Comments on: How green is Apple now?

Apple says its new MacBooks are among the greenest in the industry. Environmental experts are pleased, but still have questions on recycling and on greenhouse gas emissions.

[joetesta70]

$teve job$ did nothing for the environment until pressured by Greenpeace.

Buy a PC - PC billionaires actually do something for the world, plus youy won't have to wait until people get around (or never get around) to port to OSX like Google Chrome

LOL!!!!!

[Perry_Clease]

Grow up Joe

[vdubug]

"$teve Job$" only gets paid $1 per year by apple. less than your mom gives you for lunch money.

[FormerPCwonk]

Oh Joe doesn't get lunch money. . .he gets a Pop Tart and a Capri-Sun.

[ferretboy88]

Steve Jobs has 6 Billion dollars. If he is not making all that cash from Apple then where is he getting it?

[ewelch]

I wish this reporter had a bit more experience covering Apple. If she had known much about how Greenpeace operates, she would not grant them the credibility her article implies. They only rate what a company says on their websites in reference to their green goals. Greenpace DOES NOT DO ACTUAL STUDIES to back up their rankings of computer companies. They have admitted they pick on Apple because of its name recognition. Not because they are actually as a bad as they portray them to be.

If you'd assign reporters who have covered this story before, they would remember the nonsense that Greenpeace is foisting on the world with their disinformation campaign designed more to solicit donations and to get attention than to telling the truth about the industry. Or the fact that Apple is in leading in terms of their green record. Do they need to do more? Oh yeah, they sure do. Does Dell need to do even more? You bet! Everyone needs to work harder. But let's give credit where credit is due.

As a journalist, I'm really sick of seeing such sloppy reporting on this subject, and on coverage of the environmental issues were are facing in most publications and online fora. Not to mention sloppy reporting on just about any subject that can be termed controversial where such reporting simply becomes click-baiting.

Dvorak would be proud.

[Galaxy5]

And Greenpeace's blackmail campaign claims another victim. I have no problem with the "Greening" of tech, but the vast majority of people couldn't care less because they don't know any better. Maybe if Greenpeace stopped focussing its resources on companies and started educating the general public with direct action campaigns (like they used to) they'd actually make a difference and spread less resentment.

[itsaspork]

Can somebody explain how machining out the frame with CNC technology is "green?" What a waste of energy and materials! This manufacturing method is a FAIL- they'll be back to stamping out sensible aluminum shells in no time. Probably get the price down to $799 too.

[dbargen]

Did you miss the memo that they reclaim the machined-out aluminum? Yes, all of it. Why should you be surprised that using more energy can churn out better design?

American excellence and continual improvement is made possible by inexpensive energy. Once you get over the fact that there's no way we can emit enough CO2 to make any difference in earth's climate, then maybe you'll realize that the more energy we have available, the better. Conserve all you want, but the innovators can do their best when they aren't limited by a faux "crisis."

Apple has a history of incrementally lowering their prices after initial releases, but including design improvements across their product lines. I remember paying $2200 for my PowerBook 4 years ago, and being fine with it. Pros will continue to pay a premium for the best OS and as much power in their Mac as is available. The consumer versions have their market, and surging sales rates show a definite demand for this quality of design in this price bracket.

[dbargen]

Did you miss the memo that they reclaim the machined-out aluminum? Yes, all of it. Why should you be surprised that using more energy can churn out better design?

American excellence and continual improvement is made possible by inexpensive energy. Once you get over the fact that there's no way we can emit enough CO2 to make any difference in earth's climate, then maybe you'll realize that the more energy we have available, the better. Conserve all you want, but the innovators can do their best when they aren't limited by a faux "crisis."

Apple has a history of incrementally lowering their prices after initial releases, but including design improvements across their product lines. I remember paying $2200 for my PowerBook 4 years ago, and being fine with it. Pros will continue to pay a premium for the best OS and as much power in their Mac as is available. The consumer versions have their market, and surging sales rates show a definite demand for this quality of design in this price bracket.

[Vegaman_Dan]

The amount of power used to machine a case assembly versus injection molding is many times higher. From an energy consumption viewpoint, it's a very big waste.

Both the aluminum and injection moldings are recylcable. Aluminum recycling is very very expensive compared to plastics however. Once again, this is due to the energy required for the process.

This is more of a feel-good move and not one that is based on economic 'green' factors.

[Zeeshan47]

Actually, i'd be more worried about the brick construction of the new MacBooks. Sure all of this arsenic and mercury free jazz is important, but has anyone stopped to think of how costly it is to refine aluminum? Ever wonder why recycling aluminum cans is such a big deal? It's because regaining usable aluminum is far more efficient than refining ores, but it is still very very costly, both to companies and the environment. What fuels inefficient(albeit necessary) refining processes? Energy. And Lots of it. I'm concerned about the 5 pounds of aluminum that magically disappears in the creation of "brick" machined laptops.

[freemarket--2008]

Stop exaggerating! Do you even have a clue how big a 5lb block of aluminum is? And obviously, the scraps are recycled as will be the product when it's life is over.

[Zeeshan47]

It's not about the material being regained dum dum. It's about the vast amounts of energy required to make the scrap aluminum into block form again. it's not as great as straight from the ore, but it is still significant, and obviously an increase over plastic-body macs. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hater. I love my iPod and I would love to get one of these new macbooks, but the topic begs further discussion.

[nicmart]

Is Cnet going to start covering leather iPod cases from the perspective of PETA?

[xcopy]

Great. Another hoodwinking from Jobs and gang.

How about the new 4th generation ipod nanos, that from early reports right now appear to be "throw away" items... Replace the battery when you're done? Nah, the internal cables break as they're not designed to be disassembled. How many ipods do they sell? How many are destined for the landfill in two years time when they won't hold a charge and people don't want to pay $60 or more for a new battery?

Yeah, apple is green all right. Green with money, but certainly not an environmental leader.

[Vegaman_Dan]

The machines themselves may be made of 'green' materials, but the manufacturing process most certainly is not. The amount of power to machine a metal case and to recycle the waste material is many times higher than simple injection molding. The story doesn't take into account the amount of power that is wasted to make the aluminum cases, nor the amount of ecological damage the process of making the power to do that machine work includes.

China is not very well known for their eco-friendly manufacturing. Look to the smogged-out Olympics for that result.

The Apple product itself is green.

The process to make it is not.

[schneb`]

Anyone realize that Green Apples are sour?

[AaronD12]

More aggressive take-back program? Are they NUTS? I purchased a MacBook a few months ago and received TWO pre-paid FedEX tags to send ANY computer back to Apple for recycling -- Mac or PC.

How can they get more aggressive?! Will Apple come to my house, knock on my front door, and ask me if I have any computers to recycle?

Environmentalists: Stop saying things that are so easily debunked. It makes you and your cause look stupid.

[solitare_pax]

The reporter forgot one thing: Apple products tend to last and last if properly cared for. There's conservation right there.

The fact they are doing it - and still working on it, while PC/Windows makers are busy churning out piles of cheap junk is very good.

With a PC notebook - like the ones my brother gets - they run for a year or so, then its time to be replaced, because the battery is dead, the display won't stay upright or whatever. Being a joe sixpack guy, he pitches it as soon as he finds a cheap laptop, so he can continue surfing the web and doing basic writing and accounting things on it. My old refurbished iBook is still going strong in the same time he's been through 3 PC notebooks - and I'm essentially doing the same things with it.

So - not only am I being environmentally friendly by getting Apple, I'm saving money in the long run too.

[Shun4rm323]

Tell your brother not to buy cheap Dells, Acers, Toshibas, and Gateways. Asus and HP will keep him in the long run like your iBook.

[Shun4rm323]

Apple is both green on their taste, green apples are sour though you must admit :-P They are also loaded with billions+ of greens as well as their green efficient laptops, iPhones, and iPods. There was however no mention of their iMacs and Mac Pro. From what I read back on a post at TGDaily, the Mac Pro emits Benzene which as we all should know leads to cancer. Check it: http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/39556/135/

[ferretboy88]

We might as well shut down every company because they all produce waste of some kind. Democrats will never bring jobs in the country.