Gawker: valleywag, greenpeace

Apple beats Microsoft on Greenpeace environmental index

Jackson West — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:20:00 EDT

The dirty little secret behind the keyboard-tapping, button-mashing, cell phone-yapping, Valley lifestyle? Electronics manufacturing and waste are incredibly toxic. The cycle of planned obsolescence may drive profit growth. It also drives continuing shipments of used and broken electronics to places like Guiyu, China, where workers like the one pictured here make pennies picking over silica wafers for precious metals, while drining water polluted by lead and other industrial contaminants. Amidst all the cleantech hype that venture capitalists and entrepreneurs will save the world with technology, companies like Apple and Microsoft are still busy polluting it with old iPods and Xboxes. Microsoft is the second-worst polluter amongst large electronics manufacturers, according to Greenpeace. And while Apple's charming fakir Steve Jobs has made a public commitment to improving the company's environmental record, it lags behind less "innovative" rivals Dell, HP and Sony. But hey, can you believe the gas mileage you can get in a plug-in hybrid?(Photo from Getty Images)

Greenpeace hates Nintendo more than Apple

Tim Faulkner — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:09:29 EST

Greenpeace has found a couple of new targets in its latest "Guide to Greener Electronics": Microsoft and Nintendo. Particularly Nintendo, which scored the first perfect zero rating. The environmentalist group, once remembered for facing down fisherman armed with machine guns with rubber dinghies and rainbow flags to save the lives of endangered whales, has been hanging on to its diminishing relevance by attacking Apple for more than a year. The manufactured notoriety has backfired. Steve Jobs tore apart Greenpeace's charges in an open letter. Critics have savaged the organization's Electronics Guides as arbitrary and unscientific. So how is Greenpeace to remain relevant?

It's a sensible game plan. Apple has proven too tough a target. So now, Greenpeace has started tracking a few more companies. Highly notable companies with staunch defenders who will give the nonprofit some attention by ranting and raving about its charges, but who will be, hopefully, less defensive than Apple's Web warriors. Hence, Microsoft and Nintendo are now the worst polluters in the eyes of Greenpeace. Fanboys vs. environmental fanatics: We look forward to this deeply cynical battle. May the most outlandish argument win.

Apple wants you to know that the iPhone is...

Nicholas Carlson — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:45:08 EDT

Apple wants you to know that the iPhone is 100 percent crotchsafe, despite Greenpeace allegations to the contrary. "Like all Apple products worldwide, iPhone complies with RoHS [Restriction of Hazardous Substances], the world's toughest restrictions on toxic substances in electronics," an Apple spokesperson told Macworld. But already, Greenpeace has responded saying that, whether Apple complies with regulations or not, it should still disclose its toxic materials, just like rivals Nokia, Motorola and Sony Ericsson already do.

Keep your iPhone away from your crotch

Nicholas Carlson — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:20:22 EDT

No matter how you flaunt it in public, an iPhone will not get you laid. Worse yet, now come's word Steve Jobs's Jesusphone could ruin user procreation long-term. Hazardous chemicals found inside iPhones "interfere with sexual development in mammals," according to Greenpeace. More bad news after the jump.

After testing the iPhone in U.K. laboratories, Greenpeace researchers said they found it contains toxic brominated compounds, indicating the prescence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and hazardous PVC. Sounds unpleasant. Greenpeace published a full report here. In reaction to the news, The U.S. National Center for Environmental Health said it will file suit against Apple for breaking a Californian law which requires products containing certain chemicals to carry a warning label, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The takeaway? However much you love your iPhone, please, for the love of Jobs, do not pry open the case and rub its innards up and down your crotch. It's tempting, we realize. But don't.

"It's easy being green" for a limited time only

Tim Faulkner — Fri, 18 May 2007 13:52:51 EDT

TIM FAULKNER — Now that the "greener" Apple has made an effort to openly discuss their environmental policies, they are being more proactive with new initiatives. They have just announced an educational recycling program open to all accredited K-12 and Higher Education institutions with at least 25 systems (from any manufacturer) to recycle. The only problem: the offer is only available from now to June 30th, a very small and inconvenient window of time considering the glacial pace of school bureaucracies and their many responsibilities at the end of school year. Jobs certainly isn't going to quiet Greenpeace with one-time, limited offerings. However, given their record with Leopard, maybe the offer will be extended to October.

Greenpeace beats Apple at competitive political correctness

Nick Douglas — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 13:33:19 EST

Apple kicked Greenpeace out of the London Apple Expo last Thursday after telling the group (running a project called "Green My Apple") to only hand out leaflets at its own stand and to stop taking pictures of other stands.

But the Greenpeaceniks returned Friday, according to their blog.

At one point some plain clothes and uniform police arrived to say the organisers had called the police to claim we where throwing apples at passers by - of course this was obviously not true. After a friendly chat the officers left with an organic apple and wondering who had called them and wasted their time.

MacExpo evicts environmentalists [Register]
Green my Apple returns to Mac Expo [Greenpeace blog]