Apple CEO Tim Cook Urges Action on Climate Change at United Nations Summit

[Plutonius]

I still think that Tim plans on entering politics.

 

[currocj]

All of the US's efforts are wasted because ... China.
There's that. Until polluting China/India stop, are efforts are literally ... worthless!

 

[hans1972]

So, just marketing.

They produce the costliest disposables on the planet, promote annual upgrade culture and are talking about climate change.

They have committed to be carbon neutral for their entire supply chain which would take care of people buying more because the products are not easily upgradable or repairable.

 

[hans1972]

What a fraud, they trash the planet via China and act green in the US. Maybe he can stop unneeded iPhone production every year.

Their plan is to be carbon neutral even for their supply chain which would include China.

 

[hans1972]

Yeah, a company that produces hundreds of millions of practically unrepairable stuff outside of their controlled and expensive repair facilities talks about climate change.

Not to mention they are actively fighting against right to repair and independent repair shops with lowball tactics like getting customs to seize spare parts shipments.

And yet, their plan is to be carbon neutral even taking into account that they sell more.

 

[A MacBook lover]

What about China? The #1 polluter by a lot.

Will they get lax rules while other countries struggle economically to adapt to new green policies?

 

[ChrisA]

He is a little disingenuous. Apple makes products that are for the most part completely unrepairable and are used and then thrown away. If the environment were their #1 concern we'd see Apple do things like support even a first generation iPhone and offer ways to re-purpose older equipment.

Computers that are very old, even the old white plastic iMac should still be used for what they can do. Perhaps as a display for a security camera or a second monitor for a notebook. If Apple wanted to they could at least allow third parties to provide solutions or reuse.

They could do this at a very low cost, simply publish the full information and even source code for obsoleted products.

I think it is easy to see why don't want you using their stuff "forever" -- to sell more new products.

 

[jimbobb24]

Global warming is old news and boring. For energy consumption per GDP the US is doing great and most modern counties are as well. Fusion or small thorium nuclear is the solution. Should have those in the next 10-20 years. Still need petroleum for plastics and other technologies but hopefully they become too valuable to burn.

I am disappointed Apple is pushing induction charging. Complete environmental waste of the most opulent type.

 

[cosmichobo]

Firstly, kudos to Apple on their renewable energy policy. Far as I'm aware, you can't fault them on that subject.

However, regarding the comment on e-waste

If Apple was to change to creating products that had both a longer life expectancy, and easier repair...

Would you be happy to accept the (two main?) trade-offs:

1. Higher purchase price

Whether or not using glue-etc makes iPhone (and other Apple tech) cheaper to manufacture - if Apple started making products that are intended to last considerably longer in consumer's hands before being upgraded (by better design and ease of repair) - the price will go up, possibly by a magnitude of 100% ?!?

2. Design concessions

The above changes would quite possibly result in an inability to make everything so thin. Would you be happy to go back to a 12mm thick iPhone (ie 3GS)? (I've just powered up mine; frankly the thickness feels fine - for that size device - but if it was a modern sized iPhone...)

I'm not saying these things are impossible... and ewaste is indeed our next disaster in waiting...

Cheers

cosmic

 

[jimbobb24]

It seems many people don’t seem to understand what climate change is. Not surprising when there are cheap shots to be taken
1) release of greenhouse gas emissions throughout product life cycle. Smaller, lighter, yes even disposable products are better - less materials, less energy to extract and manufacture, manufactured with 0 carbon process targets
2) effective recycling of used up products reduces material extraction and process waste

doesn’t surprise me in the least that complex interactive processes are beyond the thoughts put into the subject by those who really don’t care to begin with

That’s not what climate change is. You have a very high minded writing style for writing a post that disagrees with your subject. Climate change or global warming is the idea that the planet is warming and the primary driver of that process by CO2 emissions from human activity. This is probably true but unprovable and given the long pause more complicated than we think. Given climate change however there is not an automatic “this is what we should do”.

You list some ways we can make tiny efforts to mitigate it but have nearly zero impact on the problem but make people feel good. Like no chargers. If global warming is an imminent problem we need solar shielding or carbon sequestration. If it’s not immediate than technology may solve the problem in the next few decades and we should focus on more immediate problems like clean water and starvation. But that’s not trendy...

 

[mikethemartian]

Apple is helping to keep landfill empty by releasing iOS updates for devices as old as an iPhone 5S.

Well when I upgraded my old 4s from iOS7 to 8 it basically became unusable so I don’t understand how iOS updates to older models prevents ewaste.

 

[mikethemartian]

I couldn’t believe how much packaging my AW4 came with.

 

[Manzanito]

I applaud Apple.

Saying the right words is the first step to doing the right thing.
(And just the sneering people will now call me naive.)

Apple has leadership and tries to use it for good. That's new. Finally, light again!

'A throwaway culture and short-lived products.'
Once again, the Brits have no idea.
During Wintel era, you needed a new huge PC every 2 years, because otherwise the current OS didn't work anymore. Apple clearly does it differently. And thus more resource-friendly and consumer-friendly. The UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee didn't get that right.

The people who mock Apple have long since resigned themselves to the victory of dark; worse, they take it for granted and secretly applaud it.
If you don't invent international laws, but let everyone do everything, liberated evil always wins.
Opportunity makes thieves.
On all levels.

What do you mean during the wintel era? We ARE in the wintel era, they have the biggest user base. You don’t have to change your computer biannually anymore. I have a windows laptop from 2011 that works flawlessly. Also a couple of macs, a mac pro tower from 2010 and a rmbp from 2013 that are still working.

Processors and ssd’s have improved computers longevity, not apple.

 

[citysnaps]

Love how so many people here are trashing Cook and Apple. Yet continue to purchase Apple products. Hypocrisy at its finest!

 

[jaymc]

So he was invited to make a green speech and he did so — but geeze/ does anyone even pay attention to it?
Does anyone care about these speeches?
Are all these words spoken to the choir just gobbledygook?

No, no and yes.

 

[Costino1]

I applaud Apple.

Saying the right words is the first step to doing the right thing.
(And just the sneering people will now call me naive.)

Apple has leadership and tries to use it for good. That's new. Finally, light again!

'A throwaway culture and short-lived products.'
Once again, the Brits have no idea.
During Wintel era, you needed a new huge PC every 2 years, because otherwise the current OS didn't work anymore. Apple clearly does it differently. And thus more resource-friendly and consumer-friendly. The UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee didn't get that right.

The people who mock Apple have long since resigned themselves to the victory of dark; worse, they take it for granted and secretly applaud it.
If you don't invent international laws, but let everyone do everything, liberated evil always wins.
Opportunity makes thieves.
On all levels.

Tim Cook burner account

 

[crawfish963]

With all the options to recycle electronics, I’m surprised the majority of folks in here are tossing them right in the landfill. The e-recycle bin is right at the front of Target.

Largely, the recycle option is a joke, like when Apple tells you your 3 year old product has no trade-in value but hey-don't worry-you can recycle it for free with Apple (despite still having north of $100 value on eBay).

 

[jjudson]

So, one of the most wasteful packaging (which gets thrown into a landfill) companies in the world drops a power adapter (which gets plugged into a wall or thrown in a drawer), who makes so much money they're CxOs and VPs live like kings in multiple mansions while flying to climate conferences in private jets, and suddenly, I'm supposed to be convinced they care about the environment?

Sorry, it don't play here...

 

[hugodrax]

This is why people don't take this stuff at face value. So outsource production to china so you don't need to worry about pollution and labor laws, then go and tell the regular working stiff they need to do better.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

I think that Apple gets a worse rap for this than they should.

They're upfront about their products non-upgradeability AND they provide a free mechanism for us consumers to recycle their products.

To me this implies that (and I guess the reason why Tim is surprised) the customer KNOWS that by choosing Apple they are consciously committing to using a device that will be both disposable AND recycled accordingly.

Whether I want Apple's products to be more repairable and longer lasting is irrelevant. Neither will happen. But Apple has made it so that the manufacture of the product is as green as possible AND when it's time to get rid of it, it is done responsibly.

Who else is doing that?

 

[steve09090]

So many haters on here (as usual). If I have an outdated device like iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 4, I return it to Apple for recycling. I’d rather they pull it apart, recycle what they can compared to the hypocrites here who slam Apple yet still hoard their products and have 15 chargers in their drawers. It is YOUR choice if you put it in landfill.

Is there any other company out there who are carbon neutral, or are even on target to make ALL of their products used by their millions of customers carbon neutral?

 

[steve09090]

This is why people don't take this stuff at face value. So outsource production to china so you don't need to worry about pollution and labor laws, then go and tell the regular working stiff they need to do better.

They are moving their supply chain to other areas of the world, and moving away from China. They have also banned companies who breach labour laws. https://9to5mac.com/2020/11/09/key-...n-labor-violations-banned-from-new-contracts/

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Is he green screened? There's white between his elbow and torso.

 

[allenvanhellen]

Then offer real battery replacements on all products, even old ones.

 

[ouimetnick]

Hope Time does realize that recycling components in of itself also uses energy. The key is REUSE. While most of their products have a long life span and an be sold to a 2nd or 3rd owner (Mac, iPhone, iPad) AirPod devices are throw away devices. When they replace AirPods Pro under warranty, they cut the stems off the old ones and they “recycle” them.
At least the iPhone has many replaceable components (cameras, speakers, battery, display, etc.)