Greenpeace praises Apple for reducing use of conflict minerals

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2014
Following the release of Apple's annual supplier responsibility report on Thursday, environmental organization Greenpeace spoke out with praise, celebrating the iPhone maker's efforts to cut its use of conflict minerals.

Environment


"Apple's increased transparency about its suppliers is becoming a hallmark of Tim Cook's leadership at the company," Greenpeace Energy Campaigner Tom Dowdall said in a statement. "Apple has flexed its muscles in the past to push suppliers to remove hazardous substances from products and provide more renewable energy for data centers, and it is proving the same model can work to reduce the use of conflict minerals."

The organization specifically called out Samsung, along with other consumer electronics companies, to follow Apple's example. The hope is that the industry can "exert its collective influence" to build devices better for both people and the planet.

Apple and Greenpeace have had a rocky relationship over the years, with the organization occasionally praising the iPhone maker, but also singling the company out over environmental issues. However, of late Greenpeace has been mostly complimentary of Apple, and last year praised Apple's hiring of former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson.

A year prior, Greenpeace also eased off its criticisms of Apple's clean energy policies, calling the company's efforts "significantly improved." That was a significant change from protests earlier that year, held in both Cupertino, Calif. and Cork, Ireland, that accused Apple of using coal-based power at its massive data center in Maiden, N.C., to power its iCloud services.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    This can 't be good. Praised by greenpeace. lol
  • Reply 2 of 26
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Greenpeace: Where were you when Marius the Giraffe needed you?
  • Reply 3 of 26
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    What does Greenpeace have to do with conflict minerals? I thought they were environmental activists. Are the conflict mines polluting more than the non-conflict mines?

     

    It is not like Apple is doing something voluntarily about the use conflict minerals. It is actually a US law to audit your supply chain to prevent the use of conflict minerals.

  • Reply 4 of 26
    Praised by Greenpeace ? Apple is really doomed this time
  • Reply 5 of 26

    Screw you, Greenpeace. Someone needs to go Captain Planet on these ecoterrorists.

  • Reply 6 of 26
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    What? Something positive about Apple? This can’t be. The universe is out of phase or something. And we won’t hear a single word about this on the major tech websites because positive Apple news just doesn’t get the clicks.

  • Reply 7 of 26

    Doomed. My thought exactly.

  • Reply 8 of 26
    lkrupp wrote: »
    What? Something positive about Apple? This can’t be. The universe is out of phase or something. And we won’t hear a single word about this on the major tech websites because positive Apple news just doesn’t get the clicks.
    This isn't good news
  • Reply 9 of 26
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    I'm surprised green peace did not take all the credit.
  • Reply 10 of 26
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    What an ungreen lot you all are in this thread. I for one support them wanting to save wolves, grizzly bears and sharks etc. If I ever run into any of the aforementioned in bad circumstances I am banking on good karma helping out ...
  • Reply 11 of 26
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post

    What an ungreen lot you all are in this thread. I for one support them wanting to save wolves, grisly bears and sharks etc. If I ever run into any of the aforementioned in bad circumstances I am banking on good karma helping out ...

     

    “Urrururrrrrr…”

     

    “Naw, man, iss coo… I chained miself toa tree fuh you…”

     

    *mauling sounds*

  • Reply 12 of 26
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    “Urrururrrrrr…”

    “Naw, man, iss coo… I chained miself toa tree fuh you…”

    *mauling sounds*

    LOL
  • Reply 13 of 26
    It is quite sad to see how a once-great brand name has become so tarnished.

    I mean Greenpeace.
  • Reply 14 of 26
    poochpooch Posts: 768member
    what say you, walmart?
  • Reply 15 of 26
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    What an ungreen lot you all are in this thread. I for one support them wanting to save wolves, grizzly bears and sharks etc. If I ever run into any of the aforementioned in bad circumstances I am banking on good karma helping out ...

    Being green and liking Greenpeace are not related, at least not in my book.
  • Reply 16 of 26
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    What an ungreen lot you all are in this thread. I for one support them wanting to save wolves, grizzly bears and sharks etc. If I ever run into any of the aforementioned in bad circumstances I am banking on good karma helping out ...

     

    IMO, the remarks in this thread have nothing to do with being or not being "green". It's about hypocrisy…Greenpeace hypocrisy. Hypocrisy about chastising Apple's products for not using enough recyclable materials while manufacturers like HP, Samsung, Asus, etc. get a free pass. Hypocrisy about whining that Apple's data centers don't use enough "clean" energy, while data centers from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google get a free pass. I'm tired of it and not impressed by this tiny bone that Greenpeace has thrown out. 

  • Reply 17 of 26
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    I'm impressed. But is Greenpeace only judging on Apple's word? I hope they will verify Apple's claims.
    And put pressure on other companies to do the same.
  • Reply 18 of 26
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by waybacmac View Post

     

     

    IMO, the remarks in this thread have nothing to do with being or not being "green". It's about hypocrisy…Greenpeace hypocrisy. Hypocrisy about chastising Apple's products for not using enough recyclable materials while manufacturers like HP, Samsung, Asus, etc. get a free pass. Hypocrisy about whining that Apple's data centers don't use enough "clean" energy, while data centers from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google get a free pass. I'm tired of it and not impressed by this tiny bone that Greenpeace has thrown out. 


    I don't know what you are talking about. They treat all companies the same.

     

    http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Campaign-analysis/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/

  • Reply 19 of 26
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post

     

    What? Something positive about Apple? This can’t be. The universe is out of phase or something. And we won’t hear a single word about this on the major tech websites because positive Apple news just doesn’t get the clicks.


    Don't worry.

    Greenpeace will soon be complaining about Apple & $13.5 billion in old iPhones that will simply go into the landfill...

  • Reply 20 of 26
    clemynx wrote: »
    I'm impressed. But is Greenpeace only judging on Apple's word? I hope they will verify Apple's claims.
    And put pressure on other companies to do the same.

    Greenpeace? The inept, second-tier, increasingly irrelevant, cheap-attention-seeking NGO 'verify Apple's claims'?

    Good one. LOL.
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