Greenpeace tries to shame Apple into "cleaner" electronics

[arcos]

Greenpeace tries to shame Apple into "cleaner" electronics

While thousands of Mac-faithful flocked to San Francisco for the opening of Macworld, Greenpeace activists held an off-site press conference to call Apple Computer a laggard when it comes to removing toxic materials from its production process.

Greenpeace toxics campaigner Martin Hojsik said Apple, despite its renown as an electronics innovator, had unexpectedly come in last in a survey of how 14 major electronics firms plan to remove flame retardants, heavy metals and other environmentally worrisome materials from their production processes.

"We hope that Steve Jobs and the whole Apple (company) take the progressive steps and show they can be the leader in green electronics, as well," Hojsik said.

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=19&entry_id=12397

[tridim]

1. My homebrew PC is green

It goes well beyond "Energy Star" qualifications, and draws low wattage even when it's processing at full speed.

What are you waiting for Apple? ;)

[LeftCoast]

2. My mini runs between 25 and 40 watts

Considerably less than the 300W my last PC burned.

I'd like to see them use less toxic materials if they could, but I think in terms of power consumption they're doing pretty good.

[tridim]

3. My processor maxes out at 35 watts..

which is pretty damn good for a dual-core processor that performs as well as it does. Now I need to find a low power hard drive, DVD burner and GPU to go with it.

At least we have these types of choices in the PC world. It's long past due that Apple open their hardware and let people have a choice.

[LeftCoast]

5. Well, you can add and remove hardware from Macs

It's not easy with a mini because of the form-factor but it's possible.

:shrug:

[Deja Q]

10. But the CPU, VPU, and hard drive use the most.

And AMD is more power-efficient than Intel. (for many reasons, I questioned Apple's use of Intel, though I will submit that Intel's dual-core systems are faster... not that I'd complain about my AMD dual core system - which is damn fast as it is. And more cost efficient AND energy efficient. Well, the CPU and HD anyway. I have a high end VPU. Most Macs, even the pricey ones, don't have anything as fast... and they use ATi too. Yuck.)

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

16. Less power, less heat

Your right, AMD is more power-efficient. I bought my roomate a new pc(AMD2 x2 3800+) in November..and I built myself an AMD2 x2 4800+. We both used to have Intel P4_2.4
the room was always warm. Not anymore..

Of course I have a good fan in it.... yes, the blades do turn. I can't get a picture of it moving.

[evlbstrd]

4. There are questions about that study.

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/E83D58B3-10E0-4A9C-8847-BCE665EE235C.html

[LeftCoast]

6. That was interesting

It's disheartening to hear that Greenpeace may be targeting Apple simply as a ploy to drive fundraising, but I'm glad to hear that Apple doesn't seem to have a problem with toxics.

[evlbstrd]

8. They don't have a problem?

That sounds like the Greenpeace line.
Greenpeace compared Apple products, which have a longer-than-average usable life, to essentially disposable ones made by HP and Dell.

[UndertheOcean]

7. Question : How can you tell how much your system consumes ?

n/t

[Deja Q]

9. This isn't the first time Apple's been pointed at...

www.badapple.biz

Been going on for some time, Apple's waste.

I wonder why Apple is such a special target, but it's known they're not entirely innocent either. (some of the ipod battery dumping happened before Gore got on the board... it's just sad to see Apple's environmental problems continuing since his arrival...)

[Lisa]

11. I've been swapping parts around to keep my G3 Wallstreet Powerbook running

More of this type of design could do a lot to keep these machines out of the landfill. And as the campaigners point out, a cleaner manufacturing process with more emphasis on recycled materials would be very helpful in a number of ways (waste reduction, keeping costs and externalities down, and even creating jobs).

[byronius]

12. I'm related by marriage to the Production Manager for the desktop line.

I'll have to forward this.

He's an excellent human being, dedicated Democrat, very smart.

Wonder what he'll say.

[alfredo]

13. They are greening their laptops, but yeah, they got to clean up

their production.


http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/01/08/epa.ranks.apple.products/

[Tesha]

14. Everyone is being affected by ROHS, and everyone about equally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive

Everyone in the electronics industry is being affected
by ROHS, and everyone is being affected about equally,
assuming they wantto keep selling products in Europe.

Greenpeace is taking advantage of a particular situation
where they have special leverae over Apple: the yearly
MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. You can't realy fault
Greenpeace for doingthis, but that doesn't mean that
Apple is in any way different than, say, HP, Dell, or
Lenovo.

Tesha

[ktlyon]

15. We need to make the manufacturers responsible from creation

to the scrap heep
This will take a large step in our recycling thinking.
These things need to be designed in ways that they can be easily dismantled and reused in the companies new models

[Deja Q]

17. With Gore involved,

it's amazing Apple has done what it HAS done.

I'd hate to think about Apple's lack of accomplishment if Gore hadn't gotten on the board.

And I'm assuming he (and not external influences) is what got Apple started on any responsibility at all.

http://www.badapple.biz has something of a history...

Even HP and Dell have had recycling and other programs than Apple - far longer too.

[Tesha]

18. Please go back and read my reply #14

There are international regulations coming into force
that are affecting everyone in the electronics industry.

Tesha