“When I began writing the Apple and the Media series, I expected to find lots of examples of companies, individuals, and journalists suing Apple or otherwise using the company’s name for a free ride,” Daniel Eran writes for RoughlyDrafted. “I didn’t expect to uncover a conspiracy of greed, blackmail, protection money, and other mob tactics hiding under the sheep’s clothing of environmentalism.”
“Are certain environmental groups adopting the Overture / Google Paid Search business model? First hand reports from Apple employees say the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition approached Steve Jobs asking for money shortly after staging its first MacWorld demonstration against Apple,” Eran writes.
Eran writes, “Job reportedly ended the discussion immediately. Does paying off the SVTC protect companies from the wrath of its publicity stunts? The SVTC talks about environmental goals, but doesn’t support their conspicuous rage against Apple with facts. What kind of green are they really after?”
“Of the thousands of tech companies that ring the toxic San Francisco bay in the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition’s backyard, only Apple showed up repeatedly in their list of attack PR stunts throughout the year,” Eran reports.
Full article with much, much more here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Greenpeace ‘Guide to Greener Electronics’ report called ‘misleading and incompetent’ – September 02, 2006
Greenpeace criticizes Apple over toxic waste – August 29, 2006
As an environmentalist “whacko”, I am sure there are some thoroughly disreputable groups out there. Notice very few of the bigger green groups go after Apple or many other silicon valley companies.
Even green people seem to be human in all aspects…
Scummy, liberal-commie, terrorist lovers! Down with Libs!!!!!
Just ask Bill Gates. Isn’t he the one that sang, “It’s Not Easy Being Green?”
Geez, Rush – I liked you better when you were on the oxycontin!
MDN “magic” word: analysis. Sounds kind of like “anal cyst,” doesn’t it, you draft-dodging chickenhawk blowhard!
Nothing is more disturbing than extremists that undermine their own cause. I guess they are so emotionally attached to their agenda that logic just goes out the window. Like anti-abortionists that kill doctors that perform abortions, these “environmentalists” are lost in their own world view that allows them to live a double standard.
As an environmentalist, it sickens me to hear that organizations might be hijacking the cause for financial gain. It dilutes the real message: that we need companies such as Apple to be as environmentally sound as possible. I am glad that Apple has adopted a recycling program, and I’m glad that they don’t offer CRTs any longer, but I’m sure they can still do better. Trouble is, if a legit environmental group comes along and points out genuine flaws with Apple’s practices, they’re going to get shouted down as money hungry bastards rather than real stewards of the earth.
“Down with Libs!!!!!”
Obviously you don’t even know what it means to be Liberal. Stop listening to the neo-con definition and go learn something about people you tool.
In some cultures, envy is often associated with the color green, as in “green with envy”. The phrase “green-eyed monster” refers to an individual whose current actions appear motivated by envy. This is based on a line from Shakespeare’s Othello.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envy
Liberal = tree hugging, commie, terrorist lover, greenpeace phony
This group is probably less about politics and more about thievery. I doubt there is a true liberal or true conservative in the bunch – and even if there were, they would’nt let a little thing like personal conviction stand in the way of their next extortion project…
Cindy is a man.
Her, and Andy Coulter.
MDN sucks.
Slowly relegating yourself to being inconsequential.
Stereotypes are fun!
Conservative = greedy, war loving, homophobic, fetus hugging, jesus freak.
Conservative = traitor who puts profits before country. These people are not worth the bullet they’re begging for.
here we go…
nice “hit” piece MDN…
Read-
State of Fear
By Michael Crichton
He had to go overboard a bit on how for an extreme eco group would go to extort, but his books are always well researched and full of supporting data.
He makes some great points on how studies can be skewed just by knowing who’s funding them.
Global warming is this centuries Ice Age scare.
And there is problem #2.
People posting under different monikers.
What a pain in the ass this site has become.
I used to enjoy it.
MDN touchiness/nitpicking + non-Mac political rantings by possibly repeat-posters= credibility gap.
I wish macsurfer.com was free.
HEY, CAN ANYONE HERE RECOMMEND AN ALTERNATIVE SITE TO ME, AND POSSIBLY ALL THE OTHERS WHO WANT TO VIEW A MACINTOSH-RELATED NEWS SITE?
“Obviously you don’t even know what it means to be Liberal.”
It means that you think with feelings and emotions which is why issues that are black and white to the average logic and reason thinking person seem gray to you. You need a big mommy government to take care of you and make you feel safe. And, you are an anti anti-communist (a term I got from one of my favorite Americans, Walter E. Williams).
I could go on but I think I said enough.
– Mark
It’s actually a well established practice. Jesse Jackson has been doing this to corporations for years, and it made him a tidy sum. Whether you’re trying to hit on successful companies for Civil War slavery claims (even if the company was launched in the 1970s) or what these “greenmailers” are doing today, it’s still the same thing: Let’s shake down successful businesses BECAUSE they’re successful. And if that doesn’t work, paint them as being evil polluters or whatever is au courant. In the court of the Internet media, you are guilty until proven innocent, and even then, your exoneration is in fine print on the back pages.
I’ll give you a perfect example. Recently, Steve Jobs made a speech. Some uninformed idiots (are you reading this, Steve Jack?) ASSUMED that because Steve Jobs had lost weight (and was probably seeing a personal trainer), it HAD to be evidence that Steve is dying. And next thing you know, this meme took on a life of its own, pulled down the price of the stock and fell into the hands of Microsoft’s corporate negative public relations/dirty tricks/whisper campaign FUD team. Now, the meme is all over the financial and IT press. If you stepped back and really looked that day, you would have noticed that Steve was tanned and FIT, not wheezing and on his last legs.
Forgive me for having my shorts in a knot. But when can we get over ourselves already? I’m angry that some idiot with access of Blogger or Moveable Type is suddenly an expert on Steve Jobs’ health, or that some greedy self-annointed “environmentalists” decide to shake down companies that are probably quite innocent in the first place. For that matter, why does garbage like this even get published?
I’ve come to a conclusion: journalism died years ago. Now the only thing you read anymore are opinions. Including my own.
While I’m at it, I’ll mention that I’m also telling my 14 year old son to avoid this site now, because he COMES HERE FOR APPLE NEWS, MDN F*CKHEAD!
P.S. HERE’S IRONY FOR YOU, MY “MAGIC WORD” “CHILDREN”
Go hug that tree. Watch out for the steel spikes your buddies hammered into them.
I have to agree with Ed Anger. I’ve spoken out many times on these boards about this disgusting and damaging, unsupported speculation about Steve’s health. Every business story about Apple is now tinged with the spector of Job’s imminent demise.
WTF is wrong with you people? I just read the 2 posts that “popped up” between my last 2 posts.
What’s THE NAME OF THIS SITE????????????????????????????
Again, my magic word- “try”.
As in, “TRY” MDN to be the quality site you once were.
“Try”, readers. to stick to APPLE.
My understanding of definition for conservative and liberal
Conservative – Small government, less rules, less spending.
Liberal – Large government, more rules, more spending on social programs.
Now for the New Republicans – Big government (Police state), more rules (no abortion, no gay marriage), more spending on social programs for riches (tax cut, spend spend spend on distruction and spend spend spend on construction, so they can distroy them again, this is a social program for big businesses).
So, are the New Republicans Liberals???