Unfortunately, you're right the original idea is of course that an independent agency would evaluate different products based on their environmental impact, so consumers could choose accordingly. But now that the standards themselves have been watered down to the point where an essentially non-servicable item like the MBP Retina make the cut, well, it does just become a rubber stamp.
Clearly, this is a money-based decision. Apple and others started making products that didn't fit the standards, so they changed the standards particularly after many government agencies announced they would no longer be able to purchase Apple because they pulled out of EPEAT because their own guidelines require that certification. So Apple rejoined, but apparently saw to it that the standards would be lowered.
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Exactly the problem. Everybody wants shiny toys, but they're made out of dirty, dirty things, using a lot of coal energy, by very poor people who aren't always treated particularly well.
How long do you think we'll be able to keep this up?
The idea behind a registry like EPEAT is to institute some standards for re-usability, upgradability, servicability so that something can actually be upgraded and kept useful instead of being shredded. Of course if the standards themselves are up for sale, then the biggest players can just rewrite the rules as they go.
