Craving a greener Apple

iPod, color green

(Credit: CNET Networks)

During his Macworld keynote speech, Steve Jobs played a congratulatory voice message from friend Al Gore on the droolworthy new iPhone, then used that device to locate the DVD of An Inconvenient Truth at the top of Amazon's bestseller list.

Outside the convention center's doors, however, Greenpeace activists handed out flyers painting Apple as less than hip to ecological problems, urging the company to remove toxicants from its products and set up free hardware recycling. Several blocks away, members of the environmental group also projected pictures of Asian electronics waste scrap yards onto a wall of the downtown San Francisco Apple store. Discarded electronics are the fastest-growing portion of the global waste stream. Shiploads of the First World's e-waste routinely reach developing regions of Asia and Africa, where people take apart the machines by hand to sell valuable metals, but endanger their health and the environment in the process.

A greener, imaginary iPod

(Credit: Greenpeace)

Pushing its Green My Apple campaign, Greenpeace created a spoof video of Jobs' keynote, in which the imitation CEO announces an eco-friendly MP3 player: "Green iPod contains no PVC, no brominated fire retardants, no lead or mercury. It's powered by solar panels and the kinetic energy of your body when you move around. It's not only recycled, it's recyclable, and it won't poison any kids in China or India anymore."

Last month, Greenpeace's Green Electronics Guide ranked Apple dead last among computer and mobile device manufacturers. Apple has neither phased out toxic flame retardants and PVC nor set up free hardware recycling programs, such as the one provided by Dell, according to Greenpeace. Apple says it complies with European Union rules that went into effect last year forcing the makers of consumer electronics to reduce toxic metals and fireproofing chemicals in their products. Apple pulled some noncompliant products, including iSights, eMacs, and iPod Shuffle battery packs, from the European market last summer.

[dkheersink]

Good message, bad messengers

I think those protesters and Greenpeace have some great ideas for how Apple can clean up its act. But the way they try and get their message across is something I simply do not agree with nor think will help their cause. Steve Jobs is very proud of his company and was looking forward to today for several years, and for there to be anything that could taint his excitement would likely **** him off and not make him want to listen. These people I think actually do more harm to their cause than good when they resort to these tactics (protesting outside the main announcement, projecting images onto the store wall). Sure, in doing this crap they may get some warm feelings in their hippy hearts, like they're fighting the man or making a difference for Gaia with their guerilla tactics or whatever. But when are these people going to learn that they look like ***** and any worthwhile ideas they try to advance get lost in they way they try to advance them? The level-headed business world does not respond to such childish, stupid, aggressive, grandstanding types of PR attacks.

[migswell]

good enough message good enough messengers

I dont feel bad for Steve Jobs or Apple.. this incident is not going to make their stock go down. I thought it was a clever way to pin them to make a new standard. Dell does it and so does HP, they treat their e waste and so should Apple.. These activists are more like yuppie activists I was not there, I did not see it.. I only heard about it. It sounds like it might make their customers ask questions and even eventually push Steve and crew to put out the 'igreen' line of Apple products.. more expensive of course, and the yuppie activists can go buy their non flame retardant ipods...

[djacobsonw]

New but "necessary" or "unnecessary"?

More technology, more gadgets=more autism, more infertility, more birth defects, more cancer. Or, is this too much oversimplification? Is this "new product" one step forwards and two backwards for the environment? If so, why buy it? The "energy star" seal is not enough to stop the pollution because these products eventually end up in landfills and in our soil and water.