Greenpeace Hates Apple.

[stevento]

Look one of these emails they keep sending me.
They've been protesting outside the NYC 5th Ave Store and they're at MWSF.


Dear Jonathan, January 9, 2007

It's a new year, time for new beginnings… time for a fresh green Apple. Yesterday was the launch of the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, and we decided to help Steve Jobs kick things off with a bang. So we showed the participants of Macworld what's really beneath the skin of their favorite Apple products, by projecting a large video onto the wall of the Apple store down the block from the expo. That's right, what better way to reach the audience of a multimedia giant than to show them a giant multimedia presentation?

We've greened the 5th Avenue Apple store in New York with green lights, we've exposed Apple's core at the MacWorld Expo here in San Francisco, but now it's your turn! Call Steve Jobs right now!

TAKE ACTION!

Today, Steve Jobs will step into the limelight and deliver his keynote address. YOU can encourage him to announce a New Year's resolution to make Apple green.

As an innovative leader, Apple should be serving up clean technology that's safe for its consumers. This year, it would be so sweet to take a bite of green Apple.

Sincerely,


Rick Hind
Toxics Campaigner

p.s. We'll be here at Macworld all week, so follow what we're up to by reading our staff blogs.


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702 H Street, NW
Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20001
(800) 326-0959

 

[valdore]

Is Apple any trashier than Dell, Gateway, HP, Compaq?

 

[SkyBell]

I wish Apple was a little more enviormentaly friendly. You guys havn't seen pictures of where this stuff ends up. Plus, thy're products contain some serious toxins.

http://www.greenpeace.org/apple/about.html

 

[MovieCutter]

Yeah, is the Greenpeace that used a gas generator to power those green spotlights of theirs? They're attacking a computer company with 5% marketshare because of their popularity instead of HP or Dell with thei 20-30% marketshare? This seems idiotic.

 

[After G]

I wish Apple was a little more enviormentaly friendly. You guys havn't seen pictures of where this stuff ends up. Plus, thy're products contain some serious toxins.

http://www.greenpeace.org/apple/about.html

Those pictures of iMac keyboards are Greenpeace being disingenuous ... I mean look at all the PC keyboards underneath.

But people need to learn that keyboards can be cleaned ... sheesh. Throwing away a USB keyboard is inexcusable unless it's broken.

 

[highres]

Yeah, is the Greenpeace that used a gas generator to power those green spotlights of theirs? They're attacking a computer company with 5% marketshare because of their popularity instead of HP or Dell with thei 20-30% marketshare? This seems idiotic.

I'm sure Greenpeace focuses on all the major computer manufacturers not just Apple. They simply wanted to take advantage of the free publicity that MacWorld Expo generated to further their message, which overall is for a good cause and brings awareness about environmental sustainability and green technologies.

 

[nightsky]

Was curious and found...

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up
Mac is not being singled out check out the list of consumer electronics and their relationship with Greenpeace. Interesting, imo

 

[EricNau]

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up
Mac is not being singled out check out the list of consumer electronics and their relationship with Greenpeace. Interesting, imo

Take a look at their newest company lineup.

You may also want to check out their Apple-themed website.

 

[zap2]

The really put a lot of effort into going Apple...Apple isn't the worst on of the list, so why make so much fuss about it(this article did, but the past the have)...because Apple the public, cool company. Their just looking to put on a show...also in the chart thing, Dell got points for computer take back program..Apple has one too, and I didn't hear an mention of it, but then again I didn't look 'uper hard.


Edit-Now the new list says Apples the worst...still I didn't see credit for the Apple take back program.

 

[EricNau]

Anybody that associates themselves with GreenPeace should be embarrassed.

Their business practices are completely inappropriate and immature. It has become clear to me that they don't want a better environment - all they want is the publicity.

 

[solvs]

so why make so much fuss about it(

This has been talked about several times here. Because Apple is secretive. They don't disclose the details of what they do. So GP completely ignores the good they do. Cutting down extra packaging, offering a recycling program, etc. A company that says it's going to do good things will get higher marks.

Yeah, one of the many reasons even environmentalists don't like GP.

 

[clevin]

I wish, mac users, in defending apple, don't lose our humanity.

 

[solvs]

I wish, mac users, in defending apple, don't lose our humanity.

I don't get what you're trying to say. I have my issues with Apple (Finder, .Mac) but GP giving them a hard time for not disclosing their environmental policies while giving praise to far more wasteful and less environmentally friendly companies just because they talk about what they plan to do seems a bit hypocritical to me. I'm sure Apple can do better, it is just a greedy corp like any other, and they can all do a little better, but GP only hurts their cause when they use tactics like this.

 

[Henri Gaudier]

Everything Greenpeace say on their About the campaign page is perfectly reasonable and I'm glad they are taking Apple to task on their woefully inadequate "friendly" design. 3rd world dumping by 1st world companies is disgusting. As for the idea that it's a personal vendetta - surely this is nonsense. The other companies have given specific dates of when offending toxins will be removed or have removed the worst chemicals already. Apple isn't green in any way that I can see. Soldering chips instead of drop in replacement - everything on the logicboard so if anything goes wrong, like a damaged audio jack it need the whole logic board replacing (This is at least true for the iMac which I know from personal experience) If you want to max out the RAM you have to get rid of the supplied RAM ie 2 x 512 instead of 1 x 1024 - I could go on. Rather than turning on GP we ought to commend them and hopefully Apple will bow to the pressure and then Mac will have the kudos of being the indisputably "best" machine. Then the other manufacturers will have to clean up their acts too. All in all good for man and animals alike. As the great Captain Beefheart says "Clean up the air and treat the animals fair."

 

[TheBobcat]

Whatever, Greenpeace is just an eco-terrorist organization that values trees over human life. While I think we can all agree the environment is one of our most important assets, there's no point in getting your panties in a bunch for unrealistic expectations. I think there's more pressing dangers to the environment out there than iMac keyboards. And of the lot, wouldn't you think the highest volume companies would be the biggest problem? Apple gets attention when its name is thrown out, and Greenpeace is just once again being a whore for said attention because everyone got a job and stopped caring about Earth Day 35 years ago.

 

[princealfie]

Whatever, Greenpeace is just an eco-terrorist organization that values trees over human life. While I think we can all agree the environment is one of our most important assets, there's no point in getting your panties in a bunch for unrealistic expectations. I think there's more pressing dangers to the environment out there than iMac keyboards. And of the lot, wouldn't you think the highest volume companies would be the biggest problem? Apple gets attention when its name is thrown out, and Greenpeace is just once again being a whore for said attention because everyone got a job and stopped caring about Earth Day 35 years ago.

Yeah, Greenpeace needs to spend lots more time focusing on oil and gas companies... or are they too scared?

 

[twoodcc]

Anybody that associates themselves with GreenPeace should be embarrassed.

Their business practices are completely inappropriate and immature. It has become clear to me that they don't want a better environment - all they want is the publicity.

that's what i'm getting out of all this...

 

[ghall]

While I agree with their cause, they aren't helping anything, they're just pissing people off. Plus, there's so many other companies that are just as bad, or worse, for the environment than Apple. Shouldn't they be focusing more on the big picture, instead of a tiny piece?

 

[nateDEEZY]

They should really take into account the volume of mac products out there in comparison with the other big names on that list.

But it would be nice to see on the forefront promoting a greener apple.

 

[Turkish]

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up
Mac is not being singled out check out the list of consumer electronics and their relationship with Greenpeace. Interesting, imo

Interesting?

How do they choose which 12 companies they are going to pick on?

Interesting would be seeing their ranking on every major company out there.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Greenpeace gets more bang for their buck by going after the highest-profile outfits - it would be harder to get press if they went after some Asian manufacturer nobody has ever heard of.

 

[BoyBach]

Apple condemned for consigning toxic computers to China

Apple, the celebrated computer company, has been rated worst among major electronics firms for its environmental policies by the pressure group Greenpeace.

In a new survey of 14 major companies, the manufacturer of the Mac, the Powerbook and the iPod was put bottom of the list for its policies on the elimination of toxic substances and recycling. It was an unaccustomed stain on the halo for the firm with the highest brand and repurchase loyalty of any computer manufacturer, a glittering reputation as a design leader, and a fan base as enthusiastic as any rock band's.

Greenpeace charged that Apple "scores badly on almost all criteria" in a detailed survey of its environmental attitudes and practices, ranging from timetables for phasing out hazardous chemicals to the adoption of the precautionary principle. The ranking was made in the updated version of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics, which was published yesterday on the Greenpeace International website.

When the guide was first published, last September, Apple was ranked 10th; now it is ranked 14th out of 14. In a surprise first place on the list was the Chinese PC maker Lenovo, which displaced Nokia.

The Greenpeace report does not scientifically compare the environmental qualities of the products of the different companies, merely the companies' published policies.

Apple said yesterday that it disagreed both with Greenpeace's rating and the criteria the group had chosen, and gave a robust defence of its environmental position. "Apple has a strong environmental track record and has led the industry in restricting and banning toxic substances such as mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, as well as many BFRs (brominated flame retardants)," the company said.

...

The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that between 20 and 50 million tons of them are thrown away as obsolete every year - with potentially serious risks to human health and the environment. This is because they are classed as hazardous waste for the toxic chemicals they contain, and so are expensive to recycle properly. Instead, huge amounts are shipped (especially from the US) to China and India, where they are broken up for scrap, often by children, in dumps.

...

But even more eye-catching is the bottom rating awarded to Apple which, says the group, "having made no progress since the launch of the Guide in August 2006, continues to languish in last place".

Greenpeace charges: "Apple fails to embrace the precautionary principle, withholds its full list of regulated substances, and provides no timelines for eliminating toxic PVC and no commitment to phasing out all uses of brominated flame retardants. Apple performs poorly on product takeback and recycling, but it does report on the amounts of its electronic waste recycled."

Apple rejects its low ranking, saying: "We have... completely eliminated CRT monitors, which contain lead, from our product line. Apple desktops, notebooks and displays each score best-in-class in the new EPA [US Environmental Protection Agency] ranking system EPEAT, which uses international standards set by IEEE [formerly the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers]."

...


'The Green List'

Greenpeace rated each company on its policies on recycling and use of toxic chemicals:

1: Lenovo 8/10
2: Nokia 7.3
3: Sony Ericsson 7.0
4: Dell 7.0
5: Samsung 7.3
6: Motorola 6.3
7: Fujitsu-Siemens 6.0
8: HP 5.6
9: Acer 5.3
10: Toshiba 4.3
11: Sony 4.0
12: LGE 3.6
13: Panasonic 3.6
14: Apple 2.7

- The Independent


You'd think that with their 'hippy image' beginnings and 'Think Different' slogans that Apple would want to be the most environmentally friendly company possible?

Yet it looks like Apple still isn't taking seriously the damage that all our new Macs and iPods are doing to the environment.

It's real opportunity missed in my opinion.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Yes, but who do we believe, the company with a bottom line or an extreme left environmentalist group with a specific agenda?

Honestly, it's hard to tell who is telling the truth. Apple and Greenpeace completely disagree. It's interesting that Apple seems to be able to back itself up while Greenpeace continues to deny Apple's proof ... or maybe I'm just skimming this too fast.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Misleading title. There is no mention of Apple in the article sending recyclable parts to Chaina, or being unique in that regard.

PVC as a wedge issue?
Let me see: You score well by having recycling takeback policies, and this is unaffected by how dirty your production process is. You get penalized for failing to report on polices, no matter how clean the actual product might be.

If you frame the question the right way, you can make the answer be what you want.

 

[zap2]

d 'Think Different' slogans that Apple would want to be the most environmentally friendly company possible?

.

That's not their slogan anymore!!


Not to mention we already have a thread about this...why not just put this in there?

Also I simply can't believe everything greenspace says....they attack Apple as if there the only ones doing it. And now, for the first time in a long time Apple is at the bottom of the list, before this even greenspace said other companys were doing worse things, yet still went after Apple.


Also Apple has not CRT, dropped the iSight and has a computer/iPod take back program