“Takes the Bulb Out”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Punished His Kids for Disobeying His Strict House Rules for Saving Environment

Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been one of the biggest advocates for fighting climate change. He served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011, and during his term worked extensively on environmental issues.

The Terminator star started The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative and even made greener changes in his personal life. And it seems he raised his kids with the same eco-conscious mindset, even taking measures to ensure they developed responsible habits.

Arnold Schwarzenegger had strict rules for his kids

In 2010, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s eldest daughter, Katherine, revealed how he raised his kids to be responsible. A part of it was learning how to remember small things like turning off the lights before leaving the room. His approach, however, proved to be very Terminator-esque. “My dad is such a conservationist, if we leave a light on in our room there’s punishment,” Katherine claimed. 

“He takes the bulb out.” Having to screw a bulb back in every time you forget to turn the switch off would surely discourage a recurrence. Schwarzenegger, who came from humble beginnings, didn’t want his kids to get spoiled by the luxury he could afford them. He had four kids with his ex-wife Maria Shriver, and he made sure they knew how to look after themselves.

“The four of us clean our rooms, do our own laundry. The housekeepers know if they get near our rooms, they’ll suffer the wrath of Arnold,” Katherine continued. His climate-conscious efforts didn’t end there. His extensive car collection includes a fleet of Hummers. But they have a major drawback for the environment, contributing big time to global warming.

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He had one of them converted into a hydrogen Hummer and another from diesel to biofuel. Schwarzenegger doesn’t want to compromise on his love for bigger cars. Instead, he believes they just need to be made better in terms of their carbon footprint.

Schwarzenegger on how to make people more climate-conscious

For nearly 20 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been fighting pollution and climate change. As governor, he signed on to many initiatives to provide greener alternatives like the Million Solar Roofs Initiative or the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

He also worked on the Global Warming Solutions Act and launched the annual Austrian World Summit, one of the largest climate conferences in the world. His philosophy on how to make people care about climate change is fairly straightforward: it is all about the message.

“You can’t talk about beetle-infested trees in Colorado,” he says. “People respond if you tell them you’re killing 7 million people a year in the world, and 200,000 in America, with pollution-related illness. Environmentalists need to talk about that!”

He continues to work through charities, and stays outspoken about his political opinions, even after the end of his governorship. The issue has taken center stage in his philanthropic efforts for a long time now.

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