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Greenpeace unfairly rating Apple?

updated 12:50 pm EST, Mon December 8, 2008

Greenpeace Picks on Apple

Greenpeace may be unfairly singling out Apple in its latest technology rankings, research by BusinessWeek shows. The magazine notes that Apple's score on the eco-friendly chart has barely moved despite its green initiative that eliminated toxins and many non-recyclable materials from most of notebooks, which itself followed similar moves to purge many of the materials from iPhones and iPods.

Apple's changes put virtually all of its computers in line with the Energy Star 4 standard for efficiency and are accompanied by other changes such as smaller packaging, while competitors with less environmentally friendly lineups have scored higher on the charts. Dell is cited as an example and ships just half its notebooks and two thirds of its desktops with Energy Star approval, but is ranked above Apple in the charts.

Companies like Dell also ship in much larger numbers and so do greater damage to the environment for every product that doesn't meet Greenpeace's expectations, according to the report.

The environmental activism group is accused of relying more on wording than on policy, nothing that both Apple and Dell appear to follow the precautionary principle of excluding questionable materials but that only Dell is praised due to its actual publication of that guideline. Apple's use of different carbon footprint measurements also appears to hurt its comparisons regardless of results.

While relatively slow to adopt an environmental policy, Apple has been relatively committed to its plans and is on track to eliminate all bromides and chlorides from Macs by the end of 2008 where Dell is no longer promising the same for its own line.

 
Previous Comments

obvious

12/08, 01:04pm reply

Not surprising - it's what anyone with a brain has been saying all along.

I'm a little surprised someone in the media actually looked into it, instead of just regurgitating Greenpeace press releases.

elroth

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2006

+26

Who cares?

12/08, 01:11pm reply

Who gives a flying f*** what GreenPeace thinks about anything?

Mr. Strat

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2002

+9

Greensleaze

12/08, 01:23pm reply

Does anyone pay any attention to Greenpeace anymore? Their credibility is totally gone. They aren't even a bunch of wacky extremist any longer; just a bunch of self-serving non-profit junkies. Snooozzzzzz... Please stop printing this stuff.

TheSnarkmeister

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2007

+17

Follow the money

12/08, 01:35pm reply

Apple gets a lower score because they're making more money. Simple (and sad) as that, really.

mustango

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Dec 2008

+11

Just for Publicity

12/08, 01:53pm reply

The only reason people know Greenpeace's name is because they bash Apple. It's been their only strategy all along - now it's just sad.

BurpetheadX

Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Jul 2002

+9

Apple is Newsworthy

12/08, 01:54pm reply

Greenpeace probably gets funded by Dell, or Dell provides them with free computers. Moreover, Greepeace gets more publicity when criticizing Apple, if they criticize Dell, no one would really care that much because Dell is not expected to do anything special, to many Dells are bargain computers.

BelugaShark

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2007

+5

Green Peas

12/08, 02:04pm reply

Greepeace is an official body, elected by whom? Oh - that's right - by NO ONE! They're just a bunch of self-righteous busybodys. If they had a pair, they'd be spending their time going after all the imports (foods, medicines, etc.)from China and Ireland (pork!) that are actually making people sick (when they haven't actually been killed by this stuff..). Let me tell you how I really feel about greenpeace. Why those.......

danangdoc

Junior Member

Joined: Jan 2007

+6

meh

12/08, 02:13pm reply

Greenpeace's own founder thinks they're off base regarding nuclear power.. And yeah, they're picking on Apple because they get more attention that way, and Apple is a larger target for (unfounded) accusations of hypocrisy WRT thinking differently. Buncha twats if you ask me, hope the French aren't so nice to them next time they decide to confront le force frappe...

OtisWild

Junior Member

Joined: Feb 2005

+4

Lead paint toys?

12/08, 02:16pm reply

How about all those childrens toys with toxic paints containing lead. Never hear Greenpeace talking about that.

Guest

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 1999

+9

Greenpeace=PCs

12/08, 02:23pm reply

It sounds like Greenpeace people are PCs. Think about it.

hassanpr

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2004

+2

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