“Why would Al Gore, America’s best-known environmentalist and a member of the board of directors of Apple, oppose shareholder resolutions that ask the computer maker to become more green? That’s what Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Consumers Union, the National Environmental Trust and the Computer TakeBack Campaign want to know,” Marc Gunther reports for Fortune.
“They are among about 70 groups that signed a letter to Gore asking the former vice president to use his clout as a director to get Apple to become responsible for its environmental impact. They charge that Apple lags behind rivals Dell and Hewlett Packard when it comes to recycling computers and eliminating toxic chemicals from its laptops, desktops and other electronic devices,” Gunther reports. “They say Apple also lags Dell and HP in reporting on environmental and social issues – and that the company is a lot less willing to talk about these issues with activist groups.”
“As for Gore, he’s drawing criticism from the environmentalists because Apple told them that its board voted unanimously against two shareholder resolutions… Why would Gore vote against them? He declined to respond, through a spokeswoman, but it probably has less to do with the substance of the issues than the sorry state of corporate governance. Even today, very few directors are willing to cast dissenting votes, display independence or publicly criticize management,” Gunther reports.
“The more interesting question is, what, if anything, has Gore done behind-the-scenes to press Apple to change? There’s no way to know, of course. But we do know that Gore met last spring with the activist groups, including the Computer TakeBack Campaign, and he brought along an Apple exec,” Gunther reports. “The other reason to think that Gore could be having an impact is that Apple has made meaningful progress around environmental issues in the last several years. It expanded its recycling efforts. It responded for the first time (albeit incompletely) to the Carbon Disclosure Project, which asks companies to report on their greenhouse gas emissions. It’s reducing the size and weight of its computers and its packaging. It adopted a supplier code of conduct in 2005.”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Greenpeace ranks Apple dead last in ‘environmental friendliness’ – April 03, 2007
EPA does not support Greenpeace’s charges against Apple Computer – January 07, 2007
Apple places last in Greenpeace ‘Guide to Greener Electronics’ report – December 07, 2006
Mac Expo evicts Greenpeace campaigners – October 26, 2006
Is Greenpeace lying about Apple’s ‘toxic laptops?’ – September 25, 2006
What kind of green are ‘environmental extortionists’ really after? – September 06, 2006
Greenpeace ‘Guide to Greener Electronics’ report called ‘misleading and incompetent’ – September 02, 2006
Greenpeace criticizes Apple over toxic waste – August 29, 2006
Apple offers free computer take-back recycling program – April 21, 2006
Defiant Steve Jobs calls environmentalists’ claims ‘B.S.’ – April 22, 2005
I just bought a macbook and Apple offered to recycle my old computer for free if I so chose. Darn their lagging!
Al Gore is a total fraud and huckster.
I do have to admit that Granny Smiths make a better pie.
Enviro’s = the new thought police. Facts and practicality be damned. After all, even if GreenPeace saves just one little field mouse, wouldn’t everything they do be worth it?
These environmental asswipes can’t get a real job, so they work for non productive and make-believe work organizations. Not one dime of my money to these yellow bellies.
My 1999 PowerBook and 2001 PowerMac are bad too, they keep showing their usefulness. Meanwhile my cousin has used up 7 PCs, two of them rotting in his back yard. Time to upgrade the G5 to 8-core ProMac though.
so let me get this right!? greenpeace is at odds with apple not because of how environmentally friendly they are in comparison to dell etc but more to do with the fact apple will not release an environmental ‘roadmap’ due to there policy of ‘quiet’ and secrecy. If this is so, it is totally unwarrented, if im wrong, somebody correct me because i think apple really should be leading the way environmentally, after all steve is an ex hippy
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” /> lol
Fire Algore–from a cannon. No, send him to Mongolia to clean up their mess. He’s so wrong about the causes of global warming. Just ask Rush.
How much energy does Algore use in his mansions? The carbon credits he buys are from his own shell company. What a faker.
Green peas, you give me gas.
Algore causes devastation to thousands of hard working people. What did he ever contribute? Besides the internet.
In Ohio alone, from 1990 to 2005, about 118 mines were shut down, costing more than 36,000 primary and secondary jobs. These impacted areas have spent years recovering, and some never will. Families were broken up, many lost homes, and some were impoverished, because of legislation that the environmentalists call a “success.”
Once I saw Greenpeace on the list, I immediately discounted all the others as frauds. NO respectible group that actualy cares about the environment, as opposed to hype and shake downs, would be caught dead with those Greenpeace whores.
Sorry, but you actually have to have some of what is called *credibility* before you criticise someoene else.
Gore is not my favorite politician but he has nothing to answer for here.
Also Apple has LONG been a clear leader in environmental movements in the computer industry, simplifying their product line, dumping legacy junk off their computers (just losing the floppy drive alone was a step forward for the environment). All in one systems that don’t need extra cables and packaging, dumping environmentally hostile CRT displays before anyone else..
The list goes on.
Bottom line, anyone pointing fingers at the clear environmental leader of the major computer manufacturers above Dell etc, are clearly paid whores who don’t care about the environment but are just crooked sham artists with their hands out.
Umm, maybe because Al Gore is a hypocrite?!? Just check out the electric bill at his mansion in Tennessee and you can clearly see that.
In typical left wing environmentalist fashion, it’s “do as I say, not as I do.” It’s really easy to go around telling everyone else what they should be doing, but of course he doesn’t want to be inconvenienced by doing the same things himself though.
My question is why did it take these morons this long to figure out that this guy is a total fraud? Obviously it’s because they’re total hypocrites themselves….
Hate, vitriol, and more hate. The Republican spin machine in full effect. Jesus would be ashamed.
G-
I know you didn’t mean that as a joke, but I had to laugh.
Thanks
It’s so fun to see these tree huggers eating each other. Maybe real people can see how whacked out these people are in so many ways. Man made global warming is a great example of extremism and maybe the biggest hoax played on mankind next to “ the world is flat” concept. But this fad is starting to fall apart on them and its so fun to see.
Well, they finally got Apple on something that is not a myth.
I can feel the radiation coming from the eMac I am currently typing on.
That stupid greenpeace movement is making it sound like that the Mac and iPod are running on diesel fuel with giant pipes sticking out of the back spewing pollution!
No prob TT, it is actually hilarious!
Anyone ever calculate how much pollution is made by all the people going to see the Goracle´s movie? Drive car to and back from movie theater, buy popcorn, soft drink etc and all the left over litter, all the electricity in the movie theater to have the movie, cook the popcorn, cool the soft drink, flush the toilet…
Must be as much as the Goracle uses in his multiple households and private jet trips around the world.
Al, do the right thing, either make Apple more green to suit the environmentalists or resign from the board.
Unbelievable….
The fanboys are out in full force today, spewing bile and spraying sh*t in every direction.
What is it with MDN readers? Isn’t there a single grownup among you? If so, prove it.
Here’s my challenge to you:
If you don’t agree with these environmental groups, then why don’t you list your own priorities for how Apple could reform its business practices and become more green?
I bet not one of the people posting here have any clue as to what might constitute a real agenda for environmental reform at Apple.
@RTFA
Apple doesn’t need any environmental reform.
Thanks to all the environmentalists & new laws, America is wasting energy importing raw materials (gravel, cement, and other mineral ores) that we could produce locally.
How’s that for common sense environmental policy.
Spock:”Apple doesn’t need any environmental reform.”
And the basis for claiming this is … ?
Merely asserting something doesn’t make it actually true. Where are the facts to support your claim?
my mac mini g4 uses like 1/4 of the power a normal p4 pc does
yeah, apple makes power efficient computers that need to replaced less often, that’s good for something, and if you need to recycle your old computers, other businesses will do it
I love the ad for anti-bush apparel at the top.
@FTFA
http://www.macobserver.com/article/2007/03/29.7.shtml
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/ABC6DFDA-9DE9-4EA8-A269-65EAAB628676.html
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/29C5599A-FCD8-4E30-9AD5-5497999ABA1B.html