Another buzz whoring green group
May 9th 2008
Ever heard of Climate Counts? They're all over the news, but not for saving the environment. They're all over the news because they're saying Apple--those suave merchants of zeit-geist-defining cool--doesn't care about the climate.
Review: 0 / 22 points. Climate Counts found no publicly available information on Apple's efforts to measure its companywide impact on global warming (ie its greenhouse gas emissions or climate footprint).
Reduce: 8 / 56 points. Climate Counts has found that Apple has completed analysis of the impact that many of its products have on global warming while being used by consumers and has engaged with its employees and other companies on climate-related issues.
Policy Stance: 0 / 10 points. Climate Counts found no public information to suggest that Apple supports public policy that addresses climate change.
Report: 3 / 12 points. Climate Counts has found that Apple has made some public information available on its efforts to address global warming.
Total score: 11 / 100
So, what did Apple do? Spread poisons? Fill the atmosphere with toxins and carbon monoxide? Climate Counts doesn't present a single incident or example of how Apple's degrading the planet. They only talk about Apple's lack of talk about the climate and by implication equate that with damage. That's absurd.
And, how do obviously "sympathetic" reporters, like ComputerWorld's Presta Gralla, who's also hungry to whore some Apple buzz, present this "story"? Here's his headline:
Apple is at the bottom of the environmental barrel
And, here's some of his spin:
The Apple scorecard was not pretty. It rolled up zeroes in countless categories, for acts such as not setting goals for reducing emissions and not taking steps towards reducing emissions.
"Countless categories?" There are a total of 22 categories, Presta. What? You ran out of fingers and toes?
Again, what has Apple done to actually harm the planet?
As was the case with Greenpeace, Climate Counts is counting on Apple's instant ability to generate headlines to get some cheap and easy publicity.
With people like Presta "fingers and toes" Gralla and the uncritical editors of ComputerWorld at the ready, I fully expect Climate Counts will get what they're after.
Ultimately, any green group and its fellow travelers (journalistis, etc) will find this fertile ground because Apple refuses to talk and not just them. Apple doesn't talk to anyone...
What's your take?
