Friday, January 21, 2011

Apple criticized for Environmental, Safety Standards in China

Rachel Harper

21 Jan 2011

5:00pm

Apple recently began the Apple and the Environment site where they openly discuss how their products are detrimental to the environment and with estimated rates of CO2 emission and other helpful information. It seems Apple is being forward with information citizens seem to overlook but they aren’t as forthcoming as they seem. The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, as well as other groups, have plummeted Apple to the bottom of the totem pole for green and safety standards. According to the Financial Times, a 26-page report lists multiple negligent incidents in 2009, where about 49 factory workers were poisoned with n-hexane to produce some of Apple’s most popular touch screen devices. Majority of the workers remain chronically ill and Apple has no records of responding to these complaints. Apple has yet to confirm or deny the allegations. Due to Apple’s carelessness even local communities has been polluted. “Apple only cares about the price and quality of their products and not the environmental and social responsibility issues. In some ways they drive the suppliers to cut corners to win their contracts," said IPE's Ma Jun.
If you follow Apple news closely you know this is not the only negligent incident that occurred. The incident at Foxconn, where multiple workers committed suicide has seemed to slip our minds. This previous event didn’t hinder Apple’s profits, or neither its reputation. As the demand for technology grows we as a society seem to lose our humanity. I know Apple is not the only company with these issues but as long as we allow them to continue to ignore the problem it will only grow into an unstable disaster. Are the any lives worth an i-phone or a mac book?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/01/20/apple.environmental/index.html?iref=allsearch

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