Inhabitat
IS IT GREEN?: The New Macbook
by <!––>Adrianne Jeffries <!—->
Apple recently rolled out its new family of Macbooks with a bold claim: The World’s Greenest Family of Notebooks. The new Macbooks are lighter, less toxic, and more energy efficient than previous generations, but are they really the greenest laptops in the world?
Two years ago, Greenpeace challenged Apple and other major laptop producers to reduce the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are commonly found in electronics. PVC is made from a known carcinogen, and can release chlorinated dioxins when burned for disposal or leach chemicals if buried in a landfill. BFRs bioaccumulate and can release bromine in hazardous forms when burned for disposal. Children in India and China who dismantle our used electronics are then exposed to these toxins.
After Greenpeace determined Apple to be one of the electronic companies that were least responsive to their concerns about electronic waste, Greenpeace launched its “Green My Apple” campaign specifically targeting Apple’s environmental policy and asking for greater transparency…………………..
Full story at http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/02/19/is-it-green-the-new-macbooks/
see also http://trailblazerbusinessfutures.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/there-are-no-such-things-as-green-jobs/
