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Report: In China, Concerns Grow Over Environmental Costs Of Apple Products


Jim Feeley

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From the US public-radio show Marketplace comes this story:

The story begins with a factory just outside of Shanghai. It's three football fields long; it's blue and gray; and it's owned by the Taiwanese company Kaedar Electronics. In August, environmental groups released a report saying Kaedar's factory was emitting toxic levels of pollution. The report also said the company was making products for Apple -- which is notorious for keeping its supply chain secret. The report said the pollution was so bad that it was making people in a nearby village sick. So, I went there.

You can listen or read the story and see some pictures here:

http://www.marketpla...-apple-products

P1050253.jpg

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From the US public-radio show Marketplace comes this story:

The story begins with a factory just outside of Shanghai. It's three football fields long; it's blue and gray; and it's owned by the Taiwanese company Kaedar Electronics. In August, environmental groups released a report saying Kaedar's factory was emitting toxic levels of pollution. The report also said the company was making products for Apple -- which is notorious for keeping its supply chain secret. The report said the pollution was so bad that it was making people in a nearby village sick. So, I went there.

You can listen or read the story and see some pictures here:

http://www.marketpla...-apple-products

P1050253.jpg

Link doesn't work for me?

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Yes interesting thanks for the link.

The 46 page PDF report linked to in the article

environmental groups released a report

THE OTHER SIDE OF APPLE II

POLLUTION SPREADS THROUGH APPLE’S SUPPLY CHAIN

Contains a great deal of detailed evidence -

"Even when faced with specific allegations regarding its suppliers, the company (Apple) refuses to provide answers and continues to state that “it is our long-term policy not to disclose supplier information.” A large number of IT supplier violation records have already been publicized; however, Apple chooses not to face such information and continues to use these companies as suppliers. This can only be seen as a deliberate refusal of responsibility.

Apple has already made a choice; to stand on the wrong side, to take advantage of the loopholes in developing countries’ environmental management systems, and to be closely associated with polluting factories so that it can continue to grab their own super profits, at the expense of the environment and communities; becoming a barrier in China’s path towards pollution reduction.

Consumers also need to make a choice. We believe Apple’s consumers would not accept the poisoning of the environment, the harm to communities and the sacrifice of employee rights in exchange for their trendy electronic products. For the sake of the health of the public, the protection of the environment, the basic rights of workers in Apple’s production lines, and in order to give our children a safe and clean place to live; we call upon consumers to express their concerns to Apple, so that Apple can hear the voice of the public."

and concludes -

"As in the previous report showing the other side of Apple, we don’t want to undermine the Apple brand, on the contrary, we would like to see this kind of brand, that is full of creative innovation and design, to be able to make changes, to become a force for pollution and emissions reduction.

Faced with the existing problems of serious pollution and poisoning in their supply chain, every stakeholder needs to make a choice.

Apple has already made its decision to stand on the wrong side, to use the loopholes in China’s developing environmental management, to use polluting companies whilst sacrificing the environment and the communities at this expense, so as to continue to grab for their own super profits and in the meantime turn itself into a barrier to China’s pollution reduction.

Consumers also need to make a choice.

We believe Apple’s consumers cannot accept the poisoning of the environment, the harm to communities and the sacrifice of employee rights in exchange for their fashionable IT products.

Section 8 - Apple Consumers: You Need to Make a Choice

45

We propose that consumers express themselves to Apple, to allow Apple to hear the voice of the public. As Apple’s most important stakeholders, consumers need to clearly express their wishes that Apple should change and improve the environmental management in its supply chain.

For the sake of the health of the public, the protection of the environment, so that workers on the production line do not suffer poisoning again and in order to give our children a secure, safe place to live, please make Apple aware of your concerns."

What might be the best way to do this?

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