Apple Retail Store Logos Go Green for Earth Day

[thirteen1031]

That's not sweetening the deal.

I didn't say it would sweeten the deal or that it would make you happy about having to buy new. I'm just saying that they do recycle and that helps as compared to just forcing you to throw out the old.

Yes, it would be better if they'd "update" the old and keep them going. But to be fair, that's the electronics market. It's not like buying a car which you're likely to keep for 10-15 years. Apple products often last longer than most others, give them at least credit for that.

And to be equally fair, new innovation often leads to environmentally better products. Thinner notebooks that use less power more efficiently—meaning less waste all round. I'm not saying this happens in all cases, or even that this is a reason to buy the new product, but in an imperfect world, every little bit helps.

 

[Tork]

It's now a requirement to like and approve of everything Apple does in order to comment on these boards?

Not everything...but there have been tons of comments lately bashing the company for such silly things. People saying they're bad for wasting energy putting up these green accents or bad for wasting energy making some t-shirts, for example. What's that bringing to the discussion?

 

[spectrumfox]

Not everything...but there have been tons of comments lately bashing the company for such silly things. People saying they're bad for wasting energy putting up these green accents or bad for wasting energy making some t-shirts, for example. What's that bringing to the discussion?

Opposing viewpoints.

Which is good. People should question the motives and priorities of multi-billion dollar corporations.

Apple is not a religion. We should be able to use their products while at the same time criticize the moves they make if we do not agree with them.

 

[gnasher729]

Yes, I've seen how much credit they will give you for your old hardware...

That's not sweetening the deal.

Surely if you are concerned about the environment you don't need to be given cash to make sure your old computers and other devices are recycled properly.

 

[spectrumfox]

Surely if you are concerned about the environment you don't need to be given cash to make sure your old computers and other devices are recycled properly.

Surely if I was concerned about the environment, I'd start by engineering computers where you could upgrade its components instead of soldering them to the motherboard so you HAVE to buy a new computer if you wanted an upgrade.

Apple can call themselves "green" all they want to, but you can't eat all you want at every meal then have a Diet Coke and expect to lose weight.

 

[NMBob]

Coloring part of the logo green is a good first step.

How about making it so we can actually update our hardware instead of having to discard it when it gets old?

That would help too.

Well I'm doing my part. I just got a Samsung 2TB 2.5" drive that I will put into my 2012 Mac mini tonight, replacing a 1.5TB drive I put in there a year ago, bringing the total to 4TB. The 1.5TB drive will go into an external case that I use for backing up my Mid-2012 13" MBP that has a 1TB drive I put in there a couple of years ago. The 1TB in the external case will go into my brother's black plastic (2008?) MacBook, replacing a 500GB drive we put in there a year or so ago. The 500GB drive will probably go into an external drive case for general storage. All of this is not brought to you by Apple's current management team.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Ever-present Tim is really becoming loathsome.

 

[thirteen1031]

They mass produce itoys, every year they encouraging you to buy a new one.

I'm confused. If you object to such toys, why do you own one? NO, not an Apple computer, ANY sort of computer. The one allowing you to post on this website. Or is it a smartphone or tablet you're using? I mean, you're not going to tell us that other companies that put out computers, phones, etc. aren't doing the same as Apple in making such toys and pushing people to buy new ones every year...are you?

So. Such toys and their companies are not green. None of them. But they're not going to go away. And so long as staying alive in this business requires a company push new toys, they'll continue to do that, too. If we're going to take a company to task for that, however, then Apple actually is less on the hook. Compared to other companies, it's slow about putting out new models. You'll see people here bitching about that: "Android has a new one that does X, Y & Z! Why is Apple lagging behind?"

My point being: if Apple vanished from the planet tomorrow, it wouldn't erase the proliferation of such toys, would it? I agree that we should encourage people to not buy new toys, to hold onto old ones—or not buy any at all. But as people will buy them, wouldn't it be wise to also encourage consumers to buy toys that are the most environmentally friendly? Both in materials and in how they're produced? With a company that uses solar and recycles?

That, to me, would seem wise. So. Which "toy" producing company is more so than Apple?

 

[spectrumfox]

Well I'm doing my part. I just got a Samsung 2TB 2.5" drive that I will put into my 2012 Mac mini tonight, replacing a 1.5TB drive I put in there a year ago, bringing the total to 4TB. The 1.5TB drive will go into an external case that I use for backing up my Mid-2012 13" MBP that has a 1TB drive I put in there a couple of years ago. The 1TB in the external case will go into my brother's black plastic (2008?) MacBook, replacing a 500GB drive we put in there a year or so ago. The 500GB drive will probably go into an external drive case for general storage. All of this is not brought to you by Apple's current management team.

Now that's some good recycling.

 

[thirteen1031]

Surely if I was concerned about the environment, I'd start by engineering computers where you could upgrade its components instead of soldering them to the motherboard so you HAVE to buy a new computer if you wanted an upgrade.

Well. Okay. Which computer company does that? And are they solar powered in creating those computers? Do they use environmentally friendly materials so that when one *does* need to replace the computer, it's parts can be easily recycled? I mean, there must be other companies that will give you what you want here. if not...maybe you should start a computer company that does this?

I know that a new and growing part of the Green movement is to do this very thing—repair the old rather than buy the new. I think you have a good business model here. Why not start it up if Apple won't? Maybe if you do, and are successful, you'll get them doing it.

As for your diet metaphor...I don't think it's accurate or fair. A fairer metaphor would be that Apple is like someone on a diet who has a sugared drink and gets told, by you, that they won't lose weight. The lack of what you want from them, however environmentally friendly, doesn't make their other efforts moot. Nor does it prove that they won't "lose weight" doing what they're doing.

 

[G4DP]

I'm confused. If you object to such toys, why do you own one? NO, not an Apple computer, ANY sort of computer. The one allowing you to post on this website. Or is it a smartphone or tablet you're using? I mean, you're not going to tell us that other companies that put out computers, phones, etc. aren't doing the same as Apple in making such toys and pushing people to buy new ones every year...are you?

So. Such toys and their companies are not green. None of them. But they're not going to go away. And so long as staying alive in this business requires a company push new toys, they'll continue to do that, too. If we're going to take a company to task for that, however, then Apple actually is less on the hook. Compared to other companies, it's slow about putting out new models. You'll see people here bitching about that: "Android has a new one that does X, Y & Z! Why is Apple lagging behind?"

My point being: if Apple vanished from the planet tomorrow, it wouldn't erase the proliferation of such toys, would it? I agree that we should encourage people to not buy new toys, to hold onto old ones—or not buy any at all. But as people will buy them, wouldn't it be wise to also encourage consumers to buy toys that are the most environmentally friendly? Both in materials and in how they're produced? With a company that uses solar and recycles?

That, to me, would seem wise. So. Which "toy" producing company is more so than Apple?

I don't own an ianything. I buy a computer every 6 - 10 years. I buy a computer to last. I get more than i need at time of purchase so it lasts longer.

Android doesn't make anything. Android is software.

 

[spectrumfox]

Well. Okay. Which computer company does that? And are they solar powered in creating those computers? Do they use environmentally friendly materials so that when one *does* need to replace the computer, it's parts can be easily recycled? I mean, there must be other companies that will give you what you want here. if not...maybe you should start a computer company that does this?

I know that a new and growing part of the Green movement is to do this very thing—repair the old rather than buy the new. I think you have a good business model here. Why not start it up if Apple won't? Maybe if you do, and are successful, you'll get them doing it.

Most modern laptops from manufacturers like HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc, will allow you to open it and swap out various components. Want a memory upgrade? No problem. Want to swap out the hard drive with another you got off the racks with no proprietary adapter? No problem.

There is no logical reason or valid excuse for why Apple solders memory to the motherboard on their computers except that it makes them more money when you have to buy a new laptop with more memory. They'll say they do it because the hardware is unibody, but that benefits Apple more than it does their customer.

This is the single biggest waste in Apple's line of computers, and one that continues to be a sore spot whenever they mention being "green".

As for your diet metaphor...I don't think it's accurate or fair. A fairer metaphor would be that Apple is like someone on a diet who has a sugared drink and gets told, by you, that they won't lose weight. The lack of what you want from them, however environmentally friendly, doesn't make their other efforts moot. Nor does it prove that they won't "lose weight" doing what they're doing.

But Apple's not on a diet. They may be "green" in some areas, but they are incredibly wasteful in other areas, and continue to be even in the face of their unhappy customers who constantly question their decision to solder ordinarily user-serviceable parts to their motherboards, which actually has the effect of making hardware obsolete faster than laptops from other manufacturers that you can upgrade to keep them going longer.

 

[rcread]

I went green for Earth Day, too. I drove my green '72 Pontiac LeMans to work. 8 mpg, but no resources have been used to manufacture it in 43 years.

 

[RockSpider]

Can someone show me the figures where their Chinese factories are running on 87% renewable energy.

That's all I'm going to say on the matter in case my comments get deleted again.

 

[nsayer]

To celebrate Earth Day today, I drafted a commuter bus on my way to work.

To be fair, however, I was in an EV at the time.

 

[koruki]

waits for.. oh wait negative comments already here and upvoted. I don't know about you but those one time shirts make great t shirts on the weekend or just going to sleep in. No one said they need to be discarded and burned after one use. I heard every free tshirt I can find at TechEd

 

[NMBob]

Now that's some good recycling.

Thanks. Step 1 is done. Now I just have to wait 6 hours for the transfer to the new drive to finish.

I think I'll put the 1.5TB drive in my other reusable, upgradeable 2012 mini as a second drive. Then it will have 3TB. I've got another 1TB drive I'll give to my brother.

 

[RockSpider]

Thanks. Step 1 is done. Now I just have to wait 6 hours for the transfer to the new drive to finish.

I think I'll put the 1.5TB drive in my other reusable, upgradeable 2012 mini as a second drive. Then it will have 3TB. I've got another 1TB drive I'll give to my brother.

Now you know why Apple uses glue and solder to stick everything together, to stop people like us updating our computers.

 

[subjonas]

WTF happened to these boards
I suspect Apple could give everyone on earth a computer, and a million bucks and settle the middle east tension, and cure cancer, but a big chink of the posters here would still b***h about it.

Chink of posters? Only Asians complain? You're a racist! Or a bad speller, which I also frown upon.

 

[Macneck]

People are complaining because it's complete lies. Apple are not green in anyway shape or form. They mass produce itoys, every year they encouraging you to buy a new one.

A few solar panels does not off set 1% of the amount of energy and resources they use.

You can say it louder, but not clearer. iMarketing, iLies.

One can change a perfectly functional iPhone every year or so. It's up to us as free individuals. The same goes with any perfectly functional 'whatever'. But in this case what is good for business, is terrible for the environment, no matter how "green" an electronic device pretends to be.

 

[G4er?]

you'd rather they burn coal to power their server farms?

Hell yes. Coal is nothing but stored solar energy.
Plants, which grow faster and stronger with more CO2 and are also more water efficient and drought tolerant with more CO2 used the high levels of CO2 that used to be in the air to turn the Earth into the greenest and lushest it ever was but in the Carboniferous Period.
Because of that phenomenal plant growth we now have the oxygen we need to breathe.
All that plant matter built up over time and was compressed into coal.
Coal that we can use to produce cheap, abundant, reliable energy.
Energy that enables our standard of living, modern medical care, protection from the elements, ability to grow food. Clean water and proper sewage, modern technological wonders like all of Apple's products, etc.

CO2 levels were getting dangerously low, only 100 ppm away from plant starvation before man started using coal, oil and gas, all natural resources.

Today the Earth is greening due to more CO2. Even the Sahara desert is greening. Crop yields are also up, thanks in part to more CO2.

As for those so called bad things due to using coal, oil and gas?

Over 9 years (current record, growing each day) since a major hurricane (Cat 3 or higher) has hit the US. Past three years have seen lower than average tornado numbers. Record Antarctic sea ice. An increase since 2012 in Arctic sea ice.
Violent tornado numbers trended downward during the recent warming period. Accumulated tropical cyclone energy also trended downward.
The rate of sea level rise has not increases, in fact it slowed in 2010.

What has Apple done?
Produced an entire line of computers that cause the owner to throw out the computer if the screen goes bad or the screen if the computer goes bad. Cut down acres of wooded land to install solar panels.
Solar panels that use toxic materials. And wind turbines kill birds and bats.

What an odd society we have become.
Demonize something that is actually greening the Earth while promoting expensive, inefficient, unreliable alternative energy that uses more land and actually removes plants from the surface of the Earth.

 

[thirteen1031]

Android doesn't make anything. Android is software.

Now you're equivocating to no purpose. How nice that you're keeping your computer for a long time, but that doesn't answer the question. If you were asked by someone for the most environmentally friendly new computer--if you couldn't talk them into buying an old one--what would you advise?

And as for Android...now you're REALLY equivocating. Okay, fine, Samsung, motorola, whatever. WHOEVER is making the hardware for those phones people call "Android" phones. Are those companies environmentally friendly? Running on solar? Recycling? Because you can't tell me they're going to stop making new toys, or that they aren't as guilty as Apple of this woefully anti-green situation.

SO, I ask you again. As it would be wise, during this fight to slow and stop this damaging consumerism, to get people to at least buy the most environmentally friendly of these products...WHICH company, putting out any computer, smart phone or tablet hardware, is putting out the most environmentally friendly?

 

[thirteen1031]

Most modern laptops from manufacturers like HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc, will allow you to open it and swap out various components. Want a memory upgrade? No problem. Want to swap out the hard drive with another you got off the racks with no proprietary adapter? No problem.

Fair enough. So you've gone green by buying HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc. instead of Apple. Good for you. Thank you for encouraging us to look into those more environmentally friendly companies.

Maybe if enough of us do, then Apple will change its ways. Though I fear I'll have to wait on that. I plan to keep what I have for another few years at least--as you point out, that's environmentally sound--so that means holding on to the Apples till then.

 

[SSDGUY]

Beyond the fact that this is hardly relevant to Apple, I'm sure the man forced to use Air Force One to go such places (as he's not allowed to take a commercial airliner, or bus, or train or even an electric vehicle bought with his own money) would take a plane that uses non-carbon-emission fuel if the congress would vote to buy one for that office.

Do you think they'd do that? To save him being embarrassed by having to use regular fuel rather than more environmentally friendly fuel for all his travels? Because, you see, he doesn't really have a choice in what he has to use to get from place to place. Just like he doesn't have a choice of where he has to live while in office. Congress decides such things for the executive branch as it's the one who decides what money is spent on what.

And now we return you back to Apple, which, unlike the government, doesn't vote on what it's CEO must drive or fly. And so he can decide to use more environmentally friendly vehicles if he wishes.

So it's all the fault of congress. Nice try. If world leaders touting saving the planet from CO2 emissions set a bold example by video-casting speeches/meetings (and making a big to-do about it) they would gain some credibility. And NOW, back Apple's green vinyl (or whatever it is) sign application.

 

[happydude]

Hell yes. Coal is nothing but stored solar energy.
Plants, which grow faster and stronger with more CO2 and are also more water efficient and drought tolerant with more CO2 used the high levels of CO2 that used to be in the air to turn the Earth into the greenest and lushest it ever was but in the Carboniferous Period.
Because of that phenomenal plant growth we now have the oxygen we need to breathe.
All that plant matter built up over time and was compressed into coal.
Coal that we can use to produce cheap, abundant, reliable energy.
Energy that enables our standard of living, modern medical care, protection from the elements, ability to grow food. Clean water and proper sewage, modern technological wonders like all of Apple's products, etc.

CO2 levels were getting dangerously low, only 100 ppm away from plant starvation before man started using coal, oil and gas, all natural resources.

Today the Earth is greening due to more CO2. Even the Sahara desert is greening. Crop yields are also up, thanks in part to more CO2.

As for those so called bad things due to using coal, oil and gas?

Over 9 years (current record, growing each day) since a major hurricane (Cat 3 or higher) has hit the US. Past three years have seen lower than average tornado numbers. Record Antarctic sea ice. An increase since 2012 in Arctic sea ice.
Violent tornado numbers trended downward during the recent warming period. Accumulated tropical cyclone energy also trended downward.
The rate of sea level rise has not increases, in fact it slowed in 2010.

What has Apple done?
Produced an entire line of computers that cause the owner to throw out the computer if the screen goes bad or the screen if the computer goes bad. Cut down acres of wooded land to install solar panels.
Solar panels that use toxic materials. And wind turbines kill birds and bats.

What an odd society we have become.
Demonize something that is actually greening the Earth while promoting expensive, inefficient, unreliable alternative energy that uses more land and actually removes plants from the surface of the Earth.

ladies and gentlemen, the coal industry speaketh.