Greepeace stages protest on roof of Apple's European HQ in Ireland
Protesters with the environmental organization Greenpeace staged an hourlong demonstration atop Apple's European headquarters in Ireland on Wednesday, opposing the use of coal-powered electricity to power the iCloud service.
The demonstrators scaled the top of the Apple building in Cork about 7 a.m. local time and voluntarily came down after about an hour, according to the Irish Examiner. Local police and firefighters arrived on the scene after the protest began, and Greenpeace members passed out pamphlets to Apple employees at the company's European headquarters.
The protestors placed signs on the building with letters spelling out the words "clean our cloud." Strangely, though, Greenpeace praised Apple's energy policy in Ireland, where the protest was staged, noting that the iPhone maker's Cork headquarters relies on renewable energy sources.
Similar demonstrations were also said to have been staged at Apple-run facilities in Turkey and Luxembourg. The protests were coordinated to bring attention to a study released by Greenpeace on Tuesday entitled "How Clean is Your Cloud?," which panned Apple's iCloud service and massive data center in Maiden, N.C., for relying largely on coal-based power.
But Apple was quick to refute those claims only hours after the Greenpeace report was made public. For its part, Apple said that renewable energy will provide 50 percent more of the power needs of its North Carolina data center than Greenpeace projected.
"Our data center in North Carolina will draw about 20 megawatts at full capacity, and we are on track to supply more than 60 percent of that power on-site from renewable sources including a solar farm and fuel cell installation which will each be the largest of their kind in the country," spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said. " We believe this industry leading project will make Maiden the greenest data center ever built, and it will be joined next year by our new facility in Oregon running on 100 percent renewable energy."
Protestors displayed signs at Apple's building in Ireland, via Corkipedia.
Wednesday's demonstrations are only the latest by members of Greenpeace against Apple. The Cupertino, Calif., company has pushed the environmentally friendly aspects of its products for years, following a dispute that began in August of 2006, when Greenpeace condemned Apple for the use of toxic chemicals in its devices.
Previous publicity generating demonstrations by Greenpeace include a "Green My Apple" campaign conducted at the MacExpo show in London in October of 2006, where the environmental advocacy group was forced to shut down its booth. Members of Greenpeace also took part in a "greening" of Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York City in January of 2007, where protestors shone green floodlights into the locations 32-foot glass cube.
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Comments
Are we supposed to take them seriously when they target a single company out of the entire IT industry?
Greenleace use Network Solutions as their hosting service, just curious of NetSol is greener than Apple?
Wonder how efficient their operation is...anyone care to investigate?
Greenpeace who????
Wonder how efficient their operation is...anyone care to investigate?
I assume their ship is made of recycled panty hose and runs on solar and wind?
Who watches the watchers?
Given that modern coal plants are among the cleanest energy sources after nuclear, I'm not clear on what non-renewable resource they expect Apple to use, or why they think that burning coal in the middle of the coal belt is somehow worse than transporting oil or LNG into the region.
don't they understand the idea of "Buy Local?"
I assume their ship is made of recycled panty hose and runs on solar and wind?
NOPE, made of extruded bullshit and powered by hot air emanating from the anal cavity of idiots.
Are we supposed to take them seriously when they target a single company out of the entire IT industry?
Yes, because that single company is the industry leader. And Noblesse Oblige.
If Apple can't take the heat it should get out of the kitchen.
Apple wants to be industry leader so it, and its fanbois, shouldn't whine like kindergarten kids.
Tim Cook will respond to GP's provocative attacks with accurate information and action. GP always downgrades Apple on 'visibility', never noticing that the 'visible' companies' deeds don't match their words.
Someone ought to write this article:
Greenpeace: Which is More Effective? LinkBait Fund Raising or Telling it Straight?
Are we supposed to take them seriously when they target a single company out of the entire IT industry?
Apple is a high profile company and Greenpeace will always find the most high profile targets in order to get the most bang for its 'marketing' bucks. Don't take it personally, guys. I can't believe so many apparently smart people get so hot under the collar over this.
Not that I support misrepresentation of facts, in fact, if Greenpeace fails in their research they are definitely shooting themselves in the foot, and they should be taken to task.
"Our data center in North Carolina will draw about 20 megawatts at full capacity, and we are on track to supply more than 60 percent of that power on-site from renewable sources including a solar farm and fuel cell installation which will each be the largest of their kind in the country," spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said. "
It looks like Apple is playing fast and loose with their numbers.
The fuel cells are NOT "renewable energy". They burn fossil fuels.
They are good for many reasons, but calling them "renewable energy" is just plain lying.
It looks like Apple is playing fast and loose with their numbers.
The fuel cells are NOT "renewable energy". They burn fossil fuels.
They are good for many reasons, but calling them "renewable energy" is just plain lying.
And if Apple so easily lies about something like this it is a given that they lie about whatever they deem convenient.
So what else is new?
Greenpeace seems to be the red-headed stepchild of the environmental movement, causing more backwards movement than anything else.
Given that modern coal plants are among the cleanest energy sources after nuclear, I'm not clear on what non-renewable resource they expect Apple to use, or why they think that burning coal in the middle of the coal belt is somehow worse than transporting oil or LNG into the region.
don't they understand the idea of "Buy Local?"
I attended a neo-hippie college a decade ago. Greenpeace reminds me of the sophomoric attitude of most of the student body who assumed being provocative was equivalent to being progressive. I was embarrassed (and still am) to claim I graduated from that school, even though it is considered a "good" liberal arts school. I didn't even walk. It's a little disheartening to have grown up and into a world where entire movements are dictated by what is very obviously an ego drive. As much as they try to distance themselves from the "herd," their reactions are grand scale juvenile efforts (intentional provocation and disruption) targeting the most trendy and well known sources - meaning they're no better than those who are ruled by trends precisely because their guiding principle is to deny trends. Do I want to protect the planet? Yes. Do I think Greenpeace's efforts at visibility are comparable to seventh grade initiatives organized by adults? Yes.
It looks like Apple is playing fast and loose with their numbers.
The fuel cells are NOT "renewable energy". They burn fossil fuels.
They are good for many reasons, but calling them "renewable energy" is just plain lying.
We all know you don't actually do research because it would always prove you to be the liar.
http://www.bloomenergy.com/fuel-cell/energy-server/
Check out point 3...
How about Bank of America? They easily have 20MW of demand that is supplied by coal. AOL is/was even higher.
The situation arose because of the environmental policies that Greenpeace pushed for the last two decades though. It made energy too expensive in places like California, so energy costs became a significant portion of total operating costs for data centers. That pushed the majority of new facilities from 2002 to 2010 into locations with cheap power. The trend is reversing slightly now, as areas like Los Angeles became under-served.
Yes, because that single company is the industry leader. And Noblesse Oblige.
If Apple can't take the heat it should get out of the kitchen.
Apple wants to be industry leader so it, and its fanbois, shouldn't whine like kindergarten kids.
I think invoking the word "fanbois" should automatically discredit one's arguments.
It's a little disheartening to have grown up and into a world where entire movements are dictated by what is very obviously an ego drive.
Apparently you need to finish growing up first.
It's a lot more disheartening to have grown up in a world where entire countries are dictated by what is very obviously an egotistic shareholder drive.
It looks like Apple is playing fast and loose with their numbers.
The fuel cells are NOT "renewable energy". They burn fossil fuels.
They are good for many reasons, but calling them "renewable energy" is just plain lying.
Fuel Cells are a means of converting hydrogen into electricity (and water). It tells you nothing about where the fuel comes from. You can generate hydrogen using a variety of means, from burning coal and oil, to geothermal, and harnessing tidal waves.
Yes, because that single company is the industry leader. And Noblesse Oblige.
If Apple can't take the heat it should get out of the kitchen.
Apple wants to be industry leader so it, and its fanbois, shouldn't whine like kindergarten kids.
What whining has Apple done. None. Refuting incorrect facts like how much energy the data center needs is not whining.
It looks like Apple is playing fast and loose with their numbers.
The fuel cells are NOT "renewable energy". They burn fossil fuels.
They are good for many reasons, but calling them "renewable energy" is just plain lying.
Not strictly true, so maybe I should accuse you of "lying".
1. A fuel cell isn't a kind of energy, renewable or otherwise; it's a machine.
2. A fuel cell is about the cleanest possible way to burn fuel.
3. The fuel itself can be renewable.
4. If the fuel itself is renewable, then the energy produced by the fuel cell is in fact "renewable energy".
For whatever reason, various people have decided to attack Apple from the left. None of those reasons hold any water. The left needs to stop these attacks because it's just making itself look childish and snarky.