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Apple shareholders re-elect Board as Jobs slams environmentalists

At Apple Computer's annual shareholders meeting on Thursday CEO Steve Jobs took a swipe at Microsoft's upcoming “Longhorn” operating system and fired back at a group of environmentalists who recently attacked the company's policies on recycling.

As a first order of business, shareholders voted on resolutions, including the re-election of the current Board of Directors. According to a Yahoo News report, all current members of the board, including Fred Anderson, William Campbell, Millard Drexler, Al Gore, Steve Jobs, Arthur Levinson and Jerome York, were re-elected for another term.

Shareholders also voted on on a performance bonus plan, amendments to the employee stock option plan, and the ratification of independent auditors KPMG, according to the report. All passed the preliminary vote without comment from the shareholders, the report says.

On the other hand, a motion to implement a performance and time-based restricted share grant program for senior executives did not pass the preliminary vote.

Jobs also used the meeting to fire back at a group of environmentalists attacking Apple’s policies on recycling. Specifically, the group said Apple should collect unwanted computers at no cost, suggesting that PC makers like Dell and HP take back systems for free.

“There is a lot of inaccuracy here — I’ll give you an example. Dell and HP don’t do it for free,” said Jobs, who noted that Apple currently offers a program to recycle computers for $30. “HP charges $40 and Dell charges $20 — we are right in the middle. Apple has a really strong environmental policy."

Jobs went on to address the all of group’s charges one at a time, which included accusations that Apple uses prison or forced labor in the recycling programs, that it ships hazardous e-waste overseas, and that the iPod is a "time-bomb" for health and the environment because it contains toxic materials that will eventually wind up in incinerators or landfills.

Addressing the iPod charges, Jobs said there is a small amount of lead in the iPod but that the company was working to get that out. "To call the iPod an environmental time-bomb is just inexcusable,” he said.

During the question and answer session, Jobs was asked about the release of Mac OS X Tiger and Microsoft’s Longhorn operating system.

“They are shamelessly trying to copy us,” said Jobs. “I think the most telling thing is that Tiger will ship at the end of the month and Longhorn is still two years out. They can’t even copy fast,” Jobs said as the crowd cheered.

Additional details and a full list of Jobs' responses to the group of environmentalists is available in the Yahoo News report.

33 Comments

melgross 21 Years · 33664 comments

The board was re-elected. Now that's a surprise.!

nagromme 23 Years · 2831 comments

"Jobs said there is a small amount of lead in the iPod but that the company was working to get that out."

Good for Apple, seeing to that change.

And good for the environmentalists, helping to make it happen! Whether Jobs likes the PR or not.

As for Jobs other responses... I suspect if you looked into the details, the environmental groups weren't really protesting only non-issues based on mistaken facts.

For instance: "We don?t use any prison or forced labor in our recycling programs or anywhere else."

But that "we" doesn't answer whether they OUTSOURCE to companies that do. I certainly can't tell from Jobs' comment.

Basically half-answers as would be expected at such a meeting. (And is it really true that you can't recycle Dells and HPs for free? Many people seem to think you can.)

I hope the environmental groups don't let up on Apple or on any other corporations. And I hope those companies listen, as Apple seems to be doing.

?We don?t really know, but we think their goal is to use Apple?s visibility to gain publicity for their own group."

Exactly Doing anything else would be stupid, and the cause is an important one. People are ignorant, and sending out a memorable message can do some good.

I'm a fan of Apple products, but that doesn't change that some real issues CAN be improved on.

aplnub 21 Years · 2385 comments

Quote:
Originally posted by AppleInsider
...all current members of the board, including ..., Al Gore, Steve Jobs, ...


Is that THE Al Gore or just some dude with the same name?

slughead 21 Years · 1124 comments

I'm really disappointed in jobs, as he didn't use the term "stinky hippies" in his decrying of the shameless environmental self-promotion.

slughead 21 Years · 1124 comments

Quote:
Originally posted by aplnub
Is that THE Al Gore or just some dude with the same name?

Al Gore, the former presidential candidate, is on the board at Apple.