Apple shareholders re-elect Board as Jobs slams environmentalists

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
At Apple Computer's annual shareholders meeting on Thursday CEO Steve Jobs took a swipe at Microsoft's upcoming ?Longhorn? operating system and fired back at a group of environmentalists who recently attacked the company's policies on recycling.



As a first order of business, shareholders voted on resolutions, including the re-election of the current Board of Directors. According to a Yahoo News report, all current members of the board, including Fred Anderson, William Campbell, Millard Drexler, Al Gore, Steve Jobs, Arthur Levinson and Jerome York, were re-elected for another term.



Shareholders also voted on on a performance bonus plan, amendments to the employee stock option plan, and the ratification of independent auditors KPMG, according to the report. All passed the preliminary vote without comment from the shareholders, the report says.



On the other hand, a motion to implement a performance and time-based restricted share grant program for senior executives did not pass the preliminary vote.



Jobs also used the meeting to fire back at a group of environmentalists attacking Apple?s policies on recycling. Specifically, the group said Apple should collect unwanted computers at no cost, suggesting that PC makers like Dell and HP take back systems for free.



?There is a lot of inaccuracy here ? I?ll give you an example. Dell and HP don?t do it for free,? said Jobs, who noted that Apple currently offers a program to recycle computers for $30. ?HP charges $40 and Dell charges $20 ? we are right in the middle. Apple has a really strong environmental policy."



Jobs went on to address the all of group?s charges one at a time, which included accusations that Apple uses prison or forced labor in the recycling programs, that it ships hazardous e-waste overseas, and that the iPod is a "time-bomb" for health and the environment because it contains toxic materials that will eventually wind up in incinerators or landfills.



Addressing the iPod charges, Jobs said there is a small amount of lead in the iPod but that the company was working to get that out. "To call the iPod an environmental time-bomb is just inexcusable,? he said.



During the question and answer session, Jobs was asked about the release of Mac OS X Tiger and Microsoft?s Longhorn operating system.



?They are shamelessly trying to copy us,? said Jobs. ?I think the most telling thing is that Tiger will ship at the end of the month and Longhorn is still two years out. They can?t even copy fast,? Jobs said as the crowd cheered.



Additional details and a full list of Jobs' responses to the group of environmentalists is available in the Yahoo News report.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 33
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    The board was re-elected. Now that's a surprise.!
  • Reply 2 of 33
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    "Jobs said there is a small amount of lead in the iPod but that the company was working to get that out."



    Good for Apple, seeing to that change.



    And good for the environmentalists, helping to make it happen! Whether Jobs likes the PR or not.



    As for Jobs other responses... I suspect if you looked into the details, the environmental groups weren't really protesting only non-issues based on mistaken facts.



    For instance: "We don?t use any prison or forced labor in our recycling programs or anywhere else."



    But that "we" doesn't answer whether they OUTSOURCE to companies that do. I certainly can't tell from Jobs' comment.



    Basically half-answers as would be expected at such a meeting. (And is it really true that you can't recycle Dells and HPs for free? Many people seem to think you can.)



    I hope the environmental groups don't let up on Apple or on any other corporations. And I hope those companies listen, as Apple seems to be doing.



    ?We don?t really know, but we think their goal is to use Apple?s visibility to gain publicity for their own group."



    Exactly Doing anything else would be stupid, and the cause is an important one. People are ignorant, and sending out a memorable message can do some good.



    I'm a fan of Apple products, but that doesn't change that some real issues CAN be improved on.
  • Reply 3 of 33
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AppleInsider

    ...all current members of the board, including ..., Al Gore, Steve Jobs, ...







    Is that THE Al Gore or just some dude with the same name?
  • Reply 4 of 33
    slugheadslughead Posts: 1,169member
    I'm really disappointed in jobs, as he didn't use the term "stinky hippies" in his decrying of the shameless environmental self-promotion.
  • Reply 5 of 33
    slugheadslughead Posts: 1,169member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aplnub

    Is that THE Al Gore or just some dude with the same name?



    Al Gore, the former presidential candidate, is on the board at Apple.
  • Reply 6 of 33
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    If led is such a consern, why havn't these wocko anti-American-commy-crackpot enviornmentalists gone after the manufacturers of pencils, they use led and trees, a double whammy!



    but there is a certin irony to the fact that these envro-nuts are going after a company on whos board Al Gore sits...Earth in the balance indeed...
  • Reply 7 of 33
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by a_greer

    If led is such a consern, why havn't these wocko anti-American-commy-crackpot enviornmentalists gone after the manufacturers of pencils, they use led and trees, a double whammy!





    Umm, pencil 'leads' are made from a graphite/clay mixture and have been for decades.
  • Reply 8 of 33
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aplnub

    Is that THE Al Gore or just some dude with the same name?



    yup, THE ALGORE (aka Mister Roboto)
  • Reply 9 of 33
    tazznbtazznb Posts: 54member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by PBG4 Dude

    Umm, pencil 'leads' are made from a graphite/clay mixture and have been for decades.



    Actually longer than decades.\
  • Reply 10 of 33
    Quote:

    Originally posted by PBG4 Dude

    Umm, pencil 'leads' are made from a graphite/clay mixture and have been for decades.



    Point to you!
  • Reply 11 of 33
    Quote:

    Originally posted by a_greer

    If led is such a consern, why havn't these wocko anti-American-commy-crackpot enviornmentalists gone after the manufacturers of pencils, they use led and trees, a double whammy!



    but there is a certin irony to the fact that these envro-nuts are going after a company on whos board Al Gore sits...Earth in the balance indeed...




    Lots of hate and emotion in our post, but alas...little fact or substance.
  • Reply 12 of 33
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    Past that, I've got a Dual 1ghz G4 with 1.5GBs ram and no DVD drive. Tiger?
  • Reply 13 of 33
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by a_greer

    If led is such a consern, why havn't these wocko anti-American-commy-crackpot enviornmentalists gone after the manufacturers of pencils, they use led and trees, a double whammy!



    but there is a certin irony to the fact that these envro-nuts are going after a company on whos board Al Gore sits...Earth in the balance indeed...




    You're sort of a creepy fellow, aren't you?
  • Reply 14 of 33
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    God, Jobs is such a douchebag. He's been a dick for decades and I really don't understand why the cult of personality is so strong.



    Quote:

    "HP charges $40 and Dell charges $20 ? we are right in the middle. Apple has a really strong environmental policy."



    Say that in George W Bush's voice, it's perfect.



    I don't think being 50% worse than Dell on the environment qualifies as "a really strong environmental policy".



    As far as Longhorn, he has no room to be talking. OSX was release 5 goddam years ago and only now are they saying the underlying API is locked down.



    What a prick. Jesus.
  • Reply 15 of 33
    sabonsabon Posts: 134member
    Go troll somewhere else groverat.
  • Reply 16 of 33
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Sabon

    Go troll somewhere else groverat.



    Groveat has got a point, Apple could be a lot more environmentally friendly and they should be, but Jobs is not a prick. It does sound like the 'bad' Jobs speaking though - he sounds angry.
  • Reply 17 of 33
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,624member
    Well in Europe, starting this August, practically the entire household electronics industry will have to start complying with the WEEE directive on recycling, re-using or safe disposal of electrical and electronic equipment - free of charge (although to be exact the 'charge' has been moved into the purchase price).



    Apple mentioned this in one of its financial statements a couple of years ago but at the time just stated that the impact of the directive could be 'significant'.



    I read the draft proposal a few years ago and it was quite a hardlined stance from the EU. Basically telling the industry that the 'we have no option but to use this cancer provoking, unstable long life substance because there is no alternative' would carry no weight and that the industry HAD TO find other alternatives.
  • Reply 18 of 33
    I love how Jobs makes it sound as if he's taking the lead out of the iPod to be eco-friendly. Lead is being removed from all solder in PCBs to meet EU requirements. I forget the exact details, but there's a timetable in the near future. The lead free PCBs are just starting to trickel out there. It's not something Apple is doing out of the goodness of their heart. Apple has a fairly good environmental record for a major corporation. They have a nice page that details a lot of the in house projects they do, but they all benefit Apple financially by reducing costs. It's the Amory Lovins concept of natural capitalism in which you reduce your impact to reduce costs and increase profit. It works very well and Amory cosults with many of the top multinational companies. What Apple doesn't do is partake in environmental programs that don't benefit the bottom line.



    A) The use of virgin plastic / metals in all products

    - A lot of this is due to clear / translucent designs which require virgin plastics

    B) The lack of promotion of their recycling program and the high cost of the program for the consumer

    C) The outsourcing of production to countries with much lower environmental standards.

    D) The use of none servicable parts on the iPod and the high service fees designed to encourage the user to simply buy a new model.





    Apple is certainly better than many large corporations, but they are not a leader. I'd love to see them improve on this.
  • Reply 19 of 33
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    Before everyone hangs Jobs, who recycle's their garbage at home and work? Do you drive hybird vehicles? Are you collecting rain water from you gutters to water you plants? Do you live in a coke can/tire house (supplied by your local landfill)?



    Let's give Steve-o a little slack here. My iMac does use less electricity than my wifes Win-Box. Offering a recycle program for $30 isn't that bad. It's a good start in the right direction. Sure there are problems, but who amoung shall cast the first stone? Not me...



    Besides, Al Gore, and I had no idea he was on the board, sits on the board and he wouldn't allow such ungrateful enviromental activity to happen.
  • Reply 20 of 33
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aplnub

    Before everyone hangs Jobs, who recycle's their garbage at home and work? Do you drive hybird vehicles? Are you collecting rain water from you gutters to water you plants? Do you live in a coke can/tire house (supplied by your local landfill)?



    I recycle at home and at work. I use mass transit to get to and from work. Our lawn care provider uses only organic lawn care products. I live in a brick building. Brick is basically kiln-dried mud.
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