Macworld: Activist plan 'dramatic' greening of Apple Store SF at 6:00pm
Greenpeace, a group of activist lobbying for more environmental friendly manufacturing processes amongst electronics makers, is planning to 'green the Apple Store San Francisco' this evening at 6:00pm local time.
The organization has been on Apple's case for months, challenging the company and several other top electronics makers to use clean components in all of their products and to provide a free take-back program to reuse and recycle those products wherever they are sold.
Greenpeace in August issued a report which gave the iPod maker a 2.7 out of 10 environmental-friendly rating, awarding it low scores in almost all criteria, including the use of toxic chemicals, recycling, and the quality of its take-back programs.
During a press conference on Monday, representatives for the group said they plan to be outside this week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, handing out flyers that present their views on Apple's environmental savviness -- or lack there of -- to conference attendees.
Although Greenpeace had wished to be amongst the paid exhibitors at Macworld, their requests to do so were repeatedly denied by show organizer IDG (apparently under the influence of Apple).
The blacklisting follows a controversial exhibition by the organization during the October Mac Expo in London, which drew several complaints from Apple and ultimately resulted the group being ejected from the show.
Greenpeace's Rick Hind speaks to journalists during a press conference on Monday.
Unwilling to relent in its campaign, Greenpeace later 'greened' Apple's flagship store on Fifth Avenue New York City, shining green spotlights into the location's 32-foot glass cube in protest.
Rick Hind, Legislative Director of Greenpeace USA's Toxics campaign, said the group is organizing a similar demonstration at 6:00pm pacific time today outside Apple's flagship store in San Francisco at 1 Stockton Street.
"We used green floodlights on the New York City store -- that was a symbolic screening," Hind said during Monday's press conference. He added that this evening's demonstration would "be different, and probably more dramatic."
Greenpeace activists demonstrate with "green" light at the 5th Avenue Apple store in Manhattan.
Greenpeace said its GreenMyApple.org website has been the highest trafficked website in the organization's history, attracting about half a million users thus far.
Although Greenpeace admits placing Apple under more scrutiny than any other electronics manufacturer, it says it is doing so because the company is seen as the "signature innovative company" in today's market.
If Apple does not lead the charge to go green, the organization argues, the rest of the industry will be reluctant to follow.
The organization has been on Apple's case for months, challenging the company and several other top electronics makers to use clean components in all of their products and to provide a free take-back program to reuse and recycle those products wherever they are sold.
Greenpeace in August issued a report which gave the iPod maker a 2.7 out of 10 environmental-friendly rating, awarding it low scores in almost all criteria, including the use of toxic chemicals, recycling, and the quality of its take-back programs.
During a press conference on Monday, representatives for the group said they plan to be outside this week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, handing out flyers that present their views on Apple's environmental savviness -- or lack there of -- to conference attendees.
Although Greenpeace had wished to be amongst the paid exhibitors at Macworld, their requests to do so were repeatedly denied by show organizer IDG (apparently under the influence of Apple).
The blacklisting follows a controversial exhibition by the organization during the October Mac Expo in London, which drew several complaints from Apple and ultimately resulted the group being ejected from the show.
Greenpeace's Rick Hind speaks to journalists during a press conference on Monday.
Unwilling to relent in its campaign, Greenpeace later 'greened' Apple's flagship store on Fifth Avenue New York City, shining green spotlights into the location's 32-foot glass cube in protest.
Rick Hind, Legislative Director of Greenpeace USA's Toxics campaign, said the group is organizing a similar demonstration at 6:00pm pacific time today outside Apple's flagship store in San Francisco at 1 Stockton Street.
"We used green floodlights on the New York City store -- that was a symbolic screening," Hind said during Monday's press conference. He added that this evening's demonstration would "be different, and probably more dramatic."
Greenpeace activists demonstrate with "green" light at the 5th Avenue Apple store in Manhattan.
Greenpeace said its GreenMyApple.org website has been the highest trafficked website in the organization's history, attracting about half a million users thus far.
Although Greenpeace admits placing Apple under more scrutiny than any other electronics manufacturer, it says it is doing so because the company is seen as the "signature innovative company" in today's market.
If Apple does not lead the charge to go green, the organization argues, the rest of the industry will be reluctant to follow.
Comments
-Clive
Greenpeace, piss off!
I'll deliver your message Personally
Sebastian
I'll deliver your message Personally
Sebastian
Thank you.
Thank you.
Welcome
Sebastian
Read about how Apple's laptops made the top grade at the EPA here: http://arstechnica.com//journals/app.../2007/1/6/6507
I care about the enviroment and all, but Greenpeace is a mob of lunatics.
-Clive
Totally agree with ya there.
http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/1/6/6507
My Mum had me stay home because we were having a repairman come in to fix the whole in the wall that had been there for a couple of weeks since someone upstairs clogged the pipes for 4 apartments.
This is an oppurutnity not to be resisted...
Sebastian
EDIT
I just found this on their site
I love the environment, I care about the environment, but Greenpeace's tactics are just too extreme and cultic.
I don't remember seeing them doing this to Microsoft or Sony... what's their deal?
I would bring a nice cream pie to MacWorld and throw in the face to the first Greenpeace person that gave me a green paper. I suggest everyone attending MacWorld to bring a cream pie and throw in their faces.
Ok, i'm being dramatic but they said they were going to be more dramatic too, so there!
I care about the enviroment and all, but Greenpeace is a mob of lunatics.
-Clive
I totally agree.
Greenpeace, piss off!
Well said!
I would bring a nice cream pie to MacWorld and throw in the face to the first Greenpeace person that gave me a green paper. I suggest everyone attending MacWorld to bring a cream pie and throw in their faces.
Ok, i'm being dramatic but they said they were going to be more dramatic too, so there!
I'd recommend against doing that... constitutes assault. Just express yourself verbally, they can't take away your freedom of speech... can they?
Everybody hates you, so just go away!
I would bring a nice cream pie to MacWorld and throw in the face to the first Greenpeace person that gave me a green paper. I suggest everyone attending MacWorld to bring a cream pie and throw in their faces.
That would just be spending money for an unworthy cause!
So I'll ask myself what harm they are doing, vs. what good they are doing.
The harm:
They are hurting the feelings of people (like me) who tend to be loyal to the Apple brand. (But they are not actually threatening Apple's business or future.) They are being annoying to some people (like me). In addition they make people think about things that people would rather ignore (human nature). Nobody enjoys that.
The good:
They actually do accelerate some changes that help all of us... and hurt nobody. These are not minor issues, much as we'd like to ignore them--they really are vital and real issues. Apple may not be a huge offender, but generating Apple-related hype helps with issues that go beyond Apple. What Greenpeace is doing is an effective tool for good. It could be even MORE effective--and less annoying--and I wish they'd change some of their practices (like the way they oversimplify their facts--just like world leaders do). But that doesn't change the fact that their efforts are a whole lot better than nothing, and benefit us all.
Apple and other companies HAVE improved, and they DO need to improve much more, and public pressure/bad publicity DOES help make that happen.
So I've decided I can tolerate the harm Greenpeace does, find a way to keep in living in spite of the pain they cause me... and still benefit from the results they bring
And I can also hope people keep criticizing them. They need it. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that Greenpeace only does harm, and that corporations never do any. Greenpeace does do some good, and if environmental problems annoy people, that doesn't make them less real, and vital to fix.
Sebastian
Greenpeace is just singling out Apple and picking on them in a sensationalist way because doing so gets a lot of attention for their cause. (And not just negative forum comments, but actual traffic to their sites.) In short, Greenpeace is smart to do this. They are NOT smart when they use rhetoric in place of actual facts. Wait a minute--the public laps up rhetoric in place of actual facts. OK, so Greenpeace IS being pretty smart!
So I'll ask myself what harm they are doing, vs. what good they are doing.
The harm:
They are hurting the feelings of people (like me) who tend to be loyal to the Apple brand. (But they are not actually threatening Apple's business or future.) They are being annoying to some people (like me). In addition they make people think about things that people would rather ignore (human nature). Nobody enjoys that.
The good:
They actually do accelerate some changes that help all of us... and hurt nobody. These are not minor issues, much as we'd like to ignore them--they really are vital and real issues. Apple may not be a huge offender, but generating Apple-related hype helps with issues that go beyond Apple. What Greenpeace is doing is an effective tool for good. It could be even MORE effective--and less annoying--and I wish they'd change some of their practices (like the way the oversimplify their facts--just like world leaders do). But that doesn't change the fact they their efforts are a whole lot better than nothing, and benefit us all.
So I've decided I can tolerate the harm they do, find a way to keep in living in spite of the pain they cause me... and still benefit from the results they bring
And I can also hope people keep criticizing them. They need it. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that Greenpeace only does harm, and that corporations never do any. Greenpeace does do some good.
well said. you all have to look at the bigger picture here. people have been glassing over environmental problems for way to long. sometimes it takes action to get reactions and change. they singled out apple for obvious reasons, people pay attention to them. how they innovate and change things can effect us all. we love their computers and software and the way they think and do things. getting them to step up and be a leader with the environment in mind is a good thing. it really is. yes some of their tactics can be heavy handed, but since most people don't pay attention to whats going on in the world around them, they need to make sure people take notice.
Although Greenpeace admits placing Apple under more scrutiny than any other electronics manufacturer, it says it is doing so because the company is seen as the "signature innovative company" in today's market.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
That sentence says it all, folks.
It's just because Apple is so popular (with the popularity of the iPod and the prettifulness of the Mac) that they are being targeted. The only reason this is being done is so that these people can get some press attention. What a bunch of losers......ahem, loonies.
Greenpeace, we get your message. Now back off and be reasonable. Please. Go look at someone else. If you want to be civil and actually talk with Apple, then do that. If you just want to complain for the sake of complaining, then piss the hell off.
Everytime GreenPeace does some unsubstantial Stunt against Apple, I will do some Substantial harm to the environment.
Ban me for heresy, I don't care, the motor oil will still be in the water!