Apple shareholders re-elect Board as Jobs slams environmentalists
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.
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.
Comments
Good for Apple, seeing to that change.
And good for the environmentalists, helping to make it happen!
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
I'm a fan of Apple products, but that doesn't change that some real issues CAN be improved on.
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?
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.
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...
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.
Originally posted by aplnub
Is that THE Al Gore or just some dude with the same name?
yup, THE ALGORE (aka Mister Roboto)
Originally posted by PBG4 Dude
Umm, pencil 'leads' are made from a graphite/clay mixture and have been for decades.
Actually longer than decades.
Originally posted by PBG4 Dude
Umm, pencil 'leads' are made from a graphite/clay mixture and have been for decades.
Point to you!
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.
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?
"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.
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.
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.
A) The use of virgin plastic / metals in all products
- A lot of this is due to clear / translucent designs which require virgin plastics
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.
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.
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.