -- I’ve seen doctors examining patients that were 100 miles away, not in the office, but 100 miles away, or in another state, or even in another country. That is unbelievable. And I think about this, also, when you think about every year 1.5 million Americans are injured from medication errors, 7,000 people get killed because nurses and pharmacists cannot read, sometimes, or interpret what the doctors write down on the prescription. So these are the kind of things where, for instance, technology comes in, like e-prescription will help prevent those kind of costs and tragic errors.
Or when you think about something that I’m very passionate about, global warming. I mean, technology is leading to new and cheaper forms of renewable energy. I mean, it’s allowing us to develop cleaner cars and to develop alternative fuels and to clean the air and to fight climate change. I mean, just recently, just last week, I was down in the LA ports at Long Beach port, and let me tell you something, there we’ve seen 70 percent of reduction in greenhouse gases and of the soot from diesel, just all because of technology. It’s not like we cut down on the size of ships or on trucks or on the tugboats, no, the tugboats are now hybrid tugboats, and the trucks that are still carrying the 60,000 pounds of cargo are electric trucks and not anymore the diesel trucks. And so it’s technology that will save the day when it comes to global warming, and so I think that this is very important that we all work together on that.
And of course, as governor of the great state of California, I’m so proud when it comes to technology and to innovation because California, without any doubt, is the leader when it comes to those areas. I mean, a tiny --
(Applause)
-- absolutely. And when you think about a tiny garage in Silicon Valley not too far from here is where the building blocks of the modern computer were thought up and built. And also California is the birthplace of biotechnology. More than 30 years ago, two men created the biotech industry over beer in a San Francisco bar. I mean, this is just extraordinary. Their work forever has changed the way that lifesaving drugs are made. I mean, in California, for instance, we’re the leaders now in stem cell research. We have committed -- the people of California have committed $3 billion in stem cell research which will in the end save Alzheimer’s patients, Parkinson’s patients, and muscular sclerosis patients and so on. (Applause)
We lead the nation in new patents. No two ways about that. We receive nearly half of the nation’s clean tech venture capital also. Just a few weeks ago I visited a company here in San Francisco that found a way to convert algae into clean fuel. Now, as you know that when it comes to transportation, transportation and the vehicles create 30 percent of the greenhouse gases, so if we can find a solution to that problem, that is what’s it about.
This is energy independence, number one, and cutting down on our greenhouse gases. Well, this is really a great breakthrough with algae because even the Navy just signed a contract with that company, and this is -- Solazyme is the company’s name. So the Navy signed a deal with them now, so they are going to go and get their fuel, and that is a big breakthrough because ships are one of the biggest polluters with their dirty diesel fuel. So this is another great, great breakthrough because of technology.
And of course, California is in so many areas the leader. In electric cars, for instance, think about Tesla Motors. Tesla Motors is producing zero greenhouse gases through their engines; they are producing 100 percent electric cars. That means that they -- we are the leaders here in California. Now Detroit slowly is getting the point that they should wake up because they have been asleep at the wheel for too long, and now they’re slowly waking up and they’re starting to produce, also, electric cars. And of course, I’m very proud of Tesla Motors because they built a car that goes from 0 to 60 just like the Turbo Porsche in 3.9 seconds. So that is a fantastic, fantastic company with a great, great product. (Applause)
And we’re also doing great work when it comes to smart grid technology. As you know, when we talk about greenhouse gas emissions it is 20 percent of the greenhouse gases of CO2 comes from energy, and this why it’s very important, that’s why I’ve just signed a bill a few weeks ago to go and create more renewable energy in California, 33 percent by the year 2020. But an area that is very important is smart grid technology. It is all about using technology like digital meters and sensors to make the electricity grid greener, more efficient, and more stable.
Power outages cost the American economy $150 billion a year, so smart grid technology could limit, if not eliminate completely, all those costly disruptions. It would also provide realtime information to consumers, empowering them to adjust their energy use during peak demand. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen some really cool gadgets here lately that allow people to turn off the power at their homes or their offices remotely through the phone or through the Blackberry. Now just think about it, that you go to work in the morning, your kids are still at home, you still need to have the air conditioner on and the electricity and the computers on, and then from your office you can remotely now turn off at 9 o’clock in the morning, let’s say, all the computers, the electricity, and the air conditioner and everything. Think about how much energy you can save.
And this is why, because of this technology, this is why California is so far ahead of the rest of the nation. We in California, we are 40 percent more energy efficient than the rest of the nation. We, per capita, have not increased energy use for the last 30 years, so it is all because of technology. And some of California’s biggest utilities, like Edison and PG&E, are leading in developing smart grid technology, and know many of you out there are doing pioneering work as well. And as you can see, so many California businesses are on the cutting edge of innovation, and I just, you know, think the world of California’s companies.
And I want to just acknowledge two of those companies, two of those businesses, who are with us here today. And this is two great California success stories, two of the world’s great technology giants, Oracle and Sun. (Applause)
Combined, these two companies hold more than 11,000 patents and employ 16,000 people in California and 150,000 people worldwide. So let me just take a moment to congratulate Larry Ellison and Scott McNealy on their new partnership and on their great, great work they’re doing for the state of California. Let’s give them a big, big hand. (Applause)
Now working together, I know that the sky is the limit for you and also your employees. And of course I love seeing all this great action in the private sector. But let’s not forget that’s not the only place where there should be action. Also in the public sector there should be action. The only thing is that six years ago when I became governor, the state of California’s IT was in the dark ages, let me tell you. IT infrastructure was stale and it was outdated, so I hired Teri Takai, who was the head of IT in Michigan and made Michigan be the number one in IT, and we now are moving our way up. First we were not even in the top 20 percent -- in the top 20 -- now we -- then we moved to 15th, then to tenth, now we’re in the top five, and within the next few years we will be also number one in this particular area. So as she -- (Applause)
The perfect example of the progress that we’re making is if you look at GIS, which is the Geographic Information Systems -- I’ve seen that firsthand. GIS is a form of digital mapping technology that our fire departments are now using. So many times when there are big fires, people are wondering why did they have helicopters, you know, at the airport, and why are they not taking off and dumping fire retardant? Well, when there is a lot of fire and there is a lot of smoke and no wind, they cannot see the ground, and therefore they cannot go and dump the fire retardant at that time. They’re waiting for a little wind to take that smoke away.
But now through this technology, digital mapping technology, our fire departments are using this continuously and through big firestorms it allows firefighters to see through that smoke, giving them more accurate and realtime view of the conditions on the ground. Think for a second about the awesome power of this technology. That information could quite literally make the difference between life and death, make the difference between a home burning or not. And like I said, I’ve seen it firsthand, the kind of advantages that the fire departments have. And of course, California’s -- we have already the best trained and the most courageous firefighters in the world, but with the great technology that they have it makes them literally the best in the world. There’s no two ways about that.
So as you can see, technology not only is some abstract concept. If it is where they’re saving homes from a fire, or saving lives through medical technology, or cleaning the air that our children breathe, or making our businesses more efficient, technology’s impact is in flesh and blood. All across this state and all around the world I’ve seen the infinite limits of technology. I’ve seen the infinite limits of the human potential, and that is why even though that we are in the midst of a crisis, of an economic crisis, and we’re going through tough times, I’ve never seen -- been more confident about the future. I am confident about the future because of all of you, because while it is true that we face enormous challenges in the next ten, 15 or 20 years, but stop for a moment and just think back 30 years ago. Could you have imagined the progress that we have made in these last 30 years? Computers, the internet, DNA, GPS, catalytic converters, global networking, email, the cell phones that are the size of a fist, and so on. The list goes on and on.
As a matter of fact, some 40 years ago a famous scientist made a gloomy assessment of our future. He said our population was growing so fast, way too fast, and that we could not possibly produce enough food to meet the demand. He predicted that 65 million Americans would die in the 80’s from starvation. Well, we all know that that didn’t happen, right? Well, because thanks to technological innovations, like in agriculture, in food production, our food production skyrocketed and California became the breadbasket of the world. We produce more food than any other place all because of technology.
So we hear similar Armageddon predictions right now. We hear about global warming, how it’s going to end the world, and economic crisis, or energy crisis, and all those kind of things. But I say to you today, fear not, because here in this room, and at university labs and research offices around the globe, the best and the brightest minds are working to conquer the challenges of the 21st century. You are truly building the bridge of the 21st century. I mean, it is incredible the kind of work that you do. Politicians have spoken in the past about building a bridge of the 21st century, but you are really doing it, let me tell you.
So when it comes to Copenhagen and everyone is now concentrating so much on Copenhagen because there they’re trying to create the Kyoto treaty number two, where all the countries in the world are supposed to go and make a commitment to reduce their greenhouse gases. But even though we wish them well, and we on a regional level and state level and the various different cities around the world are all supporting that drive, and we’re trying to do everything to support them -- but I think that will never happen until the technology shows to those countries that they can reduce their greenhouse gases and do it without really interrupting the economic flow and hurting -- without hurting the economy, and at the same time protecting the environment. I mean, I think that if we get, with science and with technology to the level where we can easily reduce the greenhouse gases, and I think that the only way we will be able to do that is through technology. Unless that happens, I think that those countries will never commit themselves to this. So it’s not the agreement that they’re going to sign in Copenhagen. What really will create the action to fight global warming is right in this room here, is right with you. I think technology will save us all.
So this is why I wanted to come here today to let you know that this is the big challenge of the future, and I hope that all of you have a terrific time while you’re meeting here and at this conference. And of course after you’re finished with this conference, I just want to ask you for one favor. Don’t go home. (Laughter)
Just stay here, travel up and down the state of California and spend as much money as possible because we need your revenues. Thank you very much. Thank you.
(Applause)
